report of the punjab missionary conference lahore in dec & jan, 1862-63, by committee lodihana...

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UCSB

LIBRARY

OF

THE

PUNJAB

MISSIONARY

CONFERENCE

HELD

C*

In

December and

January,

186263

:

INCLUDING

THE

ESSATS

READ,

AND

THE

DISCUSSIONS

WHICH FOLLOWED

THEM

;

ALSO

PREFATORY

REMARKS,

AND

OTHER

PAPERS;

CLOSING WITH

A

COMPREHENSIVE

INDEX OF

TEM

EJECTS

DISCUSSED,

AND

A

GLOSSARY

OF

URDU

WORDS

USED

BT THE

WRITERS

AND SPEAKERS.

EDITED

BT

THE

COMMITTEE OF

COMPILATION.

LODI

AN

A:

PRINTED

AT

THE AMERICAN

PRESBYTERIAN

MISSION

PRESS

;

Tin:

l;i:\.

A.

uri.OLPH,

SUPERINTENDENT.

MDCCCLXIII.

J T a y l o r

o f S e a l k o t e

p a g e 2 9 2

MA N



TENTH

SESSION.

THURSDAY

MORNING,

the

1st

of

January,

1863.

Colonel Sir

HERBERT

B.

EDWARDES,

K.

C.

B.,

in the Chair.

The

proceedings

were

opened

with

the

reading

of the

Word

of

God,

and

prayer, by

the Rev. Robert

Bruce.

At the

request

of

the Chairman the

following

essay,

in

the

ab-

sence

of

its

author,

was

read

by

the

ReV.

R.

Paterson.

INTER-MISSION

DISCIPLINE

:

AS

A

MEANS

OF PROMOTING

HARMONIOUS

ACTION,

AND

A

GOOD

UNDERSTANDING,

AMONG THE

MISSIONARIES

OF

DIF-

FERENT

SOCIETIES,

LABOURING IN THE

SAME

PART

OF

THE

COUNTRY,

AND

THUS

CONTRIBUTING

TO THE

PROSPERITY

OF

THE

COMMON

CAUSED

WHAT

RULES

MIGHT

BE

ADVANTAGE-

OUSLY

ADOPTED,

FOR

THE

GOVERNMENT OF

ALL

PARTIES,

IN

RELATION

TO

THEIR

RESPECTIVE

SPHERES OF

LABOUR,

AND

THEIR TREATMENT

OF EACH OTHER'S

NATIVE

ASSISTANTS,

CHURCH

MEMBERS,

AND

INQUIRERS

?

ESSAY

BY THE

REV.

J.

TAYLOR,

M.

A.

Mission

of

the Established

Church

of

Scotland,

Sealkote.

Disci

r

e

Christian

discipline

may

be

defined,

as

the

punishing

of

Church

what it

U-

members,

for conduct

inconsistent with

the

profession

of

Christi-

anity.

That

such

a

power

is

vested in

the

office-bearers

of

the

Church,

is evident from the words of the

Apostle,

Obey

them

that

have

the

rule

over

you,

and

submit

yourselves

;

for

they

watch



INTKB-MISSIOX

DISCIPLINE

293

for

your

souls,

a*

they

that must

give

account;

(

Hebrews

xiii.

17

;)

M

well

a*

from

the

reproof

which

he

administered

to

the Corin-

thiann,

for

extending

Christian

fellowship

to

an

unworthy

member.

lea

being

a

moans

of

maintaining

good

order

in the

Church

lu

object*.

ol'

Chri-t.

it

promotes

other

and

more

important

objects.

These

object*

are

chiefly

three.

(1)

The

repentance

of

the offender.

(2)

The

purity

of

the

Church.

(3)

An

example

to the

world.

God

willeth

the

repentance

of the

sinner.

It must

be

our

aim,

in all our

Church

arrangements,

to

promote

this

end.

Any

feel-

ings

of

anger,

or

revenge,

in the exercise

of

discipline,

must

be

care-

fully

avoided,

as

being

a

barrier

to

the

rise

of

repentance

in

the

heart

of

the

offender.

