congregation, and endeavour, in every proper way, to acquire an influence over them and incite them to labour for the cause of Christ. By little and little, they should be trained to work in the mode they are best qualified. Afterwards they should be duly recognised as officers of the congregation. Future Government of the Indian Church. This is an interesting subject; but opinions will be regulated, to a large extent, by early training. It may be observed that, at present, every Missionary is virtually a Bishop, overseeing the Native Ministers. Dr. Mullens says: "Here is a practical New Testament Episcopate, sprung not from theory but from circumstances; an Episcopate forced on men of all churches,-Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Independents, Wesleyans, and Lutherans."* Different views will, of course, be entertained as to what will be the ultimate form of government. The Church Missionary Society's Minute on the Organization of Native Churches, thus points out some of the evils which have resulted from not developing the powers of the Native Church, and makes suggestions about the course to be pursued: (1.) "In respect of the Missionary: his hands soon become so full that his time and energy are wholly occupied by the converts, and he extends his personal labours to the heathen in a continually decreasing ratio. His work also involves more or less of secularity and account keeping. The character of a simple Missionary is complicated with that of the director and paymaster of the Mission. (2.) "In respect of the converts: they naturally imbibe the notion that all is to be done for them--they are dependents upon a foreign Mission, rather than members of a native church. There may be the individual spiritual life, but there is no corporate life though the converts may amount to thousands in number, they are powerless as a body. The principles of self * Liverpool Conference Report, p. 23. support, self-government, and self extension are wanting, on which depend the breath of life in a native church. (3.) "In respect of the Missionary Society: the system entails a vast and increasing expense in its Missions; so that, instead of advancing to the regions beyond,' it is detained upon old ground; it is involved in disputes about native salaries, pensions, repairs of buildings, &c.; and as the generation baptised in infancy rises up under this system, the Society has found itself in the false position of ministering to a population of nominal Christians, who in many instances give no assistance to the progress of the Gospel." 9. "So long as converts are thus dependent for their Christian instruction upon their headmen*, and the occasional ministrations of the Missionary or other Agents paid by the Society, the work must be regarded as the evangelistic work of the Society. THE FIRST STEP in the organization of the Native Church will be taken when any company, or one or more neighbouring companies unitedly, shall be formed into a congregation, having a schoolmaster or Native teacher located amongst them, whose salary is paid out of the Native Church Fund. This step may be taken as soon as the company or companies so formed into a congregation contribute a fair amount, in the judgment of the Missionary, to the Church Fund. 10. That a SECOND STEP in the organization of the Native Church will be taken when one or more congregations are formed into a Native pastorate, under an ordained Native, paid by the Native Church Fund. This step may be taken as soon as the congregations are sufficiently advanced, and the payments to the Native Church Fund shall be sufficient to authorise the same, in the judgment of the Missionary and of the Corresponding Committee. "The Christian headmen of the companies comprised within a Native pastorate should cease to attend the monthly meeting of the headmen under the Missionary, and should meet under their Native Pastor. "As long as the Native Church Fund is under the management of the Missionary Society, the Native Pastors paid out of that Fund must remain under the general superintendence of some Missionary of the Society, who shall be at liberty to minister occasionally in their churches, and to preside jointly *See pp. 310, 311. with the Native Pastors at the meetings of headmen and other congregational meetings: the relation between the Native Pastor and the Missionary being somewhat analogous to that of curates with a non-resident incumbent. 11. That a THIRD STEP in the organization of the Native Church will be taken when a sufficient number of Native pastorates having been formed, a District Conference shall be established, consisting of pastors and lay delegates from each of their congregations, and the European Missionaries of such district. District Conferences should meet periodically for consulting upon the Native church affairs, as distinguished from the action of the Society. 12. "When any considerable district has thus been provided for by an organized Native church, foreign agency will have no further place in the work, and that district will have been fully prepared for a Native Episcopate." An Essay by the Rev. J. Newton on "An Indian Catholic Church," will be found in the Punjab Conference Report. The reproduction in India of minute ecclesiastical distinctions is deprecated. A loving spirit is of far more consequence than rigid views about church government. Every Missionary should seek to discourage a sectarian disposition among his people. EVILS TO BE GUARDED AGAINST. There are certain sins incident to fallen humanity which prevail throughout the whole Christian Church. Though they deserve special attention, the design of this volume is rather to treat of what is peculiar to India. Hence only a few points will be noticed. Caste Feeling-The early Missionaries in South India tolerated caste, in the hope that it would yield gradually under Christian teaching. This expectation has not been realised. Rhenius says, Rhenius says, "Although a century has passed since the establishment of Protestant congregations in this country, the attachment to caste, instead of diminishing among the Christians, has rather increased, and is, perhaps, more obstinately Some insisted upon by them than by the heathen."* profess to retain caste simply as a civil distinction. The late Rev. E. J. Hardey once said to one of these caste Christians: : Suppose you had lived at the time when our Lord Jesus received sinners and ate with them would you have sat down and eaten with Him, and these sinuers and publicans ?' 'No,' said this caste Christian, no, sir, I would not.'"† Missionaries have sometimes been deceived, supposing that their people had entirely given up caste, while in reality such was not the case. There is most danger of this when large bodies come over, all originally of the same caste. The spirit shows itself when persons of another caste, of whom as heathen they were jealous, seek admission into the Christian Church. Caste has given by far the most trouble in South India. The evil was caused, to a large extent, by the course pursued by the Missionaries themselves. With the exception of the Lutheran Missionaries of the Leipsic Society, a vigorous stand is now made on the subject by all Protestant Missions. Its complete renunciation is demanded. Some Missions have annual Love Feasts, partly as a test. All eat of food cooked by a man originally of low caste. Caste feelings should be especially guarded against in Mission Agents. Caste-keeping Catechists have been known to advise heathen Pariahs not to become Christians. Marriages.-The Rev. F. Baylis says:— Another principle I would insist upon is, that no man or woman regularly connected with the Mission, whether baptized or not, be permitted to marry among the heathen, as leading to many and serious evils; and that every marriage be conducted according to settled rules, and after a Christian manner; and that any who refuse to comply with the rules of the Mission in this respect be at once excluded from all connection with the Mission."* The Rev. E. Porter observes with reference to Native Christians : "We must carefully instruct them on the evils of early marriages and betrothals. Let us also endeavour to disabuse the mind of our converts as much as possible of the idea that woman is born only for marriage, and let us show that woman has her peculiar department of useful labour both in the married and unmarried sphere of life. Let us show them that in the Church of Christ she can employ her time and talents usefully for the glory of God, in the visitation of the sick, education of the young, and in promoting the spiritual good of her own sex. "We must guard our Native Christians also against unsuitable marriages, such as an educated woman marrying an uneducated man, a pious woman forming a connection with a worldly man, and vice versa; seeing that such marriages are generally attended by the most miserable results to both parties, and bring scandal on the Christian name. In many of these cases much good may be effected by Christian watchfulness, private rebuke, and counsel wisely administered."+ Heathen Practices.-There is danger of the observance by converts of old idolatrous customs. This will require to be guarded against with care. They vary so much in different parts, that no precise details can be given. Quarrelling. The heathen, especially the women, often indulge in virulent and obscene language. Improvement in Native Christians takes place only gradually. The Rev. A. Davidson, Booldana, Bombay Presidency, writes : "What has caused me especial grief during the past year, is the tendency to quarrel with and intrigue against each other which has shown itself among my people. About three months ago this increased to such a degree, that I felt it necessary to * Ootacamund Conference Report, p. 257. |