Train native agents these old students help our preachers. During the past five years there have been no conversions in our College, but the opposition of the students to Christianity has been uprooted. THE REV. RAJARAM CHITAMBAR, A. P. M., Allahabad, said :— I wish to make the following remarks::- I. India can be evangelized and Christianized through the agency of her own sons and daughters. We are all agreed upon this point. II. The natives employed or about to be employed by a Mission to preach the gospel ought to have proper training given to properly, them, in order that they may be fitted for the work they are In English. Give them wanted to do. The English language ought to be introduced into the course of training of theological students. I have been preaching the gospel among the educated class of the natives for more than 18 months, and my limited experience has taught me that in order to reach such people as I have just mentioned, tuition in the English language is absolutely necessary. I was exceedingly astonished to hear the remarks of Mr. K. C. Banerjea. The speech of the speaker referred to, though a master-piece of eloquence is a master-piece of fallacy. It is quite necessary that men should be set apart for this kind of work, and that proper training, in both the vernacular and English, should be given to such preachers for the following reasons: 1st, Works on science, philosophy and other important and necessary topics, even on theology, are not translated into the languages of the country; 2nd, The native preachers who are well up in the vernacular and in the vernacular only, have not as much access to all classes of the native population as those who have had the advantage of a higher education both in the vernacular and the English. III. Proper agents should have proper work assigned to them. proper work. Some have received the gift of teaching, while others are blessed with different gifts. The native Christians are like the members of the human body, and as the members instead of having the same work to do, have their respective work assigned to them, so the native Christians should have proper work given to them. Missions have schools, repairs of Mission properties, village and town preaching, production and distribution of tracts &c. in their charge, and they ought to give proper work to proper agents. Work in THE REV. H. COLEY, L. M. S., Almora, said that as a representative of the province of Kumaon, where there is no Government Higher Education at all, he might be allowed to say a few words. The educated young men of the province in nearly every case, had passed through the Mission High School. Hence there was a special need for those who had trained them and brought them thus far on their way, to endeavour to lead them still further in the paths of wisdom and righteousness. To do this, lectures had been tried, a library started, and other means adopted. But the work had not yet been fully accomplished. The "Theosophist" was read more than the "Bible"; the " Amrita Bazar Patrika" was more popular than the "Indian Witness." One thing seemed necessary-more of Christ along all the line. 1. More of Christ-of the truly Christian light and life-in the UNIVERSITY which directs the studies of so many thousands of young men. More truly Christian text books were required. More care was needed in preparing papers, that the Christian element, as seen in history and other subjects, might be made more prominent. The history of a Christian country should not be limited to the story of its battles. More wisdom ought to be shown in so regulating the studies, that moral and religious instruction might not be pushed aside by the press and the stress of examinations. 2. More of Christ in the SCHOOLS. In two ways. First, by the absence of compulsion in religious matters. We must adopt the Christ-like way and say "Come", not "You must do this." Christian truth in and of itself was so supremely attractive, that there ought not to be any need for an injunction making attendance at the lesson compulsory. And secondly, in getting the right men in the right places. Was this always done? Did the Missionary Boards and Committees always represent in this matter God's thought or God's plans? It was a delicate subject to broach; but on behalf of some who felt the shoe pinch, it must be mentioned, no school could prosper if the teacher had no heart for the work. He knew of a case of two Missionaries coming to India. One of them, with something of the spirit of the prophets, had a soul burning with a desire to preach; while the other felt called to teach. But the Board appointed the teacher to preach, and sent the preacher to teach. 