128 Receipts in the Treasury at Philadelphia in February, 1843. Pby. of New-York. 650 2.00 76 98 Fem. Miss. Soc. of Rutgers-st. ch. per An "unknown friend," at Freehold, N. J., rah, also don. of Dr. Hodge, 20; total Second ch. 90,23; Walnut-st. ch. Rev. H. A. Boardman's sub, 15; Dom. and For. Miss. Soc. of Ninth ch. Phila. per Mr. Craig, 14,91; "an humble family in Presb. ch. to advance the cause of Missions," 10, 2nd. Phy. of Philadelphia. "P." of Bridesburgh ch. Penn. 194 64 3.00 25.00 45 79 65 00 20 00 Warren ch. 3,25; Wyalusing, 5,76: Troy, 3,50; Towanda, 6; Orwell, 3,86; Wilkesbarre, 27,63; total, 50, per Rev. John Dorrance, SYNOD OF OHIO. Pby. of Marion. Don. Rev. James Smith, Marysville, Ohio, 10.00 50 00 Phy, of Caledonia. SYNOD OF INDIANA. Pby. of Vincennes. Don. Rev. Jos. B. Adams, Washington, Ia. Pby. of Logansport. 10.00 Caledonia ch. N. Y., per Mr. Donald Frazier, Jr., 25; "a lady," per do. 15, La Porte ch. Ia, per Rev. Jas. C. Brown, 25.00 40 90 SYNOD OF VIRGINIA. Pby. of East Hanover. Don. Capt C. K. Stribling, of Norfolk, Va., per Rev. M. B. Hope, 25.00 Total $776 23 Pby. of Philadelphia. SYNOD OF PHILA. Central ch. addl. Mr. James Field's sub. 25; Theo. Davidson, 1; J. M. Pedan, 1; Mrs. Booth, 50 cts. ; F. W. Buck, 20; J. Sibley, 10; Wm. Wier, 2; Simon Colton, 5; total Central ch. 64,50; Second ch. Phil. in part, of collection 70,23, per Dr. Dar This is part of a collection in the Ist ch. Baltimore, amount. ing to $620,63, the balance in the hands of the Pastor to be drawn for. THOMAS HOGE, Treasurer. RECEIPTS IN THE TREASURY AT PITTSBURGH, IN FEBRUARY, 1843. RECEIPTS IN THE TREASURY AT LOUISVILLE, KY., IN FEBRUARY, THE FOREIGN MISSIONARY CHRONICLE. MAY, 1843. BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS. COMMUNICATIONS. FROM MISSIONARIES' FURRUKHABAD MISSION. EXTRACTS FROM A PAPER ON THE SUPERIORITY OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION OVER THE HINDU." BY GOPEE NAUTH NUNDY. The Rev. H. R. WILSON, in forwarding this manuscript, remarks—“The enclosed is part of an Essay which Gopee read before Presbytery at its last session. A good deal on the subject of Idolatry, which would not do for the eye or the ear of a Christian community, was omitted in transcribing it, and still more was omitted in the latter part to prevent too large a bulk." This Essay extends to thirty-six closely written pages, in a fair and good hand, and treats of the chief religious systems of the Hindus, the avatars or incarnations of the gods, castes, &c. The last part presents a contrast between the Hindu and Christian religions, strongly showing the superiority of the latter. This part of the Essay we insert below. Its force is some. what impaired by being separated from the preceding view of Hinduism, but our space in the present number of the Chronicle will not admit such extracts from the former part of the Essay as would fairly exhibit the train of remark, while the part now inserted will show the writer's views of his former and of his present religious belief. How great the difference!—Our readers will recollect that Gopee Nauth Nundy (sometimes written Gopí' Nath Nundí,) is an assistant missionary at the Futtehgurh station. He was educated at the Scotch Mission School, Calcutta, and has been for several years connected with our mission. He is an Elder of the mission church, and a candidate for the holy ministry under the care of the Presbytery of Furrukhabad, before which body this Essay was read. The writer in the last six pages of his Essay mentions five points of difference between Hinduism and Christianity. 1st. Hinduism, complicated and variegated as it is, provides no adequate means of instruction for man in his ignorance. As sinners, we are in darkness and ignorance not only of the true character of God, but also of our own character. The Hindu Shasters, although they tell us something about the attributes of God VOL. XI.-17 yet are wholly ignorant of his true character. The Veds say something from which the Purans differ as we have seen. But the Bible teaches us the infinite character of God; that He is a spirit, He is eternal, self-existing, almighty-omniscient, and above all, that he is holy. "God is a Spirit; and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect; speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I, the Lord your God, am holy." Again, the Shasters do not pretend to relate what man was before he fell, nor say any thing of his character, since driven from the paradise: this our blessed religion does. It tells us of what man was made, and how his body when made was animated by a rational soul. