The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-25 00:00:00

HOW TO CHIMITIANIBE

---
The Right Ray. Dr. Forbes, Bishop of Brechfil,
who has had some =purism* of Indian life m the civil ser-
vice of the company, them metes some considerations which.
in his judgraent, should he kept in sae. by theft who would
promote the spread of Christianity among the natives of India
" To deal with the Oriental mind in maGers of faith is no
=Ltask. The foundation of the Brahmittical and Buddhlitic
by is • subtle and seductive Pantheism, and no sue-
c7;7irl be achieved among the educated clews in India till
that capital error is overthrown, and the exietence of a Pee-
wee' God, the Creator of all things, both visible and in-
visible, vindicated. There is nothing in Christianity which
• Hinder, feels difficulty in receiving, except the old olfence
of the Cron.' He is sccastomed to the thought of a certain
Triad (I do not like to nee the reed word Trinity) in God,
sod the idea of a manifestation of God in a visible form—a
devil's sham of the Incarnation—la quite (entities to him. So
much is this the case, that in the Sastras of one of the lost
great sects of the Handoos, the Shaklee, who worship Viehuu
under the avatars of Crishna, we find many Christen idea.,
probably made known to them by the Frances= miaaionat les
about the time of their first appearance.
" Whet we have to do la to go to the root of • false philo-
sophy which, by logical neceeeity, takes so light a view of
sin as that it cannot grasp the idea of the one perpetual ascri-
bes for .In in the Person of the God-Man.

" The late learned Dr. Mill took one step in the right
direction by editing his learned 6aneetit treatise, the
ChrisAta Snagita, in which he produced part of the Gospel of
St. John and life of our Lord in the form of a Hindu theo-
logical poem, Mr. J. B. Morris's ingenious essay towards
the conversion of the undoes, which obtained the celebrated
prise which was competed for a few years ego, farther indi-
cates the line that must be taken for the overthrow of Satan
in his Eastern stronghold.
" As to more practical questions, I am inclined to advocate
a more epeeist education for the nil... Murk. then that
afforded by our universities. Whet we want emphatically is
rhotrone spicial. I believe that in China the Italian vicar.
aputolic are in the habit of receiving the raw recruits at the
coast, and retaining them by them till they have learned the
languages and ways of the people thoroughly, after which,
clad in the mandarin dress, they make thew way into the
interior, and, so far as manners are concerned, pass for ordi-
nary Chinese.
•• But beyond this, we must aim at the creation of an effi-
cient native priesthood. Brahmin clergy for Brahmin con-
vale. and Sudra claw for Satire convects, must be supplied
for a long time, till the mellowing effect of a traditional
Christianity gradually wears down cute. If St. Boil tole-
rated elavery, I see not why we should not tolerate a distinc-
tion which meson coeval with the civilisation of India, and
which has each deep-planted roots in llindoo nature.
" Above all, the Anglican stiffness of our services must
be relaxed, and a ritual provided which fills up the entire
day in its weculer duties. At present, not a domestic occa-
' paten le followed out without its accompanying prayer.
The lighting of the firs, the drawing water from the well, the
preparation of food, &c., are all more or lies religious sate.
)(any of thaw have a deep symbolical meaning, and though
often the letter has destroyed the spirit, yet the form is very
beautiful.

tt To sweep away all this without some substitute would
be attended with very evil effects, to the spiritual loss of the
people; moreover, the Oriental mind Lae a constant craving
for show. Uoleat the service is made magnificent, the wor-
shippers will be few. Picked converts here and there may
become &omelet:nod to our simple forms and aim unexciting
ceremonies, but these will not affect the mamas. They will
demand some outward symbols of the tweed they us to be
wooed to ; end, while awe must be token to resist corrup-
tion, • wise policy will go as far as it safely ma in p
the aesthetic end cravings of thaw with iltrza
boa to deal"