chance of respectful entertainment, if he could avail himself of the sanction of some persons of eminence, experienced in the spiritual concerns of India, as its recommendation. Dr. Buchanan is a host; and when the late Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop Porteus are confederated with him, such authorities must challenge all the deference which, consistently with their public duty, Parliament can pay to an uncanvassed proposal. Our author, therefore, makes them partially responsible for his plan; for he states (p. 35) that "it was in part announced in a late publication of Dr. Buchanan's," but that it did not" originate with him, having been examined and approved by the Prelates above mentioned before his return from India.” "It seemed," however, to our author, (as, in the presence of these great authorities, he does not hesitate to state,)" to demand as well some modification as certain alterations," and so he undertakes to put the finishing stroke to it, and thus perfected once more, humbly proposes it to Parliament and to the people." What was the form in which the Prelates left the plan is not specified by our author, and therefore we are unable to appreciate either its defects or his improvements. But hav ing one of Dr. Buchanan's volumes at hand, that entitled

COLONIAL ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENT," curiosity led us to examine what part of the plan he had the credit of announcing, and to our surprise, at p. 110, we read the following passage:

"The adoption of means for the instruction of the natives is not the primary point of England's duty, in relation to her Indian Empire. She owes her primary obligations to her own children. This is her supreme duty. Let us first give religious instruction to our own countrymen; and the adoption of means for the more general and systematic instruction of the natives may be expected to follow in due time. Let us first organize our own Church in Asia, and then that Church will be the fittest instrument for carrying on the general conversion and civilization of the natives.”

Looking a little further our surprize encreases when we read (p. 162) that," if ever Christianity pervade that country, (India) generally, it must be by the ministrations of the natives," whose instruction and ordination (p. 147) can only be accomplished by slow degrees," and (p. 28) that the providing

power of Ordination on the spot" carries with it all that is required: and, accordingly, in " a sketch" subjoined " of an Ecclesiastical Establishment for British India," 3 Bishops, 3 Archdeacons, 40 European, and 60 Country Chaplains appear; but not a word about Missionaries. In short, what our author depreciates in the Parliamentary provision, as merely "not leaving

the

the question wholly untouched," viz. the appointment of a Bishop, &c. consummates all Dr. Buchanan's desires and expectations, and is so far from "making," as our author alleges, "not the smallest provision for the conversion of the Hindoos," that it makes the only one which the Dr. conceives will be effectual.

Returning then to the important question with which the pamphlet commences, What part ought the Church of England to act in the great work of Evangelizing the East:" we cannot refrain from expressing our regret, that his Majesty, as the Head of that Church, was not empowered by the Legislature to carry into exceution the abovementioned plan of an Ecclesiastical Establishment for India, uncrippled by the reduction of the three Bishopricks proposed, to one for the whole Peninsula. Had this mutilation been over-ruled, the above interesting question dexterously raised by our author, for the serving up his salmagundi of religious principles, might have been dismissed as altogether impertinent-every thing not merely necessary but conducive to the great work, having been done by the Stainte, from which occasion to raise the question was taken; and, under present circumstances, we do not see the "nodus vindice dignus" to cal forth his labours, the omissions in the plan as enacted by Parliament, comprizing all that is required for its completion: nay, defining those limits where divinely appointed agency terminates; and human inventions begin, and therefore where God's blessing is withdrawn from the undertaking, and those "exacerbations," announced by our author, begin to operate, which are the sure presage of discomfiture to any purpose into which they are introduced, and bring it finally to nought.

"What part the Church of England then has yet to act in the great enterprise" in question, may be stated in a few words; she has to act the part of remembrancer to the Legislature, and availing herself of seasonable moments as they occur, to urge the completion of what the recent Statute has left defective in the Church Establishment of India, viz. the erecting into Bishopricks the two Presidencies of Madras and Bombay, for which Archdeacons only are provided, and thus besides affording them the real in exchange for the nominal benefits of Episcopal superintendence, exhibiting Christianity also in its perfect form, and with all its divinely instiated attractions in each of the seats of government instead of one only of our Eastern Empire: for Mr. Cunningham's views of Christianity must not be suffered to abrogate our Lord's description of his own religion, that it is a kingdom-a kingdom indeed not of this world-but still a kingdom-not a confused multitude, some proclaiming to here is Christ, and others lo he is there: but a universal society professing a

Common

common faith, offering up with one accord and through one Mediator common prayers and supplications, working out by the faithful performance of stipulated conditions, a common salvation, and governed by his delegated representatives, continued to our own times by regular succession. Mr. Cunningham's views, we repeat it, must rot abrogate this, for if they do, Antichristianism instead of Christianity, will be established-not the worship of God, but the idolatry of mens' distempered imaginations.

