The Missionary Review of the World — May 1909
"My soul thirsteth for God; for
living God: When shall I come and appear before God?"
TOMORROW UNITED INTERDENOMINATIONAL EVANGELISTIC SERVICES The Laymen's ,Evangelistic CGuncil of Chicago .. Tirol wlliek 11/1 Clmstian CllurdeJ Aold in lommrln IS 10 far 111 (XUSS of IMI WItJ"d1 uparatrs Ike", fIIal fhr Kitlztiom 0/ God (annol advance upon thi prl'dcking of d'f/,,"nll!I, but only up,,, p,e4ding lIuz~ whic), if luld in common. ..
Suburban Churches DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH CHICAGO LAYMEN'S EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGK This reduction of a full.page advertisement that appeared weekly in a leading Chicago daily paper show..s one of the methods by which the business men of that city are seeking to arouse the churches in evangelistic effort. This movement could not fail to arrest the attention of many non-Christians to the united interests of churches of many denominations in winning men to Christ. The movement has stirred the city and many have united with these churches. Write for fuller details to the Laymen's Evangelistic Council, 1209 Association Building, Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Andrew Stevenson, General Sec· retary.
CJ:he fMissionary CJ?..eview
of the World VOL. XXXII. No. 5 MAY, 1909 VOL. XXII. No. 5 Oid Series New Series Pui,lished by Funk & ~!Iog-lIall:; Uompany, -+-.I.-t>U K ;!3d St" K. Y. Isaac K. i<'ullk, l'res., A. W. "Yagnalls, " ice-PI'es. and Treas" Robt. Scolt. ~c'y SIGNS OF THE TIMES CIRCLES OF PRAYER to push the campaign for world-wide preaching of the Gospel. The policy These are established all over the auopted by the National Missionary world and are growing in number and Congress states: "In view of the uni- efficiency. To them, no doubt, all versality and finality of the Gospel of other results may be largely traced. Christ, and of the spiritual needs of It is a dangerous thing to pray unless mankind, we believe that the laymen one is ready to give, to senu, anu even of the Church of our generation to go. Dr. James Hamilton said, "The should undertake to obey literally the Christian on his knees sees further than command of Christ to preach the Gosthe mere philosopher on his tiptoes." pel to every creature." Working without praying is atheistic; praying without working is farcical This statement of policy goes on to and illusory, if not presumptive; both affirm the equal responsibility of laytogether are practical and primitive men and ordained ministers to work piety. for the coming of God's kingdom, the duty of Christians to evangelize the The late Dr. Flint, of Los Angeles, home land and to contribute at least used to say: "There is a prayer vision $1,300,000 annually toward home misand prayer contact, a prayer repre- sions and $3,200,000 annually toward sentation and a prayer distribution; foreign missions. there is consequently prayer power, defensive, aggressive, and creative." This is a significant movement in But if such be the effect of prayer which the leading Ch:-istian men of all upon the praying soul, what about its the Protestant denominations of Caneffect upon the object and subject of ada are deeply interested. Four prayer? The beloved Gilmour, of Mon- thousand, two hundred commissiongolia, wrote, "Unprayed for, I feel ers from the churches of the various like a diver at the river bottom, with provinces met in this unique congress. no air to breathe, or a fireman upon a Already there are signs of awakened blazing building with an empty hose." spiritual life and Christian zeal as a result of this movement. A NATIONAL MISSIONARY POLICY The Laymen's Missionary Move- The first National Missionary Con- ment plan a national movement in the gress of modern times met in the form United States for the fall of 1909 and of a great assembly of laymen at To- the early part of 1910, in which all ronto, Canada, March 31st to April Protestant denominations are to be en- 4th. There was evidence of strong, listed. Big campaigns are to be carearnest conviction and determination ried on in fifty-two cities, and lesser work abroad for the last year were campaigns in one hundred smaller cen- about $150,0:J0. Vhen the standard ters. The leading speakers on World proposed by the conference is reached Evangelization are to be engaged, in- these same people will be giving more cluding ministers, missionaries, lay- than $I,soo,ooo.-Thc Spirit of Mis- men. Let Christians pray that guid- SlOllS.
ance may be given to those who have MEN'S MISSIONARY ADVANCE IN this project in hanel, and that a mighty IOWA world-interest, world-sympathy and The Iowa State Convention was world-effort may come from it. held at Des Moines on March 23d- 25 th. iearly 1,000 men were accom- THE LAYMEN OF MINNESOTA AND MISSIONS modated at the opening banquet, while What were called "the greatest hundreds of others were unable to se- series of meetings along religious and cure tickets for lack of space. Fifteen missionary lines ever held in the denominations were represented and rorthwest" constituted the conference all mission boards heartily cooperated.
of laymen held, under the auspices of Iowa has a population of 2,20S,000, the Laymen's Missionary Movement, and the churches represented at Des in Minneapolis, February 4th to 7th. .!YIoines have a communicant member- More than 1,200 men were enrolled ship of about 425,000, who last year and hundreds of them thronged every contributed for religious purposes at session, absorbing the facts of mis- home about $3,925,000. For foreign sions, asking for detailed instruction missions, the Christians of Iowa gave as to the best methods of arousing $27S,000 last year, or about 65 cents others, and uniting in prayer for a per member.
larger vision of and greater devotion The men at the convention felt to the cause of world-wide evangeliza- deeply the failure of their churches in tion. After considering the responsi- propagating Christianity throughout bility of the laymen in the missionary the world, and three hundred took enterprise, the conference exprest its home one-dollar packets of missionary determination to endeavor to enlist all literature for further study. The Christian men in Minnesota to do their official action emphasized ( I) the share in evangelizing the world, and Church's present duty to every crea- recommended that a missionary C0111- ture; (2) the importance of having a mittee of men be organized in every strong missionary committee of men congregation. It advocated the adop- in every congregation; (3) the neces- tion of a rational system of giving for sity of a proper system of missionary missionary support, and exprest a finance in each congregation; (4) the preference for the making of weekly great importance of a personal canvass offerings. It set as a standard for of all members and adherents, by men, Minnesota Christians to reach a mini- ill oreler to enlist the support of the mum of $5 a year from each mem- whole membership in this work; (S) ber. This would involve a large ad- the duty of the churches to multiply vance, since Minnesota has about 350,- their offerings to the work of evange- 000 Protestant Christian communi- lizing the world. An average of S cants, whose total gifts for Christian cents per church-member per week
SlG:'S OF THE TIl1ES 32
was recommended by the convention laws to its subjects in its consular disat Des l'l1oines to be given even by tricts in China, and that each take the .poorer congregations, while an measures for suppressing opium-smoaverage of at least 10 cents per week king in its OWl~ possessions, and amend was urged upon congregations gen- its regulations in the light of the exerally. perience of other lands. lt the sug- gesticn of the Chinese it was further A State Committee for Iowa of the urgecl that all governments having set- Laymen·s ='.Iissionary ,Movement was tlements in China shoulcl close the organized by the Convention. It Vas opium dives there ancl should coopalso urged that a Cooperating Com- erate with China for the entire supmittee be appointed in every city or pression of the opium trade. community.
THE INTERNATIONAL OPIUM These results are far fr0111 effecting COMMISSION all that is needed. They are helps to All frienels of humanity are inter- China in her attempts to rid herself of ested in the meeting of the Opium a curse, but they leave untouched the Commission in Shanghai, where some worst and 1110st discreditable obstacle, steps were taken in the right direction, the British treaties forbidding China altho much more progress is to be de- to interfere with British trade of any sired. The commission agreed that kind, which stand in the ,vay of the opium traffic should be prohibited ex- prohibition of the importation of cept for medicinal purposes. It was opium. Rev. E. V. Thwing, has been strongly advocated that opium-smo- doing g'ood service uncler the auspices king be sl1l-'IJrest ancl all opium-joints of the International Eeform Bureau, be closet!' Equally drastic measures and is to continue his work there as were proposed against the use of mor- secretary for China.
phine. China is evidently in earnest REVIVALS IN CENTRAL CHINA in the effort to stamp out the demoral- izing use of opium amI is making Revivals are spreading all over Cen- strenuous efforts to put an end to the tral China. Almost every letter ancl cultivation of the poppy, the manu- paper tells of the spread of the fire.
facture of the drug and its promis- At no time in the history of the Chris- cuous use. Great Britain still hinders tian Church in China have there been prcgress by refusing to seriously in- tokens of such definite signs of spiri- terfere with the expc,rtation of opium tual blessing. In =-.Ianchuriil., Chili, from Inelia to China, or to allow China Honan, Shantung, and Anhwei prov- to prohibit the importation from Brit- inces, the mission-stations report ish dominions. The greed for gold movements that are almost startling ii1 still hinders the manifestation of the the character of their spiritual awa- spirit of Christian love in the destruc- kening.
tion of any business that injures a Hundrecls of native ministers are re- brother man. ceiving new power, and there is great I. was recol11mencled that every rejoicing. The native Church is receiv- country adopt measures to prevent the ing a vision of the Christ, ancl is export of opium to countries forbiel- taking upon itself seriously the work d:ng it, that each country apply its own of evangelization.
Many of these revivals have begun for Lhasa, where he is expected to with meetings held by Rev. ]. Go- stay, but not to exercise civil functions. forth, who has visited various centers. He vill be treated as a mere eccle- There have been evidences of the siastic, and any communications with Spirit's presence such as have been re- the authorities at Peking must be ported from India and Korea-a deep through the Chinese commissioner, sense of sin, confession, restitution, resident there. This is a significant whole companies praying at once, cry- event, for he has been helel in almost ing for mercy and then voicing their adoration as the Holy Lama, the head praise for pardon. These manifesta- of the Buddhistic system. tions are especially remarkable in China, where everyone is backward vYhile at Peking he wore out his about the confession of wrong for fear welcome, and the vulgarities of the of "losing face." "yellow sect" disgusted all who beheld them. The pride of the Grand Lama Another evidence of the Spirit's has had a disastrous fall, and it would work was the increased solicitude for seem to be the beginning of the end the salvation of others. All seemed of this monstrous system of superstito realize anew the power of prayer tion that has hidden under the disguise and the whole atmosphere of many of secrecy and mystery. stations was changed. Missionaries and native Christians seemed to be The significance of this humiliation drawn nearer together at the throne can be fully seen only as we realize of grace and to be energized with new that for centuries the summit of the power in the service of God. The la- hierarchy of Lamaism has been occutest reports of these revivals come pied by two Lama popes-one the Dafrom Shansi, Honan and Hankow. lai-Lama, or Ocean Priest-whose do- minion is as boundless as the ocean; WILL TIBET SOON BE OPEN? and the other the Tesho, or Dogdo- Lama, whose residence was in the con- The work on the borders of Tibet vent at Bkra Shiss Laun po, and in is going on quietly and unobtrusively, reality much inferior in power. The so that Christians may not be aware Dalai-Lama is, therefore, the supof the great advances that are being posed highest incarnation of Lamaism, made. It is being surrounded by a which may be traced backward in hiscordon of mission stations in India tory for ten or fifteen centuries till its and China. Work in Tibet will thus origin is lost in the darkness of an be made" possible by work on the bor- l1nhistoried past. ders of Tibet. Various missionary societies have located on several sides AN INGATIiERING IN NORTH INDIA of the country, and are drawing nearer to the central territory. The Rev. C. H. Bandy writes to the American Presbyterian Board THE HUMILIATION OF THE DALAI- of Foreign Missions that the mis- LAMA sionaries who have been engaged in the great ingathering in North In- The waning influence of Buddhism dia have been so busy with the t'ask is shown by the loss of power and that they have neglected to write about prestige by the Dalai-Lama, of Tibet, it. He says: "We have been baptizing who left Peking, December 21st, bound
SIG)1S OF THE
people by the thousands, organizing Butrus, the originator and secretary chu,rches, starting day schools, training of the auxiliary, had explained shortly teachers and preachers, developing the object of the movement, and that self-support, starting boarding schools this meeting was their first annual and industrial schools and lifting in meeting, Ekhnukh Effendi Fanus gave every possible way, until lately we a fine addn;ss on the great work of the have found the load too heavy. Bible Society, in which he exprest his "In ten years in the four districts of amazement at the work it had accom- vatehgarh, Etah, :Iainpuri and Eta- plished so quietly.
wah, there has sprung up a Christian PROGRESS IN MOSLEM LANDS community of I5,000, who worship in Gradually the exclusion, fanaticism, forty-five different church organiza- bigotry and medievalism of Mohamtions. In the last four years four mis- medanism is being broken down. The sionaries and their assistants have bap- Damascus to Mecca railway has tized in this area no less than I I,OOO reached Medina, and in a few months people, and have organized thirty-two it is expected that a station will be churches. This work so vigorously be- opened at Mecca itself. This entergun shows no sign of exhaustion. On prise is "one of the most astonishing the contrary, it gains in momentum. events this generation has seen," for The preachers and teachers educated it will make the forbidden city of from their own numbers work with us Islam open to the world and must in the closest harmony and with hopes radically change that religion. about as large as the possibilities and In Morocco also changes have been with the skill of a trained corps. Keep taking place. Comparative quiet has us well supportecl and I see no reason existed there since Mulai Hafid was why this whole caste among whom we recognized as Sultan. This is in are now working, numbering in these sharp contrast to the years of turmoil four districts 40,000, may not in aver)· that preceded. The new ruler is now short time be counted among your and working in harmony with the French my Christian brethren." authorities, and he is reported to have A COPTIC BIBLE SOCIETY a firm grasp upon the reins of govern- A remarkable meeting was recently ment. He is remarkably democratic held uncler the auspices of Copts in for an Oriental, receives foreign visi- Cairo. An Egyptian Auxiliary to the tors cordially and has shown himself Dritish and Foreign Dible Society was friendly to the religious medical mis- proposed by a young Coptic deacon, sions working within his province. The a friend of the late D. 11. Thornton, general situation in 11orocco is at and the management is entirely in the present very much brighter than a year hands of the Egyptians. Kever be- ago.
fore, we understand, has one been THE CLOUDS IN PERSIA founded in the mission field. The Shah's forces and the Nation- A large number of Egyptian alists still continue in conflict in Per- students gathered in the court of the sia, to the great detriment of mission- Towfeek Society, the chairman being ary work. At last reports the Na- the president of the auxiliary, Habashi tionalists still held Julfa, Maraud, If.k:y Miftih. After Basili Effendi KllOi, Salmas and U rumia.
~ missionary writes, February 8th: other son to take his place. From that "The Royalist forces about Tabriz time on she prayed daily for the murnumber 12,000. The l'ationalists derOllS Dataks, and her prayers have have perhaps 6,000 in the city, 2,000 been answered. at 2Iaraud and 2,000 at J ulfa, also 1,000 at KIwi and Salmas. Prices are In the village Lobu Pining the Gosgoing up and there is only enongh pe! is to-day being preached faithfully, ,yheat in the city for two 111onths, and and many of the children of those this can not be found in any quantity murderers have been brought to over the J ulfa roael. So present con- Christ. Among the inquirers, who ditions can not continue more than have asked for baptism, is the chief two months without becoming very Om{)u Tombak, eighty years of age, serious as to rioting for food. 'vVe the son of the leader of the band that hear every day or two that an attack murdered l1unson and Lyman. on the city will be made, but thus far these reports have been false. Ar- The Rhenish llissionary Society menIan revolutionists from Russia has 69 laborers upon Sumatra, and have joinecl with the l'ationalists, so 82,000 native Christians are gathered that in all probabili ty the Armenians upon 43 stations and 357 out-stations. and other Christians will not be safe from being plundered if the Kurds THE WORK OF MEDICAL MISSIONS enter the city." Perhaps no one sign of the times is CHRISTIAN GROWTH IN SUMATRA more impressive than the multiplica- tion of healing agencies on the foreign Seventy-five years ago (in 1834), field. Hospitals, dispensaries, manned two American missionaries, lIunson and equipped most completely and conami Lyman, the first in heathen Su- ducted by mcn of the highest culture, matra, were killed ane! eaten by the are continually multiplying; as fine wile! 13ataks near Lobu Pining. The physicians and surgeons can be found place yhere they were murderee! was in the foreign fields as at home. Some recent!y discovered, and a suitable of the most promising men have gone granite monument was erected bear- forth, both from England and Amering the inscription (in German): ica. There must be some mighty im- "Here rest the bones of the two pulse at work, for there is no adequate American missionaries l1 LInson and temporal advantage that attracts. Lyman, slain and eaten in 1834. J olm 16: 1-3." Underneath these words is Garibaldi said to his soldiers in carved in the natak language, "The 1849: "I can offer you only hunger nIood of the martyrs is the seed of the and danger; the earth for a bed, the Church." sun for a fire; but let whosoever does not despair of the fortunes of Italy It is said that when the mother of follow me." ~Ien of brilliant promise one of these martyrs received the are finding their own life worth the news of the death of her son, she sor- living because losing their life for the rowed not so much because she had sake of others. As Dr. Josiah Strong lost her SOI1, but because she had no says: "Jesus found servitude a badge of dishonor; He made it a badge of distinction. "
A MODEL OF THE SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE, BEIRUT-MADE IN LIMESTONE BY DU. H. H
THE CRISIS IN THE SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE AT BEIRUT BY , FR1E:'<D OJ< THE COLLEGE The recent editorial in THE lY11S- Government, which bestowed certain SIONARY REVIEW on the demands of substantial immunities, including Im- the Moslem students at the Beirut Col- perial recognition of its legal status.
lege suggests that a further and more From the first day of the opening of detailed statement of the situation and the college, in 1866, until the present its significance would be of interest. moment, a period of forty-three years, The salient facts and the documents a regulation of the college has been quoted bearing upon the matter are uniformly and continuously in opera- drawn by the writer from official tion; namely, the requirement that all sources, so far as available, and will students, without distinction of re- serve to summarize the progress of ligious or sectarian affiliations, should events up to the last of :March. attend the stated exercises of religious A clear historical narrative is given worship. This requirement has ap- in a document issued by the faculty plied to certain academic departments of the college, from which I a111 per- for both morning and evening prayers, mitted to quote, as follows: and to certain other professional de- "A summarv of the events which have partments for evening prayers only. led to the pr~sent crisis in the Syrian Such religious services consist of the Protestant College may be given in singing of a hymn, the reading of a three paragraphs dealing with (I) the passage from the Bible, and the offer- traditional policy of the college in the ing of a prayer by some member of matter of religious instruction and re- the teaching corps. No student has at ligious exercises; (2) the contention any time ever been required to take of the non-Christian students; and (3) any part in worship, except to be presthe deadlock existing between the gov- ent, and to observe the ordinary rules erning body of the college and the of good order. These services last for non-Christian students. about ten minutes. On Sunday, in- (I.) The college was founded as a terne students only are required to attend worship, which consists of the Christian, missionary, non-sectarian institution. It was incorporated in reading of selections from the Bible, 1863, under the laws of the State of the offering of prayer by the preacher, New York. In 1907 it received a and a sermon; the entire service last- firman from the Imperial Ottoman ing one hour. Interne students of the
STATUE OF DANIEL BLISS, FIRST PRESIDENT partments to attend classes in Bible study. These classes are a part of the Erected by former students now living in Egypt regular curriculum, and are graded, and the Sudan the examination grades having a cer- tain value in determining the academic Preparatory Department only are fur- standing of the student. ther required to attend a similar hour of worship held on Sunday evening. Aside from the two above-men- On Sunday afternoon a short exercise tioned categories of religious instrucfor Bible study is required of interne tion and worship, all other religious students. A second regulation requires exercises are wholly voluntary. The all students of two of the academic de- college having been founded, and hav- ing uniformly been conducted since its foundation, as a missionary institu- tion, has felt justified in maintaining these two regulations. These regula- tions have been published year by year in the college catalogs, in English and Arabic. It has always been the pur- pose of the college to present to the entire student body a clear statement of the Christian religion, in the hope that it might commend itself to their acceptance.
