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OF THE
AT
PRINCETON, N. J.
X x> o IV -'VI- 1 o i«r OB-
SAMUEL AGNEW,
OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.
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C^ THIRTY FOUR.
CONFERENCES
.. '^ , Bet;weea the
Danijh Missionaries
AND THE
Mahharian BRAMANS
CO R
HEATHEN PRIESTSJ
I N ' T H E
EAST INDIES,
Concerning the Truth of the Chriftian
Religion : Together with fome LETTERS
written by the Heathens to the faid
Miffionaries. .
Tranflated cmt of High Dutch
By Mr.THILIPPS.
L N D N,
Printed for H. Clements m St. P^«i's Church- Yard,
I'K Fleetwood in IVcJiwinJler- HaS neat the Parliament'
Stairs, and J,Seephem in Butchsr-£{pw. M DCC XIX.
TO THE
ING
STR,
THE following Confe-^
rences being an Efiay
to recommend to the
Heathens in the Eafl-hiJies
that faith, of which Your
Majcfty
The Epiflle Dedicatory.
Majefty is the Glorious De^
fender ; I have humbly pre-
liira'd to lay them at Your
Royal Feet, as a Pledge of
the indefatigable Labours
o^ the Proteftaiit MiJJionaries
fent thither by the King of
Denmarh
One of thofe Miffionaries
had the Honovir to be gra-
cioufly received by Your
Majefty here in London y on
his Return to India.
They have already grate-
fully acknowledg d the Cha-
ritable Afliflances they have
received froniYour Majefty's
Subjeds both in Europe and
in
ThQ Epiftle Dedicatory^
in the Eaft - Indies ; and
would, 1 am well aflur'd,
were it in their power^ glad-
ly embrace this Opportuni-
ty of repeating thefe Ac-
knowledgments, by dedica-
ting this Fruit of their
Labours to the Augufl Mo-
narch of the Britipj Nation,
from which they have re-
ceiv'd fb many Encourage-
ments.
'Tis with the higheft Sa-
tisfaftion, that 1 aftume this
Office, as it furniihes me
with an Occafion of Pub-
lickly acknowledging the
many Inftances of Royal
Bounty I had the Honour
to
The Epiftle Dedicatory*
to receive from Your Maje-
fty and Your Royal Family
both in Germany and in
Evglaiid.
Mdy the Eternal Fountain
of all Goodnefs long prejerve
Tour Precious Life^. invalu^
ahle to Tour own &uhjeBsy
and dear to all who wijlj well
to the true Intereft of Man--
kind.
I am
(May it pleafe Tjur Majefly)
Tour Majeftfs moft Dutiful,
and Mofl humbly Devoted
Subj^6b and Servant^ '-
J, Thomas Philipps*
THE
PREFACE.
H E Country of Malalar begins
at Canonor^ a Town in the Nor-
thern Latitude of 1 1 Degrees and
20 Minutes ; and ends at Cape
Comorin in the Northern Latitude of Seven
Degrees and Two Thirds, over againft^the
Ifland oi Ceylon. It contains divers King^
doms ; aSj Cochin^ Trdvancorj Gundaca^ PimU
ertta^ Margate; and abounds with Ports, as,
Calecut^ Cale^Couiamy &c. The natural Pro-
duce of the Countrey is fo rich and profita-
ble to the Merchants, that the Englijh^
Dutchy Frenchy FortuguezCy DatieSy and Peo-
ple of other Trading Countries, have made
large Settlements upon thefe Coafts fince
the Year 1^2,4. when Fafco de Gama found
the Paflage to the Eafi Indies by the Cape
of Good Hope.
CO,
Mod
ii The PREFACE.
Moft of its Princes are Heathens, paying
Tribute to the Great Mogul.
The Inhabitants are generally good-
natur'd, ingenious and very induftrious;
charitable to the Poor, but extreanvly Su-
perftitious in the Worfliip of the Pagers.
Some of their Temples are very rich, a-
domed with Galleries and Chapels, where-
in are placed the Statues of leveral Men
and Women y who, as they fay, have lead
Holy Lives, v;hich are adorned with Gold
and Silver Apparel, and attended with
Lamps and Wax Candles burning Day and
Night.
They have their Annual Solemnities,
when they carry their Idols in Proceflion,
with the Sound of Horns and Trumpets,
accompanied with a great Number of Peo-
ple ,• much after the fame manner as the
Image of the Virgin Mary is carried about
in many Countries of Europe ; only with
this difference, that the Image of a Mala-
harian Goddefs is fo hugely bulky, that fct
veral hundred Men mud labour hard to
move the Great Waggon upon which fhe is
placed in great Pomp and State.
They make great xife of Holy Water in
fiheir Ceremonious Wailiings and Purificati-
ons.
Their
The PREFACE. Hi
Their Temple Worililp confifts in Sacrf.
£ces, Burning of Incence, in Cringings and
Boi^'ings ot the Priefts, Young Womens
Singing and Dancing to the Sound of Mu-
fical Initruments betore the Idols ; th6 In-
fpedion whereof is committed to the Care
of the Bramans^ who make a feparatc Tribe
among the MalahariaMS^ as the Levites fof-
merly amcng the Jei^s,
They marry only in their own Tribe,
and are very burthen fome to the Publick :
For the whole Tribe is maintain'd by the
Gifts and Liberalities of the Layity ; who
are fo ftupid, as to believe thefe Bramahs
derive their Pedigree from the God Biruma;
and that they are therefore very holy Men.
And they are proud and cunning enough to
cherifh this Ignorance of the People, by
holding no Communication with the mean-
er fort of People, for fear, fay they, of be-
ing defiled : And fome of them feparate
themfelves from the reft of their Neighbours
(for there are Monks and Anchorets among
them, who fpend their time in Wilderneiles
and Caves of the Earth ; ) and yet there is
not, perhaps, a more wicked Race of Men
treading upon God's Earth; For they cer-
tainly believe, that all things, how abomi-
nable focver, are very lawful, when pratftis'd
by themfelves. And the People are fo infa-
tuated by them, that they believe they fiiall
( a z ) become
Iv The PRE F AC E.
become holy, by partaking in their Crimes,
or by fuffering any Outrage at their Hands.
Befides, they are the greateO: Impoftors
in the World : Their Talent lies in inven-
ting new Fables every Day, and making
them pafs for incomprelienfible Myfteries
aniong the Vulgar.
One of their Cheats is to perfuade the
People, that their Idols Eat like Men : And
to the end they may be plentifully provi-
ded with good Cheer, they make them of
a Gigantick Figure j and to be fiire, with a
prodigious Paunch. If thefe Offerings, with
which they maintain their Families, come
to fall, they denounce againft the People the
Anger of the Hungry Gods.
They believe, that a Cow has fomething
in her Sacred and Divine ; and happy is the
Man, who can be fprinkled with the Alhes
of a Cow burnt by the Hand of a Braman ;
he, who dying, lays hold of a Cow's Tail,
and Expires with it betwixt his Hands, thinks
himfelf as happy as he that is to be buried
in the Robes of a Capuchin : For thus af-
fifted, the Soul departs out of the Body, pu-
rified, and fometimes returns into the Body
of a Cow-, which is look'd upon as a great
Blefiing, and never granted, but to Heroick
Souls, who contemn Life, and die generouf-
iy, either by cading themfelves headlong
from a Precipice, or leaping into a kindled
Pile,
IheP RE F AC E. v
Pile, or throwing thernfelves under the holy
Chariot, to be cruQied to Death by the Idols,
while they are carried in Triumph about
the Town : For the Souls of wicked Men
in their next Nativity muft animate the Bo-
dies of Swine, Dogs, or (bme more hideous
Creatures.
And purfuant to this Doflrine of the
Tranfoiigration of Souls from one Body into
another, they religioufly abftain from eating
the Flelh of any living Creature whatfoever,
whether Fiih, Fowl, or Four-footed Beads ;
left by chance they might feed upon a Body,
animated with the Soul tl;jat lodg'd before in
a Father or near Relation.
Thefe Bramayis boad of a Divine Law fent
them down from Heaven, but couch'd in a
Language that the Laity underfland not;
nor are they allow'd the lludying of jt ,* but
muft obey, and believe implicitly all that the
Prieft fliall be pleas'd to prefcribs as Articles
of Faith.
The Moral Part of this Law is compriz'd
in * Eight Precepts, viz..
I. Thou flialt not kill any living Creature
whatfoever it be, having Life in the fame :
For thou art a Creature of mine, and fo is
r* Viii, Henry Lord's Djfcovtry of (he SeH of. tli^ti'
eians, offid old Periians who adored the Fhe^ Pag,^t.
(33) '■'?
.%
vi Tk P RE F AC E.
h: Thou art endued with a Soul, and // is
endued with the fame- Thou fhalt not
therefore fpiil the Blood of any thing that
is mine.
II. Thou {halt make a Covenant with all
thy Five Senfes. Firfl, with thy Eyes, that
they behold not, things that be Evil. Se-
condly, With thy Ears, that they hear not
things that be Evil. Thirdly, with thy
Tongue, that it fpeak not things that be E-
vil. Fourthly, with thy Palate, that it tade
not things that be Evil ; as Wine or the Flefh
of Living Creatures. Fifthly, with thy
Hands, that they touch not things deiiled.
III. Thou fhalt duly obferve the Times
of Devotion, thy Walhings, Worlhippings,
and Prayers to the Lord thy God, with a
pure and upright Heart.
IV. Thou ihalt not tell falfe Tales, or ut-
ter things untrue, by which thou mighteft
defraud thy Brother in Dealings, Bargains,
or Contradis ; by this Cofenage to work thy
own peculiar Advantage.
V. Thou flialc be charitable to the Poor,
snd adminifter to his Need, Meat, Drink
and Money, as his Neceflity requires, and
ehine owa Ability enableth thee to give.
: VI. Thou
The PREFACE. vil
VI. Thou ilialt not oppref^, Injure or do
Violence to the Poor, uiing thy Power un-
juftly to the Ruin and Overthrow of thy
Brother.
VIL Thou ilialt celebrate certain Fefti^
vals ; yet not pampering thy Body, with
Excels of any thing ; but llialc obferv^e cer-
tain Seafons for Faltiog, and break otiTome
Hours by Watching, tl, at thou mayTt be fitter
for Devotion and Hohnefs.
VIIT. Thou Ihalt not (leal from thy Bro^
ther any thing, however little it be, of
things committed to thy Trufl in thy Pro-
felTion or Calling ; but flialt content thy
felf with that which he Pnall give thee as
thine Hire ,• conftdering that thou haft not
Right to that which another Man calleth
his.
And as for their Burhls^ this is their
Cuftom ; when any Man is defperately
Sick, and paft any Hope of Recovery, they
enjoy n him to utter Maramie^ which is one
of the Names of God, importing Mercy to
Sinners; of which Mercy at that time he
flandeth mofi; in need of. His Spirits lan-
guiHiing, at that time tliey ftretch out his
Hands, pouring fair Water into them, as the
Qx 4) Oiler..
Viii The P R E F A C E.
Offering of his Life, praying to KiflneruppoM^
the God of the Water, to prefent him pure
to God, with this Offering oi his Hand. His
Life being departed, they walli his Body, as
a Teftimony of his Clcannefs and Purity.
This is the Ceremony obferv'd in the Vi-
fitation of their Sick.
After this, for the Burial of their Dead ;
*t}s after tiiis manner ; Firft^ tliey bear the
dead Body to a River's Si6q, appropriate to
fuch purpofe ; where fetiing the Corps
down on the Ground, the Braman uttereth
theie Words : Oh Earthy we commey/.'i unto
thee this our Brother ; wh'tlft he livd thoit
haclft an Interest in htm j of the Earth he was
wade j by the Elejfing of the Earth he was fed;
and HOW therefore he is kead^ we fur render him
unto thee.
After this, putting combuflible Matter to
tjie Body, and lighting it by the Help of
Sweet Oyl, and Aromatical Odours llrow-
ed thereon, x.\\t Braman faith, Oh Fire, whilft
he lived, thou hadfi a Claim in himy ly whofe
jMatural Heat he fulfified : We return there-
fore this Body to thee^ that thou (houldfl purge
it.
The Body then being incinerated, or burnt
to Allies, they difperfe the Alhes abroad in-
to the Air ,• and the Braman uttereth thefe
Words'; Oh Air^ whilfl he livd, hy thee he
Ireathed; and now having breath' d his laft, we
-field him to thee. ^ The
The PREFACE. h
The Afiies falling on the Water, the Bra-
rnan faith, Oh Water, whiljl be llvd, thy Moi-
flure did fufiain him ; and his Body is difpersd;
take thy part in him.
So they give every Element its own : For
as they afRrm Man to have his Life continu-
ed by the Four Elements ; fo, they fay, he
ought to be dillributed amongd: them at his
Death.
If you would know more of the Manners
of the People, read a Volume of Letters
written by thefe Heathens themfelves, giv-
ing an Account of their Religion, Manners,
and Learning to their Correfpondents, the
Danijh MiUionaries at tranquehar^ fold by
Mr. Mears near Temple- Bar,
St. Thomas the ApoOle preach'd the Gof-
pel amongd the Malabar iatis ; and Chriftia-
nity remain'd there for many Ages in its
primitive Simplicity ^ till in time, for want
of good Pallors, they were in danger of lo-
fing the Remains of the Gofpel, had not
Mar Toma, a Native of Syria, taken care of
the decay'd State of Chriftianity in thefe
Parts ; who being feconded by diverfe other
Teachers o\xtoS. Syria ^ the Syriack Language
was introduc'd into their Churches, and the
former Purity redor'd amongft them,^ till the
time that the Opinions of Ne/lorius got foot-
ing
X TheP RE FACE.
ing in Syria , and thence were tranfplanted
into h^ja.
They have always, or at leafl: for 1300
Years, been under the Patriarch of Bahylon.
(himfelf being fubje(5l to the Patriarchal
See of Antioch^ who, as their Meterene^ or
Bifliop died, took care to fend them another,
which refided ftill among them, and was
had in great Reverence both by Chriftians
and Infidels : And in this ftate they were
found by the Portugueze j who extending
their Conquers to the very Neighbourhood
01 Li/ife Ancient Chriftians, made ufe of all
Arts and Stratagems imaginable, to pcrfuade
them to own the Supremacy of the Biihop
of Rome : But Mar Jofeph, their Bidiop,
would neither be fiatter'd nor frighted from
his ^acTdotal Obedience, due to the Patri-
arch of ^rt/y/o» j telling them plainly, that n
he had nothing to do with the Bifliop of
R'j>n€ ,: and that the Bifliop of Ro}y!e had as
little to do with him : Whereupon the Arch-
bifliop of 60a thought it high time to adt
a-la-mo^e de Rome, and to employ thofe Ar-
guments oflafallibility that feldomor never
fail in trampling upon opprefs'd Innocence ;
I mean, Arguments of Steel, in the Hands
of Horfe- Grenadiers us'd to Rapin and Vio-
lences, and fluilied with Succefles : For
fome of thofe Veterane Combatants were
fent by the Archbilhop of Goa to find out
Mar
The PRE F AC E. xi
Mar Jofeph, with Orders to lay hands on
him, and bring him bound to 6oa ; from
whence he was tranfported to Lisbon in or-
der to be fent to Rome to (lady the Decrees
of the Council of Trent, which was but then
newly hatch'd ; but Mar Jnfeph by his Ad-
drefs, and extraordinary Appearances of
Sanditv, did fo far infinuate himfelf into
the Favour of Doma Catherina^ who was
Qjeen Regent at that time, that he was fent
back by the next Ships to 6oa, with the
Queen Regent's Letter, ordering him to be
permitted to live quietly in his Biihoprick.
But at his Return to his Flock, he found it
fupplied with another Biihop fent from Ba-^
hyion. according to their Defire : For they
never hop'd to fee their Bifliop return
again : This new Bifliop's Name was Mar
Alraham'^ who finding himfelf regularly cal-
led, and efteem'd by the Inhabitants, W'Ould
not refjgn to Mar Jofeph. Some ravifh'd to -
fee their old Bidiop fafely returned to them
after fo many Perfecutions and Dangers fuf.
' fer'd for his Faith and Conftancy to his Me-
tropolitan, thought they could not, without
the bafeft Ingratitude, forfake this Venera-
ble old Man ; but a flrong Party ftuck clofe
to defend the new Biihop, till he was like-
wife taken Prifoner by the Fortugueze Arch-
ers, and fent to Rome^ where he was degra-
ded of all his Sacerdotal Dignities.
The
Xii The PREFACE;
The Third BIfhop whom they laid violent
Hands on, was Mar Simeon ; who was hkc-
wife fent to Romei where, after having been
examin'd by the Inquifiticn, he was declar'd
by Pope Sixtus V. not to be in Holy Or-
ders, and was confined in a Francifcan Con^
vent in Lishon^ where he died. This was
the laft Bifliop fent from Bahylon to the
Cbriflians of St. Thomas : For the Portugueze
gave (^ rid: Orders that no Ecclefiadick fliould
come from Bahylon to the Indies, guarding
all the PafTages both by Sea and Land.
The Churcli being now without a Paftor,
the Archbishop of Goa, Dom Frey Aleixo de
Menezes laying hold of this Ecclefiaftical
Interregnum^ refolved to thruft himfelF into
this BiOioprick ; threatening the Heathen
Princes, under whofe ProtecStion thefe Chri-
ftians lived, with Fire and Sword, if they
did not force their Chriftian SubjecSts to take
him for their Archbilhop : And having
corrupted the Heathen Governours, they
made their Matters believe, that 'twas not
their Intereft to provoke the Portugueze^ in
refufing to gratifie them in a Bufinefs of fo
fmall Importance ; tho' afterwards they
found it to their Coft, that they weaken d
their own Hands, and (Irengthen'd the
Portugueze, by the AccefTion of many thou-
fand brave vahant Men.
Dom
7he PREFACED xiii
Dom Frey Aleixo was empower'd by a
Bull from Pope Clement VIII. to invade a
a Diocefs he had no Right to, and to take
Cognizance of all Errors and Abufes, byt
formal Vifitation ,• in which Bull the For-
tugueze Original hath thcfe Emphatical
Expreflions ;
Sohre as quaes caufas^ folrecadahunadeltat
vos conce demos ^ damos plena ^ largo poder^
(^ autor'tdade petto tenor deftas prefente^ lettrm
naon olfiantes quaes quer Conftitachnes, Ordi-
ft ac tones Apoflolicas^ geraes^ ou efpeciaes on
feitas em ConfilioSy Vrovhciaes Synodaes ^
principalmente do decreto do confilio Tridenti'
no que proh'they que fe nom pojfam formar
procejjos ainda injormativos contra Bifpos fy
naon per vigor de comijffion^ ajjinada de propria
tnano de Pont'tfice Romano. Jornada de Ara-
lifpo de Goa, FoL lo.
In all and every one of thefe CafeSy we
conjlitutc you our Tlenipotent'taryy to aSt
according to the tenor of this Letter ^ ntaugrt
all Conjlitutions, and Apoflolical OrnanceSy
whether made in General or Provincial Coun-
cils; and more particularly^ notwithflandtng
the exprefs Decree of the Council of Trent,
which orders, that not fo much as an Informa-
tion /hall he taken againfl a Bijhopy unlefs it
he hy a Commijfion figned hy the Popes own
Hand. This
xiv The PREFACE.
This thundering Bull for apprehending
the Malaharian Bifhop, and invading his
Biflioprick, is not tranflated by Dr. QpJdes
in his Hiftory of the Church ot Malahar,
prefixed to the Decrees of the Synod of
Dlamper ,• which Book, if recommended
to our EMgUJJj People, would put Mo-
dern Popery in a clearer Light, than
all the Books of Controverfics can do : And
it may be, the tyrannick dragging of anci,
ent Bifliops thus out of their own Countrey
and Diocefies, and harralTing them about
the World, would rouze up a generous In-
dignation in the Hearts of Roman Catholkks
themfclves, and recover them from their hi-
therto invincible Bigotry.
Dom Frey Aleixo purfuant to, this Or-
der, began his Vii'itations, going from one
Parifli Church to another; but finding Tome
Viilagfe guarded by armed Men, who re-
folved to defend their ancient Religion, his
Lordfliip betook himfelf to the Sea, tofave
himfelf from the Fury of an injur'd People,
whofe Biiiiops had been treated fo barbsi-
roufly : Other Villages he found without
Inhabitants (^for they had fled away at the
News of rhe Romifh Bifliop's Approach.)
And thus he had but little Refpcci fliew'd
him in his new Diocefs • and lefs Hope of
Succefs,till rhe Heathen Princes comftianded
their Chriilian Subjects to acknowledge him
for
7be PREFACE: xv
their Head in Ecclefiaflical Affairs. Where-
upon he call'd a Synod at Diamper, a Town
in the Mountains of Malahar i where an
hundred and fifty Churchmen of St. Thomas
appearing, they were accus'd of thefe things
following, as Herefics, viz. That they had
married Wives .; That they own'd the Pa-
triarch of Bahylon to be their Principal in
Spirituals j That they own'd but Two Sa-
craments, viz. Baptifm celebrated without
Godfathers or Godmothers, without Cream
and without Spittle -, and the Lord's Supper
under both kinds (Bread and Wine^ to be
adminiftred to all the Faithful ; denying the
Bodily Prefence, commonly call'd Tranfuh-
ftantiation ; That they had no Inftrumental
Mufick, nor Images in their Churches,
except the Sign of the Crofsj That they
neither invok'd Saints, norbeiiev'd Purgato-
ry ; That they had no Holy Water, and did
not acknowledge Guardian Angels; That
they did not believe the Pope to be the
Head of the Univerfal Church j That they
knew nothing of Confirmation, nor of God-
fathers and Godmothers made ufe of in the
Celebration of this Ceremony by the Church
of Rome; That they had no Monks, nor
Friers, nor any other Names of Dignity,
but 3iihop and Deacon.
Thefc
xvi The PREFACE.
Thefe were fome of the Opinions whereof
they were accus'd, and obligd to abjure
forthwith ; and, to their g-reat Surprize,
were forced to feparate themfelves from
their lawful Wives, or be fufpended from all
Church-Benefices.
'Twas llkewife decreed, that Syria^t and
Chaldean Books fliould be burnt, or correded
by the Jefuits^ that by (^o doing, no ancient
In(/ia» Apoftolicai Monuments might remain
in thofc Parts, to refledt Reproach upon
Romtjh Novels. But notwithfiandiog this
Ecclefiaftical Tyranny, thefe Ancient Chri-
flians do dill look upon all thofc Proceedings
as wicked and unwarrantable ; and are far
from owning the Bifliop of Homes Suprema-
cy ; as appears from a Syriack Epiftle, dire-
died to Jgnatim Patriarch of Antioch^ from
Mahatoma an EcclefiaftickinW/^yreficiingin
Chadenad 'm Malahar^ and fent to Europe by
Mr. Vander Duin^ a Dutch Governour re-
turning for Holland in order to be furthered
to Afitjoch^ which he did accordingly, and
kept a Duplicate thereof for himfelf ; and
got it tranilated into Lath by the Learned
Charles Schaof, Vrok^^or o\ Heir ew in Ley den,
for the Satis fadion of the Curious World.
The Subilance of the faid Letter is, to
reprefent to the Patriarch of Antioch Cwhom
he diles Head of the Catholkk Church) the
great NecelTity the Indians have of a
Spiritual
7he PREFACE. xvii
5pirltual Guide, and defires they may be
fupply'd with fuch Men as ore vers'd in in-
terpreting the Holy Scriptures.
This Learn'd Hehrem Profellbr, was not
contented only with tranOating Maha Tho-
mas Epiiiie into Latin ; but writ- to him a
Letter in the Syr lack Langiuige, dirediing it
for him at Chaclenad In Malabar^ accompani-
ed with a Pre.fent of fome Syr/ack Teflaments
lately publiili'd by himiblf at Leyden ; de-
firing him to compare them with rhcir own
Syriack Copies, and to inform him more
particularly of the State and Circumflances
of their Church ; and whether they have
any Writings of any other of the Apofiles ;
and cfpecially, oi St. Thomas .- He defires
further^ to lend him a Syr/ack Copy of the
Chief Heads, of the Chriftian Religion, as
cceiv'd among Proteftanrs.
Thefe two Syr/ack Epiflles are printed
with their refpediivc Latin Verfioas , in
Ley den y 17 \^.
But 'tis high time now, to give^fome Ac-
count of the Danijh Mi/Iionaries ; and what
iSuccefs their Endeavours have met with, a-
mong the Indians.
In the Year 1705', the prefent King of
Denmark rc(oWd to lend lome MilTionarics
to tranquebar upon tlie Colli of Qoromandel.
The Univerfitv of Hall being anply'd to tot
(bj) ^ fur-
furnidilng able Pcrfons to undertake fo . ha-
zardous an Enterprize. Tuo Voang Divines,
Mr. 2.iegenhalg and Mr. Fiutjcko ^.\xh]^&s
to his Frufian Majefty, were Imgl'-d out tor
this purpole ; who h?ving ernbarkd about
the lattfT Fnd o\' Hovewler 1705, arriv'd at
Tra}9quehar in J/v/y 1706 ; knovviPg neither
the Fortuq^Me^e, comnnonH' (pokcn in the
. Marit^m: lo\^ns or the hdks, nor the Ma-
iaharian Language, without uh^ch there is
nothing' done in the converting o{ rhofe
HccithwH Nations to the Knov\!c\ ge o; ihe
Gofpel; {\ox to attempt it by an Interpreter,
has been found altogether truitjefs.^ There-
tore they apply 'd themfe'vcb to the learning
of thefe Languages ; which, they eiie(5i-ed in
the Space ot Six Months, fo far as to be able
to underftand the Inhabitants, and to be un-
derflood by them again ; and maoe ibme
Converts that very lirit Year. But \Nhen
they had made themfelves Mafiers of thefe
Languages, they convers'd every Day with
the Heathens, and fet up Ch."«rity. .Schools
to bring .up the Malaharian Children in the
Dodrine of Chrift, and made many Profe-
lytes among thofe that were of riper Years ;
preaching the Word of God at tlieir own.
Lodgings, till the Hearers became too nu-
merous : This put them upon building a
New Church, which was happily finiilied,
t)y the liberal Contributions of pious Chri-
ftians :
The PRE F A C E. xix
fllans : But not contented with this, they
undertook the Tranfiation oH the New Te-
llament which was happily finiHi'd, printed,
and d.rpers'd among the Heathens, which
thev novv read very attentively in their own
Ma! ah art an Language.
The King o. Denmark has edablifli'd a
College, confilling oi MmiOers of State,
Divines, and other worthy Men, to concert
the belt Methods, to llrength'"n the Hands
of the Miirionanes ; the Honouiibl^ Mem-
bers oi the Society icrtled in Lot^chn tor pro-
pagating Chriftian Knowledge , do lurnifh
the Miiiionaries with Money (VoiTi time to
tim;^, to carry on fo pious an Undertaking,
anOi have made them a Prelenc or Paper,
and a Printing Prefs to the end they may
pu'-.ljfh uJcml Books, lor the CKc o^ the
Gencile World ; whereo! many 'Catechetical
Writings, and other Imall J3ooks, for the
Inltrudion of Youth, have been publidi'd
by the Millionaries.
And ior the eafier Propagating of Chrifti-
an Knowledge, they have erected there a
Paper- Mill, which may in time prove ad'
vantageous to the Miflion ; Paper being a
dear Commodity in the Indies.
They have in a {qw Years baptiz'd above
two Hundred and fifty or the Heathens;
vi'hic'n, it we conl'.derthe Fewneis of the La-
bojirers, the OitliCLilty ol the Undertaking,
the Pains, and Care they take ol their new
C b X ) Dif^
XX The PREFACE.
Difciples ; add to this, the great Service
they have done to PoRerity, in compofing a
Grammar, arid Did-ionary in that Language ;
i\.n6 finifh'd the Tranflation of the Old Te.
llament ; one may boldly fay, that thefe
two Honeft Gentlemen have done more Ser-
vice to Chrift and his Gofpel, than the Spa-
rj'tarels and Fortugueze have done for thefe lad
two Hundred Years, in both the Indies :
For 'tis manifeft they have been as careful
to conceal from the Knowledge of the poor
Indians^ the Rich Mines comprehended in
tlie Sacred Volumes of the Old and New
Tefiaraents, as they have been diligent to
find out their Rich Mines of Gold and pre-
cious Stones.
And as for their great Number of Profe-
ly tes, 'tis done by Force and Violence ; where"
O! the Heathens arc as much fenfiblCjand fcan-
dnliz'd at their cruel Proceedings, as Prote-
ftants can be at the bloody Tribunal of their
Inquifition; as appears by the Speech of one
Gemalio2in Indian, when the Fortugueze were
driven out of the Ifiand Ito : Wherein he told
them in a lull AiTembly, that if they preach
to others, that there was a God in Heaven
whoobferv'd all that was done on Earth, and
would certainly re^Aard all Good, and punifh
all Evil Deeds, without believing it them^
felvcs, or without praclifing what they be-
lie v'd ,• they were guilty of lueh Crimes,
which
The P RE FA€ E. %xi
which fuch a God muft certainly deteft
above all others.
Tou preach Chrift crucified unto us, faid
he, aM^ at the fame time Crucifie thofe yon
have perfuaded to believe in him. Tou mufi
knoiv^ that we are not Ignorant of jvhat you
have done to King Xael ; and how you rC'
warbled his great Kindnefs and Civility t»
you, with Violence and Outrages,
The. Portugueze Hiftorian who relates it,
makes this Reflection : Thus we lofe Places
hy our Injolencies^ which we gained hy our
Valour. And their ProfeJytes are ignorant
of Chriflianity ; knowing httle more than
Ave Jklaria, Pater-nofter, and how to crofs
themfelves on all Occafions. But our Pro-
teftant Miflionaries know of no other Me-
thod of Converting the Heathens, but that of
the Apoftles themfelves, 1//2. Perfuafions and
convincing Reafons, fetting forth the Corrup-
tions of Human Nature, and the Neceflity
of a Mediator ; as will appear by the fol-
lowing Conferences ; and more particu-
larly, if you read a Book call'd Propaga-
tion of the Gofpel in the Ea^ ; being an
Account of the Succefs of their Mifion ; Con-
taining a Ifarrative of their Voyage to the
Coaft of Coromandel ; their Settlement at
Iran-
xxii The PREFACE,
Tranquebar, the Divinity and Thilofophy
of the Malabarians, their Language and
Manners^ the Impediments ohftrutling the
CoMverfion of the Heathens. Printed by the
Diredions of the Society for Piopagadng
of Chriftian Knowledge.
THE
TENTS.
Conference I. f'^F the Original of Good and E-
\.J 'vil. page r
Conf. JI. Oftbe Prop'igation of Religion. p. 19
Conf. III. Of feeing the Face of Cod. p-29
Conf IV. Of the Mijery of the Malaharians p. 37
Conf. V. OF a Rich M.ins entring into Haaven.
P- 47
Conf. VT. ContatTii^g ftf-veml Particulars. P' S^
Conf. VII. Of RtgcniratioHy and no Salvation out
ofChrif^. p. 65
Conf. VI II. OfthelVayofSdv:nlon^ZlC. p 75"
Conf. IX Of thi". Malnbarian Gods. p. loi
Conf X. Of the Education ofTouth, Sic. p. il?
Conf XI. Of the Falfenefs of the H-.ithtn Gods,
O'tijeHions ag'iinft the Trinity anfwerd. p. 1 21
Conf. XII. Chri{iij7i Religion and true Piety con-
[tfl chiefly in PraBice. P- ^ ? f
Conf X III. Of PhlUjofby and Idolatry ^ and of
Internal Spiritual IVorJhip, p. 147
Conf XIV, Upon 'uaricus SubjtSfs. t)* JfS'
Conf. XV. About Matters of lit ligi on. P- l6*
Conf. XVI. of ffveral Particulars reLaing to Ido-
latry, &c. p. 179
Conf. XVII. of the MalaT)ariansO/.w///fj p. 189
Conf. XVI 1 1. fVhat opinion the Heathens entertain
of the Chrifians. P- I97
Conf.
The CONTENTS.
Conf. XIX. Of the Vlurality of Wives among the
Mahometans. p 205
Conf XX. Of the Malabarian SacreJLaw- Books,
Ajirology, and of many other ¥ articular s. p 209
Conf, XXI. Of thiir Washings and Vitrifications ;
and of the DoBrine of Fate fo much cultivated
among them. . p. 217
Conf. XXII. OftheLa-wjofMo^QS^ and of the
CofpeL &C. P» 22J
Conf.XXIII. Of the Goodnefs of Cod. The Hea-
thens ObjeBions againji the Chrifiian Religion p.2 % ^
Conf. XXIV. Of the Hcathen'i{\i Bookt, &C.p,24i
Conf. XXV. Of the Heathen FeaJl-Days^Szc. p. 247
Conf. XXVI. About ftverai Particulars relating
to Religion. P' ^SS
Conf. XXVII. of the Heathens Excufes, &C. p.261
Conf. XXVI II. Containing Anf-wtrs to Thirteen
^iefiions, p. 26S
Conf. XXIX. Of the Affiiirs cf Europe, and of
India. Their Averfmn to ail Europeans," be-
cmufethey eat Flejh. p, 272
Conf. XXX. Of the Heathens Alms. State of de-
farted Souls, P-279
Conf. XXXL Of Chrijl the Saviour of the World.
P 285-
Conf, XXXIL T-Phether ivs floould know God, and
our own Minds fir Ji j or the Things obvious to our
Senfes. p. 289
Conf. XXXIII. Of the Water of the River Gan-
ges ^ of their Beads c^/ZV Ruddiratfchangel, and
hoiv frepard. p. 297
Conf. XXXIV. Of the Chriftian and Mahometan
Religions, P- 3^1
Con-
Conference I.
Of the Original of Good and
Evily and the Means of
Salvation through jefus
Chrifty
Between a BRAMAN and one of the
Danijfh Miflionaries.
UPON the Sixth of March, 1707,
I Bartholomew 2.i€genbalgen wai»
vifited by a Grave and Learned
Braman : And asking him, what
he propos'd to himfelf by his Friendly Vi-
fit, he reply *d. That he defir'd to confer
with me amicably about the great Things
and Matters of Religion. Whereupon I
ask'd him, whether he would propofe to
B mc
2 The Firfl Conference]
me, or that I fhould lay before him fome Irti-
portant Queftions ; he accepted of the latter,
and promis'd to tell his Mind frankly,
upon my feveral Interrogatories. Then I
ask'd him, if he did ferioufly believe the
the Exiftence of One Supreme Being ? He
replied, Yes. Then, proceeded I, how can
that be, while you Maiahdrians believe a
Plurality of Gods ? We allow, rcpty'd the
BramaHy but One Primary aind Sovereigrt
Being, the Source and Fountain df all crea-
ted Derivations, and the Principle of all o.
ther inferiour diminutive Beings ; and con-"
flantly profefs, that the Great Triad of De-
ities, Ifurettj Wifchtnu and Birumay acknow-
ledge him for their Sovereign Lord and
Mailer, as the great Number of other Gods
ad under the Diredtion of the Three fore-
men tion'd NuwenSy Jfuren, Wifchtnu and Bi^
ruma : And this is the true Reafon why our
Sacred Books make frequent mention of a
Plurality of Gods ; tho* really, and in truth,
all of them are but Vicegerents, and Lieu-
tenants fuperintending the Works of Crea-
tion, and the Actions of Men, in their re-
fpec^ive different Capacities, under the high
Command of the Prime Csiufe ; whom
we, in and through them, revere and wor-
ship: And our Adorations thus perform'd
according to his own Prefcription, are as
accep-
hf the Means of Salvationl '^
(icceptable untb the Supreme Being, as if
immediately direded to himfelf.
Then I refum'd ; God has liberally blefs'd
you Malabarians with Strength of Thought
and Readinefs of apprehending the various
Afpeds and mutual Relations of all Sublu-
nary Things : But I am all Amazement,
when I fee your Blindnefs in not difcerning
Spiritual Things ,• as if yoii had fworn E-
ternal Allegiance to the Didates and Poe-
tical Fidions of Lying Bards ,♦ who riding
upon the Ridges of Metaphors and Allego-
ries, have rhimed yoii into the Belief of
lying incomprehenfible Perplexities. For
is not this the Extremity of Madnefs, to
believe, that the Supreme Being is divided
and fubdivided into many Subordinations
of Deities ? This refleds Difparagement
Upon the GREAT ONE, and tarnifhes the
Glory of his moft Incommunicable Attri-
bute. And the Caufe of this grofs Igno-
rance, ib rife amongfl: you, is your want oi
being inftruded out of the Revealed Word
of the Living God : For your Fathers, flop-
ping their Ears to the kindly Invitations
of Divine Wifdom, God in Anger gave
them up to a Spirit of Delufion, and to
the Belief of Lies : And you treading in
the Steps of Lying Antiquity, and believ-
ing your vain Traditions, are, even to this
B 1. Day,
4 The Firft Conference^
Day, as ignorant of the Nature of God, as
ever your Fathers were; and utter fuch grofs
Inconfiftcncies upon this Point, as if you
acknowlcdg'd no real Objed of Adoration :
For tho* verbally you own the ExiftenCe
of One Supreme Being ; yet you have no
Knowledge of his Nature and Attributes,
nor of his Will and Pleafure, with relation
to the Mode or Manner of Worfliip due to
him, and required by him from all the Ra-
tional World : For wheri yoil talk of your
many Gods and Goddedes, you are at a
lofs to whom you had bed addrefs your
Vows, or offer Bloody Sacrifices : Moreo-
ver, you relate fuch Difagreement of your
numerous Gods, that they fecm to live in
a continu'd State of War among themfelves.
For if you incenfe Jfuren^ Wifchtnu is dif-
fatisfied ; and if this is honbur'd by his
Votaries, the other refents it grievoufly;
and yoti may be fure to meet with greater
Effedls of fubflantial Mifchief from the
one, than Divine Largeffes and Favours
from the other ; and this eternal Mifunder-
Handing and Jealoufie reigns among all the
feveral Companies of Self-contradidting
Gods;. Therefore quit your felves like Men,
and break off the Cords of inveterate En
rcirs, and fave your own Souls, feeking dili-.
gently the Knowledge of the One only
True God«
the
of the Means of SalvatiotL "5
The BramaHy aftonifli'd at my Difcoiirfe,
anfwer'd me very briskly ,• Our Religion is
VeneraMe for its Antiquity, and has been
profefled by many pious Kings and holy
Prophets, thro' an Uninterrupted Succejfion of
many incircling Ages; which if falfe and
erroneous, neither God nor Man had ap-
prov'd of the fame, for fo many continued
Durations and Progrefles of Time ; but cer-
tainly, fome one or other had honeftly dif-
cover'd the Impoflure, and cautioned his
Companions againfl: pious Cheats, and fa-
cred Forgeries. To whom I returned this
for Anfwer ; Uninterrupted SucceHion, and
great Throngs of Profelytes are no Chara-
derifticks of the Truth of any Religion ;
elfe it would follow, that the Devil is very
Orthodox : For he is as famous for the
Multitude of his Difciples, as h6 is for his
hoary venerable Antiquity. But you mufl
judge of the Goodnefs or Badnefs of Reli>
gion, by the Fundamental Articles thereof,
agreeing or difagreeing with the revealed
Word of the true God ; but you Malahari-
ans having no Knowledge of God's Word,
can take no Cognizance of what is true
Worfliip, believing with an implicit Faith,
the Fables and Reveries of Tradition-mon-
gers, your Poets and Dodlors : Pray, do but
confult your own Underftanding, and take
B ^ -an
6 The Firji Conference^
^n impartial Survey of your own Religion,
in all its Parts and Intentions ; and if you
are not refolv'd to affront your own Confci-
ence, you'll eafily perceive, that the whole
Syflem of your Divinity is nothing elfe but
a perplexed Jargon of incomprehenfible No.
tions, inconfiflent and deftrudive one of
the other, as many wife Men among you
have honelUy acknowledged ; who have
courageoufly averted, that there is but one
God blefled for evermore : And your Con-
clufion, that your Religion is true, from
God's permitting it to lubfifl: for fo many
Ages, and to diffufe it felf over fo many
fair Provinces, is altogether illogical, and
an unjuft Way of arguing : But you are
blame-worthy, in that while you might by
contemplating the Work of Creation, and
reflecting upon the Convidions of your
own Confciences, attain to the Know-
ledge of God : Inftead thereof you love the
Creature, and never make any Efforts to
know God and your felves ; therefore 'tis,
that he gives you up to a reprobate Mind,in
as mpch as you and your Fathers have re-
fufed to be in(tru(3ed in the great things of
God, who is no ways acceffary to your Per--
dition : For even now he calls you to the
Knowledge pf the Truth ; but it you'll con-
tinue in your Rebellion againfl: him, he will
not make ufe of violent Means to bring you
to
■5S
(>f the Means of Salvation. 7
to the right Way, nor drag you into his
Church by mere Force ; but he will
deal with you as with Free Agents,
periuading you with all the Evidences of
Truth ; which if you obflinately rejed a-
gainft your felyes, you'll certainly perifli ia
your Sins.
The Braryian anfwer'd ; God has created
both Good and Evil ; Vice and Vertue,
Happinefs and Mifery, owe all the Being
they have to the Supreme Caufe, without
whofe Will nothing can exift or have a Be-
ing in this World : For if fome Men are
vertuous and holy, and others vicious
and wicked, all this is but the Effed: of the
Will of God : And if we Malaharians are
miflaken in point of Religion, 'tis the WiH
of God we fhould thus Err : For who arc
we, to refifl: the Will of God, who
has decreed every thing that is to happen
to us in all the Courfe of our Lives ,• and
with his own Finger has writ every Man's
Deftiny upon his own Forehead ? [ they
helieve the Sutures of the Scull to he fo many
Lines written ly 'the Author of our Beings
denoting every Mans future Defiiny.] I an-
fwer'd ; I allow God to have created
all things very good in their kind ; but he
created nothing that was evif; but you
reproach your Maker, by making him to be
B ^ the
8 The Firfl Conference f
the Author of Sin : For if, as you fay, fom^
Men in the World are neceflarily vertuou$
and holy, and others, influenc'd by an Ab-
solute Will of God, are as necefTarily wick-
ed, you Bfamam, and your Employment can
be of no ufe in the World : For thofe that are
neceflarily vertuous and holy, do not want
your Inllrudbions , nor Sacrifices ,• and
thofe that are necefTarily wicked, will re.
ceive no Benefit from all your ceremonious
Burnt-oflerings, and daily Prayers. More-
over, Kings, and Princes, who puniih Vice,
and reward Vertuous Adions, wou d be as
ufelefs, if Men can t chearfully and willing-
ly walk in the fair Paths of Vertue, and
refrain their Feet from the Ways of Sin and
Vice : And one might reafonably fay, that
God rewards Vice and Vertue equally ,
both being according to the Order of hi$
Decree and abfolute Will ; and that he him-
felf is the greateft of Sinners,with many more
Abfurdities which flow from your Opinion,
and deftroy the very Notion of Repen-
tance : All which Abfurdities you efpoufe
for Truth ; becaufe you have no true Con-
ception of the firft Creation of Man.
The Brarnan anfwer'd, Biruma ([the Su-
preme Being) creating Men in the Begin-
ning, many of them became Devils, and the
reft remained Men and Women ; from
whoie
of the Means of Salvatwnl 9
whofe Intermarriages defcended all the Na-
tions of the World.
I anfwer'd, This your Notion of Creation
is egregioufly abfurd and falfe ; For 'tis not
^irutna ^but the One only true God, created
Men ; and not many, as you fupppfe , but
one Man only, out of whofe Rib he form'd
Woman, and brought them together, and
blefTed them, that they might be the Pa-
rents of all future Generations ; and thefe
our firft Parents God created after his own
Jma^e^ confiding in Knowledge, Righteouf-
nefs, and true Holinefs, without any Taint
of, or Inclination to Sin ^ but after fome of
the invifible Beings (Angels^ rebelled a-
gainft God, one of thefe revolted Milcreants,
or Devils, took upon him the Form of a
Serpent, and with lying Delufions beguil'd
our firft Mother Eve ; flie influencing her
Husband, and our Father A^am^ they both,
by abufing their free Will, broke God's
Commandment, polluted his Image, and
made themfelves obnoxious to his Difple^-
liire, and to all the Shame and Miferies
(the genuine Confequences of their
Sin) that now xover the Face of the
whole Creation : But from the Beginning
it was not fo : For God made every thing
in its kind very good ; but the Devil, in
combination with the free Will of Man, in-
troduc'd
ip The Firft Confer enci^
troduc d Sin into the World - For when we
fee a Stately Palace, built at the Infinite Ex-
pences of a potent Prince, for his own Roy-
al Habitation, burnt down with Fire, no
Man will fay, that the King was the Incen-
diary ; but fome of his Enemies, or his
negligent Domeflicks. The Application of
the Simile is eafie and to our purpofe ; ef-
pecially when we find all this made out
clearly unto us in the holy Word of God :
And this is the true Hiftorkal Account of
the Original of Evil, and of its firft Ap-
pearance upon the Stage of the World ,• and
if you pleafe to exercife the Vertue of Pa-
tience a little longer, I'll lliew the true Way
and Means of being deliver'd from this State
of Corruption wherein we live ; that we
may enjoy the true Liberty of the Children
of God.
