The Authoritative Life of General William Booth, Founder of the Salvation ArmyRailton, George S. (George Scott)
History
The Authoritative Life of General William Booth, Founder of the Salvation Army
Railton, George S. (George Scott)
Booth, William, 1829-1912; Salvation Army
And thus it has come about that we have already, after some thirty
years' work, nearly 2,000 Indian Officers, as absolutely devoted to the
service of Christ as any of their comrades of any other land. And the
forces under their command have shown already that they can deal
effectively with peoples utterly inaccessible to the ordinary Europeans.
The Bheels, when we first went amongst them, were all armed with bows
and arrows, living entirely by the chase, and so terrified at any sign
of officialism that our Officers had to avoid taking a scrap of paper
with them when visiting their districts. But we have now many Bheel
villages entirely under our teaching, and quite a number of Bheel
Officers who have learnt to read their own language, and to lead their
countrymen as fully to follow Christ as they do themselves.
So many of our people in Guzerat were weavers that one Officer set
himself specially to the task of improving their loom. He was soon able
to make one with which they could double their daily product. The making
of these looms created a new industry, also, so that we have been able
thus to help many. In India we have also commenced in three of our
Territories medical work, making it, after first cost of buildings,
equipment, and Staff, largely self-supporting, as we found that the
people really appreciated help more for which they were called upon to
make ever so small a return.
In the same way, respecting all our work, The General has always urged
the importance of applying, as far as possible, our general rule of
self-support; for though the people may have very little to give, the
very least they can do helps to protect us from the prejudice created by
the term "rice Christians," applied to those who are believed to have
made professions of Christianity for the sake of the food they hope to
receive.
And now the Government, having seen the practical effect of our work,
are beginning to give us opportunities such as we never had before. The
Doms, a tribe systematically trained to live by thieving, were placed
under our special care, and the result was such as to lead to our having
other unmanageables likewise given over to us. In fact, we are barely
now beginning to reap in India what in twenty-eight arduous years had
been sown.
Does some one ask, Where does The General's own hand appear in much of
this? Is it not all rather due to his having from the beginning, had so
able a helper, acquainted with the languages and mental habits of the
country, and other exceptionally able Officers both here and there?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account