gether with a large amount of scientific information, which is found to be utterly subversive of the Indian mythology To all this is added a thorough course of Christian evidences, and urgent appeals are addressed by the masters at various times to the consciences of the pupils. By these means many have been induced to forsake Hinduism for Christianity, though not in our opinion in anything like the number that the sanguine upholders of the system expected and desired.

If to the number above stated as taught in the missionary institutions be added some 4500 taught in the government schools, and on the principles of the Hindoo College, there will be about 10,000 boys receiving daily, in Calcutta alone, a sound and liberal education, the whole of which either is at the present time, or may be traced in its origin to be the fruit of modern missions in India.

Our paper would be very incomplete if we omitted to refer to one other field of active benevolent exertion in which Mr. William Pearce held a very prominent place. Our readers will readily recall the description we have given of the condition of females, and the state of female cultivation in India. On Mr. Pearce's arrival in the country no school for females was known to exist. But one native female was known to be able to read, write, or sew. The first school for their instruction was commenced by Mr. William Pearce in the year 1820, when, aided by a small society formed in the seminary kept by the wives of the missionaries, three schools were opened, in which the young ladies of the seminary were accustomed to assist, the only Bengali woman known to possess the ability to read and write becoming the teacher. In a few months eighteen girls were learning to sew, and about twenty others were being taught by some of the schoolmasters the art of reading, making a total shortly after

the commencement of fifty female scholars in Calcutta. So extraordinary did this appear that Hindoo gentlemen were heard to say, "Perhaps girls might, after all, be able to learn, and that instructing them might be a good thing." In the year following Miss Cook (afterwards Mrs. Wilson) was sent out by the British and Foreign School Society. Though her attempt was considered vain and a folly, the dream of enthusiasm, she speedily formed various schools, and in 1824, animated by her success, a Ladies' Society for Native Female Education was founded in Calcutta. In the year following thirty female schools existed in connection therewith, in which 480 girls were instructed. At the present time there appears to be about 1300 girls taught in the various schools of the Church Missionary Society, while in the day and boarding schools of our own body, it would appear that about 500 are in course of instruction. As in the case of boys' schools, the vernacular mission-schools have ceased to exist; and the children are almost entirely either the daughters of native converts, or orphans entirely removed from the contaminating influence of home scenes and associations.

We have thus with too great brevity attempted a sketch of the state of education in Bengal with especial relation to its connection with modern missions in that country. It is evident that whatever India has of revived intelligence and education, it owes it all to missions, and that in giving the first momentum to the work, the missionaries of the Baptist Missionary Society hold a very prominent place. Among them no name is dearer than that of William Pearce, whose active hand gave printed form to the earliest works for educational purposes, and whose affectionate spirit breathed compassion for the miserable and degraded daughters of

The truth is, the passage ought never to have been pressed into the service. The candour of modern scholars forbids them to regard it as testimony for infant baptism. As I will not even appear to speak at random, I insert here the views which two learned German writers have published. The first is C. Semisch, author of a critical Monograph on the Life and Works of Justin, and withal a Lutheran clergyman. I quote from his second volume, pp. 334, 335. "Whenever Justin refers to baptism, adults appear as the objects to whom the sacred rite is administered. Of an infant baptism he knows nothing. The traces of it, which some persons believe they have detected in his writings, are groundless fancies, artificially produced. In the words Tooi τινες καὶ πολλαί, ἑξηκοντοῦται καὶ ἑβδομη κοντοῦται, οἱ ἐκ παίδων ἐμαθητεύθησαν τῷ Xplory aplopoi diaμkvovoi (Apol. i. 15). 'Many men and many women, sixty and seventy years old, who, from children, have been disciples of Christ, preserve their continence.' Nothing more is said, than that many individuals of both sexes became disciples of Christ in early life. The idea of μaðŋteveσdaι does not necessarily include that of being baptized; it merely brings before our minds a catechumenate. And even admitting that the baptismal rite was included in μαθητεύεσθαι, this by no means is decisive of a reference to infant baptism. 'Ex raidwv contrasted with ἑξηκοντοῦται and ἑβδομηκοντοῦται may well denote the entrance on the period of youth." In a note, Semisch also quotes from Starck, "as a parallel, Lucian's language about the philosopher Demonax, 'that he loved philosophy ἐκ παίδων.” To this might add the language of Basil, in his Exhortation to Baptism, as quoted by Matthies, "Thou yet delayest, though thou hast been instructed in the word [the gospel] ik vηíov." In a similar manner the

apostle Paul writes to Timothy, 2 Tim. iii. 15, "From a child-ȧñò ßpépovs— thou hast known the holy scriptures.

