bf at ' ¢ ag sae ; 5 ' ATE: CPi he. LIN. Ne Creag RRA RAE “ | ob» A a PROTEST AND AN APPEAL |_| | 4 BY THE ‘ | American Eoangelical Antheran Aission — | OF ae | THE SOUTH KRISHNA DISTRICT. ia 5 - é ; a ie yea. ; ’ « xs th J : a “a ies : ¢ a y j Z ; S4 ae ) : ¢ i Rao HOS : ; < re 2 if SHE vk: at ie ; : TO Nad , 4 DFG oe Ue} : . } > ni : 1 ) : . Ces ox —— + 28 eee : PAY > y ; ) : x ie / } Wg « 5 G4 s : } yi 5 ; ¢ +4 6 \ a aa : Wie t 5 me Coa MADRAS: 5 ¢ Ms ie ~s bo PRINTED BY ADDISON AND CO., MOUNT ROAD. ee 1884. Fer ss 4h LEM. PROTEST AND AN APPEAL American EGhangelical Antheran AMission THE SOUTH KRISHNA DISTRICT. MADRAS: PRINTED BY ADDISON AND CO., MOUNT ROAD, 1884. Cc’ 4 é pee oe 1 ris oN: ti vt - https ‘//archive. org/detailsiprotestandappeal00a it A PROTEST AGAINST THE AMERICAN BAPTIST UNION, AND AN APPEAL TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES OF THE UNITED STATES, GREAT BRITAIN, GERMANY, AND OTHER NATIONS SUPPORTING CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN INDIA; FROM THE AMERICAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN GENERAL SYNOD MISSIONARIES OF THE SOUTH KRISHNA DISTRICT, MADRAS PRESIDENCY, INDIA. OUR PROTEST AND OUR APPHAL. 1. There has been a serics of encroachments wpon our work, without parallel in the history of Protestant Missions ; 9 parable injury to the Christian Church of the South Krishna District ; 3. That it is the Ohristian duty of the American Baptist Union to revoke its sanction to the settling of its Missionaries and workers in the South Krishna District. 2. That this encroachment has been such as to cause irre- 2 4, That it 1s for the convmon welfare of Christian Mission work in India, that all Churches, through their Assemblies, Synods, Conferences, Boards, ete., request the American Baptist Union to require her loborers in India to be more regardful of Christian courtesy. FIRST, THERE ARE SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES. I. Itis unnecessary for us who make this Protest and Appeal, to discuss three matters pertinent to Mission Work, which are :—(1) Different. Missionary Societies in India select distinct fields of work, outside of the large cities, (2) These Societies recognize each others’ boundaries, and (3) Native! members of one Missionary Society take up a residence and membership within the bounds of other Societies. These points need no discussion. The Society against whose operations we protest, formerly acted on the same general principles. II. It is needless for us to go into the question of fixing boundaries, for all time, to the fields of the various Societies. Practically, the advocacy of such a system would be useless. But we are persuaded that, in the face of heathenism, the observance of such lines is the best thing that can be done. III. Nor do we doubt the right of a great Society to determine when it shall work beyond its original bounda- ries. It can and may decide when it shall march out and on. But new considerations will then have arisen, even greater than those that caused it to make its earlier limita- tions. It will then behove it not to forget that other great Societies have established work and earned rights which it is bound, in the reciprocal relation of Christian work, to notice and to respect. We make our Protest and Appeal on the ground of Chris- tian courtesy, and on the great principle of doing no injury to a brother’s work. We classify the items supporting our Protest and Appeal under five heads, and we deal calmly and temperately 3 with a mass of very irritating facts. In order that those at a distance may rightly understand the subject under con- sideration, we add an Appendix to this Protest, containing a history of the two Mission fields concerned, and a brief sketch of the people among whom the two Societies have mainly worked, and to this Appendix we frequently refer the reader. I, The Baptist Mission of the Nellore District recogiized the South Krishna District as the distinct field of the General Synod Lutherans, for 38 years, or until 1880. They recognized our occupation of the field in 1842, and encouraged our first Missionaries. The Missionaries of both districts were visiting each other as workers in separate fields, and, in all these 38 years, neither did Lutheran Mis- sionaries attempt to work in the Baptist field, nor did Baptist Missionaries attempt to work in the Lutheran field. Baptist native agents worked in our district before 1880, but we believe this was independent of the orders of their superiors. The Nellore Baptists neither did work in the Krishna District before we came, nor did they do so for 38 years after wecame. During half of this time they did not attempt to work in our district because the number of their Mission- aries was less than ours, and their native agents were few. Up to the year 1866, in their field, the results were meagre, while in our field there were 884 members. Until this time, we had worked more in the Krishna District than the Bap- tists had in the Nellore District, and we had the first con- vert from the Madigas, the Sudras, the Mussulmans, and the Brahmans. Until 1866, they had scarce any, if any, converts from the Madigas, while our first from this class was in 1850. Until 1866, and for a long time after, we had more schools and more pupils than they, and we had the first Seminaries, with the greater number of young men and women under training, and the first Anglo- Vernacular High School, with the most work among the High castes. Up to the date of this Protest and Appeal, our converts 4. from the Malas have vastly exceeded theirs from the same class, for their accessions have been overwhelmingly Madi- gas. In addition to this, the number of our converts from Mussulmans, Sudras, and Brahmans, was greater than theirs, in this period of 38 years. We mention all these things with no intent to disparage the one or to exalt the other ; but to show how, in the nature of things, the Nellore Bap- tists acknowledged the South Krishna District as belonging exclusively to the Lutherans, in Mission work. Until the year 1868, we might have very easily extended our work down into the Nellore field, because of our great success among both the Madiga and Mala classes. Had we done