}tjj!ili!li-!;i;i;i!r! Among Indi ENTS I lfr[U]?atl|pb bg J|tm tn tl^f ffiltbrarg of Pnnrrton JUIjffllngiral ^^mtnaru BV 3265 .W5 1899 Wilder, Robert Parmelee, 1863-1938. Among India's students Among India's Students a. v^~ / Robert P. Wilder, M. A. " In Him wat life; and the life was the light of men." New York Chicago Toronto Fleming H. Revell Company Publishers of Evangelical Literature Copyright, 1899 by FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY Preface To the student, India represents a wealth of philology and a maze of philosophical systems. To the statesman, India is a nerve centre of the world. '' The true fulcrum of Asiatic domin- ion," says Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, "seems to me to increasingly lie in the Empire of Hindustan. The independence of Afghanistan, the continued national existence of Persia, the maintenance of Turkish rule in Bagdad are one and all dependent upon Calcutta. Nay, the radiating circle of her influence overlaps the ad- joining continent and affects alike the fate of the Bosphorus and the destinies of Egypt." To the statistician, India means one-fifth of the inhabitants of the globe, for the Bombay Presi- dency has the population of Spain, Holland and Norway ; the entire population of Brazil can be accommodated in the Central Provinces ; the Ma- dras Presidency and its native states have within them more people than there are in Great Britain and Ireland ; the inhabitants of Sindh and the Punjab equal those of Austria ; the population of the German Empire can be placed in the North- west Provinces and Oudh ; and Bengal has within it as many people as there are in the United States of America. To the ethnologist, India means thirteen races, from the Aryo-Indic to the Dravidian, speaking ninety languages and dialects and divided into eight religions. But to the Christian, India is the court guarded by ''the strong man fully armed." It is the 6 PREFACE place of opportunity, since it is under a Christian government which guarantees rights of residence, freedom of speech and protection from violence. It is also the place of responsibility because it is in the state of transition and will adopt western civilization without western Christianity unless the Church of Christ move forward more rapidly. We have been urged for several months to publish this little book as a testimony to the im- portance and difficulty of reaching India's edu- cated classes who are the ones best able to help or hinder the evangelization of that great Empire ; and as an evidence of the necessity of employing personal interviews to win them to Christ. We believe that this volume will show that the worker among these students does not need to at- tempt to settle the metaphysical difficulties of these young men, but can accomplish the most by a simple and direct presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus. We hope that the pages which follow will elicit more thoughtful and persevering prayer for In- dia's educated classes, who will not receive the Gospel unless * the Lord open their hearts to give heed unto the things spoken.' R. P. W. 3 West Twenty-ninth Street, New York City. June lo, 1899. Contents I. The Student Field • 9 II. Hinduism .... • 15 III. The Work and the Worker . 21 IV. The Unconvinced . 26 V. The Convinced 35 VI. In the Districts 50 VII. A Stronghold of Brahmanism 54 VIII. Methods of Opposition . 61 IX. Trials 68 X. Joys 72 Glossary 79 Among India's Students THE STUDENT FIELD There are 30,000 students in colleges which grant the degree of Bachelor of Arts, or some other professional degree, and 70,000 in the two upper classes in the high schools. The number is increasing. During the ten years from 1873 to 1883, 23,472 passed the entrance examinations and 2,391 obtained the B. A. degree, and from 1881 to 1891, 41,467 passed the entrance exami- nations and 7,159 obtained the B. A. degree. It is estimated that there are now at least 3,000,- 000 English-speaking natives in India. India has five universities, modelled after the University of London. These universities are merely examining bodies and though not them- selves places of instruction, determine in a high degree the courses of study in the colleges. The largest of these universities is in Calcutta, the capital of the Empire, where there are twenty-four colleges and seventy-four high schools. This university examines over 10,000 students an- nually. To the number of actual students in Calcutta should be added at least 30,000 more who have been students ; many of whom are now employed in Government offices or in business. Next to Calcutta in the order of importance as an educational centre stands Madras, then Bombay, Lahore, and Allahabad. In addition to these 9 lo AMONG India's students university centres there are many cities containing colleges of a high grade such as Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Poona, Nagpur, Bangalore, et al. I. Influence of Students upon the Na- tional Life. — We doubt if in any other country in the world the educated classes wield a mightier influence over the