Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

"I proceed hence to visit the Christian Churches in the provinces of Madura, and Tinavelly."

The friends of Christianity in India have had it in their power to afford some aid to the Christian Churches in Tanjore. On the 1st of January of the present year (1810), the Rev. Mr. Brown preached a Sermon at Calcutta, in which he represented the petition of the Hindoos for Bibles. A plain statement of the fact was sufficient to open the hearts of the public. A subscription was immediately set on foot, and Lieut. General Hewit, Commander in Chief, then Deputy Governor in Bengal, subscribed 250l. The chief officers of government, and the principal inhabitants of Calcutta, raised the subscription, in a few days, to the sum of 1000l. sterling. Instructions were sent to Mr. Kohloff, to buy up all the copies of the Tamul Scriptures; to distribute them at a small price amongst the natives, and to order a new edition to be printed off without loss of time.*

VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES FOR THE

HINDOOS.

HAVING now seen what the Hindoos are in their state of idolatry, as at Juggernaut, and in Bengal; and what they may become under the influence of Christianity, as at Tranquebar, Tritchinopoly, and Tanjore; it remains to give some account of the translation of the Scriptures into the languages of the Hindoos.

There are five principal languages spoken by Hindoos in countries subject to the British Empire. These

*The chief names in this subscription, besides that of General Hewit, were Sir John Royds, Sir W. Burroughs, John Lumsden, Esq. George Udney, Esq. J. H. Harrington, Esq. Sir John D'Oyley, Colonel Carey, John Thornhill, Esq. R. C. Plowden, Esq. Tho's Hayes, Esq. W. Egerton, Esq. &c. &c.

Thus, while we are disputing in England whether the Bible ought to be given to the Hindoos, the Deputy Governor in Bengal, the Members of the Supreme Council, and of the Supreme Court of Judicature, and the chief officers of the Government, after perusing the information concerning the state of India sent from this country, are satisfied that it is an important duty, and a Christian obligation.

are, the Hindostanee, which pervades Hindostan generally; and the four languages of the four great provinces, viz. the Bengalee, for the province of Bengal ; the Telinga, for the Northern Sircars; the Tamul, for Coromandel, and the Carnatic; and the Maylayalim, or Malabar, for the coast of Malabar and Travancore.

Of these five languages, there are two, into which the Scriptures are already translated; the Tamul, by the Danish Missionaries in the last century; and the Bengalee, by the Baptist Missionaries from England. The remaining three languages are in progress of translation; the Hindostanee, by the Rev. Henry Martin, B. A. Chaplain in Bengal ;* the Malabar, by Mar Dionysius, Bishop of the Syrian Christians in Travancore; both of which translations will be noticed more particularly hereafter; and the Telinga, by Ananda Rayer, a Telinga Brahmin, by birth a Mahratta, under the superintendance of Mr. Augustus Desgranges at Vizagapatam, a Missionary belonging to the London Society.

Ananda Rayer, a Brahmin of high cast, was lately converted to the Christian faith and has given undoubted proofs of the serious impression of its principles on his heart. It is remarkable that versions of

*It was before mentioned that the Gospels were translated into Hindostanee, and part of them printed in the College of Fort-William. Another version has since been published by the Baptist Missionaries. The Hindostanee being spoken over such extensive regions, varies much in its dialects.

The account of Ananda Rayer's conversion is given by the Rev. Dr. John, that aged Missionary at Tranquebar, in a letter to Mr. Desgranges. This Brahmin applied (as many Brahmins and other Hindoos constantly do) to an older Brahmin of some fame for sanctity, to know what he should do that he might be saved?" The old Brahmin told him, that "he must repeat a certain prayer four lack of times :" that is 400,000 times. This he performed in a Pagoda, in six months; and added many painful ceremonies. But finding no comfort or peace from these external rites, he went to a Romish Priest, and asked him if he knew what was the true religion? The priest gave him some Christian books in the Telinga language; and, after a long investigation of Christianity, the inquiring Hindoo had no doubt remaining on his mind that Christ was the Saviour of the world." But he was not satisfied with the Romish worship in many points: he disliked the adoration of images, and other superstitions; and having heard from the Priests themselves, that the Protestant Christians at

the Scriptures should be now preparing for the Mahomedans and Hindoos, by their own converted countrymen; namely, the Persian and Arabic versions, by SABAT the Arabian; and the Telinga version by ANANDA RAYER, the Telinga Brahmin. The latter has translated the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apos tles. The progress of Sabat in his translations will be noticed hereafter.

THE CEYLONESE.

