The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-25
Missions.

The eighty ninth animal report of the Enolisb
Baptist Missionary Society states that while the
past year has been unmarked bv events of
thrilling interest abroad it has yet been a wear
OF steady and unmistakable advance on almost
every hand" The missionary force in India
mas Deen increased, and there are, it is stated
ABUNDANT and growing facilities for preaching
the Gospel in the English tongue. A missionary
In Bengal writes that the English speaking
work among the educated natives is becoming
more and more important. The government
schools are producing thousands of Bengal
graduates, In whom the supersttions of the
Hindu religion are effectually DESTROYED. The
mind of those natives is, therefore. a blank
rellgionsiy. Nothing has been given them to
replace the old religion, and MANY. therefore
become inhdels. He also says that twenty or
,hirty missionaries are needed in his neighbor-
hood TO preach the Gospel to those educated
natives who are willing to hear it from anv one
qualified, in their opinion, to teach them. An.
other notable fact in connection with Indian
lHlsslons, says the report, lis the Increasing
independence and aggressiveness of the Native
Church. A larger amount of evengelistic
work was done than usual, with good results.
The Romanath Chowdery writes an oninion
regarding. the method of evangelizipg India
with which many native evangelists will coincide.
He says:
" The work of evangelization in India should
l think, be purely oriental in its mode. The
sell oenlar OF Jesus has to face the asceticism of
Shlba and Krishna. The ascetics of India
are captain generals of Hinduism. Profoundly
learned men could be found among them. Evan
gellsts should go, like them, without purse, from
province to province, and proclaim Jesus and
him cruclhed to the people Difficulties NAV
arise; but patience. faith and prayer will surely
overcome them. The same Hindus who honor
ana iced Mohammedan fakirs will honor and
feed them. The Mussulmans will NOT he so
hostiie as is supposed or anticipated Ignorant
people will sometimes be troublesome b1t their
antAgonlsm will vanish away like vapor, if the
Iong.sutferlng and lamb like meekness of Jesus
De displayed IN keeping the temper under con-
troll and showing love to enemies"
Mr. Chowdery gives leaf from his own ex
prr'ence as an evangelist. to show how devoted
native preachers will be cared for. Once when
he was starving Brahmin came to see him in
the night After a short conversation he asked
the evangelist whether he had eaten ANYTHING
lnaC Gay when the evangelist replied in the
negative, the Brahmin instantly left him saw
ing: God will surely curse the place if one of
hS servants starve and die here without food"
says Mr. Chowdery: "At the end of one full
hour he brought to me what the rich and re-
spectacle Hindus eat, and asked forgiveness for
not taxing notice OF me during the day." In
Ceylon the additions to the churches were LARGER
than In any previous year. The mission of the
society In China has grown in numbers, and in
the self-help and aggressiveness of the native
churches There are 30 self supporting churches
connected with the mission in Shansi and Shan
tiung' and large additions have been made to
them. In China, as in India, the principle of
self-support. IS inculcated from the first and
converts are taught that it is their duty to CON
tribute OF their means to the support to Chris
tan institutions Mr.. Jones writes that "aII
the foreigners can or, perhaps, ought to give is
truth and direction. The rest the natives Should
lind; The force is Heaven sent, not cash
fha
missionary, who earnestly pleads for colleague,
to help him in the work of gathering in the Rar
vest, which is plenteous. The schools of the
western Africa missions have been well at
tended. The misfortunes of the Con 90 Mission
are described; but there is no purpose of aban-
do1ing the. difficult undertaking. The West
indian and European missions require no special
notice In this summary. The receipts of the
Society were $257 ,295, the lagest income the
Society ever received, Of this amount, about
$4,000 was contributed for special purposes.
ne report gives no statistics. Independent