{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 116,
  "chapterName": "1862-1863. Papers from the Punjab Missionary Conference, Lahore",
  "pageFrom": 196,
  "pageTo": 203,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 196,
      "ocrText": "196\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\ninto negotiations with the illustrious and liberal British government,\nthe latter will contribute handsomely, as is their practice in all\nmatters of education. It solely depends on Your Most Faithful\nMajesty to take the initiative to establish the desired institution.\nWe most respectfully crave permission to send Your Majesty the\npetition of our thanks to His Holiness, in which we have declared\nthe reasons why the Concordata be put in force, and we request\nYour Majesty to forward it to the Holy Pontiff through your\nambassador at Rome.\nWe also request permission to enciose for the information of\nYour Majesty a copy of representation we have sent to the Secretary\nof State for India, of His Britannic Majesty, soliciting protection\nand recognition by the British Crown of the Concordata.\nIn conclusion we take the liberty to place before Your Majesty\nour sincere wishes for the long life of Your Majesty, and that the\nreign of Your Majesty be of peace and prosperity, and that the piety\nand munificence of the Portuguese Crown in the cause of religion,\nand that of the Church in India, may increase.\nWith all respect and veneration due to the Royal Person of\nYour Majesty we have the honour to sign, etc.\n116. PAPERS FROM THE PUNJAB MISSIONARY\nCONFERENCE, LAHORE (1862-63 A.D.)\nThe subjects discussed, and the resolutions passed at the various\nlocal, regional and national missionary conferences of the 19th century\nwere usually similar. Occasionally, as in the case of the Punjab\nMissionary Conference held at Lahore between 26th December, 1862,\nand 2nd January, 1863, statements of special interest, especially when\nviewed in retrospect, were made. The materials included here were\npersonal views expressed by the missionaries named. In some of them,\nparticularly the statements made by McLeod, French, Newton and\nBarton, one finds an appeal for indigenisation that, within the context\nof the age, is most remarkable-including an appeal for an indigenous,\nunited Indian church. Report of the Punjab Missionary Conference\nHeld at Lahore, pp. 3-11, 31 ff., 128-138, 145-146., 300-306.,\n308-309.\nJohn Newton on Preaching to the Heathen\nOn the manward side of conversion, there are, in preaching,\nmany elements of success.\n1. Every missionary should strive, after the example of Paul,\nto be all things to all men; giving no unnecessary offence to their\nprejudices; but seeking, by a conciliatory mode of address, by a",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 197,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n197\n:\ngentle and pleasing deportment, and by deeds of personal kindness\non all suitable occasions, to gain and keep their confidence and\nesteem.\n2. Preaching to the heathen should be attempted at seasonable\ntimes and places for example, when, not being busily occupied\nwith their worldly avocations, or their devotions, they have leisure\nto hear; and, so far as possible, when they are in serious moods\nof mind; never when they are angry or disposed to mock. Those\ntimes and places, too, should be selected in which there is the least\nfear of interruption. In this respect, open chapels, situated in\nquiet thoroughfares, which the heathen can easily be induced to\nenter, have a great advantage over other places.\n3. Preaching should be clear and intelligible ...\nC. W. Forman on Schools\nThe fact that schools for the education of heathen youth are\nabsorbing much of the energy of missionaries, and of their best\neducated assistants, and are, at the same time, yielding but little\nfruit in the way of actual conversions, renders it important to\ninquire, how these institutions can be rendered more efficient\nauxiliaries to the work of conversion.\nIn reply to the assertion, that few converts have been made by\nour Mission Schools, it may be said indeed, that efforts made in\nother directions, e.g. the preaching of the Gospel to the heathen,\nhave been as unsuccessful in this respect, and more so in others;\nthat we should not estimate the results of our work from the number\nof baptisms, and that schools are doing a great preparatory work.