(2.) As for the attitude of non- Christian students and their parents toward these regulations, it may be said that they have in the past offered sundry objections to the policy of the college in thus requiring compulsory attendance upon Christian services. Such objections have always been met by the statement that the regulations are faithfully published in the annual prospectus of the college, and that, under these circumstances, registra- tion is tantamount to acceptance of college requirements; the inference being that inability to comply with college regulations would mean either not entering the institution at all, or personal withdrawal when the regula- tions are found to be irksome. Until the present year, this simple inference has successfully met the somewhat sporadic objections which have been advanced against college policy. This
CRISIS IN THE SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE AT BEIRUT
year the mental ferment in public they would not again attend a compulopinion which naturally resulted from sory service, nor a compulsory class in the changed conditions in the empire, Biblical instruction; and swearing furserved in large measure as the occasion ther that, in case such action of theirs for the development of a strong move- should lead to the expulsion of any ment among a large number of Mos- or all of them, they would refuse to lem students, of whom there are in the leave the college. There is abundant college a total of about 120, seeking evidence to show that they still furto induce the faculty to alter the regu- ther agreed, whether under oath or lations in favor of voluntary attend- not is unknown, that, should force be ance for ::Ioslcms. After various ne- attempted in carrying out an edict of gotiations, covering many weeks, a expulsion, they would then enlist the petition signed by 98 Moslems reached active support of a large body of sym- STUDENTS COMING :FROM THE ASSEMBLY HALL WHERE CHAPEL EXERCISES ARE HELD the faculty, respectfully requesting the pathizers from among the population withdrawal of the regulations affect- of Beirut city. It is our belief that ing compulsory attendance at religious such support, if elicited, might result services and instruction. The faculty in violence of various kinds. Pracin reply stated its inability to comply tically the entire body of Jewish stuwith this request, and published to the dents, numbering about seventy, later entire body of students a statement of affiliated themselves with the movethe attitude of the faculty toward the ment inaugurated by the Moslems. general subject of religious instruction and the conduct of relig- (3.) The deadlock is serious. The ious worship. A certain number faculty, after prolonged consideration, of Moslem students, perhaps about feels justified in stating that a crisis of sixty, thereupon bound themselves to- unknown and most threatening progether by a solemn oath (and later portions seems imminent. 'vVe desire about forty others have faithfully to state this belief in the strongest promised to cooperate), swearing that possible terms. The apparently simple solution of yielding to the demand of
I NTERIOR OF THE ASSEMBLY H ALL WHERE 900 STUDENTS HAVE GATHERED DAILY, ALL WEAR I NG THE FEZ the students involves matters of far- in dispute. At any moment, however, reaching importance. First, un de r the the crisis may be precipitated by an constitution of the college, the faculty unwi se action on the part of any orie. is legally incompetent to take such a The movement is, unfortunately, not step. Again, yielding to the students confined to students, but is fostered, this wi dely applicable principle o f re- perhaps controlled, by secret cOl11mitligious voluntarism within our ow n tees in the city, and perhaps in Egypt. college would inevitably invite simi- The civil influence of this fact can not lar movements in all American a nd be too greatly emphasized or deplored. Eng lish in sti tutions, thus raising the It is believed that the students are conissue o f the relation of the A merican vinced that their contention is sancand Briti sh governments to the whole tioned by the program of the constisubject of the capitulations as related tutional party in th e government, and to educational institutions, and the that the program foreshadowed in the privileges thus derived. summer of 1908 will presently receive the dignity of law. With this in mind, The faculty is profoundly desirous and convinced furth er not onl y of the of effecting a modus vivendi that may sympathy of th e Moslem public opinavert the impending crisis. Our stu- ion, but also of the sympathy of the dents have conducted themselves with local government, they have appealed remarkable rest raint and courtesy, and their case to high authorities in Conhave mani fes ted exemplary obse rvance stantinople." of all the regulations other than those
CRISIS IN THE SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE AT BEIRUT 33
The foregoing statement was issued where a broad and liberal education at an early stage of the trouble, and should be given, in a Christian atmossince then the facultv has endeavored phere, in practical sympathy with the to exercise tact and patience in deal- evangelical principles of the American ing with the students, seeking to avoid Mission, from which it originated, and an acute crisis, involving violence and in environment of which it has been the perils which, under the present located. government, might attend it. Meanwhile, several of the Moslem journals The Moslem vIew-point has been of Syria and Egypt have commented emphasized, even to the extent that on the situation, with inflammatory the college being on Turkish soil, and partizanship and surprizing bitterness, opening its doors to lVIoslem students, wllile public opinion in Moslem circles has no right to intrude Christianity has apparently not been able to under- into its curriculum, but should either "tancl the view-point of the college au- place itself on a wholly non-religious thorities. Scant attention has been basis, or otherwise should extend to paid to the rights of the instituti.on as Moslems the right to claim facilities an American educational foundation, for Mohammedan worship, such as a initiated and supported exclusively by students' mosque, for example, on its private funds, given by Christian own campus. By logical inference, a friends in America, with the desire similar differentiated provision must and explicit purpose of establishing in be made for Jews, Druses, and all the Vofestern Asia a Christian college, other religious faiths represented among its students, in case they should A GROUP OF STUDENTS IN THE COLLEGE LIBRARY
demand it with sufficient vigor as their attitude of hostility to the Christian right. The proposal was even advo- tone and atmosphere of the college. cated with much insistence that it was That I am not misrepresenting this the duty of the college, uncler the new aspect of the subj ect, I quote from regime of constitutional liberty, to the forty-second annual report of the hand itself over either to the Turkish college, presented by the faculty to the Government, or to the municipal au- board of trustees within a year, as folthorities, who would shape its policy lows: in harmony with the supposed scope of the new constitution, and in accord The supreme object of the college is with that conception of liberty which the promotion of the Christian ideal is congenial to the Moslem mind, It among its students. Vihatever success has already become sufficiently clear we may achieve in other ways, if we fail that liberty as llt1(lerstoocl by the Con- here, we fail in the fundamental point. stitutional Government will not be in- . . . . The college thus believes that terpreted as granting freedom to the a man is not fully educated unless he is :1osle111 to become a Christian, and all educated in his religious nature. It fursigns point to the resolute shaping of ther believes that in educating his rethe new administration in the interests ligious nature the claims of the Christian of Islam, and its propagation, A bit- religion should be brought to hiG ter clisappointment evidently awaits thoughtful attention. The college does the Christian races of the empire, if not believe in proselytizing. It does not they are expecting a fair share of in- believe in denouncing other religions. It fluence and povver in the government. does not compel a student to sing Chris- tian hymns, or to bow his head in prayer The right of the college, as a private -if such acts violate his conscientious American institution founded upon its scruples, but it insists upon a serious and own religious basis, and entitled to respectful attitude on the part of all, and shape its own internal policy, is not strives to make clear that as a Christian conceded. The fact that the enrol- college it is faithfully striving to illusment of students has been entirely vol- trate the spirit of Christ's great motto: tlfttary on their part, and that full in- ··1 carne not to destroy, but to fulfi1." formation has been supplied to them and to their parents as to what was The gist of the matter is that :Mosexpected of them, does not seem to lem and Jewish and Druse students, relieve the situation from the stand- and their parents, desire the educapoint of Mohammedan public opinion. tional advantages of the college, but The fact that there has been no claim, wish to separate themselves entirely and no attempt on the part of the col- from its religious influence, and from lege authorities to force the con- contact with its Christian standards. sciences of the students, or interfere They demand that its plant and endowwith their religious preferences, and ment, so generously provided, to the that all that has been required of them extent of about $1,370,000, its annual was good order, and observance of the income of about $85,000 (including rules regarding attendance upon the fees for board and tuition), its corps public religious services of the institu- of able professors and teachers, numtion, has not seemed to mitigate the bering over seventy, and drawn to its service by Christian motives, its splen- did facilities (including sixteen im- posing stone buildings on its campus of forty acres), dedicated to the expo-
CRISIS IN THE SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE AT BEIRUT
sition and uplifting of Christian ideals, The original charter of the college, should all minister equally to the dated in 1863, declares its purpose to growth and power of Islam, and this be "the establishing and maintaining, by sequestering Christian benefac- or assisting to establish or maintain, tions, and ostensibly in the interests of in Syria, or other adjacent countries, liberty. a college, or other educational insti- tution, which shall be self-governing, The authorities of the college have and founded and conducted upon felt it to be their duty. as trustees and strictly Christian and evangelical pringuardians of sacred interests, to resist ciples, but not sectarian." this onslaught upon its traditional principles and vested rights. They L:nder the guidance of these princihave endeavored to do this firmly but ples the trustees, in cooperation with FIELD-DAY SPORTS AT THE SYRIAN PROTESTANT COLLEGE kindly, in a conciliatory and forbear- the faculty, are endeavoring to deal ing spirit, out of consideration to the with this delicate problem, in its envimisguided students and in conserva- ronment of prejudice and passion, tion of the highest interests of all con- backed by forces difficult to control cerned; not least of the entire student under present conditions, and supportbody (numbering in a1l84o) ,and of the ed by an untrained public opinion, Syrian community, and even the Otto- with false views of the real meaning man Empire as a whole. In this era of religious liberty, and strongly prejof misunderstood liberty, political be- udiced in favor of Islam. It is eviwilderment, and transitory administra- dent that a situation has been createel tive policy, through which Turkey is which calls for much wisdom anel selfpassing, it will be a service of no slight control, combined with firmness and value to vindicate the true scope and essential loyalty to a high trust. The significance of liberty, and firmly to trustees, while declaring their corelial' " resist attempts to overstep the bounds, sympathy with the civil and religious and turn liberty into license, or make it <tn instrument of oppression. freedom now happily established in Turkey, and willing to encourage all
wise and profitable aspirations among civil and religious freedom, and which the students and friends of the college, must be largely relied upon for its sucyet at the same time firmly declare cessful development." that "they can not see their way to concede to demands that are at vari- It should be said, in conclusion, to ance with the object for which the the credit of the Christian students at college was founded, and with its in- present in the college, representing variable practise during all its his- numerous Oriental sects and nationalitory." They are convinced that yield- ties throughout Vestern Asia and ing to the demands proposed "would Egypt, that they have behaved during be prejudicial to the true interests of all this turmoil with exemplary digthe country at the present time, and nity, and have refrained from taking false, as well as injurious, to the aims any part in the disorder. It is gratiand efforts of the college; while it fying, too, that a large group of over would also, in no small degree, j eop- fifty graduates of the college, residing ardize the work of all missionary insti- in Cairo, have written to the faculty tutions in the empire. It might thus in vindication and support of the trago far to impair or destroy the eleva- ditional policy, the abolishment of ting effects of the educational and re- which is demanded by the :Moslem and ligious operations which have been a Jewish element among the students, chief factor in creating the desire for and urging that these demands should not be granted.
THE CHURCH AND THE CRISIS IN CITIES EDITORIAL The crisis in cities involves the mis- comes within the compass of the insion of the Church and of society gen- vestigation. erally to the masses, the remedies to be applied to pauperism, intemperance, Picton's maxim was: "Always keep licentiousness, crime; the improvement your center strong; always keep there of the homes of the poor, and the your best men." And the maxim that schools of the ignorant; the shops of is good on the battle-field applies the wage-workers, and the cells of the equally well to the conflict going 011 felons. To study such questions in- on this other battle-ground in the sotelligently we must begin with hered- cial and political world. ity, and then consider environment: no causes that make men and women There is no question that the city what they are, and keep them from is the great menace of modern civilibecoming what they may be, and ought zation. "With its homeless and outto be, 111ust be overlooked. Every con- cast classes, the masses estranged and dition that promotes health of body, alienated fr0111 the rich, the refined, good brawn and good brain, a well-in- and even the nominally Christian; formed mind and sound morals, house- with the strife between labor and caphold comfort and general well-being, ital, tending to anarchy, socialism, and nihilism; with Sabbath desecration, the drink traffic, open vice and secret
CHURCH AND THE CRISIS IN CITIES
crime, slums that breed miasma and can not impeach its profound wisdom reek with moral pollution, with excess- and truth.
ive immigration, but little or 110 as- If the cities are ulcers, the whole similation or incorporation of foreign body is rapidly being overspread with elements; and with consequent diver- them, and the condition of society gence of interest and sympathies, man- may well cause alarm. Our populaners and morals; with practical sepa- tion is increasing with phenomenal ration that amounts to isolation and rapidity, but the relative increase of fosters mutual misunderstanding and cities is much more rapid. The "comalienation; it is not strange if philan- pendium of the Tenth Census" showed thropist and statesman, patriot and that, from 1790 to 1880, our whole Christian, unite to ask, what shall be population multiplied twelve times, but done. The city is here, inevitably and the population as gathered in cities permanently. Are its attendant evils eighty-six times, more than seven inevitable and irremediable? times as fast.
There is no likelihood that in this The Growing Multitudes demand of the cities for a large outlay of both money and effort there will In 1790, one-thirtieth of the people be any abatement. We shall probably in the United States lived in cities of always be in straits. The vigorous 8,000 or more inhabitants; in 1800, child grows; only the cripple and the one twenty-fifth; in 1810, one-twen- dwarf remain stationary. Develop- tieth; in 1830, one-sixteenth; in 1840, ment brings of necessity new needs; one-twelfth; in 1860, one-sixth; in the olel clothes are worn out, or 1870, over one-fifth; in 1880, one- oftener torn out. ,yhat father would fourth. In 1800, only six cities num- want a boy who needed no new suit bered 8,000; in 1880, 286,000.
for his growing body? The rapid Subsequent census returns have growth of cities is in one way a mark shown that a population of less than of health as well as growth; but un- 3,000,000 in 1780, had risen to 50,- guarded, unprovided for, what might 000,000, a century later, and in twenty be a blessing turns to a curse. l1rs. years more to 76,3°0,000; and in 1909 Shelley's Frankellstein shows how a to nearly 90,000,000, with the con- giant may only prove a monster, un- gestion in cities increasing. In 1900, less gigantic stature and Herculean there were 100 cities whose population muscle are ruled by heroic nature and exceeded 38,000, and considerably an unselfish will. As cities grow in over 800 with over 5,000.
population, society must grow 111 An "ulcer" implies inflamed texture, power to cope with all the demands purulent discharge; an abnormal, dis- which such increase makes upon good eased condition, offensive, harmful. Is citizens and true Christians. it not high time, not only for the Thomas Jefferson is credited with statesman and philanthropist, but the the prophecy that the great cities patriot and citizen, to inquire whether would prove to be "the ulcers upon the these are necessary and incurable body politic"; but, whoever originated sores; whether they proceed from local this saying, its doubtful authorship diseases or from constitutional causes;
whether they are "simple," resulting neighborhood of great coal-beds, mines from accidental injuries, or "specific," of ore and sources of productive indus- resulting from specific poisons or par- try; wherever manufacturers are like- ticular and unwholesome habits? In ly to find a good workshop or market, a word, can no physician or balm be there population gathers and centers. found to relieve or remove what is corrupting and even destroying the But there also risks are incurred, virility and vitality of national life? ancl vices are encouraged. There the poor, ignorant, degraded classes are There are reasons why cities nat- massed, who are on the search for urally and almost inevitably threaten work ancl are compelled to cia any- the peace and prosperity of civiliza- thing for claily bread; whose brains tion. There is. always danger in are little developed, and who must demasses, especially if the elements pend almost entirely on brawn, alone; composing them are heterogeneous. who, in the struggle for bare exist- Whatever evil exists in individuals is ence, often become mere machine- concentrated, where they are closely feeders, and turn into mere machines gathered. A city becomes therefore at themselves. There are great factories once a nucleus and focus for vice and and workshops in manufacturing crime. There conspiracies are formed; towns, where, for a score of years, there criminals more easily escape de- human beings have done nothing but tection and evade arrest; there a few perform one mechanical, monotonous designing leaders find the ignorant task, like crowding a bar of iron into multitude ready for use as tools and a "cutter"-in the midst of a confudupes; there contact is close and com- sion and clatter in which thought and munication easy and swift. All these speech are alike impossible. To some and other evils bring increasing risk, of them, no rest-day ever comes, and as land becomes more valuable, rents no respite but a few moments for a higher, accommodations more scarce meal or a few hours for sleep. They and scanty, and the poorer classes are practically know nothing of life but crowded into closer quarters, and the material and the mechanical-and every condition of physical health and the bodily powers are all that are ever moral well-being fast ceases to exist. called into any activity. The mind, heart, conscience, will and spiritual Cities do not grow accidentally, or nature, are asleep, or awake only to arbitrarily, but according to an eter- the suggestions of appetite, vice and nal fitness; they spring up where crtme. travel and traffic find convenient starting-points, halting-points, stopping- The Foreigne~s points and cross-points, so that a sa- The cities are largely the gathering gacious observer can often foresee and places of foreign immigrants. Immiforecast their sites. On the banks of gration is irregular, varying accordnavigable rivers; where fertile valleys ing to the conditions here and abroad, meet and mingle; on the seacoast, the expulsive forces at work in other where fine harbors invite shipping; in countries and the attractions that draw the center of great teeming prairies to our shores. But, on the whole, imand savannahs, on the borders where migration is on the increase, as shown great nations come in contact; in the in successive decades of years. From
1820 to 1830, it reached only about its relation to bodily health, yet with- 150,000. In the next decade, it rose out the healthy body how can we have fourfold to about 600,000; in the next, the sane mind?
