The Life And Ministry Of H. F. Doll

Earthen Vessel 1887:

Mr. H. F. Doll, Of Madras

Superintendent Of The Strict Baptist Mission In Southern India

It affords us very great pleasure to present our readers with a portrait of our highly esteemed brother in Christ, Mr. H. F. Doll, of Madras. The labours of Mr. Doll, during his five weeks’ stay in England, were indeed great, and it is to be hoped that much good fruit will result in due time from them, to the glory of God, and the wide-spread interest of the Mission. Various notices of Mr. Doll’s life and work appear in other parts of our Magazine, and which prevent the necessity of giving more on the subject here.—Editor

---

This beloved Christian brother was born in Madras on October 10, 1836. He is a Eurasian, or partly a European and partly an Asiatic; though more akin to the English race than to the native inhabitants of India. His complexion is dark; his hair, which he wears short, is soft and black; and he is rather below the middle height. His frame is pliant and well-knit; and his expression is kindly and full of intelligence. He speaks somewhat after the fashion prevalent in the West of Scotland.

His parents were worthy persons; but in his youth he was wild and reckless, and caused them some anxiety.

He was educated by Mr. A. Wilson, a native of England, who was pastor of the English Church at Chintadrepetta, Madras, and also conducted a seminary for boys with much success. Aiming at the moral and spiritual, as well as the intellectual welfare of his pupils, he was favoured to see many of them called by grace, among whom was the subject of this sketch.

Our brother’s convictions, when the Lord began the good work, were solemn and deep, and lasted for many weary months. At last he found peace to his intense joy, and soon tried to be of use to others. He joined the Church, and on Mr. Wilson’s death became its pastor, although he has not resigned his situation as clerk in the fiscal department of the British Government. He is regarded on all hands with the utmost respect, and it is a matter of gratitude that a Christian Church, the faith and order of which are in every essential matter identical with our own in England, is so efficiently served by a minister to intelligent, amiable, and spiritually-minded.

---

Farewell Meeting To Mr. H. F. Doll, Superintendent Of The Strict Baptist Mission In Southern India.

Held In Mount Zion Chapel, Hill Street, Dorset Square, On Wednesday, November 9th, 1887.

The Upgrade Of The Strict Baptist Mission

Foreign missions, whether in connection with other denominations or our own, are by not a few Christian persons estimated with doubtful disputation. Some question the right to send the gospel into heathen lands at all; and others think it quite unnecessary to do so, since there are so many who need to be brought under the sound and influence of gospel teaching at home. We know that the credulity of English people is not as a rule so great as in some countries, and therefore they are not, in the majority of cases, at all susceptible of taking up with new things. To them missionary enterprise is, to some extent, a kind of modern semi-religions speculation, in which they feel no particular interest, as no tangible results are brought immediately before their eyes. These facts, together with certain deep-rooted prejudices (which often overcome reason) against the duplicity of many of the natives, and the lack of early training in the belief of mission work, are difficulties which some of the Strict Baptist body can hardly surmount, even today. To this class of friends belong mostly those who have little or no sympathy with Sunday Schools and Home Mission work.

We honestly confess, that being brought up from our youth in connection with Strict Baptists of the highest type, we were not at all favourable to Foreign Missions and Sabbath Schools at home. We were led to look upon them as matters which only concerned religions latidudinarians and anythingarians, and not as coming within the pale of Strict Baptist doctrines. As regards our Strict Baptist Mission in India and Ceylon, we have until now been very chary in accepting it in its truest sense as a bona fide institution, and doubted whether Mr. Doll, the superintendent, was in fact a thorough out-and-out Strict and Particular Baptist preacher himself, capable of rightly dividing the Word of God; and on this important position we have not stood alone, although we personally have never, for one moment, gone so far as some as to question his very existence! Now all our suspicious thoughts and fears with regard to the genuineness of Mr. Doll’s Mission work in Southern India, were thoroughly dismissed the moment we heard the grand and outspoken fundamental truths which fell from his lips at the farewell meeting on Wednesday evening, Nov. 9th, 1887.