\nAll this is doubtless true; but we cannot be satisfied with any amount\nof mere civilization, enlightenment, or general elevation of character,\nunited with the profoundest respect for Christianity. Our great\nobject is the conversion of India; and, as little success has hereto-\nfore attended our efforts to make converts by means of schools,\nthe inquiry forces itself on us, 'What more can be done?' We are\nnow to seek an answer to this question and,\nI. We must keep more steadily in view the conversion of our\npupils and the fitting of them for extending still further the work of\nconversion, as the great end at which we are to aim. The desire to\nsee our pupils make progress in secular knowledge, and compare\nfavourably with those of other schools, the interest we ourselves\nfeel in science, literature, etc., and the desire to see the number of\nour pupils increase, will all combine to tempt us to neglect this one\ngrand object for which our schools were established.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 198,
      "ocrText": "198\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nIt is not uncommon fear, that, if great prominence be given to\npurely religious studies, it will tend to reduce the number of our\npupils. My own experience convinces me, that this fear is almost\nor quite groundless, and confirms the opinion, so often expressed\nby the friends of Christian education, that the people are more\nafraid of 'groundbones', than of the Bible. There should be no\nattempt to conceal the truth, that our schools were established\nto make converts. Such an attempt will only result in our sincerity\nbeing called in question. When the Government School was\nopened in Lahore, it was rumoured that the Mission School, having\nfailed in its open efforts to make Christians, Government had\nresolved to try clandestine means. Let the education given in our\nschools, be thoroughly, manifestly Christian, and let every thing\nelse be subordinate and contributory to this\nVI. Prayer for the conversion of the children. However\nthoroughly they may be instructed in the Bible, and however\namiable their dispositions may be, without converting grace they\ncannot be saved. Christ must be formed in them. This is a divine\nwork, and we should be much engaged in intercessory prayer on\ntheir behalf. And I would, in conclusion, ask every one present,\nwho knows the value of prayer, to pray earnestly every day, to the\nGod of all grace, that he would grant his Holy Spirit to the thousands\nof children, who are gathered into Christian schools throughout\nthe length and breadth of the land; that it may again be said, Out\nof the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise.'\nD. F. McLeod on the Native Pastorate\nFirst then, as regards the importance of a Native Pastorate, I\nwould observe, that there is, perhaps, no people more wont, from\nhabit and training, to pay deference to their spiritual guides, than\nthe populations of this country. The Hindoo is in some sense\nwholly subservient to, and under the control of, his Guru; and the\nMohamedan, though less pliant or docile, is, as a rulé, more under\nthe influence of his Mulla, than of any other individual. This may\nbe the result of superstition on the one hand, and of fanaticism,\non the other; but the fact remains the same. It may be productive\nof many and great evils, and be attributable to the wiles of a crafty\npriesthood; but it shews, nevertheless, a consciousness of need for\nsome one to guide and instruct, in regard to things unseen;-and,\nat the same time, involves a practical admission and conviction,\nthat all which concerns the spirit of man is of the utmost impor-\ntance, a conviction, which it should be practicable to turn to\ngreat account. It has been frequently remarked, that the people\nof the East are eminently a devotional people; and however grievous\nthe forms their devotion may assume, however largely it may be\nconstrained result of conventional influences, I yet believe the\nstatement to be, in the above sense, perfectly true",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 199,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n199\nI would not be understood to mean, that persons of this class\ncould be relied on, without the most searching examination and\ncareful trial. But I do think, that the real aims of many amongst\nthem, are not generally so fully understood as they might be, with\nadvantage; and that amongst them are to be found very many\nearnest spirits, that have shaken off most of the trammels, by which\ntheir countrymen are bound; and who, if taught to seek the guidance\nof the Holy Spirit, would be likely to take a lead amongst our\nNative converts. We shall doubtless find, amongst their leaders,\na great tendency to spiritual pride; but all this must give way\nbefore true conversion; and the point for us to determine, under\nthe Spirit's teaching, is, whether this conversion is that kind, which\nwill be effectual to the pulling down of strongholds. An example\nof what I have stated above, is to be found in the Karta Bhojas of\nKrishnaggar.