Morning journal and courier., 1890-07-07
CASTE AND GLASS.


Rev. George F. Pentacost, made the first
announcement publicly last evening in the
Church of the Redeemer, of a scheme that
has been on foot for the past year or more to
enter a wedge for the evangelization of India.
The plan is one exceedingly novel and per-
haps will not be without good results. 1t is
as Mr.. Pentacost tersely phrasedsit, to carry
on seige, not an assault, against the feeling
that exists between caste and class in that
great country, or the high caste and intelli-
gent Brahmin on the one side against the
high class Englishman on the other. The
people who will go in. this mission are
party in England, composed of those in the
highest station in life, and number in this
country, some In New Haven, have expressed
willingness to join the attempt. The party
will start about the middle of next Septem-
Der. The objective point will be Calcutta,
and stay of five months is proposed for
thorough series of evangelistic meetings
throughout the country. Mr.. Pentecost has
received countless petitions from India, com.
ing from missionaries, converted natives, and
many others to make this trip, and he feels
that his duty, as we'll as inclination, calls
him to the work. This eminent divine hopes
that the influence exerted by Christian people
of the highest social classes in our country
and England will counteract an idea widely
prevalent with the educated high caste Hin
docs, that christianity applies only to the
lower classes. They form their opinions
from the example given by dissolute class
of English people who are in India, nomi-
nally Christian but practically pagan.
Concerning India and his pilgrimage thlth-
or, he spoke most Interestingly as follows:
The modern missionary movement is not
much over one hundred years old. 1t was
twenty-seven years ago when had been set
tied only six months over my first passionate
that first thought of missionary work in
India, and so offered my services. But the
committee in charge considered that I was
not versed we'll enough In Hebrew, and de-
clined my services. But now, after twenty
seven years. work in the world. I propose
going on my own responsibility and with on
ly the English language to preach in.
There is great amount of ignorance con-
corning foreign missionary work, and that in
India particularly. The three great centers
for missionary work are India, China and
Africa. In these centers the large majority
of mankind has its home.
India is about one-half as large as the
United States and has population of three
hundred millions.
There are three gates of entrance to this
country through the great mountain ranges
on the north. This country Is a microcosm
In itself. All of its people subsist on what
the land produced. Every race of people
and every religion known to man exists in
India. Also every climate, from the glacial
cold in the north: to the tropical heat.
of dense jungles and swamps. But these on
ly exist In limited territories. Some two
hundred years ago the English obtained
foothold in India for the purpose, not of in :.
PRODUCING christianity, but Of bringing out
Its products for the worlds use.
One singular fast in history is that Corn
wallis, the British general who assisted in
assisted later in winning India for his coun-
try. After the British East India company
had been in possession about 100 years, they
hitherto not allowing Christianity to be
preached from prudential motives, William
Carey, shoemaker, conceived the idea of
carrying the gospel there. He went to India
about ninety-seven years ago with this pur-
pose, and landed at Calcutta, but was ex-
PEELED from that place and compelled to take
up his post o little further off; and this
started the great movement of evangelization
which has followed. In the last fifty years
| England has been doing her best in raising
| these people under her charge up to the light
and truths of the gospel.
| To-day there are $4,000 miles of postal ser
vice in India, which in some localities is az
good as ours. Western civilization has been
now 5000 miles Of telegraphy, $4,000 miles
of railroad, etc. Also many of the natives
have been and are being taught in English
Il universities. There must be motive II
this. The French and Dutch who have ha6
foothold in this country were not instru
mental in evangelizing that great empire and
through Gods providence were removed and
It, AoI~1 I,x, kba
| race. This was all done in his own good
! time, when everything was ready for the
Christian work to begin. According to the
best students the next great manifestation of
Christ is to be in some heather
land. And perhaps many of us will see
some great spiritual explosion, the dynamite
Of God making an upheaval in India. If
want to be there; want to have hand II
1t If any more drilling is necessary. In the
great cities of India there are English
churches, where the congregation is made
up of Anglo Saxon people.
We have statements from our friends there
that the churches are dead but probably they
are not more 80 than many right here In New
Haven. There is field of work, &c
make up these moribund AnRlo-Indiar
churches. There are upwards of 5000, DOC
| of educated natives, made up largely OF
| Hindoos of the Brahmin caste. These ART
| not ordinarily accessible to missionary in
| fuences, because as o rule this is felt more
| by the lower castles. But there Ia no trouble
| for the educated preacher to join the atten-
ton of asmany Of these Brahmins as coult
be wished. President Seeley, Joseph Cook
and others in preaching and lecturing hav'
reached large and interested audiences, bu
their work has been transitory. This felt
has been practically neglected.
One of the needisst class for encourage
ment is that of the missionary class itself
These solitary workers, surrounded by thu
dead walls of paganism on all sides, mus
necessarily become discouraged, worn out
and even skeptical of their own powers
| There never has been a revival In the broas
| eral revival in all the English speaking an(
English Influenced people in the whole O.
that great country. But there exist also tn
same obstacles as here. Listlessness abou
attracting meetings. Inconvenience of tn
hour for the services. Why, that Is just tn
| time when I dine, some will say. Whel
soup and salvation come in contact, salvation
is always beaten. Prejudice, pride and cast
are the great obstacles in the way in India
The native Indian is full of prejudice
He is of a conquered race and il
necessarily prejudiced against the conqueror
| even though they admit the English hav
brought 80 many advantages.
After his prejudice comes his pride-hi
pride of race The Brahmin will say, Why
your race was barbarian while ours was Il
tho height of civilization. Their race is trul
among the Oldest of the world. Christianity
they say, is only a little section of their reli
gion of Brahminism, which includes all. The
again comes the difficulty of caste feeling
The Brahmins represent Gods head, the sol
diers his arms and the laboring classes hi
legs. Between these classes there ia abso
lutely no passing the defined lines. The ma
in the lowest is just as proud of that caste q
the one in the highest. So the entire empir
is checker boarded with these strict divisions
A man ia anchored in his family and til
family in the caste.
So the high-caste Brahmin says if brea
my caste am an outcast, and will the high
caste Englishman take me ins Will he ir
vite me to his table, give me one of hi
daughters to marry9 No. The English al
just as high caste as the Brahmin, go here
the great difficulty. This is the wide diff
tcuIty between the two nations.
The preacher ended with an earnest apes
that his talk might create more than Sur
day evenings passing attention, and hope