masses than in India. First, because the majority of the students belong to the higher castes who would be influential even if illiterate. In South India out of a total of 3,366 students in Arts Colleges, 2,325 are Brahmans. Out of 667 graduates in law, 495 are Brahmans. In professional colleges, out of 984 students, 680 are Brahmans. There are four times as many Brahman as non-Brahman graduates from the Madras University, though the Brahman popula- tion is not one-fifth the entire population. Sec- ondly, these Brahman students are taught western science and philosophy; hence they exert a pow- erful influence upon the masses of whom only one in nineteen can read or write. Thus educated Brahmans possess the aristocracy of birth and the aristocracy of learning. They occupy govern- ment positions. They know the language and literature of India's rulers. They are the recog- nized leaders. If these men are Theists, Intui- tionists, Transcendentalists, Agnostics, and The- osophists, what can we expect of their followers ? 2. Their Moral and Religious Condition. — In considering this subject our thoughts shall be centred upon the Hindus, since of the students in colleges only seven per cent, are Mohamme- dans. It should, however, be stated that in the Punjab, Mohammedans have advanced in educa- tion more rapidly than Hindus. But regarding India as a whole, the large majority of the students are Hindus. An educator in Western India dwelt in glowing terms upon the rapid progress of education. In 1852 there was only one school in THE STUDENT FIELD II his city of 44,000 inhabitants. There are now several high schools and a college in the city, also hundreds of schools in that district. After con- gratulating him upon the intellectual progress of his people, I asked about the moral condition of the educated youth. With downcast face he replied : '< Sad, very sad. They have lost faith in Hindu- ism, and they have lost respect for their parents and teachers." Recently there appeared in the Indian Mirror a series of articles in which the students of India were compared with those of Great Britain. The following passage will show what a Hindu thinks upon this subject : ** Un- disciplined, pert, given to levity and ribald con- versation, irreverent, irrepressible, self-assertive, our present-day students are certainly not what they should be, nor are they the future hope of the country. Honest folk positively dread to send their boys to public schools for fear of the con- tamination, physical and moral, to which the lads will be exposed. . . . The blame for what we see should be laid to the account less of the students than of their parents or preceptors. . . . Passing an university examination seems to be the aim and end of all our regard for our boys. . . . It is the healthy home influences, and the educa- tion he has received in the public schools and colleges that has built up the Englishman's proud and uncompromising character. From early youth he has been taught to believe in the national religion, in the greatness of his country, in its laws and institutions ; but, above all, he has been taught to believe in his own capacity for infinite development." Religiously the educated classes fall into three broad divisions : First, The majority are indifferent. This indif- ference is due to distrust of all religions because they have learned to distrust Hinduism ; or to ig- 12 AMONG INDIA'S STUDENTS norance of the Christian faith ; or to lack of time for investigating the claims of the various religions. Many are at heart far away from the faith of their fathers, yet they cling to Hinduism as a social system, even though religiously it has no com- mand over their reason or conscience. These are adrift on the sea of agnosticism. Secondly, Those who are hostile to Christian- ity. This hostility is due in many cases to a false patriotism, in others to pride. It is humiliating to abandon so ancient a religion for one that they regard as modern, and as the religion of their conquerors. These men try to lead India back to the Vedic faith. We find them attempting to start a medical school according to the old Hindu Vaidya shastras, and to give medical degrees, such as the '^Vaidya" and ''Vaidya Raj." They try to foster a superstitious regard for the old Indian Rishis, and are zealous in upholding Hindu festivals. They also defend idolatry. An honorable LL. B. of the University of Bombay recently published the following in a leading paper: ''We are not one of those who view image worship as a gross superstition, and who want to sweep idolatry from off the face of this country. . . . Idolatry is the principal form of worship which can be followed by the generality of the people, and it is simply madness to say that there is something immoral or absurd in worshipping an image of clay." These men op- pose not only religious reform, they are equally bitter against social reform. Their opposition is due in many cases to partial, or distorted views of Christianity. In government, Hindu, and Mo- hammedan colleges they have no opportunity to learn what Christianity