Then I proceeded. That Man was cre-
ated without Sin, according to the Image
of God, as is proved already ; and that
we are now deprived of the fame , as
by fad Experience every one feels iri
himfelf ,• and 'tis as plain, that being great
Sinners, and Enemies to God, we are not
capable to atone offended Majefty : For di-
vine Juftice requires Satisfadion at our
hands, either Adively, in repairing the
Breaches akeady made, by fmlefs Obedience
for
of the Means of Sahatioy^i, 1 1
fqr the future ; or Paflively, by undergoing
for ever in Hell the Punifliments of ouf
Sins. But neither Man nor Angel being a-
ble to fatisfie the ftrid Demands of the
Divine Juftice, God himfelf, out of his in^
finite Loving-kindnefs to Mankind, promi-
fed to fend his Only begotten Son into the
World, to be their Redeemer, by cloathing
himfelf with our Nature, fuffering and dy-
ing for the Sins of the World, to the end
that the Juftice of God might be fully fa-
tisfied, and that all Men believing in this
promifed Redeemer, might be faved from
the Guilt of Sin, and obtain eternal Hap-
pinefs ; and that fuch as did not exercife
Repentance towards God, and Faith to-
wards the promis'd Redeemer, ihould perifh
in their Sins. Now, all fuch as embraced
the promis'd Redeemer, were in Deed and
in Truth Chriflians (ao regard had to the
Circumftances of Timeor Place,-) Fortho*
they were not then call'd fo ; yet, inas-
much as they believ'd the Redeemer, whq
is the Chrift, they were really Chriflians.
And thus you fee, that the Chriftian Re-
ligion has been profefs'd from the Beginning
of the World, and is certainly the mo(t
Ancient of all Religions ; and your Religi-
on is nothing elfe but the Corruption of
ours. Yet we, that in all times profefs'd
the beft of Religions, had but few Follow -
y ers :
I ^ 7 he Firfi Conference]
ers : But your Falfe One, confifling of
Fpolifli Inventions of Men, has been al-
ways throng'd with Multitudes; As the Peo-
ple of Ifrael, acknowledging the True
Religion, were but a Little Flock, compa-
red with all the Nations of the Earth that
profefled the groflefl: Idolatry. This pro-
mifed Redeemer, or Mejias, was to be born
an Ifraelite, according to the fure Word
of Prophecy, fpoken long before of his
coming into the World , with the
Time, the Place, and all the other jmoft
diminutive Circumftances, of his birth
and Education, Life, Sufferings, Death, Bu-
rial and RefurrecSlion from the Dead on
the Third Day : All which Scripture- Pro-
phecies have been circumftantially fulfilled
in our Redeemer. He was born a Man,
and was named Jefus, converfed amongft
Men the Space of Thirty three Years, did
many Miracles, taught the Way of Salva-
tion to his Brethren, liv'd a Life free from
all Appearance of Sin, fatisfied the Juftice
of God for our Sins, which otherwife we
ihould have done in our own Perfons du-
ring all the Ages of Eternity. And thus
was all Mankind redeemed from the penal
Confequences of Sin. And God, willing to
aflure all Nations, that he was reconciled
to them thro' the Merits of Chrift's Death
and Sufferings, raifed him from the Dead ;
who
t}f the Means of Salvation* 1 3
who afcended vifibly into Heaven, promi-
fing to fend the Holy Spirit, who fhould
comfort them , and refide among them,
lead them into all Truth , command-
ing them at the fame tirtie to teach ail Na-
tions the Way of Salvatiort ; thro' whofb
Hands he work'd Miracles, fo that in a
little time many Thoufands bdlieved in his
Name, and embraced his Divine arid Hea-
venly Precepts.for the Rules of Holy Con-
verfation. *Twas.dbout this time that we Eu-
ropeans were blcfTed with the joyful Tidings
of the Gofpcl ; which, in progrcfs of time
rooted out all the Errors of Paganifm, which
the feveral Inhabitants unanimoufly profef-
fed before. And 'tis recorded in Hiftory,
that the Apoftle St. Thomas^ one of Chrift's
Difciples, came about the fame time into
this Country, and preached th6 Gofpel of
Salvation to your Fathers ; but few of them
did clofe with the gracious Offers ,* but conti-
nued to be difobedient, a$ you do at this Timef :
Yet, for all this, God is not wearied iix
feeking your Eternal Happinefs. Therefore
obey the Voice of Heaven, that invites you
to Repentance, and to believe in his Sori
Jefus Chrift, that you may receive the Re-
miffion of your Sins here, and Eternal Hap-'
pinefs hereafter.
to
14 'The Firfi Conferentel
To this the 5rjw^« anfwer'd, I believe
all you fay of God s DeaUngs o^ith you
White EuropeatiSy to be true j but his Ap-
pearances and Revelations among us Black
Malaharians^ have been quite otherwife i
^nd the Revelations he made of himfelf in
this Land are as firmly believ'd here to be
true, as you believe thofe made in your
Country : For as Chrift in Europe was made
Man ,* (b here our God Wifchtnu was born
among us Malaharians ; And as you hope
for Salvation through Chrifl ; fo we hope
for Salvation through Wifchtnu ; and to fave
you one way, and us another, is one of
the Paflimes and Diverfions of Almighty
God.
1 reply'd ; your God Wifchtnus chang-
ing Forms and Shapes fo ridiculoufly often,
of which your Writers make fo great a Stirr,
is fo unworthy of a Wife, Holy God, that
'tis certainly the Defign of a deluding Devil,
to impofe upon yotir credulous Difpofition,
to believe the grofleft Abfurdities : For yoti
own, he was once metamorphos'd or chan*
ged into a Swine ; at another time, into a
Fifh, into a Tortois, and into half Lion arid
half Human fhape. Pray, how can you be-
lieve that fiich a Monfter could be the Re^
deemer of Mankind ? For who could converfe
with
of the Means of Salvation* i j
With fuch a Monfter, to the End that they
might beheve he came to redeem Men ra-
ther than Swine, Fifli, Tortois, and other
wild ravenous Creatures ? If he had
come into the World with an Intention of
faving Men, he wcyuld have taken upon him
Human Shape, to the end that Man might
learn his Heavenly Inftrudions, and emulate
his Holy Converfation ,• but v/ithal you (eeiri
to infinuate, that in order to fave Mankind,
he appeared under the Name of Wamanen^
Hamefty and Pifchtnen ; but upon reading the
whole Hiftory of this your Multifarioufly
formed God, I find he was the Author of
cruel Bloody Wars, tending to lender ths
Children of Men more the Children of Per-
dition and Slaves to Sin, than they were
before: Therefore I am all Aflonifliment,
when I fee you Bramans believing fuch ri-
diculous Whirtifies, and laying them before
your Brethren as Holy and Sandified My-
fleries.
Hereupon, he only faid, every one may
be faved by his own Religion, if he does
what is Good, and Ihuns Evil.
But I anfwef*d, no Man can come to the
Knowledge of what is good, and of what
is evil, without the Word of God -, and
ftiore efpecially, 'tis impoflible for you to
attain
1 6 The Firp Confer ence^
attain to the Knowledge of your own Na-
tural Blindnefs and Corruption, or to exert
any truly vertuous Adions by your own
Sufficiency : For if you would in earned
forfake Evil, and do good, you muft apply
to Chrift, the Fountaif\ and Spring of all
that is good ^ be baptized in his Name, and
believe in him as your only Saviour and Re-
deemer : 'Tis then you'll be enlighten'd and
renewed in the inward Man, and enabled
thro' affifting Grace, to (hun Evil, and to
perform Vertuous A(9:ions, acceptable and
well pleafing to the ever blefled God.
Then, he reply'd, as I am no Lover
of Contention, fd I freely own, that I
cannot blame any Part of all that you have
faid ; but (till I am of the fame Opinion,
that if we lead Lives morally inoffenfive,
and ftridly vertuous, we have no need of
the Chrillian Religion, to make our Per*
fons or Anions more acceptable to God.
I don't comprehend, how Baptifm and Faith
can influence my Adions, or procure me
the Forgivenefs of my Sins.
To conclude, I faid to him, the Neceflity
of Faith in Chrift I have laid before you
already ; but to give you this Faith, is not
in my power. Go home, dear Friend, and
proftrate your felf before the refulgent
Throne
cf the Means of Salvation. i j
Throne of the Almighty Creator of the
tJniverfe, and beg him heartily to enlighten
your Mind in the great Truths relating to
your Eternal Happinefs ; and you'll find how
neceffary 'tis to believe in Jefus Chrift. He
thank'd me kindly for my Advice, and bid
ttie Adieu.
ii^
C Con-
19
.■^, ....: :-■ , ... ■..;
Conference IL
Of the Propagation of the
Mahometan and Chrifti-
an Religion,
Between a Mahometan Priefl: and one
of the Dani/h Miffionaries.
ON the Fifth of July, 1707, a fl^ah^-
metan Pried (that was Infpedor
over many fubordinate Eccle/ia-
fticks) accompany'd by feme of
his own Religion, honoured me with a
Friendly Vi/it j and having heard, that we
came into this Country to propagate fome
new Rehgion among the Indians, he told
me, he was very defirous to difcourfe me
C i uport
20 The Second Confer enc6^
upon feveral weighty Points, inafmuch a§
he never yet had had the opportunity to
confer with an European upon Matters of
Rehgion : And to uflier in Difcourfe hand-
fomly, he told me, he wondred Very much
how we Europeans had in fo fliprt a time at-
tained to the Knowledge of their Language,
while our own Language is fo harfh and
difficult to be underftood ^ I anfwered, You
may perceive Sir, that God has Defigns of
Love and Mercy, both towards Mahometans
and Heathens^ inhabiting thefe Countries,
while he raifes Men,, who fpare neither
Pains nor Charges, to vifit thefe Countries ,
and learn your Language, in Order to capa-
citate them to confer with you all amicably
about the great things of God.
Whereupon he with a cheerful Eagefnefs,
defired me to favdut him with the fight of
our Bible ; and complying with his honed
Defires, I produced the Old Teftament in
Hebrew, and the l^ew in Greek j and he ur-
ging me to read and explain to him fome
Portion of the Old Teftament, I read the
whole third Chapter of Genefis^ and gave him
the Interpretation thtx^o'i verbatim in Mala-
har'tck or Damulian, being the Hiftory of the
Creation, and Fall of Man, and of his being
i'eftor'd to favour upon his believing that
firft great Promife of a Redeemer* At
which
of the Propagation of Religion, a i
which he feem'd to be more than ordinarily
fatisfied, telling me, his Religion agreed with
mine in feveral Points, and defir'd me to
proceed in reading a Portion out of the New
Teftament. Then I read diftindly the
Third Chapter of St. Johns Gofpel, adding
thereto in Malaharkk^ the Interpretation,
Verfe by Verfe, which he heard, with. all
his Friends, very attentively ; afluring me
that his Religion and mine was in fubftance
the lame, with this difference only, that what
we apply to C//T/y?,they attribute to Mahomet,
I allow'd the Conformity to be very vifi*
ble, and that his Obfervation was very rea-
fonable, and begg'd leave to give him the
Reafons and Caufes of this Conformity ;
and told him how Mahomet, in Hammering
his new Religion, was aHifled by a Jew and
a Chrijlian ; the one fupplying him with
the Hiftory of the Old, the other with the
Hiftory, and fome Precepts, of the New Te-
ftament ; but both very much maim'd and
imperfed: : Hence 'tis, that what is good
and wholfome in your Religion, is borrow'd
out of the Sacred Volumes of the Old and
New Teftament; and what is otherwife,
has Mahomet for its Author.
C 3 He
2 1 The Second Conference,
He ^n{wer6, Pray, how can you judge
fo difadvantageoufly of Mahomet, while you
know nothing of his Hiftory ? Sir, faid T,
we Chriftians have a fuller Account of Ma-
homet , than you your felves have : For as
Mahomet was propagating his Religion with
Fire and Sword, the Chriftians, that efcap'd
his Fury, gave a full Account of his Proceed-
ings, of his Perfon, Manners and Religion j'
which Relations have been faithfully com-
rnitted to Writing, and handed down to PO'
fterity : But all the Accounts you have of
him, are writ by his own Creatures, indu-
ftrioufly trumpeting his Warlike Achive*
ments ; but pafFing by all his Vices and Im-
perfedions in filence ; or by fuch, as fearing
his Power, have not dar'd to write the Truth:.
And befides all this, we read all the Hiftories
relating to Mahomet writ by thofe of his own
Perfuafion, with the Alcoran it felf printed,
in Aralkk, which our Learned Men do urr-
derftand, and have tranOated into all the
celebrated Languages of j^wri?^^; and there-
fore we can judge of all Maitters relating tof'
Mahomet and his Religion ; Whereas, on the
other hand, you Mahometans have no Noti-
on of our Religion ,• which is the only rea-'
fon why you addid your felves to the Do-
{XxvciQ oiMahomet : For he that never faw
^ny other Bird but a Crow, will think it the
fineft
of the Propagation of Religion. 2j
ftnefl: oF Birds ; and his Croaking to be very
mufical y but when he comes to hear the
Melodious Notes of the Nightingal, he'll
certainly change his Opinion. I leave the
application to your lelves.
But you Chriftians, quoth he, believe in
Three Gods, and we believe in Oue God on-
ly ; pray, which of us then is the more
miftaken in Matters of Faith ? I anfwer'd.
Sir, far be it from us, to believe a Trinity
of Gods , For I'll make it plain to you, by
a familiar Comparifon, that we believe in
but One God only. For as we fee but one
Sun in the Firmament, which has Light and
Heat, reprefented to our Mmds under Idea'^
quite difierent from that of the Solar Body,
or Globe of the Sun it felf ,• and yet Heat,
Light, and the Solar Body, are fo united to-
f ether, that they make but One Sun, and not
'hree Suns : So by way of accommodation,
this may be apply'd to the Holy Trinity :
Fot we fay, that in one Divine Eflence there
are three Perfons, which are fo ftridly u-
nited together, that he that denies the Holy
Ghoft, does indeed deny both the Father
and the Son : Therefore you Mahometans
do not really and indeed believe in the one
True God j becaufe you rejed the Holy
Spirit, and Jefus Chrifb, God blefTed over
all: For out of Chrift there is no Sal-
C 4 vatlon
24 27;^ Second Conference^
vation neither here, nor hereafter ; and yotk
can't believe in Chrift, till you are enligh-
ten'd by the Holy Spirit of Grace, to difcern
things that are Spiritual : For tho' Natural
Comparifons carry with them fome Shadows
of a Trinity ; yet I own, they are not fu^-
cient Convid:ions : Wherefore, the Advice
I have to give you, is this, Go home and
refledi upon the miferable State that Man-
kind is born in, and of the Rigour of God's
Juftice exading Satisfadion for every the
lead TranfgrelTion 5 and how infufficient
v^e are of our felves to appeafe a diilurb'4
Confcience, or an offended God, with all
our bed Performances ; and then you'll ac-
knowledge the Neccflity of a Redeemer :
Then proceed, and confider thofe Portions
of holy Writ relating to the Perfon, Life,
Doctrine, Death, Sufferings and Refurre<5ti-
on of Jefus Chrift, confronting them with all
the Particulars of Mahomet's Hiftory ; and
pray the Almighty that he would DirecS^
you to the true Difcerning, which of the
two Religions is more accommodated to the
Exigencies of Human Nature, labouring un-
der fo many Spiritual Infirmities ,• which
if you do in Sincerity, you'll fee clearly, that
^is not Mahomet, but Jefus Chrift, came tp
lave Sinners from their Sins : And when
you are come thus far, God will affifi; you
with his Grace, and give you his Holy Spi-
rit
of the Propagation of Religion, i f
rit to difcover unto your Souls all the My-
fterious Truths neceffary for Salvation : For
until a Man's Heart be chang'd by unfeign-
ed Repentance, he can t underftand Spiritu-
al Things, nor apprehend the Truth as 'ti^
i^ Jefm.
Then he re-affum'd and faid, Sir, our
Law makes frequent mention of Jefus Chrift,
by the name of Ifanahi (Prophet Jefus) but
I can't perfuade my felf that God has a
Son, nor that Chrift is Superior to ouc
Prophet Mahomet, .
To whom I made this anfwer ; This
feems to you abfurd, becaufe you meafure
things of a Spiritual and Infinite Nature,
wJLth your Finite carnal Mind ; whereas you
mould hear God fpeaking of his Son, who
knows his own Nature, and that of Jefus
Chrift, better than any Creature can pretend
to know. Endeavour firft, to know your
felfj and to be acquainted with the Stat^
and Condition of your own Mind ; and
refled ferioufly upon the moft palpable
Abfurdities fpoken of your own Prophet i^i3«
hornet : For you fay, he was next in Power
and Glory to God, and his moft intimate
familiar Friend ; and withal you fay, he
made War with all his Neighbours, carrying
Devaftations and Rapine wherever he went,
and
%6 The Second Conference,
and, to encourage Licentioufnefs, allow'd
Folygamy to his fenfual Profelytes. Pray,
what can be abfurder, than to affirm, fuch
a vile unclean Bead to be the Minion and
Darling of Almighty God, who is an Aven-
ger of all the Tranfgreflers of his holy Laws,
and every where enjoyns Continency and
Sobriety, as well as abftaining from Rapine
and Violence ?
He anfwerd, we know that he allows
of Polygamy^ or the ufe of many Wives ,*
but this is no Crime ; For David , who
was both King and Prophet, and his wife
Son Solomon, had very many Wives ; and
yet they are dill reckoned to be Holy Men,
and numbred among the infpir'd Pen-Men of
Holy Volumes. And as for Mahomei^s
Wars and Violences he was Commiffioned
by God fo to do, and to root out all the
Nations that would not receive his Do(3;rine,
and the Book that came down from Hea-
ven.
We allow, faid I, that Ddv'tJ and Solomon
had many Wives ; but this was not
purfuant to the Commands of God, but to
comply with their own finful unmortified
Inclinations, and the Licentious Cuftoms
then prevailing among the Jews : For as
you allow the Gofpel of Chrill to be a true
and
of the 'Propagation of Religion. Z'f
and holy Dodriiie, pray hear what he fays
upon this head, Matt. 19. verfe 4. Have you
not read^ that he that created them, cYedted
them Male and Female, and that they ate hut
one Flejh ? And as to what you fay of Ma-
homet's Spiritual Commiffion to deflroy all
fuch that did not receive his Docflrine, this-
is ^eftrudive of the Juftice and Loving-
kind nefs of God ; For tho' he would that all-
Ihould come to the Knowledge of the Truth,
yet he never made ufe ot Violence and
Cruelty to gain Men to the Ways of Hdi-
nefs ,• but he ordain'd, that the Preaching
of his Word ihould be the Means of Salva-
tion, fetting Life and Death before the Eyes
of Men, with all the powerful Inducement's'
to embrace the One, and decline the Othef ;
and then leaving every Man to his own
Liberty of Chufing for himfelf : Therefore if
Mahomet's proceeding with Cruelty and Vio-
lence be the Reverfe of the mild methods of
a loving God, it follows, that his Dodlrine
muft be falfe, and that he was never fent'
from God, nor- has in his Religion any of the
Divine Charadlerifticks ftampt upon it.
Hereupon he only faid, I mud confefs,
there are many things in our Law, whereof I
my felf fcruple the Truth very much^ and,
if you pleafe, more of this at another Oppor-
tunity ; but thus far for this time.
Then
2? The Second Conference^ &c.
Then 1 concluded, and afliired him, if he
continued in that good Difpofition of Mind,
and weigh'd the matter ferioufly with himfelf,
thirfling after the Salvation of his own Soul,
hisDoubts and Inquiries wou'd redound at lafl:
to his Eternal Happinefs ; adding, The Lord
Jefiis Chrift give you Wifdom, and an Un-
derftanding Heart, to know him, and be-,
lieve in him, that you may be Partaker of^
his Death and Sufferings, and may receive
Forgivenefs of Sins in this World, and in the
the next, Everlafting Life.
Then I took my leave of him defiring*
him to favour me fometimes with his Let-
ters.
Con,'
29
Conference III.
Of feeing the Face of Gody
Between forne Mahometan Monks, (or,
as t-hey call them, Holy Men) and
a Dani/h Miffionary.
ON the Eleventh o^ July 1707, feve-
veral Mahometans^ whereof fome
were Merchants, and others, who
pretended themfelves to be Sacred
Perfons, lineally defcended from the Family
of Mahomet ; wedring green Turbants, ask'd
me what they Ihould do in order to fee the
Face of God ? To whom I gave this Anfwer ;
Suffer your Telves to be guided by the Will
of God, and not by your own extravagant
Fancies : For if you don't compofe your
Minds
^o the Third Conference]
Minds to a conformity to the Divine Plea-
fure, you can never enjoy the Heavenly
Viilon, neither in this World, aor iii that
which is to come ;
They atif^ er d with an Air of Serioufnefs,
faying. We live here among the Infidels,
who all of them are very earneft in the
Piwfuit of Happiaefs, jand .anxipuily defirous
to fee the Face of God • They frequent
their Fagods (Temples) they offer Sacrifices,
they pifcipline themfelves with great Rigour,
they perform tedious Ceremonies, go on Pil-
jgrimage, do Penances, thpy retire to Defarts,
-renouncing all the Pleatures of Life ; and ma-
ny the like Aufterities are commonly excrcis'd
among them ; and yet we can find none of
them that can fay, he has feen the Face of
God ; and we our felves being MahometanSy
are flrid Obfervers of our Law, go every /v-i-
day in the Afternoon to the Mofque, we hear
the ^/co/"tf« read, and repeat very Religiouf-
jy all the fet Formularies of Prayers, and aflift
at all the ufual Ceremonies j and when this
Round of Formalities is at.an End, we think
o^r work is over, and feldom are follicitous
about feeing the Face of God ,• without
;Which, we are very well alfur'd, that all
religious Performances, are but fruitlefs Pa-
geantries, neither acceptable to God, nor
profitable to our felves j and, this duly con-
fider*d^
of feeing the Face of God. 3 1
fider'd, we make no difference between the
fagan and Mahometan Worlhip : For in this
only we exercife our felves, that if by any
Means and Enquiries we may be rendered
worthy to fee the Face of God : This is the
Capital Point, in comparifon to which, all o-
ther things are but mere Toys in themfelves,
and very infignificant. Could we but find any
Guides to mark out the Way leading to this
State of Happinefs, we are fully refolv'd to
ercd; a Church open always to ChrifiianSy
Heatfjens and Mahometans^ infifting only up-
on the Ways and Means of enjoying the
glorious Prefence, and of feeing the Face of
Qo4. And thus we would put an end to
Religious WrangUngs, Preaching and Propa-
gating the Dod:rine of Univerfal Charity.
Hereupon I reply 'd, If you wou'd fee
the 'Face of God, and anticipate the Joys of
the next World, you mufl endeavour to have
clean Hearts and pure : For the Saviour of the
World has faid, Blejfed are the pure in Hearty
fdr^they (hall fee God. Let this be your chief
ftudy ; all other Efforts and Endeavours^
^11 your Aufterities and Mortifications, will
ftand you in no ftead ; For you know, that
God is tnofl holy, and no unholy or defil'd
Aing can approach his Courts : Therefore
you mud be holy, as he is holy ,• you muft
be all Glorious within, purified in the in-
ward
3 i The 7 bird Confer ente]
ward Man from all Self -love, Self-feekitig^
Fride and Hjpocrifte, which frequently in-
habit the raoft retir'd Recefles of the Soul 5
while, in the Judgment of the World.the Men
pafs for holy, harmlefs, and undefil'd Dar-
lings of Heaven, and God s fandified ones :
but God will not be mocked ,• For all your
Alms and Sacrifices, and all your Auftereft
Performances, will draw upon you the Dif-
pleafure of Heaven, inftead of the hop'd for
Ble/fings , and diftinguilhing Favours of
God, except your Hearts be clean.
Then they re-afTum'd, and faid, Pray Sir^
if the Heart of Man is unfearchable, and
paft finding out, but by God only, whofe
Property it is to fearch the Reins and Hearts
of the Children of Men ,• what makes you
to trouble your felf with our Hearts which
is not your Province, nor is within the Cir^
cle of your Adivity.
Gentlemen, faid I, you are altogether
Strangers to me, (whom I never faw be-,
fore ; ) I know neither your Vertues nor
Vices ; yet in Charity I am bound to hope
the beft of you : But as to the purifying of
the itjward Man, I am fure, 'tis a Dodtrine
that you Mahometans are little acquainted
with J being neither written in your Alcorani,
nor ever taught by any of your Pricfts : And
of feeing the Face of God. J i
as it is the effential Part of Religion, I
thought it my Duty to bcg'ri with this great
Point, whereof I take you to be moil: igno-
rant ,• and now your UnwiUingnefs to have
your Confciences examln'd, confirms me in
my firfl Opinion of your Ignorance here-
in.
Then, faid they, what Mortal cart pre-
tend to fuch high Degrees of Purification
and Cleannefs ot Heart ?
This Queftion of yours, reply'd I, glve^
me fome grounds to hope better things of
you, tho' I thus talk j For I find you have
a mighty Defire to ioform your felves in
thefe weighty Matters ; Give dihgent heed
therefore to what I ihall offer to your ferious
Confideration upon this Head ; When I
fpeak of purifying the Heart, you mufl
take me right, I don't mean any wafliing
with Water,or any external PurificationSjfuch
as are daily Pradis'd among Men of your
Perfuafion, and are eafily perform d i But
the purifying the Mind, which is the pecuhar
Work of God himfelf; he only can renew us
in //;f Spirit of our Minch^ by the fprinkling'
of the Precious Blood of Chrift j and if you
wou d have your Confciences piirtjyd from
dead Works, you muft know Chrift, and the
ESIGN of his Death and SufTerings ;
D how
3 4 ^^^ Third Conference]
how that he came into the World to die for
Sinners ; you muft believe in him for Life
and Salvation, repent of your Sins, renounce
the Errors of the Impoflor Mahomet, and
own Jefus Chrift to be the only Saviour
and Redeemer of Mankind.
You fpeak, Sir, faid they, of purifying
the Mmd, and of renewing the Heart, upon
the Principles of your Religion. Now,
with your leave, we could (peak in the
Language of oar Religion upon this fubjedt
very many fine Things ; but we are not
come here to reciprocate Queftions and An-
fwers out of this or that Syllem of borrowed
Principles ; for we are not addided to any
feparate Sed of Religion whatfoever ; but
we are come to hear of you the Words of
Wifdom, which may guide us in ourfearch
of feeing the Face of God.
I anfwer'd, God dwelleth in Light inac-
cefTible, and no Man can fee him and live;
as 'twas faid to Mofes when he wearied God
with this very fame imprudent Requeft as
you are now propofmg. Know therefore, that
if God in Mercy had not been pleas'd to
reveal his Will to his Servants, we had been
dill walking in Darknefs, for ever ignorant
of the Way that leads to the Manfions of
the other World ; where only we can expe(5t
to
of feeing the Face of God, 3 j
to fee the Lord Face to Face. For all that
we Chrifliaris pretend to know of enjoying
God's Prefence in this World, or the next,
is borro\^ed out oi the Saci^ed Volume^ of
God's Word ; and if you wou'd be affur'd
whether orno, I am faithful in my Jndi'U-
(Stions to obtain the Enjoyment of Gods
Face, go your Way for this Time, and re-
duce to pradice what I have laid before you ;
and then you'll find upon your own Experi-
ence, that all thofe things which I have
communicated to yoii, are the Intimations
that God has given us to dired"our Steps in
quell of his glorious Face : But if yoii arc
refolv'd to negledt my Tnftrudions, I think
it ufelefs to talk any more upon this F^ead.
However, I yet love you heartily for giving
me an Handle to difcourfe upon this excel-
lent Subjed: ,• and when yoti'll favour me
with another Vifit, you'll give rtie leave to
ask you freely, whether or not you have be-
gun to tread the Way that leads to the fight
of the Face of God.
They thank'd me heartily for rhy Advice ;
and feeing me much engagd in other Bufi-
hefs, they bade me Adieu.
b % Cori.
37
Conference IV-
Of the Mifery the Malabari-
ans labour under ^ hoth as
to their Spiritual and
Temporal Condition.
Between feveral Malabarians and one
of the Danijlj Miffionaries.
ON the Sixth of OHoher \ 707, as I
walk'd out into the Neighbour-
hood, where a great Multitude
of Heathens flock'd about nie, I
fat me down on the Grafs, as they alfo did
all round about me.
D 3 TheQ
3 ? Th^ Fourth Conference^
Then T began to addrefs my Difcourfe to
them in Words to this Effect : I heartily
Sympathize with you in the Miferies you
labour under, relating both to vour Souls
and Bodies. As to your Outip^rdCor\d\ucn,
your Miferies dre too vihble ; tor you lead
the Lives of Slaves, and therefore without
doubt very uncomfortable ; for I fee, yon
gre forc'd to undertake tedious Journeys to
fetch your Rice, and undergo a 1 houfand
other Hardfhips, which you are oblig'd to
l^ear with Patience and Submiflion to the
Will of your hard-hearted Task maders.
But alas, what is all this Drudgery of
yours, if compar'd to the nobleft part of
your felves, your Souls ? You wander about
like Sheep that have no Shepherd ; lor your
Bramans don't concern themlelves with your
EverlaOing Welfare ; and tho' you have
among you flately Magnificent Pagods^ yet_
you never hear a Word ot Comfort or Spi-
rirual Inftrudion in thofe Maces ; but are
permitted to walk in the Ways o*^ your own
Bl nd Hearts and lollow your finiul Incli-
nations Without Controul, from either Priell:
or Prophet. And as for your felves, you
mind only to fupport your B( dies with Food
and Cloathing as if they were immortal
Peingsj and }ou difregard your precious
Souls,
of the Condition of the Malabarlans, j 9
Souls, as if they were fubje(5t daily to Cor-
ruption. Yea, you live in the profoundeft
Ignorance of him that created you, and of
liim that redeemed you j and tho' you mud
confefs, that there is a God in whom you
move, live, and have your Being, both as
to Soul and Body ^ yet you do not Woriliip
him as God ; but give that Adoration, due
to him alone who created the World, and
breathed into our Noftrils the Breath of Life,
to infignificant Images of Wood or Stone,
the Works of your own Hands ; and lead
Lives of Contention, Hatred, and Strife,
pradtifingthe Abominable Artof Witchcraft »
confulting Wizards and Enchanters, who pre-
tend to fee within the Veil of future Con-
tingencies, and to foretel things to come.
You your felves, convinc'd in Confcience,
can bear Teftimony to the Truth of all that
I have faid.
Whereupon, One from among the Multi-
tude, anfwer'd me, and (ai«t, Sir, all that
you fay in relation to us, is very true ; but
1 think, we are not to be blam'd upon this
account; but rather God himfelF, who plac'd
us in thefe miferable Circumdances, whence
we can't extricate our felves without his
Permiflion ; and it has not pleas'd his Wif-
dom hitherto to make us more happy.
D 4 t
40 *Ihe Fourth Confer ence^
I anfwer'd, God certainly is no way ae-
ceflary to criminal Proceedings ; For he cre-
ated the firfl Man Holy, Juft and Good,
from whom you borrow your Original ;
But the Devil, in Combination with Man's
Free Will, uflner'd in Sin and Difobedience
into the World, which has entail'd Tempo-
ral and Eternal Miferies upon all his Chil-
dren : But God being gracious and merciful,
was not willing that any fliould perifh, but
that all fliould come to the Knowledge of the
Truth ; and, to that end, has given us his
Word, wherein we are taught, how God
created Man at firft without Sin, according
to his own Image ; and how that Man fal-
ling from the btate wherein he was crea-
ted, by finning againft God; render'd him-
felt" obnoxious to Eternal Miferies, till his
infinite Wifdom contriv'd Ways and Means
to (ave Mankind, by fending his Son Jefus
Chrifi in the World, cloathed with Humani-
ty, to the -end lie might be a fit High Pried
to offer up himfelf a Sacrifice acceptable to
God for the Sins of all Mankind ; There,
fore you can't fay, that God has any hand
in making you miferable : Your Deftrudi-
on and Mifery come of your (q\vqs ; there-
fore, without any delay, repent, and turn
to the Lord your God ; for why fliould you
be Vaifals and Slaves to Sin and the Devil
any
of the Condition of the Malabarians, 4 1
any longer, and render your felves obnoxi-
ous to the Difpleafure of ah injured God
through all the Durations of Eternity ?
Another anfwer'd me, and faid, all of
us Malabarians are not fuch as you take us
for ; we have very holy Men among us,
who lead very Exemplary Lives, difengag'd
from'all Earthly Ties and Obligations what-
foever.
To whom I made this anfwcr; I am now
direcfling my Difcourfe to you that (land
in great need of Inftrudion, to the end you
may extricate your felves from the dange-
rous Circumftances that your Sins have en-
tangled you in ; 'tis of no ufe to you, that
other Men are Saints, when you know
your felves to be great and impenitent
Sinners : Every one of you mud be holy
and difengag'd from this World, if you tru-
ly defire Happinqfs and the Favour of
God,
A 77;//-^ fpoke ; We thank you. Sir, for
your wholfome Inftrudions -, and defire you
to continue your Difcourfe, giving us leave
fometimes toobjed againft fuch Expreffions,
as we can't without your farther Explicati-
on, approve of.
Sirs,
4 1 Th Fourth Conference,
Sirs, faid I, you are very welcome to
make any Objections againft what I fhall
fay ; for Doubting and Scrupling is a Sign
of an Inquifitive Lover of Truth, that will
take nothing upon Hear fays; but will weigh
the things himfelf in the Balance of his owa
Reafon ; and this will be very ufeful to
me in the Progrefe of my Difcoirtrfe :
For you'll give a Handle to talk of things
which otherwife I fliould imprudently pafs
by.
Well then, faid he, what makes you
walk abroad among us, and upbraid us
with oar Imperfecftions, while your own
Difciples at home are not any better them-
felves > Pray Sir, wou'd not you do bet-
ter to exert your Charity firft at home,
and Convert the Chriftians from the
Wickednefs of their Ways, and then to
come and Convert us.
I heartily confefs, reply'd I, that many
Chriftians are worfe than your felves, and
want as much to be urg'd to repent, and
turn to God even with Fading ; and I hum-
bly conceive, you are Confcious of what we
do with regard to thofe unhappy Men •
we Preach to them in Seafon, and out of
Seafon, to leave their wicked Ways, and
while
0f the Condition of the Malabarians, 4}
while 'tis called to day, to make their Cal-
ling and Eledion fure , left to morrow
there may be no place left for Repen-
tance ,• and if they continue in their Dif-
obcdience, the fault lies at their own doors:
For we have no Orders from she Word of
God to force any Man to be happy a*
gainfl: his Will : And if we did delay
Preaching the Gofpel to you Heathens,
till fuch tirfie as all the Profedbrs of
Chriftianity are become truly Good and
Pious, there wou'd be no hopes of Con-
verting the Gerjtiles to the Obedience of
Chrift ; Thereore you mud not judge of
the Dodrme of Chrift by feme ot his
Norrtinal Difciples ; but accept joyfully
the fame glad Tidings ot Salvation, and en-
deavour not only to be better than the worft,
but, to emulate, and to furpafs the bcft
of Chriftians : For the Promife is to you
and to your Children, as well as to o-
ther Nations ; and 'tis upon your ac^
count chiefly that I came to thefe Coun-
tries in hopes that you 11 embrace the
glad Tidings of Salvation, which foma
Pro eftbrs of the Gofpel defpiie, and caft
the Holy Precepts thereof behind their
Backs. And tho' 4hey are baptiz'd Chrj^
fiians ; yet in truth, they are worfe than
Heathens, But let not their wicked Lives?
difcouragc you from giving Obedience to
the
44 ^f^^ Fourth Conference]
the Heavenly Voice, left you aggravate
your Guilt, as thofe wicked Chr^ia,ns pf
whom you fpeak, apparently do.
Then a Wormian anfwer'd ; Pray, why do
you talk fo much againft our Divine
Worlhip ; for moft of you Chriftians ap-
prove of our Religion j and I have feen
Men and Women of your Perfuarion fre-
quenting our Pagods^ and beholding with
great fatisfadJion all our Religious Perfor-
mances ; which certainly, they had not
done, if they did not approve of ourjle-
ligion.
To whom I anfwer'd, what is tranfaded
in your Pagods^ is more Comical than Fitr
ligious ; and therefore our Debauchees and
loofe Chriftians (of whom we have (aid
already, that they are worfe than Infi-
dels _) frequent your Pagods to ^ivtrtxhtm-
felves with thofe Theatrical Ceremonies
of your Worihip : But as for fober Chri-
ftians, they never frequent you Temples,
nor aftift at any of your extravagant Ce-
remonies ,• but weep in fecret becaufe of
the Blindnefs of your Minds, praymg Al-
mighty God on your behalf, that you
may be delivered from under the powei;
of Darknefs and Ignorance , to enjoy the
G}o-
of the Condition Sfthe Malabarians; 45
Glorious Privileges of the Children of
God.
Thus I concluded my Difcourfe recom-
mending them to the Protedion of Al-
mighty God.
MHi^
poni
i » ■
W • i H,M
4^
Coherence V.
About the Difficulty of d
Rich Man's entrins: into
the Kingdom of Heaven.
Between fome of the principal Inha«
bitants, both Heathens^ and Maho*
metans^ and one of the Dantfb Mif*
fionaries.
ON the Seventeenth of Decemlet
1707, t wasvifited by two very
Confiderable and Principal Men ;
the one 2L //eatbeft, and the other
^Mahometan, accompany'd with many Men
of both Perfuafions ; I receiv'd them kindly
with fome Sweet-meats and Bethel-Areck
(Sweet
4^ ♦ T^he Fifth Confer ence^
CSweet Incenfe') and "then addrefs'd my felf
to them in thefe Words :
You know, Sirs, that I am a Minifterof
Jefus Cbrif fent here to Preach his Ever-
lafting Gofpel, that yduj^ay know the
Way of Salvation : Theref^ I could wifli
that you your felves would put me upon
fome edifying Difcourfe, and hear me pa-
tiently, while I am handUng any Subjed
which you think may be proper for the
Solvation of your Souls.
They anfwer'd, we come here with no
other View, but that we may hear fome
^difying Difcourfe.
then I faid. Hitherto the Gofpel has
been preached only to the poorer fort a-
mong you j for the Rich and Great Men a-
mong you defpife the Gofpel of Ghrifl:,
to their own utter Deftruc^tion ; as they
did in the time when the Chrlft and his
Apoftles lived orl the Earth ; few of the
Rich, few of the Mighty, and of the Learn-
ed Men of the Age believed in him ,♦ but
to the Poor the Gofpel was Preached with
Succefs : For they being difengag'd in a
great meafure, from the Snares and Deceit-
. fulnefs of Riches, were attentive to the
gracious Words that proceeded out of
ChriftV
bfa Rich Man's ent ring into Heaven, 49'
thrift's Mouth, and became hiis truefl Dif-
ciples j while himftlf told the Rich. to their
Faces, that 'tis as difficult for a Camel to
pafs through the Eye of a Needle, as for a
rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven :
For they coittmonly truft in their uncer-
tain Riches J and not in the living God, whp
giveth all things neceflary both to Life and
Godlinefs.
; Then one of them reply'd, God created
the Rich and the Poor, and Wills that alj
Ranks and Degrees of Men Ihould Wor/liip
him in Sincerity and Truth ; but pow we
jive in the Dregs of Time, when all things
run in a wrong Channel, as our Prophets
have foretold us that it rtiould be, as in-
deed we find it is ; For we find different Re-
ligions, diflerent Laws, different Languages^
different Opinions, different Ceremonies,
different Ways of doing Penance for Sin ;
and, if I may fo fay, every thing is adled
by fome oppofite jarring Principle, and is
the Reverfe of what it Ihould be : And as
long as God permits all this Confufion,
what have we to fay to the contrary ?
I anfwer'd, If you wou'd deliver youf
felves from this Univerfal Confuflon, re-
pent of your Sins; for you confefs, that
Men do not ad as they fhould do ,• is it
E nOE
50 the Fifth Conference^
net then your Duty to meditate upon Way§
and Means to fave your own Souls from
the impending Ruin, that threatens a per-
verfe and crooked Generation ? For you are
certainly convinc'd in your Confcience,
that you can't live and die happily in this
confus'd and dangerous State , that the
generality of Mankind is now in.
We believe, faid he, that the Wicked
fliali be punilhed according to his Wick-
ednefs, and that every one Ihall be re-
warded according to his Works, whether
they be Good, or whether they be Evil ;
tho' we believe alfo that God will not
punifh us for not being fo holy and vers'd
in Books as you are ; for we are engag'd
in the Affairs of this World, to the end
we may gain daily Bread for our felves
and Families ; but your chief and only
Employment is to meditate on the Works
of the Almighty, and read Books of De-
votion, and confer together about the Pra-
- c^ice of Piety : For ii we could live up to
what is preach'd, there wou'd be no need
of Preaching, no need of Bramans^ and of
many other Orders of Priefls and Herm'itSy
who are maintain'd with no fmall Charges
to the Publick ; and, pray, why are they
maintain'd ? But that they may recoi-icile
us
of a Rich Man's entriftg into Heaven. J I
us to God, when we have committed fomd
heinous Offences ?
I reply'd, what you offer here agalnd:
the Neceflity of Repentance, is groundlefs
and frivolous, and afgues, that you are far
from the Kingdom of God ; for tho' God
has ordain'd feveral Employments and Cal-
lings in the World ; yet this is the great
Employment enjoyn'd on all, Men and Wo-
men, Young and Old, Rich and Poor, viz,
to repent, and turn to God with all their
Hearts, leading exemplary Lives in all God-
linefs and Honefty ; confiding, not in read-
ing Books and going to Church, as a Pried ;
but in emulating the bed of Prieds in the
Exercife of a good Confcience both towards
God and towards Men. The Fundamental
neceflary Truths to Salvation are few, and
may be learnt in a little time, from any ex-
perienc'd Pried, or from any Other Child
of God that has Experience of God's Deal-
ings with the Souls of Men ; but if one has
no Inclination to leave the World, and the
fmful Luds of the Flelh, then he may fre-
quent the Temple as often as he pleafes,
and as frequently confult Priejis and An-
chorets ^ but he will be dill as great a
Stranger to God and Godlinefs, as if he
never had feen a Pa^od, nor converfed with
S Pried all his Life. I confefs, the Pried-
E a hood
5 1 The Fifth Conference]
hood is a great BlefTing ; for the Priefls Lips
ihould preferve Knowledge, and we ihould
enquire for the Law at their Mouths ; for
with them are intruded the Oracles of God :
But your Bramans are no Priefls of the
Living God, but Miniflers of dumb Idols,
which can't help you in time of need.
But, above all things, pfay don't harbour
fuch a mean and defpicable Opinidn of the
Priefts, as if they were of no other ufe
but to abfolve you from your former Sins,
to the end you may the more ehearfully
proceed in your old Trade of Sinning : If
this were the great ufe of Priefts, we might
live as happily without them.
To this they made no other Anfwer, but
that I had great reafon to thank God, who
had given me a found Underftanding ; and
feeing it had not pleas'd God to endue them
with the fame high Degrees of Knowledge,
they thought they were not requir'd to re-
turn me any Anfwer.
I faid, Repentance doth not fo much
i-equire a learned Head, as a fincere, ho-
neit Heart ; and if you would underftand
the Things of God, pray earneftly unto the
Fountain of all faving Wifdom, and he will
enlighten your Minds with the Knowledgfe
of
of a Rich Man^s entring into Heaven, 52
of hlmfelf, and anoint your Eyes with Eye-
falve that you may fee the Beauty of Holi-
nefs.
They reply'd, Had you read our Mala-
harian Books, you would have entertain'd
another- guife Opinion of our Religion,
Very well, faid I, If uppn this Condition
you promife Amendment of Life, and Obe-
dience to the Word of God, favour me with
the befl; of your Malahari^ti Writings, and
I aflure you, I will perufe them with all
due applicatioq.
They anfwer'd. Yes, that wie promife to
do with all our Hearts.
Then I call'd for a Malahariayi Clerk,
who wrote out a Catalogue of tlie befl Books
extant in their Language, and laid it before
them ; but they faid, they had but very ^^w
of thofe Books in their own pofie/Iion ; tho'
they did not qaeftion but the Bramans and
other Prieds would find out thofe Books ;
but they are fuch Writings, that are not to
be underdood, unle{s the Authors themfelves
wou'd rife from the dead, and be plcas'd to
be their own Interpreters.
F 3 Thafti
54 The Fifth Conference^ Szcl
That's no matter, fald I, do you but pro-
cure me the Books, and you ihall be paid
for them, or Til get them written out.
This they promifed to do, and re^
^ir'd.
Con-
55
Conference VL
Containing feveral Parti-
ciilarsy &c.
Between a Malaharian Heathen, accom-
pany'd with feveral others ; and a
Danifh Miffionary.
ON the Firil of January 1708, I
was vifited by a Venerable old
Malaharian ^ accompanied with
many others of his Friends to
wifh me a happy new Year ; addrelTing
himfelf to me in thefe Words :
I widi you all manner of Health and Prof-
perity this Inflant new Year ; I wifli you
may continue labouring, but lofe no Strength ;
E 4 and
^6 The Sixth Conference^
and that you may be an old Man, but that
your Vigour may remain ; and that you may
be great, and happy, and obtain all what
you your feif can hope to Enjoy.
I returned the fame Compliment, and
faid, I wifli you in like mariner, a happy
new Year : May the gracious God that made
you, and fent me to this Country, to offer
you tHe Terms of Salvation, make this Year
a Year" of Jnhilee unto you, by giving you
Repentance unto Life^ accompany'd with a
lively Faith in his Son Jefus Chrift ! May
the great God deftroy, and root out Idola-
try trom your Hearts and Temples ! May
his Kingdom come into your Hearts with
Power, and that of the Devil and Dark-
nefs be weaken'd more and more ; that
the Meffias may become, not only the King
bf the Jews and Chrifitans^ but alfo th0
King of all the Nations of the World.