so, our Baptist brethren would have loudly proclaimed the injustice of the Lutherans. But we did not do so—we faithfully observed boundaries, and so did they. While their accessions from the Madigas, at the close of the great famine of 1876-78, became famous in the world by a tremendous increase, ours from the same class was not at all enlarged,* but the work went on as it had been before the famine. It should be remembered that both the Mis- sions conducted relief operations. ‘The Baptists had pro- bably ten times as many converts from the Madigas, after the famine, as they hadin 1872, the early period of the Madiga movement; while our converts from this class, after the famine, were not as many as those from the same class in 1872, and not half as many as those of 1873. Until the year 1873, not a single Baptist teacher had at- tempted to work in our field, nor did these teachers remain and persevere in their work until the year 1878. The Baptists had worked up to our borders and we had work- ed down to theirs. Side by side we were labouring for the Pariah classes, without entering into each other’s fields, and this flowing of work in two distinct parallel channels, continued with the Missionaries till the year 1880. This was not a fortuitous matter. In its boundaries, its work, * See Appendix, year 1877. x v its members, its teachers and its Missionaries, the General Synod Lutheran Mission of the South Krishna District had, in the Christian sense, clearly and fully won for its territory a distinct recognition from the American Baptist Union Mission of the Nellore District, and from all other Societies. II. The Baptists of the Nellore District and of America, conceded to their members the privilege of wniting with the churches of other Christian denominations, when removing within the boundaries of other Mission Societies. Families of the Nellore Baptists were occasionally settling in the Krishna District. Both Lutheran converts and heathen Pariahs, from the Krishna District, were sometimes led to be immersed at Ongole, and these afterwards return- ed, continued their residence in the Krishna, and united with us. We baptized their children, while the Baptist Missionaries left them and their children to us. They were not followed up by the Baptists. This may, in some in- stances, have been because the Baptist Missionaries could not always go with their converts, but it is a strong fact that it was allowed for 38 years. In the year 1853, and again so late as 1862, many mem- bers of the American Baptist Union were in favor of giving up their members in Nellore to other Mission Societies, and closing their Mission. It was to be a voluntary giving up, and it shows most clearly that our Baptist brethren do re- cognize circumstances and times, when their members may be cared for by other communions. III. There was no need of the Baptists entering our field. We had not only worked for all classes from the first, but we had had success among these classes. As mention- ed heretofore, we had converts from Madigas, Malas, Sudras, Mussulmans and Brahmans, and, with the single ex- ception of the Madigas, we had more converts from these several classes than the Baptists had in Nellore from the same classes. We had schools and teachers of both sexes ; we had a thoroughly organized system of preaching, and many preachers ; we had training schools and many pupils 6 in them ; and we had a High School, and worked more ex- tensively among the High castes than did our Baptist brethren. Their claim to enter our field is, however, based chiefly on the necessity of following up their Madiga converts who came into the Krishna, or who had been brought in by their teachers from the Krishna District. But these converts had been finding a home with us. For 80 years before the Baptists came into our District, we had been doing success- ful work among the Madigas. In the year 1870, we had 388 converts from this class. In the year 1873, we had 561. We were supplying this class with schools, teachers and preachers ; and were overcoming the caste prejudices of our Mala Christians. We were training our best Madiga boys and girls in our Boarding Schools. In 1880, when the Baptist Missionaries first came into the Krishna District, we had baptized over 3000 Madigas. he Baptists did not need to come because they have but stopped our work among the Madigas and taken it up for themselves. We were having fair accessions from the Madigas of our Taluk of Narasa- rowpett, before they came, but since their coming in 1880, we have had a total of but 15 converts from the Madigas of this Taluk. At present, our greatest work among the Madigas is in Taluks unvisited by Baptists, but where they work much of our success among this class at once ceases. IV. The Baptists should not have entered our field, for they have done irreparable harm thereby. The facts under this head are the more reprehensible be- cause accomplished through ignorant men and improper means. We classify them as follows : 1. We have met Baptist Madigas in villages where there had been no Baptist teacher for months. These people were so alienated from our congregation of Mala Christians in the same place, that they would not attend our worship. 2. Our Madiga Christians and theirs, have been more stirred up to insolence towards our Mala Christians and even towards us. They have shown this in unreasonable f: and improper demands. It takes but little to make an ig- norant, lower class man insolent. 3. The Baptist Madiga teachers have induced our Madiga members and the heathen Madigas, to become Baptists, by promises of food, clothes, money, lands, and help in law- suits. They have made these offers throughout our district, and for the last eight years. Their teachers working in our field, are using these arguments now, as we learn from the people to whom many of them have appealed. 4, The Baptists have proselyted our Madiga members, who, being an ignorant class, are easily led by prejudice. Since the close of 1879, the Baptists have immersed 510 of our baptized Madigas. ‘This is one of the bitterest fruits of their work in the Krishna District. 