The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-29

at IL In his opinion. the real difficulties
In the way Of the expansion Of Christianity
In India are Of three kinds; one due tn the
creed itself, one To the social disruption
which an acceptance Of IL involves. and
one to the imperfect. not to say absurd,
method Of making p~roseiytss hitherto
adopted. The authors attempt 90 make
the Theological impediments to the spread
Of Christianity In India clear 20 the English
mind u based. he SAYS. on conversations
with Brshmins Of great acutene<-. CON
tinued through a period Of many years
II seems that the IIindoo mind h ~ con
stituted that II can ~t-lieve. and does be-
lieve. In mutua ally destructive fact@ at one
and the same time. A HindOo will state
with perfect honesty that Christianity Ia
true. that Mohanm-da nism u true. and that
his own special variety 81 Brahminism N
true. and that he believes them all three,
Tho relation bet veen what Cardinal New
man called assent and Whist we call
faith h. imperfect with Hindoos. the
result being that conversion may be IN
tellectually complete. yet. for all purposes
81 action, he vAluele-s. What are you Ia
do. asks Mr. Townsend. with a nan whom
you have lsbored with your whole soul
Ia convince. and who N convinced, and vet
who remains just as unconvinccd for any
practical purpose N he wN before Under
such cirCu instances the missionary makes
no headw ~. He 10 bar1ed at the moment
81 success 10y what s-ems 10 him an alb
surdity. almost a mnacy. which. never
theless. he cannot remove.
The other Theological obstacle 10 the
spread Of Christianity In Indiais pronounced
still more serious Mr.. Townsend's obser
vations have convinced him that the char
sctsr Of jesus IL not as acceptable 70 Hin
doos n. II IL to the northern races. II Il
not 80 completely their ideal. because IL IL
not ~ vi-ibly supernatural, - completely
beyond any point which they themselves,
unassst-i hv divine grace, ran hope To
attain. The Hindoo. like every other man.
se,ks the complement Of himhelf, and MT
himself again. consequently. he stands
before Christ comparatively unattraotsd
i never talked frankly with a Hindoo,'
says our author. in whom ! did not detect
this feeling lof passive. hull repulsionl to
bo one innsr cause Of his rejection 81 Chris
! ,.anity. lie did not want that particular
subimity ~ character, hut another, par
taking more 81 the sovereign and legis-
lator THIS ~. when all j. said,
dAfl 'l'I " W w :" 80
Guilty ~ Christianity in India. and the one
which will delay con version on a large
scale
What MAJ lr called the social difficulty
In the wav Il Christianity IL also very great
The convert IL PRACTICAL. ~repuir-t 20 re-
nounca one civilization and to accept an
other. not In hlH ewes higher han his own
lie is compelled. fret ~ oil. 20 "Nr"ak hs
caste" that r.. - give up irr"coVerably his
=, r~unnl sanC'itv. which depends on csst".
and his fixed position in the world, mis-
Iurs'nlk and his friend. MANY readers
~ til. look will learn with surpris" that
Mr Townsend firmly believes caste 10 b" \
mar,ollou~ discovery. a forn ~ soc'al'
which Through age has protected llindoo
s,ci.tv from anarchy. and from the worst
owls of industrial and compettive NE.
u l. an automatic poor law to begin with.
amt the strongest known form Il trnt"-
union caste. however. In the Hindoo
sou-r. and Christianity cannot coen-t.
With caste 'hc convert gives up much Of
he domestic law the hnr-m-like -ecluSion
Of his home. much Of his authority ovc~
wife and children, the right - compelling
his daughter to marry early, which he
deems part ~ his honor, most IL HE daily
habits. and. in theory AZ lcaat. even hhs
method Of eating his meals Everything
H. changed for HIM AID changed for tie
uuacrus'om-Si in order hat b" NAV cor-
frS- h- faith ON" can hsrily wonder
saws our author. tina, many. o'hervIse
roaiv. shrink from such a baptism 10y Are
~ tina, the second generation II nat.v"
CHRISTIANS often show signs NJ missing
ancient mattresses 90 conduct
II -. Ll.V.,L, Iau.y.T Ia fh.
mpid diNtisiun 80 Christianity iu lndia
g. ~" are told. the method adopted f"r
touring pru-clytes NJ Townseud viii
iugly acknowledges that the missionaries
lead cAcrllrn, and hard-workue lives,
and ar" cH'I rely trusted hy tl" whole com
mnni,v. European and native They are
irto soldiers Of thirst. and 'ho.s who q"
pr,c,a'" ~ deridc them do NOT know tho
facts Nevertheless. they ar" not suited for
tho work Of prr~elvti-m In the first place.
they are too few Ia" Reformed Churches,
II they would roach all Inca. need ~ least
Ny, thousand agents. whereas they d. not,
or cannot, provide for moro than seven
hundred In the second place. tho mission-
aries ara Europeans. divided from tho
Hiudoos low a barrier A. strong a. that
which S,raraic~ a Chiuaman from a Lon
I'tilf'fH Nv INV Nv ''Nf w '''s w ~
durable differences - thought. ~ habit.
~ taste and of lhuguag" III" tArri"r ~
language the MISSIONARY sometimes, though
hv ro means always. overleap-. tut 'ho ~
mining barriers he cannot overcome.
fur they are rooted in his nature lie does
not even Try io overcome them He never
herumes a Hiudoo. or ANYTHING which a
Hindon could mistake FOR hlm~rlf; IA"
Influence Of civilization 10 too strong for
him lie leCrm"s n pastor ON tho l-~t
Eng .sh m"i-l, part preacher, part school
master. part ruler. always doinG nv he-t
always more OF lrs- suCSc-~ful. tut always
with an eve to a false end. tn. EuroIrahiZlng
~ the A~iatic There, IN Nj Town~cnd's
opinion, N the cur~e ~ the whole system
whether of missionary work. or Of imported
educa,ion. in India What IL wanted. he
thinks. IN Lolita, FOR pro-elytiying.i ~ not \
Pre- Church college. teaching thousand"
of Brahmins English. hut a university hk.
r. AyhsT at Cairo. for training native mis-
sionarirS through their own tongue, and in
Their own ways Of Thought exclusively, an
inrtitution which should produce, not babo"-
CniuIp.tcnt To answer examination payers
from Cambridge or oxford, hut Christian