{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 77,
  "chapterName": "c.1820. Raja Rammohun Roy on Christian Doctrine and Ethics",
  "pageFrom": 98,
  "pageTo": 99,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 98,
      "ocrText": "98\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\n77. RAJA RAMMOHUN ROY ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE\nAND ETHICS (c. 1820 A.D.)\nRaja Rammohun Roy, a learned and progressive Hindu of Bengal,\nmade a serious study of Christianity. He arrived at the conclusion\nthat while the doctrinal arguments of Christian theologians are of\nlittle significance, the ethical teaching of Jesus is superior to that\nfound in other religions. This passage is from The Precepts of Jesus,\nThe Guide to Peace and Happiness, pp.xxi-xxiv, in English Works,\npp.483-485. Cited in William Theodore de Bary, Sources of Indian\nTradition, pp. 575-577.\nA conviction in the mind of its total ignorance of the nature\nand of the specific attributes of the Godhead, and a sense of doubt\nrespecting the real essence of the soul, give rise to feelings of great\ndissatisfaction with our limited powers, as well as with all human\nacquirements which fail to inform us on these interesting points.\nOn the other hand, a notion of the existence of a supreme superin-\ntending power, the author and preserver of this harmonious system,\nwho has organized and who regulates such an infinity of celestial\nobjects, and a due estimation of that law which teaches that man\nshould do unto others as he would wish to be done by, reconcile\nus to human nature, and tend to render our existence agreeable to\nourselves and profitable to the rest of mankind. The former of\nthese sources of satisfaction, namely, a belief in God, prevails\ngenerally, being derived either from tradition and institution, or\nfrom an attentive survey of the wonderful skill and contrivance\ndisplayed in the works of nature. The latter, although it is partially\ntaught also in every system of religion with which I am acquainted,\nis principally inculcated by Christianity. This essential characte-\nristic of the Christian religion I was for a long time unable to distin-\nguish as such, amidst the various doctrines I found insisted upon\nin the writings of Christian authors, and in the conversation of\nthose teachers of Christianity with whom I have had the honour\nof holding communication. Amongst those opinions, the most\nprevalent seems to be that no one is justly entitled to the appellation\nof Christian who does not believe in the divinity of Christ, and of\nthe Holy Ghost, as well as in the divine nature of God, the Father\nof all created beings. Many allow a much greater latitude to the\nterm Christian, and consider it as comprehending all who acknow-\nledge the Bible to contain the revealed will of God, however they\nmay differ from others in their interpretations of particular passages\nof scripture; whilst some require from him who claims the title\nof Christian only an adherence to the doctrines of Christ, as taught\nby himself, without insisting on implicit confidence in those of the\nApostles, as being except when speaking from inspiration, like\nother men, liable to mistake and error. That they were so is",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 99,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n99\nobvious from the several instances of differences of opinion anmongst\nthe Apostles recorded in the Acts and Epistles.\nVoluminous works, written by learned men of particular sects\nfor the purpose of establishing the truth, consistency, rationality,\nand priority of their own peculiar doctrines, contain such a variety\nof arguments, that I cannot hope to be able to adduce here any new\nreasonings of sufficient novelty and force to attract the notice of\nmy readers. Besides, in matters of religion particularly, men in\ngeneral, through prejudice and partiality to the opinions which\nthey once form, pay little or no attention to opposite sentiments\n(however reasonable they may be) and often turn a deaf ear to what\nis most consistent with the laws of nature, and conformable to the\ndictates of human reason and divine revelation. At the same time,\nto those who are not biased by prejudice, and who are, by the grace\nof God, open to conviction, a simple enumeration and statement\nof the respective tenets of different sects may ay be a sufficient guide\nto direct their inquiries in ascertaining which of them is the most\nconsistent with the sacred traditions, and most acceptable to common\nsense. For these reasons, I decline entering into any discussion on\nthese points, and confine my attention at present to the task of\nlaying before my fellow creatures the words of Christ, with a trans-\nlation from the English into Sungskrit, and the language of Bengal.\nI feel persuaded that by separating from the other matters contained\nin the New Testament, the moral precepts found in that book, these\nwill be more likely to produce the desirable effect of improving\nthe hearts and minds of men of different persuasions and degree of\nunderstanding. For historical and some other passages are liable\nto the doubts and disputes of free-thinkers and anti-Christians,\nespecially miraculous relations, which are much less wonderful\nthan the fabricated tales handed down to the natives of Asia, and\nconsequently would be apt at best to carry little weight with them.\nOn the contrary, moral doctrines, tending evidently to the mainte-\nnance of the peace and harmony of mankind at large, are beyond\nthe reach of metaphysical perversion, and intelligible alike to the\nlearned and unlearned. This simple code of religion and morality\nis so admirably calculated to elevate men's ideas to high and liberal\nnotions of one God, who has equally subjected all living creatures,\nwithout distinction of caste, rank, or wealth, to change, disappoint-\nment, pain, and death, and has equally admitted all to be partakers\nof the bountiful mercies which he has lavished over nature, and is\nalso well fitted to regulate the conduct of the human race in the\ndischarge of their various duties to God, to themselves, and to\nsociety, that I cannot but hope the best effects from its promulga-\ntion in the present form.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}