Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

by the preachers are not generally equal in quality to those which Christian congregations in Europe are favoured with. Most of the native churches are dependent for their sermons upon native preachers, who from various causes do not and cannot make their discourses so rich in varied instruction as they should be. The range of subjects which they handle is very limited, and the arguments and illustrations introduced are very meagre. There are a few native preachers to whom these remarks do not apply, but these form a small proportion of the whole number. It may also be a question whether European preachers when addressing an audience of native Christians do not generally take it too easy, so as to be satisfied with a very superficial preparation. A display of erudition would certainly be thrown away upon such an audience, but that is no reason why pains should not be taken to make the discourses rich in matter, and impressive and plain in manner. As it is, it may be taken for granted that the style and pronunciation peculiar to most European preachers deprives their Bengali discourses of a certain portion of their usefulness. At all events the saying of archbishop Usher is very true, " that it takes all our learning to make these things plain."

very little indeed in the shape of easy and attractive reading adapted to enlarge the mind and to widen the range of Christian sympathy. Whilst the books which we have are calculated to be very useful, and certainly call for gratitude, the want of others almost equally necessary is felt to retard the development of Christian intelligence, especially among the class of native preachers who are not acquainted with English.

4. Another evil is the imperfect development of those intellectual and social habits which have an important bearing upon the Christian character. Even if we possessed an extensive Christian literature it would at present be of little comparative use, not merely because there are few native Christians who could afford to purchase books, but also because very few of them have acquired the habit of reading intelligently for their own pleasure. To many of those who are able to read, reading is a task rather than an amusement. Their comprehension of what they read is very incomplete unless they go over the same ground many times. The ability of reading fluently is an accomplishment possessed by a very limited number of readers, most of them-though by no means all-being obliged to spell out many words as they proceed. This Our native Christian literature is defect has a very important bearing in still very limited. We have the Bible, two ways; first, the reading of the the Pilgrim's Progress, Baxter's Call, bible in private and at family worship Doddridge's Rise and Progress, the must be very partial. Very many adult Companion to the Bible, Barth's Church native Christians cannot read it at all, History, and now also the Holy War. and many others must sit down to it as To these may be added two or three a task rather than a pleasure. Secondcatechisms, various collections of Chris-ly, few wives and mothers are able to tian hymns, and about twenty printed read intelligently, consequently matersermons. But we have as yet no Commentary, no Dictionary of the Bible, no full course of divinity, in short scarcely any books of the kind most wanted by preachers. And we have

VOL. XIII.-FOURTH SERIES.

nal instruction must be extremely defective. In this respect those native Christian females who have been brought up in boarding schools are for the most part far ahead of their sisters, but it is

M

to be feared that even among them | ral superintendence on the spot which

many neglect their learning from the time they leave school.

many churches have had and still have. It has pleased God to call to the fellowship of the gospel people that dwell in places where Europeans cannot dwell without either going to very great expense, or risking their health, or encountering both these evils at once. Some of these places are situated in swampy neighbourhoods where proper dwelling-houses can only be built on ground artificially raised to a high elevation, and where locomotion at certain seasons of the year is rendered almost impracticable, the ground being neither dry land nor sufficiently covered with water to allow of the use of a boat. In the three months preceding the cold weather dangerous fevers prevail. At all seasons of the year it is difficult to obtain wholesome water, the natives themselves being obliged to boil that which they intend to drink. Supplies of provisions must be sent for from a distance. Such are some, and in fact most, of the villages to the south of Calcutta, such are many of those in Jessore, and all those in the Barisal district, where large numbers of native Christians reside. It is evident that during the first years of the existence of a church the pastor must come from a distant place, even if he be a native brother from another district he finds it difficult, especially with a family, to become accustomed to the new mode of living; and if he be of European descent (as in most cases) he must commence his labours with occasional visits, until he finds himself able to live on the spot for a week or a fortnight at the time and so gradually to become domiciled. Supposing that after a while he selects some of the most suitable men dwelling on the spot to assist him in his work, the disadvantages under which they have laboured in consequence of deficient pastoral superintendence will 5. A fifth evil is the inadequate pasto-be felt by them alsɔ, and as a matter of

Even the social habits of native Christians are a hindrance to their progress in piety. In their houses they have little privacy, and therefore find it difficult to practise secret prayer; they have few comforts, little order, in some respects little cleanliness, and no idea of the value of time. They are deficient in their sense of propriety with regard to the dress of their children, &c. All these are hindrances to evenness of temper, regularity of devotion, purity of mind, and other elements of piety.

