{"pages":{"158":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00182-587bee983f4776fac480.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"158","box":{"x":127,"y":148,"width":53,"height":21}},{"text":"HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA","box":{"x":348,"y":155,"width":473,"height":20}},{"text":"103. GENERAL CONFERENCE OF BENGAL PROTESTANT","box":{"x":130,"y":244,"width":910,"height":28}},{"text":"MISSIONARIES ON VERNACULAR PREACHING (1855 A.D.)","box":{"x":130,"y":274,"width":910,"height":29}},{"text":"One of the series of local, regional and national inter-denomi-","box":{"x":228,"y":327,"width":764,"height":29}},{"text":"national missionary conferences that were to play such an important","box":{"x":179,"y":352,"width":815,"height":27}},{"text":"role in the development of ecumenicity in India was held in Calcutta","box":{"x":180,"y":375,"width":813,"height":31}},{"text":"on September 4-7, 1855. Representatives of six missions and three","box":{"x":180,"y":402,"width":812,"height":28}},{"text":"European churches were present. The resolution on vernacular prea-","box":{"x":173,"y":428,"width":819,"height":29}},{"text":"ching reproduced here provides interesting insights into evangelistic","box":{"x":178,"y":452,"width":817,"height":32}},{"text":"methods of the times; and the dissenting opinion, which is also repro-","box":{"x":176,"y":480,"width":816,"height":28}},{"text":"duced, is equally interesting. Proceedings of a General Conference","box":{"x":178,"y":501,"width":816,"height":29}},{"text":"of Bengal Protestant Missionaries, 1855, pp. 64-67.","box":{"x":176,"y":528,"width":585,"height":27}},{"text":"Resolution on Vernacular Preaching","box":{"x":347,"y":597,"width":476,"height":31}},{"text":"That this Conference concur generally in the views now given","box":{"x":172,"y":651,"width":865,"height":35}},{"text":"by Messrs. Wenger Stubbius of the sphere of vernacular preaching","box":{"x":124,"y":678,"width":914,"height":36}},{"text":"and of the modes in which it may be best carried on. Amongst","box":{"x":124,"y":704,"width":914,"height":36}},{"text":"the various means employed in India for the fulfilment of the great","box":{"x":126,"y":734,"width":911,"height":32}},{"text":"commission, they regard the preaching of the gospel to the people","box":{"x":127,"y":764,"width":911,"height":38}},{"text":"in their own tongue either by European missionaries or by preachers","box":{"x":127,"y":788,"width":910,"height":36}},{"text":"raised up in the country, as the work of highest importance. Though","box":{"x":127,"y":818,"width":911,"height":35}},{"text":"attended with difficulties, they consider it admirably adapted to the","box":{"x":124,"y":847,"width":912,"height":34}},{"text":"instruction of all, who can be brought under its influence; but they","box":{"x":124,"y":874,"width":914,"height":35}},{"text":"regret that owing to the state and constitution of native society,","box":{"x":126,"y":902,"width":911,"height":36}},{"text":"there are certain classes, such as the members of wealthy families,","box":{"x":126,"y":930,"width":912,"height":34}},{"text":"and nearly the whole female population, who are rarely reached by","box":{"x":124,"y":956,"width":911,"height":34}},{"text":"its agency. So important is it in their eyes, that they consider, that","box":{"x":126,"y":985,"width":910,"height":32}},{"text":"every missionary on arriving in the country should endeavour so to","box":{"x":122,"y":1013,"width":912,"height":34}},{"text":"master the language as to be able personally to engage in it: and","box":{"x":123,"y":1040,"width":912,"height":35}},{"text":"while such as learn to speak it well, should, if not otherwise directed","box":{"x":119,"y":1067,"width":919,"height":32}},{"text":"by providence, devote to vernacular preaching their entire attention.","box":{"x":120,"y":1096,"width":915,"height":31}},{"text":"Those who are directed to other plans, should also give to it as","box":{"x":119,"y":1122,"width":917,"height":35}},{"text":"much time and effort as they can. They consider that owing to the","box":{"x":122,"y":1152,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"state of the native mind, every department of vernacular preaching","box":{"x":122,"y":1179,"width":917,"height":38}},{"text":"should receive the most careful study; in order that a missionary","box":{"x":122,"y":1207,"width":917,"height":35}},{"text":"may be completely prepared for the various circumstances under","box":{"x":120,"y":1234,"width":917,"height":35}},{"text":"which the Hindus are add addressed by him; and especially for the","box":{"x":119,"y":1261,"width":917,"height":35}},{"text":"numerous objections with which they meet his exhortations. With","box":{"x":122,"y":1292,"width":915,"height":32}},{"text":"a view to secure, as far as possible, the same hearers, they think","box":{"x":123,"y":1321,"width":914,"height":34}},{"text":"that in the neighbourhood of a missionary's house or station,","box":{"x":122,"y":1347,"width":915,"height":38}},{"text":"preaching in the bazaar to the heathen should be conducted with","box":{"x":117,"y":1376,"width":918,"height":34}},{"text":"regularity and on system. They also approve highly to extensive","box":{"x":122,"y":1406,"width":914,"height":34}},{"text":"itinerancies amongst villages and towns beyond the ordinary","box":{"x":123,"y":1431,"width":912,"height":38}},{"text":"sphere of his labour; of visits to the great markets, and (in spite of","box":{"x":122,"y":1461,"width":915,"height":34}},{"text":"certain disadvantages) of visits to the crowds attending the great","box":{"x":120,"y":1489,"width":914,"height":35}},{"text":"melas and religious festivals. If practicable, such