438 MISSIONARY OBSERVER. after them demanding the pice which should be given if they had partaken willingly. This is Hindoo testimony not Christian-and I make no remark. The latter paper, reporting a statement made by a bishop in China, to the effect that many Chinese refuse to listen to Christianity because it is introduced by the race who introduced opium, says that, whether in China or elsewhere, Christianity will not recommend itself unless those who introduce it-the Englishrecommend it by their life and practices. Idolatry will make use of any and every weapon, but it is sad that the practices of Englishmen should furnish such weapons, and thus hinder the gospel. The opium question is a vexed and difficnlt one, as those who read both sides of the matter know well, but we should indeed be grateful if the present government would face the question honestly and fairly, placing all other interests in subserviency to the moral one. This will probably involve present monetary loss, and it may require not a little consideration and forethought to adjust the matter of Indian income, but we cannot help but feel that if an honest and candid attempt were made to overcome the difficulty, placing moral considerations above all others, it would eventually be overcome. Possibly there may be insincerity on the part of China, and she may cultivate the poppy largely, and even consume as much as now, after we have ceased to deal in it, but this possibility-possibility, not certainty - will only have weight with those who do not make the moral question paramount. It is not a question whether the Chinese shall consume opium, but whether we shall induce them to consume it, and make gain of the consumption. I have seen enough in India already to convince me of its stupefying and vicious effects. All honour to the nobleman who upheld by the inspirer of all good actions, shall carry this matter through to the devoutlyto-be-wished-for consummation. The Central Provinces of India. IN the Observer for October we gave some notes of a tour in the Central Provinces of India by our devoted brother Pike. In continuing the same Mr. Pike writes: SUADI is the name of the principal town in Gangpur, and it is here the rajah resides. He was not at home, having gone to be present at a durbar, at which the question of the new railway was to be ventilated. The rajah is building a very substantial house, or rather palace, for himself, and his poor subjects are groaning beneath the burden. First he makes them collect and burn all the limestone for mortar, and make all the bricks; then he makes them give all the labour they possibly can; and then lastly he comes upon each village with a money tax to pay the masons, whom he brings from Sambalpur. We had a good reception from the people, and again disposed of a great number of books. We now turned our faces in earnest towards Bamra. PROOFS OF EARNESTNESS. At a village named Manjapara the people were so thoroughly interested with what they heard that they hardly gave me time to swallow down my breakfast, and were with me the whole day. In the evening I started off to another village near, and on my return was somewhat tired and quite ready for bed. But the people would not let me off so easily. They crowded into my tent, and there we sat talking on the one great theme-God's love for sinners-till midnight, when they took a reluctant leave; and tired in the good work, but not of it, I fell asleep. ONE OF A SORT. The next day found us at Sanspur market, and my first purchaser was a man who wanted to know all about our religion, and so he said, putting down a rupee, "Give me one book of each sort that you have, or at least as many as that will buy." You may be sure we gave him full value for his money. We now returned to the first of the four markets referred to before, and I determined they should be visited a second time; so I sent the colporteur, Muni Swaye, to the other markets, whilst Bala Krishna and I went over new ground. At Malidhi, a Kumipatia came to me THE CENTRAL PROVINCES OF INDIA. for conversation-his mind was evidently not at rest he wanted more than the knowledge of one God whose glory is indescribable-even the knowledge of a Saviour, and this he had not got. He took a book home with him, and I believe he will carefully study it. A bear was killed by a villager close to our camp, and a few days after a second, which was brought to me for sale. We went on after the market to A VILLAGE in the midst of the jungles, named Mohulpali. The region was very wild; we constantly came upon traces of elkdeer, porcupine, bear, tiger, &c., and the very day we were there a leopard took a calf at four o'clock in the afternoon. This was quite near to us, and I afterwards saw the dead body of the calf. TREES MARRIED. We found the people very simple, hospitable, and withal superstitious. Noticing a garland and kind of leaf crown on most of the trees around our tent, we asked what it meant, and were told that the trees had recently been married. I have reason to believe this was a happy expedient hit upon by the brahmins for extracting a "feed" from the villagers. Passing again through Kuchinda on our way down, we came to Kata Kella market; here a "mother" of the Bamra rajah bought many books. We were now again on the (Bamra) king's high road, and had three days of jungle travelling, with no incidents of interest to record. BAMRA GADA, or Forts. At length we reached the rajah's place, but were disappointed to find that the rajah was not at home. He had been expecting us a fortnight before, but had given us up, and had had two tents pitched for our reception This rajah is far ahead of most of his brethren. The roads about his place were in beautiful order, and the whole place neat and clean. His palace and Kacheri, or hall of justice, were quite out of the ordinary, and the pile of white buildings, backed by a semicircle of rough bleak hills, made quite a striking picture. A waterfall which passes through a cleft in one of these hills supplies plenty of water, even in the hottest months, for all the rajah's gardens and