threefold more, to about 1,800,000, or These overcrowded populations twelve times what it was from 1820 must be reached and controlled. Some- to 1830; in the next, it went from 1,- times in a herd of 10,000 cattle there 800,000 to 26,000,000; and from 187°- is a panic and stampede, and one can 1880 to nearly three million. Thus the not stop them. The only way is to number of immigrants coming to our ride right into the midst of them, and shores from 1870 to 1880 was twenty little by little deflect their course till times what it was from 1820 to 1830, they run in a circle and so stop.
fifty years before. The Drink Traffic From 1890 to 1900, about 3,850,000 immigrants landed on our shores; The drink traffic constitutes one of from 1900 to 19°7, over 10,000,000, the worst problems of cities. It con- the total from 1820 to 1907 exceeding strains good citizens to arm for the 21,000,000, a number equal to nearly encounter, and forget all party lines one-fourth of the entire present pop- and local limits, in the fight with a foe ulation! that is perhaps on the whole the most The peril lies, as has been said, in malignant and dangerous. Whether it the lack of assimilation. These stran- be the Blue Ribbon, Red Ribbon, or gers import with them foreign no- White Ribbon that we wear; whether tions, prejudices, customs, habits, fa- it be the banner of Good Templars, vorable to a heterogeneous, instead of Sons of Temperance, Father JIatthew a homogeneous, people. Freedom re- or other organizations, under which laxes into license and licentiousness, we march; whether we adhere to the till free speech, free thought, free policy of Canon Wilberforce, with his press, free love, run riot; with no com- renunciation of alcohol even as a med- mon training and culture, common icine; or to that of the late Dr. How- birth, common faith or common church ard Crosby, with his concentration of life to fuse these masses into unity. all forces on the saloon; we must These immigrants naturally drift think only that on which we agree, and toward the cities, where they can most in view of the present and awful peril easily find work and those with whom put a stop to intemperance.
they can associate and communicate Even the slower and conservative in their own tongue. Hence the cities Britishers are waking up to the perils draw the foreign population, and in of drink. There is one church in a Cincinnati, Cleveland, Boston, New Scotch city whose four sllccessive pas- York, Chicago, etc., from six to nine tors were victims of drink, and three out of every ten inhabitants are of for- of them died drunkards-and all, men eign birth or parentage. of brains. The question of suppress- The crowding-the almost crushing ing strong drink presses on all alike.
-of the poorer and working classes in A merchant in St. Louis, urged by a our cities means peril to every inter- temperance deputation to join them in est of body and soul. The question the fight, turned them off abruptly, say- has never been properly considered in ing, "It's no busineos of mine!" Soon
after, an accident on a railway sent of the interior of saloons behind home his own wife and two daugh- screens, and to the attempt to conceal ters mangled corpses, and that accident in the breath the fumes of alcohol by was due solely to rum! Where law is the use of aromatic spices. The new not adequate, we must have legisla- device-clusters of artificial rubber tion; where the law is adequate, it grapes charged with liquors, adver- must be enforced. We must not imi- tised as a "means of stimulation withtate the Irishman, who said in ref- out observation even in the most criterence to certain legislation, "I'm in icising surroundings," and which are favor of the la'<,', but agin its execu- commended to orators, singers and tion." actors, for the "unobserved manner in which they can be utilized to over- The conflict is growing closer and come fatigue," etc.-is not all this a hotter. On the one side not only tem- confession that somehow respectable perance, but total abstinence is gain- people have put the brand of their coning ground with the intelligent and demnation and curse upon the use of virtuous classes. Vine drinking, that intoxicating liquors? was almost universal in 1838, had become exceptional in 1888. Fifty years Few things are more powerful than thus saw it banished from the side- public and pronounced disapproval. board and the table, in thousands of Agitation marshals the conscience of homes where it used to be a common the people not only to mold laws, but fashion to offer it to callers and use to frame the unwritten code of moral ii: as a beverage. Where a quarter usages-to determine what shall be recentury before, not one total abstainer garded as respectable. And many a could be found in the British House man who would not be controlled by of Commons, there were afterward his judgment or conscience, or even fifty. The United States had at least by a law, bows before the common one President in the White House sentiment that prevails in the commuwhose noble wife dared to banish it nity. We must therefore malce popueven from state dinners. Congress- lar sentiment en the drink question men and Senators are not ashamed to that shall make it as hot for a tippler appear on the platforms of great pub- as it was for a traitor in another lic gatherings as the advocates, not crisis of our country. Drink must be only of total abstinence on the part of driven from among men of standing, the individual, but of prohibition on by the brand of curse burned upon its the part of the state. In Scotland, brow by the voice and vote of the fifty years ago, ministers of the Gas- people. pe! got tipsy at installations, where now it would be regarded as a scan- The remedy is not mainly in law, dal and disgrace. unless law be enforced; the dead-letter of ineffective legislation is worse than There are many signs that the use none. Executive and judicial officers of strong drink is fast losing respecta- and police force can not carry out law, bility. A minister quaintly gave God unless backed by an intelligent, eduthanks for tokens of a growing sense cated established public sentiment. of shame ill connection with drinking There has been in many parts laws customs, as evidenced by the veiling sufficiently stringent to have abated if
CHURCH AJ'D THE CRISIS IN CITIES
not abolished the evils of the drink voters, one bakery to 127, and one traffic had those laws been executed; gTocery to 62 ; but one saloon to every but even the restrictions upon Sunday liquor selling, selling' to minors and 70 voters! to habitual drunkards, have often not been enforced because there was not In New York City 1,000 licensed a public conscience that demanded en- liquor dealers represented twenty forcement. The remedy is to be found years ago 40,000 voters, and led Secin no mere improvement of law, un- retary Evarts wittily to observe: "We less we can insure its official discharge have a new LL.D.-licensed liquor of duty. "Seventeen arrests" for vio- dealers." And this was the power that lation, where there were seventeen ruled in the primary meetings, ward hundred offenses, become a mockery caucuses, nominations and final elecof law and set it at defiance. tions. Rum has long in our great cities been dominant at the polls. What could be expected but vagrancy, pauperism and crime in a city Questions like these appeal to where there is one legalized dram- Church amI State for speedy solution, shop to everyone hundred and fifty- and the challenge is becoming more eight of the population! 'Where every and more imperative. vVhile men sleep thirty-second house is a saloon I-in the enemy is awake and on the alert, other words, where every thirty-one and the tares are not only being sown families combine to keep the thirty- but grown, until they leave little space second in the liquor trade! Is it to for any wholesome grain. The crisis be wondered at that in one year in that is more critical every honL vVhen city there were some 50,00:) arrests, will the popular mine! ane! conscience and of them 30,000 were for habitual awake to the awful danger that threatdrunkenness, intoxication and disor- ens not revolt only, but revolution! derly conduct traceable to drink? Ve must pray ancl <('ork, for our While of the remaining crimes of vio- working will go far to make effectual lence, at least fifty per cent. were due our praying. directly or indirectlv to rum? The Some years ago Sir vVilfred Lawcalme;t and matur~st judgment of son tolc! in the British parliament of a little girl who prayed that God those best fitted to speak as umpires, would protect the little birds, and keep charges seventy-five per cent. of all them from entering the trap her crimes to the demon of drink! The brother hac! set. 6,000 saloons that cmst that city averaged $4.500 per annum, or the "Do you think God will answer that gross sum of $27,000,000 for sales of prayer?" she was askecl. drink. "I am sure He will," she confidently In the sixth ward of that city, where replied. the population was estimated at ro,- 000, there was one church to every 290 "vVhat makes you so sure?" "1 smashed the trap!" She had answered her own prayer. Go thou and do likewise.
MISSIONARY DATES FOR
PREPARED DY MISS DELLE M. DRAIN May 1, 1806.-Arrival of Henry :lIartyn . May 17, 1882.-James Hannington sailed for Africa. at Calcutta. See "Life of James Hannington," by Dawson. See any life of iv1artyn. May 18, 1834.-Birth of Sheldon Jackson. May I, 1816.-Birth of Fidelia Fiske. See "Life of Sheldon Jackson," by Stewart. See article in this number. May 18, 1814.-Founding of the Ameri- May 1, 1873.*-Death of David Living- can Baptist Missionary Union.
stone. See. HA History of Baptist ..iissiollS," by 1tIer. nam. See "Personal Life of David Livingstone," by May 18, 1870.-James Gilmour arrived at Blaikie. Peking.
May 2, 1821.-Birth of Bishop ViHiam See "James Gilmour, of 1Iongolia," by Lovett.
Taylor. May 19, 1902.-Death of Bishop Taylor.
See J-IISSIONARY REVIEW, Aug., J902, p. 609. See lfISSIONARY REVIEW, Aug., 1902, p. 609.
May 2, 1844.-Death of Henry Nott. May 20, 1690.-Death of John Eliot.
See "Encyclopedia of lIissions." See "Heroes of the :Mission Field," by Walsh; "Pioneers and Founders," by Yonge; or May 2, 1859.-Rev. J. Liggins, first "Protestant .Missions," by Thompson.
Protestant missionary arrived in Japan. May 20, 1861.-Martyrdom of the Gor- dons on Erromanga. See "Japan and Its H.egeneration," by Carey. See lhSSIONARY REVIEW, July, 1900, p. 508. May 3, 1721.-Hans Egede sailed for May 21, 1832.-Birth of Hudson Taylor. Greenland. See :MrSSIONARY REVIEW, Sept., 1905- See "Heroes of the ::Iission Field," by Valsh. ='vhy 21, 1855.-Griffith John sailed for May 3, 1823.-Death of "IV. A. B. John- China.
son, of Sierra Leone. See ThhSSIONARY REVIEW, June, 1905.
See IINew Acts of the Apostles," by Pierson. May 21, 1891.-Death of James Gilmour.
* May 4, 1873.-Death of David Living- See "James Gilmour, of )"Iongolia," by Lovett. stone (?) May 5, 1808.-Birth of Pastor Harms. May 22, 1869.-Death of Jonas King.
See MISSIONARY HEVIEW, July, 1899, p. 489. See "Encyclopedia of :Missions."
May 5, 18:13.-Death of Robert Whitta- May 24, 1824.-Birth of John G. Paton.
ker McAH, of Paris. See "Autobiography of John G. Paton."
See MISSIONARY REVIEW, Sept., 1893, p. 680. May 26, 1700.-Birth of Count Zinzell- dorf. May 6, 1543.-Francis Xavier landed at See ::IrSSIONARY R£VIEW, lIay, 1900. Goa. May 27, 1830.-Arrival of Dnff in Cal- See "Heroes of the :Mission Field," by Walsh. cutta.
May 6, 1827.-John Williams landed at See "Modern Heroes of the J'.lis:-;ion Field," by Walsh. Rarotonga. May 27, 1862.-Founding of :'Ietlakahtla, See "Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Canada. Islands," by John Villiams. See -MISSIONARY REVIEV, Nov. and Dec., 1893. May 6, 1831.-Birth of Bishop Schere- May 27, 1904.-Death of Fran<;ois Coil- schewsky. lard. See IvlISSIONARY HEVIEW, Feb.! 1907. See lIISSIONARY REVIEW, June, ]904, p. 445. May 7, 1859.-Guido F. Verbeck sailed May 29, 1815.-Founcling of the Basel for Japan. . lIissionary Society. See "Verbeck of Japan," by Gnffis. See "Encyclopedia of lIissions." May 8, 1816.-Founding of the American May 30, 1809.-Henry Martyn reached Bible Society. Persia.
See "Encyclopedia of rvIissions." See any life of lfartyn.
May 9, 1760.-Death of Count Zinzen- May 30, 1821.-Death of Samnel Newell.
dorf. See "Encyclopedia of l.Iissiol1s."
See :NlIssIONARY REVIEW, l-.Iay, 1900. lIay 31, 1792.-Carey's great sermon at May 9, 1834.-Death of V/illiam Carey. Nottingham.
See any life of Carey. See any life of Carey. Also IIrSSIONARY RE' VIEW, Sept.. 1892, p. 644. May 10, 1799.-Founding of the Religious A Suggested Program on Fidelia Fiske Tract Society, London. 1. SCRIPTURE LESSON: How to pray.- See "Encyclopedia of l-..Iissions." Matt. 6: 5-13. May 11. 1879.-Death of Bishop Gobat. 2. HYMN: "lIust Jesus Bear the Cross See "Encyclopedia of .:lissions." Alone?"
May 11, 1887.-Death of 1011 Keith-Fal- A favorite hymn of 1Iiss Fiske.
coner. 3. QUOTATIONS: ."~;aying breath IS never spent 111 vall1. See "Encyclopedia of JIiS5ions." "I t is how we live more than where May 12, 1838.-Death of Samuel llars- we live."
den, of tew Zealand. These two quotations from Nliss Fiske should be memorized and used as wall mottoes. See "Pioneers and Founders," by Yonge. 4. POEM: "If You Love Me, Lean Hard." May 16, 1819.-Baptism of Pomare II. This poem is in many collections of religious of Tahiti. verse. It may be obtained in leaflet form from the .American Tract Society, New York. See ulslands of the Pacific," by Alexander.
May 16, 1828.-Baptism of Kho- Thah- BSyeue. "New Acts of the ApostIes, "by p'lerson.
"In "Last Journals," the date is. )~ay I~t. On the stone in Vestminster Abbey It IS 1vlay 4th. His attendants could not quite determine the day.
FISKE. THE MISSIONARY SCHOOLMISTRESS
Born, May I , 1816 ny IlELLE M . lIR.[N, DETROIT, MICH.
On a spur of th e eastern slope of Living in the old home, of which the southern part of the Grecn J1011 n- her grandfather, a saintly ol d patritain s li es thc little hill town of Shel- arch, was also an inmate, the child burne, Mass., where, on May r, r816, F idelia early became familiar with the F idelia Fiske was born. fam ily traditions of godliness and thrift. "Our grandfather used to F ifty years before, her great-grand- FIDELIA FISKE fa ther , Ebenezer Fiske, Jr. , with hi s hold us many long hours on his wife, Dorcas Tyler, of Cpton, and knees," she wrote to a cous in in [852, their chi Idren, came to th e little town, "and teIl us of Uncle Levi and Uncle and on almost the highest po int o f Pliny and U ncle J ohn . A nd many a Ball Mountain erected a slll all dwell- time have I been incited to diligence ing. r ear thi s spot, in a plain, one- by the articles of our good g randstory farmhouse, his children and hi s mother 's industry, as presented by that children's children dwelt for gene ra- dear g randfather. He used to tell us tions, and here both Fidelia Fiske,* how she spun and wove and used and her uncle, Pliny Fisk, first saw her skilful needles when others would the light. be sleeping. I have seen that beauti- ful pair of long linen stockings which The a tmosphere of the old ancestral she kept in your father's cradle and home was cha rged with prayel". Its knit upon when she was nu rsing him. " inmates could look back on an unbroken line of godly ancestors for Nothing, however, made so deep an more than three hundred years, and impression upon Fidelia as the story upon Dorcas Tyle r, an extraordinary of her great-grandmother's prayers. woman, distinguished alike for her godliness and thrift, the spirit of prayer descended with great power. Notwithstanding the care of Il er large famil y, she was in the habit of setting apart whole days for praye r, and toward the close of her life she prayed almost without ceasing. The g rea t burden of her petitions was that her descend ants might be the children of God down to the very end of time. So abundantIy were these prayers answered that in [857 it was an ascertained fact that more than 300 of her descendants were members of the Christian Church.
* Th e branch of the famil y to which lliss Fi ske belonged usually dropt the final e, but toward the close o f her life she returned to th e original spe lli ng of tilt: name .
As a child she loved to stand beside The one great book of this godly her grave in the old burying-ground household was, however, the Bible. and feel that her prayers for her fond as her father was of other readwould be answered. "I remember ing, he loved his Bible best of all, and what you used to tell me of her when it was largely from him that Miss I was a little girl," she wrote to her Fiske gained her wonderful knowll110ther from Persia. "I often think edge of the Scriptures. It was his cus- tom to assign to each of his little THE BIRTHPLACE OF i'~ 1DELIA FISKE daughters-he had no sons-stated tasks for study and reading, and vathat I may be receiving blessings in rious ingenious devices or incidents in answer to her prayers, for I know that their dail}' lives were used to make she prayed for her children's children them search the Scriptures for themfor all coming time." selves. Vhen they came to him one day begging him to buy a French bed- Reared in such an atmosphere, Fi- stead, he said: "I will think about it; delia Fiske was a thoughtful and ob- but I have read in a certain book about serving child. At the age of four she a king who had an iron bedstead. Can entered the district school close by her you tell me his name?" Vhat the book home, and here for the next ten years was they needed not be told, but were much of her time was spent. As soon soon busily searching for the story as she could read she eagerly de- which was thus fixt in their memories. voured every book that came in her way, not only those that her father The conscious missionary interest of owned, but those he drew from the the child began at three, when her "Social Library" in the town, of which uncle, Pliny Fiske, left the old home he was both a proprietor and a patron. to go as a missionary to the Holy The books were largely religious and Land. The affecting scenes connected far beyond her years-she reae! with his departure made an indelible Dwight's "Theology" through twice impression on Fidelia's youthful heart, before she was eight-yet she testified and no one took a keener interest in in after years to their helpful influence his letters than the little niece who on her. was to follow in his steps. She some- times played that she was a I11ISSlon- ary and was passing through expe- riences similar to his across the sea. One day she ran into the house ex- claiming-, "I have been to Jerusalem in the wheelbarrow!"
