In my twelfth chapter, I spoke of the liberal donations which the
heathen of India make for the support of their religion. In the city of
Calcutta alone, it is supposed that two millions of dollars are spent
every year on the festival of a single goddess--a festival which lasts
only a few days. A single native has been known to give, as I before
said, more than one hundred thousand dollars at one time to this
festival, and afterwards thirty thousand dollars yearly. How vast, then,
must be the sums which are spent upon all the different festivals of
their gods. Would that we could see such liberality among Christians.
Would that we could see the generality of them willing to give even
one-tenth of their annual income to the Lord. Alas, what would the
heathen say, if they were to learn how much greater are the sums of
money which they give to their idols, than Christians give to honor
their Saviour? Would they not exclaim, It is because Christianity is
false, and heathenism is true, that Christians give so little for
Christ, while we give so much for our gods? My dear children, I hope
that you will never allow the heathen to say that the Christian religion
is false, because you do not give your money for the spread of the
Gospel.
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