Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-11-05
MISSION ARIES.

gentleman who has witnesstd d tho opera.
tlons OF the Missionaries in the East Indies,
gives the subjoined reasons for their i'll succeas.
We are Incliaed from this, to consider the un.
taught Heathen very sensible sort Of people,
who will take good care Of Themselves, in their
own way We always did suppose them, as Q
general rule, better and more Christian peo.
pie than the enlightened expectations from en-
hghteDed countries, who endeavor 10 convert
them. Their light is suited by the Supreme
Ruler 10 their capacity, and we believe that all
attempts 10 better their condition have been
accompanied by many and grievous evils, be-
fore unknown to them. There is a quaintness
o. style in the following which Is pleasing, and
we should be happy to hear again from the su.
thor upon this subject.
81 indertake answering this question with
reluctance, because, being "afler the most
straItest sect" Unitarian, l cannot help 70.
garding the Orthodox method of converting
the Hoathen as Quixotical and absurd in the
extreme. Like the architects of Laputa, they
begin their edifce at the top and work down.
wards, towards the foundations; they com.
mence with doctrnal points which they do not
understand and cannot explain, but which they
require the neophyte TO believe as u sine qua
nom TO his future welfare, like the doctor Of a
msn-of-war, who administers to every patient,
and then proceeds to treat the complaint Sc.
cundem drtem. IL is Erasmus, believe, who
tells US, that "the reason why the doctrine of
the Trinity was not preached in the earlier
agos OF the Christian religion, wis because we
were babes IN grace, and our spiritual stomac
could not digest such mystery" NEST con.
fess that my "spirtual stomac ch" is construct.
cd with so little regard TO the Ostrich or Boa
Constructor principle, that il is utterly unable to
digest the mystery" nor can l find in either
Old or New Testament any spiritual condiments
which will make IT paiatable. | mention tho
Trinity, in particular, because 1t is generally
one OF tho first things insisted upon by our
Missionaries.
"Thc Malays and Bengalces seem TO get
along very comfortably with their mythology,
which supposes a multiplicity OF gods, because
these gods are .cpar0te and distinct persoas,
differing in attributes and essences. But whea
they are told of Being who is one and not
one, VINO Is three porsons and only one person.,
who descended upon earth and underwent a
cruel and lgnominIous death 10 mitigate his owu a
indignation. who afterwards assembled Inio
heaven where he still sits at his own right hand,
making continual mcrCcssion with himself 10
appease his own anger, which lie has already
declared is turned away" by The sacrifice Of
himself, when all this aud more like IL, is :old
them, they decline subscribing to It. In short,
the doctrine Of the Trinity is a stumbling block.
over which "our benigbicd brethren +" invaria-
bly, break their spiritual Sims. Ought We then.
as Christians. 10 blame the "dog Of an unbc.
lievcr" because he refused to bow the knee 10
BaaI Of whom he has not nor can have an
ntclllgib'e or rational ideal The doctrine of
original SIN is another affair that a tropical
omaca does not altogether relish. A Malay
or II ChIuaman cannot urderstard the justice or
reasonableness Of a sentence which cons,pns
ihom 10 everlasting damnaiion for an oif.n Q
IN which they did not participate and Of WHICH
they cannot imagine themselves guilty. II 10
impossible 20 convince cnhor Of tlicm, that boz
cause thor great grandfather got . pair of
black ayos IN ro,c some fifty or SIXTY yesn
ago, his descendants. ad ilfnifsn, should bs
compelled to wear the same " Phiisdelpb.a
coat Of arms +" 10 the cod Of time So whk
original sin, they rsnno' conceive the reason
why they should be saddIed with Adams s,os,
in addition 10 thor o~n manifold Gins ssd
wieksdncss.'"