Open Doors among the Castes of India
By S. N. Haskell
Open Doors among the Castes of India.
NO ONE method of missionary labor will fit all classes and castes of India, any more than any one method will fit all cases in the more enlightened countries. Some enter cities and openly preach the gospel of Christ, and baptize [sprinkle] them upon their confessing Christ instead of their idolatrous worship before they return home, claiming that this breaks them from their idolatrous worship, and gives access to their dwellings. It cannot be supposed that these individuals are converted, or at least but a small proportion of them, when they have thus confessed Christ. This course is severely criticised by the more cautious and careful missionaries. They do not think that such work contributes to the establishing of the kingdom of Christ; for it arouses but little opposition, and while it gathers a mass of nominal professors, the real possessors are said to be very few. The caste population of India, especially the females, are excluded from public gaze. Two methods are the principal means of reaching this class of people. First, by personal labor in their homes by lady missionaries. When they once have access to a family and they become interested, they are sent forth to gather others in, and the missionary meets with them regularly, adapting her teaching to the religious belief of her hearers. By constant labor, with the spirit of devotion and sacrifice, they become adept in this work of reaching souls. There are millions of homes in India which are thus reached, and there are thousands of laborers wanted to enter this work. The power of God is made manifest in the labors of such individuals who are thoroughly consecrated to God, and have given their lives to this kind of work. Their labors never become conspicuous, for the exclusiveness of the caste prevents it. It requires the greatest caution and wisdom on the part of the missionary to labor successfully; for a violation of their caste rules would nullify all the good she could accomplish. Said a missionary, "When I first begun to labor with them, I frequently destroyed all my influence upon them after making good impressions, by some act of kindness, as I supposed, on my part, in their behalf." At one time, after repeated visits to a very poor family, when she had created a favorable impression and thought they were about to yield their hearts to God, knowing that they were poor, and having a kettle of soup upon the fire, she thinking it was burning, the missionary, to do her a favor, stirred that which was in the kettle. As soon as she left, she noticed that this lady came to the door and threw it all out. She thought it must be because it had burned and was unfit for use; so on her way home she stopped at a shop, purchased more vegetables, and carried them with her own hands back to this lady, and gave them to her. By some means she learned a day or two after that she had had nothing to eat. Upon inquiry as to the cause, she found that uncaste hands had stirred the kettle and brought her provisions, which she would rather suffer great deprivation than use. Mrs. Badley, however, redeemed herself by sending her money, that she could purchase food for herself, and have it delivered by servants of her caste. Many amusing incidents are also related; but enough is said to illustrate the difficulties of laboring with this people. Would the reader say it was good enough for them, that they ought to learn better? To such we would say, they would better study carefully the eighth and ninth chapters of 1 Corinthians and learn the meaning of these words, "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." 1 Cor. 9: 22, 23. The following incident was related me by Mrs. Dr. Badley, of Lucknow, India. The circumstance transpired in that city. A missionary lady was laboring among certain secluded Mohammedan ladies. She was seeking to impress upon their minds that Christ had more power than Mahomet. To do this she read and commented upon the man who was born blind, and that the Saviour healed and forgave his sins; and the blind man thus was led to worship the Saviour. See John 9. She had no thought of conveying to her hearers the idea that the Saviour would restore the blind now, but that he was able to do this; and consequently he alone could forgive sins, and to lean upon any other support would prove a broken reed. Present at the interview was a lady who had lost her sight. She could only discern light from darkness, and had been told by eminent physicians that there was no hope for her only by a very painful operation, and then it was ten chances to one if she would not lose her sight altogether. Her desire for sight was so great that her heart was wrung with anguish at the thought that she would probably never again have her sight. The missionary woman took great interest in her case, and manifested much heart sympathy. The next time the missionary returned, she met her with a happy face, having the assurance of her Saviour's love, her countenance beaming with joy, and her sight had been restored. The following is the substance of the Mohammedan lady's own story. After you left the other day, I thought I would go to your Jesus and see what he would do for me. I purified a place and made ready, so that at the regular season of prayer (Mohammedans pray seven times a day) I told Jesus that the missionary woman had been here and she had said that he could forgive sins and restore the blind. I told him that the missionary woman said that he was in heaven, but that he looked down and saw us and pitied us and heard us pray just the same as though he was here upon the earth. I then told him that, as he was not here personally, I would make the clay and put it on my eyes, then I would go and wash and trust that he would heal my eyes. I went and washed and came seeing. My eyes are perfectly restored. "Now," said the poor woman, whose heart was swelling with gratitude and praise to Him who had not only healed her eyes but had forgiven her sins, "I shall hereafter believe on your Jesus." Are there any who would question the power of God in the conversion of this soul to Jesus Christ? Hundreds of young ladies are wanted to enter these secluded homes in India to-day, protected by the English Government, and administer consolation to not only such individuals, but to hundreds of thousands of Hindu widows, whose lives are made bitter by servitude and oppression, growing out of the accursed custom of caste. Are there not here open doors? Who is there that reads these lines that will not give himself to God and for the perishing souls in India?