equal.

With reference to the second point the good bishop says nothing, because,
I surmise, he concluded the going up at different times to receive the
Sacrament was included in his remarks on precedence in church.

As regards the schools, and amongst the children, he observes that caste
must, as to taking places, etc., not be taken into account, "but," he
adds, "even here caution should be observed to disgust no man needlessly."

As to the fourth point, he was decidedly of opinion that, as regards
private meals and social intercourse, we had no right to interfere
whatever.

After alluding to the objections raised by some zealous missionaries to
the processions in marriages and other matters, he intimates pretty
plainly that he has some fears that recent missionaries have been more
scrupulous in these matters than need requires. He then concludes by
saying that "God forbid we should wink at sin; but God forbid, also, that
we should make the narrow gate of life narrower than Christ has made it,
or deal less favourably with the prejudices of this people than St. Paul
and the primitive church dealt with the almost similar prejudices of the
Jewish converts."

The bishop then framed a set of questions as regards caste observances, to
which he required particular answers; but, in consequence of his untimely
death, and of the short tenure of office held by his successors, Bishops
James and Turner, no further official action was taken till the middle of
1833, when Bishop Wilson's "Circular"[38] dealt the most fatal blow to
Christianity that it has ever received in India. For this "Circular"
imperatively declared that the distinction of castes, as regards all the
relations of life, must be abandoned, "decidedly, immediately, and
finally." And in order that this mandate might be intensely galling to the
upper class vegetarian Christian, it was especially ordered that
"differences of food and dress" were to be included in those overt acts
which were to mark out for condemnation the Christian who still clung to
the habits of his fathers in these innocent and, as regards food,
healthful restrictions. To cling to these differences of food and dress,
and to abstain from alcohol, was to cling to caste; and it was especially
ordered that the children of native Christians should not be admitted to
the Holy Communion without a full renunciation of all those social
differences which might distinguish them from other members of the so