The Missionary Review of the World — September 1905
NOOKSACHK INDIAN
This is a ::Uethodist Mission near Whatcom, Washington. The Indians built the church unaided THE JAPANESE METHODIST CHURCH, OF OREGON Missionary Review of the World Old Series i SEPTEMBER, 1905 Ij New Series VOL. XXVIII. No.9 f VOL. XVIII. No.9 THE GOVERNMENT, CHURCH, AND PEOPLE OF RUSSIA BY REV. GEORGE WASHBURN, D.D., LL.D., CONSTANTINOPLE Ex-President of Robert College, Constantinople Theoretically an autocracy is the simplest of all forms of government; and, given a wise and good autocrat, it might be theoretically the best. Russia and Turkey are examples'of what it is ir.fact, and these two countries have been an object-lesson to the world for the last twenty-five years. The late czar, Alexander III., was a man of good intentions, narrow mind, and great will-power. 'l'he present czar is personally a good man, devoted to the interests of his dynasty, weak in mind and body, and intoxicated with the contemplation of his own grandeur. But whether it be Alexander 01' Nicholas, the word of the czar is the law of the empire, from which there is no appeal. The question of peace or war, as well as the life or death of his humblest subject, depends upon his will, and the peasant has been taught to look upon him as the" Little Father" who can do no wrong.
As the autocrat is neither omniscient nor omnipresent. he must depend upon others for information upon every subject and for the execution of his orders, and, as he is human, he is certain to ask the advice of those whom he trusts. He must also have official ministers to carry out his decrees and attend to the details of the administration. The world has been made familiar, of late, with the names of those upon whom Nicholas II. depends for advice. It may be the favorite of the hour, like Admiral Alexieff. It may be some man or woman of the imperial family. It may be a man like Pobiedonostseff, who was the most trusted counsellor of Alexander, and who has retained much of his influence under the present Cllar. It may be a Minister of the Interior, like Von Plehve or Trepoff, whom the czar trnsts to put down all rebellion and discontent with the knout, the rifle, or the dungeon. Whoever the favorite may be, he is for the time the chief power in the empire. The official Ministers, who are known to the world, may be very bad counsellors, and they often are, but they are far less dangerous to the welfare of the country than the more intimate, unofficial, and altogether irresponsible favorites who form the entourage of the autocrat, and are an occult power behind the throne.
Those who have read the great Russian novels of the last century will understand that the character of the administration does not de- pend upon the good will of the czar. The" Little Father" knows very little about it. The great curse of Russia is its bureaucracy, its vast army of incompetent, tyrannical, and corrupt officials, each one of whom feels himself to be a little czar, and whose least harmful oc- cu pation is the writing of endless reports which are never read. As each minister is independent and responsible only to the czar, there is no common responsibility for the policy of the government, and no harmony of action. 'They are often in conflict, as the other powers of Europe have discovered in their relations with Russia. The Minister of Foreign Affairs often makes promises which are ignored by other Ministers, as in the case of Port Arthur, where the English government was assured by the Foreign Minister that it would remain an open port, while that branch of the administration known as the" Asiatic Section" proceeded at once to fortify it. There have been many similar cases both in the llear and in the far East. Even Russian ambassadors receive their orders from half a dozen independent sources, and these orders are frequently contradictory. When the conflict is serious it has to be referred to the czar, but this is a last resort. But the great evil of the bureaucracy does not lie in this anomalous position of the ministers. It is in their relation to the internal administration of the government. 'rhe great army of officials is corrupt to the core, and this appears in every department. What it is in the army or navy has been made manifest to the world since the beginning of the war with Japan. It is the same in other departments. 'I'he chief sufferers from all this misgovernment are the people, and for them there is no redress. The governmeM is strong, and it is merciless. We may disapprove, but we can not wonder at the outbreaks of Nihilism, and the frequent assassination of high officials by the more intelligent sufferers.
The czar is alarmed at the present state of public opinion, and we hear every day of promises of reform of representat.ive assemblies, of constitutional government, and of religious liberty. What the outcome of this will be is very doubtful. Some thirty years ago the Sultan of Turkey, under similar circumstances, made similar promises, proclaimed a constitution, and called together a parliament of very much the same character as that proposed by the czar; but when the crisis was over the constitution and parliament disappeared, and the government became more tyrannical and arbitrary than ever. It is doubtful whether more can be expected from the Romanoffs. But in Russia there is a fair chance that the people may prove in the end to be stronger than the czar, and that a revolution may follow any attempt to return to the old regime. How such a change in the character of the government would affect the relations of Russia to other
THE GOVERNMENT, CHURCH, AND PEOPLE OF RUSSIA
nations can not be foreseen. Should there be a period of anarchy and a general uprising of the peasants, Europe would have reason to be alarmed, for every genuine RlIssian has a firm bel~ef in the destiny of the Slavic race to overthrow the rotten and materialistic civilization of Europe, and to establish a new, more Christian civilization based on the principles of universal brotherhood. If, on the contrary, the en- lightened classes maintain their Stl premacy Russia will probably cease, for a time at least, to be a terror to the world, and cultivate the arts of peace.
The Russian .. Orthodox" Church Turning now from the government to the Church and the people of Russia, we find a population of more than 130,000,000. Of these some 80,000,000 are Russians. The balance are of the conquered races occupying the belt of territory which encircles Russia propel'. Of the 80,000,000 Russians, more than ';'0,000,000 are mujiks, or peasants. Less than 10,000,000, probably less than 7,000,000, constitute what we know as enlightened Russia. Out of the whole population of 130,- 000,000, about 1,500,000 are employed in mines and manufactories, about 16,000,000 live in cities, and the balance are mostlyagriculturists. 'rhe religious divisions are estimated about 91,000,000 of the Orthodox Church (including all dissenters); 12,000,000 Catholics, 7,000,000 Protestants, 4,000,000 Jews, 1,500,000 Armenians, 12,000,000 Mohammedans, 2,500,000 of other religions. The 80,000,000 Russians may all be counted as members of the Orthodox Church, 01' of the sects IV hich are more 01' less heretical. In this article we must confine our attention to the Russians. Most of those of other races who are counted as Orthodox have been brought into the Church by force, and would gladly escape from it. Russian Christianity came from Constantinople, but it is the boast of the Orthodox churches, in opposition to that of Rome, that they have no head but Christ, and, in fact, what we call the Greek Church constitutes a group of autonomous National churches whose creeds are identical, and whose forms of worship are similar. They claim a more direct descent from the apostolic Church than they allow to Rome, and accept the degrees of no council later than the seventh. 'rheologically, the Church is what it was twelve centuries ago. In different countries there have been some modifications in the ritual, especially in the music, but it is essentially as of old. The Russian Church is governed by a synod, of which the czar is nominally the head, but since 1880 its policy has been determined by Pobiedonostseff, the procurator, who represents the czar in that body. He is undoubtedly responsible for the attempts which have been made to crush out all dissent, and to force the Catholics of Poland and the Protestants of Finland to join the Orthodox Church, and in general to secure the Russification of all races in the empire. IIe is an able man, and in a book which he has published in defense of his policy
he takes the ground that while Protestantism is good for England and Catholicism for some other conntries, the Orthodox Church is the only olle adapted to Hnssia. For the moment he seems to have lost his influ- ence with the czar, and it is reported that he has left the country.
The best thing that can be said for the Russian Church is that it has not forhidden the use of the Bible to the common people. 'rhere is a Russian Bible society, and colporteurs, with their boxes of Bibles, are carried free on all the Rnssian rail ways. The priests are married men, and in close relations with the people. Some of them are good men, but in general they are very ignorant, very poor, and incapable of giving any religious instruction beyond that embodied in the cere- monies of the Church. The higher clergy are unmarried, and all come from the monastaries. Some of them are men of faith and high Christian character, some are distinguished scholars, but in general they are more concerned with their relations with the government than with their spiritual duties. The official catechism of the Russian Church, a translation of which may be found in Dr. Schaff's" Creeds of Christendom," naturally contains some things to which Protestants would not subscribe, but on the whole is an aamirable compendium of practical religion. The ritual of the Church seems to foreigners ex- cessive and wearisome, and has often been condemned as mere formal- ism; but it should be remembered that this ritual is the only thing which has kept before an ignorant people the essential facts of the life and teaching of Christ, and made it possible, for some of them at least, to live by faith in Him a Christian life. The Russian people have taken their Christianity seriously, and they are sincerely religious, with a keener sense of the supernatural than is found in most Chris- tian nations to-day. 'rhe educated class has been greatly influenced for more than a century by various forms of unbelief of French or German origin, and scientific skepticism is current among them to-day, hut many of this class have been, and still are, not only believers, but earnest Christian workers, full of spiritual life, doing what they can to reach and elevate the lower classes. It would not be fair to men- tion Tolstoi as a type of this class, but there are others who have much of his spirit, while they do not accept his teachings or adopt his methods.
The People of Russia We must seek the real Russia not among the enlightened classes but in the 'iO,OOO,OOO mujiks. The Russian peasant is not attractive in appearance. He looks dull and heavy. He is very ignorant, generally dirty, often baH starved, and too often drunk. He is suspicious of strangers, and not easily approached, even by Russians of the upper class. But his appearance belies him. He is no fool; he has ideas of his own. He is willing to work, and he makes an admirable soldier. He is intensely religious. Superstitious? Yes, but with a firm faith
in the Gospels as the Word of God and in J esns Christ as the only Savior. The saints? Yes, he believes in them, too, and often seeks their aid. Dishonest and immoral? Yes, too often, but he is possessed of a greater fund of kindness and good will than is common to peasants in other countries. The very essence of the 1Jl1ljiks' religion is the idea that it finds its truest expression in voluntary suffering for others or for the Lord, such as is illustrated in the suffering and death of Christ for the redemption of the world. The real :;haracter of the nwjik comes out most clearly in those dissenting sects which take their start directly from the study of the Gospels, and there are many such. There is always an attempt to bring the life into harmony with the teaching of Christ. Many of these much-persecuted communities are models of simple and virtuous social life. Other sects are based upon strange misconceptions of the teaching of the Gospel. The so-called" Old Believers" are those who think that the modern Church has departed from some of the forms and ceremonies sanctified by the ancient church. It is true of all these sects that the 1Jlujik looks upon his religion as the most important thing in life, and is ready to die for it. With all his ignorance, with all his faults, he is worthy of our sympathy, and I believe he is destined to play an important part in the development of European civilization. No one can foresee, at the present time, what changed are to take place in Russia. We have no evidence as yet that this great peasant population has bee~ moved at all by the existing crisis, and no one can predict what would happen if they were suddenly aroused to shake off their chains and stand for their rights. It is probable that any sudden and violent changes would result in general anarchy. It is by no means clear what the czar means by his promise of religious liberty; it is very doubtful whether it implies any change in the r~lation of the Church and the State; very doubtful whether it will lead to any change in the policy of the government as to the toleration of foreign missionaries in the empire. We may be thankful if it puts an end to the bitter persecution of native Russians who are dissenters from the Orthodox Ohurch. This vast peasant population needs instruction, religious as well as secular, but it seems to me certain that it would be a great mistake to attempt to send Protestant missionaries to work among them at the present time, unless they were ready to follow the lead of the Y. M. C. A. and work in harmony with the existing Russian Church, and chiefly through members of that Church. A good deal of work of this kind has been done by Lord Radstock and others with good results. I remember, many years ago, attending one of Lord Radstock's meetings in Paris, and I can never forget the deep spirituality of a prayer made at that meeting by a Russian gentleman connected with the embassy. The Y. M. C. A. works among the students and Lord Radstock's work is with the npper class. It is only
through them that the peasants have been reached, especially through the circulation of religious literature. It may be that more of this friendly cooperation with the Russian Ohurch will be possible after the present crisis has passed away, but no one can foresee how soon that time will come.
Russia and Missions The difficulty of reaching the other races in the empire in the past has been that there is a law which forbids any man changing his re-· ligion, except to join the Orthodox Church, and there has been a certain amount of genuine missionary effort on the part of the Church to· win converts from the heathen tribes, but none, so far as I know, from the Mohammedans. Central Asia was once Christian, and long resisted the inroads of Mohammedanism. It might be a fair field for Protestant missionary enterprise now, but I suppose that this law is still in force, and we do not know that it will be repealed. The Russian government is not likely to repeal it for the benefit of Protestant missionaries. The great Protestaut nations have sympathized with Japan rather than with Russia in the present war, England has been her ally, and the people of America have been almost unanimous on the same side. They have rejoiced over the destruction of the Russian navy and the defeat of her armies, and the Russian autocracy never forgets. ,['here was a time when no foreigner had such a welcome in Russia as the American, whoever he might be, but this is true no longer. Perhaps in time it will be understood that, while we can not sympathize with the Russian government, such as it has been for the last twenty-five years, we have the deepest interest in the Russian people and the Slavic race. '1'here is no reason why this race should not rise to playas important a part in the history of Europe and Asia as the Latin or the Teutonic races which have preceded it, and it is for the interest of all the world that they escape from the crushing despotism which keeps them in darkness, and have the opportunity to give the world an example of that higher civilization and purer faith of which the mujilc dreams now in the midst of his misery and suffering.
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINA INLAND MISSION
THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINA INLAND MISSION A SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF REV. HUDSON TAYLOR BY THE EDITOR – IN – CHIEF The departure of saintly souls makes heaven richer, while it leaves earth poorer.
When, in the city of Chang-sha, in the province of Hunan, the Rev. J. Hudson Taylor passed away on June 3d, a remarkable servant of God departed to be with Christ. While his own humility shrank from undue publicity, and especially from human praise, it is right that we should glorify God in him; and that we may glorify him the more, it is well carefully to study the peculiar fitness for the I.Jord's work of one who has been, not inaptly, called" Paul the Little."
First of all, let us not forget in these days of declension of faith in the authority and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, that of all Mr. Taylor's characteristics, nothing is more prominent than his deep, uncompromising, and unswerving devotion to the Word of God. He communed with God through the Word habitually. He believed that in that Word were the secrets of heavenly wisdom, both for individual life and for organized work; he sought, therefore, every day some new insight into the Holy Scriptures, and, as it were, a new motto for each day's duty. He looked with strange wonderment upon the readiness of so-called "higher critics" to make concessions to the enemies of the supernatural element in Scripture, and he compared it to the Russian flinging out his children to the pursuing and hungry pack of wolves, in order that he might escape their violence. lIe felt that men were flinging out, one after another, the precious vital truths of our faith to appease the clamor of rationalists, and he held firmly to the Word of God in its entirety to the end of his life.
Then Mr. Taylor will always be remembered as preeminently a man ofprayer. He believed in prayer as a practical remedy for all difficulties and.a practical guide in all perplexities. He prayed without ceasing, in a true Scriptural sense. Jeremy Taylor says, "If thou meanest to enjoy thy religion, do it rather by enjoying thine ordinary devotions than thine extraordinary." Hudson Taylor's prayers were not an incident, they were a constant lifl'-factor; not occasional, but habitual. He lived in an atmosphere of prayer. He felt it necessary to both ordinary and extraordinary activities, and it is a wellknown fact that for the sake of seclusion with God he rose in the early hours of the morning, when the world was asleep; when there were no letters brought to him by the postman, and no interruption of callers; when the very silence of night and of the busy world helped to the stillness of prayer; one can readily understand, in the light of his life, what he meant by tuning instruments before the concert performance, in order to insure that life should be one harmonious anthem of devotion to God.
As to his life-work, Mr. Taylor will always be remembered by intelligent students of missions as a great missionary pwneer. His great passion, like that of the Apostle Paul, was not to take another man's work made ready to hand, hut to press into the "Regions Beyond," and occupy the unoccupied territory. This reminds us of the famous encomium pronounced by Florence Nightingale upon Dr. Livingstone, who, as she said, "stood alone as a great missionary traveler, or rather as a bringer-in of civilization, as one that cometh beforehand to the races lying in Darkness."
Hudson Taylor dar.ed, in more than one sense, to be a pioneer. He ventured out in faith and prayer to follow apostolic precedents, long and lamentably neglected by the Church of Jesus Christ. He could not but feel that, especially since the days of Constantine, the Church and the world have been so wedded that the spirit and maxims of the world have not only permeated the Church, but crowded out the simplicity of primitive faith, and to this he sought to return.
A Remarkable Career When this single man undertook to occupy the eleven unoccupied provinces of China with resident missionary workers, and to go forth, like Abraham, "not knowing whither he went," trusting the Lord alone fol' supplies of money and of men, there were not a few who ridiculed his methods and prophesied that, like many other venturesome and am bitious projectors of schemes, he would come to grief; but he went steadily forward in his pioneer work, manifesting a spirit heroic in self-denial, but not'less heroic in its childlike faith. He had indeed an ambition, but it was a particularly holy one,and should rather be called" aspiration." He had a passion for souls that burned like fire in his bones and made him" weary with forbearing," so that he could not stay. When one sees the more than eight.hundred workers now in the China Inland Mission, and sees how during forty year~ there has never been a serious failure either of workers or pecuniary means, and no dependence except upon prayer, one can easily understand how ridicule has been transformed into applause. Mr. Taylor conquered hostility and the worse antagonism of indifference by making it plain that God was with him. His whole work was largely impelled and upheld by a conviction that he was led out into God's plan, and that God was bound to carry out His own plan, and hence to give his ser· vant's work success. The French have a proverb: "Ou Dietl guidera Die1t gardera," (Where the Lord guides, the Lord provides).
The history of the China Inland Mission is redolent with the perfume of that sort of success which is the blossoming of prayer and
faith. Oountless have been the instances in which Divine interposition has been so conspicuous that no candid mind can refuse to acknowledge the evidence of such supernatural intervention.
With Mr. Taylor the perfection of all plans and work for God was the approximation to the pattern presented in the Word of God, and he was quite content to risk everything upon the success of methods which have no model but that which is divinely furnished. At the same time, he saw in the condition of the world, and in the progress of history, a mighty confirmatory appeal to activity, emphasizing that plan which is revealed in the Word of God. While, on the one hand, he looked to the Word of God for a mighty spiritual impulse to his work, he saw God as the Governor of the nations, and the Demonstrator of history, and recognized the fact that such facilities were furnished in modern days for world-wide travel and communication between distant peoples, that hermit nations were coming out of their seclusion, that the human mind was waking from the long sleep of apathy and lethargy, that there was a general assimilation of people to one another, and a new alliance of the nations for commercial and other purposes, together with the obvious triumph of the Ohristian faith wherever it has had a fair field, and the fulfilment of the prophetic word. Such facts as these he set, side by side, with the witness of the Word; and thus all history became to him a ki:ld of prophecy, a declaration and confirmation of the will of God, and events were fingers which indicated the direction of duty.
We have been struck more than once by the dependence which Mr. Taylor felt upon prayer in connection with the mission work. Often in his public addresses he emphasized the statement of our Lord when, seeing the multitude, He was moved with compassion, and bade His disciples pray the Lord of the harvest that He would thrust forth laborers into His harvest. Mr. 'l'ayloroften said that if, by raising his hand, he could determine the decision of his hearers in favor of the mission field, he would not raise his hand, that he did not want any man or woman to go abroad into this wide world-field who was not thrust into it by the Lord Himself. Hence, he was never impatient of results, and was content to wait quietly upon God, and leaye the effects of the appeals which were made both by the field itself and by the Word of God to find a deep root in the hearts and minds of the hearers.
One peculiarity of Mr. Taylor's appeals was found in his constant endeavor to make every believer both an intelligent student of the world-field and an individual giver according to his means. I have often heard him say that it is not the few large gifts of the wevJthy that will most promote the cause of missions, but the countless gifts of the many, however small their average ability, because every giver is incited by the fact of his gifts both to secure greater information of the field and to offer more earnest supplication fOl it. As in chem-
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THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINA INLAND MISSION
ical galvanism the increase of power is not secured by increasing the dimension of the cells of the battery, but by increasing the number of cells, so if we want the most successful mission work we must not depend upon the large gifts of the few, but the small gifts of the many. As John Wesley said, "The poor are God's chosen materials for building up churches; the rich make good scaffolding, but poor materialfor structu re."
" What we need," says a quaint Christian worker, "is to have the missionary spirit work down from the head to the mouth in testimony, to the heart in love, to the conscience in moral obligation, to the will in determination and surrender, to the pocket in contributions, and finally to the legs and feet in the actual going."
Dr. Alexander Maclaren has finely said that the reason why so few people are truly annointed and endued with the Holy Ghost for service, when the annointing is free to all who really desire it and ask for it, is that" so few are willing to be made invisible by the Divine investiture." It is only when, in our humility, we are little in our own eye; and willing to be unseen of man that God may be glorified, that it is possible for God to make the largest use of us. Mr. Taylor never, in his largest successes, lost his humility, but rather grew in this great virtue which, with love and patience, stands at the very summit of all Christian attainments. Love is the unselfish grace, patience the enduring grace, but humility the unconscious grace.
Mr. Taylor', Passion Mr. Taylor had a deep }Ja88iU}~ for lhe glory i!l hilS 111aster and the salvation ol men. Aristotle long ago said, "There is no great geniull without some mixture of madness, nor can anything grand or superior be spoken, except by the agitated soul." When Hedley Vicars first really drank ill the wOIlllerful statement of the first Epistle of John, "The blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanseth ns from all sin," he stopped and meditated a moment, and then, looking up to heaven, quietly said, " If this is 00, I will henceforth live as becomes a bloodwashed man." That was Mr. Taylor's passionate determination, to live as became a blood-washed man, and to seek to bring others under the power of the same blood.
'L'he founder and director of the China Inland Mission sympathized with Shaftesbury, who said: "I feel old age ill creeping upon me. I know I must soon die; I hope it is not wrong to say it, but I can not bear to leave this world with all the suffering in it."
Mr. Taylor wa., essentially heroic, but his heroism can only be accounted for by his faith. It is faith that triumphs over one's environment, for while nature may put circumstances between us and God, and Satan may put hindrances between us and our work, Grace puts God between ourselves and both our circumstances and our
hindrances. All heroism involves sacrifice, which is its necessary con- dition. As Froude says, " Sacrifice is the first element 'of religion, and resolves itself into love of God. Let the painter pause to consider how much his work will bring him, and the cunning will forsake his hand and the work of genius will be gone."
Mr. 'raylor had sagacity and insight-the essential traits that go to make up a proverbialist. If his choice sayings or proverbial utter- ances were carefully compiled it would be found that they present a body of wisdom npon practical matters pertaining to the spiritual life not easily equaled. A few of these choice sayings we venture to quote simply as specimens of what deserve to be embalmed in the literature of the century: "Study the habit of delight in God. This is a valuable law of life- it gets out of our way all unrepented sin, all hindrances to fellowship and communion. The joy of the Lord is our strength."
" Be careful of your attitude and habitude of mind and heart. Occasional good acts or words signify little; but the half-unconscious and semi-involuntary frames are the true index of spiritual growth, and constitute the essence of character."
.. The Christian life is Christ's life lived backward from the Cross to the Cradle. It is becoming again a babe, and it is the babe that gets nurtured and cherished, held and fondled."
"The revelation of a personal Christ to those who go apart with Him into the desert of paganism is so much richer than before that it repays all toils and trials. But for that missionaries would sometimes die or become insane."
.. Beware of legalism in relations with God. All works done to commend ourselves to Him by our own merits are dead works, and, like all dead things, offensive to Him."
"Do not have your concert .first, and then tune your instruments afterward. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him."
" Satan may build a hedge about us and fence us in and hinder our movements, but he can not roof us in and prevent our looking up."
"Some are jealous of being successors of the apostles-I would rather be a successor of the Samaritan woman, who, while the apostles went for meat and forgot souls, forgot her water-pot in her zeal to spread the good tidings."
.. If there was more true abiding in Christ, there would be lesiS selfish abiding at home."
One of the first indications that Mr. Taylor's nervous system was giving way nnder the strain of his long responsibility and numberless exposures was in Boston in 1900, when, after the great Ecumenical Conference, he was holding meetings with the writer, and it was observed, in an otherwise effective address, that he repeated one 01' two sentences a score of times 01' more. 'fhese sentences were as follows: "Yon may trust the Lord too little, but you can never trnst Him
IN MEMORiAM: J. HUDSoN TAYLoR
too much." "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful; He can not deny Himself."
There was something pathetic and poetic in the very fact that this repetition was the first visible sign of his breakdown, for was it not this very sentiment and this very quotation that he had kept repeating to himself and all his fellow-workers during all the years of his missionary work-a blessed sentence to break down upon, which had been the buttress of his whole life of consecrated endeavor. What would he desire to be made emphatic by his whole career if not this simple lesson of the impossibility of trusting God too implicitly, too boldly, and too constantly?
Even in his lifetime his heroism was not without reward. The Rev. Hunter Corbett was reproached by a former college fellow student with having buried his life in China; his simple answer was: "Perhaps it may have been so; but I know this, that at this moment there are at least two thousand converts in China, brought to Uhrist. through my humble labors, who daily pray to God for me." It is duu btless true that, directly or indirectly, fifty thrJUS(tluZ Chinese have heard the Gospel uecause Hudson 'faylor responded to Gorl's call nearly fifty years ago.
IN MEMORIAM: J. HUDSON TAYLOR BY B. JlROOMHALL, LONDON, ENGLAND 'fhe designation, "Founder of the China Inland Mission," is in itself an almost sufficient epitaph. When eulogy has said its last word and a full-length biography has been written-the best and the noblest epitaph of the widely beloved missionary will be, "Founder of the China Inland Mission." The China Inland Mission is his memorial, and a nobler memorial could not be desired for any man. Wherever the work of that mission and its special characteristics are known, it will be evident that by the death of Hudson Taylor there has been removed from the sphere of earthly service one of the most distinguished missionaries ever given to the Church of Christ.
:F'ifty-two years ago, September 4, 1853, the writer of these lines went to see his friend, Hudson Taylor, shortly before he was to sail for China. The place of meeting was Dr. Brown's surgery, at the corner of St. Mary Axe, Cammish Street, Bishopsgate Street. During that visit Mr. Taylor accompanied himself on his concertina as he sweetly sang: "For Ohina's distant shore, Embark without delay; Behold an open door; 'Tis God that leads the way.
His call is clear and loud; The missionary band Rhould gather like a cloud, And leave their native land.
* * * Nor wilt thou grieve for home- The home that's left behind; The thought of one to come 'Vill wholly fill thy mind.
And thou wilt bless the day When thou didst part with all, And hasten far away A t thy loved Master's call."
He was joyfully anticipating his departure for Ohina in a few days' time, and the words truly represented his own feeiings.
About a fortnight later the writer was in Hudson Taylor's home at Barnsley when his mother arrived from Liverpool after seeing him embark for Ohina.
It was characteristir, of that loving and greatly-beloyed mother that she wrote and gave to each of her two daughters her "Recollections" of the parting from their brother at Liverpool. In those days a voyage to China meant mnch more than it does to-day. Fj'oT:1 these " Recollections" we take the following: On Sunday, .'leptembel' 18, 1853, Hudson was Illuch hiessed and strengthened by the religiouH services of the day. Seeing his mother in tears, he said: "Oh, mother, do not grieve; I am so happy I C(lil not; my only sorrow is to see yOllI' sorrow. I'll tell YOll what r think is the difference between YOll and me: you look at the p(ll'iimg-I look at the meeting," alluding to our reunion in the" bettel' land."
The next day they and some other friends met in the cabin of the _Dun~tl"i,e8. After a little conversation, singing and pray!'r were pl'U- posed, and Hudson gave out in a firm, clear voie!', the beautiful hymn: "How sweet the name of .Tesus sounds In a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his WOlln<iR, And drives away his fear."
After prayer, the tillle came to say farewell, I stepped off the vessel scarcely knowing what I did, and was seated on a piece of timber which lay close by. A chill came over me, and I trembled from head to foot. Seeing my distress, he leaped ashore to breathe words of consolation. "Dear mother," he said, "do not weep; it is but for' a little while,' and we shall meet again. Think of the glorious object I have in view in leaving you; it is not for wealth or fame, but to try to bring the poor Chinese to the knowledge of .TeSlls." As the veEsel was receding he was obliged to return, and we lost sight of him for a minute; he had run into his cabin, and hastily writing in pencil on the blank leaf of a pocket Bible, "The
CHINA INLAND MISSION HOUSE IN
love of God which passeth knowledge.-J. H. T.," returned to the deck, and threw it to me on the pier.
While we stood waving our handkerchiefs and watching the depart- ing ship, he took his stand at its head, and afterward got into the rigging, waving his hand in token of farewell, looking more like a victorious hero than a stripling just entering the battle-field. His figure became less and less distinct, and in a few minutes passenger and ship were lost in the distance.
After a long and tedious voyage of twenty-three weeks and two days, Mr. Taylor lauded at Shanghai on March 1, 1854.
Of his work during the first six years in Ohina nothing need here be said. One fact, however, is significant, and should be named because of its relation to later developments. Writing home in January, 1860, Mr. Taylor said: Do you know any earnest, devoted young men desirous of serving God in China, who-not wishing for more than actual support-would be willing to come out and labor here? Oh, for four or five such helpers!
They would probably begin to preach in China in six months' time: and in answer to prayer the necessary means for their support would be found.
These few workers were given-they were the first of a great company, of whom there are now connected with the mission more than eight hundred missionaries, including wives, most of whom were missionaries before marriage. . 'rhe missionary zeal and devotion of this great company is a greater cause for thankfulness than for the large number. Probably two requirements have done much to prevent unsuitable persons joining the mission, namely: a distinct understanding that there was no guarantee of income whatever by the mission, and the importance attached to proved efficiency in work already done. A good record for Christian work already done counted for much; without this the candidate had but little chance of being accepted.
How the work grew-how province after province was opened for mission work-how, without collections or personal solicitation of money, it has been sustained, nntil now an aggregate sum of over $5,000,000 has been given, it is not our present purpose to say. In the space available our reference must be, not to the mission and its development, but to its founder.
The purpose of his life has often been referred to, but never has it been better told than in an "In Memoriam" notice of Hudson Taylor in The Guardian. The writer of this notice has gone to the heart of things, and has grasped and stated with striking precision the object and aim of Mr. Taylor in his life-work. He says: He had but one aim-to preach Christ to China by any means that came to hand. With no defined views upon Church order, there was nothing so real to him as the individual soul, and God in Christ for its
190il] iN MEMORiAM: j. HUDSON
salvation. All he probably sought was the first real act of faith, disregarding as of quite disproportionate value sacramental means of grace. So burning a spirit soon gathered kindred souls round him, and he launched upon China the finest missionary lance of our generation to break down in the first place opposition to the foreigner, and to make the One Name known.
If any wish to realize what simple faith in God can effect in so brief a space of time, let them study the map of China in the "Stud~nt Volunteer Atlas," and mark the stations, marvelous in number, of this mission, dotted apparently all over the western regions of the Chinese Empire. The spiritual force has been so great that no Church or denom- THREE VIi:TERAN MISSIONARIES OF THE CHINA INLAND MISSION J. W. Stevenson J. Hudson Taylor James Meadows Feb. 6, 1886 March I, 1854 May 24, 1862 This photo was taken In ShanghaI lAst spring. The date Is that of arrival In China ination can show so imposing a mass of missionary agents in China as the Inland Mission, with the exception of the Church of Rome-with its four centuries of work behind it.
All through Mr. Taylor'S missionary life his aim was just what this writer says it was-to preach Christ to the Chinese. Nothing turned him aside from this. The desire grew, and he longed to enlist others in the work. At first.• a few helpers, then more, then Protestant missionaries for each province in China in which there were none, and however impracticable at the time this project might seem, he was permitted to see the desire of his heart realized. The desire of
his life was that Christ might be preached throughout the length and breadth of China. For this he labored unceasingly, and with the measure of success that has been seen.
For Hudson Taylor's best, and all-unconsciously written, autobiography, we must read the early volumes of "China's Millions." No record of his life can better portray his true character, and nothing he has ever written is better worth republication than his short comments upon the texts of Scripture printed as page illustrations in these early volumes. These articles, under the general heading of "China for Christ," are faithful reflections of the missionary zeal-the faith-the prayerfulness which made Hudson Taylor what he was. In them we may see the seed corn that was sown some thirty years ago, of which the China Inland Mission of to.day is thp. manifest fruit. The lesson is for us all. It is that God honors faith, answers prayer, and never fails those who" attempt great things for God, and expeet great things from God."
After the many years of the most strenuous labor, there came, in 1900, a complete breakdown of health, and Mr. Taylor was compelled to withdraw from the work of active leadership, tho glad to advise, as needed, his successor in the general direction of the mission-Mr. D. E. Hoste. He retired for quiet and rest to Switzerland, and during his stay in that country had to bear the great sorrow of the loss of his devoted wife, whose help both in health and sickness had been to him of inestimable value. In the beginning of 1905 he felt well enough to deeide to revisit China–traveling 1Ii(( America to avoid the great heat of the Red Sea. After a very brief stay in Rhanghai he went on to Yang-chou, to the training-home for the lady missionaries of the C.1. M. On his way to Chin-kiang he wrote the following letter: April 20, 1905.
My BELOVED FRIENDS: To be once again in China :1nd to see and hear from one another personally, is a great joy and refreshment. May I ask your prayers that we may be guided as to the employment of the short time I can remain before the great heat of summer begins? Traveling is now so much less difficult than formerly, that I may, perhaps, be able to attend a conference in Ho-nan, and visit the capital of Hu-nan, a province for which we have prayed so long. Help me by your prayers, dear friends. My strength is not what it once was, but" He giveth more grace." He does not expect or require anything in us that He is not willing and able to impart. I have found the Lord's word in my reading to-day so precious, " Let Thine hand be ready to help me .. for I have chosen Thy precepts."
Gratefully your in Christ, J. HUDSON TAYLOR.
Mr. Taylor had set his heart on a visit to Chang-sha, the capital of the Hu-nan Province. lie reached that city, and there on the 3d of
so:r.rE BIOGRAPHICAL FACTS
June the home-call of the weary laborer came. Probably in no city in China could he have more appropriately adopted the words of Simeon. Of all the unevangelized provinces of China in which he had sought to place missionaries, the province of Hu-nan was the last to receive them. It was the most violently anti-foreign province in China, Il,nd all efforts through many years to open a station had been unsuccessful up to 1898. The faithful worker has been removed, but the lessons and influ- ence of his life remain, and will yet mean much for the spread of the Gospel in China. We close this article with some of his earnest words for China, and never were they more needed than now; "The claims of an empire like this should surely be not only admitted, but realized! Shall not the eternal interests of one-fifth of our race stir up the deepest sympathies of our nature, the most strenuous efforts of our blood-bought powers? Shall not the low wail of helpless, hopeless misery arising from one-half of the heathen world, pierce our sluggish ear, and rouse us, spirit, soul, and body, to one mighty, continued, unconquerable effort for China's salvation? n SOME BIOGRAPHICAL FACTS * The China Inland Mission has furnished an object-lesson for missionary societies the wide world over, and its story forms one of the most remarkable chapters in the history of the world's evangelization. While Mr. Hudson 'I'aylor would have been the last man to say that he has been the only human instrument in bringing about snch blesHea results, he was none the less, under God, the chief worker both in founding and extending the mission. 1<'rom his first endeavors in this direction he has been honored in helping forward the purposes of his Master, with respect to the evangelizing of one of the mightiest nations on the face of the earth.
A native of Barnsley, Yorkshire, Mr. 'l'aylor had reached the ripe age of seventy-three. More important than the date of his birth is the suggestive fact that his father, who was himself an earnest evangelist (tho a business man), had been deeply stirred as to the spiritual condition of the Chinese; and he prayed God that if ever a son were giveR him, that son might become an ambassador of the Cross to China. Mr. Taylor was, ther€fore, consecrated for missionary service in China from birth. During his childhood his health was feeble, and his parents had to abandon, for a time at least, the fond hopes they cherished; but the answer to their prayers was not denied·-it only tarried. Already their son was interested in China, and had begun to regard it as the sphere of his life-work. He has himself described how in his youth he had a skeptical fit, and how he was brought out of the region • From The Christian (London).
of darkness and negation into the goodly land of faith and peace and assurance as a clear answer to the prayers of his mother and his sister (Mrs. BroomhaH). At the –;ery time when his mother was agonizing in prayer for him seventy or eighty miles away, he was stepping into the light of conscious acceptance with God, through reading a Gospel tract which came into his possession.
During Mr. Taylor's period of training at the London Hospital, many experiences calculated. to strengthen his faith in the direct inter- position of Ood. for guidance or deliverance at critical moments. He had learned to commit his way, and all its daily difficulties, to his loving heavenly Father, and the unmistak- able responses of God to this life of simple trust taught him many lessons that proved invaluable in later years. The sense of the press- ing spiritual needs of China that was borne in upon his heart at the time of his consecration, grew in weight and volume during his student years, and it was with inexpressible joy that in September, 1853, at the age of twenty-one, hav- ing been accepted by the Chinese Evangelization Society as a medical missionary, he sa;'1d for the land J. HUDSO!'i TAYLOR WHEN HE SAILED of his heart's desire. FOR CHINA Landing in Shanghai, the young missionary found himself in the midst of a native rebellion. The path of every missionary was beset by dangers and difficulties, and Mr. Taylor had many hairbreadth escapes from bullets and the fanatical soldiery. There were also diffi- culties relating to the work itself; but out of them all God provided a way of escape, tho faith was often sorely tried. These early embar· rassments and hindrances did not damp the zeal of the young mission- ary, but only caused him the more unreservedly to cast himself on his God. One very happy circumstance of his first stay in China as a pioneer missionary was his association with William C. Burns, of the Presbyterian Mission-a fellowship fraught with mutual blessing, and one to which Mr. Taylor was never tired of referring in after years.
For about four years Mr. Taylor devoted his energies to itinerant 'Work, meeting with numerous diss.ppointments and trials, but finding through them all that God was indeed the refuge and strength of His servants. At the end of 1856 he had been led to terminate his offi- cial connection with the society (tho continuing to work with it), and
SOME BIOGRAPHICAL FACTS
began the method of looking directly to God for the supply of his needs and the needs of the work, to which method he henceforth consistently adhered. His fai.th was honored in a way that was a further preparation for the founding of the Inland Mission. Failing health compelled him sorrowfully to return to England in 1860. For a time he was engaged as a collaborateur of Rev. F. Gough, of the C. M. S., in the important work of revising a version of the New Testament ill the Romanized Colloquial of Ningpo, to be published by the British and Foreign Bible Society. This also proved to be a providential circumstance in his life, an experience which he described as follows: In the study of that Divine Word I learned that, to obtain successfullaborers, not elaborate appeals for help were needed, but, first, earnest prayer to God to thrust forth laborers; and, second, the deepening of the spiritual life of the churches, so that men should be unable to stay a.t home. I saw that the apostolic plan was, not to raise ways and means, but to go and do the work, trusting in His sure word who h as sa id: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
Months of earnest prayer strengthened the can vic t ion "that a special agency was essen- tial for the evangeliza- tion of inland China; and that by simple trust in God, such an agency might be raised up and sustained without inter- fering injuriously with any existing work." At home he saw congrega- tions well cared for spirit- ually, while the millions of China were perishing for lack of knowledge, and this brought his feel- ings and resolves to a CrISIS. lIe surrendered himself to God for this service, and there and then asked Him for )IRS. J. HUDSON TA.YLOR twenty-four fellow-work- ers, two for each of the eleven inland provincesof China, then without a Protestant missionary, and two for Mongolia.
About this time Mr. Taylor wrote" China's Spiritual Needs and
Claims," a volume which was exceedingly helpful in imparting a true knowledge of that vast country, and in stirring up consecrated workers to go forth to help in its evangelization. The mission was formed in 1865. In May of the following year a mis3ionary party of seventeen sailed for China in the Lamrnermuir, and the China Inland Mission was fully inaugurated. The Chinese people were not naturally disposed, like some races, toward the reception of a new religious faith; pride of intellect and of country were found to be strongly against it. England herself has done much to baT the door of China to' the Gospel of Christ by her un-Christian action in the matter of the opium trade.
When this first C. I. M. party sailed, eleven of the eighteen provinces were entirely without a Protestant witness for the truth. At the present time there are 200 central stations with over 450 outstations, while since 1900-the year of persecntion-50,000 souls have been added to the Church in China. It is a cause for deep thankfulness to God that Mr. Taylor was spared to see something of the great harvest that is being reaped to-day. In the e,entide of his life he was permitted to see the work of the Lord, which has prospered in his hands, prosper also in the hands of an army of devoted followers of His Master-men and women who went forth prepared to suffer and die, if only the Gospel could .be given to the millions of China. Some idea of the progress now being made may be gathered from the fact that during last year sixty-six missionaries were added to the staff on the field, making a total of 828 workers, the highest figure yet recorded.
Mr. Taylor has been twice married, and each time has been singularly happy in his life partner. His first wife, to whom he was wedded during his first visit to China, was a daughter of Hev. Samuel Dyer, a very devoted agent of the London Missionary Society. After her death he married Miss Falliding, who was one of the party that sailed in the Lammerrnuir, and was greatly blessed of God as a worker among the Chinese. She was called to her rest and reward in August of last year.
It was fitting that our beloved friend should receive the home-call from Chang-sha. It is the capital of what was for years the most violently anti-foreign province in China–a province for which the C. 1. M. has worked perseveringly for the last twenty years, but for a long period without being able to get a station opened.
Mr. Taylor held a service for the Chinese on the day that he fell asleep. His daughter, Mrs. Howard Taylor, was with him when the summons came, suddenly but quietly, as the venerable missionary rested in his room in the evening. His body rests in Chinkiang (Chen-chiang), the city of his early residence, and the burial-place of his first wife and their four infant children. Mr. Taylor's earthly tabernacle was laid to rest with a simple Chinese Christian funeral service in the presence of his two sons and forty China Inland missionaries. WHAT THE MISSIONARIES HAVE DONE FOR THE NORTHWEST * BY DON O. SHELTON, NEW YORK Associate Secretary of the Congregational Home Missionary Society An exhibit of the work of the heroic pioneer preachers of the Northwest, were it possible to make it, would unquestionably be of more absorbing interest to Christian pevple than any other part of the great Portland e!"- position. Such an exhibit would include pictures of new communities in process of transformation under the power of the Gospel. It would reveal hardships cheerfully borne and self-sacrifices willingly made in the interests of the Kingdom of Christ. It would show the vanishing of the darkness of sin and evil from countless homes and communities, and the emergence of characters and commonwealths dominated by the Christian spirit.
But while it is impossible, by the use of pictures or figures or charts, to make an adequate exhibit of the heroic living and noble achievement of the missionaries of the Northwest, it is possible to portray, in words, some of the magnificent results of their lives and labors.
The story of the events that MAROUS WHITMAN STATUE led up to the entrance of the home missionaries in the vast Oregon country, and made possible condi- tions that were favorable to their ministry, is of deep interest. The acquiring, by the United States, of this immense and valuable section was the first important step. When, through the Louisiana Purchase, the claims of France to the Northwest territory were yielded, at once the United States government directed that it be explored. Speedily • For photographs of Whitman College, the page from Mrs. Whitman's diary, and the hatchet supposed to have been used in the Whitman massacre, the author acknowledges his ndebtedness to the Rev. Dr. S. B. L. Penrose, president of Whitman College. an expedition was fitted out. In 1803 President Jefferson recom- mended to Congress that his private secretary, Merriwether Lewis, be placed in command of the party. The tour of Lewis and Clark, which began May 14, 1804, and ended September 23, 1806, has been referred to as one of the longest, most difficult, and most important overland journeys of governmental exploration ever attempted.
l'hroughout the years that followed this tour there were many controversies respecting the ownership of the Oregon country. It was not until over forty years after Lewis and Clark had finished their work of exploration that the United States came into undisputed control of this invaluable section. In the meantime the country was slowly settled by those drawn to it by the opportunity of comn~ercial gaiu. Various trading companies were established, and became closely identified with the lives of natives and immigrants.
Men of Might Required In 1821, by the union of these rival corporations, the Hudson's Bay Company was formed. It quickly became the most powerful trading organization in the Northwest. Its agents were alert, aggressive, resourceful. The company was so successful that Americans could not do business within the territory on the coast. It used its vast power in subordinating, or in exterminating, persons who interfered with its monopolistic methods. Summarizing the evil practises of the Hudson's Bay Company, Sir Ed ward Fitzgerald said: "It has stopped the extension of civilization and excluded the light of religious truth." By misrepresenting the condition of the country, by unjustly disparaging the character of the natives, and by other disreputable methods, the company sought to prevent immigration from the East.
But the men chosen for the stern task of founding Christian churches in this immense region had vigorous faith and robust natures, and ability to endure hardship for the sake of Him whom they served. From most of the severities and perils of that early frontier life they were not immune, but they were unfearing. To them, as to multitudes in a latel' time, the voice of the West was a trumpet-call to rigorous self-sacrifice.
Yes, man must sink or fight, be strong or die! That is thy law, 0 great, free strenuous West I The weak thon wilt make strong till he defy Thy buffetings; but spacious prairie breast Will never nourish weakling as its guest! He must grow strong or die! Thou givest all An equal chance-to work, to do their best- . Free land, free hand-thy sons must work or fall, Grow strong or die! That message shrieks the storm-wind's callI It was in 1833 that Gabriel P. Disosway, Presiden t of the Young Men's Missionary Society of New York, heard of the notable visit to St. Louis of Nez Perce Indians, of Oregon, in search of the white man's Book. These Indians had been told by travelers of a Supreme Being and of that Book that reyealed Him. Desiring the aid of Christian teachers, they made the perilous journey of three thousand miles to St. Louis. Arriving there, they were welcomed by General Clarke, Superintendent for Indian Affairs for the Northwest. They were generously entertained at theaters and dances, but did not find the Light they sought. Two of the four died at St. Louis, and the other two made their way homeward without the Book. One of the latter, in a farewell address at St. Louis, said: When I tell my poor blind people, after one more snow, in the big council, that I did not bring the Book, no word will be spoken by our old men or by our young braves. One by one they will rise up and go out in silence. My people will die in darkness, and they will go on the long path to the other hunting grounds. No white man will go with them, and no white man's Book to make the way plain. I have no more words.
Jason Lee's Statesmanlike Work Directing the attention of the Church to these messengers and their remarkable mission, Mr. Disosway urged the claims of the Northwest.
The call was heard by President Wilbur Fisk, of Wesleyan University.
Through the Church papers he asked for two unmarried men, possess- ing the martyr spirit, who would minister to the Nez Perce nation.
For this important enterprise President Ifisk chose Jason Lee, a missionary at work among the Indians in Canada. He was vigorous, athletic, stalwart-six feet three inches tall. He was appointed by Bishop Heading "to this f01'eign mission." A little later Daniel Lee, a nephew, was designated as a coworker, together with Cyrus Shep· ard and T. S. Edwards, both laymen. .
Till with sound of trumpet Far, far off the daybreak call-hark I How loud and clear they heard it wind, Swift! to the head of the army!- Swift! spring to your places, Pioneers! 0 Pioneers!
Jason Lee and his associates went forth in March, 1834, and early in the following September arrived at Walla WalIa, on the Columbia River in Washington. On September 28 Lee preached the first Prot· estant sermon ever heard at Vancouver. The mission founded by him was situated in the Willamette valley. He and his associates began at once to build log cabins, to till the ground, and to establish a school for Indian children. It was a rough log building, with a chimney made of sticks and clay, in which they held their earlier meetings.
Jason Lee was wise in his selection of mission stations. "To name the missionary stations that he selected from whence to work outwardly and touch all the land," says Dr. H. K. Hines, "IS to name the controlling centers of education, religion, and trade in the Pacific Northwest of to-day." These were Salem, Oregon Oity, now a part of Portland, and Nisqually.
In 1838 Jason Lee lectured in the Eastern States, and urged Oon- gress to offer to the immigrants a square mile of land in Oregon. His vigorous appeals led the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episco- pal Ohurch to appropriate $40,000 to the mission. Fifty-three people, including ministers, mechanics, farmers, teachers, and a physician, sailed for Oregon, ~or the reinforcement of Mr. Lee and his coworkers.
The work of the mission advanced. A new station was founded at The Dalles in 1838. Within the next t·wo years more than half of the Indians in the surrounding section were turned from darkness to light. In 1841 th~ first Methodist society was organized, with thirteen mem- bers. After Jason Lee retired, in 1844, another efficient superintendent succeeded him. With the increase in population the church grew.
The speoial work for Indians went forward, but an urgent demand arose for a church for white immigrants. The latter work received increasing attention, and gradually became of chief importance.
Bishop Hurst states that the firm foundations of Methodism in Oregon were laid, not among the Indians, but among the whites. In 1848 the work in Oregon was organized by the Methodist General Oonference as an annual mission conference, and was included in the Oalifornia conference.
Marcus Whitman and His Achievements In 1836, two years after Jason Lee began his fruitful toil in the Willamette, Dr. Marcus Whitman, a member of the Presbyterian church at Wheeler, N. Y., and the Rev. H. H. Spalding, of Bath, N. Y., were commissioned for missionary work in Oregon. Dr. Whitman, by personal investigation, became convinced of the need and choice oppor- tunity of missionary work in behalf of the Nez Perce Indians, and early in 1836 he was married to Miss Narcissa Prentiss, and they began their long and arduous tour.
In those days the Oregon country was more remote from New York than are Ohina and India to-day. The perils met by Dr. and Mrs. Whitman and their coworkers, in their journey westward, were even of a sterner kind than those met by men, who, like William Oarey, went to India in 1793. The view held by Ohristian people in the East as to the remoteness of the Oregon country is indicated by the hymn sung in the country church, when Narcissa Whitman bade her friends farewell: Yes, my native land, I love thee: All thy scenes I love them well; Friends, connections, happy country, Can I bid you all farewell ? Can I leave you, Far in heathen lands to dwell ? The story of the pilgrimage of Dr. and Mrs. Whitman, with the Rev. and Mrs. H. H. Spalding and Mr. W. H. Gray, is of thrilling in- terest. One of the most successful achievements of the tour was the taking of the first wagon over the Rockies by Dr. Whitman. It was extremely difficult to make a path for it, but he persevered, and proved that a wagon route over the mountains was possible. "You who have rolled over those vast plains and slept in your Pullman palace cars," said the Rev.
W. H. Gray, Whitman's com- panion, "have never once imagined the toil and labor of that old off-hand pioneer, as he mounted his horse ill the morning and rode all day in THE TOMAHAWK SAID BY INDIANS TO HAVE BEEN the cold and heat of the USED IN THE MURDER OF MARCUS WHITMAN mountains and plains, to prove that a wagon road was practicable to the waters of the Oolumbia River."
On September 2, 1836, Dr. Whitman and his associates reached the Columbia, homeless and among people who had no homes. But Ohrii!- tian white women had been brought safely over the mountains! That was a tremendous victory. The missionaries located as follows: Dr.
Whitman at Waiilatpu, near Walla Walla; Mr. Spalding on the Clear- water River, one hundred and twenty-five miles eastward, among the Nez Perces.
The people whom they fonnd in the Oregon country were without farming utensils or cattle. Dr. Whitman had taken out a quart of seed wheat. Eleven years afterward the fields had been brought to such cultivation that there were harvested between twenty and thirty thousand bushels of grain; cattle were numerous; beautiful gardens and orchards abounded. Within ten years an Indian school, edab- lished by Mrs. Spalding, had about five hundred pupils, and a church, with a membership of a hundred, had been founded.
In December, 1836, Mr. Gray went East for additional workers.
The American Board responded to his appeal by appointing three new missionaries. Upon their arrival at Waiilatpu in 1838, with Mr. Gray, they became an effective force at Waiilatpu, Lapwai, and at new sta- tions among the Flathead and Nez Perce Indians.
It was during the winter of 1842-43 that Dr. Whitman made his notable journey East. It is now conceded by the ablest authorities that his object in coming was to save Oregon to the United States.
He interviewed President Tyler, Daniel Webster, and other govern- ment officials, urging the retaining of the Oregon country; visited his early home; and then went to the Missouri River for the purpose of guiding a large company of emigrants who were about to start for Oregon. Dr. Whitman helped to form this company, and felt a personal responsibility for their welfare. The task of leading them through the wilderness and over two ranges of mountains was a gigantic one, but was accomplished. He reached home in October, 1843, and energetically prosecuted his work. This was more exacting than formerly, as some of the Indians had become disaffected during his absence in the East. As the years passed their alienation developed into hostility. Their estrangement was attributed in part to the misrepresentation and influence of Jesuit priests and the Hudson Bay Company. Dr. Whitman was urged to leave lest he lose his life. He THE WHITMAN COLLEGE MEMORIAL BUILDING, OItEGON replied: "My death may do as much good for Oregon as my life can," and remained at his post until that fateful fall of 1847, when he and Mrs. Whitman and twelve others were brutally massacred.
Immigrants began to arrive in large numbers a few years after Dr. Whitman's death. Congress instituted a territorial orgarization, missions and churches grew in number and strength, and the great Northwest entered upon its career of increasing influence and power.
Other Important and Influential Beginnings In the last letter written by Dr. Whitman to the American Board, in 1847, he earnestly plead that the Gospel he preached to the whites in the Oregon country. He desired that the American (Congregational) Home Missionary Society and the American Tract Society should enter the field without delay. The fact that the former society, A PAGE FROM: MRS. waITMAN'S DIARY at about the same time, began a thorough investigation of the needs of the Oregon country is significant. This investigation was prompted by fhe apparent enlarged opportunities for Christian service in <:!regon, and also by the making of a treaty, in 1846, between the United States and Great Britain, establishing the northwestern boundry through to the Pacific Ocean.
As a result of this systematic inquiry, one month and five days previous to the Whitman massacre Mr. and Mrs. George H. Atkinson left Boston for Oregon, under appointment of the American Home Missionary Society. Off the coast, near Honolulu, they heard of the martyrdom of Dr. and Mrs. Whitman, anu were urged by their friends not to go to Oregon. Dr. Atkinson replied: "I am destined to go to Oregon, and to Oregon I must go." Early in 1848 he began his ministry at Oregon Oity, and it became immediately influential. He was not only an able preacher of the Gospel and efficient pastor, but an effective promoter of the best interests of the commonwealth. It is said that a series of articles by him, in which were considered the varied inter- ests of Oregon, in TlLe Oregonian, won the attention of Oongress and the government.
When Dr. Atkinson began his labors there were two Presbyte- rian pas~ors in Oregon-the Rev.
H. H. Spalding, the associate of Dr. Whitman, and the Rev. Lewis 'fhompson. With a small herd of cattle the latter had wearily journeyed from Missouri to Clat- sop Plains, on the Pacific, directly south of the mouth of the 00- lumbia. There he made his home.
Pasture was abundant, the climate ~Iolleer COIl~egatlGo.naHl. ATKINSON in Uregon equable. On September 19, 1846, Home Missionary he founded at Olatsop Plains, with a membership of four, the first Presbyterian church in Oregon.
Other early Presbyterian home missionaries in the Northwest were the Rev. E. R. Glory and the Rev. Robert Robe. On },T'wember 19, 1851, at the home of Mr'. Glory, near Lafayette, the Presbytery of Oregon was organized. The first Presbyterian church at Portland, Oregon, was founded on January 1, 1854, by the Rev. J. L. Yantis, D.D., with twelve mem bel'S.
Another pioneer missionary of large influence and usefulness in the Presbyterian Ohurch of the Northwest was Aaron L. Lindsley, D.D., LL.D., who became pastor of the first church of Portland in 1868.
, He unstintedly devoted his energies to evangelism. His coming, it is said, marked the beginning of a new era in religious work in the Pacific Northwest. "The Indians of Idaho and East Oregon felt his bene- ficent touch; the Ohinese shared in his sympathy and interest; while both he and the grand Ohurch to which he ministered lent a helping hand to every struggling community and to every worthy interest."
The church of which he was pastor founded eight other churches in Portland. He also organized twenty-two other churches outside that city.
As early as 1845 the Baptist Home Mission Society had its repre- sentative in Oregon, four yeal's preceding the organization of the territory. In the preceding year a Baptist church ha.d been organized at West Union. The pioneer Baptist missionary was the Rev. Ezra Fisher. He began his labors in Astoria in April, 1845, and continued there one year. Reporting his 2,500-mile tour, he said that he had walked farther than the whole distance, bearing his full proportion of the services to the company. He keenly felt the responsibility of his position, but severe difficulties did not depress him. Even such obstacles as those described in the following sentence did not over- whelm him: "We have but one church in Oregon; only two of the members live within twenty-five miles of the place of organization, so that all efficiency by church organization is lost; and those that have immigrated the past season are generally poor and but just able to provide temporarily for their immediate wants."
Eight months after Mr. Fisher began his work he was reinforced by the Rev. Hezekiah Johnson, who located at' Oregon City, and remained there two yeal's. In a letter written December 19, 1845, Mr.
Johnson described his experiences and outlook. When he arrived his money had been spent, and his family needed clothes and provisions.
"I havp heard but one Baptist minister of good standing," he said, "in this country besides Elder Fisher and myself, hence you may see that we have enough to do and that we have come to the country none too soon."
The first Baptist church on the Pacific coast was built at Oregon Oity in 1848. In that year, also, the first association of Baptist churches in Oregon was formed. After ten years of home mission labor in Oregon, twenty Baptist churches were re- ported, with a member- ship of 674.
This is the record of the typical beginnings of evangelistic zeal in the Northwest. Representa- tives of other denomina- tions were faithful and heroic in their labors, and their self-sacrificing min- istries were no less fruit- ful in results. The Disciples~ Episcopalian, FIRST BAPTIST MKETI!'G-HOt'SE! OREGON CITY and United Brethren churches were an early aggressive force, cooperating with the denom- inations previously mentioned. Some Re.ultJ of Pioneer Work Among the notable results of Northwestern pioneer missionary effort that can be summarized are the following: 1. The Indians were taught to till their own soil, and not to wan- der over the mountains, among antagonistic tribes, in search of food.
2. The early mIssIOnaries learned the language of the Indians, and taught the children to read and write.
3. They published for the Indians school-books, a code of laws, a small hymnal, and the Gospel of St. Matthew, the mis- sionaries themselves being type- setters, pressmen, and binders.
4. Churches were organized among the Indians. One was founded by the Rev. H. H. Spald- ing, with ten or more Nez Perce members, of whose conversion he had proof. "Travelers, miners, and immigrants who frequently met those Nez Perces bore re- markable testimonies to their REV. ROBERT ROBI'! honesty and friendliness, and to their habits of family prayer."
Dr. Atkinson states that five hundred of these Indians continued to be enrolled as faithful and worthy members of the Presbyterian church.
5. Christian educational institutions were established. Reference has already been made to the Willamette University, established by Jason Lee. At Walla Walla, Whitman College has been founded in memory of Dr. Whitman. In other sections of Oregon and in Wash- ington and Idaho strong home mission colleges give evidence of the breadth of view and Christian zeal of the early missionaries.
6. A keen moral sense among the people has been developed.
Recently, in the State of Washington, two bills were passed, one mak- ing it a felony to open a barber-shop in the State on Sunday, and the other a gambling bill, making it a felony to conduct or to take part in any gambling game whatever.
7. Strong, aggl'esfOive churches have rapidly multiplied. In less than thirty years after Jason Lee and Marcus Whitman bega.n their ministi'i es, the labors of the brave and devoted pioneer missionaries brou ,ght forth a rich harvest of org-anized church activity in the great Northwest. In 1870 there were the following denominational organizations in the Oregon country: Baptist, 31; Christian, 30; Methodist, 113; Episcopal, 19; Congregational, 10; Presbyterian, 24 ; United Brethren, 13; Roman Catholic, 28-a total of 268. The value of property owned by the churches in 1870 was $350,000.
During the twenty years that followed an era of unexampled home missionary activity was entered upon, and there was remarkable fruitage. In 1890 there were in the three states of Oregon, Washington, WASHING10N OR£:GON IDAHO (From "The Religious Forces In the Uuited States," by Dr. H. K. Carroll) CHURCH MEMBERSHIP OF THE LEADING DENOMINATIONS IN lSg0 and Idaho 2,108 churches, with 153,358 communicants, and with church property valued at $5,519,085. This marvelously rapid growth in the number of churches and in the value of property bears remarkable testimony to the zeal and efficiency of the self-denying missionaries.
The Present Opportunities Magnificent opportunities for home mission initiative and enterprise still beckon. There is still a frontier. Churches in many sections of the great states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho still require the aid of their home mission boards. In these three states last year the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Oongregational home mission boards helped financially 769 churches. The continuation of this aid until these churches reach self-support is imperatively demanded.
And there are forceful calls for extension! Here are two paragraphs from the experiences of present-day workers which portray vividly the need of reinforcements at the front. This is the outlook from the point of view of the Presbyterian Home Mission Board: Curry County, Oregon, is not less than one hundred and twenty miles long. Into this entire coast we have put one man, because of necessity. There is no minister of any other church solely engaged h the work of the ministry except ours. We have organized the church of Curry County. We located our missionary as near the center as possible, and then instructed him to work both ways, up and down the coast. His appointments are at Langlois, in the extreme north; Port Orford, sixteen miles south, with outstations at two schoolhouses; Wedderburn, thirty miles south of Port Orford; Gold Beach, one mile south of Wedderburn, but across the river, with no bridge or ferry; Pistol River, thirty miles south of Gold Beach, and Chetco, still thirty miles farther. In the win- ter time this is simply impossible, but in summer, by persistent horse- back or stage travel, it is done.
While on one of his tours in the North west, friends said to one of the most alert and faithful of modern home mission board superinten- dents, the Rev. J. D. Kingsbury, of the Congregational Home Mission- ary Society: " Do you know about Pearl? " "Why, what is Pearl?" he inquired. "Why, a mining camp up in the mountains here. where they have never had the Gospel." " How far away? " "Twenty-five miles." "How do you get there?" "On the coach." " When? " "To-morrow morning at seven o'clock." "So there we were," says Dr. Kingsbury, "with a full load-you want to go with a full load to keep those springs from tossing you up into the air and down on the floor of the stag-e, you know. Up over the mountains and down through the cations, and by and by down on the slope there is the little camp of Pearl. The telephone had borne the message: 'Will you listen to me in the schoolhouse? I am to preach the Gospel in the schoolhouse to-night.' A large building; it was crowded full-as many men as women. I never preached the Gospel to a more attentive crowd. And after the preaching service they gathered about me and said: 'Oh, we never have had a church here, nor the preach- ing of the Gospel. The nearest church is twenty-five miles on the one side and eighty on the other. Can't we have the Gospel?' And I began to realize that that was a little bit of the frontie1'."
Loud and many are the calls of the frontier to-day for vigorous churches, for strong preachers of the Gospel, for men as sturdy, as steadfast, as self-denying, and as aggressively evangelistic as were the . noble army of pioneer missionaries in the Northwest.
FOREIGN MISSIONARIES IN COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY UNION-TWENTY-SECOND SESSION BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D., PRESIDENT There is a great difference between a missionary meeting and a meeting of missionaries. Among those present at the International Missionary Union in June were authors who have reduced the unwritten languages of peoples who have previously had no book form, or letter, or printed page; women who have translated many American books-often college text-books-into the languages of the conntry to which they have gone; physicians who have established hospitals; men who have been decorated by foreign powers, eulogized in the British Parliament, and commended by the United States govPl'nment for their extended educational endeavors in building up schools and colleges;
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evangelists who have opened the door of the Kingdom to thousands of souls in foreign lands.
Rev. T. J. Scott, D.D., has been forty years in India; he was one of the charter members of the" Union" whf;n it met originally at Niagara Falls in Oanada, and preached the annual sermon this year. He wrote directly afterward: "Here returned missionaries sit around the camp-fires of the world's evangelistic campaign, and listen to the war-council of bronzed and scarred veterans. From the land of burn- ing suns and from the frigid north, where the aurora borealis flares and flashes; from the isles of the sea; from ancient lands, where an effete Ohristianity must have new life; from the great fields of old and won- derful civilizations, like Persia, India, Ohina, and Japan, they come. It was a rare privilege as contingent after contingent filed to the platform to hear their story."
John R. Mott calls it unlike any other institution in the world: it is wholly unique. Mr. David McOonaughy, who has recently been made vice-president of the Union, says: "The proceedings afford a panoramic view of the progress of the Kingdom of Ohrist in all lands, which is indeed unique."
Reports from Africa From Africa it was reported that a new mission had been begun in Gazaland, Portuguese East Africa, a memorial of Mrs. Sydney Strong, who went thither with the deputation sent by the American Board last year. Dr. Strong and his friends have provided six thousand dollars to secure buildings at Beira, and Dr. Bunker has been assigned to open this mission.* He will begin with a Gazaland boy educated in Natal churches. This is a much greater undertaking than the Ohristians at home appreciate. All the conditions of this work are new. "Patience I patience I patience I" is the motto of Africa quoted by the missionary who is the new appointee. Writing from the front, he says: "The climate must be braved and tested. The mountain of su perstition must be moved, and in this case it is deeply entrenched on the European traffic in rum and prostitution."
Rev. Francis W. Bates, who has been in Africa since 1887, acknowledged that the people had many good qualities: they are brave and honest. But the foreign rule has brought greed for gold, and lust and passion of men. There has been one great scramble for this great continent, until to-day there is scarcely a foot of it which the natives can call their own. In Ohina the opposite policy has obtained. Mr. Bates once stood before a heathen king, to tell him why they had come. 'rhe king replied: "You have been too slow." It was a terrible comment. England has, perhaps, done more than any other nation to ad vance the Africans; she has helped educational matters, but she has • See p. 445, June number, and p. 558, July number.
a great load to answer for in the sins of omission in the past, and to-day is piling up for herself a new load of sin. 'fhe American Board began work in Natal seventy years ago, and in the last ten years they have a self-supporting church in that country. Not a penny of American money has gone to its support; but the missionaries can not put all the burden on the natives–a part of it belongs to America.
Rev. William C. Bell said they had been working in Portuguese territory for seven years. The people are anxious to go to school. They met with the difficulties of the rum traffic, but there are two hundred boys and girls under their direct control. They try to find work for them to do through the industrial department, at wagonmaking and carpentry, and they become largely independent. Graduates are accepted by ballot at a monthly meeting, and can not join the industrial,asso::iation unless they are Christians, and the candidate is put on probation for months after he has made his declaration, and he can not be successful unless he is willing to take part in the evangelization of those about him.
Mrs. W. C. Johnstone reported a church of two hundred and six members and two hundred and sixty in the inquiry class. In German territory the government asks that the missionaries teach German if they teach any language in addition to the vernacular. They are, therefore, seeking German missionaries. The greatest trouble on her heart was the condition of the girls; they are all wives. She said: "I was going to have a class of girls and no married women. But they become wives so young. I started with all wives. They were from six to thirteen years of age. All the men's wealth is in their wives. Sometimes they will say they are not going to get any more. They have said this when they then had twenty-five wives. They are rivals of a chief who has a hundred, so they are giving up something. The young African Christians can not carry rum, and they have been known to come back sixty miles empty-handed rather than carry rum for the trader. Many are afraid to go to Africa lest they will die there, but all do not die who go there." She told of one missionary who had been on the coast for thirty-five years, and two ladies who have just returned who have been there twenty-five years.
One missionary reports from the Kongo region: I have been disappointed at the stand the Kongo Uonference took in the troubles and atrocieties there, but for some reason they did not present a united front to the government. The Belgians have not granted anything to the agitators nor to the diplomats; whether they will do so or not I do not know.
England does not want the Kongo. Belgium is onlybeginning the work of governing natives. England did not always treat natives rightly. It is what all sailing was supposed to be in the Philippines. This is a large country. Some parts of it are governed fairly well. There are grand statesmen-and plenty of bad ones, that is true. I
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think the real trouble is with the concessionaires. There is no doubt but that there are large monopolies. How to stop the thing I do not know, except by agitation.
There is one fact, and that is, that the native!) will do nothing except by forced labor. They ought to have a better recompense, and not be worked and driven to death, as they are at present.
The mission work of the Protestants is going ahead and being blessed, but we can get no more stations while this agitation is going on. In the meantime priests and nuns are coming out by the hundreds, and getting all kinds of facilities and help from the state. I do not find that the officers of state love the priests at all, but it is the policy of Belgium to be helpful in every way. We can grumble all we like at the Belgians, but if it were French, I think, we would have been turned out long ago. I believe that the basis of all that they say against the state is true, but not all over the country and not of all state officials. W. T. Stead, in an interview with Mrs. Shelden, gave my views as neal' as anyone. Things are bad, but I am quite sure they are better than they were. They have fixed it; now let them be extended.
Let responsible men from home be sent out every year to visit the whole country. I would say the same of the missionary societies. There is too much one-man power. Very few men can be trusted with arbitrary power. The missionary and the state officer both have it without much snpervision. One man abnses it, another man is good for llothing, and goes backward himself instead of leading the natives forward. The government ought to have a dozen good schools that the natives look forward to. I think they have one at Boma.
The Protestant missions have done real good work in education. The New Testament has been printed in the dialect of the Lower Kongo, and about fifty other books. Just now the Bible is coming out in Ki-Kongo, published by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
I have snfi'ered much from the state oppression in the measure of the rubber, when four thousand of our people fled from that State to French territory. r have been in seven places on the Upper Kongo and eight places on the Lower Kongo. Some of the people that are at home only see one side of a thing.
Rev. Samuel J. Mead, of Angola, West Africa, sent the following interesting information in regard to the opportunities in his field of labor: Trade and civilization have opened up Africa, the richest gold and diamond mines in all the world have been successfully operated, and yet on the larger portion of the" Dark Oontinent" the white man has not placed his foot. As each year has rolled by, new roads have been opened up, rivers have been explored, and the sharp trader, eager to gain' his fortune, has left his trail, so that the missionary can now enter the very center of the land with comparative safety and ease. There is a fear that the Ohurch will not enter this open door, that she will not see the advantage of using this stepping-stone, or will fail to avail herself of it. Delay will mean great loss. '['he millions in the interior are dying in the dark, without anyone to tell them of God's great salvation and His love for all mankind. Bishop rraylor said, as he rested on one of his journeys, and by one of the graves that marked the trail that reaches across Africa (and he said
it with tears in his eyes): "They are dying like sheep, and there is no one to tell them of Jesus."
We at the front have never seen the time when we were better prepared for an advance into the interior than now. In our printing press the Rev. Herbert C. Withey has trained boys who are doing effective work in printing literature in the Kimbundu language, Bibles as well as other books, which enable the missionary, through his interpreter, to do work at once. There are no greater mis'sionaries than those heroes, men or women, who will go into the interior of Africa to do what seems to be the lowliest part of work-that of reaching the children, esteemed by many as the minor part in the working out of the missionary problel1l. The young children must learn the elementary principles of all, being the destiny of all mankind. This, to some, is a very small w.ork. This teaching the half-naked heathen, day by day, the very alphabet, is plodding work, but the result will be glorious, and we should ever keep in mind sowing under God for future generations; we must not look for all the harvest in our day. We must labor on in patience and endure as seeing the King. Many are the prayers that are going up for Africa. May God still lay the burden on His people. It is well to quote the saying of one who said: "I can see a bright day dawning for Africa."
Many years ago, as we were going to a conference at Pungo Alldrongo, at an encampment where we were to stay over night we had one faithful listener, a woman slave. Telling her of Jesus becoming' our substitute, and that in dying for us He became our Savior of soul and body, she wished me to repeat again and again. Finally, to make it more sure that she would remember it, she wished me to teach it to her on her fingers. I asked her to hold out her hand, and I bent down her first finger, and said: "God died for you"; then bending down her second finger in the same manner, I said: " If you believe in Jesus and receive Him, you are saved and happy forever." Bending down her third finger, I said: "If you deny Him and believe not, you will never know the God of love, but will be miserable forever." She repeated this over and over, bending down each finger, with eagerness to know the truth and to remember it. She moved away, and we saw and heard no more of her for a year. One day, while we were in the yard, this same slave came running in, leading her child by the hand, and said: "I remember my lesson," and, bending down her fingers, she repeated over, word by word, that which had been taught her by the way, and with great joy beaming in her face, she said: "Look here!" as she lifted up her child by his hand, "I know what you said is true; see him; this child was sick with the smallpox. We called in the heathen doctor; he grew worse; I told Jesus, and He saved him." This is only one case out of many where the seed sown by the wayside has taken root and borne fruit. Who are the ambitious ones for such seed-sowing? God takes care of His work and His workers. Africa is one of the last dark corners on His earth to be enlightened, and the reward is sure to him who endures" unto the end."
Present Opportunities in China The late Rev. J. Hudson Taylor expressed the conviction that there were never greater opportunities than to-day in China. At least five thousand Chinese have gone to Japan for education. 'fhe high officials are following our methods, and are establishing schools
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for Western education. In the Province of Fuchau a prefect has closed two large temples, and transformed them into schools for teaching Western branches just as are taught in America. Our books are being translated into Chinese, and in their cities they have opened schools lor teaching these branches. The Viceroy of Nanking visited in person one of the mission schools, and, after praising their education, said: " After all, young men, the religion of Jesus Christ is deeper than the religion of Confucius." The high officials are anxious to model their schools after the schools of America. A year ago a committee of four came to his house with a document written in letters of gold, looking to the establishment of a girl's school at Hangchow. These were not Christians. There are other such schools. '1'he Chinese are great book-makers, and know what these books are. They do not treat of anything but Chinese subjects, but these young men demand a knowledge of things of the world outside. In Shanghai the professors were so conservative that they demanded that the students give up the reading of the magazines. The young men left the college rather than be prohibited from reading these articles. Mr. Mott held four conferences in China, and these were more largely attended than any outside of America. Mr. Mott fonnd in his travels round the world no field so encouraging as China. They came from the teachers and scholars of all parts of China. These were the best that could be made up in all of China. Old China is passing away, and Ilew China is rapidly coming in. The Young Men's Christian Association began in China with the largest number of any country in the world. There are twenty-seven auxiliaries now in China. Mr. Mott says the opportunities and possibilities for educational work in China are greater than they ever were. Mr. Mott was asked: "If you could make a choice for the rest of your life, what would you do?" He replied: "If I could make a choice, I would unhesitatingly give all to China, and then work for the young men of China." Mr. Judson called attention to the Viceroy of Nanking, who, a few weeks before, was present at the closing services in the Episcopal church, and invited the graduates to visit him the next day. He conferred upon them the Chinese degree. The theological students refused these, as it would be incompatable with their obligations to the Church. He offered to send these graduates to Europe for a postgraduate course, and perhaps in a short time these graduates may be back. The viceroy ordered a large consignment of Bibles to be distributed among the officers, that they might judge for themselves. He has taken an active part in the protection of missionaries in times of trouble, and has helped to protect their lives and property under his administration. It is men like him that are moIling China, who will not, after a little, be a " yellow peril," but a handmaid.
Mr. Taylor told of a Chinese who became a Christian, who was
last yeftr a delegate to the General Assembly in America. His family were heathen and worshiped idols, and he begged to spend his vacation in the school premises rather than go home, where he would have to worship idols. How did he come to America? He became a teacher and elder in the church among Chinese. One day they wanted some one to come to the St. Louis Fair, to take charge of an exhibit. They were looking for some one to trust, to give a correct rendering of the business and the money. They came to the missionaries. The young man had a reputation by this time, and they asked for him. It was that way that he came to St. Louis. The Presbyterians made him delegate to the General Assembly.
The Insane in China Rev. Charles Selden, M.D., told how, thirteen years ago, the thought came to him, as a chemist, to go to South America-that it would be possible to do Christian work there. He was, however, led to China, thinking to do orphanage work there. He found, in course of time, that that was not to be his work, but that the Lord had a very different line of work.
Dr. J. G. Kerr spent forty years in medical service under the Pres byterian Board. He felt the need of an insane asylum, and for many years tried to start one, but he received no encouragement. Toward the end of his life, by his own generosity, he started one, the first, and till now the only one in the great empire of China. There is a theory among the Chinese that insanity comes from a great quantity of phlegm taken up by the stomach and choking it.. The stomach means to them all the inside organism. The families of the insane will speak of their condition before them. Many are perfectly conscious that they are insane; others are unconscious of it. Dr. Kerr's work is independent; no society is back of it. Dr. Selden says: In case I should have to go away there is no one to leave in charge of the work except the Chinese. I have a very competent assistant, but I do not wish to leave the work to him. I hope to build a hospital which will move up and down the river from Canton and along the creeks, remaining just a few weeks at a place. Then, in case of my breaking down, or my family being ill, I can send word to my colleague and have him come. Dr. Kerr during his life educated about one hundred and fifty young men and young women, and sent them out. There are now in Canton a large general hospital and a woman's hospital, with a nurses' training home, and soon there will be a children's hospital, besides the insane hospital.
The Crisis in Japan In view of the extraordinary providential preparation of Japan to receive the Gospel-by her history; by her acceptance of Occidental civilization; by her intimate relations with Christian nations; by her universal education and absolute religious liherty-Japan's mission-
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aries expressed the thought that she appeals to the Christian world. 'l'hey emphasized the growing sense of inadequacy of Shintoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism to meet the wants of the people, and the danger from her being without religion. The views of her best people concerning the competency of Christianity to meet the demands of the hour religiously was shown. The fifty millions of Japanese, of whom only a fraction have heard of the actual teaching of Christianity, and the influence which Japan will necessarily exert hereafter in the world, as the twentieth century Occidental civilization, were dwelt upon. Japan as a nation which bids fairto haye most to do with the Western nations, especially with the religious reorganization of the Far East, exerts an influence which will be a help or a hindrance to the best progress of civilization. They laid a special stress on missionary work in the future relation of Japan. The missionaries from Japan thought the late wars, eminently that in progress with Russia, would have a sobering effect on Japan. In view of all these circumstances, they thought it would be a moderate demand that the churches be asked to double the 'present force on the field, and that the means at their command be vastly increased.