The

purity

of

the

Church,

as

an

object

of

Christian

discipline,

is

also most

important.

How

hateful

to

God

must

a

company

of

im-

pure

worshippers

be,

drawing nigh

unto

him with

the

lip,

but in

heart

far

from

him

Surely

God

may reject

such,

as he

did

the

Jews

of

old,

with

these words

When

ye

come

to

appear

be-

fore

me,

who

hath

required

this

at

your

hands,

to

tread

my

courts

?

When

ye

make

many

prayers,

I will not hear :

your

hands

are

full of blood.

(Isaiah

i.

12,

15.)

But

some

say,

This is

a matter

between

God and

a

man's conscience

;

and we

have

no

right

to

interfere. We must

remember,

however,

that

we have

to

seek our

brother's

good,

not

only by

stimulating

him

to

do what

is

right,

but

also

by

endeavouring

to

prevent

him from

doing

what

is

wrong.

A

third

object

of

discipline

is

to

set

a

good

example

to the

world.

We

are

exhorted by

our

Master,

to

let

our

light

shine

before

men,

that

they,

seeing

our

good

works,

may glorify

our Fa-

tluT

who

is

in

heaven.

When

discipline

is

not

attended

to,

or

when

it is lax in

its

ap-

plication,

our

light

to the world

becomes

darkness

;

and

men

bias-

of

'u

pheme

our

religion.

When the

unworthy

participate

in

the

sacred

ordinances

of

Christianity,

the

ungodly speedily

mark

the

incon-

sistency,

and

transfer

the

reproach

of the

professor

to

the

religion

which

he

professes.

These

three

objects, sought

by

Church

dis-

cipline,

show its

necessity

and

excellence. Whenever

any body

of

Christians

in remiss

in

the

exercise

of

discipline,

the result will

prove

it to

be

a

hinderance of God's

blowing.

The

general

reasons for Christian

di>fij>lii\p

in a

nation

professedly

Christian,

acquire

additional

strength,

when the

people

are

generally

heathen.

The

misconduct of

Christians

here,

is

fraught

with

worse

consequences,

than

the

inconsistencies

of

formal

Christians

in

Eu-

rope.

Nothing

so much

hinders

the

progress

of truth

amongst

the



294

TENTH

SESSION

heathen,

as the

inconsistencies of

Christians

;

just

as

nothing

furnish-

es

so

powerful

an

argument

for

the

truth,

or

exerts

so beneficial

an

influence,

as

the

consistent lives

of those

who are

witnesses for Christ.

The

ground

upon

which

mission

discipline

must

rest,

is

the rule

and

example

of

Scripture.

Anything

inconsistent with the com-

mands

of

Scripture,

affords

a

ground

for the exercise

of

discipline.

Inier-Mi-

Inter-Mission

Discipline may

be

defined,

as

the

respecting, by

one

rMiue

cie-

mission,

of the

discipline

administered

by

another.

Many

questions

fined.

are involved

in

this.

It

is

by

no means

asserted,

that the

right

of

in-

quiry,

or

privatejudgment,

must

be

yielded.

Every

mission

has a

right

to

know, from

another,

on

what ground

an

individual

has

been

sus-

pended

;

and each mission must

reserve

to

itself the

right

of

decid-

ing,

whether or

not

it

shall

abide

by

the

judgment

of the other

mission.

Such

questioning

of a mission's

decision,

must

be done

with

great

caution

;

but

it

is

still

possible,

that

from some

prejudice

conceived

against

an

individual,

the members of a mission

might pass

a harsh

sentence

of

censure,

or

at

least one

more severe

than

the

circum-

stances

of

the case

warranted.

As

a

general

rule,

however,

it

will

always

be

safe for

missionaries

to make

all

due

inquiry

from

their

brethren,

before

they proceed

to

enlarge,

or

to

lighten,

the

punish-

ment

imposed.

The

great danger

to

be

avoided,

is

that

of

conveying

to the Native

Christian

the

idea,

that

one

mission

will

deal

with

him

differently

from

another,

when he

is

conscious of

having

com-

mitted

an

offence

which

demands

discipline.

