among sheep. These are injurious and not instructed Gurus. From your own books, which well describe the nature and tricks of the Gurus, it appears that they are Gurus for their bellies, and not for the good of their disciples: Jesus Christ says of such, "Beware." Therefore to call such men your gods is certainly not less foolish than wicked.

Moreover, the best instructions of your books your Gurus do not impart, and so they are of no service to you; but when Jesus Christ came, he in a public manner gave out his instructions to the people. The holy book mentions signs of a true Guru, which hear," If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, not unruly, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word, as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. No novice, lest being intoxicated with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Therefore, let them be such as are approved of by all."

7-Examination of Castes.

Among you it is said, there are four castes, i. e. Brahmans, Kshetriyas, Vaishyas, and Súdras. You say the Brahmans were produced from the mouth of Bramhá, the Kshetriyas from his arms, the Vaishyas from his thighs, and the Súdras from his feet. This both the Vedas and the Shástras declare. Now if these four classes were thus born in former times, why are they not born in the same way at the present? Again, who is the father and mother of Bramhá, and what is his descent? As Bramha was of one caste, how comes it to pass that his sons are of four castes? Will not a tree be of the same nature as the root? so, the father being of one nature, how could the children be of another? How is this to be understood? You say the mouth is the place of wisdom, and therefore the Brahmans were born from thence; the arms are the place of strength, therefore the Kshetriyas were born from thence; the Vaishyas, from their sitting on their thighs to transact their business, were born from the thighs; and Súdras, because they were doomed to labour, were born from the feet. In this manner is the birth of the four classes accounted for. Now, it is clear that this division or classification is according to their employment, and it is therefore improper to say that their descent is different. We see that at the present time the classes of men are still more diverse than they were in the beginning, which has evidently arisen from the persecution of men and the sin of fornication. As these are all from the four classes, so those four classes were of one descent, and only differred in employ. Behold, there are many kinds of deer, of birds, of beasts, &c. and wherever these

dwell, their descent it evident, for according to their forms and colours, they are differently named; but men were never of a different nature, and therefore to call them by different terms is very improper.

Hear then the true account. When God created the world, he made a man, and called him Adam, and then a woman, whom he called Eve, and from these two all mankind have sprung. This the holy book declareth, and hence therefore all mankind are of one descent.

8.-Examination of various Rites and Customs. Among you, it is said, according to the following couplet,— A Súdra is such by birth;

A Brahman is such by works,

that by birth all are Súdras, but that by ceremonies people become Dwija, or Brahmans; now according to this doctrine, supposing these ceremonies to be performed on them, any person could become a Brahman. Moreover, if Brahmans will eat from the hands of their own women, who in consequence of their not having attended to the ceremonies for making Brahmans, are no more than Súdras, what is the reason why they refuse to eat from hands of other classes, who are on a level with their own women? Again, if as you say, there is no salvation to be had by practising ceremonies, but that salvation is attached to the cultivation of the knowledge of Bramhá, then why do you not leave the practice of rites, and cultivate this knowledge? However, there is no salvation either in ceremonies or knowledge without devotedness to God, and this some of your own books abundantly declare. To adduce extracts to this effect were endless. Suffice to say, that from many parts of them, it is clear, that extensive knowledge and numerous ceremonies, if unaccompanied with devotion, are as useless as a cow, which eats and drinks, but yields no milk; the cultivators will suffer perdition. The holy book, though in a different way, declareth the same truth. Again, how can it be proper to say that no instruction shall be cultivated, except by Brahmans? for it is right that all men should obtain the knowledge of God. Instead of doing this, and so being ignorant of God, the people of this country serve and worship images; and have made mere ceremonies to serve instead of holiness; but to worship these images, which are made by the hands of men, and to salute them, is certainly very foolish in rational creatures. To perform in the name of such images the ceremony of the bath, to offer lights, perfumes, gold and silver ornaments; perform pilgrimages, observe feasts, institute the dance of profligacy and other vanities, is certainly unworthy of men, and by such means none will ever attain divine knowledge.

However, you say, that your Brahmans possess the images of stone and brass, &c. with life, and the divine presence, by their Jívanyás mantra; now let them try their skill with their man

tras on a dead corpse, and let them restore it to life. This they cannot do, and therefore it is clear that their pretended life-giving mantras are all a delusion.

Again, your Brahmans perform the ceremony of homa, or the offering of ghee to fire, that they may obtain the enjoyment of associating with the dissolute character named Rhambha. What a shameful disclosure is this! This ceremony is very likely to remove your sins!

Again, for the salvation of your deceased friends, you, every year, feed the Brahmans, and offer water; but be assured, that they will not so easily obtain deliverance, for God will reward or punish them according to their works.

You bathe, perform the evening and morning ceremonies, count your beads, perform austerities, offer gifts, perform charities, make Vows all these you perform. Also you visit holy places, as Tírúpatí, Shriranga, Kánchí, Kalahastí, Jaganátha, Benares, Rameswara;-to these you make pilgrimages;-also you wash in the Krishná, Káberí, Tungabhadrá, Godávarí, Nerinadá, Gangá ;—also you build temples, open wells, plant trees, dig pools, give promiscuous feasts, offer different kinds of drink, &c. By doing all these, as well as by gifts of cows, lands, the sixteen kind-gifts and the performance of the sixteen ceremonies, you suppose you will remove your sins, and secure merit: but be assured that by such works your sins will never be removed; the receivers only are benefited by such work. By way of purchase you cannot obtain salvation, for the things of this life are not your own, but you have obtained all from God, and therefore by gifts you can never purchase the kingdom of God, and if you hope to do so you will fall short at last.