3. More of Christ in our CONVERSE with those whom we have educated. Let the work be followed up after they leave school. Keep an eye on them wherever they go. Be ready to speak about, and to show forth the Master. More of Christ needed. Dr. Duff's THE REV. S. C. BANERJEA, F. C. S., Calcutta, said:-When Dr. Duff first came into this country in 1830, he found an English example. speaking audience ready made to his hands, and prepared by a Government College. The question for our consideration is what is the best means of preaching the gospel to the English speaking natives of India, whether they have received their English education in Mission or in Government Colleges. We might have a very simple solution of the question if we followed the example of that illustrious Missionary. His first labours in India consisted of the delivery of lectures to the educated pupils of the Hindu College; he found that these young men lost all belief in their ancestral faith, and that they were fast drifting into scepticism and atheism. He accordingly, by a course of lectures on the evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, and by earnest appeals regarding the love of God in saving a lost world by the Lectures. House to house visitation. sacrifice of His Son, was the means of winning several English speaking natives of Calcutta to Christ. Our plan should accordingly be first to ascertain the disease by a constant course of house to house visitation among the English speaking native gentlemen, and then by means of public lectures to apply the remedy. Lectures on the Evidences, and lectures on the doctrines of the Christian religion, and discourses on the love of our blessed Redeemer may be delivered with great profit to the souls of the audience, provided the lecturer has previously ascertained by his visitation that the lecture was suited to the audience. The word of God is as the hammer that breaketh the stony hearts, but this hammer must be wielded by the blessed Spirit of God. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." The Bible is very largely a sealed book to our English speaking people, and if we now try to create a thirst for the word, so that they may read it during their leisure hours and in their own homes, a great point would be gained, and this should be attainLectures on ed by constant visitation, and by lectures on the literary excellencies of the Bible, and on the triumphs of the Bible in all lands in the conversion of souls. Thirst should also be created for the reading of such works as "The Pilgrim's Progress", "The Anxious Enquirer", "Scott's Force of Truth", "Fulfilled Prophecy", &c. &c. the Bible. Salvation work. Personal Our work should be salvation work. Christ crucified, Christ lifted up (John xii. 32), Christ our elder Brother on the throne ready to pour out His Holy Spirit; Christ, our blessed Emmanuel, our God-man, without whom we cannot live, should be constantly presented to our English speaking people as the great centre of attraction, and they will start with a new and blessed life, and India shall be the Lord's. THE REV. K. S. MACDONALD, F. C. S, Calcutta, said :-Influenced experience. by the first speech of Dr. Duff I ever heard I resolved 30 years ago, to fight under Christ's banner wherever my Saviour called me. Not having the gift of languages I had supposed that my work would be among the Gaelic speaking Highlanders of Scotland or of the Colonies. But the Foreign Mission Committee of the Free Church of Scotland called me to work in English among the English speaking natives of Calcutta. I believed then and I still believe my Saviour spoke to me through that Committee to give myself to work among this most important and ever increasing section of the non-Christian community. And if then, so far back, there was a call for such workers-more loud is the call now. For twenty years I worked among English speaking Hindus, chiefly inside the Free Church College in Nimtollah Street. Recently, I have been set apart for work among a much larger number of the same English speaking Hindus outside the College-in Beadon Square and elsewhere. I feel that the call for workers here is still louder, as the class is both more numerous and more neglected. The work inside the College and outside it religious teaching. is really one. The difference between the two is, that in the former Voluntary the young men are under what has been rightly or wrongly called attendance on a "compulsory" obligation to attend the religious instruction, when they desire only secular education, while as regards the far larger number outside the College, coming only for religious instruction, their attendance on the religious services is altogether voluntary. This question of compulsion or non-compulsion of attendance at our Bible classes in our Missionary Colleges, whatever it may be in Madras, Peshawur and Bombay, or even in Serampore, is becoming a burning question with us here in Calcutta. It is true that we have more influence over those who of their own accord come to our religious services, than over those who attend under the pressure of discipline and authority. Yet I believe, the efficiency and usefulness of our Colleges as Missionary agencies will be found to require a firm and loving administering of discipline in all classes, the Bible class not excepted. When the late Dr. Robson was on the Free Church Institution