5. Great numbers of our Madiga inquirers have been immersed by the Baptists. ‘These we instruct from six to nine months under a regular system, before baptizing them. The Baptists administer this rite after a shorter period, and it is therefore easy for them to take inquirers away from our Mission. Looking over our statistics and reports, we put the number of our inquirers immersed by the Baptists at 500, and believe this figure to be rather below the facts. 6. The Baptists have estabhshed congregations in 56 villages where we had congregations. In 35 of these villages we had Madiga Christians. This is their work of five years in our field, and shows the power of -that caste prejudice which their teachers have enlisted. In this way they have severed brethren whom we were bringing together. 7. Because of the Baptists working in our district, many of our disciplined members, congregations and teachers, have been received and immersed by the Baptists. The facts show that our Baptist brethren were not careful as to whom they admitted. Since 1880, their Missionaries and teachers have entered our district in force ‘They seemed to have found a grand, new field, and to be urged forward by the whole of the Baptist Union and all their India Missionaries. ‘Those pressing them on were not aware of 2 8 the work we had doue and were doing. Our church disci- pline was soon made ineffectual, and, as some results, Madiga boarders supported by us for years, were received as Baptist boarders at Ongole, and more than 21 of our disciplined Madiga members and teachers, were received and employed by the Baptists, and are now Baptist teachers working among the Krishna Madigas. These throw the whole weight of their prejudice and bitterness against our Mission and its members. 8. We were, for a period of 30 years, gradually remov- ing the caste prejudices between the Malas and Madigas. The number of each of these classes in our church, was about the same. By the year 1873, we had a membership of 1212 Madigas in a total of 2946 members. By 1880, we had 3158 Madigas in a membership of 7245. By many common social and religious bonds ; by. one village school and one set of games for the children of both these classes ; by one cook and one table for the sons and daughters of both, in our boarding schools; by one teacher for the two, who was required to eat with them ; by one house of worship in common ; by one service and one Missionary for both, and by acommon communion cup ; we were cementing these two classes together. ‘The result of work by the Ongole Baptist Missionaries, in the Krishna District, since the year 1880, has been to destroy this union, to make our Madigas more restless, and to cause our Malas to be more caste-bound. Formerly, both heathen and Christian Malas often refused their houses and meals to our Mala teachers who had eaten with Madiga Christians. The coming of the Baptists has increased this spirit. The Baptist membership in the Krishna District is nearly all Madiga. Their teachers. who have worked in our Dis- trict, are Madigas, with scarce an exception. The work began and continues among this class, and through this caste alone, the Baptists have come into our field. The line between the membership of the two Missions is now sharply drawn, wherever the Baptists have worked extensively in 9 our district, so that their Madiga and our Mala members are more antagonistic than they were when heathen, because of the new elements that have been introduced. Thus, then, where we were unifying the lowest castes in about equal numbers, and were on a fair way to unify yet thousands more, on the principle upon which we have been working for 42 years; the Baptists do what, as Christian brethren, they should not have done, viz., prevent a union of these two classes wherever they labour in our field. This is the crowning evil of their work in our district,— the sad condition of the two classes of Pariah Christians. This condition in our field is as if the Karens, the Hill Tribes of Burma and Siam, were divided into inferior and superior classes ; and as if the Baptist Mission were uniting vhe Burmese Karens into one church though containing disturbing spirits and elements of dissatisfaction ; and as if a Presbyterian Mission, successfully working chiefly among the inferior Siamese Karens, gradually and insidiously introduced, first its members of that class, second its teachers, and then its Missionaries, among the inferior Burmese Karens, through the disaffected low class Baptist Karens, until, at last, the Presbyterian Mission found itself received with open arms by multitudes, and established itself among the inferior Burmese Karens. The bottom fact in the case would be that the Siam Presbyterian Mission had, for its foundation in Burma, the prejudices of the two classes, and the disruption of the unified Baptist Church. Or, itis as if the Baptist Church, working specially in the State of Georgia, United States of America, had been for 38 years uniting White and Negro, much every way, into one common Baptist Church, and as if some other * denomination, working chiefly among the Negroes of the state of Mississippi, came over at the invitation of some disaffected Georgia Negroes, and, using Negro with Negro, helped to break the union between the Baptist Whites and Negroes, and thereby set up two churches, one with Negroes, and one tending exclusively to Whites. In 10 Georgia or in Burma, the two Missions would for ever separate two classes that would otherwise be joined together. Centuries of the New Mission working with the Old would not heal up the bitterness enkindled. But high and low Karen Christains, in their class distinctions, and Whites and Negroes in their race antipathies, could more easily be united in the supposed two Burma or Georgia Missions, than can the Malas and Madigas, in their stubborn caste differences, be united through this irruption of the Baptist Mission, with its Madigas, members and teachers, into the united Lutheran Church of the south Krishna District. We would have kept on amalgamating the two classes, had not the Baptists come and gathered Madigas into a church by themselves. lor whatever the Baptists may say they have done, this is that which they have done. 9. The Baptists are driving us to but one alter- native, that of going down