DISCUSSION.

29

sionaries undertaking the work at all.
were really in it, they would certainly improve rapidly by experi-
For, if their hearts
ence, and even their mistakes and their defeats would only make
them improve the faster; and even if it be thought undesirable
that they should go into the bazar alone, yet why should they not
go there with the senior and already experienced missionaries?

DR. MURRAY MITCHELL said, he would try to express in a few Preach rather sentences the feeling on this important subject which generally than controprevailed among Missionaries in Western India. But indeed the

feeling all over India, so far as he had been able to ascertain, was the same as that in Bombay. It was acknowledged that there must be more and more of the simple proclamation of the glad tidings, less and less of controversy. No doubt, controversy was sometimes unavoidable; Mahomedans especially would try to bring it on. When unavoidable, let it be conducted, as far as possible, in private. Public debate often ended in bitterness. Even in private we must be very watchful over our spirits and our words,—“ in meekness instructing them that oppose themselves." In fact more depended on the manner, than on the matter, of our speech.

Then, who should enter into controversy? Only those who were qualified for it by a careful and lengthened study of the systems attacked. Was it right, or was it safe, for an unskilled champion to rush into the arena and contend with a trained athlete?

vert.

Skill needed

in contro

versy.

Seize on

points of

Again, as some one-he thought it was Mr. Rudra-had already said, when the heathen systems were attacked, they must be attacked with discrimination. It wounds the feelings of their professors when they are denounced as unrelieved masses of falsehood. God has never left Himself without witness. He speaks in the agreement. human conscience; and even in Hindu books sentiments are expressed which we ought to acknowledge to be true and pure. Deal with these as the great apostle did at Athens with the remarkable quotation which he made from "certain of their own poets." Justice requires this, but it is expedient also; for every such truth is a weapon which the heathen cannot parry. young Missionaries then, who cannot have mastered the heathen Are the systems, to be debarred from preaching? By no means. them preach, in season and out of season; but let them preach the Let Gospel! Let them pour out their hearts in the proclamation of the

love of Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners. Sacred Sacred song.
song in Western India as elsewhere is more and more resorted to
by the Missions. To musical recitations embodying any amount
of scriptural truth or fact, the Hindus would sit attentively listen-
ing for hours,-for nights indeed. He was pleasantly surprised
by an expression made use of by the headman of a village respect-
ing Mr. Narayan Shesadri's agents.
at the appointed time to preach and sing to us, we won't stand it;
"If your people do not come
we'll report them at head quarters." Who was the complainant?
No Christian; but a Hindu. Very possibly it was the music more

than the truth, that this man and others were fond of. Still, the Opposition fact is encouraging. In short all over India, the opposition to the melting away. preaching of the Gospel is largely passing into tolerance and more

A sling-stone
may kill
a giant.

Where to preach.

A messenger with a

In

than tolerance, into approbation. The rub is when a relative
wishes to be baptized; then opposition quickly appears. Let us
however be thankful for the change, so far as it has gone.
stead of universal resistance, we meet with it now only from
Mahomedans and Brahmans. The rest of the people hear us
gladly. Let us thank God and take courage!

REV. DR. THOBURN, M. E. C., Calcutta, said, I quite agree with Dr. Mitchell that it is not prudent or wise for any one who is unprepared to attack Hinduism or Islamism, but I think his remarks need a little qualification, I should not say that untrained young men should not attack Hinduism at all, but rather that they should not attempt to use weapons with the use of which they are not familiar. A stripling who knows nothing of military art should not try to handle an eighty-ton rifled cannon, but if a young man who cannot handle the heavy weapons of controversial warfare, can find a smooth stone which nicely fits his little sling, let him go forward and and take as straight an aim as he can at the forehead of any giant error which may confront him.

With reference to the special subject before us, I would say that first of all it is important to determine where we are to preach. We cannot go at random, nor can we map out the country after the manner of a survey, and decide to preach wherever geographical distances make it necessary. Three years ago I was at the Sea of Galilee, and wished to see fish caught on that historic lake. The fishermen took their boat and sailed away to the north end of the lake. They passed over a million fishes but would not cast the net until they reached the shingly beach beyond. At the right time, and in the right place they began to throw the net, and at every cast they drew up a net full of fish. Was it for nothing that our Saviour directed the disciples to cast in the net at the right side of the ship? I have long thought that we lose much and fail often because we throw the net where our judgment or fancy directs, instead of seeking the place which our Master points out.

The Missionary should go before the people as a messenger from God, should profess to be sent of God, and should not only message. be a messenger but he should have a message. He should have his credentials. Our Saviour instructed his disciples to go forth as witnesses, and promised the Holy Spirit's power as divine credentials. We utterly fail to appreciate the actual work which the Spirit does in enlightening the mind and hearts of those who In the Spirit's listen to our preaching. The Spirit is always present, and always co-operates with us in our efforts to convince our hearers of the truth. We should speak of Jesus Christ, not as the Mahomedans speak of Mahomed, but as of one whom we know, one who lives, and reveals Himself to His people. We could do more with the

power.

people if we only knew how marvellously we can move their hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit, and how powerfully our direct personal testimony will affect them.

This

REV. G. W. JACKSON, W. M. S., Jubbulpore, said :-The Let all preach charge of "doing more harm than good" has been put forward and learn by against young European Missionaries and inexperienced Catechists experience. because of the character of their work in the bazar. evidently tends to discourage those concerned. Hence it is necessary to remark that they should always be helped by the presence and instructions of their seniors. Now where these can be given there cannot be any very real objection to the presence of our raw recruits in the bazar.