A

necessary

step

then

to be

observed,

in

the event

of a

Native

Christian,

under

censure,

going

from

one

mission

to

another,

is

the

making

of

due

inquiry

into

the

grounds

upon

which

the

censure

was

passed.

If

denominational views

have

any

thing

to do with

the

censure,

then

the

discipline,

in

so

far

as

it rests

upon

distinctive

tenets,

cannot

be

respected

by

another mission.

Methods

The

basis for

mission

censure,

which

can be

respected

by

all

o(

discipline,

missions

alike,

must

be common

and

acknowleged

principles.

In

framing

a rule

for

the

regulation

of

all

parties,

every

distinguishing

tenet

must

be

left

out

of

sight.

Not

only

as to

the

fact

of

discipline,

but

also as to

the

peculiar

kind of

punishment

inflicted,

must

the

right

of

private

judgment

be

maintained

intact.

Reduction

of

position

and

salary,

are

expedients

sometimes

resorted

to,

for

pur-

poses

of

discipline.

These

means,

in

my

opinion,

must

be

judged

of

by

the

effects which

they produce.

The

great

object

of

all

discipline

is

reformation

;

and

true

reformation

must

rest

upon

sincere

repentance;

and

it

is

highly

probable,

that

any

repentance

which

a

diminution

of

salary

could

bring

about,

would

be

only



INTER-MISSION

DISCIPLINE

295

a--umed.

Change

of

position

as

from that of a catechist

to that

of

a

scripture-reader;

or

from

the

position

of a

scripture-reader

to

that nt

a

teacher,

or

munshi,

partakes

of

the same

character.

Such

a

course

of

procedure

leads

the

individual

to

think

less

of

the

jinilt

of

hi-

sin.

than

of the

tribulation

that

has flowed from

it

;

while

>rrow

must

rest

upon

a

conviction

of

guilt,

and

not

upon

a

mere

:

ience

of

discomfort.

The

thief who remembers

his off

i

while in

durance

vile,

and

forgets

them

when

he

is

liberated,

is

little

tho

better

for

his

discipline

:

so

the Native

Christian,

who

sor-

rows

for

his

sins,

only

because

his

position

has

been

reduced,

will

be

too apt

to

forget

them,

when

restored

to his

former

position.

Scrip-

ture

example

warrants

only

one

kind of

discipline

denial of

th-

privileges

of

Christian

fellowship.

If

the

individual

be

a

real

Christian,

this

punishment

is

the most

severe that

could

be

inflict-

ed

upon

him;

and

if this

punishment

produces

in

a

Native Chris-

tian

no

impression

for

good,

it is

to

be

suspected

that

he is not

a

'

'hristian,

and

so

will

not

be

permanently

benefitted,

by

this,

or

any

other

discipline.

In

regard

to

the

two

first

modes

of

discipline

reducing position

and

salary,

no

mission,

holding

different

views,

would be

bound

to

respect

them.

In

regard

to

the last

form

suspension

from

Chris-

tian

fellowship,

it

would bo

binding

upon

all missions

;

because

this

rests

upon

a basis on which all

are

agreed;

viz.,

that

one

who

acts

inconsistently,

or

entertains

views

at

variance

with

the

Gospel,

ought

to be

cut off from

church

privileges.

Tin-

<me-tion of

leniency,

in

the

exercise

of

discipline

upon

Q

UPtl

ion

of

Natives,

n-xt

requires

attention. Some are

of

opinion,

that

as

the

|

ni

'

nc

y-

temptations

of

the

Natives of

this

country

are

great,

and their

knowledge

limited,

there

ought

to

be

a

lower standard

for

them,

than for

Europeans

who have the

l.en.

-fit

of

a Christian

education

an-

1

<

'hristian

society.

This

opinion, though

at

first

sight

plausible,

.s

to

me to

rest

on

a

misconception.

If

the

individual in

ques-

tion

i>

a

true

Christian,

converted

by

(tod

1

-*

Spirit,

he

imi.-t

he

sub-

ject

to

all

the

arrangements

w

liieli

Chri.-tianity

demands.