Miss J. S. Vail, twenty-fiye years ago, entered Japan, and in outlining the Methodist schools she said she gave the history of all mission schools, for the battles and victories have in the main been the same. One bright May morning she found herself looking into twenty-fiye pairs of bright, searching eyes, which, twenty-five years later, were exchanged for two hundred in cadet blue with brass buttons stamped with the school. There were now in the school, in collegiate and academy department, four hundred and thirty-seven, thirty of whom are in the theological department. Was all this, she asked, worth contending for? "Oh, the weary days and troubled nights! " Technically no foreigner could hitherto own property on Japanese soil, and the beautiful site of twenty-five acres was the property of one Japanese. Thank God, he was true to us then, and has been ever since! The students of the school got together secretly, and sent to the Board at New York a constitution, which resulted in an understanding which led to a calm which lasted until the minister of education, one day, brought out of a pigeon-hole, a rule which had been more honored in the breach than in the observance, until its very existence had been forgotten. It was to the effect that no institution enjoying government privileges should be allowed to hold any religious services in the school-building. The government" privilege" included freedom from military conscription while pursuing a course of stUdy. In all other schools students were subject to draft. 'rhe mission took the position that, let their school be reduced in numbers as they might, they would have religious schools or none. "But you have got to obey the law of our land, and you must find a new school home," they were told. It
was now August; it would be impossible to find any place before Sep- tember 1, on which day the term opens. "What is the latest moment we can ghe up the privilege and instHute Christian worship?" we inquired. "In April," was the answer. We had put ourselves on record, as not for an instant voluntarily giving up the public worship of Christ within our walls, but were obliged to yield to the law of the land. This we did, and opened the school with a half-dozen scholars. The native Christians and the missionaries tried to show that the edict was contrary to the spirit of the constitution. This resulted in a cemplete victory; the edict was reversed.
Later valuable school privileges were granted. The students of Christian schools were to be admitted to the higher government institutions on the same basis as graduates in government middle schools. Miss Vail has never before, in a public assembly, given anything bearon the case.
She gives the following incident, to show what a Christian student can do among the Japanese. It was at the time of the China-Japan war. We admired the soldier students' new uniform and bright sword (the Samaurai boy's pride), and with suppressed and forced smiles we bade them God-speed. It was the night before the battle, and the Christian Japanese sought comfort in his Bible and hymn-book. The battle is over, the dead have been buried, and all is still. At evening our hero walks around the old deserted forts and meets an old Christian Chinese. They need no introduction; they could not converse by lip language, but they could both read the Chinese character. The Chinaman eaid: "Our missionary, with his wife, has been obliged to flee, for my countrymen who do not know Christ sometimes kill foreigners. You Japanese have taken our little church, aud filled it with guns and ammunition." A conflict arose in the Japanese soldier's heart. Should he venture in his commander's presence and confess his Christian faith, and make a request for his Christian brothers? Yes, he must do his part. Wishing to have the place cleared of gunpowder and guns of the Japanese and Chinese Christians to worship their God on the morrow, he applied to the commander. "A bold request," said the commander, "but you have been a good young officer. You don't smoke, you don't drink, you have been brave and true and kind to your rough comrades, and you shall have what you request." And on the morrow they who had yesterday stood facing each other in battle, together sang the praises of the Prince of Peace.
Dreadful Conditions in Turkey Communication from Turkey was presented by a missionary whose name we do not give only because we have no authority to present the same, not because the facts are not public. He said that he would ear-
FOREIGN MISSIONARIES IN COUNCIL
nestly beg that the attention of the convention be invited to the dreadful conditions existing in this land, and especially at the eastern end of it, and that they lift up earnest and believing prayer to the Ruler of Nations that He will speedily intervene for the relief of the great suffering and ner-d which exists. The conduct of the government seems to imply that its purpose is to exterminate the Armenian population, if not by massacre then by intolerable oppression. 'l'axes are being collected with entire heartlessness, while the protection which should be the return for taxes is entirely withheld, and the people are reduced to the very verge of starvation, while a good many are passing beyond the verge, and the want and suffering are pitiable. Life for them is becoming almost unendurable on account of the suffe~·ing seen all about them, and the numberless appeals which are beyond their power to meet, and the nervous strain of it all, which is far greater than that of their regular work, heavy as it is.
Woman's Work for Women and Children In the afternoon which was given to woman's work eleven women were introduced, whose aggregate years of work was three hundred and forty years. There were present three candidates from FoIt's Missionary Institute, two going to India and one to Africa. Mrs. Mills gave an account of the first school for the deaf in China, which she had established in 1898. The Chinese, she said, had not considered the deaf capable of being taught, and before they can be induced to provide for the education of their deaf children it must be demonstrated to them that the deaf can be educated and that it will pay. In the few years since the school was established methods have been developed and translated into Chinese, and books printed. The deaf have been taught to read and unite the Mandarin Chinese characters, to speak Chinese, and to read the lives of those who speak to them. Four boys have graduated and are teaching. This is the first and only school where teachers can be trained for the four hundred thousand deaf in the great empire. No provision has as yet been made for the girls on account of lack of accommodations. Mrs. Mills' school is undenominational.
Mrs. T. C. Winn, of Japan, has introduced crocheting, and found it was taken up readily by the women. She has also taught the women to do foreign cooking, as they were anxious to learn, and she found it a great opportunity for teaching Christianity.
Miss Clark, who had been in South Africa for seven years, referred to the twenty-one native churches which were all self-supporting; also to the fact that the school for boys with which she had been connected gave a missionary to assist in opening new work at Beira, Portuguese East Africa.
Dr. Anna Young, who had been to Ceylon for several years as a
medical missionary, told how this work was meeting the needs of the Hindu women. In the northern part of the island there are two hos- pitals-one general, the other exclusively for women and children. These institutions in the midst of a heathen population are great educators.
Miss Best, of Korea, declared Korea was a weak nation, unable to govern herself. Her work lay in Northern Korea, and has been among the country churches. The policy has been to hold training. classes among the men and women. In the first class of twenty-seven women, in some cases they were known to have walked a hundred miles to attend the class. It now numbers some three hundred. They bring their money or their rice to pay their way.
Medical Work Dr. Anna Scott went as a missionary to Southern Ohina in 1889. Sometimes she would see the dead bodies of the little castaway girl babies, with dogs devouring part of a child and pigs devouring another part; sometimes there would be three little girl babies floating on the river at once. There were, as a rule, castaways if there were more than two girl babies in a family. Their excuse was that they were very poor. 'fhey would ask whether to throw them away, or let them grow up and half or wholly starve to death. 'fhe poverty was very great, the common salutation being: "Have you eaten sufficient?" To which they would often reply, because of their pride, they had enough, when they had had next to nothing at all. The native doctor knows nothing of surgery, and will not practise it. Many times the women were put on the floor to die, because they were too poor to buy another bed. A bed would be spoiled if anyone were to die upon it. The vermin literally swarm over the body. It seemed to her that she aged twenty years instead of five. She had led many of the poor women to trust in Jesus. There are many women brought to Ohrist by the medical profession. She had her country dispensary; she had two hundred patients in a day.
She was in Assam thirteen years, and fifteen years in China. Her work was among the Christians, but she could not confine it to them. A few opium-smokers would come, and she would average one case a day. She had treated four hundred opium-smokers in a single year. She thought in this country nothing was known of the terrors of the opium habit.
Miscellaneous Among the nineteen that died during the year were three officers, of which special mention was made. Mrs. Thayer, the secretary, WitS the all-important member of the officers on whom all the rest had come to lean. She was also the representative of the Sanitarium, and all centered in her. Among her last prayers was one for the success
1905J FORl£IGN MISSIONARIES IN COUNCIL
of the Union. Dr. 'I'. L. Gulick had attended the sessions of the Union since the second meeting at Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Dr. O. W. Oushing since the meetings at Thousand Island Park. These officers were greatly missed.
The last news of a death was that of J. Hudson Taylor. It reached the meeting by cablegram the day preceding the opening session. Mr. Taylor had been a member since the fifth meeting, held at Bridgeton, New Jersey, seventeen years ago, which was the home of Rev. W. H. Belden. At that session Mr. 'faylor is well remembered for his rising early for private prayer. He had been accustomed at this time to solicit a blessing on the missionaries whom he had throughout China. He will be distinguished for seeking to place two missionaries in every one of the provinces then unoccupied, which was eleven. Others have sought to send missionaries, as he did, without any guaranteed support, but none had sent them into all the capitals at that time, as he did. He will ever be remembered in that connection.
The officers of the Union for the year following, except the Board of Oontrol, are: J. T. Gracey, president; David McOonaughy, vicepresident; Horace A. Orane, secretary, and O. O. Thayer, treasurer.
NEW MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY UNION Archer, Miss Annie L. . Japan Johnston, Mrs. W. C.. · Africa Austin, ~Iiss Laura F. . India Judson, Rev. J. H .. · China Bates, Rev. Francis W. . Africa Judson, Mrs. J. H. Beattie, Rev. James A. . . India Lyon, Rev. James · India Beattie, Mrs. James A.. Lyon, Mrs. James Bell, Mrs. William C. . . Africa Means. Miss Alice · China Bement, Miss Frances K. . . China Mendenhall, Frederic Bement, Miss Lucy P., M.D.. Mills, Mrs. Charles. · India Best. Miss Margaret . Korea Moorhead, Max Wood · Chile Brown, Rev. Hubert W. . Mexico Palmer, M. B. · Japan Chester, Mrs. Edward . India Robinson. Rev. J. Cooper Clark, Miss Hattie. . Africa Robinson, lIlrs. J. Cooper. · Ceylon Crawford, Miss Mabel L. . . China Sanders, Rev. Frank K. Crummy, Rev. Eber . Japan { Assam Cummings, Rev.•T. E. . . Burma Scott, Mrs. Anna K., M.D.. China Dye, Rev. G. R. . Fraser, Rev. Andrew L. . Burma Selden, Charles Coo M.D.. · Japan Fraser, Mrs. Andrew L. . India Selden, Mrs. Charles C. Gilmore, Rev. David. . Africa Tenny, Rev. Charles B.. · N. A. Ind. Goodwin, Mrs. E. B. . China Tenny, Mrs. C. · India Hallman, Miss S. B. . Theal, Mrs. Annie . · Japan Hallock, Rev. H. G. C. . . Japan Todd, Miss Grace. Henry, Miss Anna, M.D.. White, J. Campbell · Ceylon Jones, Rev. Ephraim H. . Winn, Rev. Thomas C.. Winn, Mrs. ThomaA C.. Young, Miss Annie, M.D.
68fi
OBSTACLES TO CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN CHINA-II * BY TONll KWOH ONN, SHANGHAI, CHINA 2. The AtWnde of Missionaries Toward Ancestral Worship (Continued).-The Chinese do not look upon Confucius or their ancestors as gods, but as men to whom especial honor is due. But granting that there is an element of idolatry and superstition connected with ancestral worship, are the missionaries and the Christian Church ready to incur the responsibility of maintaining their present attitude_ without making a last effort to purge the practise of its idolatrous nature and bring it into harmony with the Christian faith? If the Church does not prohibit native converts from prostrating themselves before their living parents, to render them honor and respect, why should they interdict acts of veneration before their parents when dead? If the Chinese must continue to offer the same homage and veneration to their dead parents as when they were living, why can not the Church allow them to do so, excepting that instead of setting up the usual tablet, a portrait or photograph might be used in its stead, and that it is distinctly understood that no Divine attribute is to be ascribed to the souls of the dead?
In the history of the Roman Catholic propaganda we find that they pursued a very different policy. Referring to their methods, a writer says: "From the outset they have sought to adapt themselves to the people and to the popular need. They may have gone too far in becoming all things to all men, but their idea is worthy of careful consideration in our day of national transformation and new needs." Above all things, an active combative spirit is to be discouraged and avoided. If the Christian faith is to be planted in China it must be made to adapt itself to the surroundings. This was the policy adopted by the apostle Paul. The foundation is to be Christ, but the building is everywhere to be reared with new materials adapted to the locality -not with the decayed debris of theological dogmas, much less of the hay and stubble of bigoted sentiment. Hence it is not the duty of Protestant missions to propagate prescribed forms of theology, dogmatic sentiments, modes of worship, church government or customs, but rather to spread the Gospel of Jesus and implant the new life of fellowship with God in Christ.
The Rev. John Ross, in his essay on ancestral worship, quotes a Taotai, a Chinese official of high rank and a Christian believer thoroughly acquainted with the Old and New Testaments for years, as saying that there was one thing which debarred a great many of * We do not, of course, endorse all the views of the writer of this article, but believe them worthy of serious consideration. if for no other reason than that they represent the views of a large number of educated Chinese. In a later issue of the REVIEW we expect to publish a reply from the standpoint of the foreign missionary.-EDITORS.
OBSTACLER TO CHRISTIAN MISSIONR IN CHINA
the mandarins from entering the Ohristian Ohurch, and that was the position the missionaries took up with regard to ancestral worship. He stated that, as far as he understood ancestral worship, eliminating the modern idolatrous practises, his conscience was perfectly clear, and that as a Ohristian man he could observe these ancestral rites. Other literary men in Mukden held identical views with him. '1'hey were believers, readers of Scriptures, and some of them held family worship, but they could not enter the Ohurch so long as all connec- .tion with this ancient custom was absolutely forbidden.* It would seem that the venerable usages of a civilized people like the Chinese should be judged by their intrinsic merits, and that a spirit of forbearance should be exercised to keep the hearts of the people open to counteractive influence and teaching rather than to condemn the usages off-hand. If any independent body of missionaries were to take up such a position there is little dou bt but that they could initiate a movement which would in a few years result in much greater success than has been achieved thus far by the united efforts of aH.
European Injustice 3. The Inju8tice of Ohristian Natio1Zs.-Next in importance of the obstacles to Christianity, I mention the unprincipled condnct of the so-called Christian nations toward China in their political and diplomatic relations. Since Christianity professes to teach not only individuals but nations the practise of virtue and righteousness, it should of course be expected that Christian nations in their dealings with heathen Ohina would exhibit those principles. But, as a matter of fact, ever since the foreign powers discovered the military weakness of China, they have consistently acted upon the principle of the" mailed fist," and taught the Chinese that right is useless unless supported by might. The long series of aggressions and unjust acts to which Ohina has been subjected since the commencement of her foreign intercouse would shame the followers of any pagan religion, but when these unjust acts are performed by so-called Ohristian peoples, what must the Ohinese think of the religion which they profess? The direct result can only be suspicion and dread. Not satisfied with the imposition of unjust treaties, or extortionate demands for injuries received, the Christian powers rob China of valuable portions of her domains, as well as to dictate the policy of her internal administration. Not content with having exacted full reparation and revenge for the" Boxer" outbreak, Ohristian powers must continually remind Ohina of her Immiliation and disgrace by the presence of foreign troops in the capital and the erection of fortifications threatening the palace. 'rhe role which Russia, one of the" Ohristian" nations, has played in China * A literary man of high degree said: "Your honorable religion is good, but there's one thiIIg you will never get us Chinese to do, and that is to give up the worship of our ancestors."
within recent years is neither creditable to the good name of Chris- tianity nor promotive of the rapid advancement of Christian missions.
In view of the form in which Christian powers have presented themselves in the Far East, is there any wonder that the "yellow" powers should hesitate before admitting the moral superiority of their would-be teachers and benefactors? If foreigners would but admit the fact, they have no cause to feel proud of their acts toward China. When, some few years ago, the first step toward the disintegration of China was taken by Germany, by the seizure of Kiao-chou, the few vestiges of conscience still left to the Christian political world were shocked, and this high-handed treatment of a weak nation was almost universally condemned. Can it be wondered at if the Chinese government hesitate before accepting the Christian creed, since they can discern no effect of such creed upon the political and international policies of so-called Christian nations?
That the Chinese officials feel most keenly the humiliation to which their country is almost daily subjected is often shown in their writings. One of them, a man of wide observation and great experience, gives vent to his pent-up feelings in these sad but nevertheless true words: It is we who do not accept the Gospel of peace, yet practise it-it is you who accept it, yet trample it under foot. Irony of ironies! it is the nations of Christendom who have come to us to teach us by sword and fire that right in this world is powerless unless it be supported by might.
A Chinese official, referring to the awful atrocities committed by the troops of the so-called Christian powers at the" Boxer Outbreak," wrote in the following strain: But what fills me with amazement, and even with horror, is the fact that the nations of Europe should attempt to justify their acts, in connection with their recent attack on China" from the standpoint of the Gospel of Christ, and that there should be found among them a Christian potentate who in sending forth his soldiers on an errand of revenge, should urge them, in the name of Him who bade us turn the other cheek, not merely to attacK, not merely to kill, but to kill without quarter. . . . And your troops! and your troops! nations of Christendom! Ask the once fertile land from Peking to the coast; ask the corpses of murdered men and outraged women and children; ask the innocent mingled indiscriminately with the guilty; ask the Christ, the lover of men, whom you profess to serve, to judge between us who rose in mad despair to save our country, and you who, avenging crime with crime, did not pause to reflect that the crime you avenged was the fruit of your own iniquity.
Among the many acts of injustice which China has suffered and is still snffering at the hands of Christian powers, the opium trade is a most glnring instance. This trade and its corollary the opium habit constitn te an obstacle to Christian missions of t he greatest moment. The habit is so universal in some provinces of China that people will
AN EPOOH-MAKING OONFERENCE IN OOREA
tell the inquirer that" eleven ou t of every ten" are opium-smokers. The fact can never be emphasized too strongly that the existence of the opium traffic is a great stumbling-block to the progress of Christianity in China. The upper and official classes in China have so far been almost entirely unaffected by the preaching of Christianity, and the reason is not far to seek. The Chinese official sees that while the English missionary offers his Bible and its moral teachings, the English merchant still more eagerly offers his opium to demoralize and destroy the Chinese race. He most reasonably inquires of the missionary, " If Christianity is the religion of your country, how can your' king and your people be guilty of the awful crime of forcing the opium traffic upon us?" So long as England continues this iniquitous trade, so long will the Chinese population look askance at Christianity. If the opium traffic ia discontinued, one of the chief obstacles to the spreading of Christianity will be removed. What is the loss of a few million pounds of revenue when compared with the fate of millions of China's sons and daughters, whose non-acceptance of Christianity deprives them of happiness ill this life and salvation in the life to come?
In view of the facts above cited, is it not natural that the Chinese government and people should cherish feelings of hostility and opposition, not merely to those nations who are guilty of such gross injustice, but to the religion which they profess? Where enmity and hatred predominate. is it not well-nigh impossible to win souls?
(To be continued) AN EPOCH-MAKING CONFERENCE IN KOREA THE MOVEMENT FOR A UNITED CHRISTIAN CHURCH BY REV. S. F. MOORE,SEOUL, KOREA Missionary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, then were we like them that dream. Then said they among the heathen: "The Lord hath done great things for them-whereof we are glad."
The events of the past few days have marked an epoch in mission- ary work in Korea. While the results achieved have beeu only what many missionaries have long desired, the fulfilment of those heart- desires were looked upon as practically impossible. If anyone had predicted a year ago what has now come to pass he would have been loohd upon as a Utopian dreamer. The definite movement for closer cooperation, and in some points union of forces, of the Methodist and Presbyterian missions seems to have originated in Pyeng Yang, altho the subject has been touched upon every year at the annual meetings in SeouL .
Dr. O. R. Avison, of the Severance Memorial Hospital, has been
working for years toward union in medical work. He was a member of the Methodist Church in Toronto before coming to KOJ'ea nnder the Presbyterian Board, and his addresses year by year at the annual meetings have always emphasized the importance of united effort. Rev. C. D. Morris, probably more than any other one man in Pyeng Yang, has brought about the present happy agreement. The rapid development of the work in the North during the past year has often witnessed the beginnings of work by native Christians of both denominations in the same town. The difficulties which arose as a result made it plain that unless steps were taken now for division of territory, future years would bring more and more serious complications. The missionaries accordingly came together and arranged for a division of territory. It was feared by some that the native Christians would object to losing their beloved foreign pastors, but the joy caused by the movement was so great that all were happily disappointed. The idea of uniting forces in educational work next suggested itself, and at the first session of the Methodist conference in the last of June the superintendent of the Methodist mission cordially invited missionaries of other denominations to be present at the conference on educational work.
There are four Presbyterian missions in Korea-one from Canada, one from Australia, and the Northern and Southern churches of U. S. A. These four missions have united in a common name for the church in Korea, the territory has been divided among them, and the native Church is governed by a council composed of all male missionaries in the four missions. The two Methodist churches in Korea have also had a large measure of union, but heretofore the Presbyterians and Methodists met separately to discuss their educational problems. Dr. Baird, Principal of the Presbyterian Academy in Pyang-Yang, came to Seoul and addressed the union meeting. All present felt that they were treading on holy ground, and that the Lord was leading them on into some of His great thoughts and plans for the enlargement of His Kingdom. This meeting, which will be long remembered by those present, was addressed by Messrs. Bunker and Hounshell, in charge of Pai Ohai, the Methodist institution for higher learning in Seoul; Mr. E. H. Miller, in charge of the Presbyterian intermediate school for boys, also in Seoul; Dr. W. B. Scranton, who presided; Dr. Gale and Dr. Avison, of the Prebyterian Mission; Mr. P. L. Gillette, Secretary of the Y. M. C. A.; Prof. Hulbert, of the government schools; Bishop Harris, and others.
Altho educational work was the subject which had beel! announced, the thoughts of [111 present seemed to be led on to the larger subject of union in other lines also. The new Presbyterian hospital has recently been completed, and the Methodists have received money for the erection of a new woman's hospital. Miss Dr. Cutler, in charge
AN EPOCH';V1AKTNG CONFRRRNCE IN COREA
of the Methodist Episcopal woman's hospital, said that she realized the advantages to the work of cooperating with the gentlemen physicians in charge of the Presbyterian hospital, and altho there were difficulties she was willing to unite the plants and conduct the work as one. MISS Hilman, temporarily in charge of the Methodist Episcopal girls' school, said that it took so much time to attend to the machinery that she had very little time for teaching; the same thing, she thought, was true in the Presbyterian and Southern Methodist girls' school. The Presbyterian girls' school building is inadequate, while four or five foreign lady teachers can be accommodated in the fine Methodist Episcopal building, where there is room for all the girls at present gathered in the three schools. Miss Hilman believed that uniting our forces would promote the best interests of the work, as one lady could attend to the housekeeping of the three schools united, leaving the other ladies free to teach.
Short speeches were also made on the subject of union in evangelistic work and even theological instruction. One Presbyterian speaker thought that if Methodist astronomy was good for Presbyterian converts, and Presbyterian physiology for Methodists, he saw no reason why Methodist missionaries should not teach Presbyterians the Gospel of Matthew in the winter Bible classes. " Yes," said Dr. Scranton, "but what about Romans?" The Presbyterian replied that Romans-even the ninth chapter-could be taught to Presbyterian converts by Methodist missionaries without danger. The desire for practical union continued to deepen and broaden, and received fresh impetus from Bishop Harris's sermon the next day. He has recently been visiting Manchuria and Port Arthur, where he met the Japanese colonel who had charge of the artillery during the recent siege. This colonel remarked in conversation that the Russians had some fine guns and some excellent marksmen, but that they lacked in ability to unite and concentrate their forces. On Monday morning the Methodist conference in regular session appointed a committee to confer with a similar committee to be appointed by the Presbyterians, and a meeting was announced for Monday evening at the home of Mr. Bunker, where a large company gathered. Bishop Harris presided, and the first resolution adopted was as follows: Resolved, THAT IT IS THE SENSE OF THIS MEETING: THAT THE TIME HAS COME WHEN THERE SHOULD BE BUT ONE PROTESTANT CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN KOREA.
The name for this Church," Ta Han Jesu Kyo whoi," was approved. The question of a union hymn-book and union Church papers were discllssed, and declared possible and desirable, and resolutions declaring it to be the sense of the meeting that the Olt1-istian News and the Ohristian Advocate (one the organ of the Presbyterian Church and the other of the Methodist Episcopal Church) should be united under a
joint editorship, and also calling for a union hymn-book, were passed. Another )'esolution suggested to the Presbyterian and Methodist missions the advisability of appointing committees to bring about as speedily as possible the joining of our forces in educational, medical, and evaligelistic work. All votes were unanimous, and there can be no doubt that the request will be granted and such committees appointed by the missions. One suggestion was that the joint committee (consisting of the two committees to be appointed by the missions before named) should arrange for a council of all Protestant missionaries in Korea, to be held in Seoul the coming autumn, at the time of the Presbyterian council meeting. At that time it is expected that the subject of one united native Church will be discussed, and altho it is anticipated that there may be questioning and some hesitation on the part of conservative men who were not present at the meetings above described, still we do not doubt that the Lord who has graciously commenced this movement will carry it forward to a glorious consumation. What an enthusiasm it will create among the Koreal1s, and what it will mean in blessing to the native Ohurch the future will reveal.
The incoming of the Japanese marks an epoch in Korean history. Old things are rapidly passing away, and it is matter for devout thanksgiving to God that He has raised up in Bishop Harris the man to properly deal with the new situation. He is a man of broad and catholic spirit, and without his encouragement and counsel the movement for union could not have reached its present status. We realize that the consent of the home boards is necessary before such union can be consummated, but we can not think the board will object to what is so manifestly for the advancement of the cause. The Presbyterians have let the contract for a new building for their" intermediate school for boys," and work has been already commenced. They have expected, also, to go forward at once with the erection of a building for their girls' school, but now all building is to be stopped until the question of union is decided, as some are in favor of locating a united plant somewhere outside the city. The Methodist school buildings (for boys) are adjacent to those occupied by the mission press, and, as the latter is cramped for room, it is suggested that they be henceforth used as part of the printing plant, which ought to be greatly enlarged to meet the constantly increasing demand.
New Korea is crying out for education, and many young men, unable to receive what they want here, are going to America to study. Now is the time for the united Ohurch to establish such a school here as will make an everlasting impress on the nation.
Is not this a golden opportunity for some generous giver to make another investment?
THE REVIVAL OF BUDDHISM IN CEYLON
THE REVIVAL OF BUDDHISM IN CEYLON * TRANSLATED AND CONDENSED BY LOUIS MEYER The recent strengthening of Buddhism, the ancient religion of the Singhalese, in almost every part of the Island of Oeylon, is one of the strangest but well-established phenomena of the present day. The missionaries have to pay more attention to it than to anything else, and we might well speak of "the present-day revival of Bnddhism in Oeylon." Twenty-five years ago Buddhism in Oeylon was neither aggressive nor defensive. The ancient temples were standing, the priests studied their sacred books, and on holy days crowds thronged the sanctuaries; but no efforts were being made to deepen the religious life of the peopie, or to hinder the Singhalese from accepting Ohristianity. Ohristian schools were flourishing, and heathen children, having received Ohristian instruction, were baptized. In the villages only Buddhism was still a strong power, but it showed no life whatever in the cities.
Nowa remarkable change has come. Buddhism has founded schools everywhere, high schools in the larger cities and common schools in smaller cities and in villages. In all these schools the tenets of Buddhism are taught most zealously, and thus an effort is made to counteract Ohristian influence. Even a few orphanages have been founded to keep poor and deserted children from seeking admission to Ohristian institutions. Buddhism is making use of the printing-press to spread its teachings. Text-books, leaflets, and tracts have been published, and there is an effort to give the priests a better secular and religious education. In Oolombo a hall has been opened, where public lectures on religious subjects are given in English and in Singhalese. Feasts and pilgrimages are multiplied, and better attended than ever before. Societies for the promotion of Buddhist interests have been founded, and the followers of Buddhism have become strengthened in their belief.
But the most remarkable fact is that this revival of Buddhism has come about through the efforts of laymen, and not through the priests. Laymen are spending time, strength, and money for the founding of schools and the support of priests and temples in such a large-hearted manner that even the opponents of Buddhism must admire their consecration. They are trying to awaken, from lethargy and indolence, the priests, who continue, as heretofore, to spend their time in introspection, holy (?) meditation, study of sacred writings, and the collection of alms for their own support, appearing rarely in public for the encouragement of this forward movement.
It is impossible, says a missionary, to give tigures concerning this revival, which we meet on every street and on every corner. We find proofs of it in public places and in the railroad cars. We come in touch with it everywhere-in the school, in the congregation, and wherever we proclaim the glad tidings of salvation. Even in the daily papers we see proofs of the revival, and none can doubt the great fact that Buddhism in Oeylon is to-day not only defending itself upon all sides, but is going forward in attack.
A few districts are still exempt and not yet touched by the wave of revival, and in some places where the revival is strongly felt a few heathen children are still attending Ohristian schools; but the careful observer • Condensed, in free translation, from Evangelisches Missions-Magazin, Basel.
must confess that if Buddhism continues to progress in Oeylon as it has progressed the last twenty-five years, the movement must soon be felt over the whole island.
'Vhat results have this revival of Buddhism in Ceylon already at- tained? The follower of Buddhism, standing in the midst of the movement, would naturally claim greater results than the Christian spectator. However, some effects are apparent to all. Buddhism has become more highly respected among its followers, who no longer are ashamed of their religion. There was a time when witnesses in the courts of justice sought to excuse themselves for being followers of Buddha, but now they proudly own the fact. Again, Christianity is being opposed not only as a religion, but as an Occidental influence inimical to everything Oriental. Again, a surprising spirit of consecration and liberality has been awakened among Buddhistic laymen. Children, heretofore almost neglected and forgotten, are now cared for, and are taught the Buddhist catechism. Religious instruction has been introduced into the day-schools, and even Buddhist Sunday-schools have been organized. Special processions of children are formed on holy days and led to the temples. Thus Euddhism is trying to gain respect and authority.
But in spite of all these outward signs of revival, Bnddhism in Ceylon makes no effort to cleanse itself from its internal faults. Trees are worshiped, as are also relics and idols, and demons are feared, altho these things are quite contrary to the principles of Buddhism. Even caste, directly condemned by Buddha, still exists in spite of the revival, and the inmates of the immensely rich cloisters in the mountains have not been aroused from their lethargic slumber.
The Causes of this Revival Three distinct reasons for this revival have been advanced. Some ascribe it to direct influence of Europeans and foreigners. This seems a plausible explanat,ion, because the revival commenced at the time of the arrival and the public appearance of Colonel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky. A branch of the Theosophical Society was at once founded, and many prominent. Buddhists joined. On the other hand, no outside, especially no foreign, financial aid has been given to the movement, and this foreign influence has almost ceased. And, further, the interest of the lower classes is far greater than that of the rich men who furnish the means.
Others advance the theory that Buddhism was oppressed by the different foreign governments which succeeded one another in Ceylon during the past centuries, and now, released from its shackles, it shows its inherent powers. The Portuguese, lords of Ceylon from 1505 to 1656, followed the principle of King John, and the heathen were gained to the Christian religion not so much by the hope of eternal life as by the expectation of temporary gain. Similarly was the action of the Dutch, 1656-1795. Baptism was made obligatory for all who wanted to occupy official positions-yea, even for those who wanted to own real estate. Thus. there is no doubt Buddhism found itself in sore distress for two centuries, or, rather, until 18t)(). For not until that year was the pernicious system fully abandoned by the British government. From that time on the revival of Buddhism dates, it is true, but it would be wrong to consider this religious liberty the only reason for the revival, for in the interior provinces of Ceylon, where the religious tests of the Portu-
THE UEVIVAL OF BUDDHISM IN CEYLON
guese and the Dutch were entirely unknown, Buddhism is not yet revived to the same extent as on the coast. A third reason for this revival is found in the very existence of the Christian missions. "Vhen we study the history of the Christian Church during the first three centuries, we find three clearly distinct phases. At first heathendom showed contempt and proud criticism; then followed a period of bitter hatred and persecution; and at last a period of revival of heathendom ClLme, when it followed the example and methods of Christianity in its efforts to spread its own tenets. Thus it has been in Ceylon. At first Buddhism looked upon Christianity as a rival, well-meaning but not dangerous. Then came the time of bitter hatred and of warfare. And to-day Buddhism in its revival follows the example and the methods of Christianity, not only in its own defense but in its active aggressiveness.
The Opportunity of Christian Mission.
There is no doubt that the time has come when Christian missionaries must be more energetic in their efforts in Ceylon than ever before. There is a lamentable lack of conversions at the present time. Work among the children is hopeful, but few baptisms are reported. Missionaries are laboring on in fait,hful consecration, and the societies are conscious of the greatness of the task; and yet less impression than before is made upon the heathen, who cling to their ancient belief with increased tenacity.
"How should Christianity be recommended to the masses as a system far superior to Buddhism in moral and religious aspects?" That is the one important question. At first the foolishness of idolatry and of the service of demons were shown, and the insufficiency of Buddhism were proved. This was successful for a time, but soon a new way of attack had to be chosen. The idealistic theory of the Christian religion was opposed to the materialistic theory of Buddhism, and the superiority of Christian doctrines of morality was easily proved. This manner of attack was not very successful.
What should be done now to make an impression upon the followers of revived Buddhism in Ceylon? We answer: Let the native Christians live Christ before their heathen brethren! Almost one-tenth of all the inhabitants of Ceylon belong to some Christian denomination. What a wonderful effect they could have upon the nine-tenth who are heathen! To-day the nominal native Christians are a hindrance, not a help, to the spread of the Gospel. Most of them abstain from public immorality and sin, but true spiritual life exists very rarely. To deepen the spiritual life of the native Christians is, therefore, the first duty of the missions in Ceylon.
The second duty of the missionary societies at work in Ceylon is undoubtedly an increase of conse{:rated European and native laborers. And the last but main duty of all Christians is more diligent and earne,st prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Christian workers in Ceylon, upon the native congregations, and upon the mass of followers of Buddha, now enslaved in the shackles of superstition and idolatry more strongly than ever before. Then shall come the time of harvest and the ingathering, in spite of the opposition of Satan.
MOHAMMEDANISM AMONG THE ASHANTI TRIBES Missionaries of the Basel Society at Kumasi report a considerable movement toward Mohammedanism among the Ashansi tribes of the northern part of the Gold Coast Colony. The movement is stimulated, if not caused, by a modification of the" snow ball," or "endless chain," letter system which has been adopted to propagandist purposes by Mo- hammedans. The latter, which is now being circulated among pagans, is well devised. It appeals to their fears, and especially to their belief that there is something essentially supernatural about disease; it speaks as if by revelation of Mohammed's wishes and acts, and it assumes a dic- tatorial tone, which influences people not accustomed to think or act for themselves. It was written originally in Arabic, and has been translated into Rausa and into English (the language of the coast towns). Whoever reads it is expected to pass it on to his next friend, or to copy it and hand it on to several. The people, like those who receive" endless chain" let- ters in this country, feel constrained to send the document on, because the letter insists that they may not break the chain. A translation into French of this powerful letter is given by Rev. E. Perrefaux, of the Basel Mission, and we translate it as follows: * " In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate: "Blessed be Mohammed, his family and his people, on whom with all holy prophets may peace rest.
"This letter is written for all true believers living on the west of the desert. It comes from the holy men of Mecca, who seek to follow the paths of righteousness, from the disciples of the holy Abdul Kadir, to whom be glory forever, and from those who walk in the footsteps of Abd Illahi and Abdurrahman. t Take heed to its contents.
" During his long sleep our Lord Mohammed has seen that our world and all that is in it will certainly be destroyed; true believers, even, have forgotten the holy word; even orphans are robbed treacherously.
" , Oh God, our God, our Creator, our Guide, who dost see most the secret actions, have mercy on us.'
"Then God answered Mohammed in his sleep, •Because of the Twenty, those columns of righteousness. I will hold my hand.' Five times a day they pray God according to the words of the prophet, upon whom be peace from God. Two of them live on the hill of Karfatu, three in the city of Bagadasa. two at Murgadasi, three in Egypt, and two at Garfu. These truly are the true believers. They have besought the angels to intercede with God, so that He may wait patiently until they can send to you, who live in the West, this present message.
" , May the Lord Mohammed direct their steps.' "For this reason pay good attention. The gates of hell will open widely for evil-doers; diseases, hunger, and thirst will have their share. Oh, men of the West, follow the Divine instructions; repent of your evil' deeds, and ask pardon of God, the Almighty. Come together to pray, then your diseases will be cured and your thirst will be quenched. Labor faithfully; give alms; and, above all, pray in order to ask the Divine help. If you do not, you will be exterminated, and will dry up with thirst. Do not bear false witness; do not violate your oaths, or you will be over- • From Le Mi,qsionnaire, organ of the Basel Society, June, 1905, tThese are names of saints of the Dervish orders.
THE REVIVAL OF BUDDHISM IN CEYLON
taken by sickness and death. Do not become angry one with another; do not speak evil of one another, and especially observe the hours of prayer.
"Alas, all peoples despair of you! Ask the help of your priests, and attend their worship. Pray in the places of prayer, and give offerings to your spiritual guides. Pray to God, and render homage to your king. Your avarice and your falsehoods will cause your ruin; you will be attacked by disease, and hell will open its doors to receive you. Every judge who allows himself to be corrupted will go to hell. Seek salvation by assembling together for pnyer at the hours fixed by your priests. Fathers, mothers, children-all will leave this world behind them; why, then, should they load themselves up with misdeeds?
" We beseech Thee, 0 Almighty God, for the sake of Mohammed and his family, save us !
" In conclusion: Whoever receives this letter must needs pass it on to another district under pain of hell fire. Before long the gate of repentance will shut itself forever. Repent! The Day of Judgment is near! Fast; give alms; pray! Whoever reads this letter to his brother shall be rewarded for it ; paradise shall be his portion; in the Day of Judgment he shall not be judged. Whoever, on the other hand, neglects to do it, shall be sent with the idolators into the seventh hell. Pray; fast; and pay tithes, without which you will not be received into paradise. God will not disappoint those who follow His paths. It is finished."
This curious epistle was brought to West Africa and into the Gold Coast Colony by a pilgrim from Mecca, and is now being passed from hand to hand among the people. It attracts much attention. It seems to the people to teach just about the same thing that the Christian missionaries have been dinning into their ears all these years, but it speaks with far more of confident authority than Christian missionaries ever use.
The Mohammedans browbeat the country people, telling them that they have got to become Mohammedans whether or no. Rev. Mr. Perregaux says that in his last tour the people of a village came to him and said: "The men "-the Mohammedans-"wish to force us to kill our black fowls and our black sheep, and to burn our black waist-cloths and our feti"hes and the chairs of our chiefs (that is to say, to give up their tribual authority). and to call on the name of Mohammed. Have we got to do it?"
One of the strange things about the British rule in these countries is that the British officials, on the whole, favor the schemes of the Mohammedans. Instead of telling the people clearly that they are under no obligation to obey Mohammedans who assume authority over them, the officials say to the people: "If you wish to be Mohammedans, you must obey these orders. Otherwise, you need not." By such half-way admissions that Mohammedans have no authority, the British encourage the submission of the people to men who will later make trouble for the colonial government through this very assumption of political power as a necessary part of the Mohammedan propaganda.
EDITORIALS A REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE AT THE KESWICK CONVENTION OF 1905 After thirty years, something new has been witnessed at Keswick, and it is important to form a sober, spiritual judgment as to its meaning. Some think that an impetuous outbreak of Welsh emotionalism, becom- ing infectious, swept through the Convention; others, that the Spirit of God, who is moving so mightily in Wales, stirred those great audience!!, and bowed hearts as the wind, which bloweth where it listeth, bends and sways the stalks of grain; that this was not a visitation of Welsh- men so much as a visitation of God.
Having been brought into close personal contact with the very meet- ings where some most marked manifestations occurred, it seems incum- bent to give such testimony as may at once prevent misconception or misrepresentation, and promote a healthy sentiment and sense of responsibility.
For instance, at three evening gatherings, where the writer was himself a speaker, he witnessed striking movements of God's HoJy Spirit, which grew in intensity and power. On Monday, the opening night, there was an outbreak of spiritual interest that would have been a fit climax for the closing meeting. Tho no after-meeting had been contemplated, one followed as an inevitable necessity, needing no urging, but hard to suppress. Yet on Wednesday evening the spiritual tide rose to a higher flood-mark, and the meeting lasted till, from motives of expediency, it closed at 3 A.M.; and yet the closing meeting of Friday rose to a yet higher level of spiritual power.
It was felt to be a new Pentecost; not the intoxication of emotionalism, but the exhilaration of spiritual infilling. There was deep feeling which found occasional vent in sobs, tears, and outcries, but it was not wild and uncontrollable; nothing was more remarkable than the restraint manifested. The heart of the meeting responded immediately and instinctively to every spiritual suggestion. There was no need of human leadership; the Invisible ONE was in control, and the place became" dreadful" with the sense of that PRESENCE.
At the Wednesday meeting there was perhaps undue noise, some little unguarded speech and tendency to fanaticism, for a few moments at the outset of the after-meeting. But there were many silently praying God to subdue and suppress any discordant element; and, presently, and in a remarkable way, all dis:urbing influences ceased, and from that time, on to 3 A.M., there was one anthem of prayer and confession and praise, which passed from major to minor keys and reversely, with not one discordant note or a break in exercises, spontaneous and varied, but alluplifting and helpful, oftentimes a half dozen on their feet at once, yet without disorder. We can not account for all this by human psychology, but are constrained to look for explanation to Divine Pneumatology, as John Owen calls it.
On the closing meeting, Friday, many prayerful souls had largely focussed their prayers. The writer was privileged to be one of a company of about thirty that met by agreement that afternoon for an hour of prayer, when definite requests were made that the Holy Spirit would preside at the meeting in power, setting aside the appointed speak-
EDITORIALS
ers, if He pleased, breaking down souls in penitent sorrow, and compelling confession of definite sins, bursting through all rigid restraints of program, leading to boldness of testimony, keeping down all disorder, guiding to momentous decisions, inspiring new self·dedication, constraining to the removal of hindrances to holiness and usefulness, and impelling some to offer themselves for the mission field. Every specific request thus made was fulfilled to the letter!
While Rev. E. 'V. Moore was speaking on 1. Cor. iii: 11-15, on the "Ordeal of Fire," dwelling with searching power on the necessity, not only of building on the right foundation, but with pU1><ified building mate1'ial, and picturing the careless builder losing all work and reward, and himself fleeing from his burning house, himself saved only as by fire, God's refining fire was felt to be going through us, revealing the wood, hay, and stubble of work and motive. When I arose to speak some such humbling and overwhelming conviction made it quite involuntary to make this confession, and ask others, who likewise felt conscious of God's direct dealing, to stand before God and beseech Him so to refine us now that worthless material might not accumulate against the coming Day of Fire. The invitation met such response that the whole ientfnl ofpeople rose as one man! And before a brief prayer was concluded the spirit of prayer and confes~ion became so audibly manifest that not one 'Word Df the proposed address, carefully prepared for this closing meeting, was ever delivered, or even the subject indicated. It had been my intention to speak on "Praying in the Holy Ghost"; but, as Prebendary Webb- Peploe says, "God set aside the address, and gave an illustration of the theme, instead."
The spirit of penitent confession could not be restrained, and broke out in every quarter for about two hours and a half. A soldier, for instance, confessed to desertion and theft, and left the tent to write out his confession to his commanding officer. A commander in the navy declared his purpose to make his ship a floating Bethel. Not less than a hundred clergymen, evangelists, and leaders in Christian work, confessed to sins of avarice, ambition, appetite, lust of applause, neglect of the Word, of prayer, of souls; and hundreds more to various sins of omission and commission, sometimes a half dozen or more on their feet at once.
No improper word was spoken: all was subdued, but deep, intense, searching. The meeting might have gone on all night without decline of interest, but from motives of expediency closed about 10.30, already having continued four hours.
No one present will ever forget that meeting; seldom has anyone present witnessed such a scene. It was so patent that God moved in wholly unexpected ways that no one could think of interfering. He had set aside chairman and speaker, and was both presiding and speaking. There was a strange k1/sk of God in the meeting; few loud outcries; no hysterics or fainting: and, besides the 3,000 in the tent, a great crowd gathered outside. When the meeting closed with" Coronation," there had been no disturbance. Penitence, confession, prayer, self surrender, holy resolve, had led up to praise and adoration, and there was one profound sense that God had visited His people.
A deputation was present from Wales-brethren from the centers of the great Revival, and themselves God's appointed leaders in it, such as Rev. Seth Joshua, Prof. Keri Evans, Rev. Mr. Jones, of Carmarthen, and Mr. Jones, of Llwynpia; D. Wynne Evans, of Che~ter: Owen M. Owen,
of Nerthyr. Revival scenes in their own churches had kindled in them a spirit of believing, expectant prayer. Apart from a special meeting for testimony as to the" Welsh Revival," none of them spoke, but they prayed; and the blessing borne to "Vales from Keswick, in the conventions at Llandrindod and Pontypridd, and through the testimony of Mrs. Penn Lewis, MI'. Inwood, Mr. Meyer, and others, came back as vapors return in showers.
In these days it behooves us all to tread softly. The Spirit might be grieved, if not quenched, by attributing to man what belongs to God, by an over-critical spirit, by a disposition to adhere to a rigid, frigid method, to elevate a prejudice or a preference to the rank of a principle. Let us be tractable, docile, and hold out reverent hands to be led by the All Wise Spirit. But, above all, let us continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Again, we appeal to all brethren, in all parts of the world, to unite in covenant prayer for a world-wide effusion of the Spirit. The mere reports of the Welsh Revival, spread by the press in aU lands, and translated into various languages, have been known, in a large number of cases, to be used for spiritual quickening. It was the printed accounts of the Keswick addresses that, a :score of years since, kindled revival fires in Uganda, which are yet burning. And may God use this brief personal testimony thus given to our readers, of God's wondrous working at the Keswick of 1905, to fan the slumbering embers upon many an altar into pentecostal flames.
SIGNS OF WORLD·WIDE REVIVAL In 1902, July, at the Keswick Convention in England, a prayer circle was formed for united prayer for a world-wide effusion of the Holy Spirit, the appeal being similar to that issued by Jonathan Edwards in 1747. The basis of the union was a simple agreement among disciples without any pecuniary feature, or bond of obligation, beyond the one covenant of daily and definite prayer.
Since that time remarkable outpourings of the Spirit have been wit· nessed in many parts of the world, as in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Japan, China, Burma, and India, Korea, Persia, Uganda, the Nile Valley, and other parts of Africa, the Philippines, Bulgaria, Great Britain, and especially Wales; and in different and widely separate part3 of the United States, as in Schenectady, N. Y.; Pittsburg, Pa.; Denver, Col.; Los Angeles, Cal.; Portland, Oregon; Dayton, Ohio; Kansas City, Mo., etc., and nearly every week we have announcements of new centers of great spiritual awakening.
Thus, while on the one hand disciples are moved to united and earnest prayer, on the other hand God is conspicuously answering prayer. And no feature is more noticeable than the spontaneous character qf the movement. It comes like a flood, suddenly and often unexpectedly, and, like a flood, sweeps all before it. Advices from India come to us every week conveying important news of revivals breaking out in various contiguous mission fields, like forest fires suddenly kindled and growing into conflagrations.
Certainly the spirit of prayer should be fostered and the eye of faith clear-visioned to watch the signs of the times.
Much attention is now being called to the lleed of not only large increase in giving to the work of God, but of an entire reconstruction of
our so-called benevolence. Rev.•Tohn Wilkinson, of the Mildmay Mission to the Jews,- was so struck with an article in these columns upon "Our Lord's Teachings About Money" (see pages 241-246 of the REVIEW, April, 1905), that he has asked the privilege of reissuing it in pamphlet form to circulate by tens of thousands. And the recent newspaper discussions on "tainted money," and the moral questions which arise in connection with its acceptance by mission boards; will at least have the effect of leading to a far deeper investigation of the whole matter of the rfllation of money to the Kingdom. There is a financial basis for evangelization. The Kingdom of God, however spiritual, depends, like other kingdoms, on the •• mater'ieZ of 1CW'," Missionaries and Bibles and tracts; evangelism and pastoral supervision; church buildings and schools-the whole machinery of the Gospel demands sanctified, devout, systematic contributions to the work of God-not so much large gifts from a few as many gifts, however small, from all, And while new attention is being called to prayer, it is also being appropriately centered on gifts.
In fact, a new crisis is upon us. The offers of service in the field are unprecedentedly numerous. Great societies, like the Church Missionary Society, the China Inland Mission, the I~ondon Missionary Society, etc., are compelled to ask whether they ought not to send forth the excellent men and women now spontaneously consecrating their service to God, even though the provision for their support is not all at present in sight. I t is becoming a question of intensest interest whether faith in God is not to be accompanied with faith in His people-that is to say, whether when He is thrusting forth laborers into the field He will not also at the same time stimulate the giving spirit in His own people. Either, it is COlltended, we must believe that these candidates are not led by Him to offe1', or else that He will likewise lead others to furnish the means. To deny either of these simple propositions involves either a distrust of his operations or of his self-consistency. May Divine wisdom be given in this great emergency! It may be that a comporate body, like the individual believer, is sometimes called to "go out," like Abraham, "not knowing whither," and venture calmly upon God.
SLEEPING SICKNESS A recent report shows nearly 50,000 deaths from Sleeping Sickness in the Uganda. Have not the germs of this disease found their way to our churches at home? We do not refer to any slumberous tendencies in church services in the summer months, but to the general folding of the hands in sleep in face of the great opportunities which are opening before the Christian Church to-day.
A recent interviewer of Griffith John in China reports him as say- ing that, in all his years in China, he has never seen such an awakening in that nation, such an eagerness for Christian literature and Christian instruction, as to-day. The West China Christian Literature Society is overwhelmed with demands which it can not meet, and yet our mission boards approach the end of their fiscal year with fear and misgiving, or with the record of such a paltry advance as indicates that the mass of the membership of th'l Church is asleep as to this great duty. And to be asleep to missions is to be in great danger, even danger of spiritual death. There is one other parallel also in this strange disease. It is caused by a fiy, a gauzy thing apparently so trifling in itself, like the Christian's love of self-indulgence or some idle prejudice-a little thing, but sufficient to bring the work of life to an end.
FOR THE MISSIONARY LIBRARY The Minionary Maga7.in~ * The homage rendered to Jesus Christ by non-Christian religions The Cht£rch Missionary Intel- in India is a sign of the times. ligencer, as usual, overflows with East and West, the quarterly regood things. Two articles have view published by the S. P. G., has especially impressed us as worthy in its July number an article, "A of wide reading because they make Christian Fakir," by Dr. Griswold, one recognize the fixed gulf be- of the Presbyterian Mission, on tween the people of non-Christian the Chet-Ramis, one of the Indian and Christian lands. It is well to sects which illustrates such homknow how serious a task we under- age. It is thoroughly worth readtake, for instance, in trying to ing and pondering. The question evangelize China. 'Ve realize this of the manner in which missionaon reading the article which de- ries "spend their time between scribes the painful efforts of some Sundays" is often given up as inwomen missionaries, during two soluble by one class of people at days, to prevent the public suicide home. Light upon this question of a widow. The obstacle was a is given by The Chl'Onicle (L. M. S.) brutal mob which had gathered to in the article "Tiger Kloof After a see the woman kill herself. They Year." It is the simple, straightregarded the spectacle as the old forward story of the process of Romans would a combat of gladi· evolving from an empty South ators, and insisted on their right to African veldt an important trainsee what they came for. Never- ing and industrial school. It is also theless, after a long struggle, the a revelation of the all-compelling brave missionaries carried the day. efficiency of the missionary in The other article, which also takes charge of the enterprise. one into the midst of the common people, but of another race, is an The Missionm'Y Herald published appeal for more vigorous effort to an "extra" about the middle of evangelize Persia-a land mOl e July, which contains a rapid and open to missionary labor than impressive survey of the various almost any other Mohammedan fields of the American Board. The country. August number of this same maga- zine has for its most interesting China, the organ of the Chris- article Dr. De Forest's account of tian Literature Society for China some of his experiences in Man- (London), gives Dr. Timothy Rich- churia while visiting the Japanese ard's views on the China problem. armies with the Y. M. C. A. He The outcome of the article is sym- renders a warm tribute to the pathy with his opinion that if 400,- Scotch medical missionary heroes 000,000 of people are to be Chris- who stood at their posts and let the tianized, the assignment of a dozen two great armies sweep over them, missionaries and four or five winning the hearty respect of both presses to the provision of Chris- Russians and Japanese, to say nothtian literature for the Chinese Em- ing of the love of the poor Chinese, pire is an absurdly inadequate use who are almost the greatest sufferof the power of the press. ers through the war.
• The European magazines here mentioned The Assembly Herald contains an are for the month of July and the American illustration of the fact that home magazines are for August, except as other· and foreign missions are but parts wise stated. of one indivisible undertaking. It
J FOR THE MISSIONARY LIBRARY
gives some 45 pages to descriptions the Japanese is found in the Mis- of work for immigrants in the sionary Intelligencer (Foreign United States. One part, dealing Christian Missionary Society). It with strangers from Europe, is is by Mrs. Maude W. Madden, and labeled "Home Missions," and the gently suggests to readers of Laf- other section, dealing with strang- cadie Hearn's rhapsodies certain ers from Asia, is marked "Foreign cogent reasons why they should not Missions." The reader can not see let themselves be carried away by any dividing line. His interest the idea that all is good in Japan. follows the whole story of fruit- ful work among these strangers, JAPAN AND THE JAPAN MISSION OF THE C. M. S. who are to make or mar our her- By E. C. Snell. 181 pp. Map. Illustra- itage. tions. Fourth Edition. Church Mission. ary Society, London. 1905. The Baptist Missionary Magazine gives us some notes on "Curious This is an interesting survey of Customs of the Chins." The Chins the Church Missionary Society's are not a part of the human anat- mission in Japan, written about omy, but an extremely sturdy tribe fifteen years ago, and revised and of mountaineers in Northwest brought down to date. It contains Burma, who carry respect for de- a very good survey of the country, ceased ancestors to the point of the people and their religion, a stuffing food into their skulls dur- rapid outline of the work of Proting years after death, but who are estant missions in Japan, and a beginning to show the fruit of Gos- description of the Anglican mispel teaching. One gets a hint, from sions. The Appendix contains a several informing articles in World- chronology of the Church Mission- Wide Missions for July, of the use ary Society's work, a list of made of the printing-press by the missionaries and native workers Methodist Church in its missions. employed by the society, and We have not discovered in any statistical tables of its work. The other denomination so many really conclusions of the author as to the important and efficient publishing prospects of Christianity in Japan houses on the mission field. are interesting. He does not attach Another subject worthily treated serious importance to Shintoism. in this number is "Our Work East He points out that the religion of of the Andes," by Dr. H. K. Car- the people of Japan is really roll. South American missions Buddhism, and predicts a long and are destined ere long to become of hard conflict with that strange absorbing interest, altho they now religious medley. Mr. Snell admits attract little attention. A very that Buddhism in its present and interesting report of Bible work modified form is a strong moral and among the colored people of the religious force. It can never be South holds an important place in overcome without continual dethe Bible Society Record for Au- pendence with simple faith and gust. Every article from missiona- earnest devotion upon the unlimries that comes close to the life of ited power of the risen Christ. He the Japanese is sure of appreciative has, however, earnest belief in the reading. We can recommend two power'of Christianity to supply the such articles in the Women's Mis- special needs of the Japanese nasionary Friend (M. E.) entitled tion, and he believes that the re- "Soldiers and Tracts" and" What suit of missions in Japan will, in Japanese Girls are Doing for the ~he end, be another triumph for War." Another useful article on Christian truth-" the same yester- day, and to-day, and forever."
TWENTY-ONE YEARS IN INDIA. By Rev. J. L. The book has about a dozen ex- Humphrey, M.D. 12mo. $1.00, net. Jen- eellent illustrations. It is an in- nings & Graham, Cincinnati, O. spiration, and gives a graphic view of the progress of mission work in Rev. J. L. Humphrey, M.D., is India. Dr. Humphrey has the ad- very modest in his title. He was vantage of saying: "All of which I connected with the India mission saw, part of which I was." of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in India, from its beginning. He EJIIPIRE BUILDERS. By various writers. saw the work expand from its be- 12mo. 219 pp. Illustrated. Is. 6d. ginning, he lives to see its present Church Missionary Society, London. proportions. Soon after Dr. But- 1905. ier had reached northern India, he was joined by Dr. Humphrey, who The English are far ahead of arrived just at the breaking out of American publishers in their mis- 'the Mutiny. As soon as the coun- sionary books for young people. try became quiet, Dr. Humphrey Here are eighteen breezy, imprescommenced his work, and for sive stories of missionaries who 21 years of service on the field are helping to build the Empire of he has been identified with every Christ. The writers are missioninterest of the mission. He had aries in Canada, Africa, China, the honor of baptizing the first Persia, India, Japan, and elseconvert, a Mohammedan, who be- where. They tell of adventure, came a most useful native minister curious customs, heroic deeds, odd and presiding elder, and for 38 experiences, and wonderful transyears was a bright example of the formations. American young power of Divine grace io trans- people will find it of interest as form a life. truly as will their British cousins.
The period of Dr. Humphrey's "ALASKA FOR JUNIORS" is anlabors for India extended over 43 other useful pamphlet by Miss years. as recorded in this volume, Katharine R. Crowell, giving the or from 1857 to 1900, with occasion- facts about Alaska in a most atal visits home in the interests of tractive way, together with many the work. Seeing the great need practical suggestions and programs for medical missions, he' returned calculated to stir up missionary inhome and took a thorough medical terest and impart knowledge to course, and went back to India to children of mission bands. Leaders do a most acceptable work as a can not do better than to make use medical missionary. He undertook of these studies. (Published at 20 what was then considered a great experiment in the education of 'V cents each by the oman's Board native Christian women in medicine, and which proved a success. of Home Missions, 156 Fifth Ave- This was the beginning of woman's nue, New York.) medical work in the Orient. "THE YELLOW PERIL, by Dr. From baptizing the first convert, Marcus L. Taft, of Clinton, New he has now lived to see a Methodist York, is a pamphlet presenting Christian community of 146,000, strongly the case of the Mongolian nearly 3,000 Sunday-schools, with races. Dr. Taft shows up the sins 125,000 pupils, and great education- of European nations, the spirit of al institutions established. the yellow races, and the path of safety for the Occident-fair treat- mentand Christian enlightenment.
GENERAL MISSIONARy INTELLIGENC:El '{05
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE AMERJCA for additional conferences of the same type, especially for Canada Young People At the Fourth An- and the middle and far West, will and Missions nual Conference of probably result in a provision for a.t Silver Ba)' the Young People's such gatherings for the summer of 1906. The demands upon the sec- Missionary Move- retarial force of the Movement foz· ment, at Silver Bay, Lake George, the conduct of missionary insti- N. Y. (July 20–30), 603 delegates tutes for ad vice on local problems, registered, 166 more than last year. and for the production of an ade- These came from Canada and 24 y'uate literature on mission fields States, and China, Korea, Japan, and methods of promoting mission- the Philippines, Assam, India, and ary interest have so grown that an Africa were represented hy re- increased number of secretaries turned missionaries. will be enlisted for this work dur- ing the coming year. The Young People's Missionary Movement is an interdenomina- Woman's The Summer School tional organization working under Summer for ",Vomen's Fordirect denominational supervision, School for eign Missionary and the purpose of these confer- Mission Stud)' Socil:lties is the natences is to bring inspiration, suggestion, and training to Young ural outgrowth of People's Society leaders by aiding the United Study of Missions, orthem to promote missionary inter- ganized by the ",Vomen's Boards of est and enthusiasm and right ideals Foreign Missions for the United of Christian stewardship and servo States and Canada. During the ice among young people. past four years more than 200,000 copies of the United-Study books Hon. Samuel B. Capen, Boston, have been sold and have been used President of the American Board by at least half a million women. of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, was the presiding officer of The second session of the school the Conference, and among the was held at East Northfield the last platform speakers of special note week of July, and study was carwere ltohert E. Speer, Dr. E. E. ried on along three lines: Bible Chivers, Mrs. Lawrence Thurston, Study; How to Use the Text-book Dr. Robert P. Mackay, Dr. Howard B. Grose, Dr. William I. Haven, on Africa (Christian Liberator), * Dr. Charles L. Thompson, Mr. J. Campbell White, Dr. A. L. Phil- and Methods of Work in the Diflips, and Dr. John F. Goucher. ferent Boards. The evening ad- dresses were designed to arouse The strengthening of the mis- missionary interest. Those who sionary idea upon young people attend the school are largely offiwas evidenced by many other facts cers of boards, State organizations, than that of an enlarged registra- or leaders of mission classes. tion. A developing initiative among local and district leaders, a The methods considered had to readier grasp of comprehensive do with the training of children to educational plans, and a greater missionary zeal and intelligence willingness to put real effort into from their earliest years, the manmission study were all to be noted. * Each of the leaders had prepared a sylla- Two conferences are held each summer, one at Silver Bay, and the bus of the lesson to be taught, and these other at Asheville. The demand with abstracts of lessons will be published in the report of the Summer School.
agement of missionary circles and women to engage in some effort to meetings, and the employment of impart that uplift to the less fa- missionary literature. vored. The department utilized 13 church buildings in crowded ten- Last year ther.:) were 212 mem- ement districts July and August bers registered, but this year the five mornings a week. One pGriod number was increased fifty per was devoted to Bible story suitable cent., 335 names being entered. A for children, and tD the singing of similar summer school has been in- carefully chosen hymns. Another troduced at Winona and Chautau- period was given to industrial work qua, and next year one is to be held for both girls and boys; the girls in Canada and one at Nashville. were taught the Teachers' College system of sewing, while the boys SUSAN HAYES W ARB. learned basketry and hammock- making. Once a week a talk was The Flood A conservative es- given to the children on "What to of the timate for imi- Do Before the Doctor Comes," 01' first aid to the injured, alld once a Foreign-born gration for the year week on ,. How to Keep the Doctor 1904-05 places the Away," 01' personal hygiene.
figure past the million mark. This Christian At the recent conis at least 150,()()() more than were Endeavor vention of this inreceived during the year 1903, Forging ternational society, which held the highest record- Forward held in Baltimore, 857,046. The report of the Immigration Bureau for May shows an 66,772 local organiincrease of 26,206 over the corre- zations were reported, with a memsponding month of last year. That bershi!'J of 4,000,000, and representthe character of this foreign flood ing 10 denominations. has not changed is evidenced by the nationalities, which show the Full support for some native largest increase. Austria-Hungar'y foreign worker is provided by 125 sent 11,081 more immigrants during societies, 350 specify financial aid May, 1905, than were received duro given to their own church. The ing the same month in 1904; and amounts given by 10,000 societies from Italy there was an increase of have been added up, and the sum 17,368 fDr the mDnth. While 75 Dr for missions alone is $228,840.88. 80 per cent. of the immigration ar- The same societies report $268,- rive in New York, Philadelphia, 960.92 given for miscellaneous Boston, Baltimore are also receiv- causes. The roll of those who give ing their share of the increase. a tenth numbers to-day 21,794. Dr. Two European steamers arrive Clark was absent on account of ill each week at Baltimore bringing health, but an address from him from 1,200 to.l,600 foreigners, the was read upon "The 'Evangelizamajority of whom are of Slavic tion of Our Young People, Our birth. Recently, 1,500 Italian im- Country and the World," which migrants landed at Philadelphia set before the young people the in a single week. ideal of bringing a million new members into the societies, a mil- Vacation The New York City Lion people into church, prayer- Bible Schools Fed e I' a t ion of meetings, and Sunday·schools, a for Tenement Churches and Chris- million young people into chllrch- membership, and a million dollars Children tian Organizations for missions at home and abroad. has now instituted a Vacation Bible School Department which appeals to the thousands of Christian young men and
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
Y. M. C. A. Association 1tIen percentage of total population. Missionary for August states New York gained 929,888 in ten years-I890-1goo. One person in Activity that by the end of every 4 in the Borough of Man- this year" 25 of the hattan is a Jew.
best men North America can send A Prosperous No earlier year of out will be at work in the great seaports and commercial centers of Year for our work has sur- China and Korea. Work has been well begun in Shanghai, Tientsin, Baptist Missions passed, if any other Chefoo, Kiaochaw, Hongkong, and Seoul, and men are on the ground has paralleled the at Fuchau and Hankow. The pop- ulations of these cities range from record of the year now closed. 250,000 to 2,000,000." To meet the cost of this work more than $30,000 Says the Baptist Missionary Maga- have been already subscribed. To· ward providing suitable buildings zine: "It has brought to us a great in Peking, Seoul, and Kyoto, J ohn Wanamaker has promised gift in precious souls. Baptisms $100,000, with the only condition that those cities shall provide the on the Asiatic and African fields land required. fall little short of 10,500. When An Open-air The Interdenomi· Campaign in national Evangel· we recall the fact that at the end New York istic Committee are of fifty years of missionary labor, carrying on this converts enrolled in missions of the summer an open-air campaign in New York City. Two women have Union were considerably less in placed 6 automobiles at their disposal to serve as pulpits for open- number than the ingathering of air meetings, and they also use a large wagon, drawn by four fine this single year, the cause afforded horses for the same purpose. On the first Sunday afternoon a large us for profound satisfaction and meeting was held in the Academy of Music, and on the following day confidence is revealed." . 'Vall Street" kings" of oil, cotton, grain, and railroads had the oppor- Southern Baptist The fact has altunity of hearing the Gospel. '1'he need of such aggressive work is Missions ready been stated shown by such facts as these: The total population June 1, 1904, was Also Prosper that for the South- 3,945,907, of which churchless "Protestants" numbered 1,087,762, ern Baptist Conand Roman Catholics 1.300,000; Protestant communicants and at- vention the last year was the best tendants numbered 829,245, and Jews 725,000. The districts in New in every particular; but from York in which over 34 per cent. are foreign, had in 1900 a population Brazil the tidings are especially of 1,396,542; now they have 1,602,- 037, and have retained the same cheering. Since 1891 out of 70 churches, 60 have been organized.
During the same period the church- members have increased from 200 to 5,000, with other thousands of adherents. No less than 1,700 were baptized last year, and the churches contributed $15,613.
Episcopalians R e c e i p t s of the Grow in the Protestant Episco- Grace of Giving pal Board of Mis- sions for the current year are about $74,000 in excess of the receipts at this time last year, and compared with four years ago the same body of Christians is giv- ing twice as much as it did then. This is a fine record, due in large part to the apportionment system by which each diocese is given a sum which it is charged to collect, and also to the educational work
which the Churchman has done by curtailment of political and civil way of exhortation and reproof. rights, and the denial of fair oppor- Methodist The Woman's For· Women's Work eign Missionary So- tunities and economic life. 'I'he for Missions ciety of the Metho- importance of higher education is dist Episcopal emphasized, and an earnest appeal Church numbers in its constituency 217,000 members. Its yearly re- is made for a chance to bring up ceipts amonnt to half a million dollars, exclusive of the money their children in decent localities. raised by the General Missionary Society, and is administered in for- The appeal continues: eign work by the women. It has raised for foreign missions since its The negro race in America, stolen, organization, thirty·five years ago, ravished, and degraded, struggling $7,386,744, and holds real estate in up through difficulties and oppresforeign lands amounting to the sion, needs sympathy and receives value of $1,086,668. The work. of criticism, needs help and is given this society reaches to India, China, hindrance, needs protection and is Burma, Japan, Mexico, South given mob-violence, needs justice America, Bulgaria, Italy, Korea, and ill given charity, needs leader- Africa, Malaysia, and the Philip- ship and is given cowardice and pine Islands. Two hundred and avology, needs bread and is given ninety missionaries, of whom 25 a stone. . . . Especially are we are physicians, 1,000 native Bible- surprised and astonished at the readers and teachers, 539 day recent attitude of the Church of schools, 21 training schools, 67 Christ-on the increase of a desire boarding schools, 20 orphanages, to bow so racial prejudice, to nar- 2 colleges for women-1 in India row the bounds of human brotherand 1 in Japan-30 hospitals and hood, and to segregate black men dispensaries, treating over 150,000 in some outer sanctuary. This is patients every year, are supported wrong, unchristian, and disgraceby the society; 16,000 Christian ful to twentieth-century civilizawomen are receiving instruction, tion. and 20,000 non-Christian women are having Christ preached to them. We believe that the colored peo- The Negro Prof. W. E. Bur- ple of America have many just Niagara gardt Du Bois, of causeR for complaint, but it will Movement Atlanta, is the mov- ing spirit in a new take long years and persevering national negro organization, form- progress on their part to rectify the ed at Buffalo on July 13th, at a conference of colored men. The evils. organization is for the purpose of securing fairer treatment and high- A Missionary In Berkely, Cal., is er privileges for the negroes of the United States. An" Address to Business Block to be found an edithe Country" was adopted, which appeals to the American people fi c e, b u i I t a n d and to Almighty God, setting forth the grievances of American owned by Mr. J. L. Barker, the negroes, and protesting against the rent of which is devoted to the sup- port of his daughter, Mis3 Lydia G.
Barker, a missionary in India. May the number of such structures rap- idly increase! .
EUROPE The Baptist The international World's gathering of Bap- Congress and tists at Exeter Missions Hall in London, July 11-18, repre- sented 6,000,000 communicants, and was attended by 4,000 delegates. Dr. Alexander McLaren, of Man- chester, England, who was elected president, spoke on the work of the
1905J GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
Church carried on "in the name of evangelize such tribe and others by Christ and bythe'power of Christ." their means, and that the trustees Several other strong missionary should map out the world in its addresses were delivered. Dr. parts unreached by Holy Scripture Richard Glover spoke on the" In- and supply such parts with at least adequacy of the non-Christian Re- the printed Gospels of John and ligions to Meet the Need of the Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, World," and Mrs. Norman W ater- as far as it might bo found practic- bury on "Woman's Work on the able so to do."
Foreign Field." Dr. H. C. Mabie, The L. M. S. is assured that its of Boston, gave an able address on portion of the bequest will not be "Interest in the Home Church," le8s than $1,500,000, and is planning and Herr J. G. Lehmann on" Mis- for substantial enlargement.
sionary Methods." Many foreign Thanks for Those who read of missionaries spoke on their respec- a Deed the doings of some tive fields-among them, Dr. Timothy Richard, of China; Dr. John. a Century Old missionary soc i- McLaurin, of India, and Dr. Hol- eties 100 years ago man Bentley, of Africa. A statue of Charles H. Rpurgeon was un- will learn with interest that the veiled in the Baptist Mission directors of the London Missionary House. One result of the congress Society have had the somewhat is a World's Baptist Alliance, which unusual experience of receiving a is to meet at intervals in capital letter of thanks for action taken a cities of the various countries rep- century since. The letter in quesresented. The first meeting is to tion has come from the Christian b3 in 1910. community at Bethelsdorp, Cape Colony, and expresses hearty grati- tute to the L. M. S. for having sent The Arthington When Robert Ar- Dr. Vanderkemp to preach the Gos- Bequest thington died in pel to their ancestors in the year 1805. Now there are in Cape Colony Now Available 1900 he left a will some 120 independent churches or by which, after set- branch churches, with more than 10,000 communicants and 32,000 adting aside a fund for trust expenses herents, all of which owe their exand one-tenth for the benefit of istence to the early efforts of the certain relatives, five-tenths of the L. M. S.-C. M. Intelligencer. residue was given to the English Baptist Missionary Society and four-tenths to the London Mission- Another Society The June issue of ary Society, none, however, to be in Straits Regions Beyond used to sustain work already com- for Funds contains an article menced, but all to open new fields. by Dr. H. Grattan The wish was expressed that his Guinness, which strikes a loud note gifts should be applied for "the of alarm. In common with other purpose of giving to every tribe of missionary societies, the Regions mankind which has them not, and Beyond Missionary Union is pass- which speaks a language distinct ing through a seriour crisis. It from all others, accurate and faith- would seem that while the mission ful copies of at least the Gospel of enterprises are going forward with John and the Gospel of Luke, to- vigor, the sources of income at gether with the book of the Acts of home are all but dry. To the direc- the Apostles printed in the lan- tors of the union it is a matter for guage of that tribe," and to teach no little solicitude that the ex- such tribes to read, with a view to chequer is almost empty, while ex-
isting needs amount to £4,000, dress Rev. G. T. Manley, Christ's apart altogether from prospective College, Cambridge. expenditure on the passages and outfit for missionaries leaving for What a magnificent thing it the Kongo, or returning from that would be if committees in England river, representing another £1,200. and America could cooperate with But in spite of this fact, Dr. Guin- missionaries and merchants in all ness reports that 24 "new mission- non-Christian lands to care for the aries are ready to go forth from spiritual welfare of these young Harley College, Dodc Lodge, and strangers within our gates. Bromley Hall at the close of the present session. In addition to The Great The British and thelSe, we have a group of 7 Kongo Work of the Foreign Bible Sodmissionaries returning to the field Bible Society ety-one of the after furlough, together with 3 married ladies going out for the greatest helper·s of first time. Our total output this all missionary societies-reports for year thus amounts to 34. Of these, last year (1904-1905) a circulation of 15 are to be identified with the 5,857,645 copies. This is an increase R. B. M. U. work in Peru, Argen- of 160,284 copies over the previous tina, and the Kongo; 14 are joining year. The Scriptures thus put in other societies." circulation would require a train of carts ten miles long to transport. Asiatic Hundreds of young The record output from the London Bible House was 81 cases (9 tons) in Students in men from China, one day. These cases contained Scriptures in 28 different lan- Christian Lands Japan, Siam, In- guages. This sowing of the !Seed dia, and elsewhere means a coming harvest.
are in America and England study. United Free This body of stal- Church wart saints is passing to prepare themselves for spheres of usefulness in their own Enlarging Its ing through sore Foreign Work trials, but is not in lands. What are the Christians the least faintdoing systematically to lead these hearted. For at least in two of its fields forward steps are soon to be young men to Christ? An excel- taken. First, in the old Calabar lent organization for the benefit of region, on the 'Vest Coast of Africa, a new medical station is to be Indian students has been started in opened as the basis of an advance. The other forward step relates to England which might well be new work in northern Manchuria, and this in spite of the Russo-Japbroadened to include all Asiatic anese war. A year and a half ago a prospecting tour was made students. The following letteI' has through a region called Hielung- Chiang, about as large as Massabeen sent to leading educationalists chusetts. Half of it is arable land, and missionaries in India: all under cultivation. It has four walled towns, each with a popula- A committee of Christian men tion of 100,000, with a great number has been formed in England, with of smaller towns and prosperous Sir Andrew Wingate as president, villages. This prospecting party to promote the welfare, both social passed over the Sungari River, findand spiritual, of Indian. students ing an open door and not far from coming to study in England. A list of suitable lodgings in London has been prepared, and wherever possible, arrangements will be made to meet students on arrival in London. It would be a great help if you would let the committee know of any students who intend to come to England, with the dates of their arrival, and any details that would be useful. Ad-
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
3,000,000 souls. In one town, Hulan, Christian workers, especially of there were found to be ],000 busi- those. whether foreigners or naness firms of good size, and the peo. tives, who understand the English pIe everywhere welcomed the ap- language. English, Scotch, and proach of the white missionaries. native Christian workers joined A missionary is soon to be sent most happily with the American thither. missionaries in promoting the con- ference. Christian workers were Moravian From the last an- present from Athens, Greece, from Missions nualreport recently Sofia, Bulgaria, and from Trebi- to Date issued from Herrn- zond, Salonica" Smyrna, Tarsus, and several interior cities of Tur- hut, it appears that key. The Rev. John McNeill, the the total number of souls in weIl -known Scotch evangelist, the congregations gathered from came on invitation to lead the among the heathen is 101,3!)1 (total meetings, and addressed the conmembership at home, 41,199), a gain ference twice a day in English, also of 1,020 over last year. There are preaching every evening in differ- 390 European and American mis- ent parts of the city. The sermons sionaries, and 73 native born, em- were interpreted into Turkish or Armenian or Greek or Hebrewployed in 15 mission provinces, Spanish." Later he went t,o Smyrna having charge of 251 stations and to hold similar meetings for five outstations, and in addition 450 days in that city. preaching-places. There are 1,775 native helpers of all kinds. As al- ASIA ready announced, the deficit is less than $10,000, instead of £30,000, as Good Signs The Moslem world in Syria in general presents was feared. an undivided front New The Uhambel' of against Uhristianity. Prejudice is being broken down in many places, Opportunities Deputies has pass- however, and, in spite of threats and persecutions, some are forsakin France ed in amended form ing all to follow Christ. Dr. Samuel Jessup, who has been forty-two the bill for separa- years in Syria, says that last year he baptized 12 students in Girard tion of State and Church. Pasteur Institute, Sidon, 1 of whom was a Moslem. Last March he invited Knatz, of the Societe Central, in any boys who so wished to come into his office. Twenty-five came, Paris, says that while the Reformed and 16 offered prayer. A Maronite village near Sidon sent a signed Churches are facing a serious crisis petition for a school, and offered to pay for a teacher, who was furon account of the withdrawal of nished. Several other villages have done likewise. subsidies, yet this will no doubt be A Call to This is not the call overruled for good in spiritual Prayer for Islam to daily prayer strengthening. France is no longer from Moslem min- arets, but the call from missiona Rmnan Catholic country, only aries in Arabia to their fellow- Christians in America and England one-fourth being really Romanists.
There are great opportunities, in the rural districts especially, for preaching Christ to eager listeners.
