ological students at Harvard College succeed, as we devoutly hope it will, a musical professorship will be of increased importance. An acquaintance with music in those, who are to preside in the house of God, is to be regarded, as among the highest qualifications, that are not absolutely essential. O. H. "Substance of the speeches of W. Wilberforce Esq. on the clause in the East India Bill, for promoting the religious instruction and moral improvement of the natives of the British dominions in India, on the 22d of June, 1st and 12th of July, 1813." ana UNDER this title, Mr. Wilberforce published the speeches, an abridgement of which, it is thought, will be interesting to the readers of the Christian Disciple. We shall confine ourselves to the views which he exhibits of the Indian character-of the state of religion in India-and of the circumstances which give encouragement to exertion, for the extension of Christianity to that populous and benighted section of the world. We are well aware how much is yet to be done, for the diffusion of the light of the gospel over many parts of our own country: and it is not our purpose to excite sympathy for "the poor Indian," to the neglect of those nearer home, who scarcely less demand our pity for their blindness, and our labors to enlighten and to reform them. But as India has become a sphere of great and increasing missionary labor-as men high in rank and great in influence, have become champions in its cause-and as the Christian world is looking, with deep interest, to the results of the great efforts which are making in its cause, every thing which is authentic of what has been effected, and of its actual state, cannot fail of obtaining attention, and of being considered important and valuable. Facts on these subjects will speak for themselves; and we give our best thanks to the CHRISTIAN STATESMAN, the ADVOCATE OF HUMANITV, to whom we are indebted for them. "I beg you to observe," says Mr. Wilberforce, "that the very terms of the resolution expressly state, that we are to enlighten and inform the minds of the subjects of our East Indian empire. And after much reflection, I do not hesitate to declare, that from enlightening and informing them, in other words, from education and instruction, from the diffusion of knowledge, from the progress of science, and more espe cially, from all these combined with the circulation of the holy scriptures in the native languages, I ultimately expect even more, than from the direct labors of missionaries. By enlightening the minds of the natives, we should root out their errors, without provoking their prejudices; and it would be impossible, that men of large and instructed minds, could continue to be enslaved by such a monstrous sys tem of follies and superstitions, as that under which the natives of Hindostan now groan. They would become Christians, if I may so express myself, without knowing it. own institutions is so fixed, that it cannot be overcome, is not true. It might afford a strong presumption against the absolute invincibility of the religious principles and customs of the Hindoos, that great and beneficial reforms have been effected, in various other most important instances, in which their existing systems were, as far as we know, equally dear to them; and which were conceived to be equally unchangeable. But even in these, their religion was more or less implicated. It may be sufficient to specify that mighty change, introduced about twenty years ago, by which the British government granted to all classes of landholders an heredit "I had the honor, in 1793, of moving the resolution, of late so often referred to, which declared it to be the duty of the legislature to diffuse among our East Indian fellow-subjects the blessings of useful knowledge and moral improvement. Immense regions, with a population amounting, as we are assured, to sixty millions of souls, have providentially come under our dominion. They are deeply sunk, and by their superstitions fast bound, in the lowest depths of moral and social wretch-ary property in their estates; a edness and degradation. Must privilege till then unknown in we not then be prompted by ev- Asia; and care was taken to seery motive, and urged by every cure to the inferior occupants, no feeling, which can influence the less than to the great chieftains, human heart, to endeavor to raise an indisputable possession of their these wretched beings from their properties, without any increase present miserable condition; and of the rents. above all, to communicate to them those blessed truths, which would not only improve their understand ings, and elevate their minds, but in ten thousand instances promote their well being, and point out to them a sure path to everlasting happiness! "But, say our opponents, the natives of Hindostan are so firmly, so unalterably attached to their own religious opinions and practices, however unreasonable they may appear to us, that their conversion is utterly impracticable. "It is indeed true, that their religious system and customs have continued with little alteration, perhaps for thousands of years. But that their attachment to their "Again, the most important reforms have been introduced into the judicial system; and in the military, even the most confirmed religious principles and habits have, in some particulars, been quietly overcome, and have fallen into disuse, with little or no observation. "But it is not only where their religion has been directly concerned, that it has appeared their institutions are susceptible of the same changes, which have taken place in every other country; but in many instances, in which religion has been directly in ques tion. How else can we account for that immense number of Mahomedans, estimated at from ten to fifteen millions, scattered over India, most of whom are supposed, by the best judges, to be converts from the Hindoo faith? And let me remind you of the stern and persecuting spirit of Mahom, edanism, and of the increased difficulty which would be thereby occasioned; since it is now an established truth, that persecution counteracts her own purpose, and promotes the prevalence of the religion which she would suppress. "Again, what shall we say of the whole nation of the Seiks, so numerous, as to be supposed able to raise two hundred thousand horse, who, within a few centuries have forsaken the Hindoo faith, and freed themselves from its burdensome restrictions. "The followers of Budha also, who reject Caste, are very numerous; and within the pale of the Hindoo faith itself, different sects spring up, from time to time, as in other countries. Mr. Orme says, every province has fifty sects of Gentous, and every sect adheres to different observances.' "But we have still surer grounds of hope. We have still better reasons for believing, that there is nothing in the nature or the principles of a Hindoo, which renders it impossible for him to become a Christian; for it is notorious, that from the earliest times, there have been many churches of native Christians in India. For the whole of the last century, the work of conversion has been going on with more or less success; and