214 MISSIONS OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN INDIA. go. "Do not," he said, "entertain any fears for me: not while there is breath in me shall I go there." Most grateful was he for any thing that was done for him. Entering his room suddenly, Mr. King on several occasions found him on his knees. Often, with deep interest, did he speak of the rest to be found in Jesus, and as long as he had the power of utterance continued to express his hope in Christ. "The last time," says Mr. Townsend, "that I saw him alive, when almost past consciousness, he had lying by his side his books, which I understood from his mother were placed there at his desire-doubtless, a last testimony that he continued a book-man' and a Christian." THE MISSIONS OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN INDIA. So little is really known of the extensive Missionary operations that have for many years past been carried on in India—and which at the present time, under Divine Providence, are gradually extending that it is desirable the public should be made acquainted with the following details, which will doubtless prove especially interesting to the friends and supporters of the Church Missionary Society. In the year 1845 the Society had thirty-five Missionary Stations in India, under the superintendence of sixty-five Ordained Missionaries, four of whom only were natives of India; 568 Lay Teachers12 Europeans and 556 Natives-were then engaged in 296 Schools, at which 10,556 children were under Christian instruction; and the attendants on Public Worship at the several Stations were about 30,000, of whom 2991 were Communicants. In 1851 the Society has forty-six Missionary Stations in India, under the superintendence of eighty-three Ordained Missionaries, of whom thirteen are Natives of India; the number of Schools is 454, in which 936 Masters and Teachers-20 Europeans and 916 Natives are engaged in instructing 15,834 children, many of whom, in the higher classes, are studying and preparing for the ministry of the Gospel; the number of Communicants is 5000; and the attendants on Public Worship are estimated at 40,000. In November 1850, Dr. Dealtry, Bishop of Madras, on visiting Bombay, ordained two Native Catechists Deacons of the Church of England, regarding whom he writes to the Secretaries of the SocietyMy belief is, that the young men now sent forth, the first-fruits of your Western-India Missions, are the servants of God and ministers of Jesus Christ. I hope and trust their ministrations will be owned and blessed by Him who has called them to the holy office. In February 1851, at a Visitation held at Palamcottah, in Tinnevelly, Dr. Dealtry ordained five more Native Catechists Deacons of the Church of England, respecting whom he thus writes On the whole, I would remark that I was satisfied with their attainments, their knowledge of the doctrines of the Scriptures, their sound and correct views of the mysteries of the Gospel, and their experimental knowledge of them in their own hearts. I make no doubt they will do MISSIONS OF THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN INDIA. 215 credit to the character of the sacred ministry amongst their countrymen. During January and February 1851, Dr. Dealtry confirmed 5448 Native Christians, converts from Heathenism. Of these, 3466 were presented to him by the Society's Missionaries in Travancore and Tinnevelly, and of their attainments he says I was especially struck with the readiness with which the Candidates replied to the questions proposed to them during my address; and I was almost always surprised and gratified at the accuracy with which they repeated the facts, explanations, reasonings, doctrines, duties, &c., when catechized upon the subject subsequently it showed me, not only that they had been attentive hearers of the Word, but that they had an extensive knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. I confess that my heart was often filled with gratitude, and I thought how few congregations in the populous villages in England could have answered with equal credit. The result of Dr. Dealtry's observations during his visitation in South India is thus given in a Letter to the Secretaries— I must express to you the grateful emotions and feelings which have been called forth in visiting your Missions. It has exceeded all that I anticipated. When I think of the throngs which flocked to the different Churches-literally "as doves to their windows;" of the earnest and devout manner in which they entered into the Services of the Church, both in the responses, in the prayers, and in singing to the praise and glory of God; when I think of the fixed look and attentive manner with which they listened to the word of exhortation, and the intelligence. they manifested in the readiness of their replies when appealed to in confirmation of any doctrine, and of their knowledge of any Scripture statement; when, moreover, I call to mind the numbers of intelligent Catechists and Schoolmasters, and the crowds of young people, male and female, in the Schools; when I look at the Churches, Mission-houses, School-rooms, Prayer-houses, &c., which have arisen throughout these districts; then I say, If there is not reality-actual experience of Christian truth-in all this, then there is no such thing as reality in the world: all that we have taken for it is a name, a shadow, a delusion. But I am satisfied that it is a real and abiding work-the work of God-the power of His grace-the putting forth of His almighty arm in the sight of the nations, as in days of old. It is the same work which the Thessalonian Church experienced when the Gospel came to them, "not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance;" and the effects are identically the same, leading the people to be followers of Christ, and desirous to diffuse the light which has risen upon them, and to abandon their idols, and to look for the coming of the Son of Man to receive them to Himself. I have given you thus a very hurried and hasty statement of my brief visit to some of the most interesting Mission-fields in the world. I am sure no devout mind will hear of these things without having his gratitude to God increased, his love to Christ and His cause promoted, and his conviction in the truth of the promises strengthened. Applications