At the age of eleven she came into personal touch with another mission- ary-the Rev. Jona5 King, from Greece. vVhile visiting her father, he solemnly laid his hand on her heael and said that some day she must go and teach the heathen, as her uncle Pliny did. "I wish," he added, "that you
I<)OC) ] FIDELIA FISKE, THE MISSIONARY SCHOOLMISTRESS
were old enough now to go with me fore by that matchless teacher, Mary to Greece." She never forgot this, Lyon. She hoped to complete the and years after, when she met NIr. course in two years, but near the close King at Smyrna, on her way to Per- of her first year malignant typhoid sia, reminded him of what he had fever broke out in the school, and said. many of the students, herself among them, contracted the disease soon after On July I2, I831, at the age of fif- going to their homes for the summer teen, she publicly confest her faith in vacation. She was so ill that there Christ, and became a member of the "·(llih III riuv ,{ JIll/ll1t Ilui!Joke F(male SOItlf1ary.
MOUNT HOLYOKE SEMINARY IN THE TIME OF MISS FISKE, ERECTED IN 1837 Congregational Church at Shelburne. was little hope of her recovery, and To the earnest young girl this was a once she sank so low that she seemed step of much importance. At once to be dead-an experience that gave there was laid on her a burden for her a vivid sense of the reality of the the salvation of others which nev- unseen world and had no small influer left her, and with a heart over- ence on all her after life. She reflowing with love, she endeavored to covered, but her father and sister conlead her young friends and compan- tracted the disease and died within a ions to Christ. At the same time, she few days of each other while she was began to cherish in her heart the secret still too ill to leave her bed. hope that some day she might go as a missionary. In the autumn of 1841, after a year at home, she reentered the seminary In the autumn of 1839, after teach- as a member of the senior class. Grading for several years with great suc- uating in 1842, she at once became a cess in the district schools of Shel- teacher in the school, a position in burne, she entered the middle class of which she soon proved herself invalu- Mount Holyoke seminary at South able. But not long did she continue Hadley, Mass., founded two years be- in it, for in a few months she heard
the Master's voice calling her to Per- ley to seek them there. His needs sia. having been stated to Miss Lyon by During her senior year her mission- her pastor, she sent him word to call ary interest had been greatly stimu- at the school at seven that evening, lated by rooming with th~ daughter and then proceeded to take measures of a missionary to the Sandwich of her own to secure the volunteers.
Islands, and by the addresses of a At evening prayers she told the number of returned missionaries who young ladies that two teachers were visited the school. Among these was needed for Persia, and said that if Dr. Perkins, of Persia, who was ac- any present were wiHing to go or had companied by the Nestorian bishop, any interest in the matter they might Mar Yohanan. "The bishop addrest write her a note and leave it in a des- us most affectingly," she says, "and in ignated place. At the end of an hour closing he slowly said, 'While you go no less than forty notes had been re- on to improve, oh, remember us, so ceived! Many of them were quite dark 1 so dark l' My heart responded, long, but one merely read as foHows: 'My brother, thy people will I remem- If counted worthy, I should be willing ber, and gladly would I be spent for to go. Fidelia Fiske. their salvation !' "
Meanwhile the heart of Mary Lyon She was at once chosen as the one was being filled with a longing to see best fitted for the work, but so valu- her beloved seminary a greater power able had she become to the school, it in missionary work. At the meeting seemed impossible to give her up. God (If the American Board in the autumn evidently wanted her, however, and at of 1842, she was so deeply moved that length Miss Lyon consented to her on her return to the seminary she going.
called the teachers and pupils together, When Miss Fiske learned of her and reminding them that the school acceptance, she was radiant with joy, had been largely founded to advance but alas! her mother and sisters, the cause of missions, asked them to backed by her pastor and many join her in reconsecrating it to its holy friends, at once vetoed the project, ,purpose. "The Lord accepted the of- largely because her health was not fering," says Miss Fiske, "but in so very good. Much as she longed to doing asked not only for gold and go, she yielded to her mother's wishes, silver, but that one-half the teachers saying "It is how we live more than with hcr that year should sooner or where we live."
later go in person to the heathen. Another was chosen to go to Persia Miss Lyon often said in after years, in her place, but she, too, was kept at 'I little knew how much that prayer- home by her loved ones. When Miss meeting would cost me.' " Fiske heard this she was much trou- Not long after, an urgent call came bled and that night she could not sleep.
to the seminary for workers. On Jan- N ext morning she declared that even uary 16, 1843, Dr. Perkins, who was at this late hour-Dr. Perkins was to about to return to Persia and was un- sail in less than two weeks-she would able to find teachers for the girls' go if her family would give their con- school at Urumia, came to South Had- sent. "If such are your feelings," said
FISKE, THE MISSIONARY SCHOOLMISTRESS
Miss Lyon, "we will go and see your a foreign mission field. "My heart mother and i>isters." bleeds over the wretchedness which In less than an hour they were on meets my eye," she wrote. "Had I their way to ask "if Fidelia might obey ten thousand lives I would gladly give the Lord's call to Persia." Of the them all to help raise these degraded journey and its result, Miss Fiske's ones."
biographer tells as follows: From Smyrna they went to Con- After a thirty-mile drive in an open stantin')ple and thence to Trebizond, sleigh, on that cold wintry Saturday, where the long journey of more than through snow-drifts in which they were 700 miles overland began. The route several times upset, they reached her was a dangerous one, lying through an mother's home in Shelburne Hills, about unsettled mountainous region infested eleven o'clock at night. The family were with robbers, but on June IS, 1843, aroused from their slumbers to receive the unexpected guests and hold an un- they reached Urumia, where Miss expected consultation. Prayers and tears Fiske was to labor for fifteen years mingled with the solemn discussions of for the Nestorian women and girls. that hour. There was little sleep beneath that lowly roof that night, and the con- The condition of these daughters of sideration of the subject gave a peculiar Persia was far worse than she had sacredness to all the duties and services anti ci pa ted. of the following day. Before the Sabbath closed, that mother, whose heart at "I felt deeply for my poor sisters befirst pleaded so hard against the separa- fore going to them," she says, "but there tion, was enabled cheerfully to say, "Go, was a deeper feeling, even anguish, when my child, go," and the great question I realized, from mingling among them, was definitely settled. how very low they were. I really knew at first very little of the pit into which Returning to Mount Holyoke on the I was descending. I did not wish to following Friday, Miss Fiske found leave them, but I did often ask, 'Can the that nearly the whole school had spent Savior's image be reflected from such every spare minute in sewing for her hearts?' It is one thing to pray for our and had made ready a very good out- degraded sisters while in America, but fit. A farewell service was held that quite another to raise them from their afternoon in the seminary hall, and in low estate. When I saw their true char- acter I found I needed a purer, holier the evening she met for the last timc love for them than I had ever possest."
with the teachers and pupils. The Kotwithstanding their repulsiveparting was a sore trial, for she was ness, she cheerfully began her work dearly loved in the school, and the among them, and ere long there came thought that they might never see her to her heart the "purer, holier love" again filled them with sorrow. The she needed. After two months in Pernext morning she left for Boston, sia, she was enabled to say: where on the following vVedncsday, March I, 1843, she sailed for Smyrna Already I find I am becoming attached with a number of missionaries bound to these poor children. I often feel like for Turkey and Persia, :'dar Yohanan embracing them and loving them as I would children at home. I try to pre- being one of the party. vent their extreme filth and degradation On April 7th, after a voyage of from severing them from me.
five weeks, they reached Smyrna, and The specific purpose for which she Miss Fiske had her first glimpse of had come to Persia was to take charge
of a school for Nestorian girls started Fiske's disappointment. But her sor- by Mrs. Grant in 1838. It was row was soon turned to joy, for look- counted a disgrace for a woman to ing out of the window she saw Mar learn to read in Persia, and mothers Yohanan leading two little girls by the did not wish to have their daughters hanel, Hanee aged ten, and Selby, his go to school, yet under the loving care own little niece, aged seven. At the of its gifted founder, the little school door he said, as he put their little had grown and prospered until her hands into hers, "They be your daugh- death in 1839. After that it was con- ters; no man take them from your tinued under native teachers, but with hand. Now you begin Mount Holy poor success. Oke in Persia."
It had always been a day school; vVith tears of joy Miss Fish rebut seeing the wretched condition of ceived the little strangers and at once the homes, Miss Fiske conceived the began her famous school. The numidea of making it a boarding school, ber was soon increased to six, tho where the girls could be trained in after being in the school for fifteen habits of cleanliness and thrift. The days two of them ran away to their mission approved the scheme, but as homes. Thinking it unwise to follow it was opposed to all the laws of eti- them, she did not see them again until quette and tradition among the N es- ten years later, when, at a reunion of torians, it was declared impossible to all her girls, two strangers came with find the girls. the rest. "vVe were your pupils for fifteen clays," they said, "and we are Miss Fiske was unwilling to give sorry we ran away." Their places up the plan, and at once began to were soon filled by others, and by the search for girls. "The first Syriac end of the year the attendance had inword I learned was 'daughter,''' she creased to twelve. says, "and as I could now use the verb 'to give,' I often asked parents The care of these rude, wild girls, to give me their daughters.·' who studied out loud in school hours and jumped over the benches like wild Fortunately, Mar Yohanan took the goats at recess, was at first a very deepest interest in the project. vVhen heavy burden. They came to her so asked on his return to Persia, "What ragged and dirty and so covered with are the wonders of America?" he had vermin that the first work was to replied, "The blind they do see, the thoroughly cleanse them, comb out deaf they do hear, and the women their tangled hair and put them into they do read; they be not beasts." And fresh, clean clothes. Under this treathe often said, "Of all colleges in ment they improved so much that America, Mount Holy Oke be the their mothers were delighted, and best; and when I see such a college asked again and again, "How do you here I die." make them so white ?"
One day in August he came to Miss The hearts of these children were as Fiske and said, "Yott get ready and impure as their bodies were filthy. I find girls." On October 16th, the Lying, the use of vilest language and day set for opening the school, fifteen thieving were general. At first nothday scholars came but not a single ing was safe even when kept under boarder. Great indeed was Miss
FISKE, THE MISSIONARY SCHOOLMISTRESS
lock and key. The buttons frequently each one carefully, without finding them. disappeared from the week's washing She then proposed to kneel down and and Miss Fiske could not keep a pin ask God where they were. She laid the in her cushion. So sly were the girls matter before the Lord, and as she arose that they were never caught in the from her knees remembered that she had act, and nothing could be proved not examined their caps. She now proagainst them. But at length she con- posed to do this, and one pair of hands went right up to her cap. Of course this FISKE SEMINARY~ URUMIAJ PERSIA ceived of a plan. The story is toid girl was searched first, and there were in "Woman and her Savior in Persia" the six pins so concealed in its folds as follows; that nothing was visible but their heads. The incident did much good. The pupils One summer evening, just before they looked on the discovery as an answer to were to pass through her rooms to their prayer and began to be afraid to steal beds on the roof, knowing that none when God exposed their thefts. like them could be obtained elsewhere, Miss Fiske put six black pins in her cush- The fact that her little charges must ions and stept out till they had passed. be always with her added not a little As soon as they were gone, she found to her burdens. They were allowed to the pins gone too, and called them back. remain in the school only on condition But no one knew anything about them. that they lodged with or near their She showed them that they must know, teacher and never went out except in as no one else had been there. Six pairs her company. vVherever she went of little hands were lifted up as they they went also, and were as closely said: "God knows we have not got associated as tho thev were mother them." To this she replied, "I think God and daughters. knows you have got them," and searched
Engrossed as she was with her rested ever since on those sweet words, work in the school, she found time "If you love me, lean hard." almost every day to go out with her girls to visit the Nestorian women, not Meanwhile a great change was taonly in the city, but also in the sur- king place in the school. The rude, rounding villages. Refined New Eng- wild girls were becoming quiet, stuland gentlewoman tho she was, she dious and thoughtful, neat in appearwent into the filthy, vermin-infested ance and tidy in their ways. They houses, and sitting on a mat on the were, too, learning to love their Bibles floor, preached Christ to the women and engage in daily, secret prayer, and who crowded around her. their teacher was not without hope that, ere long, some of them would She invited the mothers to come to give their hearts to the Savior. her home, and finding that they were unwilling to attend the regular serv- In the autumn of 1845, two years ices of the mission on account of the after the opening of the school, there presence of the men, she arranged a began to be unmistakable signs of a separate service for them in her own deepening spiritual interest. The apartments. At first only five re- girls spent more time in prayer, and sponded, but soon the attendance grew sometimes at night, after the lights to forty. were extinguished and other conver- sation ceased, they could be heard It was in connection with her work talking with God and pleading for the for the women that the following inci- forgiveness of their sins. At length, dent occurred. In a letter dated De- on the first Monday of January, 1846, cember, 1855, she writes: which, according to custom, was ob- served by the entire mission as a day A few Sabbaths ago I went to Geog of fasting and prayer, the blessing be- Tapa with Mr. Stoddard. It was after- gan to descend. Miss Fiske tells noon, and I was sf'ated on a mat in the about it as follows: middle of the earthen floor of the church. I had already attended Sabbath-school We had spoken of passing the day in and a prayer-meeting with my pupils, and "wrestling for souls." But we had only weary, I longed for rest. It seemed as begun to seck, not to wrestle, when we if I could not sit without support through learned that souls were pleading for the service. Then I remembered that themselves. I went into my school, as after that came my meeting with the wo- usual, at nine o'clock, and after telling men of the village; and, oh, how desira- the pupils that many prayers would, that ble seemed rest! But God sent it in an day, be offered for them by friends far unexpected way; for a woman came and away, I prayed with them, and then sent seated herself directly behind me, and them to another room to study with a invited me to lean on her. I declined; native teacher. All but two passed out. but she drew me back, saying, "If you As these lingered, I said: "Did you unlove me, lean hard." And then came the derstand me?" They came nearer and Master's voice, repeating the words, "If I saw that they were in tears. "Have you love me, lean hard"; and then I you heard bad news?" I asked. They leaned on Him, too. I was rested long gave no answer, but coming nearer, before the services were through; then whispered, "May we have to-day to care I spent an hour with the women, and for our souls?" I had no private room after sunset rode six miles to my home. or closet to give them, but the dear I wondered that I was not weary that children would find a place. They went night nor the next morning; and I have
FISKE, THE MISSIONARY SCHOOLMISTRESS
to the wood-cellar, and taking sticks of verts became helpers in the work. wood, made th eir own closets; and there Sometimes as many as fifteen Nestothey spent that cold day, seeking the for- rian women spent the night at the giveness of sins. Nor did they seek in school, seeking salvation through vain; they were soon trusting in Christ Christ. Gathering together cushions, and we were led to hope for yet greater quilts and pillows, Miss Fiske turned blessings.
SOME OF THE GIRLS AT FISKE SEMINARY~ URUMIA ~ PERSIA Not long after this the Holy Spirit her sitting-room-the Bethel, her girls began to work simultaneously in both loved to call it-into a dormitory for the girls' school and the boys', where them. She, herself, prayed with them Mr. Stoddard, the missionary in till midnight, and then, retiring to her charge, had worked and prayed with own room, heard them praying for a faith equal to that of Miss Fiske. themselves until the morning dawned. On the same day, and almost at the same hour, five in each school were The most remarkable conversion convicted of their sins. During the during this revival was that of Dearevival which followed, more than fifty con Gewergis, one of the fiercest and from the two schools accepted Christ. vilest of the N estorians, who in the autumn of r845 had brought his lit- At the end of three weeks the peo- tle daughter to the school. Miss Fiske ple from without began to come to was at first unwilling to receive the the meetings, and the dear young con- child of such a man, but finally agreed
to do so. Such was her fear of the He warned all he met and pointed father that she was thankful when he them to Christ, until he was called to returned to his home in the moun- rest on March 12, 1856." tains, twenty-five miles away, where the deep snows would soon cut him off Regarding the seminary as his spir- from coming again. itual birthplace, he ever loved to pray for it. One evening, after leading the But one Saturday in February, devotions in the boys' school, he ex- when the revival was at its height, he claimed as he rose from his knees, suddenly appeared at her door, drest "God forgive me, I forgot to pray for in his Kurdish costume, his dagger at Miss Fiske's school I"~ and kneeling his side, his belt full of ammunition down again, poured out earnest petiand his gun slung over his shoulder. tions for a blessing on it. Miss Fiske viewed him with dismay, feeling that a wolf was entering her Two months after the beginning of fold. And such indeed he seemed as the revival, it was thought best to he ridiculed Christ's little ones for close the school for a brief vacation. their interest in their souls. But they As they left for their rude, unchriswere so much in earnest that they tian homes, the pupils pleaded with cared nothing for what he said, and their teacher to pray that their love presently his little daughter led him to Christ might not grow cold. "Did away to a private place of prayer, you ever see a new-born lamb cast where she poured out her heart first into the snow and live?" asked one for herself and then for him. At first of the youngest among them. But he thought to strike her, but was mer- most nobly did they stand the test. cifully restrained. The next day, as They not only kept their own hearts Miss Fiske talked and prayed with warm, but led others to Christ and him, he suddenly broke down and con- taught them to pray. fest his need of salvation. Nowhere on the mission field has So mightily did the spirit of God the spirit of prayer been poured out work in his heart that when at last he more abundantly than upon these found Christ all he could cia was to young Nestorian converts, who loved cry, "1fy great sins and my great Sa- to spencl three, four and even five vior !" On Monday morning he re- hours a day in their prayer-closets turned to his home in the mountains, holding communion with God and to tell his friends and neighbors "of pleading for the salvation of souls. sin and of Christ." Henceforth his So intensely in earnest were they that only work was the winning of souls. the pages of their Bibles were often "He went through the mountain dis- wet with tears. tricts many times," says Miss Fiske, "with his Testament and hymn-book During the twelve years that folin the knapsack thrown over his shoul- lowed this first great awakening, there ders. As he entered the passes among was an almost uninterrupted revival in the rocks he sang, 'Rock of Ages, cleft the school. Scarcely a year passed for me,' and when he sat down by the without its period of special interest side of a fountain, he burst forth with, during which scores of souls were won 'There is a fountain, filled with blood.' for Christ.
