of founding a Christian village as a shelter refuge found for the persecuted followers and home for the converts, then much of Christ.

tried by the opposition and persecution of The church was reorganised on the 5th their countrymen. of June, 1847. The truth slowly spread: In January, 1846, a church was formed and every year witnessed additions to the consisting of forty-two persons, and Gun- little flock. At the close of the year 1849, put became their pastor. Fifteen others there were twenty-three members in the were baptized during the year, so that at church, and the village contained ninety the time of the settlement of Mr. Smith at inhabitants, all of whom had separated the station as missionary, in 1847, on the themselves from the caste customs of their invitation of the Agra Auxiliary, the countrymen, and were daily receiving church numbered fifty-seven persons. The Christian instruction. "Three years ago," state of things appeared most hopeful. A said the missionary, speaking of himself very considerable interest in the gospel and Thakur Das, his native helper, and of had been awakened in the numerous vil- the success which had already dawned lages which lie so. thickly spread among upon their labours,-"Three years ago, the cotton and corn fields of this locality. we sat in the old building, in the heathen To Mr. Smith was committed the Chris- village, nearly alone, almost despairing of tian culture of this promising region. In success, the prospect appeared so dark and this arrangement there was no intention discouraging. The place where I now to interfere with the native church; Mr. write was then a barren plain; now it Smith's time was to be devoted to evan- contains two bungalows, a comfortable gelic labours in the surrounding hamlets. building used for a chapel and school, and Owing to some difference with the Auxi- three rows of Christian houses, containing liary, Gunput, however, soon abandoned altogether a population of ninety souls. his post, and the duties of the pastorate Some have been, we hope, brought out of then devolved upon Mr. Smith. He found the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of great laxity of discipline existing, and that Christ; others are enquiring the way to the members still retained many heathen Zion. Schools have been commenced for practices among them, wearing their boys and girls, and are well attended, and kunties or necklaces, intermarrying with prospering; and the gospel leaven is at the heathen, and even attending their work through the whole district." Some pagan festivals. In a short time it was ninety villages were embraced within the discovered that caste continued to be ob-circuit of the itinerant labours of the misserved; and that the Punchayat, or coun- sionary.

cil of caste, still exercised its power over The girl's school partly consisted of some the people many not daring in opposition orphans who were received at Chittoura, to its decisions even to attend the house on the breaking up of the Orphan Refuge of God. The attempt to remedy this evil at Patna.

led to the breaking up of the church. In the following year several severe Some bathed in the Jumna, others paid trials befel the station. First, Walayat fines, and eventually nearly all were again Ali was arrested while preaching at Shumsettled in caste. And now the prospects shabad, on an action commenced by his of the spread of the gospel were very dis- brother, a bigoted Mohammedan. The couraging. The zemindars would not claim was for money and property said to allow a Christian to remain in the village. have been left by his father, who had been The wells and shops were closed to Chris- dead twenty-three years before. The Motians; they were driven from the markets. hammedan judge, through religious hatred The threat of exclusion from caste, freely decided against Walayat Ali; but the used by the Punchayats, seemed to shut decision was reversed on appeal to the the door to the entrance of truth. It pre- English judge.

sented an apparently insurmountable bar- Next, the son of Thakur Das was inhurier to the diffusion of divine truth. manly murdered on his way to the ChrisThe formation of a Christian village tian village. Seven of the native Chriswas resolved upon. Two hundred bigahs tians were seized by the police, and two of somewhat sterile land were rented of were at length charged with the crime. the zemindar, within half a mile of the Witnesses were suborned, money and village of Chittoura, which were relet to grain distributed, and promises of reward the native Christians, and for some years lavishly made, should their efforts be at an annual loss. However, its value crowned with success. The adversaries gradually increased, and before the mu- threatened to dig out the Christians, root tiny it had for some time been entirely in and branch. The two prisoners suffered the hands of the native Christians, by severely; they were handcuffed, and their whom the entire original rent was paid. feet made fast in the stocks. On one ocThus one difficulty was overcome, and a casion they were beaten by the head of

the police, to force them to a confession schools were established in other villages, of the crime. Bail was at length taken and many were found to be halting befor their appearance at the trial, when the tween two opinions, doubting whether magistrate at once dismissed the case. Krishna or Christ should have their obeThe evidence was so contradictory as to dience and love. The Shumshabad school satisfy him of the innocence of the accused. had, however, to meet the opposition of Yet the word of God grew. Eight per- the pundits of the neighbouring temple; sons during this year of trial put on Christ twice they succeeded in nearly emptying by baptism. At the markets and the fairs the school, but it shortly recovered its the preaching of the cross was listened to numbers and contained usually from forty by increasing numbers. The stormy clouds to fifty boys under regular instruction. of tribulation passed away, and a period At the commencement of the year 1856 of peaceful and successful labour followed. Mr. Smith was constrained by failing The refuge afforded by the Christian vil- health to return to England.-Baptist lage was resorted to by several converts; Magazine.