One great means by which these evils may be remedied will be the establishment of village schools for the instruction of the children of native Christians. But even such schools will not be very officient at first. Children that are able to look after cattle, to take care of infants, to catch fish, to assist in field labour or household work, will be kept at home rather than sent to school, because the parents will find it difficult to dispense with their services. Besides, it is with reference to these schools that the money question will perhaps first prove to be very perplexing. Such schools ought to be supported by the parents; to draw upon the funds of missionary societies for this purpose will drain their resources long before the sufficient number of schools is established. At first it is unavoidable to look to the societies for aid, but if that is afforded beyond a certain point it will afterwards be very difficult to introduce a sounder system. Again, such schools to be efficient will require masters trained for that special object. And how is such a class of teachers to be obtained? Ought they not to be selected from among the native Christians

themselves?

course perpetuated for an additional could be further from the writer's length of time. wishes than to give pain to any of his native brethren.

There are, however, some churches situated in more favoured localities where a pastor constantly resides. But it so happens that even such pastors do not and cannot all devote that attention to the churches which they require, owing to the numerous duties of a different kind which devolve upon them. They have to superintend schools, to itinerate, to prepare books, &c., and feel that this description of work is equally necessary for the general interests of their missions, as the supervision of native churches. Thus the churches under their care suffer almost alike with the rest.

6. The result of the evils now enumerated is a very slow and but too often very unequal development of the Christian character in the members of the church. Without referring to the large number of native Christians who are such only in name, it cannot be denied that the piety even of those who are pious is in many cases a plant of stunted growth. Their conversion may be above the reach of suspicion, but their conduct is not uniformly consistent. Their Christian principles manifest themselves clearly in some relations of life, but in others they are scarcely perceptible. It may for instance be questioned whether there are many who are what they should be, as parents treating their children with that mixture of affection and strictness by which alone they can be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Now this want of symmetry in the Christian character is one great difficulty which has to be encountered when any of them are to be selected for any office in the church. In a man otherwise suitable there often exists some one glaring defect, which at once precludes his appointment. It is unnecessary to enter into details, the more so as nothing

The evils hitherto enumerated are such as have their origin in the very nature of things. They appear to be inseparable from the early stage of Christianity, at least in this country. They ought, therefore, to be referred to with kindness, and not to be regarded as just grounds for reflecting either upon missionaries or native converts. If kept in view, with a constant endeavour to escape from them, they may be remedied in course of time, but certainly not all at once.

It now remains to consider the second class of evils, which may be characterized as adventitious, which may be avoided where they do not yet exist, or remedied within a comparatively short time where they do exist. Concerning these, which he prefers to call dangers rather than evils, the writer wishes to express his ideas with great diffidence, knowing that others may differ from him not only widely but also conscientiously.

1. The first danger is that which arises from too high a scale of expenditure. This is a very difficult subject to handle, but, nevertheless, one or two broad principles appear to be indubitably correct. One is, that the scale of expenditure now adopted should be one to which the native churches hereafter may find it practicable to adhere. The other is, that the present scale should be rather below than above that which we may expect to become permanent hereafter.

If in the erection of places of worship and schoolrooms, and in the salaries of native preachers and teachers, in short, in the whole pecuniary management of native churches, we adopt a scale of expenditure higher than that which the native churches when left to themselves will be able to adopt, we

shall inflict an incalculable injury upon | many of us deprecate as contrary to the principles of Christianity, and which all must regard as too improbable to calculate upon. Who can tell how long the British dominion will be allowed to continue? Hence the absolute necessity for all to look carefully at the scale of expenditure which they adopt.

them and retard the progress of religion in this country to an indefinite period. Let our places of worship now be such -as to their cost-as we may expect that native churches will hereafter be able to erect and keep in repair. Let our native preachers now receive such salaries as they are likely to receive when they shall cease to be paid by missionary societies. Rather let our scale of expenditure now fall somewhat below the standard which we hope may be adopted hereafter. If we err, as in such a matter we probably shall, let us err on the safe side.