At the farewell meeting our dear Bro. Geo. W. Shepherd, the pastor, presided, and was surrounded by the Hon. Secretaries of the Mission, Messrs. J. Briscoe and I. R. Wakelin, and ministerial brethren H. F. Doll, of Madras, S. Gray, Brighton, W. H. Evans, Clapham, J. H. Lynn, Stratford, P. Reynolds Islington, J. Box, Soho, R. E. Sears, Whitechapel, W. Hazelton, Lewisham, and J. E. Hazelton, W. Winters, J. H. Dearsly, and H. Cooper were in the body of the chapel, as also friends E. Mote, J. Harris, C. C. Harris, C. Wilson, Cobb, Tinson, J. W. Banks, Pocock, and many others. The attendance was very large considering the heavy rainfall during the entire day.

Mr. Shepherd having announced the first of the specially printed hymns, beginning:—

“Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above!”

read Ps. 72, and Mr. J. E. Hazelton offered earnest prayer.

The chairman in his brief introductory address narrated in a most interesting manner several of the difficulties which surrounded the Strict Baptist Mission before it was brought under the fostering care of the Churches at Keppel Street and Soho. He first became connected with it in the year 1860, at which period Mr. G. Pearson was the Hon. Sec. It was then thought that if the Society could secure at a small expenditure the cooperation of a good brother in India, it would be well. The Mission was commenced at Telleygaum, and a station was soon established. After the death of Mr. Cassady, the services of Mr. H. F. Doll, of Madras, were obtained, and under God’s blessing he has successfully preached the gospel in the Southern Presidency of India; and by his presence that night he had brought India very near to them.

The Soundness Of Mr. Doll’s Faith

Mr. Shepherd having kindly referred to the annual sermon preached on behalf of the Society by Mr. Doll, and to his very great satisfaction with it, as being sound and good, called upon him to address the meeting. Mr. Doll then rose, and for upwards of an hour spoke with great fluency and power, on the glorious gospel of the blessed God, and in such a manner as in days past we had been accustomed to hear it from the lips of James Wells, John Foreman, C. W. Banks, J. A. Jones, and other gracious and gifted brethren. Our heart felt a glow of fervent love to him, and we were entirely stripped of every vestige of suspicion or fear as to the soundness of his faith, and the consistency of his practice in strict agreement with the New Testament. We think we have the mind of Christ to judge of the reality of his religion by the powerful witness it bore to our own spirit.

Mr. Doll remarked that his presence there that evening in Mount Zion Chapel, would show, as far as his person was concerned, that he was not a huge fraud, nor was he a stuffed Doll. He was fifty-one years of age, although he did not look quite so old. He had been married many years, and was the father of fifteen children, eight of whom were living. His beloved wife was a godly, praying woman, and greatly assisted him in his Mission work. His eldest son, Mr. W. A. Doll, was engaged 300 miles from him in Missionary work, and was first called to preach in 1882, at Tinnevelly, and his wife also laboured in the schools and in other useful Christian work.

Mr. Doll’s Conversion And Call To The Ministry

Mr. Doll farther stated that he had been brought by divine grace to savingly know the Lord Jesus for thirty years. His old school-master had been instrumental in his conversion to God, and many others in the same school had been blest in a similar way. He was, however, considered by some to have been a Christian long before the Holy Spirit had really brought him under conviction of sin. He had passed through the form imposed upon him according to the rites of the national Church, all of which he regarded as nothing! For two years his soul was in great distress, and bowed down under the sense of sin; but was afterwards brought by the Spirit of God into an experimental knowledge of the truth and the liberty of the Gospel. Shortly afterwards his desire to serve and honour the Lord grew stronger and stronger, and His love to His name knew no bounds. He quickly found work in the Sabbath-school, and eventually in preaching the Gospel. He saw that the Wesleyans, Independents, Episcopalians, and other bodies had their missionary societies. He knew also that the views of the Strict Baptists were more in accordance with the Bible than theirs, and thus he was led from principle to espouse the cause of the Strict Baptists. Mr. Doll then spoke of the sad state of many of the Hindu caste and non-caste people, and how deeply some of them were engrossed in idolatry, and prejudiced against the religion of Jesus Christ. Mr. Doll, in referring to the idolatrous practices of many of the natives, exhibited two small idols worshipped by them, and also some fancy work done by the girls of the school in connection with the Mission, which was quite equal to much that is produced by English girls. We forbear giving more of Mr. Doll’s most instructive and deeply interesting address on account of our limited space. Much more of his work in India will be found in the Annual Sermon already referred to, and in the “Olive Branch,” a half-penny monthly record, entirely devoted to the Mission, both of which may be had of W. Wileman, 34, Bouverie-street, E.C.

