to the Rajah of Mysore. The people are ignorant and simple. The Rajah sends his orders for the rents, and these orders are sealed, the people see this order and obey: but if any were to go to the people and give orders in the name of the Rajah, and hold out picture, and say, this is the picture of the Rajah, therefore you must obey: not one would regard such a person. So in like manner, Christ sent his apostles with his orders to preach and to warn the people of the fearful consequences, if they did not believe, and this message was accompanied with the sealing of the Spirit, which made the people obey; but no account whatever says they carried an image of Christ, and demanded obedience when theys howed it. Now, (addressing himself to the heathens,) compare the message of Christ and what he said himself to Nicodemus, John iii. 5, with the foolish language of these people about images in the hands of the apostles. Turning to the Scripture, Samuel read the 9th chapter of Acts, and inferred, that no image was necessary in the case of Paul's conversion, as he does not intimate having seen any image in the hands of the disciple Ananias. He was converted in an extraordinary way without an image. The Ethiopian eunuch was reading the prophet Isaiah-Philip preached unto him Jesus, but did not show him an image, yet he was converted. Stephen was not supported by any image when he suffered, but he saw Christ in heaven. Samuel next read 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, and 26th verses of the first chapter of Romans. The heathens took U hold of the New Testament and read the passage repeatedly. They commented on the passage, and said, "No further proof is necessary to show the folly of an image of Christ, as Christ's human body is only a creature. The Catholics and heathens spoke very warmly, and criminated and recriminated each other as idolaters, whilst Samuel sat simply as a hearer for nearly two hours. After they had cooled a little, Samuel closed by repeating Rom. i. 17, comparing it with what Christ said to Thomas, John xx. 29, and referred to Acts xvii. 29. 1 John v. to last verse. The twelfth conversation having closed, (each meeting for debate occupying three, four, and five hours,) the above is a very brief but correct statement of what passed. The Catholics were forbidden to continue their assemblies by the priest, consequently the other questions remain to be considered, and probably will do. The meetings were the occasion of much inquiry and conversation, both among the papists and heathens. The priest having forbidden them to meet, and attempts having been made to suppress a spirit of inquiry, have called forth much bad language and bitterness of spirit. Yet there is not a doubt, that the truth has been considerably advanced, because the impetus given to the human mind, and a wish to triumph where the victory seems (by calumnious reports to the prejudice of Lutheran opponents) to be such an easy attainment. Many of the papists have in consequence begun to read the Tamil Scriptures with considerable attention, which practice has been forbidden by the priest. There have been several proposals made to renew the conversations, and times have been specified to begin, but no meeting has taken place. The reading of the Scriptures which was begun to obtain arguments to oppose the Lutherans, led the people to make many inquiries of the priest, and those led to the prohibition. |