convert; that, after the seventh year, they received one, and that he afterwards brought another, so that in the end they had four proselytes; when, in consequence of the war breaking out, the mission was broken up.* Here, then, we have the same mystical number of seven years, which seems to mark the barren and fruitless exertions of every society, again spent in the task of conversion; at the end of which the Church consisted of only one convert, and, in two or three subsequent years, was farther increased to four. We have it described in the journal of these simple persons, how they proceeded in the work of conversion; and we find that it was by presenting the natives with the Bible, and desiring them to read it, fancying that, in this way, they might be brought to embrace the doctrines of Christianity.

There is another society whose labours are directed to heathen India, but of whose success I have yet said nothing. I allude to the Scotch Missionary Society, founded in 1794. The pamphlet which I hold in my hand, contains an eloquent and sensible address made to the society in May of last year, by the Scotch Assembly's first missionary to India, Mr. Duff. He details, in an interesting manner, the defects of the system hitherto followed, and dwells on the difficulties to which the missionary is subjected when he attempts to preach the gospel. He is perplexed whence to draw his evidences, or to what authority he should appeal. If he speak of the internal evidence of the Scriptures, the Brahman immediately meets him with the Vedas, and attempts to show as strong grounds for their divine authority. If the Christian appeal to Scripture miracles, the Indian has an abundant store to place in opposition. Thus, every argument fails; and if you succeed in driving them from their own convictions, the consequence too often is, according to the author's expression, that they leap over Christianity, from Paganism into Atheism. The Scotch Missionary Society has, consequently, adopted a new plan; that of educating natives, from childhood, for missionary pur

* See their journal, or its review in the Quarterly, Dec. 1825. p. 53.

poses. Whether this will prove a more successful method, time alone can show. But the departure from the system pursued by all other societies, and by this one itself at first, proves that experience had shown it to be ineffectual. Indeed the entire statement of the missionary supposes, and is directed to prove, that it has been unattended by any fruit.

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Coming now to a general conclusion, with regard to the whole of India, we find again a number of confessions, that considering India altogether, not with reference to one religion or another, or one society rather than another, it must be acknowledged that there have been little or no good results. In a work, published at Edinburgh in 1822, entitled "Reflections on the State of British India," the author gives us the result of his experience on the subject of Indian conversion. "The extraordinary conversions," he writes, announced in the Quarterly Review, may have taken place, but in the east they are unknown. The individuals who have embraced the Christian religion are mostly considered as persons driven from their castes in consequence of their crimes, and attracted to a new religion by a less severe morality.' Thus, therefore, again we have the circumstance repeated, that all the converts had previously lost their caste; but we have this very severe remark in addition, that they were drawn to embrace the religion preached to them, because it proposed a laxer code of morals than their heathenish law!

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Another work, also, about the same period, and one which, so far as I have noticed, certainly does not seem to be adverse to the cause of missionary societies, expresses itself in this manner. It is a fact that may be unpalatable to those who are sanguinely looking for the conversion of Hindoostan; but it ought not to be dissembled, that up to this day, Christianity has made little or no real progress among that people. Thirty years have passed since the missionaries commenced their labours, and it may be confidently asserted, that more than

* P. 42.-Not having access to the work, this passage has rather the substance than the very words of the author.

300 converts have not been made in this long space of time; among whom, it may be doubted, if any Brahmin or Rajahpoot can be named."*

There is another authority which I will quote before leaving these missions: "The London Asiatic Journal" for 1825, observes, that in the actual state of the Hindoos, the difficulties opposed to the progress of Christianity, are altogether insuperable; and that there is not the slightest reason to believe, that the sweet and mild truths of Christianity, will make them renounce their errors. This Journal, which has considerable sources of information, again declares, that, so far as its experience goes, there is no reason to think it possible to convert the Indians—and that, hitherto, obstacles which are considered insurmountable have been found in the way.*

So much, therefore, for the propagation of Christianity in India. You have seen how it has been acknowledged, by persons of every class, interested in the success of these missions, -by persons who have all the means of arriving at correct information regarding them, and I have not quoted one Catholic writer,—that, hitherto, nothing has been done, that can be considered demonstrative of the divine blessing on the labours of those who have undertaken the task. The fact is, that they must be pronounced completely unsuccessful; for, after all, one, or two, or five hundred conversions, would not be wonderful in any case; because there are always some local or individual interests, by which many persons may be led to embrace any system of religion, out of such an immense population. This is not the success which Christ intended his Church to have, or is it what she ever before understood by the work of converting heathen nations.