Hymn No. II., commencing—

“Men of God, go, take your stations,
Darkness reigns throughout the earth,”

was then heartily sung, after which Mr. W. H. Evans commended the Mission to God in solemn prayer.

Presentation To Mr. Doll Of £60

Brother John Box followed with an excellent speech (in the unavoidable absence of the President of the Mission, Mr. John Hazelton). Addressing himself mainly to Mr. Doll, he took him by the hand, and expressed in most fitting words the heartfelt love of the Committee and friends to him; and then briefly, but beautifully, traced out the origin and progress of the Society of which Mr. Doll was their representative, and spoke of the difficulty attending the work of the Committee from time to time in dealing with the practical working of the Mission, and with brother Doll, a man whom none present had ever seen before he came to England five weeks since. He also expressed the pleasure it gave him to know that he (Mr. Doll) believed, preached, and practiced the great truths of the Bible, which gave them every satisfaction and confidence in him, and in the work in which he was engaged. Brother Box, in his concluding remarks, hoped Mr. Doll would carry away with him the devout earnestness of that meeting, and how much the Committee and friends would remember him in prayer before God for his safe journey to his wife and family, and for the success of his great work. Moreover, to show the good feeling of the brethren and friends for him, he with great pleasure presented him with a purse containing £60, as an expression of their high appreciation of his hearty labours in the interest of the Strict Baptist Mission in India. Mr. Doll, with evidently suppressed feelings of emotion, accepted the noble gift, and for which he most sincerely thanked the Committee, ministers, and friends, and all (especially the ladies) who had so kindly entertained him during his five weeks’ sojourn in England.

Mr. Doll’s Return To India

Mr. Doll said that he had never been so long absent from his beloved wife and family during thirty years. The inward struggles he endured before starting were great, as he thought of leaving his home and work, and coming 8,000 miles to mingle with friends he had never seen. He desired to share an interest in the prayers of the friends, as he should, God willing, start for India on Friday, November 11th. Brother S. Gray, of Brighton, in whose chapel Mr. Doll first spoke on his arrival in England, appropriately addressed the friends, and wished brother Doll God-speed. Brother Philip Reynolds, in very telling words, spoke of the union of heart he felt to brother Doll when be recently heard him speak at the half-yearly meeting of the Metropolitan Association of Strict Baptist Churches, and he was assured that the meeting recognised Mr. Doll and his mission work, and also the obligation of all present liberally to support it. Hymn No. IV. was then sung, beginning—

“Farewell, beloved friend, once more farewell!
For you our hearts have felt, and still shall feel;
Of late we’ve cared, and some attention given,
Now we must leave you to the care of Heaven.”

“”The Great Crisis Of The Strict Baptist Mission”

During the singing of this touching hymn many of the friends were moved to tears. The chairman having lovingly wished brother Doll to convey the united sympathy of the present meeting to his wife, and all his coadjutors in the mission field in India, called upon brother R. E. Sears to offer the closing prayer. Brother Sears prefaced his prayer with a right down glowing, pithy speech (which we should have been sorry to have lost), stating that now was the great crisis of the Strict Baptist Mission, and vehemently urged upon those present to support it more largely than they had done, as the Committee wished to engage Mr. Doll wholly in the mission work, and thus free him from secular employment. Brother Sears then offered earnest prayer, and the chairman pronounced the benediction. At the termination of the meeting everyone seemed anxious to have a grip of Mr. Doll’s hand, and it was with some difficulty that he could get clear of the numerous friends who thus sought to bid him good-bye. We heartily wish brother Doll all the divine help he needs in his important sphere of labour; and in closing our discursive notes of this joyous meeting, quote the second verse of the last hymn of the evening—

“Go then, dear friend, in your Redeemer’s cause,
Go, plough the briny wave, and brave the deep;
Mercy and truth be with you as you pass:
Preserve your soul, your life in safety keep.”

W. Winters
Churchyard, Waltham Abbey