Ability

and

privilege,

no

doubt,

regulate

the

measure

of

responsibility

;

the

man

with

one

talent is

not

responsible

for two

;

but

the

fact that

lie

i.-

in

a

heathen

country

does

not

alter

his

responsibility

for one

ta-

lent.

The

example

of

Scripture,

moreover,

does

not

warrant

any

people

could have

been more

corrupt

than

the

Corinthians,

before

they

heard

of

the.

do-p.-l

of

purity:

yet

their

peculiar

circumstance*

did

not

>av<-

them

from

the

cen-ure

of

the

Apo.-tle.

Indeed,

if

we

judge

from what i.-

recorded,

i.



296

TENTH

SESSION

Native

assistants

changing

places.

in

stronger

terms

of their

misconduct

than

that

of

any

others.

This

parallel,

(for

such

I

conceive

it

to

be,)

seems

to

show,

that

with

Na-

tive

Christians

discipline

ought

to

be

severe,

and

prompt

in

its

exercise

:

the

heathen

are constant

and acute

observers.

A

breach

of

military

discipline

is

visited

with

greater punishment,

in

an

enemy's

country,

than at

home.

In

like

manner,

amongst

enemies,

the soldiers of the

Cross,

be

they European

or

Native,

ought

to

be

especially

on their

guard

;

and

severity

of

discipline

tends

to

produce

carefulness.

Besides

the exercise

of

discipline, strictly

so

called,

that

is,

the

infliction

of

punishment

for

an

infringement

of Christian

rules,

there are other

subjects

involved

in

the

question

of Inter-Mis-

sion

Discipline.

A source

of

many

heart-burnings

amongst

missionaries,

and

of

great

injury

to

Native

Christians,

is

the

constant

moving

of

the

latter

from one

place

to

another

from

one

mission

to

another.

The

resolution

of

this

difficulty

will

be

the

means

of

avoiding

much

evil,

and

securing

much

good.

As

we

all seek one end

the

salvation of

souls,

as

we

pursue

it

by

one means

the

preaching

of the

Gospel

of

Jesus

Christ,

it

is

well

for

us

to

act

in

harmony

;

and,

as far as

possible,

with

the

same

outward

machinery.

It

is

only

just

to

our

Native brethren

and

assistants,

to

state,

that,

in

this

matter

of

change,

they

have,

in

many

instances,

been

grievously

wronged.

It is

to

be

lamented,

that,

merely

to

obtain an

advance

of

salary,

many

have been

induced

to

leave

a

sphere

where

they

had

some

tokens

of the

Divine

favour,

and

go

to

another,

where,

for

some

time at

least,

this was not

vouchsafed :

still

it

is

unfair

to

characterize

all

such

changes

as

originating

in

worldly

or

selfish

motives.

There are

European

brethren in the

mission

field,

who find

it desirable

sometimes to seek a

change

of

sta-

tion,

who

feel

it

irksome

to

labour

with

a

brother

missionary,

be-

tween

whose

disposition

and

their

own

there

is a

marked

incongrui-

ty.

It is

quite

probable,

therefore,

that

many

of the

changes

of

our

native

assistants

arise

from the same

cause

a want

of

sympa-

thy

with

the

missionary,

or the other

Christians

of

the

mission.

It

is to

be

desired,

that

a warmer

love were infused into

every

heart,

and

that differences

of

disposition

and

temper might

be

melted into

uni-

ty

of

spirit,

and thus

become

a

grand

motive

power

for

good

:

but

while

the

world

remains with its

imperfections,

there

will

be

discord-

ances,

for

which

separation

is

the

best

remedy.

A

Paul

and

a Bar-

nabas,

both

zealous

for

the

Common

Master,

were

so tenacious

of



IXTKR-MISSION

DISCIPLINE

297

their

re-pei

-live

opinions.

that harmonious

working

could not

be

ind so

separation

ensued.

Why

then

should

we look

for

:i

per

if

things

amongst

our

assistants,

and set down

their

for

change

in

all

cases

to

a sordid

and

unworthy

motive.

Not

merely

from

dissimilarity

of

disposition,

but

from

the

distinc-

tive character of

different

spheres

of

usefulness,

a

Native

Christian

might

resolve

upon

a

change.

