ary Society first began its operations in Western India, there have been sent by it, and the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, to the Bombay Presidency, up to the present time, from Scotland, in all twelve missionaries. All of these are alive at the present day, except the first, who had previously resided in India, and lost his health there, and who should not have ventured to return to the country. On an average, these individuals have laboured in India 12 years each. Six of them went to India between 1823 and 1829; these are all still alive, and have laboured in India on an average of 20 years, and the two who went out the latest are still in the field; two quitted India at a comparatively early period, and two after a residence of about 30 years. If any one will cast his eye over some district in our own country, and consider how things stand among the ministers in any six contiguous parishes, he will not find much ground for crying out of the unhealthiness of India. Common prudence and temperate living are indeed necessary for the preservation of health in the east, but we suspect that the same is the case every where, though not perhaps in the same degree. If a missionary is required occasionally to expose himself to the climate in the prosecution of his labours, he is saved from much exposure and many temptations incident to men in secular employment, and which often tell more unfavourably on the health, than anything the missionary of the cross is called on to endure.

That part of the Mission field of which I have the most practical experience, is the Bombay Presidency. I have indeed seen something of both the others. I visited Calcutta when the General Assembly's Institution had just been commenced by the Rev. Dr Duff and the Rev. Mr Mackay. I visited Serampore before the patriarchs of British Indian Missions, Carey and Marshman, had exchanged their earthly labours for a heavenly rest, and was shown over all the establishment by the Rev. Mr Mark. I saw the Syrian College in Travancore, the fruit of Dr Buchanan's visit to the South of India, while still superintended by the Church of England missionaries, and latterly I have visited the Basle missions on the Malabar coast, thus affording points of comparison with our operations in Bombay. In reference then to India in general, it must be by all conceded that an immense change has been effected in enlightening the minds and diminishing the prejudices of the population generally within the period referred to. Thirty years ago, when I arrived in Bombay, the Government was hostile, now it is prepared to extend pecuniary aid to missionary schools. Some parts, but no complete edition of the Scriptures had been printed in the languages of the Bombay Presidency, now many editions in the Guzartee and Marathee languages have been circulated among the people. Missionary operations were then confined to a small strip along the coast, now they extend throughout the country. There were no Government and few Missionary schools, now many thousand youths, male and female, are being educated in European science and literature, and also taught many of them the truths of Christianity, only some half dozen tracts had been prepared for the native population, now about two hundred volumes, some of considerable size, have been printed and widely circulated in their own

languages. Then there were but two Hindoos studying English in a mission school, now there are at least two thousand. Then there were but nine British and American missionaries, and three of these had only preceded me by a few months, labouring at four stations; now there are 24 at 12 stations. Then there were no converts, now there are small bodies of native Christians at all the longest established stations, amounting to about 500 in all,-ten of which are fellow-labourers in the gospel with their European and American brethren. It is indeed but the day of small things, yet who can calculate the value of an immortal soul. And if even a few such have been turned from the power of Satan unto God, who shall venture to affirm the money expended on missions has been thrown away. Great Britain is spending at the rate of 8 or 10 millions annually at present to maintain the balance of power in Europe, and to repress the aggressions of Russia, and does not spend one million annually on all her vaunted Bible, Tract, and Missionary Societies, the agencies by which she assaults the kingdom of darkness. Already, in the Madras territories, where Protestant missions have existed since the times of Zigenbalg and Swartz, more than a century, the number of those who have renounced heathenism, and put themselves under the instructions of the missionaries, exceeds 70,000. Many of these indeed have advanced no farther than a bare preference for the Christian above the Heathen system, and have not even been baptized. Still there is probably as large a proportion of earnest Christians among them, as there is in the same number of professors among ourselves, while in northern India, where the number of those who have embraced Christianity is small, the proportion of devoted and pious men is much greater, and the trials many of them have endured, and the losses they have sustained for their religion, would do honour to the followers of Jesus in any age or country. The minds of the Hindoo population at present is in a most interesting state. The faith of many in their ancestral religion has been shaken, others are sensible of the folly of the grosser parts of the ancient system, and wish to reform it, others would be content to see old Hindooism white-washed a little, while the number of those who would retain it with all its idolatries, and all its monstrosities, is daily decreasing. It depends upon the Christian Church, whether this crisis in the intellectual and moral history of India, is to be turned to good account by imbuing the minds of the people with the principles of the gospel, or whether they are to be left to sophisms and doubts of an irreligious scepticism. Truly we may say that "the harvest is plenteous, but the labourers are few." Let us pray then, that "the Lord of the harvest would send labourers unto his vineyard."