with our Mala teachers and working among the Malas of the Nellore District, and establishing our Lutheran Mission there. Our church in their District would be substantially Mala. We have shuddered at the thought of doing this. We see the sad controversies in our District, and are aware of the evils attendant on fostering a sectarian line between the two most ignorant classes of India. Our Mala teachers have often asked us to let them go, and Nellore Malas have asked us to come. All are ready, and the only need is the word of command. We take credit to ourselves that, for six years of trouble as shown in this Protest and Appeal, we have refused to let our men work in the Nellore field. We still refuse, hoping the Baptists will withdraw and spare us the alternative, and live and let live, in the great cause of Mission work. V. Wehave, for eleven years, had correspondence with our Baptist Brethren on the subject herein referred to, and we have now no other resource than to publicly make this Appeal and Protest. In the year 1873, occurred a noted correspondence between ll our Missionaries and the Baptist Missionary at Ongole, over the immersion of a renegade from our mission, and who continued still to live with our people. We represented that “such men precipitated quarrels between the two Missions on the mode of baptism, and asked them not to encourage such persons.” ‘They replied that “ their duty was to talk to all who came, and to baptize all who seemed earnest, that their mode of baptism must be defended, and that men had bled and died for it.” Later on, in the same year, a further correspondence between the same parties took place. The renegade from our Mission had been stirring up strife among our people. We wrote that “ their members were working in our field, and, by common consent, this half of the Krishna District was our field of work.”? They replied asking what boundaries we proposed, or whether we should leave both fields open to both Missions. We pointed out that, as we had Mission- aries in the South Krishna District, this was acknowledged as our field, and that there was a well known boundary, viz..—the boundaries between the two Districts. To this we never received a reply. No graver occasion for official correspondence occurred, till the year 1880, when a matter for inquiry took place, showing the state of feeling of at least one of the Baptist Missionaries at that time. One of our Mala teachers, on a visit to his Mala relatives at Ongole, reported that the Missionary there accused him of having come to steal Baptists, caught him, shook him, and tore his cloth. We wrote about the matter, but never had an answer. This case shows how that Missionary, who was then engaged in proselyting through our field, reflected his own motives into the mind of our innocent teacher. January oth 1882, we wrote of the efforts which the Baptists were making in the Krishna District. This letter sets forth the situation so clearly, that we quote the whole. “ Whereas, for the last few years, quite a number of persons who claim to be labouring in the interests of the 12 Ongole branch of the American Baptist Mission, have come upon our Mission field ; And, whereas, such conduct is contrary to the generally recognized principle of non-interference among Protestant Missionary Societies, and tends greatly to the demoraliza- tion of our Missionary operations and of our discipline among our Christians ; Therefore resolved that, as a Conference, we respectfully ask our brethren of the American Baptist Telugu Mission Ist.—Whether they in any way encourage any teachers or preachers in their employ, to go within the bounds of our Mission to carry on their work ; 2nd.—Whether, to mention a special and definite case, a man named Nutanki Abraham, a resident of Sirimamindla, and for many years a resident of our Mission, has been baptized by them and given Mission employment within the bounds of our field, for which he receives clothes and other allowances from their Mission ; 3rd.—W hether, so as to avoid such disturbance and an- noyance in the future, they will kindly propose some line of boundary or demarkation between the Northern section of their Mission field and the Southern section of ours.” We received an acknowledgment of the receipt of this letter, but the letter itself was never answered. In March, of the same year, one of the Baptist Missiona- ries, himself then working in the limits of our field, wrote us :— “« My dear Brother, I wrote to you as the Senior Missionary of your Society at Guntur, on a very important subject, and I beg that you will lay the matter before your brethren and give us a reply as soon as convenient. When we first came to Ongole, now over seventeen years ago, we did not wish to receive the people of the Madiga caste into our church, as we feared that our usefulness would thereby be injured. But God showed us, in a way we could not misunderstand, that we were not feeling right 15 towards the poor despised Madigas. We changed onr plans, and soon the people of the above named caste particularly, came to us by tensand scores. Later, they have come to us by the hundred, until we have Christians in, perhaps, two-thirds of all the villages on the north and west within fifty miles of Ongole, and, in many villages even more distant. To instruct or to even superintend the pastors and teachers, etc., in so many villages at such a distance from Head-quarters at Ongole, is, at least, well nigh impossible. We therefore feel that, to do our duty to these people whom the Lord has sent to us, we must locate ourselves in central places among them. We have been thinking that, at no distant day, we must build Mission houses, etc., in Bapatla, Vinukonda or Narasarowpett, or between these two towns. We have no desire, whatever, to interfere with your peo- ple in any way, but we want to do our duty to those whom God has given us to instruct. We recognise the fact that, in moving on we wish, we shall occupy ground where you have done considerable work. ‘Therefore we request that yourself and as many of your brethren as convenient, will kindly meet us in Conference (Special Conference) to talk over the subjects above mentioned, and any others that may be deemed necessary, and, if possible, come to some brotherly understanding which, we trust, will ensure harmony and brotherly love during all time to come. We would further propose that the Conference be held at Ongole or Ramapatam, when you pass down the canal on your way to Madras and America. With kind Christian regards, etc., (Signed) —————- on behalf of the A. B. F. M. Ongole.” On May 6th, we replied as follows :— “Weregret not being ableto meet the Baptist Missionaries in Conference just at this time, owing—‘1) to the fact that Dr. Unangst will not go to Madras, vid Ramapatam, as they 14 had supposed ; (2) the difficulties of the journey to either of the places named, at this time ofthe year; and (3) the urgent Mission labours devolving upon the only two of us now in charge of our Mission and demanding our constant presence. 