Having concluded our mutual good
Wifties, we fat down ; and I asking theni
if they had underftood the fubftance of what
I had fpoken , they anfwer'd, yes ,* and
that they were very much obliged to oie for
>py friendly Willies.
containing fever al Particulars^. Yj
I reply 'd, 'tis then you'll have juft Rea-
fons to be thankful, when, repenting of your
Sins, you return to the Lord your God, and
Worfliip him only, who has made the
World and all that therein is.
Then, asking me. Wherein confifts true
Repentance ? I anfwer'd, it does not confift
in changing your Names^ or in changing your
Pagot/s tor our Churches ; hut it confifts in
the thorough Change and Renovation of
your Minds, in ceafing to do Evil, and fol-
io w^ing that which is Good ; fo that you be-
come new Creatures, endued with new De-
fires and Affedions, crucifying the old Man,
with all the Lufts thereof. And when this
glorious Change is wrought in your inward
Man, you'll chearfully and willingly change
your outward Behaviour ; you»ll leave Ido-
latry and Heathenifh Delufions, you'll defire
to be baptiz'd in the Name of the Lord Je-
fus ; you'll frequent the Congregations of
the Faithful, and covet to be made Parta-
kers of all the Privileges of Chrift's true
Difciples : And we can't till then allow
you to be truly penitent, and rightly pro-
felyted to our Religion.
All
j8^ Tb^ Sixth Conference]
All this, faid they, is divinely fpoken j
but pray, tell us, if all Chriftians are really
fuch holy Mea as you would have us
be.
To this I anfwer'd, all Chriftians at their
Baptifm enter into a very Solemn Covenant
with the Glorious, Trinune God, to renounce
the Flefh, and the Devil, and all the Pomps
and Vanities of this wicked World ; and on
the contrary, they fwear to take God the
Father for their Lord and King ; Jeftu Chrift
his only begotten Son, for their Redeemer,
and the Holy Spirit of God for t:heirSand:i-
ficr, to fear, to love, and obey God all the
Days of their Lives j and by vertue of this
Baptifmal Covenant, they are acceptable to
God in his beloved Son : But we muft con-
fefs, with Grief and Shame, that very few
of them ftudy to obferve what they have
Solemnly vow'd to keep in their Baptifm ;
but fufier themfelves to be drawn away, and
deluded by their deadly Enemies the Fleih,
the World and the Devil, to the^ fcandal of
our holy Religion, and to the Hardening
of Heathen Nations in their Infidelity.
All
containing feveral Particulars,,
AW what you fay is very right, faid they ;
but, before we leave an old Objed, in onder
CO embrace a new one, 'tis but reafonable that
you Ihew the Old to be very bad, or the
New one to be much better j this is eafily
applicable to the Subjed: Matter of our Dif-
courfe. r
'I willingly comply, faid I, to your De-
mands ,• for they are highly reafonable and
eafie to be demonflrated : For your prefent
Circumftances are miferable and dangerous,
having no Knowlege of Spiritual Things,
plung'd in the Mire of fenfual Employments,
without Hope, and without God in the
World. This is the State and dangerous
Condition that we urge you to leave forth-
with, and to change it for one more Glo-
rious and Excellent, accompanied with all
the Advantages that the Rational Creature
is capable ot ; I mean, a State of Grace
and Reconciliation ; God pardoning all your
Sins, for the Sake of Jeftu Chrifi^ and
flrengthening you for the future to quench
the Luds of the Flefli, and all the fiery Darts
of the Devil ,• and to live in Heaven, and
converfe with Angels, and with the Spirits
of Juft Men made perfed:, while you have
yourCommoration here on Earth. I think,
there is no need of further Proof, to fl\ew
that
y^f^ The Sixth Conference^
^that this State and Condition is in it felf
2iS Eligible as the other is Miferable , and
to be fhun'd by all that have not put out
the Eye of Reafon, and are not defperate-
(y driven on by Pafllons, fuffering the
Brute to rule, and not the Man.
STo this they anfwer'd, As to what \s
Morally Evil, 'tis agreed on all hands that
*tis to be avoided ; but it does not yet ap-
pear, why we Ihould leave cur Religion and
the Temples of our Gods, till you make
put the Matter more clearly : But enough ">
of this at prefentj we muft go to Comple-
ment fome other Friends upon this New-q
Years-day.
I ask'd them, What will your wifliing a
good new Year to your Friends fignifie, when
you your felves continue in your old mife-
rable Courfe of living > Change your Courfe,
and lead a new Liie, and then this will be
a blefled Year to you, and to as many of
your Friends as will foiiQw you in thefe Ge-
nerous Refolutions ; But if you flop your
Ears to my Exhortations, it may be, you
may die in your Sins, and never fee another
new Year ; or if you do, you may not meet
with this kind Invitation of Heaven to ;re*
pent and believe the GofpeL
They
containing fever al Particulars. 6 i
They anfwer'd, All comes to pafs ac-
cording to the Will of God.
Pray, faid I, confider agaiii and again,
that 'tis the revealed Will of God that you
ihould repent, and leave your Idolatry, left
you be given up to Hardnefs of Heart, as a
Punilhment of your Unbelief.
They thank'd me for my Friendly Ad-'
pionitions, and bid me Farewel,
tjciai
^}
Conference VIL
Of Regeneration^ and no Sal-
vation out of Chrifi.
Between a Mahometan Prieft and one
of the Dantfl) Miffionaries.
TH E Twenty third of Jannary
1708, a Mahometan Prieft from
Negapatffum, favour'd me with a
Vifit, accompany 'd with fome
others , both Heathens aqd Mahometans,
whom I receiv'd very kindly, asking the
Prieft, if among his Congregation in Nega-
patnum he had many fober and ferious
Men?
No
$4 The Seventh Conference]
No, faid he ; For 'tis a great 'Rarity
* now a- days, to meet with an honed Mart
among either ChriflianSy Pagans or Maho^
fnetans.
True, faid I, 'tis the common Com-
plaints, that Vertue and Piety are in a very
declining Condition in all Parts of the
World ,• and that very feU^ do feek after
God and Religion as to the Life and Pow-
er thereof ^ and yet alas, the Number of
thofe that concern themfelves in redref-
fing this great Evil, and in reforming the
World, is much fmaller. You are a. Priefl
in your, and I am a Prieit in my Religion ;
fhould not we, each one of us in his re-
fpedtive DiftricSb, exert and quit our felves
like Men, making all the Efforts poflible to'
fupport the Ruins of Piety, and endeavour
to reflore true Religion to its Primitive
Beauteous Simplicity >
'Tis certainly our Duty fo to do, an-
fweFd he ; but» what can a few do among
whole Shoals, and a World <jf Unbe-
lievers >
YesV
of Regeneration^ &c; 6$
Yes, faid t, a few Hands and Hearts,
Cafiifted and influenced by Omnipotency)
may do Wonders ; but thofe few, before
they pretend to convert others, flibu'd firll
adjuft their own Accompts with God, and
be themfelves, Men truly fearing God, and
hating Covetoufnefs ; well verfed and pow-
erful in the Scriptures, that they may be
fit to reach and exhort the Ignorant, com-
fort the Faint- hearted ; and, when need re-
quires, convince the Gainfayers : We muft
begin, continue, and finifli our Work in the
Strength of the Almighty ,• not efleeming
our own Lives dear, if fo be we are call'd
forth to lay them down on the Account
of Truth and Religion : If a hw Men thus
qualified, were refolv'd to ufe their bcft En-
deavours with Intrepidity and Greatnefs of
Mind, God would make their Way eafie,
furniih the neceffary Means, and remove all
the Teeming Difficulties, which render the
Enterprize impoflible to thofe that are not
provided with the whole Armour of God;
which is abfolutely neceffary in this Spiritual
Warfare.
He look'd me earneflly in the Face, and
faid, I could not believe hitherto what I
heard fpoken to your advantage ; but now,
blefl with your Pre fence, and hearing you
F dif-
66 The Seventh Conference]
dilcourfe of the Magnificent Things of God,
I freely confefs, I never heard a Chrijiian
lalk as you do.
Sir, faid I, if you (ee or hear any thing
that is to be approved of, you are to afcribe
it to the free Grace of God which has di-
rected me to thefe Parts, to make known
unto you the Dodrine of the Gofpel,
which can render you wife unto Salvation ;
and wifer than your Teachers.
But Sir, faid he, do you mean, that the
fame Graces and Gifts are not to be had in
our Way of Worfhip ?
Not, faid I; For out of Chrift there is no
Salvation : There may be found among
turks and Heathens, Men of excellent Na-
tural Parts ; but for all that, it may be,
they are the worft of Mortals, as to their
Morals; But however, as for the faving
Gifts and Graces of the Spirit of God, thefe
are the Peculium or Property of Chrift's Dif^
ciples J and are abfolutely beyond the Sphere,
of Nature's Adivity.
What, faid he, do you then put no Diffe-
rence between us Mahometans and the Hea*
thens ?
I ac-
of Regeneration^ &c. 6f
I acknowledge, Sir, faid I, that the Ma*
hometans worfliip one God only, and fomc
tead the Old and New Teftament ,• and up-
on this account we efteem you very highly,-
and make a great, difference between the
Two Seds ; but as to the wain Points re-
lating to true Holinefs and Jujlification of i.
Sinner before God, we Judge, that you run
parallel in erroneous Abfurdities, and yout
Opinions to be equally dangerous ; becauie
all of you rely upon your own Merit and
good Works, exclufive of the Grace of God ,•
which Grace is the Beginner, Promoter,
and Finiflier, of our Salvation, and without
which we can't fo much as think a good
Thought, or do any Work acceptable to
God : Don't deceive your felves therefore ;
and think you are the Darlings of Heaven,
becaufe you are preferrable to the Hea.
thens in feveral Points, while you want that
One Thing neceflary, viz. the Knowledge of
your Mifery^ and the Knowledge of a Saviour
to dehver you trom the Wrath to come.
1 find by fad Experience, that the Ad van-
tages you have over the Heathens, do
but render you more untradtable : For their
Errors are fo grofs, that they are eafily
made manifeft to themfelves ; but vour F.r-
fors are fomething more fubtile, and your
felves Prouder and more Obilinate.
F ^ I
68 The Seventh Conference'^
I have nothing to fay againfl what you
alTcrt, faid he; for 'tis really fo : And as for
my Tel f, I labour under Doubts and Scruples
about my own Religion ; and my Soul is
griev'd at the unfanSify'd Lives of the Ma-
hometans ; But, pray tell me your Opinion
freely of our Mahomet.
When I well examine, reply 'd T, what
your own Writers have left upon Record of
the Religion and Manners of Mahomet, I
cannot but conclude that he was a great E-
nemy to God and Piety ; This I can make
out to your Convidion, by alledgingfeveral
PalTages of the Hiftory of Mahomet,* But
left you fhould fay that we Chrijiians have
no Authenticik Records relating to your
Prophet, I'll hear you patiently relate his
Hiftory, and make my Reflexions upon e-
very Paragraph as you go on.
This, faid he, we lliall adjourn to another
time i For to repeat all the Hiftory of our
Prophet, wou'd require a great deal of time ;
fo that there wou'd be no Moments left for
your Reflections, nor for myAnfwers: And
be fides, I don't approve of all the Paflages
therein contain'd.
Sir,
of Regeneration, &c. 59
Sir, faid I, if you don't approve of this
Scheme, I will propofe another ,• in the Pro-
fecution of which Til make it evident, tha!t
Mahomet was a falfe Prophet, and an Impo-
flor, fent into the World, not to fave Man-
kind, but to be a Scourge unto them for
their negledling the Goipel of Chr'ifl, that
had been Preach'd in all the Countries where
now Mahomet's Dreams and Revertes arc im-
pos'd upon the unthinking Croud ; But, go-
home dear Sir, for this time, and pray ear-
neftly to the great God to guide you to
make a Right Choice ; and to the End you
may do phis with Succefs, pray, make your
own Eepie(5]:ipn upon the Life of Mqhomet^^
arid upon that of Jefm ChriJ} ; and then re-
frefli your. Memory with what has pafs'd be-
tween us at this time, and compare it with
what is ufually taught by your Do6iors.
Ifyou take this Courfe, you'll quickly come
to, perceive the Falfenefs of i^ij/7(7wf/''s Do-
(i^riae ,• and if you pleafe to favour me with^
another yifit, or with a Letter, acquainting'
me with your Gircumftances, I'll ^ive you,
fuch farther Inftrudtions, or ff nd you fuch,
Books, that will put our Chriflian Religion
in the clearefl: Light, and that you qiay fee
it,,j^vit were. with one View; which will
put' you in a Capacity of helping and adi-
fling your Brethren.
F 3 He
^p The Seventh Conference.,
He fald, I am overjoy 'd to have made
Acquaintance with you ; But now, in the
prefence of fo many, I don't think it proper
to talk more upon this Head ; But I'll take
another Opportunity to difcufs thefe Mat-
?:ers more narrowly.
' Sir, faid I, be not afliam'd, becaufe thefe
poor Men are prefent : For I don't queftion,
but they would be as willing to hear thefe
things enquir'd into, and examin'd, as vour
felf.'
1."
They anfwer'd all together, 'Tis true, we
have heard ftrange Things to day ; yet for
all this, we muft confefs, that we heard you
with fome fatisfad^ion ; and you have the
Freedom of fpeaking, and we of approving
Vi^hat w'e pleafe.
"Ilanfwer'd, The Truth never makes ufe
cR violent Meians to force its Way into the
Bofoms of Men ; but carries Strength and
Efficacy along with it, and fliines upon the.
Underftanding with fuch powerful Light,
and furprizes the Confcience with fuch
flrange Convidions, that Men do neceffari-
ly, and yet very willingly give their Aflent
to all its Aflertiorts : And 1 hope, it will be
fo with you ; For tho' you feem to make
light
of Regeneratioriy S^ci ^i
Jigbt of the great Truths that have been
propos'd unto you ; yet in time of Afflidi-
on, they may revive again, and exert thera-
felves in your Souls.
Hereupon they all took their leaves of me,
promifmg to vifit me another time.
I recommended them to the Grace of
God, and told 'em, that I entertain'd great
Hopes of their Converfion to the Faith of
ChriH:.
The Priell anfwer^d me,' and faid, A"
Chrillian well grounded in lus Religion-,
wift live and die a Chnjiian ^ ahd fo willi
a Mahometan continue the fame,
I told him, that neither Chrijiiam nor
Mahometans^ C2iW repent of their Sins, and
return to God, without the fpecial Grace
of Chrifl y however well vers'd they may
be in the Principles of their refpedive
Religions. Therefore , faid I, pray that
you may be made Partakers of this Grace;
of God through Jefus Chrift, that you^
may inherit Eternal Life.
He thank'd me heartily, asking me^
if I had any Commands for Nagapatnam,
F 4 Nothing
7? The Seventh Conference ,
Nothing elfe, faid I, but that you grej^t
all Malalarians and Moors at Nagapatfjam in
my Name, telling 'cm, that they want
all and every one of them, to repent and
believe the Gofpel of Chrift, that they niay
be faved ; and withal, 1 defire you to pro-
cure me an Alcoran in the Malabar ian
Language ; and in fo doing you'll oblige
me highly.
He told me, that the Alcoran was not
Tranflated into the Malaharian Language;
but if I would give Encouragement for
fuch an Undertaking, he would get it
Tranflated for me ; but it cou'd not be done
without Money.
Sir, faid I, if you believe your Alcoran
to be the Word of the Living God, you
Ihould rejoice that Chriftians enquire af-
ter it ; and you Ihould get it tranflated,
and fend me a Copy ; for which I will
fend yqu E^fcellent Writings containing the
Dodrineof Jefus.
This he promifed to do, and with^
drpw.
Ire-
of Regeneration, &g« 'j^
I receiv'd, fmce, a Letter from him
touching this Matter ; to which I made
3 long Anfwer containing a lliort Account
of the chief Principles of the Chrifiian Faitkp
with a Confutation of Mahometanifm ; to
to which hitherto he has made no Rc^
turn.
Con-
,l\\
75
Conference VIII.
Of the Way of Salvation ;
of Repentance , and of
many other Farticulars.
ou n^fi'
Between fome Malabarian School-
Boys, and others, and one of the
DanifJj Miffionaries.
ON the Thirty Firft oi January 1708,
I walk'd out with my Malaharian
Clerk ; and meeting many of the
Heathens in my Way, I took the
Opportunity to talk to 'em of the Way of Sal-
vation ; addrelTing my felf to em in thefe or
the like Terms ,* See how we walk all together
in
1^6 The Eighth Conference,
in the fame Way, and know not whether
it ieads ; fliould not this Confideration awa-
ken your Defires to enquire into what Way
leads to Eternal Happinefs, and whether you
are walking In that Way pr not ?
Yes, faid they, that would be a very
ufeful Confideration for every one of
us,
.:Do you know, faid I? if your Souls are
in the Way that leads to Eternal Life, or
not.
No, indeed we do not, faid they ; for
how iliould we know, when we have no
Teacher to dlred pur Courfe ? To whpm
ihall we apply our felves for In(lru(5tions ?
If we go to our Priefts and confult them
upon this weighty Point, we can have no
other Anfwer, than this ; Make large Pre-
lents, and bring your Offerings to the FagoJs
as often as you can, and live in Peace with
all Men ; This is all we can learn of
I fear, faid I, you are not in earnefl in
quefl of Salvation ; for otherwife you would
not confult fuch intereded impudent Priefls,
nor their Idols ; but you would apply your
(dves to honefl Men that are able and wil-
ling
of the Way cf Salvation^ Sccl 77
Jing to teach you the right Way, without
Money and without Price.
Sir, faid they, who would not be happy
upon fuch eafie Terms ?
I reply'd, Wiihings and Wouldings will
not make you happy; you muft beftir your
felvcs, and take pains to learn the Way :
For who will undertake to go to any place,
but does firft inform himfelf of the Road
leading thither, and never will be at reft till
he can get all the neceflary Dire<flions for
the Journey ? Otherwife Men will judge,
that he is not really bound for fuch a Place,
nor ever defigns the Undertaking fuch «
Journey.
If we live, faid they, as our Fathers did
before us,and all our other Neighbours round
about us, what Ihould hurt us ? Why, can't
we be faved ?
No, faid I, you muft not follow the Mul-
titude to do Evil ; for that hroadlVay leads
to Ruin and Deftrudtion.
Tf we do Good and efchew Evil, can't we
then be happy, faid they >
Ai
-^8 The Eighth Confer em f^
As long, fald I, as you remain in the
State and Condition you are now in, *tis
impoflible for you either to do Good, or to
efchew Evil.
How can that be, faid they ?
. .y You muft, faid 1, have a found Know-
ledge of the finful miferabie Condition that
you are now in, which makes you obnoxi-
ous to the Difpleafure of Heaven, and the
Objeds of Almighty Vengeance ; When
once you arrive at this Knowledge of thcf
dangerous Confequences of Sin, you'll try
all Ways and Means to deliver your Souls
from the approaching Dangers ^ but you'll
find no fafety in your {lately Pagoe/s ; and
your Priefts and Bramans will be but Phy*'
ficians of no Value, to heal a wounded Con-
science : Then you'll conceive, that Chriji
fefus is the only Phyfician of Souls, and that
there is no other Mediator between offended
God, and us offending Creatures, but thd
Man Chrift Jefus : 'Tis he only hath rc-
deem'd both you and us, paying the Price of
our Redemption with his own precious Blood
upon the curfed Tree of the Crofs, accord-
ing to the Prophecies that foretold, many
Hundred Years before, his Birth and all
%\{z minute Circumftances of his Life, Death
and
of the Way of Salvation, 8ccl 79
and Refurredion. After the forefaid Know-
lege of your Sin and Mifery, you mufl:
know this Great Redeemer, whofe Mc-
fits and Sufferings are accounted yours,
if you believe in his Name and lead Lives
becoming his holy Gofpel, which contains
the Dodrine and Sufferings of our Saviour :
And, if you wou'd be his Difciples, you mufl:
take up your CrofSy and follow him ; muft
fuffer Reproaches and Perfecution for his
fake, and be counted Fools, in Order to
be truly Wife : And therefore 'tis, that the
Way to eternal Life is faid to be Streight
and very narrow, and few there he that find
it.
What do you fay, Friends, to thefe
Things?
They faid, we never heard fuch things
in all our Lives ; and what to fay to you,
we can't tell.
But you'll know what to anfwer, faid I,
after you have walk'd in this narrow Way ; and
then you'll Experience the many Difficulties
that holy Men mufl meet with in the Pro-
grefs thro' this Wildernefs- World, towards
a better and more lading Life.
Cjood
86 The Eighth Conference,
Good Sir, faidthey, we are ignorant Peo-
ple, and can't difpute with you about fuch
Speculative Niceties.
I anfwer*d, This Matter requires no fpe-
culative Genitis, but Sincerity of Heart, to
examine the State of your own Minds, to
the End you may be afTur'd that the great
Work of Repentance is begun and perfected
in your Souls ; without which you muft E-
verlaftingly perilh.
Sir. faid they, you are very defirous to
trofelyte us to your Religion ; but we arc
taught from our Youth, and appriz'd from
good Hands, that the Chriftian Religion is the
worft of all Religions ; tho' upon our owrt
Experience, we know but little, either of the
Vertues or the Vices of Chriftians. If what
is reported of their wicked Lives, and of the
Stri^^nefs and N^afrownefs of the Way to
Heaven, (of which you have been juft now
Difcourfing) be true, we have Reafons to
fear that few Chriftians will ever come to
Heaven : For they commit fuch Abominati-
ons, that our polluted Eyes cannot behold
them without Horror, nor willingly Con-
verfe with them : And how much more
will the Holy Eyes of God abhor their Im-
pieties, and barr them his Everlafting Pre^
(cnce
of the Way of Saltation^ &c; 8 i
fence ? We ad: freely with you, and tell our
prefent ."sentiments and Opinion of the Chrim
fiian Scheme ,• but we hope this our Freedom
will neither ofTend you, nor difcourage
you from refuming the Thread of your
Difcourfe, and perfuing your firft Intenti-
on.
I reply'd, I am no way offended at what
you offer againft our Religion ; for you
judge of the Chriftian Dodrine , by the
wicked Lives of fome of its Profeflbrs ,• where-
as you Ihould examine the Nature and prime
Intention of the Dodrine it felf ; which is
to prefcribe moH: Holy and Juft Laws to
Mankind, marking out to them the Way and
Means of Reconciliation with God, and of
attaining Everlafting Happinefs : For why
lliould a Pious King, and excellent Ruler
and Legidator be blam'd, becaufc of fome
few Rebels and Felons who trafgrefs his juft
Laws by Difobedience and Obftinacy ? But
if you would know the true Genius and Ex-
cellency of Chrifliamty, come to me, who
am a Minifter of the Gofpel, and I will
teach you out of the Word of God, the Sum
and Subftance of what we Christians are
taught to believe and pradtife ; and thea
blame it if you pleafe : But if you do obfti-
nately refufe to be Inftruded, and rejecSt the
offers of Grace and Mercy that God makes
G to
8i 7 be Eighth Confer enccy
to you this Day through my Minidry, youMl
certainly be condemned at the great Airize,
for your wilful and obitinate Refufal of the
Tenders of Salvation. An4^s for the pre-
tended Oilence given you by the Lives of
fome Chriftians, they, without doubt, are
the Enemies of the Crofs of Chrifi j and the
Extremity of Pains and Torments is referv'd
for them among God's Enemies.
There are fome among us, faid they, that
keep themfelves difengag'd from any parti-
cular Sect whatfoever, and from fymboliz-
ing with any Set of Religious Ceremonies,
and Temple- Woriliip, contenting themfelves
to adore, revere and love, with humble
Minds and ardent Afted:ions, the Great Cre-
ator of the Univerfe.
I know this to be a current Opinion a-
mong fome of your Dodors, faid I, Efpeci-
ally, in the VYritings of Dirwalluwer and
Tfchiwawakkium j both which Authors have
written incomparably well of the Abibrdities
of the Pagodworfhip^ of your grofs Idolatry,
and of the Vanity or all tranfitory Enjoy-
ments ,' laying down fine Rules for walking
in the fair Paths of Vertue ; and of making
further Progrefs in the practical Knowledge
ot found Wifdom ; But in all their learned
Writings, they give you not the leall Hint,
or
of the Way of Salvation^ &c, 8 }
or Account of the Original of Sin and Mife^
ry ; without which Knowledge, all the Arts
and Sciences are but in/ignifieant, empty
vSpeculations, and vain Wifdom of great
founding Words, that will .never enable us
to do any onevertuous Ac5i:ion, truly accep.
table to God : For this is the firii Truth
necelTary to be learnt by every one ttiat
would be happy in the Enjoyment of God,
Diz. that he is an Enemy to Gcdhy Nature, and
born a Child of Wrath and Hell, as well as
others ; and muft know CHRISTthGRe-
deemer of Men ; whereof thefe Authors
were altogether ignorant, being not Inftru-
ded in the Inlpir'd Writings ot the Old and
Kew TeOament, which lay before us the ,
Way to everlafting Life and Immortality,
hid before ; from the Wife Men of the World,
who made fruitlefs Attempts to purchafe
Heaven with their own Money, and the Fa-
vour of God with their pretended meritori-
ous Performances of Self-will Woriliip, to the
feeming Mortification of the Heili ; but no
Way contributing to the Renewal ol the in-
ward Part, and changing of the Heart. Your
Eramans indeed, do boaft, that they have a
Law writ by God himfelf; in which* his
Will andPleafure, in Relation to Mens Sal-
vation, is clearly manifefled ; but in this they
are great Impoftors, abufing the credulous
ignorance of the People j for they never
G 2, cao
84 The Eighth Confer eHce]
can produce any fucli LavV, and fubmit If
to the impartial Perufal of learned Men.
Upon this, they faid,they would talk of
thefe rriatters another time ; but that they
were now bound to take ano:her Route.
Then I bid them adieu, charging them
not to forget what had pafs'd between us,
in relation to the Do^rine of Salvati-
on,
Thence I came to a Houfe where Tra-
vellers and Strangers did reft and repofe
themfelves, and wherem a School was kept
for thelndruftion-of Youth; where, after
having refted a while, I applyd my felf to
fome of the Children, and ask'd them, who
created them ? Some anfwer'd, they did not
know ; and others faid 'twas Tfchiwen made
them, who is the Almighty God, Creator
of all Things.
I ask'd them, how come they to know
that Tjchiwen was God ?
Our Parents, faid they, and School Ma-
ilers taught us.
I ask'd them, if they belie v'd Tfchiwen
had a Body as Men and Women have ?
They
of the Way of Salvation^ &c, 8 J
They faid, Yes ; and Eats, and Drinks,
Sleeps, and Walks, and has a Wife as other
Men have.
I anfwer'd. My dear Children, You are
grofsly mifinform'd about the Nature of the
God that made you : For he has no Bodily
Shape, no Fiefli and Blood ; but is a pure
immaterial Being that can't beliken'dto any
thing that is either in FJeaven or Earth,- and
his Name is not Tfchhven, but Saruwefuren
(God ;'^ be never had a Wife ,- yet he had a
Son before the World u^as made, God, blef-
fed for ev( r, equal to the Father, begotten
by a Generation, to all Mortals very incom-
prehenfible. This vSon of God was fent in-
to the World to afliime the Fluman Nature,
to the end he might* fuffer and die for the
Sins of all the World, and fatisfie the De-
mands of infinite Juftice, violated by rebel-
lious Men ^ his Name is "^efm Chrtfl or the
anointed Saviour; becaufe he faves his Peo-
ple from their Sins, by deftroying the De-
vil's Sovereignty over them, and bringing
them to the Knowledge of the God thai:
made them, and enabling them by his Spi-
rit to live holy Lives, worthy of his glorious
Gofpel in all Godlinefs and Honefiy ; and
therefore, my dear Children, this is the
pod that you mult know j and to that end,
G 3 you
^6 Ihe Eighth Conference ,
you muft fuffer your felvcs to be guided and
inftrudted by his holy Laws, comprehend-
ing all the great Truths necellary to be
learnt, in order to attain everlafting Happi-
nefs.
They reply'd, Our Bufinels is to learn to
read and write ; and our School- mailer
never taught us any fuch abflrufe Noti-
ons.
Then directing my Difcourfe to the Ma-
iler, I wonder. Sir, faid I, that you don't
inftrud: thefe Children in the Knowledge of
God and Godlinefs.
My chief Bufmefs, faid he, is to teach
them to read, write, cail Accompts, and to
give them fome fmall Tafle of the Arc of
Poejje ; but as for thefe things you mention,
they fliall (ludy them herearter, when they
come to riper Ycars^
This, faid I, is the fitted time to feafon
the Minds of Children with the faving
Knowledge of God and Religion : For they
are not yet prejudiced in favour of Vice ;
and therefore they are prone, and as it were,
inclin d to tall in Love with Vertue, if you
do but expofe her before their Eyes in all
^he.Perei colons of her excellent Beauties ^ and
the
of the Way of Salvation^ Src. 8 f
the chief reafon why we find Co many Ig-
norant old Men every where, is, becaule
they are not intruded in their Youth : And
whence comes all this unpardonable .Supine-
nefs and Negligence, but from the grofs ig-
norance of you School-mafters, who know
nothing to inflrud: Children in, but the fa-
bulous Stories of your falfe lying Gods ?
But, as for the true God, you are as ignorant
of his Nature, as you are difobedient to all
the Rules of moral Vertue : For you make
your Difciples feven times the Children of
Perdition more than they were before, by
your loofe Lives and corrupt Manners; for
which you fliould be afliamed: Repent there-
fore, and turn to the God that made you, to
the end you may be capable of Inftrucfting
thefe Children in the Nurture and Admoni-
tion of the Lord.
He held his Peace, and anfwefd not a
Word ; Whereupon there came in a Dawa-
tafchi, or a Woman that ferves in their Tem-
ple, and faid to me. Pray, Sir, why do you
propofe fuch hard Queftions to this poor ig-
norant Man ? If you will confult about Ah-
flrufities and puzzling QueftioiiS, go to our
Bramans, whofe Employment 'tis to talk a-f
boMt thefe abHraded Notions.
G 4 I
88 The Eighth Confer mce^
I arifwer'd, Thofe that are in a found State,
have no need of a Phyrician ; and thofe that
are wife, need no teaching ; I come to in-
(lru(St the Ignorant, and more efpecially (uch
as confefs their Ignorance of the Ways of
God and Salvation : For this is the firll flep
to the Attainment of Knowledge (xj/z.) an
Ingenuom Confejfion of our Ignorance ; whereas
your Bramans, whom 3'ou call l^'ife and
Knowings are the fartheft of all, from the
Kingdom ot God ; becaufe they think they
are profoundly Wife in Matters of Religion,
when they know nothing as they ought to
know ; but are proud and vain, impatient,
and incapable of Inftrudion : Wherefore I
chufe to confer with the Ignorant and Un-
learned, in order to teach them true Wif-
dom, which is capable to make them wife un-
to Salvation.
You talk a great deal of God, reply'd
they, pray tell us lerioufly, have you ever
feen him, or can you order matters fo, that
^e may fee him once ?
I reply'd, If my God was an Idol made
of Wood or Stone, like thofe you worfliip ia
your Pagocfs, then I could eafily fhew him
you, and comply with your extravagant
Pemand ^ but the Creator of Heaven and
Earth
of the Way of Salvation^ &c- 89
Earth is not to be liken'd to any Creafure
whatfoever > nor is he to be feen with bodi-
ly Eyes ; nor is he the Objed oi our Exter-
nal ^enfes ; but he is the Objed of all piowi
Mindsy to whom he difcovers himfeif more
and more by the Revelations he makes of
himfeif thro' the kindly Suggeftions of his
Holy Spirit ; but hides his Face from all
fuch who run after Graven Images, and gives
them up to a reprobate Mmd, to believe a
Lye and vain Dreams.
Then flood up another Woman, and faid.
Sir, You are very much in the right ; and
what you fay of our PagodWox^ii^, and of
its Miniilers, is but too true i For this very
Woman that talks with you, is devoted to
the Service of the Pagod, and lives all the
while a fcandalous Life ^ and 'tis notorious,
^at fhe has had Three Ballard - Chil-
dren.
t
I reply'd, The Reafons why all your Re-
ligious Women who ailiil: at the Performan-
ces of F^(^<7^Ceremonies,are unexceptionabiy
great Whores^ is, their reading the Amorous
Intrigues of your Whoring Gods and Goddell
fcs ; which rationally induces them to believe,
that 'tis their Duty to imitate all the Actions
of their Gods: And, one fliould think, tiiat
this one Refledtion, fo obvious and true,
iliould
go The Eighth Conference^
ihould make you abhor the Thoughts of
frequenting a Pago^t tor the future, where
you know thofe lalie Gods have their Ha-
bitation, that are the Promoters of all Un-
deannefs and filthy Luds.
And going thence to another Village, in
Ijiy Way, I met feveral Bramavs, and
ask'd them , How long will you go on.
Sirs, to delude the Ignorant People.
They reply'd, We have veneralle Anti-
quity on our fide ,• our Fathers profefled this
Religion, and fo do we.
I reply'd, If your Fathers and Great
Grandfathers were poor and neceflitous, does
it follow, that you muft reflect Difparage-
ment on their Memories, if you, with ho^
neft Tndudry, endeavour to enrich your
felves, and provide better for your Children
than they did for you ? And why fhould
you think it any Refledion on your Ance-
ilors, to furpafs them in the Knowledge of
God, feeing 'tis as evident that all of them
were grofsly Ignorant of Things relating to
eternal Happinefs, as fome of them were
poor and mean as to their outward Cir-
cumftances.
AW
of the Way of Salvation, 8zc. 9 1
All this could not engage them to flay
and difcourfe the Matter with me ; but all
the Anfwer they made, was, that whea
they come to die, they defire to go to no
better Place than where their Fathers
are.
Thereupon I came back to the Inn, and
found there many Pilgrims^ who had, as
they themfelves told me, left Houfe and
Home, Wives and Children, and all they had
in their own Country, in Obedience to the
High Commands of their Angry Gods, who
had enjoyn'd them a very long Pilgrimage ;
who teach them, tiiat all they polTefs, is none
of their own ; that they are oblig'd to leave
all, to pleafe their angry Gods, and atone
for pad Offences.
But, anfwer'd I, How came you to know
all this; and that 'tis the Will of God that
you (liould undergo uicli long Journeys, and
do fuch fevere tedious Penances.
We read, faid they, how the Gods appear
to fuch as abandon all they have for the
love of them ; and ho^v they blefs their
faithful Votaries with higher Degrees of
Wifdom , and other dillingaifliingj Marks
of
gi The Eighth Conference^
of their Favour and gracious Acceptance of
their toilfome Pilgriniages.
J ask'd them, How long they had lead that
Pilgrimage flate of Life ?
They reply'd, For this lad Fourteen
Years.
And did the God never appear to you in
all this time, faid I ?
They anfwer'd, No, not once.
I ask'd them farther, Are you entertain'd
wherever you come, with the Neceflaries of
Life ? And are Men kind to you ?
Not very kind, faid they ; for the World
is not now fo Charitable as it was wont to
be towards poor Pilgrims.
Then I faid to them, I wonder that you
are able to undergo fo many, and fo great
Aufterities: For certainly, you enjoy but
little of the Comforts of this Life ; and I pi-
ty your miferable Condition fo much the
more, inafmuch as I am affur'd, you'll be
ss miferable in the Life to come, if yoi;
continue in this rambling Pilgnmage-ilate
of Sin and Ignorance : For you have no
Know-
of the Way of Salvation, &c. 9 J'
Knowledge of the true God ; but give that
Honour and Worfliip, due to him only, to
dumb Idols, and Images that are no Gods,
but Inftruments of Delufion employ 'd by
the Devil, the Enemy of Mankind, to make
you deviate from the Ways of Truth ; and
therefore you'll reap no Benefit from all
thefe Bodily Exercifes and Aufterities of a
long tedious Penance ,• becaufe they are not
enjoyn'd upon you by the true God ; but
are a Free- Will offering which you make to
the Idols and Images of your own Inventi-
ons and Making ,• which is an Abominationi
to the true God, who will alone be wor-
lliipp'd in Spirit and in Truth ; and requires
Repentance from dead Works, and from
your former vain Converfation, by a tho-
rough Change of the Heart, accompanied
with an outward Carriage anfwerable to
fuch a great Change wrought in your Souls
by the Almighty Power of God. This is
the Repentance requir'd of you ; but not
foolifhly to leave your native Country , youi?
Wives and Children, and all that was dear
and valuable unto you, without any Rea»
fon ; and to create your felves a great deal
of unneceflary Troubles and Fatigues, and
at the fame time moled Strangers with your
burthenfome unwelcome Company : And,
befides that this idle, wandring fort of Life,
is finful in it felf, and gives occafionto com-
mit
^4 '^f^^ Eighth Conference^
mit all kind of Villanies, I know of no Ad-
vantage that you can reap from this long
Pilgrimage, unlefs that it hath afforded, you
a fit Opportunity to be intruded by me at
this time in the true Dodrine of Salvation,
that you may renounce your Idolatrous Er-
ror:> and Su perditions.
They ask'd me, Pray, Sir, who, and
what are you ?
I am, faid I, a Minifi:er or Servant of the
Living God, who created Heaven and Earth,
fent to you to warn you to leave the Idols
of your own making, and to turn to the
Worfliip oi: the true God.
They anfwer'd, our Religion has never
been called in queftion as to its Divine
Original, and our Gods are true Gods,
I feply'd^ 'Tis very true, that your Fa-
thers have worfiiipped thefe dumb Idols for
fome thoulaads of Years ; but God, out
of his Grace and Mercy, offers you theleea-
fie Terms of Salvation now, in the End
of the World, whereof your Fathers where
Ignorant,
Tii
of the Way of Salvation , &c, 9 5
'Tis true, anfwer'd one of them, we have
a Prophecy firmly believ'd among us, that
two great Prophets are to appear among us
before the End of this World, in order to
work a mighty Reformation among the Peo-
ple ol* Malabar.
T anfwer'd, Without confulting the writ-
ten Prophecies of your own Laws, you may
be eafily convinc'd, that this is the time of
your Vifitation : God makes gracious Ten-
ders unto you this Day, of the Pardon and
Reminion of all your Sins, if you do but ac-
cept of the fame with a full Refolution to
repent, and turn to the living God, leading
new Lives becoming the Gofpel of his Son
Jefus Chrifl.
One of them, who was an Ecclcfiaftick^
faid. Sir, I freely own the Errors of our
Religion ; more efpecially, thofe relating to
a Plurality of Gods ^ (tho' many ftrong Argu-
ments are urg'd in favour of this Opinion ;)
for I believe, that there is but OneGo6. and
that the IdolWorjhip celebrated in the Pa^
goJsj is but ulekis Vanity.
'&''.'
§6 The Eighth Conference^
I am glad that you are come fo far, laid
I, as to believe in one God ; but you muft
not flop here : For you muft hkewife en-
deavour to know who this One God is. that
you may pay him the Tribute of Adoration
and Praifes due to his moft excellent Maje-
fty i and according to his own Will revealed
to us in his holy Laws, in which I am very
willing to inftrucSb you, if you will but come
to me, with a longing Defire of being in-
ftruded in the Things relating to the Salva^
tion of your Souls.
Then a Woman interrupting me, cry'd out,
Pray, Sir, who is your God >
I anfwer'd, Your God and mine is but one
and the fame God ; and befides him there
is none other , we are the Works of his
Hands ; he is not vifible (as your wooded
Gods or Images) to be lliewn with the Fin-
ger, or to be feen with bodily Eyes, unlefs
in the Works of the Creation ; wherein we
may clearly fee the Effedts of his infinite
Wifdom and Almighty Power, in creating
this Vifible World, and in .difpofing all the
Parts thereot with lb great Proportion and
Regularity,- whence anfes the excellent dn-
fpeakable Beauty of the whole. 'Tis from
this Great God we borrow Life and the Con-
tinuation
of the Way of Salvation^ &a 9*7
tinuation of the fame ; ia him we Uve^
wwcy and have our Beings ; and do you
ask me where is your God >
That is right, faid another Woman,
for God is every where prefent ; and
he is adiually prefent in this Tree ,
tho* we have no Eyes to fee him.
But, faid I, if you'll repient, arid leave
your Idolatry and Superflition, and luffer
your felves to be inftruded in his holy
Laws, the Eyes of your Mind will be
open'd, that you may fee God in hi$
Wifdom, Power and Goodnefs , in all
and every one of his Creatures ,• but
more efpecially, in your felves : For holy
Men and Women are the Temples of the
living God^ and the Places of his mod
Gracious Refidence : Seek him there, ac-
cording to the Diredions I ihall give you
out of his own Word^ and you ftiall cer-
tainly find him, and enjoy him for
ever.
Thereupon they left me, arid I returned
home ; and as I was near the City, a Mer-
chant call*d after me, asking if he might
propofe to me fome Qjieftions.
H 1
98 The Eighth Conference^
I anfwer'd , Yes , Sir , with all itiy
Heart.
He ask'd me, What do you fay to the
Durations of the Pains and Torments of
Hell i Are they to have an End, or are
they endlefs and Everlafting.
I reply 'd, They are certainly endlefs, and
will endure for ever.
Is there no Redemption thence, added
he?
No, faid I ?
But, Sir, how can this rationally be, faid
he, feeing that we live in this World but
for few Years, and our finful Adions are, as
to their Duration,tranfitory ; why then ftiould
the Punifliment be Eternal ? The neceflary
proportion attending diftributive Jliftice> is
not obferv'd here. . j
But Friend, faid I, The Sinner oflending
the infinite Juflice of God, and refufmg to
accept of Grace and Mercy upon the ea/ie
Conditions of Faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift^
and Repentance towards God, while the
Days of Grace, and the Time of Salvation
is
t)f the Way of Salvation^ &:c, g0
is riot yet at an End, dies in his Sins, and
continues to Sin on in Hell for ever; which:
calls for Punijhments anfwerably ete rnal :
Therefore, if you would avoid the Eternity
of Hell. Torments, repent now in time, up-
on which depends your Fate of being Ever-
laftingly happy, or unhappy for ever, both
as to the Soul and Body ; which if Mortals
did but ferioufly confider they would difen-
gage themfelves from all Earthly Ties and
lead Lives worthy of the Divine Nature, to
which they are fo ftrid:ly related ; and
would have their Meditations in Heaven,
whilft they have Commoration and Abode
in this finful World.
Upon this we came both into the City^
and parted;
H z Con-
101
Conference IX.
Of the Nature and Propers-
ties of the Malabarian
Gods ; and of the tnciim'-
J?ent Duty every one is nn^
der to reclaim his Ere--
threnfrom fdojatry^ &c.
Between many Bramans and one of
the Dani/Jj Millionaries.
ON the Fifth of March, 1708, I un-
dertook a Journey to Diruht/^eur^
a very large City belong ng to
the King of Taf^jour, adorned
with beautiful Buildings ,* efpecially with
H 3 ^ three
I o 2 The ^inth Conference,
three {lately Temples, or Fagods^ very near
one to the other, all in a Line, with fine
Approaches and Entrys to them on both
Sides. Near thefe Pajods^ the King of Tan-
jour has built a (lately Palace, for his Recep-
tion when he comes a-pilgrimaging here.
After I had feen the Town, I fat down in
a Garden near the Bramans Inn, whither
very many Priells and Bramans flock'd about
me ; whom I entertained with a Difcourfe
about the Being and Attributes of God ; to
which they gave very great Attention :
Then I dillributed Twenty Five Sermons
among them, which had been preach'd in
our Jerufalem-CAwxrch, at Tranquehar : Where-
upon a greater Confluence of Heathens came
to me, v/hom I heartily exhorted to feek after
the True God that created all Things, and
to fludy to know his Will, to the End they
might be made happy in this, and in the next
World J telling them, that if they did con-
tinue to woriliip Graven Images, that neither
hear, fee, nor underftand, their Punifhments
would be certainly unavoidable and ever-
lafling : But if you, faid I, do this Day hear
and obey his Voice, and own him, and his
Son Chriji Jefus^ for your Lord and Saviour,
he will prevent you with his Mercies, and
pardon all your pall Sins, enabling you to
do what is acceptable and well'pleafing in
his Sight.
Then
of the Malabarian Gods. 103
Then flood up a Venerable Old Man,
and faid, What you have faid of God's Be-
nefits towards us, and of our unthank-
fulnefs towards him, is all very true ; but
that we have no True, but falfe Gods in
our Country, this you are ftill to demon.
Urate : For tho' the Chriflians call us Hea-
thenSy we are not fo in Reality ; but we
are a very Ancient Nation^ whofe Religion
is as OU as the World it felf ; and many
of our Gods have done great Miracles
among us ; and more particularly, our God
IVinsjagoMy who built us our great Temple,
and dwelt in this Place among us.
