298 



trust his powerful language conveys the decided opinion of thou- 

 sands, and tens of thousands, who truly estimate the value of 

 Christianity. 



" I did not expect to hear that it could be a question amongst 

 Christians, whether any nation, uninstructed in religion, should re- 

 ceive instruction; or whether that instruction should be imparled 

 to them by a translation of the holy books into their own lan- 

 guage. If obedience to the will of God be necessary to happi- 

 ness, and knowledge of his will be necessary to obedience, 1 know 

 not how he that withholds this knowledge or delays it, can be said 

 to love his neighbour as himself. He that voluntarily continues 

 ignorant, is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces; as 

 to him that should extinguish the tapers of a light-house, might 

 justly be imputed the calamities of shipwreck. Christianity is 

 the highest perfection of humanity; and as no man is good but 

 as he wishes the good of others, no man can be good in the highest 

 degree, who wishes not to others the largest measure of the greatest 

 good. To omit for a year, or for a day, the most efficacious 

 method of advancing Christianity, in compliance with any pur- 

 poses that terminate on this side of the grave, is a crime of which 

 I know not that the world has yet had an example."* 



In minutely describing the tenets and influence of the Hindoo 

 religion, in a chapter mostly written at Chandode in the brahmi- 

 nical solitudes on the banks of the Nerbudda, I alluded to a ques- 

 tion which has been often asked me by wise and good men both 

 in Europe and Asia. " What benefit will the Hindoos derive from 

 being converted to Christianity? Why should we not leave them 



* Dr. Johnson. 



