due of their lives in labours and sufferings, to promote the glory of the one, and the happiness of the other in the world.

In order, therefore, to aid our enquiries into the truth or falsehood of the respective claims of the Bible and Hindoo Shasters, I shall now proceed, (as the tree is known by its fruits,) to bring them in this respect into comparison with each other. Sufficient on this head has already been said, in reference to the former: confining my attention, therefore, in conclusion, to the latter, allow me to ask the advocates of the Hindoo Shasters, if any effects similar to what have been described, have ever been produced by the religion which their Shasters inculcate; and if they cannot produce a multitude of cases in which such effects have attended its reception, if they can at least produce one solitary instance of its having ever reclaimed one man from vice, and effected a total change in his moral character. The answer to this question must, if dictated by truth, I apprehend, be in the negative. The Hindoos, in support of the divine authority of their religion, can produce no testimony of its having turned a sinner from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. The truth of the case, to every observer of the nature and genius of their religion, is too plain to be denied. Hindooism contains no principles calculated to produce effects equal to those which I have exhibited as resulting from the reception of the gospel, neither does it propose any similar perfection of character. The moral character of its adherents is in fact a thing of little importance, and on which it lays little stress: provided they attend to its prescribed ceremonies, it takes little notice of the vices in which they indulge. In short, to speak the plain truth, the moral character of its followers, instead of being elevated, is debased by it. It hardens the heart, destroys natural affection, by encouraging children to burn their parents; and by the indecent dances, profane songs, and other obscenities connected with its festivals*, it in

See a reference to these obscenities in the note at the foot of page 14. In addition to which, I may also refer the reader to the worship of Christno un

flames every depraved passion of the heart, and leads to the commission of a thousand crimes, which would not prevail in the manner they do, were it not for its influence upon the people, and their superstitious attention to the ceremonies and poojahs which it enjoins. Reason and common sense assure us, that there must ever be a connection between cause and effect. No effect of any kind can possibly be produced without a sufficient corresponding cause: consequently, as no good moral effect attends the reception of the Hindoo religion, it must be evident, that there is a want of corresponding principles in the nature and genius of that religion. For the confirmation of the truth of this assertion, allow me, by way of illustration, to request the reader's attention to the following question.

Suppose a man who is an atheist, and denies the existence of God, embraces the Hindoo religion. Suppose that whilst he was an atheist, he looked upon himself as a member of the great family of man, and as such, according to the dictates of natural conscience, he conducted himself in general with integrity and propriety towards his fellow creatures. Now suppose, I say, this man re-, nounces his former atheistical principles, and embraces the Hindoo religion, will any beneficial effect, I ask, be produced by this change upon his moral character? He will undoubtedly be required to perform a variety of ablutions and other useless ceremonies, but no good moral effect, I apprehend, will accrue as the fruit of the religion he has embraced. But suppose, for a moment, that this man, instead of becoming a Hindoo, becomes a Christian, and the scene is at once reversed. A moral change in his character will then take place, which in figurative

der the form of Christno Kallee, and the history from which it originates. This form of Christno may justly be called a personification of every vice; and if we cannot expect a nation to be better than its gods, we must of course, on this principle, so long as the Hindoos adhere to such a demoralizing system of religious worship, naturally expect their moral characters to be stained with every vice.

language well deserves to be called, " a new birth :"-he will, if a true Christian," be born again of the Spirit of God," renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil-crucify the flesh, with its affections and lusts-pass from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Under the genuine influence of Christian principles, he will set his affections on things above, and not on things on the earth; and habitually, as the great business, and most important end of life," follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." By becoming a Christian, he will become a better father, a better husband, a better subject, a better friend, and will uniformly endeavour, as the fruit of his religion, to discharge, in the fear of God, all the duties of public, social, and domestic life.