In the island of Ceylon, the population under the British Government amounts, according to the best authorities, to upwards of a million and a half; and one-third is supposed to profess Christianity. This population was divided by the Dutch, while they had possession of the island, into 240 church-ships, and three native schoolmasters were appointed to each church-ship. The Dutch government never gave an official appointment to any native who was not a Christian; a distinction which was ever considered by them as a wise policy, as well as a Christian duty, and which is continued by his Majesty's Government in Ceylon. Perhaps it is not generally known in England that our

Tanjore and Tranquebar, professed to have a purer faith, and had got the Bible translated, and worshipped no images; he visited Dr. John, and the other Missionaries at Tranquebar, where he remained four months, conversing, says Dr. John, "almost every day with me," and examining the Holy Scriptures. He soon acquired the Tamul language (which has affinity with the Telinga) that he might read the Tamul Translation; and he finally became a member of the Protestant Church.

The Missionaries at Vizagapatam being in want of a learned Telinga scholar, to assist them in translation of the Scriptures into the Telinga language, Dr. John recommended Ananda Rayer; "for he was averse, says he, to undertake any worldly employment, and had a great desire to be useful to his brethren of the Telinga nation." The Reverend Missionary concludes thus: "What Jesus Christ hath required of his followers, this man hath literally done; he hath left father, mother, sisters, and brothers, and houses, and lands, for the Gospel's sake."

See Dr. John's Letter, dated 29th January, 1808, communicat ed to the Bible Society, by the Rev. Mr. Brown.

Bengal and Madras Governments do not patronize the native Christians. They give official appointments to Mahomedans and Hindoos generally in preference to natives professing Christianity. The chief argument for the retention of this system is precedent. It was the practice of the first settlers. But it has been often observed that what might be proper or necessary in a factory, may not be tolerable in a great Empire. It is certain that this system confirms prejudice, exposes our religion to contempt in the eyes of the natives, and precludes every ray of hope of the future prevalence of Christianity at the seats of Government.

"Jaffna-patam, in Ceylon, Sept. 27, 1806.

"From the Hindoo Temple of Ramisseram, I crossed over to Ceylon, keeping close to Adam's bridge. I was surprised to find that all the boatmen were Christians of Ceylon. I asked the helmsman what religion the English professed, who now governed the island., He said he could not tell, only that they were not of the Portuguese or Dutch religion. I was not so much surprised at his ignorance afterwards, as I was at the time.

"I have had the pleasure to meet here with Alexander Johnstone, Esq.* of the Supreme Court of Judicature, who is on the circuit; a man of large and liberal views, the friend of learning, and of Christianity. He is well acquainted with the language of the country, and with the history of the island; and his professional pursuits afford him a particular knowledge of its present state; so that his communications are truly valuable. It will be scarcely believed in England that there are here Protestant Churches under the King's government, which are without ministers. In the time of BALDEUS, the Dutch preacher and historian, there were thirtytwo Christian Churches in the province of Jaffna alone. At this time there is not one protestant European Min-, ister in the whole province. I ought to except Mr. Palm, a solitary Missionary, who has been sent out by the London Society, and receives some stipend from the

Now Sir Alexander Johnstone, Chief-Justice of Ceylon.

British Government. I visited Mr. Palm, at his residence a few miles from the town of Jaffna. He is prosecuting the study of the Tamul Language; for that is the language of this part of Ceylon, from its proximity to the Tamul Continent. Mrs. Palm has made as great progress in the language as her husband, and is extremely active in the instruction of the native women and children. I asked her if she had no wish to return to Europe, after living so long among the uncivilized Cingalese. No, she said; she was all the day long happy in the communication of knowledge.' Mr. Palm has taken possession of the old Protestant Church of Tilly-Pally. By reference to the history, I found it was the Church in which Baldæus himself preached (as he himself mentions) to a congregation of two thousand natives; for a view of the Church is given in his work. Most of those handsome Churches, of which views are given in the plates of Baldæus's history, are now in ruins. Even in the town and fort of Jaffna, where there is a spacious edifice for Divine Worship, and a respectable society of English and Dutch inhabitants, no clergyman has been yet appointed. The only Protestant preacher in the town of Jaffna is Christian David, a Hindoo Catechist sent over by the Mission of Tranquebar. His chief ministrations are in the Tamul Tongue; but he sometimes preaches in the English Language, which he speaks with tolerable propriety; and the Dutch and English resort to hear him. I went with the rest to his Church; when he delivered extempore a very excellent Discourse, which his present Majesty, George the Third, would not have disdained to hear. And this Hindoo supports the interests of the English Church in the province of Jaffna. The Dutch ministers who formerly officiated here, have gone to Batavia or to Europe. The whole district is now in the hands of the Romish priests for the College of Goa; who perceiving the indifference of the English nation to their own religion, have assumed quiet and undisturbed possession of the land. And the English Government justly preferring the Romish superstition to the worship of the idol Boodha, thinks it right to countenance the Catholic Religion in Ceylon. But

« EdellinenJatka »