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torture and death the captive's doom: and while we should be forward to commend, whenever truth permits, the civilization, literature, and refinement of China, the fearful proof stands out that even these, when found in alliance with idolatry, will leave their possessor a monster and a fiend.

The Directors await with hope, not unaccompanied with anxiety, the conclusion of a new treaty of peace and commercial intercourse with China. They cannot believe that the noble Representative of Britain intrusted with this high responsibilty, will, after the example of our plenipotentiary in 1842, ignore the very existence of Christian Missions: but that, demanding protection and freedom for the merchants of our country, he will secure these immunities in the same degree for the disinterested and self-sacrificing Teachers of the Gospel.

The unfavourable and obstructive influence of war, with the uncertainty suspended over our future political relations with China, have prevented the Directors hitherto from accomplishing their purpose of increasing the number of the Chinese Missionaries; but should their hopes of an early and satisfactory termination of the contest be realized, they will promptly adopt measures with that design. With the pecuniary means required to accomplish this object, they are already provided in the fund specially contributed and preserved for the extension of the Chinese Mission.

INDIA.

In this mighty empire, where British authority had been steadily advancing for a century, until its supremacy seemed beyond the reach of opposition or the possibility of overthrow, within a single year distress and danger have arisen, as fearful and formidable as they were unexpected. The native army of the north, comprising nearly a hundred thousand men, trained to arms and often led to victory by our countrymen, and, as it was assumed, the safe-guard and strength of British rule, has been guilty of perfidy, ingratitude, and cruelty unparalleled in the history of our times; and these hateful passions have had their triumph in the tortures and death of thousands of our countrymen, while their wives, their daughters, and helpless babes, have been their fellow victims. But within the same year British skill and valour have, by God's help, triumphed over rebellion, the strongholds of the enemy have been taken, and nothing remains to the armed fugitives but submission, or defeat and death.

A few months since, the friends of Missions met together at the footstool of mercy in humble prayer, and yet with trembling hope. The salvation or the loss of India then hung upon the balance. But the strong walls of Delhi shortly fell before the invincible courage, though unequal numbers, of our army; and the Christian hero, Havelock, with his handful of men, animated by their leader's spirit, stemmed and rolled back the torrent of rebellion, till then gathering strength and flowing onward-and winning new victories as often as he encountered fresh foes, at length he realized his heart's desire, in the relief of the sufferers in Lucknow, and then laid down his life, amidst the tears and benedictions of his countrymen, and, still more, of the women of his country whom he had rescued from dishonour and death. In the review of these, and of yet more recent achievements of military science and valour, we meet this day to acknowledge His mercy, aud overruling power, who hath done these great things for us, whereof we are glad. In these scenes of danger and deliverance, we recognise, with vivid distinctness, the hand of God; and we give thanks to his name, not first, nor only, that India is preserved to the government of England, but that India has not been left a slave to the abominable idolatries of her many gods, or delivered up a victim to the lust and cruelty of the Mussulman.

While the Directors offer the assurance of deep and affectionate sympathy to their fellow

labourers of kindred Societies, British and American, who have been called to weep over their slaughtered Brethren and scattered Churches, they invite their constituents to unite in special thanks to the Father of mercies, who has preserved the lives of all our Missionaries, and of the native Christians under their care. At Benares and Mirzapore, Messrs. BUYERS, KENNEDY, and SHERRING, were exposed to imminent danger from the mutinous Sepoys, but God was their present help in time of trouble, and suffered not a hair of their head to perish. The Directors regret, however, to record that Mrs. Buyers, whose devotion to her husband, and to the interests of the Mission, constrained her to remain at her post, when others retired from the scene of danger, shortly after fell a victim to disease, superinduced by labour and anxiety; but her end was peace, and her character is embalmed in the memories and hearts of all who knew her.

And pending the fall of Delhi and Cawnpore, while the future supremacy of Britain appeared to the Hindoo mind doubtful, our Brethren throughout the country could not be free from anxiety, as they marked the spirit of enmity and insubordination which prevailed, generally, among the natives, and which waited but for the first opportunity to prove its strength in deeds of blood. Such an influence could not be otherwise than unfavourable to the peaceful and regular discharge of Missionary labours; but this interruption to their usefulness was but temporary, and has now ceased.

The defection of the Bengal army must be attributed to various causes, both social and political, but in no degree to the influence of Missions; inasmuch as the Sepoy, whether Hindoo or Mohammedan, was, of all men, the farthest removed from the approaches of the Christian Teacher. On the other hand, the Native Christians remained faithful to our Government, and in its support exposed themselves to the intense hatred of their heathen countrymen, to whose vengeance many of their number fell victims.

