do?" F" Various are the commandments he has given to us; but we have broken all, and lie under his curse." I hereupon further detailed the nature of man's depravity, and proceeded to show that no external services could be acceptable to God. A.-"I can worship God with my heart." F.—“ Why, then, so many offerings of flowers, and kids, and fruits, &c.? Why adore the Gooroos? and why do you worship images? Now concerning the adoration you pay to your idols, allow me to ask you, would you please God if you were to fall down and worship the earth?" A.-" If my heart was devoted to God, it matters little whether I worshipped the earth or any thing else." F."Then the worshipping the earth is a superfluity; for did you fail to do that, and at the same time worshipped God with your heart, your purpose would be answered. But I am certain you cannot worship God with all your heart: examine it, and see whether I take upon myself to assert too much. And when you have found, as you will very soon, that it is not possible, remember what I have this day spoken to you,—remember that I have preached a worthy Saviour to you, one that is able and willing to save you," &c. He held his peace; and no other appeared to carry on the controversy.

An argument used by one of the preceding speakers, is a very favourite mode of repelling the calls of the Gospel, viz. that all religions are alike good, and terminate in the same end. I remember

a very rich and talkative sircar was constantly in the habit of visiting me, for the purpose of bringing any new argument he could find, against the necessity or utility of our endeavours to promote the spread of the Gospel. I was one day sitting in the verandah, which overlooked the river, and commanded a view of Fort William, with a class of boys around me, when he entered and made his salaam. I could perceive by his countenance that his budget was full, therefore begged he would wait until I had dismissed the class, to which with much apparent difficulty he yielded, so eager was he at once to commence his argumentative proceedings. When my ear was disengaged, he began by saying, "Sahib, why do you English gentlemen come so far, and leave your homes, and get sickness, and die soon, to try to make the Hindoos become Christians? I have often told you it is all useless. Our religion is good enough for us; and the China man's religion good for him, if he attend to it; and your religion is the right for you; and the Mussulmans' religion good for him. I tell you how it is, sahib. You see Fort William there, -and you can see the telegraph on the government-house in the centre of the fort." "Yes," said I. "Well then," he continued, “ I call that house, Heaven. Now here am I, poor Hindoo, want to go to heaven, so I go to the main-guard gate-I mean my religion, I call that the gate,— and I go in, and I come to the house I call heaven. Well, here is a poor Mussulman, he goes in at the

.

hospital-gate, very different gate from mine, but he comes to the great house in middle of the forthe get to heaven. Then comes poor China man, he goes to the water-gate so reach heaven. Then comes European, he go to Chowringhee-gate, still he come to the great house in centre of fort. So, sahib, all at last will go to heaven, if all do as own religion tells us: only different gates, sahib; all lead into one place. Yes, yes, all shall meet at last, sahib." I here interrupted him, by saying, "Well, baboo, your new argument seems to please you very much: let us try it, and see whether it will stand even the test of your own figure, if fully carried out. You say, heaven is like the government-house in the centre of Fort William, and that there are many entrances, so that if we go to either we shall find our way to this said house. Still, you must remember, that the number of gates does not all interfere with the qualifications of the party seeking admission; in this respect it is just the same as if there should be but one entrance, as every gate is well guarded; and if a person is not duly qualified to enter at the Chowringheegate, it will be in vain for him to try to gain admission at any other; so that there virtually is but one way into the fort, all the sentinels receiving precisely the same orders. Just so is it with regard to the kingdom of heaven: there are many religions, but only one way to eternal life; and Jesus Christ says, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no man cometh unto the

Father but by me.' So that you see, baboo, by your own figure you have established the truth of our declarations,' that there is no other name given amongst men, by which we can be saved, but the name of Christ Jesus.'" After a minute's silence, he rose abruptly, and said, “Ah, sahib, you say fine words. Salaam, sahib, salaam."— And I did not see him again for many days.

CHAPTER XVII.

"Thou didst not sink by slow decay,
Like some who live the longest;

But every tie was wrench'd away,
Just when those ties were strongest."

BERNARD BARTON.

SANYASSEES-MURDER OF A YOUTH BY ONE-FEMALE SANYASSEE AT SAHEBGUNG-CONVERSATIONS WITH

HER DISCIPLES-AMERICAN'S TESTIMONY TO THE

SUCCESS OF MISSIONS.

It is no uncommon thing for divine honours to be paid to those who exhibit any remarkable traits of character, whether they may be on the side of virtue or vice. A bold daring spirit is sure to obtain the homage of the multitude: hence the Fakirs and Sanyassees, who obtain reverential worship from all, are, generally speaking, ferocious and brutal to the extreme. Many of them are evidently destitute of common sense, or completely in a state of idiotism; and the more extravagant their conduct is, the greater is the veneration in which they are held. One of these characters, not long since, committed a cold-blooded murder upon a young gentleman at Howrah, for which he suffered the extreme penalty of the law.