FORM OF FAITH.

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The Persian faith, excluding an all-ruling Providence, and subjecting its professors to perpetual scruples, doubts, and fears, affording no basis of confidence as regards the evils of time, or the destinies of eternity, giving to the universe the character of a battle-field, wherein occur vicissitudes favourable and unfavourable to good and virtue, and of problematical results,—could not stand before the potent dogma of Muhammad-that there is one Living God; and still less could it maintain its ground before the powerful scimitar, whereby that dogma was everywhere enforced. The Persian nation became Muhammadan. But a few, more faithful than the rest, rather than renounce the ancestral faith, bore for awhile the fierceness of a Muhammadan persecution. They were at length forced, for the preservation of their faith, to quit their native shores, and find an asylum in a foreign land. That land was India.

They have become naturalized in the country, and have established small colonies in several parts of Western India. Their numbers are about 50,000. They have great influence wherever they reside--are people of much commercial enterprise, and possess much intelligence. In Bombay, many are bankers, brokers, merchants, and mechanics. Their religion is contained in writings which are professed to be the genuine productions of Zoroaster, but which are fully proved by the best scholars to be unauthentic. These writings are called "Zand Avasta," and are in

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TEMPLES AND ALTARS.

the Zand language, which scarcely five of their priests can read.

Temples of costly structure are appropriated by the Parsis to the safe retention of their sacred fire, originally brought from Persia. The flame on its altars has been burning in India from the time of their landing, kept up by the continued offering of sandal-wood by the deluded worshippers. Priests, by their incessant watches, day and night, take care that it be not extinguished. When the sun first gilds the horizon, and when it is about to sink beneath it-at either time setting forth, in peculiar glory and splendour, the power and majesty of its Creator-are the Parsis to be seen, in their flowing white robes, bowing before it, even to the ground, and offering to it repeated salutations. Parsi men and women resort to the banks of rivers, and throw flowers and sugar-candy into the water, which is with the sun equally an object of worship. In the morning they are to be found on the thresholds of their houses, muttering prayers in the original language of their religion, but of the meaning of which they have no comprehension.

This tribe has distinguished itself by opposition to the gospel. The conversion of two of its members in 1839 induced fearful wrath, which has not yet expended itself. They challenge the attention of the British churches. Their European energy, now expending itself in opposition, qualifies these sons of Elam, when they shall become trophies of Divine grace, to become useful Evangelists to the Hindus.

CALL

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But India is peopled by tribes who challenge an interest in some respects greater than that which belongs to those already mentioned. The tribes of Judah and Israel have found protection for their lives, as well as secured an asylum for their faith, on the soil of India. The sons of Judah are to be found in all the commercial towns of India. There is a large colony of them at Cochin, on the western coast. These are supposed to have colonized at some period subsequent to the destruction of the second temple. They are divided into the "Black Jews" and "White Jews." The former are supposed to be the descendants of Hindu proselytes; the latter are of pure descent.

In addition to these is to be found, in Western India, a tribe laying claim to the hallowed name of Israel. To them peculiar interest attaches. They have been for very many centuries (we cannot tell how many) established in India. They call themselves Beni Israel,— literally, "the sons of Israel." They are undoubtedly of that ancient house,-either descendants of the ten tribes who were taken into captivity by the Assyrian monarch, or colonists from among them at some other age. They are entirely distinct from the sons of Judah: they do not intermarry with them. These people were found a few years ago in a most degraded state. Foreigners had to initiate them into the customs and institutes observed universally by the Jews, which they had forgotten. Intimately conversant with the Hindus, and destitute of instruction in the Oracles of God, they were found in a state very nearly approximating to

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66

LIGHT OF THE MORNING.'

that of the heathen,—and had in fact (some of them) become worshippers of the snake and of Gunputti.

This tribe has never possessed the bitter animosity of the Jew against the religion of Christ; and their prejudice against Christianity is comparatively feeble. Arabic and Cochin Jews seek to rabbinize, and give them their traditional ideas. They have received the Jewish Scriptures from the missionaries, and willingly send their children to their schools, where they are taught the truths of "Jesus of Nazareth." Many of this tribe are to be found in native regiments of the East India Company. Many are also settled in villages, and subsist by the preparation of oil.

A missionary, who takes a deep interest in these people, writes concerning them,-" Without the Book of the Law, and the traditionary idea of a Redeemer, they had sunk low indeed among the nations, and were polluted with the worst abominations of the heathen. The awful prophecies of Moses had been fulfilled. The adoption, and the glory, and the covenant, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God and the sanctuary-all had passed away, even from memory, and Israel seemed destined to settle down among the lowest dregs of Hinduism. Light already dawns,-alas, how faint! But it is the morning, and not the evening twilight. The Living Splen

dour is at hand."

These interesting people may be estimated at from five to eight thousand souls.

We might proceed to present to your attention the

THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS.

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several classes of Christians, Asiatic and European, who have, in recent or very ancient times, made India their home, and become naturalized on its soil. On the Malabar coast is a community, whose numbers are reckoned at more than 100,000. I refer to the Syrian Christians. These, separated for centuries from all the churches of the West, yet retained in a heathen land their Scriptures and ordinances. When the Portuguese vassals of Rome first established themselves in India, and became possessed of civil power, they employed the terrors of the Inquisition to induce these ancient disciples to pay allegiance to Rome. The effort failed. The great majority of these Christians resisted all attempts, and are still accessible to the efforts of Protestants.*

We might pass on to describe the Portuguese, and their numerous converts, who may be reckoned at several hundred thousand, who also require the gospel at our hands. Professing the forms of faith that characterize Antichrist, and approximating, in the several rites of their worship, to the spirit and detail of Hindu idolatries, they challenge our efforts to convert them to a purer faith.

We might further tell you of the Armenian Christians, descendants of the noble families who were forced to seek a refuge in the nations of Europe and Asia from the ruthless proselytism of Muhammad. But the subject is exhaustless. We have no sooner fixed our

*The Church Missionary Society has had a mission established among them for several years.