If we adopt too high a scale of expenditure now, what will be the results hereafter? The native Christians of the coming age will despair of being able to do that for themselves which others have done for them. They will perhaps do nothing at all, and even in the most favourable case they will complain of having, as churches, been brought up in too expensive habits. The stoppage of the accustomed supplies will make them feel miserable in the extreme; and the native pastors and teachers once accustomed to high salaries will find it very difficult to become reconciled to the new order of things. The relation between pastor and people will be embittered by mutual reproaches, the expensive places of worship will fall into decay, and if their place be eventually supplied it will be supplied by edifices the sight of which (like that of the second temple) will draw tears from the eyes of those who had beheld the glory of the former house. In short, the confusion and disappointment will be endless.

If the government of this country were likely ever to make the pecuniary support of Christianity an object of its administration, we should have an excuse for introducing a high scale of expenditure. But this is a contingency which

It is difficult in this matter to fix upon a rule by which our conduct might be guided. Yet it is not impossible. Human nature is the same everywhere and in all ages; and the effects of genuine Christian principle likewise are uniform. But the value of money differs in different countries and different times. It may be said that at present with the European sojourner in India, a rupee scarcely goes as far as a shilling would in Great Britain, but with a native, two annas go as far as a shilling does in Great Britain.* In other words, to the native of Bengal the value of money is the quadruple (or nearly so) of what it is to the inhabitant of Great Britain. It is not easy to ascertain the exact proportion, but judging from the rate of wages in districts which contain no European residents the above is probably not far from the mark, or if there be an error it is on the safe side. Hence we arrive at the conclusion that our scale of expenditure, in reference to native churches, ought not to be more than one-fourth of that which prevails in Great Britain. If in the latter country the average income of a minister of the gospel be £120 a year, that of a native pastor ought not to be more than £30,

It is not the intention of the writer to say that with two annas a native of Bengal can purchase the same commodities which in Great Britain would

cost a shilling, but that the man who earns two annas a day occupies the same position in society here, which the man who earns a shilling a day occupies in Great Britain. This comparative scale

is probably applicable to all the parallel ranks in society.

or 25 rupees per mensem, including an income they find it difficult to part everything. A similar principle ought with one-tenth. If, however, their temto guide us in all the other items of poral condition be once improved, and a expenditure. We must not allow our larger proportion of people in comfortselves to be misled by the exorbitant able circumstances join them, the amount salaries paid by government, which are first mentioned (nearly thirteen pice a out of all proportion when compared month per individual) will be more with the ordinary state of things pre- easily raised. vailing in native society. Neither must we take Calcutta for our standard, for many causes combine to make both salaries and expenses very irregular in that metropolis.

The writer is not prepared to carry his speculations on these matters into detail, but he is convinced that the general principle now enunciated is correct, and he firmly believes that when once the native churches have become self-sustaining, very few of their ministers or pastors will receive higher salaries than 25 rupees a month, unless by that time the value of money should have become much less than it is at present. It will require a congregation of at least 250 adults to secure to their minister a regular income of 25 rupees a month. If every ten adult members of his congregation can regularly contribute a rupee a month towards his salary, and another rupee towards the remaining expenditure required for religious purposes, that will be as much as can be expected. Supposing these two rupees to represent one-tenth of their own monthly income, that income would be two rupees a head, or say about six rupees for every family. At present if we take into account the women as well as the men, and the aged and infirm as well as those who are able to work, it may be questioned whether the average monthly income of native Christians amounts to more than one rupee for every adult individual, so that if each were to devote the tithe of his income to religious purposes, it would not make more than about six pice per month. But with so slender

With regard to buildings, the question of expenditure is peculiarly perplexing, because much doubt exists as to the kind of building which is the most economical in the long run. The prime cost of erection is not a safe criterion to adopt. A building originally erected for a very small sum may require a large annual outlay on repairs, whilst another which originally cost a large sum may be kept in repair at a trifling annual expense. The subject, however, is too important to be overlooked much longer.

2. A second danger may arise from adopting too high a standard of learning for the pastors of native churches. The writer of these pages is not an advocate of ignorance. He cheerfully admits that men of great minds like a Chalmers and a Robert Hall, may be as useful in ministering to an illiterate audience as men of humbler attainments. But the practical question before us is, whether we ought to aim so high with regard to our native churches? Supposing we have at present the means of giving to the future pastors of native churches a very superior education, will the churches hereafter when left to their own resources possess those means likewise? And may not even we devote missionary funds to better purposes?

Is it absolutely necessary to withdraw students for the ministry from their previous employments, and to support them gratis for a number of consecutive years? Is it not a fact that some who have been thus removed from the circle in which they were born, and for a period transplanted into the

« ElőzőTovább »