LECTURE FIRST.

ON THE TELUGU AND CANARESE MISSIONS.

INTRODUCTION.

THE missionary spirit of the present age has turned with peculiar interest towards HINDUSTAN. The savages of Tahiti, New Zealand, and the Sandwich Islands; the slaves of Guiana and Jamaica; the Hottentots, Kaffres and Bechuanas of South Africa; the Negro tribes of Lagos and Badagry; uncivilized and barbarous all, have asked in their ignorance for the instructions of Christ's servants and been taught the way of everlasting life. The Jews in Hungary, Poland and Tunis; the Armenian Christians of Constantinople and Beyrout; the Copts of Cairo; and the Nestorians of Oorumiah; have been called upon to awake from their spiritual sloth and receive the heart of the gospel as well as its external forms. Twelve hundred missionaries, the messengers of the churches, now preach the gospel in various countries of the globe; and few places that have ever given them admittance remain entirely unoccupied. But of these valued teachers, BRITISH INDIA has secured by far the largest share. That security of property, that order and stability in the Government, which in India have attracted the indigo and sugar planter, the cotton speculator and the merchant, have, added to the free enjoyment of religion, drawn thither the feet of those who seek not the goods of India, but the people themselves. Thus it happens that more than onethird of the missionaries scattered through the world have been located within its ample territories; of whom as many as one hundred and thirty have entered it from America, Germany and Switzerland.

Many considerations shew the importance of the Missionary AGENCY how at work in India, and the value of the RESULTS which have already been attained. Two years ago, the writer of these pages published a few such facts for the information of those by whom Indian Missions are carried on, and proved beyond all question that the position they occupy,

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is one of the most promising and hopeful kind. A later and more complete enquiry, undertaken for the purpose of correcting any error that might have arisen in the former instance, confirmed the previous account in almost every particular, and shewed that on most points, the results had even been understated: whilst every year is found to add to the agency, and realises increased fruit from the labours both of past and present days.

During the present year, the number of European and American MISSIONARIES labouring only amongst the native population in India and Ceylon amounts to four hundred; together with forty-eight ordained NATIVE MISSIONARIES, and seven hundred NATIVE CATECHISTS. These

agents are employed in the public preaching of the gospel in the vernacular tongues; in courteous public discussions upon the errors of the Hindu and Mahomedan religions; in the instruction of the young; in the pastoral care of native churches; in the composition of Christian works in the native languages, and in the translation of the Word of God. The Native Christian CHURCHES are now three hundred and thirty-one in number, and contain eighteen thousand five hundred COMMUNICANTS. Connected with them, and with them enjoying the regular instruction and discipline of the gospel is a body of individuals, termed NATIVE CHRISTIANS, entirely separated from the Hindu and Musalmán communities. The entire Native Christian population now includes one hundred and twelve thousand persons, young and old. The VERNACULAR DAYSCHOOLS maintained in Indian Missions, thirteen hundred and fifty in number, contain forty-seven thousand, five hundred boys. Ninety-three BOARDING Schools for boys contain two thousand four hundred scholars : and a hundred and two BOARDING schools for GIRLS, contain two thousand eight hundred girls. There are maintained one hundred and twenty-six ENGLISH day-schools giving a superior education to more than fourteen thousand SCHOLARS and STUDENTS. Female education is carried on in three hundred and fifty DAY-SCHOOLS, with about twelve thousand GIRLS, both Christian and heathen; in addition to the boarding schools mentioned, whose superior advantages are confined almost exclusively to Christian children. Efforts are still continued to improve the ten TRANSLATIONS of the WHOLE BIBLE, and the five other versions of the NEW TESTAMENT, which have already been completed: as well as to increase the valuable stock of vernacular Christian works, suitable both for heathens and Christians, now available in all the chief Indian languages. Christian TRACTS and the FOUR GOSPELS are widely scattered beyond the immediate bound

aries of Missionary stations; and twenty-five PRINTING PRESSEs are engaged in supplying them. Upon this agency, vast in itself, but small compared with the sphere in which it is maintained and with the aims which it seeks to accomplish, the liberality of twenty-two MISSIONARY SOCIETIES spends nearly two hundred thousand pounds a year.

