EXTENSION OF THE SOCIETY'S MISSIONS IN INDIA. THE Directors have been much gratified and encouraged to find that the claims of India at this momentous crisis have awakened so powerful an interest and sympathy among the friends and supporters of the Society, and that the special appeal for contributions in aid of the funds required for the effectual re-inforcement and extension of the Society's Missions in that country have already been responded to with so much kindness and cordiality. In offering their grateful acknowledgments to those esteemed friends who have been foremost in testifying their interest in this important movement by their generous donations on its behalf, the Directors would respectfully urge the numerous friends and constituents of the Society who have not yet had the opportunity of contributing to the fund to afford their best countenance and support in aid of the object. E. C. CONTRIBUTIONS IN AID OF THE FUND FOR THE ABOVE PURPOSE. 500 0 0 10 10 0 . J. Crane, Esq. . 100 0 0 W. Bullock, Esq. 10 0 0 Sir C. E. Eardley, Bart. Joshua Field, Esq. J. W. Gilbart, Esq., F.R.S. Mrs. Kingsbury J. Morley, Esq. S. Morley, Esq. C. E. Mudie, Esq. G. Brooks, Esq. J. Broomhall, Esq. Sir E. N. Buxton, Bart., W. M. Newton, Esq. Mr. Jabez Legg E. C. M.P. . 100 0 .100 0 . 100 0 0 Colossians iii. 23 Dowager Countess of Ducie 0 T. Jacomb, Esq. 10 0 0 0 J. Carter, Esq. 20 0 9 Miss Cooper 20 0 0 W. Curling, Esq. 20 0 0 W. French, Esq. 20 0 0 Charles Roberts, Esq. 20 0 0 Rev. H. Townley 20 Rev. Dr. Burder Dr. Conquest Mrs. Emerson 0 0 10 10 0 10 10 0 Increased Annual Subscriptions 40 00 Bristol, on account. W. D. Wills, Esq. 40 14 9 Appleton Wiske, Mrs. Trowsdale 50 00 50 0 0 50 0 0 20 0 0 20 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 200 0 0 1. Perry, Esq. . R. L. Fennings, Esq. J. Dixon, Esq. 100 0 0 50 0 0 THE following communication from our honoured Missionary Brother, the Rev. A. F. Lacroix, written at the close of the past year, will serve to show that the operations of the Mission, although seriously checked for a time by the calamitous results of the mutiny, have since the restoration of public confidence been assiduously resumed, and not without tokens of encouragement:- "The past year," observes Mr. Lacroix, "has been a trying one to me in various respects. In November, 1856, I was compelled, owing to long-continued ill-health, to leave my Station for a change of air, and was absent three months in the Upper Provinces. During that period I visited Benares, and was present at the General Missionary Conference which was held in that city in the December following. Subsequently I proceeded to Mirzapore, Allahabad, Futtyghur, Agra, Delhi, and other places of note, where I derived much gratification from witnessing the Missionary operations carried on by various Societies in those localities. I also either became acquainted, or renewed former acquaintance with many zealous and devoted labourers in the Lord's vineyard. Several of these dear Brethren, whose hospitality I enjoyed, and with whom I held pleasing Christian intercourse, are, alas! no more, having, with their families, been cruelly massacred by the rebels. The fruits of their labours, likewise, have for the most part been swept away, and nothing remains of the once flourishing Stations they occupied but ruined churches, schools, industrial establishments, and dwelling-houses, whilst the survivors of their native flocks are now fugitives and scattered over the country. These events truly are most mysterious; but it behoves us with humble resignation to acknowledge, even in these painful dispensations, the never-erring hand of God, who accomplishes his holy purposes in ways to us inscrutable. "Though our prospects have been darkened by the events of the last six months, and will doubtless continue so for some time to come, still I am not at all despairing of the final triumph of the Gospel in this country; and I have a firm conviction that our great Lord, to whom is committed all power in heaven and upon earth, will, in his infinite wisdom, cause good to come out of the evil, and make this sad rebellion to contribute to the speedier advancement of his cause, and its final establishment in this benighted land. "On my return to Calcutta, with renewed health and strength, I was enabled to resume my preaching labours in this city, and for a time carried them on with an encouraging prospect of usefulness. But when I was indulging the pleasing hope that this would be a year fraught with blessing, the great rebellion broke out. Nevertheless, public preaching to the Heathen and Mohammedans was continued till towards the end of June, when it became apparent that the excited state of the population rendered it unadvisable and unsafe to prosecute it any longer. My Brethren and myself therefore deemed it our duty temporarily to suspend operations in this department, rather than run the risk of the public peace being disturbed by our means, and the safety of perhaps hundreds of our European and Christian fellow-citizens endangered. Moreover, the minds of the people, during that period of public excitement, were so unsettled and preoccupied, and so ill fitted for quiet and calm reflection, that addressing them under such unfavourable circumstances would have been of little or no use. "So soon as the Mohurrum and other native gatherings, during which disturbances were apprehended, had passed away, my Brethren and myself considered any further delay unnecessary, and we at once resumed our preaching labours in all the chapels throughout the town. And I am thankful to say we have hitherto been permitted to proclaim the word of God without molesta. tion or the exhibition of any hostile feelings on the part of the native population. The congregations are as numerous and attentive as they were before the outbreak, the only difference being that there are fewer Mohammedans among them. On several occasions I have been gratified by some of the hearers accompanying me