Out From 
 India’s Outcastes 
 
 Rev, A. G. McGaw 
 
 An Outcaste’s Home 
 
 ~The Board of Foreign Missions 
 of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. 
 156 Fifth Avenue, New York 
 
* 
 - 
 4 
 
 oye 
 
Out From 
 India’s Outcastes 
 
 “I know of a land that is sunk in shame 
 Of hearts that faint and tire; 
 
 And I know of a name, a name, a name, 
 It can set this land on fire. 
 
 Its sound is a brand, its letters flame, 
 
 I know of a Name, a Name, a Name 
 *Twill set this land on fire.” 
 
 Pe PUbe MON Shee toe 
 
 In India Caste is king. Ages ago he was 
 married to his own mother, Religion. Chief 
 among their offspring is the giant, Custom, Chief 
 of Police possessed of large powers, yet always 
 in accord with his parents. 
 
 The King is a crafty tyrant. Long ago, he 
 divided up his subjects into four sections but 
 as they multiplied, to make his sway more ef- 
 fective and absolute, he has gone on subdividing 
 until a recent census indicated that there are 
 2378 divisions to-day—and besides these there 
 are millions whom he has cast out, yet neverthe- 
 less continuing to make them serve with rigor. 
 
 This King has made it unlawful for any 
 men in his realm to marry, or to eat and drink 
 except within a prescribed circle. This makes 
 it almost impossible for any one to travel abroad. 
 Those who do so are humiliated and fined when 
 they return. His loyal subjects, starving in 
 famine, have been known to refuse bread, rather 
 than break the rules of the realm. 
 
 Individuals must avoid all originality or inde- 
 pendence. So long as one follows the occupation, 
 religion and ruts of his forefathers the royal 
 family are pleased and quietness prevails. 
 
 This Tyrant allows his subject to get an edu- 
 cation and even to have new views in regard to 
 
 3 
 
himself or his consort—and to say rebellious 
 things about them just so long as their actions 
 continue to conform to the dictates of his Chief 
 of Police. 
 
 India has been taking peantaes of that modi- 
 cum of liberty, and the outcry against this Ty- 
 rant is increasing in vehemency and volume. 
 Caste is an Enemy to Political and Social 
 
 Progress. 
 
 “The Caste System is at the root of the po- 
 litical slavery of India.”’—Mr. Bhandarker. 
 
 “The preservation of Caste means the suicide 
 of the whole nation.”—J. V. Sheshagiri Aiyar. 
 
 “Our very national existence is being threat- 
 ened by this demon Caste.”—-The Hon. Justice 
 N. G. Chandavarkar. 
 
 “Tt is directly and indirectly responsible for the 
 huge mass of ignorance and illiteracy which has 
 always existed in this land.”—Prof. Mukerji. 
 Caste 1s Contrary to the Spirit of Brotherhood. 
 
 “The system which divides us into innumerable 
 Castes—is a whole tissue of injustice, splitting 
 men, equal by nature, into divisions high and 
 low.”—-H. H. The Gaekwar of Baroda. 
 
 “Tt is an audacious and sacrilegious violation 
 of God’s law of human brotherhood. . . . Kill 
 the monster Caste.”’—Keshab Chandar Sen. 
 
 “Those we despise and refuse to touch are 
 verily among the salt of the earth.’—The Hon. 
 Justice Chandavarkar. 
 
 W.. THE QUTCASTE’S. PLACE, “DOs 
 AND-OUT.” 
 
 India, with conscience aroused by democratic 
 ideas, and especially by the Message of the 
 Christ, is beginning to face a gigantic problem— 
 the uplift of the Depressed Classes. These “Un- 
 touchables,” of whom there are sixty millions— 
 are down-and-out not because they have fallen 
 or sinned, but because it has been so decreed by 
 those who are supposed to have sprung from the 
 head of Brahm (God) and are counted as gods 
 themselves, the Brahmans. 
 
 4 
 
A symposium concerning “The Depressed 
 Classes” which appeared in The Indian Review 
 of Madras, has been republished in book form 
 and is exceedingly illuminating. 
 
 Of the twenty-three writers all but four are 
 Indians, and all but one of these, within the pale 
 of Hinduism. 
 
 These writers agree as to the disabilities under 
 which the Outcastes live, and have pictured 
 the condition of these people in livid glowing 
 colors. A few lay the blame partly on the un-: 
 fortunates themselves and their fellow-high-caste 
 leaders. One says, “Leaders of Indian thought 
 have now realized that in point of importance, 
 the problem of the depressed classes is among 
 the foremost; the immensity and intricate nature 
 of the work, as also the urgent necessity for a 
 speedy solution have made the question one of 
 utmost importance. The wave of advanced and 
 liberal thought has created in the educated classes 
 a feeling of shame and humiliation.” 
 