JAMAICA, WEST INDIES.

In order to facilitate the revival of the tious, and worthless people. But would iniquitous slave-trade, the "Times" has it be fair to judge of the people of England for some time past in various ways en- from the police courts, or the slums of St. deavoured to depreciate the benefits of Giles's, or Whitechapel? Nor is it just to the emancipation of the slaves in the West judge of the emancipated peasantry of Indies. It has proclaimed that act of Jamaica from the vice and wretchedness righteousness a failure, and for the mere that meet the eye at the corners of the sake of gain would reintroduce all the streets, or in our courts of justice. All horrors of the system under the mild around me are hundreds of neat, comname of free immigration of African fortable, well-furnished cottages, standing labourers. It is in reference to these in the freeholds of emancipated slaves. false statements, especially with regard to These freeholds, varying from one to ten Jamaica, that Mr. Clark, of Brown's acres, and in a few cases to twenty, thirty, Town, has favoured us with the following fifty and even a hundred acres, were remarks. Of its accuracy our readers will not purchased, nor those neat dwellings need no further confirmation ::built without industry, thrift, and intelli"The statements in the Times, respecting gence. In the Savings Bank of one parish our people, gives us great concern, insomuch £18,000 have been deposited, chiefly by as they are likely to have a bad effect on these people; in another £5,000; and in the minds of the English public. Yet another £2,500. Heavy as the amount of nothing can be more unjust, or untrue, crime is, it falls considerably short of that than that the negroes of Jamaica are so of England, both in quantity and enormity. lazy and degraded. To us in Jamaica And although the people are far from being such statements are absurd. It may be what we could desire, and what we once asked by whom are thirty or forty thousand hoped they would be, it may safely be said, hogsheads of sugar and twenty thousand that their improvement in the last twentypuncheons of rum grown and manufac-five years is unexampled that there is tured? How are the five or six millions nothing in history equal to it. of pounds of coffee and seven or eight Still not more than one-half the popumillions of pounds of pimento picked and lation is under christian teaching. The cured, if not by these lazy people? Every field for missionary labour is great, and we Sabbath it is computed that at least have not half enough men to occupy it. 100,000 people will be found in the churches Even amongst our christian people there and chapels throughout the island, (re- is a large amount of poverty, especially presenting an equal number, who, from amongst the aged; there is also much distance, sickness, old age, and childhood, ignorance, and frequent cases of supersticannot attend,) as neatly dressed as the tion, and still more frequent cases of impeasantry of England; voluntarily con- morality. But amongst that portion of the tributing at least £30,000, and by compul- community which is unconnected with the sory payments £30,000 more, for the sup- Christian Church, ignorance, superstition, port of religious and educational estab- and licentiousness are rampant. Yet they lishments, which could scarcely be expected are accessible. Would that we could find unless they had intelligence to appreciate agency to labour amongst them! Would their worth, and industry to supply so large that God would revive His work amongst an amount to sustain them. Beyond ques- us, making the preached word as mighty as tion we have great numbers of idle, licen- in former years."-Baptist Magazine.

THE

GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE,

Repository,

AND MISSIONARY OBSERVER.

VOL. 5.-NEW SERIES. SEPTEMBER, 1858.

THE

NEW

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

IN RELATION TO CHRISTIANITY.

No. 57.

"Her Majesty hopes-that the formidable revolt which has raged throughout a large portion of her Indian possessions may now, under the blessing of Almighty God, be speedily suppressed, and peace be restored to those important provinces.

"In this hope Her Majesty has given her willing assent to the act which you have passed, for transferring to her direct authority the government of her Indian dominions; and Her Majesty hopes to be enabled so to discharge the high functions which she has assumed, as, by a just and impartial administration of the law, to secure its advantages alike to her subjects of every race and creed; and, by promoting their welfare, to establish and strengthen her empire in India."-Queen's Speech, to the Lords and Commons on Proroguing Parliament, Aug. 2, 1858.

The attention of England has been most earnestly directed to India for some twelve or fifteen months, and it may be hoped that the result will be not only a better understanding of Indian questions by our legislators and people, but a better Government, in coming years, of that vast and populous continent. It seemed as if some very great event was needful to awaken this attention. Petitions from religious bodies at home, from Missionaries abroad, and even from native Princes seemed to secure little regard. In the House of Commons, empty benches were the sure accompaniments of the introduction of an Indian question. The few who remained seemed either ignorant of India, or interested in maintaining the abuses about which complaints were made or petitions presented. The direct or indirect denial of most undoubted and grievous allegations made by petitioners was not at all an uncommon thing, and the contempt displayed for the "over scrupulous consciences" of soldiers or servants of the Company who complained of their contact with idolatry in the Company's service, was by no means concealed. It seemed as if India was locked up to the Company, and they contrived to baffle all enquiry and to prevent all possibility of redress. This state of things is now happily at an end. The revolt of some 100,000 petted Brahminical soldiers, and the danger lest every European in India would fall under their murderous sabres, effectually aroused all England; and, in addition to the sending forth of armies to put down the rebellion, the question, as to "how India was in future to be governed" forced itself on the Govern

ment at home, and has led to the setting aside of the government of the Company, and the passing of a law which brings India under the direct control of the crown, and makes the Government of the day responsible to Parliament for its proceedings. This change is great, and will lead, through the vigilance of the parliament and the people of England, to put down and exterminate abuses which have been perpetrated under the Company's Government, to the dishonour of the British name, and to the scandal of a country professing to be christian.

