mssioxs
380
MISSIONS
1. Am. Roai-fl (Coil!;.). 2. Am. Prosb. M. S. 3. Am. United Prcsb. M. S. 4. Am. Hcf. Prosb. M. S. fi. Am. Sonthurn P;■e^b.M.S. C. Am. Moth. Kpis. M. S. 7. Am. I'lot. Ki)is. M. S. S. Am. lliipt. ]\I. S. 9. Enp. Chmrh M. S. 111. Scolfli E.-tab. Cli. M. S. 11. Scoich Ficc Cli. M. S. 12. Iii.-^h Presb. M. S. la. Bishop Gobol's M. 14. Jenisnlem Verein. 15. Kaiscrswerth Deacmiesse!!. 1(1. Iiidopeiuleiit Mi.-sion?.
Cn-nperatinn of }fi»xionarii .S'()r?W?V/).— "This l.nrpre body I ciice, they hnve been led to think inthcr of the iinmcrnnh of European iind Amerirau mif^^ionaries briiifr their vnii- ' questions on which they ni'iee tlian of those on wliich ons mmnl inllnciues to bear ujioii the conntry willi Ilic ilicv difliT. and iliey co-operate lieartily to;zellier. Local- greater force Iierniise thev art tofrether with a coiniimt- ities are divided anions tliem by fiiendly arranL'ements; iiess whicli is but little understood. Friim the natme o!" and, with few exceplinns, it is a Hxed riile anions: them their work, their isolalud potiitiou, and their hjug cxpcri- that tliey will uot interfere with each other's couverts aud
MISSIONS
381
MISSIONS
each other's spheres of duty. The large bod}* of mission- aries resident in each of the presidency towns form con- ferences, hold periodic meetings, and act together on pub- lic matters. They have frequently addressed the Indian government on important social questions involving the welfare of the native community, and have suggested val- ual)le improvements in existing laws."
Various Forms of Labors.— ''The labors of the foreign missionaries in India assume many f<n-ms. Apart from their special duties as public preachers and pastors, they constitute a valuable body of educators. They contribute greatly to the cultivation of the native languages and lit- erature, and all who are resident in rural districts are ap- pealed to for medical help for the sick."
Knowledge of the Sative Languages. — "No body of men pays greater "attention to the study of the native lan- guages: The missionaries, as a body, know the natives of India well. They have prepared hundreds of works, suited both for schools and for general circulation, in the fifteen most prominent languages of India, and in several other dialects. They are the ccmipilers of several diction- aries and grammars ; they have written important works on the native classics and the system of philosophy ; and they have largely stimulated the great increase of the na- tive literature prepared in recent years by native gentle- men."
Mission Presses and Publications.— "The mission press- es in India are 25 in number. During the ten years be- tween 1S02 and lST-2 they issued 3410 new works iu thirty languages. They circulated 1,315,503 copies of books- of Scripture, 2,3T5,040 school-books, and 8,750,129 Christian books and tracts."
Schoolsand Training Colleges.— "The missionary schools in India are chiefly of two kinds, purely vernacular and Anglo -vernacular. In addition to the work of these schools, several missions maintain training colleges for their native ministers and clergy, and training iustitu- tions for teachers of both sexes. .\n important addition to the efforts made on behalf of female education is seen iu the Zenana schools and classes, which are maintained and instructed in the houses of Hindu gentlemen. The great progress made in the missionary schools and the area they occupy will be seen from the following fact. They now contain 60,Ono scholars more than tliey did twenty years ago. In 1ST2 the scholars numbered 142,952."
Christian Coimnunitics. — "A very large number of the Christian communities scattered over India are small, and they contain severally fewer than a hundred com- municants and three hnndred converts of all ages. At the same time some of these small cnusni-gatious consist of educated men, have considerable lesuarces, and are able to provide for themselves. From tlieni have sprung a large number of the native clergy and ministers in dif- ferent churches, who are now taking a prominent place iu the instruction and management of an indigenous Chris- tian Church. Taking them together, the rural and ab- origiual populations of India which have received a large share of the attention of the missionary societies now contain among them a quarter of a million native Chris- tian converts."
General Influetice of Missions. — " The missionaries iu India hold the opinion that the winning of these converts, •whether in the city or in the open country, is but a small portion of the beneficial results which have sprung from their labors. No statistics can give a fair view of all that they have done. They consider that their distinctive teaching, now applied to the country for many years, has powerfully affected the entire population. The moral tone of their preaching is recognised and highly approved by multitudes who do not follow them as converts. In- sensibly a higher standard of moral conduct is becoming familiar to the people ; the ancient systems are no longer defended as they once were, many doubts are felt about the rules of caste, and the great festivals are not attended by the great crowds of former years. This view of the general influence of their teaching, and of the greatness of the revoIuti(m which it is silently producing, is not taken by missionaries only. It has been accepted by many distinguished residents in India and experienced otticers of the government, and has been emphatically en- dorsed by the high authority of Sir Bartle Frere. Vvith- out pronouncing an opinion upon the matter, the govern- ment of India cannot but acknowledge the great obliga- tion under which it is laid by the benevolent exertions made by these six handled missionaries, whose blameless example and self-denying labors are infusing new vigor into the stereotyped life of the great populations placed Tinder English rule, and are preparing them to be iu ev- ery way better men and better citizens of the great empire in which they dwell."