Staff, he felt that he must be allowed to make attendance on religious teaching optional. He was allowed, but the result was that the attendance dwindled away till the benches were almost empty. Confine Mission education to Christians and the THE REV. G. H. MCGREW, M. E. C., Cawnpore, said:In the high educational institutions of Missions, Hindus have been educated, but not made Christians. So to many of us it seems as if the Missionary Colleges have been well nigh failures. For though large buildings have been erected and much money lower classes. spent, and immense exertions put forth, the question is now seriously raised whether the Bible can even be taught in these Missionary institutions. The result of these institutions has been the Brahmo Samaj and not the Christian church. So in our Methodist Mission in Oude and Rohilkund we have resolved to confine our educational efforts mainly to two classes, viz., the Christians and the lower classes. In the first place we shall give our Christians even a high education, but shall expect them to pay for it just as far as they can. Even a few Hindus and Musalmans come to these schools, if they pay for it. Then as we can do but a limited amount of educational work, we shall go to those classes for whom Government and others do almost nothing, and give them a primary education. You may call this a narrow-minded policy, but we believe that by this policy, better than any other, we can raise up a strong and selfrespecting church. THE REV. W. R. JAMES, B. M. S. Calcutta, said :-Some allusions have been made to undue restrictions placed upon Missionaries by Home Societies. My Home Society gave me two wings to fly to India and perfect freedom to do as seems best. In Calcutta there are between twenty and thirty thousand natives who can speak English. Some of these suppose that they are not allowed to come to the regular services of our English churches. But at Dacca these people come freely to the Baptist Distribute English tracts. Early and later spread of Christianity. Visit the English service for them. Social chapel. Moreover, we should give these people English tracts full of Christian truth and information. Discussions should be discouraged and Christ preached. We must awaken conviction of sin in our hearers, though we find plenty of intellectual assent. We should give more prominence to the law and the second coming of our Lord. DR. MURRAY MITCHELL, F. C. S., said :-God teaches us not only by nature and providence and the Bible, but also by Church History, and Church History does not end with the New Testament. It took three centuries for Christianity to become the religion of the Roman Empire. The progress of the Gospel is now far more rapid than it was in the first centuries, and it ought to be so, because there are so many more Christian workers. But it was not till the middle of the second century that the first philosopher, Justin Martyr, was converted. It was not till the age of the Antonines that Christianity was feared, though it had long been hated. The Brahmo Samaj and the heresies of the Malabar Coast are not to be wondered at. These are but repetitions of Church History, and they have been prophesied. But all such early heresies have faded away, and those of to-day will fade away. Personal intercourse is an important means of reaching these educated classes. Especially let the Missionary ladies seek intercourse with educated natives, for these ladies have great influence over these classes. These educated classes would like very much to receive invitations for an evening to hear music and to enjoy social intercouse with Christian ladies. DR. J. L. PHILLIPS, F. B. M., Midnapore, said:-I find it interesting and profitable to visit the educated natives. On Sunday mornings at Midnapore, when it is not my turn to preach in Bengali, I am accustomed to visit the Babus at their homes. I have never failed of a welcome, and have found many opportunities for speaking of Christ. On Sabbath evenings I hold an English service for these Babus at my house. This has been better attended this year than ever before, and I hope to keep it on. I have sold many Bibles to this class of men, and am often asked, "Have you a nice reference Bible in good type, I want to buy one." Personal contact is what we want. I invite the Babus to my house, and we entertain them with music and pictures and cheerful, friendly conversation. We answer questions about America, and I shew them my type-writer, which is a wonderful machine to them. We should like to give them tea and cake, but some of my native friends are orthodox Hindus, so we cannot offer food. We need more such social intercourse with these our Aryan intercourse brethren. But we are surest of reaching them if we begin early. with them. Hence this topic is naturally and indissolubly connected with that of education, taken up this morning. Our schools should be converting agencies. Impressions made in school are not soon forgotten. I thank God for the great work done by dear Vaughan Begin in schools. |