We say, through the vigilance of the parliament and people of England, for, though the Government for the day may have the best intentions, if not occasionally reminded of their duty, they will slumber; and those friends of the old "traditional policy" of India, who are both here and in India, will not be wanting in their endeavours to hoodwink the Council, to keep up old abuses, and prevent the salutary action of better laws. However well-intentioned or compliant to the public wishes a government may be, it will not be safe for Indian affairs to be left in its hands without the earnest attention of the well-disposed and discriminating part of the public.

One set

We must have no more playing with the public conscience. of instructions promulgated here as given to their servants, merely as a blind to the English at home, and another set diametrically opposed to them in spirit and act, or ignoring them altogether, given to them when they land in India;-this jugglery might perhaps be perpetrated by the Company with success, but it will be fatal to any cabinet or council that shall hereafter venture on it. Prompt and effectual exposure in the House of Commons and before the people of England, and the ruin consequent on exposure, would be the result. There must be improvement in the whole of the Civil Service; effectual reform in the Police Departments, in the Courts of Justice, in the Zemindary Systems, in the mode and form of raising the public revenue; in short, such an entire reformation as shall realize the hopes expressed in Her Majesty's speech. We trust that the Government at home, in putting those words into royal lips, do really intend to rule for the good of all "races and creeds" in India.

It is expected that telegraphic dispatches direct from India will be obtained in the course of a few months, and this will give greater facility for the correction of abuses; but nothing can excuse British Christians if they are negligent of the true interests of religion and good government in that land.

It is, moreover, to the religious aspects and policy of the new government of India that we wish more especially to call the attention of our readers; and here, we regret to say, the reports from the two Houses, and from different members of the Cabinet, do not agree. The statements made by Lord Derby, in the House of Lords, on Friday, July 24th, and the remarks of other peers and bishops were satisfactory, and contain much promise; but the general announcement of Lord Stanley, in the House of Commons, seven days later, will require some explanation, as it was understood to be contrary in its purport to what had been spoken by his father, in the House of Lords.

What is regarded by liberal and christian people at home and Mission

1

aries in India, as essential to the honourable position of the Government of India, may be included in the following propositions :

1st. That the British Government shall have no connection with the Idolatry of India, either in farming the revenues of its temples, paying its priesthood, or sanctioning by the honorary presence of its servants and soldiers the festivals of their idols, &c.

2nd. That there shall be no impediment thrown in the way of the christian minister, in his laudable attempts to instruct such natives as may choose to hear him, in the christian religion; and that a convert from Idolatry or Mohammedanism shall not be injured either in his property, or incapacitated for the public service because of his profession of christianity.

3rd. That while the most entire freedom is given to all religious sects in the performance of their rites, so long as they do not shock public decency, or outrage public morals, the government as such shall not pay the homage to caste which will have the effect of making a high caste and its proud pre-eminence a condition of public service.

And 4th.-That while the Government of India and its officials abstain from the use of any coersive means for the conversion of the natives to Christianity, and hold out no inducement of a temporal sort to favour such conversions, they shall not be ashamed of and ignore the christian religion themselves, but live and act as those whose religious convictions require conscientious and open profession and regard.

Keeping these propositions in mind, we are refreshed by perusing the following report of sentiments uttered in the House of Lords, on Friday, July 23rd. On the question that the Bill (on the Government of India) do pass:

"The Archbishop of Canterbury expressed a hope that the government would not forget that this country was placed in a responsible position in ruling over so vast a territory as India. He did not wish government to interfere actively with the religion of the natives. Far from it. Nothing would be gained by the conversion of the whole peninsula of India if that was brought about by force or by corrupt means. With regard to castes, he thought it most desirable that all distinction as to castes should cease to be recognized. He also thought that the government should separate itself from all connection with the rites and ceremonies of the natives. He earnestly hoped that in all the schools which received aid from the government the Bible would be read. He believed it to be perfectly possible to extend every toleration towards the religion of the natives without in any way compromising our own.

"The Earl of Derby assured the most rev. prelate that the government were most anxious to act impartially in the matter. On the other hand, it was essential to the interests of peace in India-if not to the existence of government in India-that the government should carefully abstain from doing anything calculated to interfere with the protection given to all creeds, as nothing would be more inconvenient or dangerous than any open or active assistance on our part, or any attempt to convert the people of India from the religion of their forefathers. So far as the public service was concerned, he thought the same indulgence ought not to be given to castes as that which had lately prevailed. While the government would not allow in the public service caste to interfere with