plantations, of which he has several. On a closer inspection of the buildings one was struck with the 439 singular mixture of Eastern and Western ideas and tastes. We left a copy of each of our large books for the rajah, and gave some also to his son, a boy of about ten years. The little fellow was not quite satisfied, and bought a few pice worth of controversial tracts, which we had thought it best not to give. We sold nearly six rupees worth of books here. A ROUGH EXPERIENCE. We left Bamra on Saturday afternoon when a storm burst upon us such a storm of rain and hail as is rarely seen except in tropical lands-a refuge was near, we were told, and so it was, not more than a quarter of a mile off, but a quarter of a mile in such rain, it might as well have been ten miles, we were simply as if we had been dipped in a pond. However, when we reached the refuge, I was able to get at a top coat, and so when the clouds cleared we went on and reached our destination at dusk. To put up the tent was now out of the question-providentially there was а shed in the village which was watertight, and there we camped, servants, Kols, and all. It was rather close quarters, though it was rather jolly, too, after the exposure to lie on my bed and watch the progress of the cook as he got my dinner ready over a blazing fire a few feet off. "THE EIGHT VILLAGES." We now passed southward through a most beautiful valley with high hills and jungles on either hand; it is called Athpada, or eight villages, but I should think at the present time there must be double the number. We went through this valley very slowly, for the people were more than usually interested, and hereto for the first time we sold several large books to brahmins. It is rarely they will spend a pice on a book; but at one village named Midnapoor, a brahmin gave five annas, and at another called Komaloi, another brahmin gave six annas for books. We sold on this journey altogether upwards of sixty-two rupees worth of books! Our faces were now homeward, and as it was beginning to get very hot, I thought it only prudent to hasten home, very thankful that I had been permitted to carry the "glad tidings" over so much new ground, and yet not a little saddened at the extent of the field and the fewness of the labourers. "Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest that He will thrust forth more labourers into His harvest." Sambalpur Book Room and Preaching Stations. THE following is a copy of a circular printed in India. It will explain itself, and show that our brethren are endeavouring to help themselves. Contributions from friends moved to assist in the good work will be thankfully received by the Secretary. DEAR FRIENDS,-To you who love the Lord Jesus, and desire to see His kingdom established in this land, we address ourselves, and would earnestly invite your co-operation for the furtherance of a project we have in hand. It is now three years since we adopted a systematic plan of daily work in the town and neighbouring villages, teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord. Except when absent from the station, this has been persistently carried out, and we have long felt the necessity of having a building as an auxiliary to our street work and house to house visitation. There is no need to mention the many ways in which this would be a help to the work. Waiting on the Lord, and watching our opportunity, we have, in spite of many adversaries, just succeeded in securing a capital site at a cost of 600 rupees. It is in the main bazaar, and fronts the most frequented spot in the town, an open space where the three principal roads meet, and where a small market is held morning and evening. For advantages of situation, if we had had the pick of the town, we could not have selected a better place. We now need money to enable us to build, and adapt it to our work, and so we appeal to you. Confidently anticipating a cordial response, we go on to mention that our project includes another and smaller venture. In order to meet the people at every turn we have secured another plot of land at the other end of the town, and intend to erect a small building here also. The site is a small one, but it is situated at the junction of four roads; and while already a well frequented spot, it promises to become, through the growth of the town in this direction, almost as valuable a place for our purposes as the first. We have not yet made an estimate of the cost to be incurred in carrying out our plans, but we anticipate an expenditure of not less than 1,000 rupees, in addition to the purchase money of the first site, viz., 600 rupees. Having already expressed the confident anticipation we entertain of a cordial response to this appeal, it remains only to add that we shall be grateful to all who may extend a helping hand; and to remind those who serve the Lord Jesus that He who fails not to reward the cup of cold water in His name, will not forget to smile His approval of any who have a share in bringing the living water nigh to those who as yet know not the gift of God. We remain, yours affectionately in the Master's cause, (Signed) J. G. PIKE, SUMS RECEIVED OR PROMISED. per Rev. P. E. Heberlet Rev. W. Miller.. 50 0 0 F. Bond, Esq., (1st instalment) 25 0 0 Friends at Peterboro' per Miss Barrass 50 0 0 T. F. Mulholland E. C. Glazier, Esq. Contributions Received on account of the General Baptist Missionary Society from September 16th to October 15th, 1883. Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by W. B. BEMBRIDGE, Esq., Ripley, Derby, Treasurer; and by the Rev. W. HILL, Secretary, Mission House, 60, Wilson Street, Derby, from whom also Missionary Boxes, Collecting Books and Cards, may be obtained. MY DEAR FRIENDS, Farewell Words. I cannot take leave of this Editorial Chair, after enjoying your stimulating and cheering companionship for the long period of FOURTEEN YEARS, without some regret. Our fellowship has been a delight and an inspiration. We have, it is no presumption to say, helped one another in the highest work of life, by our communion in thought, and sympathy, and toil; and we look back on these years with unfeigned thankfulness to Him who has not failed to answer the first prayer we offered together in the dawning of 1870-“ Abide with us, O Lord, Abide." I have just read the "Prefatory Words" spoken on the occasion of our first march in this long pilgrimage; and I am a little, though not much, surprised at the bold challenge for the severest and frankest criticism, and the exalted standard stated and accepted for editing a magazine for a Christian church. But I may add that although the ideal has not been reached, the best strength and the most honest purpose have made some approximation towards it. Christ Jesus has been the motive and model of our work. The freshness and continuity of energy characteristic of the Great Divine Serial have been sought in a resolute and undespairing temper. Never have we forgotten that our chief business was to feed the whole moral and spiritual force of our churches, and to cleanse, enlarge, and utilize to the uttermost our organic life. Everything connected with the real welfare of our federation of churches, to free it from self-seeking, narrowness, and hardness, to inspire it with holy enthusiasm and lofty aims, has been strenuously sought for. We agreed at the outset that "we must aim high. Though failure trip us up at every step, and defeat swoop upon us as we sit down to the feast of success, yet the iron rule of perfection must hold its place, and not be lowered a single jot. The first and main duty of this Magazine is to serve Jesus Christ, and the pattern of such service is the ceaseless Serial of Divine Providence." We said we would regard "modern life as a circle of which Christ is still the living centre. Politics, Science, Philosophy, Churches, Creeds, Business, Home and Personal Questions, must all be brought to the judgment seat of the Son of God." I am glad in turning over these fourteen volumes to feel that we have sacrificed no truth manifestly His, abated no claim which He makes, shrunk from no work He has commanded, and have striven with a zeal He Himself has inspired to echo His thoughts, do His work, and breathe His kind and just, loving and righteous Spirit. Indeed that which is most cheering in the review of our work to-day is not the kindly appreciation of friends inside and beyond our bordersnot the increase of our literary area from thirty-two to forty pages per month-not even the cordial support rendered by the churches-(for all of which we are deeply thankful) but the spirit of love and hearty good will, of kindly appreciation of the best in men and in agencies, which He has breathed through the contributions to our pages. six minor rules we set up at the start we have been enabled to keep, and now we have our reward in the assurance that though speech has GENERAL BAPTIST MAGAZINE, DECEMBER, 1883.-VOL. LXXXV.-N. S., No. 168. The 442 FAREWELL WORDS. been free and frank, it has always been courteous; and whilst we have not stopped the play of satire and humour, we have never encouraged bitterness and personalities. To Him, who alone delivers us from evil, be all the praise. Letters, not a few, before me tell me that a word is necessary as to the reason of my retirement. Obviously all the readers of the Magazine are not at present readers of our Year Book. In my letter of the 30th May, 1883, to our Association, I said: "It has been my settled purpose for some years past to return to your hands, upon the completion of the fourteenth year of my service, the responsibility of editing our Magazine. "I have felt it a real privilege to be honoured with your confidence so long, and I wish to express the heartiest thanks for that generous, affectionate, and enthusiastic support, which has given the Magazine such 'free course,' and made it at once acceptable and useful. It will be one of the radiant memories of my life that you have afforded me so extended an opportunity of trying to be of some little use to the denomination in which I was born, whose vital convictions and aggressive activities I have so thoroughly shared, and whose welfare I most devoutly and earnestly seek. "As to my reasons for surrendering this work-a work whose importance I rate very highly indeed-I only need remind you that I am more than ever convinced of the necessity of nourishing and strengthening, in every way possible, our organic life. It is the supreme duty. But in a denomination like ours the opportunities of creating and feeding interest in our corporate work and devotion to our common aims are of necessity extremely few. Posts of public service are by no means numerous; and therefore I have steadfastly held the guiding principles (and, as is known, I have acted in keeping with them), that the monopoly of work by any one person is a grave mistake, and the employment of the young men of capacity and self-sacrifice amongst us in the offices and works of our Association is a primal necessity. "These reasons, to me invincible, are the only ones I have for asking you to entrust to other hands the direction of our denominational organ. My faith is undiminished in the immense competency of literature to aid our churches, to guide and solace our perplexed age, and to advance the kingdom of our Saviour and Master; and whilst my sympathy with Christians of every name was never more intense, my love for our simple, compact, true, progressive, and conspicuously scriptural society was never so strong as now.' Those reasons are my only ones, and they are as weighty with me as ever. And it is obvious from the fascinating programme already issued by the new Editors that I was right in my judgment and anticipations, and for them both in their new departure I pray from my heart— "The benedictions of these covering heavens Fall on their heads like dew." And for each, I will add in the language of the same unmatched singer"May he live Longer than I have time to tell his years! And to our churches all, may grace, mercy, and power be multiplied from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As ever, Yours in affectionate and willing service, |