But the rage of deadly passions and the desolations of war may, by the overruling wisdom and power of God, in answer to the prayers of his Church, work mightily for India's improvement. As the tempest, which spreads desolation and shakes all nature, leaves behind a purer atmosphere and brighter skies, so, before this fearful storm, evils may flee which have impended over India for ages past, and which, but for its force, might have brooded over her millions for ages yet to come.

To the minds of the Idolaters these awful lessons cannot fail to convey salutary instruction. Their lying prophets have foretold the downfall of British power with the century now closed, and it stands forth on a firmer basis with augmented strength.

The mutineers went forth to battle trusting in the gods of their country for strength and victory, and shame, defeat, and death overwhelm them. Already, as our Missionaries tell us, the haughty looks of the heathen are brought low, and they are more disposed to hear of that kingdom to which none can enter who does not seek admission as a little child.

But what influence will recent judgments and mercies have upon the future government of India? According to the latest official announcement in the House of Lords-None, none whatever! "As long as I have anything to do with the Government of India,” said the noble Lord the President of the India Board, “I shall adhere to the ancient and traditional policy of the British Government-that of absolute neutrality on matters of religion;" language, when explained by the past, of dark significance and fearful import. The "ancient traditional policy of Government" has been, from the beginning, to uphold and patronize that gigantic system of idolatry, that combination of falsehood, cruelty, and lust, which has ever been and ever must be the direst curse of India. And still more directly has that policy, to this day, sanctioned and encouraged the most grievous wrong ever imposed by a crafty priesthood upon a degraded people-the unrighteous and unnatural system of Caste. The "neutrality' " of the Government in matters of religion has admitted to its schools the Shasters and Koran, but strictly excluded the Oracles of the only

rue God. This "traditional policy," so long as it had the power, excluded the Christian Missionary from the shores of India, and even now regards him with contempt or distrust; nd this "neutrality" in religion assigned posts of honour and emolument to the Idolater nd Mussulman, but took from the Native Christian even the humble honours and spare ecompense of a soldier.

In the month of October last, our Government appointed a day for national humiliation ad prayer, on account of the heavy chastisement which we were suffering from the hand of God in India; multitudes of all classes sincerely united in these solemn exercises, and th Sermons delivered on the occasion were intended to fix deeply in the heart of every herer the conviction, that amidst England's many crimes, her greatest sin against India andagainst God was that of neglecting to extend to her perishing millions the knowledge of salvation by the Gospel of Christ. But now the Government, by its Indian Minister, boas fully proclaims that "the aucient traditional policy" which would have preserved unbroken the gross darkness of idolatry to the present hour, is the policy it approves, and which, to the extent of its power, shall still be preserved and enforced.

It is thankfully acknowledged that the "ancient traditional policy of Government" in its relation to some monster evils has been modified and improved; but this change was never self-originated nor spontaneous. Government long denied the existence of evils which it encouraged, and treated such witnesses as Buchanan, and Carey, and Martin, and Ward, as ignorant or faithless libellers. With shameless daring it continued for generations to uphold Juggernath, the Moloch of India, to bedeck his murderous car, and to protect his thousand victims in their deeds of self-murder. In like manner, infants were drowned or devoured, and widows consumed upon the funeral pile, because these were the demands of their religion, and the Government had determined in matters of religion to be neutral.

But the enlightened sentiment and Christian feeling of England constitutionally expressed and sanctified by prayer to God, was found stronger than the "ancient traditional policy of the Indian Government," and Juggernath is left to the love of his worshippers, and widows are no longer victims to the flame.

Happily for India, the influence to which her rulers in past years have been compelled, though reluctantly, to yield, has received new life and energy from the consequences of misgovernment which we have been called to suffer. England, Christian England, knows her strength and how to use it, and in the fear of God she has determined that India's future governors shall not dishonour their country and provoke the wrath of God by extending support and countenance to the unprincipled priests and the degraded worshippers of idols, nor by visiting with discouragements and frowns the self-denying and laborious Christian Missionary.