46

But before we quit the interesting subject which has been brought under review, it will be no relevant diversion of our reader's thoughts, to turn them retrospectively to what has been already done in furtherance of this great national object; as a more satisfactory pledge that Government feel its importance, and are hearty in the purpose of accomplishing it, cannot be afforded. The appointment of a Bishop to inda, is treated (as we have had occasion to notice) with great contempt by Mr. Cunningham, in whose imagination a detachment from his projected "disposable force," would have been much more to the purpose. This, however, is the act of government to which we spe cially refer; for we are at issue with our author upon the point of Episcopacy, considering it not as a "peculiar modification,' but as of the very essence of Christianity; and though we would by no means be understood so far to disparage the former religiousestablishment of India, asto represent it unepiscopal. The Bishops of London having always acted as its Spiritual Overseers-yet, at the distance of a Hemisphere," (to recur again to our author's significant phraseology,) their authority cannot have been exercised, nor their influence felt with more than nominal advantage. In effect, therefore, the entrance of the Bishop of India, upon his sacred function, is a new and a critical æra in its religious history: it introduces discipline into the hitherto unregulated ministries of Christianity; it consolidates its professors-dispersed and unconnected under the former state of things-in a visible Christian Church; and it raises our holy religion from the manger and the stable, in which it has been too long suffered to remain dishonoured in our Asiatic terrories, to the inheritance of its own throne of glory." Changes, such as these, evidently require no ordinary mas to regulate and conduct them. They all result necessarily from the faithful performance of the Episcopal functions, but a premature, or insufliciently moderated attempt to press them forward, by measures which an indiscreet conscientiousness might dictate, so far from conducing to the carrying them into full effect, would undoubtedly cast new and formidable daticulties in the way, and greatly retard, if it did not frustrate the beueficent,

FUL. IIL FEBRUARY, 1815.

.

neficent purpose which the real friends to Christianity have it so much at heart to accomplish.

The arduous service which the Bishop of India has to perform, is to bring the Episcopal functions into full operation without exciting jealousy in the various quarters in which, such (it is to be feared) is the predisposition towards it, that it may be very casily fomented: but this is not all, he has not merely to obtain tolerance for the system of Ecclesiastical government which he is employed in erecting; but he has to insinuate its restraints with such delicacy and conciliation, that from every point to which its authority radiates, affection and respect towards it shall be reflected, till the public suffrage generally speaks its praise, and the beauty of holiness," which marks its progress, begets in every breast the profoundest veneration.

With these impressions strong upon our minds, we have re garded the Indian Episcopate from the moment its establishment came under our contemplation, as no ordinary Ecclesiastical appointment; and when, on entering upon this retrospect, we assigned as our reason for doing so, that it would afford the most satisfactory pledge that government were alive to the importance of the dissemination of Christianity in India, and hearty in their purpose of accomplishing it, we referred to the selection made of the person to be first Bishop of the newly-created See, and therefore to have the conduct of the undertaking; for, without entering into an enumeration of the eminent qualifications of Dr. Middleton for the distinguished station, it may at least be said, that all that is stated above as requisite to the success of his la bours may be expected from him. From this appointment then, so demonstrative of the discrimination of those who made it, we take confidence that an enlightened policy with respect to India prevails; and sure we are that our rulers could not have laid a better foundation for "discharging their duty to the prostrate millions" of its inhabitants, than providing, as they have done, for the efficient discharge of the Episcopal functions, and for raising the Episcopal character in public repute to the highest estimation. Nay, we would go further, and say that the great object in view is thus put so auspiciously in course to its accomplishment, that were no obstructions interposed to thwart the Bishop's counsels, and disappoint their silent operation, a successful issue might be confidently anticipated, however gradually it might proceed. But when we read Mr. Cunningham's manifesto, proclaiming "embarkations for India" from all the different bodies of dissenters, and menacing us not merely with their perverse disputings against the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England; but moreover (p. 42.) with "conflicts and exacerbations" amongst them selves, what other prospect will connmon sense justify us in look

ing forward to than that God's great name will rather be the more blasphemed by these Heathens through us, than that we shall promote in the least degree amongst them the belief of the Gospel; for, independantly of its divine authority, surely no conclusion is more obvious than that of St. Paul to the Corinthians, (1 Cor. xiv. 25-26.) that if the Gospel be preached to "unbelievers" by a variety of persons, each having "a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, or an interpretation" of his own, so far from being "editied" by these contradictory teachers, they will pronounce them "mad;" nor does his opposite conclusion carry less conviction with it, that if we wish to convince "unbelievers" "that God is in us of a truth," and to induce them to "fall down and worship him," we must studiously conceal from them what our author is pleased to designate "the various modifications of Christianity," that is in St. Paul's language, " doubtful disputations" and "questions engendering strife," and must "prophesy" (i. e.) propound to them with one mind and one mouth the truth as it is in Jesus. The monstrous proposition then, that " the propitious moment" for evangelizing India, is that in which we are exposing it to religious distractions, will be regarded, we trust, by our Rulers as it deserves, and we cannot but indulge the hope, that having some respect to the fate of America, to which the Sectarian Colony of New England greatly contributed*, they will be induced to exercise that wholesome restraint vested in them by Parliament upon "Missionary expeditions," and will thus not only testify their dissent from our author in this particular, but shew him likewise that "the field" of India is not thrown quite so open" as he conceives it to be, nor is yet become quite a "common" field, to be cultivated at pleasure by all adventurers, either with the "good seed of THE WORD" or with "tares" of various sorts, which our Lord says will surely "choak" it. Nor can we further avoid expressing our confidence, that if there is any accuracy in our author's statement (p. 20.) of persons having been ordained in this country for Indian Missionaries upon false titles, that such ordinations will not occur again. The Bishop of Calcutta is now, we trust, established in his Episcopal Chair, and can provide in this, as well as in every other respect, for the exigencies of his own diocese.

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We commenced our critical estimate of Mr. Cunningham's lucubrations by cordially rejoicing with him on the prospects opening upon India. At this point, however, our unanimity was interrupted, and we have felt it our duty to be at variance with

148.

See Boucher's Sermon on American Episcopate, p. 100. 103.