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul." For "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them." It next teaches us of his sad fall, by which he brought guilt and ruin upon himself and all his posterity. When man was created, God placed him in the garden of Eden, and commanded him not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; but he did not mind His command, ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, and thereby brought the curse upon him and his posterity. "And unto the man he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." Again, it teaches us the object for which man was created, not for his own gratification, but for the glory of God. What a contrast is there between this and the tenets of Hinduism; the one teaches the exact duties of man towards God, and the other keeps him in darkness and ignorance of that duty which he owes to his Maker. A man being under the shackles of Hinduism, is no better than a beast in the forest, which eats, drinks, sleeps and dies; but the blessed religion of Jesus elevates him above the beasts, shows him what his duty is, while living in this world, teaches him every moment how to glorify God, brings him nearer to his Saviour, prepares him for the next world; and, above all, makes him holy. Again, the Bible not only teaches us what we are, and who God is, but it also points out the way by which he is to be worshipped, not with men's hands. "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." The want of this knowledge leads the poor heathen into a fatal error, for their worship is more of manual labour than an exercise of the mind and soul. With their hands they make their gods, and with their hands they worship them when made; but our religion teaches us that God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. 2d. Nothing to sanctify his heart, or fit it for the service and enjoyment of a pure and holy God. Although the heathen admit in general terms that they are sinners, yet their religion teaches no means by which their nature is to be changed and the desires of their hearts renewed; they vainly wash in the Ganges, but the vile current of their affections remains the same; the heart which contains the roots of sin can never be cleansed by water. But the Bible teaches us the office of the Holy Spirit, and the life of the scere Christian proves the efficacy of this blessed Agent. It is He who can touch the innermost parts of our hearts, and can clean them from all the defilements of the world, the flesh, and the devil, then softens and prepares for the Gospel truths. By His sanctifying power, he draws us near to our Saviour, and makes our hearts fit for the service and enjoyment of a pure and holy God. He keeps the reign of our affections, and prevents us from plunging into deadly sins. Such is the office of the Holy Spirit, and without his influencing power drawing us, we can never go to the Saviour; without His removing the blindness of our hearts in spiritual matters, we can never perceive the good ness of God; then let us invoke His fighting, quarrelling, murdering, &c. Have assistance and say, "Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove, With all thy quickening powers; In these cold hearts of ours." 3d. Nothing to excite to virtue. Virtue, which is the hand-maid of religion, is an entire stranger to Hinduism. It tends to individual happiness, as well as that of the nation. It ameliorates the condition of man, and reforms his moral character; the Hindus are destitute of this, they are quite ignorant of true virtue; that which they consider as such, in the end, proves nothing but vain delusion: besides, how is it possible for them to know what true virtue is, when their Shasters teach the very opposite; when their gods and goddesses themselves, as we have seen, are examples of the most shocking vices. Again, what can excite them to virtue, when they are ignorant of the true God, and own gods not being represented as virtuous. But the true virtue is taught in the Bible. The word of God tells what that true virtue is, and how it is attainable, not by our own works, but only by the merits of Jesus Christ. Gospel view of morality and virtue is as high above that of the heathen as the heaven is above the earth. Thus, says our Saviour, "That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Again, "When thou dost thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men; verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly." Again, the Apostle John says, "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness." 4th. Nothing to promote the peace of society, nor the mutual benefit of mankind. Hinduism can never keep two persons in peace, much less the world. The very nature of Hinduism is discord, we not considered, in a former part of our essay, what the Abtars [Savatars] came for, andwhat barbarous examples they have left? Thus we who live among heathen, and who were once a part of them, know well the hatred, envy, jealousy, blood-shed and murder which prevail; and what else can we expect, when their gods and goddesses are more distinguished for the practice of these vices, than for any thing else. Besides, peace and tranquillity are even unknown in many of the families, where there is only a husband and a wife; for it is not an uncommon thing to see a wife quarrelling with her husband, and he beating her cruelly; nor can the Hindus derive any mutual benefit from each other, when they do not trust one to another; no two Hindus can be found that would trust each other. They would act suspiciously, transact business deceitfully, and oftentimes kill each other for trifles. What inducement have