I anfwer'd, about 1700 Years ago, the
the Europeans were all Heathens, profe/Iing
Idolatry, as you Malaharians do at this time ;
but God was pleafed to call them to the
Profeflion of the Gofpel of his Son Jefus
Qhrifi ; whereupon their Eyes were enlight-
ned to fee the Falfnefs of their own Religion,
the Pious Cheats of their Cunning Pnefts,
and the Vanity of all Idol-worihip ; and
they did forthwith renounce the Superltitions
received from credulous Antiquity, and re-
turned to the Living God, from whom their
Fathers had departed, in the Purfuit of
Fidions and Fables, the mere Inventions oF
wicked and defigning Men : Therefore I
H 4 don'i
tq4 The Ninth Conference^
upbraid you with your Ignorance, nor re-
fled Difparagement upon your Country,
becaufe of the Natural Errors prevaiUng
among yoq this Day : For my Countrymen
have been for fome Thoufands of Years in
the fame miferable Condition : Nor do I at
all wonder, that you are fo tenacious of the
erroneous Traditions of your Fathers : But
if you will with Patience hear me declare
unto you the Dodrine of the Holy Bible,
you il caft from you thefe Vain Idols, and
worfliip the True God in fincerity of Mind ;
Nay, if you do but confult your own Rea-
ibns, you'll fee they are but mere Vanity and
Lies : For how can an underflanding^ rea-
foning Man, take a Piece of Wood or any
Other grofs Matter, hewn into the Shape of
a Swine, Fifli, Tortoife, Horfe, or into any
other Four-FIeaded, Eight handed, Thee-ey'd
monftrous Form, for his God ? Or be per-
fuaded into a Belief, that the God whom he
honours for the Objed of his Adoration, is
married, has many Children, committeth
Adultery, Murder, Theft, and all the moft
execrable Villanies ; and has wag'd War for
many hundred years with a neighbouring
God , about mere Pun^ilios of Honour
and Precedence, commanding Men to exer-
cife fuch Abominations as are not to be nam'd
without Sin j and at laft fome ravenous
B.eall ? As for exa^nple, your God Wifcktntt
has
of the Malabarian GodSn lOJ
has been feveral times Metamorphosed in vc.
ry many different monftrous Shapes ; Biru-
wa had three Heads and eight Hands ; and
Ifruen had an Elephant's Snout.
Moreover, iVifchtnu had many Concubines,
and metamorphors'd himfeit into a young
Woman, to quahfie himfelf to commit Un-
cleannefs with IJunn ; and many more fuch
Atchievments are recorded of him, whereby
he deluded many hundred of Wpmen, who
fell paflionately in Love with his Beautiful
Deporture and fine Mein.
Ruddirea, another of your Gods, is no
lefs infamous for fuch wicked and violent
Practices j for once he forc'd a young She-
Slave, that refus'd to comply with his luflful
De fires ; and IVifchtnu deceiv'd Mauei, to
the end he might dirpofTefs him of the Go-
vernment of the Univerfe : Ruddireu^ Wifcht-
nu, and Biruwa^ quarrelled together about
Precedence ; whereupon Ruddireu Stabb'd
Wifzhtm^ and (Iruck of Birumas Head.
The God Rafchanidizen ran raving Mad
far a confiderable time. Ramen and Lethf-
chemen wag'd fuch bloody Wars with Rawa-
fi€H as ended in the utter Deftrudion of all the
Three Fighting Deities. Your God Ifcbok.
kaitadeu adted Sixty four Comedies in this
Coun.
106 The Ninth Conference^
Countrey ; Wijchtnu is fleeping upon Ser-
pents in a Sea ot Milk ,• and Pulleiar is con-
tinually eating and drinking on a Milky
Sea fweetned with the fineft Sugar ,• Jfurea
is everlatlingly Dancing .
Thefe are the Atchivments of your Gods
thro* whom you exped Eternal Happinefs.
I wonder that you are not afliam'd of
thefe vile Pradices of your Gods, which
would render any Man ( if guilty of the
lame ViHanies) the Objed: of all honefl:
Mens Scorn aqd juft Hatred, who would
cut him offwith the Sword of Juftice as un-
worthy to enjoy the Benefit of Human So-
ciety, or of walking upon God's Ground.
Therefore repent without delay, left you pe-^
rifh in your Sins.
Then the Manikaren^ or the Gover-
nor of the Place, askd, whence have you
this Account of our Gods ? And how came
you to know their feveral Names and Dig-
nities.
Sir, anfwer'd I, by reading and perufing
your Books ; and therefore I offer nothing;
upon Hear- fay.
Ano-
of the Malabarian Gods. 107
Another (lood up, and faid, Sir, You
would have us believe you to be a very
fandified and holy Man ,• but give me leave
to tell you, that it does not become an holy
Man to hhfpheme our Gods ; for true Piety
defpifes no Man upon Account of Religion ;
and 'tis therefore we Malaharians do neither
condemn nor defpife the Chriftians upon the
Account of their Religion.
I anfwer'd, I neither cenfure nor defpife
any of you as to your Perfons, or anything
that is commendable in your Religion ; but
I reafonably condemn your grofs Ignorance,
and your falfe Woriliip pay'd by you to Noun,
entities and Vanities honoured with the Title
of Gods ; and therefore both out of Duty to
the true God, and out of loving-kindnefs to-
wards you, I can't but fpeak the things that
belong to your eternal Happinefs, tho' you
condemn me of Raflinefs and ill Manners
for fo doing : For this is the Will of God,
that you may be found a holy People pre-
pared for every good Work : And therefore
I exhort you in his Name ; and authoriz'd
by his high Command , I charge you no%
to negled the great Salvation that is
tendred to you this Day by ray Minir
ilry.
Then
ic8 The Ninth Conference,
Then flood up a Braman, and raid, I
never have feen hitherto any of all you Chri-
flians taking any care for the faying his
own Soul, by doing Penance for his 5ins:
Whereas we Malaharians undergo many tei
dious and long Penances, 4sKying our felves
all the Pleafures pf^isLife ; fonie fpending
their whole Life in Pilgrimage from one
Country to another, and there are as many
that (land mod part of the time upon their
Heads, living purely upon the Charity of
others ; fome pray the Gods with Hands
lifted up fo long, that they can't take them
down again, nor move them from that ere-
<aed Pofture ; and more fuch Aufterities arc
exercis'd among us Malahariam for the Hq.
nour of our Gods and Religion ; But I fee
no fuch thing Pradis'd among you Chri-
ilians.
Sir, faid I, your Severities exercis'd yp-
on your own Bodies, are indeed amazing,
and to me a ftrong Argument of your being
fully convinc'd ot the certain Exiftence of
future Rewards and Punijhments after Death;
but can be no Proof of a fmcere Repentance :
For all this may proceed from a fooHjh De-
fire and Ambition of being thought holier,
than other Men, and more difengag d from
all Worldly Enjoyments, in Order to be
more
of the Malabarian God%l $ 6$
more efteem'd and honour'd than other Men ;
'tis certain that Man will fooner Change his
way of Living, and undergo all the Aufte-
teft Penances, than change his Hearty and re*
ilounce his o)ion Righteoufnefs ^ accounting
himfelf after he has done all he can do, a ve-
ry unprofitable Servant that has done no-
thing but his Duty.
You muft come to this, elfc all your Wiff-
Worfhip is of no ufe or advantage to you; I
mean, you muft take Jefus Chrift to be your
Lord and Saviour, made to you Right eouf-
nefsy San^ification and Redemption.
Then faid one of them, this is (Irange Do-
iStrine indeed ; fliall not Man do Penance for
his Sins, left forfooth, he may be takert
notice of by the Croud of the ungodly
World \
If true Repentance, faid I, is wrought in
your Soul, it will neceflarily be accompanied
by a holy Converfation and vertuous Adli-
ons.
Then another Braman flood up, and drove
away all the Populace, left they might be
polluted in their Company ; neither would
they approach me too near, for fear of be-
ing rtiade unclean by my touching of them.
Then
[l lo The Ninth Confer ence^
Then I faid, Pray, Friends, what make^
you to be fo unreafonably Proud and Arro4
gdnt, and afraid of being touch'd by other
Men ? Whereas you Ihould be Examples of
Humility to all your Hearers and Difciples
that are round about you ?
This is iib Effedt of Arrogance, faid
they J but our Family is feparated from other
Families of the Earth, and are forbidden by
our Laws to keep any familiar Intercourfe
with any other fort of People, upon Pain
of being efteemed polluted by our own Bre-
thren.
Then, faid 1, Pray, Sirs, of what Family
do you derive your Pedigree ?
We are defcended lineally, Jinfwer'd they^
from the God Biruma.
Why, faid I, does not €vety Creatui-ci
beget his like > And how comes it that you
are born Mortal Priefls 5 and not Immortal
Gods, if defcended from this Family of the
Great God Biruma > He had four Heads ^ and
you have but one only ; and are in nothing
unlike the reft of the Malaharidns^ unlefsthat
you furpafs all the Inhabitants iri all Super-
fluity
of the Malabarian Qods: *i 1 1
fluity of Noughtinefs, and fingular, uncom-
thon Impieties.
Theri another Bramau addrefs'd me in
thefe Words; Sir, All what you have faid
in relation to the Family of the Bramans^ is
very true: For as to our bodily Appearance,
what are we better than the vileft of the
Populace > And when we die, our Bodies
are reduced to Dufl: and Aflies, as the Car-
kafles of the Bareyers, ^ i. e, common Sca-
vengers J
At which Difcourfe, the others feem'd to
be much offended ; but he went on, and faid,
what Madnefs and Folly does poflefs your
Minds ? I will Eat and Drink with this Man,
and am fure to receive no Damage by fo do-
ing ; and thereupon came near me, and took
me by the Hand, intimating that he aflented
to all that I faid on that Head. An old Man
that had been formerly the Governor of the
Place, did me the fame Complement, and
endeavour'd to confirm all that I faid , to the
reft of the Bramans, and others there prefent*
Thereupon more Bramans came to me,
and ask'd me, if 1 had more Sermons to
diftribute ?
I
J I z Th^ Ninth ConfereHcey 8zcl
1 anAver'd, I had no more Sermons with
me at that time • but in cafe that they did
diligently perufe thofe few I had diftributed
among them, I would take care to furnifh
them with many more with all convenient
fpeed i and for that time I took my leave of
them, recommending them all to the Graci-
ous Protedlion of the Almighty.
Cdti*
^^f
Conference X.
Of the Education of Touthl
and of the Duty of Pa^
rents and SehooUMafters.
Between fome Malab avian School- Boys,
and others, and one of the Danijb
MifEonaries.
ON the Eleventh of April 1708, I
went into a Malaharian School,
and ask'd the Children what they
learnt. I found they had learnt
feveral Books by heart ; but when 1 ask'd
them the Meaning of the fame Expreffions
they had committed to Memory, and re-
peated fo readily,
I They
I J4 T^he Tenth -Conference,
They excus'd themfelves, faying, that
their Mafters did not explain to them any of
the occurring Difficuhies that are obvious
enough to all that read thofe Books.
Mean while, many Mahometans and Mala-
hanans aflembled together i and addrefling
my fell to the Children, I fpake to this Ef-
fed ; My dear Children, the Great God
has made you perfedtly beautiful, and en-
dued you, not only with ftrong Limbs and
healthy Bodies ^ but has blefled you with
Immortal 'ouls : It you afpire after true
Learning and Knowledge, you mud princi-
pally, and in the firft place, ftudy to know
God, your Maker ; and from your tender
Years, labour to avoid all that has any Ap-
pearance of Evil ; and exercife your felves
in fill that is honeft and praife worthy ;
For otherwife the Devil will draw you afide
to the Prad-ice of Vice and Wickednefs :
from sh hofe Snares you can't afterwards ea-
fily extricate your felves, when you arrive
to Riper Years.
I truly lament your unhappy Circum-
{lances, to have neither Barents at home,
nor Mafters in thefe Publick Schools who
are capable and willing to fe?fon your
Minds betimes with the favmg Knowledge
of
of the Education of Toiith, &c. ! 1 5
of God ; for both your Parents and Maflers
are as ignorant as your felves ; and walk
themfelves in the Ways that lead to Hell
and Deftrudtion : And as for the Booksyou
read, 'tis to your Advantage that you areig*
norant of the Contents thereof : For they
are of no other ufe, but to corrupt your Un-
derftanding, and make you more indifpos'd
to learn the Truth in the lieu thereof, and
to de/ire the Knowledge of the one only
true God, who is Gracious and Merciful,
willing that Babes and Sucklings, and all
young Children fhou*d be fed with the fin-
cere Milk of his Word, and be brought up
in the Nurture and Admonition of the
Lord.
Then I ask'd them, Do you underdandl,'
my fweet Children, all that I have faid unto
you ?
They anfwerd, Sir, we have underftood
you very well.
And are you refolv'd, added I, to pra*
€t'i^Q what I have commanded you.
They all anfwer'd. Yes, if we know how
to begin and fet about it.
1% Then
1 1 6 The Tenth Conference]
Then faid I, when you go from School,
and come to any retir'd Place, fall down on
your Knees, and fay, thou that has crea-
ted the Heavens an A Earth, inflru^ us in the
Knovoled^e of thy Gracious Nature^ and holy
Will : deliver us from the Power an A Dominion
of Idolatry and Superfiition ; And grant ^
Lord we may acknowledge and worfhip no o-
the*" God lejides thee^ the only true God* Con-
vert us, Lord, and enlighten our Under-
fiandings more and more, that we may know our
Duty towards thee, our God, and towards all
others^ our Fellow-Ci^eatures,
If you thus exercife your felves daily with
fincere and pure Hearts, the Lord will have
Mercy upon you, and will incline your
Hearts to keep his Law, and do all his Will,
and will furnifli you with all the fufficient
Means neceflary for attaining the Know-
ledge neceffary to make you truly happy.
Then one of the Heathens flood up, and
faid, how then comes it to pafs, that fome
Children are naturally inclin'd to what is
Good, and others as naturally bent and in-
clin'd from their moO tender Years, to com-
mit all forts ofmifchievous Ad:ions, maugre
all the good Inftrudions of Parents or
School- mailers ? Who is the Caufe oi this
l^rone-
of the Education of Tenths &:c. 1 1 7
Pronenefs to Evil, and Inclination to Ver-
tue ; the Parents, God, or the Children
themfelves ?
I anfwer'd, God is noway the Caufe, nor
the Occafionot the wicked Inclinations, dif-
covering themfelves very early in Children:
For God made Man righteous without .Spot
or Bleniifli, or any fuch thing ; and Maa
might have continued in this righteous, fin-
lefs State, and propagated Children as righ-
teous and innocent as himfelf ,• but our Firfi:
Parents being deluded by a wicked fubtle
Devil, rebelled againft God by Difobedience,
and thereby loft his Image, connfling iq
Righteoufnefs and Hol'tnefs^ and became di-
fturb'd m all the Faculties of the Soul ; his
Underftanding was darkned, and all the Af-
fe<5tions dilbrder'd with refped: to their
proper Objeds, efchewing Good, and pur-
luing after Evil \ and the Children, partak-
ing ot all the diforder'd Paffions ot their
Parents, are commonly inclin'd to do Evil,
before they know what it is to do well ;
And this Original Sin is the Source of all
adual Tranfgreffions, divided into infinite
Rivulets and leifer Streams of Deviations
and Errors, in the whole Cpurfe and Stages
of Human Life.
I 3 Ths
1 1 8 The Tenth Conference,
Then one of the Company anfwer'd, and
faid, What you fay, Sir, carries with it all
the Semblance and Colour of Truth ; and
I really am of your Opinion, that Children
are born with fome wicked Inclination and
Pronenefs to Vice ; but as God is the Au-
thor of Nature, why does not he prevent,
or heal this Original Difeafe of Human Na-
ture ; fince no Child is born into the World
without the Concurrence of his Divine
Will >
Sir, faid I, that none is born without the
Concurrence of the Divine Will, is unque-
llionably true ; and 'tis as true, that all
Children are born and conceived in Sin :
'Tis likewife a great Truth that God is no
way accelTary to this Original Evil ; For, as
we hinted before, he created our Firft: Pa-
rents holy, harmlels, and undefil'd, after his
own Image ; but thty found out many Inventi-
ons^ and became difobedient to their Creator ;
and ever fince, their Pofterity are fmfully
inclin'd from their Youth, and therefore need
all the pofTible Care, both of Parents and
Mailers, to bring them up in the Fear of
the Almighty, by making them early, fen-
fible of their Incapacity of performing what
is requir'd of them, and of avoiding Evil,
without the Aflidance of Divine Grace, and
a
of the Education of Touth, S^c. i r 9
9 continual Watch upon their own Hearts ;
and that Parents and Teachers may be help-
ful and ufeful in bringing up Youth for the
Service of God, they mufl themfelves be
pious and fobcr, experiencing the Work of
true Converfion wrought in their own Souls:
and when they are thus difpos'd, God will
blefs their honed Endeavours, in teaching
little Children his Ways.
Then one of them flood up, and faid.
Sir, a Thorn will remain a Thorn ; the
Skill and Care of the Husbandman can't
convert it into, a Fig Tree.
I anfwerd, We are all by Nature finfully
inclin'd, and of a Thorny Conftitution i and
by the Care of Parents, Mafters, and the
Concurrence of the good Husbandman,
(God himfelf,) we are to be really chang'd
and renew'd in the Spirit of our Minds, and
become new Creatures, bearing much Fruit
to the Honour of the Great Husbandman.
And as for your Comparifon taken from
Thorns, it does not hold at all in this Mat-
ter : For Man has Ears and Underftanding ;
and therefore capable of hearing and receiv-
ing Inftrudion for the better Condud of
his Life, which can't be apply'd to vegeta-
tive and irrational Beings j becaufe they are
not free Agents endu'd with Will and Under-
I 4 (landing
12 6 The Tenth Confer ence^ &c,
(landing, as we fee, Man is, who upon folid
Reafons and Perfuafions, can leave his
wicked Courfes, and lead a fober and regu-
lar Life j and therefore we never defpair of
the Converfion of any Man living, however
irregular and diforder'd he may be in Life and
Converfation : And we experience the Truth
of this every Day ; For the belt of Saints
have been the word and greateft of Siq-
ners.
Con-
jn
Conference XL
Of the Falfenefs of the Hea-
then Gods. OhJeBions a-
gainfi the Trinity an-
fwefd.
Between a Learned Malabarian Phy^
Ccian, and one of the D<^«(/7;Miffia»
naries.
ON the Fird of May 1708, there
came to me a Learned Malabari-
an Phyficiaii from Nagapatttam^
who laid, Sir, I am told, that
you have learnt our Language, with a
befign to teach us a new Religion.
12 2 *The Eleventh Confer enci^
I anfvver'd, 'Tis the greatefl: Pleafurc of
Life to me, to difcourfe with the Maiabari-
ans in their own Language, upon any edi-
fying Subjed ', and this is the Reafon, that
I did alway importune my God m my Pray-
ers, that I might attam to a fpeedy and per-
fedt Knowledge of the Malahartart Tongue.
He anfwer'd, We have had Chrijlians
amongfl: us for many Years who always
fcolded at us, calling us Heathens, Heathens ;
tho* they never made it out that we were
fo indeed ; nor that our Religion isFaife and
Heathenifli. I would willingly know your
Opinion on this Head.
Sir, faidi, when I confideryourCondud
and Addrefsin the AfTairs of this World, I
look upon you as a Wife, Ingenious People,
of very eafie and agreeable Converfation :
But when I refled upon your grofs Igno-
rance in the things relating to the Salvation
of your own Souls, and upon the Abomi-
nations of your Idol-worlliip, I am oblig'd
to call you Heathens^ and your Religio^
is Falfe and Impious.
He
of the Heathen Gihif. 125
He reply 'd, Pray, Sir, don't you fee that
we own and worfliip a Divine Supreme Be-
ing ; believe another World wherein Vertue
is rewarded, and Vice feverely puniOied ;
and purfuant to this Belief, we do great Pe-
nances, and mortifie our Bodies, to the End
we may attone the Difpleafure of God, and
receive the Pardon of our Sins ; We encou-
rage likewife all forts of Vertuous Adions,
as earneftly as your felves ,• how can we
then be efteemed Heathens ?
I anfwer'd, Pray tell me, Sir, is it better
to have no God at all, or to worfliip many
Gods who are really Devils.
'Tis better, faid he, to have no God at
all, than to worfliip a Devil >
The Cafe is your own faid I j for you
have indeed many Idols ,♦ but 'tis the Devil
who is worfliipp'd in, and by thefe Images :
Therefore according to your own ConteflTi-
on, you are much worfe than thofe that wor-
fliip no God at all ; for you adually reproach
your Maker, by giving the Devil that Ho-
nour due to him that made you, and continues
your Lives in Being.
But
124 ^^^ Eleventh Conference]
But how can you dcmonflrate, reply 'd he,
that we adore falfe Gods > This you are to
prove clearly, elfe you fay nothing at all
that affed:s our Religion.
I proved, that there was but One God
that made Heaven and Earth, by many evi-
dent Demonftrations, borrow'd from the
Works of the Creation, to his great Satisfa-
ction ', then I concluded, if there is but One
only true God, all your Idols are no Gods,
but Lying Vanities ; as may be lliewn, and
pfov'd out of your own Authors ,• For fome
gf them have writ very well againd Idolatry
and Superftitton^ aflerting boldly, that therp
is but One Supreme Being.
He faid, lama Phyfician, and know no^
well what to fay ; but our Priefts will give
you fatisfad^ory Anfwers to all your Obje-
ctions made againft our Religion, out of a Book
intituled Dukkafaflirum, being writ exprelly
as an Apology or Defence ot oiir Country-
Gpds and Pagod-worfhip.
Sir, faid I, if you can help me to this
Book, III (ludy to do you Tome other fer-
vice; and if you pleafe, I'll requite you, with
a Book that demonftrates the Truth of the
Chriltian Faith.
He
of the Heathen Gods. T 2 5
Me anfwer'd., that he was credibly inform'd,
there was fuch a Book extant ; but that
himfelF had neither feen, nor read it ,• and
that the Bramans feldom fuffer Laymen to
read fuch Books as thofe ; and much lefs
would they be willing that Chriftians fliould
perufe fuch Myflerious Writings.
I reply'd, If it is a Book that contains
fuch convincing Truths, in favour of your
falfe Gods, why don't the Bramatts vouch-
fafe lis the fight thereof ? Which would
redound to their Honour and Edification :
For if your Religion be of a heavenly Ori-
ginal, we would willingly embrace it, and
pay all due Veneration and Worlhip to the
Malaharian Gods : And therefore I am in-
clin'd to believe, that there is no fuch Book
extant, or that it is in the fame Stile with
your other Writings • I mean, weak, infipid
and contradiilory.
I (hall adjourn the farther DifcufTion, faid
he of this Debate, till fach time that I can
bring a Riflil Prophet) along with me, well
vers'd in Books of Controverfies and able to
anfwer all your Objed^ions relating to Reli-
gious Matters.
Do
12 6 The Eleventh Conference^
Do (b, faid I, and bring with you in wri-
ting the Demonftrations of the Truth and
Reality of your Gods, and HI take care to
commit to Writing a Chain of Arguments
demonflrating the Falfenefs and NulHty of
your Religion ; and both our Writings Ihall
be read publickly before an Aflembiy of
Malaharians.
He anfwer'd, Tho* I ant now an Old
Man, yet I dare affirm, that I neveraddrefs'd
my Prayers to thefe Idols, nor ever honour'd
them with Sacrifices in the Pagods ^ And on
the other hand, I never blafphem'd them, or
did any thing that might refled: Reproach
upon their Divinity. ^
Then, faid I, you liv'd without God in
the World.
I invok'd, faid he, the Caiife of Cau fes ;
and in all Humility of Mind ador'd and
honour'd the Supreme Being.
T find many of your Mind, faid I, who
never rrequent the Vagpds^ nor offer Burnt-
facrifices to Idols ; but are (till altogether
ignorant of the true God, m relation to his
Nature, Attributes, and the Didates of his
Divine Will ; and of this you'll be alway
ignoranl
of the Heathen Gods, iz'j
ignorant till you are inftrud-ed out of his
Revealed Will. 'Tis to this holy Word of
God you muft give diligent heed : For 'tis
thro' the Means of this infpir'd Book you
are to exped: Everlafting Life.
I confefs, reply 'd he, that we talk a great
deal about the Supreme Being; but, pray,
tell me, do you know the Man that ever
faw God, to the end he may fpeak upoa
his own Experience, in more lively Chara-
d:ers, and Delineations than have been hi-
therto made ufe of in the Definition of
God?
God does not appear in bodily fliape,
faid I : For he is a Spirit ; but he has ap-
peared, and revealed himfelf by his Son Je^
Jm Chrifl, who clothed himfelf with the
Garments of Mortality, to the end he might
fuf!er tor our Sins, reconcile iis to God, and
bring us to him, and to do his Will ; which
is our Salvation. If you beheve in Chrifl:
the Redeemer of Mankind, your Mind
will be more and more enhghtned in the
Knowledge of the Supreme Being,
Who is his Son, faid he ? And is hs alfo
God.
I
12? The Eleventh Confer en<:e]
I anfwer'd, He is Godlleifed jor ever.
But, pray Sir, recoiled: your felf, faid he,
have not you been juft now inveighing a-
gainfi: PluraUty oF Gods ? And now I find,
you have your felves more than One ; the Fa-
ther is God, and the Son is God ^ then you
have tix>o Gods.
I anfwer'd. We do not believe Two Gods,
but One only God ; tho' at the fame time,
We firmly believe, that there are Three
Perfons in One Divine Effence; and yet
thefe Three Perfons are not Three, but One
God : And this we believe as a great Myfte-
ry, tranfcending our weak finite Faculties:
We are fatisfied, that *tis a revealed Truth
in Scripture ; and God, who knows himfelf,
has enjoyn'd us to believe a Trinity of Perfons
in one Divine Effence ; which we call Father^
Son J and Holy Ghofi.
If God has a Son, faid he, then your God
as well as fome of ours, muft have a
Wife, and is by Confequence, a material'
Being.
God
of the Heathen Gods* 129
God is a Spirit, fald 7, and tlicrefore has
no bodily Siiapc and confcqucntly could nor
have a vSon in the ordinary Way of Genera-
tion ; but without any Knowlerfge of a
Confort, he begat his Son from Eternity,
by Generation not to be parallcJI'd in Tinne ;
and from Father and Son proceeds the Holy
Spirit, the Thirri Perfon in the Ble(Ted Tri-
nity ; vvhibh tho' to us Mortals incompre-
henfible j yet the Po/Iibilit}^ thereof may be
fliadow'd forth by an eafie Familiar Compa-
rifon : Out of the Immaterial Soul of Maa
proceeds, and is born the Undcr(landhT^ ;
and from the EfTence of the Soul, and the
Underflanding, emanes or proceeds the
Will '^ and yec the Soul, fas to its EfTence)
the tJnderflanding, and the Will, are really
but One and the fame thing. The Applica-
tion thereof is eafie to the Dod:rine of the
Trinity as far as Divine Things may be com-
pared to Things created, that are within pur
Ken.
I find, faid he, that you with fubtil Ways
of arguing, can make a Trinity confiftenc
with t/«//y ; and if your Explication is Ab-
folutely necefTary to malie others underftand
what you mean, pray, allow us the fame
advantage of explaining the Dodtrine of our
Religion, and putting it in the favourabled
K Light
1 3 o The Eleventh Confer encey
Light we can, for the excluding of the Ah-
furdities imputed to us ? And this once
granted us, 'twill follow, that Our Plurality
does not deQroy the Unity o\ God, no more
than yotdr trinity does. We worihip the
Gods upon no other Account, than becaufe
they are the Vicegerents of the Almighty,
whole Adminiflration h^ employs in govern-
ing the World, as he did employ them at
the Beginning in Creating and Forming the
fame And our God appearing among Men
at fundry times under different Shapes, had
at every Apparition a different Name given
Him, which contributed very much to the
Multiplying the Number of our Images ;
whereas in truth, they are but different Re-
prefentations of the fame God, under diffe-
rent Afpeds and Appearances.
. Sir, faid T, what you fay, is very plaufible,
and might weigh with thofe that are not
well vers'd in the Articles of your Religion;
but all thefe fine explicatory Comments are
lighter than Vanity, and have no Weight
with me; becaufe I have both read your
Books, and {^tn with my own Eyes your
Idolatrous jperiormances. For let us fuppofe
with you', that the Supreme Being, or God,
in the Beginning created thefe Gods, and
employ d them to create the World; yet
*tis clearj that the holy God would make ufe
of
of the Heathen Gods, j j i
of Lieutenants like himfelf, in Piety and Ju-
flice ; and would not employ Publick Rob-
bers and Adulterers, plung'd in all the Dregs
of Senfuality, and ftudied Mifchiefs, fuch
as all your Gods are notorioufly known to
be, living in an Eternal State of War and Con-
tention among tlicmfelves ,• and more like.
ly to bury the World in its own Ruins, or
reduce it to its Primitive Chaos 2LX\d Confufion,
than to dire(3: this great Machine with any
tolerable R^egularity ; efpecially, the moral
Adions of free, rational Agents, the chief
Care of God's governing Power and Wifdom.
As to the Apparitions of your God under
various Shapes, 'tis nothing but a mere
Fidion of your Poets, Allegorka/Iy fetting
forth various Adventures, confident with
the Genius of wild undifciplin d Tyrants ;
but no ways agreeable to the Nature of the
meaneft Servant of the holy God.
Well, faid he, I am refolv'd to confuk
our Bramans upon thefe Matters, and urge
them to be plain in telling their Meaning
freely upon this Head.
K i your
I J 2 The Eleventh Conference,
Your Bramans are much blinder thari
your felf in thefe Matters , reply *d 1 ;
For tho' they are convinc'd of the Falfe-
nefs of their Gods ,• yet they'll hardly
own it to you ; for that would turn the
.Stream from their Mill ; and their pious
Frauds would be expofed to the View
of all Mankind. Go home rather, and
confult the only true God, praying him
earneftly to lead you into all Truth, both
of Faith and Pradice ; and then youll
clearly fee, that all your Malabar ian Gods
are but lying Vanities*
Thefe. Queflions, faid he, have taken
all the time that I defign'd for Queftions
of another nature.
I ask'd, what Queftions he meant ?
He anfwerd, Queflions relating to the
Art of curing Difeafes in Human Bodies;
for I would know how they prepare
Medicaments among the Europeans ; and
whether they have skilful Men in the Art
ot Medicine.
of the Heathen Gods^ 1 3 j
I anfwer'd, this fhall be the Subjed- Mat-
ter of the next Conference. And if you
v/ill procure me fon>e good Manufcripts in
Medicine, you'll highly oblige me; for I
defire to fee you lliortly at Negapatnam and
to fave you the Trouble pt coming hi*
ther.
Kj
Con-
M5
Conference XII.
Chnftian Religion and true
Piety con fifls chiefiy in Pra-
Bice. The Laws and
Poejie of the Malabarians,
Between Two Malabarian Poets, and
a Bramany and one of the Danifl)
Miflionaries;
ON the Twelfth of May 1708, Two
Malabarian Poets favour'd me
with a Vific, accompanied with
a Braman. I ask'd them, with
what View they did me this Honour ^
K 4 They
1 3 6 The Tn'>eljtb Conference^
They faid, 'twas their Curiofity led
them to talk with an European, having
heard that I underfiood the Language of
the Countrey, and converfed freely with
all forts of People ; which they never heard
before of any of my Countreymen.
I anfvver'd, 'Tis true, that 1 converfe dai-
ly with fome of the Inhabitants about the
Things relating to their Salvation ,• but I
mult confefs, that but few of them do
endeavour to put in Fradice my Inflru-
dions ; tho' they allow them to be all
very true , and neceflary to be obferved.
Sir, faid they, It does not import what
ufe they make of your Infl:rud:ions ; your
Bufmefs is to make wife Anfwers to
Queflions that are propos'd unto you.
Hence I may conclude, anfwered I, that
your Defiga in this Vifit is not right : For
I am afraid you come to fatisfie your vain
Curiofity, more than to be inftrudted in the
great Things of God, and the other World,
which grieves me very much; not that you
Endamage me ; but that you run the Rifque
of deflroying your own Souls ; adding to
the Weight of your Sins and Guilt, by Jeit-
ing with holy Things.
Hereupon
Lawf,Szc, o^r/j^ Malabarians. 137
Hereupon the Poet anfwer'd, Sir, 'tis a
great deal eafter to Hear, than to Ad" ,• and
tis highly probable, that many among Chri.
flians can hear a good Difcourfe very wil-
lingly, who feldom are follicitous about the
putting it inPradice.
I faid, 'tis very true, that by Nature \vc
are all averfe from doing that which is good ;
and, till converted by the Power of God's
Spirit, it can't be expeded that Men carnally*
minded, fhould be Spiritually and Pioully
inclin'd. Whether they be Uliite or Black
Men, Heathens or ChriJIiaMS, they mud be-
lieve in Chrilt, and repent heartily of all
their Sins, elfe they can't put in Pradice
the Precepts of the Gofpel ; tho' it mud be
confefs'd, that unregenerate Chriflianshaye
better Opportunities for the inducing them
to the Pradice of Piety, than you Malalari-
ans have ; for they Enjoy all the Means of
Convcrfion.
The Braman ask'd , \\ hat are thofe
Means tliat can induce Men to live good
Lives ?
The
1 J 8 The Twelfth Conferencey
The Words of the Gofpel, anfAcred I, are
the only i'aving Means, ordered by God to
induce finful Men and Women to repent of
their Sins, and to live holy, fober Lives,
worthy of God, and of the high Dignity of
the Human Nature ,• all clearly defcribed
in this Glorious Gofpel of JefHS, Qhrijl :
Therefore 'tis otherwife called, The good
Tidings of Salvation proclaiming Peace on
Earth, and good Will towards Men.
The Braman anfwer'd, We have all thcfe
among our lelves ; for our Law is the Word
of God, and I am one of the Priefts of God,
teaching the People the Way that leads tQ
Eternal Happineis.
You are always fpeaking of your Law,
which you call God's Word ; but I am in-
clined to believe, faid I, you have no fuch
Law among you : For if you have any fuch
Law, why don't you produce it ; I never
found hitherto any Braman, that could upon
his own Experience affirm, that he ever faw
this Law; but fays, that fuch another Great
Braman has it in his Poffeffion \ and if you
addrefs this great Braman^ he refers you to
fome other Braman greater than himCtlf ; and
fo none of you can ever produce this Imagi-
nary Law.
That
LatPSf Src. of the Malabarlans. j j 9
That there is fuch a Law, you mufl: not
in the lead doubt : For my fell have leen it,
faid he, and read it.
Why don*t you then read your Law to
the People, and explain it in your Pagods^
reply'd I ?
He anfwer'd, 'Tis Writ in the Bramijh
Tongue, which can't be well tranflated into
the Malaharian. Befides that, it contains fuch
deep Myfteries, that furpafs the Capacities
of the Popylace ; for did you attempt to ex-
plain to them the myflerious Contents of the
Divine Law, they would certainly lofe their
Senfes, and become diflracSted.
I proceeded to ask him, who gave you
this Law ? God or Man ? ,
The Braman anfwer'd, the God Biruma
gave us this Law ; but the Poet contradided
him and affirmed, that 'twas the God Tfchi-
wen ; and the other Poet was fully alfur'd
that the God Ruddireu was the Author of it :
Thus they difagreed in their Sentiments.
"v
1 40 Ihe Twelfih Confer erne,
I further ask'd them, with what View
was this Law given to the Malaharians ?
That by the Means thereof they may at-
tain everlafting Happinefs, both Bramans,
and other Orders and Ranks of Men, an-
fwer'd he.
But if fo, faid I, all Men are obliged to
liear and (ludy it, as wxll as you Bramans.
And why don't you explain this Law to the
People, that they may regulate their Con-
verlations accordingly ?
He reply'd, tho' they don't read the Law,
yet they read feveral good Books that are
taken out of the Law, containing all the
necefTary Rules for the leading of a fober,
honeft Life.
I defired him to name me fome of thofc
Bool^s,
He anfwer'd, Dirumteafchagum, Dirumwei'
adel^ Dirumwa/Iuery Paraduniy and other the
like Books.
Lan^Sf &c. of the M-alabarians. 1 4 1
i ask'd him, if all contain'd in thefe,
agree with all that is written in your Sacred
Law-Book ?
He anfwered, Yes.
Then, faid I, all thefe Books I have
perufcd j and if your (acred Law contains
no better Things, it mud have the Devil
for its Author ,• and mud lead all its blind
Followers into the Pit of Hell ; and I won-
der, you can name fuch Books, as con-
taining the neceflary Rules to a holy
Life, whilfl: the Books Dirumweiadel and
ParaJum^ are fo full-fraught with infipid
Stories and Nonfence, that a wife Man
would be very forry to have given him-
felf the trouble to perufe fuch uncooth
Extravagancies ; fo far are thefe Books
from marking out the Way that leads to
Eternal Hadpine^s, that they are deilru.
d:ive of good Morals, and the Practice of
common Honelly.
They wondred to find me fo well vers'd
in the myderious Books of their Religion ;
and asked me, what other i^^j/^^^r/^w Books
I had read ? Whereupon I {hew*d them my
Colle(5tion of Malaharian Books, giving my
Opinion upon everv Book leparateiy*
The
14 2 *Ihe Twelfth Confer encey
The two Poets asked me, if I would em-
ploy them in my Service ?
To whom I anfwered, Repent and leave
your Idols ,• then III take care to fee you
employed.
But they urged me to employ them therii
by giving fome Subjed:-matter for Verfe.
Whereupon I gave them the following Ar-
gument.
There is one GoJy ift whom we lelieve ^
akd thoje that know him not ; hut adore th'e
Malabarian/j//^ G£?/^j, are Heathens^ and are
in danger to he damned for ever.
This Matter in a very little time, they
fpun out into a fine Poem of a confiderable
Length, againfl the Plurality of Gods ,• and
having read this almoft extempore Poem, I
told them, what pity is it, that Men of
fuch bright Geniuses and ready rich Invention,
fnould at3: againft your Confciertces, by
worOiipping Graven images, inflead 6\' the
True God, whom you have fo excellently
well dreicrib'd in this Speciynenoi )om great
Abilities in the Art of Poefie !
They
tarvs, &c. of the Malabarians. 1 4 j
They anfwer'd, We are born in this Coun-
trey, and can't get our Living any where
elfe ; and did we begin to talk againft th6
Religion by Law eflahli[hed^ we are quite
ruined ; tor no body would receive us
into their Houfes.
At this rate, faid I, you would rather
go to Hell in Malahrian Company, than
to Heaven in the Company of Strangers ,
and fuiler fome Inconveniencies in this
World upon the Account of Truth, and
the Honour of the God that made
you.
.They reply'd, When we fee our Kings
and Princes coming over to your Religi-
gion, we iliall follow their good Exam-
ple.
But if in your way you found a great
Treafure, faid I, I don't believe , you
would let it lie there till your King would
be pleas'd to take it up firft. You have
now a Jewel- of great Price ofler'd to you,
even the Dodrine of Salvation j^'tis your
Intereft to accept of it, cho' Kings and
Princes may negled (o great a Salvation.
He
144 27;^ Twsifch Conference^
He anfwerd, I wifli you would be
pleas'd to come once into our Country, where
Learned Bramans and Prophets would be
glad to fee you, and confer with you very
willingly.
How willingly, would I travel all your
Countrey over, and converfe amicably with
all forts of Men about the Ways and Means
of Salvation ,- but I know, no European cati
Travel in your Country, much lefs is it per-
mitted for me, a Chriftian Minifter, to Preach
among you the glad Tidings of the Gofpel :
And what is dill more an Argument of your
Untowardnefs towards Men that would teach
you the Way to everlafting Happinefs, that
all Communication by Letters are flridfly
forbidden between this and the City where
your king rfcfides : An Example of Severity
and Stubbornnefs not to beparallell'd in any
Parts of the World.
Many of the common People, faid he,
would be glad to fee you ; but the King's
CiEcers, and efpecially Excifem.en, would be
apt to flop you, to the end they may fqueeze
-Money '^ut of you, and then deliver you
bound to the King of t^njour^ who is a mor-
tal Enemy to the Chriflians, and has caufed
many of the Romijh Religion to be cruelly
Murtiiered* I
Larvs^ Scc, of the Malabarians, 14 5
I anfwer'd, had I a full Call to come to
your Parts to Preach the Gofpel, I would
gladly come ; but my hands are now full,
and I have many neighbouring Heathens to
be inftruded in the Dodtrine of Salvation.
When the Harveft here is at an End, and no
more Work for us in thefe Parts, I hope, God
Almighty will open a Way for the glad Ti-
dings of the Gofpel to be preached^ irt your
Country alfo.
Con-
147
...4-
Conference XIIL
OfPhilofophy and Idolatry ;
and of Internal Spiritual
tVorpip.
Between a Malabarian Philofopher, and
one of die Dani/lj Miffionaries. .
N the Twenty fecond of Iklay,
1708, I received a Vifit from a
Malabarian Philofopher , who
asked me, if the Study of Philo-
fophy was in any eileem in Europe^ and what
Sed was mod in vogue at this time >
L z Sir,
148 The Thirteenth Confer ence^
Sir, faid I, you know that my Bufinersis
to Preach Repentance towards God, and
Faith in the Lord Jefus Chrifl ; Therefore
you ihould ask me Queftions relating to your
Eternal Welfare, father than Niceties ofPhi-
lofophy
V >
Pray Sir, faid he, what can be more ne-
celTary for the attaining Eternal Happihefs,
than the uieful Knowledge of Philofophy ?
Indeed, faid I, your Philofophy is nole(s
corrupted, and full - fraught with Impious
AbfurditieSjthan your La wand Hiftories are ;
but among us Europeans, Philofophy is little
efteemed if compared with the excellent
Heavenly Inilitutions of Jefus Chrift.
What, faid he, have you no Philofophers
then in Europe ?
Yes, we have, anfwer'd I, and more pro-
foundly* and exficty learned in all Parts of
Philofophy, than you can boaft: of in thefe
Countries,- but we cultivate the Sciences^
^s fuhfervient Handmaids to Theology ; but
not as immediate Means of Salvation.
How
of Philofophyy Idolatry, &c. 149
How is It pofTibie, reply'd he, that Ifliould
know God, and Spiriutal Things, if I don't
firft know my felf, and the Works of Creation,
the immediate Objeds of my Senfes ?
All this, reply'd I, is very True ; but
this is what I would fay ; that all the na-
tural Knowledge ac<^uir'd by Reflection up-
on the Operations of oar Mind, and upon
the vifible World, in all its beauteous Va^
rieties, and Proportion, is not fufficient to
make us wife unto Salvation : For my own
Underflanding, without the Help o\ reveal-
ed Light, can t difcover the Original Caufe
o^ Man's Mifery, nor ever attain to the Know-
ledge of a Reefeewer; nor (liew how we are
to (erve God, in a manner acceptable and
well-pleafing unto him. Ther&tore Phi-
lofophers deceive themfelves by a vain
Perfuafion that they know all, when indeed,
they know but very little, or nothing at all
as they ought to know.
He reply'd, I and others of my Profedion,
do not believe a Plurality of Gods, worfliip-
ped in out PagoJs ; neither do we frequent
thefe Places to offer Sacrifices, or to periorm
tedious Ceremonies enjoyn'd upon the vul-
gar People ; but we reverently adore t\\i^ Su-
preme Being. v;ho created all Things.
)jO The\Tbineenth Conference,
If you are convinced, faid I, of the Fal-
fity of your Idolatrous Worlliip,why don't you
endeavour to inftrud; the Ignorant in thefe
great Truths, and encourage them to forfake
Idolatry, and Worfliip the Qne only true
God?
He anf^er'd, VVp live in a World where
very few Men can ferve God without the
Intervention of Figures and Images ; For we
can hardly think of any thing, but as 'tis
reprefented under fome Corporeal Idea. And
befides, if it was not for Polythetfm, and I-
mages, how could the Bramans, Pantaren and
other Ecclefiafticks, find fo comfortable a
Living as now they Enjoy ?
But do you believe, reply'd I, that Idolatry
is acceptable to the Supreme Being, whom,
you fay, you devoutly Worfhip and Adore ?
He anfwer'd, if Men would lead Ibbtr
and good moral Lives, God would pardon
them all other Failings ; for he knows, 'ti?
an Error of their Underftandings, and thai:
they know no better ; and tho' their Ado-
ration more immediately is direded to the
Idol, yet ultimately it terminates upon him-
feif i and therefore their Performances arp
not unacceptable to him.
I
of Fhilofophy^ Idolatry ^ &c.' Iji
I told him, all Idol-Worfliip is an Abomi-
nation to the Lord ; for he is a Spirit, and is
to be worfliipped in Spirit and in Truth ;
and their Worfhip is acceptable to the Devil
only, the firfl: Author and Inventer of Ido •
latrous Worfliip.
I wiih, faid the Philofcf her, with all my
Heart, that all the World would adore the
One only Supreme God, and deflroy all
Graven Images, and worfhip him,as you have
Well exprefs'd it, in Spirit and in Truth.
But what Means and Afliftance does your
Philofophy afford to perform this Inward and
Spiritual Worlliip, faid I ?
We have, faid he, Three great Means to
affift us in our inward Worlhip of God (viz?)
Fafling^ Solitarinefs, and Watching : For by
the continual exercifing our felves in thefe
three Duties, our Minds afcend above the vi-
fible World, and are made fit to Worfhip
God inwardly, or, as you lay, in Spirit and
in Truth.
Thefe three Ruksy faid I, well obferv'd,
are very good ; but without Repentance from
dead Works, and a lively Faith in Jefus
Chrifty all Rules and Precepts will be of
L 4 little
i^z The Ihirteenth Conference]
^ittle ufe to you for the due Performances of
his Internal and Spiritual Worfliip, fo ac-
ceptable and well-plcaung to God : And
therefore, m Or^^er to worfliip him as you
ought, you mull be i?iitru(f>ed in the Do-
^_^y .-,:■ -"^ the Gofpel, 'vhich is the only Book
thai, •tcc.cii^^s i Lilly arid c;".*iiy the M:-'ans of
Salvation and Reconciliation with Govi. If
you would be happy, liudy this excellent
Volume, and throw away all your other
Books of learned Vanities.