really is, and the lives of most Europeans do not commend the gospel to them. The opposition is also due to the impetus given recently in western lands to the study of THE STUDENT FIELD 1 3 Hinduism. They interpret this to imply that European savants beheve in the religious excel- lence of the Hindu shastras. Thirdly, The seekers after truth. This is the smallest class. These men are musing over their own needs and India's degradation. Some try pilgrimages and penances. Some seek satisfac- tion from Vedic and Philosophic literature. Some join the Reform movements such as the Brahmo Somaj and the Prathana Somaj. They advocate social as well as religious reform. At the National Social Conference in Calcutta, one said, *'The shastras are very good in their way, but we are now in the nineteenth century. As the age has changed, we should keep pace with the times." Another remarked, " They must rise above preju- dice, and cast aside fetters placed on them by the Brahman legislators of old. " They protest against such Hindu marriage scandals as men of sixty marrying girls of nine and ten years old. They revolt against priestly chicanery. One writes, ''What is the standard of character one expects in a priest? None, absolutely none. So far from the priests having to mend our lives, we have to mend them first, or to end them." One of this class had thrown away his sacred thread, and wandered without a religion for four years. When I first knew him, he was living with a Brahmo, but he gave up the Brahmo Somaj, and was drifting away from Hinduism and Brahmo- ism ; but he was willing to read the Bible and to attend church. Many of these seekers would find the Saviour, if the truth were presented to them fully, constantly, and in the power of the Spirit. But unfortunately there are as yet very few Christian evangelists devoting their entire time to this class. The teaching they receive in government and Hindu colleges, and the books they read in the bazaars and in the lodging- 14 AMOMG INDIA S STUDENTS houses, shake their faith and sear their con- sciences. Since they know Enghsh, all the infidel and immoral literature of Europe and America is accessible to them. Some of these seekers place Christ on the same platform as Krishna. Others regard Jesus as superior to all teachers and in- carnations but not as divine. Some are convinced of His divinity, but conceal their convictions through fear of consequences, since they know- that a public confession of Christ by baptism means loss of position, property and relatives. Some are baptized, in the Bombay Presidency there are twenty-one colleges and professional schools. Of these only one is under Protestant Christian control. Of the i86 professors in these institutions, only forty-four are Christians. A yet more significant fact is that of the 3,189 students only thirty-five are Protestant Christians. In nineteen of these institutions there is no Christian work done. One of the two remaining is Roman Catholic. In seventy-six High Schools of the Presidency there are 6,394 scholars in the two upper classes. Of these only eighty-five are Christians. II HINDUISM What is Hinduism? A Brahman attempted to give me a definition, but before he completed his statement another Brahman contradicted him. It is easier to state what Hinduism is not than what it is. It is the residuum left after ehminat- ing Sikhism, Jainism, Islamism, and other reli- gions of India. Its main characteristics are the recognition of caste and the authority of the Brah- man priesthood. It includes a quasi-monotheism, pantheism, polytheism, polydemonism, and athe- ism. An authority on India, Sir Alfred Lyall, has said: **The Hindu religion is a religious chaos. It is like a troubled sea without shore or visible horizon, driven to and fro by the winds of boundless credulity and grotesque invention." 1. Its Antiquity. Two thousand years ago, India had a civilization of a high order. The Rig Veda is said to date from near the time of Moses. Hinduism has grown through thousands of years into the habits and customs of the peo- ple ; and in India custom is king. 2. Its Elasticity. A Hindu may believe anything or nothing, provided he conforms to the rules of caste, and venerates the Brahmans. **Jathey bhava thathey deva " — ''Where your faith is, there is God," is his cry. Like a rubber ball, Hinduism receives all impressions, and soon reverts to its former shape. M. Barth's statement is just : ''Among all the kindred con- ceptions that we meet with, there is not another which has shown itself so vigorous, so flexible, so apt as this to assume the most diverse forms and 15 1 6 AMONG India's students so dexterous in reconciling all extremes, from the most refined idealism to the grossest idolatry; none has succeeded so well in repairing its losses; no one has possessed in such a high degree the power of producing and reproducing new sects, even great religions ; and of resisting by perpetual regenesis in this way from itself all the causes that might destroy it, at once those due to internal waste, and those due to external opposition." Compromise is its cry, and it com- promises by including all rivals within itself. It could absorb Christianity if Christians would con- sent to form a subcaste by themselves and pay homage to the Brahmans. 