Religious In the last Mission- Conferences in ary Herald Dr. Constantinople Greene says that a conference was held in May last in the chapel of the Bible House, and continued a week, the first of the kind ever held in the Ottoman Empire, whose object was "to deepen the spiritual life of the
to pray for ourselves that God's cutta Sanskrit College. Poor boys grace may abound in us unto holier are allowed free boarding there, living and more efficient service; while some 25 of those residing in for the Arab nation, that God may the house are to be not only fed, turn the hearts of many to accept but clothed as well, at the expense Jesus as their Savior; that many of the donor. An allotment of Rs. more wonders may be sent to this 150 per mensem, we are told, has neglected land, and that the avowed already been made Ollt of the assets purpose of the establishedsocie- of the deceased to meet the lodging ties to reach the interior may speed- expenses of these boys. A profesily be realized. This call is signed sor of the college has been invited by missionaries of the Reformed to accept the post of superintendent Church of America, the United of the boarding-house. The resi- Free Church of Scotland, the dential house given by the late Church Missionary Society, and Babu is valued at one lac of rupees, the Danish Mission in South Ara- and the allowance of Rs. 150 a bia. The call had its origin in the month would represent, say, a capannual meeting of the Arabian italized value of Rs. 50,000. This, mission in Bnsrah. This is the first indeed, is a princely gift, and it is act of cooperation among Arabian hoped this noble example will be missions. followed by other rich Indians in other parts of the country. The Day of Rev. Napier Mal- Opportunity colm, of the C. M. Baptisms in the Rev. J. Heinrich's Telugu Missions reports a total of in Penia S. Mission, reports that tho the spirit 1,231 baptisms in the American Baptist Telugu Misof persecution and intolerance to- sion during the first three months ward Christianity is still prevalent of this year: Allur, 19; Hanamakamong Persian Moslems, yet there onda, 18; Suriapetta, 105; Gurzalla, is a spirit of religious inquiry in 17; Kandukur, 7; Udayagiri, 42; the air, and many are prepared to Kavali, 42; Narsaravapetta, 31; make immense sacrifices if only Ongole, 390; Ramapatam, 46; Pothey can obtain a certain knowl- dili, 114; Madir'a, 159; Gudval, 18; edge of salvation. These inquirers Nellore, 21; Nalgonda, 11; Kanigiri, confess their blindness, and go 109; Kurnool, 12; Vinukonda, 6; about seeking some one to lead Vepery, 2; Madras, 36; and Darsi, them by the hand. Many are 26. And Rev. John Newcomb turning to the Bahais, who might writes: "I have nothing new to rebe led to Christ if our missionaries port, except the fact that we shall were not so few. probably have the joy of baptizing some 700 believers during the next An Indirect A Bengali paper three months or so. These have Result of s tat e s that rich been candidates for baptism for Missions Hindus in Bengal some time." in India are making munifi- cent donations tow- An We usually need to ard the spread of Ranskrit educa- Unconditional view at least a detion in that province. The late Babu Bolyechand Dutt, of Calcutta, Surrender in cade to discover ina rich man and a philanthropist. it is said, made a gift of his residential Haidarabad disputable signs of house to the Education Department of Bengal for the purpose of hous- progress. Ten ing bona fide students of the Cal- years ago a native evangelist named Amos, of the Vesleyan So- ciety, stopped one night near the
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
well of the outcasts in Medak, The Revival The Christian Pa- Haidarabad, India. The people in Assam triot (Madras) of felt so outraged at this defilement July 8th publishes by a Christian that they seized him a letter from the Rev. J. P. Jones, by the ears and kicked him out of of Sylhet (Welsh Mission), in the the place. This year the chief who Khassia Hill Country of A!)sam.
led the assault entertained the He reports another pentecostal same evangelist in his house and wave as passing over the Cherra- was baptized, together with 26 punji district. All the Christians heads of other families. are so taken up with the revival Ten Months The Church Mis- that it is difficult for them to find Progress Among sionary Society time to give an account of the work, and it is almost impossible to give the Telugus reports that in anything like an adequate account ten months, end- of the meetings. One writes that "the scenes in the services are ing November, 1904, the number of beyond description." Another their baptized Christians in the writes: Telugu Mission, India, increased by 1,078, besides 2,173 catechumens.
Forty-one new villages were occu- The Christians are almost wild pied in the same time, and 46 addi- with joy, they are never tired of tional evangelists and 84 more praising Him; one can not realize teachers are needed. Thus the the joy unless one is present with work grows. and yet the Church them. I am much struck with the cries: " Retrench! Keep out of change in the faces, the expresdebt!" !'ions are now so earnest and in- tense. Some faces especially have The Price of Many Hindus will quite lost the old look, and one Confession ignore, or even fa- feels on seeing them that they have in India vor, missionary looked upon the great things of God. The children, the old people, schools until one of and the young have all been touched their family shows a leaning toward so tenderly. It is this that goes to Christianity. Then all is changed my heart-God is so tender with in some such manner as at home, us. Oh, the meekness and the genwhere some Christians favor for- tleness of Christ! He is now showeign missions until their own chil- ing to us the richness of His love. dren volunteer. A lady belonging Mr. Jones quotes from another letter: to a Mohammedan family in India I am exceedingly glad to inform has bravely confessed her faith in you what God has done to all His Christ to her husband and father, people here these days. All-men, altho unable at present to leave her women, and children-a,re full of home in order to be baptized. On rejoicing. The Spirit of God has one occasion the father put an iron been working very powerfully here into the fire, then down upon her foot, saying: "Repeat the Kalima" in Cherrapunji and in the adjoin- (There is no god but God, Moham- ing villages. This time the revival med is the prophet of God). She is more wonderful than before. said: "I can not." He said: "You The other day, when one brother will not!" Then he put the iron was praying, the Spirit spoke with into the fire again and placed it on such power to an "egg-breaker" the other foot, saying: "Now you (one of the leading demon-worshipwillI" She replied: "No, I can not, ers) that he fell to the ground. But for I am a Christian." Her life is he refused to obey God. Then he not safe, even tho she has not yet fell a second time, and again he rebeen baptized. fused to obey. He said he had to go, to sacrifice some goats which he had bought for the demons. Then the Spirit spoke to him again, the third time, and told him thq,t unless he obeyed at once he would,
be struck again. At last the man, them among the Laos, and that with fear and trembling, confessed stations ought to be multiplied his sin and accepted Christ as his rapidly throughout all that terri- Savior. tory. Even the Buddhist priests are friendly, and the rank and file From Jowai, east of Cherrapunji, of the people seem eager to hear word has come of the spread of the the Gospel. revival to the very outskirts of the district bordering on the plains. The French Protestant m i s- Inquirers are to be found in every Bible Society sions are still exvillage, and many have been added to the Church. in Annam eluded from some of the French pos- Much that is hard to understand appears in the fragmentary reports sessions. Annam and Cochin of this great revival on the mission China, for instance, are almost outfield. Perhaps we might under- side the influence of evangelical stand better had we greater capa- Christianity. The Bible Society of city for spiritual gifts in our own France, however, is actively enhearts. Clearly these plain hill- gaged in circulating the Scriptures folk of Assam, but yesterday pa- in those regions, and one of the gans and demon-worshipers, have agents writes: attained an insight respecting Gospel truth, a hearty self-surrender, There is not a single imJ?ortant; a perception of the love of Jesus place in Cochin China, III the Christ, which Christians every- southern part of Annam, and in the where would fain share. Let this French Laos territory which has marvelous movement among the not many copies of the Holy Bible. Khasi people be an occasion for More than 400 copies of the Bible fervent prayer for them-and for have been distributed among the our own selves. Protestant colonists and soldiers, and more than 300 copies have gone A Forward The Laos mission into the hands of Roman Catholics Movement in of the Presbyterian who have asked for them. A large number of Annamites, Cambo- Laos Land Church (North) has dians, Chinese, and East Indians, recently overflowed who have learned to read French, have also eagerly received the from the Shan States of Northern Bible. Siam into the Shan States of British Burma. They are still working This French society, which pubamong the Laos people, who live lishes the Scriptures in one lanunder Chinese, French, Siamese, guage only, is finding by experience and British rule. The first station that an effective means of preachto be established outside of the ing the Gospel in all the world is Siamese territory is at Kengtung by disseminating the Gospel every- (Chiang Tung), British Burma, where. where 4 missionaries and 3 Laos Christian families have located. The Martyrs' The Advisory Com- They have found here a splendid Memorial mittee appointed in opening, and: there have been, in for China London to assist in 10 months, lO professed conver- raising a fund to sions. The people and officials are friendly, and the medical work is erect a building in Shanghai as a proving a great :opening-wedge for memorial to those who laid down the Gospel. Rev. W. C. Dodd, the their lives in the Boxer uprising, missionary in charge, says that a has passed a resolution to the effect far grander opportunity lies before that it is best to abandon the proj- ect. This is in view of the fact. that some of the large missionary socie- ties do not fully approve of the
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
scheme, and the missionaries in vices to finish a trip. What would China are not unanimous in their a home pastor think of such a recommendations. Rev. D. Mac- parish? Gillivray, who has been raising the fund, is therefore returning to The Growth of In 1884, when China. The General Committee in Twenty Years Bishop Moule had Shanghai has, however, entered into negotiations with the Y. M. already been a C. A. committee, and have decided resident at Hang-chow for 20 years, to turn over all funds collected the number of Christian communi- (now 9,000 taels) to the Chinese cants in the city and district was Y. M. C. A. at Shanghai, on condi- 350, in connection with the C.M.S., tion that they incorporate a " Mar- the China Inland Mission, and two tyrs' Memorial Hall" in their new American Presbyterian missions; building in the heart of the foreign and the contributions for the year settlement of Shanghai. This hall amounted to $320. At the beginis to seat not less than 700, and is ning of the present year they numto be available for interdenomina- bered 1,676 (C.M.S., 692). The baptional religious conventions, etc. tized during 1904. were 24.3 (C.M.S., These conditions have been accept- 84), the catechumens were 614. (C. ed by the Y. M. C. A. Contribu- M.S., 201), and the contributions tions may be sent to E. S. Little, were $3,056 (C.M.S., $1,176). Every Esq., Treasurer, Shanghai. year a united meeting of members of the four missions, and of the Presbyterian The Southern Pres- churches connected with them, Progress byterian C h u r c h meet together for prayer, when the in China reports that while statistics are presented by Bishop in the past ten years Moule.
their number of foreign missiona- Union Medical The China Medical ries has remained the same, their Colleges Missionary Assonative helpers have increased in China ciation, which was threefold, and the converts gained formed in 1887, has in one year fourfold. The number baptized per missionary in 1894 been the means of coordinating the was I, and in 1904, 22. This is medical missionary forces in the largely due to the increase in num- empire, and has brought about two ber and efficiency of the native important results: first, the formaagents. The average contributions tion at great centers of Union Mediper member have doubled in the cal Colleges, and the preparation of same time. up-to-date text-books for medical students. The Union Medical Col- Rev. A. A. Fulton, of the Presby- leges are taking the place of smaller terian Church (North), writes}rom schools, and are more efficient. Canton that on his recent quarter- Peking, Canton, and Shanghai have ly tour he baptized 240 men and now such union schools, and one is women on confession of faith-415 to be established in Central Shanin four months. This means 2 new tung. congregations of over 200 each every two months. There are in- The recent statistics of medical dications that the number will work in China show that 4.7 hosreach 700 for the first six months of pitals and dispensaries treated 147,- this year. Mr. Fulton has 36 477 in-patients, and 457,390 dispenchapels in charge, so that it re- sary patients. Most of these quires over one month of daily ser- hospitals are training native Chris- tian doctors and nurses.
Japanese Emperor The value of the cooperation between natives and and Empress gifts made by the foreigners. The one would assimi- late Christianity to Japan; the as Given Empero!' and Em- other would transform Japan by press of Japan for Christianity. The one stands for the centralization of authority; the various forms of Christian work can other for Presbyterian and Re- formed principles. The one stands not be measured in terms of J apan- for government by interference; ese currency. They have given 10,- the other for self-government. The 000 yen for Y. M. C. A. tent work members and adherents of the "Nihon Kirisuto Kyokwai " should in Manchuria, andl,OOO yen for the not be misled by the superficial, work of Mr. Rara in behalf of ex- shallow" independence argument" as it is called. They should not be prisoners, and have promised 1,000 controlled by a passing fit of naryen per annum for 10 years for the row, bigoted, patriotic sentiment.
Okayama Orphanage. Dr. Atkin- They should earnestly and thought- fully recall the history of the past, son writes that tho these 3 objects and with the future developments have a humanitarian side, yet they and possible results of the present situation in mind, they should are permeated with . Christian make up their minds about this teachings, and are distinctly Chris- momentous question, not with ref- erence to the opinions of the J aptian in character, and the Japanese ~nese people, but with prayer, as III the presence of God and of His understand clearly from these con- Christ.
tributions of the emperor that in the higher circles of the empire Christianity is no longer feared nor despised. It is assumed that it is increasingly approved, and this in- A Strange Story A C. M. S. Mis- dorsement is most helpful. of Conversion sionary in Japan tells the following A Crisis in the The "Nihon Kiri- interesting story: "A we 11- Protestant suto Kyokwai" Church (Church of Christ educated young soldier came here in Japan in Japan) is a result of the united educa- early one morning and brought a tional and evangelistic work of piece of thorny briar; he showed the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches of England and America. it to me and said, 'I once saw a It has a total membership of 13,830, of whom 1,066 were baptized last picture of a head crowned with year. Its confession of faith is the Apostles' Creed, and its govern- thorns like this, and I can never ment is Presbyterian. From the time of its organization this Church forget it; whenever I have things has made steady progress toward self-support, and is moving toward to bear in the barracks the thought self-government. Many are asking for a Japanese Christianity not too of this picture helps me. Can you closely patterned after that of the missionaries. Just here is a crisis tell me about it, and has it anyin the Japanese Church. It is somewhat like the Ethopian Move- thing to do with your religion?' ment in South Africa. One missionary writes: You can imagine what joy it was The one stands for the exclusion to put a Bible into his hands, and of foreigners and for isolation in the native Church; the other for to read and explain the trial and death of our Lord. He simply drank in every word. It seemed as tho his whole soul were thirsting for the Living Water. He very soon grasped the way of sal- vation, and made up his mind to follow Christ. "Ve were talking about his being baptized when, quite suddenly, his company was ordered to the front. I get long letters from him, full of hope and joy. He tells of wonderful peace
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
given in the midst of battle, how forwarded a large autographed:por- marvelously his life has been trait of himself to the Bible House spared when all around him have in London. been shot down, and what comfOl·t he finds in reading his Bible and Bible Distribution There is nowhere prayer." in a Hard Field a fi e I d m 0 l' e Japanese J a pan e s e Chris- stony than North Foreign tians are already Africa, but in spite of all difficul- Missions sending missiona- ties, in Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli, during the three years 1901, 1902, ries to Korea, Man- and 1903, more than 2,500 Kabyle churia, and Formosa. The mis- portions were circulated, over 7,000 sionary churches of Japan look Arabic portions, Testaments or to Formosa as their especial mis- Bibles, and about 4,000 Hebrew sion field. They are already carry- Judeal Arabic and Tunisian collo- ing on work among the Japanese, quial Arabic Scriptures, making a who, as officials, settlers, mer- total of over 13,500 portions, Testa- chants, soldiers, to the number of ments or Bibles, in what may be 40,000, are living in the island. called the native languages, beside The Japanese Episcopal Church 23,000 copies in European lan- has asked the Society for the Prop- guages. In Morocco the details of agation of the Gospel to assist it in the reports are not available for establishing a Formosa mission; 1903, tho the total is given. It and if this Angelican mission con- would appear that between five and fines its operations to the Japanese, six thousand Arabic Scriptures, no complaint could be urged against either portions, Testaments, or it on the ground of missionary whole Bibles, were circulated dur·· comity. The two Presbyterian ing the last three years, and probmissions, those of the Canadian ably about 5,000 Hebrew Scriptures. and English Pre s byte ri an Spanish comes next with about Churches, occupy the whole island 5,000, then we have about 1,500 effectively, so far as the Chinese English, and rather more than 1,000 population is concerned. in other languages; so that, alto- gether, in the Barbary states dur- AFRICA ing the last three years, some 55,000 Bibles, or portions of Bibles, The Khedive His Highness, the have been circulated. Accepts an Khedive of Egypt, Arabic Bible has accepted a The Telegraph There are in French Invading the West Africa nearly splendidly b 0 u n d Dark Continent 17,000 kilometers of copy of the Arabic Bible in three volumes from the British and For- telegraph lines, of eign Bible Society, as a memento which 7,300 are in the Sudan, 2,800 of its Centenary. The presenta- in Dahomey, 2,000 in Senegal, and tion was made at a private audi- 2,150 and 2,050 in Guinee and the ence, in which the Rev. A. A. Ivory Coast respectively. These Cooper, the agent at Alexandria, lines radiate from Kayes like an was received most cordially by His immense system of tentacles reach- Highness, who, in accepting the ing to all parts of French West Bible, expressed a hope that the Africa. There are two conductors, society meet with every facility for one at St. Louis, the other at Dakar. its work in his country, and em- A separate line goes east from phasized his appreciation of the Kayes to Kita, and thence goes on to good being effected through its join the Guinee line, this having a agency. His Highness has since
length of 868 kilometer~, and com- women abused, children mutilated, municating with Conakry. This is and the country despoiled. The joined by the short lines of 280 kilo- report of this evidence may be had meters constructed during 1904 to from the Kongo Reform Associamake connection between Diaro- tion, care of E. D. Morel, Hawardougou and Faranah. From Kouli- den, Chester, England. koro another line starts which returns to Kong in the Tvory coast Better Schools According to West system. There is then a long span for Girls Afdca, an imporof 743 kilometers to Grand Bassam, tant movement is and then another line runs through a connection with Blieron. Finally, on foot with the object of providing at Sergou, the wire is divided into secondary schools for girls in West three cables going to Timbuctu, Africa. The want of such facilities and two inland to the east. The has been much felt for the last ten working of this telegraphic system years. It is suggested, as a good requires 151 offices, 371 operators, beginning, that a college for the and 401 inspectors and other em- higher education of girls be foundployees. ed. In connection with this insti- tution an industrial or technical The Kongo The Commission of branch would be provided where Mission of Inquiry appointed the ordinary school curriculum could be pursued, together with Inquiry last year by King horticulture, poultry farming, Leopold of Bel- nursing, laundry work, dress-mak- ing, cooking, and the manufacture gium to investigate some of the of native foodstuffs. The developcharges of atrocities and abuses ment of native arts would not be alleged to prevail in certain dis- neglected, in connection with which tricts of the Kongo State, has re- weaving of native cloths would turned to Belgium, but its report form a prominent item, and most has not been published. The King likely be the means of bringing may not wish to publish it, as we closer to others the Mohammedan understand that the evidence fully heathen and pagan population. corroborates the testimony of Consul Casement, missionaries, and Livingstone A correspondent to travelers who have protested Township the Glasgow He'¥'- against the cruelty and oppression on the part of State officials. ald writes: "The railway, which is to do so much for The Kongo Reform Association Rhodesia, was extended as far as of England has secured, and pub- Victoria Falls on April 25, 1904. lishes in concise form, the evidence The directors of the British South laid before the commission at vari- Africa Company had contemplated ous places. While the territory the founding of a township in the covered by this commission was ex- vicinity of the Victoria Falls long tremely limited, and tho the rubber before the railway reached that district, where most of the abuses point, but it was not until lately have taken place, was scarcely that much has been heard regardtouched, nevertheless the evidence ing the chosen site. The site of against the administration of the the township has been fixed at a Kongo government is convincing spot about three miles from the enough to warrant interference by Falls in a northerly direction, and European governments. For the on the left bank of the Zambesi. sake of rubber, towns are made The town has, of course, been given desolate, men are shot down, its name, Livingstone, after the
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE'
great explorer and pioneer of civili- The Outlook The recent meeting zation. He it was who gave the in the of the Evangelical name to the Falls, and Livingstone Union of the Philip- Island is not far distant. Philippines pine Islands re- ISLANDS OF THE SEA ported great opportunities for Christian work, that the people are The Bible Mr. Briggs, Baptist eager to heal' the message and the in the missionary, writes spirit of inquiry is rife. "The Ul'- Philippines to the Jfi88ionary gent needs are: (1) More men for Magazine: the speedy evangelization of the Three thousand copies of the Vis- unvisited areas; (2) added means ayan New Testament have been for the training of an indigenous ministry; (3) the reinforcements printed and sent to the islands that come from the voluntary since 1003. These have all been labors of Ohristian men in secular sold, as well as 17,000 copies of the employ in these islands." It is only five years since Protestant Gospels and Acts in individual vol- work was begun and the open umes. "We started on this trip," Bible was given to these Filipinos. Most of the provinces of Luzon says Mr. Forshee, of Bacolod, have now mission stations, and " with 1,500 books, and finished it without any. Everywhere the people are eager to get our books, and ready to listen to what we say."
Good Testimony Dr. Homer O. there is work in the islands of to a New Bishop Stu n t z , in the Panai, Samar, Negros, Ouba, and Philippine Chris- Leyte. Wide stretches of country tian Advocate, has this note con- in Mindanao are as yet entirely neg- cerning Bishop Oldham: "It is all lected. Now is the hour of oppor- too common for the leaders in both tunity. The people are ready. The Ohurch and State to receive indis- spirit of inquiry is abroad and criminate and effusive praise. But schools are crowded. It may be it is only just to say of Bishop Old- now or never in our new posses- ham that he has displayed a truly sions in Malaysia.
remarkable familiarity with Phil- ippine .conditions – a familiarity Government Dutch officials have born (1) of the double parentage of Testimony to not made an envi- actual missionary experience at Missions able record in their Singapore, and (2) long and close management of in- study of missionary conditions in ferior races in Malaysia, and have all parts of the world, supplement- put many hindrances in the way of ed by a careful study of this partic- Gospel work. But recently the ular field. He has proven himself government of Holland has laid a wise, spiritual, aggressive leader. bef~e its parliament a report on with an instinct for the things that the condition of the native races in are vital. Bishop and Mrs. Oldham Borneo, Sumatra, Nias, and other spent nearly all the month of April Malaysian islands. The report de- in visiting the work in the prov- clares tha,t while the government inces in the Philippines, and had found itself powerless to extir- preached in Malabon, Hagonoy, pate various cruel or immoral cus- Malolos, Oalumpit, Guagua, Mex- toms of the savage tribes of these ico, San Fernando (Pampanga), islands – cannibalism, slavery, Tarlac, Gerona, Panique, Bautista, head-hunting, debauchery, etc.- Dagupan, BanzaI, Pozorrubio, Lin- Ohristianity has abolished them gayen, San Miguel de Mayumo, over a wide territory, and that the Oamias, and Baliuag." tribes which have accepted Ohris-
'120 tHE MISSIONARY REVIEW 01<' TilE WORLD
tianity are steadily improving in Who feels that he has only one propriety of social habits, in char- life to live, and wisheii to make it acter, and in material prosperity. count.
Mission Stations A cyclone swept Who believes that giving is as Destroyed in Kusaie and Pon- much a Christian grace as loving or Micronesia ape, islands of the believing. Caroline group, Whose ambition it is to be like where the American Board has Christ, who gave"HIMsELF. flourishing stations. The typhoon struck Kusaie on April 19th, de- Who wishes to be found a faith- stroying the girls' school buildings ful steward when Jesus comes. and unroofing the houses of some of the missionaries. Miss Wilson Who Ought The man who be- narrowly escaped from the school Notto Give Heves t hat the with a broken rib, and the mission- to Foreign world is not lost aries were living, when they wrote, Missions? and does not need a in a workshop 14 x 20 feet square. Five Kusaians were killed, and it Savior. seems miraculous that all the mis- Who believes that Jesus Christ sionaries escaped on Ponape; every made a mistake when he said: "Go mission building was laid low, and ye into all the world and preach papers, household goods, etc., were the Gospel to every creature." blown away or ruined by the rain. Who believes the Gospel is not The breadfruit-trees were de- the power of God, and can not save stroyed, and will prove a serious the heathen. loss. The new mission ship, the Who wishes that missionaries Morning Star, dragged her anchor had never come to our ancestors 8 times across the harbor, but re- and that we ourselves were still ceived no serious damage. The heathen. workers in these stations have suf- Who believes it is "every man fered serious loss, and will have for himself" in this world-who, their hearts and hands full helping with Cain, asks: "Am I my broththe natives and repairing the dam- er's keeper? " age. Who believes ne is not account- able to God for the money intrusted MISCELLANEOUS to him. Who wants no share in the final Who Ought He who believes victory. to Give to that when God said Who is prepared to accept the final sentence: "Inasmuch as ye did Foreign the heathen would it not to one of the least of these, Missions? be given to Christ, ye did it not to Me." Such an one is not asked to give he meant it, and to foreign missions.-From a leafcan and will accomplish it, and is let published by the Presbyterian now accomplishing it. Board of Canada.
Who believes in the power of the Donations Received Cross to conquer the world. No. 326.-Pandita Ramabai ………… 810.00 Who rejoices that the world is No. 327.-Industrial E. M. India…….. 50.00 open as never before, and that the No. 328.-Industrial E. M. India.. .. …. 5.00 prospects are brighter than ever No. 329.-African Missions.. ….. …… 32.27 before.
The Missionary Review of the World — March 1897
PROMINENT SPIRITUAL MOVEMENTS
MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XX. No. S.-Old &neB.-MARCH.-VoL. X. No. S.-N6W &riel.
PROMINENT SPIRITUAL MOVEMENTS OF THE LAST HALF CENTURY-THE WORK AT NEWPORT, ENG.
BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
"IN THE BEGINNING-GOD." These are the sublimely significant words which opeu the Book of Books; and they may serve as the key to all real advance in human history. Every true movement forward has but one ultimate source; its fountain is God, and we shall find Him to be its spring if we follow the stream far enough backward to its very fountain. There is no practical difficulty that hinders all true holy living and holy serving which is not also traceable at last, to the'lack of the Divine factor. God is not in all our thoughts: He is not recognized, in our plans, in our resolves, in our activities; His pres- ence is not sought, His guidance is not real, His power is not our supreme dependence, whenever we confront failure and find our work coming to naught. And, whenever a genuine and permanent growth or increase is found, those who have the key to the history can only shout: the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad.
It is now a little over twenty-five years since, in Newport, Mon- mouthshire, England, a remarkable work of God began, the results of . which even yet appear in a manifold form. In a recent visit to New- port, where the writer held a series of most singularly blessed meet- ings for the deepening of spiritual life, the striking facts as to this great spiritual awakening were ascertained; and in view of the many and inarkt lessons which they embody, we avail ourselves of the only record now to be found-and which is now out of print-prepared at the time by one who was conspicuously connected with the history, Rev. J. Tinson Wrenford.* It is first of all to be noticed that God interposes in the extremity oj his people. Our unbelief and worldliness cause serious forgetful- • "God's Work at Newport, Monmouthshlre," pubJisht by S. W. Partridge & Co., London. ness of Him and departure from Him; and when we are at our wit's end, and all our resources and dependences fail us, then, and it is sad to admit it, then alone, do we turn fully unto God. Religious life commonly sinks to its lowest ebb before the flood-tides of God sweep over a community. It was 130 in Newport, From the narrative of Mr. Wrenfol'd we make copious extracts, for a double purpose: first, to perpetuate a record of a blessing 130 remarkable; and secondly, to emphasize the conditions upou which such outpouring of Divine grace depends, and may be enjoyed elsewhere.
Prior to the commencement of this se880n of blessing was a seed-time of tears. To the inquiry, frequently made of members ,of different communions, co Are you prospering? Is there much life amongst you?" the humbling reply W88 almost always returned, "Alas! we are not 88 we should be: there is much deadness of soul: we greatly need an awakening."
It pleased God (early in the year 1870) to put in the hearts of some of His children to meet together every Friday evening to pray, specially for a blessing on the services, teaching, and other means of grace on the approaching Lord's Day, and also that God would graciously pour out His Spirit on the church with which they were connected, and upon all other Christian congregations in the town. Amid various discouragements this little prayer-meeting W88 carried on week after week. At first ouly a very few 88sembled; but, at 188t, the room became inconveniently crowded. The Lord gave them the spirit of prayer and supplication, but withheld any special or signal indication that their petitions would be abundantly answered. They did certainly perceive a change in their own Minister's preaching, and remarkt upon it one to another. He himself, conscious of it, w881ed publicly to express his gratitude to God for the sustaining intercessions of the "praying band." At length, however, a deep impression was made on the minds of some who had thus continued together in prayer, that the Lord was about to commence a great work in Newport. Their faith had long been exercised: now they began to expect a gracious answer.
Just at this time the wish W88 exprest by members of the Young Men's Christian Association (with which several of these praying men were connected) that a meeting for 'United prayer should be held at an early date; and an earnest invitation was issued to " Christian men and women of all denominations," to meet together at the Victoria Hall, on Thursday evening, January 12th,1871, co to calIon the Lord (1.) for the descent of the Holy Spirit among them, and an increase of vital godliness; and (2.) for the conversion to God of many of their fellow-townsfolk during the coming year." This united prayer-meeting was attended by a large number: a most solemn spirit pervaded the assembly: the Lord Himself W88 in the midst, His presence being felt by many.
There was a short SC880n of praying and waiting again: the Lord "tarried"- but not long. The spirit of expectation continued, and, indeed, became intensified. At length came the "earnest" of the approaching co showers of blessing." On Sunday evening, February 16th, the preacher (who had himself on the previous day experienced a glorious deliverance from the buft'etings of Satan, and been brought out into "a wealthy place," a place of sunshine and certainty never before experienced by him), made an earnest appeal to any who were in an anx:ious and inquiring condition of mind, to remain at the close of the service. Several that night found peace with God, through Jesus Christ. The work of .. in-gathering" had commenced, although, as yet, but on a small scale. Several weeks P88t away, Every Sunday night inquirers were led to Jesus; and every week it became more and more apparent that the Lord was preparing the minds of many for the momentous cry, "What must I do to be saved? "
About this time special "Mission Services" were held at the neighboring town of Cardiff, upon which the Divine blessing was evidently resting. Among the preachers was the venerable Robert Aitken-so long and well known in England and Scotland in connection with evangelizing labors. An invitation to come to St. Paul's, Newport, was complied with. At the foot of the handbills announcing the forthcoming special services, was printed the text from lIalachi, " Prove me now herewitl., 8aith the Lord of Hosts, if I willwt open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall wt be room ewugh to receive it."
A very solemn spirit of supplication and expectancy pervaded the preparatory prayer.meeting, on Saturday night, March 25th, and on the following morning, Mr. Aitken preacht, taking as his subject the incidents narrated in the eleventh chapter of John's Gospel relating to the sickness, death and resurrection of Lazarus. Mr. Aitken spoke of realities. The anxiety of Mary and Martha, their affiiction, their grief. were real: the loving sympathy of Jesus toward His distrest diciples was also real: and so, too, His power over death and the grave. Jesus is still a real Savior-" the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." His words were, that day, addrest to many of His hearers: "The Master is come, and callethfor thce."-" Take ye away tlie stone."-" Lazarus, comeforthl"
In the evening Mr. Aitken again preacht, from Heb. xii : 24, and the Spirit accompanicd the word spoken. At the close an invitation was given to any who might be desirous of direction, and a large number remained, many of whom were evidently in a state of deep concern as to salvation: and that night, about seventy entered into the liberty wherewith Jesus makes His people free.
On the four evenings following, Mr. Aitken preacht, to crowded congregations, "the unsearchable riches of Christ," his sermons being characterized by great simplicity and fervency. With a power of utterance at times vehement, he besought the careless, the ungodly, the mere professor, to come to Jesus for pardon and eternal life. What he contemplated was the reality of all that the Gospel declared,-the reality of the sinner's necessity and danger,-of the allsufficiency of the blood of Jesus,-of the love of the Father toward the returning prodigal,-and of the power of the Son of 11an to forgive sins. To him sin, the judgment, eternity, heaven, and hell too, were terribly real. Hence the" reality" of all his appeals, remonstrances, and exhortations. The Lord owned His word upon each occasion, and every night crowds of penitents came for direction. The after-services were prolonged until nearly or quite midnight: and, even then numbers lingered, as tho loth to depart without further blessing.
* * * * * Thus were brought to the feet of Jesus the young and the old,-hardened sinners,-mere professors of religion of many years' standing,-backsliders,-the self-righteous-persons of almost all classes and descriptions. Husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, in some instances. whole families, were brought in-in other cases the remaining members of otherwise godly families were reacht by the Word. and led to the cross.
One precious feature of these services was the real spiritual unanimity and unity manifested by Christians of all denominatwns, from first to last. It seemed as tho the Lord's prayer was fulfilled, "That they all may be one," His people felt they were "one," not artificially or theoretically, but actually and truly, Distinctive titles, indicative of divisions in the family, were iorgotten. Church-~ men, Wesleyans, Baptists, Independents, Brethren-all met together in the house of their common Lord, not a8 .. sectarians," but as .. Ohristian8;" with one heart and voice they prayed and praised; with one purpose they assisted, when ocC8Bion served, in directing the inquiring. The Spirit of the Lord was a spirit of love and fellowship to them all: and Jesus was Himself in their midst, breathing upon them, and saying to them, as to the disciples of old, "Peace be unto you."
After Mr. Aitken left Newport for his own parish, in compliance with the eamest desire of many, special services were continued during the five following days, and the Lord did not stay His hand or withhold His blessing. Every night many penitents were led to the cross, and found peace and joy in believing. Friday was a day long to be remembered. It was the commemoration of the crucifixion. A vast congregation assembled, and about five.and·thirty souls cast themselves upon the finisht work of Jcsus, and realized pardon and deliverance.
Thus closed the second week of the special services. Altogether six hundred BOuls had been brought to the Lord. Among the converts were persons connected with nearly all the congregations of the town. No attempt was made to proselytize; on the contrary, the converts were urged ordinarily to remain in connection with the communions to which they had formerly been attacht. Many congregations Were stirred up to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon themselves, and a reviving work began to make itself felt among the people. Special services were commenced at several churches of the neighborhood; and the power of the Lord was present to heal and to save.
In May, Lord Radstock delivered evangelistic addresses at Newport. Two halls were secured, each accomodating at least a thousand persons. Two addresses were given daily, and each evening the hall was densely crowded. His expositions and appeaIs-so scriptural, clear, eamest, and persuasive-were listened to with deep attention. The Spirit of God graciously applied the word, and again the Lord brought many souls' " out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder."
In June, Mr. Aitken paid a second visit to Newport; accompanied by his two sons, the Rev. R. W. Aitken, and the Rev. W. Hay Aitken. It pleased God to give His blessing to the Gospel message at each of the assemblies, conveNions taking place every night.
The congregations were extremely large. On one night, nearly or quite two thousand persons were crowded into the church, while hundreds thronged the approaches, unable to obtain admission. The services were prolonged to a very late hour, in consequence of the large number of anxious ones seeking direction. The result of this second mission was tllat three hundred souls were brought to the Lord, in connection with St. Paul's church alone.
Surely no one can speak of an aggregate of ()1U! thousand pro/eat ctm'De'l'BionB in a single parish within four months, without feelings of fervent gratitude to Him who alone can turn one sinner" from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Many hundreds besides were awakened and led to Jesus, in connection with other communions, in the same period of time, and the work of the Lord rapidly spread to several parishes adjacent. But yet further testimony has to be bome to the goodness of God in His dealings with the people of Newport. He did not withdraw His hand, and cease to manifest His power to save, but 011 the contrary, proved, in the six remaining months of the memorable year 1871, that He was always ready to respond graciously to His peoples' prayers, and to own their efforts for His glory in the conversion of souls. His disciples were stirred up to multiply and extend the means heretofore employed-nothing doubting as to the result. The Young Men.'s Christian Association commenced a daily midday prayer-meeting at their rooms, which proved a means of spiritual refreshment and strengthening to many. They engaged the large Victoria Hall, for special Sunday evening services, the London Evangelization Society sending down, week by week, experienced evangelists. From twelve to fifteen hundred persons were thus gathered on each occasion, a large proportion being not in the habit of frequenting any place of Divine worship. The Lord caused His blessing to rest upon this additional effort, and every Sunday souls were won to Christ.
Most markt and evident was the result of God's work upon a large portion of the Newport population. The Churches of Christ were revived. Christians were not contented with a bare spiritual existence. The surpassing blessedness of the •• higher Christain life" was sought and realized by very many. The old condition, so far removed from that to which believers should attain, became distasteful, and from the heart-gladly, gratefully, lovingly-proceeded the cry, .. All for Jesus!" Nor could they who had received so much at the hands of the Lord remain inactive. "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" was the cry of many a willing worker; and, in a variety of ways, the desire to be useful found welcome exerciSe. And more than, perhaps, at any time before, Christians discovered that, notwithstanding all minor differences, they could "love one another, with a pure heart, fervently."
The people of the world were, at the first, evidently perplext by what they witnessed. The confession was again and again made, "I can not understand it." In some instances utter incredulity was exprest; while not a few attributed it to a sort of fanatical excitement, the effects of" which would soon pass away. The people of the world could not be expected to form a right judgment upon such a subject. It lay beyond them altogether; and their opinion of it could not possibly possess any value. .To the unconverted, the operations of God's Spirit must ever be an enigma which they can not explain. The Inspired Word tells us, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." That is decisive.
But what a solemn season is it to a congregation-to an entire communitywhen God thus wondrously makes bare His arm and manifests His saving powerI In concluding this narrative of God's great work at Newport, to what shall we trace it, so far as man is concerned? Shall it not be, first, to earnest, beliefJing pe1'8e1!61'inp prayer" for this very thing;" and secondly, to the real preadting of a. real Gospel? Our Lord's words are: .. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Surely, this assurance ought to be sufficient. And as to the preaching, of what avail is it unless a real Gospel be preacht? It is to be feared there is much 'Unreality in the preaching of the present day. If men are really sinners-perishing sinners-then away with theorizing, with speculating, with mere ., opinions" and "views." Away, too, with all dead •• sermonizing," be it never so correctly and artistically done. The need of men's souls is awfully real: let them hear of a God really waiting to be gracious; – of a Jesus really able to save to the uttermost and as willing as he is able; – of an all·sufficient atonement really made and accepted;-of the precious blood of Christ, that can really cleanse from a11sin;-of a Holy Spirit really given to regenerate, guide, comfort, teach, and sanctify men's souls. Let them hear of a real heaven-a real hell-a real eternity; of real pardon for the guilty-real peace-real joy-reaIUfe; of a real approach of the sinner to the feet of a present Savior-of a real acceptance of Jesus, and a real surrender to Him, and then a real and most blessed discipleship, Away with mere ideasl with mere" hopes" and" trusts I" with all uncertainty and unreality!
This rea.lity of praying, preaching, and hearing was at Newport, the secret of the conversion of so large a number of souls to Ohrist-through the power of the Holy Ghost.
March
Why may not such a result be brought to pass, wherever sinners are found? Doubtless, the fear of the world's frown, prejudice, routine, dead formalism, a dread of "irregularities" and of "excitement" may hinder; but should not all hindrances be surmounted for Christ's sake, and that souls may be saved?
o for 1'eaWy in the p1'aying of God's people, reality in the preaching of God's ministersI 0 for men to preach, and people to pray, who have themselves been brought into a condition of conscious acceptance-pardon-life; who themselves are "in Chri8t," and who know, in their own daily experience, the sweetness of that "peace of God" which "passeth all understanding," and of that" joy" which is .. unspeakable and full of glory." 0 for reality / A. real lifting up of Jesus in the midst of perishing sinners-not that· 'doctrines" or .. views" (be they ever so correct) may be set forth, discust, demonstrated,-but that the guilty may draw near-may look-may livel 0 for the "real presence" of Jesus in our assemblies,- the real coming of the sin-burdened to Him there and then.- and the real reception from His willing hands of a most real salvation I So writes substantially, the original narrator of God's work at Newport. And, in thus perpetuating and extending this testimony to one of the most deep-reaching and remarkable spiritual movements of the last half century, we are confident that God means the whole church to learn a lesson.
What is that lesson? It is manifold in instruction altho it all bears in one direction. No one who carefully reads this solemn story of divine dealing can escape the conviction that a pecnliar stress is laid by these events npon united prayer, a pure Gospel, hand to hand contact 1vith souls, and simple faith in God's present power to save. Here was no grand array of unnsual and striking combinations. No far-famed evangelist was sent for to inaugurate a revival, there was no appeal to novelty, nothing dramatic, spectacular, sensational. The whole work began in the prayers of a few fervent believers for the church with which they were connected, and particularly their own minister. Their prayers first brought to him new blesl'ing and new power in preaching; then, as souls were won, the work spread to other congregations; the circle of prayer expanded and became more inclusive; differences of doctrine and polity were forgotten in the bond of unity; variety of congregational life was merged into community of work for souls. As help was needed, the most spirit-filled helpers were sought-and dependence was never transferred from God to man, but the power of a God-given Gospel and of a God-given Spirit was constantly and reverently recognized.
Contrast all this with modern efforts to secure revival. We read some time ago with a shock of awful surprise a private pamphlet prepared by a noted evangelist as a guide to committees who were making ready for his coming. It was full of dependence on "business methods," advertising-striking announcements, big posters, etc., etc. -everything must be done to create a publicfurare in advance. This is the way of the world, and it is now the way of the church. Boston
PROMINENT SPIRI'rUAL MO"VEMEN'l'S. 16~
wants a revival; and Mr. Moody must be at Tremont Temple, and Sam. Jones and Francis Murphy at other "temples"-and the men whom the people will flock to hear must be got-so says Dr. Ohapell, as he contrasts the revivals of fifty years ago with those of to-day. We have no design, as he had none, of reflecting on either of the abovenamed evangelists, but what we would emphasize is, that for a true revival whose results are to be lasting, our dependence is to be first of all on God, not on man. We must emphasize the preacher less, and the message and the Spirit more. The most wide-reaching revivals of this century have been associated with the most unexpected times and methods and men; they have been a surprise to those through whom they were wrought. They have been preceded by fasting and prayer, have begun often in a union of prayer between two or three burdened souls. We knew, for instance, a case where a few young men, who could find no better place wherein to meet, actually went into a church belfry, unwarmed, in winter, and there sought blessing for the congregation; their numbers slowly increast until the unfinisht room was too strait for them; and when their meeting was scarce known to the congregation, a mighty flood of blessing was already upon the community. Another case is known to the writer where a very ordinary preacher, speaking to his own people about parental duty and responsibility, felt moved to call on parents who were imprest with their own unfaithfulness, to come from their seats and stand in the aisle in token of repentance and earnest seeking for blessing. Out of the pews moved fathers and mothers, until the aisles were filled and they crowded about the communion table-and the place was turned in a Bochim. We are getting away from dependence on ordinarg means of grace. We do not expect any widespread blessing on the preaching of the simple Gospel and on prayer, and on personal contact with souls, and must have several churches united, and great meetings, with distinguisht evangelists and great choirs with far-famed Gospel singers, or we look for no divine outpourings. All this is unscriptural, unspiritual, abnormal. The Gospel would be a failure if it were not. And because our churches, and pastors, and the people at large have lost confidence in the ordinary use of Gospel means, and depend on extraordinary efforts alone, every interest of the churches is in peril. Even for missions we must have colossal meetings-some president or ex-president, or governor, or other celebrity must preside-some gigantic crowd be got together in some way; no matter if the speakers are not spirit-filled men, if they are only attractive-no matter if the assemblies are not composed of the more devout, if the numbers are large and the elite are there! These are the unspoken sentiments which have too often guided the arrangements, and repelled the Spirit of God and forfeited blessing. At risk o~ being accounted pessimistic and hypercritical, we repeat that, if the church wants greater prosperity in the life of her members, and in the abundance and constancy of her benevolent offel'ings, the Holy Spirit must be more honored; there must be believing prayer and faith in God's promises. God's arm is not shortened nor His ear heavy, but there are modes of doing and attitudes of being which He will never own with the sanction of His blessing.
Let any pastor undertake in his own congregation and parish work to follow a few simple rules, and see the result: 1. Get himself thoroughly n:ght with God, by abandoning every known sin or doubtful indulgence, and seeking first of all for himself the very type ·of life and character which he craves for his people.
2. Trust himself absolutely to the Gospel as the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation, and expect that God's word, faithfully preacht, will not return to Him void, in a single instance.
S. Give himself to prayer-giving time enough to get the sense of God in the closet; and never leaving the place of supplication until he gets a divine vision-a new impartation of life and power.
4. Go himself to seek individuals-not depending on mere pulpit exhortations-but remembering that souls are won by individual approach, and that all such contact will make his preaching more personal and effective.
5. Keep himself from all direct or indirect dependence on man; avoid seeking men's applause, or looking to man's patronage for support and encouragement. Let him study the Acts of the Apostles and aim at an apostolic church life.
6. Live himself a life of faith, depending on God for his support, daring to cut loose from the pcw system and take his support from voluntary offerings; and sedulously cultivate in his people the same spirit of direct leaning upon God.
7. Yearn himself over a lost world-cherishing a missionary spirit, and claiming the entrance into the holiest as the intercessor's place and privilege; and educating his people to regard missions as the indispensable proof and fruit of all spiritual life.
No man could follow seven such simple rules and patiently wait, without seeing a mighty work of God in his own life and sphere of labor. And it is only in such a new level of spiritual life and character and conduct of God's work that the permanent revival of missions is to be found. The stream needs a source more abundant and elevated-then the channel will be full and the current rapid. God is speaking, and it is not in this case, out of the cloud-no mystery attends His utterance. All the great spiritual movements of the century have hinged on supernatural interposition in answer to believing prayer. If we are to have other such divine interpositions, other intercessors must be found, mighty through the same means which were used by Daniel and Job, Elijah and Samuel.
MIZPAH CHAPEL 0];' C ()~ G Rl:G"TIONAL SLAY1G MISSION , :,IT. STANISLAUS lWMM, CA'J'IIOUC }'OLISIl CH1:RCn
CU;YELAXD, (l. CLEYELAND, O.
In this" Polyglot " chapel.f0ur la nguages are,cOll8tantly u ~ed: I'oli. h, IJo- llcllllun, GctllJan, amI Enghsh.
STRONGHOLDS
TAKING STRONGHOLDS.
CHRISTIAN WORK FOR OUR FOREIGN POPULATION.
BY REV. A. F. SCHAUFFLER, CLEVELAND, O.
When, during our Civil War, Vicksburg, strongly fortified and held by the Confederates, was III tourniquet fastened on the great main artery of this country's circulation, it became absolutely necessary to capture it. No cost of means or men was considered too great, for was not the lasting welfare, even the life of our nation, at stake? The more difficult the task, the more stubborn and fierce the resistance, the more determined, carefully planned, and courageously executed were the efforts made to take that stronghold. And when it was won and the stars and stripes waved over it, a thrill of joy went through the Northern States, and every patriot thankt God, took courage, and lookt more confidently for the final and lasting victory of freedom and loyalty. We have some Vicksburgs still.
It is little more than a decade since American Christians began to realize certain very serious dangers that threatened the stability of our free Christian institutions and the welf~e of our country, – dangers arising from the character and influence of some parts of the immense immigration of later years. . Americans are naturally optimistic, and have fondly hoped that the very atmosphere of "the freest country on earth" and our vaunted free-school system would not fail to transform all classes of foreigners in'to loyal and useful American citizens. But such unexpected and terrible events as the bloody Cincinnati riot of March, 1884, started by a mob of second-generation young Germans, who raised the cry, "On to the jail," and which resulted in the destruction of valuable property, the death of forty-five men and wounding of one hundred and thirty-eight, and the awful Chicago Haymarket bomb tragedy in May, 1886, whose perpetrators were chiefly foreigners, rudely waked us from our pleasing dreams and shockt us into something of a true sense of the situation. The Mafia in New Orleaus, the more recent Chicago Pullman strike riots, the bad eminence and dangerous power attained· by Gov. Altgeld, and many other less markt but not less really significant proofs of the activity of anarchic and revolutionary forces, have so emphasized the danger that threatens this nation from the presence in it of mischievous foreign elements, that of late strenuous efforts are being made to restrict emigration and to exclude undesirable foreigners. But whether such attempts are successful or not, the fact remains that there are immense portions of our foreign population, which, whatever possibilities they may present of future development into true American citizens, are very far from being now in sympathy with the principles and institutions which we most prize as the founaation of our nation's character and the condition of its prosperity. They are Vicksburgs, hard to win, but all the more necessary to gain for true freedom and genuine Christianity. Left to themselve/!, they will be a serious menace to our country's welfare; won for the Bible idea of Christian citizenship, they will help to make our nation that happy people whose God is the Lord, and which rejoices in peace and righteousness as the conditions of genuine and lasting prosperity. Perhaps we can best gain some adequate idea of the difficulty, urgent importance, and practicability of the great task which God in His providence has set His people in the whole northern and western part of our land by sending into our very midst such armies of foreigners, if we consider one of the nationalities thus providentially brought close to our doors and hearts. One element in our foreign population which does not naturally accept our conception of Christianity or readily adapt itself to our social, educational, and religious order of things, is the Polish. It is an important part of our immigrant population. Of our Slavic elements it is by far the largest, much outnumbering Bohemians and Slovaks (Hungarian Slavs) taken together, and constantly increasing in size and political influence. "Poland in America" is a Vicksburg which must be taken for Christ. It is a stronghold of Rome, that old and determined enemy of the Bible and of all true freedom and progress.
A glance at the tragic history of Poland, at the religious condition of the Poles in America, and at the efforts being made to reach them with the Gospel, will show how great and urgent is the duty to do the very best of missionary work for that interesting people.
I. HISTORY.-The early history of the Polish people is shrouded in the mists of myth and mystery. In his "Story of Poland" Morfill, .says: "The first undoubted historical event in which Poland is concerned relates to the year 963 A.D., when the Markgraf Geron conquered the heathen prince Mieczyslav, who ruled over the Poles from the Oder to the Vistula, and made him pay tribute to the German Emperor Otho I." In 965 Mieczyslav became a Christian, as condition of marrying the daughter of the King of Bohemia. Under Boleslas the Great Poland became a kingdom, and made great progress, building many new cities, and increasing trade, while Christianity was more widely spread and firmly establisht among the people, and schools were founded. There were no popular assemblies, society being organized entirely on a military basis. By the beginning of the 11th century Poland had absorbed nearly all the Western SJavic States, including Bohemia.
Poland gradually became the great power of Easteru Europe, which it continued to be till near the close of the 17th century. From 1541 to 1606 was the golden age of foland, which saw the rise of Polish literature, and during which Stephen Batory, Prince of Transylvania, a vigorous ruler, became King of Poland. He renounced Protestantism for the Roman Oatholic faith. During his reign the Jesuits were introduced into Poland, and a great contest took place between Protestants and Oatholics, in which the latter gained control, by aid of the Jesuits, who had in their hands the education of the country. The country was rent by adverse factions, and from that time began the decline of Poland.
In 1674 John Sobieski was made King of Poland, and earned the title of "Savior of Europe" by hastening with his splendid army to the relief of Vienna, besieged by an immense and victorious Turkish host, which he utterly routed in one battle, saying: "Not unto us, not unto us, 0 Lord of Hosts, but to Thy name give glory." Sobieski's valor changed the course of European history, but could not arrest the internal dissensions of unfortunate Poland, or save it from the envy and enmity of other European powers, which com- bined to bring on the final catastrophe. The first partition of Poland between Russia, Prussia, and Austria occurred in 1772, the second partition in 1793, and the third in 1795. The noble patriotism and magnificent bravery of Thaddeus Kosciusko, who fought against tremendous odds, availed not to stem the tide of ruin that over- whelmed Poland. 'fhe Poles lost their independence and their country, and Siberian mines and prisons attested the terrible severity of the punishment meted out to them by the victors.* The causes of Polaud's misfortunes are not far to seek. The chief ones are: 1st. The abnormal social conditions. The nobles, jealous of each other, and united in jealousy of their king, reduced the serfs to a. state of practical slavery, with power over them of life and death, and then finally bound them to the soil. 2nd. There was no Polish middle class. The burghers were Germans and Jews governed by . special laws. They could own no land, which was wholly the property of the nobles. 3rd. The influence of Protestantism was fiercely com- batted and overcome by Papal power. 4th. All education was in the hands of Roman Oatholic ecclesiastics. 5th. Poland had no natural frontiers, and was surrounded by powerful enemies ever ready to despoil her. These conditions promoted internal dissensions, decay, wasting wars with neighbors, disintegration, poverty, and ruin. It has been truly said that Poland was "the heaven of the nobles, the paradise of the clergy, the gold-mine of foreigners, and the hell of rustics." We may add that it became the grave of true liberty.
• We owe a debt of gratitude to Poiand,- for Kosciusko, like Lafayette, came to our aid during our Revolutionary War. "He joined the American Army as a volunteer, and was conspicuous for his bravery at the battles of Saratoga and Yellow Springs. Washington made him a Brigadier and afterwards Governor of West Point." He helpt us win the freedom he could not conquer for his own country. II. RELIGIOUS CONDITION IN AMERICA. It will surprise none who know anything of Poland's sad history and present opprest condition, that Poles are anxious to leave the land they may no longer call their own, in a large part of which government is systematically suppressing Polish nationality and language, and to found new homes in this conntry of freedom and opportunity. But with most of them it is true, "change the place and keep the pain" – or rather "the chief cause of the pain," which in their case is the tyranny of their Roman Catholic priests with the resulting ignorance, ghostly fear, bigotry, and violence. This makes their presence in large numbers a very serious matter.
It is impossible to obtain reliable statistics of the number of Poles in the United States, for many of them tell the Census official that they are from Russia, or Germany, or Austria, and are set down as Russians, Germans, or Austrians. But it is safe to say that there are between one and two millions of Poles in the United States. Chicago has about 70,000, Pittsburg 65,000, New York and Brooklyn 45,000, Buffalo, N. Y., 30,000, Detroit 25,000, Cleveland 8,000 to 10,000. I have before me a list of 79 Polish colonies in 14 States.
What an important social and political factor these compact Polish colonies are becoming, was pointed out by the New York Evening Post in its issue of April 13, 1892. The Post said: "In Milwaukee, Wis., there is a Polish population of 25,000 in a total of 200,000, and, as they are exceedingly clannish in politics, as in everything else, the Polish vote is cast almost solidly in a block, and this nationality already holds the balance of power in city elections."
The Pole is as much under the control of his priest as is the Irishman. For him the priest is God's representative, the priest's word is law, and the priest's anger most dangerous. Ayoung Pole, who afterwards joined our Bohemian Mission Church in Cleveland, unable to pay the priest's assessment towards building a fine new church, was summarily excommunicated, and thereupon thought himself lost forever, and he was much more intelligent than the majority of our Poles, mostly the descendants of the enslaved serfs.
Polish priests are very strong and even fierce in opposing not only all-Protestant influences brought to bear on their people, but also the Americanizing influence of the public school. They have kept their people secluded in Polish colonies and Polish quarters of the cities, where the butcher and baker and grocer are Poles, and have made it an unpardonable sin to send children to our public schools.
A priest told one of our colporteurs that he had burned seventeen Bibles sold to his people. And when one of our Polish missionaries called on him to ask why he refused his people permission to read the Word of God, the priest became so angry that he set his dog on his visitor; fortunately the dog had wound his chain around the priest's legs, and could not reach our brother. Another priest drove away a young Pole, now a member of a Protestant church, by charging him $4 for absolution, which the young man was unwilling to pay. One of our female missionaries who worked among the Poles in Toledo, 0., reported that the priest had roused the people very much against her, and forbidden them to buy any books from her, or to send their children to her sewing-school, and ordered that if she visited any of their houses, they should take a broomstick to her. But with all their I fear of the priest and servile submission to him, there is a spirit of growing independence and revolt abroad amongst Catholic Poles in the United States. Hence the frequent reports of mobs, riots, violence, and bloodshed in Polish parishes. Rence also the new movement to form independent Catholic Polish churches, of which there are quite a number already started in several large cities. Quite a large church of this kind was founded in Cleveland about two years ago. I have before me a copy of a Cleveland paper of December 8, 1894, in which there is a very remarkable account by a Polish editor of his efforts to start this new movement. He says, that as the Polish people are 'Very earnestly and patriotically devoted to their religion, the only way to lift them up is to reach their hearts through their devotion to the church. After he came to this country, eleven years before, he found out that" the Roman Catholic Church keeps the Poles in the worst kind of slavery for its own shallow and egotistical purposes." He asserts that for a Pole the priest is "almost a personification of God on earth," so that every Polish priest exercises a tremendous influence over his flock. But," instead of trying to ennoble them, to lift them up morally and mentally, every priest is trying to make them even more ignorant, more fanatical, more superstitious than they are." This is the reason, says the editor, "that they are so far away from the spirit of American institutions, that they are regarded almost as a blot on the civilization of the 19th century, as well as on the glorious Constitution of the United States." This editor started to spread the ideas of religious freedom eight years before by means of a paper publisht in New York. The paper was put under the ban by the Polish clergy over all the country. He made two other attempts, one in Chicago and another in New York, but "in each case the Romish priest won the battle." When he started this movement again in Cleveland, he determined to put a priest at the head of it. He pickt out one who had been driven away from the largest Polish church in Cleveland by his people on account of his alleged immorality and dishonesty.
But later the editor thought himself mistaken, and exprest the conviction that the priest had made his peace with Rome. This led to their parting company. But it seems that the priest had not been reconciled with Rome, and his church continues to the present independent of Rome. On one occasion, when celebrating the anniversary of the giving of a Polish Constitution, he invited one of our missionaries to make an address to his church, crowded full of Poles. It was an admirable opportunity to speak ta them of the true liberty with which Christ makes us free. This priest hb.s circulated Bibles and Protestant tracts among his people. This contest between the new church and the old has opened the eyes of many Poles, and led them to look upon Protestants and Protestant missionaries with much more f&vor.
As I write, a terrible conflict is progressing in the Polish colony of Bay City, Mich., where there are 6,000 Poles. An elderly priest was accused by his people of gross immorality and dishonesty in the handling of church funds. A riot ensued. The priest was driven away and the church closed. When the Sheriff appeared with the Bishop to reopen the church by force, they found a body of 400 Polish women massed against the church doors, and the Sheriff turned to the Bishop and askt whether he would command him to charge upon those women. The Bishop's heart failed, and the attempt was abandoned. Polish women routed the Bishop. All the twelve or fifteen Roman Catholic priests of Bay City stood by the Polish priest, but he had to go, so strong was the feeling against him. Another priest was secured in his place, but having refused to let the opponents of his predecessor see the church accounts, he involved himself in a fierce conflict, which has just resulted in his shooting two men and being under bonds for trial. The church is closed again, and excitement runs high. In the meantime Congregationalists and Presbyterians have united to commence missionary work for the people shut out of their own church and fighting for a purer priesthood. Quite a large number of Polish children attend sewing-school on Saturday and Sunday-school on Sunday, and the missionary finds open doors into many families and many hearts.
There is much such dissatisfaction with priestly abuses among Poles over all this country. The spirit of American liberty and the influence of Protestantism is having its effect. This leads to our third topic.
III. MISSIONARY EFFORTS FOR THE EVANGELIZATION OF OUR Po- LISH POPULATION.-Missionary work for the Poles in this country is yet in its infancy. Our Poles are mostly the descendants of the serfs whom the Polish nobility enslaved while fighting for their own freedom, and on whom the church of Rome has fastened the fetters of ignorance, bigotry, and fear. It is hard to conceive the difficulties which at every step beset the missionary who wants to reach the· Pole with the Word of God. The common Pole is afraid of the priest, afraid of excommunication, afraid of consequent loss of his soul, afraid of losing his livelihood, afraid of violence from his fellow Poles. The latter fear is well grounded, for many of the Poles are ever ready for a fray. And yet patient and persistent efforts, prompted by genuine love for Ohrist and for misguided souls, have not been without their reward. There are grand possibilities in the Polish people. A people that has produced a great poet like Mickiewicz, a great astronomer like Oopernicus, a great composer like Ohopin, and many great patriots and heroes like Sobieski and Kosciusko, is a people well worth winning for Gospel truth and freedom.
The first Polish convert I ever saw, a man given to drink and gambling, and moved to attend Y. M. C. A. meetings and church services by a faithful German fellow-worker in the factory, and who subsequently went through a course of preparation for the ministry in the Slavic department of Oberlin, 0., Theological Seminary, has been laboring patiently and faithfully for years in Detroit, Mich. Many a one looking through the reports of his early years of labor, would have said that he would be justified in giving up the work, so great was the prejudice against him, and so small the apparent hope of success. In Detroit there had been the same sort of a split as later in Oleveland, and a priest who had been driven from the great Polish church on account of alleged immorality, succeeded in founding an independent Oatholic church, which still exists. At first it seemed as tho this would facilitate Protestant missionary work. But the missionary found himself accused by both parties of being the spy of ihe other.
Latterly infidelity has begun to appear amongst the Poles. This new tendency among the Poles, a very old one amongst the Bohemians, illustrates the fact that the church of Rome is not only the mother of bigotry, but the promoter of infidelity. But in spite of all the difficulties and trials he has had to meet, this faithful missionary has lived to see blessed results of his labors. The First Oongregational Ohurch of Detroit, which opened its beautiful new building for Polish services, has received thirty-six Poles into its membership. Thisforms virtually a branch church ministered to by the Polish missionary. No one who has not lived in a Roman Oatholic community, and who does not know the Poles from close contact and long observation, can imagine what true courage, strong faith, and genuine heroism it takes on the part of this people to come out from their church and expose themselves to the taunts and fierce opposition, often threatening personal violence, of their former coreligionists.
A Polish woman in Oleveland, who has for some years attended our services, was visited by our American lady missionary who has learned Polish, to whom she related her recent experience when, with her husband in the Roman Oatholic church, she heard the priest declare that no one could be saved but Roman Catholics. The wife shook her head so hard in dissent, that her husband, a bigoted Oatholic, wanted to put her out of the church. The missionary said to her, "I have long wondered why you still go to the Catholic church, since you do not
THE GOSPEL FOB THE DESTITUTE
believe what they teach." To which the woman answered: "I go only because my husband compels me. I will not pray to the Virgin or to pictures. I believe only those can be saved who trust in Christ and serve Him."
The Ohristian churches of America have only begun to make their approaches to this stronghold of Rome in our midst. As the· loyal patriots of our Oivil War cherisht no hatred of those who were fighting for slavery, so we harbor no ill-will toward our Polish brethren. On the contrary, it is because we love "the stranger that dwelIbth with us," that we long to make him free "with the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free," and save both him and our beloved land. Let us be up and doing, and remember that this difficult and important work requires not only self-sacrificing love and overcoming faith, but great wisdom in the study of the people, their language, history, and characteristics, and the careful adaptation of means to accomplish the great end sought, the deliverance of our Polish brethren from the thraldom of Rome, and the winning of them as allies in the greater work of making our whole nation that "happy people whose God is the Lord."
THE GOSPEL 1!'OR THE DESTl'fUE.
THE STORY OF THE NEW YORK CITY MISSION.
BY REY. W. T. ELSING, NEW YORK OITY.
A few weeks ago a New England farmer came to New York on a visit. He had read the accounts of murder, robbery, arson, divorce, suicide, and many other crimes in our sensational newspapers, and lookt upon New York as but little better than Sodom. When he heard that Mr. Moody was holding services in Oooper Union, the man left his farm, and set out for the Metropolis, that he might by his presence encourage Mr. Moody, whom he pitied as a solitary Jonah in onr great modern Nineveh. At the Oooper Union meetings he came in contact with other Ohristian workers, who were carrying on a quiet, but effective warfare against sin. The farmer became interested in city evangelization, and appointed himself a committee of one to visit the various mission stations. I found him in a Christie Street mission, which is conducted by a converted anarchist, who had also been a drunken butcher. The room in which the mission held its meetings had been a low drinking saloon. The pulpit consisted of a stand, on which beer-barrels formerly rested. On the wall were. arranged, in fantastic fashion, pipes, cigar-holders, plugs and bags of tobacco, packs
TIlE" LIGHT IlOVSE MISSION,' JACKSON STEEET, NEW YORK
THE GOSPEL FOR THE DESTITUTE
of cards, daggers, revolvers, and a rosary. "This is the devil's face," Bajd the leader, "and the old fellow's head is fast swelling, for every man who is converted brings his idol to be hung upon the wall." The room was crowded with tramps, drunkards, and anarchists. Some spoke in German, others in English. Some were in rags, workless . and homeless; others were provided with every apparent comfort, but all told the same story. The uplifting power of Jesus Christ had come into their lives, and they had become new men. At the close of the service the farmer said, "I had always heard that New York was a dreadful place, but I have not seen so many good things in all my life as I have found in New York dU);ing the past two weeks. I wish the good people of New York would come out into the country and stir us up a little."
There is no city in the world, except London, where more is being done to point the lost to the Son of God than in New York; to give even a brief summary of its Christian activity, would fill a large volumo/' It is our purpose, in this article, to give, a short account of one of the oldest and most potent agencies at work in the evangelization of New York City, and to say something which may be helpful and stimulating to those who are interested in the religious welfare of our American cities. We are more in need of accurate knowledge of what has actually been accomplisht in city evangelization, than of the elaboration of new schemes and untried theories.
The New York Oity Mission and Tract Society has a history:of seventy years' experience in Christian work among the masses, and even a partial knowledge of that history, on the part of those undertaking similar work in other places, might save both money and time. The City Mission was organized in 1827, on a broad evangelical, but undenominational basis. The original purpose was to promote sound morals and evangelical religion by means of tract distribution and personal visitation of prisons and hospitals. When the Society commenced its work, the city was almost entirely composed of Englishspeaking people. In 1835, the visitors connected with the City Mission distributed over 35,000 English tracts and books, while only 265 foreign publications were called for. The workers were all volunteers, who gave their Sunday afternoons and an occasional day during the week to this work. The entire city was divided into districts, each of which was in charge of a visitor. Over the district visitors was placed a ward superintendent, to whom monthly reports were rendered. Over the ward superintendents there was a general superintendent, to whom the ward superintendents made their reports. This arrangement, now impracticable for New York, would probably be the best way in which to reach every family in the smaller cities of our land. It was soon found that it was impossible to secure efficient work without having a superintendent who could give all his time to oversee and direct the district visitors. In this way arose the offioe of Superintendent of the Oity Missions, a position now so ably filled by Rev. A. F. Schauffier, D. D. It also became necessary to have permanent ward superintendents, these corresponding to the city missionaries of the pre~ent time. The ward missionaries commenced to hold neighborhood prayer-meetings, and, as the congregations grew too large to be accommodated in private houses, halls were rented as fixt meeting places. Experience taught those in charge of the work that permanent places of worship were necessary, and in 1866 the Oity Mission and Tract Society became an incorporated body, which now owns real estate to the value of *450,000. The cottage prayer-meetings have developt into institutional churches, in which from 40 to 50 weekly services are held. Women's organizations have become numerous in recent years, but as early as 1829 the womans' branch of the Oity Mission was formed. The power of this organization lies in the fact that it does not seek to work on independent lines, but is closely connected with the older society. The woman's branch has a separate board of directors, a. separate superintendent and treasurer, but in the practical work of evangelization the two societies have always been one. The spirit of the two bodies is beautifully illustrated by the fact that Mr. Morris K. Jesup is president of the male branch, and his wife president of the woman's branch of the society. Mr. and Mrs. Jesup through their ,;c~l~ perseverance, and generosity have been a great power in city c'lnugelization, one evidence of their interest with neglected masses being their gift of the De Witt Memorial Ohurch. The older society hBs charge of the erection of church buildings occupying new fields, Dud under its care the male missionaries work; while the woman's bmnch employs all the trained nurses and Bible women, who work in connection with the chapels and churches, as well as in the prisons and public institutions on Blackwell's Island and other places. The support of a trained nurse or Bible reader costs from $500 to $600 per year. These women are frequently supported by ladies of wealth. In addition to four commodious church buildings, the Oity Mission has a fine house at 129 East 10th Street, where the B1ible women and nurses find a pleasant home. A training school has been opened for missionaries, and all young women who are added to the missionary force must first spend 8 year in this training institute. At present there are about sixty persons employed by the Oity Mission Society.
Me~dS of work.-The Oity Mission seeks to touch the whole man -body, ind, and soul. It meets the man at every stage of life, from the little ts in the kindergarten to the decrepid old people, unable to enter the ()hurches, but who are sought out in their homes. There is not a need which the Oity Mission does not seek to alleviate, and everyone in distress may find a measure of help and sympathy in the City Mission chllfches. The greatest stress is laid 911 th«;l spiritlllW. work, because sin is at the bottom of most of the evils with which we come in contact. If we can bring people into right relations with God, they soon come into right relations with themselves and their fellow men. When there has been no soul improvement, all outward aid usually goes for nothing. Conversion of men to God is our chief aim and constant endeavor. We preach the Gospel in English, Ger- man, Italian, and Armenian languages, and carryon a successful work for the Chinese and the Jews. We do, however, a great deal of purely social and educational work. It is commonly believed that in the degraded and neglected parts of our cities social and educational work can not be carried on successfully in connection with church buildings. Experience convinces us that this is a mistake. The Jews and Roman Catholics patronize our penny provident banks, our read- ing rooms, libraries, gymnasiums, sewing schools, cooking classes, kindergartens and day nurseries in great numbers. Our social and educational work could not be better conducted in a secular building.
All of our City Mission churches are educational institutions as well as churches. One of these churches has sent out, during the past eight years, three public school, two kindergarten, and three music teachers, three trained nurses, two city missionaries, two foreign mis- sionaries, two ministers, and three physicians. Three young men are also now studying for the ministry. These young people were all converted through the instrumentality of the City Mission, and through the uplifting power of Christ in their lives became desirous to improve themselves, that they may be more helpful to others. All our churches could show similar records. These facts are encourag- ing, when we so frequently hear that the poor are opprest and down-trodden, and that in our day there is no possibility of their rising. "
Tke Government oj the Oity Mission Ol~urches.-Our doctrinal basis is the Apostles' Creed. A few simple rules have been prepared for the government of the churches. The pastor, with a number of workingmen, administer the affairs in each individual church. The greatest freedom is allowed, and the churches are practically self- governing. The executive committee of the City Mission appoints the pastors, but no man is ever placed in charge of a City Mission church who is not acceptable to the people. In case differences arise between the pastor and his official board, and the board attempts to pass measures, which are in the pastor's judgment unwise, he has the veto power, and the matter is then referred for settlement to the executive committee of the City Mission. Mr. Moody has recently criticized the whole system of mission churches, and there is, no doubt, a good deal of wisdom in his words, but if the wealthy churches, who now support mission chapels, were to follow the simple method of this society, there would be no force in his criticism. It is undoubtedly true that the ideal condition is one in which the rich and the poor meet together before their Maker in the same house of prayer, but we do not live in an ideal world, and we must strive to use the means best adapted to existing conditions.
The majority of working people in New York live in a kitchen and two dark bedrooms. They have no facilities for bathing, and in damp weather little opportunity to air their clothing. It would be impos~ sible to keep people who are accustomed to refined surroundings, and who have not au over-abundant supply of missionary ;eal, in churches largely composed of people from the tenement houses. The self~ respecting and better class of working people in one of our City Mis~ sion churches complained when the men in the Bowery lodging-houses, who were ragged and unwasht, began to fill the church, and we felt that they were justified, and made special provision for the lodging~ house men. The working people will be most at home in a church largely composed of their own class. Their churches should have an air of refinement about them, and be adapted for institutional work. A~ absolutely perfect system of ventilation is indispensible. The mission chapels should be manned with an efficient force of workers, and should be practically self-governed. If the church building is provided with ten or twelve Sunday-school class-rooms, each capable of seating fifty scholars, self-denying men and women will be found, who will esteem it an honor to identify themselves with the chapel work as leaders of these important classes.
Rescue Agencies.-There is in the minds of the most degraded people a certain veneration for a building set apart to the worship of God. People will go to a dime museum in their rags and dirt, but very few, who are sober, will enter a place of worship unless they are decently attired. The surroundingslOf even our Oity Mission churches become too refined for those most in need of spiritual quickening. The Oity Mission acted most wisely when, instead of lowering the tone and respectability of its churches, it planted out-stations in the most degraded courts and alleys. We had some most interesting experiences in these out-stations. Our aim was to reach those who would not enter our church buildings, either because they had no clothing, or because there was absolutely.no desire for spiritual things. We devised a system of movable missions. A degraded court was selected, in which forty-six !amiljes resided. We quietly rented two rooms, such as the tenants occupied as living-rooms. We had an understanding with the landlord for what purpose we desired to use the rooms, but there was no advertising whatever. The day before we opened the mission, we sent a wagon-load of chairs and a small organ to the court. The news that a wh01e wagon-load of chairs had been sent to one of the rooms was sufficient to fill every woman's head in the court with interrogation points. "What in the world is coming to this court, a wagon-load of chairs and an organ, but no pots, beds, or washboiler?" The women advertised our coming effectively, and the next day, when we hung up a red sign, decorated with a white rose, on the door, and sent a pretty card of invitation to every woman in the court to come to the "White Rose," the excitement and curiosity was sufficiently great to crowd our rooms to their utmost capacity. We commenced the service with coffee and cake, because no saloon in our neighborhood is ever opened without some free refreshments. One woman, who had left her children upstairs, started to leave when she had dispatched the refreshments, but we asked her to wait a little while we read from" the Good Book." As we began to read, a woman, who was sitting by my side, put her hand on my arm and said: "Look here, Mister, do you think it is right for that woman to blackguard me?" I said, "please do not disturb me until I have finished reading the Bible." I read the story of the rich man and Lazarus, and talkt to them about the two lives, two deaths, and the two eternities of these men. Ohl what a luxury to preach Ohrist to those who have never heard the message of mercy I Soon a death-like stillness fell upon the audience. The big tears ran down the faces of these weary mothers. I finally said, "before we close, I would like to know if any of you women desire to turn over a new leaf? Will any of you start for heaven to-day and try to bring your husband with you? If there are any such, will you raise your hands and we will pray for you." Reverently, but spontaneously, and as if moved by the Spirit of God, every woman raised her hand and we poured out our hearts to God in prayer. It was a wonderful meeting, and the power of God was present to save. I turned to the woman who had interrupted me and said, "My good woman, what did you want to say to me? " The anger in her face was gone, the tears were running down her cheeks, and with a choking voice she said, "Never mind, I have as bad a tongue in my head as any woman in this house. It was my fault as much as hers." For IPX months our rooms were filled every afternoon with children, and with adults in the evening. At the approach of hot weather we gave up the mission, and urged those who had become interested to attend our church. The next Fall we started in an entirely new locality, and passed through the same experiences. There were stormy times occasionally, the rougher elements frequently seeking to break up the services, but soon the moral sense of the community was with us, and we were left undisturbed. The value of these movable missions lies in the fact that it brings the converts into the church, with which the mission is connected, to be trained in Ohristian life and work. The best place to convert a man or woman is the rescue mission, and the worst place to leave them in permanently after conversion is the rescue mission. The church is the spiritual home of converted men and women, and the great defect of the Salvation Army and other rescue agencies is that they do not lay more stress in transplanting their converts into the churches. The great cities of America will be the storm-centers of the future. The Gospel of Christ will be the most potent remedy for the evils which now aftlict us, and the greater evils which may come upon us. The permanent remedy will come not through acts of congress or the legislature, but through the moral and spiritual elevation of the individual. Two years ago I saw a man whose eyes were closed, and whose face was horribly disfigured from cruel blows received in a drunken brawl. His wife and children were about to be evicted. The starving little ones were piteously crying for food. To-day this man is a volunteer care-taker in the infant class of one of our large City Mission schools. He came to me just before tl;te presidential election, his face beaming with honest pride and pleasure, as he said, "I have been nominated for assemblyman by the Prohibition Party!" Multiply such cases by the thousands, and the red flag will never be flaunted successfully in the faces of American citizens.
The Oross of Ligkt.-A few years ago a poor woman, with breaking heart, was sitting in her desolate rooms on the top floor of a tenement house. Comfort and happiness, and a home which she once owned had all been destroyed through drink. She said to her husband, "George, I hope I will be dead next Christmas, because when Christmas comes, and everybody is happy, you will make my life doubly wretched by your drunken conduct." He uttered a curse, slammed the door, and left her. She said, "Why should I wait till next Christmas, I can be out of all my trouble to-night, and I can bear it no longer." She went to the window, raised the sash, and was about to throw herself on the stone pavement five stories below, when suddenly her eyes' caught sight of a fiery cross, and she gave a shriek, "What is that, look, children, look!" The woman and her children gazed in wonder upon the cross of fire, and then called to their neighbors. The neighbors said, " Oh, that is nothing, that is only the cross on the top of the City Mission church. They are holding their Christmas festival, and they have lighted the cross." "Oh, no," said the woman, "that cross is the vision and voice of God to me. I was about to do an awful thing, and that cross stopt me." The symbol of redeeming love stood for an hour against the dark outline of the sky and vanisht, but hope did not die out in the woman's heart. She was present at the City Mission church on the following Sunday. She began to pray for her husband, and he also was converted. The saving power of the cross of Christ must be made known to all who are ready to perish in the dark places of our great city; in this blessed work the New York City Mission and Tract Society has been successfully engaged for seventy years.
"TlIBSE FROli THE LAND OF SINIlI." 18S
"THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM."
WORK AMONG THE CHINESE IN NEW YORK.
BY MISS CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS HALL, NEW YORK.
CHRISTIAN work for the Chinese in America. is unique. The young meu come from the opposite side of the world. They are opposite to -1lB also in customs and in manner of thought, so that even the Chinese idea has to be transposed before it is translated into our language. Methods to suit their need must therefore be opposite in many re- spects to those used in other missionary work in this country, and even methods usually successful in China do not always avail for the Chinese in America; and further, in San Francisco different circumstances require different methods from those in use in New York City. To look at Orientals and oriental work from an occidental point of view is usually to see the reverse of what is true. Hence the many adverse statements which Christian workers know to be false. To any thus misinformed, and in the spirit of Nathaniel would ask: "Can any good thing come out of China?" the reply is, as Philip's was, "Come and S88."