He asked me, if I could fliew him that
excellent Book, which I called the Gof-
pel >
Yes, faid I, and lliewed him the Bible
printed in feveral differentLaguages^ and gave
him a fummary Account of the Oeconomy of
Salvation^ with which he feemed very much
affe(2ed, and asked me, if I had no Wri-
ting relating to the Chridian Religion, tran-
flated into the Malaharian Tongue >
Thereupon I lliew'd him Luther's Cafe-
ch/fm, U^ith Twenty Six Sermons preached
by me upon the Articles of the Chriftian
Faith in our Jerufalem-Church at Trattquehar;
and finding him mightily delighted in the
reading cf them, I bid him take them
with
of Philofophy^ Idolatry^ Szcl 155
with him, and read them diligently, not
forgetting to inftrudl his poor Neighbours
in the Dodrine of Salvation.
This he promifed to do , and with-
drew.
^
Con-
^
155
Conference XIV.
Upon various Siihjecls,
Between feveral Perfons, and one o^
the Danifl^ Miffionaries.
N the Twenty third o^July, 170S,
I fet out very early from l^ranque-
bar by Land, to go to Negapatyiam^
a Town belonging to the Ho/Ia/id^
ers : When I came to the Teirritories of the
King of tanjour^ I was presently (loppd
by the Officers, commanding me to pay
Tribute-money. I alighted ofT my Hcrfe,
and ask'd them, if their Priefts had not free
Pafiage through all Countries ?
They
155 The Fourteenth Confer encey
Tfiey have fo, faidthey, in all our King^s
Dominions ; but we know that you are not
one of our Priefts j you are the Chrijiian-
maker of Trang^uehar.
But, Sir, faid Ij Remember, that T left
roy own Countrys and wiih great Pams-ta-
king, learnt your Language merely out of
Love to your Souls. Pray, fliew me a Priefl:
that has laboured fo much to promote your
Happinefs, as I have ; and dare you. com-
mand me to pay PaiTage -money ?
Then a Braman that fat among the Cu-
flom houfe Officers told me, thatif tht King
Oi lanjour knew that I pafs'd through his
Territories, I fliould be forc'd to pay ten
tim^s more than what is commonly demand-
ed from other White People ; becaufe ever
fmce you came to thefe Countries, you are,
faid he, always fcolding at our Pagpds^ blaf-
pheming our Gods, and curfing our Reli-
gious Ceremonies as Superflitious Errors and
Idolatry.
All this, faid T, is very true ; I have cry'd
aloud againft your falfe Gods ; and will go
on to do fo, not out of a Spirit of Contra-
didtion j but out of an Earnefl: Defire to
convince you of your grofs Errors and Ig-
norance
upon various SubjeBs: 1 57
norance in Spiritual and Religious Mat-
ters.
The Manikaren, or chief of the Cuftom-
houfe OHicers told me, that I was cer-
tainly in the right : For we do not live wor-
thy of the Dignity of Rational Beings ;
and we are now in the Dregs of Time ;
the World is plung'd in the Mud and
Mire of Senfuality and Worldly- minded-
nefs.
'Tis not enough for you to confefs, faid
i, the Evil of your Ways, unlefs you do
likewife efchew Evil, and follow after that
which is good ,• 'tis Imprudence in you
to find fault with the Tirties : For to
day is the Time of Salvation to you, and your
Countrey-men, if you'll accept the kind
Offers of Heaven, that are made to yoa
at this time by my means : For lam come
among you, willing to declare unto you
the whole Counfel of God.
The Braman flood up, and faid to me,'
we know, faid he, you have a long way to
go ,• we'll fpare you from paying any Tri-
bute for this time : Then giving a few Groats
among the Officers to buy Betel- Areck, I
rode forward, and was met by a numerous
Company of Heathens of all Ranks and
De<
1 5 8 The Fourteenth Conference ,
Degrees, travelling towards DiruppudM^ a
Pagod, Fifteen days Journey diflant, and Ve-
ry famous for a Multitude of Pilgrims and
Votaries, \yho refort thither, to the end they
ifiay receive Forgivenefs of Sins. I ihew'd
them the Vanity of their Undertaking, inaf-
liiuch as none can forgive Sins, but the
true God alone, through the Merits of his
Son Jefus Chrift, updn the Condition of
Faith and Repehtance,
Here I repeated compendioufly the Hi-
flory of Chrift's Life, Death and Refurre-
i^ion, with the faving Confequences of
the fame j and then proceeded on my
Journey, till I camie to a Town called
/farcika, where there is a Stately Fagod^
or Heathen Temple ; before which I palled
by, on Horfeback : Then fuddenly both
Priefts and People pealed me with Male-
didions and Abufive Words ; whereupon
1 alighted df! my Horfe , and ask'd them
what was the Matter, and wherein I had
offended them ?
The Governor of the Place told me.
Sir, you fliould know that this FagoJ b
a mofl holy Place, and the ufual Habita-
tion of our God : Therefore 'tis for-
bidden all Men with Horfcs and UmhreU
Iff to pafs before it ^ even the Kmg of
upon various Subjed^s. i jy
tanjour himfelfj approaching this holy Place,
he gets out of his Palanquin (Chair) or
aiights off his Horfe, and walks with great
Devotion i Therefore your riding by, and
hot alighting ofT your Horfe, offended us
very grievoufly.
Sirs, faid I, if you can demonftratc, the
Gods worlhipped in this Temple, and the
Dodrine taught therein to be true Gods,
and true Dodrine, then, I confefs, I incurr'd
very juflly your higheft Difpleafure ^ and
will Chearfully fubmit to condign Punifh-
ment : But if your Evidences are not
cogent, or your Reafons demonftrative,
how can you expedl that a Servant 6i
the great God, who made you, and a
Prieft, that teaches the Ways of Salvati-
on, Ihould alight off before the Temple of
a Dumb Idol, which can neither hear, fpcak,
nor go >
Hereupon a Multitude of Mahometans
applauded what I faid ; and defir'd the
Bramafts to produce their Evidences for the
Truth of their Gods and Religion ,• which
if they were not able to perform, they pro-
tefted, I had all the Reafons in the World
not to alight off my Horfe in riding before
the Pago{i»
Where-
1 6*0 The Fourteenth Conference]
Whereupon the Bramans retired, orte
after another, giving me no Anfvver, nor
Reafons in Defence of their lying Gods, and
their falfe Religion.
Then addrefTing my felf to the Peo-
ple, I fpoke of two Ways of attaining to
the Knowledge of God, either by contem-
plating the Works of Creation^ or by di-
ligent Reading the Revealed Will of God
contained in the Old and New Tefta-
tnent ; and recommending them to the
Grace of God, I was ferry'd over a great
River, and came into a Publick Houfe,
and there refrefhed my felf with my
Companions : And finding the Houfe
full of Heathens, I difcourfed them freely a-
bout the Way and Dodrine of Salvation j and
they heard me with Attention, and unaf-
feded Willingnefs ; asking me, where was
the Place of Happinefs ? Which was the
true Way that led thither ? And whether
every Man might not be faved in his own
Religion ?
upon various Sulpje^s* i6i!
I anfwer'd what I thought proper, to
their Three feveral Queftions, giving them
by the way, fome of the Charatlerijtkks or
Marks ot the True Religion, and of the Do-
dJrine of Salvation, in Contradiflindion to
the Dodfine of Hell and Perdition, taught
by their vain, ignorant, lying Priefls.
M Con-
'^5^
Conference XV.
Ahout Matters of Religion.
Between fome Learned Bramam, Rifchi
(Prophets,) and PhyficianSj und one
of the Dani/Jj Miffionaries.
N the Twenty Seventh of July,
1708, the moft Learned ^rdfiw^«j,
Rifchi, (Prophets) and Phyficians,
affcmbled at the Houfe of one of
the Dutch Magi Urates, who had fenc his
Secretaries all about the Country, to invite
them to a Friendly Conference about Matters
of Rehgion : And they appearing, about
Eight of the Clock in the Morning, were
kindly received into the Chairs and Seats
made ready for them, the Common Peo-
M 2 pie
i 64 The Fifteenth Conference]
pie fitting upon a matted Floor, the Doors
crouded with a great Multitude of Peo-
ple.
I fignified my joyful Readlnefs of con-
ferring with them abbut Matters of Religi-
on, it being the diftinguifliing Charader of
a Rational Being, to be capable of Difcour-
fing about the Things relating to the Su-
preme Being.
Hereupon a Rifchiy or one of their Pro-
phets, anfwer'd me, in the Name of his
Countrymen , that they were as joyful to
have an Opportunity to talk now, for the
firft time, with an European about Contro-
verted Points in Religion, in their own Ma-
laharian Language : But, faid he, we find
iafuperable Difficulties that of nece(fity will
retard our Union in Matters of Opinion, (o^^
ing we have no common Law own'd fed
received by Europeans artd Malaharians, to
which we may appeal as to a Common Vrin-
c'lple : For if you talk of the Excellency of
your Law, you can't exped- it lliould have
any Impre/Iion upon a Malalarian Audience,
who know nothing of your European Laws ;
neither is it reafonably to be hoped,that you
Chriftians will- embrace our Laws and Rdi-
gioa upon our Commendation only.
i
about Matters of Religion; \ 6 5
I anfvV'er'd, I am very fenfible, that
what you fay, is very rational and weighty ;
and therefore juftly claims our firft Confide-
racion, by inquiring into the Nature of, and
Charaders v\(\h\Q in the Chr/fiian und Mala-
larian Laws : But feeing your Law can't be
produced ; and that you can't read the Laws
of the Chriftians, this Debate mufi: be adjour-
ned to another Opportunity ; and let us ar-
gue the Matter for this time, from the un-
doubted, -univerfally-received Principles of
Reafon, and appeal to the Decifions of un^
prejudiced Confcience-
This Method they unanimoufly accepted,
inviting me to propofe fome Subject matter
for a ferious, fober Conference.
Then I began, with asking them, if they
believed the Exiflence of One Supreme Be-
ing?
They anfwer'd, Yes ; We believe that
there is One only God, the Maker and Caufe
of all other Beings whatfoever : For if we
did not believe the Exillence of a Supreme
Being, what (hould put us upon writing fo
many Books about the Exiftence and Attri-
butes of God ; and fo many voluminous
M 3 Wri-
1 66 The Fifteenth Confer enKe,
Writings about Kdigioudy worfliipping this
Supreme Being?
I reply'd, this is all very true, that all
Nations, however Barbarous and grofly Ig-
norant, do believe the Exiftence of a Supreme
Being ; but they know nothing of his Attri-
butes neceffarily to be believed by all that
ux3uld worfliipthis Supreme Being in a way
acceptable in his fight. Pray, tell me,
what do you believe therefore of this Great
God, who is the Creating and EiUcienc Caufe
of all other Beings i
The Rifchi anfwered, We call him in our
Tongue DewaddaJuwam ; and fometimes
more cxprefTively, Baraharaivajluvjagira Sa-
ruwefuren; that is, the Supreme Independent
Beings Lord of all.
Your Definition of a Supreme Being, re-
ply'd I, is very excellent, and expreiiive e-
nough of his Spiritual Perfedions ,* but I
would fain know, if, befides him, you ac-
knowledge no other God as the Objec5t of
your Religious Worlhip?
The Rifchi (Prophet, or Dodor) faid,
we acknowledge no other God befides him ;
tho* many Perlons, as his Vicegerents, veftcd
with Authority by him to Govern the vi-
fible
ahui Matters of Religion} \ 6^
Tiblc World, are commonly called Gods.
How many fuch f^icegerent Gods are there
in all ?
The principal and mod: confidered among
them, faid he, are Three, Biruma^ Wifchtnu
and Ruddireu or Ifuren ; and they appearing
among the Inhabitants of this Land at fun-
dry Times,and Places, underdifferent Shapes,
our Forefathers gave them many diflerent.
Names, expreffive of fome Circumftance
or other, relating to the* Divine Appari-.
tion.
I urged them to tell, if thefe Gods were
Created or Uncreated Beings ?
He anfwer'd, They have but borrowed
Beings , and precarious Employments, to
continue only till the Reftitutionofall Things
to their firft Primitive State and Condition ;
and then the Supreme Being (liall be all in
all.
Do you then, faid I, efteem thefe Gods
to be Miniflers only employed by the Prinie
Caufe ; or to be Real and True Gods ?
M 4 We
1 68 7l}e Fifteenth Confer ence^
We efteem them to be fuch as Execute
the high Commands of their Principal in
the Punctilios of a fubmiffive and mofl pro-
found Obedience.
Then, proceeded I, you make themOoi-
nipo|:ent, Omniprefent, Omniicient, mod
Holy, Juft, and Good.
Yes, fa id he, we believe them really
fuch • and 'tis upon this fuppofition that we
direct our Prayers and SuppUcations to
them, and honour their Altar with Burnc-
ofJerings ; and all this we do, purfuant to
|:he flrid: Orders of thje Suprerne Be-
ing.
Then,proceeded I, if you are able to prove
that the aforefaid Attributes do properly,
and in truth belong to your Gods, I am rea-
dy to be One of their trueft Votaries ;
but in cafe you fliall not be able Co make
good your Premiifes, I exped: you fliould
iorthwith forfake your falfe Imaginary Gods,
and crown the Convidiions of Confcience,
by yielding unlimitted Obedience to the 5-
vidences of Truth.
Art
■ ahut Matters of Religion, 1 6^
An old Brawafi ([ood up, and faid,! have
perus'd all the Hiflories of our Gods, -aHd
never doubted of *the Truth of their Di-
vinity ; and it would look very odd in a
Man of my Age, now to call in queftion a
Propofition fo uninterruptedly, and univer-
fally re:eived.
The Rifchi hereupon reproved him, asin-
confirtent u'ith himfeif, and all that were
there prefent ; who all agreed, that all Points
fliould be try'd by the Dint of Reafon and
Evidence ; and more efpecially, feeing, faid
he, he has prom.ifed to embrace our Religi-
on, if we can produce Evidences, for the
real Exigence of our Maiaharian Gods.
I anfwered, I'll hear you patiently, read,
ing or relating the Hidory of the Appa-
ritions, Wonders, Lives and Achievements of
your Gods ; but you muH: not expe-fJ: that
relating a Hillory amounts to Demonflrati-
on ; but you mufl prove, that your Gods
are really and truly endued with, and
poflefl'ed of the forementioned Attributes.
Upon this, after fome Confultatlon a-
mongfl: themfelves what Anfwer to give,
they faid, this Matter requires a great deal
of time I and therefore, 'tis our OphioA,
that
fjo The Fifteenth Conference,
that the Coaference fliould be adjourned to
anpther Opportunity ; when we (hall be bet-
ter provided with Books, neceflary for a
Matter of this Importance ; and then, we
iliall be able to give you Entire and Rational
Satisfaction. '
Then, faid T, if you dare not hazard a fair
Hearing of their Caufe, and an Examination
of their Title to Divinity arid Adoration, I
am refolv'd to proceed in my intended Evi-
dences, and to demonftrate the Vanity and
Non-entity of all your Titular Gods, infi-
lling chiefly upon your own Conceffions,
and the universal Truths own'd by all the
Malalarian Nation.
You dedroy with one Hand what yoij
build and eftablilh with the other, by afler-
ling a Plurality of Gods, always at Defiance,
and in open Hoftility among themfelves,
iupplanting, deflroying, and murthering onq
the other ; as in the Cafe of Wifchtnu and
Maueli ; and in that of B'truma Beheaded by
Jfaren^ and Deivaindoren depofed by fome
petty fubordinaie Deities. Thefe and fuch
other the likelnconfiftencies, are deftrudive
of all true Religious Worlkip : For 'tis ac-
cording to your Syftem, altogether impradJi-
cable 3 becaufe you know not well where to
addrefs your felves in time of Danger : For
if
ahut Matters of Religion. i ^ i
if you direct your Prayers to the one, ano-
Deity is offended at your Devotion ; and the
Multiplicity of thefe intriguing Gods have
quite defeated and depriv'd the Supren^c
God of the WorOiip due to his Name. So
that although you own his Exiflence and
Sovereignty, yet, which is as true as afto-
nifhing, you neither have a Form of Prayer
invoking this Supreme Being, nor (6 much
as an Hymn compoled in his Praife, in all
your Books of Devotions : Hence it comes
to pafs, that mod of your Ignorant People
have learnt by Heart Prayers and Hymns
in Honour of Ifureny Wifchtm and Bzruma^
when yet, the vvifeft among you know little
or nothing of the Nature and Properties
of the Supreme Being.
But, to come to the fundry Apparitions
of your God Jfurcn^ who appeared Sixty
four times in Madurei under the Name of
Tfcihokkenaden ,• in all which Appearances
hereon Earth, he did nothing but what runs
Counter to all that is holy and juft, and is
deftrudlive of all the Attributes of God.
One of his Apparitions was to a Widow,
in whofe Service he engng'd himfelf, upon
condition he might have Meat enough; and
thereupon fell a eating fo ravenouiiy, that
neither Menaces nor Peifuafions could induce
him
I "y 2 The Fifteenth Confer ence^
hiai to any fort of Work : And at laft, the
Widow complained to the King againft this
infatiable Eater; and the King gave him
fuch a thumping Blow, that 'twas felt over
all the i^niverfal World i but in that moment
Ifuren difappeared : And very many more
fuch Pranks are to be found in the Hiftory
of Ifuren.
Wifchtnu^ fay you, appeared ten times un-
der the Form of a Swine, a Tortoife, and un-
der many more ridiculous Transfigurations ;
which, if now appearing before you in tliis
Aflembly, you would all run away frighted,
and take him for a ghaftly Devil, and not
for your fo much beloved God Wtfchtnu :
And if you were not depriv'd of the com-
mon ufe of your Underftanding, in relation
to Religious Matters, you would efteem
him, if polfible, worfe than any Devil : For
all his whole Courfe of ading, is but a con-
tinued Praaice of Theft, Murtherand Adul-
tery, and all the other Species of the grof-
feft Wickedneifes.
The time is too precious to be fpent in
repeating the infinite extravagant Adlionsof
your other Gods; for what I have already
faid, is enough to make you fenfible of the
Unreafonablenefs of your Proceedings in the
Important Matters of Salvation.
Therefore
ahom Matters of Religion. 173
Therefore, I befeech you, refled ferioufly
upon the Errors of your Ways ; break down
the wooden Images, and burn them in
the Fire.
All that I had faid, was granted by
them to be very true ; but they excused
themfelves, faying that this MultipHcity of
Gods is one of the Great Supreme Being's
Garyjes or Paftimes, delighting himfelf with
Varieties.
Then, faid I, you'll make at this Rate
the greateft Villanies and Abominations to
be the Pleafure and Delight of the'' Almigh-
ty ; which deftroys the Difference between
Vice and Verrue, and between all that is
called Good and Evil : And 'tis from thefe
wicked Pofitions, that many of you, not
only emulate, but outvie your own Gods
in the Pradice of uncommon Wicked-
nefs.
Then the Rifchii flood up, and faid, 'Tis
not enough to blafpheme our Gods, and
vilifie our Religion ; but you muft prove
that your Religion is better and more Eligi-
ble, by giving us a briet Account of the
chief Articles that all the Chriftians do
believe.
Thefe
174 ^^^ Fifteenth Conference^
Thefe Conditions I gladly accepted ; and
fliewed them, that there was but one God,
One in Eilence and Three in Ferfons ; I men-
tioned his chief Attributes ; That this glo-
rious Three-One God had created all things
Vifible and Invifible, and had made Man
after his own Image ; how Man had loft that
Image by falling into Sin.and into the greateft
of Miferies, as the Confequences thereof.
I gave an Account of the Original of
Heathenifm and Error ; and how God
afterward revealed his Will to Mankind for
enabling them to come to the Knowledge of
the Truth.
I fpoke of the Means of Salvation, and
of the Reafons of Chrift's coming into the
World I and how, and in what manner, he
lias redeemed his People from their Sins ,•
and how Men are made Partakers of Chrift's
Merits and Sufferings ,• and of the Propaga-
tion of the Gofpei among all Nations , and
laftly, I fpoke of the Neceflity of their Con-
verilon, and of forfaking their falfe Gods,
by true and fmcere Repentance ; the Nature
whereof I made plain unto them..
They
about Matters of Religion, i-r j
They gave great Attention to me in ex-
plaining all thefe Points, only the Rifchi made
me fcveral Objedtions againfl: the Trinity^
the Birth, Sufferings and Death of Chrifl:
for the Redemption of Mankind.
I told him, that in order to underftand
thefe things, he muft have his Underftand-
ing enlightned by the Spirit of God, which
is obtained by all that pray unto him.
Why then, faid he, 'tis but your praying
to our Gods, and you'll come to underftand
and Jove all the Myfteries and Teeming Ex-
travagancies of our Religion and Worfliip.
I reply'd, what jou attribute to your
Gods, is contrary to Reafon and common
Sence ; but nothing in our Religion implies
a manifeft Contradiction ; tho' we allow,
that we have many Truths in our Syftena,
that are above Human Underftanding ; an d
therefore 'tis with mofl profound Humility
of Mind we believe them, upon the Tell: i-
inony of God himfelf : For tho' we don't ff 'e
the Reafons of many things ; yet we wife] ly
fuppofethat there may be Reafons which \^.e
can't fee j and that *tis highly reafonab le
to believe what God has revealed to us ifl^
his Word.
Til en-
'17^ The Fifteenth Conference^
Then another Ecclefiaftick Hood up,
and faid, you are yet young, Sir,
and your Memory is yet faithful, re-
taining U'hat you learnt and read ; but
we are Old, and our Memories are treache,
rous, and our Parts not fo adive and
bright as yours are ; therefore the heft
Religion may fuffer in the Hands of bad
Managers ; and the worO: may triumph in
the Hands of a skilful Sophider.
1 anfwer'd, Your Religion has the Advan-
tage at this time, with regard to the Quali-
fications of its Advocates : For old Age car-
ries a great deal of Wifdom and Experience
with it, which is very confiderable in mana-
ging Conferences upon Subjeds of this kind ;
which don't confill in a great Readinefs of
talking, but in comparing received unexa-
mined Notions, with the Standard of un-
bj afied Reafon.
Then a Phyfician ask'd me fome indifie-
rent Qiif^ions about the Manners of the
Europenris ; as, whether they had any Unt^
^er/ities, where Me^/che and other Sciences
W(?re taught publickly ? How Priefls Viere
Ordained among us ? If we h^ld different and
dillind: Families feparated from other Men,
by Cuftoms and Ways of living peculiar
' ^ t(3
ahut Matters of Religion, fj'j
to each Tribe, and never to be married into
another Clan ? Moreover he wouJd knows
how Kingdoms were governed, Marriage,
celebrated* To all which Particulars I an-
fwered very (liortly.
He was fucceeded by a Braman^ who Que-
flioned me about the Duration of this, and
the Beginning of another World ; and whi-
ther the Soul went after Death ? By this
time fiv^e whole Hours had been fpent in
clofe Debate ; and I thought bed to con-
clude for that time ; highly approving
of all that was wifely fpoken on their part ;
the Rijchi (Prophet) likewite afliiring me,
that all that I had offer'd, had been taken
kindly by the Audience ; and that they would
more deliberately weigh and confider what
I had objeded againft their feveral Deities
and Religion.
Then they were rqgal'd with B^telAreck
and Sweet-meats.
I took their feveral Names in Writing, to
the end I might fettle a Correfpondence
with feme of the moll fenilble of them.
N Con4
'79
Conference XVI.
OffeioWal Particulars rela^
ting to Idolatry^ NeceJJity
of Repentance^ &c.
- •:;;:./"":''.' ;'""^:\ -^
Between fome Bramans^ and others,
and one of the Daniffj Miffiona-
ries;
ON theTwenty eighth of jF«/y 1708,
I rode out of Negapai»am, in order
to haflen for TraMquelar ; but I
took another Road f and coming
into a Town where was a great Pagod, and
accofting the Bramarts, I ask'd them, what
Exercifes of Religion were perform'd in that
Pagoda
N X They
1 8o The Sixteenth Conference] ^
They anfwer'd, Sacrifices are therein of-
fer'd to the Gods , and Hymns are Tung
to their Praifes, and wc dance and play be-
fore them to the Sound of Inftrumental Mu-
fick.
I anfwer'd, how can dumb Images be
Gods, that can neither fee, nor move, nor
are fenfible of any of your Theatri cal Per-
formances ?
Hereupon fome from among the Crowd
reply'd, yoU are certainly in the right, Sir;
they want our Afliftance more than we {land
in need of theirj : For no lefs than a thou-
fand Perfons areemploy'd to fet them upon
the great Waggon, and draw them about in
Stat6, with a great deal of Sweat and Labour ;
for we are made to believe, that if the I-
mage is not well ferved, or fuffers the leaft
Hurt, we infallibly bring Ruin and Deflru-
(Stion upoa our own Heads.
Friends, faid I, do you promife me Pro-
tedion from the violent Hands of angry
Men, and I will undertake to break in Pieces
all the Gods worlhipp'd in this Temple, with-
out receiving any Hurt at all.
Then
of Repentance, &c. i8i
Then the Bramans ^nfwefd me pafllonjire-*
ly angry, and faid, Sir, we fee, you would
fain expofe us to the Laughter of all
the People ; but we would have you
know , that thefe Gods whom you fo
vilifie, have been worfhipp'd by our /Incejiors
for thefe ten thoufand Tears ', and as long as the
Inhabitants are contented with their Gods
and Religion, what have you to do to in#
termed die in our Affairs ?
*Tis true, faid I, tho* you fhould continue
in your Ignorance, your Blindnefs can't af.
fed: my Happinefs ; neither can I exped:
any additional Happinefs in your Converfion ;
but your felves are to be great Gainers or
Lofers, according as you Thall walk in the
Way to Hell and Mifery, or in that leading
into Eternal Life. But, however, as I am
a Minifter of the Gofpel, I muft difcharge
with Fidelity, the Office and Duty of my
Miniftry, which is to admonifli and exhort
you to turn from Idols, to ferve the living
and true God ; which if I don't do, I am no
faithful Servant in my Mailer's Servijc-e ,• but
if you will not repent, and forfake ypur
Idols, I have done my Duty : neither my
Confcience here, nor God himfelf in theDay
of Judgment, will reproach nie with Negli-
N 3 gcncc
'182 7he Sixteenth Conference,
gence and Cowardice in that which relates
xo your Salvation.
An old Man flood up, and laid, we live
in the Kaliujur (laft Duration of the World)
when all things are very confus'd and full of
Irregularities ,• and there are fo many diffe-
rent Opinions about the Names and Na-
ture of God, that a Man does not know
what Religion he had beftchufe and profefs ;
but when this Duration is at an end, all
things will be put to rights again, and all
the Nations of the World fliall be in the
fame Opinion in thefe Matters-
1 anfwer'd, that the Times are evil I don't
deny ; but if you delay leaving your falfc
Religion till the Duration of the prefent
World is at an End, you are highly to be
blamed : For if you die in your Sins, you'll
be Eternally miferable ; and twill be then
too late to repent and return to God ,• but
you'll bear the Punilhment of your Idola-
try.
Then the Town-Sacretary ask'd me,
Pray Sir, what would you fay, what would
you be at ?
of Repentance, Szcl 185
I feek neither Gold nor Silver, nor any.
other Advantage from either of you, faid I;
this is what I ieek, even ygur Salvation, and
that you may come to the Knowledge of
the Truth.
Then the Governour of the Place faid,
come, let us go from this great Heat, and
led me into a cool Room, and treated me
with Milk, Figs, and Coko-nuts ; where
being furrounded by a great Crowd of Peo-
ple, I fliew'd to them the Scope -and Defign
of Chrift's Dodrine, and the Excellency
thereof, and fo recommended them to the
Grace of God : And going on my Way,
till I came to a Publick Refting-Place, I
found many People llieltring themfelves
from the foultry Heat of the Seafon ; an^
heard their mutual Complaints of the Diifi-
culties of the Times, and of the great Taxes
and Imports they groaned under, without
any Hope of redreffing their Grievances
from their cruel Governours.
'Tis to be v/ifli'd, faid I, that youx King
were better intruded in the Knowledge of
the True God, and his Law, which direds
Kings and Princes to govern the People with
Clemency and Equity ; knowing that they
mud give an Account to God ot their Stew-
N 4 ardiliip^.
184 The Sixteenth Confer ence^
ardlhip ; but the Idolatr}' allow'd, both by
Prince and People brings a Curfe upon the
whole Land, whereof this is a Part, even
your milerable Circumllances and Poverty.
They anfwer'd, this is none of our Faults;
the Bramans and the Great Men of the Earth
are only capable to begin and carry on a
Reformation in our Land : If 'twas in our
Powet.we would certainly undertake it j but
this is above our Capacity.
'Tis true, you can't change, faid I, your
outward Circumftanccs for the better ; but
you may change your inward Inclinations
from running alter lying Vanities ; and let
them flow for the future in the purer Chan-
nel of the Fear of the True God ,• and your
godly Example may in time Influence your
Friends and Relations to fcrfake the Abomi-
nation o^ IdoUvoorJhip,
Hereupon one askd me, can't we be fa-
ved in our own Religion, Sir ? What, are
all the Malaharians in a State of Damnation ?
I anfwer'd, fo long as you worOiip Idols,
in lieu of the true God, you are obnoxious
to Wrath and Eternal Puniihment.
One
of Repentance, &c. 185
One of the Company flood up, and faid,
that is a very hard Speech indeed, to fay
none of this Nation can be faved, while we
have fo many forts of Learned Books a-^
mong us, and thoufands of Holy Men that
lead exemplary Lives.
I fliew'd them, that their Boolis are full
of lying Stories and Fables related of fome
of their Saints ; which if true, they were
far from being Men of Common Honefty.
Hereupon a Woman lifted up her Voice,
and faid, Sir, you were a pious Man, with-
out doubt, before your laft Nativity, feeing
you are now fo Excellently well qualified
with thofe bright Parts and Clearnefs of Un-
derflanding.
lanfwer'd, Good Woman, I was born but
once into this World ; and your repeated Na-
tivities is a grofs Error, and an Handle to
delay your Repentance, you foolillily ex-
pecting to be born again in Order to do Pe-
nance tor Sins formerly committed ; but in
this you are grievoufly miftaken : For you
mufl repent while 'tis called to day ; and you
piuft be born again by a thorough Change
wrought in your Mmdsby the Power of the
Spirit of God. And befides this, there is no
other
i 8 6 Ihe Sixteenth Conference^
pther fecond Birth or Regeneration, where-
of if you will be Partakers, you'll be as rea-
dy a? my felf in talking of the things rela-
ting to the Dodrine ot Salvation.
• Another Woman, told me, that llie be-
liev'd I fliould never die, but that I Ihall
live for ever.
J faid to her , Woman, your Words
happen to be true ^ tho* as I am in-
clined to believe, your Thoughts and Con-
ceptions of things are very erroneous :
For they that are reconciled to God
through Jefus Chri^^ and made true Mem-
bers of his myflical Body, through a live*
ly Faith, iliall never die y But that they
ftall not die a Temporal Death, is an
intolerable Falihood ; but if you would
live for ever , in a Spiritual Sence, you
may, as well as I, upon condition you
leave your Idolatry and wicked Living,
repenting ferioully of your pad Sins :
Do you apprehend my Meaning is all
this ?
,,,jShe anfwer'd, Yes.
of Repent ancCy &c, 187
I charg'd them all to refled: ferioufly
in my Abfence, upon what T had faid ;
and fo commending them to the Care
of the Almighty , purlued my Journey
towards Tranquehar.
Con-
1 89
Conference XVIL
P
Of the Caufe of the Pullick
Calamities^ &:c. of the Ma-
labarians.
BetvO'een feveral Bramans, and others^
and one of the Dani/h Miffiona-
ries.
ON the Fifteenfh of January 17 14,
finding before one of the Pagods
a great Multitude of People, as
their Cuftom is, to divert them-
felves, talk of their refpedive Tnterefls, com-
plaining o( the Scarcity of Money, and of
other Neceffiuries of Life j I ask'd them, if
they
t$o The Seventeenth Conference^
they knew the Caufe of all their prefent Mi-
feries and DidrefTes ?
They anfwer'd, You know all, and we
know nothing.
llieh 1 proceeded, and t5id them, that
their great Sins were the Source of all the
prefent Iqconyeniencies they laboured un»
But, faid they, the Europeam ^rt Sinners,
well as we; What enonfioOs Crimes are
we then guilty of, that our Afflictions Ihould
be fo univerfal ?
^ 'Tis true, 'faid '• 1, that -the' "Europeans Urd
great Sinners, as well as you ;, but they are
not Ignorant of the Supreme Being ; neither
do they adore Graven Images, nor have
they rejed-ed the DoiStrine of the Gofpel,
when tendred unto them, as you do this
pay ; and therefore 'tis . a Wonder of
Divine Patience that you are flill a Peo-
ple ; and that you are (afferd' to walk ort
God's Ground.
Then a Bramm flood up, and faid, Ouf
prefent Mifcries fl*ow from the Arbitrary
and Uncontroul'd Will of God, who oftert
involves both the Good and Evil in the
fame
of the Malabar ians Calamities! 1 9 1
fame common Calamities ; or Sins, com.
mitted before this our laft Nativity, may
be the Caufe of our prefent Sufferings ; and
we may more immediately afcribe it to the
Corruption of Publick Miniflers, and the
Weaknefs of our Prince fuffering himfelf
to be mif-guided by Parafites and Flatterers,
who feek their own Intereft more than the
Publick Good.
Your firft Two Reafons are ridiculous^
and wickedly falfe, fa id I, as I have made
it appear at another Conference : And as for
your calling the Blame upon your King and
Sovereign, this Excufe is as bold, as 'tis un-
reafonable : For they may with more fem-
blance of Truth, refled: all their Miferies
and Misfortunes upon you Bramans, for not
imparting to them more whoifome Inftrudti-
ons, advantageous both to Prince and Peo-
ple : So that in truth, you Bramans (Eccle-
iia{lick«) are the Caufe of the Publick Ca-
lamities, wherewith this Land is forely afRi-
<^ed : For you give your felves out for
the Darlings of Heaven, and EmbafTadors of
the Gods, interpreting their Wills to the
common People ; while you your felves are
Promoters of ridiculous lying Abfurdities in
your Pagodsy and fubftantial Originals of
Worldly-mindednefs, and Lovers of filthy
LuCre ; therefore all the Publick Calamities
are
192 The Seventeenth Conference^
are properly, and niore immediately due to
you crafty, fenfual and covetous Priefts,
who have mdfl: effacJed from the Minds 6f
Men the Difference of Good and Evil, by
your erroneous DocStrines, and worldly, vici-
ous Converfation.
The People beholding the Bramans very
earneftly, told them ; what this Man fays,
is very true ; we would fain know What
i^nfwer you'll return him : For we are not
cern'd in the Accufation,
Then one of the Bramans fpoke to this
Effed:; we teach the People to worfliipOne
only, and not Many Gods ; and the Notion
of a Plurality of Gods comes hence, ijiz,
becaufe God is varioufly reprefented under
different Attributes and Forms -, yet he is
Hill but One God, as Gold is but one, as to
its kind, tho' wrought into a Thoufapd dif^
ferent Figures, by the Art and Indullry of
the Goldfmlth.
I anfwer'd, the Comparifon is very odious,
and reflecfts Reproach upon the Great Cre-
ator, whom you compare to lifeleis Metal;
and therefore I take this as no Anfwer to my
charging you with teachiog and promoting
Errors among the People. And then dire-
ding my Difcourfe to the Audience, I ask'd
theia
of the Malabarians Calamities. 19 j
them, if they had any Notion of the True
God that made Heaven and Earth ? To
which they gave no Anfwer ;
Then asking them if they knew the Pagod.
Gods they had in their Temples ?
They anfwer'd, Yes, and repeated their
feveral Names, with the Way of worfliip-
ping every God refpecStively.
Then turning to the Priefls, Sirs, faid I,
chefe are living Teftirtionies of the Falfe.
nefs of what you juft now affirmed ,
i. e. that you taught the People to be-
lieve in One only God, and not in the
Multiplicity of your Images ; For of the
Nature and Being of the Firft, they are ftu-
pidly ignorant * and as for the Lad,
they know them all by their Names.
•
Hereupon, One of the Priefls anfwer'd,
we have no time to teach the People, as you,
and others, who have nothing elfe to do ;
we are oblig'd to aflTift at long tedious Cere^
monies, which, tho' we begin two Hours
before Sun-rifing, yet are feldom ended be-
fore Ten a- clock ; all the time we are, ac-
cording to the Laws of our Order, ftridlly
forbidden to talk with any Man whatfoever.
Then we have many Formulas of Prayers,and
O Cere-
1 94 ^^^ Seventeenth Confer ence.
Ceremonious Wafliings in Holy and Confe-
crated Ponds, which take up mod of our
time till Noon ; and after all thefe Perfor-
mances are ended, we muft prepare Sacrifi-
ces, and offer Incenfe in the Pagods ; not to
mention the many F(?4/?/;/g and Faflittg^days
we are obliged to obferve ; fo that you may
plainly fee, we have no time to'inftrucSt
the People, as you do. And befides all this,
our Order flridly forbids us to converfe
with feveral forts of Families, and Tribes of
People, left we be defiled by them : For
we are a Holy Order of Men, and the Vulgar
are moft of them Common or Unclean.
I anfwer'd. Your time might be bet-
ter employ'd in teaching the People their
Duty towards God, and towards their Fel-
low-Creatures, according to his own Will
and Command ; and not according to your
own vain imaginary Will-worihip.
To this they reply'd, perfuade our King
to be a Chriftian, and we promife you to
follow his Example.
How, faid I, would you fet him to be the
Rule of Faith and Practice, whom you made
but juft now to be the Author of all yout
Mifenes; but Sirs, is it not probable, that
upon you Bramans Receiving the Tenders of
the
of the Malabarians Calamitiesl 1 9 5
the Grace of God, and adorning your Pro-
fefTion with the Fruits of Righteoufnefs and
holy Converfation, many of the great Men
of the Earth would follow your Example,
and at length the King himfelf be induced
to embrace the Chriftian Religion >
And intreating them to confider well
what I had fpoken, I bid them all adieu.
O 2 Con^
197
Conference XVIII
What Opinion the Heathens
entertain of the Chrifti-
ans ; and of many other
Particulars.
Between a Mahometan Prieft and a
School-mafter^ and one of the Da-
nijh Miffionaries.
ON the Sixteenth of January^ a I\!ta-
howetan Prieft, and a Malahariatt
School-mafter came to fee our
Frinting'Houfey and difcourfe up-
on Matters of Religion ; and fitting down
between them both, I faid, Now aMinifter
O ; of
ip8 The Eighteenth Confer ence^
of the Gofpel has a Mahometan on the Right,
and a Heathen on the Left- Hand.
Whereupon the lafl; reply'd , the Word
Heathen imports no more than a Sinner ;
and if fo, I am fure, that both Chriflian$
and Mahometans are as great Sinners as our
The Mahomet a^{ziA^ fince my coming in-
to this Country, I have remark'd fome things
that are very wonderful to me, who knew
nothing of thefe things before my Arrival :
For there is a Prophefie recorded in our
Books, that there will happen a great Alte-
ration, and a mighty Change in Matters of
Religion, by fuch and fuch Men that woul4
come amongft us.
The Heathen added, and we have Prophe-
fies much to the fame purpofe, which we
commonly apply to you Mahometans ,
who have made great Alteration in thefe
Countries of late Years, in Matters of
Religion.
I anfwer'd, 'Tis God alone can change the
Hearts of Men, and Confequently their Reli-
gion ,• not by Fire, and Sword, and Warlike
Engines ; but by mere Perfuajives and Ar-
guments, borrowed from the Intereft that
Mankind
Heathens Opinion of the Chriftians. 1 99
Mankind has in conforming rhemfelves to
the Holy Dodrine of Jefus Chrid ,• whether
it be preach'd to you by Natives or Stran-
gers ) therefore don't negled this great Sal-
vation offer'd to you this Day through my
Miniftry.
The Heathen faid, 'tis our Sins that hin-
der us from accepting of, and clofing with
what you propofe to us,- and 'tis impo/fible
for us to become Chrifliafis (tho'you Preach
the Chriflian Doctrine among usj till God
does give the Power to leave our wicked
Ways, and turn to him with all our Hearts ;
Therefore we mud expedt with Patience,
till fuch time as it will pleafe God to work
this Change of Mind and Will in us : For till
then, all the belt Means are but thrown a-
v/ay upon us.
'Tis very true, reply'd I, that your Sins
feparate you from God, and detain you in
the Chains of Ignorance and Unbelief ; but
fhculd not you by fo much the more make
a diligent fearch after the Redeemer of the
World, who came to fave you from the Do-
minion of Sin, and the Devil, the mortal
Enemies of your Soul ? It you do but pati-
ently and obediently hear Inlfrudions, God
■will give you all the neceffary Ai^s and
Afliftances of his Divine Grace, to enable
O 4 you
2 CO The Eighteenth Conference f
you to fhake ofF the heavy Yoke of Sin, an*^
the Devil's Tyranny, to the end you may
enjoy the glorious Liberty of the Children
of God in Light : But you mull not
expert that God will force and compel you
to be holy here, and happy hereafter ; For
you muft likewife do what is required at
your hands ; that is, make ufe of the Means
that are now offer'd unto you : But if you
negled fo great Salvation, your Dedrudion
comes from your felves.
The Mahometan ask'd me» how comes it
that God fuffers fo many Heathen Nations
to thrive and flouri(h,.when both you and us
agree, that the World is govern'd by a wife
Providence, which one (liould think, ought
to prevent the Entrance of Evil into the
World ?
I anfwer'd, that God rules the World, not
by his Ablolute Power, but by his great and
infinite Wifdom, which knows how to bring
Good out of Evil ; and fpares whole Nations
for the fake of a few Holy ones, who will
in time Embrace the Dodrine of Salvation,
and propagate the fame to lateft Polleri-
ty.
Then the Mahometan ask'd me, why the
Chrifiians make ufe of fo many Similitudes
and
Heathens Opinion of the Chriftians. 20 i
and Metaphorical Expreifions in their Dif-
courfes and Writings ?
I anfwer'd, becaufe all Languages confift
in Words denoting only things obvious to
our SenfeS; but in Ipeaking of Spiritual
Things, we are oblig'd to exprefs them by
Siniihtudes and Parables.
Then he repeated a Paflage of HI-
ftory relating to Mahomet^ who at his
firft fetting up for a Prophet, was defir'd by
the Deputies of a certain Neighbouring
Town to folve them a Thoufand Difficulties
propos'd unto him, in order ^^N^lTure them-
felves that his Miffion was Heavenly, and
that he was divinely infpir'd ; and upon his
Non performance, they fufpeded his Do-
drine to be no more than fandified Hypo-
crifte, mix'd with a great deal of crafty fub-
til Dealings : But immediately the Angel
Gahriel, appearing at his Right hand, folv'd
all thefe puzzling Queftions, publifh'd fmce
in a feparate Volume called Air am 'Mufilam^
and tranflated out of Arahkk into HalaharU
an ; whereupon they receiv'd his Religion ;
and I muftconfefs, you anfwer fo juftlyand
fully to all Queflions propos'd unto you, that
one iliould fufped that you have the Affi-
ftance of fome familiar Demon or other,
won-
202 The Eighteenth Conference, &c,
wonderfully skill'd, and ready in Extempo^
rary anfwering hard Queftions.
Upon this, we gave over talking, and
walk'd in the Princing-houfe , they being
aftonilh'd at this rare Invention, never known
before in thefe Countries.
Con^
203
Conference XIX-
Of the Plurality of Wives a--
tnovg the Mahometans ;
and of the different man-'
7ier of propagating their
Religion and ours.
Bptween fome Mahometans, and one
of the Danijh Miffionaries.
ON the Nineteenth of Jcinuary^ fome
Mahometans from remote Parts
vifiting us, defircd us to beflow
upon them fome Httle printed
Book or other ; and ask'd us, w hy we could
not teach the People without the Help of
printed
^04 T^he Nineteenth Conference]
printed Books ? And if every Man was not
capable by his own Light of Reafon, to at-
tain to fo much Knowledge as was necefla-
ry for the Condu(5t of his Life, in or-
der to pleafe God, and fave his Soul from
the Punifliments of .the next World ?
Had our firfl: Parents, anfwer'd I, remain'd
in their primitive State of Intregrity
I would anfwer you in the Affirmative-
but upon their Difobedience, they loft
the Image of God, confifting in Know-
ledge and true Holinefs; and are forced
to make ufe of Books, Mafters and many
more Helps, to attain the neccflary Know-
ledge of Salvation, that they may think
always of their Duty, and keep their God,
and Chrift their Redeemer, always in their
Minds, and before their Eyes.
And then T ask a them, how their Wives
came to have any Knowledge in Religious
Matters, feeing they were neither fent to
School, nor permitted to frequent the Mo/ques
to hear Sacerdotal Inftrudions.
They anfwer'd, 'tis not the Cuftom among
us, that Women learn to Read and Write ;
nor are our Women admitted to frequent
any publick Company where Men are pre-
ient, as among you Chriitians -, tho' now
and
6f Plurality of Wives ^ &c. 2 o J
and then, our Priefts are admitted to teach
the Women in their own Hdufes.
By all this Refervednefs, faid I, ybu
would make the World believe, that you
are very Chafte in all yourConverfations;
How comes it then that your Law ad-
mits of having fo many Wives and Concu-
bines ?
He anfwer'd. Fornication is feverely pu-
niflied among us, and is accounted a very
great Sin ,• whereof if either Man or Woman
is convided, he is fent for by the Pried, who
is obligd to give the offending Party a hun-
dred Bajitnado's : Therefore this Sin is rarely
to be found among us Mahometans. As for
Mahornefs permittmg a Plurality of fViveSy
in proportion to every Man's Faculty and
Circumflances in the World ; 'tis a good
Law, deftrudive of the Sin of Fornication,
and preventing all its difmal Confequences
in any well- regulated Society.