3. Its Solidity. Five hundred years before Christ a mighty upheaval occurred in the silent waters of Hinduism and the island of Buddhism was the result. For centuries the religion of Sakya-Muni was powerful in India. Political prestige and a popular ethical code were on its side. But steadily Hinduism undermined it until Buddhism crumbled away and disappeared from India. Where it once towered aloft we see noth- ing save the stagnant waters of Hinduism. There are only 300,000 Buddhists in all India. Later Mohammedanism overran India, but Hinduism has checked it by the sheer force of inertia. All-conquering Islam is practically effete in India. The power of Hinduism is seen in the caste sys- tem among many Mohammedans. Often where Hinduism and Islam exist in numerical equality side by side, the Brahman officiates at all family ceremonial and *' the convert to Mohammedanism observes the feasts of both religions and the fasts of neither." This Goliath of Hinduism has suc- cessfully defied both Buddhism and Mohammed- anism — two of the greatest missionary religions of the world. To-day it defies the armies of the living God. HINDUISM 17 4. Its Fruits. (i) The Intellectual Fruits. Is not Hinduism unreasonable, since it includes within it pantheism, polytheism, and atheism ? Pantheism denies the personality of God and the responsibility of man. The doctrine of Maya deprives human thought of all validity. " We can neither know that absolute One while compassed with mind, nor seek after it." The Vedanta says of the Absolute, ''From whom words turn back together with the mind not reaching him." ''The eye goes not thither, nor speech, nor mind. Not this. Not this." Polytheism also is unreasonable. How can a thinking man believe that the world is governed by many gods presiding over different parts of nature, and fighting against each other? How can he place confidence in a religion which has a pantheon consisting of 330,000,000 idols and idol symbols? Daily he hears bells rung to arouse the deity from its slumbers, and he sees the inanimate god bathed and fed. He also wit- nesses the worship of animate things such as ser- pents, monkeys, cows, and elephants. " Should we believe or think?" said a Brahman to me. The question w^as pertinent in view of the unrea- sonableness of Hinduism. Have the naasses been immersed in ignorance in order that they may blindly believe and not think? One may not teach a Sudra, "for he who tells him the law or enjoins upon him observances, he indeed together with that Sudra sinks into the darkness of the hell called asamvratta (unbounded)." So say the Hindu "divine" laws. What then is the men- tal condition of India's millions? Only one in nineteen can read or write. Of the 140,500,000 women only 543,495 are classed as literate. Even the languages of India feel the effects of Hindu- ism. One of the leading vernaculars has no word for person, no one word for chastity, as 1 8 AMONG INDIA S STUDENTS applied to men, and no adequate word for con- science. (2) The Physical Fruits of Hinduism. The poverty of the people is due largely to astrolog- ical superstition. The declaration of certain days as unlucky interferes with business enterprise. Caste also has crippled commercial progress. The Hindu law says, ''An accumulation of wealth should not be made by a Sudra, even if he is able to do so." ''A Brahman may take pos- session of the goods of a Sudra with perfect peace of mind, for, since nothing at all belongs to this Sudra as his own, he is one whose property may be taken away by his master. ' ' But British law has made Hindu lav/ a dead letter ; and such effects of Hinduism as human sacrifice, infanti- cide and suttee are no longer allowed by the British government. We should not forget how- ever that within a period of four months in the year 1824, 115 widows were burned alive in the neighborhood of Calcutta. Previous to 1837, about 150 human sacrifices were annually offered in Goomsur. Villages near the city of my birth were ' scoured by the emissaries of the Hindu queen to seize girls to be offered as sacrifices on the altars of the goddess Kali. In Kattiawar and Kutch, 3,000 girl babies were murdered yearly. To-day we see the sad effects of the system as we study the condition of the 22,657,429 widows — 13,878 of whom are said to be under four years of age ; and also as we consider the death rate which is nearly double that of England. Periodic famines and the fevers and the density of the pop- ulation are not the only causes to make the average duration of life only twenty-four years in India, against nearly forty-four in England. Twenty- six per cent, of the children die before they reach the age of one year. In England only 15.6 is the rule. Caste feeling leads the people to pro- HINDUISM 19 test against sanitary measures and segregation hospitals. Much of the mortality in plague and famine districts is due