pulse told these volunteers that should they go, they might be butchered and eaten by the cannibals, or destroyed by wild beasts, they grandly answered:-" Tell us not of cannibals or tigers, are there men there? If there are, we want to go." This is the stamp of men we want here, and this burning zeal for souls is worth vastly more than the diploma of any divinity school or the imprimatur of any sect. Think of that boatman in Burmah who when converted was earning sixty rupees a month. Perceiving that he was a ready speaker and clever withal, the Missionary said to him one day, "Can you give up your business, and preach to your countrymen? I may be able to give you 5 rupees a month for it.' Can you do it ?" The man thought a moment, then replied with a beaming face and tears in his eyes :"No, I can't do it for 5 rupees a month, but I can do it for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ." God give us that sort of men all over India. And of the Set the self-denial. THE REV. W. R. JAMES, B. M. S., Calcutta, said :-We should be careful in teaching others to be self-denying. I don't feel that example in I can do it, simply because I have not given up enough myself. I greatly admire Major Tucker who resigned his Government appointment to join the Salvation Army. As to training preachers I think we should not lay great stress upon the doctrine of the Trinity, simply because our hearers do not understand it. Let us give our preachers a thorough knowledge of the Bible. I come from Wales" the nation of one book," the Bible. : THE REV. R. A. ROBERTS, C. M. S., Nassik, Bombay, said :Order and discipline is needed in our work as well as zeal and enthusiasm. God being a God of order and not of confusion. It is foolish for us to exalt one branch of the work at the expense of another-all branches are contributing to our one grand end of evangelization. The training of native agents I look upon as a most important branch of work. If we study Church history we find that the Whitefields and Wesleys, the Savonarolas and Bernards, the St. Augustines and Origens, the men that have influenced the masses, have generally been trained men. Both for teaching and evangelistic labour training is needed. Both of these branches are important, both are contributing greatly to our end, they are parts of one work. The idea that only preaching work is God's work has seemed to gain a footing in some parts of the native church, whereas I am afraid that, in many instances, the life of the school teacher represents a laborious life, the life of a catechist a lazy life. As one of the few delegates representing the work of the C. M. S. in Western India I may state that in our training of men we are seeking to unite in many instances the teaching and the preaching agency. We select promising boys of good character and place them in our normal class, where if necessary we give them three years' training. After a few years spent in teaching, Order and discipline needed. Great evangelists have generally been trained men. C. M. S. practice in Western India. Train our agents to quote Scripture. if there be a desire for preaching work and necessary qualifications are present, a further training in a Divinity class is supplied. Two points may be mentioned in regard to the training of evangelistic agents which may seem at first sight minor ones, but which, if attended to, will have beneficial results. Our agents should be not only well instructed in the "word of God" but should be able to quote it well from memory. They are constantly confronted with shlokas from Hindu writings, and although I have noticed marked attention given by an audience when Scripture is quoted, our catechists are often times very deficient in this respect. Teach Another point is that the instructor of a Divinity class should preaching pay particular attention to the manners and conduct of his pupils practically. in their actual preaching and intercourse with the heathen. This can only be done by personal presence with them in bazar or village preaching and conversation. What we have heard with regard to controversy, &c., may well receive careful attention. Hints should be given with regard to matter, manner, and order in bringing Gospel truths before a crowd, and individual deficiencies and peculiarities should be pointed out This can only be effectually done where there is personal association in practical work. Attend to the salary. Give the best training. Largely in Teach Music. THE REV. P. M MUKERJEE, S. P. G., Calcutta, said :-It is remarkable that here in Calcutta young men do not offer themselves as candidates for Mission service so readily, nor in such large numbers as they seem to do in the N. W. P. and the other Provinces. In the N. W. P. in some Missions at least with which I am acquainted the native agents get more salary than they are likely to command in any other sphere of work. The case being different in Bengal, Missions here have to labour under a great disadvantage. If Missionary Societies want to have the best men in their service, they ought to give this matter due consideration. Then when the best men are secured care should be taken to give them the best