I Urg'd, that this was againft the firft In-
flitution of Marriages : For God gave but one
Wife to Ji/am, though at the fame time they
had an exprefs Precept for Increafing and
Multiplying : Therefore 'tis your unconfin'd
Brutilli Lulls have laid the Foundation for
this unreafonable Incootinency.
The
2 66 The Nineteenth Confer enci^
The Mahometan reply'd, By no meaiis,
Sir; For this was the Pra dice of many holy
Prophets, own'd by the Chriftians as fuch,
before our Prophet Mahomet ^^s born.
I anfwer'd, Saints and Prophets had all df
thern their Imperfedlions j but we are not
to be Imitators of their Vices, but of their
Vertues and Excellencies : But iliew me where
any of the Prophets taught for Dod:rine, the
Lawfulnefs of having many Wives? It fol-
lows then, that the Impoftor did it, as one
of the beft Stratagems, accompanied with
bloody Wars, likely to propagate his wicked
Opinions among an ignorant Lafcivious Na-
tion at his firll fetting up for Prophet and
Legiflator : Whence you may eafily fee the
great difTerence between our Religion and
yours, in the manner of their being propa-
gated among many Nations.
Pray, how was the Chriflian Religion pro-
pagated among the Gentiles, laid the Ma-
hometan i
Through Perfecution, and Sufferings, arid
cruel Deaths of many Thoufand of its Pro^
fefibrs : Moreover, by Ways and Means o(
Love and Gofpel perfuafives, encouraging
all to read the holy Scripture, containing
the
of Plurality of Wives ^ Sccl 207
the Prophefies relating to the promlfed Mef.
fias ; whereas you forbid the reading of the
Alcoran^ and difcourage Men from fuch
Studies as nfiay be helpful to them in dif-
covering the grofs Errors of their Carnal
Religion.
What you fay, is very true, reply 'd he ;
yet for all that, a Man may be fav'd in our
Religion : For we hold the Exigence of
One only God, and believe the Neceflity of
Good Works to be pradtis'd in an uninter-
rupted Courfe of a vertuous and a fobef
Converfation. We know, that many of us
are rebellious and difobedient, and therefore
rauft be puniflied in Hell hereafter ,* whence
however, after fome Duration oF Time, the
Prophet will gracioufly deliver them all,
when the Time of the Rejlitution of all things
fliall come, when this World fhall bedeflroy-
ed, and a new one ereded in its Room.
To this I anfwer'd, What you fay of Ma-
hornet's relieving damned Souls from Hell,
is very falfc and ridiculous : For after this
Life, there is no Place for Repentance ; and
'tis therefore we are commanded by God to
repent of all our Sins, and believe in Chrifl-j
while we are yet alive, and can give fuffi-
cient Teftimony to the World of the Sin-
cerity of our Intention, by our manifeftly
declaring
2o8 Thff t^ineteenth Conference^ &c.
declaring War againft Siti, and leading
pious and honed Lives worthy of our holy
Profeflion. And as hr" Mahomet's redeem-
ing you from Hell, do but read the Hifto-
ry of his wicked Life, and then believe, if
you can, that fuch an Impoftor is ever a-
ble to deliver thence his own Soul.
Con-
209
Conference XX.
Of the Malabarian Sacred
Law-Books , Aftrolog^y ,
and of many other Par--
ticulars.
Between fome Malabarian Priefts,
and one of the Danifl) Miffiona-
ries;
ON the Eighteenth of January^ as I
was walking in the Streets, I faw
a Pried reading to a great Con-
courfe of Merchants, who heard
him very attentively ; and putting my felf
among the Auditors, I ask'd what Book 'twas
he read ?
P He
2 1 The Ivpentieth Conference]
He anfwer'd, 'tis Kan^apuranu ; or an Hi*
{lory- Book.
Do you believe for -Truth all the Con-
tents of that Book, faid I unto him ?
Yes, reply'd he ; for 'tis a Treatife expli-
catory of our Sacred Law.
Then I took him to task, and (hew*d, that
'twas but a continued Poetical Ficflion from
the Beginning to the End, and thwarting all
the Attributes of the Supreme Being , and
defl:rud:ive of good Morals in all the Youth
who aflift at the reading thereof.
But, Sir, faid he, this Book fpeaks of
Come Achievements and Heroick Ac^^ions of
the Gods, not only in this, but in the other
World, where our Poets have never been ;
and therefore they muft have had it reveal-
ed unto them by the Gods themfelves ; as
many other Sciences had been never difco-
vered or found out without immediate Re-
velation : As for Example, the Knowledge
of the Heavenly Motions, of the Eclipfes
of the Sun snd Moon, the Art oi Soothiay-
iisg and foretelling future Contingenc es :
All thf.le things we learn irom the Gods and
Invifibie Beings i and all thefe Sciences be-
ing
of the Sacred LarV" Books, &c, zij
lag writ in the Kerundum Language, known
only to the Bramans^ 'tis firmly believ'd that
this was the Language of the Gods.
This Bramijh PrieRcraft, reply'd I, Is too
palpable to merit a Confutation : For with
one half of a Thought you'll perceive, that
*tis only to derive divine Venf^ration and
Refpeci to all the lying Extravagancies
writ in that Language, by impudently af-
firming it to be the common Dialed: of
the Gods ,• which, a« 'tis in it felf a ialle Ai^-
fertion ; fo 'tis afolid Proof, that your Gods
are Imaginary Vanities : For God does not
talk and difcourfe in any Language whatfo-
ever, as we Mortals do ,- which argues our
Nature very imperfed:, having no other Way
to know one another's Thoughts ,- which
without Blaipheming, can't be faid of the
All-wife God, who knowcth our Thoughts
affar ofT And as to what you fay, that A-
Jironomy and other Sciences have been in-
vented by your Gods and Spiritual Beings ;
this is likevvife falfe and ridiculous : For all
the Knowledge of the Motion of Celeftial
Bodies, of the Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon,
is attained by Study and Obfervation ; as
all other Arts and Sciences are acquir'd a-
mong Men : But as to what you fay of
Magick and Soothlaying, and toretclling
of future Contingencies, they are no Arts
P z nor
2 1 1 The Twentieth Conference^
nor Sciences, being not grounded upon any
Certain Truths j but mere wild lying Conje-
cftures, contributing very much to render
our Lives uncomfortable when difappointed
by the Hope of good things never to be at-
tain'd ; and frighted with the Fear of Evil
that will never come to pafs.
The Priefl made no Reply to all this ;
but faid, all Religions come from God, and
are approv'd of by him : For we find among
our felves (^Malaharians^ Three Hundred
and fixty Sorts or Seds of Religions ,• and
that 'tis much the fame among you Chrifli-
ans^ we are very much inclin'd to believe ;
becaufe the Portugueze have Images in their
Temples, and Ceremonies quite different from
what we find among you j and w^e obferve
that there is a different Language fpoke at
every Fifty Miles :All which Varieties mud
eome from God, and are acceptable unto
him: For a Thoufand different Roads may
lead to the fame Capital City, as Lines
drawn from the difierent Points of the Cir-
cumference, all terminate in the fame Centre :
There may be dired: and round-about Ways ;
and w hat then ? if they do but lead to the
King'5 Houfe, my Toil and Labour is not
to come into any confideration, when I fliall
arrive at the long wiflvd for Port of Reft
and Happinefs.
To
of their Sacred Larr: 'Books ^ S^c, 2 i j
To this I anfw'er'd, ^11 thefe Diveriltics
of Opinions are from our fwerving Irom
the Way of Happinefs mark'd out unto Man-
kind by the Finger ol' God himfcU j and run-
ning ailray in Ways and Roads of our ovvn
finding out, leading at laft to Eternal Mi-
fery.
Then they ask'd me, if we look'd upon
their Religion as falfe only in fome Points
or falfe in every Particular ?
You believe, faid I, the Exigence of a
Supreme Beings the Immortality of the Soul,
the Certainty of eternal Rewards and Pu-
nifhments in the next World, the Difference
tliat is betvvxen Vice and Vertue, the abfo-
lute l^eceffity there is of loving the one, and
avoiding the other : All thefe Points arei^
Eternal Truths, common to you and us,
deeply engraven in every Man's Confcience,
and can't be thence effaced by all the indu-
flrious Endeavours of vicious Minds ; and
therefore we never challenge you upon any
of thefe Important Truths: But we find
fault with your allertinga Plurality of Gods,
your making Good and Evil to be equally
deriv'd from God ; and that all the Wick-
ednefles committed in the World, are but
the Paftimesand Diverfions of the Almighty
P 3 Sove-
24' The Twentieth Confer ence^
Sovereign ; your believing that you'll ob-
tain the RemiiTion of Sins by the Irkfom
Performances of ridiculous Ceremonies ; and
your fitting contentedly Ignorant of the
Knowledge of the Divine Will clearly re-
vealed in his Holy Word, which I am wil-
ling to impart and make known unto every
one of you. 'Tis againft thefe abominable
Errors that we contend with you, to the end
you may come to the faving Knowledge of
God and your felves, by heUeuiTig in his
Mame.
The Pried; anfwer'd, Belief is as much
iirg'd in our Religion, as in yours : For
it would by no Means feem, or appear
ridiculous to you in any of its Articles, if
you did but believe it.
But, Sir, faid I, you have a falfe Notion
o^ faving Faith : For 'tis not believing all
extravagant lying Traditions of defigning
Men ; but what the God of Truth propofes
to us in his Holy Word, which is the uner-
ring Touch-done in all Religious Matters,
that I recommend.
Some of them fald, 'tis firmly believed a-
mong us, that not only all Mankind, but
all Birds, and Beads of the Fields, fliall be
Eternally Happy after many repeated Nati.
vities
of their Sacred Laxp-Books, &€. 2 1 5
vities or Regenerations, qualifying them for
the Enjoyment of God.
To this I anfwer'd, that as they are not
capable of knowing and worihipping God
here, fo are they lefs capable of enjoying
him hereafter ; and therefore this muft be a
very wild and groundlefs Conjecture.
P4
Con-
217
Conference XXL
Of their Wajhtngs and Pur i^
ficatioiis ; and of the Do-
drmeofFatcfo much cul-
tivated among them.
Between a Braman, and one of the Da*
ni/h Miffionaries.
ON the Twenty ninrh of January^
I walk'd out into one of the neigh-
bouring Villages, where very ma-
ny Bramans allembied to hear my
Difcourfe ; among whom there was one
very famous for his Skill in the Art of Con-
juring andSoothfaying j and befides, was an
excellent Orator ; and having then finilh'd
their
i 1 8 The Tn^enty firfl Conference^
their Ordinary Wafliings, and but juft come
out of the Water, I ask'd them,how daily Dip-
ping and Plunging did avail them ? Do you,
befides the cleanfing your Bodies, propofe by
fo doing, the purifying of your Souis ?
He anfwer'd, we believe the Water to be
a God, and the mofi: gracious and beneficent
of all the Deities, to us Mortals, purifying
our Souls, as well as our Bodies, when ac-
companied with the ordinary Ceremonies,
and with the eflabliflied Formulas of devout
Prayers.
I grant, faid I, that Water is one of the
conflituent Parts of all animate and inani-
mate things, and very ferviceable to all
vifible Beings ,• but for all this , 'tis no
God, but a very excellent Creature, point-
ing out to you that the Maker thereof mufl:
be infinitely more Excellent and Glorious ,•
and for not arguing thus like Creatures en-
dued with Underftanding, you conclude, that
all excellent Things mufl be Gods ; and this
falfe Logick is the Source of all your innu-
merable falfe Gods. Mean while, I intima-
ted, that the \J(t of Baptifm or fprinkling of
Water among Chrifliansy for the wafhing a-
way Original Sin, was only jymholkal, re«
prefenting unto our Faith the precious Blood
oF the Lord Jefus Chrift, which purifieth
the
of the DoElrine of Fate, &c. 2 ! 9
the Confcience from Dead Works ; and as
we are dipp'd in Water, fo we are purg'd
with Chrift in Baptifm, that we may rife
with him to a Newnefs of Life; and not that
Water, properly and materially fpeaking, can
walh away our Sins» and purifie our immate-
rial Spirits.
He added, as there are different Medica-
ments here trom thofe of Europe^ in order to
cure Bodily Difeafes ^ fo God makes ufe of
different Ceremonies and Religious Inflitu-
tionsjto cure the fpiritual Difeafes of the Soul.
I anfwerd, that Comparifon has no Place
in this Matter ; For the Difference of Climates
and that of Human Bodies, do rationally call
for different Methods of Cure -, but God,
the Objed: of Adoration, is every where,
and at all times the fame ; and Mens Minds
are equally (with due Culture and Atten-
tion) dilpofed to Fear and Love him as their
God and Sovereign Good.
One of them anfwer'd, all comes from the
Abfolute Decrees of Heaven ; we can't do
otherwife than we do : For while we are yet
in the Mother's Womb, we are form'd and
fliap'd for Vice or Vertue, for this or that
Religion : For Example ; fix Children born
of the fame Motlier, bleifed with the fame
careful
2 2 o The Trvem^ firfl Conference^
careful Education, brought up under the
fame Difcipline, yet but one of them very
likely, which proves to be an honed Man ;
and all the reft will become wicked and vi-
cious. This can't be otherwife acounted for,
than by refolving all to the unchangeable,
uncontroul'd Orders of tire Almighty, who
will have it fo, and no otherwife.
I anfwer'd, that God created in the Be-
ginning every thing very good in. its kind ,•
but Man fas I have flievvn on another Oc-
carion)aburing his Free Will, rebelled againfl
God, and thereupon loft the Power of doing
what is acceptable and pleafing to God,
without the immediate Aids of Divine Grace,
offer'd to all of us through Jefus Chrift : But
Mankind being bent upon Evil, and blinded
in the Spirit o\ their Minds, negled the Of-
fer of Grace and Pardon, made unto them
through a Redeemer ,• and hence it is, that
there are more wicked and bad Men in the
World, than there are honeft and vertuoufly
inclm'd.
The People cried out, Sir, 'tis all true
what you (ay ; and we have learnt more of
you, than we have of the Bramans all the
time of our Lives ; for they never come
near us, unlefs to eat and drink at Weddings
and Buryings, to receive their Dole ol boil'd
Rice
of the VoBrine of Fate^ &c. zzt
Rice and Clothes, that at fuch times are di-
ftributed among them ; and the poorer fort
of Famihes dare not fo much as appear in
their Neighbourhood, becaufe they call
themfelves Holy Men ; and other poor Fa-
milies they call Common and Unclean,
Then fome of the Bramans reprov'd the
People, and (aid, they had neither Honour
nor Modefty, in daring to talk fo of their
Hol^y Or^er, and in neglecting to beftow
upon them a Competent Maintenance, that
they might difcharge the feveral Duties of
their high and heavenly Office, without the
Di(lra<5tion of worldly Cares : And as for
their not converfing with fome fort of Men,
'twas becaufe they fear'd to be defiled by
them ; feeing they were Bareyers, that eat
CoivS'FleJh, and other forbidden Meats ; and
therefore Men, who can't be faved in the
other World.
♦
I anfwer'd, if you are poor, 'tis to your
Gods you mud attribute the Caufe of your
Poverty, and not to the People, who make
you very confiderable Allowances ; but you
offer it in Sacrifices to your Idols, which
you fhould rather ofier to hungry Stomachs :
And as to the People you call Bareyers, or
ttnclean^ I dare fay, that they are much more
ufefulto the Government than you Bramans;
for
212 The Twenty firji Conferences
for they are very laborious, not aiham'd to
do the meaneft Drudgeries j which, though
mean and flaviili, yet muit be done by fome
or other ^ and why for their Pains they muft
be called Unclean by the Standers-by, I
can't conceive : And I yet more wonder at
the Men whom you bid ftand off, becaufe you
are holier than they, and excommunicate
from the Favour of God in the World that is
to come, as well as from your Company in
thisi it would be Urange, I fay, ifthofe
Men would have any Refped for you Bra-
mans >
You guefs very well, faid a Braman t
There is an eternal Hatred between us and
the Bareyers : For we are defcended from
the God Biruma, and defigned for the Joys
of Heaven ; but they are the OfF-fpring of
fome Earthly-minded Men, and are ordamed
for the Torments of Hell and eternal Mife-
ry; and 'tis therefore in purfuance to this
OMum, they affront us openly, and very often
have the Impudence to throw Stones at us,
when we are palling by their Habitations.
I told him, that 'twas his Pride that puff'd
him up i and that this Idle Lazy Life gave
them a fiaadle to infuk poor induftrious
Men, who get their living by the Sweat of
their Brows.
Then
of the VoEirine of Fate ^ &c. 223
Then he faid, that he, by the help of his
Skill in Magick^QO\A^ compel the Devil to do,
or fay what he pleafed ; which was an Ar-
gument that their Law and Formula's oiPny"
ers were more efficacious than ours, feeing
we could not controul the Devil as he could.
I anfwer'd, that according to our holy
Law, Witches and Wizards are condemned
as the moft profligate Men in the World, in-
afmuch as that they had made a fecret Con-
trad with the Devil, the Enemy of God, and
of the Souls of Men. Then I proceeded to
enlarge on this Head, and fpake very fully
of the Marks, and infallible Charaders di-
flinguilhing the true Law of God from the
Lying Laws calculated to the Intereft of
worldly-minded Men, whofe Bufinefs 'twas
toimpofe upon the reft of their Fellow-crea-
tures.
Con-
22 5
Conference XXII.
Of the Laws of Moks ; and
of the Gofpel^ &c.
Between Two Maboraetan Priefts,
and one of the Danijh Mifliona-
ries.
N tfie Thirty firfl: of January, I
was vifited by two Mahometati
Prlefts, the one of them a neigh-
bouring Pried i but the other
canae from Agar^ the Refidence of the great
Mogul, They began to tell me, how God
had at feveral times raifed up Prophets to
inftrudt the People, and to guide them in
the Ways of Truth and Holinefs ,• and more
efpecially, faid they, we own four Great
a Pro-
2 2 5 The Twenty [econd Conference^
Prophets, immediately fent from God,
to reform this wicked World from the
Evil of their Ways j the firft whereof
was Mofes, the fecond David^ the third Jt-
fm^ and the fourth Mahomet : Pray tell us,
faid they, which of the Four do you look up-
on to be the Greateft^and take for your Guide
in Matters of Religion ?
*Tis confefs'd by all ChrifltattSy anfwer'd
i, that Mofes, David, and Jefus^ were great
Prophets; whereof the laft was not only a
Prophet, but the Son of the living God, and
the Redeemer of Mankind : And as to what
you fay, that the Three forementioned Pro-
phets gave three different Laws to Mankind,
and Mahomet came to give the World a fourth
Law, different from thole of Mojes, David^
and Jefus Chrift ; in all this you grofsly mi-
Hake : For the Writings of the Royal Pro^
phet Davids and the Gofpel of Jejm Chrift,
are but Explications of the Law of Mofes •
and all put together, with the infpired Wri-
tings of all the other Prophets, make but one
juft entire Body, or Doctrine of all the things
neceOary to be believed and pradis'd for the
attaining eternal Happinefs : And though
vt e don't obferve the Ceremonial Part of the
Mofa ical L^w ; yet we read it attentively,
inafmuch as tho't; Ceremonies were Types
snd Shadows ot the promifed Mejfias ; and
there-
of the Larps of Mo[qs, &c. 227
therefore the 0/«/ and Mew Teftament make
up One Compleat Chrijtian hfitution : But
as for the Alcoran compo<>'d by Mahomet, 'us
partly taken out of the Writings of our holy
Bible, and partly out of the Books o\ Pagans^
mix'd with many of his own Extravagan-
cies, as may be clearly feen by anydilarn-
ing Reader : Therefore Mahomet gave the
World no new Law ; but difmembred man-
gled, and corrupted the Laws ot\^<^j, and
the Gofpel of Jefus Qhrifl.
But, *tis certain, quoth the Mahometan^
that there is a great Conformity between
your Religion and ours, with this only
Difference ; we believe One^ and you a //•/-
nit) of Gods.
Then I explain'd unto him at large, the
Dodrine of the trinity^ and the Tvi o Na-
tures of Chrift.
Well, quoth he, if once you receive fuch
Opinions for Articles of Faith, I doubt not,
but you'll find Arguments and plaufible Te-
(limonies to defend your Point,- though this
Dodrine or the trinity has neither M.o[es^
Davidj nor Ifnahi (Jefus) for its Author.
Q. i Here
2 28 The Twenty jecond Conference]
Here T flopp'd them, by producing many
plain Texts of Scripture, both out of the
13ooks of Mofes, and out of the New Te-
flament ; proving the Truth of the Chrilli-
an Dodrine of the Tfinity.
Here the Mahometan reply 'd, I have not
read your Books ; therefore 'tis to little pur-
pofe to anfw^r rhe with Paffages dut of Books
I never faw ; but put the cale, that this Do-
drine was exprefsly writ in your Bible
Cwhich yet fome Chriflians themlelves de-
ny ;) but feeing that it thwarts the Light of
Reafori, 'tis to be rejedled : For it gives an
Handle to Chrillians to go back to Idolatry,
and worfhip Graven Images and a Plurality
of Gods ; as 'tis but too vifible in your Por^
tugueze Chriftians,- who live in thefe Coun-
tries : For they woriliip Graven Images m
their Temples, as the Heathens do.
I Ihew'd him, that this Dodrirre was nei-
ther againfl the Unity of God, nor againft
Reafon ; but that 'twas a great Myftery
tranfcending finite Reafon, we freely grant ;
becaufe the Nature of an infinite Being
can't be Comprehended by our finite Reafbn,
and created Underftandings : And as for your
mentioning the Danger we are in of falling
into Idolatry, be affur'd, that we are as
Greas
of the Laivs of Mofes, &"c. 229
Great Enemies toldol VVorfliip, as the Maho-
metans themfelves : For we have no other
Bufmefsin thefe Countries, but to bring the
Heathens from the Worfhippisg many Ima-
ginary Idol- Deities, to the Knowledge of tiie
One only true God, and his Son Jefifs Chrrfi^
whom he hath Tent into World to fave Man-
kind from the Guilt and Punilhment due to
their Sins. But becaufe fome C/;a-//?/^»j de-
ny Chrilt to be the everlafdng Son of God ;
and others worHiip Graven images j muft
that induce you to rejedt his Dodrineof the
Trinity^ while you your felv'es believe a
thoufand incomprehenfible Abfurdities of
your Prophet Mahomet^ that affront com-
mon Sence, and trample Reafon under foot ?
For don't you give divme Worfliip to Ma-
homet, though you acknowledge him to be a
mere Man ?
We give him no Divine Worfliip, re-
ply'd he ,• but revere him as our Law-
giver ; and direcSt our Intentions to Ma-
homefs God, who w^as pieas'd to make
ufe of him to call us from Heathcnifra.
I anfwer'd, it appears by the whole Te-
nor of your Carriage and Demeanour, that
you adore Mahomet as much, if not more
than God himfeif, becaufe he is always in
your Mouths, and always mention'd in youj-
Q. 3 Pray
230 The 7vpmty fecond Conference ,
Prayers ;1 which you never do with regard
to Mo/eSf DavU. and Chrifl, whom you
allow to be Prophets fent from God to re-
form thefiniul World. Moreover, ^oufay,
that he was Exifting before the Creation
of the World ; and that all things were
created for his fake : All this I lliew'd
them out of their own Writings tranflated
into the Maiahariaa Tongue.
They defired me to rehearfe all the Points
which Chriftians efteem erroneous in their
Religion.
I gave them a long Catalogue immedi-
ately ^ among which, I mention'd Polyga-
my^ as deftrudive both of Mofes's and Je-
fus Chrift's Dodrine j both w hom they al-
low to have been fent from God to Teach
his Ways in Truth and Sincerity to the
Children of Men.
Polygnmy^ faid they, is neither againfl:
found Dod:rine, nor againfl the Light of
Natural Reafon ; but we look upon it as a
laudable Cuftom, acceptable to God, and
ufeful to Human Society : For a Man
peoples both this World, and that which
is to come, with more New Inhabitants,
than if he had married but One Wife
only I And 'tis therefore that God has
Created
of the Laws of Mofes, i5^c. 23 1
Created more Women than Men ,• and by
Polygamy the World is peopled with New
Colonies, and all the Women taken care
of.
This their Opinion, both by Reafon and
Scripture, I confuted i and iTiew'd them,
that 'twas \o plain a Truth, that the Hea-
thens kept flill to the firft Inftitution of
Marriage, and condemn Polygamy as the
Eiled; of Untam'd Luft and Unbridled
Jncontinency : And that there are more
Women than Men in the World, is ground-
lefs, and againfl: daily Experience : For
'tis very reafonable to believe, that both
Sexes, as to their Number, come up very
near to an Equality, if we confider the
great Number of Men dying by the
Sword, or drowned in the mighty Waters,
or fent abroad upon other Expeditions,
ufeful to the Society.
They made no Reply to all this ; but
ask'd, what 1 thought of the Way and
Manner of remitting Sins ?
Q. 4 Here-
232 l^be Twenty Jecond Conference ^
Hereupon I made a long Difcourfe, (hew-
ing how Sifi came firft into the World ;
and how Man by Sin being obnoxious to
the Wrath of God, did Hand in need of a
Redeemer : Which gave me occafion to
explain to them the Dodrine of Juftifica^
tton and Forgivenefs of Sins, by the Free
Grace of God, and not by any Works that
we our (elves can do, without the Divine
Concurrence of adiding Grace ,• which en-
ables us to repent, and turn to God, con.
quering our Stubbornnefs, and making us
willing to run in the Ways of God's Com-
mandments. And then I defired to know
how Pardon of Sins was attained, according
to the Principles of Mahometans ?
Some Sins, faid they, are blotted out,
and pardoned, by the Offenders receiving
an Hundred Baftinadds i fome by Forty,
and fome Sins are by Death only aton'd for ;
fome Sins are pardon'd, in confideration of
pecuniary Mulds and Fines, and by doing
long Penances, and iliewing Mercy to-
wards the Poor with more than common
Liberalities.
Upon this I refam'd, and (liew'd them,
that this great Error was common both to
them and to the Heathens, to thkik that
the Guilt of Sin is pardoned by chaftifing
and
of the Laws of Mofes, iifc^ z j 3
and mortifying the Outward Man ; when
all the Auderities of Corporal Penances
can only weaken the Flefli, but in no wife
crucifie Sin, and renew the Inward Man.
To all this they made no Reply ; but
thank'd me for my Friendly Difcourfe.
I made them a Prefent of fome Book?
out of our Printing-Houfe, in the Malaha-*
rian Tongue, and difmifs'd them.
Con-
^3?
Conference XXIII.
OftheGoodmfsofGodf and
of Maris Wickednefs ; and
of the Heathens OhjeBions
againft the Chrijlian Re^
Virion. Their making God
the Author ofiSin.
Between many Heathens^ and one of
the DaniJJj Miffionaries.
f ' ' ■ ■ * ■
ON the Nineteenth of Jcinuary I went
to one of the Neighbouring Villages,
where very many Heathens flock'd toge-
ther to hear the Preaching of the Gofpel.
I fpake to them of the manifold Mercies,
and Goodnefs of God towards the Malaba-
nan
:?j5 Jhe Twenty third Conference,
rian Nation ; and of their National Ingratir
tude, which, after the long Patience of Hea-
ven, wearied with their wicked Courfes; is
now rewarded with condign Punifliment,
publick Calamities, and Affli(5tions with
which their Land is vifited.
Hereupon one of them anfvver'd, that God
is very Good, and ail Men very Evil, we
all know ; but pray, tell us, how comes this
Evil into the World ; and whence has it its
Original ? And how can we be freed from
all the Train of Miteries that attend it ? That
Pride, Lying, Hatred and Difobedience are
great Evils, is known by woful Experience ;
but finding our lelves unable to refift the
adJive Power thereof, we conclude, that God
is the Author of Sin, as well as the Author of
Vertue.
Your Ignorance of the Original of Evil,
is the Caufe of this your prophane Opinion,
that deftroys the very Notion of Vertue
and Goodnefs ; and confequently you go on
quietly in the fame finful Courfe of Life, as
pleafing and acceptable to God. Here I ex-
plain'd unto them very fully the holy Na-
ture of God, and the Scriptural Account of
the Original of Evil, and of its tremendous
Confequences ,• from which Chrift redeem-
ed us with his precious Blood ; If we repent
of
of the Qoodnefs of God, Stc, 237
of former Sins, and believe in his Name, and
lead holy Lives worthy of the holy Precepts
contained in his Gofpel ; 'tis then we lliall
be enabled to refill Sin ; and quench all the
fiery Darts of Satan ?
But here I was interrupted by one telling
me, that all what 1 faid about the Scriptural
Account of the Original of Sin^ was nothing
at all to the purpofe : For thefe being Hifto-
rical Tranfaditions, which happened before
either you or we were born, they can carry
no Convidion with them : For we have ve-
ry many fuch Hiftories of Things tranfadied
by the Gods in the World preceding this ;
to which we neither lend much Attention,
nor Belief.
You do well, faid I, to dif-believe ridicu-
lous Fables, and feU-contradiding BJiftories,
containing fuch monftrous Abfurdities, that
no Man in his Senfes can hear them read
with Patience : But as for the Hiflory, and
Account we have of the Original of Evily
and of the promifed Remedy thereof, 'tis made
out fo clear, by the fulfilling of the feveral
Prophefies relating to the mmuteft Circum-
(lanccs, in the whole Procefs of the Work of
our Redemption, that a Man may as juftly
and reafonably doubt of the Exiftence of the
ordinary Objeds of Sight and Hearing, as
doubt
238 the Twenty fecond Conference]
doubt of the Truth of what is related in th^
facred Pages of the Old and New Tefta-
mtnt.
Here, refuming his Diicourfe, Sir, quoth
he, 'tis a Wonder, that To wife a Man as you
are, ihould thus go from Place to Place, to
entertain People with learned Difcourfes,
who don't much care to give you the bear-
ing : I thought you had arriv'd at that high
Degree of Wifdom, that teaches you to for-
fake all the vain Converfation of the igno-
rant Mohile, and lead a retired Life, as our
Hermits and Anchorets do, whom we worihip
and revere as the wifell of Mortals, and con-
fult them upon occafional Difficulties ia
their WildernefTes and Subterranean Refiden-
ces, or Caves of the Earth : For they never
come after us ,• becaufe fuch as third
after the Knowledge of the Truth, will run
after them to be intruded by them in the
Precepts of Wifdom.
I return* d him the following Anfwer ; The'"
great God, the Fountain of all Wifdom and
Knowledge, wanting none of our Services
and Performances, yet is in all Places, and
at all times urging his Creatures to mind
the Salvation of their Souls, and turn to
him with all, their Hearts, that he may blot
out their Iniquities, and pardon all their Sins :
And
of the Goodnefs of God^ &c^ i 3 9
And if God in his Mercy did not condefcend
to come in quell of his Rebellious Children^
'tis more than probable, that few or none
would importune him with Reprefentations
of their dangerous Circumftances, or with
earneft humble Petitions for Grace and Par-
don : For lb great is the innate Pride of Man's
Heart, that he would rather hazard his Soul,
and all, than owe his DeHverance to the
free Grace of God : Therefore true Wifdom
confifls in feeking and faving thofe that go
aftray ; and the more laborious and adive
we are herein, the more wife we are, in imi-
tating the VVifdom of the Almightyi And
if your Hermits were endued with the Wif-
dom which comes from above, they would
do as I do, teach the* Ignorant, and reclaim
thofe to the Knowledge of God, who are
carried away by the Delufionsof the Devil
and crafty Men, who lye in wait to deceive
filly Souls.
Upon this, another fpake; Whenever you
come to us. Sir, we are heartily glad to fee
you : For though we oppofe you now and
then, and interrupt your Difcourfe. afTure
your felf, that 'tis out of a Defire to have
things yet more clearly dated, and fome
little Scruples folv'd ,• and not out of any
vSpirit of Contradidion : And to deal inge-
nuouHy with you, I'll tell you what hinders
the
240 The Trventy third Conference^ &c,
Progrefs of your Docflrine, and what ren-
ders it unacceptable to us MaUharians ; 'tis
becaufe you are none of us, but a White
European, If you were a Native, we would
hear you chearfully.
God, faid I, having Thoughts of Grace
and Mercy towards this unthankful Land,
fo corrupted wit]i Idolatry, and cover'd with
fuch grofs Darknefs, that there is no Wife
Man left among you to teach his Brethren
the Knowledge of God and his Ways j has
fent Men from the reniOteff Corners of the
Earth, to explain to you his manifold Wif-
dom, hid from Ages and Generations, but
now manifeft in his Beloved Son, and our,
as well as your Saviour, and common Lord,
Jefus Qhrifl. Thefe Wonderful Dealings
of God with you, lliould awaken your At-
tention the more, to confider, that he has
not dealt thus with other Nations j neither
were your Fathers inflrudled in the great
Things of God, as you are this Day^ nei-
ther did any Foreigners ever before, learn
both tofpeak and write your Language with
no other View than to promote the Welfare
of your Souls, and render you acceptable in
the Sight of God, your Creator. Then I
concluded with Admonitions and Motives .to
kcpentance, and to a Godly Life j and bid
them all Adieu.
Con*
M«
Conference XXIV,
Of the HeatheniJJj Books ^ &c.
Between fome Heathens^ and one of
the Danljl) Miffionaries.
ON the Fifth of March, fome Heathens
from the City ot Meiron, came to
my Houfe, defiring me to give them fome
Printed Books, fuch as they had ^t^^ in the
Hands of fome of their Neighbours.
T ask*d them, of what ufe fuch Books
would be to them ?
To read them, and to raife Difcourfes
thereupon, anfwer'd they, and wonder among
our felves, how^^ the White Europeans could
have learnt our Language, and printed it
thus, without Ink and Writing.
*Tis not, faid I, to raife your Admirati-
on, that we are come here from our own
R Coun^
242 T^he Twenty fourth Confer ence^^
Countrey, and print thefe Books with fo
much Coil and Pains- taking ; but to the
end we may fpread among you the Know-
ledge of the True God, and that your
felves may read the Words of Eternal Life,
which are fufficient to make you wife unto
Salvation *. But we are very much difap-
pointed in our Expedation ; for we find,
you little mind the Things that belong to
your Peace, tho' brought home to your
Doors, and ofler'd to you without Money
and without Price ; while you are never
wearied in reading the VVildeft Extravagan-
cies, written by lying Poets, and falfe Hi-
ftorians, who have made it their Bufinefs to
impofe upon too credulous Pofterity.
Then, anfwer'd fome of them, are all our
Books falfe ?
As to the Hiftorles of your Gods fundry
Apparitions, the Foundation and Grounds
of your /'tfgt^^-Worfhip, faid I, they are
all abfurd Falfities ; and all the Rules and
Direcflions there contain'd, for the attaining
of Eternal Happinefs, are of no ufe : The
befl: Books you have, are fuch as treat of
Vertue and Vice, and other Matters in Mo-
rality^ which are pretty well written, but
mix'd and daih'd with interfperfed Falfities ;
yet none of all your Books make any
mention
of the Heatheni/Ij Books^ &c, 24 j
mention of the Original of Man's Mifery,
and of the promiflbry Means of Salvation.
And as for your Books, Aftrological, Magi-
cal, &c. written to promote the Deviliih
Trade of Witchcraft^ they are good for
nothing, but to be committed to the Flames,
inafmuch as they diftrad your Minds from
God, and feafon them with the Dodrine
of Devils.
Then one flood up, and faid, you may
rail and inveigh, as much as you pleafe,
againfl: our Books ; yet, for what I can find,
your Books have no Letters, but ours ; and
no Words, but what are borrow'd from our
Books, and from our Language.
'Tis very true, reply'd I, that I make ufe
of your Words and Charaders, in order to
make my felf intelligible to you, when I
make known to you the Myfteries of Salva-
tion, which I have not borrow'd from your
Writings, but from the written Word of
God : For tho' your Words are very good,
yet what you mean by them, is Fallhood
and Vanity. For Exaniple; you fay, God
is to be feared ,• but then you make a Graven
Image the Objedt of Religious Fear. The
fame may be faid of the Words Repentance^
Holinefs, Wifdom^ &c. Which Vertues you
make to coiifift in outward Grimaces, and
R z Bodily
244 ^^^ Twenty fourth Conference^
Bodily Auflerities, and Self- macerations.
You are very much in the right, Sir, re-
plied one of them : For we have only good
Words left amongft us; becaufe all real
Goodnefs is dead and buried with our Fa-
thers; and I am apt to believe, that 'tis
much the fame among the Chriftians : For
your Phrafe and Didion are fmooth, polite
and elegant ; but your Adions are as bad as
our own.
I acknowledg'd, that the Corruption of
Manners was indeed at this Day overfpread-
ing the whole Face of the whole Univerfe j
yet ftill with this Difference, that the Do-
citrines of Salvation are kept pure amongft
us J and therefore they have Means ready at
hand to reclaim the Diibbedient from their
Wickednefles : But if they continue in their
Obftinacy and Rebellion againft God, they
are inexcufable, and God is glorified in
punilliing their Difobedience.
But pray let us fee, cry'd out one of
them, how do you demonftrate, that our
Books are falfe ?
Hereupon I nam'd their chief and prin-
cipal Books relating to Religion ; and repea-
ted the Contents of every one of them,
with
of the Heatheni/h Books, S^c- 245
with many impious and monftrous Paflages,
verbatim, as therein contained j which, ac-
companied with a clear and nervous Con-
futation of their Errors, had this good Ef-
{e£t upon them, that they freely confefs'd,
that I was faithful in my Allegations; and
that they were convinced, 'twas their Duty
to lead better Lives than they do. But God
has made us as we are, faid they, furround-
ed with the enticing Allurements of this
World, and hurried with the Cares and Bu-
/inefles of this Life, fo that we really forget
the Affairs of the other World, which are
purely Spiritual.
Hereupon I fuited my Exhortation to
their Spiritual Lethargy and Lukewarmnefs
pf Temper, and difmils'd them.
R 5
Con-
247
Conference XXV-
Of the Heathen Feajl-Days.
What Thoughts they con^
cehe of the Chriftian Faith.
Of Marriage, &c.
Between fome Bramans^ and one of
the Dani/h Miffionaries.
ON the Ninth of March, being a
Feftival among the Heathens, I
went into one of their Pagods,
towards the Evening, which I
found much crouded ; and ask'd the Bra*
manSy upon what Account they celebrated
this Day in thofe pompous Solemnities of
carrying their Idol-Gods about the Streets ?
The Brar/ians anfvver'd, 'tis an Ancient
Cuflom received from our Ancellors, which
wc are obliged to obferve very religioufly,
R 4 with-
248 The Twenty fifth Confer enccf
without the leafl: Alteration ; tho' if we were
left to our Choice, we would abolifli many
fuch unneceflary Ceremonies, as no ways
contributing to the attaining of Divine Wif-
dom. Another Braman added, If our way
of Worfliip is confidered only outwardly, it
may indeed, to an indiflerent Beholder, feem
very ridiculous ; but if it be confidered in
its more Spiritual and inward Intention, e-
very wife Man rauft judge very advantage^
oufly of our publick Way of Worihip.
This gave me a fit Handle to fpeak very
Copioufly of the firft Inftitution of Feliivab,
and how they abufed the Defign and End of
this firfl laudable Inflitution, by fpending
the Day in Luxury and Prophanencfs j in
which, I alTur'd them, they greatly err'd.
A Braman told me, I was very much in
the right ; but he was prefently reproved
by another of the Order, threatning to exr
communicate him out of the Society, if he
talked at that rate.
The former reply 'd, 'tis dangerous to fpe^k
as one thinks.
Then I fpake publickly, and faid, 'tis pad:
all Difpute, that many wife Men amongfl:
you do not approve of this way of Pompous
and
of the Heathen Feafl-DaySy &c. 249
and Ceremonious Worfliip , as contribu-
ting to the attaining of Happinefs or folid
Wifdom ', and are really afhamed of it as moft
ridiculoufly foppiih ; tho' in the mean time
they are ftill more afliamed to be hooted at
by the Mob, lor owning the Truth inoppo-
fition to the many Great and Mighty, who
love to follow the Multitude to do Evil :
Whereas cur Lord and Mailer Jefiu Chriji
teaches us, that whoever loves Father andMo^
ther wore than him^ cant be one of his Difci-
ples.
Whereupon a School-maflcr asked me, if
according to our Laws, we were obliged to
hate our Parents ?
I anfwer'd, Yes, when they hinder us to
love God ; for the Refpedt we owe to them,
comes in competition to that we owe to our
dear Redeemer; and in this Cafe we muft
obey God rather than Man ; But otherwife
we are commanded to give Parents and Su-
periors all due Reverence, according to the
refpeiflive Relations we bear to them.
Then flood up another Braman^ asking
me, if all iliould be faved, that were bap-
tiz'd in the Name of Chrift ?
To
2 JO The Twenty fifth Confer ence.
To whom I return'd this Anfwer ; We
have in our Hands all the necefTary Means
of Salvation, by which all Men may be fa-
ved ; but if they abufe the Grace of God,
and are flothful in working out their own
Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Sin lies
at their own Door, and their Deflrudtion
comes from themfelves.
Then faid the Bramavy what advantage is
there in embracing your Religion, fince I
find, I may be damned in yours, as well as
in my own ?
Then I ask'd them, but how can you de-
monftrate, that you have the Dodlrine of
Salvation >
One argued the Point from Antiquity ;
another from the Multitude that profefs'd
their Religion ,• a third alledged the mighty
Wonders done by their Gods ; the fourth
urg'd the Incapacity of the Bramans then
and there prefent, to argue pertinently upon*
Matters o( fo great Importance ; but defir'd
me to travel through the Country, vifit
Places of Devotion, and converfe with their
Great and moft Learned Bramans ; and that
then, he queftioned not, but I would be
tho-
of the Heathen Feafl-Days^ &c; 2 ji
thoroughly convinc'd of the Truth of their
Religion.
Hereupon I fliew'd them, that all Argu-
ments fetch'd from Antiquity, Numbers of
Profeflbrs, and Univerfality and Extenfivenefs
of any Religion, were trivial and inconclu-
five ; and then proceeded to fliew, that their
Religion was falfc, and to be forthwith a-
bandoned.
Many aflented to all I faid 5 and were
alhamed to have been of the Number of its
Profeflbrs ; others did urge the Bramans to
defend their Thefis^ and anfwer my Argu-
ments.
The Bramans contented themfelves with
faying, that there are many things in the
Chriitian, as well as in their Religion, that
are not capable of a Demonftration ; but
are to be received by Faith : Fordoes not ic
feem the Height of Unreafonablenefstofup-
pofe him to be the Saviour of the World,
who was of a mean Parentage, had but as
mean an Education, perfecuted by hisCoun-
try-men, and at laft was hang'd by publick
Authority upon an infamous Crofs >
Then
a 5 i '^he Twenty fifth Conference ^
Then a School- mafter urged againft me
the different Se^s of Chriftians.
I reply'd, that all the Chriftians agree in
owning the Exiftence of One only Supreme
Being, and his Word to be the Rule of th^r
Lives and Pradice ; tho' 'twas true, that
Ibme have brought in many pf their own
Inventions.
Why then, faid one of the Afljftants , you
fliould firft bring things to rights among
your felves, before you undertake the Re-
formation of Foreign Nations,
A Braman added, verily the Difference
between you and us is very inconfiderable ;
For you muft die, and fo muft we ; you urge
the Necelfity of good Works, fo do we ; and
as we are great Sinners before the Lord, fo
are you : And, in fliort, none of your Grand-
fathers, any more than ours, are come back
from the Habitations of the Dead, to give
us a true Account of thofe that are damned,
or of fuch as are eternally happy in the Q-
ther World.
I reply'd, you argue upon falfe Suppofition,
that there is a Space of Time left for Repen-
tance after this Life is ended 3 and therefore
you
of the Heathen Feaji-Days^ &c. 255
you neither fear Death, nor Hell ; and leave
alllfliies of Happinels and Mifery,to Guefles
and Peradventurcs.
Hereupon an old Man fpake, Sir, you
are yet a fingle Man, and unacquainted with
the carking Cares accompanying a Marriage-
Life, which di{lrac3: us from attending the
Duties of Religion.
The Marriage- State being God's own In-
ftitution, can be no Hindrance to a holy Life,
faid L
Then another ask'd me, why they [were
Black and we White >
I anfwer'd, that the firft Parents of us all
were created White : For 'tis Evident, that
White will be made Black ; but Black can
take no other Hue ; but the natural Reafon
of their Blacknefs is the fcorching Heat of
the Climate, which has that Effedl upon Hu-
man Bodies.
Con-
255
Conference XXVI.
jihotit fever al Particulars
relating to Religion.
Between a Malabarian Merchant^ and
one of the Danilh Mijjionaries,
ON the Fourteenth o^ March, I came
into a Place, where they were
celebrating their Ceremonies ;
and finding there a Concourfe of
People, I fpake to them of the manifold
Riches of the Grace of God, which were
now offered to them at their Doors : But I
liad no fooner ended my Difcourfe, when
a Merchant flood up, and faid, We perfuade
our felves that we are a very happy People ;
our Gods love us, and we love and adore
our Gods ; we have a Form of Publick
Worfliip, eftabliihed among us by Publick
Authority J we are a Wife, Underftanding
People, enjoying all forts of Temporal and
Spiritual Gifts at the liberal Hands of God •
we
2 $6 The Twenty Jixth Conference,
we live in a well-regulated Society, under
a very wife Magiftracy; and, in ihort, we
want for nothing that can 'be thought con-
ducive to the Happinels of Soul or Body :
And therefore we wonder very much at
the Europeans y who make it their Bufinefs
to inveigh againfl: our Religion, and rail
at our Gods with bitter Satyrs. What, do
you look upon us to be Monfters or Devils ?
