When the motives are manifestly worldly, the course followed by our Lord, noticed by Mr. Tucker, should be pursued. (John vi. 26, 27.) The professed inquirers should be pressed to ponder the question, "What is a man profited, &c. The Rev. R. Clark says: Even when a man bears deceit and selfish motives, on his very countenance, let us seek to bring God's word home to his heart, with the burning words of love and anxiety for him. Let love, the secret of all Missionary and ministerial success, be imprinted on the Missionary's face; and the more so, the more the apparent inquirer may seem to need it. However depraved or worldly, let him be attracted and instructed..... Whoever he may be, or whatever may be his motives, the Missionary's one object is to bring his soul in contact with the word of God, and the powers of unseen things. Let him tell him of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come; of the uncertainty of life ; of the death in sin and life to righteousness; and especially of Him who came on earth to give repentance and forgiveness of sins, through faith in his death and passion."* Experience, however, would seem to show, that where the great motive is the hope of direct temporal gain, good is done only in very rare instances. Rhenius says of beggars, who were instructed weekly when they received an allowance of rice, "They seem to rejoice only in the food which perisheth."+ The Missionary may probably spend his time more profitably on others. When temporal benefits are hoped for only indirectly, as protection, &c., the prospects of doing good are far greater. Unless the people aim at something positively wrong; where desire, for a Catechist even from very mixed motives, is expressed, the compiler would say to the young Missionary, send one, but be sure of your A Catechist with little prudence or strength of Christian character would perhaps do mischief; while, on the contrary, a wise, tried agent would not mix. himself improperly with temporal matters, and through man. * Punjab Conference Report, p. 205. God's blessing, gradually lead the people to a better state of mind. The instruction of sincere inquirers will form one of the most delightful parts of the Missionary's labours. Temporal Support.-The question whether any support should be given to inquirers was considered at the Punjab Conference. With regard to one class there seemed no difference of opinion. The Rev. J. S. Woodside said in his Paper : "I would here earnestly protest against furnishing temporal aid to a class of men who run about the country, from mission station to mission station in the garb of inquirers, or even baptized Christians. These are mere vagabonds, utterly unworthy of help, or any countenance whatever. The funds of the Church should not be wasted upon such worthless characters. In devising any general system of aid, great care should be taken in making a selection of beneficiaries. So far as my experience goes, the really deserving are unwilling to ask for help; whereas the worthless, and unprincipled, are never satisfied. Vagrancy is the great blot upon the indigenous Christianity of India; and no friend of Christ, be he a Missionary, or any other class, should encourage a practice so utterly destructive of all self-respect in the individual, and so disgraceful to the cause he represents." It is the pecuniary aid given to such men which has led to persons being baptised two or three times. Mr. Woodside states that, "Vagrancy is the great blot upon the indigenous Christianity of India." This was based upon North Indian experience. There are isolated cases everywhere, especially in towns; but vagrancy" is by no means common among the bulk of Native Christians. When the Missionary meets with a "vagrant" inquirer, it is wise to ascertain the place to which he belongs. If there is a Mission in the neighbourhood, he should, as a general rule, be sent there for instruction. At all events, reference should be made to the Missionary in charge. Brown quotes the following with regard to the support of inquirers:- The practice of supporting the Catechumens during the period of their preparation is now given up, as it was found that many, particularly, in seasons of scarcity, desired instruction, not for the sake of learning the things which belonged to their everlasting peace, but merely to obtain a supply of their temporal necessities; and on obtaining this, they went away and were never heard of. The Missionaries, therefore, made a new regulation, by which they agreed to give no assistance to such as lived in the town, except in very urgent cases. Those from distant places, they instruct in the forenoon, order them to work in the afternoon, and then give them the usual portion."* At the Punjab Conference, several, deeming it important to teach from the outset, that "if any would not work neither should he eat," recommended that inquirers should be made to work at suitable employment some part of the day. Others, thought that hospitality should be shown for a time to apparently sincere inquirers. The Rev. R. Clark observed: "I am not anxious for work to be always had at once for every inquirer. If it is worth his having, he may be an inquirer merely to get it; it is not worth his taking, it may give him an idea, that we seek to get work from him at a less expense than we could otherwise obtain it. In any case, when work is connected with his teacher, it seems to draw away his thoughts from the one great object, on which we desire to fix them."