\nA speaker in this assembly has stated, that he had himself un-\nexpectedly met with a sect, who acknowledged and used the Bible\nas their book of devotion; and as I'am thoroughly convinced that\nthere are scattered throughout Hindoostan, many such sects of\nseparatists, similarly disposed, I have thought it well here to draw\nprominent attention to them. I have often been inclined to think,\nthat these sects, scattered through the plains, and the aboriginal\nraces, scattered through the hills, may be intended by the Almighty\nas nuclei, round which it will be for us to build up a really indigenous\nevangelization; and until very lately, I believe neither of these\nclasses has received the attention which both seem to me to deserve\nat our hands\nA different standard of attainment will doubtless be required for\ndifferent classes, and different descriptions of congregations; but\none principle I would strongly advocate, as equally applying to all,\nviz., that the standard we aim at, be of an indigenous character:\nor we shall be apt to produce what has been elsewhere termed,\na race of hybrids. For the bulk of our congregations, at the\npresent stage of India's evangelization, I apprehend that a very\nhumble standard will be not only sufficient, but preferable. But\nwhere a higher one is required for the pastor of a more cultivated\ncongregation, I would say-let this be supplied, not, at present,\nby establishing a Training Institution of a higher kind, but by\nselecting such individuals from amongst our pastors, or those\npreparing to be pastors, as evince a special fitness for higher training.\nAmongst them, I doubt not, there will be found men, whose earnest\ndesire to become full acquainted with the Scriptures at their foun-\ntain head, will urge them to acquire a knowledge of Greek and\nHebrew; and as far as we may have the means at command. But\nI think, at the same time, that this should only be done after they\nhave undergone what I may call an indigenous training, and have",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 200,
      "ocrText": "200\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nbeen thoroughly conversant with the Scriptures, and some branches\nat least of useful knowledge, in the vernacular.\nFifthly. It only remains for me to remark, on the most judicious\nway of providing for the support of pastors. It was a profound\nremark of Bishop Butler, that passive impressions, often repeated,\ngradually lose all their force. And there can be no doubt that\naction, of some kind, is indispensable to sustained and progressive\nvitality. Next to personal participation in the work of the Church,\nthere is probably no form of action so suitable for a congregation,\nand so adapted for continuous and general application, as contri-\nbuting towards the support of the pastor; and towards the cost of the\nefforts in which he may be engaged, or interested, for the carrying\non the work of the Lord, whether amongst themselves, or amongst\nothers. It serves as a test of their sincerity and zeal; and, at the\nsame time, acts as a stimulus to continued and increasing exertion.\nIt has been found, that even children of the ragged schools begin to\ntake an interest in Mission work, when once persuaded to contri-\nbute to it, as this gives them (to use their own expression) ' a share\nin concern.' And I believe, that in churches gathered from amongst\nthe heathen, an increase of spirituality has always occurred, when\nthey have undertaken to support their own pastors. This has\neminently been the case, it is said, of late years, in Sierra Leone,\nthe Bishop of which place remarks: 'If we expect to see the Gospel\nand the love of God filling the hearts of people, we must endeavour,\non the spot, to establish a self-supporting Native Ministry.'\nT. V. French on Native Pastorate\nThe plan suggested seems, it is true, a laborious one: but\nhow little can any of us tell, brethren beloved in the Lord, but that\none candidate, if it be so, on whom we spent such toil, for whose\nsake we were ever storing up patiently fresh stores of heavenly\nwisdom, may become, long after we are passed away, a centre of\nChristian light and action to myriads yet unborn; at whose mouth\nthey may seek the law, as the messenger of the Lord of Hosts! Oh,\nif it be, to present appearance, a small and unremunerative effort,\nthere is no truer and deeper work than that anywhere; none more\nntially Apostolic! Let no feared complication of relations\nb een the Native and European labourer, for a moment repress\nou ardour, in preparing our best converts to take the foremost\nplaces; that the Foreign Mission may set ever in its forefront that\nwhich (ere its own end is answered) must succeed and supplant it-\nthe home-rooted and self-reliant church! I quite believe that there\nis a growing readiness amongst us, to see Natives occupying our\nplaces, as pastors of congregations, and largely sharing our influence\nover the Native flocks. In times gone by-times from which we are\nbut barely emerging, there was ill-concealed jealousy of admitting",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 201,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n201\nthe Native to a level with the European and American Missionary.