training, and this should be done as far as possible in the English language, but by no means to the neglect of the vernacular tongue in which they may be expected to labour. In some theological institutions the training is so entirely English, that when the students finish their course they are utterly unqualified for work in their own language. This is certainly to be deplored and deprecated. Again in others the train. ing is exclusively in the vernacular. This may afford some advantage indeed, but considering the universal spread of English education throughout the country and the poverty of vernacular literature, the advantage is a very partial one. The training thus received can but very imperfectly qualify the men for their work. They will seldom if ever command the respect of those of their countrymen who have the advantage over them of an English education. One point in the training of native preachers has hitherto been greatly neglected. Music is admitted to be a great auxiliary in evangelistic work. I would strongly urge that this may find a place in the training of Mission agents. In Europe and America music is taught along with other branches of study. In India it is not only not taught in our schools and colleges, but it is so abused and degraded that its attainment is considered anything but complimentary to the young. Nevertheless it has a power which tells equally upon all. To sanctify this power and utilize it for the evangelization of the country belong to the Christian church. Nowhere can it be better done than in the school of the prophets. Introduce it by all means in our Theological training schools, and by doing so a lasting benefit will be conferred upon the church and the country at large. agents. REV. A. MCKENNA, B M. S., Soory, Bengal, said:-One day, some years ago, a native brother employed in the local police came to me and said, "Sir, I can remain no longer in the police force, I must leave, for my conscience will not permit me to stay." "Well," I said, "and what will you do when you leave ?" "If you will give me a phial of quinine," he replied, "and a bottle of castor oil, then I shall set up as a physician." But it was objected that he did not understand medicine, or a physician's work. "O," he said "that does not matter very much." "Yes, my friend, it does," I replied, "if not to you, at least to your patients." The upshot was that the good brother, duly furnished with the apparatus he had asked for, set up as a doctor, near his own village. I have since heard that he has become in his own way a distinguished physi. The old style cian. The mode in which this brother became a doctor was, of selecting twenty-five years ago, too often the way in which native brethren became preachers. They had nothing else to do, or they could do nothing else, and so they became preachers. But all that has long since passed away. It is rather to be feared now that our systems of training may not leave room for the God-trained preacher, the man who in mature life has been called out by the Holy Spirit to take part in this great work; and it is also possible that our hard and fast rules of reception may leave no room for Our training his entertainment. No doubt there is the high probability that systems may such men will preach whether we ask them or not. But it exclude Godshould not be forgotten that some of the very best preachers the Baptist Missionary Society ever had in Bengal have been of this class. It is unnecessary to mention the names of Ram Jibon, Joy Narain, and Ram Joy? These and others like them were men of great natural ability, but it may be doubted whether they could have passed an examination. Converts direct from Hinduism and born orators, they had a power of dealing with Hindu objections which one scarcely ever sees in Bengali Christians trained to the work. These men, indeed, had the best of all training, the work of the Spirit in their own souls, and His guidance into all truth. They were men mighty in the Scriptures, in their own simple way, and it was but necessary to hear them preach, and sent men. Will the Native Church support its to be acquainted with them and their work, to feel that they held a commission direct from God. I shall further only ask a couple of questions. Some of the native brethren who preceded me referred strongly to the circumstance, that if India is ever to be evangelized, it must be through the instrumentality of her own sons, by native agency. This statement, in one form or other has been frequently made during the last twenty years. I am not here to contradict it. But I very much wish our native brethren, when touching on this subject, would kindly go a little further than they do, and tell us plainly who is to support the native agency to which they refer. Do they mean that the European Missionary Societies are to sustain a native machinery adequate to so huge an enterprise as the evanevangelists? gelization of India? Or do they wish us to understand, that the native church of India is to rise to her opportunities, and discharge the duty which God by her conversion to Himself has so clearly devolved upon her? My second question is this, and it is one so important, that