The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-12-11
The Success of East Indian Missions.

The Success of East Indian Missions.
The question having arisen whether the
success attending Christian missions in the
East Indies was in proper proportion to the
effort and expenditure made, late number
Of the Free Church of Scotland Monthly
Record in reply collstes the testimony of
number of gentlemen of the highest charac-
ter for truthfulness and dsinterestedness,
and whose official positions in the countries
in question were of such character as to
afford them the best possible opportunity for
acquiring fullS and accura.a information. -
This testimony is in the highest degree as.
suring to the friends Of missions, and should
have the effect to incite them to redouble
their exertions for the enlightenment of the
heather. We quote from it, as follows:
Lord Lawrence, Viceroy and Governor
General in 1870, writes sit seems to me
that, year by year, and cycle by cycle, the
influence of these missionaries must in
crease; and that in Gods good will the time
may be expected to come when large masses
of the people, having lost all faith in their
own, and feeling the want Of "a religion
which is pure and true and holy, will be con-
verted and profess the Christian religion;
and, having professed it, live in accordance
with its precepts f. have a great rev.
erence and regard for them THE missiona-
ries, both personally and for the sake of
the great cau:e in which they are engaged;
and feel it to be pleasure and privilege
to do anything | can, in the last years of
my life, to further the great work for which
they nave done so much"
Sir Bartle Frere, Governor of Bombay in
1870, says: "What are our missions doing
in India ? 'Are they making any substan-
tial progress?' Are they really as little
successful as some people tell u.s." Such
are some of the questions commonly asked
of any one freshly arrived from India.
The question itself, or the tone in which it
is put, generally indicates some expectation
of an unfavorable answer. If the opinions
Of others who have been in India are quoted,
they are expressive of some doubt whether
much is really being done by Christian mis-
sions in India, but especially by those of our
own Church, in comparison with what is be-
ing effected by other agencies-many of
them unecnnecie viti rslgiou, Any such
conclusion ia entirely opposed to the results
of my own observation and experience in
various parts of India during the past thirty
FIVE years.
Lord Napier, Governor of Madras in 1871,
reports: m/
my travels in this Presidency are now
drawing to close, but when | shall revert
co them in the midst of other engagements
and other scenes, memory will offer no more
attractive pictures than those which will re-
produce the features of missionary life
In Gingam, in Masulipatam, in North Arcot,
in Travancore, in Tinnevelly, in Tanjore,
have broken the missionarys bread, / have
been present at his ministrations, have wit
messed his teaching, | have seen the beauty
of his life. The benefits of missionary en-
terprise are felt in three drections-in con-
Verting, civilizing, and teaching the Indian
people. l. ConversiOn.-The progress of
Christianity is slow, but it is undeniable.-
Every year sees the area and the number
slightly increase. 2. Education.-In the
matter of education, the cooperation of the
religious societies is of course inestimable to
the Government and the people. Mis-
sonary agency is, in my judgment, the only
agency that can at present bring the bene.
6tso teaching home to the humbest orders of
he population. 3. Civilization.-It is not
easy to oyer-rate the value, in this vast en-
pire, of class of Englishmen of pious lives
and disinterested lsbors, living and moving
in the most forsaken places, walking between
the Government and the people with devo
ton to both, the friends of right, the adver
saries of wrong, impartial spectators of good
and evil.
Finally, Sir Donald Mcleod, Lieutenant
Governor of the Punjab in 1872, writes:
I'm many places an impression prevails that
our missions have not produced results ade.
quate to the efforts which have been made;
out 1 trust enough has been said to prove
that there is no real foundation for this i'm
preston; and those who hold such opinions
know but little of the reality. The
work may be going on silently, but, when
the process of undermining the mountain of
idolatry has been completed, the whole may
be expected to fall with rapidity, and crum-
bic to dust. The prayers and exer-
tions of Christian people are required to
press on the Government the necessity of
doing everything a Government legitmately
can do to promote the progress of Chris
tianity and sound morality throughout
India, whether they can take direct part
in spreading the former or not. Above all,
they should be urged to send out Christian
rulers-men who are faithful and are not
ashamed of the gospel" Christian InteN-
gencer.
IT is one thing to wish to have truth on
one side, and another to wish to be on the
side of truth.