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Professor Ware ' s Questions are as follows > and there can be no hesitation in characterizing them as alike judicious and comprehensive : * ' 1 . What is the real success of the great exertions which are now making for the conversion of the natives of India to Christianity ? iC 2 . What the number and character
t ) f converts ? * ' 3 . Are those Hindoos who profess Christianity respectable for their understanding , their morals , and their condition in life ? " 4 . Of what caste are they generally ? And what effect has their profession of Christianity upon their standing ?
" 5 . Are they Christians from inquiry and conviction , or from other motives ? " 6 . Of what denomination of Christians have the Missionaries been most successful ; Catholic , Protestant , Episcopalian , Baptist , Trinitarian , Unitarian ? " 7 . What is the number of Unitarian Christians ? And are they chiefly natives or Europeans ?
" 8 . How are they regarded and treated by other Christians ? Is it with any peculiar hostility ? < C 9 . What are the chief causes that have prevented , and that continue to prevent , the reception of Christianity by the natives of India ? May much of the want of success be reasonably attributed to the form in which the religion is presented to them ?
" 10 . Are any of the causes of failure of such a nature , that it maybe in the power of Unitarian Christians to remove them ? " 11 . Are there any reasons for believing that Christianity , as it is held by Unitarians , would be more readily received by intelligent Hindoos , than as it is held by Trinitarians ?
" 12 . Can any aid be given by Unitarians to the cause of Christianity in India with a reasonable prospect of success ? If any can be given , —of what kind , —in what way , —by what means ? * ' 13 . Would it be of any use to send Unitarian Missionaries with a view to their preaching Christianity for the purpose of converting adult natives ? 4
< 14 Would it be useful to establish Unitarian Missionary schools for the instruction of the children of natives in the rudiments of a European education , in the English language , in Christian morality , mingling with it very little instruction relative to the doctrines of Christianity ; leaving them chiefly or wholly out of view , to be learnt afterwards from our books , 4
« uu our example ? Ci Are there many intelligent natives who are willing to learn the languages of Europe , to cultivate its literature , to make
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themselves acquainted with our religion as it is found in our books , and to examine the evidences of its truth and divine origin ? ** 16 . Are there many respectable natives who are willing to have their children educated in the English language , and in English learning and arts ?
" 17 . What benefits have arisen , or are likely to arise , from the trau slat ion of the Scriptures hi to the languages of the East ? Are they read by any who are not already Christians ? And are they likely to be read generally even by those who
are ? This questiou is suggested by the representations which have been made , that converts to Christianity are mostly , if not altogether , of the lowest and most ignorant classes of society . Is this representation true ?
" 18 . Will any important impression favourable to Christianity ever be made , except by the conversion and through the influence of persons of education and of the higher classes of society , who can read our sacred books in the original , or at least in the English version ? " 19 . Are the translations which have
been made , faithful ; free from sectarian iufluence , as to the expression of Christian doctrine ? " 20 . Are there any particular parts of India or of the East , where efforts for propagating Christianity or preparing the way for it , -might be made with better hopes than in others ?"—Pp . 4—6 .
The letter of Mr . Adam , containing his Answers to these Queries , is dated Calcutta , December 24 , 1823 . It is copious in its detail , and bears the marks of a sound mind , fairly stating whatever might afford means of judgment to others , earnest in its desires
for the spread of Christian truth , and not disposed to sink under difficulties , yet weighing those difficulties faithfully , and giving such results , where - ever required by truth of fact , as may discourage the more sanguine , and check the expectations of some who
through ignorance may have raised them too high ; yet in the midst of all , giving such an insight into the real bearings of the case , and such encouragement to those who know how
to work for the future , that we are persuaded it will damp ardour only where it is undisciplined , and will point to good hopes to those who desire always to abound in the work of the Lord . Much of the information which Mr .. Adam gives to our American brc-
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Occanonal Notices of American Publications . 107
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1825, page 107, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2533/page/43/
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