to caste, which is the key- stone to the arch of Hinduism. Rajah Sir Ma- dava Row has well said: "There is no com- munity on the face of the earth which suffers less from political evils and more from self-inflicted, or self-accepted, or self-created, and therefore avoid- able evils than the Hindu community." (3) The Moral Effects of Hinduism. << A re- ligion which does not inspire its followers with a love of justice and devotion to truth is even worse than no religion ; and therefore purification of re- ligion is necessary." These are the words of a prominent Brahman in Western India. We gladly admit that there are gems of truth and beauty in some of the sacred books of India. But we are not considering isolated truths in Hindu philoso- phy and poetry, but Hinduism as it exists to-day. Leading Hindus tell us, " The Upanishads do not form any part of the religion of the Hindus as it is found in their everyday life. In actual prac- tice they are either Sivaites, or Saktas, or Krishna worshippers. In fact, abomination worship is the main ingredient of modern Hinduism." Krishna is the most popular of the Hindu gods. His lying, thieving, and immoralities are admitted by the masses. ''Yatha devah, thatha bhakta " — ** As is the god so is the worshipper," is a saying commonly uttered in India. Its truth is proved t)y the immoralities practiced in Hindu temples. The dancing girls of Orissa memorialized the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal "that their exist- ence is so related to the Hindu religion that its ceremonies cannot be fully performed without them." These poor women are monuments to the moral depravity of Hinduism. The Indian Penal Code of the British government states that any public exhibition of obscenity is liable to fine and 20 AMONG India's students imprisonment with the following exception: ''This section does not extend to any representa tion ... on or in any temple, or in any car used for the conveyance of idols, or kept or used for any religious purpose." So, according to Hindu- ism, that is religiously right which is morally wrong. The Hindu religion permits in its tem- ples that which the government cannot allow in the streets. (4) Its Spiritual Fruits. A Hindu says, "A sublime, inactive philosophy too long has had the sway over us, and we have seen the result. Any effort to renovate India through its sole agency is doomed to a certain failure. ' ' What has that phi- losophy accomplished ? It has led men to doubt God's personality and to deny their own responsi- bility. Sin in India is ceremonial defilement, not moral or spiritual defilement. "God must be both good and evil," said a Brahman to me. Salvation means passing through a cycle of exist- ences until one's identity is lost in deity. A woman's goal in life is to live so well that she may in the next life be a man. A man's ambition is to make so much merit that he may be born into a higher caste. A religion with defective ethics can have no spiritual uplift. Ill THE WORK AND THE WORKER Experience has demonstrated that an excellent method of reaching the student class is by means of lectures delivered both in and out of doors. On every day, or every other day, a period is set apart by each mission college for Bible instruction. In addition, other lectures are delivered in college halls and other buildings at stated intervals. A most interesting work out of doors is done in Beadan Square and in College Square, Calcutta. In the former square the Free Church of Scotland work- ers have labored about eighteen years ; and here one may find every Sunday afternoon about 200 English-speaking men listening to the Gospel. The College Square gatherings are not so old ; but the work done in this Square by the Young Men's Christian Association is a most important one, since many men from non-Christian colleges are regularly assembled. I myself employed this most practical method during the period of resi- dence in Calcutta. The pen is a mighty instrument in evangeliza- tion. Literature of the right kind is a powerful agency. India offers a great field for usefulness to a Christian man or woman possessing literary talent. Many tracts and papers handed me for circulation I have hidden out of sight ; because they either approach the Hindu from a European standpoint, or contain incidents and illustrations which he could not possibly appreciate, owing to his education and environment. There is now pressing need for literature written by men who are in touch with the educated classes. Reprints 21 2 2 AMONG India's students from Europe and America do not meet the case. It is my purpose to employ this method more than I have done hitherto, having been especially urged to prepare papers for educated Hindus. Educated men can be reached in their homes, or in their lodging-houses. Sometimes one does not receive a hearty welcome ; on other occasions he is overwhelmed with kindness. On one occasion, I addressed twenty students in a lodging-house for an hour and a half. Their attention was splendid. Several questions were asked me in a friendly spirit. Later I was