\nIt was felt hard to raise him to a parallel platform with ourselves.\nThere was too much of the hakim feeling-an unwillingness to\nmake a breach into the privileged circle-to recognize the whole\ntruth, with its consequences, that 'in Jesus Christ, there is neither\nJew nor Greek.' Such a feeling, whereby the foreign missionary.\nis tempted to set himself on a pedestal of lofty isolation, is not only\ndestructive of the very essence of missionary progress, but arise\nfrom misconceptions of the very rudiments of the Gospel. Partly\nfrom an improved feeling on this subject, self-sprung in our missions,\nand partly from strong influences brought to bear on us from the\nchurches at home, we are prepared and pledged-I think I may say\n-to so our utmost, to put every practicable facility within reach of\nour advanced theological students and catechists; and with honest\ngood-will to help them to occupy a higher position in our churches;\n-a position which, by increasing their own self-respect, will also\ntend to increase the self-respect of the members of their flocks;\nwho will count themselves honoured in their honour, and advanced\nin their advancement; 'Epaphras-who is one of you.' Col. IV,\nThe fact of being able to point to such an one in a congregation.\nwhose exemplary course of service has raised him to distinction,\neminently suggests and provokes to sustained progress heaven-\nwards, and Godwards.\nJohn Newton on an Indian Catholic Church\nBut if Christians, however separated by outward circumstances,\nare really one, one in the spirit of the inner man, in attachment\nto the Saviour, in the Father's everylasting love, and in the hope of\nglory, why not come together, and make their oneness doubly\nmanifest, by dwelling harmoniously within one ecclesiastical\nenclosure? Why not appear to be what they are in reality? Does\nnot truth demand it? Does not the honour of their common Lord\ndemand it? Would not Christian fellowship be promoted by it?\nWould not the Church, as an agency for good in the world, gain\nstrength by it? Instead of the partizan cry, I am of Paul! and I,\nof Apollos! and I, of Cephas! and I, of Christ!' how much more\nbefitting-more lovely-more God-honouring, and Christ-glorify-\ning, and Spirit-conciliating would be that manifest oneness and\nsympathy, among the followers of Jesus, which must constrain the\nworld to say 'Behold, how these Christians love one another!'...\nOf the desirableness, therefore, of external union among\nChristians, there seems no reason whatever to doubt. But is there\nany ground for hope in relation to it? Can an organic union of the\ndifferent sects, into which the visible Church is now divided, be\ndeemed at all feasible? No doubt there are difficulties: still, where\na desire for union prevails, much may be done towards effecting it...",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 202,
      "ocrText": "202\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nBut what should be the plan of union? Should it be a confor-\nmity of all, to the faith and usages of some one of the churches now\nexisting here? Should we seek to reproduce the Episcopal Church\nof England, on Indian soil and labour to make it the Church of\nIndia? Should we expect to make all India, Presbyterian? or\nBaptist? or Methodist ?-like the churches thus named in the West !\nThis certainly is not the way to bring about the union here con-\ntemplated. This kind of uniformity would fail here, as surely and\nas signally, as it did in England, in the days of Charles the Second.\nNo proposition, so utterly one-sided, could be entertained for a\nmoment. Whither, then, can the eye turn with hope? What more\nfeasible plan can be found?...\nThere would be far more hope from a return to first principles;\nand a reconstruction, on the simple basis of the Bible.\nThe bond of union among the Apostolic Churches was no\nelaborated creed, embracing thirty-three Articles. It consisted of\na common faith in the one living God; and in Jesus Christ, as the\nIncarnate Son of God; who, by his atoning sacrifice, and his\nliving power, had become the author of eternal salvation to all that\nbelieve; and who, in common with the Father and the Holy Ghost,\nwas to be worshipped and glorified: and beyond this, it had an eye\nto that personal sanctity, wrought by the Spirit of grace, which\nwas the evidence of true discipleship, and an essential element.