The number of actual converts in India is frequently spoken of as small, and none will deny the fact, in view of the millions upon millions who remain heathen still. But he, who considers actual converts as the sole fruit of missionary labour, takes but a partial view of the subject, and submits it to but an imperfect test. Missionary instruction, while aiming to secure such converts on the largest scale, has intermediately obtained results of another kind, which indirectly remove obstacles to its progress and are a guarantee of perfect ULTIMATE SUCCESS. Acting with influences derived from the Government, from commerce and from general intercourse with a foreign people, it has done much to break down the exclusiveness, in which Hindu Society was shrouded, and especially to diminish the high esteem in which the brahminical priesthood was once held. It has in various ways met the powerful difficulties which prevent the conversion of the Hindus, and has encountered them successfully. The bonds of caste, reverence for the sacred books, veneration for a long-established priesthood, and a blind attachment to their idolatries, constitute the chief obstacle to their reception of an enlightened and reasonable religion. But missionary teaching has assailed these obstacles, diminished their influence, and produced on an extensive scale, a state of mind admirably preparative of great religious changes in future days. Where this teaching has been most effective, many signs have been manifested of a decay in the strength of Hinduism. The decrease in the number of those who frequent the native seats of learning and study the ancient and authoritative Shastras: the diminished regard paid by the better-educated class to their Hindu spiritual teachers; the repudiation by that class of the scientific portions of the Vedas and Puráns; the decay and ruin of the ancient temples; the small number of new ones erected in their stead; the great decrease in many parts of the country in the number of people gathered to celebrate the annual feasts and draw the huge idol cars; the increase of the new sects under new leaders, holding as prominent doctrines the folly of idolatry and the necessity of a holy life the discussion by Hindus of various castes, of questions like female education and the re-marriage of widows, which were supposed to belong to pundits only and to have been settled by the Shastras ages ago: the

extensive acknowledgment by the common people of the folly of idolatry, and of the wicked character ascribed to their gods; a more correct appreciation of the real character of moral evil, and the awakening of a conscience long dimmed by ignorance and vice-ALL attest the spread of purer knowledge and a loosening of the bonds which bind the people to their wretched ancestral faith. On the other hand, the diminution of angry discussions with missionaries, and a greater readiness to listen to what they preach; the willing reception of portions of the Bible and of religious tracts; the large number of copies which are beyond all doubt privately read and pondered; the respect with which the name of Christ is in many places received; and the very strenuousness of the opposition offered to Christianity where it is best known, are signs that its power is felt both by friend and foe, and that many regard it as the religion which shall ultimately prevail. To the decrease of Hinduism, many influences contribute. Intercourse with Europeans, whether connected with the Government or with trade; the introduction of European notions of justice into legislation; European ideas of science and morality, as well as religious instruction, tend to exhibit by contrast the weakness, and expose the errors of the religion of their Hindu ancestors; but it must be allowed that Missionary teaching on the subject has been the most direct, the most widely spread; has continued for the longest time and been applied in the most systematic way. The spread of Christian light by the direct preaching of the gospel is of course its peculiar province.

PRESIDENCY OF MADRAS.

Amongst the different territories of Hindustan which have enjoyed the benefit of missionary labours, and have exhibited many of their fruits, the Presidency of MADRAS naturally first attracts the Christian's eye. Though not the largest of the Presidencies, nor the most important, either in relation to government, commerce, or political events, it has had the largest share of missionary effort, and exhibits the largest amount of palpable results. This Presidency was the first into which missionaries entered, and has therefore been cultivated the longest time. Nearly one hundred and fifty years ago the first Danish missionaries took up their residence in Tranquebar; and steadily maintained a course of instruction for the enlightenment of the pagan mind. During the whole of last century, one and another continued to arrive to occupy the places of those who died, and to extend the labours of the mission to new districts.

Thus it happened that while nearly all the heathen world lay in dense darkness, the Gospel was preached successfully in Southern India. While the cannibals of New Zealand destroyed each other without hinderance; while the idolatry and vice of Tahiti remained unknown; while the Negro race were being subjected to the darkest horrors of the slave-trade; while the Hottentots in South Africa were shot unmercifully by their Dutch Masters; while China, (its infanticide and idolatry unknown,) was reckoned by some European infidels as the abode of piety and peace; -the province of Tanjore and the town of Madras were benefiting by the same system of gospel-instruction which has since elevated these degraded people. During all last century, in these two localities the Word of God was preached and read in the Tamil language, Christian books were circulated in small numbers, and a steady witness offered for Christ, amid the native heathenism and European irreligion, which then so extensively prevailed. The history and progress of these Missions, and the position which they have at present attained must on this account alone, be matters of deep interest to all Christian minds: while that interest is deepened and lastingly secured by the internal character of many of the missions themselves. The following is the number of Missionaries and converts which the whole Presidency now contains.

GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS OF THE PRESIDENCY.

A few words premised on the Geography of South India, will help our readers to understand clearly the progress of its Christian Missions: especially as the country is divided so simply and naturally that its details can be easily remembered. The great continent of Hindustan, after projecting into the sea, slopes off to a point towards the south, and that extreme point is termed Cape Comorin. Almost all the projected