2. We are decidedly of the opinion that the principle of non-interference now generally observed among Protestant Missions in India, is a good one, and has had a most bene- ficial influence on the Missionary labours of the various Societies. 3. In our estimation, the time has not yet come, at least in this part of India, for abandoning this principle. 4. While it may not be convenient to draw strict Geo- graphical boundaries between the American Baptist Mis- sion and our own, we think the general understanding which has heretofore existed, and which is recognized in Mr.——’s (the above) letter, of not entering upon territory where another Society ‘* has done much work,” a good and fair one. We are willing to take this as the standard. For many years, our Mission field has been recognized as including that part of the Krishna District lying south of the Krishna river. We have always regarded the boundary line between the Krishna and the Nellore districts as, ina general way, the dividing line between our respective Missions. Owing to the fewness of our labourers we have, however, not been able to do much work in the Vinukonda Taluk, which is the furthest from us. Your society, seeing that part of the country not evan- gelized, sent preachers and teachers and, to some extent, occupied the ground. ‘To this we have not objected. As you were the first, therefore, to occupy that ground, we grant it as belonging to your field. 5. With reference to Bapatla and Narasarowpett, the case is different. Some of our strongest congregations are near the southern borders of these T'aluks, and we propose, at an early day, to build small bungalows in each, for a ' Missionary to reside in during at least a part of the year. 15 6. In reference to the reasons assigned by Rev. Mr. , for coming upon our field, namely, that of follow- ing up the people of the Baptist Mission, and specially, Christians who have come from the Madiga caste, we wish to say :— First, that upon this same principle, the Baptist Mission- aries might, at almost any time, establish themselves right here in Guntur, the very centre of our operations, and thus for ever do away with the principle of non-interference. Second, that about one-half of the Christians of our Mission have come from the Madiga caste and have, so far as we know, always felt themselves quite at home in our church, except where outside influences were used to make them think differently. We think, therefore, that all future con- verts from the Madiga caste, as well as from all other classes, will find a satisfactory and comfortable church home among us, unless influenced from without. 7. Fora number of years we have done our utmost to extinguish from our church all caste feeling and distinctions, and we have, by God’s blessing, made great progress. We foresee, however, that the occupancy of the same territories by two societies each labouring professedly and specially among a particular class, would conduce to revive and foster this ungodly caste spirit which is so utterly incompatible with the spirit of Christ. 8. In conclusion, therefore, we beg of you, as Christian brethren, labouring in a common cause, not to invade our Mission field by building bungalows anywhere north of the Nellore district, except in Vinukonda Taluk, and not to send or knowingly allow your preachers to go into those parts of our Mission field where we have long had congre- gations and “ have done much work.” Our Baptist brethren continued to work cn in our field without giving any reply to this letter until nearly eighteen months afterwards, and until we had both officially and individually written again to them. ‘The correspondence which then took place, in 1888, over special cases and 16 general principles, became so extensive as to forbid us reproducing it here. Communications were made to our American Board, and a remonstrance was sent to the Mission Board of the Baptist Union against the occupation of the town of Guntur. We now make a fuller statement of the facts pertaining to the occupation of our field in the Krishna District by the Baptists ; we send forth our Protest trusting the Baptist Church may hear it and act as brethren ; and we issue our Appeal, hoping the Christian churches may unite to maintain Christian courtesy and be drawn together in closer alhance for the prosecution of the great work of Missions. APPENDIX. I. Ahistory of the two Misston Fields. Note 1.—Theitems concerning our Mission field, except- ing those contained in our Reports, have been carefully collected, during a period of seven months, from our Bap- tismal Register, our Native pastors, our teachers, and our Missionaries. Our statements regarding the work of the Baptists in the Nellore field, are from their own Reports and History. Note 2.—We have some advantage in comparing the number of baptisms, as our numbers include children. We have calculated that the young children form about one- sixth of the whole number. We suppose, also, that our Baptist brethren administer the rite at a very early age, in this country. This deduction of one-sixth for children, should, however, be made only for the Baptisms of any single year, as those children would be baptizable adults within six or eight years. A two year old child baptized in 1873, might be quite a fit subject for adult baptism in 1880. In our total membership we have followed what we observe to be the plan of the Baptists, 7.e., counting the total number of baptisms from beginning of the Mission. The subject of this note is mentioned only for the sake of a just comparison when our topic leads us to place the work of the two Missions in contrast. The main principle is not affected in any way. Parallel History of the two Missions and of the Baptist movement into ours. Gen. Synod Lutheran, South American Baptist Union, Krishna District. Nellore District. 