India and Burma – Part Nine

The Truth existed in India, to our knowledge, at least as early as 1865; and there were more baptisms reported in that year in India than in Australia.

It came about like this. A brother Hayes of the Channel Islands, had lent a copy of “Elpis Israel” to a certain Captain Daniel Brown, who some time after was drafted to the East, to command a gunboat on the Ganges at the time of the Indian Mutiny. Although he was himself as yet unconverted, Brown lent the book to the engineer of the boat. Soon afterwards Brown was baptised by brother Thomas during a visit to England, and then returned to settle in Calcutta. The engineer returned the book to brother Brown, and later came to Calcutta and was baptised himself in the Ganges. Brother Brown described the event thus to “The Ambassador:” “It was a memorable day—the firstfruits of the sounding of the pure Gospel in the East, the land of gross idolatry and heathenism. May it please God, the Father of us all, that it may be but the first stone of the ecclesia in this renowned city of palaces.”

In the following year, Brown reported “two more triumphs for the Truth” in Calcutta. Another followed, so that by the year’s end the ecclesia was five in number. It continued to grow, to a size of ten or twelve, and very many copies of “Twelve Lectures” were distributed. Often the climate hindered vigorous work: preaching under monsoon conditions is hardly pleasant.

Many years passed. Brother Brown left Calcutta for reasons of health, and died soon after. The events of 1865 made communication difficult, and when in 1886, an enthusiastic worker named brother Shelton went out to Calcutta, he was unable to trace the ecclesia. It appears that it was there, in fact, all the time, and dying for lack of talent, yet brother Shelton was left to preach alone in the great city. A friend connected with a national newspaper gave him some space there for proclaiming the message. “Finger Posts” were distributed, and “Christendom Astray” was reviewed in the leading city paper, and in “The Calcutta Review.” As a result a demand was created, and a publishing house agreed to distribute the book to book­sellers.

Yet no contact was made with the old Ecclesia. Brother Shelton moved hundreds of miles away to the North-West Province, and it was several years later that a brother in Calcutta wrote to “The Christadelphian” for literature, intimating that he and his wife were all that remained of the original ecclesia, but that they were doing what they could to spread the knowledge of the Way.

Meanwhile, brother Shelton was distributing and advertising vigorously in Lahore and in the national press. Many applications were received for literature, including one from Burma. On moving to Simla, in the Himalayas, brother Shelton pressed on with the great work there.

Interest now shifts to Rangoon, in Burma. A man who had received “Christen­dom Astray” years before became convinced of its truth. In 1895 he made an urgent appeal, “Come over and help us! Will you only work in England and America?” he wrote, “while we are left alone? Surely hath God not so blessed you for so many years that you might send at least one man” to help in the East. He suggested the establishment of a press in India for the Truth’s works, and brother Roberts gave the appeal prominent publicity. But it seems that it met with no result, and the lonely brother had to bear his burden alone.

There were other members of the Household later in Burma, they lived far away from Rangoon. One brother was connected with a leper settlement near Mandalay, and there appear to have been others for he writes of “we few” who endeavoured to keep “our” loins girt.

South India had its Christadelphian missionary, too, a brother Peacock of Perambur, near Madras. His work was not unfruitful, and quite a number of people obeyed the Gospel in the neighbourhood of that city.