The Seeker
| Volume | Date | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | February 1951 | 1 |
A Timely Warning From the Word of God
A. “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.” Deuteronomy 25:4. Also compare 1 Corinthians 9:4-14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18. “The Labourer is worthy of his hire”.
B. “And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny” “So the last shall be first, and the first last”. Read Matthew 20:1-16.
C. “And they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.” Acts 2:45.
D. “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” Matthew 19:24.
E. “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low.” Luke 3:5.
Meditation
A. We have been ‘muzzling’ the labourers in Mills and factories and on the fields for too long by withdrawing from them their rightful share of profits and produce and thereby have engendered in their hearts, created by God for love and joy, the spirit of hatred, anger and revenge which will crush us unless, even now, we repent and give them their divinely appointed share and treat them as God’s children and our brethren. They are worthy of, and entitled to, it.
Are there not, in the entire field of the Church, hundreds and thousands of labourers, spreading the gospel in sundry ways, who have been “muzzled” and treated as slaves and under the pressure of this iniquity the church has been cracking and crashing?
B. / C. Are we not breaking the law of the Kingdom by having grades of wages and salaries based on so-called differences in qualifications? Should it not be a privilege for the talented to serve without competitive gains? Should not the willing unemployed have the right to the fulfilment of their basic needs? Approximate equality, though not uniformity, in both social and economic life, is the crying need of today both in State and Church.
D. Our Lord’s denunciation of the rich is plain and frank in the gospels. Of course, the rich care a stay for God’s Kingdom. They dread it and so avoid it. But they foolishly forget that the laws of the Kingdom are inexorable and will grind directly or indirectly, sooner or later. God, despairing of his children in the Church, is allowing the Russian Communists to do the work for Him. We say He allows because we believe He is king and omnipotent and reigneth. He could destroy the “unrighteous heathens of Russia” but probably He has better hopes of them any way He is not willing to use his power to make it easy for his Church who ought to be fighting for justice and fair play with the armour of God on.
E. The valley cannot be filled up without levelling down the hill. In Divine Providence and according to God’s will human economy ought to be a stable equilibrium — all men depending on one another and sharing one another’s burdens—a community life. Instead, men have made it unstable by artificial hills and valleys. This unnatural position cannot last long. The crash of Doom has started and will continue till the Lord’s path be made straight. If the valleys of poverty, degradation and darkness, through neglect and oppression, are not voluntary and quickly filled up, violence and hatred will do the work. Not to speak of society in general, the Church ought to put its own house in order. It is top-heavy socially, economically and spiritually. Its doom is near at hand. It is a warning from God.
What Is Christian Marriage ?
It is a Divine Institution, allowed as a type of the mystical union between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:22-23). It is not only a contract between the parties, but a great deal more - it is a sacrament in which the exterior acts and words of the man and woman are signs and means of spiritual facts and spiritual acts done by them and by God, which are confirmed by the blessing of the Church through its minister.
Marriage is holy and honourable therefore none should enter into the life of Matrimony unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly and in the fear of God.
Marriage between a non-Christian and a Christian
Such a marriage can legally be made under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, being solemnised either by a Christian minister or a layman holding a licence under section 9 of the Act, or by a Government registrar. The parties to such a marriage are thereby bound to monogamy. It must be noted however that no such marriage may be solemnised in any church in our Province, and the Christian party to it will be liable to excommunication.
If a Christian marries a Muhammadan by Islamic rites, his or her conversion to Islam (at least by repeating the Kalima) must precede or form part of the rites. Hence, the case is not one of a Christian marrying a non-Christian.
Similarly, in many cases of a Christian marrying a Hindu by Hindu rites, the Christian man or woman definitely therewith leaves the Christian fellowship; and may be presumed to have done so before the actual solemnisation of the marriage.
The marriages contracted under b. and c. above are polygamous and male parties to such marriage are not bound to one wife and can marry many wives.
Those who make such a marriage by renouncing the Christian fellowship are excommunicated by the church.