We see ~rst a stronghold for God; a stronghold for Satan. This characteristic of Greater New York marks its Chinese population. The righteousness of its two hundred or more communicants in evan- gelical churches is in contrast to their heathen kinsmen. It is said that – China has no darker spot than Chinatown in New York.
There are about five hundred Chinese Sunday-school scholars, prin- cipally laundrymen, who form a distinct class among the many grades in New York and vicinity. "Come and s8e" a Chinese Sunday-school in session. A Chinese prayer-meeting, attended by all the scholars, is held half an hour before the opening of school. This prepares the Christians to lead in evangelistic meetings, and brin&,s the Gospel to those who can not yet understand it in English.
"I see a number of the teachers are women," you say. "I do not approve of women teaching the Chinese," and add, with a smile, "I would not mind having an attractive woman teach me."
Truly, an American man's view of it, applicable, doubtless, to his own but not the Mongolian race. The little Chinese boy is taught reverence to mother as well as to father, and the village school-teacher in China is a highly respected man of authority. It is a sorry day fol' the boy if he disobeys, for when he gets home his parents punish him again. Thus early taught diligence and respect at home and school in .China, we find him a deferential, appreciative scholar in the Sunday- school here. I do not believe a Chinese ever acted in other than a proper and courteo~s manner to his lady teacher. You see most of the teachers have one scholar, and ask, "Why this waste of time on one man?" Experience has shown it the best method, especially with beginners. Given: Several Ohinese, kinsmen, of about the same age, ability, knowledge of Ohinese and English, willing to set aside the custom of other Ohinese Sunday-schools and be taught together. Given: A teacher of such tact as to hold the reins of instruction so that all the scholars keep pace and mutually increase progress, then the results may be satisfactory. There are several such classes.
Yonder see that Ohinese group. The older man, a typical Ohristian, his face aglow, his suited gesture, his rapid words in the mother tongue, show his earnestness. The younger men follow every motion, listen absorbed; now and then ask a question; he answers, glances around to see if all understood, and continues. The teacher who taught him is teaching that circle of Ohinese through him. Was it waste of time? It is evident that one scholar, having the whole attention of the teacher, must make better progress. ~'he teacher is a Ohristian friend that makes their hardworking lives more endurable; one to whom they turn for comfort in their sorrow, and sympathy in their joy.
An earnest young scholar profest his faith and was baptized. He was the first of the nineteen converts whom Dr. John Hall has since received into the church. This young Ohinaman was soon after called home by his mother's illness. After some years stay he returned. He had so faithfully taught and lived the religion of Jesus that his whole family became Ohristians. Our Ohristians in Ohina have a cemetery of their own. All the vast province of Kwangtung, from whence all the Ohinese come, is being permeated with Ohristianity. The young men, as they visit Ohina and return, tell of the wonderful changes the Jesus religion is making in their native villages. Truly one, even" a little one," prayerfully taught, becomes in time" a thousand." Is it waste of time to teach that one for God?
"Come and see." Oome nearer. Hear what is being taught. Here is a beginner learning A, B, O. "Ah! all that these Ohinese come for is to learn English!" you exclaim. That is the reason, doubtless, that attracts most of the Ohinese, at first. They know that their success here largely depends on acquiring the language. If any are so kind as to teach them, why shouldn't they come? But, I never knew an instance where, if the teaching continued, the prayerful teacher failed to bring that scholar to Ohrist. That one man saved, offsets all the failure, is worth all the energy and expense put into the work.
There came to Sunday-school a middle-aged Ohinese, with so sad a countenance that it occasioned remark. He had large, deep Bet eyes, fine forehead and evidently a refined nature. Tenaciously he held to the religion of his ancestors. He despised our religion. The very name of Jesus was hateful to him. In his laundry he never allowed it to be spoken in his presence. In vain his cousins had urged him to come to Chinese Sunday-school. One day his brother came from St. Louis, where he had been a regu!ar attendant in Chinese Sundayschool. "See," they said, "your brother he read, he write English, you older, you know nothing!"
Then he made up his mind that he would go and learn English. A new teacher came that Sabbath, and he became her scholar. With contempt he pusht the Bible away, but eagerly poured over the alphabet. There had been a fall of snow, she called his attention to its whiteness and purity, and made him understand that our God, for Jesus' sake, could make our souls "whiter than snow." When the man heard that, he bowed his head, and seemed to think deeply. He was so earnest to learn English, that she invited him to come to her home and study on Monday afternoons. She was a young woman of rare tact and deep spirituality. Long before he could read English, he was reading this "living Epistle of Christ." After a time, he reacht for a Bible and askt to read it, then he would read no other book. "Small words in Bible," he said. Now, he came, that through English, he might learn the Way of Life. The arrogant Confucianist became humble as a little child, at the feet of Jesus, and after two years of further study, he was received into the Ohurch. At that solemn service we sang his favorite hymn, " Whiter than Snow." Many spoke of his radiant face, not at all like the man who came that snowy day, to learn English. Knowing how timid he was, his cousins asked him, if he was not afraid to stand so long before so many. "No," he answered emphatically, "I not afraid, I stand up for Jesus one whole hour. In my heart I say, 'fear not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God!' " For several years the illumined face of that transformed man has been shining in his Ohinese !wme.
At another table the scholar is memorizing the Lord's Prayer. He points to the words, "Our Father." "What that mean?" His teacher, an elegant man of wide culture, explains. Still the cloud of mystery rests on the Chinese face. Suddenly there is a rift in the cloud. "My Fader, and your Fader?" "Yes." It is too wonderful, again he asks, "God your Fader and God my Fader, too?" "Yes." A burst of soul-light radiates from every feature, he has graspt the revelation. The Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of Man.
"Yes," you say, as the session closes, "it is very interesting, but do these Chinese really become Christians?" "By their fruits ye shall know them." When a man loves his enemies, prays for those who persecute him, denies himself that he may help the more needy; when his upright, industrious life is in harmony with what he professes, when the calm, genial face tells of the love, joy, and peace within, we say, that man is a Christian indeed. Such are our Chinese com-, municants. Of all Christians, I know of none under such strict sur- veillance-:-from friend and foe as they, and none better stand the test.
" But," says one, "does not hope of gain influence them to join the Church?" It may, in some instances, but it is the exception. The Christians find much to bear; much to give of time, energy, and means. They bear and give rejoicingly for Jesus' sake. Most of them have regularly attended, at the same time, schools of different deuomi- nations, and circumstances have led to their choice. No ancient wall of Church differences divides these workers, but Christ is all and in all.
Let their works show the reality of their faith. The Okinese Ohristian Union has met monthly for years, holding evangelistic services in each school in turn. The power of the Holy Spirit has manifestly been with them, and much good done, which only such zealous Christians could do. Their headquarters is at 8 Pell Street. Mr. Gong Yu is their newly elected president.
The Evangelical Band, composed of about thirty young Chinese, of different denominations, does aggressive work in Chmatown. They rent rooms at 8 Pell Street. With the help of Mrs. Blanchard and other Christian friends, they have a Sabbath-school every Sabbath evening at eight o'clock; at nine thirty they hold a Chinese Gospel- meeting. Mauy who would otherwise know nothing of Christ, are attracted, in the first instance, by curiosity to hear the singing or to learn English. This is the nucleus of the Chinese Union Church.
Already they have raised five hundred dollars toward the building fund. Mr. K. F. Pang is now president. 0/ the Methodist Ohurch The· Okinese Young Men's .Association found that comparatively few of their people m the city had the Word of God in their own language. They have, therefore, personally dis- tributed seven hundred and thirty-five Chinese New Testaments, and their work continues. Their headquarters, and those of the M. E.
Chinese Mission, are at 150 Fifth Avenue, in the M. E. Mission Board rooms (2.30 P. M. every Sabbath). Rev. Dr. S. L. Baldwin and Miss M. A. Lathbury are their efficient friends. Mr. C. Soule Bok, now a law student, is their able and spiritual leader and interpreter.
The Ohinese Ymtng Men's .Association of St. Bartholomew Guild, of the Episcopal Church, meets at 23 St. Mark's Place every Sabbath at six o'clock. Two Sabbath services, afternoon and eve:Q.ing, and Monday evening school, are held. The Guild has between two and three hundred members. Of one member, Mr. Lee Lea, recently returned to China, they hear that he devotes all his time to travel- ing from village tO,village, preaching the Gospel. Mr. Guy Maine, at whose eloquent appeal in behalf of the temporal and spiritual needs of his people the Guild was founded, has returned from China, and resumed hIS place as superintendent. He is planning a Chinese cam- paign in Chinatown. The Baptists are foremost in zeal. They have had large and power- ful Christian Associations, and done much missionary service. Mr. Fung Yuk Mow is the leader of the Morning Star Mission, founded by Miss Helen F. Clark, at 17 Doyer Street, and Mis. E. C. Potter, secretary. The Christian Sunday-school of the Calvary Baptist Chinese Sunday-school has united forces with them, and they hold the school there every Sabbath evening. The Tabernacle :Baptist Chinese Sunday-school, Second Avenue and 10th Street, under Dr. W. H. Bell, have long done faithful work.
The Ohinese of the Three OongregationalOhurches unite in sup- porting three missionaries in Ohina. The Rev. Sydney L. Gulick, now on the field, imprest his own spirit," rabid for missions," upon the Broadway Tabemacle Chinese Sunday-school, which he founded (Broadway and 34th Street, 2.30 P.M., Sabbath). The Superintendent, Dr. C. E. Bruce, 456 Lexington Avenue, is one of the "Beloved Physicians," to whom the Ohiuese are deeply grateful. Mr. K. F. Pang is the genial interpreter. The Ohinese Sunday-school of Dr. Behrend's Church, in Brooklyn, is one of this missionary trio.
Besides these, they send one of their own number as missionary. Mr. Yung Park, a member of the Pilgrim Oongregational Church, (121st Street and Madison Avenue, 2.30 P.M., Sabbath, of which :Rev. Dr. Virgin is pastor, aud Mrs. E. R. Solomon, superintendent). Mr. Young Park is an orator by nature, a deeply spiritual man, who, by thTehegrOacheinoesfeGModismsiuosntaarycc.oAmsspolcisiahtimonuc0h/. the Presbyterian Mission, superintendent Rev. Ruie Kin, 14 Umversity Place, have raised *2,000 (gold), to bnild a church that is to be self-supporting at San Ning City, China. They also regularly support two day-schools in that vicinity.·'l.These are Sabbath-schools on the Lord's day, and centers of influence. In the schools there are fort,-two boys and eighteen little girls. The fact that the girls have the :prIvilege of education, and are taught in the same room with the boys, IS eloquent tribute to the influence of the Christians of the Ohinese Sunday-school here, on the aucient customs of Ohina. There is a :prosperous and most interesting day-school for Chinese boys at 14 Umversity Place, thirty of whom came from Ohina last summer. When the Ohristians were askt to help rent a summer home for these boys, the 14th Street and 2nd Avenue Presbyterian Chinese Sunday-school, (2.30 P.M.), where Mrs. Reath has labored so long, and is so beloved, and the Chinese Sunday-school of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, Mr. William Campbell, Superintendent, (7.15-9 P.M., at 9 East 59th Street), responded generously, and took much interest in these young kinsmen. 'fhe Presbyterian Chinese Mission has also a large school at 53 5th Avenue (2.30 P.M., Sabbath), and a Monday evening school at 14 University Piace. When the Rev. Mr. Ruie Kin was in China last summer, he was called upon to visit the homes and baptize the mothers, wives, children of those whom he had converted in America, and who had brought the Gospel home.
The Okinese Evangelist, a Chinese and English Christian monthly, ably edited by Mr. J. S. Happer and Mr. Guy Maine, of Canton, China, did effective work for three years – arousing interest, organizing Sunday-schools, etc. Mr. Yung Kwai (1327 Fifth Ave.), a scholarly, ChristIan Chinese, edits the New York Ohinese News, which exerts a wide influence for Christianity.
These and other Chinese Christian Associations show something of the results of the Chinese Sunday-school work. With the united effort of about forty Sunday-schools, however, only about one-twentieth of the Chinese population is reacht. From every school the cry goes forth-tell it again and again, untiloSome one hears and responds, "Oh for teachers! More teachers!" Nine thousand five hundred heathens
POLTGAlIlOUS APPLIOANTS
at our door, waiting to be taught the way to heaven. The red signs of the laundries cry out, as we pass, "Oh for schools! More schools! " Who can estimate the value of a soul saved! A Ohinese soul saved here, means the salvation of many yonder, the beginning of the undermining of the" Gibraltar of heathenism." Oh, that God would speak, and listening souls reply, "Here am I, send me."
POLYGAMOUS APPPIOANTS.-II.* WHAT MISSIONARmS THINK SHOULD BE DONE WITH THEM.
BY REV. DANIEL L. GIFFORD, SEOUL, KOREA.
REPLIES RECOMMENDING ADMISSION OR FAVORING LENIENCY.
Ohina.-Rev. Paul D. Bergen (N. Presbyterian), of Chinan-fu, thinks that "we have no right to make a man put away his extra wives. It is gross injustice to those put away, and also to the children, and also to the man, because all entered into the compact innocently. We have no mission rule, but I think without exception we would take what seemed a Christian man into the Church and let him keep his wives. Same in regard to wives who ought to continue to live with their husband."
Rev. Y. K. Yen (a native Chinese of the American Church Mission, Shanghai), says: My own opinion is that a polygamist ought not to be excluded, because: (1) He married in ignorance of Gospel law. (2) Concubinage is legal, and she married him in good faith. To be put away would be cruel to her, especially if she has children, which generally is the case. (8) If put away, she would have no home to go to, and thus be exposed to great perils. (4) During the infancy of the Church she ought not to have burdens greater than she could bear. .. God will have mercy." I need not add that no convert could marry a concubine. I have had such in my church and they have been forbidden Holy Communion.
Rev. Timothy Richard (formerly of Eng. Baptist Mission, but now connected with the" Society for Diffusion of Christian and General Knowledge among the Chinese "), Shanghai.
(1) Never heard of such a practise in China as a •• perpetual catechumen" in regard to any subject. (2) Would allow a man with plural wives to enter the *We regret our inability to print the whole of this important discussion In one or even two Issues. The subject is one which can only be thoroughly understood and~ intelligently dlscust in all its aspects by one who has resided for years among polygamous people, who are being brought by slow stages from the darkness of heathenism Into the true light of the Gospel. Hence it is of especial importance to consider In detan the opinions of misSionaries, who have studi~ the question for many years on the lIeld.-EDlToB. Church, .1 but not to hold any office." (3) In answer to the question whether sUch a man should be required to put away all but one wife, he replies: .. No, no. Unless the extra wife or wives are willing for the nell" arrangement and proper compenaation be rendered to them and their children; otherwise compul- sory divorce would be cruel injustice and, of course, contrary to the whole tenor of scripture." (4) Receive her also into the Church on the same condition as No.2. My opinion coincides with the general practise of our mission.
Rev. A. G. Jones (Eng. Baptist), Choup'ing, says, that their mis- sion baptizes polygamists; but meets very little of it and has had only a few cases. The converts may "retain their 'ch'ieh' (concu- bines), and must support their children, but cau not take or hold office in the Church outside of their own congregation."
D. B. McOartee, M. D. (N. Presbyterian, of Tokyo,Japan, but for- merly of Ning-po, China), narrates an experience with such a man, in China, some forty years ago. While stationed at Ning-po, he made the acquaintance in a shop, of a Chinese gentleman, of the name of Kun. In a subsequent interview at the doctor's house, he gave him a Bible and some tracts. Ten years later they met again. Mr. Kun had become an applicant for baptism. Dr. NcCartee says: We found on conversing with him that he had carefully studied both the Old and New Testaments, and showed such evidence of acquaintance with the plan of salvation and of his having taken Christ as his Savior, and of his endeavor to do whatsoever He had commanded, that after a suitable length of time, the session of the Yu·yao Church (some forty miles from Ning-po) wisht that he might 'be received into their church by baptism. But we then for the first time learned that some years before having reacht the age of forty-five or thereabouts, and his wife not having born him a child, he had taken to himself a second wife (or concubine). . • . Mr. Kun's concubine had borne him a son, and Mr. Kun had no idea that he had done anything contrary to the rules and requirements of the Christian religion, but supposed that he was following the example of Abraham, the father of the faithful and of other Old Testament saints. The mission was for some time uncertain as to the proper course to be followed. My own view was that Mr. Kun had acted in good faith according to the laws and customs of his own country, and with no intention or consciousness of disobeying any of the commands of Christ. He could not legally put away his wilt! without cause and to make him put away his second wife, for no fault of her own, would not only be inflicting a penalty upon her which she had not merited, but would separate a mother from her own child, which would be cruelty. The matter was finally settled in that way. The church were advised that altho anyone who had been admitted into church fellowship, if he afterwards took another wife (or a concubine) while his first wife was still living, should be cut off from communion, two wrongs would not make one right, and that Mr. Kun should not be required to send away his second wife. And 80 the church acted and admitted him to baptism.
Rev. H. H. Lowry (Methodist North) Peking, doubts whether any rule can be laid down to cover all cases. Each case should be settled on its merits. Should not hesitate to receive such a man if otherwise perfectly satisfied with his sincerity. If one wife can be put away and supported without hardship to herself, he should insist on it. But nearly always it is the second wife who has the children, and is probably the favored one. In that case he sees no reason why the other could not be comfortably provided for by the husband. Of course, such a man should never be given office in the Church; and thinks the man must support both wives and the children. WouId receive the female applicant in such relations. It is a relation into which she entered without her consent, or perhaps any thought of wrong. Speaking of the actions of "Synods or Oouncils, etc., in the home land," he says, "They simply can not appreciate the situation. It is easy to formulate a very clear theoretical course of action, but in practise we find difficulties that they can not understand at home."
Rev. J. (J. Gibson (Eng. Presbyterian), Swatow.
The practise in our mission, • . . both here and in Amoy is to refuse baptism to men who have more wives than one. We have kept them in the posi. tion of unbaptized worshipers. . • . As to the wives in such cases, I do not remember that the matter of their being baptized or not has ever come before us. My impression is that if it did, we should receive them if otherwise suitable. • . • Oases of this kind have not been numerous with us. The people among whom we work are for the most part a poor farming class, and in the cities our membership is comparatively limited. Among the agricultural and small trader class the practise of polygamy is rare. . . • If the cases were more frequent, I think we should all feel it to be necessary to give the matter more thorough con· sideration than we have done, very probably with the result of a change in our practise. • . . I think we [in this mission] all occupy much the same position of provisional assent to the present practise, with a feeling that it may require reconsideration.
Of course, it is to be assumed, that the taking of a second wife by a church member would be treated as matter for discipline. . . . Should he be required to put away all but one wife? • . . (1) As Ohristian teachers we can not admit that the man has a right to dispose of the women without their own con· sent, and in cases where they did not consent, what could be done? I am quite clear that the man is bound to provide for these women for life. If he is to put them away he must do either of two things; (a) He may give them a separate establishment, and provide for their maintenance, while remaining himself quite apart from them. In this case they would remain under his control, and however good his intentions might be, no one who knows the Ohinese would think that to be a safe permanent arrangement. • • . Or (b) he may arrange marriages for all but one of his wives. . . • Here there are many difficulties. As a Chris· tian must he not seek Ohristian husbands for the wives whom he is marrying out? On the other hand, would we feel free to recommend these women as wives to Ohristian men who are not yet trammeled? Would they not do much better to take for their wives women who have not gone through any such painful experi· ence? Also will it be possible for him in all cases to find suitable husbands for these women? . . • Again, he has put himself into a very close relation, rightly or wrongly, to these women; has he a right, as himself a saved man, to put them once for all beyond his own influence and give up all opportunity of leading them to the Savior? . . • I can not think that it is in the spirit of the Gospel to outca3t in this way these women, who by no fault of their own, prob· ably without their consent having been askt, have been put by this man in the days of his ignorance into this falae position.
Now as to which wife he is to choose [in case he puts away all but one]. . • . He has absolutely no right to put away his first and legal wife. • • . To my mind the putting her away, with no fault alleged against her, would far more disqualify him from receiving Christian baptism than would the possession of two or more wives. . . • But may he retain her, and put away the others? If the other wives have no children, if they are willing to go, and if he finds a suitable Christian marriage for them which is acceptable to them, then I think he may put them away. But is it likely that these conditions could be carried out? I think not. From what I have said it seems clear that it is not open to him simply to divorce any of his wives. To do so would be adding sin to sin, and the lin is the more grievous that he is now a Christian man.
The existence of children still further complicates the situation. Whether they are the children of the first wife or of the others, he is their father, and their claim on him. not merely for support, but for a Christian training, is not affected by the sinfulness of his relation to his secondary wives. In many cases the chilo dren are likely to be the children of the secondary wife or wives, because the reason for taking a second wife very often is that there are no children by the first. For this reason the retaining of the first wife and the putting away of all the others will raise at once the very difficult question of the rights of the chilo dren. Are they to follow the father? Then they will be separated from their own mother. Are they to follow the mother? Then they will be separated from their own father, and moreover the father is by supposition a Christian, while the mother may not be. On the other hand, where ODe man has several wives, the mother of each child has a stronger claim to the possession of it than the father, who by taking several wives, has made a Christian home and the con. cllDtrated exercise of parentiallove impossible. In short, when there are children, there is no possible extrication of the situation by the rough and ready method of putting away.
Whatever the solution to be adopted may be, it seems to me that we are shut up to contemplate as unavoidable the continuance of the old relationship. It was. a wrong relationship at first, and the man sinned in entering upon it ; it is a wrong relationship still, its moral character being unaltered by the lapse of time. But the wrong done is in its nature permanent in its results. It is not a wrong which can be righted by an act of repentance and reformation. To change the status now would only be a fresh act of sin. The penitence must be that of the heart, but the wrong done can not now be put right.
If this be so, what attitude is the Church to assume? Is a man in this posi· tion to be baptized or not? . . . If a case came before us in which the Chris· tian character of the man was very plainly that of a renewed man, . . . I think I should feel inclined to admit them to baptism. But there are reasons of weight for refusing baptism. The church is in its formative stage; . . . their admission may tend to lower the tone of spiritual morality which we wish to keep as high as possible. You may fairly say to such a man that by refusing baptism you do not imperil his salvation, and that for the sake of warning, and for the common good of the whole Church you feel bonnd to keep him at the door. After a time, when the Church has made some growth and its moral tone is better establisht, it might become sa.fer to risk the a.dmission of such men. But at an early stage one such man might by his infiuence do a world of harm to the spiritual tone of the Church. . . .
On the other hand, it seems to be very much in the spirit of the Gospel, and ~n a~ord!nC(l witl!- apostolic practise, to ~mit iAto tbe Cburch verr imperfect elements, trusting to the working of the spiritual life present in it to eliminate the elements of evil. So slavery was dealt with. There must have been not a few slave-owners in the early Church. And one can not help feeling, that 1 Tim. 8: 2 distinctly hints that there were in the early Church some that had more wives than one. If a man is kept out of the outward church because of his having more than one wife, many dangers may arise in his family life. He worships under a stigma that lowers his self-l'el!pect. His wives and children may very likely feel it so much as to be deterred thereby from coming to worship at all. If, on the other hand, his wives and children should follow him in making a Christian profession, and are baptized while he is not, the man will feel that an injustice is done him by which his rightful influence as a Christian man over his own household is greatly weakened, just at the time when he has begun to desire to use it for good.
The one condition that I would impose would be the one suggested by 1 Tim. 8:2, that he should not be appointed to hold any office in the Church. I would explain the principles acted upon to the man himself, to his family, and to the congregation, protest against the wrong done, so that the Church's attitude may be unmistakable, and then in the exercise of the charity which believeth all things I would baptize him.
Rev. J. R. Goddard (Am. Baptist), Ning-po, believes that when such a man applies for admission, if he gives good evidence of conversion, he should be received. If he can put away all but the first wife without injustice, should be encouraged to do so. But having married them legally, while a heathen, it would be doi1ig a wrong and injustice to put them away against their consent, or without making adequate provision for their needs. If they have children it would bring a stain against their legitimacy. He would, therefore, fully explain to such a man, and also to the native church, the Bible doctrine of marriage, and as the lesser of two evils, would receive him to church membership with his plural wives.
Rev. J. Wherry (Am. Presbyterian), Peking, says neither the Presbytery of Peking nor Synod of China have a rule on the subject. He knows of three cases: In one case the man put away one of the women and subsequently was elected an elder; the other two were admitted, keeping their wives.
(1.) Inclined to think he would admit a man who had taken two wives in days of ignorance, if truly regenerate.
(2.) The only condition he would require in admitting is that the man satisfy his Conscience in retaining or putting away one of the wives. Still, if young, and second wife had no children, and could be restored to her father's household, or put in some safe retreat, might advise to put away if it could be done with her consent and quietly.
(3.) If he wishes to put away and can peaceably, should as a rule retai.n the first wife. If the second wife only has children, and the first wife ill willing and has a suitable home to go to, it might be wise for her to separate from her hus- … band. Wives Bent away should be supported or divorced only with their own consent freely given. "Whether the first wife should, even with her own consent, be absolutely divorced would, in my opinion, depend to a certain extent on the nature of the marriage contract and the circumstances connected with it, and the laws of the country under which the m.an lives." The divorced woman, if she 80 desires, should retain the children. He believes in admitting a female candidate in such relations. He believes that a weighty principle bearing ilpon this question is, "The right of every true believer in Christ to baptism."
Rev. J. L. Stuart (S. Presbyterian), Hangchow:- I would say that if he recognizes the sin and would like to restore what he has taken unlawfully, but can not do 8Owithout injury to others,let him be baptized.
Let him understand, however, that he should make all amends that are possible: 6. g. living apart if the woman be willing. Invariably the first wife should be retained as the only legal wife. • He should see that they are supported, or that they or their families can support them. She may marry another man. The children always belong to the father. The female applicant, if a concubine, may be baptized when the man, who is practically owner and master, refuses to give her up. I put her in the same category with minors, ser.
vants, slaves, apprentices, etc.; persons who are bound to others and can not act freely. Always try to change the relation when it is not in accord with the prin.
ciples of the Bible, but when this can not be done without violating some other Bible principle, let it stand, and treat the person bound by it as not a free agent and not morally responsible in that particular respect. Receive him on condition that when he becomes free he or she will use his or her freedom and conform to the law of God. The Gospel teaches men to do right, but not right in one direc- tion at the expense of right in another direction.
Rev. R. Lechler (Basel Mission), Hongkong, sends a copy of their church rules in Chinese. Commenting upon these, he remarks: He should not be required to put away all his wives but one unless he sees his way plain that no injustice nor injury be done to the innocent. • The first wife must be retained in China, otherwise his social standing would be ruined.
Of the second wives, he can retain those who have bome children; mere concu~ bines should not come into consideration. . The wives sent away must be supported by the former husband if they can not find a new husband. The children, at least all boys, go to the father by Chinese right. I had a case in Hongkong where the second wife of a heathen husband was converted.
The husband did not wish to part with her, but allowed her free exercise of the Christian religion. So I baptized the woman and had no occasion to regret it.
Dr. Ashmore. in the Ohinese Recorder of 1883, related an incident which was as follows: "An applicant had two wives, and was told that he must put one away.
Which one? The one last married. But the first wife had no children, while the second had several. Was the mother to be separated from her children? The discarded wife said to the missionary, 'Teacher, he is my husband; I am his wife. You say that he ought not to have taken me, but he did take me before he knew your new religion. He is the father of my children. I have a right to look to him for companionship and for protection. You make my children illegiti.
mate. You should not do that. You have no right to injure my children that way. You have no right to put me in the position of a disreputable woman, for he lawfully married me according to the usage of China. I had a husband; now I have no husband. I had a home; now I have no home. If I go and marry another man I shall break the law. I had one to whom I could go as the father of my children; now I can go to my children'S father no longer, nor may I dare to speak to him.' " When a man marries a second wife after he became a church member the course of a miSSionary is plain. But when Christianity finds a man living according to the custom of the country and the sanction of its laws with two or more wives, can not he be accepted under protest rather than do irremediable injustice and injury to the innocent?
Rev. James Oarson (Irish Presbyterian), Moukden:- This question came up and was discusst and settled by us as a Presbytery [Manchuria] a few years ago. We decided that the fact of a Chinaman having two wins should not be a bar to his receiving baptism; moreover, that he should not be required to repudiate or put away either, but at the same time that he should not be eligible for any office in the church. Of course it is not permitted under any circumstances for a man, once he becomes a member, to take to himself a secondary wife or concubine. It was my painful duty last year to excommunicate a man for this grave offense against the law of the church. He persisted in contracting the second marriage, altho he knew that he was infringing the said law and knew the consequences that it would entail. The members at the station (Fa Kuh Men) entirely approved of my action. . . . I remember we felt, when the question was under discussion, that a great wrong would be done to the unoffending wife if she were to be divorced from her husband, inasmuch as the marriage was contracted during the days of his ignorance. What would become of the divorced wife? What would be her status in native society, and how would the outside heathen world regard the action of the Christian church in thus separating husband and wife? By tolerating the evil under the above limitations we believe we are acting in the spirit of the Gospel, that the relationship may be sanctified and the whole household saved.
Rev. John Macintyre (United Presbyterian Church of Scotland), New-chwang:- We did not make a clean start. There were no women in those days to tell us who was who in the family, and some were baptized who would not have been if we had known all. . Thus I have been gradually educated into the belief that after all it is better in China to baptize as we now do, with the proviso that no fresh relationships be entered into, and that none compromised by the question of concubinage should ever, under any circumstances, hold office in the church. I have a friend in Sonth Africa who has had rare success among the .
Kaffirs. He has one rule: "Break up the pack; scatter the conCUbines." His story is a thrilling one. But I could not follow him. A glance into the story of Hagar is enough for me. I would leave them aU out of the church together or accept them together. . .
Rev. John Ross (United Presbyterian Church of Scotland), Moukden:- A few years ago the United Mission in Manchuria had the matter before them for final settlement. It was unanimously agreed that on account of the conditions of family life in China a man proved to be otherwise conducting himself as a believer should, could be baptized, tho he had a plurality of wives, but that he be not eligible for any office in the church; and that one of several wives be similarly admitted into the church. But that any member taking a second wife while his first was living would at once be put out of the church. This law has had to be enforced in the cases of three useful men who became inveigled into this forbidden relationship. We always consult our senior Christians in regard to every measure connected with church life, and the native eldership in the Presbytery were cordially at one with the Europeans there.
(To be Continued.)
CHRISTIANITY IN THE WES'!' INDIES
OHRISTIANITY IN THE WEST INDIES.
BY REV. DAVID W. BLAND, JAMAICA, W. I.
When we speak of the West Indies, we mean not only the numerous islands of the Oaribbean Sea, but also the colonies of Guiana on the northeast coast of South America. This, together with the diocese of British Honduras, is what constitutes the Ohurch of Eugland Ecclesiastical Province of the West Indies, of which the Bishop of Jamaica is now the Primate.
A study of the map will show this province to be one of vast extent, with a great variety of races and nationalities, and with different forms of government. Throughout the majority of the inhabitants are either of pure or of mixt African blood, freed from slavery a little more than sixty years ago, and speaking more than one European language -Dutch, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Danish, English. Everywhere the pure whites are, numerically, in the minority. There are, also, principally in Jamaica, Trinidad, and British Guiana, large numbers of natives of India and of Ohina, brought hither, since the cessation of slavery, as immigrants indentured to labor on the sugar plantations. To these must further be added the tribes of aboriginal Indians living in the forests of the Guianas, far from these aboard and difficult of acceBB.
Prior to the abolition of slavery, whatever Ohristian work was done in these West Indies was, from the nature of circumstances, very meager. Missionaries labored under tremendous difficulties. The planters with, perhaps, here and there a noble exception, were bitterly opposed to any enlightenment of the negroes, and either absolutely forbade the preaching of the Gospel to them on the plantations, or else placed such restrictions on the missionary as made his work hard and even perilous. And yet his work, hindered as it was, was not fruitless. Many an enslaved one, amid the cruel surroundings of those dark days, found peace and true liberty in the name of Jesus.
In 1834 freedom came in the British colonies, and with it a new era dawned, opening out great opportunities for Ohristian work, which the various Ohristian bodies have not neglected. Everywhere now they are faithfully and earnestly laboring to win these islands for Ohrist.
It is impossible to attempt, here, anything like an adequate account of what is being done in every island and on the mainland. A glance over the field, selecting such portions as may be considered centers of organization and work, must suffice. Everywhere the problems and difficulties, the conditions of life and work, are very similar.
Beginning on the mainland, omitting French Guiana, we find in Dutch Guiana, or Surinam, the Moravians doing an exemplary missionary work. Their labors there, particularly among the bush negroes, have been heroic and full of much worthy, without a doubt, of a place in miracles of missions. It is a matter of deep regret to hear of the financial difficulties threatening to hinder the progress of these zealous brethren here and in other fields, and all friends of missions will be anxious to see them removed. Next in order comes the colony of British Guiana with its three divisions of Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo,-a magnificent country of immense resources and full of promise of a bright future. Here Christian activities abound. Among the Portuguese, who form a large section of the po,{>ulation, the Roman Church h88 a considerable mission under the JesUlt Fathers, aided by a body of nuns doing chiefly educational work; and among the general population the Anglican Church~ the Wesleyans, Moravians, and Presbyterians are energetically laboring. The Anglican Church, besides her regular parochial work in towns and villages, has also missions among the aboriginal Indians in the depths of the primeval forests extending to the frontiers of Brazil, among the Ohinese iu Georgetown and on the river settlements, and among the East Indians, or coolies, 88 they are called, scattered through the sugar plantations. This last work, for a lon~ time neglected, is of deep interest, and. by every branch of the Ohurch IS now being recognized as extremely important in its bearings on the evan~elization of India and Ohina. Very many of these people, after theIr terms of indenture are expired, return to the East, and among them often are Ohristian converts bearing the precious seed of Divine Truth, which they have learned in these lands, back to their old heathen homes. There their lives and testimony, as recorded instances witness, are a powerful influence in aiding the spread of Christianity. In Trinidad, the island nearest the mainland, are also considerable numbers of these eastern immigrants, and here, perhaps, the best work done for them in the West Indies is to be seen, the Presbyterians of England taking the foremost place. The bulk of the popUlation are of French and Spanish descent, and are adherents of the Roman Ohurch; but there is good Protestant work being done by the Church of England and other bodies.
The other West Indian islands, with the exception of Puerto Rico, Haiti, Ouba, and Jamaica, fall under two great divisions, formed by numerous small islands and termed the Windward and the Leeward ·Groups. Of the former, Barbados, and of the latter, Antigua, is each the center of considerable Ohristian enterprise. The Spanish island of Puerto Rico may be said to be entirely under Roman influence, altho I believe there is some effort being made from Antigua by the Anglican Ohurch to meet the needs of the small English-speakmg community.
Eastward of Puerto Rico lies the great island of Hispaniola, divided into the two black republics of Santo Domingo and Haiti, the former Spanish, and the latter French-speaking. Romanism is in both repub- lics the prevailing form of Christianity, but in neither has it done much to raise the people morally or intellectually. The degradation of Haiti is very great, the most barbarous practises, even sometimes cannibalism, being said to be prevalent. The Protestant Episcopal Ohurch of America has a mission here under the care of a resident bishop of African descent; and there are also missions of the Wesley- ans and of the Baptists. Passing by Cuba, where, so long as the revolution continues, all efforts of evangelization must be at a standstill, we reach Jamaica, the most beautiful, most prosperous, and most advanced island in the whole archipelago, and the scene of extensive Ohristian labors. There is scarcely a Christian denomination of any importance that has not its representatives in Jamaica; but the largest and most influential are the Baptists, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, and the Anglican Church. Everywhere the churches, chapels, mission-stations, and schools of these bodies are to be found; and, from Kingston as a base, Ohristian Endeavor Societies and the Anglican St. Andrew's Oross are spreading their operations. In almost all the towns Young Men's Ohristian Associations are organized..
A noteworthy feature of Ohristian work here is that the whole of the elementary education of the people is lookt after by the churches under a system of government grants, by which, under certain condi- tions, the building and repairing of schoolrooms is assisted, and the Rayment of teachers, graduated by results at inspection, assured. These annual grants amount to about $300,000. This denominational system of education is, however, very unsatisfactory, and is fruitful cause of much lamentable friction between the different Ohristian bodies. There is a fast spreading feeling that the time is come for it to be replaced by a national system.
From this survey of the field, cursory as it has been, it will be gathered that thero are considerable Ohristian forces at work in these West Indies; that there is a variety and mixture of races producing peculiar problems and difficulties; and that the bulk of those among whom the churches labor are the descendants of quondam African slaves. We have now to meet important questions :-what, with all this vast machinery, have been the results? Are the people being elevated morally and intellectually in a manner proportionate to the outJay? Is the Christianity seen in the lives of those to whom the Gospel is being unceasingly and faithfully preacht, and on whose education such large expenditure is made, of a satisfactory type? TakingJamaica as typical of the whole province, we are forced to answer in the nega- tive. There is, undoubtedly, much for which we have to thank God; there are many lives that are consistent, pure, and exemplary, of whom, indeed, it may be said that their conversation is in heaven; but, looking at the mass of our people, results are very disappointing, and there is a wide-spread anxiety concerning the future in the minds of all who desire to see something better than a mere superficial Christianity.
One great evil which Ohristianity has to combat here is the sin of sexual immorality, the fearful prevalence of which is seen in the distressing fact that, for years, official returns of the registration department have given over 60 per cent. of our population as of illegitimate birth. Nor do I think that any other of these Islands can show anything better than this.
Another distressing evil is the presence of gross superstitions, particularly of the dreadful obi, brought from Africa in the old slavedays. The Ohristian teaching of so long years has not yet eradicated this; it still lingers, and is a gigantic hindrance to the growth of a pure Ohristianity.
In an article which appeared a few months ago in one of our leading journals, attention was drawn to these two evils, and, from their presence and that of other things complained of, the conclusion was drawn that the churches in the island are" a failure." This conclusion was extremely unjust, as it omitted to fairly consider the difficulties around the churches in their struggle against these things. With regard to sexual immorality, some kind of legislation is sadly needed to assist the churches' efforts. More than one attempt has been made to obtain this; the evils threatening the whole community from this vice have been pointed out with no uncertain voice, but all without success. This year a letter on this subject, and others of a pressing
THE WAR AND THE GOSPEL IN CUBA
nature, was jointly prepared by nearly all the Protestant bodies, read simultaneously from our pulpits, and distributed among the people. It pointed out the degrading tendencies of this sin, and advised, among otlier things, the building of larger and better homes, in which decency and modesty would be inculcated in the minds of children from their earliest years. It is a sad fact that very many of the homes in which our children are born and bred are so wretched, so saturated with moral corruption, that the wonder is, not that so many fall away from virtue, but that any are able to resist the temptations to immoral lives. And with regard to the superstitions, it must not be forgotten that it takes a long time to completely remove the old ancestral beliefs from the minds of any people. I firmly believe, in spite of all appearances to the contrary, that their hold on our West Indian people is gradually weakening, and that, in the course of time, as the dark ignorance which in many regions yet prevails is removed by education, they will event- ually entirely disappear. But, disappointed as many of us may be, yet we are not discour- aged. In confidence that the long-wished-for results are only tarrying, we still go on preparing the way of the Lord, believing in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to regenerate all men, waiting for that outpouring of the spirit which, some day, is sure to come, and looking for a time when righteousness and purity will be the character of our people. That happy time may be far in the future; generations, perhaps, will pass away before it comes; meanwhile the Church works on in faith, and prayer, and hope.
THE WAR AND THE GOSPEL IN CUBA. * BY REV. ALBERTO .T. DIAZ, HAVANA, CUBA.
The Roman Catholic Church is largely a political church and in Cuba all politics are settled by the Catholics. When I first returned to Cuba as a citizen of the United States, and began to try to establish an independent church, many Cubans, who were hungering and thirsting for liberty, came to join the church, thinking that by being baptized they would become free American citizens. I explained that this was not so, and the result is that only twenty-seven hundred have been baptized, but they thoroughly understand regeneration.
There are now seventeen hundred members in my little church, and they are spreading their influence all over that island. They visit a certain number of homes in Havana every week, and do missionary work among them. This is the secret of so large a church. Our place of worship was intended for a theater, but has been converted into a church. It seats 3,000, and there is room for 3,000 more seats. We can have no sign outside of the church, as it is against the law. We can not tell openly that we have a church even; it is against the law. So you see all the missionary work is done quietly by the members. I would be put in jail for telling people where the church was located.
I have been in jail six times just for preaching the Gospel, but I am ready to go twenty times more for the same reason. I must tell my people all about the Lord Jesus, as it is in the Bible. I have been • Abridged from an address in the Calvary Baptist Church, Dec. 20, 1896. doing it for years and am not tired yet. At one time the Roman Oatholic Church wanted to make Columbus a saint and canonized him. I went to my church and said: "I know history; I know Columbus discovered Cuba and America, but ought that to make him a saint?" The result was I was taken to jail for preaching against a saint. I was eventually let go because Oolumbus had not yet been canonized.
It is sometimes hard to get a man or woman to accept Jesus Christ as He is represented in the Bible. My father was a doctor. I askt him to read the Bible, but he refused, saying it was an old book; he wanted something newer and more scientific. I took it to the Lord in prayer with my little sister, a child of ten, who finally said: "Why do you worry so about father? I will get him to read the Bible." Sunday came and she found father and said: "Father, will you read just these two or three verses to me? I am in such a hurry and want to know them by heart." He read them, but she kept asking him to repeat them until she knew them thoroughly. She went to school, and returning said to me: "Father has read the Bible, and if you will tell me what verses to get him to read I will have him read them." I markt some, and that night she said again to father: "Father, I am so tired, and I always read my Bible before going to bed. Won't you read it to me to-night? " And so every night he would read to her. One night about 4 o'clock I saw a light in my sister's room, and thinking the child was sick went to see her. The child was sleeping and my father was reading the Bible. I rusht in and kissed him and we knelt down together and he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Ohrist, and the next time we went to church he was baptized.
We have to be very particular about those we admit to membership, but when they are converted they quit dancing and other harmful habits and never go back to them; if they did, they would be excluded from the church, but we are glad to say that we never have to exclude any. We have persecutions, but we do not mind them, because every time our church is persecuted the membership increases and the old members are more fully consecrated to the Lord; so every time we pray, we say: "Lord, send us persecutions that we may be more faithful disciples of the Master."
The war was not unexpected. When it commenced nearly a thousand members of my church called for a meeting. They said: "You have been preaching to us about our liberty and freedom in Ohrist Jesus and these men are fighting for civil liberty and we, who have been so persecuted, feel we must fight for religious liberty." They are all in one regiment fighting for religious freedom. Ieould take no part in the war myself, so I organized a society, not only for the relief of our men, but for the sick and the wounded, the Spanish as well as the Oubans.
The war has been expected for seventeen years. Ouba has a population of one and a half millions, and Spain taxes them $29,000,000 every year. They tax everything. A doctor has to pay ten or fifteen thousand dollars to complete his education. Nor is that all. After he completes his education he has to pay $300 every year for the privilege of practising. If he has a horse, a tax of $25 is imposed, if a carriage, $50. If he puts a sign outside his door he is taxed 10 cents for each letter that is an inch long, and if the letters are two or three inches long, the tax is from 50 cents to $1.00 each letter. The taxation averages $25 a head for every man, woman, and child. I have from twenty-five to thirty pages of manuscript in my possession, proving the shooting of women and of children from six months to two years of age. I am well posted as to the horrible crimes that the Spaniards are committing every day, and that is why they put me out of the island. I knew too much and talkt too much. We are fond of the United States and would like to deal with her, but if we want to buy a barrel of flour from you, Spain has so arranged it down in Cuba, that it would cost us *24. Spain secures her flour from here and sends it from Europe to Cuba, making us pay *15 a barrel. We 'are allowed to have no trade of our own. A few years ago, if we sent our children to be educated in the United States, the father of that child could hold no official position, for his terrible crime. We have been praying and working to be free in Cuba, as you are in the United States, and we know that God will hear our prayer and will protect and help us as he helpt you. We are alone; we have no Lafayette. We have rung our Liberty Bell, but none has heard, and oh I how we pray they will hear and come to our help. I have been banisht. At four o'clock one morning policemen came to arrest me and my brother. They spent seven hours reading my papers and sermons and everything I had and then wanted to take us to jail. I said: "I have been sitting here very patiently, have not opened my mouth, but I want some breakfast first." The Spanish people are the slowest people you ever met. If you make a business appointment with them they will meet you and say" To-morrow." For instance, I have *20,000 in my hand, the first payment on our church in Cuba, and have been waiting a year to pay it. The man always says" I will sign the paper to-morrow." While we were eating, my brother entertained the policemen; they were our guests, and I wrote a telegram and slipt it under my plate without attracting their notice. My wife took it and sent it, and I was saved by that telegram. For eight days we were kept in jail, unable to read, write, or talk to anybody. After eight days they brought us to trial. I was an American citizen and refused to answer their questions. My brother answered their questions and laughed about it. We were taken back and had the sentence of death read to us, but to this I protested, saying I wanted to hear nothing about it. I knew I was to be executed the next day; I knew everything was ready. A soldier stayed by my bed all the time, every two hours a new one coming. I knelt down and prayed: "Lord, send me an angel and save me if you will." In the middle of the night the angel came. It was one of my church mem- bers who was sent in to keep watch. He askt me what he could do for me. I wrote several telegrams and letters, and he sent them for me. The telegrams were sent to the United States. The next day the jail door was opened.. My brother and I said farewell, and sang "God Be With You Till We Meet Again," with tears. It was natural; we were to leave wives and children, but instead of execution we were free. It is always my custom on leaving the jail to go to my church andJ finish the sermon I have been preaching, so this time I went. My people were all very much surprised. The papers had announced that we were to be executed that day, but I said to my people: "Don't be afraid; the same Lord Jesus Christ who opened the jail for Paul and Silas and Peter is the same Lord Jesus who opened the jail for us," and we had a revival lasting until half past one in the morning.
We went home, and the next day two policemen came with an
THE WANING INTEREST IN FORMGN MISSIONS
order from Gen. Weyler that my brother and I and my family should leave Ouba immediately, at SIX o'clock, the time the next steamer left. I said that was too quick. Nevertheless, I signed the paper and commenced to dress. I wanted two or three days to put the work into the hands of the mission board. We had a church, a school, and a cemetery in which were buried 17,000 Catholics, and which brought us five or six thousand dollars a year for the work. I went out and no one knew where I was. I stayed until half past six, after the steamer had sailed, and then came back. I arranged about the property and came here as an exile, but I have been treated better here than in Cubs. Pray for Cuba, and pray for the women who carryon the work of the church, and pray for your humble servant.
THE WANING INTEREST IN FOREIGN MISSIONS.* BY REV. RICHARD S. STORRS, D.D., BROOKLYN, N. Y.
It would be superfluous to argue for the blessing which comes with foreign missions; for everything which we have as individuals, in the way of character or culture, or of prosperity and happiness, by which we are differentiated from our savage ancestors in the woods and on the seas, has come to us from foreign missions, from the messages of the Gospel carried from Rome to the British Isles, from the subsequent messages sent under Augustine and his monks at the end of the sixth century, to the crude and fighting English people. Every happy home in which there is a Christian influence rests upon foreign missions. Every school in which instruction is truly and effectively given, every seminary of learning of whatever rank, every great university, the great libraries, all these, with all pleasant, happy, social customs, all just laws, prosperity, commerce, industry, power III the world-have come as the effect of foreign missions reaching our ancestors, and building them to a nobler and lovelier manhood than they otherwise could have attained. Every asylum of charity, every institute of beneficence rests upon foreign missions. It IS not the Anglo-Saxon spirit, as we sometimes say, it is not the confluence of life at this center from all peoples of the earth, which constitutes the basis for these great educational, charitable, beneficent institutions and influences. They come from foreign missions. And if we are ever blind to the value and glory of foreign missions it will be the worst example of civic ingratitude in the history of the world. Our just and humane legislation, our courts of justice, our republican institutions, our literatures, so far as they are enlightened and purified and purifying in effect, our hopes for the future, as well as our present prosperity and tranquillity, likewise come from foreign missions. These have been the builder by whom has been erected the entire personal, public, civic, and national development in which we rejoice to-day. And so it is natural that there should be an interest in foreign missions throughout the country-an interest in them not merely, tho primarily and supremely, because they reach individual souls and lead them toward the celestial and • An address delivered at the Interdenominational Rally for Foreign Missions held In Carnegie Hall, New York, on Friday evening, January 15, 1897. Reprinted with some abbreViations from the New York Independent. immortal life ; that would be an impulse to preach in the next village to preach in any neighborhood. Souls are there needing the Gospei as precious as the souls at Benares or Bombay, in Japan or China, or anywhere else.
Now there seems to be a diminution of the intense enthusiasm for foreign missions, which has been a characteristic and a glory in our national thought and life; and it comes, you observe, at the very point where we should expect just the opposite. Our means for promoting foreign missions were never so great as to-day. There have been added to our churches millions of profest Christian converts within the last twenty or thirty years. Wealth was never so abounding as now, in spite of the occasional alternating reverses in commercial affairs. In five years, before 1896, there were produced in America alone, beating all the rest of the world out of sight, nearly one hundred and ninety millions of gold, more than three hundred and seventy millions of silver; the products of manufactures have been immense beyond computation; the harvests of immeasurable abundance and bounty; the commerce of the country has been drawing to it the tribute of the seas from every ocean and every shore, wealth never so great as at this present time, and these millions of Ohristian disciples have their reasonable share of it and of its increase; and it might be expected that they would give more freely than ever before to this sublime' work which God has put partly into their hands. And then the missions themselves have never been so prosperous as they were three or five years ago, until these reductions began to cripple and almost imperil them. And these terrific outrages in the Ottoman Empire, at which we shudder and before which our blood stands still, are only the signs of the power which the Ottoman Government finds in foreign missions-the power to educate, the power to elevate; and ther come from the fear that by the onward working of these foreign mIssions, the Empire itself, the Mohammedan Government, will be overwhelmed or displaced. Missions were never so prosperous as recently; conversions never so frequent; the aggregate of church members in the missions never so great; the instruments for furthering missions within their own bounds-churches, schools, presses, individual labors, never so numerous and powerful as now. Everything has been looking apparently toward greater success soon to come; and yet at this precise point comes in this strange diminution of enthusiasm in our own land and churches for this sublime enterprise of God on the earth.
The question is one that faces us directly and must be answered. To what is this diminution of enthusiasm owing? Well, no doubt, it is owing primarily to the increasingly secularized temper of the Ohurch itself, which does not grasp spiritual things with the old vividness and vigor, which is more imprest by the temporal things which are beautiful and suburb to the sense, but which are transient and passing away. Unquestionably there is such a decline in the spiritual energy and intuition of the Church in this land as in others, and so comes diminution in the revenue of our treasury, a diminution not peculiar to one organization nor perhaps in the same measure to all, but as a general fact, common to all Ohristian denominations. And, for this lowering of the standard of Christian thought and Ohristian impulse and energy there are obvious causes; the increase of wealth in the community is one, and the eagerness for wealth and the power rapidly to acquire it, never equaled before in the history of the world. Then life is more fascinating, more entrancing with the younger and with those in middle age than it used to be. The machinery of life is more complex and intricate, and requires more expenditure of mental and moral force upon it to make it work, than it did in the earlier and simpler day in which we were, most of us, trained. Literature is more fascinating than ever before. 'fhe secular news of all the world comes upon us every day and almost every hour. And the result is that this great, solid, splendid earth pulls us to itself, holds us on the lower levels of aspiration and purpose and from the thought of God and his truth. The Church becomes ornate and sumptuous, but wanting in aggres- sive vigor. It walks in embroidered slippers and not iron-shod. It goes to what it calls its combat, in Sunday-morning dressing-gown and not in mail, and corselet, and battle mantle. It becomes very much like the petrified wood, agate, beautiful to look at, but all the pores of the living wood have been filled with substances foreign to itself, so that you can not melt it nor burn it, it will bring forth no fruit, and it will not ignite, altho beautiful to look upon. Sometimes that seems to me a fair image of the Church in our time, with all its splendor, with all its consciousness of power, but without the power to kindle others or almost to be kindled within itself. So it is that there comes this diminution of enthusiasm for foreign missions; that the ~eat unseen and stupendous things hold us less vigorously and contmuously than do the transient things of the earth to which our earthly nature gravitates.
And then, of course, it is to be recognized that there come in, in this comparatively chilled and torpid state of the Christian mind and life, a multitude of things that have to be met, of calls that have to be answered and which more or less interfere, no doubt, with the former enthusiasm for foreign missions. This great work of home missions -its.treasuries suffer also, and yet to a mind that thinks of the great- ness of the interests involved, it might almost properly take the place for the time of the work of foreign missions. Here we have seventy millions of people on this continent planted on the apex of the earth and reaching with its commerce around the whole globe. The work continually grows on our hands. It is a work of patriotism as well as of Christianity. It is a work that becomes more complex and more costly as it reaches out further-to New Mexico and Alaska-as it reaches different races, colored people, Chinese, Japanese, the Hungarians and Bohemians, and Russian Jews, who pour in such immense numbers into our country. Foreign missions and home missions interlock among us as never before, and we work upon these masses of foreigners that we may affect those from whom they come, to whom they return, and on whom their influence in the interval is exerted.
And then city missions absorb an attention never before given to them, and they do it directly; for the city is the center of the nation and one of the centers of the earth; and one of these great American cities with its enormous heterogeneous population reaching out to touch all lands of the earth through its affiliations with them, is a field for missionary work never surpast, one might almost say never equaled in history. Then there come in all the other institutions- every college, every seminary of learning has a trumpet-shaped mouth, like the mouth of the trumpet in the temple, calling for and receiving gifts all the time, from mites up to millions. Every institute of char- Ity needs help for the sick, for the blind, for the deaf, for those who are in ignorance, and want, and poverty; and the very stones of the streets would cry out against us if we did not meet those demands upon us. So it is that there are multitudes of things which come in before the American Ohristian mind in this comparatively tepid and torpid state of which I have spoken, which distract and arrest its attention and which hinder it from taking hold with the old energy on this sublime work of foreign missions. The foreign missions seem to be in danger of being left to take care simply of what is left after everything else has been attended to; and instead of leading the march of all Ohristian benevolence in a Christian land like this, it seems to be remitted to the rear. Now this is sad; not altogether unnatural, as I have said: and the question for us is what can we do to arrest the tendency and to turn the current again to the nobler direction, in which it moved so steadily and strongly in the earlier times?
One thing we can do is to take our stand by the side of Christ himself when he said, "The field is the world." What a magnificent conception, when he said, "all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth!" How they must have paused to know what his direction then would be for the use of that power ? Would he sweep the Roman Empire from the earth ? Would he set back the tides of the Mediterranean and overwhelm Italy ? Would he chastise with his divine vengeance the barbarous and cruel nations and tribes? " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Never person trod the earth who could say that-say it truly, emphatically, without stirring fear in the minds of all who heard him. "All power is given unto me; • • • therefore, go make disciples of all nations." What an extraordinary sequence of precept to declaration I If there were no other point in the work of Christ to mark him divine, that would show the divinity in him, not of power merely, but of wisdom, and tenderness, and love; with God to stand beside him and enter into his conception of a world to be reacht by his truth, renewed, purified, uplifted, glorified, transfigured into the likeness of the heaven come down upon the earth. And until we do that we never can arrest this current from foreign missions toward other things of importance, but not taking their place in the supremacy of their nature and of their effect. And then we need to cherish in our own hearts, everyone of us, the enthusiasm which the early missionaries aud martyrs felt for the Gospel of Christ in its relation to individual souls as well as to communities; the enthusiasm which has been a great power in the Church, out of which came the revivals, now so infrequent and far from being spontaneous; that are now excited, if at all, only or chiefly by the impact of individual minds thoroughly concentrated on those they address. We need to have this euthusiasm in ourselves. It is only fire that kindles fire. It is only life that propagates life. It is only spiritual energy that stirs spiritual energy in other accessible and responsive souls. We need to be "prest in the spirit," as Paul was; or, if any prefer the later reading and rendering, "impelled by the Word," before he went to preach at Corinth; to have these fires burning in our hearts for the salvation of men, and their conversion unto Him who came from the heaven to the earth to uplift and redeem them. We need to feel for ourselves and to impress upon others that sublime part of the plan of God in human history which no man ever saw and graspt without being exalted and dilated in spirit by the vision of it. The plan of a campaign, the long preparation for the adVElnt, the coming and childhood, and work and death of the Divine Master; His glorious ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit-all parts of a plan that contemplates the absolute supremacy of the divine kingdom in the earth. That day when the lion and the lamb will lie down together-predicted, as we think, by the alliance of the lion and the eagle in our own time; that day when holiness shall be inscribed on the bells.of the horses; that day when righteousness and peace shall fill the whole earth-that is the aim and is to be the consummation of God's great plan for the world.
Sometimes there seem to be pauses in its progress; sometimes, perhaps, setbacks to its advance. But all the while, on broad, geueral scale it is moving onward to its climax and ultimate achievement. And when we see that, we know that the power of God is behind us and that we are keeping step with omnipotence when we are working in this sublime a,nd divine cause; and we need to feel and to make others feel what is the relation of this nation of ours, what part it has in this stnpendous work of God for the world. That is the only key to its history-the history of its early colonization by the English and the Dutch-Protestant people-the history of its early salvation from the Spanish and French domination and from the Roman Catholic power which at first seemed destined to overspread the land. That is the key to the successful prosecution of the long and wasting French and Indian war. That is the key to the Revolution, giving us a sepa- rate life, largely derived from and modified by English life, but under our own separate development in our own separate line of direction. That is the key to the providential men that came to us at that time and have come to us at every time when they were needed. That is the key to every event which has occurred in and since the overthrow of slavery in this country, in the tremendous crash of the Civil War.
Men talk of the logic of events. Here is the logic of events. They talk of the Nemesis. Here is the Nemesis in history. Everything which falls in with God's design in the earth is furthered and for- warded and leads on to other and nobler issues, and everything that stands against those plans goes down under their impact, either in silent decay, or in the swift and awful crash of ruin. That is the Nemesis of history. And God is all the while working forward through this and other nations of the earth, to bring about that which is already present to His supreme mind, already embraced in that vision which searches through the eternity. And then we are to remember that we are living in the dispensa- tion of the Spirit, and that this may be only the temporary interval before the coming of that period in which His power will be advanced for all of the Church. How wonderful it was that Christ put in that bar to the immediate advance of the Apostles; when the entire Gospel had been completed-everything from the advent to the ascension, when every precept was in its plac~ and every doctrine and every promise, and all the beauty of His example was before the minds and hearts of His disciples, and they had been commissioned to teach the Gospel, and they were eager to go forth on that great work, the further issues of which they themselves could hardly foresee, but whic~ they knew was to be a work for the glory of God in Christ and the welfare of mankind, and when they were eager for the service, almost like hounds straining against the leash, that they might enter it, comes that voice: "Tarry ye at Jerusalem "-at the city where the Lord had been hated and killed, at the city whose neighboring hill is already red with His blood, at the city where passions are fiercer because they have had this initial success. "Tarry ye in the city until ye be endued with power from on high." Ten days they waited, and then came Pen- tecost, and then they went forth with the power of the Spirit to proclaim the glad tidings of great joy to Scythian and barbarian, to Greek and Jew. Then Paul could say afterward, looking at Rome, center of power, adoring power, making its emperor a god because he had power: "I am not ashamed to preach the Gospel of Christ to you that are at Rome, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe." It is the only omnipotent force, the only power to which His almightiness is pledged. That came with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Now I have sometimes thought, looking on the depression of these times and the hindrances to missionary success, that God was saying to us in the same voice with which Christ spoke to the Apostles: "Tarry ye till the Spirit comes. Tarry ye and pray." And when that Spirit comes He will come suddenly, as He came at Pentecost, as came the angelic song, as the Lord's second coming will come-suddenly. But when He, the Spirit, comes ye will have power for the conquest of the earth. Let us remember that we are in the dispensation of the Spirit. Let us wait, and wait in prayer, for the coming of that divine energy which shall make the Gospel vital, energetic, divine, overwhelming to those who hear it, and shall carry it swiftly forward to the ends of the earth.
One thing more. Let us wait and work and pray in undaunted and exultant confidence, knowing that the end is to come. Christ did not die in vain. He shed his blood upon the earth, he dropt his tears upon the earth, that it might be in all its regions baptized unto God with water and with blood. He breathed his spirit into the air, that it might fill the atmosphere of the earth. He gave himself for the earth, and his disire for its salvation in himself is not less intense than wht'n he died for it, than when he rose over Olivet with his hands lifted in benediction as he went. God is not dead; his arm is not shortene'd. The swing of the universe to-night proves that. The Spirit is not dead. His power is shown in individual minds and hearts as lustrously as ever; and if we pray it will be shown in great com- JIlunities, in vast revivals, in turning the hearts of the children of men in every land unto the Lord Christ; and we are to walk and work, as well as wait and pray, in the knowledge, in the assurance, in the absolute certainty that the end is coming in the age of glory and of peace.
So let us not be discouraged by any temporary drawback or hindrances. Let us set ourselves to overcome the hindrances in our own hearts and in the hearts of others till the Ohurch glows with the heavenly light, till it is animated and nourisht by the heavenly temper, till the Ohurch on earth, quickened by Christ and illuminated by His truth, can at last take the world of mankind and present it before God as its tribute to him, who sent the Son, who loved the world, and who gave His Son unto the death for it, and who accepts it at last as the jewel in His infinite crown.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
n.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
Missionary Economics j The Scribes in authors, and tho in most cases there were unnecessarily long prefaces con- Council. sidering the character of the men who were to listen to them, who were, or The returned missionaries of the va- ought to be, experts in the subjects rious missionary societies in the United treated; yet, once the discussion was States and Canada, have held thirteen entered upon, they all became concise, annual sessions, of a week each, for well-digested, instructive, and suggest. the purpose of discussing questions per- ive treatises. They were not intended taining to the foreign missions of the for the general public, yet it is our world, with most signal advantage to opinion that the great advance in intelthem and to the cause of evangelization ligence of the churches on missionary of the non-Christian world. In 1893 matters, not only justifies the presenta· the representatives of the several For- tion of such discussions to the public, eign Mission Boards of the United but calls for it. A very large number States and Canada met in council for a of the pamphlets containing the reports like purpose, and have assembled an- of the proceedings of this conference nually since. They have just concluded judiciously furnisht to the patrons of their Fifth Conference, in New York missions, would greatly augment concity, with a large number-some sixty- fidence in missionary administration, seven in all-officials in attendance, and enable the patrons of the societies with a dozen foreign missionaries add- to intelligently defend them against ed. January 12, the treasurers held a ,the criticisms freely current in many special conference, for comparison of quarters. The meeting itself marks methods of receiving and forwarding an advance. That these several repmoneys with safety, expedition, and resentatives have determined to sit in economy. During the next two days, such council annually, to find how to the following topics were presented in improve the methods of their adminpapers specially prepared for the con- istration will tend to increast confidence. ference. in each case a free discussion There is one danger to which their atfollowing: Self-support, Dr. Judson tention is already attracted, to wil- Smith; Uniform Statistical Blanks, Dr. there might be too great centralization Samuel W. Duncan; Gifts for Special of policy, if they undertake tofQrmulate Objects-Should they be encouraged? their general conclusions with a view to Dr. E. E. Strong; Form and Practical a binding effect on the several Boards. Use of Annual Reports, Rev. A. Wood- Legislation is beyond their province; ruff Halsey; The Economic Distribu- but they know it and are hence free tion of Missionary Force, Dr. S. L. frqm the criticism of attempting it. Baldwin; Furloughs, their frequency, The smaller societies are, however, in length, and profitable use to mission- some danger of being dominated by the aries and the work, Dr. W. W. Barr; consensus of opinion, and may miss, for Unmarried !Iissionaries, Dr. Ellinwood; themselves and for others, the great Ecumenical Missionary Conference in good of making new ventures, under 1900 in America, Dr. Judson Smith; new conditions. Where everything is The Student Volunteer Movement, Dr. so fraternal, however, as here, none Henry N. Cobb; Independent Missions, will welcome the results of new experi- Dr. A. B. Leonard; Chinese Indemni- ence more than the older of these repties, Dr. Ellinwood. It will be seen resentatives. There was a markt abfrom this that the conference is designed sence of the "we-know-it·all" spirit. to be of a most practical nature. The Everybody seemed 011 a school-form papers were worthy of their eminent eager to learn of anybody else. A very being so near the end of the century, it much larger representation of the lay- would be better to extend the time till men of the several Boards would be a 1900. The mission representatives in decided advantage to the meeting and Great Britain and on the Continent of to the general interests of missions. Europe had been generally heard from, and all responded with hearty approval The ladies of many of the Women's of the proposal to hold such a WorId's Boards met on January 15, and organ- Missionary Conference at the opening of ized a similar conference, to meet an- the twentieth century in the city of nually for like mutual benefit. As it New York, tho the precise date could was strictly pardaniBhin we cannot reo not be agreed upon with equal unanport what they did or said. Both these imity. The Churches of America will conferences will meet next year, the hail with great pleasure the holding of guests of the Methodist Episcopal such conference here. It ought to be Board, as they were this year the guests the subject of much devout thought. of the Presbyterian Board. It may well be askt what measures can be instituted to prepare for a great meet· The Conference has already reacht ing. Nothing short of a greater spiritu· practical unanimity on several ques- ality in the churches, with deeper con· tions, such as the following :-That one secration to the work of the world's mission should not receive into its memo redemption, will furnish the fitting en· bership those dismist on account of vironment for that great assembly. improper conduct from any other The world will then be full of wonder church; that native converts should be and exaltation at the material advance· discouraged from coming to Europe or ment of the present century, and the America for education; that natives of presentation of that class of themes the mission fields educated in America will divide the attention of the churches. should not be appointed on the same That need not be deprecated, but it will basis as regular missionaries ; that di- require a profound spiritual energy to rect preaching of the Gospel should concentrate attention on spiritual affairs. have precedence over all other forms of We ought to get ready to march into missionary effort; that they do not favor the twentieth century with the greatest the organization of a National Church spiritual force, intensity, and consecrain India; that the study of missions in tion. The holding of such a meeting theological seminaries should be pro- here should be accepted in the light of moted, and professorships and lectures a great trust, as well as in that of a on missions should be urged; that gifts great privilege. outside the regular appropriations should not be encouraged; within the For all this, a conference like that appropriations however, while some: whose proceedings we are reviewing, times open to objections, on the whole, must needs be one measure of prepara· would be welcomed; that all competi. tion. It will be well for all the Chris. tion for the services of native agents on tian agencies of the land to find how foreign fields between the agents of the they can, more and more, cooperate; several societies should be discouraged; and to this end they should cultivate that frequent visitations of official rep- a fuller acquaintance with each other·s resentatives of the Boards to the foreign methods and achievements. The whole fields is of imperative importance. forces of Christendom in this western continent ought to come up solidly The subject of most popular interest intelligel).t. as to their successes, their was the paper on the holding of an failures, and their needs. A special Ecumenical Missionary Conference. feature of the proceedings of the The London Conference in 1888 recom· Officers' Conference, which looks to the mended a decennial conference, which holding of simultaneous union mission· would bring the next conference in 1898, but on all hands it was conceded that ary meetings in all the great centers, sible for the selection of the portions will contribute to this. Eight divis- herewith presented.-J. T. G.] ional meetings were held in New York city, one evening during the time of A circular letter was sent to twenty the conference, and a great pan-denom- of the various Boards here represented, inational meeting was provided for in embracing the following inquiries as to Carnegie Hall on the 15th of Janu- the results of the Movement as shown ary which theoretically was the center in their experience: of a great number of similar massmeetings to have been held simultane- "1. Can you trace any inereatJtJ in ously in other great cities. This was the number of applicants for appointrealized in part, Chicago and a few ment to the existence and influence of other cities having arranged for such the Movement? assemblies. But the meeting in New York itself was not what it might have "2. Are you able to detect any imbeen, and other cities which would provement in the quality of 'Volunteer' have responded to the call for simul- applicants, or of those actually aptaneous meetings were debarred from pointed? If so, in what respects? the same through the shortness of the notice received. But all this can be "3. Have you noticed any quicken- I'vercome, if the Officera' Conference ing of missionary zeal in your churches will fix the date long enough in advance through the instrumentality of the S. to allow the churches to make suitable V. M., and have the Volunteers aided, preparation. They must remember to any extent, in the raising of funds . that this is a big country, and a few fol' their own support or for the other weeks' notice is not enough. They work of your board? might better advise the churches at once of the date for 1898. "4. Would you suggest any changes in the methods of working adopted by The papers of this conference are the leaders of the Movement?" worthy of a far wider reading than they will receive through the pamphlet form, To our surprise and gratification, and yet as they were prepared chiefly nineteen replies have been received. Of for members, it might interfere with these one only answers every inquiry in the desirable freedom of these dis- the negative; eMu may be styled as cussions, were the press to invade their , , non-committal," through insufficient meetings and publish all the discussions. opportunity for observation and ac- One paper, however, that was read by quaintance; jive give a qualified, and Dr. Cobb on the Student Movement, the remaining ten an almost unqualified was requested for use in this magazine, affirmative reply. with the privilege of selecting such portions of it as our space would allow us In reviewing the aims of the :Moveto use. It will be found in the follow- ment in connection with these replies ing pages. we unhesitatingly offer the following 'conclusions: The Student Volunteer Movement. 1. The steadfast effort to bring stu- BY REV. HENRY N. COBB, D.D., NEW dents to "a thorough consideration of YORK. the claims of foreign missions upon them as a life-work," and "to foster [Dr. Cobb presented a paper in the this purpose," should be followed by a form of a report to the Fifth Conference perceptible increase in the number of of Representatives of Mission Boards, those applying for appointment. And January last, which at our solicitation such has been the result. To this the was placed at our disposal so far as testimony of some of our largest sociepracticable. Dr. Cobb is not respon- ties is. emphatic. Thus one writes, "There has been a markt increase in the number of our candidates singe the Movement was more thoroughly organ- ized, and notably since the Detroit Con- vention. So far as we can judge, the majority of our candidates have been work and a better mental equipment."
given their early impulses toward the " We have one very promising yOlmg foreign field by the Movement." An- physician under appointment, who is other says, "The number 'of applicants an ardent member of the S. V. M.· I perceptibly increast from 1886 to 1894; think his course of preparatory studies and this increase, while doubtless due has been a great benefit to him, and he to several causes, was due in part to the has pursued it along the lines laid down Student Volunteer Movement." An- in the Student Volunteer."
other answers, "Yes. And what is So far as the educational work of the more, a majority of the men whom we Movement is concerned, we feel the have sent to the foreign field, in the force of the official statement respecting last four years, have been Student it : "A common preparation, aside from Volunteers." "Yes, very clearly," the regular studies of the curriculum, writes another. "In answer to a re- is needed for the work of the foreign cent call for an additional missionary, missionary. The Volunteers need to we received the applications of sixteen. know what special preparation is neces- Most, if not all of them, were led to the sary. They need to understand the step by their connection with the Vol- relative importance of the different unteer Movement." Another still, "De- lines of preparation. They need to • cidedly. Quite a number of men and learn how to economize to the best ad- women, in writing to us, have stated vantage the time at their disposal for that their first impulse in the direction this preparation. " Especially is this of foreign missions was received from true of our Theological Seminaries, the Volunteer Movement." And yet which are in general the immediate one more, "I think I am safe in saying sources of supply. If the testimony of that we have had ten offers for service the Movement is to be received they in the foreign work, where we had one offer a peculiarly hard field. "Another . previous to the organization of the problem confronts us in some quarters, Movement." and that is the dijJiculty of holding Vol- 2. What, then, is the quality of these unteers after they enter the '.1heological applicants? The object of the "mis- Seminam.* If they leave college with sionary study" proposed and guided by a strong purpose and are thoroughly the movement is, as it should be, to grounded in missions, the question of produce a better class of candidates. holding them does not present insuper- Has it done so? Again let the Secre- able difficulties. But even in such cases taries speak. " Weare under the con- it is a real problem to preserve the faith viction," writes one, "that there has and enthu8iasm of Volunteer8 who enter been a decided improvement in the imtitutiom where, to quote a prominent quality of Volunteer candidates. We Board SecretOll'1J, 'from the beginning to have noticed this in respect to two lines the end of the C<JUr8e the who~ pr88ump- of equipment; first, in the intelligence tion in the teaching and attit'!/.d(j of the of such candidates concerning the faculty is that the men are all going to heathen field at large and our own in stay at home. ' Add to this the constant particular, and second, in the stability pressure brought to bear upon them by of their zeal and the positiveness of home churches, and the solution of the their determination to serve in the for- problem is not simplified."
