{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 127,
  "chapterName": "1882-1883. The Second Decennial Conference, Calcutta",
  "pageFrom": 233,
  "pageTo": 236,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 233,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n233\n127. THE SECOND DECENNIAL CONFERENCE,\nCALCUTTA (1882-1883 A.D.)\nThe second all India decennial Missionary Conference (the first\nhaving been held at Allahabad in 1872-73) was held at Calcutta.\nPortions of some of the papers read which are reproduced here are\nfrom the Report of the Second Decennial Conference Held at Calcutta,\n1882-83. (1) pp. 62-63; (2) pp. 111-119; (3) pp. 251-260.\n1. W. Hooper on The Native Agency\nIt has happily become an axiomatic truth in all Missions, that\nthe work, though begun by foreigners, must be carried on by\nnatives; and that therefore, after the first introduction of the\nGospel in a new country, the next great duty of the foreigner is,\nto set agoing that succession of native workers for God, which\nmust before long take the whole work in their own country into\ntheir own hands. Peculiar circumstances in this country have\nindeed delayed the commencement of this task, and even now\nretard its realization, beyond what is the case where the people\nhave been less long accustomed to dependence, and where the\nforeign missionaries have not had the misfortune of belonging, in\nthe eyes of the unthinking mass, to the foreign government; but\nit is now, God be thanked, taken up on all sides with an energy\nand a determination which ensüre success; and what is of still\nbetter augury, our native brethren are learning, and have in some\ncases thoroughly learnt, to discard the 'ma-bap' system, and to\ngird up their loins for the task which is above all theirs, and which\nmay be solely theirs sooner than any of us think.\nBut the starting of the system of native agency must be, from\nthe necessities of the case, mainly if not entirely the work of\nforeigners; and it is, as I have observed, the most important of\nthe various tasks which are imposed upon them at the\npresent time. For on the manner in which it is started, and the\ndirection given to it at starting, will very greatly depend,\nunder God, the usefulness or uselessness (and if uselessness,\nthen, surely, positive harmfulness) of the ever-increasing native\nChristian agency in the land. The river is now a tiny stream,\nhigh up in the bosom of the mountain; on us mainly\ndepends whether it will flow down on the one side, and after causing\nruin and devastation by its headlong course soon lose itself in the\nsea, or whether it will gently descend on the other side in ever-\nincreasing volume, and fertilize a whole continent with life-giving\ninfluence, before it is received into the bosom of eternity.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 234,
      "ocrText": "234\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nThere is indeed, one respect in which it is not given us to\ndetermine the course which native agency in this country will take.\nMost of us, no doubt, honestly believe that it would be best for India,\nif its Church could be formed, if not exactly, yet essentially, on the\nlines of those European and American churches to which we\nseverally belong. But God has ordained it otherwise, and our\nmeeting here in this conference is a proof that we have accepted\nthe facts which He has brought about; and not only resignedly\naccept them, but, knowing the inability of our own several churches\nto cope with the mighty task before the whole church in this country,\nwe rejoice that what we, severally, could not do, is being done by\nothers and thus we leave to our Divine Head who has the interests\nof His body at heart infinitely more than we can have them, to\nevolve the constitution of His Indian Church as He will; meanwhile\nbelieving, that we are best hastening forward whatever may be His\ngracious design, by strenuously, and yet charitably, urging on the\ndevelopment of native agency on those lines which we severally\nbelieve to be best, best for the people of this land and not only for\nus occidentals.\n2. W. Miller on Higher Education\nI am asked to give in twenty minutes my thoughts on Higher\nEducation, and the only guidance I have got from the Managing\ncommittee is that I am to deal with the question of how to maintain\nefficient Scripture teaching in College classes. I think that I cannot\ndo more than notice this one aspect of the whole large theme. Its\nbeing prescribed, indicates that some experience difficulty in teaching\nit in other classes. For my own part I have no experience of any\ndifficulty of the kind. It surely stands to reason that even though\nthere be no distinctly spiritual interest aroused, young men passing\nthrough a course of liberal training should care more than school\nboys for the unfolding of moral principles, for the study of character,\nfor the discussion of the deep questions concerning God and man,\nconcerning duty, revelation, and immortality, to which every hour\nof Scripture study leads the way. In a class of students I should\ntherefore expect to find a keener sympathy, a more thoughtful\nattention, and also from time to time, a more intelligent opposition,\nthan it would be reasonable to count on in a class of younger boys.\nUpon the whole I have never found this expectation disappointed\nin the students of the Madras Christian College. I may quote from\nmyself a sentence that stands on the records of the Education\nCommission now sitting in this city: No complaint has ever\nreached me of the four best hours of the students' week being\ndevoted to subjects that count for nothing in the University Exami-\nnations.' I may safely add that it is not only that no complaint\nhas reached me, but that to the best of my belief no desire to make\nthe complaint exists.",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 235,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n235\nI think I may venture to state a fact that shows the prevailing\nfeeling of our students on this point. Quite recently I heard that\nsome months ago the leading Debating Society in the College\ndiscussed the question :- Ought religion to form part of public\neducation?' and that the decision arrived at was in the affirmative.