 The Hon. Mr. Gokhale says: “It is absolutely 
 monstrous that a class of human beings, with 
 bodies similar to our own, with brains that can 
 think and hearts that can feel, should be per- 
 petually condemned to a low life of utter wretch- 
 edness, servitude and mental and moral degra- 
 dation, and that permanent barriers should be 
 placed in their way so that it should be impos- 
 sible for them ever to overcome them and im- 
 prove their lot. . . . Socomplete is now the men- 
 tal degradation of these people that they them- 
 selves see nothing in such treatment to resent, 
 that they acquiesce in it as though nothing bet- 
 ter than that was their due.” H. H. The Gaekwar 
 of Baroda says: “They are denied the advantage 
 of social sympathy and industrial aid, they are 
 debarred from communal cooperation and the 
 influence for good arising out of free intercourse 
 with their neighbors. We have shut the door of 
 public service against them; we have withheld 
 from them the full and free use of hospitals, of 
 public inns, public conveyances, wells and even 
 
 temples. . . . Again, though it is daily be- 
 coming more difficult to obtain the necessities of 
 life, . . . we refuse them opportunities of earning 
 
 5 
 
their living. . . . They are handicapped in the 
 business world owing to their untouchableness. 
 To sum up, the theory of untouchableness aims 
 at keeping these classes forever deprived of the 
 benefits of civilization, the solace of education 
 and society. . . . The religion which com- 
 mands the trampling down of millions of our 
 fellows into perpetual ignorance, and _ conse- 
 quent vice, disease and misery is a false one.” 
 
 The religious books of India encourage such 
 treatment of the Outcaste. 
 
 “The Smritis prohibit their learning, study- 
 ine and understanding the Veda. 27>) ashe 
 ears of him (Outcaste) who hears the Veda are 
 to be filled with molten lead and lac. His 
 tongue is to be slit if he pronounces it.” 
 
 “Their abode must be out of the town, <a 
 their sole wealth must be dogs and asses. Their 
 clothes must be the mantles of the deceased; 
 their dishes, brokén’pots; ". . . 3) beteetiers 
 transactions be confined to themselves. Let food 
 he given them in potsherds, but not by the hand 
 of the giver.” 
 
 Ill. THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMA- 
 TION. 
 
 “The poor have good tidings preached to 
 them.” This proof of Messiahship Christ gave 
 to the disciples of John who came to inquire. 
 The Missions in India have not been lacking in 
 this same evidence of its divine commission— 
 but they were slow about beginning such work on 
 a large scale. Some 35 years ago in different 
 parts of India, God opened the Outcaste door so 
 wide that the Missions could not but enter. 
 
 They gradually took up this phase of work and 
 to-day it is estimated that of the nearly four 
 million converts fully three-fourths are from 
 the Outcastes. They were not specially sought 
 for. There were faithful ones who prayed and 
 prophesied: 
 
 “There was a noise, and behold, a shaking and 
 the bones came together, bone to his bone. And 
 when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came 
 
 6 
 
up upon them and the skin covered them above; 
 but there was no breath in them.” 
 
 In India we began to call such phenomena, 
 “Mass Movements.” God was working and God 
 was commanding. 
 
 Missionaries saw and heard and marvelled. 
 They took courage and began to prophesy, “and 
 the breath came into them and they lived and 
 stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great 
 army.” 
 
 Has the Church yet awakened to the fact that 
 the India Missions have been reaping immense 
 harvests—that an extensive and continuous re- 
 zival is going on; that these Missions have had 
 a Pentecost,—an accession of 3000 souls,—every 
 two weeks for over twenty years? 
 
 Thirty-five years ago, the American Baptists 
 received in the Telegu field over 10000 in ten 
 months. To-day that community numbers over 
 150000, and since then, another 100000 of the 
 Telugus have become Christians in connection 
 with other missions. 
 
 In Haidarabad, the Methodists had an increase 
 of 31000 in ten years, while in the United Prov- 
 inces of Agra and Oudh they have over 150000, 
 mostly gathered in during the past twenty-five 
 years. In a single district they baptized 6680 
 in four years. 
 
 In the Punjab, the United Presbyterian Mis- 
 sion has grown from 153 in 1875 to over 45000 
 ‘vie ae a 
 
 In our own Presbyterian work, the Punjab 
 and North India Missions, for the past 15 years, 
 have been reaping large harvest in connection 
 with the Mass Movement. These two Missions 
 now have about 45000 of these recent con- 
 verts. 
 
 In yet other regions, other Missions are reap- 
 ing largely. If you never thought of God being 
 imeachticry read: isa. 60:22. 
 
 It certainly seems as if God had spoken and 
 moved the hearts of thesesmultitudes in some 
 direct way. Movements spring up where very 
 little seed has been sown. There seems to be 
 an inner preparation which is marvellous and 
 the only explanation is,—God. 
 
 7 
 
After a movement in any particular Caste has 
 begun, however, it is easy to account for its 
 rapid spreading within the limits of that Caste. 
 
 The Missionary and Indian preacher are called 
 here and there to meet groups of inquirers. It is 
 no credit to them or their up-bringing that they 
 feel more or less of repulsion toward the Out- 
 castes. But God pushes us in and gives grace. 
 In time it gets easy and then—what a joy and 
 inspiration ! 
 
 The Messengers go with a message from God 
 to Men. The hearers have scarcely been treated 
 as human beings, and indeed, as more unclean 
 than many animals. But these messengers even 
 speak to them as fellow-men, as “Brothers.” 
 What a heart-opener that attitude among them 
 is! 
 
 Again, the burden of the message is, God’s 
 Love for them,—an entirely new message. They 
 have been shut out for ages, from hearing the only 
 message which was supposed to be divine. They 
 have grown up to fear the gods and evil spirits 
 and have tried in many ways to appease them. 
 