for Missionaries are continually being received from every part of India; the desire of the Natives for religious instruction is increasing in every direction; and Christian England is called on by her sons and daughters residing in the East to listen to the cry of 216 THE LATE REV. C. A. A. LLOYD. those around them, who are earnest in their entreaties to be made acquainted with the glad tidings of salvation that have been preached and taught in this highly-favoured land for so many years. Oh, let not the cry of " Come over, and help us!" be made in vain! Let those who are able, give liberally of their substance; and let all unite in prayer at the throne of grace for an abundant out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on all Missionaries, and that the Lord of the harvest may raise up and send forth faithful labourers into His harvest, to gather in the elect from every part of the world. THE LATE REV. C. A. A. LLOYD. THE Church Missionary Society is full of labour: its objects are laboriously carried out abroad, and its means of usefulness are laboriously sustained at home. Many of our friends are little aware what a multitude of efforts is necessary to keep up interest, and to gather in the income of the Society-how many sermons are preached, how many meetings held, how many addresses delivered, how many kind friends use their influence, and willingly expend time and strength, that the Gospel of the Redeemer may be widely preached, and distant nations be gladdened with those tidings of great joy which are for all people. Nor is it merely expense and inconvenience and fatigue that are incurred: as abroad, so at home, health often suffers in this work. In many an earnest friend of the Society there is a secret wear and tear of constitution, and others see it, although he may be himself unconscious of it. And yet, if conscious of it, he would not wish it otherwise. It is his Lord's work, and on what could the energies of mind and body which he has given be so well bestowed? When anxious friends besought Paul not to go up to Jerusalem, his answer was, "What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." The deeply-lamented Clergyman whose name appears at the head of this article, the Rector of Whittington, Shropshire, was one whose influence and efforts were largely employed on behalf of the Church Missionary Society, so that he may truly be said to have been the parent of it in his own immediate neighbourhood. The two last sermons preached by him were in Whittington Church, on behalf of the Society, on Sunday, July the 13th. During the same week he presided at four Meetings. This unusual exertion and exposure to cold brought on, in the opinion of his medical adviser, abscess in the throat, and on Thursday, July 24, he entered into rest. We fully believe-in the language of his son, the Rev. Albany R. Lloyd, when communicating the painful event of his father's death-that "the Church Missionary Society never had a warmer friend." "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."-Rev. xiv. 13. NATIONAL FEASTS AND PROCESSIONS IN CHINA. THE Chinese have "gods many, and lords many," and of one true and eternal God are altogether ignorant. Although "the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handy-work," yet they have not "retained Him in their knowledge." Instead of Him in whom they "live, and move, and have their being," they have set up false gods without number, each of them having his own place, or season, or circumstance over which he is supposed to preside, and in which they believe him to have power. Thus, there are gods of the hills, of the rivers, and of the plains; gods of the spring, summer, &c.; of the thunder, rain, wind and clouds, &c. In honour of these deities, who are supposed to be capable of exercising over men a powerful influence for good or evil in matters connected with this present life, with which alone the Chinese concern themselves, these poor deluded people have many holidays, festivals, and processions. They are accompanied with theatrical exhibitions, raree-shows, and various kinds of low dissipation, in which the Chinese take pleasure. In one direction may be seen a company of fortune-tellers, with the sticks of fate; in another, tumblers, ball-throwers-amongst them one man balancing on his forehead a little building consisting of very many pieces of wood piled one on another. There are puppetshows around, to which the people crowd, the movements of the puppets being regulated by the combined music of a pair of cymbals, a drum, and a clarinet, all played by one performer, the hands and mouth being appropriated to the latter instrument, while the right foot beats the drum, and the cymbals respond to the movements of the left. Thus, on the occasion of these idolatrous ceremonies, business is exchanged for pleasure; and, amidst pleasure and business, life is passed in utter forgetfulness of death and eternity. The welcoming of spring, of which we have given an engraving, is one of the most singular of these national processions, and is thus described by our Missionary at Ningpo, the Rev. R. H. Cobbold Feb. 4, 1851 Tuesday, 1st Moon, 4th day-To-day was the commencement and welcoming-in of spring; and as we have before, from various reasons, always missed seeing this ceremony, we were glad to have a good opportunity of seeing it to-day. We started at about ten o'clock for the larger Parade-ground, situated across the Bridge of boats, about two miles from our house. Immediately on leaving our house, we met a shabby procession, whose destination was the same as our own: it had the usual accompaniment of the dragon; and some very plain, and very dirty children, daubed with patches of paint, were borne along on stages. The most interesting part was, that in front of all were borne various kinds of grain and pulse, and cotton, representing the commodities on which this people depend for their food and clothing. One could but sigh to think that the gracious Giver of these bounties should yet be so unknown. Taking our way through the city by the less thronged streets, we arrived on the ground before the procession, and went at once to the temple of the "divine husbandman," situated at the back of the ground. Here we found that the district officers, with the exception of the chief, |