But it is also said that "the young European Missionaries should keep at home and learn the language and religion of the people for some years at least before they venture forth." I should like to ask if any preacher-even in his mother-tonguecan preach without practice?-especially if he be deprived of the use of his manuscript as bazar preachers are. I have never yet seen a child that walked before it crept, or that talked without many stammering attempts. Nor can I believe that, even after many years quiet study, any man will be able to preach to the people of this country in their own language without practice. It is also necessary to be remembered that many young Missionaries live quite alone and hence must of necessity learn by themselves. To these, as one of themselves, I would say, let us begin early by conversations and short addresses, and we shall soon be competent for this great work. For experience teaches that when the beginner works in a kindly spirit he has the forbearance and sympathy of the people.

THE REV. J. R. BROADHEAD, W.M.S. Bankura, Bengal, thought, that the tone of the morning's debate was likely to discourage young missionaries, but it was to be hoped that no young man would refrain from preaching in the bazars and public streets because he was not well acquainted with Hindu philosophy. It was a great mistake to talk as if the Hindus were a nation of philosophers. Hinduism was a system of philosophy for the learned few only. For the masses of the people, Hindu philosophy had neither existence nor meaning. The point of contact was not the common truths found alike in the Shastras and in the Scriptures, for the masses knew nothing of the truths of the Shastras, but the universal consciousness of sin, and the universal longing to make some atonement for sin. Popular Hinduism, the religion of the masses, was a system of idolatry, a refuge of lies, a sink of iniquity, and as such belonged to those works of the devil which Jesus Christ came to destroy. In the name of his Master he felt it his duty to attack Hinduism, not, however, in the spirit of idle or angry controversy, but in tenderest love and in fullest sympathy with Christ's purposes of redeeming grace.

Popular Hinduism

must be attacked.

Peculiarities

in India.

Afternoon Session.

Sunday School work among Heathen and
Mohamedan Children.

FIRST PAPER BY REV. B. H. BADLEY, M. E. C., Lucknow.

To any one who queries, Why hold Sunday Schools of Sunday among non-Christian children? I would reply by asking, School work Why not? In Christian lands, as Great Britain and America, and among Christian people in this and other lands the Sunday School is an institution professedly to supplement home instruction, and it is universally expected that in connection with the Sabbath lesson there shall be more or less Bible teaching at home; in these Christian circles boys and girls, whose tender hearts joyfully receive the blessed truths of the Bible, are to be seen at father's or mother's side, repeating the verses committed to memory, asking assistance, demanding explanations, and thus receiving help and inspiration that not only abide in their hearts but tell upon their lives. In heathen lands the case is different. The idea of home is wanting; the praying mother is not seen: the tender, helpful voice of the pious father is not heard; instead of finding a sanctuary the child is exposed to dangers and corrupting influences but a trifle less injurious than if he lived in the street: words, the very thought of which cause the Christian to weep, are continually sounding in the child's ears: he is encouraged, not in virtue, but in trickery, deceit, obscenity and the wonder is, not that the rising generation in India is so depraved, but that it is as upright as it is. Surely the blessed Holy Spirit must hover about these millions of young hearts, keeping them in some way we know not how from the dreadful, contaminating influences which surround them.

Counteracts, not supple

ments, home influences.

Here, then, the Sunday School is not to supplement home influences for good, for these are wanting, but to revolutionize the home where superstition and bigotry prevail it is to lay a loving hand upon the Hindu or Mahomedan child and say, "Come with us we will do thee good" it is to implant in the child's receptive heart the idea of a personal God, Creator, Preserver, Redeemer: it is to inculcate precepts of virtue, to cultivate an abhorrence of vice, to tell of a loving Saviour who welcomes

the children to His fold; it is to whisper of a sinless home in heaven for those who love God and keep His commandments. More than this, it is to send this child forth among its playmates and home to its parents, a real missionary, telling in the persuasive voice of childhood the great truths of God's holy word, repeating verses of Scripture" Golden Texts"-and singing again and again the hymns learned in Sunday School.

Than this there can hardly be a greater work. It is A great work. preaching and re-preaching the Gospel. In my own experience again and again have I heard of Sunday School scholars, boys so thoroughly accepting the truths of the Bible as to persistently refuse to worship the family god or goddess, arguing with their parents, showing the foolishness of idolatry, and even going so far as to lay violent hands upon the unshapely block of stone so blindly worshipped by the older members of the family.

Its

As compared with bazar preaching, the Sunday School considered as an evangelistic agency has many advant- advantages. ages. The missionary, in speaking to a company of adults in the street or at the mela, feels that the hearts of

his hearers are prejudiced, filled with the strange notions Bazar work. early implanted which have grown with their growth and are not to be uprooted in a moment: these adults as a rule have decided what their lives shall be religiously: they are not open to conviction; they are not earnest in searching after the truth; and hence, as we so often see in the bazar, people listen to our preaching counting their beads and muttering with bated breath the potent words, "Ram-Ram!" or "Lihaul walá quwata illá billáhi ;"* their state is anything but receptive; they are constantly on the defensive, and are half ashamed to be seen in our company, the appearance of pandit or moulvi often sufficing to hurry them away.

:

With an audience made up of children it is otherwise. School work. Their hearts are unprejudiced: parental example may have inclined them to view with favour the ancestral creed and forms of worship, but the bias in this direction is slight they at least are not afraid of the new teaching, and as a rule count the missionary their friend; the Gospel commends itself to their sympathetic hearts by its wonderful simplicity, and as they comprehend its saving truths their minds are stirred, their natures touched, and they are powerfully influenced for good.

* Equivalent to " May God protect me in this dangerous place!"