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respect it was a very sensible thing on the part of the Brahmans to keep those books in concealment.
The Koran also, the sacred book of the Mahommedans, is kept concealed in the Arabic language. Those persons who profess the religion of Islam in this country learn to read the words of the Koran; but they are generally ignorant of the meaning of those words, and many of them therefore have not the slightest knowledge of the eontents of the book. Buropecan scholars have translated the Koran also into Tnglish, and hence all natives who have learnt English have the means of gaining a thorough acquaintance with its meaning. In like manner, the sacred books of the Parsees arc concealed in an ancient language, which none of the Par
sees themselves understand.
Thus the followers of every religion except Christianity are in the habit of concealing their sacred books and allowing only afew persons to study them. Seeing that all men are members of one and the same family, and that oue and the same sort of spiritual food is required by all; this concealment of their sacred books from the knowledge of their fellow-men, by persons who profess those books to be a revelation from Ged, is a species of treason both acainst God and against men. The Bible, on the other hand, being fit to be studied by all, and being a storchouse of wisdom common to all, it is the desire of Christians that all persons should read it and learn wisdom from it. No person whatever is hindered from reading the Bible. Though it is a very ancient book and written originally in Hebrew and Greek, yet Christians have not kept it concealed in those languages, but have translated it into the various languages which are spoken by people at the present day.‘Translations of the whole