There is another form of mixed marriage known as Brahmo marriage performed under the Special Marriage Act 3 of 1872. Such Marriages are quite definitely monogamous, but the parties have to declare that they are not of the Christian (or other recognised) religion. When Christians contract marriages under such an act it involves an act of apostasy, and the Christian party is excommunicated by the Church for the denial of his or her faith.
Hear what St. Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Let them be your guide. Verse 14 “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity Or what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? For we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord.”
And touch no unclean thing;
And I will receive you,
And will be to you a Father,
“And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
— P.A.N. Sen, “Anugrihita Rest House”, Ranchi.
Reactions of Justice Vivian Bose to the New Marriage Proposed by the Government of India
I am all in favour of the proposed legislation and feel the Bill ought to be strongly supported.
From the point of view of India as a whole it is in my opinion a tremendous step forward and will go a long way towards breaking down caste and religious barriers and towards unifying the country. From the moral standpoint it is a big advance on existing ideas of marriage over a large section of India in that it enforces monogamy.
Next it is a great thing to insist on the registration of marriages and make provision for the registration of marriages which are celebrated in other forms. In time this will have far-reaching effect on titles, succession to status and proof of legitimacy. It will also serve to cut out a lot of false evidence in courts regarding the failure of a marriage.
Looked at from the point of view of the Christian Community the Bill does no more than propose to introduce into India a law similar to the one which obtains in most Christian centres. It would be stupid and most unwise for Christians in India to oppose a measure which has been found to be wise and beneficent in Christian lands, on purely religious grounds.
In the first place the bill is evoking. It does not force anything on my religion. If you wish to, excommunicate anyone who marries under the Act it is open to you to do so, just as much as it is open to Churches to excommunicate a divorcee, or refuse him other Communion; further no Church is called upon to recognise such marriages from a purely Church point of view.
In the next place it would be impossible for any Christian to contend that this is not a great step forward when applied to other faiths which permit polygamy or polyandry. Such an admission would import the coronary that the measure is for the good and for the advancement of the great bulk of the people of this country. Any attempt to oppose the measure would therefore be rightly regarded as an attempt to block the progress of the nation as a whole. An attempt to get the Christian Community excluded would also be bad, though not so bad. It would immediately raise a communal issue on a purely secular subject and that would be unwise in a predominantly non-Christian country, particular with the example of Christian nations glaring us in the face.
I say this is a secular subject deliberately, because though marriage is a Sacrament in Christian eyes, that relates only to a Christian marriage celebrated according to Christian rite. A non-Christian marriage under the proposed law would from the Church’s standpoint be a purely secular union and could be regarded in the same light as divorce and the remarriage of a divorced spouse.
If there is no agitation from the Christian community for a repeal of the divorce laws of the land, though many Churches do not recognise divorce, it would be very difficult to justify opposition to a measure of this kind which has in it all the civil consequences of a Christian marriage. I am not aware of the Christian community as a whole socially ostracising divorced persons or those who have married again after divorce, and this despite the fact that many Churches will not recognise divorce, and discountenance it. Nevertheless, the social conscience of the Christian community as a whole does not look upon the innocent party in a divorce as a sinner, or regard him or be as living in sin if he or she marries after divorce. In the same way it would be difficult to co persons marrying under the proposed measures are “living in sin” simply because the Church does not recognise such a marriage; and if there is no moral objection to such a union what other objection can there be in its purely civil aspect.
Next, trespassing on a more controversial ground, I can understand the Church’s objection to such marriages on the ground that the sacramental element is missing, but I am not aware of any underration of such unions in the Bible save St. Paul’s exhortation not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. But after all St. Paul said much else which is not regarded as binding today e.g. look at his attitude towards women in Church and to the very subservient role which a wife is expected to play in relation to her husband. And if much else that he has said can be disregarded I hardly think that this can be looked upon as sinful or morally wrong. It may be wiser in some cases to avoid marriage with a person of a different faith, but equally it may be wiser in some cases to stop living with one’s parents after conversion, or to marry out of a different race though of the same faith, but that is an individual question in each case and can hardly be regarded as immoral or wrong. And as to the absence of the sacramental aspect it may be undesirable and lamentable for a Christian of ripe age to forego the Sacrament of Confirmation, but one could hardly describe that as living in sin or morally wrong in its civil aspects; and so for those who deliberately forego the sacrament of marriage.