I hope some brother who may follow me will try to answer it. Is our present system of a paid native preacherIs the paid ship, as at present worked, a help or a hindrance to the development Native Agent of Christianity in our midst? Is it, or is it not, the fact that our system a help brethren, owing to no fault of theirs, are only too often made to stand in the way of that self-reliance in our native churches, which is the real hope of the future? My queries refer to Bengal, the province with which I am best acquainted. or a hindrance? Trust God clothes. THE REV. B. PETERS, M. E. C., Bangalore, said:-The preacher who cannot trust God for food and clothes is a very poor for food and preacher. The model preacher, in my opinion, is the leper who was cleansed he went out and published everywhere what Christ had done for him. We need such preachers in India to-day, men filled with the Holy Ghost and fire. These will feel the burden of saving souls, they will be in earnest in preaching. I had to go to prison seven days for preaching in Bangalore. Selection of men, a : THE REV. P. M. RUDRA, C. M. S., Burdwan, Bengal, said :The selection of agents for Mission work is indeed a difficult task, difficult task. and it ought on no account to rest with a single individual, but with a body of men both Europeans and Natives. In appointing men care should be taken that no pressure of any kind be brought to bear upon them. Candidates for Mission work should of their own accord volunteer for the service, and when their life and character have been thoroughly enquired into and found blameless, they should be accepted. The With regard to the training of agents for Mission work of Principals various kinds, it is of supreme importance that the European should live Missionary Professors or Principals in Divinity Schools should condescend to live with them as much as is practicable. They should eat and drink and associate with them, and thus try to impress their own character and infuse their own spirit into their pupils. In order to do this, they will have to undergo great with the students. self-denial. Christ our Lord became incarnate to raise sinful men to His own perfection, and Missionaries, as servants of the great Master, should come down from their higher social status in order to elevate the men whom they intend to initiate in their own blessed work. Mere Theological lectures, however learned and sound, given in a Divinity School cannot supply the place of the practical training which is given by living and working with the students. The study of the Church History of the first three centuries and Christian biography ought to be greatly encouraged, that our young men may be fired with the Christian heroism of which they find human instances in their study and be led to devote their lives to the service of their blessed Master and walk in His footsteps. Encourage the study of Church History and Christian Biography. Utilise more The REV. E. M. WHERRY, A. P. M., Lodiana, said:-I desire to call attention to that large class of native Christians who are native secular deemed unfit for the spiritual calling of the preacher and the help. teacher. Many of these are men of considerable ability and may, in my opinion, be made to do a great deal of that work of the Missionary, which is of a purely secular character. How many Missionaries feel themselves oppressed by the secularities connected with the building and repair of houses, the management of presses and book depôts, &c. Now, by calling in the help of native Christians, competent for this kind of work, the Missionary may soon find himself free for the special work of the Evangelist in the city and the village. might be more entrusted to Native Christians. Indeed I cannot but think that the time has come when the Secular work secular education of our Mission schools, including the management of the same, may be carried on entirely by such native Christian workers. Some schools are so conducted now, several Tract Depositories and Mission Presses are worked by this same agency. It seems to me, therefore, to be our duty to seek for helpers of this kind, as well as for those specially suited to the more spiritual work of the Mission and the Church. If possible such help should be voluntary. By thus relieving the Missionary from the secularities of his work, he would be free to devote himself to the work for which he feels himself to be specially appointed. fit to be employed The REV. L. L. UHL, A. L. M., Guntoor, Madras, said:-For All trained nine years I have been engaged in this work. In this time we have in schools not sent out at least 100 young men, but we have not sent half of them to preach. Many of them were unfit, and we could not allow them to go out to this work; we said to them, they were unconverted, and they could never preach. When I came to Guntoor there were but 12 young men in the training school in that place, now there are 54 under my instruction, besides others. as preachers. Plan at I give a few brief points. The young men are recommended to us and then we watch their conduct in the village congregations Guntoor. for six months or so. Then we take them into the central |