184.0 Mission is founded at Nellore town ; first native baptized, Sept. 27th. 1842 Mission is founded at Guntur town, 144 miles from Nellore town, 18 Gen. Synod Lutheran, South 1843 1844 1845 1847 1848 1849 1850 1853 1854, 1855 1856 1859 1862 1865 1866 Krishna District. One Missionary; first baptism, April 21st. Two Missionaries; a church of 18 members. A convert 80 miles north of Guntur. First convert from our Palnad Taluk, 60 miles west of Guntur. Membership totals 43. Two stations with 87 members, Guntur with 47, and Gurjal, Palnad with 40; our first Sudras, two baptized at Gurjal. First Madiga, baptized at Gurjal. Three Missionaries ; 544 mem- bers; M. Joshua from near Ongole, Nellore District, 66 miles south of Guntur, who had never seen a Missionary at Ongole, and who settled in Guntur, 1852, is baptized. Anglo-Vernacular High School opened. One Missionary, who visits Nel- lore Missionaries ; member- ship 871; Mala convert, the first, in our Repalli Taluk, at Mopurru, 18 miles east of Guntur; first Mussulman con- vert, Caleb, from near Ongole where saw no Missionary, set- tles with us and is baptized. Our first Brahman convert—at Guntur. Membership 544; first baptism —a Mala—in our Sattanapalli Taluk, 20 miles N.W. of Gun- tur; ourteacher, Ezra Keller because of his wife, joins Bap- tists. Two Missionaries, 669 members; first Mala convert from our Bapatla Taluk, 12 miles south of Guntur and bordering On- gole Taluk. One Missionary; membership 743 ; High School temporarily closed. One Missionary ; membership 884. American Baptist Union, Nellore District. One Missionary. One Missionary; a church of 8 members. No Missionary in the field. No Missionary or worker in the field. Two Missionaries take up the work, “*Scarcely a ray of hope.” “ Scarcely a ray of hope.” American Deputation recom- mend abandonment of Mission and surrender of members to other Societies; Missionaries visit Ongole, 78 miles north of Nellore, and talk of making it a second station. Two Missionaries; ‘‘ Darkness and discouragement.” Members few; Ezra Keller made a teacher. One Missionary; the American Union introduces a resolution urgently demanding abandon- ment cf the field. Three Missionaries; joy at some baptisms ; Rev. Douglas visits Guntur. Three Missionaries; two stations Nellore, and Ongole now first occupied ; Ezra Keller, after teaching for Baptists 7 years, immersed. : 19 Gen. Synod Lutheran South Krishna District, 1868 One Missionary; members 960; first Madiga converts from our Taluk of Narasarowpett, 20 miles 8.W. of Guntur and bor- dering on the Nellore Dis- trict; two of these, Sarah and Rebecca, taken as boarding girls. 1869 One Missionary ; membership 1129; great interest among Madigas of nine villages in our Palnad Taluk. 1870 One Missionary ; members 1778; large Madiga accession in Palnad Taluk, 388 received ; first Madiga convert, Bapatla Taluk ; our Madiga boarder, T. Rebecca, not being given work at once, goes to Ongole. 1872 Two Missionaries ; membership in March, 2246 ; Madiga ac- cession in six Taluks,—notedly in Palnad, Guntur, and Ba- patla ; Madiga converts in 24 towns ; first Madiga converts in our T'aluks, Sattanapalli and Repalli ; S. John. Madiga of Bapatla, baptized, and his daughter Rebecca taken in Boarding School; B. Mark joinsus in Sattanapalli. 1873 Three Missionaries ; members 2496, of whom 1212 are Madi- gas; Elijah of Venura, and Elijah of Mangalagiri, both Madigas of the Krishna Dis- trict baptized by us ; Chegudi John, a quarrelsome Mala Christian of Annavaram, our District, is refused work, goes to Ongole, returns, lives in our lot, preaches immersion and derides our baptism; he is driven out by our Christians ; S: John, of 1872, withdraws his daughter from our Boarding School, because his son is not received as a boarder, and goes to Ongole ; first work of Bap- tists in our field—a Baptist native teacher has a school one year, in Velpurnu, our Sattana- palli Taluk ; Correspondence American Baptist Union, Nellore District. Four Missionaries; about this time the famous decision to work for Madigas ; Ongole, the largest church, has 148 mem- bers. Five Missionaries ; members 628, nearly all Madigas ; great Madiga accession in Ongole field ; Ramapatam, in the Nellore District on the coast made 3rd station. Five Missionaries ; Madiga ac- cession continue large ; T. Re- becca, boarder, from Guntur, immersed and made a teacher. Four Missionaries ; membership in March 2242, succession of revivals and additions of Ma- digas ; members at Ongole, 1745, at Nellore, 497 ; Rama- patam =eminary opened ; first Zenana Missionary ; Bandari Mark, from SattanapalliTaluk, Krishna District, baptized at Ongole. Five Missionaries ; new station at Ullur, 18 miles N. of Nellore District ; Chegudi John, a Mala of the Krishna District aided and immersed at Ongole; S. John, a Madiga Christian of the Krishna District, immers- ed at Ongole, and his two children received as boarders, these are the first Baptist immersions of Lutheran resi- dent members of the Krishna District ; correspondence _ be- tween the Missionary at On- gole and Dr. Unangst of Gun- tur, about immersion of dis- affected Lutheran members, and about Baptist teachers working in our field. 20 Gen. Synod Lutheran, South Krishna District. between Dr. Unangst of Gun- tur and a Missionary at On- gole. 1874 Four Missionaries ; membership 3154, of which Madigas are 1355 ; Anglo-Vernacular High School is reopened at Guntur, to the Matriculation Standard; Seminary joined with High School ; large Madiga acces- sion ; Sundari Paulus, of Ba- patla Taluk, is baptized ; first baptism in our Vinukonda Taluk. 