\nThat the education given in their own college should embrace\nreligion, it probably had not occurred to the members of the Society\nto question: But so well is that side of things appreciated among\nus, that a majority at all events were prepared to hold that public\ninstruction at large should be religious. What kind of religious\nteaching our young friends wished to have, and how they proposed\nto meet the practical difficulties that have puzzled more experienced\nheads than theirs, this I do not know; and if I did, I should not\ntell it. The Society is so entirely an affair of the students' own,\noriginated, managed, controlled so completely by themselves, that\nI have hesitated a little as to whether I have the right even to mention\ntheir doings publicly. However, I believe they will excuse me. I\nam sure they are not ashamed of their opinions...\nYet another point occurs to me as deserving of attention. It\nregards the mode in which the Scripture teaching is given in our\nclasses. I do not mean to imply that our practice in this respect\ndiffers from what prevails elsewhere. But I have little doubt that\nsome part of the interest that Scripture instruction has hitherto\ncommanded among our students should be ascribed to this cause.\nThe aim has been more to awaken thought than to inculcate dogma.\nThe giving of full expression to imperfect views, and to antagonistic\nviews when it seemed to proceed from honest thought, has always\nbeen rather encouraged than repressed. Full recognition has\nbeen given to all that is good and true in every system of belief,\nand any cleaving has been welcomed to the gleams of light that,\napart from Christianity, have shone across the darkness of the\nworld, to the thoughts that 'Through many a dreary age upbore\nwhate'er of good or wise yet lived in bard or sage.'\nThat is the mode of teaching that the whole principles of the\ndivine dealings with our race has sanctioned, and it promises more\nfruitful, though it may be more tardy, results than any other-at\nleast in the judgement of those who have faith in the might of\ntruth and in the Spirit's promised presence, and who care more for\none atom of moral life that is germinating within, than for a whole\nsystem of professed truth that has no living root within the soul...\n3. W. T. Satthianadhan on Self-Support and Self-Propagation of\nthe Native Churches\n1. It is a fact admitted by all that the Native churches were not\noriginally founded on this principle. Hence the great lesson of",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 236,
      "ocrText": "236\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nself-help is one of the hardest for the native congregations to learn.\nBut the churches in Southern India have advanced so much that\nit ought to be inculcated and enforced slowly but steadily even if,\nin some cases, it may not be learnt readily and cheerfully. To\nquote from a paper on a similar subject:-' The idea of supporting\nreligious teachers is indigenous to the country. The Hindus\nrecognise the principle and give large offerings to the Brahmin\npriests. A short time since, a heathen came into one of the Church\nMissionary Society's churches in the northern part of the diocese\n(of Travancore and Cochin), and put a small sum into the hands of\nthe catechist saying that he wished to make an offering to the\nGod whom the Christians worshipped. The large number of\nchurches, about 500, built by the people, and of priests supported\nby them, in connection with the Roman and Syrian communities,\nare a recognition of the same principle.'\n2. In order to effect this object it is essential for each member\nof Christ's Church to feel, or to be made to feel, his or her own\nindividual responsibility and duty in setting apart a portion of their\nincome for the support of their church and ordinances, from a\nfeeling of indebtedness to Him who though He was rich, yet for\nour sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be\nrich. It is doubtless a well-known fact that the majority of Native\nChristians are poor, and are consequently not in a position to give\nlargely for this object. But there is a liberality even in poverty,\nas was the case with the churches of Macedonia, and with the poor\nwidow who gave all that she had of her living. It is a great point\ngained if the principle is indicated, and the sense of responsibility\nfelt, by which every one who bears the name of Christ learns to\ngive something however small, for the noble cause. There are some\nmembers of native churches who are in easy circumstances, and\nwho may contribute largely of their substance with a view to promote\nthe self-support of their church. But it is not so much from the\nrich few, as from the poor many, that the largest and steadiest\nsupport must be expected. It is better for instance to secure one\nrupee from sixteen persons at the rate of one anna each, than to\nhave the whole amount from one individual only; for in the latter\ncase, it may be lost by his removal or withdrawal; whereas in the\nformer its continuance may fairly be reckoned on. What I mean is\nthat each member of a church, however poor, should learn to give a\nportion of his income systematically, though it may not be much\nmore than a pie. They should feel by experience that it is more\nblessed to give than to receive'. No convert should be received,\nno new congregations formed, nor churches funded without the\nlesson of self-help being first distinctly inculcated and enforced.\nIn this important matter they should rely more upon the strength\nand promised aid of their Divine Head, and upon themselves, than\nupon on the support of Foreign Missionary Societies...",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}