 Here is a God who “so loved” them as to give 
 His Son for them and whose servants are not 
 afraid of touching them. Surely all this must 
 cause a tumult in the hearts of a people who 
 
 A Village Meeting 
 
 8. 
 
hear and see and feel for the first time. It is 
 only what is to be expected that those who have 
 believed should carry the Good News to their 
 friends and relatives. It is all talked over and 
 the result is, calls to the messengers from other 
 towns. 
 
 There are village missionaries who, for from 
 ten to twenty years, have gone to scarcely a 
 village to which they had not been invited. 
 These despised people whose hearts God had 
 touched are very happy to have a visit from the 
 missionary, but they feel their poverty and un- 
 worthiness and apologize, in a touching way, for 
 their pitiable condition. The visit, of itself, is 
 a Gospel Message to all the villagers who see it 
 or hear of it, though they may have heard never 
 a word of what was said. A Missionary re- 
 perts that on one occasion, after first visiting 
 the landlord of a certain village, he told him 
 that he would now go to the Sweepers. This 
 surprised him. He begged him not to approach 
 them so as to be defiled. The Missionary told 
 him that Christianity had a different conception 
 of the case, that God loves all, that the Gospel 
 which he preached is for all. He quoted the 
 Scripture, which is duplicated in a couplet among 
 them, that, “God hath made of one blood all.” 
 “Yes, yes,” said the landlord, “but it looks very 
 bad, it looks very bad.” 
 
 At first, it looks so bad to the neighbors that 
 they often resent it; sometimes sullenly, other 
 times with mob violence. But missionaries are 
 glad to find that in the course of a few years, 
 these visits begin to look differently, until the 
 proud Brahman himself not only desires a visit 
 but is even willing to have it immediately after 
 the messenger has been sitting among the Out- 
 caste. 
 
 _ There are those still who “by wisdom know 
 not God,” who are being strangely stirred, to 
 
 see whom God is choosing—the foolish, the weak, 
 
 the base, the despised—and to note the work of 
 
 His grace in their hearts. “You shall know the 
 truth and the truth shall make you free.” 
 
 9 
 
Can you not now, with a new meaning, say 
 with Christ, “I thank thee, O Father,—that 
 thou didst hide these things from the wise and 
 understanding and didst reveal them unto babes”? 
 
 IV. “A MAN’S A MAN FOR A’ THAT.” 
 
 Since these people who are coming en masse 
 are so poor, helpless and oppressed, the ques- 
 tion of motive naturally arises. 
 
 The Church has grown so accustomed to pro- 
 fessions of faith and repentance by individuals 
 (although it was not always so) that it is in- 
 clined to insist on individual tests being applied 
 everywhere. But in these “Mass Movements” 
 the original professions are made by the head or 
 heads of families in behalf of those they repre- 
 sent. For scriptural precedent, we have the ex- 
 amples of the Philippian jailer and Cornelius. 
 
 This concerted action is just what should be 
 expected in a land like India where originality 
 and individuality are considered sins. 
 
 Furthermore, it is generally believed by those 
 who are familiar with these Movements that they 
 are not of man but of God,—that this widespread 
 commotion among the “dry bones” is produced 
 by the Spirit of God. If this is true, it would 
 be worse than folly to begin dealing with it on 
 an individual basis. 
 
 It is easy for any one hearing of the poverty 
 and social and religious disabilities endured by 
 the Outcastes to jump at the conclusion, as some 
 have done, that such converts have everything to 
 gain and nothing to lose, but to so decide would 
 be a gross injustice to these poor people. 
 
 The “Untouchables” are practically serfs of 
 the landlords and in some respect must be sub- 
 servient to the entire community. Custom pre- 
 scribes numerous duties which they must per- 
 form without any money compensation. The 
 compensation for such work is an undetermined 
 quota of grain, the rights as scavengers to drive 
 their pigs about town and country-side, the old 
 clothes of the dead, the left-over food at feasts 
 and the scraps from the rich man’s table. 
 
 160 
 
When landlord and neighbors are displeased 
 it is natural that the scanty compensation, which 
 carries with itself a stigma and sting, should be 
 reduced. Usually they are displeased when the 
 Outcastes are daring enough to forsake the old 
 religion, for they consider that this action throws 
 discredit on their own faith (as it does in truth) 
 and is likely to be subversive of the whole com- 
 munity-life. Petty persecutions usually follow 
 baptism, and in some cases become serious. They 
 are threatened, beaten, commanded to do things 
 contrary to their new faith, falsely charged and 
 imprisoned. It is encouraging to see the way 
 they endure these persecutions. Take one in- 
 
 Basket Weaving—This basket worth about 4 cents 
 If he keeps busy all day he can earn about eight cents, minus 
 value of time spent in collecting material 
 
 11 
 
stance where the Christians had been cruelly 
 beaten by Hindu neighbors, not High Caste. Inthe 
 court where the complaint of the Christians was 
 being clearly proven, at the suggestion of their 
 pastor, who himself was a convert Sweeper, they 
 forgave the offenders. A fine impression was 
 made on the community. 
 
 When these Movements have brought thou- 
 sands into the fold, it were quite beyond the 
 bounds of possibility, even if the Missionaries 
 wished to do so, to extend any large amount of 
 charity. This is so manifest that, at least in 
 North India, it is rare that the Missionaries 
 are besought for financial help. 
 
 While it is true that these converts may ex- 
 pect to suffer persecution and a little loss of in- 
 come (which is much to them), they doubtless 
 expect to better themselves, and especially their 
 children, in a social way. The Missionaries 
 working among the Depressed Classes, and them- 
 selves feeling in some measure the stigma of Un- 
 touchableness would agree that the motive to 
 deliver one’s children from this stigma is truly 
 a noble one. 
 