1875 Three Missionaries ; members 3580, of whom 1635 are Ma- digas; large Madiga acces- sions in three Talugs; V. Elijah, of 1873, gets work from us at Rs. 1-8 a month, at Kuchipudi; two Madigas named Soppara, baptized by us at Kolluru, in our District ; a Baptist native teacher has school one year at Ganna- param, in our Sattanapalli Taluq 1876 Three Missionaries ; total mem- bers 3928, of whom 1803 are Madigas; the Great Famine begins ; V. Elijah, of 1873, has lawsuit with village officer and asks our help; the woman Sarah, of 1868, goes to Ongole for aid, and returning, tells us the Ongole Baptist Mission- aries are giving clothes, food, and even Rs. 3,4 and 5,a month, to each one coming for help. 1877 Three Missionaries ; members 4416, of whom 2040 are Madi- gas; Famine Relief opera- tions begun; Madiga 8. Pan- lus, of 1874, received as a boarder; Yakala Benjamin, a Sudra, baptized and receiv- ed as a boarder ; Madiga Baptists from Nellore settle, and worship at peace, with our Vinukonda Malas. 1878 Three Missionaries ; members 5643, of whom 2316 are Ma- digas ; native Baptist teachers work in Repalli and Narasa- American Baptist Union, Nellore District. Hight Missionaries ; succession of revivals and additions near- ly all Madigas; Ramapa- tam Seminary endowed with ($50,000) a lakh of rupees ; Rev. Harpster, Lutheran Mis- sionary, visits Ongole and Nel- lore brethren. Nine Missionaries; large build. ings erected at Ongole anda low standard Anglo-Vernacu- lar School opened here; Ma- diga accessions continue, Ten Missionaries; revivals and additions ; Sarah, of the Krish- na District, given help and immersed; Famine Relief operations are begun. Ten Missionaries ; total member- ship about 4398, of which 3198 are in the Ongole field, and nearly all are Madigas. Six Missionaries; members 14630; our two Soppara people, of 1875, get help and are immersed at Ongole. 21 Gen. Synod Lutheran, South Krishna District. rowpett, our two Taluqs; the two Soppara people of 1875 go to Ongole, and then rejoin us in our village, Kolluru. Members 6048, of whom Madi- gas 2546; Yakala Benjamin, of 1877 runs away from our boarding school to Ongole ; Madiga M. Elijah, of 1878, is aided by the Guntur native congregation; we have 89 villages containing Madiga Christians ; Rev. Bandari Luke, Baptist, works in Yeluru, our Narasarowpett Taluq. 1880 Members are 7245, of whom 3138 are Madigas ; our Ma- diga, Vemuru Elijah, of 1878, refused aid in his lawsuit, goes to Ongole; our Ma- diga Mangalagiri Elijah, of 1873, still aided by our Gun- tur Christians ; a Baptist Missionary works in our Nara- sarowpett and Bapatla Taluqs; twenty of our Madiga in- quirers immersed by Bap- tists at Kovalamudi, our Dis- trict ; five males of our Madi- ga inquirers at Varahapuram, in our Repalli Taluq, are immersed at Ongole, and their wives baptized by us; three Baptist teachers, V. Hlijah, B. Prasangi, and J.Hnoch,work in our Bapatla Taluk ; two Baptist teachers, D. Gurappa and Rev. B. Laban, work in our Narasarowpett Taluk; one Baptist teacher works in our Palnad Taluk, at Chingala- padu. Membership 8826, of which Madigas are 4146 ; accession of Madigas in Narasarowpett Taluk ceases; Patibandla Ven- katesu, of theSatanapalliTaluk, anda noted Madiga, is one of our enquirers ; one more Bap- tist teacher, D. Timothy, la- bours in our field; the Baptists work in 16 of the villages where we have Christians. 1882 Membership, 9849, of which 4481 are Madigas; large Madiga American Baptist Union, Nellore District. Great Madiga accessions, chiefly in the Ongole field; total in the Ongole field, 9606; Yaka- la Benjamin, of Guntur, re- ceived as a boarder and immersed ; one of our Narasa- rowpett members immersed, V: Elijah, our Madiga inquirer of 1878, &c., is helped by Bap- tists in his lawsuit, is im- mersed, and appointed a Baptist teacher to work in our Bapatla and Repalli Ta- Juqs; Sundari Paulus, our Madiga boarder of 1874, is received into the Ongole boarding school; Ravuri Peter, cour teacher, violently mal- treated by a Missionary at Ongole; 86 of our baptized Madigas are immersed. Mangalagiri Elijah, of 1873, is immersed at Ongole ; Nu- tanki Abraham, oneof our Madiga members in our Narasarowpet ‘Taluk, is immersed and allowed to work for Baptists, through our field; 109 Lutheran baptized Madi- gas are immersed, chiefly in our Narasarowpett and Bapatla Taluks. P, Venkatesu, our Madiga in- quirer, is immersed, he is first 22 Gen. Synod Lutheran, South Krishna District. accessions in our Guntur, Palnad, Satanapalli and Repalli Taluks; P. Venkatesu, of 1881, is refused help from us in a lawsuit at Patibandla, says, “ Ongole people will help me,” and goes to Ongole; three more Baptist teachers, Madi- gas, K. Ravannayya, K. Jacob, and P. Venkatesu work among our Madigas ; the Guntur Con- ference writes two letters of Protest to the Baptists. 1883 Missionaries four; Zenana Mis- sionaries two; membership 10,925, of whom 4,874 are Madigas; large Madiga ac- cessions in our Palnad and Satanapalli Taluks where the Baptists have not yet worked ; baptisms in the year, 1,076; pupils in schools are 2,826; three Baptist Missionaries settle in our field, at Bapatla, Navrasarowpett, and Vinukon- da; continual Protests against and correspondence with these brethren and with the Ongole Conference; the Baptist Madi- ga*teacher, P. Bushanam, tries to tempt away our Madiga enquirers of Narakoduru by the promise of fields; the Pedda- ravur Madiga Baptists do the same by threats of not inter- marrying with them; our Madiga inquirers at Medi- konduru, Adipudi and other places, are immersed ; two of ourMadigas in Guntur immers- ed and also two of our Madiga school boys,whoare at once sent to work for the Baptists in our District ; Special effort to es- tablish a Baptist congregation in Guntur and a Madiga teach- er sentin among our people on the unusually high monthly salary of Rs. 8; Madiga V. Solomon, our boarder, for three years at Dachepalli, received as a boarder at Ongole; no reply given from Ongole to our enquiries about Solomon ; a Baptist Missionary tours American Baptist Union, Nellore District. refused employment, then is paid for bringing in converts ; a Baptist Missionary writes us about their work and building, in our field; 293 Lutheran baptized Madigas immersed by the Baptists, Missionaries in the Nellore and the Krishna Districts, seven ; Zenana Missionaries two; membership 20,684, of which 15,579 arein the Nellore Dis- trict, and 5,105 in the Krishna District, nearly all are Madigas ; baptisms in the year 2,364, of which 1,735 are in the Nellore field and 629 in the Krishna field; pupils in schools are 2,915, of whom 2,145 are in the Nellore field and 767 in the Krishna field; six stations, of which three are in the Krishna District, and three in the Nellore; twenty-two Lutheran Madigas and many Lutheran Madiga inquirers are immersed. 