Paul and Barnabas. is a tentative progress. The Hon'ble President asked them to look upon the fact that since St. Paul and Barnabas first went out on a Mission, 1800 years have elapsed. It is probable that the object of that memorable Mission was then looked upon as fantastic and impossible. History has told of princes and emperors who had gone forth as scourges to nations, and whose memory was now almost obliterated. But history still preserves the memory of those two humble Missionaries, who went out without staff or scrip, to evangelise the world. Could any one look at the zeal which surmounted all difficulties, overcoming everything; could any one look at the two poor Jews who advanced with the intention of converting all to the Cross of Christ, who had to contend, not only against Judaism but also against the Greeks and the power of the Romans, and not be deeply impressed? But is it impossible to imitate the enterprise of those two, who went forth to preach to Jew and Gentile? If such enterprise required the zeal of a Paul and a Barnabas, it is nothing new to say that it only requires the Spirit of God to extend the success to Missionaries here. The final result of the Missionary enterprise will indeed be grand, and the present results of it we see and hear around us. His Honor said it was not for him to speak Influence of of the details of Missionary enterprise in this country, Missionaries. but he could say with some authority, from the position he occupied, that the principles and practice of Missionaries, as a body, have always been on the side of peace and order. Whether in the cases which Government was also trying to carry out in large measures they succeeded or not, he was sure he could say that help was always extended by the Missionaries to the poor and the unprotected. Whatever might be the results in the history of the country, in the government of the empire and advancement of civilisation, those around him took no small part in the good work by establishing and extending Christian Missions in India. The THE REV. J. E. PAYNE read the following paper on the Missionary Census::Census. The subject assigned to me is-"A paper on the Census." The Statistical Tables of Protestant Missions in India, Burma and Ceylon for 1881 have been published by Messrs. Thacker, Spink and Co. Schedules, asking for information on the lines of the Statistical Tables for 1851, '61, and '71, were sent to every Missionary in India, Burma and Ceylon in December 1881. These schedules were received back in the earlier part of 1882, and the first copies of the completed Tables were handed to the Chairman of the Calcutta Missionary Conference in December 1882. These Statistical Tables for 1881 are contained in seventyfour pages of closely printed figures, and ten pages of other matter. In collecting and compiling these tables, some three thousand circulars, letters, and post-cards had to be sent out. The work was considerable, and that it was done in reasonable time, may be inferred from the fact that the Tables for 1861 bear date 1863, and those for 1871, 1873, whereas these Tables have been published in 1882. The earliest statistics of the Church of Christ on record, have reference to that day when " about three thousand souls were added to the church," and again, when of those who believed the word, "the number of the men was about five thousand." From that date, up through the centuries, the onward march of Christ's kingdom was ever with accelerated speed. But the progress of the kingdom of Christ in the whole world is not the subject of this paper. The shores of India, Burma and Ceylon are its boundaries, and the decades from 1851 to 1881 are its limits. Ascertained facts show that now as of old, the kingdom of Christ is an onward flowing river, a mighty power, a vitalizing energy increasing with years and growing with time: for the Statistical Tables for 1881 show progress; progress in all the Provinces of India, and in Burma and Ceylon; progress in all the departments of Missionary work; and progress at a constantly increasing rate. decades. The whole work is shown in three summaries. The first deals Comparison with Stations, Missionaries, Lay-preachers, and the Native Chris- with previous tian community; the second with Male Education; the third with Woman's Work. These summaries represent the several branches of work in 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881. Some only of the items can be quoted in this paper. The chief Mission Stations were at these four periods respectively 262-394-522, and 716. The Foreign Missionaries numbered 373-537–548, and 658. The Native Ordained Agents numbered 29-185-381—674,* The Native Lay Preachers numbered 551-1,779-2,528 and 2,988. The 145,097 Communicants numbered 17,306-47,274-78,494 The Native Christians numbered 102,951-213,370-318,363528,590. The total Male Pupils in Mission Schools numbered, 63,85574,875—111,372—168,998. The total Female Pupils numbered 13,995-21,024-31,58065,761. I find that some unordained agents were by mistake returned in the column of ordained agents hence I would strike off 100 and write 574.—J. E, P. These figures will not of course be remembered by the hearers of this paper, but they convey to the mind a general idea of the advance which has been made. Native The Indian tables, taken alone, afford the most complete and Christians. reliable basis on which to estimate the progress of Missionary work. The Ceylon tables have been incomplete from the first; in this decade, however, the figures of all the Missions in that island, except those of the S. P. G., are fairly reliable. The Burmah tables are reliable, as far as they go; they are for three of the four periods only; they give the number of communicants from information sent by the Missionaries, but the number of Christians is estimated. The actual number of Christians in Burmah is probably larger than that shown in the estimates. Restricting our attention therefore to India, it is shown that the 91,000 Protestant Christians of 1851 rose to 138,000 in 1861, that again rose to 224,000 in 1871, and that again to 417,000 in 1881. This represents an increase, between 1851 and 1861, of about 53 per cent., in the next decade it was 61 per cent., and in the last decade 86 per cent. Communicants. Educational The large increase of the Christian community is accompanied by a corresponding improvement in its quality as indicated by a fully proportionate increase in the number of the communicants. They have advanced from 14,000 to 24,000, then to 52,000, and then