home after the preaching, from whose conversation I ga thered that they had felt interested, and been not altogether unimpressed by what they had heard. At the same time I have ob served with regret, though not with sur prise, that the people, generally speaking, have not yet fully recovered from their unsettledness of mind; and I find them more suspicious, reserved, and less ready to put questions to the preacher than used to be the case formerly. But I hope these symptoms will also gradually subside, and make room for that confidence in the preacher's motives which is indispensable insure success." But the Missionaries in Calcutta, while grateful for the Divine mercies in sparing their lives during a season of unparalleled agitation and peril, and in enabling them once more to proclaim the Gospel to the heathen, have also occasion to rejoice in the recent conversion to the faith of Christ of three interesting Native Youths, one a Kulin Brahmin, and the others students in the Bhowanipore Institution. "I have much pleasure," writes the Rev. E. Storrow, under date 20th December, "in stating that recently God has favoured us by leading three educated young men to renounce the errors of Hinduism in favour of the religion of the Saviour. "I baptized Womesh Churder Mukorjea, a Kulin Brahmin, on the 13th of September. He was a student in one of the Calcutta Government branch schools. His attention was first directed to Christianity about two years ago, by witnessing the service conducted by Mr. Mullens, when one of our former converts was baptized; this led him to come to me for instruction, in company with a fellow student. He was eager to learn, but had the disadvantage of having received no previous Christian teaching, nor of being able to read at home such books and tracts as I gave him, save on such unfrequent occasions as were afforded him by the absence of his brother. He continued his visits for some weeks, and then they ceased altogether. For six months I heard nothing of him, nor did I know any one of whom I might venture to inquire the reason why he came not as usual. I often wondered what had become of him, for our sympathies entwine themselves very tenderly and strongly around any one who has once begun earnestly to inquire after heavenly things. 'Perhaps,' I thought, he has become indifferent to the things of God; or, it may be, he is drawn towards Unitarianism; or, discovered, perhaps betrayed, his heart still yearns after the truth, but he is watched, confined, or sent away beyond the reach of Christian influence.' At length one of our converts, who lived near Womesh's residence, told me that he had received some visits from him. I sent word, of course, that I should be very glad if he could call on me. When he came, I learned the following particulars, which sufficiently accounted for his disappearance. His companion with whom he had originally come had betrayed him. His brother, hearing that he wished to become a Christian, sought out his few Christian tracts and books, and in his anger destroyed them, and took means to prevent him having any fur ther communications with us. After a few months, however, Womesh was less vigilantly watched, and in his walks near his house he found one of our converts, to whom he made known his religious history, and whose house he could conveniently frequent. From this time he received such instruction as his circumstances allowed, until, assured of his firmness and the sufficiency of his religious knowledge, we resolved to receive him. Whilst with us awaiting baptism, his brother sought to institute a suit in the Supreme Court, for the purpose of proving that he was a minor; but the attempt was too likely to fail to warrant the the case being proceeded with. "On Sunday, the 6th December, I had the happiness of baptizing two of the pupils of our first school class. The first of these, a Kaist, named Demonath Shome, has been in the Institution four years. Two years ago he was led to think seriously of Christian truth by reading the New Testament in a class taught by Koshinett Dutt, one of our catechists. It is, however, only within the last six months that he has professedly been an inquirer. During this period he has received as much instruction as his unfrequent visits would allow, and at length these were interrupted by the discovery of his religious leanings. After some time, however, he contrived to visit us occasionally, and though our interviews were necessarily very brief, they led us to the conclusion that it was not expedient to defer his baptism any longer. Whilst under our protection a circumstance occurred which forcibly illustrates the advantages of such a course of Christian education as we give, and reveals to us what is going on in the minds of thousands in India, who yet give no sign that they themselves will espouse the truth. Demonoth has an uncle who was educated in our Institution, who now resides in Bhowanipore. He came to his nephew and said, 'Since you have come to the Missionaries to be baptized, I must write to your father and mother to let them know; but when they come to see you, don't be seduced away by anything they may tell you. If you think Christianity is true, then embrace it; but do it with your mind, and be firm. I shall not pèrsuade you to leave this place.' "Hurrish Chunder Doss Sen, the second convert, has been in the Institution for more than five years. Three years ago he began to think much of Christianity, perhaps more correctly, I might say, of religion, from reading our Christian school books. After this he received instruction as an inquirer, but, since he was less than fourteen years of age, it was thought prudent, and indeed necessary, to inform him that then he could not be baptized, but that if he persevered nothing could ultimately prevent his reception of Christianity. Happily, his religious feelings have continued, and during the past five months he has been awaiting our consent to receive him amongst us by baptism. |