men.

countries should deny themselves to send money, not for the
catechist's family, but for the pockets of the money-lender.
At Kalimpong the whole of the agent's debts had been paid
(not with mission money)-every month their salaries had been
judiciously "cut"-and now the majority of them were free
And a rule had been made by themselves that, whoever
after his debts has been paid, contracts debt should be immedia-
tely dismissed from the mission service. The result repays a
thousandfold the effort bestowed on the subject, and now the
mission will be in a position to help its own converts and the
whole population regarding debt. Mr. Graham also told of other
efforts made to assist the whole farming class through the intro-
duction of silk, agricultural exhibitions, medical work, &c., &c.
The mission did all it could to help the Government to carry
out schemes for the benefit of the district.
In doing so, the
missionaries got at the sympathies of the people in a way they
could not otherwise do, and broke down that barrier of sus-
picious opposition which naturally meets those going to a new
district to preach Christ. It is a mistake to confine our help
to the mission converts. They get "coddled" and the heathen

are not won.

The Rev. J. McLAURIN, D.D., A. B. M., Bangalore, said: There are just two or three points of which I wish to speak. The first is with reference to what should be required of them before receiving them to baptism-or what with us amounts to the same thing-receiving them into fellowship in the churches. believe some knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as fundamentally necessary. I do not say how much, but at least a consciousness of their own need and a knowledge of the Lord as a Divine Saviour. I do not think they need know much about the character or attributes of the triune God or of the details of the scheme of Redemption. The "teaching all things" comes afterwards. If a person gives me credible evidence that he is trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, I am bound to baptize him or receive him; second, I do not believe the Lord ever did or ever will send more of these people than we can care for. And I protest with all my might against the thought of keeping these poor people out in the midst of the vile heathenism about them, simply because the churches are too lazy or too stingy to properly care for them. I believe the Lord has sent more into Ongole field than the American Baptist Churches have adequately cared for, and I believe that the apparent decline in a great many cases is due to that circumstance. Another point is this matter of probation. You will understand from what I have said that I do not much favour it-I have tried probation. I have found that if a man wishes to deceive me, he will very soon find out that he is on trial, and then he will behave himself just as long as I am

prepared to keep him on probation. I believe it is our duty to Fifth Day. take these men and women into our churches as soon as they

have given us evidence of having passed from death unto life,

and not before.

The Rev. L. L. UHL, PH. D., A. L. M., Guntur, Madras, Effect on the writer of one of the papers, said in reply:-It has been higher castes. declared here to-day of the depressed classes that, if they become Christians, the Brahmans and other classes will be left without support and will be compelled to come in also. I must dissent from this statement, as the Brahmans are not dependent on the Pariahs, but on the Sudras, so that, as far as support is concerned, the higher in conjunction with the middle classes, may not be in the least affected by the conversion of the lower. I must say here that, while working for the lower classes and certain of ultimate success among them, I shall never be satisfied with this work alone. We must press our work among the middle classes, and only when these are led to Christ will the Brahmans and higher classes be left dependent and compelled to seek the Christian faith. The question of the relative difficulty of educational and of district work has been Education. raised. I have engaged in both spheres of labour, and out of courtesy to my brethren of the institutions of learning, I must say they have the greater difficulties in many respects. The educational work is more demanding on the physical energies and the emotional nature. The district work among the churches has its supreme difficulty in the ignorance of the people, in a worry from their many requests, and in an anxiety arising from constant planning to improve them. I recall especially the relief I once felt, after a year of busy tours on horseback among the churches when, on taking the train from our station to Madras and passing some villages, I could feel a release from the clamours and importunities of the people who could not then run after me and present their many wants. As to the nature of the work among this people, I think there is much mistaken notion. The speakers were correct who said, "it is slow," "it requires dogged persistence." Then the results are not what they appear to be on the surface. Brethren are led to have too high an opinion of these Christian people from what they see and hear of them without going into inquiries about their whole lives-this is my judgment. Some one has said, to-day, that the poor appreciate the Gospel as the rich do not. This is true in America or in England, where the poor understand the Gospel and discriminate what its fruit is, but the poor in this land see only the physical benefits, do not understand the Gospel, and cannot appreciate its mental, moral, and spiritual results. I would emphasize what one brother said about the control of these people coming over from the degraded classes-"Here thorough organization is needed." Organization.

FIFTH DAY.

