Fourthly. These Gentlemen believe, that the Son washes away the sins of those who place their faith in his vicarious sacrifice, and not of men in general. This shews that the act of pardoning the sins of men by God the Son, proceeded from a reciprocal consideration, and not from his infinite mercy towards mankind. As according to this doctrine, millions of inhabitants of remote countries, islands and mountains, who never heard even the name of Christianity, have died in sin, ever since the time of the vicarious sacrifice offered by Christ, without having it in their power to enter into the necessary bargain for the forgiveness of their sins by offering, in return, their faith in the atonement made by Christ. But those who have been born in countries where they could readily acquire this faith, while they rely upon the possession of this as the means of purchasing their own salvation, inconsistently condemn such of their fellow-Christians as hope to be saved through a virtuous life and sincere repentance, accusing them of presumption and self sufficiency in pretending to be saved by such merits. Yet it is evident that the former who boast of their faith, are the persons really guilty of pride and self sufficiency, since for this single merit of theirs, they think themselves fully entitled to salvation; and at the same time they contemn and depreciate the merits of others, who nevertheless consider that both faith and good works proceed from the grace of God. These Gentlemen are apt to find fault with and ascribe unreasonableness to every other system of religion, shutting entirely their eyes upon the total want of reason and rationality in the faith which they themselves profess and preach. For, is there any notion more unreasonable and conducive to immoral practices than the idea, that God has blood, and that that blood is offered by God to reconcile to God such men as, at any time during their lives, place faith in that blood of God, however guilty these men may be of offending God and injuring their fellow-creatures. As to their attempts at the converting of Hindoos to the Christian Faith, these Teachers of strange doctrines may now have been convinced by experience, after the exertions of a quarter of a century, that no grown up native of India possessed of common sense and common honesty, will ever be persuaded to believe in their self-contradictory Creed, and that their religious efforts will be unavailing, unless they adopt, or be enabled to adopt, some unfair means for the promotion of Christianity. Since the Hindoo population in Bengal, from the circumstances of their early marriages, and their continual residence either at home or at an inconsiderable distance from their birth place, and from the enjoyment of local comfort under the peaceful sway of the British nation, has been increasing with uncommon rapidity, and as they are, at the same time, prohibited from foreign trade by their religious prejudices, prevented from entering into the military service, owing to their habitual aversion to war, and do not now, as in former times, receive gifts of lands free from assessments which tended much to encourge an idle life, many families have already become very indigent and a greater number must, sooner or later, be reduced to proverty. It is therefore more than probable, that the most weak and needy among them may be induced, by the hope of worldly advantages, to sell their conscience and their religion, in the same manner as a great many Israelites have been pursuaded to profess Christianity, by the severe policy, adopted towards Jews on the one hand, and the encourgement to apostatize, held out on the other, by Societies established in Europe for their conversion. I shall now, in a few words, for the information of the Mis-sionary Gentlemen, lay down our religious creed. In conformity with the Precepts of our ancient religion, contained in the Holy Vedant, though disregarded by the generality of moderns, we look up to ONE BEING as the animating and regulating principle of the whole collective body of the universe, and as the origin of all individual souls, which in a manner somewhat similar, vivify and govern their particular bodies; and we reject Idolatry in every form and under whatsoever veil of sophistry it may be practised, either in adoration of an artificial, a natural, or an imaginary object. The divine homage which we offer, consists solely in the practice of Duya or benevolence towards each other, and not in a fanciful faith or in certain motions of the feet, legs, arms, head, tongue or other bodily organs, in a pulpit or before a temple. Among other objects, in our solemn devotion, we frequently offer up our humble thanks to God, for the blessings of British Rule in India and sincerely pray, that it may continue in its beneficent operation for centuries to come. CALCUTTA, November 15, 1823. SHIVUPRUSAD SURMA, ANSWER OF A HINDOO TO THE QUESTION, "WHY DO YOU Frequent a UNITARIAN PLACE OF WOR SHIP INSTEAD OF THE NUMEROUSLY ATTENDED |