WHAT THE CHURCHES ARE DOING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 15 April 1909, Page 4

WHAT THE CHURCHES ARE DOING.

SIR AXDIiEW FRASEB A.\"D INDIAN MISSIONS. The late Lieutenant.Governor . .if Bongal, speaking in London on his re. turn, from India, warned people iv England who wished to learn the truth about missions in India to "take heed whom ye hear." He said: "I have been 37 years a servant of the Crown in India. From a very early period of my service I was brought into con. tact with missionaries. I have been in the habit of visiting all educational institutions, and certainly not least, missionary institutions. It has been my duty as nn officer of the Govern, ment to know how they have been con. ducted. I have been a member for many yeara of a native congregation. I am a Presbyterian, and you know Prosbyterians 'sit under' their I clergy. I have long sat under a native pastor and for rome years in i Nagpur I was a member of the kirk session of that native congregation, iv which we had a native pastor. As an elder, I was bound to meet with the other elders and discuss all the affairs of the congregation. All of them ex. eept one, who was a missionary, were Indians; not only so_ but the eongrega. tion was divided up into districts, each of which was handed over to two elders. My colleague was an Indian, and I visited from house to house with him and became acquainted with the Christians of the congregation along with him. I have served in two pro. vinces and I have known as many missionaries as possible in both. I have gone in commissions under Go. vernmont over the whole of India, and visited every province of India, nnd many native' States, and in every placo I have become acquainted with the missionaries. I claim for a layman an exceptional right to speak in re. gard to missions. I throw myself with all my weight into the class of witnesses who come to speak with thankfulness to God of what they have s.mmi in tho past, and hopefulness in regard to the future." Sir Andrew rrferivd impressively to the gravo danger which is felt by oarneM {liiulus and Mohammedans, as well as by Christians, of giving the people of India an education and at the same time shaking their faith, without giving them anything in its place. With, regard to the teaching of religion, he «aid: "We cannot do it a-j a Govern, ment. We must do it as a Church.''