The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-10-07
THE MISSION FIELD.

The London Times has this to
say about the increase of native Christians
in lncia as revealed by the general census
of 1881
The rapid increase of the native Chris
tians was one of the unexpected disclosures
made by the Indian census of 1881 Mis-
slonary after missionary comes home from
India and quite honestly laments on British
platforms the fewness of his conversions
The annual reports of several of the great
Missionary Societies tell the same frankly
respondent tale. Unsympathetic critics
please themselves by reckoning up the cost
OF each convert at so many pounds sterling
IN three figures. The Government of India
does not concern itself with conversions,
but It's census officers had to ascertain the
facts regarding the native Christians. exact
~ as they had TO ascertain the fact with re-
ference to any other class of the population.
iheYscrutiDise the figures supplied forear-
Ter ears, with the help Of tho officially as
certained by the first general census of India
IN 1877, and compared the whole with the
returns of the second Indian census in 1888.
lhey found that the native Christians i'm
BRUSH India were increasing at rate un-
known among any other considerable sec
llon oil the population, at a rate more than
tour times higher than the population of
India as whole 1t appeared also that
TINS increase of the native Christians was
much greater than what may be termed the
machinery Tor their supervision and con-
troll While the number of Mission stations
had increased only threefold between 1851
and 1891, the number of native Christians
had multiplied more than fivefold and the
number OF native communicates (the most
closely cared-for class by nearly tenfold
During the nine years from the first gen
eral census of 1872 to the second in 1881
the enumeratiOns by the census officers
alone being dealt with it was found that
the native Christians in British India had
increased by over 30 per cent, while the
general population of British India had in
creased by less than per cent.
.
The report on public instruction in
Madras sums up the situation in the follow
ing welghty words-words which no British
ciilcial in India would have dreamed of
using with reference to the native Chris
tans generation ago: There can he no
question. if this community persues with
steadlness the present policy of its teach
ers, that, with the immense advantage il
possesses in the way of educational insti-
tutions, in the course of generation it will
nave secured preponderating position i'm
all the great professions, and possibly too
in the industrial enterprise of the country
AS regards industrial undertakings and the
technical or practical instruction which
lead to prominent position in them. the
official reports for Madras declares that mo
section of the community has entered ON
ths new departure in education with great
er earhestness than the native Christians
This is state of things simply inconceiv
able in an Indian presidency half-a-century
ago. When Englishmen or Englishwomen
feel inclined to doubt whether their aid to
India Missions is productive of results, they
can comfort themselves by the reflection
that, although the results NAV not be exact.
ly what they had in their minds, thew are
more solid and have a wider reach than the
great Indian missionaries of the last zen
Grafton would have ventured to antici
pate"