 These converts clearly understand that to ac- 
 cept Christ as their Saviour is to choose the 
 right and to forsake the wrong. It means break- 
 ing with the past, and forsaking the way of their 
 forefathers which has been held sacred hereto- 
 fore. It means a change of mind and of direc- 
 tion. If the decision were accompanied with 
 tears or agony, every one would call it, Repent- 
 ance. Without the tears, some are ready to ques- 
 tion the reality of any change. Wherever faith- 
 ful pastoral work and a fair amount of instruc- 
 tion has been given, there is to be found abun- 
 dant evidence of the working of God’s Spirit 
 in the hearts of many, and consequently, of the 
 presence of Spiritual motives and desires, when 
 they come to Christ. 
 
 V. THE MARKS OF A TRUE BRAHMAN. 
 
 The Brahmans are the Levites of India. They 
 are honored, revered and even worshipped as 
 
 12 
 
gods. They are forbidden by their scriptures to 
 engage in manual labor under pain of becoming 
 outcaste. To feed them is to atone for sin and 
 to lift one’s self heavenward. 
 
 The chief characteristic of a Brahman, is to 
 perceive, to know, Brahm (God). As a matter 
 of fact many, concerning whose Brahminical 
 standing there is no question, are illiterate and 
 make no pretense to a knowledge of God. They 
 were born within the circle, and the Brahminical 
 cord was given them in the orthodox way. There 
 are many Brahmans who are kindly disposed to- 
 ward all men, but few of them ever transgressed 
 their Scriptures by preaching them to the Out- 
 castes. 
 
 God likes a true Brahman and encourages the 
 believer to aspire to such high position. 
 
 In II Peter 1:4 the promises of God are 
 praised as a means by which one may “become 
 partakers of the divine nature.” In the Urdu 
 translation of this verse, the word for “nature” 
 is the same as that for “Caste.” 
 
 From the above, it appears that in accordance 
 with the definition of Brahman found in the 
 Sacred Books of India (if one could ignore tra- 
 dition and custom) a despised Outcaste might 
 become a Brahman—and in accordance with the 
 Bible he is privileged, indeed, to become partaker 
 of the divine Caste. 
 
 To secure such transformations is the atin 
 of the missionaries working among those whose 
 ears are to be “filled with molten lead or lac” if 
 they so much as hear the word, “Veda.” Multi- 
 tudes have not only moved Christward, but have 
 been uplifted, and are learning God, “whom to 
 know aright is life everlasting.” 
 
 This new life cannot be hid. To-day there 
 are found in thousands of villages Christian 
 families which are centers of light and influence. 
 
 A well-known Hindu is quoted in The Indian 
 Review: “I must here pause to pay a word of 
 tribute to the work of Christian missionaries. 
 They have materially contributed to the advance- 
 
 13 
 
ment of these classes. Habits of self-respect and 
 of cleanliness have come to them. The work of 
 Foreign Missions is waking up the educated 
 classes of India.” 
 
 Mr. Phillips of the London Mission, who has 
 had extended experience in work for the Out- 
 castes, shows in his book, “The Outcaste’s Hope,” 
 that very encouraging Educational, Social and 
 Spiritual results are evident in the work in South 
 India. 
 
 Evidences of Being Partakers of the Divine 
 
 Caste-—A New Community Life. 
 
 In “India Awakening,’ Mr. Sherwood Eddy 
 says concerning these multitudes who have be- 
 come Christians, “I hear some one say that 
 these people are ‘rice Christians.’ Perhaps they 
 are, and you might be if you were in their 
 place. Suppose you had been crushed by Hindu- 
 ism and had scarcely ever been able to get a meal 
 of rice but had to live on coarse grain and mil- 
 let,—never been permitted to go to school,—never 
 been able to look God or man in the face and 
 your only hope of rising in the scale for time 
 or Eternity was through accepting the gospel of 
 Christ, would you not be a ‘rice Christian,’ if 
 Christianity uplifted you in body, mind and 
 soul? -. ..°. ‘It:is true the native?@irisaams 
 eat rice—but the only rice they ever eat is what 
 they earn by honest toil or by their superior edu- 
 cation. The fact that they endure persecution is 
 proof that they are genuine.” 
 
 But “what good can come out of Nazareth?” 
 Here is the testimony of a police officer near 
 Benares: “Why, you have transformed the peo- 
 ple. Formerly they were thugs and thieves and 
 gave us endless trouble, but now they live honest, 
 upright lives and we no longer have occasion of 
 complaint, but much for praise.” 
 
 These despised people come out in the face of 
 opposition. They stand firm and endure perse- 
 cution. 
 
 A Methodist Missionary in North India says: 
 “1 have seen the blood stream down the bodies 
 of many who have been beaten without cause; — 
 I have seen others incarcerated under false 
 
 14 
 
charges; I have seen a village school unroofed, 
 books torn up, slates broken, scholars and teach- 
 ers driven off amid threats; I have seen nearly 
 every form of persecution that deviltry could 
 devise tried on these Christians, and not one 
 turned back.” 
 
 Bishop .Warne says of the conditions in a dis- 
 trict 400 miles from that described above, ‘“Per- 
 secutions are bitter and quite general through- 
 out this District. . . . And there are few of 
 those who have recently embraced Christianity 
 who have not suffered more or less in loss of 
 property.” 
 
