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PREFACE.

THAT one hundred and fifty millions of the inhabitants of Asia should, for the present, be under the control, and many of them amenable to the laws, of our island, is one of the most remarkable facts that the history of the world contains. To the politician it gives scope for his wisdom—to the avaricious, for cupidity—to the ambitious, for fame; and to the philanthropist, it furnishes a noble arena for advancing the social amelioration of men.

But, if we may interpret the designs of the King of kings, India is subject to Britain for loftier purposes than these; and he who knows the grand system of the moral universe-the plan by which God is conducting many sons and daughters to glory-will at once discover

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what the Overruler's purpose is. We are made the custodiers of the truth, not to monopolize, but to spread it; and, beyond all question, it is in order that India may receive that truth from our hands, that it is, to a large extent, made passively submissive to our rulers, or even ambitious of being subject to their sway. India has thus a day of merciful visitation, if we be faithful to our stewardship; and surely the Lord's remembrancers should be busily imploring the Ruler of the hearts of men to turn them to favour that cause. It admits, we think, of very conclusive proof, that were India won to Christ, the Christianization of the nations would not be remote: and the Churches should ponder that fact.

And what has Britain done to discharge her obligations and fulfil her high stewardship? In comparison, it was only yesterday that the truth was permitted to have free and unfettered course in that vast empire; and now, when freedom, under British protection, exists, the benefits and the blessings of Christianity are often counteracted by the conduct of professing Christians, or rendered unavailing by

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the patronage still accorded to Hindu idolatry. The attempt to Christianize is left to a handful of humble men, who have to resist not merely the colossal mass of Indian superstitions, but, moreover, the frequent and flagrant ungodliness of many who profess to hold that truth which missionaries endeavour to teach.

To these antagonistic elements with which the truth has to conflict in India, as elsewhere, we must add the hostility of Popery as the ally of Hinduism in perpetuating idolatry. It is an instructive fact to know, that so baneful is the influence of Romanism in Bengal, that no fewer than three missionaries of our Church, in Calcutta alone, have had to assail it through the press. Dr Duff, by his noble and characteristic pamphlet against the Jesuits, Rev. W. S. Mackay, by his terse and classical publication on the same subject, and Rev. John Macdonald, in a pamphlet to be afterwards mentioned, have all been induced to challenge Popery, and oppose its progress in India; for it seeks to accomplish there what it has all but achieved in Tahiti, and will never cease to promote until the system be utterly uprooted.

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And, at this juncture, what are the prospects of pure religion there? We can best reply from a glance at the past. There are between eighty and ninety societies in all evangelical Christendom spreading the light of the gospel. In the year 1846-7, it is computed that they raised £1,214,442 for that purpose. But, twenty-five years previous to that period, the societies then existing raised only £367,373; so that in about a quarter of a century the annual missionary income of the Christian Churches throughout the world has been trebled. the entire sum raised in 1846-7, the British Protestant societies raised nearly one million sterling; but with all this, it is computed that not more than one in ten of those who might contribute to the cause of missions actually does so. Yet still that cause is in progress ; and, if India obtain its legitimate share, as we doubt not will be the case, then at least the dawn of its conversion, as far as that depends on the use of means, may be seen by the eye of faith. The nation may not be born in a day; but He whose right it is to rule is preparing to take actual possession of the

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