During all these years the most inti- mate connection was kept up between
FISKE, THE MISSIONARY SCHOOLMISTRESS 35
the little seminary in Persia and its agreed to take up her residence in the prototype in the home land. During school and become its chaplain or Miss Fiske·s senior year, Miss Lyon spiritual adviser, conducting the daily had said to her girls: "Perhaps next devotional services in the hall, and New Year's day will find some of looking after its general religious inyou on a foreign shore. If so, we terests. So abundantly was she blest pledge you a remembrance within these sacred walls"-a pledge that was MARY LYON faithfully kept, not only that year, but during the years following. Founder of ::1ount Holyoke Seminary Wonderful indeed is it to note the in this new sphere, that of 344 sturesults. On that first Monday in 1846, dents in the school only nineteen left when the two little Nestorian girls it unconverted. were making their prayer-closets in the wood-cellar in Persia, Miss Lyon But her heart was ever in Persia, said to her girls at South Hadley, and almost to the close of her life she "Vie must pray more for Miss Fiske entertained the hope of returning to and her school," and many responded her work. This was not to be, for on by setting apart the day for the pur- July 26, 1864, after a period of great pose. By comparing dates, it was suffering, she entered into rest. found that of the subsequent revivals all began on the very day, and some at Fifty years have passed since she the very hour, when prayer was as- bade farewell to her sorrowing girls cending to God for them in the home in U rumia, but her work in Persia land. still abides. The seminary to which she gave so many fruitful years, is still In 1858, after fifteen years of unre- in successful operation, and the seed mitting toil, Miss Fiske's health was she sowed is bearing abundant fruit. so broken that it was thought best for her to return for a time to America. Sore indeed was the sorrow when, on July 15th, in company with several other missionaries, she left U rumia and began the long journey toward home. Never has a missionary been more dearly loved, and rarely has one left so deep an impress on a foreign land.
On December 17th, she landed in Boston, and a few days later, after a separation of nearly sixteen years, she was folded in her mother's arms. Shortly after her return she was urged by the trustees to become the principal of Mount Holyoke. She thought best to decline the offer, but finally
A TABLET TO MOUNT HOLYOKE MISSIONARIES At the recent celebration of Foun- existence, 1837-1887, went as missionders' Day at Mount Holyoke College, aries to the foreign field. this bronze tablet, five feet by seven, was unveiled. It contains the names The maiden names of the missionof the I76 students of the college who, aries are given on the tablet, being in the first half of the century of its preceded by the class and followed by the country to which each one went.
MOUNT HOLYOKE HAS DONE FOR
MISSIONS BY HENRIETTA EDGECOMB HOOKER, PH.D., SOUTH HADLEY, MASS.
The prophetic vision of what is not know all my duty or shaIl fail to most worth while and the power to do it." so choose that, when the years add perspective, the choice seems always She says: "A view of my own indigreater and wiser, is granted to but vidual responsibility rested upon me few souls and they are the truly great. with an indescribable weight. I felt that my duty in my own little sphere, Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount anel with my own feeble ability, was Holyoke, devoted her life, as the more to me in the sight of God than world says, to the "Cause of the the duty of all the world besides. Higher Education for 'Women"; but Could I throw my influence over the closely interwoven with it and, as she whole eonntry, and bring thousands herself says, "as a fire within my into the treasury of the Lord, it might bones," were the interests of foreign not be so important a duty for me as mIssIons. Education anel Christian to give fr0111 my own purse that last missions stiII go hand in hand with farthing which God requires." the hand-clasp every year growing stronger. Whaf two questions of so "Coule! I make my voice heard fr0111 long ago, vital to-day, have more wi- one end of the land to the other and dened their horizon or shown by re- so plead in behalf of the perishing sults that they are more worth one's heathen, that all our missionary conwhile? certs should be filIed with hearts bow- ing together in the presence of God, The only book by Miss Lyon in the it might not be so important a duty 1'1ount Holyoke CoIlege Library is for me, as to carry my own feeble peti- "The Missionary Offering," a smalI tion myself to the throne of mercy, and volume of about IOO pages. This ap- there in the name of our blest Repeared in 1843, a time of stress in the deemer, plead the promises with an finances of the American Board, over earnestness which can not be denied." which Miss Lyon was deeply anxious. It was evidently written with the hope Of others she said: of moving individuals of all classes to feel personalIy responsible that there Is the spirit of anyone stirred within should be no debt at the end of the him in behalf of this cause; let him be financial year with the necessary cur- faithful in his own place, and in his own tailing of work. Perhaps a few quo- way, and for himself alone. Let him tations may best show Miss Lyon's at- carry his own petition warm from his titude toward missions. It is easy to own heart to the throne of mercy, rather recognize their affinity with other than to seek for a friend to carry it in words of hers, often quoted, especiaIly his behalf, and it shan prevail. Let him with that perhaps most iIIustrious sen- give all-an that he ought-either from tence chosen to be placed upon her his abundance or from his scanty store, tombstone, "There is nothing in the rather than to look to his neighbor to universe that I fear, but that I shaH do it in his stead, and the deed shan be remembered in heaven and his work shall not be in vain. . . .
In the great work of saving souls-let us first give up our superfluities. When
that is done, if the Providence of God still ability, did all in her power to assist in calls, let us next give up our conveniences. the preparations for departure of this When we have done that, if souls are still first missionary daughter. The school unsaved and unenlightened, and the door is that she founded still stands, a monustill kept open by divine Providence, wait- ment to her memory, but by far the ing for us to enter, let us last of all give up greatest monument is in the transour necessities to the infinite extremities formed lives of the Nestorian people. of immortal beings. Thus early in the life of Mount Holy- oke the interest in missions became The writer may seem to have given vital by having a representative at the undue prominence to the words of front. Miss Lyon in writing of what Mount Holyoke has done for missions. But From time to time similar and as it is for the reason that the avowed stirring appeals have come. One memand emphasized attitude of any Found- orable one was in I873, when a leter toward great questions or great ter was read to the faculty and the principles can not fail to give a trene! senior class. The letter was so wordee! to the institution founded. The words, as to be almost prohibitive to anyone "Take hold where no one else will," considering an affirmative reply, for have echoee! through all the years at 1Ir. Andrew Murray asked for a Mary Mount Holyoke, since lIiss Lyon's lips Lyon and a Fidelia Fiske to establish first utteree! them, and "culture con- a Mount Holyoke in South Africa. He secrated to service" has been the had been reading the life of Mary watchword to the present day. Lyon and was so imprest by it that he said, "This is just what we need for At first, :Uiss Lyon did not encour- the daughters of South Africa." And age her students to go to foreign lands, his faith was so strong that passage as she felt that consecrated young money was sent before he received asladies had plenty of missionary work surance of a response. to do in their own homes, urging them rather to induce their brothers to go. The Huguenot College in Velling- In I843 a letter came asking for some ton, South Africa, which Miss Abby one to go to Persia, and the letter was Ferguson and .lIiss Anna Bliss went read in chapel with the comment that out to establish, is itself the mother of "if anyone felt willing to go she many other schools in Africa where should write a note to that effect." the principles that Mary Lyon loved Within an hour forty had responded are being inculcated. ane! the briefest note was- The Mount Holyoke in Spain, H counted worthy, I would be willing founded by Alice Gordon Gulick, has become the god-daughter of many of to go. FIDELIA FISKE. the American colleges by their loving interest and practical help so gladly Miss Lyon little dreamed what the given. It is the torch that from its reading of that note would cost her, watch-tower in Madrid provides inspifor in ten days Fidelia Fiske, a young ration and illumination to the daughteacher at 1lount Holyoke, very dear ters of Spain and is already a recogto Miss Lyon, and but recently grad- nized power in that land. uated, was on her way to Oroomiah, the second unmarried woman to be Miss Lyon certainly established a sent out by the American Boare!. Miss Lyon, with hr.:r remarkable executive
9] WHAT MOUNT HOLYOKE HAS DO:':E FOR FOREIGN MISSIO:':S
trend toward interest in missions at During the years when Dr. Mari- Mount I [olyoke which the years have ana Holbrook of Japan and Miss not lowered. There was never an or- Vilder of India were at Mount Holyc ganization for furnishing missionary oke there was a secret society formed helpers, as has sometimes been said, of those who had consecrated thembut now one and then another in de- selves to the service of foreign misciding where her life woulclmean most sions, and they had a pledge similar to for service chose some farther away that of the Student Volunteers, not field of labor either on our own fron- then organizecl. This band was called tier or over the sea, until the roll of "The Yoke-fellows." Miss Wilder told honor grew to include 267 in the for- this to her brother, the founeler of the MOUNT HOLYOKE TO-DAY-THE VESTED CHOIR ENTERING THE CHAPEL IN MARY LYON' HALL elgn service alone, of which number Student Volunteer Movement, and we 69 are not living. of :Iount Holyoke feel that this little society was one of the initial lines that Through the untiring efforts of Miss brought about the Student Volunteer Anna C. Edwards, formerly associate Hanel. Since the organization of the principal, statistics of these missiona- latter, the members at Mount Holyries were made up and the l'vIount oke have steadily increased. Last year Holyoke Alul11me Association erected there were nineteen in college who had a bronze tablet in the new library bear- taken the volunteer pledge. ing the names of those who entered service eluring the first fifty years of In the equipment of the room in use the history of lIount Holyoke, with by the Student Volunteers is a large the date of graduation and of service wall map on which a gold star marks of each. Records are being kept and every station where there is a Holyoke plans made for a similar tablet when worker. Some countries-notably Inthe second fifty years shall be com- dia, Turkey, China, and Japan-are pleted in 1937. very golden; and even the 1110st iso-
lated islands of the sea are not lacking as mission aries during the year has in the suggestion that some one there also had its effect in awake ning a real, is trying " In His Name" to make a every-day interes t in mi ssions." dark place light. From the report of "The Student But some one will naturally ask of Volunteer Board" in the same hanclthe Mount Holyoke of to-day if there book we read: "Every yea r we are foris the same enthusiastic interest and tunate in sending out new r epresentasupport of missions as in former days. tives of the board to foreign countries. Shall we turn for answer to the report This year Katherine Greene, '07, and of the Missionary Department in the Ruth Vard,'03, sailed for Ch ina and STUDENT VOLUNTEERS OF 1907·1908 AT MOUNT HOLYOKE SEMINARY hand-book of the Mount Holyoke Mary Stowe, '98, and Grace Stowe, Y. W. C. A. for I 907-08. '07, went to J apal1. llay Shepard, '08, is already und er appointment for "A vital interest has been present China and sa ils the latte r part of the throughout the department in the two college mISSionaries, Miss Aliee com.ing summer." Browne, of Tungchou, China, and Miss Olive Hoyt, of Kobe College, J a- It may be of interest to add that pan. This interest has been especially one of the present professors at Mount manifested at the time of sending the Holyoke, while on a recent journey to Christmas boxes to them and when let- the far East, met in the empire of Jaters have been received from them." pan alone, eighteen mi ssionaries who These two missionaries are entirely had been her own pupils. supported by the contributions of th e college Y. W. C. A. Another of the departments of the y. W. C. A. is the "Mission Study The report continues: "The fact that Classes." Twelve courses we re organtwo gi rls from 1907 have gone out ized during I907-08. Three of these 'were repeated the second semester and
AND SOCIAL LIFE IN INDIA
two new ones added, with a total en- And this leads up to the thought that rolment for the year of 179 students. not all the missionary work, not even Some of these classes are conducted by all the foreign missionary work of members of the faculty and some by Mount Holyoke women, has been done older students. on other shores. Many a mother whose teacher or friend has done her The Y. "V. C. A. undertake many life work in foreign lands has brought other forms of religious and philan- up her own daughter to realize the thropic work. As about 85 per cent blessedness of such service and to conof all the students join in the work of secrate herself to it; and many a misthe association, and each does the sionary society, in city church or quiet work for which she, or the committee hill town, owes its missionary inspirain charge, thinks she is best fitted, tion and its ability to give largely to much is really accomplished, showing swell the funds that scnd others to the the spirit of helpfulness in the imme- front to the enthusiastic words and diate region anu in the neighboring self-denying example of one who has factory city of Holyoke, as well as in gained at Mount Holyoke what in far-away lands. older days used to be called "The Mis- sionary Spirit." The contribution in I907-08 for distinctively foreign work was $I,306.00.
CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL LIFE IN INDIA DY MISS LILLY R. GRACEY A luminous illustration of India au- eloquence." The address of one wovancing by leaps and bounds, as a re- man was reported as having "made a sult of the influence of Christianity, great impression on the audience"; was the representative meeting recent- another speaker to whom he gave spely held of the Indian National Social cial mention was a graduate of the Conferencc, an association independ- Madras University and principal of ent of sects, classes and creeels, but the Maharanis College, Mysore. the evolution of which is directly due to Christianity. Its members are na- Addresses were given in the Tamil, tive born citizens; its stronghold, the Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam and Eng- Madras presidency. The progressive- lish languages. ness of the empire is seen not only in the holding of such a conference, but The stand that the conference took also in two of its distinguishing fea- on questions of national and popular tures, which were that over two thou- importance was recorded in a number sand persons attended; and a remark- of stirring resolutions. It "noted with able fact was that the delegates had appreciation the efforts made by govto pay for admission, and that among ernment, missionary and indigenous those present were two hundred wo- agencies to spread education among men, some of whom took part in the Indian women, and urged the desiraprogram, and whom a native writer re- bility of all members of the Indian ported as having "spoken with marked community cooperating with the edu- cational agencies by making it a rule to send their children to schools where
they exist or by otherwise providing much in the speedy capture of the for their elementary and higher edu- strongholds of prejudice and superstication in their homes." tion, under whose shelter many evil customs thrive. Have we made any The conference urged all communi- adequate organized efforts in this reties to save Hindu widows from the gard? Such work as is now being customary disfigurement; to amelio- done in these two directions, we owe rate their condition by providing them mainly to the generosity of the govwith educational facilities and wid- ernment and to the benevolence of ows' homes, so that they might be- missionary bodies. Yet this is a field come better qualified to be useful and in which all of us, without distinction respected members of society, and that of caste and creed, can join and do they be allowed to remarry. much useful work."
vVith a view to promoting social The annual address of the president ane! national efficiency and material of the conference was a masterpiece. prosperity, the conference advocated a He opened his remarks by rcviewing gradual relaxation of caste rules, and India's progress under British rule, reencouraged tra"el to other countries. ferring to the empire's railroad lines It gave its cordial support to a move- reckoned in thousands of miles, to its ment to better the condition of unpro- millions of acres of irrigation, to its tected children in general, and to an commerce amounting to crores of steragitation that looks to the protection ling; to its improvements in harbors of girls anel young women from being and towns and to the legislative coundedicated to temples. cils open to the people. In sU111ming thcm up, he concludecl: "vVe fix our It went on record as doing all in attention on those permanent, immuits power to raise the marriage age table changes which will operate for both boys and girls. A resolu- through ages so long as India exists. tion adopted regarding temperance It may be safely asserted that out of was as follows: "The conference the turmoil going on we alreacly see urges the necessity of maintaining the emerging around us certain ideals that ancient ideal of total abstinence from will dominate the India of the future; u~ing intoxicating drinks and drugs at one time the Hindu mind did not and urges on the government, the revolt from human sacrifices which heads of different religious and were not unknown in the middle years social reform associations the duty of of the last century, and it even claimed doing their utmost to check the evil of Puranic sanction for them. It tolerintemperance." ated the casting of children into the Ganges; it approved of female infanti- In his address the chairman of the cide. It glorified, and when possible reception committee said: "There is enforced Sati. vVhere cIo we stand pressing necessity for organized ac- at present? The icleals of Western tion. Many of the items of reform civilization are taking firm root. They partake of the nature of frontal at- are not foreign to Indian thought, but tacks on long-standing petrified cus- in India they were for a long time lost toms. The eclucation of women and in oblivion or supplanted by other the betterment of the lot of the lower classes are two flank movements, the vigorous pursuit of which will help
ideals. Now they are cast into a con- but have started girls' schools. There genial atmosphere which is electric are ladies' associations in almost every with the energies that are creating important place in the Circars. They New India. It is impossible to stop take newspapers and hold periodical the ceaseless irresistible flow of Eng- meetings. The members deliver adlish literature into the country, per- dresses on social reforms and religmeating Hindu thought, transforming ious questions, and feed the poor on it in some respects out of recognition, appropriate occasions. altering it in various directions, and even "hen it fails leaving indelible "Recently the members of the marks of the conflict. Vie have to Social Reform party left the class of accept with regret the fact that there dancing girls severely alone, but many are some who still cling to the tradi- efforts are now being made to reclaim tions inherited by them fr0111 of old, them and many marriages have taken undismayed and undeterred by the place among them. The heads of movement of Indian thought. many of the families of that caste have taken a vow to give their girls "Their predecessors in thought op- in marriage and to discard their cusposed the legislation for putting down tomary life. Sati, for permitting widow marriage. In fact, it is difficult to name a single In one community whose heredity step forward taken in India which the profession is prostitution, the members orthodox Hindu Church has not met have resolved to lead the ordinary with hostility. If what I may call the married life. This was only to be exorthodox Hinduism is to be a redemp- pected as there are graduates among tive force for uplifting the Hindus, it them and many boys of that caste are can not be indifferent to the move- receiving English education. A womments vihich svay our thoughts and an of the dancing girls' caste has pubactions. But anyway, educated India lished a pamphlet in favor of reform is not going back to the prison house, which is largely circulated. it is escaping from." "Great impetus to social reform Briefly outlining the position the has been given by the Gaekwar. The Social Reform had taken in different increase in the girls attending the localities, the president noted that in schools is remarkable, and the Gaekthe lIadras presidency it had started war has also ordered that no one ladies' associations, and missions for should be a member of his council the elevation of the lower classes. Con- who observed pollution by touching tinuing he said: "In the Telugu dis- one of another caste. Association in tricts ladies have not only started as- meals between members of different sociations for their own improvement, castes and even of religions is prac- tically enforced by his own example."