What another speaker said is equally important-" There must be continuity in the work." Yes, indeed, there will be no fruit, no church, no future, without complete organization and sustained work among the lower classes gathered into our churches. There must be no failure here, and I often wish I had more skill in organizing. We have heard to-day the statement, "Hundreds or thousands of these people have been baptized;" and I wish to make an observation about the different usages in the admission of these people into the church. There are two entirely different views and practices on the subject-one of speedy baptisms, the other of baptisms after long probation. These two principles enter as chief factors into all methods of, and into all results from, work among these people. With one division of missionaries baptism is considered as the entrance to Christian life and to the church; with another division it is regarded as a means of grace and a sealing ordinance to be cautiously administered after long probation. The one baptizes an individual on his own confession; the other only after the candidate has deserved the confidence of others. These two methods of work must be kept in mind, as we hear and read these reports of accessions by hundreds and thousands. I desire to add here, however, my sincere conviction that, in a greater or less degree, there is a fearful truth in one brother's The prostitu- statement about "the prostitution of baptism," and I believe

tion of

baptism.

South worse than North.

that among these degraded classes the ordinance is mostly received without an appreciation of its holy nature, whether in the case of those more speedily, or in the case of those more tardily, baptized. Such is the profound ignorance of the degraded classes and the nature of their minds. I call attention to the unanimity of opinion as to the magnitude of the work among these people. Speakers have called this opportunity "immense," "golden," and I point out that not only is the subject of the Pariah a prominent topic now, but work among these degraded classes is attracting the attention of the whole church and of the world, and is rapidly becoming a preeminent feature of missionary effort. However, neither this nor any other one work should assume supreme importance, for missionary labour should be a balanced, thorough and all-round work. Nevertheless, the special work under discussion will reach still larger proportions, and will call for a still larger share of attention. Referring to the condition of these people, speakers have given us a very different account from the different quarters of India. It would be extremely interesting to make the subject a matter of thorough study and inquire into the causes of the different social conditions of one and the same class. On the whole, there is a consensus of opinion that the condition of these people is far worse in South than in North India. And now a few words as to the results of

Christian efforts among these classes. Brethren have said, FIFTH DAY. "these people are cleaner," "they try not to lie," "they come Unsatisfor bread, but get the Bread of Life," "they do not commit adul- factory result. tery." Now I doubt these general statements. I have lived and worked long among these people, and I find a vast amount of lying, deception, adultery and uncleanness. They do not understand that salvation means deliverance from lying, quarrelling and licentiousness. Do they get the Bread of Life, though coming for bread only? I say yes, some get it, others will get it by and bye, but most of them will get it in their children in the generations to come. We as missionaries are imposed upon by these people, because of our hopes and expectations. Time fails me to speak of other matters.

One speaker wished to know how many of the 21,000 which Mr. Heinrichs reported as belonging to the Ongle field had gone back. In reply, Mr. Heinrichs said that, though they had kept a careful record of those who had been excluded, there were not known to him more than one hundred who had gone back last year.

FIFTH DAY.

XIV.-MISSIONARY COMITY.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

LARGE HALL-2 TO 4-30 P. M.

The Rev. G. W. OLVER, B.A., W.M.S., Secretary, London, in the chair.

A passage of Scripture was read by the Rev. J. P. Jones, and prayer was offered by the Rev. W. B. Simpson.

FIRST PAPER.*

By the Rev. A. CLIFFORD, M, A., C. M. S., Calcutta. INTRODUCTION.-Comity is rather an academic term. It, perhaps, may not be altogether superfluous in so mixed an assembly as this to remind ourselves that it is simply a translation of a Latin word which means friendliness, civility, cour

teousness.

66

When that has been said, it may be thought by some strange that it should be necessary to connect it with such an adjective as Missionary." We are disposed to ask: Must there not be somewhat of redundancy here? May we not almost say that "Mission" and "Missionary" include in themselves the idea of comity, i.e., what is courteous-friendly?

To that question we may certainly answer, Yes. The ideal mission cannot be other than a courteous body, the ideal missionary cannot be other than a friendly man. That is true. Sobered experience teaches us, however, that though it is disastrous to let our ideals slip, it is wise not to count too much

*The following paper was read before the Calcutta Missionary Conference in 1890. The writer has been asked to revise it with a view to its being used as one of the introductory papers at the Decennial Conference. On looking through it, however, he finds that it is so full of reference to the particular occasion which called it forth, viz., the appearance of Bishop Thoburn's paper on the same subject in the Harvest Field, that it would be of little use to revise it, unless revision is to mean a complete re-writing of it. On the whole, therefore, he thinks it best that if it is to re-appear again, it should be in its original form. Dr. Thoburn, it is hoped, will forgive the repeated references to his name.-A. C.