 From yet another distant section comes this 
 testimony. “One young man, while holding fam- 
 ily prayer in his father’s house was taken by the 
 hair of his head and dragged out to the police 
 station by a village official and compelled to 
 sit there for hours in the rain. When asked why 
 he did not write to the missionary and let him 
 report this injustice, he said, ‘They have ‘not 
 nailed me to the Cross yet, and my Jesus was 
 nailed to the Cross for me. . . . I am willing 
 to suffer for His sake that I may lead those who 
 persecute me to: Christ.’ And can you believe 
 this calm statement of a Missionary, “One man 
 was absolutely beaten to death, and another 
 beaten on his knee-caps until he was lamed’’? 
 
 They Learn to Pray. 
 
 It is a long call from “the vain repetition” of 
 the name of the god—“‘Ram, Ram, Ram,” or from ~ 
 bowing to idols of stone and of earth even, to a 
 prayer to God for definite things. 
 
 When everybody in a hamlet of 200 knows 
 that a young wife of the one Christian family 
 in the village is supposed to be dying and the 
 general advice is that the only possible hope of 
 recovery is to appease some goddess, and when in 
 place of that a few people kneel and pray to an 
 unseen God—and that without an offering, and 
 yet the woman is restored in a night, ite ised 
 marvelous thing in the eyes of the non- Christian 
 neighbors and all are constrained to glorify God. 
 The missionaries working in Mass Movements 
 
 15 
 
can tell of scores of such testimonies and of 
 their belief in their reliability. 
 
 The following incident, which occurred ten 
 miles from the missionary’s home, is evidence 
 of the reality of their prayers: 
 
 Some fifteen or twenty men and boys were 
 sitting smoking the “hubble-bubble” in the gloam- 
 ing. Misunderstanding and accusation had been 
 causing soreness of hearts. Conversation took a 
 serious turn and a desire for more of friendship 
 was evident. One spoke. “Let us have heart- 
 prayers, here and now, and every one get rid of 
 his anger toward another.” Another said: “Let’s, 
 —only it should be in the Church, let us go over 
 there.” The little village Church had been avoided 
 recently but now all agreed. Others heard of the 
 gathering and came. An elder asked the Lord 
 to forgive him for allowing Satan to rule him 
 for the past four months. Many others prayed in 
 similar strain; they also asked forgiveness of one 
 another. Musical instruments were called for and 
 singing and rejoicing continued until a late hour. 
 Joy, peace and love came and are abiding. There 
 was no preacher or preaching, but there was a 
 Revival in answer to prayer.” 
 
 Realizing the Blessedness of Giving. 
 
 None need that blessedness more than those in 
 extreme poverty. From the first, Outcaste con- 
 verts-are taught to give to. the Lord 
 
 It is really pitiful, when, at the close of a 
 meeting at a believer’s house, contributions are 
 asked for, to see the parents consulting over their 
 ability to give; whether it should be the only 
 four-cent piece in the house or a chicken worth 
 six cents. 
 
 Here is a sample of enthusiastic, even hilarious 
 giving, from North India Presbyterian Mission: 
 
 “It was the first of the month and the Work- 
 er’s Conference was on. The big Gospel tent 
 had been erected and was well filled. The need 
 of the village Christian women for more instruc- 
 tion had been emphasized, several argued the 
 need, others (women) proved the value of such 
 instruction by speaking. The wives of several 
 preachers who had been enabled to itinerate with 
 
 16 
 
their husbands by the contributions last year 
 added to the enthusiasm. 
 
 “The leader announced that he would now re- 
 ceive subscriptions and the missionary was asked 
 to take down the names and amounts. He is not 
 a shorthand writer, but had he been, he could 
 never have kept up with that audience. Within 
 a short time, 103 names had been given in (a few 
 others were added later as also a subscription 
 from the 75 boys of the boarding school) and 
 Rupees 252 had been subscribed, the equivalent of 
 $84. Later additions raised the total to Rs. 297. 
 
 Everyone was jubilant and it was a remarkable 
 outburst of enthusiastic giving. It was given, or 
 subscribed, out of poverty and above the ordinary 
 church dues. 
 
 The same audience met in the same place the 
 following day. The speaker told of the worship 
 which is due to God and the need of a suitable 
 place for that worship. They had no church 
 building yet. A scene similar to that of the day 
 before was enacted, resulting in an additional 
 subscription of Rupees 468, which surpassed all 
 expectations. That made a total subscription for 
 those two special objects of $240, to be paid within 
 the. year. 
 
 Mr. Phillips of South India says: 
 
 “One imperfect test is that of self-sacrifice in 
 giving. . . . If a non-Christian pariah is asked 
 what is his means of support, he will often answer 
 ‘begging.’ It was only to be expected that 
 Christians with such a past should be slow to 
 appreciate the privilege of giving, which to them 
 involves a self-sacrifice bordering on the heroic. 
 In some cases, however, these pariah congrega- 
 tions have risen te the duty of giving in a 
 way that puts many home congregations to the 
 blush. There is a Wesleyan Circuit where 
 the average wage of the Christians in the whole 
 district is certainly not larger than two-pence a 
 day, and that Circuit in a recent year gave to 
 its church an average of three shillings and six 
 pencesper= head. 0% . [here> are many =self- 
 supporting churches in the older mass-movement 
 fields. . . . In Tinnevelly the day seems to be not 
 
 17 
 
far distant when the Indian Church will be able 
 to take all the mission work formerly carried on 
 by foreign missionaries in addition to supporting 
 a strong mission of its own—in the Telugu 
 Country.” 
 