eign field." Another, "There has been This is a sad statement and full of a steady improvement in an intelligent ominous suggestions. May not a par- appreciation of the principle and motive tial explanation of the difficulty be underlying the missionary cause." found in the condition of missionary "Better in the matter of education and instruction in these seminaries so for- equipment and general fitness for the work." "A better conception of the * It&lics Qul'tl.-J. '1'. Q. cibly set forth in one of the papers of the proved the quality of the missionaries Conference of a year ago and in the who have been available or who have book on the same subject by Mr. been appointed. The volunteering has Adams? And if this be so, should we been usually done at an age when not welcome, and esteem of special young men have been most impressible, value, an agency which aims specifically and the most emotional of the young " to provide systematic, comprehensive men are usually the ones who volunteer. and progressive courses of study on Hence I would express the opinion, not foreign missions for the. use of stu- without hesitation, that the quality of dents," and to inform them by intelli- missionaries has not been, and is not gent study, intelligently guided and likely to be, improved by the Move- aided, as to 'their principles, history, ment." Except in the somewhat de- methods, needs and obligations? The spairing conclusion of the last quotation, courses of study outlined should not, the truth probably comprehends both nor are we able to believe they do, these statements. The Volunteer Move- make too serious a draft upon the time ment-and many others with it, even or strength of the average student in the Kingdom of Heaven-His like unto the average Theological Seminary, nor a net that was cast into the sea and needlessly and injuriously conflict with gathered of every kind." It could his proper duties in the institution. . . hardly be otherwise. It is for the Boards • 3. There is another aspect of the to sift the" catch," or such portions of question as to quality, which demands it as are brought to them, and, with and deserves special consideration. The such wisdom and insight as God may fear has been exprest that, through the bestow, select the best. . • . . enthusiasm created by the Movement, 4. The fear has been exprest lest the and the too wide circulation and too work of the Volunteer Bands should ready or too early acceptance of the tend to create a broad line of demarca- "Volunteer Declaration," those stu- tion between the members of those dents who are rather emotional than in- Bands, all having the missionary work tellectual, impulsive rather than sober- in view, and other students, as tho the minded, are led to volunteer; that, by latter might feel theIllSelves absolved the methods in use, the best minds are from all interest in and all concern not only not reacht but are tempted to about the great cause of missions. This hold themselves aloof from volunteering danger appears to have been clearlyapand in the end from missionary service. prehended in the statement of the main This would be most deplorable, if true. objects of the Movement before referred On this point the views of the brethren to. On it is said, "Essentially involved are more conflicting than on any other. in all this is the further object of the One writes, co Under the influence of Movement to create and maintain an this Movement men of positive mark in intelligent, sympathetic, active interest our Seminaries have been imprest with in foreign missions, among the students a sense of responsibility for the heathen, who are to remain on the home fleld, in and have thus been led to offer them- order to secure the strong backing of selves for service, who would not have this great enterprise by prayer and otherwise seriously considered the sub- money." In our opinion this is quite ject. Some of the best men who have as important as any other object of the gone to our fields in these latter days Movement, especially in view of the are the direct fruits of the Student growing demands of the great work, Volunteer Movement." On the other the backwardness of the Churches, and hand, another says, while stating that the deficient resources of all our Boards the number of applicants has been in- and Societies. The Boards may pos- creast, HI have had the impression that , sibly receive, as some have received, ~e Vol~nte~r Mov~ment has not im- many more applications than theT can accept. But the Churches can never this lost world to the knowledge of the have too many nor too active and ardent truth and love of our Redeemer. missionary pastors and teachers, men and women of learning and influence, In bringing this report, already far who abide at home. The multiplication too long, to a close, we can find no of these will be the surest way to in- better expression of our own feeling in .crease the ability of the Boards to ac- this regard than that which comes from cept all applicants who ought to be one of our correspondents, a member of accepted, and to send to the field all this conference. who ought to be sent. . . .. . .. It is my matured conviction that in 5. The avowed disposition and pur- this movement we may plainly discern pose of the movement to make its work one of the signal interpositions of our subserve the interests of the existing God on behalf of world evangelization. Boards and Societies, deserves the cor- It has failed, if at all, in accomplishing dial recognition of the Conference. Its all that was possible, because the Church endeavor is to secure to them an in- of Christ at home has been slow to discrease not only of "missionaries with cern the signs of the times. In other the right qualifications," but also of words, had our Churches throughout available funds for their maintenance, the land promptly accepted this moveand of intelligent missionary zeal in ment as a call of God to them for en· the churches to which they look for larged offerings to missions, I am conthe support of all their work. This fident that the achievements of the purpose clearly appears from the fol- Gospel in all our fields would have lowing statements in the report of been greatly multiplied. In this up- 1894: rising among the students of our in· stitutions of learning, leading to the •• The r68pO'Mibilitll of tM M0'D6ment consecration of so many of them to the doa not ceo.se until the Volunteer8 are foreign field, I can not fail to see the brought into direc' communication wjth faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God, their respeeti'1)6 Boards. Nor does it in answering the prayers of His people cease entirely then." . . for lab0rers. It seems to me, however, that brought face to face with the de- We believe there is an agency here of mands and the sacrifices which these which the Boards might make far very answers to prayer have involved, greater and more effective use than they our Churches have shrunk back and now do. It is no doubt true in general, failed to meet their part of the respon. that "returned missionaries have a sibility. It seems to me no better serstronger influence in both directions." vice could be rendered than the calling Yet the supply of these is necessarily the attention of Christians over all the limited. And there is much in the land, who desire to obey the great comsight and words of consecrated young mission, to the divine significance of men and women, whose hearts the the Volunteer Movement." Lord has toucht, and who ha'1J6 8tudied up Ute subjec' and arefull of it, to waken The Oountess of Dufi'erin's Fund. interest and move to conviction. Properly introduced and commended, ex- BY REV. A. MCLEAN, D.D•• CINCINNATI, perience shows that they are welcomed OIDO, SECRETARY FOREIGN CHRISby pastors and acceptable to the people. TIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
Such influences can not be too greatly In India one hears much about this multiplied if the churches at large are " Fund," and of the great and good generally to be awakened not only to work it has accomplisht. One sees the the signiflcance of the Volunteer Move- spacious hospitals and dispensaries that ment itself, but also to that of the still have been erected and opened under greater movement and enterprise of its anspices. The origin of thisent~r which it forms a part, the bringing of prise is both interesting and pathetic. Tho the story has been told many times, that vast empire. In her account of it is so good that it will bear repetition. this interview Lady Dufferin said: "When I was leaving England, Her The wife of the Maharajah of Punna Majesty the Queen·Empress drew my was the victim of a painful and linger- attention to the subject, and said she ing sickness. She suffered much from thought it was one in which I might native doctors and received no benefit. take a practical interest. From that Her case was deemed hopeless. The time I took pains to learn all I could of prince heard of Miss Beilby, a medical the medical question in India as regards missionary in Lucknow, and besought women. I found, that altho certain her to come and heal his wife. She great efforts were being made in a few came and spent several weeks with her places to provide female attendants, and so treated her that she recovered hospitals, training.schools, and dis- her health. Soon after Miss Beilby pensaries for women; and altho miswas leaving for home to take her de- sionary effort has done much, and for gree. When she called to bid farewell years had been sending out pioneers into the Maharani said, "You are going to the field, yet, taking India as a whole, England and I want you to tell the its medical women were without that Queen, and the Prince and Princess of medical aid which their European sis- Wales, and the men and women of ters are accustomed to consider as abso- England, what the women of India lutely necessary." After studying the suffer when they are sick." She begged field and its needs and conferring with her to see the Queen in person and ask the chief men and women in the counher for medical assistance. Miss Beilby try, she organized The National ..1.880told her of the great difficulty of seeing ciation for Supplying Female Medical the Queen and presenting the message Aid to the Women of India. This Asso· in person. The princess said, "Did ciation is commonly spoken of as "The you not tell me that our Queen was Countess of Dufferin's Fund." good and gracious, and that she never heard of suffering without sending a The objects of this organization are message to say how sorry she was, and as follows: 1. Medical tuition, includtrying to help?" Miss Beilby exprest ing the teaching and training of women her willingness to do what she could. as doctors, hospital assistants, nurses, The princess askt her to write the mes- and midwives. 2. Medical relief, insage at once, " Write it small, DOctor cluding the establishment, under female Miss Sahib, for I want to put it into a superintendence, of dispensaries and locket, and you are to wear this locket cottage hospitals for the treatment of around your neck until you see our women and children; the opening of great Empress and give it to her your- female wards under female superintendself. You are not to send it through ence in existing hospitals and dispensaranother." In some way the Queen ies; the provision of female medical heard of this messsage and sent for officers and attendants for existing Miss Beilby. On reading the message female wards; and the founding of she said, "We had no idea it was as hospitals for women where special bad as this. Something must be done funds or endowments are forthcoming. for these poor creatures. We wish it S. TM Bupply of trained female nur8e8 generally known that we sympathize and midwivetJ for women and children with every effort made to relieve the in hospitals and private houses. It is suffering state of the women of India." eleven years since the Association be- gan its work. There are now sixty.two· About this time the Earl of Dufferin lady doctors and forty-four hospital was appointed Viceroy of India. The assistants at work. Over a million Queen sent for Lady Dufferin and patients were treated last year. The urged her to do what she could to annual increase of patients numbers bring medical help to the women of about one-hundred thousand. There to be unsectarian and national, and are sixty-five hospitals and dispensaries. therefore neutral as respects religion. These cost seventeen lakhs of rupees. No employe is allowed to proselyte or Ten of these are entirely supported by interfere in any way with the religious native princes. Two princes in Raj- beliefs of any section of the people. putana gave $190,000. Seven other Lady Dufferin and her associates sought hospitals are in course of construction. to arouse the conscience and imagina- There are two hundred and forty-three tion of the public at large, and to reach students in medical colleges or in train- all parts of the Empire and all classes ing classes. Scholarships have been of the community. They sought to given women in the schools in Calcutta, enlist and benefit the Hindu, the Mo- Madras, Lahore, Bombay, and Agra. hammedan, and the Buddhist. At the There are training classes in Cuttack, same time they were careful not to an- Lucknow, Allahabad, Rangoon, Nag- tagonize or interfere with the medical pur, and Benares. Students are encour- work of the missionaries. There is aged to go through these schools and work enough for all. then to go to England or Germany for their degrees. There has been much pre- This National Association has been judice in the way of the work. Sickness called one of the greatest charities in is regarded by many as a visitation for existence. It is one of the direct resin and can be cured only by expiations sults of missionary enterprise. The an· and incantations and other religious nual reports do not refer to Miss Beilby remedies. Others think women are and the Maharani of PUnn&. They unworthy of the medical treatment pro- prefer to say that the Association owes vided for men. It has been found its existence to the direct initiative of difficult to get women of the higher Her Majesty the Queen·Empress. That castes to leave their seclusion and pre- sounds better in some ears than to say pare themselves for this service. Gradu- that it owes its birth and being to a ally, however, prejudice is giving way, medical missionary. Nevertheless, the and the work of the Association is truth is known, and it can not be hid. growing in public favor. Recently the London Times referred to Lord Dufferin as an orator, a statesman, It will be noted that this is work con- and a diplomat, and added that the ducted by woman in the interest of work that would live longest and be women. A masculine physician is not most beneficent, was the work he did allowed to enter a woman's apartments. in connection with this Association for If he is called in as a last resource he supplying Medical Aid to the women may speak to her through a screen, but of India. he cannot see her and make a thorough examination. Many women would die Some Reoent Innovations at Oheung rather than to have a man come near them. For this reason women must be Mai, Lao Mission. trained as physicians and nurses. They must be qualified to treat all diseases BY BEV. W. C. DODD. that their sex is heir to. This means much for the elevation of the women of Most of them you in the home-land India. If the minds of a considerable wonld not call innovations, but develop· number are developt, if they take ments. But to the Lao people they some worthy part in the work of the come as something very new; and we world, and live no longer like a frog in will not quarrel about names. a well, others will profit thereby. It should be noted, furthermore, that this One innovation was the observation, is a benevolent work simply; in no sense this year, of Children's Day in the is it missionary or Christian. It aims Cheung Mal Church. The word got out that there was to be something un- usual, and something very enjoyable. People put their own construction on it. Some conjectured that it was to be like almost passionately fond of games. the native New Year-a time for throw- Hence it has been put on the hearts and ing water on everybody. Rev. Nan consciences of the missionaries that we Tab, As~ociate Pastor of the Church, are bound to lead our young people into even sent me a note, saying that he had Innocent amusements, or they will drift heard that there was to be some kind of into questionable ones. We have tried doings, he did not know what. He to meet this new duty by inaugurating hoped it would be appropriate to the several social features, none of them at day and the place. But after in was all new to you, but all of them innova- finisht, he turned to me and said: tions to this people. "Can't we have it every Sabbath?" And no wonder. Surely nothing so One has been the translation of a set enjoyable had ever before been wit- of Bible-History cards, which can be nessed by these sober-minded Chris- played as authors' cards are played. tians. There was marching into the These are not all finisht yet, but a few church; there was singing in concert, trials of them have seemed to indicate reading in concert, the Lord's Prayer that among the better educated they in concert; one class recited the Fourth will be popular, not only as a pastime, Commandment in concert; more than a but also as a course in Bible History. dozen other classes recited selected portions of Scripture in concert, beginning Another social feature has been that with the two infant classes, and ending individual missionary families have, with the Bible Class of Rev. Punyah; from time to time, invited the Lao minthere was a motion song by another isters, or the members of one of the class, and an English hymn by the chil- schools, or the members of a Sabbathdren of the missionaries. The only ex- school class, to the missionary homes, ercises which were not in concert were and have entertained them with pictwo prayers, two addresses, and the tures, games, microscopic views and benediction; and it is by no means cer- refreshments. These entertainments tain that the people did not wish that have seemed to be very PQPular. Grathese had been in concert, too. dually foreign games are being intro- duced and adopted, sometimes with It was a great day. And Rev. Nan amusing modifications. Tah, who knows a good thing when he sees it, wrote me a poem on the subject, But, after all, most of our innovations extolling the patience and the ability of are quite distinctly religious, not only those who had trained the classes, and in tendency, but in actual form. One had planned and managed this whole which the people at first resented as a affair. He and others have said that if most decided and unwarrantable innowe can not have it every Sabbath, they vation, was well begun last year, namewould· like to have it at least once a ly, the matter of urging systematic, month. scriptural giving. Sporadic example and teaching on this subject had been Another innovation this year is in the given before, but last year a movement social realm. We are beginning to have was begun all along the line. It is a second generation of Christians now, bearing fruit. One church, Lampoon after thirty years of mission work. First Presbyterian, at a congregational There are young men and women com- meeting held after a most thorough ing from our schools who are not con- ventilation and discussion of the sub': tent to spend their time in idleness or jcct had already been had, decided frivolous gabble. Their minds must without a dissenting vote to tithe as a have some employment, especially in the Church. And if they live up to that evenings, after their work is finisht. action, it 'IJJZ·ll be an innovation of a most As yet we have only a limited stock of welcome sort. Christian literature. This people are Another most welcome inroad into Christian-heathen ignorance is the organization of a Woman's Missionary a distinct dialect of its own. The work of the Methodist Episcopal Mission Society. It now has over thirty mem- began here over thirty years ago. Durbers, holds monthly meetings, and al- ing the period from the early sixties to ways takes up a collection, or rather a 1890, no foreigner lived in Bing-hua.
voluntary contribution. Some conse- There was generally a native Presiding Elder, and the missionary in charge, crated missionary effort, some conse- living in Foochow, made more or less crated native zeal, and some consecrated extended and frequent trips over the tithe-money is going into that Society; work, as time and other duties would and we know what will come out. permit. But it became manifest that the work Angels are rejoicing over that Society needed a more thQrough- supervision already. than it could receive in this way. The One of the best innovations, and one dialect being different from that of Foo- which might prove a real innovation if chow, few of the missionaries could use it effectively. In 1890 the writer was introduced into some home churches, transferred from Singapore, and apis what we may call the organizing of pointed to Bing·hua, with his wife, be- the church into a night-school to study ing the first foreign residents there.
the Word, village by village, commun- We began to hold short camp-meet- ings at the various village centers, ity by community. It is something beginning generally on Thursday even- .' after the plan outlined in "Methods of ing and closing Sunday evening, holding Mission Work," by Rev. J. L. Nevius, four services a day, beginning with a late of China. Each community is or- before breakfast prayer-meeting. Near- ly a score of such meetings have been ganized into a school, a leader is ap- held. Many hundreds have been clearly pointed, the members are put into converted in these meetings, and the classes, according to their advancement spiritual life of the whole Church has in study, and a record of attendance is been greatly quickened. That the work in this line has been kept. Also, the completion of anyone deep and genuine is manifest from the course of study by any class is noted. markt advance in self-support.
The courses consist of learning to read, Last year the three districts now reading in course, committing to mem- forming the Bing-hua Mission Confer- ence raised for pastoral support$12811.74 ory certain designated portions of the (Mexican); this ysar, $2,432.12, or an advance of $1,148.38; being an increase Word, explanation of Scripture. pas- of nearly 100 per cent. sa~es, comInitting of the Child's Catechism, and now that the Shorter Cate- In addition to this, a Bome Missionchism is just translated, it also will be ary Society has been organized. It was committed by the more advanced beglln by some of our most zealous classes. This work was suggested to native helpers toward the close Of the the people by the missionaries, but in many places it has been taken up by the last Conference year. Nearly $300 was people theInselves, and is being sus- given in 1895. This year there has been tained in a very gratifying manner. great enthusiasm about this collection, Surely the Spirit who inspired the Word and the sum of $1,431.78 has been will richly bless the study of it. raised.
May the time soon come when all The aggregate increase of money these things shall cease to be novelties raised for pastoral support, including and innovations, and shall become fix- the Bome Missions collection, reaches tures of the Lao Church. $2,283.00. Another such advance this year, and our native preachers will be A N6W Oonference in Ohina. entirely supported by the native church. There has also been a healthy increase BY REV. W. N. BREWSTER. in membership of 380 full members and 634 probationers, or a little over one On the morning of Nov. 26th, Bishop thousand altogether. The year has been Joyce opened the first session of the one of solidifying rather than expand- Bing-hua Mission Conference, com- ing. posed of the three southern districts of The Conference Session was memor- the Foochow Conference of the Metho- able. Nearly one thousand people were dist Episcopal Church. The Bing·hua crowded into the Jesse Lee Memorial Prefecture lies on the coast half way Church, which is the largest Protestant between Foochow and Amoy. It has Church in the Province.
FIELD OJ' MONTHLY SURVlIl'. 21~
III.-FIELD OF MONTHLY SURVEY.
Mexico,* Oentral America, t West Indies, t City Missions, § Foreigners in America.,.
BY DELA.VAN L. PIERSON.
MEXICO. (3) There is need of the presentation of a reaaonablefaith to those who have Mexico still sorely needs the pure revolted from the gross Buperstitions of and regenerating Gospel of Christ. The the Roman Church in Mexico. Noth- recent attack on one of the Protestant ing sadder can be imagined than the missions there gives evidence of this funeral orations by prominent citizens at the graves of their departed com- as do the teachings and lives of the rades. No hope, no gleam of light for Romanists who occupy the land, and the future, only a troubled look into the condition of the ignorant and de- the great unknown, which: has received another soul. Many men of the liberal graded Indians and half-breeds. Much party now declare that they have done progress has been made since mission- with religion; yet numbers of these aries tirst went to labor in the land, but are in sympathy with the Protestant there is need that the people of the churches that encourage education, United States stretch every nerve to progress, and rational thinking. help raise these people to the true level of Christianity, before infidelity and (4) There is urgent need of Christians paganism I1tamp out their life. who know how to pray, with intelli- gence as well as faith; and the enlight- Mrs. James D. Eaton, of Chihuahua, ened fervor of many in our evangelical gives the following roosons for sending churches is one of the most hopeful missionaries to Mexico: . effects of the Gospel here.
> , (1) Many souls are tr:ving to satisf, (5) And there ds need of the Gospel , thems~lves with the husks within theIr for the sake of our own countryme,n here. Americans are comin~ more and reach, whil,e hungering for the Bread more to Mexico, to engage In mining, of Life. One poor woman feeling the railroad, agricultural, and manufactur- need of something, she knew not what, ing enterprises. There are said to be ventured to lIsk a priest to explain the several thousand of them in this State, forms of the church, the mass, baptism, some 700 in this city and vicinity. If etc~; but he only replied that she was a fool, who could not understand. Now home missions are a necessity in the that she had received the Word, and new settlements of the United States, fflels that Jesus is her Savior, that long- there is similar need o~ this side of the ip.g is met, and she is daily satisfying line. her hunger and thirst by the Word of Pioneer mission-work in Mexico W88 God.,and pra;ver. begun in 1862. Rev. D. A. Wilson of (2) There IS needed a Gospel of holi- Guadalajara writes: n68B in this land where religion and It is doubtless quite true, as has often morals are divorced. A people that have been allowed to break the whole been said, that " Protestantism entered decalog, and obtain an easy absolution at the hands of the priests; yes, even Mexico in 1847, between the covers of gain pardon in advance for crime to be 'committed, realize that it is a new the Bibles carried in the knapsacks of ~ospel which says, "Thy sins be for- gj.ven thee; go and sin no more." American soldiers," but the first effort to propagate Protestantism in this coun- try, so far as can be ascertained, from • The article promist on this sub~ect has a1u86th2.e*nticInsotuhreceasutwuamsnaboof utthtahte year faUed to reach us in time for publicatIOn. See year, .G9speZ in AU Lands (March) and The Mission Rev. James Hickey arrived at Mon- World (monthly). terer as an independent missionary, t An article promist on Central America haVIng previously labored for eight- has also failed to reach us. See Moravian PetrSioedeipcap.l Accounts (quarterly). een months as colporteur of the 195, 196, (present Issue). American Tract Society in Tex88. In NeuJ Books: "CUba and the Cubans," March, 1863, Mr. Hickey began to Ralmundo Cabrera; "The Island of Cuba," Prof. Ramsay, preach publicly in Monterey, both in – II See pp. 176,183, (present Issue). English and in Spanish, and on Jan. SO, Recent Articles: "Regeneration of the 1864, he organized the first evangelical Slums," Demorest's Family Magazine (Oct.); "The Problems of the City," C. R. Woodruft', church ever constituted in Northern Mexico, probably the first in the Re- American Magazine of Civics (Dec.). ,. See pp. 169, 188, (present issue). ' Recent .Articles: "Chlnatown in New York," .. It Is a misstatement that pioneer work Dem. Family Mag.). was begun by Miss Rankin, in 1865.
»- public. Thomas M. Westrup, one of it was declined on the ground that the the first converts, was ordained pastor, burden of responsibilities already unand has occupied that position almost dertaken in other countries was too continuously since that time. One year great. While we would not seek to after its organization, the church had prevent in any way the entrance of our twenty members. In Feb., 1864, Mr. English friends, so long as they can not Hickey was appointed agent for Mexi- come the American Churches ought to co of the American Bible Society, but see that the need is filled." did not receive the appointment until Aug. of that year, from which time -Not long ago the Roman Catholic forward the care of the church at Mon- Bishop in Jamaica issued a pastoral terey devolved more entirely upon Mr. letter charging the Protestant people of Westrup. Mr. Hickey workt continu- that island with •• lax ideas of moralously, and amid great trials and difficulties, but also with great success, ity," and adding: "Our Catholic poputhroughout the country from Monterey lation is, we are glad to say. singularly to Brownsville, Texas, selling the Script- free from reproach in this matter." ures, preaching, and distributing tracts It might be well to make known some from house to house, from the time he of the facts which have come under the first entered the country, until his death personal observation of one who has at Matsmoras, Mexico, in 1866. lived in Costa Rica, facts which so clearly reveal theimmoral tendencies of After the organization of the Baptist the boastful Romish Church. Mr. F. Church by Mr. Hickey, in the summer de P. Castells of San Jose writes: The of 1865, Miss Melinda Rankin visited Baptist Mission (supported from JaIllai- Monterey, and employin~ several of the ca). has planted churches in a number members of the church lU Monterey as of places on the Atlantic coast. Some colporteurs, left them under Mr. Hick- time since the Roman Catholic Bishop, ey's direction, and returned to the alarmed at their success, set his mind United States to collect funds for the on putting up rival churches in all work. She returned in 1866, and it was those places. He obtained the money through her influence, that the first by holding raffies in several parishes, Presbyterian Church in Mexico was where cognac, beer, and playing cards organIzed at Monterey, in 1869. This were the principal articles raffied; and church was composed of members from this on the Lord's dayt Not long ago, the Baptist Church, which had at that time received into membership 224 on a Sunday, the priests of San Jose persons in nine different towns. organized a concert in the Variaty Theater for the purpose of obtaining CENTRA.L AMERICA.. funds with which to help in building some church. They used the most vul- -The Greater Republic has recently gar music ever sung in Spanish musicsent its representative to Washington, halls and public houses. Not man, and he has been received by President weeks ago a public writer of thIS Cleveland. This federation including country, a liberal, called attention to all the republics except Costa Rica and the fact that the festivals of the Romish Guatamala, is formed for mutual protec- Church are but so many opportunities tion and influence in foreign relations; offered to the people for the most flagthe autonomy of the several countries is rant debauchery. in the main retained. Doubtless this greater Republic will soon include all Ah, the morality of Rome I It is the countries of Central America. easier for its emissaries to talk of it in a Protestant country than it would be The Moravians are suffering many set- if they were in any country where backs and hindrances from the Nica- Romanism is the prevailing religion. raguan occupation of the Mosquito Here. for instance, no one is surprised Coast. The government not only per- at hearing that Father So-and-So. tho mits but fosters gambling, Sabbath- a celibate, has 80 many children by so breaking, and the like. The officials many women. The llractise is far too are corrupt and no sympathy and little forbearance is shown to these mission- general for even his Bishop to be astonaries who have so long and faithfully isht. Priests think nothing of going workt in this field. to a club to join 8 gamblin~ party, or playing the usurer by lendIng money "An earnest appeal was made recent- at 30 and 40 per cent_I And somehow ly to the committee of the Church Mis- SIOnary Society, to open a new mission Sunday is the day when we see Romanin Central America for the purpose of ism at its worst. On that day the railreaching the still unevangelized Indians way, the clubs, the public-houses, the of that section. After some discussion theaters, the women of ill-fame, do far better business than in the six preeeed- ing days put together. IV.-EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.
In the January issue of this REVIEW, sionary societies, representing five de- we felt constrained to call attention to nominations, have a present debt oC the risk now confronting the work of $1,013,632, and would owe three quart· foreign missions. In that connection ers of a million dollars more, but for it was stated as our deliberate judgment, severe retrenchment." that at no time during the half century now closing, have missions to the hea- It is true that never was there such· then been at greater peril of collapse. an uprising of young men and women, This has been characterized by some as offering for the field; but it is also an unwarranted and extravagant state- alarmingly true that never was there so ment, and dismist by that easy modern inadequate a provision for sending those fashion of stigmatizing any discourag- who offer. Dr. H. C. Mabie, mourn- ing presentation of facts, calling it pe8- fully said, lately, that the A. B. M. U. BimiMn. One of our exchanges seeks to had been compelled to refusejivs out of make the editor inconsistent by con- 861JCn picked men, and that over 100 trasting with this " gloomy, if not hope- volunteers had offered, whom the union less view of the situation," the" glow- had not funds to encourage. We shall ing pictures of the missionary outlook," only make the situation worse by stig- which the same editorial pen has fur- matizing as pessimists those who simply nished, etc. call loudly for attention to the crisis DOW upon ns, and for much prayer and Without any undue jealousy for con~ self-sacrifice, in order to meet it. It is Bistency, the editor would simply say a profound conviction with the Editor that he sees no incongruity in these two of this REVIEW that God is marching contrasted views of the situation. Even on, far more rapidly than his people are if consistency were at risk, it is better following, and that to retrench now is to to be t:rue than even to be consistent. But retreat, and fall more and more hope~ there is no contradiction. The outlook le8s1y behind. The opportunity of the was never so hopeful; the risk was age is upon us, but we are not, as a never greater than to·day. It is the Church of Christ, proving equal to it. hopeful and promising outlook which And it is the duty of those who occupy makes'the risk so great. The world's an outlook which gives them a wider doors are open, and in most countries survey, and who see the danger, to peal we have reacht the middle stage of mis- out as with trumpet voice the warning sions-when the first stage of antagon- cry to God's people. Let the Church ism is past, but the third stage of self- arise, with greatly increast prayerful- support, and self.government, and self- ness, and multiplied gifts, and ten years propagation is not reacht. That middle may see results never seen before in stage-when the field is open and invit- mission history. ing, and the opportunity is great but short, when there is a clamor for more On Friday evening, Jauuary 15, a workmen and a need of greatly increased Missionary Rally was held at Carnegie effort and expenditure-that middle Hall, N. Y., representing all Christian stage is the existing condition in most denominations, both of the United mission fields. And it is just now that .states and Canad~. It was designed to the church, a8 a wlwle ana on the whole, be a sort of climax to the week of does not respond. Everything calls for prayer, and a starting point in aggres- . advance, yet, almost every organized sive missionary movement. The pro- Board is crying Retrenclt. gram was elaborately alTanged, and all the preparations were on a scale of Dr. L. H. Cobb, himself a devoted magnitude that befitted the occasion. mission secretary, evidently thinks the General and ex-Governor James A. – peril great. He says that "twelve mis-
Et>t'i'ORtAL DEPAitTMEN'r
Beaver was chosen to preside, Richard supreme work of the centuries, the S. Storrs, D.D., the Cicero of the Con- evangelization of the world, that on gregational pulpit, and Bishop Fowler, such an occasion, at such a crisis in af- whom the Methodists account one of fairs, with such speakers discussing their most attractive and effective speak- such a theme, the metropolis could fur- ers, being chosen to make the addresses. nish only about enough hearers to fill The evening was mild, and there was a an ordinary church buiidingl How self- very slight flurry of snow, but nothing evidencing Dr. Storrs's own words, that to hinder people from attendance. And the church needs most of all to tarrg yet it was a disappointment which must again before God in prayer, to be en- have caused the committee of arrange- dued with new power from on highl ments no little chagrin, that Carnegie Bishop Hartzell has left a very beau- Hall was not one·third full. By actual tiful and touching "Christmas farecount there were less than 1,200 people well," as he sailed for the field of his present to greet such master orators, bishopric in Africa. In it he recounts and exhibit interest in such a supreme the steps of surprise and surrender theme. It is no depreciation of Gov- which preceded his formal acceptance ernor'Beaver's stirring speech, nor of the of this trust-and all this reminds us emphatic utterance of Bishop Fowler, that successful workers are like Omar, to say that Dr. Storrs's address was im- not those who wantZthe place but whom perial. We undertake to reproduce and the place wants. Somehow an unusual perpetuate it in these pages, so far as earnestness and hopefulness seem to the grand body of thought is concerned. characterize this new choice of a s~c But the subtle aroma, the indescribable cessor to Bishop William Taylor. A quality, the personnel-evade the print- tinge of pathos has been added to this ed pages, and defy the reporters' art. departure by the surgical operation it There was a sweep and swing about it was found necessaty for him to undergo which were like the sway of a scepter before he left London. But God gave in the hands of a giant. It was a speech him an unexpectedly rapid recovery, that should have been heard by tens of and six days after he lay on the operathousands instead of a few hundreds. ting table, he was on his way to Liver- It showed, flrst, the immensity and in- pool to set sail, and his last words are tensity of the debt we owe to foreign like those of Paul to the Ephesians, missions in every department of our " Pray for us." civilization. Then it surveyed the vari- ous causes of the diversion of the pop- George Mliller, known to the whole ular enthusiasm and energy into other Christian world as the profound bechannels, and in dignified, but candid liever in the power of prayer, is now and careful terms, described the secu- ninety-two years old. He still makes larized church, ornate and sumptu- use of the gracions instrument which ous, but unspiritual and selfish; and he has wielded for so many years. The compared it to the wood agate which, direct answers which have come to him hO,wever ornamental, has its pores filled in response to his petitions, he says, with a substance foreign to itself and now amount to more than $7,000,000 in can neither be kindled, nor kindle any- money. They came in different ways, thing else. How anyone could hear but were so connected with his special that stately but stirring presentation of prayers that he believes they were tied God's historic plan for this world, and together in the gracious counsels of be indifferent to his own cooperation God. It is a wonderful story. with it, passes our comprehension. And yet it is abundant confirmation of Dr. It is a great but startling proof of the Storrs's indirect arraignment of the trend of unsanctified scientific thought church for apathy and lethargy in this that Mr. Darwin, who taught man's evolution from brute ancestry, virtually only present every grand principle and encourages the cultivation of a brutal selfishness. Witness the following para- motive of consecrated giving, but pregraph from the Descent of Man (vol i, page 161). He is referling to natural sent seven paradoxes that are very reselection as affecting civilized nations, and he says: markable. These Macedoniansseem to " With savages, the weak in body or have furnisht the most singular exmind are soon eliminated (i. e., they die or are killed off), and those that survive ample of Christian benevolence to be commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health. We civilized men, on the other found anywhere in Sacred Scripture; hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination. We build asylums their giving was a sort of revcr8a~ of for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws, and our all ordinary experiences. medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of everyone to the last 1. They gave out of the abundance moment. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thous- of their po'D6rty, not out of the plenitude ands who, from a weak constitution, would formerly have succumbed to of wealth. smallpox. Thus the weak members of civilized £ociety propagate their kind. 2. Their wilUngnes8 exceeded their No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that ability, instead of their ability, their this must be highly injurious to the race willmgness. of man. It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, 3. They were urgent to be allowed to leads to the degeneration of a domestic give rather than reluctant, while those race; but, excepting in the case of the who received the gift were reluctant. to man hhnself, hardly anyone is so igno- take it, knowing how deep was their rant as to allow his worst animals to poverty.
breed." * 4. They made the greater gift first (of themselves), and the latter gift was The inference is plain: To build asy- the le88 (their money). Usuallr people lums, institute poor-laws, to vaccinate, give the least they can to beglll with, to seek to prolong the lives of the and have to be educated up to giving weaker, lower, more degraded, to carry themselves at the very last. on missions among the outcasts at home, or the savages and brutal pagans abroad, 5. In these chapters value of gifts is is misdirected benevolence, and in fact .reckoned, not by arrwunt given, but by no benevolence at all, for it is perpet- the degree of willi'l/{/ne8a and cltelYl'fu~ uating a degenerate stock that should ne88 exhibited. be left to the process of elimination by disease or other means of extermina- 6. Weare here taught that increase tion! comes not by keeping, but by giving,- that the way to get more is to give In 2 Cor. viii.-ix. is the one discourse more, and the way to lose is to keep. on giving that makes needless all other treatment of this great theme. And it is 7. And the crowning lesson of all is noticeable that the two chapters not that they regarded giving, not as a privation to be evaded and avoided, but *Compare Morris' Present Conflict of a privilege and a blessing to be courted Science and Religion (p. 266-67). and cultivated.
Can we do better than to follow such a glorious example?
The Doshisha, the Japanese College, has drifted away from the moorings of its original Congregational evangelical- ism. In a publisht letter the president of this institution tries to justify the trustees, in virtually assuming the ownership of property, through the necessities of legal procedure committed to them in trust, and in perverting it from the uses for which it was estab- lisht by its founder, with the help of the gifts of Christians in America. Secretary Barton, of the American Board, has printed an open letter to President Hozaki in reply, showing that the Doshisha can not jURtify its departure. He enjoins plainly upon that body "not to think that by declin- ing further subsidy from the board and dispensing with the services of the mis- siouaries, they thereby release themselves from obligations to maintain the propaganda-but its main effort is to genuine Christian character of the in- make faith impossible or destroy it stitution." And he adds: "All the aid where it exists. This is the d.amning given by the Board and by American fact about Liberalism that in proportion Christians has been contributed from as it prevails, missions perish. In these the first for the purpose of establishing days of want and woe, superstition and and supporting an institution positively degradation, the liberal club has noth- and decidedly Christian and evangel- ing better to propose than to take away. ical. if possible, from Christ's disciples, their only real hope for this world or the When the Iron Duke gave a very next, and to interrupt a great work for difficult position to one of his veterans, the rescue of lost souls by tryin,'f to the reply was: "I go, sir, but first give prove that there is nothing worth bellevme a grip of your conquering hand." ing in the only system of religious faith What a privilege, when undertaking that has ever been able to uplift and the arduous work of making disciples redeem! of all nations, to get courage, hope, and assurance of success in advance by a The story of Uganda, which we hope grasp of the victorious Hand of our great General-in-chief who says, "Lo, I soon to have summarized in these pages, am with you alway." is one of the most marvelous in all his- The Christian Endeavor Union, of tory. _ New York City, has its Tenth Legion, which means, a body of Endeavorers Contrast the present condition of who give not less than one-tenth of their income to the Lord's work, and who, in matters with the days of Hannington's hopes to influence others to do the same, cruel assassination I "One hundred form themselves into an enrolled organization, with the understanding, how- thousand souls brought into close conever, that there is to be no publicity given to the names. There is none of tact with the Gospel, 200 buildings for the maChinery of organization-constitution, by-laws, elected officers, and worship raised by native Christians, meetings. Those who undertake to give God at least the tithe fill out an 200 evangelists and teachers entirely enrollment blank and receive a certificate of membership. This is a move- supported by the native church, 10,000 ment in the right direction, and may copies of the New Testament in circuthe glory of Cresar's immortal "Tenth Legton" be eclipst by the fidelity of lation, 6,000 souls eagerly seeking daily these young people to the stewardship committed to them of God. instruction, and the power of God shown When Mr. Moody was challenged by in changed lives; all this in the center the Manhattan Liberal Club to a public of the thickest spiritual darkness in the debate upon the merits of Christianity, he wisely replied in substance that his world." In the great church at Mengo, mind was made up in regard to the merits of Christ; he "knows what there are over 200 trees to support the Jesus has done for him during the last forty years since he has trusted Him.", roof. Each of these trees took 100 men "The time calls for action, not for discussion. Hundreds and thousands to drag it up the bill. of men and women are dropping into drunkards' and harlots' graves every There has been a remarkable growth year right here in New York. Now, let us all join hands and try to save of Christianity in Uganda, since King them. I will try to reach them with Mwanga ordered the massacre of Bishop the Gospel. . • . If there is any Hannington and so many Christian conmerit in infidelity, let your members likewise put it into practise. " There is verts, less than eleven years ago. Durno danger that liberalism will take up the gauntlet and undertake aggressive ing Bishop Tucker's recent visit to the mission work. Infidelity is not a country he ordained fi ve natives to the tp.i&eionarr forqe. It ~ inlleeq its deaconate and three to the priesthood, licenst twenty-two as lay readers, and confirmed more than two thousand con- verts. One of the natives recently or- dained was Samwili Mukasa, who, in 1890, was one of the envoys sent to the coast by the king to see the consul-gen- eral with regard to the political situation.
"His earnestness and devotion," the bishop writes, "are beyond all ques- tion " The ordination service was attended by from 3,000 to 4,000.
Rev. Dr. A. B. Simpson, leader of the Christian Alliance, is contemplating the foundation of a Christian Alliance settlement and camp meeting resort on the heights of the Hudson at Nyack, N. Y. He has recently purchased for the purpose twenty-eight aCTes of land hi~h up on Sou~q ~oupt~m QVeJ;lookin~ the river, the property in question being added: " All must admit that there is bought from Rev. Ross Taylor and good ground for a charitable judg- Charles H. Woerz. The Taylor house ment in this instance, in view of the edis to be utilized as an adjunct of the ucation, associations and general moral Berachah Home, now in West Forty- environments of one born of Jewish fourth street, and another building now parents, and largely removed during on the site is to be turned into an the greater part of his life from the re- orphan asylum. Other buildings will straining and corrective influence of the be erected, including a tabernacle, to Gospel of Christ." This declaration accommodate 5,000 people. makes the matter worse, as it suggests grounds for distrust. We wish this Those who remember the small be- case could be finally settled. Some ginnings of sixteen years ago, must be time since a commitee of which Dr. led to exclaim: " Wha.t hath God John Hall was a member, reported that wrought I" all charges against him had been ex- amined and found baseless. If Mr. Says the late A. J. Gordon, in his Warsawiak is entitled to confidence, wonderful work" The Holy Spirit in what ever be his errors of judgment, it Missions": would be well so to assure the public.
Do men gather grapes of thorns, or Apropos of the recent sesquicentenfigs of thistles? asks Jesus. Yea, 0 nial at Princeton, of the four hundred Son of God, through the engrafting of and sixty-nine graduates belonging to Thine own Divine Life even this miracle the period of Dr. Witherspoon's adis possible I ministration, it is said that one hundred and fourteen were clergymen, thirteen See the fruits of the Spirit hanging of whom became presidents of colleges; in rich clusters where once only the of the remaining three hundred and thorns of hate and cruelty aboundedl fifty. five, one-James Madison-was Forgiveness, that rarest and divinest for eight years President of the United grace, springing up in the heart of the States, one was Vice-President, six were man-slayer and cannibal! This is in- members of the Continental Congress, deed the crowning miracle of redemp- twenty became Senators of the United tion. States,twenty.three entered the House of Representatives, thirteen were Govern- It was this grace in lively exercise in ors of States, three were Justices of the the heart of a once savage New Zea- Supreme Court of the United States, lander which explained his singular and some twenty served as officers in behavior in rushing away from the the Revolutionary Army. And this, Communion table and then suddenly too, under the administration of a single returning to receive the sacred em- president. We have hoped that some blems. competent person would show Prince- ton's contribution to foreign mis8iom, Mr. Taylor, the missionary, observ- both in the way of direct work on the ing this action of his convert, askt an field and the creation of missionary literexplanation. The islander replied, ature. as well as prominent advocacy of "When I approacht I did not know the claims of the world-field, etc. Here beside whom I should have to kneel, is a department of Princeton's service to then I suddenly found myself close to the church and the world which is ns the man who slew my father and drank conspicuous, if the facts could be known his blood, and whom I swore to kill the generally, as any other. Who will write first time I saw him. The old revenge up this record? seized me, and I rushed from the table. But just then I seemed to hear a voice The Growth of Missionary Literature. saying. 'Hereby shall aU men know that ye are My disciples if ye have love The growth of missiona.ry literature one to another.' At the same time I is one of the wonders of this century, thought I saw another sight-a cross and the field is widening. Yale Univerand a man nailed thereon-and I heard sity has a special missionary library of him say. 'Father forgive them, they thousands of volumes, which would know not what they do.' Then I went have been impossible a hundred years back to the altar." ago. This growth may be traced in different ways. The recent action of the New York Presbytery over Mr. Warsawiak's case 1. The material for a good missionseems to us to require further steps in ary literature is now abundant. There justice to all parties. Without investi~ating charges against him, they de- is a, miI1,~ of literarr wealt4 Pl th,~ Ufe, clIned to ordain him, which, of course, they were at liberty to do, as there is no obligation to prd!l.w. lJut ther times, and labors of such men as Carey, There is still about $270.00 behind Judson, Duff, Livingstone, Morrison, on the fund, which we would be glad Nevius, etc. The task of shaping this to have made up.
material into good literary form has in- No new charges have been added spired the genius of scores of able during the past year, as the subscrip- writers. tions to volunteers are charged at a new 2. The 8tyle of modern missionary and special rate.
writing is very much improved, and For the Armenians we have received now demands and commands a high from W. M. Webb, for Anderson Bapliterary grade. Mere annals, dull and tist Sunday-school, Anderson, 8. C., lifeless, are not tolerated. In recent $15_57, and $5 from Miss L. M. Rood. missionary reviews, papers, and books, the arts of the printer, engraver, map- maker, bookmaker, and litterateur all ' Eugene Stock, Esq., of the Churh Missionary Society, has been releast combine. from editorial duties, for a time, to 8. The subjects treated now are speci- write up the history of the hundred years of that venerable organization, fic, not so general as formerly. Dr. B. whose centenary is close at hand. The C. Henry does not write of the whole task is very heavy, but no man is more Celestial Empire, but of special work in competent than Mr. Stock. He writes: and around Canton; Dr. J. L. Nevius, of specific work in the Shantung Pro· .. Our Secretary from 1802 to 1824, the vince; Dr. John G. Paton, of the New Rev. Josiah Pratt, started in 1813 the Hebrides. :for8t miB8iona1'1/ magaziM 61Je1' brought 4. As a result, Christian people are out. This was called' The Missionary reading missionary periodicals and Register.' He carried it on for nearl)' books with a growing interest. The thirty years, up to 1841, and it continued time has been when it was fashionable for a few years after that. It was from to know but little about missions. But the first a record, not of C. M. S. onlr, times are changin~. The Cross-Bearer's but of all the societies and missions m Missionary Readmg Circle, a three all parts of the world. Your REVIEW, inyears' course of systematic reading and teresting as it is, does not, of course, prostudy on missions in all lands, was in- fess to give a systematic history of all augurated six years ago, as an educa- the societies and missions, which the tional movement among our thousands Missionary Register did. Of course, of Christians who remain in the home missions were on a smaller scale in those land. The literature chosen for 1896-7 .days, but still they were extensive, and demanded the most skilful treatment to is as follows: The" Life of John Will- make their history clear. Gradually, iams," the "Life of Dr. J. L. Nevius," of course, the different societies began "Medical Missions," the "Life of Alex- to issue their own distinct periodicals, ander Duff," and the "Missionary Re- and in 1858 the Register was dropped. view of the World." So writes Rev. The earliest reports of the A. B C. Marcus L. Gray, President C. M. R. C., F. M., the Baptist and Presbyterian St. Louis, Mo., who will give further information to those who apply.
Boards, etc., appear, and in the year We have just learned the address of 1822 the two American missionaries in the author of the medical work to which Bombay, Hall and Newell, issued a reference is made in the February paper on the Evangelization of the REVIEW, p. 140.-" Medical Hygiene, whole world within a brief specified or cures for all diseases without drugs." time. The words, 'in this generation,' W. Frank Ross, M. D., Rantoul, are not there, otherwise the scheme is Illinois. Correspondents may thus almost exactly like the present S. V. M. U. plan It contains careful calcucommunicate directly with him. lations of the number of heathen in the Donations have been received by the world, the number of Christians in the editors or puQIishers for the Missionary church, the number of missionaries Volunteer Fund, and applied, as fol- necessary, and the cost of E1ending them out-very similar to the calculations lows: JamNe.s ZReeaidla,nWd _e_i_n_u_i_,_A__k_a_r_o_a_,$ 1.86 made by Mr. Wishard in his recent book. Have you ever seen this remark- S. KAo.reMa_o_f_f_et_t,_ _P__ye__n_g_ _B__a_n_g_, 8.50 able paper? I suppose it must be in the archives of the A. B. C. F. M. The Mrs. McEwan, of Italy (By Missionary Register prints large extracts Mrs. Bowie, Phila.) ______ 50.00 from it, which I havll read with the deepest interest. Truly there is nothing 65.36 new under the sun!"
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
EDITED BY REV. D. L. LEONARD, D.D.
Extraots and Translations from Foreign rightful Lord and Master, and to set Periodicals. before him in all, earnest love and patient sympathy, the grace, the glory, BY REV. C. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, and the power of the Eternal Son of MASS. God ?"
MOHA.MMED.A.NISM. -The Intelligencer, some time -The Rev. E. SELL, quoted in the back, commented very pertinently on Annual Report of the C. M. S. for Professor Max Mllller's assertion, that 1895-96, remarks on "the great barrier the Mohammedans have a more elevated which Islam sets up to hinder the conception of Christ than Christians, Church's onward march In the Eastern inasmuch as they ca.ll Him the Word world. Possest of a highly dogmatic of God, but refuse to call Him the Son religion, the dogmas of which are of God. Inasmuch as the Moham- sharp and well defined; accepting a medans have borrowed "Word of God ..
law supposed to be divine, complete, from the Christians, Max M1lller's and final; looking back to a history meaning can only be that it is an un- which records many former successful worthy conception of God to view Him worldly conquests, with occasional as capable of sustaining any relations gleams of borrowed splendor-the of mutual affection, either within the Moslem stands erect, proud to be such, Godhead, or beyond it. Such an ab- and utterly scornful of all other creeds horrence of love as a possibility to God and men. Has the Church yet realized is thoroughly Mohammedan. It S66IDS the greatness of this force thus arrayed strange, however, to hear a Christian against her, or estimated aright the declaring that He who, tho high, yet difficulties to be overcome? Century hath respect to the lowly, degrades after century past by, and the Church Himself by a relation of such intimacy, was silent. It is only within this cen- affection, and reverence, as that exprest tury that any very real and continued by Son and Father. Certainly Sonship effort-and that all too feeble-has been and Fatherhood are as central to Chris- made to place the true faith of the Gos· tianity as they are abhorrent to the pel of our Lord Jesus Christ before the coldness, hardness, and unutterable Mohammedan world. When, then, we uncleanness of Islam. We hope to remember our past neglect, the points bring the whole world yet to see that of contact in some matters of belief the ineffable pity and tenderness of between us and them, the conscious Fatherhood, ~aving its antecedent in groping after a higher light which some the eternal bosom of the Godhead it- MosleIDS have shown, the repudia- self, is the very crown and summit of tion of much that is narrow, super- the Infinite Glory. Word addresses stitious, and immoral by a few the mind, but Son, including Word, Mohammedans now in India, whose but bringing it out of its cold abstrac- ideas will doubtless lJ·ffect more and tion, addresses mind and heart, ad- more the educated classes ;-when we dresses the whole being of man. It remember all these things, are we not seems much to be regretted that Pro- distinctly called upon to try to under- fessor }Iax MUller should have allowed stand this great Islamic system, and his young Turkish friends to bring him then to seek to win the Moslem for his to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS
-In the Annual Report, the Rev. the London Society chapel bas been for F. F. Adeney, of Egypt, writes: two years turned into a barrack, and " The casual visitor stops to wonder at also the missionaries' dwelling-house, the grave Eastern in his flowing robes and likewise the S. P. G. schoolhouse, bowing reverently at the time of the Jesuits have meanwhile enjoyed the prayer, even in the open street. But he undisturbed" possession of their builddoes not consider that the very same ings, both of worship and instruction. man has very likely been cursing and It is true, this discrimination may have swearing, and cheating. and quarrelling been not so much in favor of Catholics just before he began to pray, and will against Protestants, as in favor of do so again when he has finisht. He Frenchmen against Englishmen. admires the stately intonation of the Koran, but he little thinks what his- All the English churches o! the provtorical absurdities, what sinful licenses, ince of Tamatave, save one, have been what cruel and bloodthirsty injunctions burned by the insurgent heathens, and it contains. the missionaries compelled to take refuge on the coast, or at Antananarivo. "The Moslem sheikh who teaches me Arabic has been enlarging to-day on The French government, before tathe superiority of Islam. He rejoices king possession of Madagascar, gave the over the massacres of Christians in the English government assurances that Tnrkish Empire. So narrow-minded is it would maintain liberty of conscience, he, that he declares that it is impossible and would respect the work of the to translate the Koran, and that all English missionaries. Of course, nobody nations are bound to learn Arabic in put much faith in its promises, tho we order to participate in the revelation of have tried to hope against Rope. France God. And so ignorant is he of the is mainly goverued by atheists, but by power of Christian love, that he believes atheists who always bear in mind the that were my wife to declare herself a words which the Protestant Guizot was Moslem, I should drive her from me. not ashamed to avow in his public He would kill all idolaters who refused capacity: "France abroad means Cathto become Moslems, and thoroughly olicism." The French despise and hate recognizes the obligation to flght against Protestantism as a Teutonic intrusion unbelievers. into the Latin world. English Protes- tants they hate with double hatred, "Would that people at home under- national and religious. But the bItstood how loveless the creed of Islam terest of all hatred is that which may is. Of real unselfish love a Moslem be called the irreligiously religious. It has no notion, and the great and crown- is the hatred of those who remain Cathoing Christian truth that God is love, is lic, tho they have long ceast to be to him an enigma. Power is his only Christians. It is in the hands of such idea of greatness, and consequently the men, principally, that the government weak suffer terribly in a Moslem coun- of France has long been, and it is in the try." hands of such men that it will probably long continue to be. Should the House MADAGASCAR. of Orleans come once more to the throne (which seems hardly likely), a -Altho the French goverument in less fanatical temper would probably a general way endeavors to maintain prevail, but not one less unscrupulous religious liberty in Madagascar, yet it abroad, in the endeavor to suppress is not to be supposed that it "forgets the Protestantism, at least English Protes· Protestant Guizot's declaration in the tantism within the French territories. name of his government: " France The policy of Louis Philip's government abroad means Catholicism." Thus, as in Tahiti is sufficient proof of that. M. Escande, the new agent of the Paris Society, reports: at Tamatave, while Of course, where a pretext is wanted,
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
it is always to be found. This is what government itself has as yet given any the Journal de8 Miasi0n8 for December, distinct intimation of an intention to 1896, says: expel the English missionaries from Madagascar, altho it may be doubted •• The news brought by the last mail how long it will be either able or disfrom Madagascar gives us to forsee evil posed to withstand the mingled flood of days for the Protestant missions. The ultramontane and of atheistic hatred, odious system of falsehoods and calum· which is thus availing itself of a hyponies which persists in representing critical pretense of patriotism. Just the Fahavalist jIlovement as fused with now, it is true, there is said to be a good Protestantism-altho the first victims understanding between France and have been Protestant missionaries, and England, which may for a moment altho of six hundred churches and delay the accomplishment of the evil chapels which have been destroyed, purpose. Good understandings between scarcely one hundred and twenty were the European powers at present, how- ·Catholic-this system has already be- ever, are a mere fortuitous concourse gun to bear fruit, and many indica- of atoms, likely to be followed in a few tions give us the presentiment of a days by as violent a mutual repulsion. period whose dominant character will Certain it is that ?rIr. Harold Frederick, be to assume, in many particulars, an .who is not apt to let his wishes take opposite position to the liberal and the place of facts, gleefully anticipates friendly administration to which M. the speedy expUlsion of all English Laroche has given his name. missionaries from every severed part of the wide colonial empire of France. "It is well to affirm it, in view of This gentleman is much too careful to the inundation of falsehoods which has have here made the wish the father of overflowed the press: up to this day, the thought. He avows that he could the attitude of the Protestant mission be equally eager for the expUlsion from has been irreproachable. The engage- India of the Zenana nurses, whom, for ments assumed before the minister by some reason, he segregates from the the directors of the societies which labor mass of Indian missionaries, and honors in Madagascar have been kept; the with the full cordiality of his hatred. missionaries, after having accepted with Yet he regretfully allows that it is out gratitude the new administration which of all question to look for the banishpromist to their churches religious ment of these from India. His joyful liberty and to the country the security alacrity of confidence, therefore, that and all the advantages of a good gov- the English Protestant missionaries ernment, have done all that lay within within the French colonies are all to be their own power to lend a cordial and sent packing, does not rest merely on unreserved support to this government. his hatred of missionaries. It doubtless It has required all the bad faith of rests on some solid ground of expectaimplacable adversaries to obscure as to tion. Even Protestant Germany mutthis point the truth, to which the im- ters against foreign Protestant missionpartial administrators bear witness. aries within her bounds. Great Britain Unhappily this testimony has not been seems to be the only power that has able to make itself heard everywhere, completely surmounted all such miserand calumny pursues its work." able persecuting suspicions. French- men or Germans, A.mericans or Danes, -The Societe de8 Mia8i0n8 E-oangel- Catholics or Protestants, all are equally iqu/J8 means to send out as many French welcome to her wide dominions, if they laborers as possible, so as to give can only do her subjects any good. a Gallic tinge to the Protestant work, This is one of the thousand proofs of and to blunt as far as possible the edge her "inexhaustible vitality." both of Jesuit and of chauvinistic slander.
It does not appear that the French
ENGLISH NOTES
English Note& gelistic branch-the fishing for living souls, and secondly, the pastoral branch BY JAMES DOUGLAS. -the shepherding converts, and the now numerous bodies of hereditary The Presbyterian Ohurch of England. Christians. -Rev. Dr. Dykes, in the Presbyimza,n Mes8enger, writes an article on "Chris- The SundaY-8chool MO'Vernent in India, tian Unity," setting forth, in the first can not be called a recent one, as it was place, the apparent disunion existing be- introduced for non-Christian children tween the various sects in the Church of nearly a quarter of a century ago, but Christ. He then points out that the it gives promise of proving Ii valuable real unity is the individual relation of means for influencing the children of each believer to the Lord. " A living the poorer classes of the community. union to the Personal Lord with all More than one-third of the total of that fiows from this:-here is what is schools and scholars are found in the common to all true Christians and to all north-west provinces and Oudh, where true Churchmen." the lIfethodist Episcopal missionaries, by whom the first serious attempt to The Olturch at OhaocluYtrfu has establish such a school was made in grown so large that the place of wor- 1872, have largely developt the effort. ship is no longer large enough to accommodate the number of people who The Zenana Work has many encourgather from Sabbath to Sabbath. There agements. Some of the pupils can read is an opportunity just now of purchas- English, and enjoy the "Life of Bishop ing a house in a good and suitable posi- Hannington," the "Schonberg Cotta. tion, near to the mission hospital and Family," etc. There have recently just inside the south gate of the city. been several baptisms among the The cost of purchasing and altering the women of the Zenanas, and the whole new premises is about £500, about £200 work shows mental and spiritual deof which has already been subscribed velopment which is most hopeful. or promist. " It is of the utmost importance that this center should be Work in Colombo.-Colombo is a worthily occupied, and it is hoped large, prosperous city, as the immense friends of the mission will respond growth and ever-increasing expansion quickly to this call." of its trade indicates. The Rev. A. E. Dibben reports an increasing English The Ohurch Missionary Society.-The congregation at Galle Face Church, and ninety-seventh annual report of the ever growing interest on their part in above society shows an evident forward the missionary work carried on in movement, both as regards the number Colombo and in the island generally. of missionaries, and also the way in Miss Child visits the homes of the which these workers have been received Mohammedan women, she writes:- and encouraged by the natives of the Oncof the most interesting things that various countries and districts in which has taken place in connection with the they have labored. The annual sermon house-visiting, is the reopening of a preacht at St. Bride's Church, by Rev. house that has been closed for two W. H. Barlow, D.D., put clearly years, because a young girl confest her before the listeners the opportunity faith in Christ. Her books were taken for present active service for God in from her, and she was beaten by her home and foreign fields of labor. The father; but still slle stood firm, and at text was "Behold, I have set before last the father has relented, and allows thee an open door," and these words her to be taught again. The girl's joy were taken as an incentive to immediate was unbounded, and she says, "I have action. In briefly reviewing the work forgotten nothing, it has all been kept of the past, it divides itself naturally in my heart. The last time I saw her into two great division-first, the evan-
GlllNlllRAL MlSSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
she said how much she was looking . hand in the fire and not know it, while forward to Christ's coming, and how you listen.' Truly Eastern imagery, yet very glad she would be to see him." I believe that woman is a true Christian at heart, tho she fears to confess it." The King of Two, IJaudi Ka~agama, stands alone among his chiefs in being THE KINGDOM:. a true Christian. God has wonderfully toucht his heart, and he realizes to a -Surely this of all times is not the very real extent that his duty is first to time to disbelieve in foreign missions; God. He is most regular in his attend- surely he who despairs of the power of ance at the classes, and sits daily at the the Gospel to convert the world to-day, feet of Jesus to be taught. He is show- despairs of the noontide just when the ing his love for God's work in a practi- sunrise is breaking out of twilight on cal way, that is, he is having built a the earth.-Phillips Brooks. house suited for the work to be carried on in it. -Says Prof. J. H. Goodell in TM Pacific: "The modern conception of Sla'I)(J'I'1J in East Africa.-The follow- the missionary idea must delocalize the ingresolution was past by thecommittee, thought of missions. It must soon be and has since been forwarded to Her impossible for one· Christian to ask Majesty's Government:-"That in the another: 'Are you interested in misopinion of this Committee the time has sions ?' As well may we inquire, fully arrived to give effect to the long 'Do you believe in living?' God has apd definite promise of Her Majesty's brought our ears literally to the beating Government, to abolish the status of heart of heathenism. The day is past slavery in the dominions of the Sultan when a church is just to take charge of of Zanzibar, including Mombasa and adjacent slums, the surrounding boardall the country within ten-mile limit. ing houses, or the Nob Hill of society. They would earnestly and respectfully To·day God has planted every church press upon Her Majesty's Government in the midst of heathenism. The throbthe urgent necessity for prompt and res- bing pulse of the unsaved world is to olute action in the matter." be feIt in every sanctuary. Every ear, unless it be purposely stopt, can de- Uganda. – On December 15th, the tect the fever-jump of our smitten committee welcomed back Bishop brethren the world over. The cry, Tucker, and were thrilled with his 'Come over and help us,' has become wonderful account of the spread of the universal. There are no foreign mis- Gospel in Uganda. sions. Distance is no longer. In the marvelous providence of God every North Africa Mission.-" Mr. Reid, point of our world is now home misof Tripoli, reports a very fair attend- sions. It is now time to realize that in ance at the medical mission during the the kingdom of God, as at present month. of October. The Bible shop opened, consolidated, and intermingled, had been opened as often as was possi- nothing is foreigu. nothing is far off, ble. Very few Arabs have visited it at nothing is separated from my own perpresent, but a great many Jews, to sonal interest and privilege. Africa is whom tracts have been given, and a your home and my home; Asia and the few Bibles sold." Miss B. Vining, of isles of the sea, and every spot on this Tangier says, "I have lost some of my footstool of God is our personal abode. girls from the class lately-their fathers The modern conception of the missionfeared they were learning too much of ary idea must make every business man the 'religion of the Christians.' One of feel as he goes to his office that he is my women the other day told a fliend, to make money for the conversion of in speaking of the teaching, 'The words the world; and every professional man are so beautiful, you might have your that his mission now is to live to bring the earth to loyalty in the kingdom of the nations have been steept in hea- God." Verily, that is God's truth in thenism for centuries, the conversion every word, and exceedingly well of a single person means more than lips spoken, besides. can express. The greatest hindrance to-day to the spread of the Gospel in -In 1850 you could buy a man in foreign lands is the attitude of Christenthe Fiji Islands for $7.00, butcher him, dom toward the heathen world concernand eat him, without even public re- ing the vices that are a part of our monstrance. To-day the Bible is in civilization. The missionaries will ever nearly every house, and on Sunday fail to reach the thinking men and nine-tenths of the people may be found women in heathen lands until the liquor assembled in the churches for public traffic is overthrown in America, and worship. What about the power and the opium traffic in England, until profit of foreign missions? foreigners can see the principles of Christianity exemplified in our govern- -The amount expended by the ments." churches of the Toronto Baptist Association last year in their local work was -This is the conviction which the $47,987. The baptisms reported were directors of the East India Company 318. That is one baptism for about and their friends embodied in a resolueach $150 expended. The amount ex- tion and past in Parliament in 1793: pended in the foreign mission work of ., The sending of missionaries into our the Canada Baptists was $33,954, and Eastern possessions is the maddest, the baptisms numbered 453, or one most extravagant, most expensive, most baptism for each $75 expended. unwarrantable project that was ever proposed by a lunatic enthusiast. Such -Dr. Hitchcock, of the American a plan is pernicious, impolitic, unprofit- Board, has been looking the matter up, able, unsalutory. dangerous, unfruitful, and 'makes this surprising statement: fantastic. It is opposed to all reason Adding to the enrolled students in 39 and so;;nd policy; it endangers the American colleges which are regarded peace and the security of our possesas Congregational all the scholars under sions "!fl! the care of the American Missionary Association in the South, and of the -A census of the world seems impos- Education Society. including the New sible, but it is going to be undertaken. West, as well as the students of the 7 The unparalleled labor is to be one of Congregational theological seminaries, the gigantic projects to celebrate the there are not more than 30,000, possibly advent of the twentieth century, and it not more than 28,000. How many is safe to say that a more stupendous pupils there are in Congregational undertaking has never before been deacademies we do not know, but it would vised. The scheme had its real inceprequire 250 of them, with an average of tion at the biennial meeting of the In- 100 pupils in each, to add to the above ternational Statistical Institute, recently to bring the total up to the number now held at Berne, Switzerlaud, where a under instruction in the schools of the committee was appointed to consider American Board. But this is only one ways and means. Anything approximabranch of the Board's work, yet this ting an accurate census of the populabranch is seen to be a vast education tion of the earth at the present time is, society. without doubt, an impossibility. In addition to the poles, there are many -Miss Jessie A. Ackerman, of the BpOts on the earth that have never been W. C. T. U., has been twice around the visited by the explorer, and others from world, and spent 8 years in travel which a census enumerator never would This is a conclusion she has reacht: get away alive. The population of the .. I take a very cheery view of missions and their outlook for the future. After earth is now estimated at 1,700,000,000, starving Armenians which amounted to guesses founded upon the observation $113.00. of travelers, and upon other guesses mentioned in treaties given by such UNITED STATES. countries as China, Persia, Arabia, and – The A.doonce gives these figures Turkey.-London Mail. concerning the gifts made last year for public purposes in the United States: -The editor of The Herald of Go8pel " Without taking account of the small Lib8rt1/ is pleased with the word "in- sums collected by various organizations terdenominational," but evidently has through the usual methods, the aggresome difficulty with it. " It does not gate of special contributions and large look exactly right," he says. "Itseems gifts was $33,670,000, nearly $5,000,000 odd not to have at least a hyphen to more than in 1895, and $13,500,000 more separate; but itfu18 right." than in 1894. Of this amount $10,854,- 000 went to charities, $2,135,142 to -That great Baptist Church, Tre· churches, $16,814,000 to colleges and mont Temple, in Boston, has fitted up $2,000,000 more to museums and art the sixth floor of its beautiful new galleries. building for the especial comfort of the many' young members of the church – The Oongregationalilt started a few who are at work in the business section weeks since a fund for the care and wherein the church is situated. There education of Armenian orphans, which is a fine kitchen, and a large tea-room. at last accounts approximated to The tea-room is bright and cheery in $25,000. all its furnishings, and here nourishing food will be fumisht at a low price. -It is pleasant to read in TM Ind.6- Near by are cosy rooms for men and penti8nt that there are 25,424,333 comothers for women, with desks to write municants and 136,960 ministers in the at, lounging chairs for comfort, places churches of the United States; but not for sewing, for newspaper reading, for so pleasant to be informed that the games,-in fact, a delightful Christian Union holds 19 kinds of Lutherans, 17 home, in the midst of the whirl and kinds of Methodists, 13 kinds of Bapuproar of busy Boston. The plan is as tists, 12 kinds of Presbyterians, 12 kinds practical as it is beautiful, and will do of Mennonites (only 52,944 in all), 6 much to commend to young people the kinds of Catholics, 6 kinds of Adventreligion of the Christ of Bethany.- ists, 4 of Friends, 4 of Dunkards, 3 of Golden Rule. Reformed, etc., etc., etc., etc. It looks as tho it was high time for 8O'TlUbod1/ to -The curfew ordinance, requiring "go back" further than to Wesley, children to be at their homes after or Calvin, or Luther, even to one Jesus. nightfall, has now been adopted by 200 cities, and city officials, parents, -The New York Tribune', Fresh Air school-teachers, and chiefs of police are Fund has issued its reports of last year's emphatic in their praise of its efficacy. work and a summary of that of its Mrs. John D. Townsend, who makes twenty years now-ended. Its expendithis statement in the North A._Wan tures for the year were $23,948, with Rsfliew, believes that, while prevention which 1,040 were sent for two weeks of crime is better than its punishment, into the conntry; 25,910 mothers and it is best to begin with care for children, children were given a pleasuring in the and also that the associations of the Fund's grove on the Hudson, and the streets in the night hours are productive day excursions made up the number of of crime. beneficiaries for the season, 40,600. In the twenty years, with $371,778, it has -A mission church in Chihuahna, helpt 347,269 children and adults, of Mexico, recently by the use of mite whom 151,324 were given the usual two. boxes made an offering for the relief of weeks' summer outing. -Below are given the average re- (b) The place for Foreign Missions in the plan of God. ceipts of the American Board by de- (c) Christ's yearning for a lost world. cades for sixty years: (d) The Holy Spirit and Foreign Mis- 1833-43, $35,909 sions. (e) The penalt,Y of disobedience. 1848-53, 86,909 (f) Foreign MIssionary motives.
1853-63, 134,718 (g) Apostolic Missionary methods.
1863-73, 250,138 1873-83, 509,979 -During 48 years the Presbyterian 1883-93, 798,033 Foreign Board has supported 453 mis- -The Oh'I'iBtian StandaJrd (Disciple) sionaries of all classes among 21 tribes says: We will soon enter Africa. The of Indians, at an expense of $525,600, Springfield Convention urged the Ex- given by the churches, and of $520,000 ecutive Committee to enter at once. entrusted to the Board by the Govern- The committee hopes to be able to send ment for educational work. Over 3,000 2 men, but if 2 can not be sent, 1 will were received during that time as combe sent early in 1897. Before another municants, not counting the nearly year rolls around we hope to be able to 2,000 more transferred by the Amerireport that our missionaries have en- can Board.
tered the Dark Continent, and have set -An interesting feature of the recent up their banner in the name of the meeting of the Synod of Washington, Lord. Idaho, was the presence of 30 Christian -The Methodist Episcopal Church Nez Perc~ Indians. They were minis- has appropriated $586,800 for foreign ters and elders and their wives. One missions for the current year. Of this of the evening services was conducted sum China receives $114,000, Japan wholly by them; one of their number, $46,576, Korea $14,285, India and Rev. James Hays, preaching the ser- Malaysia $142,436, South America mon. Mr. Hays and many of the others $71,348, Mexico $49,500, the rest going were trained in Miss McBeth's theolog- to Europe and to Africa. ical school. The whole company were -The Presbyterian Church gives out the frnits of the labors of those sainted this most excellent scheme for monthly 'missionaries, Spaulding and Whitman.
concerts. At the end is appended the -Word comes from Massachusetts subdivisions of the theme for January. that since the first publication of a list Jan.-The Bible and Foreign Missions. of unoccupied farms in that State five Feb.-Evangelistic Missionary Work. years ago, nearly 300 farms have been .March-Missionary Administration. Bold, most of them to Americans. We Aprit-Native Christians. hear little concerning that subject in Jfay-Woman's Work. Vermont now. We have few unoccu- June-Foreign Missionaries, pied farms and those are not giving us July-Mission Printing Presses. any uneasiness. Weare not likely to Aug.-Reflex Influence of Foreign see again such an emigration as in the Missions. past, and many who have gone out from &Pt.-Missionary Schools. our borders would gladly return if they Oct.-Medical Missions. were able. In this connection the Nov.-Influence of Christianity on the thought of Secretary Merrill is still per- Social Life and Civic Institutions tinent, "Abandoned farms are not so of Heathen Lands. dangerous as abandoned principles."
.Du.-The Home Church and Foreign Our churches must see to the latter in- Missions. dustry.- Vermont Ohronicle.
BmLE AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. -Cambridge (Mass.) voted no-license at the late election, for the eleventh (a) The place of Foreign Missions in the consecutive time, with the largest Word of God. majority in the city's history. 1,881. A and locations of all medical missionaries prominent factor in the fight was Father holding British degrees, 239 in number, Thomas Scully, who ~ctively opposed a net gain of 23 over 1895, and estimates the saloon. Also Mayor W. A. Ban- that the United States and Canada are croft, who addrest and, presided over represented by about as many more, several meetings. Many business men while the Continent is credited with but shut down their shops for noonday 10. About 500 physicians are now in rallies, factories, foundries, and stores the foreign field. being turned into rallying places. Cam- bridge seems to be permanently in the -The Manchester mission has just prohibition column. observed its anniversary. It lllaintains crowded preaching services at the Free -Rev. Lyman Jewett, one of the Trad hall, the Central hall, the Grand modern heroes of faith, has recently Theater c Varieties and various chapdied in Fitchburg, Mass., at the age of els. It has concerts, lectures, lantern 85. Entering the Telugu mission in exhibitions, Bible classes, guild meet- 1848, by 1862 it had proved so barren ings in bewildering variety. Its relief that the Baptist Board seriously debated and rescue and preventive agenCies, the wisdom of closing it. Mr. Jewett conducted by a large staff of paid and was at the meeting and exprest his unpaid workers, form a network of determination to return and die there, philanthropic beneficence that practiand concluded by saying that somebody cally covers the city, including a labor must be sent along, at least to bury yard, men's home, preventive and trainhim. And not many years later came ing home for girls, night shelter for those astounding revivals. women, casual ward for men, medical mission, district nursing among sick GREAT BRITAIN. poor, maternity home, servants' regis- try employment bureau, food depot, -At the Foreign Office recently Mr. cottage mission, girls' institute, lads' G. N. Curzon received a deputation club and other departments. from the Society of Friends, headed by Mr. J. A. Pease, M. P., in reference to -Honored as is the work of the the abolition of slavery in Zanzibar. Religious Tract Society, few persons Several members of the deputation regard it as a great auxiliary of urged that the abolition should be foreign missions. Many will learn with immediate, and that there should be no surprise that it has publications in 219 intermediate system of apprenticeship. languages, and that large grants of Mr. Curzon, in reply, said he repeated Christian literature, always to the full and endorst the pledge previously given extent of the means at the society's disby the Government as to the abolition posal, are made to the leading missionof the legalstatua of slavery in Zanzibar ary societies. In the course of the' life and Pemba. As to the manner in of the Society no less a sum than £685,- which that was to be effected, the mat- 000 has been so expended. Last year ter was under consideration, and no the grants amounted to £32,561. The decision had been arrived at. The value of Christian literature for con- Government wanted to secure the bona verts surely needs no words to emphajld8 freedom of the slave from any legal size it. In another way the R. T. S. trammels, and at the same time to does excellent service. Where missionavoid any sudden economic convulsion aries have printing-presses in the and consequent political and social dis- mission stations. the R. T. S. makes turbance. There was a danger that grants of paper for printing, and has there might be a large exodus of freed expended in the last fifty years £62,- slaves from the plantations. 000 upon this object.-Ohurch MUl8ion- arg intelligencer. -Medical MUll/ions at Home and Abroad for January gives the names -The Luganda version of the whole ASIA. Bible is the latest issue of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The shape Is)am.- Cyrus Hamlin is always cer of the book is singular, and the ex- tain to say something whenever he planation of it is no less singular. It is speaks or takes his pen, but seldom has ihree inches broad, or thereabout, and he uttered himself to better purpose or the Bame thickness. The Bible Society more forcibly than in his recent article in this carried out the instructionsgiven on "The Failure of Islam." An en- to them without asking the reason why. grost copy ought to be sent to His When they did ask, they were told Serene Highness, whose thorny seat is it was in order to fit the book into on the Bosphorus. Qne of Huntley and Palmer's 2-lb. biscuit-tins, leaving room at the side -An item from the MiBsWna'1"1f for a.little book, ., Oxford Helps to the Herald says: How many Sunday- Study of the Bible," and at the end for schools are there in the United States prayer and hymn-book. These tins are that are obliged to enforce a rule that somewhat plentiful in the country now adults can no longer be permitted to so many Europeans are residing there, attend because there is no room to and they protect the books from the accommodate them? Such is the case voracity of white ants and other insect with the Sunday-schools in Aintab, plagues.-Idem. Central Turkey, which are now held at noon, and have a membership of over -An anonymous friend has offered 3,000 children. More than half these the Church Army £1, 500 for the special children .belong to the old Gregorian purpose of extending the society's work Church. While the Sunday-schools amongst the outcast, on condition that are thus prospering, inquiry meetings a further £8,500 is subscribed for the are held and are largely attended. And same purpose, in sums of £25 and up- it is in that same city of Aintab, that wards, by the end of February. In not long since Prof. J. Rendal Harris, response to an appeal issued, over of Cambridge University, England, and £2,600 of the required amount has his wife, spoke in one day to audiences already been subscribed. numbering nearly 11,000.
