THE Gossner Mission in its origin was in many respects unique in its character, and bore on its plans and management manifest traces of the force of character, strong will, earnest devotion, and the practical good sense and steadfast faith in God, of the founder, John Gossner.
Gossner was one of a group of Bavarian priests who became obedient to the faith of Christ. He owed something to Martin Boos, something to the writings of Garardt Tersteegen and Lavater, and some others, but his first awakening was by means of a revival, that took place in his neighborhood, when Sailer, Fenneberg, and some others were brought to Christ. The account of the truly spiritual work, which took place simply through the reading of Holy Scripture and prayer, does not sound like the record of men who, for the most part, lived and died, priests of the Church of Rome. Prayer meetings and small conferences were held in many places, chiefly in private houses, where humble men, and even women, spoke their thoughts, and told out their experience, and poured out their hearts in prayer. They were persecuted, imprisoned, and otherwise ill-treated by their ecclesiastical superiors, but that did not quench the flame of devotion, of love to God and Christ, and love for the souls of men. None of these things moved them in spirit and heart.
Gossner, when twenty-four, was ordained a chaplain. In that very year (1797), he experienced the power and love of God in Christ, and began to proclaim the gospel with great fervor, though decried as a fanatic and a heretic. More pronounced in his preaching than others of his evangelical associates, he had a larger share of the same persecution, which brightened his character, and strengthened his faith.
The beautiful simplicity of these men may be gathered from an incident which occurred while Gossner was living with Fenneberg. A poor traveler asked the latter to lend him three dollars, that he might be able to continue his journey, as his purse was empty. All the money Fenneberg had was three dollars, and, as the poor traveler pleaded the name of Jesus with much importunity, he lent him every penny.
Some time after, Fenneberg was in much distress for want of money, not knowing what to do. Pleading with God in child-like faith, he said, “O Lord, I have lent Thee three dollars, and Thou hast not given them back to me, though Thou knowest how urgently I need them; I pray Thee return them to me." The very same day a letter arrived containing two hundred dollars, sent by a rich man at the solicitation of the poor traveler. Gossner, as he handed him the letter, said, “Here, sir, you receive what you advanced." Overcome with surprise, Fenneberg said, “Oh, dear Lord, one cannot say a simple word to Thee without being put to shame." in such a school Gossner became strong in faith.
Gossner was soon both popular and useful as a preacher in Bavaria and elsewhere, and, in 1820 having been banished his own country, he became minister of the Maltese Church in St. Petersburg. Here he drew multitudes to listen to his sermons, and numbers were blessed. Once, while preaching, there was such an outburst of feeling, that he stopped and gave out a hymn before he could proceed. His many enemies secured his expulsion from St. Petersburg in 1824, when we find him at Altona and other places using his pen with good effect, having no opportunity of preaching.
In 1829, having joined the Lutheran Church, he was appointed to the Bethlehem Church, Berlin, and here he ended his days. His great missionary enterprise was started, and its home is still in the Prussian capital. Gossner saw the need of missions conducted on different lines from those of the German and English societies, combining a kind of colonization with spiritual work, and being to a large extent self-supporting. On these principles his mission was founded and continued, and events proved how well adapted were his methods.
Sir Donald McLeod had been advanced in India to an important post in the Central Provinces. Here he made the acquaintance of those hill tribes known generally as Gonds, one branch of which were named Kohls or Coles, who were the original inhabitants of the plains, but who, some twenty centuries before, had been driven to the hills by the invading and victorious Hindus. These races, though terribly degraded, were not strictly idolaters. They believed in two supreme deities—the Good Spirit and the Evil one. To some extent they worshipped “the unknown God," but more commonly they sought to propitiate the evil principle. In habits, manners, mode of life, knowledge, or rather ignorance, they were at the bottom of the social scale, being barbarous, even savage, and to some extent cannibals. But they were free from such subtleties as are innate in the Hindus, especially those of the higher castes, and equally free from the violent prejudices of the Mohammedans.
Like most aboriginal tribes in America and Africa, they have been found more or less accessible to the gospel. For three or four years Sir Donald McLeod had been calling the attention of the Christian Church to these people and their needs, but whichever way he looked he obtained no help. All societies had their hands full, their resources over-taxed. Help failing, as a last resource he applied to Gossner, and he did not appeal in vain.