NEUTRALITY from the Indian Government in relation to religion, is all that the Directors and Friends of this Society desire. They do not ask, they could not accept, its succours or support. They are convinced that the employment of political influence in aid of religion, whether to coerce or allure the Natives, would be dangerous to Government and injurious to Christianity. Lord William Bentinck, one of the most enlightened and upright statesmen that ever governed India, a man who lived before his times, in replying to the parting address of the Missionaries of Calcutta, in the year 1835, thus expressed himself:

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Returning to my country and to my friends, I can present to them no testimonial so expressive as your address, that in the discharge of this great trust I have done nothing to tarnish the national honour, or to forfeit your good opinion and esteem. Your holy profession, the excellence of your lives, the concurrence of so many individuals of different persuasions, give a value to your approbation that is indeed most gratifying."

Then, referring to the opinion of some excellent persons, that Government ought t interfere more directly in promoting Christianity, His Lordship added:—

"My humble advice to them is,-Rely exclusively on the humble, pious, and learned Missionary. His labours, divested of all human power, create no distrust. Encourage Education with all your means. The offer of religious truth in the school of the Missionar is without objection.

"I would say to such persons, that they could not send to India too many labourersin the vineyard, like those whom I now have the gratification of addressing."

These sentiments, uttered more than twenty years since, we are ready this day in all sincerity to accept. Let the Government, as such, be honourably, practically, invariably neutral; let it secure to all classes of the Indian people, just and equal liberty-to the Hindoo and the Momammedan, no less than to the Christian,—but to the Christian, no less than to the Mohammedan or Hindoo. Let the Government labour to promote the social and civil improvement of its subjects, by wise, righteous, and beneficent laws; but let the exposure of error, the subversion of idolatry, and the propagation of the Gospel, be left to the zeal and benevolence, the prayers and labours, of the Christian Church; and these, accompanied by the Spirit of the Lord, shall accomplish mighty, but peaceful triumphs, and India will at length be safe and happy-her walls salvation, and her gates praise.

But with the Church of Christ the crimes and sufferings of India are calculated, as doubtless they were designed, to deepen and expand her tenderest compassion for the Heathen, and to stimulate her ardour in advancing the Kingdom of her Lord. And already have all sections of the Church in which the Spirit of Christ lives, arisen to a sense of their high responsibility, and, armed with new strength, they are preparing to go forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty. The Directors and Friends of the London Missionary Society have felt the general sympathy, and have determined, with God's help, to take their share in new and extended labours for the salvation of India. To many of their large-hearted friends it may appear that in limiting the number of additional Agents to Twenty, as compared with the pressing wants of India, the Directors are deficient in faith and energy; but this limited proposal is made only as the effort of the next two years, and most earnestly do they hope that, through the abounding liberality of their constituents, this limited addition may prove but the beginning of a far greater increase.

They are encouraged to anticipate this result from the amount of success which has already followed their appeal. Within three months a Fund of nearly £11,000 has been secured; and they rejoice to add that the Great Head of the Church is affording his sanction to the efforts by "gifts" more precious than silver and gold, such as his Spirit only can prepare, and his love bestow. Since the commencement of the present year, Sixteen suitable Candidates for Missionary labour have presented themselves to the Society, among whom are several who, having completed their course of Collegiate study, will shortly be ready to embark for India, where their hearts already are. Throughout the Colleges of Britain the voice of the Lord may be heard, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" and the Directors trust that many an inmate in these schools of the Prophets, having prayerfully pondered the claims of India and the claims of Christ, will be prepared to say, "Here, Lord, am I; send me."

The crisis of India has passed; and though the swelling of the billows may be felt when the fury of the storm has subsided, yet, in dependence upon God, we may anticipate more than the repose of bygone years. Let the Friends of Missions then gather courage and confidence from the issue of this fearful strife, and in the assurance of faith anticipate the day when "the idols shall be utterly abolished," and India shall bring her many crowns to glorify Immanuel, her Saviour and her God.

Never has the voice of God spoken in terms more animating and assuring than those hich now come to us from the fallen cities and wasted plains of Hindostan-" Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh vars to cease unto the end of the earth, he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sinder, he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Let the Church hear his words, and with humble trust and exultant gratitude reply, "THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US, THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR REFUGE."

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Further Contributions for New Missions in Central South Africa, in addition to £743 14s. 4d. received last year*

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Contributions on account of Extended Operations in India
Dividends and Interest

Legacies

Contributions raised at the Missionary Stations

£ s. d. 2,216 13 10

42,657 4 0

2,321 17 9

865 11 11

6,081 8 5

3,843 0 11

1,386 3 8

8,401 4 1

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Contributions from Australia and Foreign Societies
Received on Special Accounts

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1,262 8 2

£86,366 7 7

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Several sums promised for this object, amounting to £251 3s. 8d. have not yet been realized.

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