equally idolaters, seems, under the present altered circumstances of our increasing acquaintance with these systems, a proceeding wholly opposed to the spirit of that great Apostle, who, when addressing Gentiles, assured them that God had taught him not to call any man common or unclean; and declared that God was no respecter of persons, but that in every nation he that feared Him and worked righteousness was accepted by Him (Acts x. 34, 35; see also Rom. ii. 10, ii, 14, 15, iii. 29).
If, then, it is becoming more and more a duty for all the nations of the world to study each other ; to inquire into and compare each other's systems of belief; to avoid expressions of contempt in sj)eak- ing1 of the sincere and earnest adherents of any creed ; and to search diligently whether the principles and doctrines which guide their own faith and conduct rest on the one true foundation or not— surely we Englishmen, to whose rule India has been intrusted, have special opportunities and responsibilities in this respect. For in India the three great systems which now confront Christianity—viz. Brah- manism, Buddhism, and Islam—are all represented. Brahmanism is, of course, numerically the strongest; yet Muhammadans form, as we have seen (p. xx), a sixth part of its population1. As to Buddhism, we have indicated (pp. 53-61) that its relationship to Brahmanism was in some respects similar to that of Christianity to Judaism ; and although it is true that, in contrast to Christianity,
1 It may startle some to learn from p. xx of this Introduction that England is the greatest Muhammadan power in the world, and that our Queen lias probably more than double as many Muslim subjects as the ruler of the Turkish Empire. Eoughly estimating the present population of the globe at thirteen hundred millions, the Buddhists along with the Coiifucianists (disciples of Kung-fu-tsze, see p. 4, note i) and Tauists (of La-u-tsze) would comprise about 490 millions; Christians, 360 millions; Muslims or Muhammadans, 100 millions; and Brahmanical Hindus and Semi-Hindus, 185 millions. Of other creeds, the Jews comprise about 8 or 9 millions; Jainas, Parsis, and Sikhs together about 3 or 4 millions. The Fetish-worshippers of Africa, America, and Polynesia probably make up the remaining 153 millions. The census of 1872 showed that there were only 318,363- converts to Protestant Christianity in all India. The religion of Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims is missionary; that of Jews, Hindus, and Parsia, non-missionary. Without the missionary spirit there can be no continued vitality and growth ; and this spirit is part of the very essence of Christianity, whose first missionary was Christ Himself.