If we go to North America, we have circumstances of * Monthly Review, vol. xcix. p. 223.

P. 158. It is evident from later writers, that little or no improvement has taken place in the Indian mission, since the date of the documents which I have quoted. Consult, for instance, Hoole's " Personal Narrative of a Tour in the south of India," from which I could draw both negative and positive proof of the total failure of any thing like conversion among the Hindoos.

another character, but still of a very interesting nature. It is necessary, carefully, to distinguish the work of conversion, where undertaken alone, upon its own merits, or when followed in connexion with the work of civilization. In India the case

is such as to admit of a very fair test-the natives there were in possession of the arts of life, sufficient to make them satisfied with their own condition, and, perhaps, look down on European civilization, as of a lower character than their own. They were in possession of a literature, of sacred books, and other documents, which they considered to rest on grounds sufficiently demonstrable: and, consequently, they were not to be easily led by any thing but the presentation of truth itself; that is, of truth manifestly preferable to the opinions in which they had been brought up. But when you go among savage

tribes, and offer them not merely religion, but through it the arts of life; when the missionary bears in one hand, indeed, the Bible, but with the other, presents to them the plough; when he communicates all those advantages, which can put them on a level with those by whom they are surrounded, and whom they are obliged to acknowledge superior to them; there is immediately excited a feeling of such a complex character, that it is exceedingly difficult to decide, whether, the doctrines presented on the one hand, or the results of these doctrines, as discoverable and illustrated in the improvement of man's outward condition, are the influencing motive. If to this you add still farther the consideration, that the people so addressed, are actually reduced to a small and insignificant number; that they see themselves completely surrounded, and, against their will, absolutely incorporated with nations of a different character, and of different habits, who through those very differences have been able to overcome them, and become their masters. And when they see that very civilization and that information, which makes others so superior, proferred to them, yet so compounded as to embody amongst their principal elements, a new system of religious opinions, we cannot be surprized if, after struggling for years against this influence,

they should at length give way, and yield up to those habits, and with them those religious feelings and opinions, which they could no longer retain. These reflections are of considerable importance towards making a proper estimate of the only two countries in which it can be said that the Protestant missions have at all succeeded; and if you will follow my slight historical sketch of them, you will acknowledge their truth.

No sooner was the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel founded in this country, than it was determined to establish a mission among the natives of South America. The first attempt was made among the Yammosses of North Carolina, and completely failed. It was renewed a few years afterwards, and Archbishop Tennison, by command of Queen Anne, undertook the commencement of the work, by sending out missionaries. One, of the name of Moore, went out in 1704; but, after a very short time, finding all his efforts unsuccessful, he embarked for England, but was lost at sea. This failure is attributed to the influence of the Catholic missionaries, who, as the "Christian Remembrancer" complains, had won the confidence of the Indians.*

In 1709, the missionary Andrews was employed, who was well calculated for the task, because he could speak the language of the natives; and, to aid him in his labours he had a translation of the New Testament, made by Mr. Freeman, Dutch clergyman at Schenectady, and fully competent to the task. This mission was founded in 1709, and in 1819 was again given up; and the reason assigned was, that the society could no longer maintain so expensive a mission. Yet had it been undertaken at the request of four chiefs, who had come to England to ratify a treaty. Some years later it was renewed, and after that time seemed attended with some success. But it may be necessary to state some circumstances connected with the history of these tribes.

The missionaries of whom I have spoken were sent to the *Vol. iii. p. 302. Lond. 1825.