Besides, you have different gods, who are constantly disagreeing with each other, so that you do not know either your own acknowledged gods, or the mode of their service. But, come, and I will show you the true path, and do you examine it well. All the forms and ceremonies which have been noticed are outward, and have no effect in purifying the heart. The holy book says, that the kingdom of heaven does not consist in meat and drink, but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Jesus Christ will become your instructor. He is the eternal Son of God, and united in his own person godhead and manhood; and in this form became a holy incarnation. He came into the world to destroy our sins; he kept all the holy laws of God, and then suffering the punishment of death, he offered his own blood as an offering to God, that he might appease his anger and deliver mankind. After death, on the third day he rose again, and showed himself to his disciples; and then while they still looked upon him, he entered his glorious kingdom, and now he is there as an intercessor for us.

Moreover, he said to his disciples, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature: he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned.

Therefore, think upon what he has done for you, repent of your sins, and by believing in his name, and receiving him as your Saviour, you shall obtain everlasting life. Amen.

III. On the Prosperity of the American Churches.

A former number of your publication contained a pleasing notice of the benevolence and progressive piety of different denominations of Christians in the United States. As it is always interesting to a Christian to contemplate the operations of grace among the children of men, I trust a few remarks additional may not prove unacceptable to your pious readers. Nor is the subject destitute of real importance, for if the American brethren have made enlarged progress in holy living and holy action, others may well be followers of them as they are of Christ. And should the following remarks in any measure confirm the impression of the representations recently submitted to your readers, in the interesting and judicious review of Dr. Sprague's book on Revivals, an important object will have been gained.

In surveying the condition of the American churches, it is obvious that their prosperity is not universal. Many churches in every denomination do not enjoy the special influences of the Holy Spirit; and in many no special means are employed to obtain the blessing of the great Head of the Church; but ministers and people are contented with a formal attendance on the ordinances and services of religion. Yet, blessed be God! in numerous other churches the state of things is widely different. Their "Revivals of Religion" are the subject of inquiry in every Christian land; in hundreds of churches, Christians live in humble and earnest efforts to grow in grace, and to commune with God; while it is hoped that the benighted heathen in all the ends of the earth will yet rejoice in the light which shall radiate from the American church.

From a partial acquaintance with the affairs of those churches, I propose briefly to advert to some of the causes of their prosperity.

1. Obstacles have been taken out of the way. Perhaps in no age of the church has the blessing of the Lord been obtained without a previous work of preparation on the part of the people. Thus it was in the revival of pure religion under Josiah; and thus also, in the days of Nehemiah. John the Baptist proclaimed repentance or reformation, and in later periods of the church the same course has been pursued. Indeed it requires but

little proof to satisfy any serious mind, that when the people of God would have Him to meet with them, they should first prepare themselves to meet with Him. For several years this reforming work has been apparent among the American Christians. Its effects are very manifest in the efforts to promote Temperance, by means of societies, formed on the principle of abstinence from ardent spirits; in the exertions to secure the observance of the Lord's day; and in the enforcement, from the Pulpit and the religious Press, of the Bible principles which forbid conformity to the world.

The assertion is often made, that the free use of distilled spirits prevailed to a greater extent in the United States than in any other Christian country. This statement needs, however, to be qualified; still there can be but one opinion as to the extent of the evil; and it is most pleasing to say, the extent of the reformation is no less astonishing. Not less than 2,000,000 of persons, of every walk in life, it is supposed, "abstain from the use of ardent spirit themselves, and from the furnishing of it for the use of others." The connection of Temperance Societies with Revivals of Religion has been so strikingly prominent as to attract much attention. In the Fifth Report (1832) of the American Temperance Society, one gentleman is mentioned," who, since October, 1830, has visited three hundred towns, in which especial efforts have been made for the promotion of temperance; and of those 300 towns, 275 have been visited with the special influences of the Holy Spirit." Other facts no less impressive are detailed in the Report, so that the connection, referred to above, is as decidedly established, as it is deeply important.

When a reform has been commenced, consistency requires that it should be made as general as possible. In immediate connection with the temperance reformation, though it is painful to say not to so wide an extent, has been the exertion to secure the Sabbath day from profanation. The petitions, signed by many thousands, which were presented to Congress against the transportation of the mail on the Sabbath, evidenced the existence of a feeling which has induced Christians to look more narrowly at their own manner of regarding the day; and now no pious person of any pretensions to consistency of Christian character, will be found engaged in any kind of secular business, travelling, or worldly conversation, on that holy day. Very many, and the number is increasing, do not permit dinner to be served on the Sabbath, but are contented with a cold collation instead, that the servants may not be detained from church. We cannot doubt that a reform like this is well pleasing in the sight of the Lord, as it would be easy to show from scripture, and from experience.

In regard to the other particular, nonconformity to the world, it should perhaps be traced rather as an effect of increased religious