DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9552#0116
102
AN APPEAL
numberless copies of the complete Bible, written in
different languages, could not be altogether ignorant of
the causes of their disappointment. He, however, never
doubted their zeal for the promulgation of Christianity,,
nor the accuracy of their statement with regard to im-
mense sums of money being annually expended in
preparing vast numbers of copies of the Scriptures ; but
he has seen with regret, that they have completely coun-
teracted their own benevolent efforts, by introducing all
the dogmas and mysteries taught in Christian churches
to people by no means prepared to receive them ; and
that they have been so incautious and inconsiderate in
their attempts to enlighten the natives of India, as to
address their instructions to them in the same way as if
they were reasoning with persons brought up in a.
Christian country, with those dogmatical notions imbibed
from their infancy. The consequence has been, that
the natives in general, instead of benefiting by the
perusal of the Bible, copies of which they always receive
gratuitously, exchange them very often for blank paper ;
and generally use several of the dogmatical terms in their
native language as a mark of slight in an irreverent
manner, the mention of which is repugnant to my
feelings. Sabat, an eminently learned but grossly un-
principled Arab, whom our divines supposed that they
had converted to Christianity, and whom they of course
instructed in all'che dogmas and doctrines, wrote a few
years ago a treatise in Arabic against those very dogmas,,
and printed himself and published several hundred
copies of this work; and another Moosulman, of the
name of Ena'et Ahmud, a man of respectable family,
who is still alive, speedily returned to Mohummudanism
AN APPEAL
numberless copies of the complete Bible, written in
different languages, could not be altogether ignorant of
the causes of their disappointment. He, however, never
doubted their zeal for the promulgation of Christianity,,
nor the accuracy of their statement with regard to im-
mense sums of money being annually expended in
preparing vast numbers of copies of the Scriptures ; but
he has seen with regret, that they have completely coun-
teracted their own benevolent efforts, by introducing all
the dogmas and mysteries taught in Christian churches
to people by no means prepared to receive them ; and
that they have been so incautious and inconsiderate in
their attempts to enlighten the natives of India, as to
address their instructions to them in the same way as if
they were reasoning with persons brought up in a.
Christian country, with those dogmatical notions imbibed
from their infancy. The consequence has been, that
the natives in general, instead of benefiting by the
perusal of the Bible, copies of which they always receive
gratuitously, exchange them very often for blank paper ;
and generally use several of the dogmatical terms in their
native language as a mark of slight in an irreverent
manner, the mention of which is repugnant to my
feelings. Sabat, an eminently learned but grossly un-
principled Arab, whom our divines supposed that they
had converted to Christianity, and whom they of course
instructed in all'che dogmas and doctrines, wrote a few
years ago a treatise in Arabic against those very dogmas,,
and printed himself and published several hundred
copies of this work; and another Moosulman, of the
name of Ena'et Ahmud, a man of respectable family,
who is still alive, speedily returned to Mohummudanism