66

66

66

The SECRETARY said: The Bishop of Lichfield has alluded to a meeting held in one of these rooms some thirty years since with a view to the extension of our Episcopate in the Colonies, and I should like to be allowed to read a short passage from a letter on this subject by the late Bishop Blomfield to the then Archbishop of Canterbury. He wrote: "My own deeply-rooted conviction is, that if the Church of England "bestir herself in good earnest, and put forth all the resources and energies which she possesses, and for the use of which she must give account, she will in due time cause the Reformed Episcopal Church "to be recognized by all the nations of the earth as the stronghold of pure religion and the legitimate dispenser of its means of grace; she "will be a chosen instrument in the hands of God for purifying and re"storing the other branches of Christ's holy Catholic Church, and for connecting them with herself as members of the mystical body, in the way of "truth, in the unity of the spirit, and in the bond of peace." The spirit which dictated these words seems almost prophetic of that which gave birth to the Anglo-Continental Society, and has constantly guided its operations. I deeply regret the absence of Mr. Meyrick on account of the anxious state of his health. Being most anxious to hand over to him on his return the concerns of the Society in a more prosperous condition, I would take this opportunity of appealing for more funds, as our funds are insufficient, and the Italian fund alone is between 60l. and 70%. in debt. I shall thankfully receive any subscriptions, and give any information, and furnish copies of the Report to any one who will communicate with me.

66

The vote of thanks to the Chairman was carried by acclamation, and acknowledged briefly by his Lordship, who then dismissed the meeting with the Benediction.

Committee Meeting.—At a meeting of the Committee on the same day, a Resolution was passed sympathising with Mr. Meyrick, Secretary of the Society, now absent from England for his health's sake, and trusting that he may shortly be enabled to resume his former labours of love. Another Resolution thanked Dr. Biber for the zeal and ability of his correspondence with Dr. Michelis, and the latter Divine for his brotherly response to his overtures; Dr. Biber was requested to continue the correspondence, and to endeavour, in conformity with the wish expressed by Dr. Michelis in his fourth letter, to engage other German divines in "the promotion of an interchange of thought"; and the President undertook to communicate this resolution to Dr. Michelis. The Rev. Brymer Belcher introduced Knanishu Moratcha, a deacon in the Assyrian Church, and student at St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, where, it appeared, he had hitherto been almost entirely supported at Mr. Belcher's expense, in consequence of the low condition of the Assyrian Aid Fund. The Warden of St. Augustine's having advised that the Deacon should remain there for another term, the Committee declared its readiness to invite donations towards his case, placing the amount received in the hands of Mr. Belcher. The following sums were given in the room: Rev. E. D. Cree, 21. 2s.; Rev. T. Darling, 17. 18.; Rev. Lord C. Hervey, 31. 38.; J. C. Sharpe, Esq., 27. 2s. About 201. more are needed.

THE

COLONIAL CHURCH CHRONICLE,

Missionary Journal,

AND

FOREIGN ECCLESIASTICAL REPORTER.

AUGUST, 1871.

THE CHURCH IN SCOTLAND AND FOREIGN MISSIONS.

A COMMUNICATION has been recently made to the Primus of the Church in Scotland in reference to a proposed Mission in India.

The circumstances of the case are as follows; we quote from a printed letter addressed by G. T. Carruthers, M.A., Chaplain of Seetabuldee, Nagpore, to the Most Rev. the Primus, the Bishop of Moray and Ross. The date is, Nagpore, Jan. 13, 1871 :

"There is a city named Chandah, under my spiritual charge, containing a population of 20,000 inhabitants. There is no Missionary nor Catechist of any description within the city, nor nearer to it than myself, who am 100 miles off. The situation is an excellent one for a Mission, as there are a number of hill tribes in the surrounding districts who are supposed by those who know them to be more than commonly susceptible of Christian influences; but the town itself is an ample field for devoted work for a large staff of Missionaries. Chandah is the ancient residence of the Ghond Rajahs. . . . . Coal, iron, and cotton abound in the neighbourhood, and the Government have under consideration the building of a line of railway from Chandah, to meet the Nagpore and Bombay Railway." The Chaplain proceeds to state that he and the late Deputy-Commissioner, Major

Lucie Smith, had been long impressed with the spiritual necessities of the place and district, and that the latter offered to subscribe liberally from his private means if the Bishop of Calcutta would send a clergyman there. This the Bishop was unable to do from the pressure of other calls.

"But an event," he continues, "has lately occurred at Chandah which has roused me to exertion. Like all other towns in India, Chandah has its population divided into many castes; but there is a special prejudice existing among the castes of Chandah against the lowest caste of all. The 'Dhers,' as they are called, are simply abhorred by their neighbours, so that it is pollution even to touch them. The Government lately attempted to establish a High School in Chandah, but because certain 'Dhers' were allowed to enter the walls the school was deserted, and no persuasion of the authorities could induce the scholars to return, so that at last the Government was obliged to withdraw its masters and to shut up the school. When this happened I was convinced that the duty of Christian men was to try and do something to eradicate this strong prejudice, and to endeavour to evangelize the place. Providence seemed at the time to

put in my way the very opportunity that I desired.