-It is now definitely decided that -The American consul at Erzerum, H. S. Newman shall accompany Theo- writing Nov. 21 in a letter made public dore Burtt to Pemba, in Africa. It is by the State Department, puts the numa responsible and hazardous enterprise ber of orphans at 50,000 and adds: in behalf of free labor in the African German charitable or religious sociisland, and with the hope and prospect eties are preparing to establish industrial of helping the cause of freedom, and orphan asylums at Oorfa, Cresarea and mayhap, indirectly, helping the Govern- elsewhere, and the Kaiserswerth deament to remove a stain from the flag of conesses of Germany have made pro- Britain, but especially that true Chris- vision for receiving Armenian orphans tianity may thus find expression among at Smyrna. and 30 have been sent there Mohammedans and others.-Engli8h from here. The British Government Friend. or its ambassador at Constantinople has initiated a movement .leading towards -A most interesting and important settling a number of widows and their volume of about 300 pages has been children on the island of Cyprus, more publisht by the English Friends, giving particularly. at present, at least, those the papers and addresses presented at within the province of Erzerum, which the recent Darlington Conference on number in the cities of Erzerum, Er- Foreign Missions, and abundance of zinjan, and Baibourt 2/049 who are information concerning their work in wit~oilt means and are recipients of foreign lands. The showing is most relief. creditable•. -The command to .. begin at Jeru- This was more effectual than all the salem" was literally observed by the rest. He helpt his fellow at the yoke early promoters of medical missions, for half an hour, and then down he for one was establisht in that city as came. 5. This time the irate driver far back as 1824, and the number of out- graspt the tail of the reclining animal patients visiting the English Mission and, taking it in his mouth; bit it merci- Hospital for Jews at Jerusalem last lessly. This was as effectual as the year was 12,335, not including dressings Chile powder, but made the biter some to wounds, sores, etc., which numbered trouble to get the hair all out of his 11,880. The in.patients numbered 879. mouth. 6. His last resort was to put a Many sick Jews had to be refused for live coal under the brute's caudal ap- lack of room. The patients came from pendage. This brought the cart into Cairo, Alexandria, Damascus, etc., as the village. If any minister in America well as from Jerusalem. The new hos- ever came across such ingenuity on the pital which is building will have 40 part of an American farmer in dealing beds, 15 more than the one used at pres- with a balky horse, to divert his mind ent, which was built in 1832. So still from wearying thoughts, let him speak. walks The Great Healer through the On another occasion I was called upon old city, over which He wept, in which to decide a case of considerable gravity. He workt, and in which He prayed A poor man, in a comer for cash, borand died.-Medzca& JlfiBsiouOll'1/. rowed 10 rupees ($2.50) of a neighbor, and made over his wife to him as secur- India.-A Hindu named Aaron was ity for the same till such time as he the first native Indian convert educated could pay the debt, which was without and ordained a Christian minister. This interest in view of the kind of security was in 1733, by Ziegenbalg. There are given. Our poor man saved until he now 1,000 natives ordained to the min- had 10 rupees in hand, and then called istry of the Reformed Churches. upon his neighbor to take his money and return his wife. The neighbor was so -I have heard more than once the well pleased with the security he said opinion exprest that a missionary's he did not want the principal back.- life was a very humdrum sort of one, and greatly wanting in the spice of in- R4'D. O. B. Wa1'd. cident. I do not accept the idea and propose to pen a few incidents in proof. -H. F. Laflamme, a Oanadian Bap- Some time since, while traveling over tist missionary, gives this vivid picture the country, I made note of the numer- of an outcaste Sunday-school: There ous and ingenious resorts of an unso- the children are, 77 of them, a tangle phisticated native of India to make a of lank arms and lean legs, their halfrefractory bullock that showed his de- naked bodies glistening with oil, or termination not to pull any more by grimy with filth accumulated by rolling lying down in the road, bend his shoul- in the gutter. The larger girls are disders once more to the task. 1. He tinguisht from the larger boys by prodded him with his nail-pointed gad. having one end of the cloth skirt, com- This made him move on a little way mon to the costumes of both sexes, pass when he dropt 'down again. 2. He up over the shoulder, and form a sort got a long whip and tried this on him, of loose waist. The smaller children ineffectually. 3. He wound a rope dress in a small cloth, the size of a around the nose of the obstreperous pocket-handkerchief. 'rhe hair crop, quadruped so tightly he could not get long, straight, black, and tangled, inhis breath. This brought him to his dicates the girls; that of the boys is feet and secured five minutes pull at the shaved off close to the shining black yoke. 4. He applied. Chile powder scalp, with the exception of a short (powdered' red pepper) to both eyes. tuft, or top-knot, used by their elders as a handle by which to pull them, wIlen recalcitrant, into the path of duty. matter of Sabbath observance. The They crowd together like a flock of Sabbath is a blessing they are slow to I crows over 'a new find of spoiled grain. appreciate. Living, as so many of the Chinese do, on the verge of starvation, -What woe, unspeakable and unim- they are slow to see the advantage of aginable, has deE.cended upon the hap- one day's rest in seven, when there is a less millions of India, when to the chance to earn something on the seventh awful scourge of the famine, the even day. As an example of Chinese povmore deadly infliction of the plague has erty, one man who had a wife and sevbeen added. The stories are quite past eral children, once gave as the reason belief that half the population of Bom- for his absence from Sabbath worship, bay have fled the city in panic terror. that they had no food in the home and he had taken the family over to his -The Rev. Robert Spurgeon, of father's house in order to get a meal Barisal, India, declares that there are there. districts in Barisal with populations of 800,000 and 500,000 without a single -The contention that the only hope preacher, tho when an occasional visit of missions lies in the education of chilis paid the people listen eagerly, and dren and not in the vain attempt to purchase copies of the Scriptures and convert adults finds a strong refutation tracts. What must the divine Head of in the work of the late J. A. Leyenthe Church think of these neglected berger in China. During his missionary opportunities? life he baptized 940 adults, 46 of whom were between the ages of fifty and sixty, -What a strange picture to our West- and 27 were over seventy years of age. ern minds this experience gives I A pupil in a mission college; then a dis- -An American professor in Peking tinguished graduate of the university University says of the Chinese church, and a great linguist; then a magistrate; of which he is pastor, that it is rapidly then a wandering fakir, who, while a coming up to self-support: "If the fakir, carried about with him one book Methodist Church in the United States only, and that the Bible; and, lastly, a would do as liberally in proportion to Christian brought to Christ by reading its ability, it would give about $15,000,- the Bible which he had carried about 000 annually for missions." Our conwith him while a heathen mendicant. verts are better than we are, more lib- We must go back to the earliest cen- eral, more self-denying, and more turies to find a similar picture.-Free prompt in their gifts. Ohurch Monthly. Korea.-After being well-nigh ship- China.-According to the Rev. S. wrecked at the hands of her officious L. Baldwin, who has spent over 20 pilots from abroad, Korea has entered years in China, the following are the upon a quieter era of reform, under infigures relating to this agency in that fluences nearer at home. The Re· land: "There are 100 male and 50 fe- pository, published in Seoul, remarks: male physicians, 150 male native med- "We gladly recognize the existence of ical students and 80 female students, 71 the progressive party and the good work hospitals treating many thousands of it is aiming to do: The widening and patients, and the physicians attending repairing of the main streets; the careyet other thousands at their homes, and ful cxpediture of government money; 111 dispensaries. in which over 223,000 the presence of capable foreigners in the patients are treated. About $70,000 law, war, and police departments; the was spent in medical work last year." dismissal of incompetent clerks; the redistricting the country into thirteen -A missionary of the China Inland provinces; and the fixed salaries of Society writes; Weare having a little governors and magistrates, tOlether difficulty at present with some in the with the littliting of their power and are continually discust in these papers, privileges," Add to these the royal and from a Christian point of postal service in 11 cities and 14 smaller view. The influence of the Christians towns, and we have a hopeful outlook upon the great moral reforms of the for the future. day is undeniable-they are practically under Christian leadership. The ChIis- -Rev. G. H. Jones writes: "In tians have already added largely to the Korea the Protestant mission work is commercial and industrial strength of carried on at 40 different places. The the nation.-The Outlook. storm of war and desolation has driven us ten years nearer our ultimate goal. -There are 15 publications in Japan The chief results have been the relief of devoted to the interests of women. Of Christianity from misconceptions of the these 3 are Christian. It is said that people, the mastery of a hitherto un- the late war with China has given a known tongue, and the successful great impetus to female education in inauguration of a Christian foundation. Japan. In the Mitsui Bank, of Osaka, Woman's work has been specially suc- the book keepers are all women. The cessful. The Protestant missionaries fair sex is also pretty well represented number 82. Of these 35 are Presbyter- in some of the Government offices. ians (31 from the United States and 4 from Australia); 26 are Methodists -The Y. M. C. A. of Tokyo has on from the United States (24 of the Meth- its roll the names of 347 members, odist Episcopal Church and 2 of the active and associate, and 186 young Methodist Episcopal Church, South); men attend the Association's night 12 are of the Church of England from school. England; 5 are Baptists from the United States; 4 are independent. In -A census of Christian charities in October, 1895, there were reported 42 Japan has been prepared by Rev. Mr. congregations, 528 baptized members, Pettee, of Okayama, in which are given 567 probationers or inquirers who had the names of 37 schools for the poor, given evidences of conversion and were having 1,317 pupils; 6 "homes" for applicants for baptism: 445 Sunday- various classes of persons, having 106 school scholars. The mission of the inmates, besides 22 orphanages having Methodist Episcopal Church was com- 1,189 inmates. There are also reported menced in 1885. It now reports 9 male 16 hospitals, and 4 institutions for the and 15 female missionaries, 122 mem- Ainu. Some of these charities were bers, and 288 probationers. organized and are supported by mis- sionary societies, but the greater portion Japan.-It is a striking fact, which owe their origin and maintenance to those who question the power of the individuals or churches, native or the Christian movement would do well foreign. The oldest of these charities to consider, that out of the half dozen are a school for the poor and an orphan so·called great papers (Dai Shimbun) of asylum at Yokohama, organized in Japan, two are avowedly under the 1871 by the Institute des Soeur de St. guidance of Christian principles. These Enfant Jesus. The next oldest is an two are the Kokumin Shimbun (the orphan asylum in Tokyo founded by Nation) and the Mainichi Shimbun (the the same sisters in 1873. J)a$'lu News). No Japanese, certainly, would dispute the correctness of this -Count Ito, the reforming Chancelclassification. One may doubt, possibly, lor of Japan, has persuaded the empress the religious influence of these journals; to wear European dress. His object in but they are stalwart champions of doing so is to help to secure for Japan- Christian ethics, and they have a wide ese women a higher social position. At hearing. Questions of public morality present they have assigned to them an inferior place in society. and Count Ito's notion is that by dressing like Europeans their standing will be raised. " If the your rifle, when you are getting a bead women," it is argued, "begin to wear on a fidgety buck, and bite in some foreign attire, their husbands will be painful spot just as you are about to obliged to modify their houses and pull the trigger. Other insects annoy their whole manner of living." you. Big moths, inquisitive about your lamp, enter your room at full speed, AFRICA. flutter noisily about your lamp, or try -There is little of Africa now that is to commit suicide inyour soup, leaving not controlled by either Portugal, Italy, the fluff of their wings floating on the Germany, France, or Great Britain. surface. The jigger burrows into your Germany possesses an area five times flesh, and starts in to raise a family in a as great as the original extent of its little white bag beneath the surface of own country. The African possessions your skin. The proverbial little ant is of France have been multiplied by five a terror to mankind. The large brown within the last decade. The only re- driver-ant, marching in swarms of milmaining portion of the great continent lions, with giant-ants as leaders and ofnot under European protection, the ficers, is a dreadful enemy. They move Sudan, is in process of conquest, really over the ground like a dark-brown ribby Great Britain, tho nominally by bon a foot wide, devouring every living Egypt. thing they meet, from a grasshopper to a goat, if the beast can not escape. -If the Kongo River were laid down Their heads are furnisht with terrific in Europe, it would extend from St. nippers; if you are bitten, and attempt Petersburg, in the north, and Smyrna, to pull away the insect, you will flnd in the east, to Athens and Naples, in the that the head remains in your flesh. south, watering the whole of Europe They will enter your house; no matter with the exeeption of northern Scandi- how well filled your larder was before navia and eastern Russia. the visit, it will contain nothing but -The English and German mission- bones afterward. The white ant does aries in East Africa introduced the cus- not bite you; his particular province is tom of raising a white flag with a red to destroy your most valuable property cross upon the flag-staff in their stations -your best trunks, your favorite shoes. on Saturdays, in order to tell the neigh- In one night he will so attack a wooden borhood that the Lord's day is on the box that when you lift it in the mornmorrow. The natives consequently call ing the bottom will drop out; he will Sunday" flag-day." eat a living eucalyptus·tree, and when he is in the district the poles of your -The late Mr. E. J. Glave wrote, in house in a few months' time will crum- the Century: "A word as to African ble into dust. At a certain state of his insects. In the swamps the mosquito is existence he has wings, which he sheds a vicious little fanatic. He assails you at your meal-times into your dishes.
in clouds without the slightest provo· Scorpions and tarantula spiders are only cation, and remains till killed. He is a occasionally met. Large beetles come keen observer, and if you are sitting in from long distances to see you, and end any posture which stretches your gar- their journey by striking you in the ments tightly over your leg, you feel a face. Many insects of smaller caliber sharp sting which tells you the mos- settle on the back of your neck, and quito has noticed the fact. A small hole when you try to brush them off sneak in your mosquito-net he notices at once, down your back. Small saw·flies feel and will struggle through it, a wing and particularly curious about your right leg at a time, and when inside calls to eye when the left one is closed and a few friends and tells them the way he you are trying to get a bead on a entered. They perch on the barrel of buck." -Extraordinary steps have been with the intrigue and fatalism of the taken by the authorities of Cape Colony Moslems, and the well-known ignorance to arrest the progress of the rinderpest, of the superstitious Mograbin Jews, which, making its way southward from the workers see little encouragement, the Zambesi, has desolated Rhodesia, but their trust is in the Lord, who has stript Khama's people in Bechuana- purposes of grace in Morocco as well as land of their most valuable property, in other countries. and threatens to desolate the entire southern section of the continent. At -The American Sudan Mission has its first irruption infected herds were already 4 stations and 18 workers near promptly slaughtered-one of the the source of the Niger at Falaba, and causes of the revolt of the Matabeles now proproses to send another set of was the refusal of the authorities to workers to occupy Timbuctoo. Two- compensate the native owners for cattle thirds of the inhabitants of the Sierra thus slain. Then an attempt was made Leone hinterland speak the Mendi lan- to prevent the infection spreading south guage, and the Mendi are the Waganda of the Molopolo River; strong patrols of the West Coast, so the possibilities were establisht on the southern bank- seem to be considerable, even though but in vain. A fresh boundary line- the surer way to reach the Sudan as a a fence of wire-was then constructed Whole be through the Hausaspeaking by the Cape authorities, at great ex- nations. pense, from the German territory on the west to the Transvaal on the east, -The Presbyterian Church of South and continued down to the south. The Africa has now its General Assembly, plague leapt this barrier, and appeared in which are represented the Free in three native localities. These were Church, with 3 presbyteries; the United promptly fenced in. A double fence Presbyterian Church, with 2 presbywas then built right across Bechuana- teries; the separate presbyteries of Natal, land, with a five mile interspace, and Cape Town, and the Transvaal, and the this belt is incessantly patroled to pre- congregation of Port Elizabeth. The vent the crossing of cattle. In all, united body claims to have 13,000 comsome 1,500 miles of wire fencing has municants, of whom three-fourths are been constructed, and the work has natives. Outside this community there cost, including the police and patrols, are 2 other Presbyterian churches in over $2,000,000. South Africa-the Dutch Ref(lrmed, with 160,000 members; and the Basuto -The annual report of the Central Church, with over 9,000 members. Morocco Medical Mission gives us some idea of the anxieties which be- -Dr. George F. Becker, of the set the work of Dr. Robert Kerr and United States Geological Survey, who his helpers. The Mission carries the has just returned from mining investi- Gospel to the Jews, Moors, Arabs, and gations in the Transvaal RepUblic, re- Berbers in the center of Morocco. ports that that country contains the Rabat and Salee, with an aggregate most stupendous gold deposits the population of 55,000 souls, 5,000 of them world has ever seen. Within 15 miles Jews, form the basis of operations, of Johannesburg, he says, on What is while the tribes lying between bring up called the main reef series, there is an the population to upwards of 400,000. amount of gold practically in sight, Owing to civil war and the unsettled estimated to be worth $3,500,000,000, state of the country, no itinerating work or nearly as much as the entire volume was possible last year, but the medical of gold coin now in the world. For mission was frequented by many of the the present gold is being taken out at people, 4,491 cases being treated during the rate of $100,000,000 a year, and it the nine months ending Sept. 30. What would not be surprising if, within a few years, the South African gold output equalled that of all the world be- way, and that he hoped they would be sides. Most startling of all is the report which Dr. Becker brings from another met on the coast of Kavirondo by the American mining expert that, to the best of his knowledge and belief, the new steamer supplied by the Stanley gold deposit, instead of being 30 miles long, is practi(~alIy 1,200 miles long. and Record Fund and conveyed thence -The Pennsylvania Bible Society to their destination, thus saving a fort· contributes $500 to pay the expenses of a second edition of the Tonga New night'smarching. The new Government Testament, for the missions .of the Methodist Episcopal Church in East steamer, which was put together at the Africa. The translation was made by the Rev.E. H. Richards, superintendent mouth of the Lake and was the first to of East African Missions. He will superintend the issuing of the new 1I.oat upon its waters, has suffered a disedition. The American Bible Society does the printing. aster at Bukoba, the German station on -The death of Baron Von Eltz adds the west coast, where it was driven on another name to the roll of those who have fallen in their enthusiasm to bring the rocky shore by a storm. Christ's kingdom of light and peace to Africa. He occupied the post of Com· -Writing by the last Livingstonia missioner for the German territories east of Lake Nyassa., and by strenuous mail from Ekwendeni, the headquarters efforts against the Arabs, had contributed in no small measure to the ex- of the mission which has tamed the tinction of' the slave trade in his district. To his children, as he called the Ngoni on the western uplands of Lake German missionaries in our African Interlaaken (the land between Tanganyika Nyasa, Dr. W. A. Elmslie reports con· and Nyassa), he was full of kindness. -Blantyre Life and Work. tinued progress up to the end of last -The missionaries of the Leipsic July. The 17 schools, with above 1,000 Society in East Africa are rejoiCing that they henceforth will receive their mail eager scholars in daily attendance, were regularly every three weeks. If they were in Alaska or in the Hudson Bay all in operation, and all studying the territory they would be glad to get it every three months I And we spoiled Word of God. which they purchase for children of civilization grumble if our morning paper is late a few minutes. themselves. Revs. E. Ovir and K. Segebrock, two young Leipsic missionaries, were mur- -We may give thanks to-day that the dered by Arusha and Meri robbers, October 20, on their way to the Meri spirit of place is so wide-spread. Folmountains, where they were to establish a new station. lowing hard after the good news about -Bishop Tucker, now in England, the Venezuelan difticulty comes the states that the Uganda party, who left the coast November 28, were to go tidings that Italy has resigned 'her pro· the 1I.rst 14 miles of the journey by rail- tectorate over Abyssinia and has recog· nized the independence of that plucky African countrr., whose Christian king and soldiers, It will be remembered gave the Italian army the most ignO:- minious drubbing several months ago. It was feared that Italy, to maintain lier military standing, would continue this expenSlye and bloody war at all costs.
Now that the present treaty has been concluded onreaigbnroabdetawnedenlibethraesl ebatswis~ peace will countries, and one more long step has been taken towards the recognition of the oft-ignored fact that weak and " uncivilized" nations have rights that should be respected.-Golden RUle.
-King Menelek of Abyssinia claims to have treatad the Jews more kindly and justly than others have done. •• There are more than 300,000 of them in my kingdom," he said lately to a missionary; "and though they enjoy almost complete independence, they are obedientand industrious subjects. They never conspire, pay all tributes, and respect our abuna as much as do the Christians. If they are worse in Eu- rope, it is because the Christians, too, are worse. Our Lord Jesus forgave them on the cross j why should we persecute them?"
The Missionary Review of the World — December 1891
8t2 FOREIGN MISSION DAY AT NORTHFIELD CONVENTION
THE MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XIV. No. 12.-0ld8erie8.–DEOEMBER.–VoL. IV. No.12.-New8erie8.
THE FOREIGN MISSION DAY AT NORTHFIELD CONVENTION.
REPORTED BY MISSES LOUISE B. AND ANNA W. PIERSON.
There are some feasts of fat things, even the fragments of which are of priceless value, and should be carefully gathered that they be not lost. And such a feast was kept at Northfield. Mass., on Tuesday, August 4th.
Mr. Moody uses every means to make the Annual Conferences, at this now famous gathering place, impart a mighty momentum to all true work for the Master. Accordingly a whole day was this year given up to foreign missions, and some who were present have said that no more memorable and impressive day has ever bAen known in the whole history of these yearly meetings of believers. The day was a sort of field-day, and certainly a very full day. From morning to evening up to ten o'clock at night the interest never flagged, but rather grew. By Mr. Moody's request the editor-in-chief of this REVIEW took the chair, but not until the close of the evening session did he speak himself, save very briefly to guide the proceedings and introduce the speakers. The time was given up principally to veteran missionaries from the field, though Dr. Mabill, who has recently returned from his Eastern tour, and Dr. Gordon, who is a special student of missionary questions, very profitably added their testimony and appeals.
No brief resume can do any justice to the addresses. The interest awakened, for instance, by Dr. Clough's story of the new Pentecost in Southern India, which sounded like apostolic days, was at times painfully intense. But our desire is to give our readers some conception of the day's doings and present to them the outline at le:;tst of what was done.
In opening the morning meeting the chairman suggested as a key-note for the day, four passages of Scripture: Isa. 53: 11 ; 1 Cor. 4: 15 ; Gal. 4 : 19 ; Col. 1 : 24. These Scriptures teach us that Christ is yet to see of the travail of His soul, and that in that travail the believer is to share, and that until the Church partakes of Christ's vicarious sorrow and atoning work that travail cannot be accomplished. The one overwhelming thought that should occupy us to-day is not joy and self·gratulation at what a century of modern missions has wrought, but rather shame and humiliation that our Lord has waited for eighteen long centuries to see of His soul's travail and has never yet seen it, because His Church has been so apathetic, selfish, and worldly. Even yet the great body of believers is half asleep, if not practically dead to a lost world's ruin and wreck.
" Were I asked," said the chairman, " what above all else the Church needs for the new century of missions now before us, I would say, not men or money or zeal, but an outpouring of the spirit of believing PRAYER !"
A few most impressive and remarkable instances of answers to prayer in connection with the work of missions were then briefly cited, most of which have been already spread before the readers of the REVIEW-such, for instance, as the special calls to prayer in the history of the Church Missionary Society in 1872, 1880, and 1884, referred_to by Mr. Edwards in his article in the October issue, pages 734-40. And then Dr. J. E.
Clough, of the Telugu Mission in India, was introduced and received by the vast audience with a rising, as well as rousing, welcome. The charm of his story was its simplicity, not an attempt to clothe the facts with any drapery of imagination or embellishments of rhetoric, but a plain, modest, unpretending statement of what he called" the LQrd's work, which he had been permitted to stand by and witness. ,.
He said, in substance: " India has a wonderful history in the past, and, I fully believe, in the future. It contains about 1,600,000 square miles, being about 1800 miles from north to south, and about 1600 in the n01,th, from east to west. The peninsula of Hindostan is peopled by about 286,000,000 people, who are divided into 137 nationalities, speaking entirely different languages, which are subdivided into 100 or more dialects. The~e are an interesting, progressive people. They have the intellect, the push, and the physical strength of a dominant rac~, They have done wonderful things in the past, and will do wonderful things in the future. They gave Buddhism to almost two thirds of the human race, and what they have done for Buddha they will do for Christ, if we but give them a chance to know Him. The 'Lone Star' Mission is situated on the western shore of the Bay of Bengal, about 600 miles from Colombo on the south, and about 1000 miles from Calcutta on the north. It was established in 1836 by men of prayer, but was almost a forlorn hope for thirty years. God's time had not yet come for saving the Telugus. The American Baptist Missionary Union was discouraged and talked of abandoning the mission, but Dr. Jewett determined to go back. The Board said that if he would go he ought to have some one to give him a Christian burial, and sent me back with him. I have never had that duty to perform, and when I last saw him he did not look as if he would need it for some time. When I went out in 1865, the converts connected with that mission numbered twenty, and the scholars were just about that number. Just at this time heathenism there was rampant.· Cholera had broken out, and people were dying by hundreds, and the heathen were taking different idols, carrying them into one place, feasting them, and then taking them to another place, and so on. I took tracts and gave to the heathp,n, who would receive them from ue when they would not from their own people. Hundreds of thousands were distributed. A teacher helped me to commit texts to memory in the language, and especially John 3 : 16, and I would go out and by singing draw a crowd and then deliver my texts. Then I would move on to another place and preach the same sermon. I added a few texts each day, and soon had a purely textual sermon half an hour long. After a while I noticed that the people who saw me would put their fingers in their ears and run away. My escort said, 'They believe you are sent fro~ God, and fear that if they hear you and do not obey, some calamity worse than the cholera will come upon them, and so they are determined not to hear you.' A Hindoo priest, of much influence at one place, for m"any days closed his door in anger against me. Finally this man came to my house and said he had read the Gospel of Luke which I had given him, and had corne to the conclusion there was nothing in idolatry and gave up his idols, which he brought with him, and asked for the whole Bible. A few weeks later he was haptized, and till his death was an efficient colporteur. During a year and three months at that place, perhaps twenty were converted and receiv.ed hy the Church.
" Then I went to another station, one mass of solid heathenism for 73 miles around. With me I had three or four Christians, and the catechist, eight of us in all. We went out two by two and every hamlet was visited, and after a while we extended the circuit till we reached around some 4,0 miles from the station. After two or three months we heard· there was a good deal of interest out about 40 miles. I went out and sent word to surrounding villages. The first morning about forty came, each with a bundle of grain to eat, to stay till they heard all about the religion. We continued in alternate seasons of talk and prayer till about the third day when about all the company were praying. In four days 28 of them gave such evidence that they were baptized. After 25 years every one of these converts has remained faithful, and six of them are working to-day as catechists, preachers, or colporteurs. Some are dead, but all faithful to the end.
" I wanted to get hold of the high-caste people, many of whom were wealthy, finely edueated, and as keen and shrewd as God ever created men. I had a plan of establishing a school in Madras, getting the high class into it, and getting them into the mission. The house was built, teachers were engaged, and everything was ready, when these 28 men were baptized. Secretly I wished low-caste people would keep away on aceount of the high caste, but the latter heard of my intercourse with the lower caste, and refused to have anything to do with the school if I allowed those to come. The school was established, and one day five of the low-caste people carne to me and asked to be baptized. I commissioned some of my fellow-workers to see and catechise them, and if they really believed, we must,' of course, baptize them. After a thorough examination there was no doubt but that they were really Christians. I. could not help feeling sad when I went to baptize them. The high-caste people went where the baptism took place and criticised me, claiming my religion was false, inasmuch as I taught it to the low caste people. By accident I carne across a passage in the Bible which led me to believe that God wanted us to do our work principally among the poor people. I went horne and when alone I opened my Bible at random to 1 Cor. 1 : 18-31 : 'For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God,' etc. As I sat thinking over what I had read, my wife carne in and said, ' I believe the Lord would have us seek to save these low-caste people.' Then she told me how in her ilisappointment at the coming of the low caste she had gone to her Bible, and opening at random began also to read at the same eighteenth verse of the first chapter of First Corinthians, and read to the end ! We concluded God had used that passage to guide us. Our missionary brethren throughout the country regretted the course we took, and it looked as though I had tbrown myself away. But twenty-four years after that time I received a letter from the editor of the Indian Witness, perhaps the most influential religious newspaper published in India, saying: , You by the blessing of God have changed the missionary policy of Ill! India. You are right, stick to it, give us some articles for our paper, telling us what you have done.' A year after, when I left the station, those who had scorned me at first vied with each other to do me honor. From that time on, the converts came into this Lone Star Mission, from 25 to 100 every year for the first year or two, then 200 or 300 a year for the next few years, then 400 or 500 a year, tiIl1872, when I got the jungle fever and came home. We asked for and secured four more workers, and some money for schools. Tbe converts were then coming at the rate of 500 to 1000 a year, and then the great famine of 1876 began.
" As soon as tbe southwest monsoon fails we know there is going to be a great scarcity, but if followed by the failure of tbe northeast monsoon, we know tbere will be a famine. Both these had failed, and I knew there would be a famine, and I wrote to a friend (eXplaining the condition. He sent me back 500 rupees, telling me to send for more. I gave that money out, and the people worked on for three or four months, when it began to be grievous. The government had undertaken relief work, digging a canal for 200 miles. I took a large contract of three miles. The government officials said: 'Y ou can have all the money and assistance you want from us. Just use your influence to get the people to come in.' They diLl this, because the people would not leave their homes to go to famine relief work. That is mainly because they are fatalists, and say: 'If it is fated for us to die, we shall die and it is of no use for us to go away to die.' Others say: 'Some god is angry with us, and if we undertake to fiee from his wrath something worse will come, and what is the good ~' The government officials stuck to their promise most faithfully, and we built huts on the canal, police were furnished, a medical man was sent there, watchers were given to me, money was placed in my hands, and I sent my assistants over the country, crying out to the starving to come from famine to this place and live. The people clime in, and those who were sick were put on litters and brought. In my camp, one division unahle to do work were given subsistence allowances, and everything was done for them till they were able to go to work. The others went to work under 40 assistants, and each preacher, with his hundred or two men, would be a sapper and so they commenced After they were tired out, they would read to them out of the Bible. Thus they read and worked for a few days and the Lord gave us one of. the- most desirable tracts to dig on the canal, though it was thought to be a hard place by the engineer. It was a filled up backwater, and, instead of water coming in as he expected. the soil was light and they could earn more wages than ever before. After I had been at work a few weeks, speculators came and wanted to give me 10 per cent to hand it over to them. Nay, verily!
"When Sunday came this company would come up before my tent and seat themselves, and I would preach to them. This we continued for about five months; then my three miles were done, and the assistants took two miles more on their own account, and I went up to another place. After eight months of this work, the time had come when they must go to their homes to sow their fields, for rain had come. When they got back, they found their houses were without roofs, and many of their cattle had died, and so frequently they had to plough and harrow the fields themselves. After the first crop was up two or three inches there came a cold rain aud the whole was ruined. They sowed again and then locusts spread over the country and took every spear above ground. ' The people were discouraged, and hadn't anything to buy seed-grain with. I was in correspondence with the editor of the Madras Times, and tele- graphed him and to England and wherever I had a fr~end, the condition. Money began to come in and the Mansion House Fund was established in London, one of the noblest charities ever undertaken and executed by men. Within a week I was inf.:>rmed to draw on them for all I wanted. Twenty-five hundred rupees were immediately telegraphed for, and they telegraphed that they were on the way, tut that I had noL asked for half enough. So I sent for 2500 more.
" We formed committees of all the trustworthy men and government officials all over the country, and the people were supplied with money to buy grain. But it was too late to sow any grain that would be long in maturing, so they sowed a small kind of millet, which would mature in six weeks. They got enough grain, which, added with the weeds they could gather, they could use from day to day, while waiting for the next crop, which would come in about six months. The relief work continued to about June 1st, 1878, when the famine had lasted a year and a half. We then notified the people that we could not do anything more for them, and they must go to their homes and take care of themselves till the crop just sown could ripen. For a year and a half we had not done what is ordinarily called mission work at all. Not a single person had been received into the Church, although, the Christmas before, 2200 were inmy compound asking to be received ,n baptism. We had not held a regular meeting. I sent word to my assistants to meet me and organize for work again. On the evening before the meeting. I went up to the place of service, in a traveller's bungalow, and although I had sent word for nobody to come, except assistants and a few of the older members of the church, I saw great swarms of people. I told them I didn't want to baptize them, because we had not instructed them long enough, and the famine was not over, and asked them to wait till the crop came. But they began to cry to me : • What YOll say is all true. We know you are not going to give us any more money and we are not coming for money, but, when we were down on the canal you told us about Jesus. We have ,believed in Him and discarded all our idols. We have two months before we can have anything from our fields. The cholera and small-pox are prevalent, and many of us must die, and if we die we want to die with everybody knowing that we are Christians. We don't want to die with this old stigma on our heads. We want to be baptized and numbered among the people of God.' To every effort I made the same answer came. After a short time of retirement, I decided to do as they wished. We commenced work the next mornin•. and by evening the assistants had examined the most of the company. The first day 500 were baptized, the second 2222, the third day enough to make the whole number about 3500. Delegations began to come in from villages here and there, saying: 'You have baptized that great company, but there are many people U1iable to come in. Come out to our villages and baptize us.' I telegraphed to the principal of the seminary to come to my help, and we went out and before the close of December nearly 10,000 had been baptized.
"Converts came, perhaps a thousand a year, for the next five years. In 1885 I came home again, to ask for men and money. Our one station had grown to be 13 in number, and the converts had increased to 25,000, and our assistants were numbered by the hundred. We had a high school established, a theological seminary, and station schools in all the 13 stations, besides boarding schools in most of them and some 200 or 300 village schools scattered in as many different villages. In all we had perhaps 4000 children in our different schools. Just here sad tidings came. Ten missionary families either died or came home on account of their health. Many were sick, of the last who had gone out, and I had to write for more men to take care of the converts. Word would corne back: 'We are doing the best we can for you, but men don't seem to be wil:ing to go to the Telugus.' We waited three or four years and none came, so we decided that we must do the work ourseh"es. The natives becamG enthusiastic over the matter, and said: 'Yes, we will take care of this work on the field, if you will take care of yourself and not get sick.' I said: 'I will not leave you. I am willing to show you that, if American citizens don't love you and think too much of themselves to come out here, there is one American who loves you enough to stand by you till you take him ovcr the hill to the cemetery and bury him.' I don't think much of missionary dust. One live missionary is worth one thousand dead ones, and remember that missionaries don't ask for your pity. We don't ask for your tears. Good missionaries are not run by water. But we want your prayers, sympathy and help, and we want you to remember that this commission which yon and we are under is all the same. It is, 'Go ye,' every mother's son of you who are men, and every mother's daughter of you who are women, or else get an excuse acceptable to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you cannot go personally, send a substitute. Send your sons, send your daughters, your money, and your prayers. God will never be in debt to American Christians for what they do, you need not be afraid of that. And when you go, burn your bridges behind you till your term of service is over, till God shows you that you have no business to stay any longer.
" While we were feeling so despondent about missionaries, we began to feel there was more of a revival spirit going on than for a long time. Some of the converts came in and told about it. We had meetings, and the first day we baptized 240, and when the time came for them to go away, their request was for me to come to their villages. I told them to go to those villages, to tell the Christians how the matter stood, and to corne to the station December 28th, and we would have a grand time. They had doubts, because these Hindoos like to be baptized in their own villages. With some reluctance they started off. At the time 4000 came and we divided them into companies and the leaders examined them. We baptized from one o'clock till 6.30, 1671 persons. There was not a single request made by anyone for anything except Christian t·eachers to come to their villages.
, 'Then Dr. Mabie came. I showed him the Hindoos in their homes, and he and his travelling companion baptized 600. We gave him a reception, when the 800 children in the schools met him. After they had left, I continued the tour till between lfiOO and 1700 had been baptized. Dr. Mabie convinced me that by coming home to get men and money I might do a better thing for the Telugus than by dying for them. I told him jf I could get twenty-five men and $50,000, so that I could be back to India within a year, I would go."
The speaker then gave a vivid description of his parting with the people on returning to this country last March. He made three attempts to get away and could not on account of the crowds of people that came.
to bid him farewell. He finally stationed guards before his house to send the people away and tell them he could see no one. At about midnight he attempted to slip quietly away, and when he opened his door, what was his snrprise to see hundreds of people gathered to see him off; some of whom had been waiting since early in the morning. Dr. Clough closed his thrilling address with the following story told of a deacon who had been complained of by his wife for giving away all that he had. She asked the pastor to remonstrate with him. When the pastor asked the deacon why he did so, he said he had had a curious dream: he dreamed he had a basket of crackers, and standing near the water threw one out on it, and it skipped along out of sight so nicely that he threw another in the same way, and so on, till they were all gone. But just at that time he noticed something large, coming back to him on the water, which proved to be a loaf of bread, and he waited till every cracker he had thrown out came back such a loaf. "If you want your money to increase, send it out. If you want God to bless the great republic, send out the men and your daughters, and after they go, instead of crying after them, follow them up by prayer and words of cheer. He will take care of your sons and daughters who go, and those who remain, and will be glorified, and our great republic will go on just as well. "
Dr. H. C. Mabie, Home Secretary of the American Baptist Missionary Union, then added a few words as to his experiences in India: " I was never at rest until I could go and see the work among the heathen. The first Sabbath in India, what did I see? A congregation of 666 persons. Eighteen hundred texts were recited by the children. At 11 o'clock the preaching service began. I did not need to be told that I was in the midst of Christians, for I could see the image of Christ on the faces before me. In the audience were foreigners, natives, out-castes, and Brahmans. By first working for the out-castes, Dr. Clough had won them all. I felt during the entire service great spiritual response to the preaching. At 3 o'clock there was a meeting for the examination of candidates which lasted the .remainder of the afternoon. It was no special occasion, but 97 came to be examined.
" The service in the evening to my surprise· was conducted in English. Before the service a delegation of Brahmans came to give me a welcome. They read a document signed by many of the leading men in the vicinity, in which they commended most highly the work of Dr. Clough and the good he had been enabled to accomplish among them. The following day I visited a boys' school of over 200, and later a school for Brahman girls. I was very much impressed by the treatment which I received from these high-caste children. . One of the little girls came up to me, and without any warning threw over my head a large wreath of flowers, another one followed with one for Dr. Clough. Several other children brought me little trinkets and jewelry, and after I had been home I received from some of them little gifts for my daughters."
The chairman opened the afternoon meeting by reading a telegram, conveying the greetings of Rev. Dr. J. T. Gracey. of Rochester, the President of the International Missionary Union. He then gave several striking examples of the power of prayer in missions, such as the remark- able experiences of David Brainerd, Dr. Neesima in his great school in Japan, in which at one time 150 students were found inquiring, after a special season of prayer. A third instance was cited from the story of Tahiti, where-just as the London Missionary Society was about to abandon the work, but under Dr. Haweis's and Mr. Wilks's entreaty determined to go forward with new prayer-the idol systems fell and the idol gods were surrendered, at the very time that the prayer covenant was being formed in London, and the ships bearing intelligence from the society in London and from the missionaries in Tahiti passed each other in mid.ocean.
At the afternoon meeting Dr. W. W. Eddy, the veteran missionary of Syrin, spoke: " Spiritual Christianity is an exile from the home of its birth. Spiritual desolation reigns in Syria. The spiritual temple in that laud should be rebuilt. Corruption has come into the Church. When the American Board fifty years ago sent its missionaries to TUlkey and Syria, it instructed them not to deal with the Mohammedans, but to work with the native Christians. We found, though, that our points of attack were Mohammedanism and orthodox Christianity represented by the Greek Church. The speaker then contrasted the Greek Churc!J with the Roman Catholics, stating that the Reformation had never crossed the Bosphorus. Oriental Christianity is a worship of symbolism. The Bible is not as sacred with them or as much studied as by Roman Catholics. The Greek Church is the Russian Church and there are 85,000,000 members. There are 150,000,000 Mohammedans. The Oriental Church and Mohammedanism cannot be attacked in Rus;lia, as the government will not allow Protestant missionaries in that country. It is against the law to change one's religion in Russia, except to that of the Greek Church.
"One of our greatest weapons for putting down heathenism is the continued and direct contact of the missionaries with the people, who love to converse and argue. Another great weapon used against Mohammedanism is the schools. The people are impressed with the importance of education, and are willing to send their children to our I>chools, though the Bible is used in all of them. We teach the pupils Scripture verses and the catechism, and to those who commit the latter we give presents of Bibles, which they carry into their homes. We also have high schools for boys and female seminaries for girls and a college with 200 pupils. In all there are 7000 pupils under the reach of our missionaries. Another great weapon is the work of our printing-press. We have four steam presses at Beirut and we print from 25,000,000 to 27,000,000 pages of Arabic literature a year. If Mr. Moody should come to Syria he would see his own sermons in Arabic, of which he would not be able to read a word, and Mr. Sankey might see his own hymns, and I fancy would find some difficulty in reading them, as they are printed backwards. Weare sin.qing the children into the Christian religion. The Moslem boys and girls sing our hymns in the street. The cholera reached the city of Hums last year. One woman when dying asked to have a Christian hymn sung. She and her husband began to sing, but before the song was finished she was 8inging in the heavenly choir.
"Our books go to Northern Africa, throughout the Turkish Empire, to India, and China, and even back here to the United States. Person after person is converted by the silent testimony of God's Word. Our press is a mighty lever. People who dare not come to us openly buy our Bibles.
" We rea~h them again through medicine. We have a hospital at Beirut, and we are welcomed as bringing gifts of healing. 'Those who have sought healing for their bodies have found healing for their souls as well. One who has a knowledge of medicine can go from tribe to tribe with perfect safety, and is warmly welcomed. A great problem is how to reach the Bedouins, that wild class. We cannot go among them, it would not be safe. But we send our native helpers, and as the Bedouins are greatly afflicted with small-pox we provide our helpers with vaccine virus. Then we have a theological seminary where we are raising up preachers of the Gospel. I have for several years edited a religious paper and have also bee·.1 engaged on an Arabic commentary (on the New Testament). We do not dare to tell the success with which we have met, only in general terms. If we were to point out cases the persons would be marked men. Any ope who is found to have received Christianity has his property confiscated, and even his life is in danger. Most of them either disguise themselves or leave the country.
" We have a self-supporting church in Beirut with a native pastor with a membership of 400. Our Sunday-school is attended by 1000 children. 'There are 92 places where the Gospel is preached every Sabbath. 'Therp. have been great results in the past 40 years. There arp. 15,000 pupils in the schools of Beirut, all seeking a pl:ome of higher education. I have heard Moody and Spurgeon preached by Greek priests.
" What are the obstacles to the work 1 First, opposition from the 'Turkish Government. At first it paid no attention to the work, considering that it was a case of infidel dogs quarrelling with each other. Now they have become afraid, and a censorship of the press has been established. They keep out all that is against their religion, and put all the obstacles in their power in the way of the pllblishing and distribution of the Bible. We are undermining Mohammedanism. The government has closed up many of our schools. No Mohammedan convert is openly put to death, but he is arrested on some pretext and then disappears, never to be heard (!.f again. A second obstacle is the power of the Jesuits. They come in scores. They open schools where we do, they follow our missionaries and they establish hospitals and. colleges opposed to us. The Greek Church is upheld by Russia and it is hard for Protestantism to get a foothold, but , they that be with us are more than they that be with them.' A third obstacle is a want of means to carryon our work. Ye have to minimize our work to be within our appropriation. You ask, why doesn't our Board look out for us. I'll tell you. In Syria there are many families where all its members sleep under one covering. During the night this covering gradually gets off those on the edges, and then first one pulls it and then another. So with us. On the north we have Tripoli pulling on the Board ; then Sidon wants a share j then Mt. Lebanon complains that too much is given the plain, and the plain complains that Mt. Lebanon's share is too large. It isn't the fault of the Board j rather it isn't a fault. On the contrary, it means that the work is a living, growing work. That it is a growing work is shown by its constantly increasing needs. Missionary work always needs four things: open doors, men, means, and the outpouring of the Spirit.
" Since my return to this country I have visited considerably. I have seen a $180,000 church going up in Detroit, I 'have seen the plan of a projected Young Men's Christian Association building in Chicago. Five huudred dollars will build a church in Syria. It would be but one lump from your store. W'e need money. You must either stop praying or give more. The growing child has constantly increasing claims, and the parent does not complain; neither should the Church complain that her children are growing, and need more means to support them. You build magnificent churches here, while we cannot raise enough money to buy doors and windows for our churches in Syria. Schools have had to be closed so as not to get into debt. I know of a missionary who has sent to a friend in this country and borrowed money in order to carryon his mission work. We have had to shut up three seminary buildings and have had to cripple our presswork. I sail for Syria next week, and I ask your prayers for our work."
THE NEEDS OF CHINA.
Dr. J. R. Hykes, of China: " China to-day is the great mission field of the world. It is one of the largest domains ever swayed by a single power. China is one half larger than the United States with Alaska added. It comprises one third of entire Asia and is one tenth of the habitable globe. Next to Russia it is the largest empire. It has one fourth of the human race. It has 350,- 000,000 souls, six times that of the United States. China has vast stores of mineral wealth. There is coal enough stored to last the entire universe 2000 years. It has stores of copper, gold, and silver which are practically untouched. It is a unique nation. It dates back 4000 years. The end of the ninth chapter of Genesis would be the beginning of the first chapter of Chinese history. It is hoary with antiquity. The greatest problem of the age is the conversion of China. Convert China and you've converted the world. What is the moral condition of China to-day ~ The first chapter of Romans is an accurate description. It is no libel, and is not overdrawn. The heathen character is growing steadily worse. There is no such thing as a standstill in vice. They are vile and polluted in a shocking degree. An excessive statement can't be made. Confucianism is the State religion of China, but it is not a religion. There is no gene!ic word for it in the Chinese language as we mean religion. Confucius was a transmitter of the wisdom of sages; he was an editor, not an author. He is silent on the origin and destiny of the human race. He would not speak about the future life. The basis of Confucianism is ancestral wor- ship, which is more potent than all the idol worship. In China to-day there are 70,000,000 of ancestral tablets. Confucianism after forty years of trial has proved a failure as a religion of elevation. The Chinaman "'who sins once has no one to whom he can pray. Buddhism, introduced to supply a felt want, after eighteen centuries has proved a failure. Taouism is a native faith,. it is an abstruse system of metaphysics that has degen,erated to a mere traffic in charms. China needs the religion of Christ, it is her only hope. Some people 'think that Christianity is not adapted to the Chinese mind.
"The impression has gone about that the conversion of China is an impossible task. The Chinese can't be converted, we are told. It is a hopeless warfare. Now, what are the sources of this information ~ They are twofold. First, they come from globe trotters who never visit the mission fields, but go into some large city and then come home and give their opinions with flippant fluency. One of these romancers was tripped and brought to a humiliating confession. He had never been inside a mission, and yet reported that the missionaries preached to empty benches, and further drew oil. his imagination. A second source of information is that of naval officers and sea captains, who help to circnlate these reports. They have yet to see the inside of a Christian chapel in China. The captain of a steamer which recently arrived at San Francisco made the statement, which was published broadcast, that he saw no native Christians in China. He did not go where they were. He brought home on his vessel the body of a murdered missionary whose Christian servant stuck by him to the death, and whose body was covered with the blood of his master. When the Wesleyan mission was burned, native Christians went into that building when there was no possible prospect of escape, and rescued the children of Christians. I have yet to see the captain of a merchant ship in one of the missions. An Englishman who had spent several years in India, remarked to a missionary there that he had never yet seen a native Christian; and went on to tell of the pleasure he had experienced in tiger hunting. The missionary replied, 'I have lived twenty years in India and have never yet seen a tiger. ' The trouble in both cases was that each had not gone to the right place to look. Can a Chinaman be converted ~ Bishop Newman went among them and personally satisfied himself on that question. He said to one Chinaman, 'I want you to tell me your experience : how you felt when convicted and converted.' He replied, 'I felt as if I were sewed up in a sack filled with snakes and scorpions, with no hope of escape, when Jesus Christ came and opened the sack and lifted me out. ' The conversion of the Chinese is the most important work of the Church in this age. It is important on account of the fnture of the Mongolian race. The Chinese question is to become a difficult one for the world to solve. The Chinese are all over the world, have emigrated into nearly every country on the globe. By their temperate habits and economY' they have outdone almost every other nation. You should not judge the Chinese from those that emigrate to this country, for they are poor specimens.
" There is a general feeling of uneasiness about them. The Australians would give a larger reward to get rid of them than they offered to be rid of rabbits. The Americans are ·also III agony over the Chinaman. It is not so much from his bad qualities as his good qualities. He is becoming a formidable competitor. No iniquitous exclusion act will keep him out. Such an act is a blot and disgrace. We can assimilate the scum of Europe, but we can't digest the Chinaman! That act of exclusion is destined to be classed with the burning of witches. It is a relic of barbarism. But John, like Banquo's ghost, will not down.
" There is some great destiny in store for the Chinese race. I feel this first because I believe that God has not preserved this race 4000 years for nothing. Again, all that mineral wealth isn't stored away for nothing. God doesn't work in that way. He wastes nothing. Third, the Chinese are capable of great things. They are slow, solid, aggressive, patient, industrious, economical, filial, and, above all, determined. The Chinese people are a brainy race. It is not too much to say they are the brainiest of the Asiatic race. There was no sentiment about General Grant, and he said that pre-eminently the three greatest men he h~d ever met were Gladstone, Bismarck, and Li Hung Chang, the· greatest diplomat of his day.
" The Chinese are a nation of students. What other country would have a yearly gathering of 25,000 students to compete for a literary prize, such as takes place at Nanking ~ " Ii a Chinaman determined to acquire an education, and was too poor to afford a light, he'd steal the light which streamed through the knot-hole of a more fortunate neighbor's room, and if there were no knot.-hole he would make one.
" China is rousing herself. She has been generally supposed to be dead, but she's a pretty lively corpse. She isn't even sleeping. She has a fine fleet of merchant steamers, a better navy than that of the United States. China is to be one of the great factors in the development of the world. The Christianizing of China is the only solution of the Chinese problem. Exclusion won't do it. But there are reasons for being hopeful about China. First, its doors have been opened, and there is free access to the country; second. there is a better feeling toward us despite the recent . attacks on missions which occurred in the most turbulent districts; were it not so there would have been fifty massacres instead of two people killed. There is more willingness to hear and a greater measure of success, considering obstacles. Twenty-five years ago there were less than 500 Christians. To-day there are 40,000, who have raised $40,000 for the support of Christianity. In 1877, 41,000 patients were treated in hospitals. In 1889, 347,000 patients were treated. But you can't count heads in the Chinese problem. There is too large an unknown quantity. You must solve the problem by algebra, not arithmetic, to find the unknown quantity. Again, the dominant class is open to you.
"It is not correct that we only touch the scum. If you go fishing for shrimps, you catch shrimps; and if you go fishing for whales, you catch whales. In fishing for souls, you are apt to catch just what you fish for. I believe we are on the verge of a mighty upheaval, a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The truth of God, eternal, unconquerable, invincible, will go forward in these latter days with increasing force and momentum. I see no reason why China should not be converted in fifty years if the Church of God will do her duty. If the work has seemed a failure, it is because the Church has not upheld our arms in prayer. Weare not prayed for as we ….ught to be, nor do you give as you ought. Give until you feel it.
Evening meeting: Dr. H. C. Mabie, on China.
"I too read that unfortunate article by one of our captains, who frequently goes to China, in which he says, 'I have yet to discover one Chinese Christian.' Some men are born blind. He would probably have as great difficulty in discovering one here.
" The first Sunday after my arrival I went to a service in a mission conducted by a Christian rice merchant. He related to me his experience. He said that as soon as he was converted he determined to close his shop on the Sabbath, though he was warned that he would lose all his trade. For a time he was ridiculed, and his shop was almost deserted; but little by little the people found that nowhere could they be so fairly and honestly dealt with; they became willing to wait over the Sabbath for the sake of dealing with a man on whom they could depend. His trade increased far beyond what it had ever been before. Now he has become a minister of Christ.
" During the service I was called upon to speak, which I did. My text was John 1 : 12. 'As many afl received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.' I dwelt on the change in Peter when restored to Christ's favor; of the power which came not only to Peter, but can come into our hearts. I was very well satisfied with my interpretation; but a water-carrier in the rear of the hall did not agree with me, and, rising, he gave another interpretation of it, bringing it down to the minds of his simple companions. ""recognized in that water-carrier the enthronement of the power of God. I arrived at another station on Sabbath morning in a pouring rain, and what did I see? A large number of people gathered for the morning service, singing • All hail the power of Jesus' name!' Dr. John West addressed them on the text, 'Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.' Perfect quiet reigned; not a muscle in their faces moved. They seemed hungry for the Bread of Life. One native, who had not been to the mission for some time, came, bringing a fan which he had made, and on which he had put the hymn' Ashamed of Jesus' and these three texts of Scripture: 'Therefore if any wan be in Christ, he is a new 'creature ; , 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me; , 'He that loseth his life for Mv sake shall find it.' -He told us how he had been a great opium eater; imd hearing in our mission of Christ and His saving power, he determined to become a Christian if it could save him from the power of opium. He told how he had been giving himself a six months' test, which was now over; of how Christ had taken away even the taste for opium. Now he wanted to make a profession of Christianity.
" The work of missions is no trifling one. There have been 1,500,000 copies of the Word of God, besides thousands of copies of ' Pilgrim's Progress,' sold or given away in one place.
" One day Dr. Ashmore and I went into the market-place, where we knew we would find a crowd. We were soon surrounded by people who treated us with perfect courtesy. We spoke a few words to them, and one of the natives also addressed them. The audience listened with attention. The old salute had been a shower of gravel stones.
" Medical missionaries in China are doing a great work. I visited a hospital where 100 patients daily listened to the preaching of the Gospel. In connection with this institution 350,000 people had been treated during the past year. One missionary in Canton performed 25,000 operations, treated 1,000,000 patients, and published 30 works besides. These men, who come for healing for their bodies, are deeply impressed by what they see, and go home to tell of it. These heathen are deeply moved by a little kindness; the tucking in of the covers, the smoothing of the brow, move some of those strong mlin to tears.
" The problem of to-day is: The re-incarnation of the Son of God among these poor nations until all the world shall join in the strain, ' Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.' "
Dr. A.' J. Gordon, of Boston, spoke, in the evening, on "The Chris- tian's Ambition for Heavenly Honor."
" A few evenings since I was reading the Greek Testament, when my son asked whether any word in the Greek encouraged the exercise of ambition and the seeking of honor. I have found such a word, its meaning being ambition, the love of honor, the love of distinction. It is three times used.
" I believe we have come so much to regard humility the cardinal virtue of Christianity that we may have forgotten the Christian should be ambitious. I think he should be the most ambitious person on the earth. To whom is the promise of eternal life spoken but to those who in patient endurance in well doing seek for glory, honor, and immortality, than which there cannot be a much higher ambition ~ We sometimes fall into the perIl of being proud of our humility. Humility is sometimes only pride turned wrong side out, just as you turn a garment and dye it and refit it. A person says, ' If I can get into heaven at last, I am willing to occupy II back seat.' But Scripture very certainly indicates that you are to seek not only barely to get into heaven, but' and so an abundant entrance shall be given you into the kingdom of God.' The back seats are all spoken for, and God wants us to get as near the throne as possible.
" , One star differeth from another star in glory.' Who will be stars of the first magnitude ~ 'They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.'
"Let us be ' ambitious to preach the Gospel where Christ has not been named' (Rom. 15 : 20, R. V.) is a most extraordinary statement.
" You might think a man who wanted to build a house would prefer to have a lot where the foundation had already been laid for him. But the apostle wants a lot to build II house where the sod has not been broken. That is not our idea, ordinarily, for when I was choosing my field of labor I thought the opposite. 'If I am to win the most souls, let me get where there is a good foundation of hereditary piety and orthodox faith.' I made that mistake because I apprehended preaching the Gospel for success, but not preaching it for a witness. I don't say we should not preach the Gospel for success; but our first duty is to preach it for a witness. Our first business is, not to build a house, but to build a highway. It is not to perfect the kingdom of God in some favored spot under the heavens, but to prepare the way for the kingdom of God when it shall yet come. Therefore put the emphasis on the words' Go ye into all the world.' We make this mistake. Supposing a new Pacific railway should be chartered, and a man should take a contract to build a thousand miles. He reports at the end of the year that, as the State of Dakota furnished the best rock bottom, therefore he put his thousand miles all in Dakota. But the engineer in charge tells him that the very object of the railroad is to connect the Atlantic with the Pacific, and yet he has built his section zigzag back and forth through a single State.
" That is exactly what we have been doing with the Gospel. It is to be carried into all the world, because by and by the Lord will return j and when He comes we want a highway from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth, and stations everywhere where He can have distributing centres.
"When we do God's way and preach the Gospel for a witness, we are sure to get the best success. In 1810 Adoniram .Tudson was just graduating from the seminary, and his father brought home the news that he was appointed associate pastor of Park Street church, the largest in Boston. He astounded his family by saying, 'My field won't be in Boston; it will be far across the sea. I have an ambition to preach the Gospel where no one else has, lest I "build upon another man's foundation.'" Eighty years have passed. Park Street church has 800 to 1000 members, but Adoniram Judson's church beyond the sea has a membership of 30,000, and thousands have fallen asleep in Jesus blessing his name. How God is honored in building a church out of unpromising materials, calling out songs from those hitherto dumb! That is the reason why the apostle wanted to build where a foundation had not been laid, for where a foundation has been laid anybody can build, but only God can build on nothing. "Next year we shall celebrate the anniversary of Carey's inauguration of missions. He thought, 'I stirred up the people to form a missionary society in England. I am the first missionary, but I believe God will take care of me. Put me out there and give me my tools, and I will not ask another cent.' So he went and supported himself in India, preaching the Word of God. After forty years of labor he had not only marvellously preached the Gospel and laid the foundations of the Church, bnt had sup. ported himself and paid into the missionary treasury $233,000, a fact utterly unparalleled in the history of missions or the ministry. God will sometimes take the widow's mite and not the worldling's million, that He may show what He is able to do. It is a marvellous fact that the greatest gifts bestowed in the work of foreign and home missions have been given to men who have wrought by prayer.
"Mr. George Muller's Home in Bristol is a marvellous example of the power of prayer.
" When men really trust God for success and money, He is ready to show them that He is not only Chief Shepherd of souls, but Chief Treasurer. When we get off of a human foundation we get upon the divine, and the apostle built on the divine foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ, the foundation-stone..
"In 1 Thessalonians 4 : 11 you have another ambition-service conjoined with silence. doing the best you can and saying nothing about it. Some cloeks strike, and some tell the time of day with their hands. So some Christians advertise their business, and others do it and say nothing about it, which is the kind we want. Two texts we ought to read together: 'Do not sound a trumpet before you,' and 'Let your light so shine.' He wants you to be ambitious, to have good works that somebody can see; and light travels faster than sound, and so with Christians, you see the flash before you hear the report if they are the right sort. The ambition is, not that they may praise you, but that they may glorify your Father which is in heaven. You thus have an opportunity to be ambitious, and yet to be sublimely humble.
" The work of the hands and of the head is subordinate to that of the heart. If you have been redeemed by Christ, renewed by the Holy Ghost, and your citizenship is in heaven, what is your principal business ~ It is to tell others about Jesus Christ and bring them to the knowledge of His love and of His grace. Whatever else yon do must be subordinated to that; and it is a shame and scandal in our nineteenth century Christianity that so many business men get, and live, and labor, and save, M if they understood that getting riches was the end of their existence instead of getting riches in order to glorify God. I care not what your occupation is ; you may be a carpenter at the bench, a blacksmith at the forge. a merchant behind the counter, your first business is to give the Gospel to those that have not heard it. Does it look as though we regarded it as our principal business ~ "First, we put our capital in our business. There are eight billions in the hands of Christians in tbis country. That is invested for the most part in bonds, mortgages, diamonds, silks, horses, carriages, houses, furniture, pictures, aud a thousand other things, vastly more than in that which ought to be the principal business of the ChriRtian, giving the Gospel to the world. And somebody says, 'I believe the world is getting better and better every day,' although he has millions laid up, and yet you caunot get twenty cents out of him for missions. He had no conception that he ought to put his eapital into the LQrd's business instead of into his own comfort and the ultimate ruin of his posterity. 'Was there ever a time the Christian Church gave so much for religious purposes l' Well, it gives a good deal; but by the best estimate the amount given to missions is only three cents on a dollar ! We put our best Ulen into business. The command is to give the Gospel to every creature.
" A few months since an order went out from the British Government to take the census of India, and it was done inside of twenty-four hours. Although at the beginning of this dispensation the Church understood it was sent to take the census of the world, and we have been at it nearly 1900 years, what have we done ~ There are 1,000,000,000 out of 1,400,000.000 unreached by the Gospel. When they took the census in a single night they put more than 1,000,000 enumerators in the field. We have in the field 7000 missionaries, but we have 127,000 at home representing the same constituency. Does that look as if foreign missions was this world's principal business ~ " I am hoping that, in this great movement which has now touched us, the Church of God may be lifted to such a position that it will put an army into the field and not simply station a picket line thrcugh the heathen world; that it will put its capital and not the iuterest on its interest into the work; that it will call out the reserves and put the privates in all occupations to work.
"The last subject of ambition is in 2 Corinthians 5 : 9, where the apostle sums up thus: 'Wherefore we strive,' are ambitious, 'that, whether present or ahsent, we may be well pleasing unto HiUl.' Have you ever noticed that Jesus Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, utters a sharp contrast between the two kinds of ambition? If you want to get a reputation for piety, make long prayers and eloquent ones. ~o that you can be popu· lar; and, if you deMire to be popular as a benevolent man, sound a trumpet and let everyone know. And He says: 'Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. ' It has been said: If you want to make people think well of you, make them think well of themseh·es. But our business, as long as men are sinners, is to make them think meanly of themselves, so that they may think well of Jesus Christ. Then Christ turns to us, to any faithful disciple: 'But you, go into your own closet to pray, and when you give, do Dot let your right know what your left hand doeth, and your Father who seeth in secret '-I want you to pause on that word. A great sculptor had a contract to put a statue in a niche in a great temple. They told him he could make it cheaply by filling up the back side, as that didn't show. ' But,' said he, 'the gods will see it, and therefore it must be finished up.' The world looks at the front side-God looks on the back. Your Father who seeth in secret shall reward you openly.
" We praise the successful missionaries for the sacrifices and services they have wrought in the name of Christ. But I sometimes think, what about the unsuccessful missionarie", those who have done their best, but in circumstances where they have reaped but little, and perhaps cut off in an untimely way, and thrust out of their field with never an opportunity to do what they had an ambition to do. What about them? 'I have an ambition that, whether absent or preRent, I may be well pleasing unto the Lord. ' Think of George Schmidt, with his heart burning to preach in Africa, who went there and was driven off by the settlers and not allowed to return, and who ulted to pray day after day, ' Lord, perUlit me to go to Africa,' until he was found dead on his knees, without going back. I think of that noble bishop, Coleridge Patterson, so splendidly endowed that they said, "Why waste your talents on the heathen ~ , and yet he went to the Pacific islands, and they took him as an enemy, and as he :was saying' Peace be unto you' they slew him, and, like his Lord, he was sent back from the very people that he came to bless, with five bleeding wounds upon his person. And I think of Melville Cox, that noble Mdhodist who went out from this country, who had a consuming passion to preach the Gospel on the western coast of Africa. He had hardly reached the shore when he was stricken down with fever, and all there is left of him is a grave with the words. ' Though a thousand fall, let not Africa be given up.' Then I think of Adam McCall, one of Livingstone's companions on the Congo, who, stricken down with fever and dying, said, • Lord Jesus, thou knowest that I consecrated my life to Africa. If Thou dost choose to take me instead of the work which I purposed to do for Thee, what is that to me ~ Thy will be done.' Where was their success ~ If they could speak they would say, 'I have but one ambiiion; that, whether I be dead or alive, whether I be absent from the body or present with the Lord, I may be well pleasing unto Him.'
" I end with urging that we may have a heroic and consecrated ambition. The highest encomium I ever heard of a single man was that of John Vassar, after he had talked about Christianity with a fashionable woman in a hotel. Her husband had come in and said that if he had known of it he would have sent him about his business. The woman replied, ' If you had seen him you would have thought that was his business.' Christ set an example of a man being ab'out his business. When His mother said to Him, ' Son, thy father and I have sought thee sOIrowing,' He replied, , Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business.'
" It is a business that meant the loss of His life, that involved the cro~s, and the crown of thorns, and the 'Father, forgive them,' and 'Why hast Thou forsaken Me ~ , and the sepulchre. But, though He saw the end from the beginning, He was about His Father's business till He could say, ' I ha,'e finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.' Be ambitious to be quiet and to be about your Father's business, and may you receive at the end of your life that welcome plaudit, ' Well done, good and faithful servant!' But remember that there can be no ' Well done' unless there has been first well doing; for, if anybody can conjugate' ill doing , into ' well done,' I cannot. Therefore, let us be up and doing, and make God's business our business."
Rev. Dr. Pierson summed up the addresses of the day in the closing speech of the evening. He began by referring to the fact that one of the most remarkable anniversary services that Great Britain has ever witnessed in England will begin May 31st next, and continue to October 2d. It will be the celebration of the one hundredth anni'ersary of the beginning of foreign missionary work under William Carey. After sketching the origin of the movement, he spoke of the four great characteristics by which the com- ing age of mission work would be marked : First, by enterprise ; second, by sacrifice; third, by individual service; fourth, by individual supplication.
These points were enlarged upon, and a fervent appeal was made for the Christian Church to rouse itself in the matter of mission wo~k. And so closed this most memorable of days at Northfield.
THE SACRED LAND OF PALESTINE
THE SACRED LAND OF PALESTINE.
BY MRS. DAVID BARON.
It is strange to be in a land so ancient and to find it in the rear of all known lands; its ancient civilization swept away, as if it had not been; without roads, except a few quite recently made; its cities gone, its forests and groves gone, and its landscapes bare, the hedges of prickly pear being no relief to the eye. You may travel many miles and only see occasional encampments of Arabs on the hill-sides, their flocks of cattle, goats, anu sheep browsing near; or now and again a fellahin village. It is possible to ride over some of these without knowing it, for the flat roofs are turf-rovered, and I have seen palm-trees growing singly, and cattle grazing on them. The larger of their villages look at first sight like a heap of grass-grown ruins, but nearer they resemble more rabbit burrows. The walls are ·of earth or sometimes of stone, with earth floors and earth COVer- 'ng the flat roofs; they have one low door, no window, no chimney.
The fellahin are probably descendants of the ancient Canaanites. They are not nomadic, like the Arabs, but settle in such villages as I have described. They till the ground, using a camel or an ox and ass yoked together to draw the very simple instrument used as a plough. The fellahin women are of a very low type. They work very hard from morning to night, carrying heavy loads great distances, often with their swaddled babies poised in baskets on their heads in addition to their burdens. These women are tattooed about the mouth and chin, and wear silver coins fringing their faces and nose bags. These are their duwry; they are, '10wever, much discolored, and look more like pewter than silver. From early morning, even so early as fiye o'clock, the beggar sits by the wayside begging; often several beggars sit in a row. In the course of one day some things will be painfully apparent to a fresh comer, and possibly the foremost of these will be the frightful prevalence of ophthalmia, the terrible cruelty practised on animals, and the filthy, unsanitary condition of the towns. Ophthalmia is likely to remain the curse of the land so long as no proper escape is made for the smoke in the dwellings of the people. Their want of cleanliness, too, favors this trouble, and the unsanitary conditions of their life. Flies and mosquitoes coming from refuse matter inoculate the eyes with poison. Again, another cause of blindness is the intense glare of the sun where there is no relief of grass or trees to meet the eye. It is a grievous sight to see on every hand, among all ages, from the infant to the aged, this terrible affliction; and pitiable indeed it is to see, as you may any day, a company of a dozen or more blind men passing through the crowded sbk (market-place), each with his hand on the shoulder of the one before him-a forcible illustration of our Saviour's words, "The blind leading the blind." Less common than blindness, and yet all too frequent, is the disease of leprosy. Surely, in any other country care would be taken to prevent the increase and spread of so appalling an evil! Here, however, the lepers are at large, and beset a trayeller on all hands, showing their disfigurements and forcing their maimed members into notice. It is too horrible! At the ascent of the Mount of Olives they lined the narro", way, standing or sitting right in the midst of the stony roads. To the peculiarly painful cry of their appealing voice-a result of the disease attacking the throat-they added the rattle of their tin pots for receiving money; and scarcely could we get free of them, though mounted on asses. These poor creatures marry among themselves, and pass on their disease as a frightful inheritance to their children, who in early life often appear to be healthy. With their growth, however, the evil never fails to develop. The Moravians have long had a hospital in Jerusalem for the shelter and care of lepers, but very few avail themselves of it, being unwilling to separate from their families.
In this land, where the law given by God Himself enjoined merciful treatment of animals, a brutal, inhuman treatment is the practice. The outcome of the 'Moslem creed of the sacredness of life among these unreasoning people is that they kill by inches instead of killing outright. The treatment of the poor asses and camels is simply revolting. Perpetually weighted with burdens beyond their strength to bear, their fur is completely worn off their backs and sides, which look like rusty black leather, and are covered with open wonnds. Their pack-saddles are rarely if ever lifted from off their sore backs, and they are kept in a half-starved condition. To make them increase their speed their drivers dig a knife or any sharp instrument into their flesh, making wounds which they take care shall not heal. In one of the noisome alleys which serve as streets in the actual town of J afia, my husband found, one day. a poor ass tethered, suffering extreme torture. One of its legs was cut away and gangrene had set in, yet no one had pity upon it to end its misery. He tried to induce them to kill it, but all in vain; they were only amused by the sug· gestion. At last he sent a man whom he could trust to buy the animal and see it killed. Even then the owner could not understand so disinterested an action, and professing to believe that the poor animal's skin must be worth something, wished to charge the more. Some time later I learned that the week following another miserable ass in bad plight had been fastened up in the same alley, doubtless with the hope of a purchaser. The unsanitary condition of towns built on the ruins of former towns, and without any system of drainage, is something indescribable. The narrow, filthy, uneven alleys, crowded with refuse from the houses, and constantly receiving more from windows and doors, are no places where to linger and admire the quaint, picturesque scenes sure to meet the eye which would otherwise be of great interest. The scavenger dogs and jackals which roam the towns at night are truly blessings where such a state of thing exists.
There is no encouragement to industry or protection of property in this land. The more diligent and sllccessful a man is in trade or agriclll· ture the more heavily is he taxed by the government, which harasses its subjects in every imaginable way. As every government official pays a sum of money to obtain his post, and is quite uncertain how long he will retain it, he makes the best of his possibly brief opportunity to extort all he can. The law may be, and often is, good, I am told; but it is not known j and the government officials work things their own way. Shortly after we arrived in Jaffa an incident occurred at Gaza which is a good example of this. A quarrel arose among some Arab tribes. The Pasha of Jernsalem came down to make inquiry, but receiving a sufficient backshish from both the offending parties, he made fair promises to each, and' returned. No benefit resulted from his visit, and soon the strife renewed. Again the pasha came down and returned as before with his purse com- fortably lined. The more powerful tribes then succeeded in spoiling and casting out a poorer tribe, and the country became unsafe as far as Jaffa; for this tribe, deprived of all their goods, attacked the property and cruelly injured some of the peaceful German colonists. In one instance the kavasse of the German consul, with two Turkish police, traced the mur- tlerers to a tent, where they found them still red-handed, with the weapon only hidden under a mat. They were taken prisoners and the k3vasse of the German consul took one man on with him to the Turkish prison in Jaffa, leaving the two police to bring along the other men. Having per- formed his own errand, he presently met them returning empty-handed, having allowed their men to escape. Backshish was no doubt the secret of this too, but no inquiry was made j they were not held responsible for their prisoners, and I believe the man in prison was later released, there being no eyewitness of his crime. Another pasha was appointed in place of him who had been twice to Gaza, and who had so profitably to himself investigated the. cause of the troubles there. By order of the new pasha all the men of the tribes at Gaza were taken prisoners and consigned to . prison' in Jerusalem. My husband met the Whole party on the road near Abu Gosh, the ancient Kirjath-.Tearim, and saw them joined by their escort of Turkish soldiers. Whether they are still held prisoners, or how the matter is settled, I do not know j it may probably again be a matter of backshish. In the court of justice, so called, this word" backshish" is rendered more politely by the expression " witnesses." According as gain may be hoped for from the social position of the victim, he is told that unless he can produce five, or a hundred, or yet more witnesses in court, his case cannot be settled. The heads on sovereigns or napoleons are the witnesses in question.
Many primitive customs are still in practice, exactly as they were in the days of our Lord on earth. It is easy tQ see why a curse was pronounced by the law on the man who moved his neighbor's landmarks j it i3 a mat- ter all too easy of accomplishment. It took.me a little time to realize, in going across country, that three or four large irregular.shaped stones, apparently picked from tqe soil around and laid one on another, could have any special meaning. Presently, however, I noticed that they stood in certain relation to other such piles, and guessed that they wert> landmarks. On inquiry I found that I was right in my surmise.
A lady known to us inherited four hundred dunnem of land from her father, but now less than two hundred remain to her, for the Arabs have been constantly at work moving her landmarks. We have heard of an Arab whose property was bounded on one side by a ditch. This ditch had to be renewed after the winter rains, and here the Arab saw his opportunity. Year by year he cleared earth away from the opposite bank, putting it always on his own bank. The ditch moved unobservedly farther and farther away from its original position. Under a fostering government, which encouraged industry in the people of the land, ~his country might soon again be flourishing. The soil is exceedingly productive, and were the terraces rebui:t and carefully watered and tended, the mountains about Jerusalem might soon again drop oil and wine. The water supply should now be sufficient if the aqueducts and cisterns were kept in good repair. For many centuries the rainfall of ·Palestine was very insufficient, and the latter rains, which should fall in the first month of the Jewish calendar, corresponding to March-April, were withheld j but the last thirty years has seen a great change, and during the last ten years the latter rains have fallen more copiously and seasonably. The rains of these past seasons havA been quite exceptional. Twenty-six inches has been the average for the last eight years, but this year it has reached forty-seven and fifty inches in the plain, and from sixty to seventy-two inches at different elevations on the Lebanon. One orange garden outside of Jaffa was standing in water during several months, and a good part of the plain of Sharon was flooded during the same time. Simultaneous with the return of the latter rain in its season we see the return of the population. Both the rain and the people are necessary to the land, and now that God opens the heavens to bless, He opens also the graves of His people. It is difficult to obtai~ accurate statistics of the numbers returning, but in Jerusalem alone the estimates vary from thirty-five to fifty-five thousand Jews now resident there. The former number is probably reckoned from the Halucha, the charity sent by Jews throughout the world to be distributed among the poor Jews in Jerus'alem. This is mostly given to the Ashkenazi, or German-speaking Jews. According to Consul Moore, who recently left Jerusalem, the Jewish population in the Holy City increased by twenty thousand in the period of three years. 'Vhile the numbers of Jews increase, the Moslem population is diminishing j it is now reckoned to be but seven thousand, and all the Christian sects taken together may be stated as about twelve thousand.
There are also large Jewish communities in the other sacred cities, Hebron, Safed, and Tiberias, as also in Gaza, Jaffa, Haifa, and other places, while numerous colonies exclnsively Jewish are springing up throughout the land. These colonies, it is true, arc not yet self-sup-
rOecember
porting, and have to struggle against great difficulties, but they exist; and it is an encouraging sight to see this people returning to their ancient patriarchal occupations of husbandry and cattle tending, frolli which they have been so long debarred in most countries of their exile. Their rudely constructed carts may daily be seen coming into Jaffa with loads of healthy Jewish peasants who have no longer the subserVIent, cringing air of the poor Jews we meet with in the West, but a free and independent bearing which it does one good to see. Their villages are homely looking j no one is better off than his neighbor, while all lead a simple peasant life, having sufficient, if barely sufficient,. of this world's goods. They own much cattle, and have many acres of land about their colonies under cultivation and yielding well, which but a few years ago was waste ground. In some cases they are troubled by the Arabs, who either have or fabricate a claim upon the land. These people, when they own land, only encamp upon it at such times as their harvest approaches to guard it and secure the grain. Nothing later remains as sign of their occupation.
It has been reported that these Jewish colonists are unwilling to work themselves, and leave the toil of agriculture to the fellahin. This may be true in some places, but we have seen with our own eyes numbers of Jews at work ploughing and sowing. And still the stream of immigration is not likely to cease, hut rather to increase, considering the unsettled state of the Jews in all parts of the world. It is true that until quite lately we have not had such a large contingent from Russia as we looked for this season, but within the last fortnight the expected exodus for the promised land has commenced. In one week 800 Jews have arrived in Jaffa-500 by one vessel and 300 by another. It is noteworthy that those who now comc pouring into Palestine are not all poor and miserable, such as those who formerly came only to die in the Holy Land, but number among them wealthy Jews, speculators in land, who are buying up large tracts for settlement, and forming building societies. Quite recently a large tract of land has been bought up by them at Haifa for the sum of £17,000, for which, a week later, they were offered £25,000, but refused to give up their purchase. One Jewish building society lately proposed building 1000 }lOuses for Jewish occupation between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The shares being immediately taken up, the number was repeatedly raised until it finally attained 3500. I was quite unprepared to find Jerusalem so much built about. The city within the walls will soon be smaller than the new Jerusalem without. The city itself is very unhealthy, being built on the heaps of ruins of past cities. It abounds in narrow, filthy, noisome covered ways and alleys, where fevers are at home. Inside the city it is impossible to drive, but outside there are fine buildings, roads-rough but wide-good shops, a public garden (in preparation), and building operations extending in all directions. In the colony outside the Jaffa gate there are from 9000 to 10,000 Jews. The artist Holman Hunt has a house in this part, and there are three hotels. Good houses and shops aN
TlIE SACRED LAND OF l'ALESTntfIl
continually building. This neighborhood has grown rapidly since a year ago. A small colony of Jewish artisans just outside of Jaffa are helped, on the building society principles, to become owners of their houses; and so great is the demand for these well-built little dwellings that they cannot be built quickly enough. A yet more important service is being rendered by the Alliance Israelite in providing training schools where Jewish youth are taught some useful trade or a scientific knowledge of agriculture. The Jews coming from Europe are divided into two classes, the Ashkenazi, or German-speaking Jews, and the Sephardi, or Spanish-speaking. The latter are the descendants of those Jews banished from Spain in the year 1492, and are found in all countries bounding the Mediterranean Sea. There are also colonies now coming from Arabia of Jews settled there before the commencement of the Christian era, if their own tradition may be received. They bear traces of having been many ages in the South, their physique being quite different from that of the Jews of Europe. Their build is slight and tall, and their skin a very dark brown. It was ten years ago, in the year 1881, that the first party of German Jews arrived in Jerusalem. Their reason for coming has a prophetic interest j it was none other than a dream or vision of their revered rabbi. He related that it was revealed to him that he and his people should return to their own land, and that there God would make known to them the Messiah for whom they had so long been waiting. Numbers of them did not hesitate to obey a vision so full of comfort. But alas! they had to endure many perils by the way. They were robbed; they suffered shipwreck; many died, and they arrived at their destillation greatly reduced in numbers.. The Jews in Palestine would not recognize them as Jews at all, or render them any help; but General Gordon and some lately arrived American Christians secured them a site where to found a colony on the Mount of Olives. Since that time their numbers are constantly increasing, fresh companies arriving now and again from Yemen. Last year they numbered some eight hundred. In the month of March this year another hundred arrived miserably destitute, having suffered much by the way. Forty of these poor wanderers were sheltered and fed in our mission house during the few days they remained in Jaffa. They are a naturally pious people, as is evidenced by the conduct of these poor immigrants. The first thing they did after entering the house, having but just endured the miseries of disembarkation at Jaffa, and the trials of the custom house, was to seek for a suitable c'orner or recess where to stand their scroll of the law, richly encased and silver-mounted. This important matter settled, they repeated Hehrew prayers and then commenced to instruct the young from the Talmud. So earnest are they for the reli~ious instruction of their families that a father will elaborately copy with his own hand the valued commentaries of some rabbi, a work occupying all his time for some year8, in order to leave it a sacred legacy to his children. These Yemen Jews are a simple, industrious, hard. working race, skilled in small handicrafts, with minds less prejudiced against the truth thn are those of their European co-religionists. Last year my husband visited them in their village on Olivet. I will quote a paragraph from his" Mission Tour in Egypt and Palestine," descriptive of his visit: "One rainy day, going through the gate of David, we crossed the valley of Kedron and climbed up to this lit- tle colony. We found them in a terrible state of destitution and sickness, which Dr. Dixon was able to relieve somewhat. They were delighted to see us. We went from hut to hut-one cannot call them houses-and asked them to assemble in their little synagogue to hear us speak to them collectively of tho Messiah The little place was quite full. I spoke to them about Jesus, the true Messiah of Israel, the Saviour of the world. I spoke perhaps too sharply about the unbelief and sin of the Jewish peo- ple in rejecting Him. They listened very quietly, and when I had done speaking the aged rabbi said, in words that went to my heart, for they sounded like the old Scripture writings, ' We are from Yemen, in the land of the South, where our fathers have lived since before the days of Ezra the scribe. We, all our lives, and all our fathers in their Ii ves, never heard that the Messiah- had come. If we had heard we might have believed on Him, but we did not hear.''' Now, however, these Yemen Jews, like all others arriving at the port of Jaffa, are met by Jews from the town immediately on arriving, and warned against any missionaries who may attempt conversation with them.
It is of exceeding interest to note that while the rightful inheritors of the soil are compelled to return to it for the most part by the tyranny of their oppressors, the land itself is being opened up for them by the enterprise of strangers, who are often much hindered by the government. A French company is constructing the railway from Jaffa to .Terusalem. The work was for some months at a standstill, there being some difficulty about the compensation to be made the orange grove proprietors through whose property it had to pass. Now, however, the work progresses rapidly. The engin~s sent from Philadelphia, respectively the "Jerusalem," " Ramleh," and" Jaffa," are employed on the line already made, bringing up materials. For this purpose they run even now as far as Ramleh j hut it is a misstatement which has been published to the effect that the line so far is already open to the public.. It will be many months yet ere this can be the case. Possibly the frequent shrill screams of the engine, warning natives off the line on its transit to and fro with trucks of materials, have been mistaken by some tourist passing through. Many most erroneous statements about events said to be occurring in this land find their way into English and other papers, and are very misleading. The railway between Jaffa and Jerusalem should be completed next year. An English company holds a firman for a railway to run from Haifa to Damascus j and we learn that a line, to be called a steam tramway, is also to be constructed between Beyrout and Damascus. It seems that in the firman granted for the Haifa-Damascus line, there was a clause to the effect that there should be no railway between Beyrout and Damascus. This being so, the difficulty in granting permission for the latter was easily got over by giving it another name. It is, therefore, a " steam tramway." It is a very mountainouil district through which this must pass, and will require skilful engineering. A matter much discussed, but in which I believe no steps have yet been taken, is the proposition of a line to connect the prin~ cipal cities on the sea-coast from Port Said to Beyrout. A good carriage road from Jaffa to Jerusalem has existed already some years. From Jeru- salem to Bethlehem and to Hebron there are also good roads. The late pasha commenced roads to Nablous and Jericho, but these have been left unfinished. Harbor works are now in progress at Beyrout, and such must follow at Jaffa on the completion of the railway. The diligence and suc- cess of the thrifty German colonists near Jaffa and Haifa are practical les- sons, proving the capabilities of the soil when properly worked.
Many influences are at work here to hinder the good which might be done among the Jews themselves.