+ The Native Christians will, in most cases, be better judges than the Missionary of the motives of inquirers. Where they are at all numerous, any support to inquirers may, with advantage, be made to devolve principally upon them. However, in many parts of the Mission field, difficulties of this nature will not be much felt. Discouragement to be guarded against.-Hough has the following remarks: Many an inquirer will come day after day, listen attentively to what he hears, avow himself convinced of its truth, and seem to promise well; when, just as their teacher is beginning to rejoice over them as 'brands plucked from the burning,' he will be disappointed, perhaps grieved at heart, by the detection of their real motives. He cannot but feel it very hard to preserve a true Missionary spirit under the repetition of such disappointments. But let him not be discouraged. He should be particularly on his guard against the feeling of distrust towards all future inquirers. Such a feeling may naturally be expected to arise in his mind, under circumstances so painful; but he should instantly repress it. For, although hitherto all may have been hypocrites yet the next may prove a sincere disciple, who would be disheartened by an apparent suspicion in his teacher, and retarded in his progress. Caution ought never to be confounded with suspicion. To be cautious in the admission of candidates for baptism, will always be the Missionary's duty. But to suspect them without cause, would tend to hurt his own spirit, and to chill his love for them and others; while to manifest that suspicion by a repulsive manner would generally shut the mouth of an humble inquirer and make his spirit sad. However difficult the task may be, yet the Missionary should endeavour to keep his mind free from distrust, and his heart warm with affection; that he may be ready to receive every one in future with the same kindness and attention which he would have shewn if he had never been deceived."* Mission Agents and private Christians should be encouraged to bring inquirers to the Missionary. Sattianadan, one of the most laborious and useful Native Ministers in South India, was thus brought, when a heathen, to Swartz. If the Missionary's servants are heathen, he must especially guard against their repelling inquirers. The heathen cook of a Missionary in the Telugu country drove away some inquirers, chiefly because they were low caste. Providentially they sat down where the Missionary saw them. This * Missionary Vade Mecum, p. 115. was the beginning of a promising Mission. In general, domestics will do what they can to gain "Master's favor." When they understand that the Missionary is pleased with those who bring inquirers, they will rarely act in the above manner. Baptism.-This is very different from receiving persons under instruction. Dr. Caldwell remarks : "It is desirable to mention here, that what I have said respecting the influence of secular motives refers exclusively to the reception of persons, in the first instance, under Christian instruction as catechumens, not to their subsequent reception by baptism into the Christian Church. If a person wished to receive baptism, and it were certainly known that he was influenced by secular motives, I would never consent to desecrate the sign and seal of regeneration, by administering it to a person who was so obviously unfit to receive the spiritual blessing. In such cases our rule should be that which was expressed by Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.' The standard for baptism varies in different Missions. Mr. Woodside says : "Some in imitation of what they suppose to be Apostolic example, administer baptism to any who are willing to receive it, without any preliminary training whatever. I know a Missionary who baptised a number,-I think eight persons, at his first interview with them. He afterwards thought he had been too hasty. Another distinguished Missionary writes,' I know people that catch a wild coolie, make him do housework for three weeks,--and then the man is a Christian.' On the other hand, I have known candidates for baptism to be held back from the ordinance, month after month, and year after year, waiting for evidences of more complete preparation. The truth seems to be, that errors may be committed on both sides ;-on the one hand, by too great haste and on the other, by too much delay. It is evident, from the last great command of the Saviour himself, that teaching was intended to precede baptism. It is also evident from Apostolic example, that an intelligent assent to the doctrine of faith in Christ, and a manifestation of a personal interest in him, were considered necessary."+ + * Lectures on the Tinnevelly Missions, p. 116. † Punjab Conference Report, p. 198, |