"A European gentleman, the son of a colonel, of weak health, but of Christian principle and sufficient learning," came to him for employment. "He was delighted to accept the position of Missionary teacher, even at the small salary that I could offer, and at once went off to Chandah. A large handsome room has been granted to us for the school, and a little chapel has been arranged for daily prayer and teaching. From information I have received from the AssistantCommissioner and other sources, I learn that the school has succeeded much beyond the expectation of every one, and that the master has quite ingratiated himself with the people. Within the two months that the school has been established, eighty-three names have been put upon the attendance roll, and fifty-three scholars are in daily attendThis Mission is at present supported by the subscriptions of a few friends, but I am exceedingly desirous that the management of the Mission should be undertaken by the Church, both that the work may have a permanent character, and that by and by it may be blessed with the services of ordained clergy.

ance.

"As a Scotchman, therefore, I naturally appeal to your Lordship, and beg that the Mission may be adopted by the Scottish Church. I am aware that your wants at home are very pressing, and that the Church is poor and few in number; but our Redeemer has given the command to go and teach all nations,' and I should thank God if I

could see in India one little Mission supported solely by the Scottish Church. The Mission, as it at present exists, has in its employ a Missionary teacher and two native Christian teachers. The cost is about 150l. a year, which is no large sum to raise throughout Scotland.1 I have every confidence that in a short time a large and prosperous Mission will be established, by God's blessing, if the good work receives your Lordship's sanction, and is undertaken in faith by the Scottish Church. I need not add that I have not presumed to write this letter without the sanction of the Lord Bishop of Calcutta."

"1

The letter of the Bishop of Calcutta is before us also, dated January 21, 1871. "I have read your letters," he writes to his Chaplain, "with much interest. I enclose a cheque for 100 rupees, as a donation towards the Chandah School. I hope to send another before very long. I heartily approve of and endorse your application to the Primus of the Scotch Church, and I trust it may be successful. Considering the activity of the Established and Free Churches of Scotland, it seems desirable that the Church in communion with ourselves, even though comparatively poor, should show an interest in the conversion of India." We have printed both these letters almost in full, not a word of importance being omitted, not only to place the scheme authoritatively before our readers (we hope some of them may be found in Scotland), but because the Chaplain's letter seems to us very encouraging. There is calm good sense, as well as simple, honest earnestness, manifest on the face of it. The letter of the Bishop anticipates and removes an objection which would otherwise obviously arise. There need be, there will be, if the plan is adopted as it is proposed, not only no conflict of jurisdiction, but no jealousy. The good Bishop of Calcutta well knows, as his predecessors before him knew, how simply impossible it is for one, or even three, Bishops, or even one Church, to evangelize that Eastern World which we call India.

This journal may well take a part in pressing, with all respect, this very interesting appeal upon the Bishops and the Church at large in Scotland. As long ago as May 1851, we printed from a layman in the diocese of Glasgow, a letter earnestly inviting the Church in Scotland to enter upon the work of Missions, and particularly urging that those Missions should have a Bishop at their head. "Some six months ago," he wrote, and we can confirm his testimony from the spot from which the proposal was made, "it was proposed to our Bishops by certain parties at Oxford that a Bishopric should be planted in Borneo, at Sarawak, Sir James Brooke's settlement." 2

1 Our own italics.

2 Colonial Church Chronicle, vol. iv. p. 425.

From that time forward our pages have not unfrequently borne testimony to our own sense of the duty of our brethren in the North in this matter. The present writer, as far back as July 1861, contributed a paper to this periodical, which he commenced with the question, "Shall the Church of Scotland enter upon the work of Foreign Missions ?" From that paper he ventures to quote a passage to prove, as he adopts it as fully as when he first wrote it, that he has a very strong conviction upon this subject, deeply, shall he add painfully confirmed by the lapse of ten anxious years. It was a part of his argument that we might infer from such teaching as that of St. Paul at Athens, Acts xvii. 26, 27; and again, from the very variety of Apostolic Churches, from which, according to the same book and the Epistles, "the Word of the Lord sounded forth" (1 Thess. i.8), that "if a character and type bè thus stamped on nations as on individuals, we may believe of Him, 'who holds the seven stars in His right hand,' and 'who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks,' that He has foreordained all this wonderful variety, that He has in mercy dealt out to His scattered children His manifold gifts, to some of suffering and persecution, to others of peace and prosperity; to some of strong tenacity of will, to others of versatile large-mindedness, to some 'the times' of oft-recurring calamity, to others 'the limits' of a rugged home, that they should all in their appointed lot 'seek the Lord,' that they should all 'go their way' in loving labour for Him 'till the end be,' all gather for Him according to the power and experience which each has gained from Him, all try to reflect before some yet outcast and untended souls those rays of the glorious Presence which have shone upon themselves."

:

May we not in the same spirit and line of argument press this duty of Foreign Missions upon the Church in the north upon this broad principle that each living Church has a gift from her Lord and King, which she may not withhold from others; which, it may be, is needed, in the providence of God, to be dispensed to others for the full building up of that One Church of God, of which all "the King's daughters" are ministering attendants.

What if to the sons of Scotland there has been given a clearness of intellect, with a steadiness of purpose not always combined? What if there is largely among them a patient industry, and a real love of learning? Are not these gifts peculiarly needed to be sanctified to the work of Christ, and the ministry of souls? But what if the Church in Scotland has a peculiar history and a peculiar type arising out of that history; what if she knows, as perhaps no other on earth knows so painfully, the terrible reaction from superstition and excessive cere