MISSIONS IN
BY PROF. WALLACE ST. JOHN, PH.D., RANGOON Professor in the American Baptist College One hundred years of Burman mis- maintained their tribal distinction, but those who have invaded the valleys sions is nearly completed, for 1913 are Burmanized. wiII be the centennial year. Since the All of the tribes as well as the Engtime of Adoniram Jmlson, the cen- tury's investments of human life, lish-speaking peoples, together with heart-anguish and money have borne the Indian and Chinese immi- rich returns. Now Burma presents grants, are ministered to by the missionary efforts in almost every American Baptist Missionary Union, stage of progress, from the large, de- which has in that work nearly two veloped and well-organized missions hundred missionaries, including wives among the Karens to the new or back- and single ladies. The Church of Eng- ward enterprises struggling to prove land, through the "Society for the their worth to the people. These lat- Propagation of the Gospel," supplies ter, still in their day of small things, chaplains for the military posts and are sometimes located beside others maintains one Karen mission station, which are enormous hives of educa- several small Burmese stations in tional and evangelistic activities. The both Upper and Lower Burma, a few slow, measured tread of the Burman enterprises for Eurasians and one work is in contrast with the sporadic mission to the Burmanized Chins. The and marvelous quickening among the Wesleyans in Upper Burma and border tribes of Lahu (l{uhsos) and American Methodists in Lower Burma Was. The Shans and Bunnans are have a small number of promising inconservative, having their history and terests among the Burmans, and Eu- Buddhistic lore and ordered priest- rasians tho greatly handicapped by a hood, while the Karens and Kachins, lack of native workers. A small miswho are animists, and without litera- sion is conducted in the interest of the ture, are dependent upon the mission- Talains and Burmans by the British aries for whatever enlargement of vi- "Churches of Christ." The Roman sion or development of powers they Catholics have long been at work in receive. A large majority of Burma's Burma, having large investments in 12,000,000 souls are Burmese. The buildings and many laborers. Handi- Shans have a broad but sparsely pop- capped by their lack of a native literaulated territory. The Kachins, inclu- ture and by their attempts to develop ding Singphos, are scattered in hun- Christian character through a system dreds of thousands on the hills of the of compulsion, they do not attempt to north. The Karens, originally on the conceal the discouragements which southern hills, have many of them de- result in the defection of many of their scended to the lowlands among the European workers. Burmese, only to partake of the Burman's ways. The Talains, or Pe- In the Karens, Kachins, Chins, and guans, are fast becoming assimilated border· tribes of Lahu and Was the into the Burmese stock. The Chins missionaries found virgin soil. These on the hills toward the northwest have animists or spirit worshipers, being without literatures, had all, excepting
courtesy of The Baptist kli.ssio1Lary Magaz:ne
FORMS OF NON-CHRISTIAN WORSHlP IN BlCR1>1A 1. Idols i n Thirty Caves Sagaing 2. The ) lud-pagoda 3. Baptist Chapel-school House at Tha rra wad dy 4. Buddhist monk at his devotions 5. ~lohammedan ~fosque. Rangoon SC!;lfB ON THE CAMPUS OF TH~ BAPTIST COL~EGE, RANGOON, HOME OF THE EURASIAN DEPARTMENT
CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN
the Chins, reached a stage of develop- Hanson, seconded by his fellow ment in which they felt the narrow- Kachin missionaries, has practically an ness of their borders and looked for intellectual monopoly among these something better. people, which power is exercised for the truest good of the people. Chris- When the Sgaw Karens began to tian communities are flourishing in embrace Christianity, Dr. Jonathan both the Bhamo and Myitkyina dis- Wade reduced their language to wri- tricts. Many non-Christians have ting and with Dr. Francis Mason learned to read and thus are imbibing began a literature for them. Through the pure Christian thought of the misthe evangelistic efforts of Ko Tha sionary author. Byu, Sau Quala and Dumoo, together with the missionaries Vinton, Whita- The Lahu (Muhsos), and Was, ker, Harris, Abbott and others, a great along the eastern border of the Shan movement toward Christianity set in. states, within the present decade be- Now these vigorous people have some came receptive to Christian truth. large stations with associations con- Missionaries to the Shans gave attentaining as high as ISO churches, 134 tion to them. Several thousands were day-schools, with as many as 299 na- baptized yearly for three years. Comtive workers, with 2,000, or even 3,000 petent native workers from Lower sometimes in attendance upon the an- Burma, Rev. Ba Te being prominent nual meetings of the association, with among them, have entered this work, the total contributions for a year in greatly to its effectiveness. This mass one case amounting to more than $26,- of baptized people, scattered far and 000. Primary and middle schools wide, is ministered to under difficulty. have about kept pace with the The need of organization into churches churches, and in some cases have been together with that of the establishmaintained entirely by the churches, ment and conduct of schools, presses tho conforming to the Government sorely. Educational Code and inspected by the government. The Chins upon the hills long re- sisted the claims of the Gospel, but The Kachins received and provided now have begun slowly to receive it. houses and food for the first mission- These animists were too coarse and aries to them. These missionaries debauched to be attracted readily by were Karens sent by the Bassein Ka- the Gospel's lofty features. In some quarters the dull apathy has given way ren Christians. Dr. J. N. Cushing to a spirit of aggressive opposition. The ability of the Christian teachers visited their chiefs and secured this to endure persecution and the scores cordial reception for the teachers, re- who are asking baptism betoken a duced the Kowrie dialect of the bright future for the mission. Kachin to. writing and made a very small beginning of a literature. Later Burmans and Shans had long been Rev. O. Hanson took up the literary devoted religionists. With yellowwork, put the more generally known robed monks thronging the city streets ]hingpaw dialect into writing, having and village lanes, with substantial and in it a key to the minds of all the imposing monasteries in every com- Kachin tribes. Having the coopera- munity, with an enormous Buddhist tion of the English Government, Mr.
literature, partly taught m their as theological students of the various schools and partly recited in the theat- races, were earnest helpers in these ricals, they were not open to invita- meetings. tions to embrace a foreign religion. In the days of Burman rule they felt all The barrier of prejudice has large- ly passed away. The imperfections OUTDOOR SERVICE AMONG KARENS IN A and weaknesses of Buddhism even the BURMESE JUNGLE priests are not unwilling to admit. In general they are not troubled about the waning authority they have over their people. The dwindling of their schools to attend mission and govern- ment schools they take as a matter of course. A few traveling preachers of morals, stirred by the spirit of Chns- ti::tn propagandism, have arisen among them. In Rangoon a little coterie, headed by a coarse, vituperative, Brit- ish wearer of the yellow robe, carries on an active antagonism to Christian- ity. Burmans exemplify the Buddhist doctrine of passive resistance. With sufficient. ~ow, if not self-satisfied BURMESE VILLAGE CHAPEL AND SCHOOLHOUSE they do not generally wish to make the effort necessary to shake themselves such a friendly attitude in most quarclear of their social shackles and ad- ters the call for the living preacher is just themselves to Christian condi- loud. Many are needed. Further, a tions . As young people they flock to spirit of skepticism, introcluced by certhe feasts and the plays and as mature tain government officials, enlarged men and women they build monaster- and fostered by the "no religion" polies and pagodas, support priests and make pilgrimages. Still they are no longer unready to hear the Gospel. In Lower Burma especially missionaries and native preachers get a hearing without difficulty.
During the month of January the Baptists conducted a strong evangelistic campaign among the Burmans of Rangoon and vicinity. At some of their street meetings as many as six hundred listened attentively for hours at a time to missionary and native preachers, yellow-robed priests being among the number. Christian students from the Baptist Coi!ege, as well
icy of the Burma Government College calls for is rare. Only a few men are and lower schools, is an element which found to enter such seemingly tame must be counted on. It makes the but really heroic endeavor. Overpresence of a positively Christian col- worked station misisonaries are often lege imperative. obliged to act as pastors for these churches for long periods. Here is a Work for the Eurasian population field for the investment of a few strong lives. A noble spirit with mod- A MAT BURMESE PRIEST erate scholastic training probably fits one best for this service. Notice his mat of hair that has never been combed Immigrants from peninsular India are flocking into the more prosperoU'i is carried on in several of the larger and less populous province of Burma. cities. These people of mixed blood, The Indo-European features, in blacktho much looked up to by the natives est hue, mingle freely with the less of unmixed bloods, are often disap- clearly defined features of their yellow pointing to those who invest their own neighbors. The Indians are more induslives in their spiritual betterment. The trious and frugal. The Burman, with patient devotion which this service nature pressing her bounty on him, can not cope with the Indian who has had a lively tussle with starvation. The Indian in Burma is merchant, house servant, railway employee, car- riage-driver, common laborer, and sometimes agriculturist. Of these, Ta- mils, Telugus and Hindustani receive special attention from the missionar- ies. Schooling is given and evange- lists are employed for them. The many tens of thousands in the city of Rangoon alone could not be ade- quately served by the entire force en- gaged in the work.
Besides the China Inland Mission's single small station at Bhamo, the Chinese, of which there are large num- bers in every large town (40,000 in Rangoon), have almost no provision save two Chinese churches with pas- tors in Rangoon. Calls often come for these pastors to preach in other places. The Chinaman is the most welcome foreigner in Burma and rightly so. Chinese blood mingles with the Bur- mese to the very best advantage. The children enter the mission schools for
the Burmese, but provision for the employing a force of two hundred and adults should be made in their own fifty. Its superintendent, Mr. F. D. languages. Phinney, tho a missionary with a mis- sionary's meager support, is a promi- After nearly a century of labors by nent member of the Rangoon Board of Judson, Wade, Mason, Stevens (Sr.), Trade and of the Port Trust; an ex- Brayton, Cross, Haswell, Cushing, pert in business and mission manage- Stevens (Jr.), Smith and Hanson, ment. these various peoples have been provided with most of the primary helps. There is one Christian college-the THE VINTON MEMORIAL CHURCH, RANGOONJ BURMA Dictionaries, grammars, Bible transla- Rangoon Baptist College-affiliated tions, hymn-books as well as school- with Calcutta University.. The govbooks and beginnings of a general lit- ernment college, the only other college erature, including periodicals, are pre- in Burma, tho most' of its staff are pared to meet the needs of all except Englishmen, in its efforts to be nonthe mountain Chins. If there be fur- religious, the influence fluctuates, ther exceptions they are the Lahuo and seeming both to patronize Buddhism vVas who mingle with the Shans and and to undermine it. The net result may reasonably be expected to utilize is irreligious. Just now the Baptist the literature of the Shans. The hope- College is completing its three fine ful day has come when devoted Bur- structures known as Cushing Memomans are undertaking to produce a rial Hall. Tho the number of pupils few Christian books. who have been engaged in the two years of college work heretofore of- The American Baptist Mission fered has not been large, the comple- Press is a large modern publishing tion of the new B. A. Department house, working in nine languages and
1909J CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN
buildings and the meeting of the uni- schools, most of them being under versity requirements as to staff, to- Christian anspices. The demand for gether with the fact that Baptist mis- Christian teachers is far beyond the sions in Burma have only a little less supply, notwithstanding the fact that than 700 schools, are an assurance the government has prest upward the that Calcutta University will continue salaries in the aided schools, as well its affiliation and raise it to the B. A. as raised them in its own schools. grade. The principal, Rev. L. E. Christian teachers, prepared in mis- Hicks, Ph.D., is a prominent member sion schools, are led into the governof the Government Educational Syndi- ment schools by offers of large in- FACULTY OF THE RANGOON BAPTIST COLLEGE, BURMA cate, as also is Principal Best of the comes. Thus the teaching force in the S. P. G. High School. mission schools is depleted on the one hand, and on the other the Christian High schools flourish in most of the teacher, under the direction of a govlarge towns of the province. Not a ernment manager, is apt not to be an few of these are controlled directly active Christian worker. by the government. Notwithstanding they lack positive Christian influences, In a very large number of the mis- Christian students frequently pass sion schools girls are admitted. Not through them and go on to the Baptist infrequently the Buddhist, whose re- College, as occasionally do Buddhists ligion thoroughly despises womanalso. Scholarships are earned in these hood, now sends his child, his son, to a which are available in either of the woman teacher. Girls' normal schools Rangoon colleges. Tho Englishmen are attaining excellent results. Several and Americans are the college teach- large and well-conducted girls' schools ers, natives of Burma do most of the are located in Rangoon, Moulmein, teaching in the high schools. and Mandalay. Toward these the mis- sionaries look with special hopeful- Burma is supplied with normal
ness; for the trained Christian woman ers are effective preachers also, has is an effective refutation of Buddhism. made teaching attractive to those mo~e Schools in Burma have been im- ambitious spirits. Since some hold portant evangelizing agencies. The prominent government positions, and Bible is taught from the beginning to at the same time devote much atten- the close of their courses. In a few tion to Gospel preaching, another out- years the pupil in a mission school is let is found for aspiring Christian saturated with Bible thoughts and is youths. Yet the small incomes and in- apt to catch the spirit of a devoted adequate training has not doomed the teacher and seek personal salvation. ministry to inefficiency. lIany of There are those, it is true, who hope these Karen leaders gain a remark- to gain favor by accepting Christian- able fitness to preach. In an associa- ity and must be carefully and wisely tiona1 gathering in 1908 I heard ser- treated. The major part of the pupils mons of singular beauty and power.
are from Buddhist homes, even strict Three elements were strikingly pre3- Buddhists often preferring the mission ent. They were redolent with Scrip- schools where both Buddhist and gov- ture; happily illustrated from nature, ernment schools are provided. and arranged in good order. A well- The preparation of the native min- known pastor of New York City, istry is delegated by the Baptists to hearing a sermon in a large Karen the Karen and Burmese theological church, on being told the content of schools at Insein and by the Church of the sermon, remarked that its thought England to a small catechist's school would have done credit to any New at Kemendine. The healthful Karen York pulpit.
spirit not only has supplied as high as This flourishing Karen theological 125 pupils at a time for their school school is somewhat in contrast to the at Insein and as many as 40 to com- less-developed Burmese school upon plete the course in one year, but it has the same compound. Tho the bulk of supplied a considerable portion of the the population is Burmese, and all expense of the school. Pupils well races, not Karen, are included with qualified to take the course of four the Burmese, this school is scarcely years are earnestly sought by the sem- one-third the size of the Karen. Here inaries, but it has seemed impossible is the location of a great need. From as yet to require, as a condition of every part of the province piteous entrance, even six years of training in calls are coming for preachers. So the vernacular schools of the province. heavily is this burden pressing upon Courses have been offered to pupils some that they are wrestling in prayer who have passed the Calcutta Univer- with the Lord of the Harvest that he sity examination and also to those who may send forth laborers into His har- have passed the First Arts examina- vest. Burman Christians, much more tion of the university. Up to the pres- than the Karens, are attracted by gov- ent a disappointingly small number ernment positions and the larger in- have entered these higher courses. comes of teachers. The longings of The high salaries offered to teachers the Burman workers are beginning to in the Anglo-vernacular schools, to- materialize in the erection of a much- gether with the fact that many teach- needed building for class work. Two
MIs SIONS i N
Bible schools fo r young women are hospitals and dispensaries. At times sustai ned. The end soug ht first has the government has commended it been to fit them to be promot ers o f the highly. In some cases, Gove rnment Christian religion. As they go out has even given grants in aid of hostwo by t wo into the villages to wo rk pitals. The greatest drawback is the among the women, they gain also in ability to keep the medical posts supthe qualifications that make them home plied when medical mi ssionaries have helpm ates for the native preacher s and gone on furlough. A hospital that has t eachers. served a community conspicuously well and has gained special favors has E xcept such simple work a s mi s- fallen temporarily into the hand s of a sionaries do fo r the board ers in their missionary not a physician with the schools, the medical and surgical work THE BINDERY OF TItE AM ER ICAN BAPTIST MISSION PRESS, RANGOON IS carried on at the fronti er sta tions help possibly of a native hospital asonly. The purpose of the E ng li sh sistant. Government to provide such a id for the people affords encouragement in E lements of encouragement are this. S ince the raison d' Nre of medi- seen in Burma's mISSIOns. Not only cal mi ssions is to open a channel for missionaries but not a fe w native evangelistic work, the better facilities Christians put the inter ests of the which th e government supplies in the K ing dom first. To the mi ssionaries in more developed sections makes it easy developed fields important tasks press for the missionaries to give up this upon each other so rapidly and resistwork and r ely on educational work for lessly that they are well-ni gh overthe evangeli stic opportunity that can ,vh elmed. Some of th ese missionaries not be gained directl y. Most excellent are superintendents o f g reat central work has been done in these mission- schools, ad visers o r overseers for a hundred or more smaller schools in the
villages, managers of immense mission The remarkable success among the properties, custodians of mission and Karens and the more remarkable spirit association funds, counsellors for a of giving which Christianity has hundred pastors as well as general aroused in sections of the Karen traveling preachers. The duties at the churches are among the wonders of station may make journeying through the last century. Still it is true that the district impossible, and then the only a small part of the small tribes longing to do that which is impossi- of the Karens are yet Christians. Outble may wear more heavily than the side of the Karens the darkness is crowded tasks that consume much of very dense. Enormous labors for the the nights as well as the days. The Burmans and Shans are yet called for, cheerfulness with which these condi- and the prospects are brilliant. Hosts tions are met and the crushing respon· of these people are now waiting for sibilities borne by station missionaries some One to press upon them the shows a fine devotion. At the other claims of the Christian's Savior. The extreme are able men and women who commercial future of Burma will be in establishing new stations continue great. Commerce is now making proby the side of their successful neigh- digious strides. The Shan states are bors plodding along in the midst of destined to be one of the gardens of discouragements with the same faith- the world. May Christ be enthroned fulness that characterized the founder there before the days of material of the Burman missions. wealth arrive.
