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And this shall suffice as to the testimonies of the general truth of Christianity existing in the East.

copies of the Holy Scriptures, and of early Liturgies. The most important of them appears to be a copy of the Old and New Testament, (without the Revelations) written on parchment, in large folio. It was presented to Dr. Buchanan by Mar Dionysius, the present Bishop of the Syrian Christians; (for Episcopacy has prevailed in every Christian region of the East from the first ages) and the tradition concerning it is, that it was given by the Patriarch of Antioch, of a former age, to his Indian Church. The words in this copy are all numbered. There is no date. But, from the character of some figures in it, a learned Antiquarian has conjectured, that it was written about the time of Charlemagne. Judging from the beauty of the writing, and from other circumstances, it is probable, that a later age will be finally assigned to it. Mr. Yeates, of Oxford, author of the Hebrew Grammar, is now employed in collating these Syriac MSS. as well as the other MSS. in the Hebrew and Ethiopic languages, brought by Dr. Buchanan from the East. Among the Hebrew MSS. is a roll of the Pentateuch, written on goat-skins, dyed red, upwards of forty-five feet long, which was found in one of the Synagogues of the black Jews in Hindostan. It is remark able, that this colony of Jews should live in a country adjoining to that of the Syrian Christians. There is one place, (the village of Chenotta, near Angamalee) where

II. We proposed, in the second branch of the discourse, to lay before you some evidences of the divine power of the Christian Religion exemplified in the East.

To say that Christianity has been propagated in the East, as other religions have been propagated, is to say little. It is little to say that thousands have adopted the name, and that it pervades populous provinces. For three centuries past, the Romish Church has diffused the name of Christianity throughout the East; and this success demonstrates how practicable it is to "propagate our religion" in the common sense of that expression. Providence seems to have ordained this previous labour of the Romish Church, to facilitate the preaching of the true Gospel at the

there is a Jewish Synagogue and a Christian Church. They stand over against each other; exhibiting, as it were, the LAW and the GOSPEL to the view of the heathen people.

appointed time; for Christianity is found, even in its worst form, to possess a moral and civilizing efficacy.

West

But it is in the East, as it is in the

all are not Christians, who are He is not a Chris

called Christians.

"tian which is one outwardly; neither "is that baptism which is outward in the "flesh." The fact was this, the Romish Church preached Christianity in the East, without the Bible.

Let us now inquire what has been the consequence of sending the Bible to the East. It is nearly one hundred years since the Bible was sent to the Hindoos; but not by our country. This honour belongs to the Protestant churches of Denmark and Germany. It was sent by them to the Tamulian nation, in the south of India; for there are many nations in Hindostan.

What then was the effect of giving them the Bible? It was the same as that which followed the giving the Bible to us, while we lay in alinost Hindoo darkness, buried in the ignorance and superstition of the church of Rome. It gave light and knowledge; God blessed his own word to the conversion of the heart, and men began to worship him in sincerity and truth.

That province in India which was first blessed with the Bible, hath since continued to see "a great Light." During nearly the whole of the last century, multitudes of Hindoos (both heathens and Roman Catholics) became members of the Protestant Church, one generation succeeding another; and amongst them there has ever been found, according to the records of their churches,* such a proportion of serious piety, as you might expect to find, when the

* These records are published in upwards of thirty volumes, thick 4to.

Gospel is preached with faithfulness and

zeal.

During the whole of the last century, Providence favoured them with a succession of holy and learned men, educated at the Universities of Germany; among whom was the venerable SWARTZ, called the Apostle of the East; and others not much inferior to him, men whose names are scarcely known in this country, but who are as famous among the Hindoos, as Wickliffe and Luther are amongst us. The ministry of these good men was blessed in many provinces in the South of India, and the bounds of their churches are extending unto this day. The language of the country is called the Tamul; and the first translation of the Bible, in that, language, was made, as we said, about a hundred years ago. Like Wickliffe's Bible with us, it became the parent of many versions, and, after a succession of improved

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