hammedan superstitions, which had existed for ages, would not suddenly give way to the pure doctrines of Christianity; and, fearful of everything that might in any degree disturb the quiet of their empire, were careful not to arouse the inveterate prejudices of the natives, by any interference with their religion. Indeed, it is stated that in many instances heavy taxes have been imposed upon the natives by the Company for the support of heathen temples, and even Juggernaut, for the purpose of strengthening the British rule. Nor are the cases few in which the authorities have united with the idolaters, in undermining the influence of the missionaries.

Bishop Heber observes that, "Many of the adventurers who come hither from Europe are the greatest profligates the world ever saw; men whom nothing but despotism can manage, and who, unless they were really under a despotic rule, would insult, beat, and plunder the natives without shame or pity. Even now, many instances of insult and misconduct occur."

2. The very existence of the present system of British rule in India presents a perpetual and insuperable barrier to the Christianizing of that country. How little likely are the natives to adopt our religion, when many of the representatives of a Christian nation among them pay so little regard to justice. It does not require the keen-sighted perception of a Hindoo to discover the glaring contradiction between the lives of Englishmen there, and the pure and benevolent spirit of the missionary and his faith. These considerations would alone fully account for the slow progress of Christianity in India.

3. But there is still another obstacle to the spread of Christianity, not only in India, but in all portions of the pagan worlds, of which it gives me pain to speak. I refer to the sectarianism of the missionaries; and I speak of it with the greatest pain; for I do not love to blame those self-denying men, who have been willing to exchange the friends, the literature, the happiness of an English or an American home, with all the sweet charities of domestic life, for the dark abodes of idolatry. How does their zeal contrast with ours, when we hear their prayers to send them, of our wealth, sufficient to provide for them the common necessaries, to say nothing of the comforts of life, yet shut our ears to their cry? But I have felt this matter most deeply, and I must allude to it.

There is, in fact, I believe, far less sectarianism, among missionaries, than among those who send them; and in illustration of this, we have only to look over Great Britain and America, and enumerate the hundreds of sects, and listen to their strifes, controversies, and bickerings. Still, the missionaries are by no means free from this unhallowed spirit; and the heathen is not so blind but that he can see how repugnant to the precepts of Christ is the very existence of sects. Christ declared that a kingdom divided against itself could not stand.

The heathens find two missionaries among them, from England or America, to teach the same great system of faith-belief in the same Saviour, and preparation for the same heaven; and yet the Baptist spreads the Lord's Table, and forbids his brother to come to the feast! Perhaps his brother has come from a distant station, and called to take him by the hand,

and rest a while in his house.

They will pray appear to love

together, weep together, and each other; but they cannot sit together at the great Christian Feast. Will the Hindoo call this caste? or what?

A fact was related to me by a missionary who had been several years in India, which is in point. " I had," said he, "baptized by sprinkling, a native in India, and he seemed to understand the nature and feel the power of Christianity. Being obliged to leave my station for a while, a Baptist brother, at my request, came to take charge of my school during my absence. On a certain occasion, he was conversing with the native to whom I allude, on the subject of baptism. Ascertaining that I had performed that rite upon him, the Baptist entered into an argument to convince him that he had not been baptized; that, whatever I might have said, he could be sure that he had not been baptized; and that, if he would be saved, he must be immersed. The poor heathen shook his head, saying, 'Ah! Boodah is a better God!' and returned to the embrace of his idols. I saw him after this, and told him that I would immerse him if he chose; for I considered the form of baptism of little consequence. But he replied, 'I can't tell who speaks the most wisely; though I am certain you cannot both have the same religion. "

It is well known that the Baptist Church in America, after many bitter complaints, has seceded from the American Bible Society, because they would not print a new edition of the Bible, and change the phraseology of those parts which speak of baptism !

The Established Church have good bishops and ministers at their missionary stations, but they deny the validity of all other ordinations. They tell the heathen, that the Scotch or the American Presbyterian, or Baptist missionary, is no minister; no ambassador of Christ; has no right to administer the sacred ordinances of the Church. It makes the heart sick to contemplate these things. The pagan looks on, and more firmly adheres to his idols.

Can it be expected, either, that the heathen will perceive any beauty or divinity in a religion, which, by the practice of Christian nations, must appear to them to sanction the