\nChristian communion. These, and a few other simple truths, made\nup the common faith of all the Apostolic Churches. The New\nTestament is believed not to contain a single hint of exclusion from\nchurch membership, or from a part in the ministry, on account of\nthe holding of such views of doctrine, or church polity, as distin-\nguish the various churches of what is now called Evangelical\nChristendom. Why not construct the Indian Church on this\nApostolic model? and admit to its fellowship all, who, being\nbaptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, evince, by the tenor of\ntheir lives, that their faith is sincere? Why not agree to receive to\nthe outward communion of saints, all who give evidence of being\nalready, through the Spirit, in fellowship with the Father, and with\nhis Son Jesus Christ? Why narrow the limits of the visible Church,\nmore than Christ partically narrows those of the Church invisible?\nAnd why exclude from the ministry any, who have been evidently\ncalled by the Spirit to that office even though in some things they\n'follow not with us? By what authority shall we reject any, whom\nthe Lord has himself accepted? and who gave us that authority?\nLet the visible Church of India, then, be organized on a broad basis,\n-making it co-incident, as nearly as possible, with that invisible\nChurch, which it is intended to represent. In that case, the only\nadmissible creed, would be something like the articles of agreement\nadopted by the Evangelical Alliance...",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 203,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n203\nMeanwhile, the way might be prepared for a future union,-\non some basis or other, if pains were taken, by missionaries of\ndifferent Societies, to foster a liberal and fraternal spirit among their\nNative brethren. In aid of this object, a formal arrangement\nmight be made in reference to the following particulars: (1) Joint\nitinerancies by the members of different missions-both missionaries\nand catechists: (2) Mutual visitations, and an occasional occu-\npancy of each other's pulpits: (3) Union prayer-meetings, at all\npracticable points, for Native Christians as well as missionaries :\n(4) Frequent intercommunion at the Lord's Table, by missionaries,\nnative pastors, and church members (5) Common religious\nperiodicals, free from all sectarian partialities: (6) Advisory\nCouncils, or Conferences, made up of foreign missionaries, native\nevangelists, and native pastors, to meet periodically, at intervals\nof five years-more or less.\nJ. Barton on an Indian Church\nI trust that none of us here today, will need the caution\nwhich our chairman has addressed to us; for whatever may have\nbeen our sentiments previously, as to the possibility of dropping\nsectarian differences out of sight, while engaged in conference on\nour missionary work, there can, I think, be but one feeling prevalent\namongst us now; we must feel that our work and our object is\none, not to win adherents to one particular set of religious opinions,\nbut to win souls from sin and Satan for Christ.\nand\nI do not know how far I represent the sentiments of my mis-\nsionary brethren of the Church of England, but for my own part,\nI cannot but concur, most heartily, in the sentiments expressed by\nour respected and venerable friend, Mr. Newton, as to the probable\nfuture of the Indian Church. It is my own firm conviction\nI may add, my earnest hope; and in this opinion, I know I do not\nstand alone that the future Church of India will be a church of its\nown type;-not exclusively an Episcopally constituted National\nChurch, such as that of our own land; nor, on the other hand, a\nPresbyterian, or a congregational church; but one which shall\ncombine, in some measure, what is good in each of these; while,\nat the same time, it will be freed from things which do not properly\nbelong to the church as such, but have been the after-growth of\nages-the result, in a great measure, of political or national changes.\nMuch as I love my own church of England, and much as I\nadmire and value her incomparable liturgy, I cannot but feel, that,\nin some respects, it does not adapt itself easily, in its thoroughly\nEuropean, Saxon form, to the wants of the Oriental mind. There\nare some parts of our liturgy, which I think many missionaries must\nfeel are not adapted, altogether, to an infant Native Church; while,\non the other hand, I have been often made to feel how much they",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}