 Mr. Sherwood Eddy in “India Awakening” 
 tells of a large community in behalf of whom 
 the home church (C. M. S.) gave in one year 
 $8000, which out of its own poverty gave that 
 year to their churches over $50000 in cash. 
 
 Fourteen castes or religious divisions (2 Mohammedans 
 and 12 Hindus) Non-Christian, now all one 
 in Christ—Members of Etah Church 
 
 “The Disciples Were Called Christians.” 
 
 In North India, the disciples are frequently 
 called “Jesus Christ.” When the most despised, 
 most untouchable families accept Christ as their 
 Guru, their neighbors often seek to discredit their 
 knowledge, or their sincerity. It is a very hope- 
 ful sign when those neighbors accept without 
 question the new name for the Believers. It 
 means that there are reasons and arguments for 
 Christianity in the lives of some in their village. 
 
 Mr. Eddy tells of a little pariah boy who a 
 
 18 
 
generation ago was playing in the streets of a 
 South India village. The dogs of the village 
 could enter the Brahman street, but not this boy. 
 A gentleman in America gave one dollar a month 
 to send that boy to school. A little later it took 
 twenty dollars a year, and a slightly larger sum 
 when he reached college. Was that investment 
 worth while? Mr. Eddy says, “To-day he is the 
 pastor of a church, having under his care twenty 
 schools and over 1000 Christians. He goes into 
 scores of villages to preach. . . . Heisa wonder- 
 ful singer and evangelist. . .. Bestofallheisa 
 devout man of God and a dear beloved friend. The 
 Hindus and Mohammedans sent in a written pe- 
 tition to Government that our pastor be made 
 the mayor of the town, and to-day, he is the first 
 low caste man that has ever been permitted to 
 walk down the Brahman street, or invited to sit 
 in the Brahman houses as a friend and an equal.” 
 
 In the United Presbyterian Mission of the 
 Punjab are several men of great spiritual power. 
 Missionaries sit at their feet and learn about 
 God. They are men of power not only in their 
 own Mission but are in demand hundreds of miles 
 from home to help in revival meetings. But 
 these men, noted for spiritual power, are the 
 product of the Mass Movement and came from 
 most unpromising surroundings. 
 
 In the Presbyterian Mission of the Punjab is 
 a man who sprang from the lowest of the Out- 
 castes. He was given an ordinary school edu- 
 cation, became a catechist and then superintended 
 teachers in a Mass Movement. From that he 
 became a pastor. While in his third charge, he 
 was called to his present position, the superinten- 
 dent of a large Presbyterian field. -Of him, a 
 missionary in North India, where he has lived 
 most of his life, says: “P. is one of the most 
 congenial friends I have had in India. He made 
 a wise, loving, patient pastor and is deeply 
 spiritual.” 
 
 Such earnest Christian characters are found 
 living in villages who have never had the ad- 
 vantages of a Mission School. 
 
 here is: D One day the missionary sat at 
 his door, telling the “Old, old story” again to 
 
 19 
 
D and his family. They had been Chris- 
 tians only about three years, and although none 
 of them could read, they had learned well the 
 story of Redemption. A Brahman priest passed 
 by. Old D called out in familiar terms and 
 was reproved by the missionary for showing 
 such familiarity. D replied, “It is all right, 
 Sahib. We are friends and talk religion almost 
 every day. I tell him much about God and Sal- 
 vation which is new to him.” 
 
 There is a miracle. The Sweeper convert, in 
 reality, the teacher of the Hindu Pandit! Has 
 not D become a true Brahman? 
 
 Another convert, an old man, B , was a vil- 
 lage watchman, which position he had _ held 
 for many years at the salary of three rupees per 
 mensem, less a few annas cut to pay for the 
 uniform, which he was required to get once a 
 year. It left him about 97 cents a month as his 
 pay. He is a true humble follower of Christ. 
 liliterate, but knowing many things of God. 
 He had a few hogs. One year they all died and 
 his family were sad, for it meant much. They 
 were worth more than a year’s salary, but old 
 B said “The Lord gave, he hath taken away; 
 Blessed be the name of the Lord.” A few years 
 ago B fell into an open well. After the 
 villagers pulled him out, they tried to make him 
 recant by saying the goddess was angry, and that 
 he could not escape her wrath except by an 
 offering. B told them of a better way. A 
 year or two afterward, when the High Caste land- 
 lord was thought to be dying, B asked the 
 privilege, and got it, of praying for the man’s 
 recovery. The next day the landlord called for 
 him to come and pray for him again, and now he 
 ascribes his recovery to B ’$ prayers. The 
 yee te light is dispelling darkness in that vil- 
 age. 
 
 And so it has already come to pass that in 
 hundreds of villages Gospel lights are shining. 
 Even the flickering candle, (as many of these 
 converts are), is very noticeable in the midst 
 of darkness. The Calcutta Conference (Na- 
 
 esa under the leadership of Dr. John R. Mott, 
 said; 
 
 20 
 
} 
 , 
 
 “One of the most striking features of these 
 movements is the moral and spiritual results 
 achieved. Even where the converts have come 
 from the lowest and most degraded section of 
 society, already within the short space of fifty 
 years, large numbers of them have exhibited to a 
 very remarkable degree the fruits of the Spirit 
 and have by their Christian lives won the respect 
 of those who formerly despised and treated them 
 as untouchable.” 
 