to 113,000. Thus in each of the last two decades the number of communicants has more than doubled. It is therefore clear from the increase of communicants, as well as from the steady rapid increase in the general Christian community, that apart from any great popular movement in favour of Christianity, there will be, at no remote period, a vast native Christian population; and that within that population there will be no inconsiderable proportion of intelligent approved believers. Turning from the pastoral side of Missionary work to the educational side, and again looking out on what is sometimes, for want of a better term, called evangelistic work, there are still indications of substantial and in some places rapid progress. The Anglo-vernacular male pupils, chiefly non-Christians, in Missionary schools, numbered, in the four periods, respectively, 12,000; 21,000; 40,000, and 45,000. The vernacular pupils in 1851, numbered 38,000, then they fell to 36,0 0, then they rose to 54,000, and then to 84,000. The total female pupils in India at these four periods, rose from 11,000 to 15,000, then to 26,000 and then to 56,000; in this large increase of female pupils, there is the remarkable rise from 1,900 Zenana pupils in 1871 to 9,100 in 1881, and this does not represent the whole. Thus by reliable figures it is demonstrated that side by side with the rapidly increasing Christian community, there are growing numbers of non-Christians, both male and female, to whom in childhood and youth, Christian truth is being systematically taught. The tabulated pages of the Decennial statistics are silent upon one or two important branches of Missionary work; but the Missionary reports received by the compilers from all parts of the field, abound with evidence that the Christian preacher is welcomed wherever he goes; that Christian women are often listened to by crowds of eager non-Christian women, while they tell the story of God's love and great gift to the world; that Christian literature is sought after and read, and often carefully treasured. The increased intelligence with which the gospel is heard, the decrease of prejudice with the receding of general ignorance, the spread of true knowledge as to the nature and attributes of God and the contents of the Bible, are matters too real and too important to be passed over without a word, though they have almost no place in the numerous columns of figures which constitute the decennial tables. Ten years ago, the compilers of the Statistics feared lest the then almost stationary numbers of foreign Missionaries might be a sign of "diminishing interest in Indian Missions" on the part of the home churches. This decade supplies no such ground for fear, because the number of foreign Missionaries has risen from 488 to 586, and that of female agents from 370 to 479, that is an increase of 207 male and female agents. Side by side with this increase in the number of foreign workers, there has been a much larger increase of Native Christian workers. The number of native ordained agents has risen from 225 to 461, that is to say, there are now more than twice as many well trained and duly qualified native ministers of the Gospel of Christ, than was the case ten years ago.* In this decade, moreover, the number of native lay preachers has risen from 1,900 to 2,400; that of Native Christian teachers from 1,900 to 3,400; and that of Native Christian female agents from 800 to 1,600. As with all the branches of Missionary work, so in every Province of India, it is not possible to point out a province in which a great stride forward has not been made. In the N. W. Provinces the increase in the Native Christian community has been 64 per cent., in Bengal it has been 67 per cent., in Madras 86 per cent., in Central India 92 per cent., in Oudh 111 per cent., in the Panjab 155 per cent., and in Bombay 180 per cent. The whole of the time allowed to this paper might be well occupied with noticing these remarkable signs that a great flood of light and truth is rolling over India. But I respectfully beg this assembly to accord me attention for the few remaining minutes allotted to me, while I endeavour, by means of these tables, to show some localities that indicate small progress, some localities in which there has been retrogression, and some vast fields of almost untouched work. Prenching and Literature. Foreign workers. Native workers. Progress in different provinces. This is a time of the rising flood as to India's gospel privileges. Apparent On the ocean shore who has not seen the waves of the incoming Retrogression. See note on p. 445. Feebly occupied districts. tide run up the beach, and then go back again? Some waves run There are many great districts occupied by Missionary Societies which are but feebly occupied. To see this clearly, these Statistical Tables should be compared with the General Census. Take some examples in Bengal. The district of Burdwan, a hundred miles from Calcutta, on the E. I. Railway, contains an area of 3,500 square miles, with 14 millions of people. There is one Missionary with nine Christian helpers. The Church has 28 communicants. This district has been occupied by the C. M. S. since 1816. The adjoining district of Bancoorah contains about half a million of people. It has one Missionary with ten Christian helpers. There are ten communicants. This district has been occupied by the Wesleyan Missionary Society since 1870. The district of Beerbhoom contains half a million of people, and has three Missionaries with nine Christian helpers. There are 68 communicants. This district has been occupied by the Baptist Missionary Society since 1815. The district of Moorshedabad contains about a million of people and has three Missionaries with four Christian helpers. There are 18 communicants. This district has been occupied by the London Missionary Society since 1824. These four adjoining districts are a fair sample of how feebly vast populous districts are occupied. A word more as to these feebly occupied districts. Take the last named district, Moorshedabad. The Missionary workers are mainly occupied in Berhampore with its population of 27,000. But this district contains, besides Berhampore, one city with 46,000 persons, two towns with more than 10,000, ten towns with over 3000, 15 villages with over 2,000, 148 villages with over 1000, 547 villages with over 500, 1,373 villages with over 200, and 1,654 villages with less than 200 inhabitants. This district, with its 3,753 towns and villages, is an occupied district and has been so since 1824. |