Have not we Wifdom and Underftanding,
as well as any of you, vifible enough in
ail forts of Manufadures prepared by the
Induftry of the Inhabitants ; and for its
Goodnefs and Beauty, coveted by the Eu-
ropeans, and had in high Efteem amongft
them ? What then can you pretend, and what
iliould move you to change our Laws and
Religion ?
I grant, faid I, that in relation to trade,
and the Things of this Life, you are a very
underftanding People, and no Ways inferi-
our to any the wifeft Nation: Arid I would
have you know, that we never blame your
Underftandings upon this account ; biit
when we confider your grofs Errors and 1-
dolatry, we can't but fay, and affirm, that
you are the moft ignorant and blind among
Men, in the Things relating to God and the
other World.
If
ahut fever al ? articular s^ &c, 257
If fo, faid he, how does God permit and
fufFer our Religion to take Root, and flourifh
in this Land, for fo many thoufand Years ?
God, reply 'd T, is good and gracious to-
wards all irrational Creatures, tho* they ne-
ver petition for Food, nor pray for their dai-
ly Suftenancei yet he opens his liberal
Hands, and feedeth every living Creature
with Food convenient for him ; and befides,
this is neither the Place, nor Time to reward
and punifli every one according to bis Deeds :
God referves to himfelf all the infinite incir-
cling 4ges of Eternity, for diflributing of
Rewards and Punifliments ; therefore his
long-fuflering with your Folly and Weaknef-
ics, is no Proof of the Truth of your efta-
bhfhed Religion?
Be it fo, quoth he ; but all things come
from the Hands of God, both Good and E-
vil.
'Tis true, faid I, that God permits Evil,
but is not the Caufe thereof : For I don't
believe, that if a Thief breaks in this Night
into your Warehoufe, andfteals thence your
beft Effecfts, you would fay, that God
brake in and ftole your Goods ; but you
would feek after the Thief, and fee him pu-
S nilhed
258 The Twenty fixth Conference j
niflied as the only Author of the Robbery,
wilUngly, and defignedly, without any ex-
ternal Impulfe to break into your Ware-
houfe J Whereas if the Thief had been necef-
fitated thereto, he is no more guilty, thah
confuming Flames or Inundations, that ru^
ine very often Cities and whole Provinces :
Therefore God is the Caufe of all that is
truly good ; but we our feJves, and the
Devil, are the Caufe of all that is morally
evil.
Then, faid he, why don*t you drive this
Deuil out of the Countrey, that caufes fo
much Mifchief amongft us ?
If you defire earneftly to be free from the
I^evil's Tyranny, reply 'd I, refolve to ac-
commodate your felves to all the Connmand-
ments of God's written Law ; and then, by
Divine Adiftance, we fhall be able enough to
dellroy all ithe Works of the Devil, and drive
him, not only from the Land, but likewife
from your Hearts, where now he rules with
defpotick Authority.
All you fay, anfwer'd another, is very true ;
and we can eafily guefs what you would be
at J* you would, Sir, root out of the Land
our eftabliihed Religion, and introduce your
own in its room, by flrength of Reafon, and
Elo-
about fever al Particulars ^ &a 259
Eloquence : But pray Sir, know, that we,
and you are born in very different Climates,
educated under different Governments and
Inftitutions ; we differ in our Clothes, in our
Way of Eating, Drinking, and in cultivating
Sciences ; and as long as thefe Differences
are remaining between you and us, 'tis more
than probable, that your and our Pveligioa
will continue to be (till very different Reli-
gions, and very good both of them, for dif-
terent Countries.
I reply'd, we come to you in the Spirit
of Meeknefs and Love ; we compel none of
you to embrace our Opinions ; we only lay
the great Things of God that belong to the
makmg you happy here and hereaiter, in
the ffrongeft Liglit poffible, and then appeal
to your own Underilandings, anfwering ac
the fame time your many weak and little Ob-
jedions ofTer'd againft theChriff ian Dodrine ;
whereof the prelent Obje(3;ion is very incon-
fiderable, viz. your arguing Irom the Diffe-
rence o{ Manners and outward Habitudes^ to a
neceffary Difference in Religion : For if you
did turn Chriflians, it would be no way ne-
ceffary for you to change your Way of eat-
ing and drinking, and your daily Manner of
dealing with your Neighbours : We urge you
to turn only from the Worlliip of Idols, to
Worfliip the true God inspirit and In Truth :
S 2 And
260 the Twenty fixth Conference ^ 8zcl
And as for other Differences in outward
Behaviour, between you and us, they are
confident Vvith that Unity of Belief in Chrift,
and with the Union of Charity and Love,
which is all that is required of us in relation
to Matters of Religion ; We neither come to
change yout Government, nor your Lan-
guage.
Then the Merchant flood up, and faid, I
heartily beg Pardon for my contradiding
you fo violently : For I did it to no other
end, but to fee if I could once put you into
a Fit of Anger ; for many told me, that you
were never feen to be in a PalTion in any Pub-
lick Difpute.
I anfwer'd, Phyficians and good Surgeons
never quarrel with tineir Patients ; but bear
patiently with all their Impotency of Mind
and Peevifhnefs of Temper : For their Bu/i-
nefs is to cure the Difiempers of the Body
with Gentlenefs and ilwectnefs of Behaviour ;
and 'tis mine to cure the Difeafes of the Soul
with all Long.fultering and Patience : And
wi«-h ih fe and the like Expreliions, I difmif-
fed them.
Con-
2^1
Conference XXVII.
Of the fever al Excufes offered
l?y the Heathens, for not
receiving the Chriftian Re-
ligion.
Between fome Heathen Fifliermen,
and one of the Danifb MiflSona-
lies.
N the Seventeenth of May, I pafs'd
through three different . Villages
belonging to Fifliermen, preach-
ing to them the Words of e«
ternal Life.
In the firfl: Village I preached about the
Corruption of Human Nature, aad of the
Hecejftty of a Redeemer ; and when I ha^ end-
ed my Oifcourfe, one of them Itood up, and
faid ^ Sir, what you fay, is very true and
S 3 rea-
262 IheTrpenty Jeventh Confer ence^
reafonable ; and could we but lead fuch
Lives as ycu have now defcribed, we would
be of the Number of your Difciples ; but
feeing we are a very poor and indigent People,
we are not concern'd in what you fay ; our
Time, tho' fpent altogether in Fiihing, and
other Hard Labour, does fcarcelv afford us
daily Bread ; and how can we fpend time
about the Things of the other Life, whereof
we are altogether ignorant ? And did we
embrace your Religion, it would cofl us a
great deal of time in the learning of it, and
we mufl be all our Lives oblig'd to frequent
your Church once a Week; which would alfo
take up a great part of our time. We are
contented to tread in our Fathers ileps, in
this, and keep them Company in the next
World ; we are not ambitious of being hap-
pier in the other World than our Fathers are.
Your Poverty, faid I, is no Reafon why
you Ihould negled: your eternal Intereft ;
but you lliould endeavour to be rich towards
God, that you may have that Reft and Hap-
pinefs in the next, which you can't expert
to enjoy in this World; which if you do,
you'll find, that your Lives even here on
Earth will be made eafier to you : For God-
Ihefs has the Promife of this Life^ and of
that which is to come. And as for your Fore-
fathers being Heathens, ignorant of God and
Chrift,
of the Heathens Exeujes. i5j
Chrift, 'tis no Encouragement for you to
be the like, and to rejed: the Offers of the
Grace and Mercy oQer'd you this day : For
you mull confider, that it is probable, if
your Fathers had had the fame Offer and
Tender of Grace, and Pardon of Sin, as
you have this Day, they had repented in
Sackcloth and Allies, and turned to the
Lord their God, and burn'd their Images
and Idols in the Fire.
Hereupon they were call'd into the Town
to carry about the Streets their Gods, in
great Carts made for that purpofe ; from
which I difuaded them very earneftly ; but
they anfwered, that if they did refufe, they
Ihould be cruelly handled by their Superiors,
and it may be, banifli'd the Town.
Thencelcame to another Village, where I
found them employ'd in mending their Nets,
and a Uttle Boy entertaining them with read-
ing the Hiftory ot one of their Gods def-
perately fallen in love with a Woman, with
whom he had hii familiar Intrigues ; and im-
mediately I took thence Qccafion to convince
them of the Falfity and Wickednefs of their
Religion ,• becaufe it admitted, and allowed
of fuch Gods, who by their Example and
Authority, contribute to render Men worfe
S 4 than
264 Ihe Twenty [evemh Conference^
than Devils, both in all forts of bodily Un-
cleannefs, and fpiritual Wickednefles.
They faid, we know no better ; for we
have no Prieft among ns to give us any
Tindure of Religion and Piety j and the
Boy that reads that Book to us, can read no
other : For this is the only Book he has
learnt at School. Pray, Sir, what would
you have us do ?
You mud repent, anfwer'd I, and forfake
your Dumb Idols, to worlhip the True and
Holy God, who made Heaven and Earth.
Your Dodrine, reply'd they again, is ve-
ry good and reafonable ; but alas ! we are
fo plung'd in the Dregs of Earthly-mind-
ednefs, that we can't difengage our felves
^ from a thoufand Obligations which tie us
fall to our old Religion ,• for we are, as it
were, Vaffals and Slaves to the Governours
of the Place, to draw about the Great Wag-
gon, prefs'd with the heavy Weight of our
Idols ; and did we come over to the Tents of
Chriftians, they would not fuffer us any
more to follow our ordinary Employ-
ments.
But
of the Heathm% Excnfes^ 26$
But all thefe Objedions would be eafily
anfwer'd by your felves, faid I, if you were
earneftly in love with Truth ; and you ftiould
not think and edeem your Lives dear un-
to you upon the account of Chrift, who dii-
ed for you. Then exhorting them to the
Confideration of their Ways, I bid them a-
dieu ; and going to a third Village, I ask»d
fome of the Inhabitants, wherein confided
their Divine Worfhip ?
We have none, reply'd they ; and know
little or nothing of God, or of the Way of
Worfliip ; neither do we trouble our felves
with thefe Matters : For we are a poor, per^
verfe fort of People, who fpend good part
of our Lives in Eating and Drinking, Mar*
rying of Wives, and Quarrelling with one a-
nothcr, and the reft of the time in Filhing
for the Maintenance of our Families ; and
when one of us dies, we think no more of
him J but let him ihift for himfelf : For we
give little time to think upon what is com^
monly reported of Heaven and Hell, or of
any other Part of God's Worfliip ; tfao' in-
deed, we have a little Pago^I among us ,• and
when we take a very great Fifli, we com-
monly oiler to our Gods the Bones thereof.
That
1x66 The twenty fevemh Conference^
That you confefs your Ignorance, reply'd
I, is good, provided that at the fame time
you are adiam'd, and forry for it, defiring
to be inftrudted in the Knowledge of the
true God.
One of them faid, tho' you come often
to fee us, we are now as bad as ever ; and
indeed, we are not worthy you fliould fpend
fo much time and labour upon us : For we
are neither capable of learning your Religi-
on, nor of pradtifmg the fame when learnt ;
and therefore, if we were already made
Chriftians, I am affar'd we fliould be no Or-
nament to your Religion : And is it not
better both for you and us, to remain where
we are ; and throw our felves upon the in-
finite Mercies of a gracious God ; and let
him do with us what he pleafes ?
I fiiew'd them the Abfurdity of this Opi-
nion, and told them, that 'twas God alone can
turn the Hearts of the Children of Men, and
not they themfelves ; and exhorted them
not to defpife the Offers of Grace that God
was pleas'd to make them at this time ;
and that the Word of God which they
heard, was efficacious and powerful to con-
vert the Soul, and to wean them from all
Earthly Engagements to finful Pleafures, or
Tern-
of the Heathens Excujes} 2,6 j
Temporal Confiderations ; and to giveKnow.
ledge and Underftanding to the Simple, ma-
king them a willing People in the Day of
his Power.
Upon this I recommended them to God,
and bid them adieu.
Con-
268
Conference XXVIII.
Containing Afijwers to Thir-
teen ^lejiions proposed hy
them.
Between fome Heathens and Mahome^
tans, and one of the Dani/h Mif-
fionaries.
N the Nineteenth of May^ we were
vifited by fome Malabar tans and
Mahometans, who ask'd me the
following Queftions : i. If there
was but one Religion in the World that
was every way true, and free from errone-
ous Opinions ? 2. If 'tis right to defpife and
condemn all P^eligions that we don't profefs
our felves ? 3. If 'tis God's Will and Pleafure
to give the fame Revelations to all the dif-
ferent Nations of the Earth ? 4 If God is
a Refpedter of Perfons ? $. Whence comes
it
Answers to fome Queries ^ Stc, 269
it that the Wicked profper, when at the
fame time the Godly are forely afflided i
6. If 'tis pofTible for a Man to live without
Sin, all the time he is in this World ? 7. If
Men can do any thing againft the Will of
God; or if all their Adions are performed
by his Efficacious Working ? 8. If Fate or
Deffiny has more Influence upon Human
Anions, than the moral Precepts of Laws
commanding Good and forbidding Evil ?
9. Whence comes it that a Man follows evil
Pradices, tho" he knows 'tis his Duty to adt
other wife ? 10. If a Man can dired his Pray-
er to God, without the Intervention of Gra-
ven Images ? 11. Is not the Chriftian Do^
drine of the trinity inconfiflent with the
Unity of the Supreme Being? 11. When did
the Chriftian Religion iirft commence ? 13*
What Religion did the Europeans obferve
before Chriilianity came to be fettled among
them ?
I returned proper Anfwers to all thefe
Queftions very fully ; and then in my turn,
I ask'd them, how, and by what means they
hop'd to be fav'd >
The
27© ^^^ twenty eighth Conference]
The Heathens anfwer'd, by believing that
among all the Gods known and ador'd a-
mong us, there is but One Supreme Being,
worthy of Fear, Love and Adoration ; and
by putting all our Truft in him, direding
our Prayers to him, giving Alms, and by
obferving all the Ceremonies enjoyned by
our Laws.
The Mahometan faid, We exped: Salvati-
on, by believing, that there is but One.
God, and that Mahomet is his Prophet;
That the Alcoran is the Word of God, con-
taining the Doditrine of attaining Happinefsj
That by praying five times every Day;
By doing Good, and efchewing Evil ,• By'
confeding Sins to the Prieft, and undergo-
ing what Penance he pleafe* to lay upon
us ; By each going once in his Life to Mec-
ca, if flrong, and has wherewithal to de-
fray the Charges of the Journey ; By oU
ferving the ordinary Feftivals ,• By going e-
every Friday to the Mofque, and attending
diligently to the reading of the Alcoran,
He who does thefe things, will obtain eter-
nal Happinefs.
I anfwer'd, Malaharians and Mahometans,
you deceive your felves, if you think that
thefe imaginary Performances can fave your
Souls :
Anftpers to fome ^eries, &c. 271"
Souls : For fome of thefe things are forbid-
den as fuperftitious ; and the other Means,
'VIZ. mere bodily Exercifes, profit little to
the Salvation of the Soul. But, to the end
you may be faved, the Knowledge of a
Redeemer is abfolutely necelTary to recon-
cile Sinners to God, by his own pajftve and
a^ive Obedience ; and fuch a Redeemer is
Jefiis Chrifl^ who is made to us Juji'tficatioHy
Rigbteoufnefs and Redemption.
Here the Malal>aria» anCwerd^ We abound
more in good Works than the Chriflians do.
I reply 'd. For the fpace of Eight whole
Years that I have lived among you, I fee
none of your good Works ; but what you
falfly fo call, are Works of Iniquity : For
when you fpend liberally upon the building
of Pagods, what is this but Abomination
before the Lord ? And what you give to the
Bramans^ and other Idol M'tniflers^ can be no
better than Mif management, and ill beftow-
ed Liberalities, upon the Promoters of grofs
Ignorance and impious Frauds, as is owned
by the Author of a Book, nam'd Tjchiwaw-
oikkium ; and his Difciples, to this Day,
own, that all the pompous outward Cere-
monies obfervcd among you, are of no ufe
in attaining Everialting Happlnefs.
Here-
2 7^ The Twenty eighth Confer ence, &c,'
Hereupon fome of them anfwer'd, Since
your converfing among us, you make us,
Malaharians and Mahometans^ mere Scepticks
in our Opinions : Whereas before your
coming hither, every one was well afTu*
red ot his own Rehgion to be free from
Errors and Imperfedions.
Con^
^73
Conference XXIX.
Of the jiff airs of Europe,
and of India, Their A-
verfion to all Europeans,
iecaufe they eat FleJJj.
Between a Malabarian Prince, and fome
Bramans, and one of the Dani/b
Miffionaries.
.^V^.Vv'*\
ON the Twenty third of May, I
I rode out to vifit a Naikken C pet-
ty Prince,) whom 1 found in his
Garden, accompanied with fome
Bramafts, and many other Perfons. I was
Very civilly receiv'd, and entertained with
delicate Fruits, and made to fit down in a
Chair after the manner of Europe. And af-
ter I had afliired him of my Refpedts, in the
mod expreflive Terms I was capable o[\
he ask'd me feveral Queftions in relation
T to
274 ^'-'^ Twenty ninth Conference^
to Europe j and if his Danifh Majefty fmy
Gracious Sovereign^ was yet living ? How
numerous was the Royal Family ? Of the
Extent of the Danijh Dominions > Of the
Strong Holds, and Fortified Places ? Of the
Maritime and Land-Forces ? How many
Kings there were in Europe ? And whether
other Nations, befides Danes^ French^ Eng-
I'tfh, Dutch and Portugueze^ could come to
India > And which of all thefe was the moll
powerful ? And if the Air was Temperate,
that Indians might live therein, as^ Europe'
ans do in India ? And if all the Europeans
were Chriftians ? To all thefe, and more
fuch like Queftions, I returned proper An-
Iwers.
Then the Bramans began to talk of our
printed Books, which had been perufcd by
their Order, but not approved of: For one
of thefe Books, they faid, was full of Inve-
dives againft the BramanSy and the Pagoda
Worlliip.
Thence I took occafion to vindicate thofe
Books, and confute Idolatry.
. Whereupon the Braman told me, that it
was a Piece of great Infolence to blafpheme
their Gods and Religion ^ and that fuch
high Crimes were intolerable.
I
of the Affairs of Europe, (J^J^c. 275
I anfwer'd, We only tell you what Is
Truth, and what is Falihood j and let it reft:
wholly in your Choice to accept the one or
the other: For we ufe no Violence to bring
you over to our Periuafion ; And we can in
Juftice exped: that Toleration and Recepti-
on in this Land which you give the Maho-
metans^ who are no lefs Revilers of your
Idol Worjhtp than our felves, and incompa*
rably more numerous than we are.
The Prince then interposed, and faid, Your
Defign is laudable : For 'tis but reafonable
that Wife Men fliould communicate their
Wifdom to the Ignorant j and in fo doing,
they render great Service to their Genera-
tion ,' and he wilh'd, there were more fuch
Learned and Pious Men in that Countrey,
to teach the People the true Way leading to
Happinefs.
One of the Bramans reply'd, if one now-^
a-days makes mention of Happinefs, he will
but expofe himfelf to the World, and make
himfelf the Scorn of Fools : For when I
thought lately to admonifli a Fiflierman of
his Duty of leeking after the Way leading
to Blifs and Happinefs, and not to fpend ail
his time in Fifliing and mending of Nets ,
which can do him no fervice in the next
T z World;
2 "16 The Twenty ninth Conference]
World ; Happinefs in our Dialed, anfwer'd
the Finierman, is going to Sea, and catching
Fifli, and bringing themafliore when caught;
and if you will but hold your peace, and
not be angry, I hope in a little time t6 fup-
ply you with Fifli in abundance.
I ask'd the Braman, if he thought it un-
lawful to eat Fifli or Flefli >
Fie reply 'd, that Nature has plentifully
provided us with other Food, fo that we
have no need of eating our Fellow-Crea-
tures ; and 'tis written in our Law, that thefe
very Creatures, if devoured by Men in this,
will be their Tormenters in the next World,
biting and tearing them with their Teeth,
or trampling them under foot : And becaufe
you Europeans drink (Irong Liquors, and kill
^and eat your Fellov\ -creatures, endued with
Five Senfes as well as your felves, I confels,
we have an inbred Averfion for you, and
all that belongs to you.
I anfwer'd, 'tis true, that at firft, Man did
live upon the Produce of the Earth; but to
eat Fle.Qi, is both agreeable to Reafon and
Revelation : For the living Creatures are
made to ferve Man, as you your felves ac-
knowledge by your daily Pradice : And
Ttiany of tiiem being incapable of doing us
an-^
of the Affairs of Europe, ^c. 277
any fervice (as Filh and Fowl) but by fur-
nifliing our Tables with wholfome Foqd ,•
'tis but reafonabie we fliould exert the Povy-
er that God has given us over the Fidi of
the Sea, the Fowls of the Air, and over the
Beads of the Field. And as for our drink
ing flrong Liquors, the Coldnefs of our
Northern Region requires it : For the con-
tinual Drinking of Water, as you do in thefe
v/arm Climates, would kill us in the colder
Climates of Europe. And we are taught in
our Holy Law, that Happinefs does not
confift in Meats and Drinks.
Then, faid the Prince, do you expecft
Heaven and Happinefs by virtue of your
Dodrine,or by yourvertuousConverfation?
Whoever will be happy, mult believe our
Holy Dodrine, and lead Holy Lives : For
Faitb without good Works is dead^ and there-
fore of no ufe at all, reply *d L
Then, refum'd he, 'tis not your Religious
Opinions, and different Articles of Faith can
make you happy ; but a good Converfa-
tion; all which we allow to be abfolutely
true : What then does it profit or avail, to
difpute about empty Speculations? You re-
commend the Pradice of all vertuous Acfti-
on, and fo do we, and are inferiour to none
in punilliing Vice. T 3 .1
2'ji The Tr^entieth ninth Conference y
I anfwer'd, that 'twas not pofTible to per-
form Adlions truly good and vertuous, with-
out the Knowledge of the Will of God con-
tained in the Chriflian Dodtrine, which we
preach among you : And as for fuch Chri-
fiians, who are difobedient to the Precepts
of the Gofpei, 'tis their own fault : and the
Glorious Dodrine profefTed by them, is not
to be charged with their Sins, without being
guilty of the greatefl Piece of Iniquity.
Hereupon the Braman asked me to give
him an Account of the Chriftian Religion,
as to its Original, and Progrefs among fo
many Nations ; and what were the chief
Articles thereof ?
To all which Heads I made very particu-
lar Anfwers ,* and to which they gave great
Attention, and feemed to be very well plea-
fed with what I faid upon the chief Articles
of the Chriftian Religion ; and defired me
to (lay with them for that Night, it being
then very late. But my Bufmefs would not
permit me ^ and therefore I took my leave,
and recommended them to the Care of the
Almighty.
Con-
279
Conference XXX.
Of the Heathens Alms. State
of departed Souls.
Between fome Heathen Pilgrims^ and
one of the Daniflj Miffionaries.
N the Twenty fixth of May^ I met
a great Multitude of Pilgrims, tra-
velling to vifit a famous Pagod,
named Tfchirenkum. I ask'd them
thereafon of this long Journey ?
They faid, our Parents at their Death o-
bliged us with a folemn Oath, to vifit the
aforefaid Temple, to didribute Alms among
the Bramans there.
I ask'd further, what their Parents Aim
was in all this ?
T 4 For
2 8o The Thirtieth Conference,
For the Repofe of their* Souls in the other
World, faid they ; For, fearing their good
Works were not fufficiently Meritorious ,
they engaged us to make up fuch Deficiencies,
by diftnbuting .Alms liberally among the
Priefls re Tiding at Tfchirenkum ; and we
hope our Children will do us the like good
Oilices when we are dead and gone ; and
therefore we chearfully undergo this long
tedious Journey : For we are taught, that
the Souls departed, meet with many Hin-
drances and Difficulties in their Way to the
other World, and feme mud undergo Hell-
Torments, till fuch time as they are deliver-
ed thence by the Bramifli Prieils, who read
the Law, and pray upon their Account, that
God may give them fpeedy Deliverance.
I reply'd, You are grofsly abus'd by the
Priefts in this, as well as in many other
Points, for the fake of Filthy Lucre : For
the Soul, as it leaves the Body, goes either
to Heaven, or to Hell, whence there is no
Redemption by Prayers of Priefts, nor by
Alms of Relations: For now, while we live,
is the accepted time for Repentance -, and
now is the Day of Salvation ; now is the
time to deal your Bread among the Lame,
the Blind, and very necelTitous People, and
not among the Priefts, the Minifters and Pro-
moters
of the Heathens Alms, &c« 281
meters of Idolatry, and the great Enemies
of all that is truly Good and Religious.
Hereupon they told me, if giving of Alms
to Bramans, and vifiting of the Refident Pla-
ces of the Gods were not good Works, they
defired me to inform them, wherein did a
good Work confift ?
To this Queftion T anfuer'd very fully j
giving all the Charaderiftick Marks of
GoodlVorks^ and how dangerous *tis to be
miftaken in this Point.
Whereupon one cry'd out, all what you
fay, is very excellent ; and epecially that
Aflertion of yours, We are not faved hy our
own good Works J lut ly the Grace of God.
Your Obfervation, faid I, is very jufl ; and
and I praife your quick Apprehenfion of
Things : But this is not enough ; you mud
likewife acknowledge,thar all Grace and Mer-
cy comes from 'jejus Chrzfi, who is the only
Mediator between God and Man j and be-
lieve, and bebaptiz'd in his Name.
Then a Woman flood up, ftnd ask'd, why
Godfaves I'ome, and damns others?
z^z The Thirtieth Conference^
J told them, that God would* have all
Men be faved, and come to the Knowledge
of the Truth ; giving them at the fame
time all the Aids of his Grace, and the Ex-
ternal Means of Salvation ; exhorting and
perluading them to turn to God ; but that
if they negled; the Day of Grace, and har-
den their Hearts, and defpife the Meffages
and Meflengers of good Tidings fent unto
them, their Damnation is ol themfelves,
and v^'ill be the jufl: Puniihment of their
wilful Obftinacy and Difobedience.
Hereupon I was interrupted by an old
Man lifting up his Voice ,• who bid me not
to make fo many Words about Blifs and
Mifery, Damnation and Happinefs j for that
there is no other Hell, than this Earth ,• up-
on which we live a Life of Mifery, feparated
from God, becaufe of former Tranfgreflion ;
and for the punifliing us for the fame, we
are baniflied for a time from the Prefence of
God, and imprifoned in thefe frail crazy
Frames of Flefli and Blood ; but when that
time appointed for the Expiation of our Sins
ihall come, we (liall be delivered from our
Bodies, and return into Heaven whence we
came.
Here-
of the Heathens AlmSy &ۥ 283
Hereupon I reply'd, This Earth, fo glo-
rious in all its Varieties, and wonderful in
its Productions of all forts, can't be the
Place of Damnation : The fpiritual Wick-
ednedes, and groffer Impieties thereupon
committed every Day, is owing to the firfl
Man's Difobedience i who, by finning a-
gainft God, drew a Curfe upon himfelF and
upon the whole Creation. That our Souls
are nobly, and heavenly defcended, I allow ;
but that they are united to Moulds of Clay,
upon Difobedience committed in a State and
Capacity purely Spiritual and Pre-exiftent
to his perfonal Union, is abfolutely deny'd,
as a grofs Midake flowing neceffarily from
your Ignorance of the Hiftory of the Crea-
tion, which teaches us how God created
Man after his own Image, by breathing into
his Noflrils the Breath of Life ; and how af-
terwards Man found out many Inventions,
and finned again{tGod,and is now miferable
in Soul and Body : But upon his turning
unto his former Obedience, by believing in
Jefus Qhrifl, tho' (at the Diflblution of thefe
Earthly Tabernacles, the Bodies are crum-
bled into Duft, and the Souls return to
God that gave them ; yet at the great Day
of Accompts the Souls fliall re-afiume their
former Bodies, to the end they may be
unitedly
284 The Thirtieth Conference, &c.
unitedly rewarded according to the Works
done in the Flelh, whether Good or Evil.
The Dodtrine of the Refurre^ion of the
Flejh offended feme oF them ; which gave
me a Handle to explain very fully this
great Article of the Chrijiian Faith .- With
which I concluded my Difcourfe.
Con-
285
Conference XXXI.
Of Chriji, the Saviour of
the World ; whether every
one may he faved in his
own Religion^ &c,
Beween jome Heathens, and one of the
Daniffi Mijjlonaries.
ON the Twenty eighth of May, feve-
ral Heathens came to {ce our Prints
ing-Houfe ; and finding fome Sheets
of St. Matthew's Gofpel, newly printed in
their own Language, they were very curi-
ous to know what it contain d, and to know
whofe Hidory it was.
I told them, that 'twas the Hiftory of Je-
Jus Chnfl the Saviour of all Mankind ; and
thence I took occafion to explain at large
the whole Procefs of Man s Salvation, which
they
2 85 The Thirty fir jl Conference^
they did not at all difapprove of ,• but af-
firmed, that every one might be faved in
his own Religion ,- and that the Gracious
God would condemn none of his Crea-
tures that ferioufly lov'd and fear'd him
as the Supreme Being, merely for fome
fpeculative Errors, or Tome lefs confidera-
ble Failings in Moral Pradice.
'to^
I granted them, that God was Gracious
and Merciful j but was hkewife a Juft and
Holy God, punifiiing wilful Impiety, and
an uninterrupted Courle of Wickednefs ;
which is altogether inconfiftent with an
earned and true Defire after Happinefs,
and the Enjoyment of God. And indeed,
this is your Cafe ; for tho' God has been
pleas'd to offer you the Means of Grace
and Salvation, you defpife his Offers, and
call his Words behind your Backs.
What, would you have us, Sir, turn Apo-
(lates from the Religion of our Fathers, and
leave the Temples of our Gods, to the end
ue may embrace the Religion of Foreigners,
and thereby be expofed to the Contempt
and Hatred of all our Country- men, by whofe
Means and Correlpondence our felv^es and
FafTiilies are provided for ? And befides all
thisj both Men and Women fit promifcuoufly
in jour Churches.
VJa3 To
of the Saviour of the World, &c. 287
To thefe and other fuch Objedlons, I
anfwer'd what I thought to the purpofe ;
fhewing them, that Was neceffary to fufTer
fome Inconveniencies in this Life, when we
were well alTur'd to be infinitely rewarded
with an exceeding Weight of Glory in that
which is to come. And as to the promif-
cuous Aflemblies of all Ranks and Sexes in
our Churches, 'tis but what common Rea-
fon does didate to us ; For we are all crea-
ted and maintained by the fame God ; and
we have nothing but what we receive of
his Hands j and if fo, why fhould we
vainly and fooliflily fay to our Brother,
Hand thou there, for I am holier than thou ?
We Chriflians are all Brethren and Sifters
in Chrifl Jefus^ enjoying the fame Glori-
ous Advantages of being efteemed the Chil-
dren of God, and the Communion of Saints,
which is an Article of our Holy Religion.
Both Men and Women have Souls equally
precious ; and therefore muft appear at the
proper Place appointed for Publick Inftru-
dtion, that they may be more and more con-
firm'd in the Dodrine of Salvation, and
encouraged to walk in the Ways of Vertuc
to the Glory of him that has called them
to the ProfefTion of the Gofpel.
You
288 The Thirty fir fl Conferenccy &cJ
You keep your Women in Ignorance of
all Religious Matters ; all their Knowledge
amounting only to this, that they can fay
the common Salutation Shalam^ before an
Image ; and repeat a very ihort Form of
Prayer, confilling only of Five Sylables, and
affiil at Feftival Ceremonies.
Con-
289
Conference XXXII.
Whether we/Jjould know God ^
and our own Minds firfl ;
or the Things ohviom to
our Senfes. Of Children
dying in their Infancy ,
Sec.
Between fome Bramans^ and one of
the DaniJJ) Miflionaries.
N the Thirtieth of May, I met ia
a Neighbouring Village very ma-
ny Bramans ; and falling into
Dilcourfe , we were prelently
furrounded by a great Multitude of Hear-
ers.
V The
25)0 The Thirty fecond Conference^'
The Bramans told me, that they would
fain know my Opinon upon feveral Parti-
culars, if I was diipofed to entertain them
with an amicable Conference.
I anfwer'd, Yes, provided the Subjedl-
matter of Difcourfe be edifying to them that
hear it. ,
Hereupon they, ask'd me, whether we
iliould firit endeavour after the Knowledge
of our felves, and then ftudy the natural Sci-
ences ; or, vice verfa^Rrd ftudy the Arts and
Sciences, and then Study the Nature
of God and our lelves ?
I anfwer'd, you fliould, without doubt,
know God an J your felves in the firft Place, as
the moft neceffary and ufeful Knowledge ;
and then attach your felves to inferior Sci-
ences.
Then they ask'd me, what I thought
would become of the Souls of thofe Chil-
dren that either died in the Mothers Womb,
or in the State of Infancy, beiore the Years
ofDifcretion?
of knowing God firfl, &c. 29 1
I anfwer'd, that fo foon as the Child is
form'd in the Womb with an immortal Soul,
he is already a perfedt Man, and is endued
with all the Faculties of a Rational Being,
tho' he can't adually exert his Reafon, in a-
d:ing or difcourfing as thofe of riper Years ;
becaufe of the Tendernefs of the bodily Or-
gans in young Children ; But as to their
6ouls, they are entire and perfe(5i: ; and after
their Separation from the Body, are capable
of enjoying the Beatifical Vifion of God in
Heaven, as well as the Souls of thofe that
live to Years of Maturity.
They ask'd me further about the Length,
Breadth, and Profundity of Hell >
I told them, that Things fpiritual were
not to be meafured by Yards and Inches ;
but that 'twas a State adapted for the Pu-
nilhment of unrepcnting Souls.
I was likewifc ask'd, how many Langua-
ges were now fpokea in Paradife ; and whe-
ther the departed Souls of different Nations
and Languages do underftand one another in
Heaven ?
V i
292 T^he Thirty fecond Conference ^
I reply'd, that Spirits have no Organs of
Speech ,• and therefore do not fpeak at
all • but whether they communicate their
Thoughts one to another, and after what
manner that is perform'd, that is what no
Man can pretend to explain. And withal
I bcgg'd leave to propofe in my turn fome
DiiTiculties to their ferious Confideration ;
And firlt, I ask'd them, how they could
worlliip thofe Imaginary Beings and Fi-
d-itious Gods, who, according to their own
Authors, were more wickedly profligate,
than the word Mifcreant among Rational
Beings ?
They anfwer'd, that tho' 'twas true, that
fuch and fuch Adions are related of the
Gods which would be criminal and finful
in any Man to do the like , ( for he is
UnStly forbidden to do fo and fo ; ) Yet
the Gods are lubjedi to no Law and Pre-
cepts, whether Negative or Affirmative,
and therefore could not be properly faid
to be guilty of any finFuI Adion : And we
are no more allow'd to withdraw from
them the ufeful Religious Woribip
paid to them for fo many Ages by our
Forefatliers, than wc are to deny our Allegi-
ance to our Lawful King, upon pretence of
fome Irregularities la his Life, and Male-
admi-
of knovping God firfl^ &c. 295
adminiftration of the publick Affairs of the
Kingdom.
I ask'd them in the next place, if they
could demonflrate that their Idols were true
Gods ?
They anfwer'd, that the Matter being
felf-evident, wanted no Proofs or Demon (Ira-
tions : For they had been ador'd as Ciods
for many thoufands of Years, by all the
Sages and wife Men in all the pall Ages of
the World.
Then I queflioned them about the Ori-
ginal of their Law, and how it was intro-
duc'd firft into the World ^ and wherein did
it chiefly confift }
They reply'd,TheGods themfelves reveal'd
unto their Prophets the feveral Precepts and
Ceremonious Ordinances contain'd in their
Law, and as for the feveral Hillorical Books
relating to the Achievements and Heroick A-
d:ions of th'? Gods, they had been faithfully
writ down by Learned Men that were Eye-
witnefTes of the faid Tranfadions, and care-
fully prefer v*d, and communicated to fuc-
ceeding Ages, without the leall Change or
Alteration.
V3 I
294 ^^^ Thirty fecond Confer eme,
I ask'd them farther, how they could
fhQWy that the Doilrine contained in their
Law was a faving Dodrine ?
They reply *d, as for moral Precepts, we
can give you demonftrative Proofs thereof;
but for the Precepts that relate to the Means
of Salvation, as, the Performance of this
or that Ceremony, we can give no reafona-
ble Account of fuch and fuch Precepts ;
but believe them to be acceptable to God,
when carefully put in Practice ,• not that
they are more decent, or ufeful than other
Ceremonies ; but becauie they are the
Rites that God commanded us carefully to
obferve ; and hence 'tis, that we conftantly
believe the Way of Salvation to be One
only ; but the Religious Duties and Or-
dinances are very various in different Coun-
tries , and among different Orders of
Men.
I proceeded in asking them wherein did
the pretended Purity and Holinefs of the
Br am am confifl: >
They
of knowing God fir fl, Szc. 295
They were pleas'd to give me the foL
lowing Account of themfelves ; ^We get
up daily two Hours before Sun-rifing, eafe
Nature , waih our Mouths , rinle our.
Teeth with clean Water ; then we wafli our
Bodies in confecrated Ponds, and repeat
our ordinary torms of Prayers, perform
the ufuai Ceremonic!>, beftrew our Mvcs
with confecrated Allies made ofCows Dung,
and walk about with fome holy Relick in
our Hands, for the Edification of the People ;
then we ofl^r Sacrifices in the Pagers, and
do all the Pago^. Offices ; and when we walk
out among the Populace, we give diligent
heed that they don't touch us, for fear of be-
ing polluted by them ; We eat no Flefli, and
drink no ftrong inebriating Liquors ,• but
feed upon clean wholfome Food ; and having
fpent one half of the Day in the Service of
the Gods, the other half we fpend in provi-
ding our felves with the Neceflaries of
Life,
I ask'd them in the lad Place, . where-
in their Prayers chiefly conrifted >
V 4 Our
2^6 The Thirty fecond Confer ence, &c.
Our Prayers, faid they, are Forms, dire-
died in general to the Supreme Being, or to
this or that God in particular : Very often
our Prayers are extemporary Effufions and E-
jaculations of the Soul to God, praying
for this or that Mercy, or for the Remo-
val of fome heavy Judgment.
Con-
297
Conference XXXIII.
Of the Water of the River
, Ganges ; of their Beads,
calTd Ruddiratfchangel,
and how prepard.
Between fome Antigoels (an Order
of Ecclefiafticks) and one of the Da^
niflj Miflionaries.
ON the Fourth oijune, I met near
a Pagocl, very many of the Anti-
goel Order, employ 'd in prepa-
ring Bearis, called Rudciiratfchan^
gel, elleemed by the Heathens as holy, and
precious Antidotes againltali forts of Occur-
rences : They are made of dry'd Berries
oj a certain Tree ; and therefore I was defi-
rous to know^ what gave them their Value,
and this more than Ordinary Efteem among
the ► eopie, (e^irg Jieir iniriiifick Worth was
bus; very incOi^i/:dtiable? They
2^% fhe Thirty third Conference]
They anfwer'd, that thefe forts of Beads
had been for fome thoufand Years unconte-
fledly an efficacious Medicine for Souls, and
a Sovereign Amulet againfl: the Power of
Sin and Satan ; and are Jikewife great Pre-
fervatives againft all Difeafes and Mifchances
attending all living Creatures ; and they are
nor to be prepared by the prophane Vul-
gar ; but by us of the holy and fan(^ified
Order of Antigoels.
I told them that this could be nothing elfe
but Witchcraft : For 'tis evident, that the
Berries of Trees can't change the Conftitu-
tion of a vicious Mind, and make it lober
and temperate.
There vi'as alfo prefent a Mao, who had
the Water of the River Ganges to diftribute
among the People at a very dear Rate.
Him I likewife took to task, and ask'd, how
the Water of that River, Vv'hich is full of
Carrion and dead Carkafles daily caft into
it , fliould have a diftinguifliing Vertue
from Waters of all other Rivers whatfoe-
ver ?
B^t
of the River Ganges^ Sec. 299
But they told me, that this River fprung
from Paradife ; and that therefore the
Water of it was holy and eilicacious to
purge the Soul from all fpiritual Diftem-
pers.
The Water- merchant added, if the Water
of Ganges was not truly confecratcd, why
Ihould fo many Nations have Recourfe to
its holy Streams, rather than to other
Rivers >
I anfwer'd, that all their tediousPilgrimages
to Ganges^ as well as to other Places of Devo.
tion, was Superftition, Madnels, and grofs
Ignorance of the Means of Salvation, or-
dained by Gqd himfelf to change the Heart,
and purifie the Confcience from dead Works.
But you Heathens infifting upon the fabulous
Traditions of credulous Antiquity, are re-
folved to march on in the dark, as your Fa-
thers did before you, not unlike thofe blind
Mafters of Families, who heard much talk-
ing of an Elephant ; but becaufe of their
Bhndnefs could form no true Idea of him ,•
but refolv'd that the Senfe of Feeling ihould
fupply the Want of the vifive Faculty. One
of them took the Elephant by the Tail ; and
going home, reported to his Wife and Chil-
dren, that an Elephant was like a great I^ole ;
another
3 00 The Thirty third Conference^ Szc,
another taking the Elephant by the Ear, re-
ported to his Domefticks, that it was fome-
thing like a Beefom ,• and a Third hand-
ling him by the Trunk, told his Chil-
dren, that an Elephant was very like a Pe-
ftie, wherewith Rice is pounded in a Mortar ;
and their refpecfiive Families ever fmce en-
tertain thefe different Notions of an Elephant.
And thus 'tis with refped: to the Notion you
entertain of God, or the Supreme Being,
holding tenacioufly the foolifli Traditions of
your Fathers, blindfold and unexamined.
Con-
301
Conference XXXIV,
Of the Chriflian Religion ;
and of the Mahometan.
Between a Mahometan Pricft, and fome
Moors, and one of the Dani/Jj MiC-
fionaries.
N the Ninth of Juyte I was vifited
by a Mahometan Prieft, accompa-
ny 'd with a very numerous Re-
tinue of Moors-, who told me, he
underftood that I endeavour'd to introduce
a new Rehgion among them, never known
to Mofes, Davidj Chriji, nor Mahomet.
I reply'd, that he was ftrangely mifmfor-
med : For we taught nothing but what Mo-
[es,^ David znd Jejus Chrifi warranted us to
(peak and teacli : And this I made out very
fully, by ihewing him, chat we proiefled
the
J 02 The Thirty fourth Conference^
the Chriftian Religion in its Primitive Puri-
ty, containing all that Mofes and David left
behind them in their infpired Writings.
But as for your Mahomet^ he did but corrupt
the Dodljfine of the Prophets, and that of
the Gofpel of Chrift : Out of which Cor-
ruption was generated that impure Mixture,
or Compoll, called the Alcoran^
The Mahometan reply'd, we acknowledge
for Genuine, the Writings of Four Great
Prophets, viz. Mofes^ who was fent from
Heaven , to blefs the World with Good
Laws; but God failing of his Aim, fent
David unto the World, to mitigate the Laws
of Mofes : But his Law was likewife difre-
garded, and violated by the greateft Part
of Mankind : Whereupon Ifrali (Jefus
Chrift) was fent into the World, who was
born of Mary^ and did many Wonders, and
jiv'd mofl: of his time in the Wildernefs ;
never frequenting Cities, nor any Place
inhabited by Mankind ; wherefore the
greateO; part of the World defpifed his Law
as not (uitcd to civil Societies ; but rather
calculated for a few Hermits and Monks,
afleding Wildernelles rather than populous
Cities. Hereupon God Almighty refolving
to accommodate all Degrees, Ranks and
Conditions of Men, he fent Mahomet into
the World to write the Alcoran, as didated
by
of the Chriflian Religion, &c. 303
by the Angel Gahriel, fuited to the Capacities
and Humours of all forts of People ; allow-
ing at the fame time the Laws of Mofes,
David, and of Chrifl^ to be Divine and
Heavenly ; only we give Mahomet the Pre-
ference, as being the laft of all the Four
mentioned Legiflators ; who unanimoufly
afferted the Unity of One God.. For tho'
Jefus Chrid was adored as God by fome of
his own Difciples and heedlefs Followers ;
yet he himfelf preach'd againfl: the Plurality
of Gods : And when he came to hear, that
fome of his Difciples adored him, calling him
the Son of God, he abandon'd them to them-
felves, and retir'd into the Wildernefs,where
he made this excellent Prayer to the One
God, faying, Thou knowefl rights Great and
Supreme Governour of the UniverfSy that I
acknowledge no God hefides thee j and yet
againfl my Will and Orders^ fome of my
Difciples adore me as a Gody calling me thy
Sony ivho did ft neither heget, nor art begotten.
Hence it came to pafs, that the Difciples
were of different Sentiments about their
own Mafter ^ fome holding the Dodrine of
Unity, as Chrift taught them -, and others
adored him as a God. Therefore Mahomet
was fent into the World to deftroy the Wor-
iliip of many Gods, both among the Heathens
and Chrfflians.
I
J 64 The Thirty fourth Conference^
T rcply'd, that what he had reported of
Chrifi^ was partly true, and partly very Fa*
bulousand Falfe. And as for the Dodrine
of the trinity, I prov d it to him out of the
Writings of Chrill: himfelF, whom he allow'd
to be a True Prophet ; and confonant to the
Dodtrine taught in the Pfalms, and in the
Law o{ MofeSy tho' not fo clearly there ex-
prefs'd, as in the New Teltament.