 In his well-known book, “Indian Unrest,” Val- 
 entine Chirol says: “If a kindly hand is extended 
 to them, even the lowest of these depressed 
 classes can be speedily raised to a higher plane, 
 has been abundantly shown by the efforts of 
 Christian Missionaries.” 
 
 The Bishop of Madras says: “Every time I 
 go to see our Telugu Missions, I seem to see 
 fresh proof of the wonderful power of Christ 
 in the heart of men. . . . And what a change in the 
 hearts and lives of thousands! Thousands sing- 
 ing as they go to work, thousands have given up 
 drink and theft, thousands of rupees given—out 
 of deep poverty. When we think of it all what 
 confidence it gives us in facing the work of the 
 future.” 
 
 fie LAE VANTAGE-GROUND ‘OF. MASS 
 MOVEMENTS. 
 
 In the early days of mission work in India, the 
 Caste System was one of the greatest obstacles 
 to success. The moment any one accepted Chris- 
 tianity, that moment he was ejected by his Caste. 
 He had died to his family and friends. It was no 
 fault of the Missionaries that they undertook to 
 find employment for such. Thus, the missionary 
 became the provider, as well as the pastor for the 
 growing community. To an unfortunate extent 
 the Mission compound became the home of con- 
 verts. The relationship with the Missionary in 
 worldly affairs was, of necessity too constant, 
 and interfered somewhat with the spiritual. 
 
 But where Mass Movements take place, the 
 converts remain in their former environment, and 
 
 Al 
 
in their old occupations. There are very great 
 advantages in this: 
 
 1. In proportion to numbers, there are much 
 fewer who expect material aid from the Mission- 
 ary. 
 
 2. The frocess of denationalization is almost 
 entirely absent. There are almost no foreign ac- 
 companiments of Christian worship in the vil- 
 lages. In very-few cases is there so much as a 
 room in which to meet. There is practically no 
 tendency to copy the foreigners, in dress or home. 
 
 3. There is a good basis for widespread evan- 
 gelization. The converts are numerous and well 
 distributed. 
 
 The changes which Christ works in their lives 
 
 Gulzari Lall—set free, he now seeks to deliver 
 others of his untouchable friends 
 
 fae 
 
are very noticeable to their neighbors. Curiosity 
 is aroused by the visits to the Outcaste quarters 
 - of Indian preachers, and yet more by the visit of 
 _ foreigners. Along with ridicule and persecuticn, 
 » numerous questions and demands are made. The 
 frightened converts tell all they know about their 
 new faith and stand firm. Idols go; pilgrim- 
 ages go; fear of evil spirits goes; wickedness 
 , and immoralities go. In their place comes the 
 worship of the living, unseen God, confidence 
 towards God and man, self-respect, increased 
 honesty and faithfulness, a knowledge of God 
 and salvation, which is not without its charm to 
 - the proud masters. 
 
 The Question is raised, “Does not the work 
 among the Depressed Classes retard or make im- 
 possible the work in behalf of the Higher 
 Castes?” 
 
 It has been proved that the effect is just the op- 
 posite. This matter was carefully considered by 
 the Conferences held in India by Dr. J. R. Mott 
 in 1912, and the National Conference—where all 
 was summed up, the following minute was 
 adopted. 
 
 “These Mass Movements, if properly dealt with, 
 will be of untold value to the cause of Christ in 
 inane a it tisea remarkable. fact - that, 
 wherever in the village districts the work among 
 the Depressed Classes has been most successful, 
 there the Caste people have been most ready to 
 hear and accept the message of the Gospel. It is 
 noticeable, too, that no part of the Church’s work 
 in India excites more concern and emulation 
 among many sections of the educated classes. 
 This in itself is a strong testimony to the influ- 
 ence of this work as a witness to the true nature 
 and power of Christianity.” 
 
 There are yet two advantages to the work from 
 these movements set forth by the conference Dr. 
 Stanley White held in Allahabad in 1913, with 
 representatives of the three Presbyterian Mis- 
 sions in India, namely—“The children of the 
 converts are a valuable asset for the future of 
 the church. The rural regions may be counted 
 
 ay 
 
on to furnish a large and increasing supply of 
 material for workers,” and, “The Christian homes, 
 if put in the way of a slightly increased income, 
 would furnish a genuine foundation for a self- 
 supporting church.” In view of the first of these 
 and the pressing need for teachers, the Bishop 
 of Madras wisely stresses the crying need for 
 education. “Educate, Educate, Educate,” he says. 
 
 In connection with the last opportunity, there 
 is an unusually loud call to help the thousands 
 of converts to develop their present industries. 
 Here a social service might be rendered which 
 would lift a nation and make of a weak, strug- 
 gling Church, one that would be strong and self- 
 propagating. 
 
 VIL “TO THE HEUCP OF THE SOR aes 
 THE HELP OF* THE LORDSAGAI Ss 
 IE MIGEH TiY<s 
 
 How can the facts set forth in the previous 
 sections of this leaflet be made to glow and 
 burn—to burn, until our hearts burn within us? | 
 Is the Presbyterian Church not able to bear it 
 now, along with Crises in other Mission fields? 
 