THE UNION EDUCATIONAL SCHEME OF WESTERN CHINA BY. REV. W. F. BEAMAN, KIATING, SZCHUAN, CHINA Missionary of the American Baptist Missionary Union When educational reform started destroyed. To-day the city has an in China, Chengtu, Szchuan, was up-to-date police force, beggars from among the first great cities of the the streets are corralled and given country to tear down its ancient ex- work, electric-light and water-supply amination halls and build new schools plants are being established. out of the old material. Lying in the midst of a great rich plain, the city is One of the most practical questions the political, commercial, official and connected with mission work in this educational center of West China's section is being met in the solution of eighty or more millions. Many cen- the educational problem, which covers teries before America was discovered all courses of study and must meet the this citadel was built for the capitol needs of all classes of students. of the empire and ranks to-day among China's greatest cities. Less than fif- I. Primary and Secondary Courses. teen years ago the missionaries (the -The missions established in this field only foreigners there) were all driven have united in working out courses of out and everything belonging to them study for all mission schools of the primary and secondary grades. Each school registers under its own distinct-
THE UNION EDUCATIONAL SCHEME OF WESTERN
ive name, and once a year submits a Christian uni~ersity in Western its examination papers to.a Board of China. Thousands and thousands of Examiners appointed by the respect- young men and women are being eduive missions belonging to the Union. cated to-day who get the opposite of The certificates issued by this Board Christian instruction. They read the are interchangeable among the schools opposite of Christian books, and are of the Union, so that pupils changing taught by those who are not only not residence can enter another school in sympathy with Christianity, but are without affecting their courses of opposed to it. They are given the study. The courses fit for college. best technical educational advantages possible. In the days to come these II. Ad7'allced Courses.-For the scholars will constantly come in conpurpose of doing higher educational tact with the Christian Church and work a union Christian university for with those who are to be the future undergraduate and postgraduate work Christian preachers and teachers of IS being established at Chengtu. China. If these preachers and teach- A lot of over sixty English acres has ers are not educated according to the been bought for the site. Four of the best and highest standards, their inleading mission boards of England, fluence and usefulness will be greatly Canada and the United States have handicapped. agreed to unite in the scheme. Universities in Western countries are also In the near future railroads will interested in the project, and some of make it possible for the citizens of them want to share in the work by Yunnan, Kweichow, Kansu and other providing a central plant on the lot provinces to reach this great center of for postgraduate work. Each mission learning. To it will also come the is building on a section of the lot sons of wild aboriginal tribes yet unassigned to it a set of dormitories and taught; and, too, the brawny scholars recitation halls. The students will all of Tibet will come seeking modern be domiciled on the mission sections. knowledge. With an almost unlim- Each department will be assigned its ited power for modern progress and work by the University Senate, so the upliftment of China, will go out that there will be no duplication of from these halls trained men to exone department by another. plore the untouched mineral resources of the kingdom, or to span the great The aim of the university is to give chasms and scale the rugged steeps men and women a Christian education with railway and engineering projthat will offset the influence so dis- ects; to give scientific direction to tinctly non-Christian in the new learn- agricultural pursuits, or direct indusing now pervading the empire. The trial development; to become great adoption by China of Western educa- jurists and able statesmen; or greattion as shown by the abolition of the est of all, to preach and teach and lead ancient examinations, the establish- the people to higher moral standards ment of the modern school system, the and Christian living. These, and education of women, the demand for many other agents of advancement, books, and the sending of young men this Union Christian University will and women abroad to be educated em- accomplish. phasizes all the more the great need of
OF' SIAMESE WOMEN IN THIRTY YEARS '"
BY MRS. EUGENE P. DUNLAP, SIAM, 1875- (1.) Improvement in homes.-There husband and wife together 1ll life's were a number of good Christian journey the better." women whom I early learned to love very much. Most of them have gone It is my pleasure to write that, to the better world. Many of their now, we see husbands and wives walk- daughters, however, are in homes of ing together, and riding in the same their own, and these homes are de- carriage, or automobile. The Siamese cidedly cleaner, better furnished, more gentleman now takes pleasure in in- homelike than those of surrounding troducing you to his wife. And we families. These parents are anxious to never see them with a long line of see their children brought up in school slaves following, as we used to. and church. We often see diningtables in these homes, comfortable It was then possible for the huschairs, bedsteads, musical instruments, band to sell into slavery not only his bookcases and books, and the sewing- children but his wife, in order that he machine is kept busy. They have a might have money with which to gambeautiful hospitality and are most cor- ble. Now no one can own a slave in dial in receiving guests. I well re- Siam. Then, woman was the slave of member when it was not easy to man in every respect. She had no invite the women to our homes, espe- rights that she could call her own. If cially to meals, because it was so em- she displeased her lord, it was his barrassing to them. Now many of them, whether as hostess or guest, prerogative to beat * her into servile show refined ease in their manners. Itinerating down tLe coast, I am often submission. The crying of abused consulted as to how the women may women was often heard in the land. do better housekeeping. We rejoice that this form of cruelty has now been prohibited and the wife One of the greatest hindrances to is protected by law. true home life is polygamy; but we have seen even this evil modified. We (3.) Gain in modesty.-Women hope and expect greater things in the have been influenced to dress more future. modestly and to practise habits of industry in their homes. Formerly, (2.) Position of the wife elevated. but few women wore dress waists; -In Siam, women used to be spoken they had simply a sash thrown over of by their husbands as, "Masters of their bare shoulders and very many the kitchen," or "Mothers of the chil- wore not even that. Now, we seldom dren." One would never see a wife see women anywhere without the alongside of her husband. He always waist; even away in the interior they walked ahead of her, the wife carrying often ask me for patterns and want the burdens behind. I remember, me to show them how to make the garshortly after reaching the country, ments. In Bangkok we see them Mr. Dunlap and myself were out on wearing those of the latest fashion, the lawn at home for a walk and I beautiful and costly. had his arm. In the evening, I was reproved by being told that it was not (4.) General respect for woman right for me to walk in that manner increased.-When the King of Siam, with my husband, for it was contrary whom we all admire for the many reto Siamese custom. I quite resented forms he has introduced, made his this and my reply was : "We are here first tour in Europe, he left the Queen to show these people Christian ways as Regent in his absence. She won of living. The sooner we can lead the admiration of the people. Before this, we had often heard Siamese men * From Woman's Work (Presbyterian). make sneering remarks about England '* He whipt her with a broom or a sandal; either weapon was considered disgracefu1. being "ruled by a woman." Now, we kindly received and loved by all. She hear them speak of "noble Queen Vic- stands for high ideals in Christian life, toria and her prosperous reign." with both high- and low-caste people.
The Siamese formerly had a prov- She has given to the Church in Siam erb which was in every man's mouth, some of its sweetest hymns and, in "Woman is a buffalo, only man is order to present an ideal of Christian human." The Siamese Minister of womanhood, she is translating the Education, in a speech at the closing "Life of Queen Victoria." Maa Tuan, exercises of the Harriet M. House mother of the lamented Boon Itt, was School, once said: "Through the in- one of the earliest Christians to labor fluence of your school and teaching of for the better condition of women in the American missionary women, we her native land. She taught in the have thrown that old proverb away Royal Palace.
and our government is founding General intelligence has increased schools for the education of girls." among Siamese women. Their views (5.) Progress in educatioll.-Then, of life are much broader and their but a small proportion of the women sphere has been enlarged since I first could read, and I well remember how made their acquaintance.
mothers opposed having their daugh- (6.) Christian progress.-In relig- ters educated. It was difficult, even by ion, the women of Siam are the faith- paying rewards, to persuade them to ful. When preaching is held on send girls to schools. N ow we meet sacred days in Buddhist temples, we many women, even in interior dis- see attentive audiences of women; few tricts, who not only can read but de- men, often none. The women are sire to have their children educated most faithful in merit-making, trying and are willing to pay the cost. When to work out their own salvation. In we are touring in the far interior, itinerating, I find them much more in- mothers often come to beg me to start telligent about Christianity and more schools for their daughters. approachable than when we started The Wang Lang or Harriet M. out many years ago.
House School, as we now call it, has The Christian women manifest been one of the greatest factors in the commendable interest in the welfare progress of women in Siam. It has of the Church. They are liberal in furnished many teachers, and several their gifts to support Christian work.
of them have founded schools and A good proportion engage in Sabbath- made them self-supporting. Most of school work and some have contrib- these teachers are Christians and, uted stories in print for the children.
whether in government schools or pri- Some are regular contributors on re- vate schools, they are faithful for the ligious topics and others to the mis- right. Only out of Harriet House sion magazine, Day Break. Some are School could the Ladies' Club have "King's Daughters," and through this been developed. It indicates how the society do practical Christian work.
standard of thought and aspiration has At the last annual conference of been lifted up during threescore years. Christian Workers, women came from My first work in Siam was teach- all the stations in Siam. More than ing little girls in my home, and this half the members were women. They effort was a feeder to Wang Lang. manifested the spirit of prayer in a One of the pupils we brought to wonderful manner and took active America at the time of our first fur- part in services and in discussions.
lough, and after her schooling in this Some who had gone astray for a time country, she returned. She is zealous were brought to the feet of Jesus, and untiring in work for her own peo- weeping. Many were led to a fuller ple. She is constantly among them, 'consecration to the Master's service.
FACTS AND FAITH OF BUDDHISM *
BY EDWARD A. MARSHALL Founder-Date-Place.-Guatama, It is what they call the "western para young Indian prince of northern In- adise," full of sensuous enjoyments. dia, was born 552 B.C. In after years he assumed the name of Buddha, View of H ell.-The purgatorial which means "enlightened." He died punishments which Buddhists suffer in at the age of eighty from eating too their normal round of births and much pork given to him by some of deaths constitute the Buddhist hell. his disciples. Its purpose is the preparation for final absorption into Buddha. The problem Fou11der's Reason for Its 1llaugura~ of Christianity is, "What shall I do to tioll.-Guatama was distrest over the be saved?" while that of Buddhism is, mystery of suffering and death. He "Vhat shall I do to be extinguished?" left his wife ane! child ane! became an ascetic pilgrim in order to discover, if View of Man's Duty to Man.- possible, some solution to the mystery. Buddhists are very careful to be kind to insect and beast, but are neglectful View of God.-Guatama said: "I and often cruel to their own kindred, see no one in the heavenly worlds, nor for fear they may encounter the wrath of the spirits which are punishing them among gods or men whom it would for sin. be proper for me to honor." Treatme1lt of Womell.-In child- View of the Created Universe.-It booe! a girl must obey her father; after is materialistic. Knows no creator. marriage her husband, ane! if a widow, Creation was effected by the laws of her son. She dare do nothing without nature, cause and effect. Destruction her lord's permission.- She has no soul and renovation are constantly going and her only hope of heaven is to be on by the forces of nature causing reborn a man. continuous changes everywhere. Character of the S:rste11l.-Bud- View of Mall.-Man is formed of dhism is atheistic. It denies that there two essences, matter and spirit. Mat- is an eternal God. It asserts that God ter but for a short time. Man's spirit is nothing, man is nothing, life, death is transmigratory and its good or bad and eternity are nothing. God has left conduct determines the body it will the universe and law now reigns. have in each succeeding birth. "Self Education.-Ignorance is considered is an error, an illusion, a dream." (A bliss. To cease mental activity is the Buddhist saying.) goal of their ambition. However, in spite of its theory, Buddhism in its View of Sill.-Sin consists in "de- early days of conquest excited considsire." To desire anything is sin. The erable awakening in primitive educaonly freedom from it is to become en- tion. tirely lost in meditative contemplation and become absorbed into Buddha in Attitude Toward Christianity.- Nirvana. Buddhists in Japan have strenuously opposed Christianity. The Boxer move- View of Salvatioll.-Existence is the ment in China was accompanied by cause of suffering'. The only way to Buddhist edicts, threatening Chris.tianovercome all evil is to cease to exist. ity. Buddhists have imitated Chris- Inward culture through right belief, tianity to hold their adherents. resolve, language, behavior, livelihood, exertion, mind and meditation will Present Head of Authority.-It is greatly divided, doctrinally and ecclesave. siastically. The Emperor of Japan is View of Heaven.-Nirvana is the said to be the head in that country. Usually each temple has its own offiheaven of Buddhism. There the personality of the Buddhist is absorbed into Buddha through contemplation.
* From The Missionary Witness.
AND CHRISTIANITY
cers independent of others. Delai and the quiet peaceful expression of Lama is Buddhist pope in Tibet. face depict their teachings.
The Priesthood, etc.-The priests of SuperstitioJls.-A common water- Buddhism are exceedingly corrupt. 'Snake is believed to be the embodiment The Japanese papers openly con- of the god of the floods, so when the demned them for immorality. They, rivers overflow, these snakes are like the Jesuit priests, take the vow of sought out and worshiped. Even Li poverty, chastity and obedience. Hung Chang went to a temple into which one had crawled and wor- Sacred vVritillgs.-The "Tripata- shiped it. ka," written in the Pali language, a dead language, as is the Latin of the Peculiarities. – Buddhism considers Catholic Church. They consist of animal life as sacred. Wear beads as Buddha's sermons, his moral teaching charms. Have images of Buddha only. and philosophy. Tibetan Buddhist Make many pilgrimages. Worship books differ considerably. relics of Buddha. Priests are paid for saying prayers. God t"Ind Gods.-Buddha had no god higher than a perfect man. He de- Specific Defects.-It exalts the beast clared that he knew no one he ought above women. Annihilation is its goal. to worship. His followers have erected Destroys human affection. Believes his image in every Buddhist temple and millions offer their prayers before in transmigration. them. Sects.-It is much divided. In Ja- Services alld Worship.-Worship is pan alone it has "nine principal sects offered three times a day over Bud- and fortv-two sub-sects." The Buddha's relics, etc., with an offering of flowers and perfumes with music. Sins dhism of Tibet differs greatly and is are publicly confest at the new and full moon. The laity attend for "COll- called "Lamaism." That found in fession" abd to hear the sacred book Siam is still another varietv. read. At times of pestilence people come for worship. Histor''.-It came from "a man dis- satisfied "with the surrounding relig- Prayer.-Prayer is offered to Bud- ious teachings of his day. It has dha by means of prayer-flags, also by spread throughout all Asia and has wheels turned by hand or by mountain the largest following of any religion brooks. These contain the words, of the present day. "One Mani Padme Hum" (Oh, the jewel in the Lotus. Amen) . Priests N umber of F olloweys.-Bl1ddhists are paid for offering prayers. number 137,935,ooo–Africa has 11,- Symbols.-The image of Buddha 000; North America, 5,000; Asia, stands out clearly as a symbol of the faith wherever Buddhism exists. The 137,900,000; Australasia, 4,000; position of the image (always sitting) Oceania, 15,000.
Countries in Which Buddhism EJ:- ists.-North India, Tibet, Southern Siberia, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Indo- China, China, Korea, Japan and wher- ever Buddhists have immigrated.
BUDDHISM AND CHRISTIANITY * BY CHIYO YOSHIO (A MISSION-SCHOOL PUPIL, AGED SIXTEEN) Religion is a system of faith and furnishes one of the strongest motives worship out of a sense of dependence to human action. For we know that upon a superhuman power and a rec- thirst for and aspiration toward God ognition of that power as an object of come from God, His Spirit working worship. Religion establishes a rela- within man's heart. Therefore we tionship between God and man, and should treat every religion with honor • Condensed from The Missionary Link.
and respect as well as with a feeling The splendid Buddhist age lasted of sympathy. We must know hm" our for a thousand years. It was an age fellow men think and believe in order of freedom from idol worship, of no- to help them. They are, many of ble humanity, and civilization. Then them, earnest seekers after God, fol- Buddhism was driven out from the lowing the ways of the Spirit along land of its birth, finding new opportu- different lines, searching if haply they nities for growth in eastern and north- may find Him who is the true Light of ern Asia, and a still more surprizing the world. development in Japan.
Tho Gautama's system included no N ever had a new religion a more in- definite teaching about God, yet Bud- viting field than Buddhism had, in dha was far from being an atheist, and stepping from the "Land of the Morn- upon his death he was straightway ing Dawn" to the "Land of the Rising deified, and Buddhism now includes Sun." While Buddhism taught the many another god within its category. Japanese gentleness of manner, kind- Buddhism is one of the protests of ness to living creatures, it also covered the world, for it represents a revolt the land with images, temples, and against Brahmanism and Hinduism. monasteries.
There is, perhaps, no sadder chapter Christianity had its birth in the land in the history of India than that pre- of Judea. It represents a new dIspen- ceding the rise of Buddhism. The sation when the God of the Jewish whole nation was bound by an iron nation was revealed as the Creator system of caste. The worship of N a- and Father of all.
ture had degenerated into the worship Christianity is now recognized as a of new and less pure divinities. The real force throughout the empire and priests were mostly ignorant and su- numbers its followers by thousands.
perstitious and believed in their own Buddhism is pessimistic, while Chris- divine right, tho very few of them tianity is optimistic.
were well educated or in any way fitted Buddhism ignores the necessity of for their sacred office. They had abso- accounting for the Great First Cause.
lute power, while the people" were cred- Christianity comes to reveal a larger ulous and submissive. At such a time universe and One who not only ful- Gautama was born, of a princely fils the law, but reveals a Lawgiver.
family. The keyword of Christianity is LOVE, As with other famous men, marvel- and its message is GRACE. It says, ous stories are told about his miracu- God is all; while Buddhism says, All lous birth. But we know little of his is God. It says, destroy the passions; life until he reached his twenty-ninth while Christianity says, control them.
year. Gautama then suddenly aban- The Buddhists' watchword is Nir- doned his home, to devote himself to vana, or extinction, while Christian- the study of religion and philosophy. ity's is eterml life in Christ Jesus.
His doctrine taught that "birth is sor- Self is the means of salvation, not the rowful; growth, decay, illness, death, suffering of a Redeemer. But Bud- all are sorrowful; separation from ob- dhism seems to be less a religion than jects we love, hating what can not be a system of philosophy; brought face avoided and craving for what can not to face with the problem of the be obtained, are sorrowful." Salva- world's evil and possible improvement, tion can only be obtained by crushing it evades it and prays "Deliver us out the desir"e to live. This desire may from existence." Christianity, prays be extingished by I. Right belief. "Deliver us from evil." The Great 2. Right aspiration. 3. Right speech. Captain and Leader says: "'I have 4. Right conduct. 5. Right means of overcome the world.' Go win it for livelihood. 6. Right endeavor. 7. Me and behold I am with you all the Right memory. 8. Right meditation. days even to the end of the age."
NEW BUDDHISM *
BY THE REV. G. OWEN, PEKING The wheel is the sign of Buddhism, The first "Noble Truth is that sen- and no better sign could be chosen. tient life or individual existellce is a Things have no beginning and no end. misery." Pain, sorrow, and death are There is ceaseless movement, but no inherent in it. Behind the sorrowprogress; only endless repetition. The laden present lies a measureless, soruniverse is full of vast world-systems, row-laden past, and before it a measeach system having gradually evolved ureless, sorrow-laden future-birth itself out of the ruins of its predeces- and death, death and birth for ever sor, become fairer and better till it and ever. "What think ye, my discireached its full splendor, and then ples ?" asked Buddha. "Which is gradually decayed, getting worse and more: the water in the four great seas, worse, till at last it became a chaotic or the tears which ye have shed in this ruin, out of which another world-sys- long pilgrimage ?" tem just like the old one has again sprung. The universe is a great The second "Noble Truth" is that wheel, ever revolving, ever changing, this sentient, suffering life springs yet ever the same. from desire. We love life, thirst for its pleasures, lust for its wealth and Life, too, is a wheel. It is vain to power, and thus, like those who -drink ask whence life came, for the eternal of the false salt water, we deepen has no whence. It passes ceaselessly the thirst and increase the woo from one form to another-now an insect, now a man, and now a god-and The third "Noble Truth" teaches having reached the highest it descends that escape from this suffering life is on the other side, and the god may possible through the destruction of deagain become a man and the man an sire. Life is false, and is fooling us; insect. unmask her, and expose her frauds; conquer love of self and lust of life; . . . While turns this wheel invisible, tear out the "seven passions and the No pause, no peace, no staying-place six desires," and thus for ever still can be; the inward strife.