es- corted to a room and seated before a table of mangoes, guavas, plantains, confectionery and soda water. I was driven at their expense to and from the lodging-house. They even paid the gharry fare. It was useless to remonstrate, for they would show their gratitude. In my judgment the most important method of all in reaching students is by means of private interviews in the worker's home. There are several advantages in this method. In the first place, quiet. In the Hindu home, or in the lodging-house, it is almost impossible to have an uninterrupted interview. In the second place, in one's home one has no fear of spies. When Jesus said to the first two disciples, "What seek ye?" They replied, ''Rabbi, where abidest thou?" ''Men are coming and going ; we long for the quiet and privacy of thy booth." Christ respected their reserve and invited them to his dwelling-place, and in the twilight of that wonderful evening they opened to him their hearts and he revealed to them himself as the Messiah. Nicodemus, also, it will be remembered, came to Jesus by night. Let us remem])er that John, Andrew and Nicode- mus were men ; these students are lads. How much stronger the argument for privacy for them. THE WORK AND THE WORKER 23 The students discuss the rehgion of the foreigner — the rehgion which, if embraced, will make them outcasts. Do we not clearly see the advantages of privacy? One of my inquirers told me that he had called before, but found that I was reading with another student and did not wish to inter- rupt. This statement suggested the gain of taking men one at a time. Another interesting case is in point here. One day five men came to see me at the same time. We studied together the res- urrection of Jesus. One of the men was foolishly argumentative. I had known him well for several months, during which time he had read with me all of St. John's Gospel with the exception of one chapter. When alone we had most earnest and helpful talks together ; but when others were in the room he changed his attitude radically. In the third place, in one's own house helps are near at hand ; books of reference are within reach to meet any inquiries or difficulties. What is required of the worker ? — My ex- perience has been limited ; hence it is with some hesitation that one so young in the work offers suggestions upon this subject. The paramount importance of the theme is my excuse. The re- quirements are — First, Accessibility. If the student comes two or three times and finds the worker absent, he may never come again. Set hours are not enough. Students will not always remember hours. They wish to come when they feel inclined. I began by naming hours ; but later men found the doors open all day. They have come as early as 6:30 A. M. and as late as 9 p. m. Between ten and two few students ever came ; but this is the time for graduates who are men of leisure. Hence it seems to be of importance that two should work together. While one is delivering a lecture, or visiting a student lodging-house, the other can 24 AMONG India's students remain at home to receive visitors. Frequently I have been prevented from delivering lectures for fear lest I should miss men who seek personal interviews. For these and other reasons, since leaving Calcutta, Mr. Max Wood Moorhead of New York City has been cooperating with me. Secondly, Time. It takes time to deal with men ; for personal interviews cannot be rushed through. Thirdly, Sympathy. It is all important that men be won and held. Formality, impatience, irritability, ridicule, or unfairness in argument are most disastrous in effect ; and any one of them will defeat the end. I know, personally, an in- telligent and open-hearted student who said he was alienated by some missionaries because of their unfairness in argument. Fourthly, Knowledge, — not only of Hinduism, Mohammedanism, Brahmoism, and all phases of modern unbelief; but also, and I might add chiefly, knowledge of the Bible. Once Hebrew was of use to me when a Mohammedan Cadi ex- pressed a wish to refute my arguments in the original. On handing him the Hebrew Old Tes- tament, I discovered that he actually knew less than my little ; for he did not know a word of Hebrew ! I had hoped to make use of my knowl- edge of Sanscrit. To my surprise, few students whom I have known have even a rudimentary knowledge of their sacred language; and it is difficult to find among them a thorough Sanscrit scholar. My hand illuminated text of the Bhaga- vad Gita gathered dust on the shelf where it lay. Before sailing from America I made a study of Hinduism. Imagine my surprise to hear a col- lege student say, '* We cannot talk with you about Hinduism until we have studied it ! " I did not waste my precious time teaching him Hinduism ; but I preached Christ. I would not THE WORK AND THE WORKER 25 be understood as underrating the value of a care- ful study of Indian classics and Oriental religions. All knowledge is useful. My little knowledge of Hinduism and philosophy, I use to silence oppo- sition. There is one line of argument which I always employ to clear away the