itinerancies","box":{"x":119,"y":1515,"width":915,"height":34}}]},"159":{"imagePath":"H:\\web_projects\\corpus-web\\electron-app\\data\\5e07978430078cb56ea89a104e5a0c0e50b3aa1618e48c486c8af005ae015143\\raw\\pages\\00183-f11e33ce674f0f22884e.webp","width":1170,"height":1680,"segments":[{"text":"SOURCE MATERIALS","box":{"x":456,"y":160,"width":249,"height":18}},{"text":"159","box":{"x":984,"y":154,"width":52,"height":21}},{"text":"should be regular and systematic, so that a missionary may re-visit","box":{"x":129,"y":209,"width":908,"height":31}},{"text":"the same villages, or may remain at any place that seems peculiarly","box":{"x":129,"y":235,"width":907,"height":31}},{"text":"open to the gospel. Though not absolutely necessary, they think","box":{"x":129,"y":263,"width":907,"height":34}},{"text":"that in such itinerancies missionaries may, with great advantage,","box":{"x":126,"y":291,"width":911,"height":31}},{"text":"accompany each other or be accompanied by native catechists:","box":{"x":129,"y":318,"width":912,"height":36}},{"text":"while their visits and their preaching should be followed up by a","box":{"x":125,"y":344,"width":914,"height":34}},{"text":"judicious distribution of suitable tracts and portions of the Word","box":{"x":125,"y":373,"width":910,"height":32}},{"text":"of God.","box":{"x":127,"y":406,"width":109,"height":22}},{"text":"In looking at the results of vernacular preaching in Bengal,","box":{"x":174,"y":445,"width":861,"height":31}},{"text":"they acknowledge with regret, that though the majority of missiona-","box":{"x":129,"y":472,"width":907,"height":34}},{"text":"ries have been engaged, for for many years, in various parts of the","box":{"x":132,"y":499,"width":904,"height":34}},{"text":"country in this department of missionary labour, it is a remarkable","box":{"x":129,"y":527,"width":907,"height":32}},{"text":"fact that, as compared with the amount of labour and journeying,","box":{"x":133,"y":554,"width":904,"height":34}},{"text":"the number of known conversions to which vernacular preaching","box":{"x":133,"y":581,"width":904,"height":35}},{"text":"to the heathen in the bazaar by missionaries has immediately led,","box":{"x":133,"y":609,"width":903,"height":34}},{"text":"seems to have been small. Indirectly it has produced enquiry,","box":{"x":134,"y":638,"width":901,"height":34}},{"text":"brought enquiries into connection with Christians and Christian","box":{"x":130,"y":666,"width":907,"height":32}},{"text":"services and in conjunction with other agencies has led to the","box":{"x":132,"y":694,"width":904,"height":34}},{"text":"formation of the native churches now existing. Especially has it","box":{"x":133,"y":721,"width":903,"height":32}},{"text":"contributed to that marked change in religious views, both as to the","box":{"x":132,"y":749,"width":904,"height":32}},{"text":"character of Hinduism and the worth of Christianity, which distin-","box":{"x":133,"y":778,"width":901,"height":29}},{"text":"guishes the present generation of the Hindus from those which","box":{"x":130,"y":804,"width":905,"height":32}},{"text":"have preceded it. Regarding these fruits as of the highest import-","box":{"x":127,"y":831,"width":907,"height":35}},{"text":"tance, the members of this Conference feel abundantly encouraged","box":{"x":132,"y":860,"width":907,"height":32}},{"text":"to continue preaching the word everywhere, sure that the promise","box":{"x":133,"y":886,"width":903,"height":35}},{"text":"will be fulfilled, that we shall reap if we faint not.","box":{"x":127,"y":918,"width":665,"height":31}},{"text":"Dissent from the Resolution on Vernacular Preaching","box":{"x":231,"y":980,"width":703,"height":32}},{"text":"1. Because the resolution is virtually a censure upon some of","box":{"x":181,"y":1027,"width":859,"height":32}},{"text":"the most venerable missionaries who have ever laboured in this","box":{"x":133,"y":1056,"width":904,"height":32}},{"text":"land, who have been mainly employed in other departments of","box":{"x":133,"y":1085,"width":907,"height":34}},{"text":"missionary labour, as Bible Translation, Education and the pastor-","box":{"x":133,"y":1114,"width":903,"height":29}},{"text":"ship of native churches. We cannot join in a resolution which","box":{"x":133,"y":1139,"width":903,"height":34}},{"text":"necessarily implies that these men have been employed only in","box":{"x":132,"y":1167,"width":905,"height":36}},{"text":"subordinate departments of the work.","box":{"x":132,"y":1199,"width":508,"height":29}},{"text":"2. Because in other places, the resolution will probably be","box":{"x":176,"y":1238,"width":858,"height":34}},{"text":"understood as implying this censure in a greater degree than the","box":{"x":130,"y":1268,"width":905,"height":34}},{"text":"discussions in the Conference shewed that the members understood","box":{"x":129,"y":1295,"width":905,"height":29}},{"text":"it; and in the opinion of the dissentients, the Resolution is liable","box":{"x":132,"y":1322,"width":904,"height":35}},{"text":"to such mis-construction.","box":{"x":132,"y":1353,"width":339,"height":27}},{"text":"3. Because one effect of the Resolution will be, to induce young","box":{"x":178,"y":1395,"width":858,"height":31}},{"text":"missionaries, when entering upon their labour, to rush into the","box":{"x":133,"y":1421,"width":903,"height":35}},{"text":"most difficult department of missionary work, before they are","box":{"x":132,"y":1448,"width":904,"height":35}},{"text":"properly qualified for it, and will unduly excite prejudices in their","box":{"x":133,"y":1476,"width":904,"height":35}},{"text":"minds against various departments of the work, before they are","box":{"x":132,"y":1505,"width":904,"height":36}}]}}}