Well, fa id he, I have heard you preaching
to day ; and I don't altogether difapprove
of your Religion ,• and was mightily pleas'd
to fee no idols or Images in your Church,
as among the Portugueze ; who fymbolize
aimoil: in every thing with the Heathens, in
the Number oi Idols and Graven Images.
I was like^vife in the Dani(h Church, where
all the Bearers are White Men ; and there
alfo I law fosne Images : Pray, are your Re-
ligions diilereok
ir >
I anfwer'd, that 'twas but One Religioa ;
and thofe Images were not woribipp'd as by
the Fortugueze ; but only ferv'd as Orna-
ments CO the Church, and as commemora.
tive Signs of fome PalTages of Chrifi's Life
and huiiering^. Upon this, I Ihew'd the
Order we obierv'd to bring up our Children
in the Knowledge and Fe^r of God ,• and
prefented
of the Chriflian Religion^ &c. 305
prefented him with fome Books out of our
Printing Houfe, relating to the Principles of
the Chriftian Religion i with which he feem-
ed very much fatisfied ; alluring me, that he
was charm'd with the Civility and kind Be.
haviour of the Europeans.
Then he bid me i^dieu; promifmgto give
me another Vifit very foon.
The END of the CONFERENCES.
X LETTERS
3°7
LETTERS
FROM THE
HEATHENS
TO THE
MmSIONJRIES.
LETTER I.
Of the Malabarian Regeneration^ or
Metemplychofis.
YOU the Venerable Prlefts of Tra^-
quelar , have been pleafed to
favour me with the Continuance
of your Love ; And according to
the bed of my Capacity, I have endeavour'd
hitherto to be pundua!, in making the bed
X -L Returns
3 o8 Letters from the Heathens
Returns to your feveral Interrogatories :
I do affiire you, that I am readily difpoled,
and very de/irous to do you further Service.
You are plcafed to ask me, what we mean
by Regeneration, or our Second Birth ? Sirs,
our Meaning is, that every Man born into
this Worldj that leads a vertuous Life, ex-
ercifing Repentance for paft Tranfgrelfions,
and abftaining for the future from the Pra-
(flice of Vice, performing withal the Offer-
ings and Ceremonies enjoyned byoiif Laws,
fliall at his Death, enter upon the real En-
joyment of Eternal Happinefs ; and is not
liable to the perplexing Nece/Tity of being
born of a Woman the fecond time. But
fuch as live wickedly, and die without Re.
pentance, mud not only undergo punifliing
Severities in the other World ; but withal,
their Souls will be re-commirted into Bodies
two-footed, four-footed, or volatile, to atone
and do Penance for Sins committed in the
former Body ; and in cafe of Non repentance,
their Nativity is to be ftill reiterated ; elfe
they will never enter into Eternal Reft.
This is the received Opinion among our
Learned Men, concerning this Matter , and
is all that i have to write upon this Head.
IF^^^R
to the Mijjlonaries^ 309
LETTER 11,
Of the State of Departed Souls ^
\7'0UR Letter I have receiv'd, contain-
ing fome hard Qiieftions, and your
friendly VViilies for the Continuation of my
Health, which, thro' God's Goodnefs and
the Mediation of your Prayers, I hitherto
enjoy : And as to your Demand about the
State of Separated Souls ^ the common Opi-
nion is, that Emadudakel, or the Mellenger
of Death, receives the Soul, as 'tis breathed
out of the Body, into a kmd of a Sack, and
runs away with it thro' Briars, and Thorns,
and burning Whirlwinds, which torment the
Soul very fenfibly, till he arrives at the Bank
of a Fiery Current, thro' which he is to pafs
to the other fide, in order to deliver the Soul
to Emeny or the God of the Dead • who
refers the Examination thereof to his Secre-
tary, named Tfchiddirahuddiren, who is to
make his Report to Biruma (or one of the
three Perfons in the Malaharian Godhead i)
who rewards Jufl and Holy Souls v/ith the
everlafting Fruition of God's Glorious Pre-
fence;. but the Souls of the Wicked are tor-
mented with Pains intolerably grievous, ^c.
X 3 LETTER
3 1 Letters from the Heathens
LETTER III.
Of the Day of Judgment.
JN Anfwer to your Queftion, 'viz. If all
Men are to he nndevouz d in a General
ASemhly^ to receive feverally every one his
Final Doom > I reply, That when the Lad
of thefe Eighteen Great Durations of the
World are at an End Teach of which Dura-
tions, or Cycles, confifting of many thou-
(Imd Years^ then the Supream Being will
fummon the Dead to appear, in order to
judge every one according to his Deeds,
whether they be Good or Evil : The Godly
are either receiv'd into an Eternal State of
Happinefs, or are to undergo another Birth,
in order to be further purify 'd, and to arrive
to higher Degrees of Perfection : But they
who lead vicious Lives, are Tent to animate
the Bodies of Flies, Birds, Dogs, Foxes, or
other Beads, in a new World : For there
iliall be then a new Creation of Sun, Moon
and Stars, ^c.
LETTER
to the Mijjionm ies* j i i
L E.T T E R IV.
Among the Four different Religions of the
World, rphich is the mofl proper to
render us happy in the next World ?
M.M. the unvvorthiert: of your Slaves,
greet you heartily with a profound Scki"
lam (^Salutation) As to your Queftion, a-
bout the Choice of the bell Religion, you
are no doubt, better versd in this fort of
Queftions than I am i and at leaftwife, are
a/Rired that Men can be faved in one ReU-
gion or another.
Our Sentiments about Religious Matters
are very different in this Land ; tho' we all
agree in this, to mind more the Things of
this World, than any Spiritual Concerns ,•
and thofe few that have (Jilengaged them-
felves from the Pleafures and Advantages of
Life, and fpend their time in the Purluit oi
Heavenly Things, arc look'd upon as Men
arriv'd at the higheft Degree of Perfection ;
tho' 'tis a receiv'd Opinion amongft us, that
all fuch as lead a good and vertuous Life,
may be faved in any Religion : And we ihail
X 4 begin
5 1 2 Letters from the Heathens
begin with the Mahomeiatty which allows
one married Wife, but Fourty eight Con-
cubines i and commands to pray five times
a Day. Therefore I humbly conceive, that
a Man may be faved in this Religion, if he
Lmfeignedly believes the Frincipies thereof
to be Divine and True ; feeing 'tis confefs'd
on all Hands, that Faith is the great
Inftrument of our Salvation ; but this we
blame in the Mahometan^ that he is for con-
demning ail but himfelf.
The Law of the Chriftian is true and ho^
ly, comprehending the Life of Chrift, who
came into the World to teach Mankind the
Way of Salvation, died and rofe again, or^
dering the Ufe of Baptifm and of the Lord's
Supper, and all other things neceifary for
the attaining of Salvation : But this we
mightily diOike in your Religion, as abomi.
nable, that you fpit [They uje to go out of the
Honfe to fpit] in your own and other Mens
Prefence ; that you converfe with your Wives
in the time of their Uncleannefs ; and that
you make no diflindion between Fa-
milies.
As
to the Mijfwnariesl 3 i ^
As touching the Jewijh Religion, 'tis
known that that is comprehended in the Old
Teflament ; but feeing they expecSt a Mejftas
to come to deliver them, and defpilb Chrift
and his Gofpel, I really believe, they vain-
ly hope for, another Deliverer, ^c.
LET-
J 1 4 Letters from the Heathens
LETTER V.
of the Four Principalities into which the
Kingdom ^/ Tan jour is divided.
Mod Reverend Priefls, Your favouring
me with your entertaining Enqui-
ries, obliges me to give you the belt Informa-
tions I can in this Matter : The lafl: King
that reigned over the tanjouiian Kingdom,
was named Egofchirajcha ; and died but Two
Years ago ; the prefent King's Name is Sa-
ruivofchirafcha, and Rules abfolutely in this
Kingdom, by paying 3333 Dollers to the
great Moguls and as much to one of his
Vicegerents in a Province bordering upon
Tanjour, The King's younger Brother is
called Dukkofchirafcha. There are four
Lieutenants or Lords, that govern the four
Provinces into which the Kingdom is divid-
ed ; and their Names are Suweatter Tjcok
Kapamudaliar , Suweitar Wawofch'tpandiden^
Suweitar Schivaminadapullei ^ and Suwertar
Annatfchipand'tder. The Refidence of the
iirft Lord is Southwards, and called Dirut-
t^arapundi'y the Refidence of the Second is
Kumhakonum ; of the Third, Karuppuranei-
kurei \ and the City where the Fourth re-
fides, is called Kevoirimairom. One of thele
Lord-
to the M'lffionaries, 3 f ^
Lorddiips fell to the Ibare of the King's
younger Brother at the Deceafe of Egofchi-
rafcha their eldeft Brother. The Inhabitants
do not polTefs a Foot of Ground here ; but
all is the King's Land ; yet Husbandry is
promoted with all the Chearfulnefs imagi-
nable : For the Lord Lieutenant gives them
Seed to Tow their Fields, gives Oxen to thofe
that are Poor, and fometimes advances them
Money to buy themfelves Bread, till the
Harvefl comes ; and then they are to re-
ceive two Fifths for their Labour, and the
Remainder is the King's ,• but in other Pro*-
vinces the fame Proportion is not obferved :
For the Sovereign has more than three
Fifths; and the Inhabitants fomewhat iefs
than two.
•In the Province where Bomwhahttapitilei
governs, there was lately (bund an immenfe
Treafure, with vvhich he bmk a very Mag-
nificent Palace, but negle(5ting to pay that
Refpediand Veneration to one of the King's'
Minillers, as was expecfred, 'twas infinuated
to the King, that the Lieutenant's Wife and
Daughter were ibch finiflied Beauties thaC
the whole World could not parallel ,* and
withal that he had built a very fiately Houfe,
adorned with Columns fo artificially
Wrought , emulating the mod Mallerly
Workmanlliip in the King's Houfe ,- and
that:
3 1 6 Letters from the Heathens
that fome of thefe (lately Pillars were bol-
Jovv within, tilled with molten Gold, the
better to hide his immenfe Treafures from
the Knowledge of his Sovereign. Where^
upon a Band of armed Men were fent to
bring him to Court ; and feveral great La-
dies were fent thither to condud: to Court
his Wife and Daughter ; but the Lieutenant
defending his jBoufe with Twenty armed
Men, bid defiance to the King's Soldiers:
which fo enrag'd his Sovereign, that he
ordered his Houfe to be levell'd with the
Ground, and all his Preciou? Furniture tq
be carried to Court.
The Inhabitants live very eafie and hap- .
pily in all thefe Four Provinces, except
in Mairom ; where they are cruelly op-
prefs'd by a Rich Braman, whom the Lieute-
nant has veiled with almofl: abfolute Autho-
rity, fo as to raife the Price of Corn at plea-
fure, refufing to give them their Proportion
of the yearly Produce of their Ground. He
raifes Monopolies of all forts of Provender
for either Man or Bead, and fells it at an
exceffive Rate : And tho' repeated Complaints
have been made againft him, he always
comes off with a good Grace, by the Means
of large Prefents to the King's Minifters, ^c
LET-
to the MiJJtonaries, 3 1 7
LETTER VI.
Of the Original of the City of Tranque-
bar ; and of the Danifh Colony fettled
there.
r OST Venerable PrieQs, who worflilp
_ J^ the Three Glorious One God, Lord
of Lords, and King of Kings j who propa-
gate the Knowledge of the True Religion,
exercifmg Juftice and Righteoufnefs, and
walking in the laudable Paths of Vertue ^ T,
who am the meaneft of your Servants, kifs
your Feet with a profound Schalam,
The Family of the Seelingers (Mariners^
inhabited the Towns Dirumaleiwaf.hel^ Di-
rnkaremr^ and Dirukilatfcher^ for 300 Years;
afterwards a wife Man came to underlland,
that in this Place the City of Tranquehar
had been, but fincedeftroy'd by Inundations,
and converted into a Mountain of Sand :
Whereupon a Brawan, accompany 'd with
one of his Difciples, coming to view the
Place, they difcovered fome Remains of a
Temple overgrown with Wood: For which
reafon Orders were immediately given to
clear
3 1 8 Letters from the Heathens
clear the Ground , and make the Place
habitable.
In the time of King ArfchuJappanaiker
arrived here 9 Danijh Admiral, who was
kindly received by ourGovernours ,• and, to
his great Satisfadion, procured Freedom to
build a Fortrefs in the Year i6io: The
Governour's Name was Gale de Gedde : Since
which time the Place has been more and
more fortified ; and the Danes don't only
oblige all Merchant Ships arriving here, to
pay Cuftom -, but raife Contributions from
many of our Neighbouring Villages.
LET.
to the Mifjionaries. 2 1 9
LETTER VII.
Oj the Contents of a Famous Book, calPd
Diruwalluwer.
MOST Reverend Priefts, in compliance
with my own Duty, and your juft
Defires, I fend you the following Account
of our celebrated Poem, call'd Diruwalluwer :
It contains ^30 Verfes ; the Chapter caird
Arupal, has 38 Leaves, containing ^80 Ver-
fes y the Chapter Poralpaly 70 Leaves, con-
taining 700 Verfes ,• the Chapter Rumapal,
xs Leaves, and 250 Verfes. The firft of
thefe Chapters teaches the Difference be-
tween Vice and Vertue, and the Manner of
performing ail good Works, whether Reli-
gious or Civil ; the fecond Chapter teaches
how to dired our Thoughts in the Con-
templation of Death, and how we are to
carry our felves in Buying and Selling : and
the third and laft Chapter treats of all the
Duties relating to a Marriage-State.
Lp-r- TT^
3 ZO Letters from the Heathens
LETTER VIII.
Of the Malabariatis Notion of Happinefs
and Mifery ; or^ their Heaven and
Hell
GOD inhabits A'oliafchum, or Paradife ;
in which there are feveral Manfions
for Ir'rophets of different Degrees, to bring
tfieir Offerings and Sacrifice before the Su-
preme Being. This delicious Place is blefs'd
and adorn'd with Flowers, Gardens plenti-
fully affording all forts of Fruits, with fa-
cred Springs and Fountains of Living Water ;
where alio Heavenly Birds, fuch as Fine
Parrots, render the Place more agreeably
blefs'd, and perfectly delicious. The Faith,
ful and Godly Souls departed this Life,iliali
fee God Face to Face, thro' all the never-
ceafing Ages of Eternity.
On the contrary, Hell is the Refidence of
Emeu (^Death,^ and is called Emalogu^ and
is a large fiery Cellar, where there are fiery
Leeches, which torment Sinners proportio-
nably to the Degrees of their Crimes.
LETTER
to the Mijfwnarie%l 3 2j'
L E T T E R IX*
Of the End of the World.
BEfore the End of the World, we eon-
(lantly believe, that the North, South,
Eaft, and Weft Seas, iliall be all blended
together, and make but one Great Sea ; and
that thenall living Creatures, (the Inferior
Gods themfelves not excepted) ihall ceafe
to be diftindt feparate Beings, by being
fwallowed up into the Nature of the One
only God, the primary Caufeof all things :
And there will be a new Creation immedi-
ately follow : The Supreme Being will cre-
ate a Sett of new Gods ,• and thefe new
Gods will form all forts of Mineral, Vege-
tative, and 'Animated Beings, much the
fame as they were before.
LET-
3 22 Letters from the Heathens
LETTER X.
Deliverance from Sin, The chief End of
Man, Duty towards his Creator^ and
Knowledge towards God^
T 7f 7 E believe>the Way to expiate the Guilt
y V of Sill, is, with Drink and Meat-Of-
ferings, vifiting the Vagods, building new, or
by repairing Publick Houfes to entertain
Strangers in, by Cloathing and Feeding the
Priefts, and Building Houles for the BramanSy
fpending part of our time in Pilgrimaging
from one Place of Devotion to another j and
by doing more fuch Offices towards our Fel-
low Creatures.
The chief End of Man's Creation, is to
know God, and dired daily Prayers, and
ofter Sacrifices unto him ,• and that Man
fliould ftudy, read, and meditate on the Di-
vine Laws.
And as to the Duties that God requires of
Man. they are fuch as thefe ; Every good
Man IS obliged to get up at Three a-clock
in the Mornmg, rinie and cleanfe his Teeth,
b efprinkle
to the Miffionaries.- 523'
befprinkle himfelf with confecrated Allies
bathe himfelF in Holy Streams, and then
prepare a Drin-k-Offering of Honey, Milk,
Sugar, Lemmons, Kokus-wat^r, and Kun^
^«/w/-Flowers, and oF other fuch Aromatick
Spices ; repeat feveral Forms of Prayers, and
attend diligently the Prf^<7^-Worlhip.
In the laft place, and in Anfwer to your
Qiieftion, viz. wherein the Knowledge of
ones fcif confffts ? I anfwer, that in order to
know our felves thoroughly, we mud be well
skill'd in the Nature ot the five Elements ;
as alfo their different EffecSts and Properties,
We mud be very well acquainted with the
Dodrine of Refpiration and Infpiration,and
be able to know how many times he fetches
his Breath in one Day ,• which according to
Computation, is twenty one thoufand, and
two hundred times. Moreover he mud
know where the Sence of Feeling is, whea
a Man fleeps ? Wherein does Life properly
confift, and where is the Seat thereof? Laft-
ly, he muft be well read in the Dodrine of
the Caufes and Symptoms of all Difeafes;
well acquainted with his own Complexion;
and in fine, be able to account both for
Memory and Forgetfulnefs. Such a Man as
this, may be properly fiiid to know him«'
felf.
Y X LET-
324 Letters from the tieathens
LETTER XL
Of the Malabarians Opimon of the Chri"
flian Religion,
THE Law of the Chriftiansis holy, jufl,
and good ; the Dod^rine of the Tri-
nity, the Life of Chrift, and of his Twelve
Apoflles are all very edifying; and fo are
your Commandments and Articles of Faith ;
Moreover, you affirm, that in the Beginning
God did only create the Man and the Wo«
man ; All which I believe to be very true :
And indeed, your Law feems to be a clear
Mifrour, without Flaw or Blemifh ; and
did you but abflain from your eating of
Cows Flelh, fpitting in your Houfes, and
fome other daily Nadinefles committed by
you ; and on the contrary, accuftom your
lelves to wafhing your Bodies more often,
and ad nothing againft Purification and
Cleanlinefs ; wc aflure you, the whole Na-
tion would have nothing to fay againfl: your
Difcipline, except your giving out, that
you eat the Body of Chrift, and drink his
Blood in the Sacrament; which T humbly
conceive, norie of us will ever be able to com*
prehend. LET'*
to the Mijfwnarles. 325
LETTER Xir.
The Religion of ?Z?^ Heathens and Turks
compared together^
REverend Sir, you derire to know if
any one living according to the Prin-
ciples of the Mahometan Religion, may ob-
tain everlafting Life and Happinefs ; and
which I judge to be the bell, this, or my
own Malabar tan Religion > In order to fatis-
fie your Queftion, give me leave to tell
you, that our Religion is as old as the World,
which is indeed, a tenfold Law or Religion,
marking out unto Mankind Ten different
unerring Ways of attaining Salvation j or as
we are wont to exprefs it, Ten fever al Offer-
i»^s : For this, or that Way of worfliipping
God, aflifting at fuch or fuch Ceremonies,
leading this or that fort of Life, we call
Oflerings made of our Time and Labour to
the Service of God; whereof the firlt is this,
which requires, That a Man do believe in
the great Sovereign Being, revere afid adore
him, offer unto him, and love him with all
Kis Heart, and with his Lips fmg forth the
Praifes due to his Name.
Y 3 The
3 25 Letters from the Heathens
The fecond Way of attaining Happinels,
is, to woriliip God without the Intervention
of Images and Tagods^ by directing our
Minds and Hearts immediately to the Su-
preme Being, regarding all the different Re-
ligions this day eftablilhed in the different
Countries of the World, to be equally good
or bad : For fuch a Votary ties himfelf to
no Sett of publick Ceremonies ; but
worihips God in Spirit and in Truth, and
believes him to be all- feeing, All in all,
and every where equally prefent.
The third Way of attaining Salvation, is
by offering to the Tiratti Lingum., which is
an Image of a Man made of Dung, which
we beftrew with fweet-fcented Flowers,
and dired Formulas of Prayers to it, with
great Devotion ; and believe in fo doing, to
attain Salvation and Eternal Happinefs ;
becaufe we are commanded fo to do by the
Law of God.
The fourth Way of attaining Happinefs,
is by leading a Monaftical Life, abandoning
Houfe and Home, and all the Pleafures
that attend a focial Life, by living in Wil-
dernefles and Woods, f:parated trom the
reft of Mankind.
The
to the MiJJionaries. j 2 7
The fifth Way to Happinefs, is Celibacy,
holding no Commerce or Familiarity with
Women ; or, if one is married, by giving
his Wife a Bill of Divorce, living chaitly and
foberly the remainder of his Life. We be-
lieve that fuch Men as thefewill be certain-
ly happy in the other World, for generouily
(for the fakeof God)derpiring the Pleafures
of this.
The fixth Way leading to eternal Happi-
nefs, is, the obferving diligently the ftrid
"Performances of the Ceremonious Rites
and Offeriijfgs^^i^r'd us by the Priefis in
filie p0^s^ and ftudying to be ufeful and
ben^Jcial to all Mankind.
The feventh Way to Happinefs, is blind-
ly to follow in all things the Did-ates
and Commands of our Priefts, and believe
what they bid us, whether it be good or
bad : For we are not to fearch into the
Nature of Vice and Vertue; but fquare
our Lives by the Exemplary Lives of ho-
ly Priefts and Men of God.
The eighth Way leading to Eternal Hap-
pinefs, is the Exercife of all forts oF good
Works i by diilributing Rice among the
Poor, clothing feme, Furniiliing others with
Y 4 Money,
328 Leters from the Heathens
Money, building Houfes for the Bramam^
and publick Inns for poor Pilgrims and
Strangers.
The ninthWay to Happinefs, is the lead-
ing a ftrid Life according to the Command-
ments of our Law ,• and conftantly offering
to fVifchtfiu, is the Tenth Way to attain E-
ternal Happinefs.
As for the Mahometan Religion, the Pro-
feffors thereof cry it up for the bed Religion
in the World, which we constantly deny ;
tho' we acknowledge at the fame time the
Mahometans to be a wife People j neither do
we pretend to blafpheme their Religion ;
but confefs ingenuoufly, if they do live up
to what they profefs, God in Mercy will
fave their Souls.
LET-
to the Mijjionaries. 329
LETTER XIIL
Of the feveral Kings and Princes who
have ruVd in the Malabarian and
neighbouring Kingdoms,
TO comply with your Commands, I
fend you the following Account of
the feveral Kings and Princes that have go-
verned for the lad 85 Years m our Neigh.-
bouring Kingdoms.
• In the lad Antu (the Space of 60 Years)
King Regunadanaiker rul'd in the Kingdom
of Tfchoromandel^ K^"g MarudeiwirA-paKaiker
rul'd in Diritfchancipal : Thefe, and many
more petty Kings, have neither Crowns, nor
Scepters ; but King Tfchingamagarafcha de-
fcended lineally from the Sun, hath wore
a Crown, and ruTd in Kand't^ or in the fa-
mous Ifland of Qeylon : He built many Pa-
gods^ Houfes for Bramansy and for Pilgrims
in every City, endow'd with Yearly Reve-
nues, and all poffible Accommodations, and
with all Eatables, and even with Milk for
Babes, who might with their Nurfes pafs
that way : Befides, he gave general Orders
to
3 50 Letters from the Heathens
to conduct: the Pilgrims into their Lodgings
in dark Nights with Flambeaux and Torches.
He never perverted Juftice; but the Poor
and the Rich were treated according to the
flrideO; Impartiality of diftributive Juftice ;
His Treafure was inexhauftible ; and after
he had reigned fourcy Years, he died, to the
great Lofs of all his Subjeds,
In this prefent Antu, reigns in the King-
dom oi tjchoromandel the Son of Regunaela
naiker. The prefent King of Ceylon is called
after his Father's Name, Tfchingamarafcha,
When there was a great Dearth in the
Kingdom of Coromandel, the King ordered
his Officers to call together a hundred thou-
fand Men to be fupplied with Meat and
Drink in thofe hard times. And the King
calling for a Balance, put himfelf in one
Scale thereof, and Gold enough to counter-
balance in the other Scale ; which Gold he
immediately caufed to be diftributed among
the People ; He continued for fome time to
be an Univerfal BlefTing to his Countrey ;
following the good Example of Pious Kings
his Predeceffors ,• but afterwards prov'd to
be a cruel Tyrant, plundering his Subjed:s
of their bed Effeds ; and if any had a hand-
fome Woman to his Wife, the King carried her
away by force, giving in lieu thereof a Piece
of
to the MiJJionaries, 3 3 i
of Money to the injured Husband. He had
One hundred and fifteen married Wives, and
one Thoufand Concubines : Three hundred
and threefcore Women did dance daily in
his Prefence ; his Palanquin was always born
by Women ; Women carried Flambeaux and
Torches before him, attended him with Um-
hello s^ play'd on Indruments i and all the
other Court- Employments within Doors were
all done by Women ; whereof no lefs than
Five thoufand were employ 'd in his Family :
All which Women, with all his Jewels and
vafl: Treafures, he caufed to be {hut up in
"a Houfe, and to be blown into the Air
with Gunpowder, at the Approach of the
Army of the Great Mogul to bellege Tanjour^
one of his chief Cities. His two Sons feeing
their Father's Cowardice, in not daring to
fight the Great Moguls oder'd their Service
to the King, and undertook to defeat all the
Mogulijh Armj, if their Father would but
entruftthem with the Command of Four and
twenty tiioufand Mea. Is it fo, reply'd the
Father, then when you have defeated the^
Great Mogul, you'll employ your Prowefs
againft my felf; whereupon the two Bro-
thers were Iliut up in a dark Chamber,
and flarv'd to Death. Some time after,
this bloody Man, at the Sacking o\ TaMJour.
was taken and heun to p.cccs by his Ene-
mies.
LET-
2 2 2 Letters from the Heathens
LETTER XIV.
Of the Sacerdotal and Regal Dignity,
YOU were pleas'd to ask our Opinion in
relation to the Sacerdotal and Regal
Dignity ; anjd which in our Judgment is the
more Excellent ?
We conceive the Matter thus j the Priefts
teach and inftrud: the King himfelf in the
Precepts of Wildom and Religion, and ihews
him the Ways of Salvation j and Kings and
Princes rule Kingdoms and Principalities ;
and their Authority relates only to the
Things of this Life : So that the King and
the Pried are highly to be efteem'd and re-
vered ; but with Refpedts of a very different
kind ; the Authority of the one regarding
only our fpiritual, and that of the other, our
Temporal and Worldly Welfare.
LETTER
to the Miffionarief, 335
LETTER XV.
Of buying Slaves ; of making Wary n^he*
ther LarpfuL
IN anfwer to your feveral Queftions,
we fend you our Meaning in few
Lines : And in the firft Place, touching
fuch Perfons as make it their Bufinefs to
cajole half witted innocent Men with large
Promifes, and other Allurements, in order
to mafter them afterwards, by reducing
them into the Condition of Slaves, we
look upon fuch Men, incapable of receiv-
ing Forgivenefs of Sins, and of enjoying
future Happinefs : And 'tis a Proverb com-
mon among us, That a City driving fuch
infamous Commerce, can never increale, nor
profper.
We believe it lawful to make- War up-
on our Enemies that wrong and injure us,-
and if the King in fuch Cafes does not
defend his Subjects by repelling Force with
Force, he forfeits his Crown and Scepter :
And 'tis written in one of our Books call'd
Rafchianidifaftrumy that tho' a fandlified
Cow
334 Letters from the Heathens
Cow fiiould attempt to gore a Man violent.
]j; 'tis then lawful to kill her, which other-
wife is here a very Capital Crime.
Moreover, we believe, that all that die
in a lawful War in the Defence of their Coun-
trey, are receiv'd into Paradife,- and he that
kills an Enemy, is recompenfed in the other
World with higher Degrees of Glory and
Happinefs, ^c
LET-
to the Mtjfwnaries* 335
LETTER XVI.
Of the Indian and European Civil Go-
vernment ; and which ought to be ^-
fleemed the beft^
OUR Civil Law in Malabar is very ex-
cellent, grounded on Juftice and E-
quity, and the Proceeding is according to
Evidences, and teftimonial Depofitions of
faithful and honeft Men ; but very often
there are great Miftakes committed in the
Executive Part of our Laws, through the
Negligence of our Kings, and Corruption of
wicked Miniflers.
We readily acknowledge the Europeans
to be a very polite and well difciplin'd Peo-
ple ; efpecially at Sea, and at Fire-Arms ;
but in weilding a Sword, or in managing
Bows and Arrows, fighting upon Elephants
and Camels, or in warlike Stratagems, the
Europeans are not to be compared with our
Malaharian Soldiers j and this I'll exemplifie
in one of our Kings who rul'd about Twen-
ty Years ago in Diritfcinapoli over feventy
Governors of Provinces, whereof every one
could
J J ^ Letters from the Heathens
could bring upvon his own Charges fome
Thoufands of Men to the Field; and be-
caufe confcious of their great Strength, they
difregarded the young King's Orders, the
King immediately drew together twenty
thoufand Foot and three thou land Horfe,
ordering them to march out of their Gar-
rifons, to take the Benefit of Countrey-Air
for his Majefty's Diverficn ; and in the fpace
of fix Days, he came before a Town belong-
ing to one of his feventy Deputy-Governours,
rode in alone with his drawn Sword ,
and finding the Governour in the Streets, he
cut him to Pieces ; after which bold Action,
(all the People knowing 'twas their King;)
the Governour's Son threw himfelf immedi-
ately at his Majefty's Feet, begging that his
Life might be fpar'd, offering twenty thou-
fand Ferdous for his Pardon.
The King anfwer'd, don't fear, thy Life is
fpar'd ; thy Father negle(3:ed to pay me due
Homage ,• therefore I killed him > but take
care to rule my People with Equity and
Prudence.
Thence he march'd with his Elephants
and armed Men before another City, which
he found unguarded, open, and Expofed to
the leafl: Infult of a Neighbouring Enemy.
He calld the Governour of the Place; who
ran
• to the Mijjion^ies, jjy
ran with Prefents, and threw himfelf at the
King's Feet, begging that his Life might be
fpared , and that his prefent Negligence
might be pardoned; promifing to be mors
carcibny circumfped for the future ,♦ beg-
ging his Majefty to accept of a Golden Pa-
lanquin Ca Chair carried on two Mens Shoul-
ders) valued at 121000 Verdous^ and leveral
Budiels of Pearls, Corals and other precious
Stones. The King accepted the Prefents,
a#il charg'd him upon Penalty of his high
Difpleafure to be more watchful in the Dif-
charge of his Empoyment for the time to
come ; and march'd thence to vifit unexpe-
d:edly the other flrong Places of his King-
dom, hewing into Pieces the Governours
that negleded their Duty, or did not pay
him due Homage ; which {truck a Terror
into all the adjacent Princes, that they were
in great fear of him ; and the Great Mo^ul
of the Indies could not force him to pay him
Tribute as his PredecefTors did.
This King in all warlike Achievements
was another Wtratjchuren (i. e.) another
Alexander : For when a Tyger raging Mad,
came out of the Forefl, and the Army was
in Its March, all the Soldiers did quake and
tremble ; but the King rode on boldly, and
with one Stroke of his broad Sword, cut the
Tygfr's Body in two ; And we have many
fuch brave Men among us in thefe Countries.
Z LET-
3 3 8 Letters from the Heathens
LETTER XVII,
About the different Kinds or Species of
Living Creatures.
HE diflerent Species of vegetative and
living Creatures are Eighty four Hun-
dred Thouland in Number ,• whereof there
are Twenty Hundred Thoufand Species of
Trees, Nine Hundred Thoufand different
kinds of FiOi, One Hundred Thoufand lorts
of Worms and creeping; Things, Ten Hun-
dred Thoufand Kinds o[ Birds; and from
the Elephant to the Ant, there are Thirty
Hundred Thoufand ditlerent forts of walking
Creatures In tht; laft place, we compute Four
Hundred Thoufand diiterent forts of Men.
We have a learned Br'aman among us, who
hath with a great dea4 of Indullry, methodi-
cally, and at length, Ipecified in Writing,
ailthefedi^erent forts of Beings j defcribing
their Figure, Properties, and the refpedive
Countries >vhere they are to be found ;
' whereof he hathprctrpifed :o fend you a Co-
LET-
tc the Miffionarie%l 539
LETTER XVIII.
If it is the Will of God^ that all Men
fjjmld be faved ; and of the Form of
God'
YOU are pleas'd to ask me, if God
would have all Men be faved from
Hell- Torments, and be happy for ever >
I aofwer, Yes ; becaufe God is gracious
Und merciful towards all his Creatures ;
and in pardoning great Sins, his Grace
and Goodnefs are more confpicuouHy glo-
rified : But if Sinners go on in their Ob-
Itinacy and Difobedience, God juftly pu-
niOies fuch with the moft exquifite Pains
of Hell • according as 'tis written in our
Law.
And as touching the Form of the Su-
preme Being, he is reprefented to us, fit-
ting upon the Top of a Silver Mountain
in Paradife, holding a Deer by the Horns
in one Hand, and his Bow and Arrows
in another. He has five Faces, three Eye^,
covered all over with Holy Aihes, and has
Z i his
7^0 Letters froM the Heathens
his Neck twilled about with a hideous
Serpent.
Others defcribe him quite otherwife ; fay-
ing, he is neither One, nor Two, neither
Light nor Darknefs ; that he is neither ex-
cluded from, nor circunfifcribed in any-
place ; is not to be refembled to any Crea-
ture whati'oever.
LET-
to the Mijjionaries, 341
LETTER XIX.
Reafons why the Malabarians reje3 the
Chrijlian Religion.
"1 70U defired me in yonr lad, to give
j[ ygu my Reafons why our People
don't embrace the Chriftian Religion aiter
you have taken lb much pains to prove the
Truth thereof with fo many Evident De-
monfirations,- and have as fully (liew'd the
Falfenefs of our Malahanan Woriliip ?
, And I find you are much afloniflied at
opr Infidelity. But, Sirs, give us leave to
tell you, that we can't fee that you have fufr
ficiently proved our Law to be falle and al-
together erroneous ; nor fo clearly and evi-
dently prov'd the Truth of your own, that
we llicnld inconfiderately change the Religi-
on of our Fathers for that of Foreigners and
Sojourners in our Land : For I would have
you know, thiat as Chrijlians and Mahometans
depvp their Laws from God ; fo do we :
For certainly, you can't imagine, that we
hammer'd and lorged a Religion to our
felves, more than you.
Z 3 The
342 Leters from the Heathens
The Mahometan will have his Religion to
be abfolutely the bell: ; the Chrijiians con-
demn all but themfelves ; and we Malaha-
rians think our Religion to be the bed for
us ; and Queftion not but that the Chriftl-
ans may be faved if they lead Lives conform-
able to the Precepts of their Religion.
Which is the bed Religion, is a difficult
Task to know ; for even among our felves
we have many different Opinions ,• fome
affirming that Ifuren is the Supreme God,
others ftand up for Wifchtnu ; and there are
as many learned Men, who plead for the
God tjchivoens ; and I think 'tis Prudence
not to trouble my felf with the Truth or
Faliliood of your Religion, till I know firfl,
which is the trued of the many Opinions
relating to Religion, that we entertain here
^mong our felves.
LET-
343
A
LETTER
F R O M T H E
ISSIO NJRIE<S
TO THEIR
Friend in Europe.
Mofl worthy Sir^
E Praife God with all our
Hearts, for making you fo
ulelul an Inflrument in Efig"
land to further the Progrefs
of the Gofpel among the Gentiles j botii by
your gopd Counfels and Sums of Money
that you were pleas'd to fend us at feveral
times : And we thank you more efpecially,
for the great Pains you took lately t.o traa-
flate our German Relations of the Progrefs of
the Gofpel among the Indians^ into the En-
gltjh Language i which will, as we have
grounds to hope, awaken the Zeal and Cha-
Z 4 rity
J 44 -^ Letter from the Mijjionaries
rity of that generous Nation, to afTid our
Endeavours iri preaching the Word of God
among the UnbeUevers ; and upon this Ac-
count, we look upon you to be our Fellow-
Lahourer in the Work of the Lord, in preach-
ing the glad Tidings of vSalvation among
the Unbelieving Ind'tam : And we beg ear-
neflly, that God Almighty will be pleas'd
to preferve your precious Life in Peace and
Profperity, that you may go on and do us
more good.
We receiv'd your Letters of Exchange
by a Ship caW'd Jafif^e ; one for 25 Pounds,
and the other for 10 Pounds ; both which
Sums have bcea paid us at Madras, (i. e.)
Fort St. George.
We receiv'd two other Letters from you
by another Ship lately arriv'd upon our
Coaus ; which were very acceptable to us,
both with regard to the Author, and to the
excellent Inllrudions for carrying on the
Work of Converfion fuccefsfuliy.
Two Letters from the Society fettled at
London for propagating of the Gofpel, came
fafe to our Hands, and rejoiced our Hearts
exceedingly. The Lord ilrengthen the
Hands of thofe pious and truly Iionourable
good Chriflians, to do more and more good
both
to their Friend in Europe. 345
both in the Chriftian and Gentile World.'
All Helps fent us by that Generous and
Noble Company, are happily arriv'd, and are
to us very acceptable ; and raore efpecially
the Printing- Prefs^ with all its Appendices ;
which we are getting in order with all ' pof-
fible Ipeed ; and we hope to fend by the
next Ship a Prcof, or Specimen, of our Ma-
laharian Printing, to our great Patrons and
generous Benefad:ors in England -^ whence
we expe(5t farther Afliflances, that being of all
the Nations of Europe^ the moO; capable of
extending the Limits of Chrift's Kingdom,
by their frequent Navigations, and many
Settlements in both the Indies.
Oh ! When will the time be, tliat all the
Proteflant Nations will joyn- Hands and
Hearts, to deflroy the Worlhip of Devils ;
and break to Pieces the Idols of the Hea-
thens, that the Name of ^ejtis may be made
knov\'n to all the Nations oi the Earth. The
Undertaking is great and feafible, back'dwith
many precious Promifes both rrcm the Old
and New Ttftamament, vit,. that all the
Kingdoms of the World will become the
Kingdoms of God and his Chriit.
We
J 4^ ^ Letter from the Miljlonaries
We fee before our Eyes, the Harvefr to
be very great, and ripe for the Sickle ; Luc
we want Hands ,* we want Temporal Sub-
fidies ; and therefore the Labourers are too
few to tin fo large a Vineyard.
Surely, fuch Chriflians who are averfe to
this pious Work, can have no real Love to
the Chriilian Religion ! '
We would humbly propofe to the Prote-
flant Churches, to fupply us with learned
Students in Divinity, and fend them here
to be indrufled in the h^ian Languages, to
capacitate them for future Service, under
our Diredion, who have by our long pra«
(fifing thefe People, div'd into their Inclina-
tions ; and know upon our own Experience,
what fort of Arguments are mod likely to
gain their Approbation, and perfuade them
to hear patiently the Admonitions of the
Lord ; but thefe Students mufl be Men tru-
ly fearing God, and hating Covetoufnefs ,•
difengaged from all Earthly Ties of SelF-
feeking, and from the inveterate Ecclefiafti-
cal Itch of ruling over God's Inheritance :
For if the Minifters of the Gofpel are other-
u'ife minded, all their Learning will have
no other Effedt than to perfuade Chrillians
to turn Heathens, and confirm Heathens in
their Infidelity. If
to their Friend in Europe. j 47
If we were blefs'd with faitbful FcIJow-
Labourers in this great Work, we have all
the fair Profpeds of fpreading the Know-
ledge of Chrift an:*ong many populous Na-
tions of the Indies.
The EitgUJh have feveral Settlements on
the Coaft of Bengal^ and the Dutch in many-
Places of the Indies'^ which afford us an open
Door to preach among tlie Neighbouring
Heathens.
I have writ to Batavia and to Ceylon^ to
be informed of what Methods have been
taken by the Nation laft mentioned, for the
Propagation of the Gofpel ,• but hitherto I
have no other Account, than, that all the
PortHgueze Churches coiled'ed formerly in
thefe Countries by the Portugal Miflionarie^
were brought over to the Dutch Difcipline,
in all the Plantations taken from the Portu-
gueze by the Dutch Company. But in thefe
Countries tliey have undertook nothing in
favour of the Chriftian Religion, tho' they
have many Converted Indians whereof fome
are Slaves ^ among whom there is a Ledurer
who reads Service in Portugueze^ and Admi-
nifters the Sacrament to them Weekly.
There
348 A Letter from the Miffionaries
There was a Minider in Na-^apatnam ; but
he is gone away. And in the populous
Town of/Zyg/y, on theCoaftof Bengal, there
is a great Number of Dutch Merchants ;
yet they have no Preacher among them.
'Tis certain that God has wonderfully
blefs'd the Dutch Nation in all their laudable
Undertakings in thefe Countries ; and there-
fore we firmly perfuade our felves, that at
this Jun(5ture fthat feems to be favourable
for dilating the Knowledge of Chrift among
thefe Nations) the Hollnnden will cheerful-
ly come to our Afliftance.
The Tortugueze Miilionaries in the Space
of about Two Hundred Years, brought q-
ver to the Romifh Perfuafion almoft all the
Maritime Towns \ but now this feems to be
in a declining (late ; For it'o^ of the Millio-
tiaries learn the Indian Languages, fo as to
be able to teach the Heathens ; but content
themfelves with reading the Mafs in the
Latin Tongue, and trult the Natives with
the important OfHce of Preaching ; who
are no Way qualified for fo high an Em-
ployment ; For they know nothing elfe but
to repeat the Ten Commandments , the
Lord's Prayer, and Ave Maria^ and to ilgn
themfelves with the Sign of theCrofs-
Upon
to their Friend in Europe, 349
Upon fome Feftivals the Fortugueze Fa-
thers do preach in their own Language j
and that but very feldom.
There is no difciplinary Inditution obfer*
ved among thefe Chriftians ; fo that they
are more fcandaloufly corrupted in their
Manners, than the Heathens themfelves ;
and they fymbolize with them in moftof
their Cerenaonies ,• and there is little or no
Difference between a Portugueze Church and
a Heathen Pagody with regard to all outward
Rites and Ceremonies, and the Idolatrous
Worfliip of Images.
'Tis reafonable to believe, that the firft:
MiiTionaries were heartily zealous in per-
fuading their new Converts to the NeceHity
of living holy and pious Lives, worthy of
the Gofpel of Jefns Chrifl : But fince the
Portugueze Empire in thefe Countries has
been deftroyed by the Hollanders, the Ro-
man Cathoiick Chriftians have but a mere
Form of Godlinefs without the Power there*
of.
All the Account that I can give you of
the Chriftians of St. Thomas^ is, as foUow-
eth ?
Within
3 50 A Letter from the Mijjlonaries
Within a Mile of MaJras, or Fort Su
George^ there is a Town called Mailapour,
(I G.J a To^'n of Peacocks ; becaufe thofe
Birds are very numerous in the neighbour-
ing Mountains.
This Town by the Portugueze is called St\
Thomds ; becaufe that the Apollle of that
Name preach'd the Gofpel there, confirm,
ing his Dodrine with many Miracles.
Thofe Ancient Chriftians are dill to be
found in Cochin, in the Southern Coafts of
MaUhar : And, if we believe the Fortu-
g/4eze, they are now reconcil'd to the Ro-
man Church.
As touching the Writings of the Portugal
Miflionaries, we can give you but a very
imperfed: Account j only we underftand,
that here and there, fome Manufcripts are
yet extant in the Malaharian Tongue; but
the moO: Valuable were loft, when the
Hollanders made themfelve$ Maflers of this
Countrey. Thefe Writings confid chiefly
of the Life of Chrift, his Apoftles, and of
feversl Romijb Saints, larded with Fabks
and lying .Wonders.
Some
to their Friend in Europe* 351
Some of their Miilionaries lead an Ere-
mitical Life at fome diftance from Towns
and Villages ; and call themfelves Northern
Bramans j a Sed: of Hermits highly efteem-
ed among the Heathens.
Among the Mahometans^ we find very
many Hermits, who profeiTing Poverty, go
about from Place to Place , making a
Trade of begging ; and are highly edee-
med by the People, for Men difinterefs'dly
hol^ ; many whereof proteH againft all the
Pompous Train of External Ceremonies
and /'^gc^-Worfhip j exhorting the People
to worlhip God in Sincerity and in Truth,
with a Mind full of Humility and Godly
Fear.
There are yet remaining fome Cloyfter^s
of Portugueze Monks in thefe Countries, as
in Europe ^ and likewife Schools and Colle-
ges, in the French and Portugueze Settle-
ments.
We humbly defire you, Sir, to adiire our
Patrons and Benefadors in Europe, that we
are very thanktul for Favours receiv'd; and
are refolved to preach the Gofpel in Seafon
and out of Seafon ; and our own Lives
iliall not be counted dear unto us, fo we
may
3 5.2 ^ Letter from tb^ Mijfjionaries, &c*
may any way. promote the Converfion of
the Gentiles to the Obedience of Ghrift.
Pray, affift ns with your Daily Prayers;
and, as often as you can, with your Ccxin-
(els and other Chriftian Oilices,
Yours, &c.
B Ziegenhalg
jf. E^ Grundler.
^-^^ I N I S.
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