a leading member whom it knew to be
a godless man. He had become a curse to the community, and nothing but
excommunication seemed wise or possible. I visited the church for the
purpose of assisting the pastor in the administration of the Lord's Supper
and of studying the general condition of the church. And we attempted,
congregationally, to discipline this member. The church was asked to vote,
in case it thought wise, to excommunicate the man; but not a hand was
raised. The matter was further explained to them, and all those who were
in favour of his expulsion were requested to raise the hand. Again not a
hand was raised! The pastor, thereupon, explained the situation by stating
that the people were afraid of the man and dared not vote against him even
though he was not present. The pastor was himself equally timid in the
situation. Thereupon I asked those of them who desired that _I_ should act
in this matter _for the church_ to raise the hand; whereupon every hand of
pastor and people was immediately raised; and I fulfilled their wish by
excommunicating, in their name, the evil member!

This may or may not be Congregationalism; but it illustrates the fact
which I am now dwelling upon, viz.: that for the present, both pastor and
people are unequal to the severe duties of church discipline. Every month
the missionary is confronted with similar situations which reveal to him
the necessity of his presence as a superintending pastor and the urgent
need of his wisdom to direct the affairs of the church, his firmness to
put an end to many impossible situations, and his inspiration to tone up
and give backbone to pastors and other agents connected with him. It
should not be forgotten that, while the infant community connected with
each mission has many admirable traits of piety and of character, it is
still the victim of great weakness in matters of purity, of fellowship and
of Christian peace. So that if the Church is to be preserved from many
intolerable evils and brought into the noble traits of a Christian
character which will impress itself upon the non-Christian community there
must be firm guidance, stern repression of evil and wise inspiration to
good on the part of the native pastoral force under the bracing influence
of missionary guidance. To those who are conversant with the condition of
the native Church in India there is a supreme conviction that its greatest
danger lies in the irregularity of the life of its me