that this is almost the only instance on record of a nation having been the first to desire Christianity, and, consequently, of their having been willing to receive it under whatever form it should come. It is a known fact, that the natives of those islands, in consequence of seeing the superiority of the traders from other nations, and principally of those from America, were led to ask for missionaries to propagate Christianity among them. This at once forbids our considering the establishment of Christianity there, as the result of any principle of faith, presented to the acceptance of the individuals; they conceived that Christianity was a better system than their own, because they had seen it give men a superiority of mind and character; and, with exceeding good sense, no doubt, they determined on embracing it. But it cannot be considered as a fair specimen of the success which Protestant doctrines can have, when preached to heathen and uncivilized nations. I should be sorry to enter on a history of this mission on another account. Having conceded to it all that can be called outward success, that is to say, that immense numbers of the natives have embraced Christianity; and having excluded it from the object which I have in view, which is to try the comparative strength and power of the different systems preached, I should be sorry to enter into a history of it, because it seems to present one of the most lamentable effects of misguided zeal, that probably could be conceived. I have with me extracts from writers, describing the state of these islands after they had been, not converted, but subjugated, by the missionaries; who, after having made themselves masters of the whole temporal dominion of the islands, after having made the king and his people their slaves, after having stript the natives of that simplicity of character for which they were before remarkable-and I am sure you would hardly believe it possible that men, under the shelter of the Word of God, and professing to teach the doctrines of Christianity, could have so acted, have reduced the country to a state of such wretchedness, that persons who have since visited it, declare, that, instead of a blessing, the new religion has been its utter ruin. They say, that the system of Christianity enforced on the natives, has been such, as totally to change them for the worse; that, instead of an active open-hearted race, it has rendered them crafty, indolent, and treacherous: so that, immense tracts of country, which were formerly covered with the most beautiful crops, are now totally barren; and the cultivation of that important plant, the bread-fruit tree. has been so neglected, that it is in danger of becoming extinct in the

island; that feuds, quarrels, and disputes, have been so general, that a prince, one of the most intelligent persons in the country, and the first to embrace Christianity, on the arrival of the missionaries, had fitted out an expedition, to emigrate from his own country, because he could not bear the severity of their yoke. These are facts which have been published in this country,* and I shall perhaps have occasion to return to them, and say something more of these islands, when I come to treat of the missions established in them by the Catholics within these few years.

Such, however, seems to be the result of the missionary system as hitherto tried, in every case; and I am not conscious of having concealed any thing, or of having overlooked any testimony that could go against me. I have carefully drawn my extracts from the original reports; but I have not given you one half the store of materials which I had brought together in examining the subject. The result, however, is satisfactory beyond any thing, that hitherto the attempts made to preach the Gospel to the heathen on the Protestant principle, that the Bible alone is sufficient-that there was to be no other sanction or authority in religion-has almost, without exception, everywhere failed. There is yet another point to be examined. In spite of what I have said, we meet constantly, in the reports of the societies, an account of many persons being converted. Now, I have not been able to help noting certain criterions of great importance, in estimating the character of the conversions so stated.

In the first place, you must not allow yourselves to be led away by those reports, which speak of the immense number of copies of the Bible and the New Testament distributed among the natives of heathen countries,-you must not suppose that this gives any evidence of conversion,-or that, because missionaries ask for innumerable quantities of Bibles, any thing like a proportionable number of conversions are made. For, these Bibles are sent out in cargoes, and accumulated in warehouses abroad, or distributed to persons who make no use of them at all, or make them serve any purpose, as you will see by a few examples, which I will give you just now. General Hislop, for instance, in his "History of the Campaign against the Mahrattas and Pindarris," says, that

* Consult the "Voyages of H. M. S. Blonde to the Sandwich Islands." Lond. 1827. "The Quarterly Review," vol. xxxv. p. 400, and lxx. p. 609. Kotzebue's "Second Voyage round the World," and Augustus Toole's "Account of a nine months' residence in New Zealand."

"these missionaries think that this distribution of the Gospels in Chinese, Sanscrit, &c. is sufficient to obtain their purpose; and as they send out these books to English agents and magistrates, in different places, so they reckon the number of their converts, and the success of their labours, in proportion to the copies distributed." He says, that he knew several residences, where no vessel ever arrived without a case or bale of Bibles for distribution. The residents send them in every direction, by hundreds at a time. The Chinese look at them, and say that they have more beautiful histories in their own literature, and have not the least idea whether they are intended for amusement or instruction, and, after having read them, throw them aside; so that the resident could not possibly distribute any more: but the ardent zeal of the Malacca missionary continued to supply them, by ship after ship, in such quantities, that they were obliged to be placed in a warehouse! He adds, that, "this is the missionary who had written to the Bible Society that they might send him out a million of Bibles; and in this way it would have been easy to dispose of them.”*

I have also seen a letter, and will quote it, although it is from a Catholic authority, written a few years ago by the Vicar Apostolic of Siam, who relates precisely the same circumstance," That two English emissaries had arrived, and were distributing Bibles in every direction; the people used them to wrap up their merchandise in the shops; some of them, however, brought them to the Catholic clergy as of no use. He then remarks, "in this way reports are sent over, and the number of converts are reckoned by the number of Bibles distributed. I know that not a single conversion has been made by them."+

In the French "Asiatic Journal," we are assured, on the authority of a letter from Macao, that copies of Dr. Morrison's

* See the Monthly Review, No. 94, p. 369.