This mission work was thrust upon Gossner, without his seeking it or at first being willing to undertake it.
In 1839 a gentleman in Berlin applied to Gossner concerning three or four young men artisans, who felt a call to devote themselves to mission work. They had been refused admittance into the Missionary Seminary at Berlin, because they were incapable of going through the course of study thought necessary there; but they could not give up their hope of being missionaries. Gossner was requested to see and examine them, and, if he found them suitable, to find some way of employing them. Gossner could not refuse men so disinterested and devoted. He undertook to give them instruction, such as they needed, on two evenings in the week and on Sunday afternoons, while they continued at their trade and supported themselves.
These men were of the first party who went to India, accompanied by three ordained ministers and two schoolmasters. The difficulties which beset the mission at first were very great indeed, largely from the character of the Kohls themselves, and partly from the jealousy of societies of earlier date. These difficulties, however, gradually disappeared.
In 1844 Gossner sent four young men to India without any definite destination. These were their instructions: Believe, hope, love, pray, burn, waken the dead! Hold fast by prayer! Up, up, my brethren! The Lord is coming, and to everyone He will say, " Where hast thou left the souls of those brethren?— with the devil ? Oh, swiftly seek those souls, and enter not without them into the presence of the Lord."
Meeting with many Kohls in the streets of Calcutta, where, as in many other places, they are the "hewers of wood and drawers of water," their hearts were drawn out towards them. They learned that no mission had been sent to them, and they longed to carry the “good tidings “to their native hills and “break up the fallow ground." Sir Donald McLeod's application seems to have been made subsequent to their leaving Germany, and Gossner's later instructions marvelously coincided with their own longings. They were thus fully prepared to take up the work—making Choto Nagpore their centre. They reached their new home and scene of labor and trial on 4th November, 1845, and on, 1st December laid the foundation of a large mission house.
For some time the people were shy and timid, and when they were more disposed to gather and listen, they seemed to have no hearing ear. Years passed and there was no conversion, and the hearts of the laborers were faint, and their hands feeble. There had been additions made to the missionary band, but in as many years, five brethren and one sister had been removed by death. Still there was no fruit ; and they felt discouraged. They wrote to Pastor Gossner, wishing to be appointed to some other field of labor, telling him that the Kohls would not be converted. His reply was to the point: "Whether the Kohls will be converted or not is the same to you. If they will not receive the Word they must hear to their condemnation. Your duty is to continue to pray and to preach to them. We also at home will pray more earnestly."
In a short time the dawn came. Four strangers, after attending regularly for some time, avowed that they believed in Jesus, but they wanted to see Him. “Show us Jesus and we shall be satisfied." The missionaries sought light for them, and at length, they came to realize that the presence of Jesus is spiritual, and therefore not visible. They then abandoned their heathenism, and sought instruction sitting at the feet of Jesus. Enquirers increased Sunday by Sunday, and in June of the same year, the first baptism took place. The converts brought their wives and children, and others followed in quick succession. Schools were established, an orphanage was founded, and a church edifice was built. At the laying of the foundation stone, hymns and chants were sung by the natives. The people came long distances, and stayed all day on Sunday, some returning on Monday. One poor man, in shaking hands with one of the pastors, was asked if he had far to go home. "No," said he, "not far, only thirty-five miles."
Showers of blessing now descended, the living waters rose, the field brought forth abundantly. In eight years from the first baptism, there were some two thousand converts, fifteen thousand who had renounced heathenism, eight hundred orphans and children in the schools, while the work had extended to eight hundred villages. Pastor Gossner was sixty-five when he originated the mission, and for twenty years he maintained it with singular courage, faith, and prudence, abounding in prayer.
He was a faithful man. The King of Prussia once visited the Elizabeth Hospital. He was pleased with what he saw, and asked Gossner if he had any special wish it would be in his power to grant. Pointing his finger to heaven, Gossner replied, “My wish is, your majesty, to be certain of your being a subject of my King there!'
Very many deeply interesting facts and incidents have been necessarily passed over, and our space only affords room to say that the Gossner Mission is still continued under the name of the Gossner Missionary Union. R. S.