misapprehension that Krishna is equal to Christ ! If a worker knows his Bible, he will secure interviews. A student said to a missionary, '^ Your explanation of John i. 1-14 was satisfactory; for this reason I have decided to study the Bible with you. Many have tried to explain the meaning of that passage, but yours is the only satisfactory explana- tion." The one who can interpret the Scriptures most lucidly and forcibly will be most success- ful among these men. " The opening of God's word giveth light." Fifthly, The Power of the Spirit. In speak- ing of a missionary, a Hindu student said, '* He has got something. I see it in his face. I am willing to become a stone if I can get that." If we are fully saved, men will find it out. If we have full buckets, some will come and drink the water of life. A present salvation appeals to them, salvation from the power of sin as well as from its penalty. An old Babu said to me, *' Christ and Krishna are the same." I replied, *' Has Krishna saved you? " ''No," he answered. The only hope of reaching such a man is to demonstrate by our lives and language that Jesus has saved us, and is keeping us from sin. IV THE UNCONVINCED During a period of seven and a half months I had 854 interviews in my house in Calcutta; forty-three of this number were with Christians. Men from the following colleges called to see me : the General Assembly of Scotland's Institution, the Free Church of Scotland's Institution, the London Mission College, the City College (Brahmo), the Presidency College (Government), the Ripon College (Hindu), the Metropolitan Institution (Hindu), St. Xavier's College (Roman Catholic) ; I also had visitors from four schools. In a single day I met in my study men from seven educational institutions. A number of those who called were graduates who were either employed by government, or were following their respective professions. Lawyer, doctor, teacher, and gov- ernment employee have come to see me. These men are of many minds. They may be grouped into two main divisions, the Unconvinced, and the Convinced. Under the Unconvinced, we find the following four classes: i. The Indifferent. 2. The Hos- tile. 3. The Honest Inquirer. 4. The Partially Convinced. I. The Indifferent. — This class is the largest. An Indian Christian Professor, S. Satthianadhan, M. A., LL. B., says : <' The one sole ambition of an educated Hindu is ' to get on ' in life by secur- ing the best paid government post within his reach. As a consequence we have a great deal of apathy and indifference characterizing the major- ity of the educated classes. Mere secular educa- 26 THE UNCONVINCED 27 tion, therefore, has not been an unmixed good. If my practical acquaintance with young India has convinced me of anything, it is that educa- tion is the last thing with which to regenerate India. The educated Hindu no longer opposes Christianity ; he patronizes it. He tells you that he admires and reveres the character of Christ, and that, if needed, he is ready to give our Lord and Master a place in his pantheon. The great- est obstacle at present to Christian progress in India is, therefore, the apathy and indifference that characterize the educated classes. There would be greater hope for Christianity in India, if there was more downright earnest opposition to Christianity from the educated classes." A Babu applied to me one day for help in se- curing an appointment. I refused. He then asked to read the Bible with me. I told him that his motives in reading the Bible must be spiritual, and that he must not come to the study in the hope that ultimately he would secure a good gov- ernment position. He began and continued com- ing, despite the fact that he was assured that he could expect no temporal help. When we had read together twenty-one chapters of St. Mat- thew's Gospel, it was evident that he could not shake off the truth learned. He seemed much impressed by the solemn words which I spoke to him upon the reading of the 2 2d chapter of St. Matthew. When I left Calcutta he wrote me of continued interest. Out of all who have come, very few have sought financial help. After a few interviews with the indifferent, they will, if not convinced, either stop coming or pass into the second class, the hostile. 2. The Hostile. — Two men of the first class came and asked me to speak of my travels. I did so by telling of the missionary movement 28 AMONG India's students among the American colleges I had visited. One came again, much to my surprise, and asked me to speak about my travels in Denmark. I told him of my meetings in Copenhagen, of the deep religious interest shown by members of the aris- tocracy and by students. I spoke of the Danish students who had consecrated their lives to Christ's service in foreign lands. The next time I saw this man he was bitterly hostile to Chris- tianity, even to the point of defending the Bha- gavad Gita vehemently. Instead of arguing, I read to him from Justice Telang's hitroduction to the Bhagavad Gita, which shows that the Krishna of the Gita is inconsistent in his statements. Justice Telang lived and