TEMPORISING WITH POPERY-THE WAR

WITH RUSSIA.

BEFORE proceeding to make a few observations on the subject suggested, -we would interpose certain explanations which may be necessary to

guard the reader against such a misconception of the argument, as we would sincerely deprecate.

We wish, as far as is consistent with enlightened principle, that all our fellow-citizens should live together as amicably as possible,-the social state being kept entirely free from the blasting influence of religious hate. And we concede the piety after its own kind, and excellent moral conduct of many members of the Church of Rome in this country.

And we meddle not with political arrangements-the emancipation act, ecclesiastical titles' bill, or any laws affecting members of the Popish sect in the empire.

And we desire that our Protestant friends, in opposing the heresies of the Church of Rome, would exercise all manner of candour and fairness -carefully attending to the strict accuracy of facts, and the cogency of arguments employed in the debate. We doubt whether these suggestions of mere common sense are always regarded—and negligence or indiscriminate condemnation, while most unseemly in the Christian and gentleman, may give an advantage to the enemy.'

All this conceded, there remains a serious duty to be performed by Protestants towards Popery as a system of error and of intellectual and religious despotismn. There must be no peace with Rome-whether the offensive or defensive form of hostilities be that assumed. Even a latent Popery requires notice, for a power which for ages has overmastered and perverted the human spirit, may be working unseen, as disease may propagate its seeds noiselessly and without calling forth marked attentionor as the mines which are yet to be fired, and yet to produce wide. spread carnage, are excavated and charged in obscurity and darkness. But it is seldom that neutrality or passiveness can be predicated of the emissaries of Rome. They compass sea and land to make proselytes. They are numerous, well organised, possessed of all manner of contrivances and finesse. We blame not the zeal of the agents of the Church of Rome we desire to find it rivalled in a better cause. But the fact is admonitory-it dictates activity and vigilance. Around us, in Scotland, there are not a large number of Papists certainly, and a very great portion on the muster roll are immigrants from Ireland. But in our cities and towns, and even country places, there are priests to be found,

Thus, for example, although Papists virtually deny the Word of God to the people-yet, under certain conditions, which we of course hold to be erroneous, and improper, nay, tyrannous, lay persons are allowed to read the holy Scriptures, as translated by persons in whom the Church of Rome has confidence. It is therefore not quite exact to say that the Church of Rome forbids the possession and perusal of the inspired volume to her membership. At a recent meeting at Edinburgh, Dr Guthrie mentioned, how, years back, he had come into Edinburgh to attend the General Assembly-and that he called at the shop of the Catholic bookseller opposite the chapel, Broughton Street, and wished to see a Popish Bible. The man climbed a ladder, (there was, if we mistake not, a joke at the ladder,) and brought down the Scriptures in quarto. What the Doctor apparently wished to be inferred, was, that although the Bible was printed in the Church of Rome, it was practically inaccessible to the poor, from the high price of the copies. We doubt this too, and apprehend that cheap editions of the Scriptures have been published by Romanists. The fact may not be worth much—but it is a pity not to be minutely correct in such matters.

usually we believe gentlemanly and well behaved men in respect to morals. In this "district" of Romanism, the local bishop is a good deal of an orator, and although a poor reasoner indeed, is among the most impassioned and imposing of pulpit speakers. England contains a large number of adherents of Popery, many of them highly educated, and of social position, and possessed of wealth frugally employed-while a portion of the band are perverts from a Protestant church. Cardinal Wiseman, who may be held as the English Popish primate, is a man of considerable ability-vastly more intellectual and dangerous than Bishop Gillis. The land too is studded with cathedrals, chapels, colleges, and monastic houses, and in cases the academics enjoy the consideration and influence which usually attend wealth. In Ireland, the "church" numbers its ignorant devotees by millions, and some of the clergy possess qualifications well suited to the position which they occupy. Dr Cullen, a quondam professor at Rome, now titular Archbishop of Dublin, is a man of considerable ability; and despite his brusque manner, and sledge hammer style as a polemic, Dr M'Hale is, relatively to those over whom he has influence, by no means to be despised. Popery, too, has its periodicals, large and small, of considerable ability: while, alas, in a certain portion of the clergy of the Church of England, (so Protestant in its Articles, and other standards) we can only recognise traitors, who act with the basest perfidy in becoming the pioneers of Rome-doing the work of the Pope, while liberally paid for opposing Popish doctrines. In the colonies, Popery is making rapid strides, and commands large influence. On the continent of Europe, the Church of Rome is next to supreme. The last German reformation was a miserable failure-one might be so ungenteel as to call it a "humbug,"-Ronge was no reformer-his poor drivel anything but saving truth. It was not with Luther's mighty weapons that the pitiful rationalist assailed the system of Popery. He could render the holy coat of Treves ridiculous-which was no difficult task; but he had nothing to offer for the faith of which this imposture was an incident. A stranger to the cross of Christ, he was fitted to do exl rather than to bring about good; and much as we dislike Popery, we would rather find that corrupted creed subsisting in Germany, than any thing the like of Ronge would set up in its stead. As for most of our peri