I am very strongly in favour of this bill and consider it would be extremely unwise for the Christian community to attempt to oppose it.
(A national common law of marriage in India has been long overdue. This present measure will meet that need. Under the Special Marriage Act 3 of 1872 men, and women have to marry by formally denying their respective faiths. Under the proposed law this will be obviated. To those who would argue that the proposed legislation if passed into law will encourage mixed marriages it might be pointed out that these are happening even under the present condition. Denial of one’s faith is the cost of such unions. Under the contemplated law it would be possible for either party to a mixed union to keep his or her faith. After registration of a union under this Act it would be open for Christian parties to have their marriage solemnised in a Church. Or if the ecclesiastical authorities would accept this new law it would be possible for Christian marriages to take place exactly as they do now only registering them under the new act.
The above statement was discussed at the meeting of the Enlarged Executive of the U.P. Christian Council and general approval was accorded to it. One cannot question the soundness of the advice given by a man of Justice Bose’s legal acumen. - Editor)
Notes
We are hoping to publish the “Seeker” every two months from now. The issues will be named after the Indian Seasons.
Under the auspices of the North India Fellowship a Retreat Conference of Ashram leaders, Sadhus, Sanyasis, independent evangelists, leaders of indigenous churches and others interested — is proposed to be held in the month of April 1951 in Banaras for ten days. Exact dates will be announced later. Those interested may write to Rev. R.C. Das, 129, Dashashwamedh. This Retreat has been held fairly regularly for the last 20 years. The central theme will be the role of the Church in the evangelisation of India in the context of her religious heritage and political setup. Bible study, witnessing in the city, lectures by Hindu leaders and an exhibition of original works of literature or art will be special features. It is hoped that the Retreat will be continued in May and June at Almora for those who will go there.
In the occasional Paper of the Oxford Mission to Calcutta (No. 40, December 1950) we are pleased to note the realisation at long last by the Brethren of the original and important purpose of the Mission viz. evangelism among the educated and high classes of citizens. The Paper confesses that too much time and energy of the members of the Mission have been spent for the Church for the past many years to the neglect of the work for which the Mission was originally founded. It will be good for all concerned if other foreign missions also realised that their real work in India is pioneering evangelism and not “building up” the native Church.
Revivals: In some places and by some parties this is treated as business. Propaganda, money, lectures, prayers - all indicating self effort on the part of man. The Church or any other Christian group cannot be spiritually revived by such methods. Some use shock-tactics and obtain temporary emotional results. Frustration lasts. Revivals cannot be manufactured nor conversion willed by man. It is the work of the Holy Spirit of God who can work wonders when men open their hearts in sincerity when the blocks in their moral and spiritual life are removed by true and humble repentance. True penitence implies and involves restitution and amendment of life. As modern Christians want a sentimental subjective satisfaction they never get a permanent change in their lives - a regeneration - a new and second birth. They are not prepared to accept the inconveniences and sacrifices of conversion, and thus they never allow the Holy Spirit to food their souls. So year after year from place to place Conventions and Retreats are held where no life-giving Word of God is preached but theological lectures or sectarian interpretations are given, artificial prayers are said with human vigour and so spiritual miracles or signs do not happen. It cannot, because both leaders and led are hypocritical. They keep their jealousies, quarrels, prejudices, hatred, anger, unbelief carefully blanketed in their heart’s corners and appear religious - because they continue to keep their position, prestige, comfort, money and many luxuries. The Holy Spirit finds no passages into their hearts. Until this hypocrisy disappears and true amendment of life on the basis of restitution is accepted no revival will come or can come. The Church will die and the Lord of Life will raise new life from the grave.