they to love each other? What promotion do they expect for this love, when their hopes of happiness consist in this world? when their religion does not inculcate it; when it opposes all promotion of peace and mutual benefit? Contrast these with the effects of Christianity, and we will find the result to be very different from that of Hinduism. Christianity," says Bishop Wilson, "elevates and ennobles man, aids his mental powers, gives him sublimity of thought and conception, raises him in the scale of moral and intellectual being, touches all the springs of his purest affections, and unites the lofty discoveries of the incarnation with that practical love and obedience in which they have their proper effects and consequences." It demands an entire change of man's heart and conduct, enforcing a pure and virtuous life, and inculcates truths of the most sublime nature. In its doctrines, its precepts, and its morals, it stands superior to all philosophy and false religion. It connives at no vice; on the contrary, it loudly declares against all wickednesssuch as the Apostle mentions in the Epistle to the Romans: "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wicked 66 their lives amongst uncivilized people, in a hot climate, with enough of self-denial? Is it not the influence of the religion they preach? Is it not the sweetness of the Gospel that they have received, that they come and proclaim the truth? “Go ye," says our blessed Lord," into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Freely ye have received, and freely give." Then ascended He in heaven with this consolation-" And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." What more proof do we require of the transforming influence of Christianity. The blessed Gospel has made its entrance into India, and within a short time we shall hear the happy consequence; but do we not hear already? Has not the amount of enormity and vice which some of us witnessed twenty years ago greatly diminished? Do we see in history any account parallel to this? Has any religion spread so widely and extensively, producing such beneficial effects, softening the hearts of the most despotic monarchs, reforming kingdoms and nations, and raising the people to a state of civilization? Paganism has its millions of votaries, but still Paganism is limited. Mohammed extended his conquest by the force of his sword; but even his religion is confined to a very few nations; but Christianity has not been confined to the land of Judea, where it originated, but it has spread from nation to nation, from island to continent; and so it will continue to spread until the whole world is covered with it, as the channel of the great ocean is covered with water; so the blessings of the Gospel will fill every corner of the world, then the kingdom of our Redeemer will extend, and the say ness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperings, back-biters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents," &c. Those who are guilty of such wickednesses, the Apostle says, "are worthy of death." And do we not see them practised by the Hindus, sanctioned by their religion? Christianity subdues all these, and implants in their place, first love to God, then to our fellow-men. Wherever the blessed truth of the Bible has been entertained, it has wrought, a thorough change in the character of individuals and of nations. The virtue and piety of the Gospel tends to subdue the evils of this life and to promote peace, happiness and love throughout the world. Such has been and such will be the effects of Christianity wherever it is entertained. Let us once look at history, and we will find changes of the most striking kind that Christianity has effected. It furnishes us with abundant proofs of its blessed effects, from the first propagation of the Gospel to the present day. What converted the five thousand in one day? was it Peter's own work or his own doctrines? or was it not the power of Christ manifested in him? What was it that changed the hearts of the heathen at Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica, Berea, Iconium, Derbe, Antioch, Tyre, Cæsarea, Troas, Athens, Philippi, Lystra, &c., that they burnt their religious books, destroyed their temples, and melted their idols of gold and silver? was it the Apostle's power, or eloquence, or philosophy, that wrought this change? or was it not the effect of Christianity? What was it that made Great Britain a prominent, a powerful, and civilized nation? Why do we not hearings of the Apostle will come to pass,them following Druidism, as their ancestors did, and become a constant prey to the victims of vain gods? To whom does she owe her advancement? To the blessed Gospel. All her greatness sprung from Christianity; and so it will be whereever Christianity is propagated..... What induces the missionaries to leave their comfortable home, their endeared friends, their beloved country, and hazard" of God, by satisfying the just demand of "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 5th and last. But what is the greatest defect of all, it provides no Saviour through whom we may escape the wrath |