The Ashkenazi are the principal recipients of the Halucha, the charity yearly sent from Jews in all parts of the world for the poor Jews in this land.. It has a very baneful effeot on those who receive it, who are supported in idleness. Some of them even raise mon.ey on the income assured to them by the Halucha alone. The recipients of this charity must of course remain zealous Jews or they would not retain it. The Sephardi do not receive 'so large a share of the Halucha, but benefit, as all Jews may, by the benevolent schemes set on foot hy Jewish national societies to help on their people, and all alike are held under a strict supervision as to their attendance at synagogue and religious zeal by the agents of these societies. The result is that their pride of race and fanaticism is greatly ihCreased, and they are exceedingly bitter with any who venture to speak to them of Jesus. There are many missions at work in the land-American, Scotch, and English-which are doing a good work among the different nationalities represented here. Among the Jews not much is being done, and this work in this land becomes increasingly difficult. The most difficult place, perhaps, in all the world to work among them is the city of Jerusalem itself. Here the idolatries of the Greek and Latin churches are evcr before them, while on every hand gain is held out to them as inducement to join one or other Christian sect-even the Protestant churches, alas! not being free from reproach in this matter. While many Jews are not unwilling to go from one to another, making what they ean from this false charity, it is easy to see into what contempt and ill repute this brings so-called mission work, and that it is not in this way men are convertedrather are they so made hypocrites.
It may be of interest if I add a little about our work in Jaffa during the few months we have been there. As soon as possible we secured a mission house in the town itself, and in the same street as the house called Simon the Tanner's, on the roof of Which Peter had the vision which prepared him to go to Cornelius and proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles. Our mission house had formerly been used as a hospice for the better class of Russian pilgrims. Our fellow-worker, Mr. Barnett, elected to live there in the first story, and was soon joined by an earnest Christian Jew from Smyrna, who came to assist with the Spanish-speaking Jews. To understand and influence the people it is necessary to know their homes, occupations, and circumstances. Of necessity a great deal of time was spent by our missionaries in visiting the loathsome neighborhoods and dwellings where the Jews live. It was attempted to meet Jewish refugees on their arrival, but this was found quite impracticable, as anyone who has disembarked at the port of Jaffa will realize. The confusion on board ship and in the custom house, added to the fact before mentioned, that agents from the Chovevi Zion Society are on the spot to hinder any mis- sion work, prevents any good being done. Later, however, in groups of twos and threes the new-comers have been met about the town, and such opportunities have been made good use of. Visits have also been made to Jewish colonies in the neighborhood of Jaffa, but the winter was excep- tionally severe and the roads were for long impassable.
The mission house, besides being a centre where Jews could gather for conversation, discussing their difficulties and receiving instru~tion without fear of being watched, was also a home and shelter at different times to homeless Jews. Some of these have come in opposing the truth, but being present at prayer, conducted by Mr. Barnett, in which others have joined, have, of their own accord, not only prayed, but done so in the name of Jcsus. One Jew in particular asked God that if what he had heard of Jesus were true He would not let him die without receiving it. If only the chains of formalism were broken, and true, spontaneous, heart- felt confession of sin and prayer for pardon took the place of the 'Continual repetition of lifeless forms of prayer, God would hear and answer, for it is this He waits for.
On Saturday afternoons, being Sabbath, and to the Jews everywhere a . day of lcisure, many would come and read and converse with my husband and Mr. Barnett. On Wednesday afternoons during two hours one room used to be crowded with J ewesses, all sitting, Eastern fashion, cross-legged on the ground and working. A stranger coming in might have been aston- ished to see the array of shoes in the open court-yard to the number of some sixty-eight pairs. Within the interest would have been sustained. Here were Spanish Jewesses for the most part, some few German, one Italian, and two or three very dark-skinned Yemen Jewesses. Some with their forehE,iads bound and their faces bandaged, others simply wearing a pretty kerchief on their heads and having their finger nails dyed scarlet or yellow. Their methods of work are the exact reverse of our European ways j some of these women could work very quickly and well. On leav- ing, many of them resumed their white enveloping sheet, which they had laid aside on entering. We had the va!lA."bk help of some Arabic-speaking
'rltE SA.CR~D LAND Oli' P A.L~S'1'lN1!l
Christian missionary ladies from the English hospital, who interpreted for us, and who entered whole-heartedly into all that was attempted to be done. The poor Jewish women are very ignorant, as it is considered unnecessary and wrong to teach a woman. As.they know so little of their own national history and Scriptures we found it a good plan to question them and arouse their interest, and then to give them Scripture teaching. We also commenced' reading Matthew's Gospel with them. At last, however, the Jewish feasts, followed by my husband's severe prolonged illness, obliging my absence with him, put a stop to these interesting meetings. Although we may not again return to Jaffa, we hope the work will be continued by others, and that God will bless it more and more. The time we have spent in the Holy Land has forced upon us the conviction that the work to be done among the Jews need be done ere they set foot here. Although missions in Palestine may be of great use as a present testimony in the midst of the returning people, it is undoubtedly true that in the lands of their dispersion the best opportunities offer. When the hand of God presses upon them and they are willing to confess that it is on account of sin that they and their fathers suffer, they may be induced to accept and study the Word which tells of the atonement and Sin-bearer. It is hardly credible how soon they forget, and deny having suffered when once within the promised land, and maintain that they need no deliverer, for that God is favoring them. Even now the women in the colonies incite the men to stone any missionary who reasons with them. I firmly believe that the days approach when they will persecut.e and kill their Lord's messengers again, as formerly they did. There are many discouragements attending Jewish mission work. For those who are in haste to see results and num. ber up converts it is indeed very unsatisfactory and trying work, but in every field of mission work we see the same thing; the few receive the Word of God and are changed by it j the many reject and remain indifferent to it. All that the Word of God bids us do, whether among Jews or throughout the wide world, is to sow the Word, the " Gospel of the kingdom in all the world, for a witness unto all nations." When this is done harvest-time will come, and the harvesting is to be the work of angels, not of men.
We know there is and always has been, from the days of Paul to our own, " a remnant according to the election of grace among Israel," but the Word of God tells us plainly that as a nation Israel, like Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor and blasphemer, will only be converted by the vision of Jesus returning in the clouds of heaven in power and great glory. Then they will look upon Him whom they have pierced, and mourn with bitter lamentation as for a first-born son.
EUROPEAN LITERATURE IN THE MISSION FIELDS
EUROPEAN LITERATURE .IN THE MISSION FIELDS.
BY F. F. ELLINWOOD, D. D.
It has become a serious question whether the missionaries or the ene- mies of Christianity are making the greater use of the English tongue as a medium of communication with the people of Oriental lands.
In the early days of the modern missionary movement therc were sup- posed to be many motives not only for education, but for instruction in the English tongue. It was thought that by this means the masses of India, for example, might be brought into closer contact with that Christian civilization which afforded the chief hope of their regeneration. There was an additional reason in India and Ceylon in the political relationship of those countries to Great Britain. While missionary institutions gave much attention to the English language and made it the vehicle of instruction in history, science, etc., the schools and colleges established by the Anglo- Indian Government employed the same agency still more widely. There was a great demand for a knowledge of English as a qualification for commercial positions, and the demand was by no means limited to India and Ceylon. The same aspiration for this kind of education filled the youth of Beirut. Cairo, and Constantinople. It appeared in the schools of China and Japan. There was a like demand on the coast of Africa, and wherever the civilization and commerce of the Anglo-Saxon came in contact with heathen races. In all British colonies, like Australia, New Zealand, and Natal, the English tongue very naturally became dominant. Within the last decade the governments holding protectorates over newly acquired territory in Africa and elsewhere have taken special pains to extend the use of their respective languages as a means of establishing thei~ power. The French at the Gaboon place such emphasis upon this requirement as to forbid missionary instruction even in the verna~ular. It must be French and only French, all of which means the future prevalence of French literature.
But the generic thought suggested by this incidental survey is this: that the whole world is coming rapidly under the influence of European Janguages and literatures, the English holding a larger place than any other, and they are opening the way for the propagation of either truth or error on a boundless scale. In higher education, whether in science, history, and general literature, or in special departments, as medicine or theology, it has been claimed that a knowledge of English would open the door at once to a much wider technical literature than could be found as yet in Oriental languages; that in medicine, for example, it would be far easier to give young men a knowledge of the English which would introduce them at once to a wide range of medical science than to undertake the translation of a large number of medical books into the Arabic, the Chinese, or the Hindi; and these reasons have .seemed valid. But possibly the Christian Church in its missionary operations has not been sufficiently mindful of the fact that wherever the husbandman has sown the good seed, an enemy soon follows with tares, and that the result is a strong flank movement again ..t the truth. The apostles of infidelity would never have endured the toil anu hardship necessary to prepare the ground; they would not have undertaken to rAduce languages to a written form, and in some cases even establish a grammatical construction; but when the grubbing and the ploughing and harrowing are all accomplished they are at hand with the seeds of error. They watch for the thousands of youth who have learned the English tongue. They make use of all the agencies of publication which have been established. They are not scrupulous about the kind of intellectual pabulum that they furnish, for it is no part of their purpose to regenerate and uplift the heathen races. It is all one to them if moral poison and destruction are the result. As to the intellectual demand and their methods of meeting it, they have the same amount of scruple and misgiving as those who are deluging heathen lands with adulterated and poisoned liquors, gunpowder and firearms; their work is on the same moral level, neither higher nor lower.
The reports of the Christian Vernacular Education Society of India, while giving many interesting facts in regard to vernacular literature and the great demand for it in India, throw an occasional side light upon the spread of English literature. This society, under the presidency of the Right Honorable, the Earl of Northbrook, has struck a keynote which all friends of missions and of humanity ought to heed. It emphasizes the fact that the circulation of Christian literature in heathen lands is one of the foremost demands of the age. It reminds us that we live in a period when the printing, publication, and circulation of reading matter of all kinds h~ve reached enormous dimensions, and that thought in every variety, good, bad, and indifferent, is being quickened among all races.
A recent communication from an agent of the above-named society says: "The place of tbe English language and literature in India is one of the most marvellous phenomena of this nineteenth century.
"On arriving in Calcutta I set to work under the most competent of all guides, Sir Alfred Croft, Director of Public Instruction for Bengal. In the English shops I was not surprised to find a good supply of books in all departments of literature, and especially in that of fiction. As these were chiefly for our own countrymen, I soon found my way to the native bazaars and shops, where I discovered what astonished me. Our English merchants have no chance with these native shopkeepers in the economy of their management and consequent cheapness. In a comparatively small shop you find the head of the establishment sitting at his desk or counter with a piece of cotton around his waist and loins, in happy freedom from all the restraints of coat, waistcoat, trousers, and stockings, his whole attire worth no more than a shilling or two. The few rings of high value which adorn his ears or fingers are an investment on which the only Joss is 1nterest on the sunk capital. A few active roun~ men, who cost little/ complete the estabiishment. in which an amount of business is done which would astonish his ostentatious neighbors in the European quarter.
" In these native shops I found large piles of our cheap literature, and in stores at hand I was shown large rooms filled from floor to ceiling with the cheap serial literature of the London market, good, bad, and indifferent, but chiefly bad. Not only are the great proportion of these volumes works of fiction, but a great many of them are the very worst of the class; and these, I regret to say, are the most popular, and have by far the largest sale. Many of the most fleshly of the French realistic school in English translations were the most largely sold."
The same writer adds that amid the depressing influences of this appalling exhibit of a vicious appetite for the garbage of our English literature, he was cheered by some hopeful signs. There had been in the more respectable native shops a growing demand for the better class of cheap books; but he was painfully impressed by the fact that the movement of Christian men had been late in the field. One of these native booksellerssaid to him, "If a better class of books had been sent out from England at the first, the low and vicious ones would not have gotten the hold they have on the reading public. The first books which came to this country in cheap and attractive form were these low and vicious novels, and it will be difficult now to supplant them."
If the worst French novels are translated into English for countries in which the English tongue prevails, one can well imagine their still readier access to all lands which are under French protectorates, and in which the French language is assiduously taught. All that French Catholic and French Protestant missions can do for the elevation of the people of such land,. will scarcely equal the disastrous influence of those French novels which represent, as the late Emperor Napoleon IlL put it, " not the civilization of Jerusalem, but that of Corinth."
But only one side of this great evil is seen when we contemplate this 1lood.tide of cheap and corrupting European literature. Another equally formIdable is seen in the widespread use now made of the English language for the spread of Hinduism. Under the movement which is known in India as " Revived Aryanism," embracing various organizations, the leaders have hit upon the happy expedient of utilizing the Euglish tongue as a means of corrupting the very classes of men upon whom most labor has been bestowed by government or by missions, in higher education. There are now many thousands of graduates from the Indian universities and colleges, and the same is true of the graduates of Japanese universities and colleges, who speak the English language fluently, but are not Christian converts. On the contrary, they have been stimulated by their education to a greater pride of nationality, and coming into !lympathy with the various apologies which Western writers, have made for Oriental systems, they are more than ever resolved to stanrl by the ancient literature and cultus of their fatherland, expurgating such corruptions as the better taste and higher ethics of modern times are supposed to condemn. Meanwhile the agents of Western societies, Buddhistic, Theosophic, or Agnostic, by adroitly appealing to the national pride of wealthy rajahs and others, have secured contributions for the purpose of reproducing in cheap form the products of Wester!]. ~cepti cism, so that selections from Thomas Paine, Robert J. Ingersoll, Herbert Spencer, and the late Mr. Bradlaugh are scattered like the leaves of autumn through all English-speaking communities in India. But it would not quite suit the pride of the true Aryans, soi-disant, to be wholly dependent on foreign leaders, and therefore aspiring Hindus have taken the field, are issuing tracts, publishing periodicals and weekly papers whose staple product all bears upon this counter crusade against Christianity, British influence, Anglo-Saxon civilization, and what not.
According to the report above-named, pes~imistic productions find the readiest market j plays and fiction, whether in prose or verse, whether in foreign languages or in the vernacular, are framed on the almost universal assumption of the villainous character of men and the frailties of women. They show also the tendency to advocate a retrograde in social intercourse and even in political life. "The past is praised as the golden age, and all the misfortunes of modern life are attributed to the English Government, the progress of English education and foreign custom. The reason of this is obvious. The only hope of remuneration lies in pandering to popular taste j and, unfortunately, the discontented and unfortunate form a large proportion of the educated masses at present j and it is so pleasant to be able to throw the blame for their failure in life upon the foreigner."
As a specimen of the current Hindu literatur,e which is now being circulated in the English language there lies before me a tract entitled " Hinduism, a Retrospect and Prospect," by Sukumar Haldar. He is the son of Rakhal Das Haldar, who became a follower of the Unitarian missionary Rev. W. R. Dall, and who, with Mr. Dall, came to America.
This young man has had all the advantages of higher education, and he evidently has spent much time in gleaning freely in all the fields of literature for what he regards as concessions on the part of the Christi~n theists; Mosheim, Neander, Sir W. W. Hunter, Bishop Heber, Monier Williams, and others are quoted. He also presents a wide variety of apologies for the Aryan faith, gathered from the writings of Max Miiller, Count Bjornstjerna, Pocock, Heeren, Colonel Todd, Elphinstone, Colebrook, Cunningham, etc. A still wider range of thrusts gathered from infidel writers from the days of Celsus down to the present time are presented in bristling array. This book, published in Calcutta and sold for a dime, has had a very wide circulation. It is not to be supposed that the author has depended upon his own researches merely; rather he has presented the selected facts, arguments, and travesties which the combined research of many writers has produced. There is now an extensive literature of Hindu apologetics which a comparatively moderate labor on the part of any enthusiastic Aryan may throw upon the market at brief notice. In our own country a mere tyro may gather together the results of infidel attacks upon Christianity for the last fifty years, and lay them before the public in a leaflet or in a five-cent Sunday newspaper, issued to the numher of a quarter of a million of copies.
And something approaching this same marvellous facility is coming to be realized on heathen soil, and at the hands of a race who fifty years ago were slumbering on in the old torpor of past centuries. DoubtlesF> the very same cheap issues of Bradlangh are sold in India.
The design of the above-named pamphlet of nearly seventy pages is to show that everything in the West has been borrowed from the East; that Christianity has added nothing to the wisdom of the Indo-Aryans; that corruption rather than advancement has been the law of progress, and that the true wisdom of the world is to turn back and drink at the old fountains. This tractate is published in good English, and it is not confining itself to the Asiatic continent, but already the overflow is setting toward Christian lands, and affiliated anti-Christian associations are everywhere aiding in its dissemination.
As another example, there is published at Lahore, both in English and in the vernacular, what is known as the Vedic Magazine, edited by Pandit Guru Vidyarthi. This university graduate is a man of ability, and his motto seems to be, to " Carry the war into Africa. " Among other striking articles is one entitled " Pecunia Mania." This vice or craze is ascribed with telling effect to the whole Anglo-Saxon race. "It is," says the writer in an editorial, "a disease of the type of insanity, very contagious, transmissible by hereditation, incurable or hardly curable, and of the most virulent type. It is an unsatiable thirst, an always hungry stomach, an extreme sensitiveness and irritability, restless anxiety and sleeplessness, paralysis of moral and spiritual faculties, extreme proneness to overfeeding and overclothing, indolence, luxury, and comfort; it has an air of superficial independence, personal weakness, and infirmities." All these are presented as marked characteristics of the so-called Christian nations, and are in strange contrast with the "quiet thoughtfulness, the spiritual aspiration of the Indo-Aryan races." "This disease," says the author, " sneers at all metaphysics, looks down upon all thoughtful reflection and philosophy, an-d discards theology as speculative, unpractical, and absurd. It stigmatizes all efforts to ennoble mankind, whether moral or philosophic, as theoretical. – It brings morality down to the level of expediency. Instead of the worship of the God of nature, it sets up a wretched and worse form of idolatry-the worship of copper, of silver, and of gold. It denies to man any nature other than one capable of eating, drinking, and m()rrymaking, and we ask whether snch a diseaRe should not be at once uprooted and destroyed, never to spread again. For so long as this influence is dominant in the world there will be no morality, no truth, no philosophy. If there is to be such a thing as disinterestedness or truthfulness in the world, if mankind is not to be given over to restless anxietY"' turbulence, and the overweening bias of sordid interest, something must be done to resist this fearful tide."
It is not to be denied that the writer of such articles has a keen insight into many of the worst phases of character shown by the.beef-eating, beerdrinking, plethoric, discontented and yet self-consequential Englishmen and Germans, whom the lank and spiritual Hindu of the higher classes encounters on the soil of India. " This plethoric travesty of humanity, instead of walking forth to breathe the pure air of heaven and enjoy the scenery of nature and delight in pure and elevating thought, seeks convey.- ance in luxurious carriages rather than by muscular action, and plethoric fulness borrowed from the activity of drugs and the administrations of physicians, instead of inborn healthy glow. . .. Dead photographs and lewd portraits hang upon the walls of his room instead of the scenery of nature. He is entirely dependent on the cooling power of pankas and the warming properties of fire, the refreshing power of beverages, and stirring influence of wines for want of natural endurance. Is this the itidp,pendence that a rational being should feel ?"
We have referred to the writings of Vidyarthi only as illustrating the fact that we have come upon times when the old systems of the East, reinforced by the new impulse which Western education has given them, and possessed of all the weapons of hostility which Western infidelity has produced, are now assuming the aggressive. There is also what is called the Aryan Tract Society, published at Lahore, whose issues are scattered widely through India. The ,revived Aryans are virtually in sympathy with theosophists and esoteric Buddhists in our own country and in Great Britain, and by prearrangement and thorough organization, the issues which are sent forth in India are also circulated among us. The writer above referred to was late Professor of Science in the Government College at Lahore. He is perfectly familiar with the theories of Darwin, Heckel, Spencer, etc., and has made it a study to trace the supposed intimate relations between the theories of these noted theorists and those of the ancient Upanishad philosophy of India. The familiarity shown with Western literature, and even with the early history of the Christian Church, gives in the outset a strong advantage in the implication of authoritativeness as well as breadth of judgment and candid, thorough preparation.
As an evidence that this writer is not ignorant of what transpires III Western lands, he quotes from an address of ex-President White, of Cornell University, in what he construes as a confession of the weakness of our position. The following passage is given: "We are greatly stirred at t~mes as this fraud or that scoundrel is dragged to light, and there rise cries and moans over the corruptions of the times ; but, my friends, these frauds and these scoundrels are not the corruptions of the times. They are the mere pustules which the body politic throws to the surface. Thank God, that there is vitality enough left to throw them to the surface. The disease is, below all, infinitely more widespread. What is that dis-
THE EVANGELIZATION OF ISRAEl
ease? I believe that it is, first of all, indifference-indifference to truth ; next, scepticism; by which I do not mean inability to believe this or that dogma, but the scepticism which refuses to believe that there is any power in the universe strong enough, large enough, good enough, to make the thorough search for truth safe in every line of investigation; next, infidelity, by which I do not mean want of fidelity to this or that creed, but want of fidelity to that which underlies all creeds, the idea that the true and the good are one; and, finally, materialism, by which I do not mean this or that scient,ific theory of the universe, but that devotion to the mere husks and rinds of good, races that struggle for place and pelf, that faith in mere material comfort and wealth which eats out of human hearts all patriotism and which is the very opposite of the spirit that gives 6nergy to scientific achievement."
There is not space to dwell longer upon this new activity on the part of heathen error or its increasing interchange with all types of thought in our own land. It only remains to gather up the lessons which are thus presented to the friends of missions and the advocates of Christian truth. The practical questions which come home to us with great force are, Are we utilizing in proper degree the facilities which have been furnished us by the missionary labors of our fathers, who trained up these Hindu youth and gave them the use of the English tongue and the varif'us facilities for publication 1 With the surfeit of books which we possess here at home, are we sufficiently aggressive in extending our literature abroad 1 Is there an activity commensurate with opportunity, or are we folding our arms in quiet security in the thought that our sole duty is here on our own shores? It should be remembered that the battle-field of truth and error is now one. The terms home and foreign are obsolete; the literatures of the world are blended; and so all the light the Christian Church has to give' should be made to shine.
THE EVANGELIZATION OF ISRAEL.
BY PROFESSOR GEORGE H. SCHODDE, PH.D., COLUMBUS, O.
The first missionary work done by primitive Christianity was among the Jews. Christ confined His labors almost exclusively to the chosen people, declaring that He had been sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The policy of the earliest apostles of restricting their gospel activity during its first stages to their own race and nation was only in part the result of a misconception of the universality of the redemption secured through the life and death of the Messiah. Paul himself did not become the great apostle of the Gentiles until his labors among the Israelites had convinced him that they did not deserve or appreciate the glorious Gospel he had come to offer them. It is a fundamental error of the Baur-Tiibingen school, and their reconstruction of the inner development of primitive Christianity, to maintain that Paul originally and ex profes8o taught in his doctrine that Christianity was intended for all, also for the Gentiles, a doctrine contradictory to the standpoint of Peter and his friends, who maintained that Christianity was essentially a Jewish sect, and intended only for this peo- ple. The hypothesis that the Christianity of the second and the ihird centuries was a result of a compromise between the Judaism of Peter and the universality of Paul does great violence to the facts in the case. But, as is generally the case, the error is all the more plausible and dangerous because it is at least seemingly based upon a fact, which fact is that the first Gospel messengers one and all recognized the first and historic right of Israel to the blessings of the Gospel, and when rejected by them these were offered to the Gentiles. Between Peter and Paul there was no differ- ence of principle, at most only of degree. On mission methods they agreed to adhere to the example and command of the Lord. While all nations were to be made disciples of Christ, the Jews were first called to this high privilege.
This historic right to priority was not based upon any undue partiality of Christ for the people out of whose midst He had arisen. Indeed, their treatment of Him would have induced another who was not divine to cast them from him. This right was based upon the calling of this nation as the chosen people to bring forth and to establish from the human side the kingdom of God on earth. Christ came in the fulness of time, and this fulness was the result and outcome of a development which had been progressing through centuries and centuries. In this calling Israel lived and had its being j and while the coming of Christ has been the centre of history for the whole world, it, has been such for Israel in an especial sense.
That Israel, when this hour had come, did not recognize the signs of the times, but threw aside its own peace, does not in any way call into doubt the wisdom of God's plans. While the rejection of Christ by His con- temporaries in Israel is one of the saddest facts of history, it is, neverthe- less, not an enigma or a riddle. The attitude of the Pharisees of that day, the orthodox and recognized theological school of the times, was by no means the mushroom growth of a night as little as it was a system based upon Old Testament premises. In fact, in Christ's polemics against them He makes it a prominent matter to show that they had deserted the old landmarks, and that their refusal to accept Him who was the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets was based upon their subversion and misinter- pretation of the cardinal truths of their own religion. Factors and forces had been at work which had, during the centuries of the silence of the prophets between the close of the Old Testament and the opening of the New, inculcated principles diametrically opposed to those taughj; by the sages and seers of God. Had the teachers of Israel in the days of Christ still stood upon the basis of the revealed Word, they could and 'would not have done otherwise than have accepted Him as the promised Messiah. Paul's antagonism, so pronounced and decided, against the doctrine of justification by the works of the law, and in favor of justifica- tion by faith alone, is not based upon the theory that the former is the legitimate outcome of Old Testament teachings, hut that it is a perversion of tJ!ese teachings by the leaders of thought in Israel. He therefore resorts to the same method which Christ had employed-namely, to quote the Old Testament itself against those who claimed to be the only correct interpreters of Old Testament truths. It is substantially the same mission method which is adopted by all the New Testament writers over against the Israelites, particularly by those who make this matter especially promi- nent-namely, Matthew and the; uth Jr of the Epistle to the Hehrews. A recognition of these facts in the great problem of Jewish mission work, as also of the method and manner pursued in the New Testament of conduct.- ing the work, is a matter of the greatest possible importance for us and our day too. Notwithstanding the eighteen hundred years which have elapsed, the problem itself has not changed materially, and the experience of the friends of the work has been such as to convince them that the New Testament method of dealing with the problem, of course adapted to our times, is the only one that promises success. In the entirely unique and peculiar character of the problem lies also the justification of making Jewish missions a distinct branch and separate department of Gospel work among non-Christians. In the nature of the case mission methods must adapt themselves to the exigencies of the case-the history, character, and condition of the people to whom it is proposed to bring the message of grace. In this sense of the word the mission work in no two countries can be carried on in exactly the same manner. But yet the problems and perplexities of Jewish mission work over against those met with in the case of other nations are so entirely sui lIeneris that the work of a laborer in Israel is radically different from that among the Gentiles. This is the case not because the seed is of a different kind, but because the soil is. The Jew meets the Christian missionary in an altogether different spirit from that which a heathen must show toward a Gospel messenger. The Gentile . instinctively sees in him a superior, intellectually and otherwise, and the missionary finds no difficulty in making the impression of this superiority, except perhaps in the cases of Brahmans and adherents of other highly cul- tivated heathen religions. On the other hand, the Jew sees in the Chris- tian a renegade and a pervert from the principles of the Old Testament revelation. While regarding himself as a superior, because he is the repre- sentative and exponent of the pure monotheism of the prophets, he is as such historically entitled to pre-eminence above the Christian, who has changed and distorted these teachings by adding a polytheistic faith, and by recognizing the claims of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. Instead of being himself a proper subject for instruction and conversion, he considers the Christian as such a subject. It is the idea and the ideal of Judaism, both rationalistic and orthodox, that the religion and the ethics of mankind will eventually find their happy consummation and development in the adoption of a monotheism of the Jewish faith.
However much we may wonder at thiR psychological attitude of the Israelites, it is a fact that such is their standpoint; and mission work, like all other enterprises, must deal with actual facts. This being the case, there is really only one correct mission method for the evangelization of Israel-namely, that already adopted by the New Testament writers and preachers. This method is to produce the conviction in the hearts and minds of the Jews that their interpretation of the Old Testament, which through centuries of teaching has entered into their very marrow and bones, is false; that Israel, in breaking with Christ and His teachings, broke with its own history and with its own religion; that the new departure inaugurated by the Pharasaic school in the New Testament era was a false and unfounded movement; and that Israel's fate and history can only be brought back again to its true and divinely destined course by a return and a rejection of the false positions of the fathers; in other words, by an acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfilment of the law and the prophets.
Hence it is that argument and proof have a place in Jewish mission work which they occupy nowhere else. The preparation needed by the Jewish Gospel worker is quite distinct from that which the other missionaries should receive, and, therefore, fully justifies the establishment of Rpecial seminaries for such young men of the kind that the late and lamented Professor Delitzsch founded in Leipzig five or six years before his death, and in which he taught down to his last illness. Not the least difficult is the negative work of showing, from the history and the literature of the Israel of the post-biblical era, that the Judaism of to-day can by a misnomer only be called the outgrowth and development of the Old Testament religion. This presupposes a thorough acquaintance with the Mishna, the Talmuds and the Midrashim, the great official compilations of later Jewish faith and tenets. It is an Herculean task to find the Ariadne thread out of the labyrinth of Talmudism. The number of Christian scholars who have in their possession the key, to this literature are few and far between. In former generations this was otherwise. The Buxtorfs, Capellus, and their contemporaries were masters in this field. In our day Delitzsch easily was the greatest scholar in this field; otherwise it would have been impossible for him to prepare his classical Hebrew translation of the New Testament, which has proved to be the most efficient Gospel agency in this arduous and thankless mission department. But others have been apt pupils, and the names of Strack, Siegfried, Dalman, Faber, Wllnsche deserve honorable mention. Post-biblical Hebrew is no longer a lost art or a hidden treasury. How important a matter it is for Gospel work in Israel can be recognized from the fact that its study is the chief occupation of the Instituta Judaica, or Jewish mission associations which have been revived at the German and Scandinavian universities within recent years, and which have a membership of over three hundred. These societies deserve special praise for having published a series of tracts and brochures, in which Christians receive authentic information concerning the Jews, and the Jews authentic information concerning Christianity. No more solid and substantial foundation for efficient work in this line could be established than has been done in this manner.
The problem becomes all the more perplexed and perplexing by the dissensions among the Jews themselves. There are two classes of these, the radicals and the conservatives or orthodox. The Jews of Western Europe and America are almost to a man adherents of the radical wing. Upon their shoulders the ways of the fathers sit but lightly. They have compromised with modern thought and life, and as a result have given up what distinguished them as Jews, except certain formal features. Substantially this type of Jews are either unbelievers or are adherents of a vapid and vague deism. With them the Gospel messenger has double labor, because he must meet them as Jews and as rationalists. It is often doubted whether a W estern Jew can become a consistent Christian, and among the Jews themselves it is practically an axiom that a convert from Judaism is a fraud and a deceiver. How incorrect such extreme views are is seen from the examples of such noble men as Neander, Philippi, Caspari, Kalkar, and others who have become Christians of rare power and success. Western Judaism is not hopeless, but it is probably as difficult a field as the Gospel messenger can select.
Strange to say, the East is more promising. And yet the 9riental Jew is the personification of Talmudism. He has, however, the virtue of being deeply religious, and is hence not closed to religious argument and persuasion. It is among these that Delitzsch's and Salkinson's Hebrew New Testaments are eagerly read and studied, and it is among these Jews that the independent Christward movements of Rabinowitz and others have originated, and the project has been formed of organizing a National Jewish-Christian Church on the basis of the New Testament as the fulfilment of the Old. The Leipzig Society, the most aggressive and progressive of the Jewish mission societies, has recently inaugurated a new departure by confining its labors to the Eastern Jews. It proceeds from the standpoint that Jewish diaspora in Christian communities should be left to the eongregations there, and that systematic efforts toward their eonversion as a nation should be centralized there, where they are most densely settled.
It is to be regretted that there is no general interest among Christians in Gospel work among the Israelites aeeording to the flesh. It is always a limited few, whose love for the people of God enthuse them for this difficult work. However much the Jews may have proved themselves unworthy and unthankful objects for Christian mission activity, this does not excuse us in our negligence. We Christians have in our possession as our greatest blessing the spiritual inheritance of Israel. Gratitude and duty alike should urge us to offer them in return a share of this inheritance.
SOME POLEMICAL WRITINGS AGAINST THE JEWS
The nineteenth. is the greatest missionary century since the apostolic era. But not all Gospel work has been done, nor are the churches everywhere putting forth their best efforts. Israel has a historic claim on the attention, prayers, and work of the Christian churches. Let this claim not be neglected or rejected.
SOME POLEMICAL WRITINGS AGAINST THE JEWS IN THE .FIRST SEVEN CENTURIES.
BY REV. B. PICK, PH.D., ALLEGHENY, PA.
The friendly relation which existed at first between the Church and the synagogue could not always last, and a separation became a matter of necessity. The result was that the non-identification of Christianity with Judaism gave rise to bitterness and enmity, and by and by all friendly relations between the two parties entirely ceased. The best proof for this is the unfeeling but exulting manner in which Jerome writes when speaking of the annual visit the Jews made to Jerusalem on the anniversary of that city's destruction: "Those who once bought the blood of Christ must now buy His tears j and even to weep is not freely conceded them. On the anniversary of the capture,and destruction of Jerusalem you may descry a mourning crowd approaching. Behold here delicate women and aged men weighed down with grief and years, hastening to bewail the destruction of their sanctuary. Their very bearing betokens that the wrath of God is upon them. But while tears are streaming down their cheeks, while in their bitterness of spirit they stand with arms outstretched and hair dishevelled, 10 ! the Roman soldier rudely accosts them, to demand money that they may longer enjoy the liberty and the privilege of weeping" (Com. on Zeph~n., c. iL).
The Church had received the Old Testament from the synagogue, but the attitude of the Church to the Old Testament writings was different from that of the synagogue. The Old Testament writings were read in the light of Christianity, and Christ was found everywhere. The purely Jewish elements appeared as episodical, the truth of the new covenant as the real purport. With the Church the messiahship of Jesus was a conditio sine qua non. Was Jesus the promised Messiah ~ Then the Church was right and the synagogue wrong. From the Old Testament the former adduced her proofs, and pronounced, at the same time, that the synagogue, because rejecting the claims of Jesus as the Messiah, was wrong. The earliest polemical writing is the so-called" Epistle of Barnabas." In this epistle the writer insists especially on two points: first, that Judaism, in its outward and fleshly form, had never been commended by the Almighty to man j bad never been the expression of God's covenant j secondly, that that covenant never belonged to the Jews at all-in other words, that there was a Christianity before Christ. From an exegetical point of view this epistle is also highly interesting, as it exhibits the exegesis of that time.
A lost work ill the" Dialogue of Jason and Papiscus," which is com- monly ascribed to Aristo of Pella. It is quoted by Jerome and Origen.
" In it," says Origen, "is described a Christian arguing with a Jew from the Jewish Scriptures, and showing that the prophecies concerning the Christ are applicable to Jesus; the other replying to the argument vigor- ously and in a way suitable to the character of a Jew."
In his" Dialogue with Trypho." Justin Martyr tries to show that the God of the Jews was the God of the Christians likewise, and that the authority of the Old Testament was recognized by Christians. He labored further to prove that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah, sent by the God of Abraham for the salvation of the world, and that His followers were the true Israel. It ha~ been suggested that Rabbi Tarphon, a bitter enemy of Christianity, who declared that, although the Gospels and the other writ- ings of the "Minim" or Christians contained the sacred name of the Deity, they ought to be burned, is the same Trypho who is the interlocutor in Justin Martyr's" Dialogue." But this is mere suggestion.
Hippolytus's " Demonstration against the Jews" is lost, and the frag- ment which is extant shows that the Jews have no 'reason to glory in the sufferings which they inflicted on Jesus of Nazareth, for that it had been foretold that the Messiah should so suffer, and that these sufferings had been the cause of the misery afterward endured by the Jewish nation.
Diodorus of Tarsus wrote a special treatise, " Contra Judreos," which is lost; and Hieronymus Grrecus vehemently abuses the Jew in his " Dia- logue of a Christian with a Jew on the Trinity."
Chrysostom(died 407) wrote, in proof of Christ's divinity, a "De- monstratio adversus J udreos et Gentiles," and seven" Homilies against the Jews," in great measure against the J udaizers within the Church.
Basil of Seleucia tries to demonstrate to the Jews the time of Messiah's advent and the destruction of Jerusalem, which" Demonstratio" results in the proof that Jesus is the Messiah.
Of Philippus of Side remains a narrative of a " Disputation concerning Christ," held in Persia between Christians, Jews, and heathens.
Gregentius of Taphar holds a dialogue with Herbanus the Jew, in which he convinces his opponent by a vision of Christ which appears in the heavens, the result being the conversion and baptism of five millions of Jews.
A certain Timotheu~ holds a dialogue with a Jew, one Aquila, whom he converts, and brings him to Cyril for baptism. Cyril, however, wished Timotheus to perform that office, and so ordained him priest and deacon at once.
A certain Stephanus, Bishop of Bostrs, is mentioned as the author of a treatise, "Contra J udreos," quoted by John of Damascus. • Anastasius, abbot of the monastery of St. Euthymius, in Palestine, is
THE TOUR OF THE LANTERN
said to have written against the Jews and Judaism j and Leontius, Bishop of Neapolis, in Cyprus, wrote an apology against the Jews.
Passing from the Greek to the Latin writers, we mention a work " Against the Jews," by Tertullian, composed on the occasion of a dispute between a Christian and a Jewish proselyte. Cyprian and Augustin also wrote against the Jews j and Evagrius's "Altercatio Simonis Judrei et Theophili Christi ani" is said to be a free reproduction of the lost dialogue of Papiscus and Jason.
The" Tractatus adversus Judreos," by Maximus of Turin, is of doubtful authorship.
Isidore of Seville's" De Fide Catholica ex Veteri et Novo Testamento contra J udreos" is addressed to his sister Florentina, and consists of two books. The first, which contains sixty-two chapters, treats of the person of Christ j the second, containing twenty-eight chapters, speaks of the consequences of the Incarnation j that is to say, of the unbelief of the Jews and the ingathering of the Gentiles, of the eonversion of the Jews at the end of the world, and the cessation of the Sabbath.
Agobard, Archbishop of Lyons, writes on the Jews in general and their superstitions. The" Divine Institutes" of Lactantius contain also attacks upon Judaism. It is to be regretted that many of these works are lost.
THE TOUR OF THE LANTERN.
A LETTER TO THE YOUNG FOLKS.
BY F. E. HOSKINS, OF SYRIA.
A kind friend in America sent the lantern as a gift to help in reaching the boys and girls of Syria. Then a Sunday-school class of boys at Elwyn, Pa., sent twenty-five views, and later on'a class in the Sixth Presbyterian Church of Albany made a similar gift. The lantern and the views reached Beir11t in safety j but the people in the custom house opened them and then put them back into the box without any straw. The box was then hustled out of the custom house on the back of a porter, and a day or two later carried thirty-three miles over Lebanon on the back ' of a mule. When the man put it down in our court very doleful sounds were heard issuing from the box, and I opened the package with trembling hands j but only one view was smashed and another cracked!
It was more than six weeks before I invited Mr. Magic Lantern to go with me on a tour. I had to have a strong wooden overcoat made for him, and some boxes' for the views. Then I had a folding frame made, and a large white sheet seven feet square to fit it. All this work was done by a Moslem carpenter in, Sidon, and then it came over the mountain in the same way as did the other boxes. In May I invited Mr. Magic to get ready for the journey. I hired a mule for Mr. Magic to ride; but when we went down to the front door the mule objected to the arrangement, and we had great difficulty in persuading him that the matter was all right. You know that it is a very difficult matter to reason with a mule. We first tied him securely to a tree and passed the chain of his halter through his mouth by way of emphasis. Three of us then stood round and assisted Mr. Magic to mount; but the mule kicked and moved round in such a lively way as to prevent Mr. Magic from getting anything like a firm seat. When I thought we had succeed- ed, t turned to go upstairs, but a moment later I heard a great noise, and 10 ! poor Mr. Magic and all his traps were on the ground again. Fortunately he came down right side up and suffered no harm. We remonstrated with the mule, drew the chain tighter, and then wrapped his hcad up in the big coat belonging to his owner. He was not able to see what we were doing, and we did not uncover his eyes until Mr. Magic was all safe and snug. So off they went, and some eight hours later had made the long journey southward without any accident. Once on the way home, a week later, the mule became frisky, and tried to run; but the load began to turn, and two minutes later Mr. Magic and his traps were lying in a wheat field with Mr. Mule on top, his feet sticking up into the air. We all dismounted and had a great time in getting him loose and on his feet again. We had the same trouble in loading up, and, strange to say, Mr. Magic still lives without any broken bones. On other and shorter trips I have hired a man to carry Mr. Magic on his back, as men sometimes carry travellers in other lands.
During the month of May Mr. Magic made seven public appearances, and created the greatest excitement-his coming to a village was like the coming of Barnum's circus. The first threll appearances were in" our school-rooms; but I soon gave that up and took to the threshing-floors. No building could possibly hold all that came, and the crush made anything like a lecture impossible. At one village we tried it in the schoolroom-a place that will hold nearly three hundred people; but everybody wanted to come and everybody came-boys, girls, men, women and babies. We tried to shut the doors and keep the audience quiet, but the crowd outside kept on increasing until they pressed upon the doors and windows, carrying both doors and windows off their hinges inward. Some of the chief men of the village went out and beat the people over the heads with clubs, but a minute or two later it was as bad as ever. I tried to quiet them, but soon became hoarse, so I pushed the views through rapidly, and as each picture fell upon the screen I pounded upon the table, or put the cap on the lantern, and so got quiet long 4ilnough to announce the name of the view. They were all mightily pleased, and thought nothing of the noise and confusion, being accustomed to that in their churches, and always at weddings.
After that I went to the threshing-floors-great open spaces round the villages-set up the screen, and soaked the canvas with water, and then people saw from both sides the same. At Qaroim there were from seven to eight hundred people present, and some of them sat directly beneath the screen, where they could not see anything at all. The sights at each place go beyond description j in no place had anything like a lantern ever been seen. Fully a thousand boys and girls in our schools clapped their hands over the pictures, and perhaps twice as many men and women. Mr. Magic behaved very well j and even if he should never appear again he would be distinguished all his life, for these people will never forget his coming.
The people insisted on making a feast at nearly every place. At one village the teacher made a dinner. Four of us sat on the floor round a low wooden table. On this was placed a large brass waiter more than two feet in diameter j on it were four plates of pounded rice, four bowls of milk, four small plates of sugar, and in the ceutre one large plate of bn..tter without any salt in it. Beside each one on the floor were five or six thin flat loaves of bread. We had neither knife, fork, nor spoon. After a blessing we tore pieces from our loaves of bread, and with them dipped up the cooked rice, and drank from our bowls of milk. But the great dish was the butter. There must have been three pounds of it. The way we di~ posed of this was to take a small piece of bread, hold it between thumb and fingers, pinch off a piece of butter, dip it into the fine pounded sugar, and then eat it. At Qaroun we had a feast of another kind. We had neither knife nor fork, nor had we waiter or stool. Everything was placed on the floor in front of us. They had killed a small kid, stuffed it with rice and pine nuts, and had cooked it whole. It was served on the dish in which it had beeu cooke'd, and I separated the parts by main strength, using my pocket-knife when things did not come apart easily. It was well done, and was as tender as anyone could have asked for. With it we ate rice and bread and some strawberry jam from a tin I had carried from Zahleh.
But the most striking experience that I have had on account of Mr. Magic was not of a pleasing character, and might have ended very seriously had not God kept me from harm. I treated the people of a village named Gedeitha to an exhibition, and haying to make a journey to Damascus the next day, I resolved to ride home that night after the entertainment was over. I left the village at 9.30 P.M., and a few minutes later was attacked by three robbers, who had followed me from the village for that purpose. They were armed with clubs and knives. One seized my bridle-rein, and the word was given to rob me. Of course I objected, but had nothing other than my rawhide whip with which to defend myself. With this I beat them right and left, and managed to keep two of them off, and to retain my own seat in the saddle. For five minutes we struggled j they cut my rein, lifted up their clubs again and again j but I answered only with blows. One worked constantly at my saddle-bags, and, failing to loosen them, they'
JERUSALEM'S CRYING WANTS
whipped out knives and began to slash. Blows of the knives reached and cut my Bible, and in the struggle came within a few inches of my person. At the same time they grabbed for my pockets and my watch. One seized the chain j I put one hand on the watch, and with the other struck: the man j the chain parted and went with the man, but I kept the watch, as also my purse. Tiring of the struggle, they at last tore the saddle-bags asunder and fled away. I marked two of them and the direction they took. I rode back to the village, told my story, organized a search party, and then rode on home, rousing the soldiers and the governor on my way. By prompt action we soon caught the men j later on they confessed, the chain was delivered up, the torn saddle-bags recovered, and the men placed in prison. The trial followed rapidly, and two days ago the men were sent prisoners to Damascus, where they will receive a heavy sentence. They were taken from the local prison here, their hands securely fastened between two pieces of wood, and this wood in turn fastened to the halter rope of the soldier's horse. They were then compelled to go walking beside the armed soldiers forty miles away to Damascus. Truly" the way of the transgressor is hard."
And now Mr. Magic Lantern has come to Baalbec, and if all goes well, this evening he will delight some more children, and go on doing good, I hope, for many years. We always close with a picture of the Bible House in New York, and a talk about spreading the Bible.
How simple and yet how beautiful it is to do good! May God lead each one of you to give your hearts to Christ and your lives to His service j and may you all be ready to suffer hardships as good soldiers of the cross.
JERUSALEM'S CRYING WANTS.
BY A. BEN-OLIEL, JERUSALEM, PALESTINE.
[From Rabbi Ben-Oliel's circular letter we give space to the following extracts.-EDITOR. ] 1. There is no one among the missionaries in Jerusalem, nor has there been anyone for long years, that can preach the Gospel of the grace of God to the Sephardim-Spanish Jews-in their vernacular-Judeo-Spanish j or that can converse freely and intelligently with them in that dialect. But yet the Sephardim are the oldest Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem, the most learned and religious, the most civil, the most accessible to the Gospel messenger and his message of glad tidings, and are less bigoted and bitter toward Christianity than the Ashkenazim-Russian Jews, Polish Jews, etc.
Now, Judeo-Spanish I know from childhood, and in 184£-50 I translated St. Luke's Gospel and a variety of tracts into that dialect, as also others in Hebrew, Spanish, and English. Two native helpers can converse in Judeo-Spanish, one of whom attributes his conversion to the Lord Jesus to attending my Judeo.Spanish services in Smyrna Ilhortly after the Crimean war j but his special duties occupy his time and attention fully.
2. There is no missionary in Jerusalem that can converse in Hebrew with the rabbis, who are so numerous j or that can even quote the Old Testament Scriptures fluently in the original, excepting some native help- ers j and much less anyone acquainted with rabbinic literature and dogmas. Yet thh! is a very essential-an indispensable-qualification for a preacher of the Gospel to the Jews j and it is well known that learned Jews prefer the sacred tongue in religious conversation or discussion. Still, the Liturgy is read in Hebrew every morning in Christ Church.
The London (Episcopal) Society for Jews has a strong mission in Jeru- salem, at an expenditure of some £7000 per annum, but there is no fully qualified missionary to the Jews in Jerusalem. …
Many Christian travellers have carried away very strong impressions on this subject after visiting Jerusalem. One of them, Mr. W. Mortimer Clark, Q.C., of Toronto, wrote to me from Jerusalem: " My impressions here lead me to believe that anything like active evangelistic work among the Jews does not exist in Jerusalem, and that there is ample room for more· effort. The various manifestations of Chris. tianity are more likely to repel than attract the Jew."
" Ample room" there is unquestionably. The British consul estimated the Jewish populatIOn of Jerusalem at 40,000 j but the Rev. C. T. Wilson, of the C. M. S., who has resided here the last seven years, has been .assured by enlightened local authorities that the number of Jews actu1111y in Jerusalem cannot be much und~r 60,000 j and they keep coming constantly, and about one half are Sephardim.
Jerusalem is a Babel of diverse tongues. From 20 to 30, it is said, are spoken within its precincts. Among the Jews the following are in requisition, for there are Jews from all lands here ; and I name them in the order of their relative importance, marking with an asterIsk those in which I can preach or converse more or less :-* Judeo-Spanish, Judeo- Polish and German, * Hebrew, * Aramaic, * Arabic (colloquial), * Eng- * * lish, * French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Modern Greek, etc. Considering the friendly way in which the Sephardi Jews have received me in other mission fields-Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey in Europe, and Asia Minor. Gibraltar, Spain, Rome, etc.-and more recently in Jaffa -which has 3000 to 4000 Jews, I may hope to meet with an equally friendly reception from the far larger number in Jerus:;tlem; and I trust from the Ashkenazim also. There is evidence already that it will be so, for before I could go to them, they are calling on me, and among them has been a leading rabbi, who, after conversation, accepted a Hebrew New Testament, promising to study it, and has called frequently since. They are so pleased to find one with whom they can converse freely in the language of their homes, as well as in Hebrew. It is but natural it should be so, for I am more at home with their characteristics·-their disposition, modes of thought, customs, history, literature, and religious idiosyncrasies; and, therefore, in more thorough sympathy with them.
With sincere gratitude to God, I acknowledge the friendly welcome given to me and my family by all the laborers of the London Society, whom I have assured that my most earnest desire is to fill up deficiencies, and to co-operate in every good work for the advancement of the adorable Master's kingdom and glory.
3. There is no place where non-Episcopalian travellers and visitors, whose numbers increase every year-the United States, and even Canada and Australia, contributing a fair proportion-can worship God in the Holy City according to the simpler forms they prefer and are acc<lstomed to; and, consequently, no place where ministers of other de1).ominations can have the unspeakable privilege of witnessing for the Lord Jesus in the city where He expiated the sins of the whole world, and rose again for our justification: here, where the Son of God bled and died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God: here, where the Lord of glory burst asunder the chains of death, and opened the gates of heaven to all believers.
The Episcopal Mission to the Jews has a handsome church. in which liturgical services are conducted morning and evening every Lord's day. The Church Missionary Society has a beautiful chapel for similar services in Arabic for native converts. The Lutherans have separate services in German, and are now constructing a large church. That the Latins, Russians, Greeks, Armenians, Copts, Moslems, Jews, etc., have superb ecclesiastical buildings-churches, convents, chapels, mosques, synagogues, hospitals, schools, etc.-is well known to all travellers in Palestine and readers of their works.
But Presbyterians, Independents, Wesleyans, Baptists, etc., are nowhere in .Terusalem ! They have not even a hired upper room! But yet a considerable number of the annual visitors are ministers of all denominations. Talmage, William Arthur, Spurgeon, Dale, Radstock, etc., may come and weep over Jerusalem and take pleasure in her stones; but they must hold their tongues! They may not celebrate the Lord's Supper in its scriptural commemorative significance, and" show" the grandest historical event the world ever witnessed, "till He come!" They may not testify to the corrupt, degenerate churches of the East, that there is a purer and truer spiritual mode of worship than is exhibited even by some Protestant churches!
In June, 1887, I wrote: "There are certain localities in which all Christians reel a deep interest, of which they cannot divest th~mselves, and Jerusalem is pre-eminently such a spot. It is sacred ground common to all the Christian world. All honor to the Church of Engiand for the noble work which the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, and the Church Missionary Society have been doing for years past in Palestine. But the Holy Land, and Jerusalem in particular, cannot be relegated by the Christian world to anyone church exclusively; aud those Episcopal societies should welcome the co-operation and holy rivalry of other churches and societies, in a sphere which claims and enlists the sympathy and lively interest ot all. "
The Lord has called me to Jerusalem to supply those three crying wants. There is now in Jerusalem AN UPPER ROOM, to hold from 80 to 100 persons, near the Jaffa Gate, and within five minutes' walk of the three principal hotels, where all evangelical Christians may worship God in the city of the Great King, and where their ministers may witness to Divine truth and unalloyed Scripture doctrine; and where the Gospel shall be preached in Judeo-Spanish to the Sephardim, and men of all classes-" to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" –will be welcome to hear the message of red~eming love.
In a few days an inscription-PRESBYTERIAN MISSION-will mark the house to travellers and residents. Some definite designation mu.~t be adopted, and as a Presbyterian, I naturally prefer my true colors, cheerfully extending the hand of fellowship to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. As an illustration of my catholicity, I may mention that, at my earnest desire, TWELVE MINISTERS, representing the Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Independent, Baptist, and Lutheran churches, took part in my ordination in 1852.
This mission and work is at present dependent wholly on the Lord and on the free-will offerings of His people of whatever section or branch of the one Church universal. It is a work of faith and of entire reliance on the gracious promises of our God, who has already raised up some supporters in England and the United States. I solicit, above all, the prayers of God's people. " Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee."
The famous" Siloam Inscription," which ranks near the Moabite Stone in the list of hoary Semitic rolkb, has been stolen. This inscription, which was in the purest bihlical Hebrew, told how the tunnel was excavated which conveyed the water from the so-called" Spring of the Virgin" -the only natural spring in Jerusalem-to the pool of Siloam. This work and the inscription, according to Professor Sayee, date from the reign of Hezekiah, or perhaps from that of Solomon. The inscription was accidentally discovered ten years ago by a young man who fell into the ,water. It was in a dark place on the side of the tunnel, about nineteen feet in from the pool, and was only deciphered after an incrustation of lime deposited by the water had been removed by acid. The inscription has now been cut bodily out of the rock, being broken in the process, and the fragments are said to have been sold to a Greek in Jerusalem.
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS.
BY REV. C. O. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, MASS.
To the Editor of the New York Times: SIR: I see that your London correspondent speaks very disdainfully of Bishop Tucker's application to the Marquis of Salisbury for protection to the Protestant Christians in Uganda, especially as this is likely to be accorded. I confess this puzzles me. What ground of complaint has your correspondent against the bishop 1 It is usually supposed that any missionary has a moral right to solicit the protection of his own government for his own converts, in a territory under its suzerainty, as Uganda is under that, of England. Of course your correspondent does not imagine that Tucker has come to ask for repressive measures against the French priests. If he were capable of it, he would understand its futility. But it is news that, under English sovereignty, an English bishop ought to allow the French priests to use repressive measures against him.
I am aware that there are more Catholics than Protestants in Uganda. But the Protestants are numbered by hundreds. Twenty-five hundred came to meet Stanley, and I suppose they .have increased since then. But, more or fewer, have they not as good a right to be as the Catholics 1 Besides, the Protestants came to Uganda a good many months before the French priests, BO that they have the right of priority, which among all honorable missionaries counts for much. It is the Catholics, not they, who are intruders. Cardinal Lavigerie expressly admitted beforehand to the secretary of the Church Missionary Society his obligation to withhold the White Fathers from encroachments on a field already occupied by Protestants. He has publicly signified his agreement with General Gordon that Protestants and Catholics are two divisions of the one army of Christ, who ought not to fire into one another's ranh. If he has now violated his plighted faith, and turned his own words into mockery, his breach of honor has certainly not evacuated any of the rights of the Uganda Protestants.
Your correspondent seems to stand for the position that wherever the Catholics can come in, and by their showy ceremonies tickle the people's fancy faster than the Protestants can touch their hearts, they have a right to driye the latter out. The noble work doing along Lake Nyassa by the Scotch Presbyterians, and eastward of there by the Universities' Mission, is, according to that, entirely at the mercy of Rome. And if the Protestants venture to appeal to a Protestant government against Catholic fistlaw, they are to be reproached with shabbiness and superfluous zeal.
I do not know what religion your correspondent has, beyond a dislike of French atheism. But even if he should be a sort of a kind of a species of a Catholic (which is not probable), most Catholic laymen in our day profess to believe (and in Catholic countries nobly show their creed by their works) that every man who holds a creed agreeable to good morals has an indefeasible right to propagate it. Is not that his position ~ I know that Rome has an organization which makes her a formidable enemy and a profitable friend. As things go, it is no great matter of displeasure if her operations (which are really wide and admirable in the heathen world) are idealized and loudly lauded by the press, which expects to trim its sails to the wind. But surely the matter is pnshed a little beyond bounds whena Protestant bishop is held up to contempt for asking for fundamental rights of religious freedom and English citizenship.
The Catholics and Protestants in Uganda have repeatedly and solemnly pledged themselves not to wrong or oppress one another. All that anybody can imagine Bishop Tucker as asking, or his government as granting, .is that Lord Salisbury shall signify that he will view with displeasure any breach of this compact. Both. Christian parties have shown heroic attachment, even unto the death of fire, to the common faith. The Protestant missionaries are plotting nothing against the rights of the Catholics. The head and front of their offending appears to be that they, first in the field, presume to claim some rights of their own.
If this is not the meaning of your correspondent, pray what is it 1 He expressly holds it up as an indecency for Bishop ,Tucker to claim the right of offering to the natives of Africa" an alternative ritual." Seeing that the alternative ritual, in Uganda, happens to be the Roman Catholic, his own principle recoils on himself. But on whichever side it may operate, it is a strange principle for a man who speaks English to uphold.
CHARLES C. STARBUCK, Associate Editor Missionary Review of the World. ANDOVER, MASS.
EAST INDIES.
-The work of the Rhenish Missionary Society in Sumatra the last year has been more largely blessed than ever before. Five new stations and fifteen or sixteen new out-stations have been founded. The Battas have been so grateful to the Dutch Government for having at length 'yielded to their importunate prayers and allowed the missionaries to come among them, that they have been building fiue roads to facilitate the access, and havE' voluntarily declared themselves Netherlands subjects. Two thousand five hundred heathen have been baptized within the year, and over 5000 more are under instruction. The women and girls are beginning in unwonted measure to desire instruction. Miss Needham, an English volunteer assistant, has been very helpful in this, and the society hopes soon to see her supported by several coadjutrices. Silindury has become a Chrstian country j and this fact, hitherto unknown in Sumatra, is making a deep impression on all the surrounding regions, and occasioning numerous petitions for teachers of Christianity. Several hundred (nearly 700) of the new converts are Mohammedans.
– " In tlie Deccan, though actual conversions"-of fetich worshippers – " have not been numerous, the effect upon the whole community of outcasts has been marked and general. Scattered as they are, a few in every village in the country, there is no part of the province which has not more or less felt the influence of Christian teaching, and the result is not only a general inclination to turn from the gods of terror and uncleanness to the God of love, purity, and truth, but a remarkable social change, which may hereafter bear political fruit, of which time does not now permit me to speak more in detail."-SIR BARTLE FRERE, in Missionary Intelligencer.
-Sir Bartle remarks that, as the results are essentially the same in measure under the labors of Catholics and Protestants, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, an.d Nonconformists, they must be attributed to " the great simple doctrines of Christianity, which all believe-the plain broad precepts of Christian morality which all teach."
– " The following lines from a recent Madras journal show what some of the best Hindu minds are thinking at the present time: " , Wea.ry we are of empty creeds, Of deafening calls to fmitless deeds; Weary of priests who cannot pra.y, Of guides who show no man the way; Weary of rites wise men condemn, Of worship linked with lust and shame; Weary of custom, blind, enthroned, Of conscience trampled, God disowned; Weary of men in sections cleft. Hindu life of love bereft. Woman debased, no more a queen, Nor knowing what she once hath been; Weary of babbling about birth, And of the mockery men call mirth; Weary ~f life not understood. A battle, nut a brotherhood; Weary of Kali yuga years, Freighted with chaos, darkness, fears; Life is an ill, the sea of births is wide, And we are weary; who shall be our guide?' ..
– Oanadiax, Mtssto>lll7"f1 :f.J:nf".
– W e have at hand several copies of The News, a neat little mont,hl;,.- paper representing the American Baptist Missions in Burma and Assam.
It is published at Rangoon. One copy will be mailed to any address in the United States at 60 cents per annum, five copies at $1.25. Subscriptions may be sent to E. P. Coleman, Esq., Tremont Temple, Boston. This lit. tIe paper would bring our Baptist friends into living communication with the land of the Judsons, the Boardmans, the Beechers, the Karens. Even the glorious results among the Telugus cannot deprive Burma of its classic pre.eminence.
Here is an extract: "It was Thursday evening. We sat around the camp fire and talked about a sermon that had just been read. It was pro· posed that we close the day by thanking God for His goodness, and that we also present the especial request that the two women who were held as captives in a heathen village be set free, and that they be delivered without the presence of the missionaries, so that the native teachers may the more fully give the glory to God. Two days later Th'rah Hemmay Klaipo, who was travelling in that region. received a message that if he would come to the village the captives would be delivered up at once. He did so, and the captives were delivered. This was a great astonishment to all the sur· rounding villages, and as a consequence they have decided to call in Chris· tian teachers. It seems as though the whole Bree tribe was coming in. The fear of the Lord has taken hold upon the people. It was in this region that two captive children were. set free last year in answer to prayer."- JOANNA ANnERsoN.
-Periodical Accounts of the Moravians for June says of Kashmir: "Kashmir is no longer isolated. After centuries of oppression and degradation of its people, a change has come for this land of brooks of water, and of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills, a land so beautiful that it seems a garden of the Lord.
"What the Rev. R. Clark, of the Church Missionary Society, says of their mission at Srinagar is relatively true of our own in the tributary province of Ladak : 'Kashmir, by its geographical position, is thrust forward into Central Asia, and is now our outpost of Christianity on this frontier of India. It is the starting-point for travellers to Ladak and Iskardo, Kafiristan, and Tashkend and Lhassa. Kashmir is a great centre, leading to many countries, a highway for the gospel of Christ. We remember that Kashmir once sent forth 500 Buddhists to convert Tibet, and that from Kashmir Buddhism spread to Candahar and Cabul. Our opportunities here are very great. The Kashmir MistJion 8hQuld alway' be maintained by our society in 8trenflth.' "
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
II.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY BEV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
The Relative Standing of Native Chris- This report shows an increase of na- tians in the Future. tive Christians at school, from over [EDITORIAL, J. T. G.] 40,000 to over 44,000. But that is not all. The ratio of the native Christians God's ways are often very unlike our in school is vastly greater than that of ways. The involutions of His provi- the Hindus and Moslems. This is so all dences are as marvellous as the evolu- over India. For this province the figtions. We plan, but God reaches the ures are very encouraging, Few perend we seek by a way we knew not. sons out of India will measure correctly This finds striking illustration on the such a striking fact as that the percentforeign mission fields. We consider age of Christian girls attending school now the working of God in His own is greater than the percentage of nonway for the uplifting of the Christian Christian boys. In the presidency, as communities brought but recently out a whole, twenty-three per cent of the of the bosom of heathen communities. boys and three per cent of the girls of THE FUTURE HIGH CASTE OF INDIA.. school age are in schooL Taking the native Christian part of the popUlation The Brahmans of India haTe held un- of school age, sixty-one pel' cent of the interrupted sway as the social and re- boys and twenty-eight per cent of the ligious leaders of India. It has some- girls are in school. Of the pupils re- times been the subject of remark that ceiving higher grade education, as rep- the advance of Christianity has not resented by the high-school depart- been among this class in India, and we ments, approaching one fourth (47 out have, perhaps all of us, at times, felt a of 178) are native Christians, only five little as if there were something a shade being European or Eurasian.
discouraging in the fact, and perhaps a To get the force of this, it must be little suspicion has come over ns that remembered that thus nearly one-fourth Christianity mieht, after all, not be able of the higher grade students come from to reach the brain of the heathen races, one-fortieth of the total population.
and thus exhibit a lower vitality than Turning to the colleges, this same one- we could fondly wi.h. fortieth part of the community furnishes It is well to observe, however, that eight per cent of the graduates of the God's ways are not as our ways. "We University. It is easy to see, if this con- must brain Hinduism," said that great tinues, who are to be the learned class man Duff, when he established his great of India in the near -future. The old college in Calcutta. He aimed at its Brahmanic classics are of little practi- head. He accomplished much, but cal value, and if the Brahmans keep the died, not having reached the result he lead in the old indigenous literature desired. He meant to educate the of the land, even then they must take a high-caste people, and conque" India back seat, together with that effete lit- through its head and headship. It is erature. The practical modern scien- marvellous, now, to Bee God's way, and tific and literary courses of study repre- not ours, to reach the end. The Mad- sent the advance guard of the native ras Native Christian Association has re- community itself: that which must cently sent forth a little paper on edu- lead, must direct and control in the cational progress among native Chris- whole public affairs of the country. If tians, which is a summary of the Report anything like the present relative pro- on Public Instruction for the Presi- portion of that kind of knowledge re- dency of Madras, so far as it bears on mains with the native Christian com- ~e JJat~v!l Chpstiall communit!. munity~ it is easy to see who m'llst bll the directors of the civil and political through the native literature in the forces of the land. The native Chris- schools which the Government has sub- tian community must move up into the sidized among the Hindus. The Gov- place occupied by the Brahman class ernment of India has put itHelf in com- through a thousand years. We are munication with all the local Govern- pleased to see this pointed out by the ments in regard to purer text·books.
director of public instruction in his ref- It proposes, as a measure for uplifting erence to the university examinations. the moral teaching of the land, that at He says (the italics are ours) : least one half of every "Reader" in ., I have frequently drawn attention to English or the vernacular used in the the educational progress of the native schools shall be devoted to lessons hav- Christian community. There can be ing a direct bearing on conduct as pre- no question, if this community pursues cept or example. This is something of with steadiness the present policy of immense and radical importance. Few its teachers, that, with the immense will appreciate what it means to India.
advantages it possesses in the way of One familiar with the situation says it educational institutions, in the course is becoming more patent to missionaries of a generation it will have secured a that sensitiveness of conscience as to preponderating position in all the great pro- conduct is essential to the progress of jessio'YIS, and possibly, too, in the indus- Christianity. No native literature is trial enterprise oj the country-in the lat- likely to foster that. The Hindus are ter because no section of the community indifferent as to whether actions are has entered on the new departure in good or bad. The Hindu philosophy education with greater earnestness than does not emphasi7.e blameworthiness.
the native Christians." Pantheism does not and cannot, any- To go back, then, we remark again, where. Hence, there can be little Dr that God has had a way of taking pos- no sense of conviction of sin. This session of the brains of India quite proposition of the Government, there- other than that proposed by Dr. Duff fore, is radically in the teeth of Hindu- and others. It is not so much by ism. It is plain that the standard of bringing the upper classes into the what is right and wrong will he that of Christian college, though that has been the Christian religion. This will mark, done to some extent, but by reaching therefore, a moral revolution of the and elevating the lower and middle conscience force of India. The native classes in the scale till they shall dis- Christian force being, as we have seen, place what was the top of society, and in such preponderance relatively in the themselves take their place, and that in schools, must therefore come to be de- a stronger and progressive civilization. veloped as the strong and leading moral These forces, like so many of the great force of the community of India, as forces of nature and Providence, have well as its leading intellectual and po- operated, and are operating, so silently litical power. Thus the future high that the kingdom cometh" without ob- caste-the native Christian community servation. " -will be strongly impregnated with a But something besides this is being high moral quality, and will be strong done. Dr. Duff laid great stress on the accordingly.
compiling of good, pure text·books for A native paper of Iqdia called The the entire educational operations of the Hindu has seen this tendency of things country, from the lowest school to the concerning the female portion of the highest college class. A good deal of community in India. The editor says: this work has been done, but a good " The progress of education among deal remains to be done. There is still the girls of the native Christian comneed of the displacement of the im. munity, and the absence of caste remOTal :rubbiSh which. has filtered strictions among them will eventually give them an advantage which no amount of intellectual precocity can families in Jerusalem who a few years. compensate the Brahmans for. We re- ago were well off, who are now on the cently approved of the statement of a verge of starvation from this cause. All Bombay writer that the social eminence these things are working together to that the Parsis so deservedly enjoy at equalize the relative positions of Mosthe present moment was due to these lems and Ohristians. The large numtwo causes-namely, their women are bers of travellers and pilgrims, and the well educated and they are bound by ever-increasing interest shown by Eurono restrictions of caste. These two ad- peans and Americans in the Holy Land, vantages slowly make themselves felt are not without inftuence." among our native Ohristian brethren, and it is probable they will soon be the Truly God's ways are not as our Parsis of Southern India; they will ways, but we discover in them very disfurnish the most distinguished public tinct and decided plan. servants, barristers. merchants, and citizens amopg the various classes of The Influence of the Pariah Ohristians the nati ve community." of Southern India on the Ohristianiza- tion of the Country. NA.TIVE OHRISTIANS IN TURKEY. BY BEV. JOHN MOLA.URIN (WOODSTOCK, CAN. A striking illustration of the same ADA), SEC. BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSIONS.
indirect working of the all. directing The remarkable movements toward Ohristianity among these people during Providence, which supernaturally su- the last few years is my apology for the subject of this paper; and fourteen perintends the affairs of the world in years of closest contact with them, first as itinerant missionary and afterward the interests of Ohristianity, is furnished as principal of a theological Reminary, are my credentials for undertaking thi. by the Rev. O. T. Wilson, of Turkey. task.
The work of missions in that empire is By the pariahs I mean that large and important class of people lying socially cErtainly hampered, but a vAry silent between the caste classes proper and the aborigines of the hill districts. It sub.soiling is going on, and Ohristians is evident enough that the pariah bears no relatbn to the aborigines. In phyare gradually assuming a very changed sique, in language,in habits and customs they are wholly distinct. I think it is relation to the Moslems of the land. easily demonstrable that they are not the offspring of individuals ostracized We cannot forbear making a lengthy from the castes of the later Aryans. Before the introduction of Mohammequotation from Mr. Wilson. He says: danism I)r Christianity there was lit- tle temptation to break' caste, and little .. Islam, it is true, still holds the occasion for cutting anyone adrift. sword, but in the declining condition No one is cast off for moral, but only of the country this is a source of weak- for ceremonial defilement, and that was ness, and not of power. Military ser- easily atoned for. vice is compulsory on the Moslem population, while Ohristians are prohibited Besides, the pariahs are far too nufrom bearing arms. This causes a con- merous and were too defined in phystant drain on the M02lems, which is sique, language, and general characterfelt increasingly year by year. In the istics to be the result of a series of villages also (where the bulk of the lapses from caste, 1 ut at the same time population live), a much larger propor- they are too much like the Aryans in tion of the Moslems remain unmarried all these particulars to be other than than of the Ohristians. This is owing to their greater poverty. For, poor as the country is, and bitterly as all classes feel the oppression of the Government, the Moslems are worse off than the Ohristians. Russia has assumed the guardianship of the Greeks, and France of the Latins, and this fact acts as somewhat of a check on the Government. But in the case of the Moslems, there is no one to help them or speak a word for them. The immense inftux: of Jews into Jerusalem and other towns, causing the diversion of much of the trade and busines8 of the natives into their hands. has been severely felt by all classes, but especially by the Moslems. I have heen told, on good authority, that there are many Mohammedall sprung from the same original stock. derful dreams began stirring his sluggish I believe them to be a long previous ir- brain. It took long to move him. He ruption from the home of the Aryan was half deaf because unused to hear, race. They had left their ancestral lind half blind because unaccustomed home before the later civilization had to see; but at length the oft·told tale moulded the people and language with begins to tell upon the dull ear, the their later forms, and had come down wearied eyeballs respond to a glimmer and driven the aborigines to the hills, of light, the rusty intellect begins slowly and were in turn conquered by a later to revolve, the frozen heart to thaw, and wave of their own race. the soul resumes its proper functions- in fact, begins to pulsate with the new In the Telugu country especially they life. are divided into two distinct classesthe mala and the madiga. The latter First these people .came by twos and are the leather·workers ; the former are threes, slowly, timidly and at long in. small farmers, coarse·cloth.weavers, tervals. Then they came in hundreds, coolies, and household servants. The afterward by thousands, and now they madiga is negatively wicked, the mala are taking the kingdom by violence, positively so; the madiga is docile, rushing in by the tens of thousands. easily governed, and inclined to be religious ; the mala is self assertive, diffi- II. The Attitude of the Missionary focult to manage, but has more brain wards this Movement.-At first the mis· power. Both classes are very ignorant, sionary was sorely puzzled. This was very superstitious, and exceedingly im- so utterly opposed to his ideal methods. moral. It was the intellectual Brahman, the shrewd merchant, or the docile but It is from among these people that wealthy Sudras he wanted. It was tens of thousands are now flocking into dreams of keen intellectual contests the kingdom. What influence are they with these sons of an ancient philoso. going to have upon the final collapse of phy which disturbed his rest, but in. Brahmanism and the Christianization stead here is this clamoring throng of of India? unclothed, unwashed pariahs. These degraded, ignorant, immoral hordes, I. There was a Period of P'I'eparaiion. what shall. he do with them? Open -The stage was being fitted for the the doors of the kingdom and let them man and the man fitted for the stage. in! How could he ? If he allows these God sent the British nation to set the in, farewell to his dreams of conquest pariah free, theoretically free at least, among the higher classes ; but accus· from a species of serfdom to the higher tomed to consult the Oracle, he went to classes. Few nations dare give as much the Book and read, ., Go out into tho freedom to their civilized subjects as the highways and hedges and constrain British do to their semi·civilized hea- them to come in, that my house may be then subjects; not that many English full." There was nothing to do but officials look upon the Hindu in any open wide the doors and let them in. other light than as a " nigger." But the conservatism of the mission. Then the missionary came upon the ary was a blessing in disguise. It made scene, and not only told the pariah a him ready to divine the dangers con· wonderful story of a wonderful God and nected with the influx of such multi. more wonderful Saviour, but also told tudes, and to take measures to provide him and showed him how to become a against them-the danger of a whole· free man in deed hnd in truth. He sale relapse into idolatry, the danger of went into the courts and set in motion liberty running into license, and the the mighty machinery of the empire on danger of these people falling a prey to his behalf, and got justice for him. It designing leaders of evil. To avoid this began to dawn upon him that he was a the missionary requirE!6 to be careful ; – man-new hopes, new fears, and won. (a) That, as far as can be Ascertained, learns to do is to wash his face and each Case is one qf Genuine Conversion.- comb his hair. His wife does the same.
There must be a oredible evidenoe of Then he clothes himself and family.
suoh a ohange. This must be insisted Still further, under the advice of and .on. To aocept a person who gives no maybe pressure from the missionary evidence of a radioal ohange of heart is he repairs his house and keeps the ap.
a fatal mistake. Not only is he not a proaches to it clean, especially when source of strength, but he is a sJ)uroe of expecting an episcopal call. A little positive danger. Faith in Christ is the education and a great deal of advice only anohor whioh oan hold a heathen make him a more provident farmer, a to Christianity. I believe that history better husband and father, a better ser- demonstrates the misohievousness of vant, a more trustworthy coolie, and village or tribal oonversions. We oan his heathen neighbors see and feel this.
polish a dead organism, but only a liv. (b) Their Manliness or Independence is ing one oan be made to grow. Telling.-This is not pleasant at first to (b) To Train a Native Ministry,-This the high-caste man. The Ohristian is essential. No other ministry will will not work on Sunday for him, will do. We oannot graft an alien ministry not lie nor swear falsely in court for upon these churohes without destroying his benefit, will not eat his diseased them. Then, also, this is an outlet for cattle, neither to please him will he the developing life. It must be a trained burn his neighbor's house nor beat ministry; not merely an eduoated min- him with a stick for a few pieces of istry, trained in pastoral work, in evan. money. In his rage the caste man per- gelistio work, and in general Christian secutes him, boycotts him, and swears work. These ohurches and their pas. false cases on him in court, but finally tors and teachers should have all the gives up in despair and begins to won· liberty possible, oompatible with a firm der why. When he finds out the rea· but unfelt hand in shaping their Chris. son why, he is impressed with it.
tian life and views of divine truth. (c) Their General Intelligence has a (c) To Train and Help the Peaple to Strong infiuence.-These men and women Self support.-SelI-relianoe must be a cannot come in contact with the mis- cardinal principle with the. missionary. sionary for years without their knowl.
I believe that just here was made the edge of the world and passing events vital mistake of our century in foreign being vastly increased. And especially missions. They ought to remain in those points of interrogation –the their own villages. They ought to school.boys-cannot sit at the feet of a build their own churches and school. live missionary for five or six years and houses, support their own pasiors and not know more than anyone in their teaohers, educate their own children, native village, high or low.
and assist largely in every Ohristian Many a time the preacher or teacher enterprise. There is no comparison is called aside by a group of caste idlers between the robustness of Christian char- and asked the news of the day. These acter developed under this system and things are telling more powerfully upon that under the subsidized Ohristian these people than if the Christian were village system. Now with tens of thou. a caste man. The pariah Christian is sands of these people undergoing these insensibly rising in their estimation, processes, while living in daily contact and his religion rises with him.
with millions of their high-caste fellow- (d) Their Christian Character Acts creatures, what is this influence likely to be ? Powerfully.-But, after all, it is the 1. It is having a Profound Present Christian character of these people influence. which is telling upon their neighbors.
(a) Their Material Prosperity Tells.- The change is neither seen nor appre- The first thing the Christian pariah ciated at first. They do not seem to expect a change, but when a man stops cohesion, and in wealth. Thesll drinking cullu (liquor), stops rolling churches, these schools, these colleges, vile words from his tongue, stops beat- these debating clubs and literary soci- ing his wife, burning his neighbor's eties are all repositories of power and house or poisoning his cattle, no longer rapidly increasing power, too. Those cheats nor swears falsely in court, pays thousands of primary schools, dotted his debts and becomes honest and trust- all over the land, may seem very insig- worthy-then the people begin to think. nificant indeed when taken singly, as When he meekly bears insult and re- indeed they are; but as the nuclei turns good for evil, when he speaks around which this ever-increasing force kindly to the poor and helps the outcast is gathering they are exceedingly for- and beggar, when he reads God'B Word midable.
and praYB regularly with hiB family, and . As starting-points they are small, when some of them give one-tenth of but they lead on to the boarding- their income to the Lord, to Bupport school, the college, the university, and the religion he professes, and when on by and by into the professor'Bchair, the every proper occasion he testifies to the judge'B bench, the editor's sanctum, or love of God to him, then tho people feel the legislator'B seat. They are the lit- that a new element has entered into tle springs which feed the tiny rivulet, their life. When they see such an one which fills the little streams which in calmness and confidence and often- make the mighty river which refills the times with joy pass away to what he boundless ocean.
fully believes to be a home of bliss with Those little boys sitting on that earth- his God, they are profoundly impressed en floor, writing seemingly meaningless with the conviction that here is some- hieroglyphics, may seem powerless thing beyond their experience. The enough, but some day they will be caste people often acknowledge the pres- stUdying history, sacred and profane, ence of thiB change in the people. Some will be puzzling their brains over the are deeply and favorably impressed philosophies of the past and the pres- with it, while others bitterly resent it. ent, will be the leaders, the trusted Some years ago in India some caste Christian leaders, of Hindu Christian people, after having expelled one of the thought, and some day further on their native preachers from their village, sent sons will be the rulers of an emanci- me the following message: "Tell the pated Christian Indian Empire.