Integration of mission into Church is the most injurious policy that many missions have been adopting in recent times for the following reasons among others:
It gives the mediocre missionary a safe niche.
It frustrates the dynamic missionary who has some vision.
It puts the missionary in an envious position as the Indian soon gets jealous of him.
It takes away the initiative that belongs to the Indian in Church affairs.
It makes the Indian servile because of the presence of the missionary in position.
It leaves the Church weak when there is sudden withdrawal of the mission for any (especially financial or political) cause, as it has happened in China or Japan.
Foreign money and foreign personal service keep the moral, spiritual and material resources of the Church undeveloped.
The Church has all (more than necessary) paraphernalia now to expand by its own exertion and internal life momentum. It should be left severely alone by missions who should mind their own business of founding, new Churches. The older indigenous Churches will be benefited more by example, by infusion of new blood through conversion, by being left on its own resources and responsibilities.
There should be no missionaries anywhere near the bigger and older congregations (especially in towns) and in the educational institutions except for spiritual work, and they must not occupy even on request any administrative positions at all. The entire country - in city and village - Hindus and Muslims-is open to them for declaring the Gospel by word and deed of love. They may, and should, have spiritual colleagues (not employees or hirelings) of Indians and be guided by advisory Church committees. Missionaries are apostles and ambassadors of Christ and not leaders of local Churches. They will simply waste their lives and get frustrated by interfering in the internal affairs of the Church which should have no inhibition in getting itself acclimatised in India and related to its rich heritage.
It is mostly those, both Indian and foreign, who have axes to grind who, out of selfish motives, invite missionaries and foreign funds into the structure of the local Church. They want to feel secure in this integrated arrangement. This voice is seductive to the missions who, if they listen, will fall into a trap out of which it will be difficult to extricate themselves.
Or is it the ulterior motive of foreign missions to keep control over India from the standpoint of western culture and civilisation and even politics? They will soon be disillusioned. Only truth triumphs in the long run.
Assistant Bishops. To appoint assistant Bishops has become almost a fashion. A few new appointments are contemplated. This system is unwise and wrong for the following reasons:
An assistant Bishop has no real authority and so becoming a mechanical servant, loses his imagination and initiative. A beloved and respected Assistant Bishop whom we have known confessed to disappointment to this effect.
Too much power gets concentrated in one hand - the Bishop of the diocese, and it must lead to many evils - the least being pride both official and spiritual.
It practically perpetuates racial distinctions. Ususlaly and practically an assistant Bishop caters to the need of a special class or group in the diocese.
It is an unscriptural and nonapostolic practice having arisen from imitation of political administrative system.
Territorial Bishops are apostolic and right. That ensures independence, initiative, purity and efficiency in administration.
Too large Bishoprics — is an unalloyed evil today. A bishop is in very fact a political Governor and not a Chief Pastor or Father in God. He has no time nor energy nor inclination left to come into vital personal contact with even the leading personalities in his diocese. The relationship degenerates into an official, formal and very occasional one. To have regional Deans or District superintendents increases the gulf and distance between the Bishop and his people to whom he addresses a monthly narration of his activities. The Deans and Superintendents assume servility towards the Bishop and authoritarianism towards the people.