It

becomes

the

missionary

to

treat

such

mutters

with candour

and

fairness,

and with that

charity

which thinketh

no

evil.

Notwithstanding

these

things,

it

is

Qualification*

undoubted,

that difference

of

salary

has much

to

do

with the

fre-

and 8alaiies<

qticnt

moving

of native

assistants

from

place

to

place.

It

is

the

part

of

the

missionaries

to

make

such

arrangements,

that this

mo-

hall

have no

scope

for

exercise.

The

fixing

of

a

particular

sum,

to

be

observed

by

all

missions,

as

the

salary

of

a

catechist,

ure-reder,

or

teacher,

seems

to

me

quite

impracticable.

<>n

may

have extensive

resources,

and so

may

regard

an

increase

of its

assistants'

salaries

as

a

matter

of

pure

indifference

;

while

with

another,

not

so

highly

favoured,

it

becomes

a

question

of

grave

importance.

A

simple fixing

of the

salary

would,

in

such

a

case,

be an

advantage

to the

poor Society,

but an

injustice

to the

rich

one.

The

only

principle upon

which

an

arrangement

can

be

made

to obviate

this

difficulty,

would

be

to

agree

upon

certain

.-tandiirds

of

qualification,

to

which

fixed

salaries

should

be

at-

tached.

In

thi-

way

our

native

brethren

would

be

stimulated

to

prosecute

their

studies,

and

thus add

to

their

efficiency;

while

the

inducement

to

leave

the mission

and

seek

secular

employment,

would

be

considerably

diminished.

The

evils

of

any system

which

not

make some

such

distinction,

on

the

ground

of

qualified*

tion,

an-

quite

apparent.

In

mission

schools,

for

instance,

at the

it

tiin.-,

tin-

monthly

salary

of the

head-master

amounts

to

K-

I'M),

or

upward-;;

while

that of

the

head-catechist.

is

Rs.

25

or

1

I'M'

consequence

of

this, is.

that,

the

man

of

superior

abil-

r

tli.-

school;

and

the

inferior,

to

preach

the

(ruth

to

th-

people

in

tti<-

l..i/.ai-.

and

villages.

I

do

not

by

any

means

.v.-t thes,-

two

of

mi-sion

work

in

contrast,

as

if

they

opposed

to

ear

\

i

other.

for Loth

have the

-anic

end;

but

it

:ar to

lower

Christianity

in

i

.'ivex.

when

a

man

deficient

in

intellectual

power

i-

left

to

plead

it>

enuse

in

public.

If

one

department

of

missionary

agency

should

have

a

high,

i

-fmd.ird

than

another,

it

certainly

is

the

public

preach-

ing of

the

<;o.[,,.l. Let

both

tca<

-her

and

catechist

he

paid

ac-

-.>rding

to

then

al-ililv

:

and

not

i

oi-dmg

to the

nci-e^ity

2 I,



298

TENTH

SESSION

which

exists

for

their

services

;

and

many,

I

doubt

not,

will

be

ready

to

go

forth,

and

proclaim

to

their

countrymen

the

unsearch-

able

riches

of

Christ,

instead

of

engaging

themselves

in

any

mere-

ly

secular

employment.

What

these

standards

of

qualification

should

be,

must

be

decided

by

experienced

missionaries

;

but

if

the

plan

be

adopted

by

all,

I

doubt

not

that

a

much

better har-

mony

would result than

has

hitherto

existed.

ferrhorj.

f

FrOm

the

length

of

the fore

g

in

g

remarks,

I

shall

be

able

only

very

briefly

to

allude

to

another

topic,

involved in

Inter-Mission

Discipline

; viz.,

the

division

of

territory

into

separate

spheres

of

missionary

labour.

The

great object

of all

Missionary

Associations

is

to

preach

the

Gospel

to

every

creature.

The

terms

of

the

great

commission

point

at once

to

the

duty

of

spreading

effort

as

much

as

possible,

so

as to embrace the

greater

number in

the

Gospel

net.

Where

a mission

has been

already

established,

it

would in

general

be

un-

favourable

to

the

interests of the

truth to

plant

another

;

but

spe-

cial

circumstances

might

occur,

to

justify

such

an

establishment.