The letter is dated 20th June, 1829, and was communicated to me by the Cardinal Cappellari, to whom it was addressed, now worthily raised to a higher dignity. I will give the good Bishop's own words, as they contain other curious facts.-"Duo emissarii societatis biblistarum huc venerunt a decem circiter mensibus, immensos libros Bibliorum lingua sinica scriptos sparserunt inter Sinenses. Alii illis utuntur ad fumandum tabacum, alii ad involvenda dulciaria quæ vendunt, alii denique tradiderunt nostris, qui ad me detulerunt tanquam inutiles. Numerant isti biblista libros sparsos, et postea scribunt in Europam, dicentes, tot esse gentiles factos christianos quot sunt libri sparsi: at ego, qui sum testis ocularis, dico, ne unum quidem factum christianum. Voluit ab initio rex Siam expellere eos, significatum est illis nomine

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Bible, which had been introduced into China, were afterwards sold by auction; and that the greater part of them were bought by manufacturers for different purposes, but principally by the makers of slippers, which they used to line with them! It is painful and humiliating, and unbecoming the solemnity of this place, to mention such circumstances; but they are important, towards undeceiving those who think that all these Bibles are put to a useful purpose, instead of this degrading and disrespectful use being made of the Word of God.*

But the fact is, that the Bibles so sent are easily and willingly received by the natives, under peculiar circumstances; and I will read you, in illustration, an extract from Martyn's Diary. He says, "Early this morning they set me ashore, to see a hot spring. A great number of Brahmans and Fakirs were there. Not being able to understand them, I gave away tracts. Many followed me to the budgerow, where I gave away more tracts, and some Testaments. Arrived at Minghir about noon. In the evening, some came to me for books, and among them those who had travelled from the spring, having heard that I was giving away copies of the Ramayuna. They would not believe me when I told them it was not the Ramayuna. I gave them six or eight more."+ Ramayuna signifies the adventures of the God Ramah, which these poor creatures supposed the Bible to contain ; so that missionaries, who did not know the language, might have stated, that they were so anxious for the Bible as to have followed them miles to obtain a copy. Again:-"A man followed the budgerow along the walls of the fort, and, finding an opportunity, got on board with another, begging for a book, not believing but that it was the Ramayuna." In another place he tells us, that he sent a copy of the Bible to one of the native princesses; and you may see how little good it was likely to do here, and what a small chance of conversion there was by such a process. The Ranee of Daudnagar, to whom he had sent it through the Pundit, returned her compliments, and begged to know what was to be done to obtain benefit from the book, whether she had to say a prayer, or was she to make a

regis ut abirent, petierunt ut simul expellerentur missionarii apostolici. Respondit Barcalo, primus regni minister, sacerdotes gallos habere confidentiam regis ab initio etc. Videtur mihi rex timuisse ne nationem illorum offenderet, et mediante pecunia, ut puto, usque modo remanent." * Nouveau Journal Asiatique, 1828, tom. ii. p. 40. + Ubi Sup. p. 260.

+ Ib.

salaam, or bow to it?* Thus, therefore, all the idea she had of the book, was, that some superstitious homage should be paid to it. To these examples I could add many more, of a similar character. The Abbé Dubois has related an amusing anecdote, concerning the Telinga version of St. Matthew's Gospel, which a deputation of native Catholics laid, in grave silence, at his feet. It had been received from a Protestant missionary, and had proved the utter perplexity of several villages, the readers of which, assembled in council, had not been able to comprehend a syllable of it. They had at length taken it to an eminent astrologer in the neighborhood; who, having studied it to no purpose, and wishing to conceal his ignorance, seriously assured them that the work was a complete treatise on magic, and must be destroyed, lest some calamity might befal them. And they had now accordingly brought it in a bag to their priest, to know how they might best dispose of it.†

Again, we are assured upon good authority, that a version of the Bible was sent among the Tartars of the Caucasus, supposed to be in their own language; but it was so written that they did not understand a word of it; and the consequence was, that the books were torn in pieces, and made use of as wadding for their guns. The Chevalier Gambia observes, that, at Astracan, a great number of Bibles were sent out to convert the natives, but as the greater part of them could not read, of course they could not make the slightest use of them so that the present was completely thrown away. These are a few of many examples to show you how very fallacious it is to judge of the extent of conversion, or of the propagation of Christianity, by the returns of the distribution of Bibles among the natives of heathen countries.

Another fallacious rule, is the number of scholars and schools; and it is very singular that several of the missionaries constantly write that all their congregation consists of their schools. But with regard to this part of missionary labours, there are two striking remarks. The first is, that many heathens, and especially the Hindoos, have no objection to frequent these schools, and to send their children, but yet are not thereby led to embrace Christianity. Mr. Lushington, in a work published at Calcutta, in 1824, enters at full length into remarks upon this subject. He says, "that it is now

* Ubi Sup. p. 240.

†“Annales de la propagation de la Foi," tom. i. p. 159, 1829. ↑ “Journal Asiatique,” ib.