23 Gen. Synod Lutheran, South American Baptist Union, Krishna District. Nellore District. through our Palnad Taluk and establishes a Madiga Chris- tians church in five places where we have Madiga Chris- tians ; thereare nine Baptist teachers in our Palnad Taluk of whom seven were dismissed from Mission work or discip- lined, by us; we have four stations. 1884 The Baptists work in 56 villages where we have congregations ; they work in 35 places where we have or had Madiga Chris- tians ; 108 of our Madiga Christians in the Palnad Taluk have just been led to them, not yet immersed ; those of six more villages disaffected ; Nutanki Abraham and Sarah, our Madigas immersed in 1881, receive Rs. 6 every three months from them; Nagayya, the Baptist teacher of Pati- bandla, tries to influence our Jupudi Madiga inquirers by telling them the Guntur Mis- sionaries had written the Bap- tist Missionaries that the Gun- tur Missionaries would no more come out into the Dis- trict, that they would stay in Guntur, and would give the whole District to the Baptist Missionaries ! II. A brief sketch of the two classes of people among whom the two Societies have mainly worked. One of the most important things in connection with the subject of this paper, isa proper understanding of tke position of the Malas and the Madigas. Both classes are now called Pariahs and they are entirely without the pale of caste, being far below the Sudras who are ‘in caste, in South India. A Sudra may enter a Brahman’s house, but a Pariah cannot do so, and in many places cannot even enter the Brahman alleys. Sudras live within or adjoining the Brahman quarters of a town; the Pariahs live so far separated as to make a distinct hamlet. The social-position of the Pariah is thus the lowest among the people. In intellect, the Pariahs are equally degenerated and de- based. Centuries of stagnation of mind have made them dull, and they have remained the children of the wilderness and of ignorance, without any intellectual training whatever, from the beginning of the history of the race. While this state of things, in its continuance, is justly chargeable to the Brahmans and their selfish caste system, the Pariahs themselves have no credit for any incipient attempt at in- quiry or learning. ‘hey owe the Brahmans both for good and for evil. The evil is their caste, suverstition, and worship, which are but copies, in a lower degree, of the same things among the Brahmans. ‘The good is whatever thoughtfulness and intelligence they now have from contact with the superior class. ‘l'hey owe it to the cultured race of Brahmans that they are not more debased than they are, and, living where they might be influenced at all by this education, has prevented them from continuing as Bec- huanas or Papuans. ‘Thus, we believe, God, in his Provi- dence among the heathen, has prepared for the work of the Gospel, a low people that might have been yet lower. Among the Pariahs themselves, the differences in caste and in habits are remarkable. ‘The Madigas are the lowest and are generally tanners and shoemakers. The Malas were originally tom-tom beaters, but are now chiefly wea- vers. The former class are also called chucklers, and the latter are often denominated Pariahs. Both are unclean and even filthy in their habits. The Madigaseat the car- casses of dead animals and are, in this sense, the scaven- gers of the land. They eat a carcass twenty-four hours after the death of the animal and even when putrefaction has begun. Christian Madigas do not easily give up these habits, and some never give them up. In 1882, one of our Missionaries came upon a crowd of Madigas, both Christian and heathen, around a dead buffalo, who were like so many vultures, cutting and tearing off bits of flesh and fill- ing the air with the din of their excited talk. A class that so lives and feeds itself is exceedingly stupid. 25 These two classes observe as strict a distinction of caste and contend as much for their respective castes as the Brahmans and Sudras. They will scarce work in harmony together, and they will not at all eat or drink with each other. They will neither use the same vessels or house, nor will they use the same well. Huropeans who employ Madiga servants, can get no Malas to serve them at the same time. This caste distinction is a cause of constant strife and trouble and is a more inflammable element than thatof the Brahmans. The Pariahs will rush the sooner into Court, and contend the more vehemently and stubbornly, just as ignor- ance always does. With them, caste is a stronger rallying cry than with the Brahmans. Touch a Pariah there and you touch all his fellows, and you have an opposition and an uproar. ‘lhe matter is communicated with surprising speed and to wonderful distances, and no mob, union, secret society or brotherhood is so quickly excited and rallied as these low castes. Give them one noon, one half day in the market, one evening of time for this purpose, and the whole community is up against its offender; and while this opposition is but empty foam, and cowardly and powerless to do violence against the High castes and Huropeans, it is all the worse for the poor culprit of the lower classes, who is unmercifully dealt with to the payment of the last pie and the suffering of the extremest disgrace. Inexorable, and instruments both of revenge and of sensual gratification, these Pariahs have produced the most bitter, strong, and tenacious class—phobia that can be found. While, through patience, time and education, the Lutheran Mission was working among these same two classes and gradually uniting them together, the Baptists have stepped in and are undoing the good work we had been accomplish- ing. Guntur Lurueran Amurican Mission, October, 1884.