The

sphere might

be

a

large

and

important

one,

and

not

sufficient-

ly occupied

by

one mission : but

care should

be taken

that

har-

monious

action

be

maintained

;

otherwise

a

spirit

of

party

rivalry

will

take the

place

of zealous

co-operation

;

and

evil,

instead of

good,

will

be the

result.

When

two

missions

are located

in

one

place,

there

must be an

understanding

between

them as

to

their

procedure,

lest

the

people

should

get

the idea that

they

are

op-

posed

to

each

other.

A

mere

division

of

ground

will

not,

I

think,

sufficiently

answer

the

purpose

:

such an

arrangement

would

mani-

fest

a mutual

want

of

confidence,

as

if each

were

working

more for

itself

than

for

the

common

cause.

It seems to

me a better

expe-

dient

for

division

of

labour,

that the one

mission

should

not

inter-

fere,

where

an

agent

is located

by

another

;

and

that the

preaching

of the

Gospel

should

be

maintained,

by

both

parties,

in

all

places,

alike.

This remark

will

apply

to

cities

as well

as

villages.

If

the

one

mission,

for

instance,

has a school

in

the

city,

which

meets

the

educational

wants of the

inhabitants,

it would

be

wrong

for the

other

mission

to

establish

another

;

but

the

preaching

of

the

Word

should

be common

to

both.

Rules

reeora-

The

substance

of

this

paper

may

now

be

embraced

in

the fol-

mended.

lowing

rules

:

1.

That no mission shall receive a Native

Christian,

under

censure

by

another

mission,

without

communication

with

that mis-

sion,

as to

the

grounds

of the

censure.



AN

INDIAN

CATHOLIC

CHCRCH

299

2.

That

it shall not be

binding

upon

any

mUsion,

to

respect

tin

.ii-.-ipline

of

another,

which

rests

upon

any

denominational

3.

That

it shall

be

incumbent

upon

all

missions,

to

give

effect

to

censure,

when

resting upon

what

they

consider

proper grounds,

by

witholding

church

privileges.

4.

That standards of

qualification

be

adopted

for

catechists,

teachers,

scripture-readers,

and other

agents,

with fixed salaries

attached

to

each.

5. That

a

Native

Christian

shall

be

entitled,

on

his

departure

from any

mission,

to

a

certificate

of

character

and

qualifications.

6.

That,

as

a

general

rule,

where

one

mission

is

located,

another

should not

be

established.

7.

That where

two

missions

co-exist,

the

territory

shall be com-

mon

to

both,

for

the

preaching

of

the

Word

;

but

where

one has

specially occupied

any

position,

by

the

appointment

of an

agent,

or

the

establishment

of

a

school,

the

other

shall

not

interfere.

At the

call

of

the

Chairman,

the

following essay

the

last

of

the

series was

then read

by

its author.

AN

INDIAN

CATHOLIC

CHURCH :

IS

THE

FORMATION OP

SUCH

A

CHURCH

DESIRABLE

?

AND,

It

80,

WHAT CAN

BE

DONE AT

PRESENT,

IN

FURTHERANCE

OF

THE

OBJECT

?

ESSAY BY

THE

REV.

JOHN

NEWTON,

M. A.

American

Presbyterian

Mission,

Lahore.

If

we

accept

as

true,

what

the

Palmist

says

of

brotherly

con-

cord

Behold,

how

good,

and how

pleasant

it

is,

for

brethren

to

dwell

together

in

unity

it

seems

impossible

to

answer

the

first

question

otherwise

than in

the

affirmative.

Christians

are

brethren,

being

alike children of

God.

They

g

p

;r

j

(

,

ia

|

together

constitute

the

mystical

body

of

Christ;

andso

are

members

oniiy

of

one

of

another.

They

have

one

Lord,

one

faith,

one

baptism

:

there

is

therefore

but

one

Communion

of

Saints,

and

only

one

Holy

Catholic

Church.

This

one

church,

however,

is

the church

invisible

;

report of the punjab missionary conference lahore in dec & jan, 1862-63, by committee lodihana...

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