 Would the great, wealthy Presbyterian Church 
 be relieved and glad to have Mass Movements 
 cease until it could catch-up?) Aremwermaseud 
 Church, not thankful, are we not willing even to 
 sacrifice some of our personal and community- 
 comforts in order to hasten the birth of a na- 
 tion? God says He “will hasten it in its time.” 
 Shall we? 
 
 The representatives of the Punjab, North India 
 and Western Missions, in consultation with Dr. 
 Stanley White of the Board, presented the ur- 
 gency of this work in the following terms: 
 
 (1) Because of the dense ignorance and de- 
 pressed condition of the converts, of their de- 
 pendence on their High Caste lords, and because 
 their environment is wholly unfavorable to the 
 growth of spiritual life. 
 
 (2) Because of the movement which has al- 
 ready begun in another Caste, and 
 
 24 
 
(3) Because of the widespread anxiety and 
 
 - effort which has taken possession of the leaders 
 of Hindu thought to check this wholesale defec- 
 
 tion from their numbers. 
 Another phase of the urgency which this Con- 
 
 ference thought should be grappled with at once, 
 was that of education of the masses of converts 
 
 , now in the church, this education to be of all 
 
 kinds; the simple Bible instruction in the homes, 
 Academic and Industrial education for the multi- 
 tudes of boys and girls; and Normal and theo- 
 iy education for those who shall become 
 eaders. 
 
 The rapid development of the present commu- 
 nity is exceedingly important for there is a dearth 
 of missionaries, Indian and foreign, to do the 
 regular, daily, pastoral work which is so much 
 needed, and when done is so fruitful in the de- 
 velopment of Christian character. 
 
 The Bishop of Madras, who is familiar with 
 these movements in South India and has visited 
 others in the Punjab, says, “In Southern India, 
 the rate at which the elevation of the Depressed 
 Classes can be achieved depends mainly upon the 
 amount of effort which the Christian Missions 
 can put forth.” Again, “The situation in the 
 Punjab is urgent in the extreme. The Mass 
 Movement is advancing with extreme rapidity. 
 It is bound to advance even more rapidly in the 
 immediate future. .°. . The resources of the 
 Missionary societies are already inadequate for 
 the instruction of the new ccnverts and teaching 
 the baptized Christians. To-day there are 160- 
 000 Christians in the Punjab; in five years there 
 will be 300000; in ten years’ time half a million; 
 it will take five years to train a body of teachers 
 sufficient even for the pressing needs of to-day. 
 There is no time, therefore, to be lost. If the 
 Churches of the West fail to respond to the ap- 
 peal that comes to them from this great move- 
 ment now, they will rue their shortsightedness or 
 apathy ten years hence.” 
 
 It is no wonder that Rev. B. T. Badley, General 
 Secretary for the Epworth League in India, with 
 opportunities for seeing this work in hundreds 
 
 25 
 
of places, should write: “Who would have imag- | 
 ined that the great Church at home which sent — 
 us to this field, which has prayed for open doors, 
 mighty ingatherings, Pentecost repeated—who 
 could have dared to think the great home Church © 
 would view our present situation with as much | 
 calmness, and something akin even to wuncon- 
 cern as is to-day manifest?” 
 
 Speaking of three sections of their field, Mr. 
 Badley says that 200000 people might be brought 
 into the Christian Church in the next five years 
 —and that their Missionaries estimate that in 
 those same regions there are one and one half 
 millions who are specially accessible and might 
 be brought in if an adequate force of Missionaries 
 were provided. 
 
 One of the sections spoken about, viz., the Delhi 
 field, lies right between our own Punjab and 
 North India Missions, and our missionaries agree 
 that similar conditions exist within the bounds of 
 our Presbyterian Missions. 
 
 That these views are not those of a few over- 
 ardent spirits, it is enough to realize they are the , 
 expression of the views of scores of missionaries. 
 From South India where the movements are 
 older comes the same clarion call to send out 
 the laborers not only with reference to present 
 needs, but also in view of the flocking to Zion of 
 yet other multitudes. Rev. Mr. Phillips speaks 
 for South India: “It is often said, and probably 
 correctly, that in the next generation, granted the 
 necessary workers and funds, thirty millions of 
 Outcastes would be gathered into the Christian 
 Churches. . . . Whata Church they might make! 
 A great strong Church in India half a century 
 from now, what might that not mean to Asia and 
 to the whole world. It is a thought to make the 
 blood run faster.” 
 
 These appeals should come home to the very 
 heart of the Church. They are intense because 
 of the millions who are just now in a specially 
 accessible mood,—but more especially because of 
 the hundreds of thousands needing to be nour- 
 ished on the milk of the Word as Babes. 
 
 26 
 
God has given to us Presbyterians in hundreds 
 of villages, some 45000. They are children in 
 thought and temperament. They are wonderfully 
 responsive. They need the Gospel, they need 
 guidance and instruction along Industrial lines in 
 order to form self-supporting congregations; their 
 children, every one of them, needs as much edu- 
 cation as he or she can profit by. All this has 
 been written with a burning heart and restless 
 spirit—with a yearning to underscore every word. 
 
 “Lift up thine eyes round about and see: they 
 all gather themselves together, they come to 
 thee,—THE LITTLE ONE SHALL BECOME A THOUSAND 
 AND THE SMALL ONE A STRONG NATION: I THE 
 LORD wILL HASTEN IT IN ITS TIME.” 
 
 April 1, 1914. 
 Form No.—2133 
 
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