at this moment, there are hundreds of thousands of native Christians in the East Indies. "If the assertion of our opponents were correct, that the sensibility of the natives of India, in all which regards their religion, is so extremely great, that they can scarcely listen with temper or patience to any arguments which are urged against it, it would naturally follow, that the Christiau missiona ies, if, even from the dread of punishment, their lives should be safe, would be universally regarded with jealousy and detestation. Whereas, as if on purpose to confute these unreasonable prejudices, the most zealous, laborious, and successful missionaries, have commonly been, among all classes of the natives, the most esteemed and beloved of all the Europeans. It has been said, that the ever memorable and revered Swartz was a poli tician; and it has been insinuated, that his popularity among the natives might arise from points in his character, which were less estimable in a religious view. He was a politician, but not a volun teer in that service. He became a politician, at the earnest and importunate entreaty of the East India government; because, having to negotiate with Hyder Ally, they could find no one, in whose integrity and veracity that chieftain would confide, but Swartz the missionary. He therefore became a politician, and an accredited envoy, because, as a missionary, he had secured to himself the universal confidence, both of Mahomedans, and of Hindoos. "It is alleged too, that even Swartz's converts were all of the lowest class of the people. But when that excellent man, Having read in India a speech of Mr. Montgomery Campbell, made in the India house the year before, containing all those stale assertions, in disparagement of the missionaries and their followers, which had been so generally eirculated; among the rest, this of the low, degraded quality of their converts; he positively contradict ed them; and said, if Mr. Campbell had even once attended their church, he would have observed, that more than two thirds were of the higher cast; and that it was so also at Tranquebar, and Vessery. In like manner, Dr. Kerr, who was officially commissioned by the Madras government, in 1806, to visit the Malabar coast, for the express purpose of obtaining every possible information in regard to the establishment, &c. of the Christian religion in that part of the Peninsula, after stating, that the character of the native Christians, whose numbers, according to the best account, are estimated at from seventy to eighty thousand, is marked by a striking superiority over the heathens in every moral excellence, adds, 'they are respected very highly by the Nairs, (the nobility of the country,) who do not think themselves to be defiled by associating with them; though it is well known that the Nairs are the most particular of all the Hindoos in this respect; and the Rajahs of Travencore and Cochin admit them to rank next to Nairs.' "I could multiply facts and arguments; but I trust that I have decidedly established, that the notion of its being impracticable to convert the Hindoos is a vain and groundless theory; and that, in maintaining the opposite position, my friends and 1 stand on the solid and sure ground, of abundant and indisputable experience." (To be continued.} THE COMPLAINT OF DEGENERACY EXAMINED No. III. Historical facts. Ir may now be proper to exhibit such facts as shall be useful in deciding the question, whether the people of the present generation are less pure in principle and practice, than their ancestors were? The greater part of the inhabitants of the nited States acknowledge the island of Great Britain as the land of their forefathers' nativity. To the history of that country then we must look for many of the facts to be related.* All ancient writers," says Mr Hume, "agree in representing the first inhabitants of Britain as a tribe of the Gaul or Celta, who peopled the island from the neighboring continent.” Like their brethren on the continent they were pagans, and like other pagans, they offered human sacrifices. The Druids were their The facts in this Number, are collected from Hume's History of England and Bigland's View of the World. 'priests, and no species of superstition was ever more terrible than theirs. Julius Cesar invaded Britain 55 years before Christ, The Romans however, did not complete their conquest till the time of Vespasian. About A. D. 450, the Saxons began to invade the island. In the course of 170 years, a large portion of the natives were destroyed, and the Saxons established in the island seven kingdoms, called the Heptarchy. In the time of the Heptarchy, it was a custom among our ancestors, to reduce captives to slavery, and for poor people to sell their children, and even them selves, as slaves. In A. D. 597, Gregory, bishop of Rome, sent Austin, with forty others, to establish Christianity in Britain among the Anglo-Saxons. "No traces of literature, nor any marks of civilization appear until the introduction of Christianity among them; and," says Mr. Bigland, "it is doubted whether our Saxon ancestors were acquainted with letters, previous to their arrival in the island." Vol. i. p. 102. In A. D. 827, the seven kingdoms were reduced to one, under Egbert, the grandfather of Alfred. Before Alfred ascended the throne, the Danish invasions commenced, which occasioned the most deplorable calamities in the course of the two following centuries. Speaking of the laws established by Alfred, Mr. Bigland says, "The multiplied scenes of violence and depredation, which had extended to every corner of the country, had given rise to an unexpected and singular species of disorder. The Saxons were frequently plundered by banditti of their own countrymen, disguised in the habit of Danes; and it was customary among both nations to steal, not only cattle, but also men and women, and to sell them to each other. For this reason a law was enacted which prohibited the sale of cattle or slaves without a voucher. But for the prevention of those, and many other disorders of a similar nature, nothing could be better calculated than the system of general responsibility, which Alfred established. Every householder was answerable, not only for his own family, but also for any stranger who lodged more than two nights in his house. The village or town was answerable for each householder, the hundred for each town or district, and the county for each hundred which it comprised." p. 112. Other laws of Alfred were de. signed to limit the custom of private war and revenge, which prevailed at that time. What he did, appears to have had considerable influence in reforming the morals of the nation. It is however pretty evident, that they still remained, in a great degree, a savage people, or that they very soon returned to their savage manners. This may appear by the preamble to laws, passed by his grandson, king Edmund, who began to reign A. D. 941. He states, as a reason for his laws, the "general misery occasioned by the multiplicity of pri vate feuds and battles." And he adopted several expedients to remedy these evils. He ordained, that if any one committed |