Here then we have the moral effect of the two systems (i. e. Hindooism and Christianity) brought into compari son with each other: and as a candid enquirer after truth, I must say, that whilst I am, by the moral change which Christianity always effects upon those who receive it in truth and sincerity, convinced and confirmed in the belief of its divine authority; so, on the other hand, I am constrained, not only on account of its producing no good moral effect upon its votaries, but also from a variety of other reasons, constrained to avow my utter disbelief of the divine authority of Hindooism; because in whatever way I view it, I can see nothing which appears to me worthy of, or which in any respect harmonizes with, the glorious and exalted character of its professed Author.

SECTION 4.

The Characters most in repute among the Hindoos. The assertion which I have made, that Hindooism proposes no perfection of character, and contains no principles calculated to produce any good moral effect, will, I apprehend, be contradicted by many of the advocates of that religion. They will deny my position by asserting, that it not only requires perfection of character, but that

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many who have attained to this perfection are to be found amongst the Hindoos. But, on enquiring where the cha racters possessed of these high attainments are to be found, I shall be pointed to the ascetics-to the men who have renounced the comforts of civil and domestic lifewho have retired into woods and uninhabitated parts of the earth, and by inuring themselves to a variety of pains, enduring privations, &c. live in the constant mortification of their earthly affections.

In reference to the supposed perfection of these ascetics, I reply, that the man who courageously meets his foe, who stands his ground in the day of battle, and comes off a conqueror, is undoubtedly more to be applauded than the man who runs away. Now the world is this enemy of the human race—an enemy which men must ever be conflicting with, during the period of their residence on earth: but these Hindoo ascetics, instead of standing their ground, and endeavouring to overcome this common foe, cowardly run away from him. Instead, therefore, of looking upon these as perfect characters, I rather look. upon them as wicked* beyond the ordinary class of men. We are all members of one great family, and required by God, each of us in our proper station, to perform our individual duty, by assisting and benefitting our fellowcreatures to the utmost of our power. These Hindoo ascetics, however, seem to overlook this important end of their existence, because by their manner of life they place themselves in such circumstances, as to be unable to perform any social or relative duty whatsoever. Such

*I allude to the wickedness of which these men are guilty, in separating themselves from the habitations of civil society, which is undoubtedly a breach of the second commandment, which says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." It is also an act of rebellion against God's instituted order of government in the natural world. To this also I might add the actual wickedness of which many of them (notwithstanding their apparent sanctity) are guilty. A Hindoo ascetic in the Upper Provinces, who has been for many years in high repute, was lately detected in having several women secreted, by whom he has had a large family of children, in his professed state of seclusion and celibacy.

a man's father or brother's house may be on fire—his nearest and dearest relations may be dying for want of food or medicine, or a thousand other calamities may have befallen them, and they may perish for want of that assistance which, merely from the habits of life which he has adopted, he is unable to afford them. In short, if such a man have any merit, it is only negative—it is merely the goodness of a stock or a stone: he can neither be a good subject, a good son, a good friend, nor any thing else; but is in fact a piece of mere useless lumber in the world, from whom no person whatever can possibly derive the least benefit. It is undoubtedly the duty of all men to mortify their earthly affections and sinful inclinations, because God has commanded it. If, however, it be requisite thus to retire from the world in order to accomplish this, then it is the duty of all men (as all are sinners) thus to retire, and forsake the habitations of civil society. But what, I ask, would be the effect which would result from the universal adoption of such a line of conduct? Business of course would in this case cease to be carried oncultivation of the ground could no longer be continued— all the common avocations of life must cease, and the human race, as the necessary consequence, must shortly become extinct.

Contrast then for a moment this destructive system with the means inculcated in the Bible, and adopted by the Christian, for the mortification of his carnal propensities and sensual affections. The Christian, instead of running away from the face of his enemy, the world, and neglecting, like the Hindoo ascetics, the duties of social and civilized life, stands his ground-engages in the conflictwatches and prays, according to the Saviour's command, (Mark xiv. 38.) and through the strength of divine grace gains a complete victory over it. He is in the world, and not of the world: he loves not the world, neither the things that are in the world. He possesses a faith which enables him to overcome the world (1 John v. 4.), which purifies his heart (Acts xv. 9.), works by love (Gal. v. 6.),