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and you throw a most formidable bar in the way of that missionary's success;-and let this idea, already too prevalent, be carefully kept alive and disseminated at home; and I will answer for it, that instead of the flower of our churches presenting themselves to this glorious service, the very dregs of the churches (forgive the harshness of the expression) shall think themselves too good to be thrown away upon the heathen. Neither do I see any thing in christianity that teaches the rich and learned of the followers of Christ to consider themselves on the ground of their wealth or erudition, exempted from services, which, notwithstanding the opinion of Dr. Buchanan, I believe they could perform in very many cases, with more acceptance, and success, than their brethren in an inferior station and of more limited education.

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Dr. Buchanan goes on to say-" If you cannot find rich men of your own body to go forth to enlighten the world, you must send men of humble condition; and if you cannot engage learned men, you must send men of inferior attainments." But if men of humble condition be the more eligible class, as the passage before quoted seems to imply, why seek the rich and the learned? Indeed, from the loose and undecided manner in which the Doctor expresses himself on this point, I suspect he either did not advert to the inference to be drawn from his previous statement, or meant something else than his words strictly taken express.

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The question may be brought to a short issue, thus-"Rich and learned men" should be sought "to go forth to enlighten the world," or they should not be sought. If they should not, why say, "If then you cannot find rich men to go, &c. do so and This surely implies a search for that which is deemed desirable; and upon finding it unsuccessful, the Doctor advises, as the best alternative, to send men of humble condition and inferior attainments. That is, if you cannot, in the first place, find what is best suited to your purpose, you must be content with what you can find. This seems to be the obvious interpretation of the passage, and yet Dr. Buchanan had said immediately before, that the rich and learned could not so easily" do what would be required of them, as inferior men could. Hence, I presume, he considered the latter to be preferable.

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But if, on the other alternative, rich and learned men should be sought, what is the best method of conducting the search? Is it not to press the duty of such men to engage in the work-to show the call made upon them, to explain how much the cause needs the services of the very best and ablest men that can be procured-that if they decline, the cause must suffer, both in the public estimation, and in regard to the real efficiency of its operations, because, in that event, only weak and unsuitable instruments may be employed, men of humble condition," and "inferior attain

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ments;" but the best that could be procured, since able men would not come forward?

But has this method been adopted? If it was Dr. Buchanan's opinion that rich and learned men, "zealous to diffuse christianity," should go forth to enlighten the world, why did he not use his eloquent tongue and pen to urge upon them the performance of the christian duty. No one who reads the Christian Researches in India" can doubt the author's courage, and yet I am tempted to ask, was he afraid of the disapprobation of some of the reverend and learned personages before whom his sermon was preached, lest he should seem to censure their supineness?-Why does he turn it off with a flourish of his pen, "if you cannot find rich and learned men of your own body to go forth, send men of humble condition,' and 'inferior attainments?'

But I must add one question more.-If the Doctor thought these inferior men good enough, what becomes of his statement, and of the argument founded upon it in a preceding part of the same discourse?- "I have sometimes been ashamed to see the christian missionary put to silence by the intelligent Bramin, on some point relating to the history of the Eastern nations, or to the present state of mankind. I have felt anxious for the credit of christianity on such occasions."

It really seems invidious to be finding fault with so many things, but I think Dr. Buchanan's wish to

spare the "rich and learned," because they might not find missionary service so "easy;" and his willingness to accept of inferior instruments in their room, on the one hand, and his conviction of the usefulness of learning on the other, have led him into several odd contradictions. For instance, he says in one place, "Every branch of knowledge which a good man possesses, he may apply to some good purpose. If he possessed the knowledge of an archangel, he might employ it all to the advantage of man and the glory of God." This is nobly said; and I wish this sentiment, unfettered and unqualified, were received as an undoubted maxim, and followed up to its legitimate consequences in the great concern of maintaining and promoting Christianity where it has got some footing among the heathen, and extending it to places where it is yet wholly unknown. It might have been expected, surely, that Dr. Buchanan's induction from this, taken along with the instances he referred to of ignorant missionaries being put to shame before intelligent heathens, would have been that missionaries could not possess too much learning-too much knowledge of every kind. But his inference dwindles into this"Some portion of learning is therefore indispensable to ensure even a tolerable degree of success in preaching to the heathen world." But then goes on to except mathematical and classical learn ing. He allows "a knowledge of the original languages of scripture to be indispensable to mis

sionaries who are to be translators;" "but for missionaries in general, who preach to uncivilized nations, classical erudition is not necessary !” Only compare this with, "if a good man possessed the knowledge of an archangel, he might employ it all to the advantage of men and the glory of God!"

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But why is mathematical and philosophical learning less necessary than the knowledge of history, and of the present state of mankind? Dr. Buchanan happened to see a missionary put to silence by a heathen on a question of this latter kind; but if he had seen him put to silence on a question concerning some of the phenomena of nature which can only be explained on scientific principles, would there not have been equal occasion to "feel anxious for the credit of christianity?"

It is curious to observe how different men, attaching peculiar importance to some one branch of knowledge, think all others may be dispensed with, if their favourite science is not neglected. Dr. Buchanan's missionary might be qualified to deliver lectures on history or geography; but Mr. Douglas says, "Even in the colleges of India, where learning is most required, only two branches of instruction are especially required-a knowledge of the English, and of Chemistry, in its simplest form, as applicable to daily phenomena, and daily Hints on Missions, p. 103.

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Is it not better to hold that, missionaries may,

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