The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-01-01 00:00:00

Gnd fir man.

Who can doubt the power and wisdom of the
Almighty to enlighten any arid every part of thi.
%world with the moth and blessings of the Cto ;aims
Religion ? and as Christian}, we are commanded to
await the determination of His Will in the disposi-
troll of His mercies in this world, and not to preci •
pirate ourselves into fanatical dillicolties, by con-
straining the people of any country, at any period,
trtforsalur the religion of their ancestors, and em-
brace one that their minds are not prepared to re-
ceive, and that their understandings have never con-
sidered, and, canseqnsndy, cannot comprehcnd.
The Chaplains in the service of the East India
Company are sent to India to perform their religions
duties at the civil and military stations. Toe Gen-
tleman who ha, °tiered such lAige premium's for the
b:•st plan of converting the natives of India to
eiristianity, was appointed and sent to India for
that perpoee, mid had he /imited his views to the
s:iachargiog of his duty as a Chaplain" among the

European Christians, and admonishing them to be
attentive to their religious duties, it would have
operatecEmore forth* public good, by endeavouring
toimprove the morals of the East India Company's
servants:

Every inhabitant in the city of Calcutta that has
attended divine service for the Lit two years, must
have witnessed the violent altercation among the
East Will Company's Chae.ains, chiefly exhibited
.from the pulpit, with much vehemence and anger,
before the only British congregation in that part of
India. •

This congregation is now respectable in numbers,
but that has not been of long duration, for some
that now attend public worship must recollea that.
ten years ago, few, comparatively with the present
numbers, attended divine service on the Sabbath.
In fat!! it is hat within a few years that the de-
portment and respectability of the Chaplains in
Bengal have commanded any respea from the Bri-
tish inhabitants in that part of India.
The present Senior Chaplains were the first whose
preaching was attended to in Calcutta, they have
since been supported by others, more conspicuous for
preaching the doctrines of their peculiar seas, than
expounding the Scriptures according to the Establish-
ad Church, and it is very much to be lamented, that
as succetsive Chaplains have been sent to India, they
have preached the doctrines of the Gospel under
very different meanings, and their altercations on
this subjea have been enthu,iastically contested in
the pulpit ; one party, composed of a sea called
Evangelical Preachers, insisting, that the best of
gond works will not avail us more than the rot-
ten branch of a decayed tree," and that we must be.,
saved by faith alone. The opposite party, is the
following text, pointedly admonished one of the
Evangelical preachers—s, beware of thyself and of
thy doctrine," and preached accordingly, that good
works without faith will avail nothing. Another
Chaplain read some of our Church homilies to the
congregation, and left them to judge for them-
selves.

Thus the largest and the most respeflable con-
gregation ever colleted in Calcutta, and that is
now in the regislar habits of attending all religious
duties,, is confounded by the wrathful disputation
of the East India Company's Chaplains, whose ser-
mons, in the Calcutta Church, display little more

tribated to the want of some able preachers in Cal-'
cutta, to preach the Gospel as established isy
the church of England. At preient the Evan-
gelical preachers in Catena& have decidedly ta
enperiority in learning and talents generally and
they may be expelled to have weight accordingly in
the understandings of their auditors ; and if some
able Preachers of our Religion are not sent to In-
dia to expound the Gospel, in conformity with, and
as fixed by our most excellent and reverend Church,
we may expea to hear, that the religiously disposed
Europeans in Calcutta are induced to neglea the
Established Church, and to assemble, in Meeting-
houses, under favourite Preachers ; but the greater
part of them will probably become lamentably in-
different to all religions. AN OISLIVIIR.

THE BRITISH PRESS.