died an orthodox Hindu. - Then I pressed home the claims of Christ. One day after arguing earnestly in favor of Hinduism, he said, ''Let us read the life of Christ. Which is the shortest Gospel?" I re- plied, <'St. Mark." Since then we had about thirty earnest interviews. At times A 's hos- tility was painful, especially when Mrs. Annie Besant was in Calcutta. But he continued to come, and I continued to give to him God's Word. That the hostile class is not hopeless will be seen by an interview which I will relate. One day, after reading from St. Mark's Gospel, I prayed. A seemed deeply moved. He said, '< When you pray do you imagine Christ before you as he was on the cross, or preaching on the maidan (public park), or as rising from the dead?" He continued, *'I have made resolves to be good and then I have broken them by lying. After having fallen into sin I was so ashamed that I could not draw near again to God in prayer. Once, when young, I was in trouble, and I vowed to God that I would never touch meat again." " But," he added, in a discouraged tone, " I have broken these vows." THE UNCONVINCED 29 I said, ** You cannot carry out good resolutions in your own strength. If Christ is allowed to enter your heart, you will be kept by Him." "I do not understand this," was the reply; ''for some missionaries sin grievously. Why are they not kept?" "Both a babe and a man have life. The former creeps on the ground and gets soiled ; the latter walks erect and keeps clean. Give the child time to grow. Those who, as you say, sin so grievously, are only babes in Christ." Up to the very last of our stay he came to see me, and before my final departure from Bengal we had an earnest interview. After having met the arguments which he again brought up in de- fence of Hinduism, I spoke of Christ and his words, and said, "You must remember that the words I speak to you are not my words. It is He with whom you have to deal, and not me." He looked at me very strangely, and said, " I do not know why we are coming to you ; for you oppose our religion and talk only about Christ. But we are coming. I do not know why." For fifteen months he continued to visit me. Outwardly he is still hostile to Christianity. This man has taken his examination for the B. A. For a man of his force and character, there will doubtless be a position of far-reaching influence among his countrymen awaiting him. Notwith- standing his personal prejudice against Christian- ity and my uncompromising exposure of Hindu- ism, he was driven under the constraining influ- ence of the Holy Spirit to follow me up ; and I confidently expect that God will continue to trouble him until he finds rest in One who said, " Let not your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in 7ne.'' 3. The Honest Inquirer. — Various provi- dences, such as the loss of a loved one, or a 3© AMONG INDIA'S STUDENTS severe illness, drive men out of the hostile class into the class of honest inquirers. One morning, a man who had had a severe attack of fever and who had lost two relatives by death, came to me in great excitement with the questions : '< Where is hell ? " '' What will become of those who die without hearing about Christ?" to which I re- plied, '' Leave your cousins with God who is both just and merciful ; but make sure of your own salvation." Shortly after this episode a student came to me in great trouble : a few days before his wife had died ; to-day he had heard of the death of a dear uncle. His earnestness seemed evident as he knelt by my side in prayer. Frequently men are awakened to honest in- quiry by an address. A fourth-year Moham- medan student came to see me after hearing an address which I had delivered. His questions on the Divinity of our Lord and on the Trinity were fair-minded, and his conduct was courteous. He gave me the impression of a man in search after truth. 4. The Partially Convinced. — Among hon- est inquirers, I have found those who place Christ on the same platform with Krishna, and those, on the other hand, who regard Jesus as superior to all teachers, including the Hindu Avatars, but yet as not divine. Receiving a note from a student in the gradu- ating class of a mission college saying that he was a heathen Hindu and had much admiration for his own religion, I invited him to call to see me. He came with a student from a Hindu college. They attacked missionaries, and, in defence of their position, quoted the words of a missionary who said to a room full of students : ^' If Krishna were here to-day, he would be locked up in Ali- pore jail." ''Sir, such remarks alienate us." THE UNCONVINCED 3I I preached Christ to them, instead of criticising their gods. They could not see the necessity of the Incarnation and Atonement. A few days after, he brought me the Moha-Mudgara of San- kara Acharaya. I asked, *' What does Hinduism lay down as essential to salvation ? " Not receiv- ing any answer, I spoke to him of the superiority of Christianity over Hinduism. "Ah, I see," he replied, a little scornfully, '* you can sin as much as you like, and yet God will save you ? ' ' *