nal evidence only." The Apostles may have been enthusiasts, and impostors; the Gospel miracles (or some of them at least) may have owed their origin partly to delusion, and partly to fraud: -and this is gravely made into a book, as a hypothesis "reconcileable with all the circumstances of the case," that is, according to Dr. Whately's premises, with all the facts and all the evidences of the religion of Christ! Nay, it is not even pretended that the actual existence of delusion or fraud can be shown in any one case! This most extraordinary admission we shall give in the writer's own words: "My business," says he, "will be accomplished if I can show, not of course the exact circumstances, as they occurred in any particular case of supposed miracle, but that the relations which have descended to us, of these miraculous events, can all be accounted for, on one or other of those principles of human nature which I have denoted;" p. xxiii. To this may be," we shall for the present simply oppose the answer of Bishop Butler. "To argue that because there is (if there were) like evidence from testimony for miracles acknowledged false, as for those in attestation of Christianity, therefore the evidence in the latter case is not to be credited; this is the same as to argue, that if two men of equally good reputation had given evidence in different cases no way connected, and one of them had been convicted of perjury, this confuted the testimony of the other. It can never," he continues," be sufficient to overthrow direct historical evidence, indolently to say, that there are so many principles, from whence men are liable to be deceived themselves, and disposed to deceive others, especially in matters of religion," p. 321. Surely nothing can be plainer than this. Twelve, or if you will, twelve thousand men come forward, of unstained and unimpeached honesty, and give evidence to the truth of certain facts, which have been done in the presence of multitudes, both friends and foes: their evidence is uncontradicted; no flaw is detected; no counter-evidence adduced; and they seal its truth with their lives. What then is to destroy its force? Why? that there have been liars in the world. And so every fact in history may, with equal facility, be shown to be uncertain or false. But we will not leave the author in possession even of this miserable hypothesis; we are prepared to show that the four possibilities, on which it is propped, are in contradiction to the known circumstances of the case, and therefore never could have happened. This, from want of room, we reserve for our next No.: in the mean time, according to our promise, we proceed to show that they are all old acquaintances, and have been brought forward long ago. They are as follows: 1. That the doctrine of Jesus was carefully adapted to the religious feelings and prejudices of the Jews. 2. • Human Origin, p. 3. That he gained his followers by his doctrines, and his preaching alone, before he wrought any miracles. 3. That this prior reverence caused some cures wrought by the influence of imagination to be looked upon as miracles; and 4. That his Apostles, though sincere, devout, and even virtuous believers, invented all the rest. p. xxii. The first is to be found in Chubb and Bolingbroke. "Jesus," says Mr. Chubb, came not as the founder of a new religion, but as a Jew to Jews." "Christ," says Bolingbroke, "was to outward appearance a Jew, and ordered his disciples to do what the scribes and pharisees taught; and when he commissioned his Apostles to teach and baptize all nations, he meant the Jews dispersed in all nations," vol. iv. p. 305. The 2nd and 3rd are thus mentioned by Leland. 66 "As to our Saviour's miracles, Dr. Morgan pretendeth, contrary to Christ's own most express declarations, that he did not appeal to them as proofs of his divine mission. He also repeateth the stale objection, which hath been often answered and exposed, that the miraculous cures which Jesus wrought were owing to the strength of fancy and imagination in the patient, and not to power in the agent." vol. i. p. 160. They are supported here, in the usual manner, by the hackneyed and worn-out stories of the heathen miracles and the Abbé de Paris. The fourth is, of course, common to all infidel writers; though we believe, the additional circumstance, that the Apostles, destroying thousands by a system of gross delusion, exaggeration, and fraud, were yet honest and virtuous men, is altogether peculiar to our author! In conclusion, he asserts, " that he has been led, in every step both of premises and conclusion, as it were by the hand of grave divines, or lay persons of eminent genius and orthodoxy." With regard to this, we say to our readers, read them, as we have done!-for a more impudent and bare-faced misrepresentation, we have never happened to meet with. We have now answered, so far as we can discover, every thing that bears the appearance of argument in this new attack on Christianity; and we are prepared to show, that the details by which it is supported are (if possible) weaker and shallower than the argument itself; while one and all of them have already been refuted again and again. This we scarcely deem necessary; but as we write principally for the Hindoos, we mean to take them up shortly in another paper. To conclude, we will do the author the justice to say, that his book is written throughout in an easy, even, an elegant style; that it preserves a studied appearance of candour and moderation, and that he is evidently a clever and ingenious man: but these good qualities are altogether spoiled by a large admixture of little-minded misrepresentations, lax and cold-hearted morality, and a total want of originality. As an attack on Christianity, we consider it the most powerless that ever saw the light. M. Query. To the Editors of the Calcutta Christian Observer. DEAR GENTLEMEN, I understand that it has been lately asserted, that repentance and faith are not necessary to the baptism of adults from among the heathen, and that some have been lately admitted to this ordinance in Calcutta, who were not supposed to be possessed of these qualifications. Such a practice appears to myself as contrary to the formularies of the Churches of England and Scotland, and the approved Catechisms of the Independents, Baptists, and Methodists, as it does to Scripture; and lamentably adapted to degrade the character of Protestantism in India, by raising up a race of Natives, Christian only in name, but as heathen in character as the most depraved class of Roman Catholics in this country. May I beg to know what is the acknowledged practice of Missionaries of all denominations on this important subject? I remain, Your most obedient servant, Calcutta, April 20, 1833. Poetry. For the Calcutta Christian Observer. ON THE DEATH OF A BELOVED CHILD. OH Death! relentless is thy sway! Thou com'st, Away, alike the aged and the young! The hoary head, the sportive infant, all But mark the sacred and heav'n-breathing calm, With which a Christian mother meekly views And droop, and wither swiftly, 'neath the blast, A father's hand directive in the stroke. She knows," He willingly doth not afflict," Nor "grieve the sons of men ;"-that love, pure love, Lamenting, yet not hopelessly, her child! 