The other writer is C. Steph. Matthies, author of a prize essay, entitled Baptismatis Expositio, a work of great literary merit. On page 187, he thus says, "In the first two centuries no memorials [monumenta] are found, by which it can be evidently established that infants then received baptism: it is rather probable that as far as to the end of the second century only those who had been instructed in the elements of Christian doctrine were admitted to baptism. But certain words of Justin Martyr, which are very often adduced in favour of the antiquity of infant baptism, seem to oppose this opinion. Justin says, that very many of each sex, sixty and seventy years old, who had been taught the doctrine of Christ from their childhood [a pueritia] remain continent. Though the formula μanreveodaɩ Tıvı undeniably signifies to be a disciple of such a one, yet this signification by no means contains the idea that that disciple has been already baptized; for one can be called a disciple, who, though he has not yet received baptism, is eagerly learning the doctrine of Christ, and is therefore taught the gospel. It is this which Justin seems to have had in mind. For he himself, in another place, giving an account of baptism, relates that only those who believe the things they are taught, so as to be persuaded that they can live in a Christian manner, are brought to baptism. It is thus evident, that in Justin's opinion baptism is to be given after believing in Christ. Nothing else, therefore, is contained in that saying of Justin's, than that many, instructed in the gospel from an early age [ab ineunte ætate], remain continent.”

I might now pass to the next writer introduced by Dr. Woods. But as the historical question of baptism has no little interest, I wish here to extract

In the other parts of this extract, it it is interesting to observe the successive steps presented by Justin. First in order is, being made new by Christ; next, cordially believing the instructions of the Christian teachers, and avowing the purpose to live accordingly; next, directions to prayer, and fasting for the remission of sins; and then baptism, this last being regarded as the means of the new birth, that is, evidently, of the persons' becoming members of the Christian family; the regeneration, strictly speaking, or spiritual conception, implied in the earlier part of the process, reaching its ultimate point, or becoming consummated, in being born into the family, so as to be recognized as children of God and brethren of Christians.

In subsequent chapters, lxv.-lxvii., Justin continues his account, and describes the reception of the newly baptized person among the brethren, the administering of the Lord's supper, and the accompanying worship. But through all these chapters, professedly devoted to an account of the Christian observances, not the slightest hint occurs respecting any persons' being baptized, but such as had received the gospel, and professed the purpose of living agreeably to it. Could this have been the case, if infant baptism had been the uniform practice? Should it be said that Justin's design did not require him to mention infant baptism, it must be considered that he professed to give such an account, that the emperor and senate, and people of Rome, might not be ignorant of any of

baptism, if it had been the uniform practice from the time of the apostles, must have been so frequent an observance by the year 138, that it could not have been forgotten, or been passed over, by an intelligent Christian apologist, who wished that nothing might be concealed either from the rulers or from the people It must also have been so frequent an observance, that the voluntary entrance of a person into the Christian company, and active participation of the Lord's supper and of worship, could not have been described as taking place in so direct connection with baptism. In case of infant baptism, a long interval must have intervened between the two transactions. In addition, it is well known that among the grounds of the hostile feeling which the populace at that period so extensively and bitterly cherished against the Christians, was the absurd accusation, that, in their assemblies, they were in the habit, among other enormities, of feasting on the bodies of infants. Any solemn, special ceremony in reference to their children, required by their religion, we may venture to say, could not have been omitted in a description of Christian worship and observances, while this foul charge of Thyestean banquets was so perpetually reiterated.

Looking now at the writings of Justin simply as historical monuments, that is, as memorials of opinions and practices prevalent in his day among the Christians, I am unable to see how a conclusion different from that which Semisch has so candidly expressed can be sustained: namely, "of an infant baptism Justin knows nothing."