queror upon them, we should sternly and remorselessly keep it there. But God will never suffer us so to hold these Eastern races in subjection. If there be one thing which more than another He has taught us, speaking terribly to us through these late calamities, it is that the natives of India-abject, down-trodden as we have long supposed them to be-are capable of rising against their conquerors, and that we cannot permanently hold them in subjection by their fears. It is by our practical Christianity, by lessons of kindness and love, by doing never to them what we would not have done to ourselves, that we must now endeavour to perpetuate the connexion between the two countries, and to diffuse our Christianity among the people, by showing them how holy a thing it is, and how blessed its results. To the missionary and to the schoolmaster may well be left the direct work of preaching and of teaching. There is no want of appointed labourers, and there is no need, therefore, that the servants of Government should tread in those especial vineyards. But no man need complain, therefore, that he is prohibited from doing the work of his heavenly Master. By the blamelessness of his life, by the gentleness of his demeanour, by his abundant charity, by his deeds of mercy, by his steadfast assertion of his holy religion, proving that he is not only ready, if need be, to die for his faith, but what is better still, to live for it, he may make the people, by whom he is surrounded, so enamoured of Christianity, that they will exclaim, "Surely the religion which bears such fruits is not a delusion and an imposture."

DUTY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE.

505

And the people of England, too-the home-staying people-they also have a duty to perform. Earnestness is a great thing, but patience is a better; and what should be now preached to the people of England, in respect of this great matter of Christianity in India, is, that they should possess themselves in patience. That all who appreciate the inestimable blessings of Christianity should eagerly desire to impart to others the glad tidings of salvation, is the necessary result of their own sincerity of faith. If I have said anything to encourage this desire, I shall not have written in vain. But, as one earnestly desiring to hasten the coming of Christ's kingdom, I cannot refrain from counselling moderation in language and forbearance in action. The Devil himself could not, in such a crisis as this, desire anything better for his own interests than a display of ignorant, unreflecting Christian zeal on the part of his enemies. Pure as may be the source from which it springs, such zeal is not in accordance with those blessed lessons of practical wisdom taught by Him who lifted up His voice against the folly of putting new wine into old bottles, and upon whose lips ever hung the lowly exhortation to give no offence. The people of England may be assured that the question which many would rashly attempt to solve-at any time, and under any circumstances, a very difficult and a very delicate one-is surrounded with peculiar perplexities and embarrassments, the growth of recent events, and that any arrogant rushings-in, regardless of the warning voices of those whose zeal takes

another direction, will assuredly retard the coming which they seek to accelerate. It is vain for us thus. to endeavour to anticipate God's good time: we need fear nothing if we wait patiently and prayerfully. "What bright hope there is," recently said one of the best of our new-school prelates, "that, in God's good time, India shall become, in reality, a Christian country! We may not, indeed, be too sanguine in our expectation of immediate results. But the matter is in God's hands, and we cannot doubt that He has the intention of christianizing India in the distance. God is evidently dealing with us, and working with us, and out of all this apparent evil He will, eventually, bring good. Those clouds that have settled so thickly over the horizon will soon disperse, and the brightness of the Gospel of Christ will shine yet more and more unto the perfect day." True, indeed! And the clouds are now well nigh dispersed: the day is dawning: there is glorious promise of meridian brightness. Let us then have Faith; let us have Hope; let us have Charity. With these great gifts, we may "learn for the result to wait Heaven's time, and to have confidence in Heaven's means," for the extension of Christ's kingdom upon earth.

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I.

[Chapter IL-Page 60.]

THE FIRST PROTESTANT CHURCH IN INDIA.

AN interesting account of Streynsham Masters' Church, and of the charities connected with it, is given by one Charles Lockyer, who visited the Madras coast at the beginning of the eighteenth century. It conveys, on the whole, rather a favourable impression of the settlement:-"The church is a large pile of arched building, adorned with curious carved work, a stately altar, organs, a white copper candlestick, very large windows, &c., which render it inferior to the churches of London in nothing but bells; there being only one to mind sinners of their devotion; though I've heard a contribution for a set was formerly remitted the Company. Church stock, anno 1703, was 6,705 pagodas in houses, plate, cash, &c., which, with orphans' money, makes their account current 13,753 pagodas. Orphans' money is when wealthy parents dying bequeath their estates to children incapable of managing them, and make the Church trustees; to provide a good education, and prevent the abuses their minority might render them incident to from a single guardian, who often prefers his own private ends to the trust reposed in him. Above three quarters of this stock not being at use, and that one might not gain all, while another's cash lying dead can increase nothing, the advance on what is let out is distributed yearly among them, in proportion to their estates in money, and makes about seven per cent. per annum round. Church stock became so considerable from the free gifts of pious persons, and monthly collections in time of divine service, for maintenance of the poor, which, one year with another, amounts to above 350

pagodas; but they wanted not near that sum, the remainder is passed to this account. Prayers are read twice a day; but on Sundays, religious worship is most strictly observed. Betwixt eight and nine the bell tells us the hour of devotion draws near, a whole company of above 200 soldiers is drawn out from the inner fort to the church-door, for a guard to the passing president, ladies throng to their pews, and gentlemen take a serious walk in the yard, if not too hot. On the governor's approach, the organs strike up, and continue a welcome till he is seated, when the minister discharges the duty of his function, according to the forms appointed by our prudent ancestors for the Church of England. The holy sacraments of communion and baptism are received as in England; nor is there a Sunday, but the country Protestants are examined in the catechism. They likewise keep a free school, in a large room under the library, appointed for that purpose, where children may learn to read and write, without charge to their parents. Books of divinity in the library are valued at 4381. 6s."

APPENDIX II.

[Chapter V.-Page 146.]

OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH IN INDIA.

66

[From a Despatch of the Court of Directors, dated May 25th, 1798.]

Conceiving it a duty incumbent upon us to afford our civil and military servants, and all Christians living under our protection, professing the Protestant religion, the means of attending Divine service, in which we trust those in superior stations will set the example, we most cheerfully acquiesce in your proposal for erecting chapels in the progressive manner pointed out in the 63rd paragraph of the letter to which we are now replying, such edifices to be as plain and simple as possible, that all unnecessary expense may be avoided.

66

Having thus, as far as depends upon us, provided for the due observance of public worship on the Sabbath-day, we cannot avoid mentioning the information we have received, that at the military stations it is no uncommon thing for the solemnity of the day to be broke in upon by horse-racing, whilst Divine worship (for which the Sabbath is especially enjoined to be set apart) is never performed at any of those