'A tender nursling to thy parents' hearts 'Form'd in the sweetest mould,-with mind and soul, Yet, alas! this beauteous frame "Could not preserve my Agnes from the wreck, 'Sure, what my Father doth appoint is best! 'Her soul yet lives,-my nourished plant still thrives, The blessed Saviour "chastens whom he loves," Our final good, our soul's prosperity, Chinsurah, April 10th, 1833. C. Missionary and Keligious Entelligence. CALCUTTA. NEW COURSE OF LECTURES BY THE REV. MR. DUFF. We copy with pleasure from the Reformer the following notice of Mr. Duff's intention to recommence his Lectures on the Evidences of Revealed Religion, for the benefit of the Edncated Natives. "Mr. Duff, having finished a course of Lectures on the Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, has for some months past been proceeding with an exposition of the leading topics recorded or revealed in the Bible. These lectures being of necessity addressed to those who acknowledge the divine authority of the Christian Scriptures, Mr. Duff has been anxious to recommence another series of prelections on the subject of Evidence, for the sake of those who are yet unacquainted with the grounds and foundations of the Christian Faith. The plan to be pursued is characterized by openness, candour, and fairness. With the view of arriving at some conclusive result, a number of prominent connected points are to be chosen in succession. The theme for consideration on any particular evening is to be announced at least eight days before hand. In this way, the subject may be previously pondered, and in the course of time, scope will be afforded for the full statement of all manner of doubts, difficulties, and objections. Two Presidents are to be selected, one by Mr. Duff, and another by the class of doubters or inquirers, in order to ensure perfect justice on both sides. The topic for discussion will be regularly introduced by Mr. Duff, and on his sitting down, any or all who conscientiously differ from him, will be at liberty, or rather will be in a friendly manner invited, to state the nature of their doubts, or objections, and to call for and expect satisfactory answers. Thus may generally arise a discussion which from its very nature cannot fail to edify many, and to interest all. The discussion will be held on alternate Tuesdays in Mr. Duff's Lecture Room. The first is to commence on Tuesday next, the 12th instant, and the theme proposed, as a preliminary to what may follow, is "the Possibility and Desireableness of a Revelation." It is to be hoped that all truly candid and educated Hindoos will embrace the present opportunity, in all respects so favourable, for removing scruples, correcting misapprehensions, pointing out real difficulties, and displaying the honesty of their profession as Inquirers after Truth." 66 The same subject has been very warmly taken up in other journals, in one of which it is remarked, that " the most captious of the Natives and others can no more say they only hear the Lectures, but cannot have their doubts proposed in a satisfactory form. They have now an opportunity to do both; and they must either accept the offer, which, if they are sincere, they will most thankfully do: or they must hide their vain boasting in silence. If they are sincere, they will rejoice in the opportunity, and thankfully accept the offer if they are not, their falsehood, hypocrisy, and artifice, to deceive and endanger others, will be exposed, and treated as it deserves, with all the shame and ridicule such conduct will naturally bring upon themselves, by the discovery of their real design to ruin others, both in this world and the next. "Mr. Duff was particularly desirous that this notice should be made as public as possible in every way, and invited all and every one who had objections, to come and propose them in a decorous way, either privately or publickly; and in his own strong language pointedly declared, that if any such objectors now declined the offer, they could only be considered as "cowardly assassins" of the mental improvement and peace of others, especially among their fellow countrymen, who really sought the Truth, in its own importance. In fact, to leave Natives without religious instruction, has shewn the destructive tendency of knowledge undirected by principle; for then it is only the means of proving a Curse to themselves, and all around them, whatever they may be, as far as their influence can extend, either by bad principles or bad examples! and fearful is the responsibility incurred by those who thus afford the uncorrected means of abuse, as well as of those who thus abuse instruction to the fiend-like purpose of moral ruin! The evil has appeared in all its hideous deformity; it will be felt in all its turpitude and destructive effects on society." On the preceding notices we have only to remark, that the reason why Mr Duff did not propose to reiterate his observations on the Evidences of Natural Religion, is that by far the greater part of those who once sported the degrading dogmas of Atheism, having seen and confessed their folly, now profess their belief in the being and attributes of a God of infinite perfection. So far well. And as candid investigation has led them so far, we trust they will not stop short, when only a part of the journey has been completed. At present, we need only farther remark, that in pursuance of the plan already described several meetings have been held at Mr. Duff's house, and that the discussions have hitherto been conducted with commendable moderation on both sides. L L |