They are called Christian, they are considered to be such by their heathen neighbours, they suffer persecution often with the other Christians when any outbreak occurs.
Their numbers and conduct exercise a wide influence in the society in which they live, for or against the progress of the Christian faith.
(3) The attitude of these people to the Christian missionary is quite different from that of the heathen.

They acknowledge Christ as the one Divine Teacher and Lord.

The missionary cannot count them as belonging to the heathen; he cannot approach them as the teacher of a new religion.

He must approach them as an exponent of the religion which they already profess.

However inadequate and confused their ideas about Christian theology and practice may be, they expect to receive from a Christian teacher instruction in their own religion, and that religion is a religion common to him and to them.