Dhora," said they, "that if he comes I do not overlook the fact that otber to our village to preach this Gospel we elements are at work. The so-called will make a foot-ball of his head." Soon godless education of Government col- after, having occasion to visit that vil- leges and universities, the Bemi godly lage, I called these people and asked education of Christian educational in- them what they meant by such a mes- stitutions, the Brahmo-Somaj, the Eng- sage. Apologizing for their rudeness, lish and vernacular press, the Bible, they said: "You have come here to book and tract societies, the English put these pariahs upon our shoulders" official and unofficial classes, godly and -that is, to educate the pariahs above ungodly, the railways, telegraphs and them. They knew what the result post-offices-all these are preparing would be. I told them, Yes, that is my India for the great revolution which is purpose if you do not believe the Gos- to be ; but some of these elements are pel and get elevated too. antichristian, many of them are color- 2. It is Going to Have a Greater Il1flu- less, and but few of them positively ence in the Future. Christian in their tendency. In that These Christians are not only grow- day we shall need more than religious ing in numbers daily, but they are leanings-Christian tendencies or influ- growing in intelligence, in power, in ences •• which make for righteousness." VIe shall need Christ in men and wom- with skill, Then, let the conflict come en, divine truth incarnate in regenerate when and how it may, we shall be pre- Bouls, living epistles known and read pared for it, and under our Leader, the of all men, men and women whose lives Lord Jesus Himself, India shall become are the best testimony to the principles His possession. they profess. In the midst of the turmoil and anarchy which are sure to God will hasten it in His time. come, there will be need of cool heads and brave hearts, need of men who The Jews and Jerusalem, [J. T. G.] have faith in God and the Gospel. An unusual interest obtains just now The Ohristian converts of India will in regard to the Jews. Mr, William E. again prove to be the salt of the earth. Blackstone, of Chicago, kindly furnishes The missionary will be there in ever- us with a large budget of fresh items increasing numbers. The Christian concerning them, from which we select official, military as well as civil, as well some statements. The diagram of Jeruas the Christian trader will be on hand salem needs only the explanation that and will do valiant service for the Mas- the solid line represents the wall of the ter, but what are they among BO many? city, which is about two and a half Only generals for the army of the Lord. miles around. For centuries no one Whence are we to look for the rank and dared live outside of this territory from file? To the converted HinduB them- fear of robbers. The dotted line is selves. Comparatively few of the higher Jeremiah's" measuring line." classes have become obedient to the faith. Noble specimens many of them Up to 1841, only three hundred are, but they are so few. For either Jews were permitted to live in Jerusaaggressive attack upon heathenism or lem. Then that restriction was refor resistanc~ they are comparatively moved, but they "were still confined insignificant. My conviction is that to a narrow, filthy district of the city, the shock of battle must be met by the next to the leper quarters." regenerated hosts from Madura, Tinnevelli, ,Ongole, Burma, Assam, the late In 1867. by a .. firman" or edict of ingatherings along the Gangetic Valley, the Sultan, this restriction was reand other places, all these multiplied a moved, and the Jews, in common with thousand-fold. The Hindu propaganda other foreigners, were allowed to puris already flinging itself across the path chase and own land in Palestine withof this advancing tide, but in vain, out becoming subjects of the Sultan. Like the ancient warrior opposing the From this time the number of Jewish ocean's tide with dirk and targe and settlers has rapidly increased, When broad claymore, it is either retreat or the late anti. Semitic agitation broke death, out in Europe, especially in Russia, the Turkish authorities feal'ed that the Are these people ready for the fray Jaws would coUe to Palestine in such now? No; neither is the fray ready overwhelming numbers as to cause for them; but whatever the character of famine, etc., and issued a firman that the conflict, whether semi·political or no Jew coming to Palestine could rewholly spiritual, we must be prepared. main more than thirty days, To this The forces must be largely increased, the United States consul took exceptiont thoroughly organized and disciplined. on the ground that his Governmens The churches in Christian lands must made no distinction in the nationality SAnd their best men and women to the of its citizens. He was soon joined by front, the native preachers and evan- the French and English consuls, and gelists and workers of all kinds mnst be the Turkish Government modified the thoroughly furnished in God's Word, firman by first extending the time to trained to wield the sword of the Spirit three months, and finally, in 1888, by removing it altogether. Since then the Jews are literally flocking into the country, Nine agricultural colonies have been established, and all are pros- pering and well protected.
At the present time, as will be seen by the buildings represented in the dia- gram, Jerusalem is covering this entire area. Great hospices, hotels, churches, stores, etc" have been erected, but most notable of all a multitude of dwellings for Jews, The number of Jews now residing in the inner and outer city is estimated at 30,000, fully one half the entire population, and adding those at JERUSALEM .
.. They shall prosper that love Thee, "-Psalm 122: 6.
Showing wall of the city and the measnring line of J eremiah.-31 : 38-40.
Tiberias, Safed and throughout the Episcopal Church has seven missionwhole land of Palestine, it can hardly aries to Jews, and is also working be less than 50,000, and so, probably, through a portion of their clergy and 42,000 have returned since the year some schools; the Lutherans have two missionaries; the independent Hebrew 1867. This is equal to the number that Christian Mission in New York has one returned from the Babylonian captivity. missionary, and that in Chicago has three missionaries. Surely this is very A railroad is being constructed from little Christian effort for such a people. Joppa to Jerusalem, with projected lines to Hebron, Jericho, Acre, Tiberias The Hebrew Ohristian Mission in and Damascus. And this is being done principally by Jews. Chicago was begun in 1887, under an in- terdenominational cOlnmittee, and was There are said to be 500,000 Jews in llermanently organized in December, the United States, and 4U,OOO in the 1889. It is availing itself of the widecity of Chicago, spread phenomenal willingness of the Jews to read the New Testament in He- In Great Britain, where the Jewish brew, and asks for corresponding mempopulation is little over one·tenth that bers to co·operate in tract and Bible in the United States, there are nine work among Jews in all the larger cities. prominent societies, with several hun- Mr, William E. Blackstone, of Oak dl'ed missionaries and agents working for Israel. In this country we have Park, Ill" is the superintendent.
only the following: the Protestant
EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS
IlI.-EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.
Rev. Dr. George W. Chamberlain, of Dr. Chamberlain asks, "Is that an ab- Brazil, tells the following story: solute doctrine ? As you ride through the roads of Brazil and pass by any cemetery " I met an old Brazilian at the mouth you will see little catacombs outside of of the Amazon ninety years of age, who the walls of the cemeteries, and you will knew much of the Indians. I said, ' Oan inquire what they are. They are the you tell whether there has ever been tombs of children who could not go into any portion of the Gospel translated holy ground because their souls had into the general tongue of the Indians? ' gone to limbo. They died without bap. • No,' he replied; • I am interested in the tism, and they cannot go to heaven. Indians, but I have never known of any They are buried in stone, like the stony part of the Gospel being translated into heart of the holy mother Church that their language. I have a catechism over tells this to the mothers to whom Christ two hundred years old, translated into said, • Let the little children come unto their tongue hy the Jesuits.' He says, Me.'" • Take the book and use it. I am too old to do anything more; take it and A circular letter has recently been do something for the Indians.' As I sent out to pastors and elders of the opened it on the high seas between Para United Presbyterian Church, calling atand New York I came upon a page with tention to the fact that tbe General Asthese questions: 'How many places are sembly of 1891 has voted a total of ap. there to which the soul at death can propriations to the various boards of go?' 'There are four.' • What are $312,000, or an average of $3.23 per they? ' 'Hell, purgatory, limbo of the member-a little over one cent per fathers, limbo of the children.' • What working day-and suggesting the fol· is hell? ' • Hell is a fire in the centre lowing means as helpful to the raising of the earth, to which the wicked go at of this amount: death.' • What is purgatory?' • Pur. gatory is a fire above that of hell, to FIVE SUGGESTIONS. which the souls of the holy go that they may get satisfaction for sin for which First. Let the pastor or " Stated Supthey did not get satisfaction in this ply" call together the members of his life. ' • What is the limbo of the fa. Session for prayer and consultation. thers?' • It is a cavern above purga· Speak to them of Christ's" Great Comtory, to which the souls of the holy mission" and of their obligations to fathers went formerly, before that Jesus help carry it out, and that the Boards Christ was manifested in the flesh to of our Church are the chief agencies take them out.' On the margin of this through which this Commission is carcatechism some one had written op- ried into effect by the Church. posite the definition of the limbo of the fathers words in Portuguese which, Second. At this same meeting speak translated, read, •It is now for rent.' I of and discuss the New Testament rule read that to a friend in New York, and of gi,ing, 1 Cor. 16: 2. Pray over it. he said, • It will do for the brethren of Then, if not already done, let each the new theology.' The catechism con- member of Session, knowing his privitinued, "What is the limbo of the chilo leges and feeling his obligations, redren? ' Oh, ye mothers, hear! It is solve to devote at least the one tenth of a cavern above the limbo of the fathers, his income to the Lord, or to give" as into which the souls of little children God hath prospered him." If time is who died without baptism go ; a land asked by any of the members of Sesof darkness and of the shadow of death, sion for further consideration of the to wander forever," subject, grant it, and call another meet· ing in one or two weeks, Third. When this is done, present it were yet continued. A missionary the whole subject of " missions" and of writes that of late it has greatly increased to New Caledonia, and is continued to "Christian giving" to the members of Fiji, causing much suffering and opthe congregation. Let them know of pression to our poor islanders, greatly the resolve taken by the members of hindering our work and rapidly depopu- Session, and then earnestly ask them to lating the islands. The traffic grieves join you in devoting at least the one us exceedingly, and we have done all we tenth of their income to the Lord, or to can by exposing its evils-its curses, both to the islanders and collectors and give" as God hath prospered them." all engaged in it-to get it suppressed; Present the subject of giving not only but by man's selfish greed it goes on. as a duty, but as a high privilege. Let Yet Heaven will reckon with us and all giving be regarded as an act of worship. engaged in it for all the oppression and bloodshed caused by it. We missiona- Fourth. Commence the raising of mis- ries and our Victorian church have pro- sion money early in the year. Do not tested against it, exposed its cruel atrociunder any circumstances postpone the ties in every way possible, petitioned matter until the middle or close of the the British Government again and again to suppress it ; but self interested sugar- year. planters and employers of cheap labor Fifth. We desire to emphasize the get it carried on. fact that it is the regular, stated, Bys- As Britain now forbids her traders to tematic giving of the many that is of spe- use as trade with the natives of those islands fire-arms, ammunition, intoxi- cial benefit to the Church and to the in- cating drinks, and opium, and the inter- dividual. Every member should be island labor traffic; and as the traders encouraged to give something. Some of all other nations use these and the interesteil Kanaka labor traffic, which is may not be able to give the full " gen- one of its most cruel, oppressive branch- eral average," $3.23, in addition to what es, there has been and is now in our colothey give to support the ordinances in nies a cOD!'!iderable agitation to get our their home congregations. A large ma- British prohibitions applied to all traders of all nationalities, or rescinded by Great jority, however, can. Very many can Britain. On the platform and in the give a much larger amount. But all press I have strongly opposed the reshould have a part in carrying forward scinding of any of them, and pleaded for the mi98ion work of our Church. them to be applied to all traders, in the interests of humanity and the honor of We commend this as a move in the Britain. In this I have been supported right direction, which all might imitate. by Bishop Selwyn and His Excellency It emphasizes prayer, Bible teaching, Sir John Thurston, H. M. High Comprivilege as well as duty of giving, missioner for the Southern Pacific. But if we shall succeed in getting all the promptness of effort. and regular, nations interested to agree to such re- habitual, systematic, and individual co- strictions with their traders is very doubtful. If America would agree, nearoperation. We look for large results. ly all the others have signified their willingness to agree to such prohibi- From a letter from Rev. J. G. Paton, tions in trade.. A missionary now writE'S to me : "In one large district of late we the author of one of the greatest of mis- have made very little progress, owing to sionary biographies, a friend sends us the sad drink curse. The traders the following: around there have been busy pushing this trade, and a few of our church· MORELAND GROVE, COBURG, members have been implicated in the VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, July 2, 1891. drinking bouts and .mspended in con- The shocking Kanaka labor question sequence. This has forced us tempo- gives us missionaries great concern. It rarily to suspend some of our itinerat- was to have been closed to Queensland ing services for lack of preachers; but by Act of Parliament in the beginning there seems to be a reaction, and I hope of this year; but a few days ago, on God will strengthen our Christian na- June 27th, R. dismasted Kanaka labor tives to follow after holiness; but my vessel entered the capital, Brisbane, heart bleeds for the hret1)ren who, with- with seventy-three islanders, for their out Christian influences or anyone to suger plantations, which appears as if guide them, are easy victims to traders' greed and their own evil passions. during the last May meetings, and heard Drinking our intoxicating drink is now with what applause the proposition to being added to tpeir every heathen associate the women with the men in ceremonial, with what sad results I their great missionary societies (boards) need not tell you. This is decidedly was welcomed. the greatest curse that so-called civiliza tion is bringing to these shores; and "The ladies have shown their effi. both in the islands and the colonies we ciency, their ability, their power, and need to do all we can to resist it. The zeal in their own independent societies, sale of arms, dynamite, etc., to the but they lack the presence and support natives is nothing to it, and on quite a of their fathers, their brothers, and different footing. I know of much in_ their sons. Indeed, in some of the justice, and cruelty, and bullying hav- churches the whole cause of foreign ing been carried on by worthless men missions is relegated to the ladies. against the poor natives, who had meekly to submit to such injustice because "How shall we remedy this grave any vagabond foreigner, as a trader, mistake? may have magazine rifles, etc., and the oppressed popUlation of the soil is de- ,. God's triple command, 'Go ye into prived of and unable to defend his just all the world,' 'Pray ye the Lord of rights to land, to his home, and to all the harvest,' and • Bring all your tithes that is dear and sacred to him." into the storehouse,' was spoken to the whole church. God needs His sons aE Bible Translation in Japan. well as His daughters to help evangelize the world A correspondent writes as to the arti. "If more closely associated in this cle in the September issue, on the Bible glorious work, would it not go forward with accelerated speed, and the pro. and its introduction iuto Japan, that voking of one another to good works fulfil the prophecy of universal mis- Dr. I. C. Hepburn is justly put at the sions ?" head of the list of those who have the honor of doing this work of Bible trans. Missionary Maps. lation. I enjoyed the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with this pioneer Information is always in place; but missionary and dictionary maker for the people are won quite as much Japan, and his colleagues, S. R. Brown through Eye.gate as through Ear.gate. and the Gulick family, and some others, We cannot reproduce pictures of mis. among whom was Nath9.n Brown, who sion buildings and scenery; we canre· made a version of the New Testament produce maps. in the two languages of Assam and Japan, and performed honorable mis· Almost all churches where there is sionary work in both. The omission of any missionary life observe the Month. his name among the translators in ly Concert for Prayer. If you could Japan, together with the allusion to Dr. give us occasionally in the REVIEW a Bettleheim and the sentence .. con- correct map, showing the principal mis. temptible criticisms spoken in Tremont sion stations in the field, we could use Temple," may give to the reader the it to good advantage. impression that the MISSIONARY REVIEW is not for the world, but for a sect. which Perhaps others who read the REVIEW I am sure the editor would not endorse. have suffered as I did for a map. If they will only make up their minds to Yours in the service, have one they can have as good a one WILLIAM DEAN. as they could buy, and that at a merely nominal cost. I found directions in an NATIONAL CITY, CAL., August 15, 1891. old number of the REVIEW, but they were from an Englishman, referring to Assooiate Mission Boards, English colors, and not within my pos· A correspondent urges the formation of some new foreign mission boards composed of both men and women.
.. They are working that way in Eng.
land now, and shall America lag behind in any scheme for the advancement of the kingdom?
"We were ill EJl:eter Hall, London, sibility. So here is what I did, with size. It would be safe to say that where the cost thereof. one makes a set of maps for use during the year they will not cost more than a Three yards of unbleached sheeting, dollar apiece. nine quarters wide, at 22 cents; that gave me a piece of cloth six feet by nine This is only a voice from a country on which to work. Tack it lightly to the parish. I believe good maps will be floor, having laid newspapers under. appreciated and used by all who are neath. Prepare a sizing of one·quarter interested in missions. Will you help pound of white glue to a gallon of boil. us if you can? ing water, and when dissolved apply smoothly and thoroughly to the cloth. AUSTIN D. WOLFE. Raise the wet sheet, remove the papers STATE CENTRE, IA., July, 1891. (or they would be glued fast), and reo tack the sheet. Five hours will dry it. -A letter received from Miss Romig, With lead-pencil and ruler rule straight of Berthelsdorf, near Herrnhut, Gerlines over the map which is to be en· many, corrects a few misstatements in larged, dividing the whole surface into regard to the Moravian Church, and squares; I ruled mine at intervals of which appeared in the July number of one degree, so as to have geographi~al the REVIEW. measurements handy. With a stick of drawing charcoal, a carpenter's square, " 1. The Unity's Elders' Conference is and a long straight stick for ruling, comprised of twelve members and three square off the sheet just like the small secretaries-fifteen persons in all. map. Then trace the outline carefully Four of the elders form the educational and lightly with charcoal. Use ultra. department, four the financial, and marine blue ground in oil for the coast four thA missionary. The secretariesline and thin it with turpentine, so one for each department-have no voice that it will work; it dries instantly. in the affairs of the boards and no re- Raw Sienna will make the mountains; sponsibility, their duties being purely add silver white to the blue, and make local. a light blue for the rivers; vermilion will do for boundary lines, and black " 2. The first missionaries to the West for lettering. It took me about two Indies were sent, not to .Jamaica, but days to make the map of Siam from the to St. Thomas. The mission in Jamaica small map in the 1Iay issue of the was not begun till 1754. Church at Home and Abroad, and I could not have bought it if I had wished to " 3. The number of Moravian mission do so. Here is what it cost, without stations is at present one hundred and reckoning the time and labor expended: thirteen, and out-stations twenty.one, and not forty.two as stated." Cts. Three yards sheeting, at 22 cts. . . . . .. . … . . . .66 -The article on missions to Iberian One pound ultramarine blue (enough for peoples, which we published last month, was by Rev. J. M. Allis, D.D., so well fifty maps). .. . . . .. . . . . . .. . . … . . . . . . . . .. . .20 and widely known in connection with One three-inch varnish brush, for the sizing. .25 the Presbyterian missionary work in One quarter pound white glue………….. .10 I::lantiago, Chili. By what trick of the Oue tube each silver white, raw Sienna, machine the author's name got trans_ formed into" Challis." and then escap- ivory black, vermilion….. …………•• .50 ed three or four proof-l'eadings, is inex- Turpentine. . . . . . . . . . .. …. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .05 plicable. We hope Dr. Challis will not, CharcoaL……. ..•………… …•.•…… .05 like the Celt, allow his "feelings to overcome his emotions," when he sees Total ..•._…••.•.•…•••••………. $1.81 the aggravating transmigration his name Not all of this is to be charged up to G.J underwent. rJ. T. this one map, for I have enough paint left to ma}re a !lo~en more of similar
1891.1 THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS
IV.-THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
Syria, Etc. the death, the rising again of our Lord. It was here, that His Churoh was con- BY WILLLUI BRENTON GREENE, JR., D.D. stituted by the desoent of His Spirit; that His disoiples were first oalled Chris- .. Syria is that Asiatio oountry at the tians ; that Peter made the astounding eastern end of the Mediterranean." Its discovery that on the Gentiles also was length from north to south is some 400 poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost, miles. Its area is about 60,000 square and that Barnabas and Saul were sent miles, or nearly one and a quarter times forth as the first missionaries to the that of Pennsylvania or of England. Gentile world. Of what other land is Though it has endured oenturies of mis~ the evangelization so imperative, so inrule and negleot, it is still a goodly land. teresting?
The estimates of its population vary The religion of Syria is called by the widely. The lowest is 1,0UO,000, the government Moslem and non-Moslem. highest e,ooo,OOO. The explanation is The former includes orthodox and Perthat there is a large unoertain and ever- sian Mohammedans, Druzes, Nusaireechanging element, the wandering desert yehs, Ismailiyehs, and all Bedouin tribes, who, to-day in Syria, to-morrow Arabs. The Persian Mohammedans are are far down in Arabia. The fixed popu- the followers of Ali, the son-in-law of lation is in the cities and villages. Mohammed. The Druzes hold to a Damascus has 150,000; Aleppo, some- superstition which sprang in the thing less than 100,000 ; Hums, 20,000 ; eleventh century from Islam, but has Tripoli, 16,000; Beirut, 90,000; Jeru- so far departed from it as not properly salem, 70,000 ; Sidon,7000. As to races, to be ranked with it. They profess one there are considerably over 40,000 Jews. God indefinable, incomprehensible, and There are a few Turks, and from 50,000 passionless. He became incarnate in a to 60,000 Armenians. The great bulk succession of ten men, the last of whom of the population, however, is Arab; was Hakim, Caliph of Egypt, assassinatthe prevalent language is Arabic ; and ed 1044 A.D. With that incarnation the the whole country is under Turkish rule. door of mercy was closed, and no con- verts are now to be made. Hakim, how- Syria has figured prominently in ever, will reappear and conquer the history, both profane and sacred. world. They believe in the transmigra- .. Through it lies the great highway tion of souls. They have seven great between Asia and Africa, whioh has commandments, one of whioh enjoins been so often thronged by caravans of truth, but only among themselves. trade, so often trodden by hosts of They have no faith in prayer. Among war. Pharaohs that flourished before them is a speoiiLl class, the Ockals, who the days of Moses, Assyrian oonquerors, alone are initiated into their deeper mysthe great Alexander, Pompey, Moslem teries. The Nusaireeyehs are a strange hosts, Crusaders, the Frenoh under wildraoe numbering about 200,000, and Napoleon and again in our own time, living to the north of Mt. Lebanon. conflicting Egyptian and Turkish armies They keep their doctrines seoret, and -are all in the procession that has have signs of reoognition, like a seoret moved over or tarried upon the Syrian order. The Ismailiyehs oooupy the soil." More still, here was unrolled the mountains west of Hamah, are few, are anoient revelation of the true God. allied to the Persian Mohammedans in Patriarohs wandered here ; this was in belief, and are desoendants of the peopart the ancient territory of the" Chosen ple known in the time of the Crusades· People." Prophet and apostle lived and as Ass~ssills. The Bedollill Arabs ar~ labored here. Highest of all, here 00curred the life, the toils, the sorrows, less devout and more inclined to scep- found in the perverted doctrines and ticism than other Moslems. spiritual deadness of even the best of the nominally Christian sects. Most The non-Moslems are J eWB, nominal serious of all is the dominant religion. Christians, orthodox Greeks, Papal The Moslem who leaves the faith of his Greeks, Maronites, Jacobites, Syrian fathers does it at his peril. Were this and Armenian and Latin Papists, and not so, his pride and bigotry would tend Evangelical Christians. The orthodox to make him impregnable to another re- Greeks are so called, though Arabs, be- ligion. The very truth to which he cause orthodox members of the Greek holds, the doctrine of the spirituality of Church. The Papal Greeks are converts God, prejudices him against Christianfrom the Greek Church to Romanism. ity; for he identifies it alw'ays with They have, however, made a few those idolatrous corruptions of it with changes. Their worship is in Arabic, which alone he is familiar, Added to and their priests are allowed to marry. all this is the oppression of the Turkish The Maronites represent the ancient Government. Because of it the mission Syrian Church. They get their name has constantly to guard itself against from John Maro, monk, priest, and the violation of contracts. The poverty patriarch, who died A.D. 707. Since the of the people, too, is "their destructwelfth century they have been in close tion." They are kept so poor by taxacommunion with the Romish Church, tion that they have no time to think of though adhering to the Oriental rite. their souls on week-days; and while the The Jacobites are a small body of dis- Moslems have no Sabbath, the members senters from the Greek Church. They of the Oriental churches are encouraged get their name from Jacobus, Bishop of to labor on theirs. This grinding pov- Edessa, who died A.D. 578. Notwith- erty both causes and is much aggravatstanding the various sects, however, of ed by the" emigration fever." So hard which the non-Moslems number, per- are the times that it is estimated that haps, 400,000, the mass of the popula- upward of 12,000 leave Syria yearly. tion are orthodox Moslems or Sunnites, This, of course, increases just so much and look, of course, to the Sultan. not the burdens of those who remain, and only as their political, but also their re- renders them just so much the less susligious head. ceptible to missionary influences.
Of the morals of the people the less In spite of these difficulties, however, said the better. The Druzes, though Syria has for seventy years been the polite, are cruel, fanatical, and, to scene of most faithful missionary effort. strangers, deceitful. The Nusaireeyehs The history of the mission presents are bloodthirsty. Polygamy is common. alternations of success and discourage- Divorce occurs at the will of the man. ment. If there were times of quiet, there Swearing and lying are universal. The were also times of persecution. More Bedouins, though hospitable and often than once has the land seen massacres, magnanimous, are fierce, revengeful, and the mission has produced more than and depraved. The non-Moslems, ex- a few martyrs. Political commotions cept the Jews and Evangelical Chris- have been particularly numerous and tians, are bigoted, idolatroul, and de- peculiarly trying. Of late years the based. 'In general, the population is Russo-Turkish War of 1877, the rebelignorant, narrow-minded, corrupt, su- lion of Araby Pasha in Egypt in 1882, perstitious ; and, as in all Mohammedan and the rebellion of the Mahdi in 1883 countries, woman is held in low esteem. have been most prejudicial, by introduc- ing into the mission fields II new, disor- , The difficulties of missionary effort in derIy, corrupting and hostile element. such a field are great and numerous. So many rival and jealous sects, all call- The instrumentalities employed in ing themselves Christian, constitute a the mission work are the following: serious hindrance. A greater one is 1. Preaching. The way for thifl has pages printed since the beginning, in not been as open as in many countries. 1826, amounts to over 400,000,000. The The Moslems have been specially inac- issues have been of all kinds, religious cessible to it. Nevertheless. it has at and educational. The list of publica- no time been neglected. It is now re- tions includes more than 400 titles. ceiving regular and considerable atten- Among them may be mentioned" Scrip- tion. In Beirut services are held in fi ve ture Interpretation and Systematic places, and there are three evening Theology," by Dr. Dennis; a transla- meetings during the week. A recent tion of the Westminster Confession of visitor to Syria, speaking of the Sabbath Faith, by Dr. Van Dyck; and a "Com- service at Baalbek, says that 27 men, 9 mentalJ' on the New Testament," by women, and 15 boys (all natives) were Dr. W. W. Eddy. The great glory, how- present. 'I'here are in the whole coun- ever, of the press, as of the mission, is try upward of 30 church buildings and the Arabic Bible. Begun by Dr. Eli 100 preaching places, and no fewer than Smith, in 1849, and prosecuted by him 5000 regular hearers, of whom nearly with the aid of Mr. Bistany, a nati¥e 2000 are church-members. How marked scholar, until 1857, it was then taken an advance this is appears in the fact np by Dr. Van Dyck, assisted by the that in 1848 there were only one church, highest native scholarship, and com- three or four preaching stations, and 18 pleted in 1864. A modal of accuracy church-members. and elegance, it has made the Word of Life intelligible, and, from the literary 2. Medical Work. This has lately be- standpoint, attractive to the 180,000,- come a specially prominent feature. 000 whose sacred language is the Arabic. Native physicians are being educated. Meanwhile, Dr. Post, Dr. Van Dyck. and Unti! lately no political restriction others of the medical missionaries have interfered with the mission press. Now, gained great influence by their skill lind however, the Government has waked kindness. The hospital of the Prussian up to the danger in the free circulation Knights of St. John at Beirut, under the of Christian literature, and a strict care of the deaconesses of Kaiserwerth, censorship has been instituted. Most is served by them. In the last year of of the books, including the Scriptures, which we have any report, nearly 10,000 have been officially sanctioned; but the' cases were treated. Patients come from weekly paper has received severe criti- all parts, and carry back with them im- cism, and was temporarily suppressed. pressions of Christian love as well as It is now licensed, but on condition that direct Gospel teaching. The tours of "no adverse criticism be made upon the late Dr. Calhoun and his services at any of the religious beliefs of any of the Tripoli, followed by thosA of Dr. Har- sects of the empire." ri~, have also opened the way for Gos- pel work. Many of the large number 4. The Schools. Though persistently called together by the dispensary at and bitterly opposed by the Jesuits, Tripoli are Moslems, and all hear the these ha¥e proved the most effective of Gospel read and explained before re- the missionary agencies. They have ceiving treatment. Mention should be done more than all others combined to made in this connection of the Leper elevate woman; they have given II Chris- Home at Jerusalem, under the charge of tian education to many thousands of the Moravians. ,. Most of the dear pa- persons; and they have called into being tients here," we read, 'rejoice in being numerous schools supported by the peo- Christians. under the protection of the ple themselves. In all the mission . Saviour, and enjoying the advantages of schools biblical instruction is made His Church." prominent, and the amount of Scripture that can be recited whenever called for 3. The Press. Its work has been great is surprising. The crown of the whole and influential. The total number of educational system is the Syrian Protestant College at Beirut. This is an 5. They hate idols and idolatry with institution of the highest order, and perfect hatred. 6. They reverence law. has academical, theological, medical, 7. They practise total abstinence from pharmaceutical, and preparatory depart- intoxicating drinks. 8. They have no ments. The graduates number more respect for a man who has no religion. than 200, and the attendance of students 9. They have implicit confidence in the is now large. Strictly independent word of an Englishman. 10. They beof the mission, it is thoroughly evan- lieve that Protestantism is the form of gelical and evangelistic in its. aim and faith nearest their own. 11. They aro effect. In addition to the college, there beginning to repose confidence in the are connected with the Presbyterian integrity of the American missionaries. Mission the seminaries for girls at Bei- 12. It is the common belief of the Mosrut, and Sidon, and Tripoli; the board- lems that in the latter days there will be ing-schools for boys in Sidon and Suk- an universal apostasy from Islam, when el-Ghurb, and a hundred or more com- the true faith, as they account it, will mon schools. In these gather 5200 cease to exist. pupils, of whom 1800 are girls. Did we include all the Protestant schools of The following facts also are signifi- Syria !t1J.d Palestine, the number of cant: scholars would exceed 15,000. A system of home study is being established 1. Of the 132 girls attending the Protas a branch of the Chautauqua organiza- estant female school at Sidon lately, 90 tion. and will be a stimulus to the whole were Mohammedans. 2. Of the 4780 intellectual life Of Syria. girls who were scholars not long ago in the Protestant schools of Syria, 1000 The development of this educational were Mohammedans. .. If all other work is remarkable. In 1824 it was means fail to draw them to Christ, it summed up in a class of six Arab chil- may be that the words of Isaiah shall dren taught by one of the missionary yet be verified in their experience, ladies. In 1834 ten young men were • And a little child shall lead them.' " under instruction. Not until 1866 was the college opened. Now more than 200 'THE JEWS. students crowd its buildings. For several reasons they are impor- The question arises, What will be tant and interesting enough to demand the outcome of all this effort? Will this separate treatment. 1. They were God's stronghold of Islam ever be under- .. chosen nation." 2. They have had mined? Aside from the sure word of the most wonderful history. 3. They prophecy that such will be the case, in are rapidly assuming a prominence Mohammedanism itself are elements which is as significant as unique. This which. if fairly considered, bring its is specially marked in their influence in overthrow by Christianity clearly within education, the press, and general literathe sphere of probability. Among ture. So strong has this come to be others, these are mentioned by Dr. H. that such men as the late Professor H. Jesup, of Beirut, whose residence Delitzsch, the late Professor Christlieb, for thirty-five years in Syria entitles him and Professor Godet Ree in it a source to speak authoritatively on this ques- of serious danger to the Christian faith. tion : 1. The Mohammedans believe in In Italy, for example, there are 50 Jewthe unity of God. 2. They reverence ish professors in the universities in a the Old and New Testaments. 3. They land where Jews number only about revere Christ as the greatest of all the 40,000 in 28,000,000. In France the prophets before Mohammed. 4. While highest education is to a remarkable exregarding all but themselves as infidels, tent in the hands of the Jews. In the they have some respect for Christians universities of Germany Jewish profes- sors have increased forty per cent in five and Jews as .. the people Df a book." years. The number of Jewish students has multiplied yet more rapidly. At he is by that fact divorced from the the University of Brtda Pesth, Hungary, other who remains a Jew; and the conof 3100 students, 1072 are Jews, and vert may marry again, but the Jew must that in a country where they form only remain single. Private or family prayer four per cent of the population. As the is fo.bidden except by a license, and natural result of this, according to a synagogue worship is permitted only in leader in the London Times: "A per- towns containing eighty or more Jewish manent epidemic of alarm at iewish dwellings. This outrageous oppression encroachments prevails, to which Vien- has already affected commerce, and has na is as subject as Berlin. . .. The issued in untold suffering. Not a little enlire circle of the liberal professions, is being done to mitigate thil' by Baron as well as finance, is almost in the ex- Hirsch, the Hebrew philanthropist. clusive possession of Jewish practition- Worth from $100,000,000 to $150,000,- ers. Jews are eloquent at the bar and 000, made largely in a railway contract in Parliament. 'l'hey heal the diseases with Turkey, he is pouring out his of Christians and guide their views wealth in providing for those of his race through the press." The late Professor in Russia who are heing expelled from Christlieb is only one of many witnesses their homes. The Russian Minister of to the fact that almost the entire liberal Finance also has lately ohtained a suspress of the German Empire is in the pension of further repressive measures hands of the Jews. It has been stated by pointing out to the Czar the vexatious on good authority that in Paris there is financial results which they might inonly one paper of any note not under volve. Christians throughout the world, JewiRh control. Could more be said to too, have begun to protest. Nor are show how imperative is the evangeliza. the Jewish bankers and brokers inactive. tion of this" peculiar people" ? 2. The return of the Jews to their The interest of this work now clus· own land. This has been much stimuters about three points: lated by the persecution just mentioned. Within three or four years 20,000 have 1. The persecution of the Jews by come to Jerusalem. while the influx into Russia. Since 1881. when Jgnatieff pro· other parts of Palestine has been withmulgated the terrible Jewish laws, the out precedent. There are more than lives of the 5,000,000 of Russian He- 80,000 in the country in all. An era of brews, miserable enough before, have improvement has also begun. Jerusa· been spent in unbroken war against the lem is a new city. The streets have frightful abuse and persecution of the been paved, five hotels have been authorities. The taxes of the Jews are opened, water is about to be introduced, douhle those of other subjects. Numer. large factories have been erected, a ous restrictions and disabilities fetter railroad is almost completecl from Jaffa their activity. They are not suffered to to Jerusalem. With this enlargement enter the civil service, to practise law of population and revival of trade there or medicine, to hold municipal office, or has been a marked increase in the rain. to take part in an election. The num· fall. The factors seem to have been supber of them drafted into the army large- plied to make Palestine, as of old, " the ly exceeds that of the Gentiles, but no garden of the Lord." Jew can hire a substitute or become an officer. They can reside only within 3. The conversion of the Jews. More certain limits, and are not allowed to interest has been taken in this than is own land. Jewish pupils can form no generally supposed. The Protestant more than ten per cent of the number churches have 377 missionaries among in any school, though in many towns them. If, as estimated, there are 6,400,- they are more than fifty per cent of the 000 Jews-this gives one missionnry to population. If a·wife or a husband is every 16,976 Israelites-a larger numconverted to the Russian Church, she or ber in· proportion than among the heathen. The results of this effort lan, Nazareth, and Bethlehem, supportare becoming apparent. Professor De- ed by a society of English ladies. litzsch's Hebrew New Testament has exerted a mighty influence. Jewish- 7. At Brummana, in Lebanon and at Christian congregations are not un- Ram Alia, near Bethel, industrial schools known in the larger cities of Christen- belonging to the Quakers. dom. Notwithstanding sectarian strife and the bitter opposition of Romanism, 8. The Lebanon Schools Committee's there are more than 200 believing Jews Mission, in Lebanon-a. training school in Jerusalem. Most significant is the for boys and one for girls, and several Jewish-Christian movement at Kishch- village schools. ineff, in Southern Russia. Its leader, Rabinowitz, a learned lawyer, who has 9. The Irish Presbyterian Mission at come to the knowledge of the truth Damascus-several churches, and very through the independent study of the vigorous. Scriptures, and who is in substantial accord with evangelical teachers, ad- 10. The Reformed Presbyterian Misheres to his original plan of organizing sion, at Latakia, Antioch. and elsewhere a National Christian Church for Israel, -chiefly among the NUflaireeyeh. in which such characteristics of Judaism as circumcision. observance of Saturday 11. At Tiberias a very successful as the Sabbath, and the like. are to be Scotch mission to the Jews, retained, though not as essentials. He seems to be imbued with the Spirit of 12. The Church Missionary Society Christ, and numbers among his support- (London)-stations at Jaffa, Gaza, Ramers thousands of the Jews of southeast- leh, Jerusalem, Nablous, Es SaIt, Nazaern Europe. Is there not much to war- reth, Haifa. rant the hope that the redemption of Israel is drawing nigh? 13. The London Jews' Society, in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Damasclls, Aleppo, The following statistics of the mis- and elsewherA. sionary agencies in Syria may be useful: 14. The American Bible Society's 1. Preshyterian Board of Foreign Mis- Agency at Beirut. sions, North. See MISSIONARY REVIEW for June, 1891, p. 476. For the sum- 15. The British Foreign Bible Somary below we are indebted to the ciety's Agency at Beirut. Church at Home and Abroad. 16. The Evangelical Mission to Israel 2. Mission of the Established Church at Hebron. of Scotland in Beirut to the Jews, under the care of Rev. G. M. Mackie. 17. A Presbyterian Mission in Jerusa- He has large schools for both sexes. lem, just establish.ed by Rev. A. Ben Oliel. 3. The British Syrian Schools and Bible Mission, established in 1860 by -Dr. Cornelius Van Dyck, of the Mrs. Bowen Thompson and since her Presbyterian Mission at Beirut, has death conducted l;y her sister, Mrs. just finished his Hfty years in that field. Mott -30 schools and about 3000 pu- The occasion of his golden anniversary pils. was taken note of in a most pleasant way by his friends and neighbors. An 4. Miss Taylor'S (Scotch) school in address was presented and gifts were Beirut for Druze and Moslem girls- sent. Delegations came from the Hosvery successful, pital, from the Orphanage, from the native Protestant Church. The Greek 5. The Kaiserwerth Prussian Deacon- Patriarch of Damascus and the Turkish ess' Orphanage for Girls at Beirut and Governor sent messages-the latter anat Jerusalem. nouncing that a decoration would come from the Sultan. All day a stream of 6. Training schools for girls at Shim- visitors of all nationalities and sects poured through Dr. Van Dyck's rooms, greeting him. There is surely some- thing very wonderful in this honor paid to a missionary whO' has wrought fifty years for Christ.
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
Organized Missionary Work and Statistios' Edited by Rev. D, L, Leonard, Bellevue, O.
-In the tables summing up in fignres -Of course, no summing up of misthe work done by the various mission- sionary work would be at all complete ary societies of America and Europe, a which did not include the doings of the large number were, for various reasons, Propaganda at Rome. As to the amount necessarily omitted, but not at all be- of money expended, Cardinal Lavigerie cause the sphere they fill is nnimportant estimates that Protestants contribute or ungermane. In the aggregate their annually about twenty times as much as income is very great, and the effect of Roman Catholics. Five years ago, actheir operations is broad and far reach- cording to an authority quoted in the ing. Such as the Salvation Army, "Concise Dictionary of Religious which is said to raise annually $2,250,- Knowledge," Rome had 2,745,000 ad- 000 j the Mildmay Home and Foreign herents in mission fields proper, with and Medical Mission, whose income is 3634 priests and 4502 schools, And, ac- $115,000; the McAll Mission, almost cording to the report of the Propaganda $90,000 ; the East London Institute for for 1890, and omitting British North Home and Foreign Missions of H. Grat- America and the United States, the adtan Guinness, $60,000 j the Edinburgh herents on missionary ground number Medical Society, $30,000 ; the Christian 3,314,000, the priests 3848, and the Vernacular Society, $20,000; for the schools 7593. And of this Catholic Blind in China, $12,000 ; the Lepers in population, 1,077,500 are found in India India, $11,000, etc. If all such were and Ceylon. 694,000 in Indo-China, in.cluded, the aggregate income would 568,000 in the Chinese Empire, and 398,- be not much less than $3,000,000. 900 in Africa, including Madagascar.
-The twenty.sixth anniversary of the -Nothing is more certain than that Salvation Army was held in London, the spread of the kingdom of God in July 7th. General Booth said, in his heathen lands is dependent upon the address, that the Army now comprised maintenance and prosperity of the 4289 societies (of which 1200 were out- churches within the present pale of posts), with 10,449 commanding officers. Christendom; and, therefore, that giv- Of these, 1383 corps and 152 outposts, ing for the local church, for the frontier, or 1535 religious societies, with 4649 the foreign. born population, and the deofficers, were in Great Britain, and 1705 graded in the cities is really helping to corps and 1049 outposts, or 2754 socie- carry the Gospel to every creature. Only ties in all, with 5800 officers, were out- it is a great matter to make a proper side the United Kingdom. During the division of the funds received, to beyear there had been an increase of 252 stow upon the foreign work its fuJI procorps and 1281 officers. Of the War- portion. The total giving of the Estab- Ory, 312,525 copies had been circulated, lished Church of Scotland reaches and 129,350 copies of the weekly Ohil- $2,142,790, and is divided among 6 dren's War- Ory. Monthly publications schemes. But $224,855, or about one were sold to the number of 94,000. tenth, fall to foreign missions. The Twenty-seven editions of the War-Cry Southern Baptist Convention reports were published abroad, in 15 languages. $115,445 for work abroad and $238,893 The operations called in tbe Army" tak- for mission work at home. The mising prisoners," or the arousing of anx- sionary appropriations of the Methodist ious inquirers, had resulted in the con- Episcopal Church aggregate $1,200,000, version of 100,000 .persons at home and and of this sum, $566,347 are bestowed 131,000 abroad. upon toil outside of the United States. The Congregationalists sustain 7 socie- eign affairs, army and navy, internal, ties. Of these, the American Home educational and ecclesiastical affairs, Missionary Society receives $635,150, and in providing interest on the Swed- (the American Missionary Association ish debt." The London City Mission freedmen, Indians, etc.) $429,420, and alone had an income in 1887-8 o()f about the total of Ohristian beneficence reaches $435,000. The receipts of the Brooklyn $2,270,161. Add home expenditures, Society were $25,000 in 1889, and of the and the sum is $8,361,382-an average Boston Society $43,698 in 1890. Acof $16.50 for each church-member. The cording to the same authority,45 benevo- Presbyterian Church reports for home lent societies in New York received a missions $9:15,625, and for freedmen, total of $1,810,675 in 1889. Of this sum, Bunday-schools, education, etc., $411,- 17 Roman Catholic societies received 247 more, and for congregational or local from municipal allowance and excise purposes, $9,764,379. Including all re- appropriation $1,000,521, and 28 other ligious objects, the total is $14,062,356, societies $802, 086. or an average of over $17 per member. -Says Dr. A. H. Clapp, of the Ameri- -The various publication societies of can Home Missionary Society, and Great ·Britain and America are indis- speaking of New York: ., Few who do pensable adjuncts to the work of the not live here can have any idea of the missionary societies. Among the chief voluntary work carried on throughout of these may be named the British and the year by the benevolent men and Foreign Bible Society, with annual re- women of our churches. The rapid ceipts aggregating $1,125,000; the running over of a list of the various or- American Bible Society, $512,388 ; the ganized methods of help for men, wom- National Bible Society of Scotland, en, and children needing aid by reason $165,000 ; the London Society for the of age, sickness, misfortune, orphanage, Promotion of Christian Knowledge, etc., methods originated and carried on $215,000; and the London Religious entirely by the churche.~ of this city, shows Tract Society, whose missionary ex- that there are very nearly 900 of them. penditure reached $197,560 last year. Adding to these the more public or: The sum of the receipts of these five ganizations outside of church circles, of societies is $2,214,948. which people hear more, the number will be found somewhat startling. -According to a recent estimate, which seems to be moderate, the 49 so- -The value of the investments in cieties organized for Christian effort iL. church property in Brooklyn is estimatbehalf of the Jews expend annually ed by the Standard- Union at nearly $20,- $490,000. Almost all of the leading 000,000. Of this sum the Protestant churches in Great Britain and upon the churches represent about $13,000,000, continent are engaged in this form of and the Roman Catholic about $7,000,- evangelization; and of the Bums expend- 000. The former number 290 and the ed, these are specimens: the London latter 58. The sum of the debts resting Society, $189,220; the British Society, upon the Protestant churches is about $H,625; the Free Church, $44,945 ; the $3,000,000, and upon the Roman Catho- Church of Scotland, $28,760 ; the Irish lic churches $1,150,000. Presbyterian Church, $18,435. –In reckoning up the beneficences -According to the" Encycloprodia of of Christendom, hospital work must not Missions," it was written several years be omitted. London alone has almost ago that" the annual revenue of the 30 general and special hospitals, with Metropolitan Charities of London is 6000 beds, and which receive net less greater than the whole of the expendi- than 50,000 patients annually. In eneh ture in Sweden on maintaining royalty, of the large cities of the United States the administration of justice and formillions are expended upon such insti- dred Indias, with a hundred different tutions. As among those best endowed languages, and representing every stage with choicest facilities may be named of civilization, from the most primitive the Johns Hopkins Hospital of Balti- to the most advanced. Smlh differences more, and the Presbyterian Hospital of formed a great part of the prQblem of New York, whose" plant" is valued at mission work. Hinduism included only $2,500,000. about a third of the 260,000,000 inhab- itants of India; there were about 50,- -One of the most powerful private 000,000 Moslems, 6,000,000 Sikhs, Parassociations to which the recent anti- sees, and Christians, and about 20,000,- slavery movement has given birth is the 000 of aboriginal tribes. The number African Association of German Catho- of Pariahs – outside caste – was, he lics. L' Afrique reports that this asso- thought, from 40,OOO,COO to 60,000,000, ciation holds many public meetings in and these were practically, for mission different cities, publishes a journal- purposes, outside the great realm of Gott will es-and has 10 Diocesan Com- Hinduism. mittees, comprising 1500 circles and about 200,000 members. The Central -The Mission to Lepers in India, an Council at Cologne has received more organization baving its headquarters in than $130,000 in money. This is to be Edinburgh. Scotland, reports for 1890 spent in African expeditions, in found- an increase of $2180 in its receipts. ing safe retreats for threatened negroes, This society aims to reach the great in missions, orphan houses, eto., all number of lepers in India (estimated at over the German African possessions, 500,000) by establishing leper asylums, and $6000 have been given to aid in the sending special missionaries and preachtransport of the first German steamer ers, and doing what is practicable to for the Victoria Nyanza. alleviate their condition. Then it as- sists the Presbyterian Board of this ..:.-The American Baptist missionary country at Allahabad, the Church Mis- Union gives the following statistics for sionary Society at Alleppi, etc. Its atits African missions, which are confined tention having been recently especially to Congo, for the year ending March called to China., it is starting a work 31st, 1891 : Missionaries, 47; stations, there. Under its plan of work a con- 10; unordained native preachers, 10; tribution of $25 will support a leper for self-supporting churches, 1; not self. a year, and $100 will supply a Christian supporting churches, 5; church-mem- teacher to a village for the same period. bers, 454 ; Sunday-school scholars, 261 ; day schools, 20; native teachers, 14; -The first of October brought a most day school pupils, 770; value of mis- radical innovation in the educational sion property, $47,490; total expendi- policy of France, namely, the complete tures, $62,536. secularization of the boys' schools. The law of 1885 decrees that within five -The census of 1881 showed that years from October, 1886, this must be there were in India 124,000,000 women, accomplished. Steady efforts have been of whom 21,000,000 were returned as made in this direction all along, and in widows, of whom there were under 19 1890 of 52,000 teachers in these schools years of age, 669,000 ; under 15 years of only 1213 were of the clerical orders. age, 286,000 ;' under 9 years of age, 79,- The law of 1886 decrees that a similar 000. All these figures were undoubted- change must be made in the girls' ly within the appalling t}'uth. schools as soon as a sufficient number of secular lady teachers can be secured – Professor Lindsay, D.D., speaking to take the place of the sisters. As yet at the meeting of the London Missionary of the 44,000 lady teachers in France Society, thus defined the problem pre- 11 ,000 are sisters. sented by India: "There were a hun- Statistics of Missionary Societies in Gre&t FROM these tables are of necessity omitr.ed quite a large number of societies which are trulY whose aims and methods are broader and more general.
Home Missionary Income. .; Constituency.
NAlIfE OF SOCIETY. 'H O ~ "~:i B "'"0" "0-,',;;,: ·S ~.~ 0.9 j '0'""''"'"""" ~" a'~ r~1j A~ 0 0" 5 ;;:: ~ 0 ———– —————~ Society for Propagation of Gospel …… 1701 8,800 246,700 $625,_95 $100,000 1,238,685 46,300 Church Missionary Society…. ……… 1799 1,877 452,302 112,165 29,508 401,944 24,3D5 Baptist Society .. ……. ……….. 1792 1,610 7,105 571,465 London Society .. ……………….. 1795 449 464,515 22,283 Wesleyan Methodist ……………….. 1814 2,018 Methodist New Connection ……….. 1859 196 United Methodist Free Churches ……•. 1858 345 1,333 67,510 49,953 58,147 Welsh Calvinistic …………………. 1841 673 1,200 134,239 37,768 2,000 Presbyterian Church of England ……. 1847 95,140 2,750 Friends' Association …………….. ,. 1867 290 289 65,941 62,835 Universities Miss. to Central Africa….. 1860 85,875 2,175 350 200 15,836 South American …….•……..•.•…. 1844 51,736 10,015 North Africa Mission … '" ………..•. 1881 23,250 China Inland Mission ………………. 1865 190,605 Presbyterian Church of Ireland……… 1840 637 558 102,735 83,155 10,335 1,515 1,358 593,393 224,855 45,907 Church of Scotland ….•……………. 1829 1,235 1,045 340,000 377,455 94,470 184,854 202,960 68,025 Free Church of Scotland ……..• …… 1843 615 567 United Presbyterian …. ………….. 1847 40 45 5,552 3,750 233,650 337 132 21,350 116,825 9,000 Reformed Presbyterian …•. .. …….. 1842 230,273 2,000 2,000 79,483 16,320 United Brethren (Moravian) ..•………. 1732 79,539 579 9 51 98,897 Basle Evangelical … …………. 1815 19,400 529 22,945 Leipsic Evangelical Lntheran ……….. 1819 48,630 Berlin Evangelical. ………………… 1824 15,523 Rhenish Missionary Society………… 1829 North German . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1836 ………. Gossner's ~Ii88ion ….. : ….• 1836 Hermannsburg ….. …. …… ……. 1849 Dutch Missionary Society…………… 1818 Dutch Reformed Church……………. 1859 180 280 5,500 Ermelo Missionary Society ………••.. 1846 5,00G Paris Evangelical. ………………. .. 1822 48,315 13,846 Danish Missionary Society..•…•……. 1721 430 19,626 …… Danish Mission to Santals ……. … Norwegian Missionary Society .. … 1869 54,958 67 Swedish Missionary Association …•.•.. 1842 122,000 Swedish Evangelical National……•..•. 1835 550 650 80,000 34,852 Totals for Europe. ……………. 1856 – -245 – – – – – – – – – 48,959 – – – – Totals for America ……………… — Grand Totals…………… 12,845 27,839 2,339,420 5,852,549 796,315 1– 285 104,888 10,936,317 4,180'~1 507,883 73, 1 86,134 132,737 13,275,737 10,033,151 1 1,304,198
Brita.in and on the Continent for 1891.
missionary, but whose sphere, or mode of work, is so peculiar as not to tabulate with that of those Missionaries. Native Helpers.
·1 ~ o -.-. ~ ~ I~ ~ 2,300 ~,87~ ~ ~~ -;687 -1-,827' 1,800-~0,600 318 72 219 76 ~78 3,792 4,755 327…. 50,005 3,250 1,719 70,311 131.. 1051 6 602 2,624 3,467 515…. 48,509 2,924 .•. 17,144 159 18 121 39 1,202 4,195 5,684 1,9~ … 67,797 …. 1,643 63,873 264 97 86 91 144 6,445 7,036 363 1,572 40,078 1,934 805 65,803 71 5 1 3 36 53 60 42 1,301 33 16 240 66 295 ••. •• 9…. 370 275 145 10,335 227 152 11,367 93 5 1 . . . . 564 582 163 72 1,869 285 143 4,143 20 13 22 17 8 108 188 134 43 3,746 103 4 41 •.. 17 •.. 24… 350 391 265 150 2,796 . ••. 140 2,945 24 26 1 29 3 85 168 22 12 850 …. 27 2,500 1212 ..• 6 2 …. 32 25 . . . . . . • . • • • • • . . . . . .
17 9 28 54 17 1 20 171 70 142 13 174 570 172 94 3,038 424 30 423 12 3 11 10 2 124 162 24 18 590 252 52 3,533 22 10 H 23 7 89 165 37 33 951 285 89 5,287 52 45 331 35 15 640 800 224 42 6,895 696 313 27,951 .. ·1 57 15 25 20 538 655 251 15,799 900 1 1 9 12 3 1 37 3 3 100 127 24 135 6 19 1,691 2,002 133 137 31,591 2,757 235 20,629 106 29 90 4 39 672 936 352 11,584 1,279 282 "0,500 25 1 14 491 531 117 141 13.559 228 177 4,492 60 11 59 5 5 471 611 145 10,892 2,011 55 4,158 75 3 61 1 11 490 641 158 134 10,735 360 121, 5,536 94 7 4 1 26 51 14 442 34 'Ii 358 17 167 30,027 69 332 401 59 12,371 1,770 2,567 8 8 24 40 20' … 1,013 3 4. 112 120 '" 65 6,500 1,000 12 6 10 16 6 30 700 30 3 27 6 19 206 391 261 19 9,122 131 7,928 52 5 1 3 24 35 4- 4 208 62 5 5 5 142 165 14 14 6,070 707 2 284 40 5 37 12 16 916 1,026 • 379 17,055 3,246 372 30,580 23 10 6 6 45 12 6 200 4 160 – -11 7 – -9 – -5 – -3 – -26 – 61 – 10 – 5 – 108 50 – 10 – 453 — — – – — —- – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 2,283 772 1,149 688 1,570 27,704 35,037 6,948 2,946 447,041 22,382 8,235 403,664 — — — 966 736111,341 7,218 11,946 4,649 8,6251 285,276 29,806 4,867 169,451 – – – – – – 1,066 145 — —- — —— 3,349 917 2,115 1,424 2,911 34,922 46,983 11,597 11,571 682,317 52,188 13,102 573,115
GENERAL 1lISSIONARY INTELLIGENC1il
Statistics of Woman's Missionary Societies in America and Europe.
THE names by which the societies are designated are those of the denominations or of the larger societies with which they are connected. In cases where more than one Woman's Board exists in a ehurch the work of all is included in a single statement.
. j . SOCIETIES.~~o.~'~~II·]~~j~~ a) ~ ~~ ~ ~ f~ 'Q1 a:I ~~H § 1__ i I I ________________ .
Baptist (Four Societies)….. '" 1871 4,060 132,460 70 17 4 130 273 5,675 Baptist, South …………….. _ 1888 Free.Baptist…. ……….. 1873 1,469 21,398 18 5 .. Seventh-Day Baptist.. .. …. …. 1884 1 Congregational (Four Societies). 1868 307 7,G94 20 13 8 305 Methodist Episcopal …• _. . . . .. . 1869 70 675 95 5 Methodist Episcopal, South…. 1878 3,849 4 11 11 1 12 Methodist Protestant… . . . . . . . . . 1879 157,364 20 2 Presb. (Seven Societies) .•….. _ 1870 104 4 .. 245 397 11,217 Cumberlaud Presbyterian……. 1880 53 15 United Presbyterian………… 1884 5,557 220,330 100 4 .. 626 852 10,896 Reformed Dutch…… …….. 1875 Protestant Episcopal…. …. …. 1872 3,272 85,969 31 1 37 34 1,248 Reformed Episcopal .. __ . . . . •. . 1889 11 .. Evangelical Lutheran Synod…. 1879 435 5,059 4 5 2 50 Christian Disciples.. _………. _ 1875 1 United Brethren ………….. 1875 5,865 336,244 251 209 356 Fri.ends' Society………… .. .. 1889 1 Union Missionary Society…… , 1860 524 11,216 5 22 2 4 169 Canada Baptist (Three Societies) 1870 Canada Presby. (Three Socs.)… 1876 782 16,704 19 5 268 2,793 Canada Methodist…….. ….. 1881 15 1 Propagation Society… …….. 1865 834 19,413 28 2 .. 57 14 895 Church Missionary Society…… 1880 Baptist Zenana ……… _……. 1867 59 36,838 39 112 1 30 95 3,163 Wesleyan Methodist………. .. 1858 2 London Missionary Society. . . . . 1875 4,077 2 I> Presbyterian Church….. , ….. 1879 Presbyterian ChurCh, Ireland… 1874 584 9,000 52 27 1 2 20 939 Female Education in East. . . . . . 1834 20 3 Syrian Schools.. .. .. .. .. •…. .. 1860 1,329 10,000 4 13 2 2 52 Church of Scotland………… 1838 Free Church of Scotland .. _. . . . 1843 44 14,567 10 2 18 United Fresbyterian …….. __ .. 1880 431 66 226 23,164 18 8 7 304 Total" 60,027 60 109 158 3,929 315 12,109 11 66 21 103 760 39,072 16 511 25,560 13 11 13 419 35,417 61 104 18 4,250 961 129,085 7 650 192 7,811 38,650 48 161 144 1,800 432 42,880 32 08 281 12,000 32,355 36 139 10,000 160 16,665 19 19 14 273 19,115 8 56 19 1,100 275 35,000 40 275 19,978 76 17,435 103 31 29 2,996 546 52,685 22 98 39 2,590 89,125 29 232 70 7,354 259 18,990 21 75 32,9!l4 1,785.001 1,305 ~,052 3,295 112,269 British Foreign Missions. By Rev. James requesting Government aid on behalf Johnston, Bolton, England. of the East Africa Company.
" Farewell" to C. M. S. Missiona- Furlough of the Rev. E. C. Gordon ries.-On September 29th a crowded from Uganda.-A hearty welcome is gathering assembled in Exeter Rail, being accorded to this splendid mis- London, under the presidency of Sir sionary-the latest arrival from a peril- John Kennaway, to bid farewell to some ous sphere of operations. He is a sixty-seven missionaries-clergy, laity, nephew of the late Bishop Hannington, and ladies-thirty-nine of whom were through whose devotion Cyril Gordon fresh recruits. Bishop Tucker was pres- was incited to leave wife and friends . ent, and spoke of the whiteness, vast- behind in entering on the hazardous ness, and inestimable worth of the har- " call" to the Dark Continent. In 1882 vest. A party of nine join him for the uncle and nephew sailed together.
Eastern Equatorial Africa. The Pales- The following year Hannington was tine work had a vigorous reinforcement driven back by fever, but again re.- represented. With Archdeacon ]l.10ule, turned in 1884 to the land he bad learned who has S13en thirty-one years of service to love, as first bishop in Eastern Equa- in China, a strong band were leaving for torial Africa. His tragical murder soon mid-China. Among the Punjab mis- afterward stirred the whole civilized sionaries was the Rev. E. F. E. Wigram, world. Gordon was spared, and through son of the society's honorary secretary, nine long years has heroically labored.
who is sacrificing a bright and lucrative The climate and trials 4ave told deeply career at home for the "good cause" on a vigorous constitution. Rest and abroad. In addition to the above-named care will be needed if, as it is antici- contingent were a number of missiona- pated, he is to return in 1892.
ries' wives. At a subsequent meeting, The Congo Free State and its Misorganized by the Church of England sions.-There is ground for the state- Zenana Missionary Society, to wish ment in the English press that the King " God-speed" to some twenty-five ladies of the Belgians had informed the Pope about to depart for India and China, the that the Roman Catholic form of Chris· chairman, Sir Charles U. Aitchison, tianity is to be the recognized religion spoke of the Gospel in these two great of the Free State, and that His Majesty empires as the most effective means has placed his African dominions under of glorifying God and of solving many the direct protection of the Virgin Mary, perplexing social and political ques- as the patron saint of the Free State. tions. Gratifying as this will be to His Holi- Africa-Uganda.-The Church Mis- ness, it is not supposed that it causes sionary Society'S General Committee any anxiety to the English Protestant was summoned the last week in Sep- missionaries who have for many years tember to consider the situation in had flourishing missions on the Congo.
Uganda, in view of the proposed with- King Leopold is well disposed to these drawal of the Imperial British East Af- worthy men, a proof of which has been rica Companyfrom that country. Bishop shown in asking one of the leaders in Tucker and the Hev. E. C. Gordon, the that region-Rev. George Grenfell-to latter fresh from East Africa, stated become a member of the Belgian Com- that the abandonment of the country by mission for the delimitation of the the company" will plaile the Protestant boundary between the Free State and Christians there in a position of immi- Portuguese territory in the Lunda coun- nent peril." The gravity of the posi- try. Mr. Grenfell has accepted the in- tion is realized by the pioneers of the vitation, and shortly leaves England for mission and its friends. It was decided the Congo. The landmarks between to memorialize Lord S:1lisbury at once, the respective territories will doubtless be soon arranged. It is not intended outcome of unceasing prayer, marked that Mr. Grenfell should take the now the whole proceedings.
missionary steamer, the Goodwill. This Dr. Glover on Missions in China.- will follow the missionary in seotions, Speaking of the" Needs and Claims of and will be put together on the Congo, China" before the Baptist Union in where it must become a valuable addi- Manchester; the doctor gave some of tion in assisting missionaries and car- the impressions which he had received rying cargoes. from a recent visit to that great Eastern empire. ·He l'emarked that the creed Though slavery is passing away for a of the Chinaman was in brief, "I beconsiderable distance up the Congo, lieve in man," meaning by that the ex- Mr. Grenfell speaks in sorrowflll terms istence and worship of man and in the of the ravages of the" infamous drink claims of man on man. The success of traffic" caused by the white man. In missions in that country was real. It reducing the natives to a wreck men- was greatest in the country districts, tally, physically, and morally, Mr. Gren. where family life was purest; less sucfell said it was an open question whether cessful in the cities; still less in the the horrors of slavery were not less dis- ports; least of all in the treaty ports. astrous than the terrible consequences In the north and south among every of the drinking habits. They now knew class it was visible, and its dimensions 6000 miles of river, or a coast line of were very striking. There were nearly about 12,000 miles in Central Africa, 40,000 converts in China, who have been which gave them access. to scores of vil- gathered together in forty years, in spite lages and towns on the banks and their of contempt, hatred, and miRccJllcep_ vicinity. In combating the darkest tions at once awful, heart· breaking and mass of heathendom that the world heart· wearing. More men and more knew, Mr. Grenfell believes the burden women were urgently required to spread of it will hav" to be done by the native the work. converts, of whom so many were bravely responding to the need. This was one of the most encouraging features of the The Anti-Foreign Riots in China.- work. To help dispel the native misapprehen- sions regarding what is done in mission China Inland Mission.-Still lead- schools and hospitals, it is now stated ing the crusade in China in the modern that British and other missionary bodies revival of missions, this enterprising are being urged to adopt rules for the society bade farewell to a party of guidance of their members in China. It twenty – six outgoing missionaries in is a common native belief that the eyes London on September 21st. Some of and other organs of the dead are taken these devoted servants formed a re- by Europeans for the purpose of mak- sponse to the appeal from the Shanghai ing certain medicines. For the same Conference for a thousand missionaries use children are supposed to be stolen to China during the next five years. and killed. The kernel of this rumor The stations of the mission have been proceeds from the fact that missionary mercifully preserved from the recent bodies, especially the French sister· outbreaks. Among the lady missiona- hoods, take in the little waifs and strays ries were Miss Mina Sundstrom, from of Chinese cities and give them shelter Finland; Miss Sekina Storhang, from and education. In order to overcome, if Norway; and Miss Eugenie C. Hilbold, possible, the ignorance and prejudice from Strasburg. Four of the departing of the Chinese mobs, there is a proposal missionaries had been members of the on foot that all missionaries-princi- Rev. Archibald G. Brown's church, in- pally those superintending hospitals, cluding his own daughter, Miss Eleanor schools, and foundling institutions- M. Brown. Intense enthusiasm, the should, on a death occurring, communicate with a local officer to make an in- interesting figures respecting a country quiry, and likewise allow the institu- where suffering in a terrible form exists tions to be open at any time to the in- in many districts. The Government of spection of Chinese officials. When the Irkutsk, the capital of Siberia, which is scheme is submitted to the missionary divided into five districts, contains only societies there is no doubt that they will 868,552 persons, of whom three fourths readily adopt it. Certain representative are of the orthodox religion. There are missionary committees have suggested 487 schools of different kinds in Irku tsk, the plan and discusded it with the con- where Christian children are taught Buls. When it is put into practical form alongside of Pagans, Mohammedans, it will tend to remove the fanatical no· Buddhists, and the worshippers of tions that there is "nything to screen in stones and talismans. In this extensive connection with the institutions which region are 60,000 of the last-nlmed class. have rendered invaluable aid to thou- 12,000 Buddhists, 6000 Jews, and 2500 sands of dying Chinese orphans and Mohammedans. In the Transba'ikal, homeless little ones. where political convicts are chiefly to be found, there are 110,000 women who A " Polynesian Society."-Akin to do not belong to the orthodox religion, the plan and objects of the Asiatic So- and in the same district 13 schools, the ciety, it is urged, in New Zealand, that teachers of which are exiles or deported a society might be established to cover criminals. Australia, New Zealand, Chatham Islands, Polynesia proper, Melanesia, Monthly Bulletin, Micronesia, Malaysia, and Papua. Contributions of a most helpful character -Dr. Shedd, writing of the" Work would be presented and circulated relat- among the Nestorians,.. in the Indeing to Polynesian Inthropology, ethnol- pendent, says, .. We have not an easy ogy, philology, and history. Everything mission field in Persia." But he sees that has a bearing on the manners, cus- also the bright side of things. He says, toms, practices, and kindred questions .. There is this encouragement among affecting oceanic races would be pre- the Nestorians of Persia, that from year served. Mr. Percy Smith, of Welling- to year there is a wider interest, more ton, the originator of the movement, spiritual thirst, more Christian activity will be content if the society at the out- in education and work for souls, and esset is not of large dimensions, inasmuch pecially more volunteer work by laymen. as he believes that good work, by its There is a stronger' momentum toward agency, will eventually attract scientific the evangelical cause." The most pressmen in every part of the world, Every ing need which he sees in this field is day opportunities are slipping away of for more houses of worship. As at procuring information from the natives home, so in distant Persia, a church themselves, or from European and building, with manse and school, tends American missionaries, respecting the to make all Christian work permanent. customs of former times-a permanent repository for this is urgently needed. -At a missionary meeting in New What valuable facts are happily pre- Guinea, held recently, one of the speakserved in the literature by missionaries ers picked up a spear and said, "This may be judged from the works of Dr. used to be our constant companion; we Turner, Dr. Inglis, and others, so high- dared not go to our gardens without it ; ly praised by Professor Max Miiller, Sir we took it in our canoes; we carried it H. Tylor, and a number of scientific on our journeys; we slept with it by scholars. 011r side; and we took our meals with it close at hand; but," said he, holding Siberia.-A St. Petersburg journal, up a copy of the Gospel, .. we can now quoted by the London Times, giTes some sleep safely because of this; this book has brought to us peace ancI protection, Christian Associations opened in AmancI we no longer require the spear." sterdam, August 12th. The total num- ber of delegates was about 500, of whom 8yria.-Mrs. Eddy, of the Presbyte. 100 carne from America and 100 from rian Syrian Mission, who has spent England. There were also large deleforty years in that fielcI, describes very gations from Holland, Germany, Switvividly the changes wrought in that zerland, and France. Sweden, Italy, time. She h~s kept house in Syria in Russia, India, and many other countries twenty.seven different houses. Some were also represented. '[he officers think the missionaries have good times. elacted were President, Count Von Hog- So they do, if they can; but not such endorp, of The Hague; Vice-Presidents, as they have in this country. When George A. Williams, of London, Wilshe reachf'cI Beirut there was no rich liam E. Dodge, of New York, and Count church building; but even then she A. Bernstorff, of Berlin. The annual could "sing the songs of Zion in a report showed 4151 associations affiliatstrange laud." Now they have a large ing with the central committee, of which church edifice, a choir, a hymn-book- there were, in the United States, 1305 ; some of our tunes set to the hymns-a in Canada, 80 ; in Great Britain, 614 ; Sabbath-school room built as a memorial in Germany, 800; in Holland, 387 ; in offering. There are five other churches. Switzerland, 379 ; in Norway, Sweden, There is a large Beirut seminary. and Denmark, 223 ; in France, 66 ; in Houses and homes have been greatly Russia, 9 ; in Asia, 92 ; and in Africa, improved. In times of sickness, instead 13. of finding pictures of the Virgin, we see the Bible laid upon the pillow of the Samoa.-Th(,l Samoan group have a sick. Great changes are noted in the Christian population of 30,000. In the speech of the women. Cursing, for- largest of the islands there are not fifty merly so common, has in a great meas. families that fail to observe family worure passed away. There is a prayer in ship. Last year, besides supporting the home. Then hardly a woman could the Gospel at home, they sent a thank read; now many read in their homes. offering, as their custom is, of $9000 The women are learning to pray in their to the parent Missionary Society of meetings, which are much blessed. London to help to carry the good news farther on. When a church-member -The number of blind seen in the dies, they still keep his name on the East is very distressing. There are books, and put a mark after it, denotblind schools at Beirut, Damascus, and ing a word picture which means, .. We Tyree. Blind Scdpture readers have the cannot think of him as dead either to entree of Moslem homes, a privilege us or to the work. We shall give a which blindness confers. contribution in his name, that the cause may not suffer by his removal hence." Thibet. – A Moravian mISSIonary named Letzen, with his wife, certainly General.-The Scarritt Bible Training is to be written with those who love School for Missionary Workers in Kantheir fellow. men. For thirty years he sas Oity is a new institution projected has been preaching and working at a by the late Dr. Scarritt, who bequeath Ad station in the Thibetan mountains, a tract of ground and $25,000 in money, without the sight of a European face, on condition that $25,000 more be raised and with the post-office fourteen days by the Methodist Episcopal Church, distant, separated from them by the South. This sum has been promptly high passes of the Himalayas and dan- raised, and the corner-stone has been gerous streams. laid for the building. The design is to train young men and women for home Y. M. O. A.-The Twelfth Interna- and foreign mission work. It is expecttional Convention of Young Men's ed that the school will be opened in had aided them. They speak of the 1892. people in a place called Tankay, who -Dr. John E. Clough, an American had never received instructions in Christian things. They had simply Baptist missionary, is now in the Unit· heard the word .. praying," and' they ed States, having spent twenty-six years knew that people who did that met toamong the Telugus in India. When he gether in one place. Noone of their went there such was the force of preju- number was able to read or to tell them dice that the Hindus, meeting the mis- anything about the Gospel. They had sionary on the street, would make a a New Testament, bought in Imerina, long detour, lest his shadow falling on but that lay unopened, since no one them, or the odors of his person being could read it. On a Sunday they met in waftad toward them by the wind, should a house; they placed the Testament in cause defilement. When hi'! came away their midst, no one could read, no one such was the char.ge that the Hindu could sing or pray, and so they sat for a citizens of the highest position gave time in silence. When ell were assemhim a farewell meeti.ng, inviting Chris- bled, one of the chief men stood up and tians, MohammedanR, and Brahmins to asked, .. Have all come from the north ?" join in a public expression of gratitude "Ay," answered they all. .. Have all for the great blessing his labors had come from the south?"' .. Ay. " And brought t. their country. Dr. Clough so on from the east and west. .. Then now asks for 25 extra millsionaries and let us break up, for we have done our $~O,OOO for the support of. his work. duty," said the chief; .. but be sure He tells of a meeting appointed at his and come early next Sunday." Is it not own house for a certain day. Two days pitiful to think of these men groping in before the date of the meeting the peo- the dark when they seem so ready to ple began to gather from distant parts, walt in the light? and on the morning of the day over 3000 had assembled. Of the congregation at New IIebrides.-Twelve years ago Rev. the close of the service, which lasted Oscar Mi()helson landed on the island several days, 1671 persons came forward, of Tonga, in the New Hebrides, alone desiring baptism and membership in among cannibals. At first he had the church. In 1866 there were only many perilous adventures, and again 38 conversions on the work, but in 1877 and again fled into hiding to save his the membership had grown to 4517, life. Once a savage, now one of his while in 1878 10,000 were baptized, and best teachers, levelled a rifle to kill in 1890 the membership had risen to him, but was stopped by Ii. look. He 33,838. Dr. Clough gives the chief persevered amid many threatenings and credit in this wonderful work to the dangers. His house became known as native preachers and the Bible women. "The Sunday House," and Christian Madagascar.-The London Missionary hymns were often heard mingling with Society has published a review of ten heathen songs. From heart to heart, years' work in Madagascar. The figures from home to home the Gospel won its are encouraging, but still more impor. way, until now 30 Christian teachers tant is the impression that is given of are laboring in as many different viI.
both progress and permanence. There lages. Mr. Michelson's field now in- is a growth of piety, vf intelligence, dudes, he writes, four whole islands.
and of the power of religion among the The people speak three ianguages. At people. Christianity is asserting its one meeting 300 rose for prayer. Ten reformatory and transforming power. years ago they proposed to eat him.
-A touching story comes from Mada- Now he lives in perfect safety.
gascar, in a letter written by native Palestine.-The medical mission at missionaries to friends in England who Gaza, in the Holy Land, has been very effectively carried on by Dr. Elliott. In Balolos, on the Upper Congo, report the 1878 Rev. A. W. Shapira opened this region to be healthy. A missionary at the mlSSlon. He has lately been appointed Lolongo station writes: .. Only one lady by Bishop Blyth to the ohapel at Haifa. here has suffered from fever since our 'l'his mission has 400 boys and girls in arrival, fourteen months ago; three of the schools. The children's hospital at us have enjoyed wonderful good health. Jerusalem is superintended by Dr. M. The combined fevers of all three of us Sandreczki. The medical mission at may perhaps have lasted twenty·four Nazareth is under Dr. Vartan, at Tibe. hours." rias under Dr. Torrance. -The London Missionary Society's Persia.-Missionary Horberg (Luthe- mission at Lake Tanganyika is rejoicing ran), writes that the pupils of his Bible in the first gathering of fruit. Kalulu class on Saturday afternoons and on was ransomed as a poor hoy Borne few Sundays visit the neighboring villages years ago, and ever since has been more and speak to the people about religious or less in contact with the missionaries. matters. About twenty villages have Only recently did he show any desire to been visited. The missionary recently become a Christian. The service when visited the leper village near Tabriz, and he was baptized and received the compreached to the unfortunate people, who munion was an occasion of great joy, begged him to come again. and made a deep impression on the natives. -One of. the most cheering signs reported is interest among laymen in vol- -The translftion of the Scriptures, unteer effort. Two from Persia are begun by Mr. Mackay, missionary to physician~, good men, full of the Holy Uganda, is being diligently completed Ghost and of faith. They support their by three of his most intelligent converts families by their profession, but find and pupils. The memoir of Mackay by time to make tours and to do the work his sister, of which eight thousand of evangelists for whole weeks at their copies have been sold, has led several own charges. Four others own prop- young men to consecrate themselves to erty in vineyards, and spend all their the evangelization of Africa. time beyond what is necessary to attend to their property in direct work Alaska.-The sixth annual report of for souls. the Moravian Mission at Bethel, Alaska, shows a year of quiet, faithful work. -A young Mussulman girl was brough t Religious services have been better atinto a missionary home in Ramadan, tended and there has been betterobserv· Persia, as a seamstress, and, becoming ance of the Lord's day. There has also interested in seeing other girls read, ap- been an effort to improve the tone of plied for admission to the school. Her family life by instructing husbands and family and friends hearing of it, forced wives as to their relations to each other, her to leave, but not until the Bible had and by helping them to provide more become familiar to her. A young man, comfortable homes. who had remained unmarried because he could not find a Christian wife, Egypt.-A clergyman travelling in the heard of her, and through friends, ac- East writes in the highest terms of the cording to Persian custom, a marriage American United Presbyterian Mission was arranged. The ceremony was first in Egypt and Syria. He says they are performed in Persian style, but after· gathering the young boys about them in ward the couple came to the mission- their mission schools, alld in ten years ary's home and were married in Chris- the tourist will find the villages· along tian form. the Nile filled with hundreds of young men who not only speak English well, Africa.-Missionaries who have gone but who are washed and .. clothed and to labor among the ten millions of the in their right mind."