patetic converts, we place no faith in them. We wish to know, not so much whether they have renounced Popery, as what they have taken up to fill the gap left by the articles of belief recanted and abjured. It is not their lectures on the petty faults and errors of popes and bishops, that we regard. There are faults about every administration in the world—our own not excepted. We deprecate this way of having attention drawn from a religious system-it looks too like a sham. We seek to have the Church of Rome, in its institution and doctrines, tried by the word of God and right reason. And, at the very outset, we would know of the declaimer what is his new belief. Is he a rationalist or evangelical-did he subordinate the Bible to his puny judgment, or give to its oracles the place of dominant authority. But this is something of a digression-and we forbear to dilate further on what may be deemed somewhat extraneous to the subject of this paper. We recall attention

to the facts already briefly glanced at, shewing that in Popery, we have to deal with a most formidable antagonist, whose seat is strong, and authority next to unlimited. The religion of human nature, Cecil styled this corrupt system-and as such, if not orthodox, it is certain to be inveterate in its hold of the heart-in too many cases, invincible to argument, impregnable to overthrow.

We bewail such facts-but so the case stands. An amiable reformer avowed, that the old Adam was too strong for young Melancthon. And the religion of human nature, to quote again the too true predicate of which Romanism is the subject, has proved strong indeed, to all the weapons by which it has been assailed. Ardent, zealous, simple-hearted men, to whom Protestantism is naturally precious, who glory in the distinctive doctrines of the Reformation, (as ancient as the revealed truth of God) and find in them the anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, may be apt to reason in another way-as if the walls of the citadel of error would fall down before the trumpets of evangelism. And such will yet be the case-meantime former pious hopes-as those excited when Pius IX. fled from his capital-have been disappointed. The adverse party have their confidences and assurances as to the future-they are the victims of day dreams and delusions-pleasing, however, and exhilarating. They can reason from the past subjection and homage rendered to the see of Rome-the present is not in many instances discouraging, the future will be to them matter of certainty as to the triumphs of their church. All about their exciting services-their pompous ritual-their imposing hierarchy-and especially the grand events, which at intervals diversify wonted routine, tend to buoy up the mind, as soldiers on the march or in view of the enemy are apt to get into a state of hilarious excitement, to catch sympathy from each other, and to forget every thing but the furious work before them. The more reasoning Papists cannot but forsee obstacles to the victories they count upon-but they will calculate that in course of time, and aided by a variety of circumstances they will gradually achieve a complete triumph-as your conqueror adds city to city, and state to state, till he attains to empire.' The recent declaration, or definition, or decree of the Pope, about the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, though intrinsically a silly senseless piece of folly or presumption,' was well calculated to create excitement, and

1 At Rome, not long back, an English clergyman in conversation with a cardinal, referred the dignitary to the great and admirable works produced by English writers, and inquired if his eminence really thought that a nation which had produced such monuments of wisdom, would ever retrograde to Rome. "Gradually," was the reply of the cardinal. Puseyism had in all likelihood inspired the Italian priest with this notion, and considering his ignorance of local sentiment, the inference was not unnatural or overstrained.

2 Bishop Gillis, already referred to, has delivered a pastoral charge on the subject, which, if not overstocked with reasoning, is flush of exultation,-indeed the prelate seems to regard the measure as a grand evidence of active life within his communion, and outgoing of its inherent majesty. "They said," says Dr G. " of the Church of God, that she was old and in her dotage; that power was no longer upon her lips, nor wisdom in her counsels, nor the weight of majesty in her sceptre, nor glory around the tiara of her earthly pontiff; that man would bend no more in reverence to the authority of her teaching, nor heed the feeble thunder of her doctrinal anathemas; in a word that the world was no longer the portion of