The real solution is to divide every diocese of the present size into at least ten dioceses. Against this, the lack of money is raised. The root evil is that the position of Bishop has come to be regarded as a prize post from pecuniary and worldly standpoint. It is not looked upon as a spiritual privilege and opportunity. So at every election there must be competition and canvassing or appointment by a hierarchical coterie. In many cases corrupt practices have been resorted to just as cal elections. But in political cases such acts are punishable and punished. In the religious domain they are sacrosanct. Who says that in India or, for the matter of that, in any country a Bishop needs, as personal allowance, double or treble or ten times more money than his senior clergy? So that a Bishop can travel with millionaires and send their children abroad or to European schools? Do they not realise that some of their clergy actually starve and finally succumb to T.B.? How can there be, such invidious social and economic distinctions and the gospel of equality and brotherhood preached in the same breath? The truth is that not servants of God, but worldly minded persons have infiltrated into the Church of Christ and have formed a mutual Benefit Society with vested interests and thus are impoverishing the Church spiritually, morally, economically. There must be a revolt led to mend or break such a system by laymen who are the backbone of the Church and who have to, and will have to, support “white elephants”. It is a shame that the Indian Church - the poor and miserable mostly - are asked to bear the burden of this expensive system. Probably, communism will have to bring things into order, if no Christian remedy is applied soon.
Notices
World Dominion Press. “Owing to a steadily increasing demand for Roland Allen’s book The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and the causes which hinder it,” we have just produced a new edition. The Bishop of Wochester has written a Foreword commending it to the attention of Christian missions. The argument of the book is even more relevant to the situation today than it was when written in 1927.
Evangelical Literature Depot, 11/1 Mission Row, Calcutta 1. All kinds of evangelical literature - books, pamphlets, tracts, gospel Posters, cards and pictures in various languages are on show and stocked for despatch to outside stations. Write for catalogues and published leaflets.
“How to Present Christ to a Hindu” by Rev. R.C. Das, M.A. Price -/4/-. This small but compact booklet is not simply a theoretical reflection based on book knowledge or philosophical learning but is the outcome of vital contacts with living religious Hindus and Hindu institutions and its conclusions and practical suggestions are based on evangelistic work among Hindus for over 35 years.
The Star of the East and the Fellowship of St. Thomas and St. Paul. By Dr. C.T. Eapen, P.O. Adur, Travancore. Let us look to the East for revitalisation of the Church.
The Renaissance of Hinduism By D.S. Sharma, Pratap Singh Gaekwad Library of Indian Philosophy and Religion (Editor: S. Radhakrishnan). Published by the Banaras Hindu University. Cloth: pp, 686 with Index and Reading List Rs. 15/- or 21 shillings. Christian students of Hinduism and workers among Hindus should know the book.
The Pilgrim. Official Bulletin and Quarterly Magazine of the Christian Society for the study of Hinduism - devoted to the study of Hinduism and Indian culture. Minimum annual membership Rs. 4/-.
Editor - Sri P. Chenchiah M.L., Advocate, 28, Hall’s Road Egmore, Madras.
Treasurer - Rev. A.D. Hunt B.A., B.D., 87, Cantonments, Banaras
Secretary - Rev. R.C. Das, M.A.Study of Hinduism. On a simple scale and practical basis along with a restful holiday in Almora May 15 to June 30, 1951.
— R.C. Das
About Bishops
The Church Missionary Society announces that all their European Bishops in the Chinese Province of the Anglican communion have resigned, except the Bishop of Hong Kong. Their place is being taken by Chinese, many of whom are already assistant bishops.
It is noteworthy, that these new bishops, in the course of a pastoral letter, have said that “Not only is the Church unable to compromise with imperialism, feudalism or bureaucratic capitalism, but joins issue with them as being fundamentally in opposition to the faith of the Church … We therefore, greatly rejoice in the liberation which has come to the people of our nation, and with the utmost sincerity uphold that freedom of religious faith which is guaranteed in the ‘Common Political Principles’. Our Church has already made real achievements along the lines of becoming self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating; we are now determined along with all our fellow Christians to press forward together to achievement of our goal within the shortest possible time”. - The Guardian.
(This withdrawal of foreign workers ought to have taken place before on a voluntary basis in peace time. This would have obviated much needless inconvenience and loss. It is pathetic to reflect how Christian leaders of high position and repute do not possess, or if they have it, do not use their internal light and common sense. Why should they wait to be prodded to action by political and financial circumstances ? Let them in India beware. - Editor)