Who mounts will fall, who falls may The fourth "Noble Truth" reveals mount; the spokes the way to do this. It is by the "eight- fold path" of right doctrine, right Go round unceasingly. thinking, right speaking, right living (the religious mendicant Ii fe ), right It was the merit of Gautama Bud- acting (the ascrctic-moral course) , dha that he discovered a way of right meditating (mental abstraction), escape from this ceaseless round of right remembering, and right practisbirths and deaths. He was born a ing ("the good law"). prince and heir to an Indian throne; but, distrest by the miseries of men He who treads this eight-fold path and of all sentient things, he re- will dispel illusion, conquer self, upnounced his rank, fled by night from root desire and attain Nirvana. his palace, and went forth into the wilderness to seek a way of deliver- All life is lived for him, all deaths are ance for all living things. After six dead; years of bodily suffering, moral conflict, and mental anguish, he discov- He hath escaped the ever-revolving wheel ered the cause and remedy of human of Transmigration. woo These he announced in the "Four Noble Truths" which form the basis The discoverv of these "four noble of Buddhism. truths" by Buddha is called the Great Illumination, through which light '* "The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana broke on a darkened world, and de- Doctrine-The New Buddhism." Translated from liverance came to all suffering, senthe Chinese by the Rev. Timothy Richard, Litt.D. tient things. When it was announced, Condensed from the Bible in the World. heaven, earth and hell, gods, demons, men, beasts, and creeping things, all
gathered in rapt silence around Bud- and by which everyone reaps just dha to hear the glad, awe-inspiring what he has sown. news. But the human soul, on leaving its Primitive Buddhism was little more present body, does not immediately enthan an expansion of these four ter another. The dead man has first "truths"; and the "glad news" which to appear before the dread judge of Buddha announced to the listening Hades. If he has led a virtuous life he universe was that there is a way of enters paradise for a season, or is reescape from the ceaseless round of born into some happy condition; but birth and death through the "eight- if his good and evil deeds are about fold path." But never was path so equally balanced, he is in due time straight, so narrow, so hard to tread. reborn a poor man, or a woman. Those Anyone of those eight conditions whose evil deeds greatly outweigh would be fatal to most men; the eight their good ones are condemned to suftogether must be fatal to all. The path fer in one of the many hells which requires not only the renunciation of exist in the under-world. There are the world, the flesh, and the devil in burning hells, freezing hells, and hells the ordinary sense, but in the monas- of bubbling filth, the tortures in which tic, ascetic sense. How far the path are varied and terrible. Men are is possible to the monk and the hermit bound to red-hot cylinders,. plunged in we will not say, but it is manifestly boiling oil, pounded to jelly in morimpossible to all others. Probably tars, impaled on spears, and endure a primitive Buddhism did not contem- multitude of nameless horrors similar plate the salvation of the laity, but only to those described by Dante in the "Inof the priesthood. The Buddhist ferno." In the larger Buddhist tem- Church consists of its priests and ples in China there is usually a "Chammonks, and by this eight-fold path ber of Horrors," where these tortures there is deliverance for none else. All are depicted in plaster figures with the most devout layman can hope for gruesome vividness. is to climb just one rung higher on the long ladder that reaches up to Nir- Nirvana is the only state in which vana. the soul can find eternal rest. But what is Nirvana? Negatively, Nirvana is But to our Western way of think- defined as absolute freedom from birth ing the layman does not seem to lose and death, pleasure and pain; posimuch, for the promised deliverance is tively, as the highest spiritual liberty not from death but from life, or rather and bliss, and absolute immortality by from the wheel of life-transmigra- the absorption of the soul into itself; tion. The doctrine of transmigration philosophically, it is defined as neither is much older than Buddha; it was a existence nor non-existence, neither a common tenet in India long before his state of consciousness nor unconscioustime. But, in adopting it from Brah- ness. It is nothing. To the Buddhist minism, Buddha gave it a moral basis. philosopher it means annihilation, to The soul's numberless migrations from the commonest -people, so far as they one body to another depend upon char- grasp it at all, it means rest. acter. Everv soul must be materially what it is spiritually; the bodily form This is the old Buddhism, as it was must correspond with the inner self. before the Christian era, and as it The body is not a mere cage or prison, largely is stil1 in southern Buddhist but the natural clothing of the spirit, lands-such as Ceylon, Siam, and its material counterpart and visible Burma. But about the beginning of embodiment. A beastly man is reborn our era, or a little later, as Buddhism a beast and a saintly man a sage or began to spread northward into other a god. lands, a new school of thought sprang up, called the M aha:yana, or the Great This is Karma, the moral fate by Conveyance, which very much modiwhich all sentient things are ruled, fied the tenets of Buddhism. This
1909J THE NEW BUDDHISM
school, which was founded by the blest beyond compare, and contains all Fourteenth Patriarch, exalts abstract that a pure heart can desire. Unlike contemplation above the old asceti- Nirvana, the entrance to this glorious cism and places it first among the place is wonderfully easy. It is not methods of salvation. "An hour of necessary to pursue the "eight-fold such contemplation," says the book path"; all that is necessary is to call under review, "surpasses thousands of devoutly upon Amitabha. A sincere the mightiest reforming deeds." The worship of this Buddha, with frequent missionary and the ascetic may be as repetitions of his name, will save men much victims of the senses as a plow- from the ceaseless round of transmiboy. Only by abstraction, by the turn- gration, and raise them to paradise. ing of the mind inward upon itself, Contrary to the old Buddhism, which can man rid himself of illusions, know C:enied salvation to females, women the truth, and be free. It is recorded can be saved by calling upon Amita; of one illustrious member of this but before entering paradise they are school that he sat motionless, with his changed into men. Both these schools bee to a wall, for nine years. With further claim the power of delivering the growth of the meditative school, souls already in hell, by means of ritualism grew also. Worship became priestly masses and the use of magical more elaborate, the priest more impor- formulas. By the mysterious influence tant and the use of magical formulas and magical power of these, the very more common, till at last, about 400 gates of hell fly open and the doomed A.D., there arose the Tantra school, come forth. which still further exalted contemplation, ritual, and magic. In both schools the repetition of sa- cred names and magical formulas is Great changes followed the spread common; but in the Tantra school this of these schools. Karma, or the doc- custom, as seen in Tibet and Mongolia, trine of moral retribution, was largely has reached gigantic proportions. In modified, if not set aside, by the crea- those countries every man and woman tion of a god or goddess of mercy some part of the day, and the devout (first regarded as a male, afterward all day, cry with monotonous iteraas a female) endowed with a thousand tion: hands and a thousand eyes, who saved all who called upon her. This mighty "Om-mani-padme-hum." goddess throbbed with pity for suffer- ("0 Thou of the Precious Lotusing men, driven to and fro on the "sea flower.") of misery" (life), and the utterance of The temples are provided with her name brought instant help. She prayer-wheels, which the worshipers is spoken of and invoked as "The All- turn as they go in and out. The peopitiful, All-merciful One, Savior from ple also have small hand wheels, which distress and wo, the Prayer-hearing they turn as they sit or walk, mum- Goddess." To the ordinary man Kar- bling as they do so: ma spelt doom, but Kwan Yin meant "Om-malli-padme-hum." hope, and her name fell like music on The wheels or drums contain a roll the ears of men. Her creation was the of paper or silk covered with repetiresponse of Buddhism to the cry of tions of these mystic words, and each the weak for help, and of the sinful turn of the wheel sends up 10,000 for a Savior. prayers. The words are also written on flags, and placed upon the tops of Another and equally important in- houses, tents, trees, and poles, so that novation was the modification of the the very winds may murmur as they old Nirvana doctrine by the invention pass: of a Western Paradise, ruled by an "Om-mani-padme-hum." imaginary Buddha called Amitabha or Is the new Buddhism so much bet- Amita. This paradise is beautiful and ter than the old?
EDITORIALS
REACTION AT CONSTANTINOPLE Prophet and his Holy Law." This be- ing interpreted means, No Equality On Tuesday, April 13th, a new of civil rights for Christians. Meanpolitical upheaval took place at Con- while, Sultan Abdul Hamid profits by stantinople. Some thousands of troops this upheaval. As soon as the solmutinied in the night under command diers' mutiny hac! accomplished its of a sergeant; they surrounded the purpose, he covered the men with an Parliament House, deposed the Presi- amnesty and publicly thanked them dent of the Chamber of· Deputies; for their patriotism. The soldiers, forced the officers of the Ministry to however, were out for a good time resign, and dispersed the "Committee and they had it. Vhile injuring few of L'nion and Progress" which has except by accident, some thousands of controlled public affairs in Turkey them carried panic through the streets since July, 1908. of Constantinoplc by shooting up the city like playful cowboys on a spree. Upon this the Sultan appointed a The roar of musketry was as if a new Ministry composed of third-rate fierce battle was raging. By nightfall men whom he can control. Through of the second day Turks and Christhe cloud of phrases which always tians alike were ready to give up their obscures from one at a distance the liberty to the Sultan if he would only actualities of an "event" in Turkey, spare their lives. The Sultan's hand one fact is clear: not only has the is long. It probably supplied the mil- Young Turk party been ousted from lion cartridges used by the soldiers to power-at least temporarily-but its scare the people into judging that they program of liberty, brotherhood, must make choice between liberty and equality and fraternity has been torn life. up and thrown into the waste-paper basket. Of course there is a possibility that the Second and Third Corps of the The Constantinople newspapers of Turkish Army may comc from the last weeks of March seem to indi- Adrianople and Salonica with the purcate that the basis of this revolution is pose of undoing what has been done Mohammedan reaction against equal- this week, but fully one half of the ity for Christians. A party of relig- First Army Corps in garrison at Conionists, screening themselves under the stantinople favors the Sultan's absoname of Liberals, grew bolcler and lutism. The Sultan has restored these bolder in claiming that military service regiments to the guardianship of his i, a privilege of Mohammedans and palace, whence they were removed by in protesting against the law about to the Young Turk party. The offibe enacted as to recruiting Christians cers of the Second and Third Corps for the army. About four weeks ago will think twice before facing such Ali Riza Bey, president of the Cham- odds in a civil war. ber of Deputies, in an after-dinner speech, denounced members of this ,yhat is to be feared is anarchy and party as traitors. Thereupon the bloodshed in the distant provinces, newspaper, Serbesti, organ of this where the ignorant people have the Mohammedan party, retorted with a anarchists' view that license belongs direct threat of civil war and declared with liberty. All missionaries as well that of the seven army corps of Tur- as all Christians in Turkey are now key, four and a half would support for a while in serious danger from the party of Islamism, while the local outbreaks of fanaticism. Already Young Turks could connt on only news of the revolution in Constantitwo and a half corps. nople has produced some such out- bursts. On the other hand, the Sul- The events of the week (April 12- tan, content with having regained su- 17th), confirm the impression produced by these papers. The war cry preme controll will undoubtedly try to of the mutinous soldiers was "The preserve the peace in order to prevent I give my money, or my time, or my European interference, and will prom- people, or myself for that work, my ise to observe the Constitution in answer is emphatically yes. It is a order to hoodwink his own people. work profitable in the past, and will AN HONORED VISITOR FROM IXDIA be even more profitable in the future. "In the Indian's home you see Sir Andrew Fraser, who was until last December governor of 80,000,000 bright, lively little girls, but you see no people in the province of Bengal, In- woman-they are hidden in the zedia, has recently visited America in nana. This does not show a lack of the interests of the Laymen's Mission- respect among the Indians for women; ary Movement and of the World's quite the reverse, and that is the dif- Missionary Conference to be held in ficulty. Edinburgh in 1910. "The man goes out and sees the Sir Andrew is a gentleman of unusual world and learns and he sees the folly intelligence, culture, ability and Chris- of his own idolatry, but back in the tian character and speaks with no un- home the woman, the grandmother, certain note of praise about the work calls him to worship in the old way, of the Protestant missionaries in In- and he dare not refuse, and this, of dia. At a meeting in New York, course, in the class that leads-the up- March 28th, Hon. Seth Low presided per class. We can only talk to the and introducing the speaker, said: women through a thick curtain, but the work of conversion in the zenana "Sir Andrew's opportunities for must go on, for everyone knows the gaging the value of Christian mission- influence of the mother and the wife. ary work to the people of India has You can only reach and teach them in been unusual. He went to India, in the the zenana. Indian Civil Service, in 1871, and did not leave till the end of 1908. He rose "Christianity is taking hold. The steadily to the post of Lieutenant-Gov- Indian congregations are realizing that ernor of Bengal, the highest he could aggressive work from them is needed. attain, the ruler over 80,000,000 per- Weare learning that the work can sons. It is well known that last year, only be fully carried out by the peoas he was entering the Y. M. C. A. at ple themselves. I have worked side Calcutta, an attempt was made on his by side with Indian elders. I have life. A man came up to him and snapt known an Indian, converted, to go into a revolver twice at his heart, and twice a region untouched by the missionary it missed fire. Before he could again to found independently a school and a pull the trigger, a Rajah, standing be- church. There are many secret dishind Sir Andrew, swung him around ciples. The Christian principles are so that his own back was between the being promulgated through the coun- Governor and the assassin." try, making a firm foundation for the rearing of the churches." Sir Andrew Fraser then addrest the audience as follows. CURIOUS CALCULATIONS "India is not one; she is many na- The Fireside News gives some in- tions, with many different tongues and structive comparative estimates. Great traditions. It is absurd for a person Britain's drink bill for the year 1887 who knows one province to talk of amounted to 1124,952,680. Weight of India; he must know all. I have the amount in sovereigns, 978 tons.
served on two commissions that took Time to count it, at the rate of one me twice each year "over the entire sovereign per second, 3 years, II country, and I have studied the months, 21 days. The height of a schools, the churches, and the hospi- pillar, if the sovereigns were placed tals. I know the missionary-I have face to face, 116 miles. The length watched him at"work. of a chain, if the sovereigns were "If you ask if it is worth while that placed edge to edge, 1,725 miles.
MISSIONARY
AMERICA Sailed Volunteers for 1908 The Big American Problem Three hundred and twenty-six stu- dent volunteers are reported as having Some time bcfcre his election to his sailed during the year 1908. They are present position. Rev. Frank Dyer, connected with 47 missionary agen- secretary of the CLngregational cies. By countries they are distributed Brotherhood, gave utterance to these as follows: In Africa, 38; China, 124; just and weighty words: India and Burma, 58; Jap:ll1, 33; Ko- The most undesirable citizen is not the ignorant, foreign-burn, foreign-speaking, rca, 2<); South America, H); Turkey, hard-wurking lill111igrant; it is he who, 12; Alaska, 6; Philippines and Vest American-born, is commercially success- Indies. 27; Mexico. 12; other coun- ful, thriving upon our Christian civiliza- tries, 21. The total number of sailed tion, but who refuses to liY(~ by the com- volunteers is now 3,861. mandments of Jesus himself, and is thereby unfitted for any share in the Summer Missionary Conferences for Young moral progress of our beloved country. The vast number of such among our cit- People izens const'tutcs the big American problem. Sufficient time has not elapsed to The Young People's Missionary prove to our wealthier class the hollow- Movement of the L:nited States and ness of the materialistic life. hence they Canada has in view the training of have not to any large extent turned with leaders who can take the initiative in avidity toward the kingdom of God. mIssIonary education in Sunday- schools, young people's societies, and Sixteen Nationalities in One Church other church organizations. One of the chief means to secure and train The Foster Avenue Church in Chi- these leaders is the summer confercago, organized in April of 1906, is ence. Five of these gatherings will located in what is known as North- be held in 190C): west Ravenswood, a new section of the city. the people all belonging to Whitby, Ontario, Canada, July 2-9. the "industrial" class. In thisficld, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, July 2-11. which at present contains 2,000 peo- Asheville, North Carolina, July 2-11. ple, there is one other Protestant Silver Bay, Lake Gcorgc, "'cw York, church and one Catholic church; ad- July 23-August 1. jacent to it is a German Lutheran Sunday-school and Missions. Silver church. Here are the nationalities Bay, Lake George, New York, July 15-22. represented in our Sabbath-school: Swiss, Sweck. GE'LTIan, Irish, Scotch, The special features to be noted are English, Webh, .I-"merican (two fam- as follows: ilies) , Canadian, Pole, Hungarian, Belgian, ~orwegian. French, Italian, 1. Mission study, in small groups and Hollander. To leave these people under experienced leaders. to the proper spiritual care of their old countrv would mean uS different kinds 2. Conferences on methods, under of chu'rches in a small area. Noone men and women in actual contact with nation is sufficiently strong to support conditions in local churches. such a church. and there must be added to that natiol1ill array the fact 3. Platform meeting-s, on devotional that a Swedish Lutheran w~uld never themes, for the deepening of the spiriworship in a Swcrlish Baptist church tual life. nor any other Swedish church, never; neither would a Swedish mission wor- 4. A survey of world-wide missions, ship in a Swedish Methodist church. in a series of addresses by missionnever. The same is true of the Ger- aries fresh from their fields of labor. man and all others.-United Presby- 5. Rest and recreation during- each terian. afternoon, with ample provisions for everv form of outdoor exercise under careful supervision.
For information concerning- any of these con ferences, address the secre- tary of either the Home or Foreign Mission Board or Societ" of "our de- amount to which the Presbyterian nomination, or the Yo~ng- 'People's Church is officially committed: This Missionary Movement, 156 Fifth Ave- would mean an in:rease of over $400,- nue, New York City, 000 per year frcm this constituency. It is doubtful whether money for mis- The Baptists' Share of World Work sionary extension could multiply itself faster than in such an educational The Northern Baptists have figured campaign. out their share in the responsibility of evangelizing the world, based on the Toledo Newsboys ratio of their membership to the mllTIber of people in non-Christian lands. February 22d a newsboys' building Counting these at 1,000,000,000, they was opened in that city, costing $roo,- estimate their share to be $6 1,000,000. 000 (said to be the only one in the The Baptist membership is 1,125,000. world), and furnished with a gymna- To care for their proportion will re- sium, a fine auditorium, office equipquire 1,227 men and 1,227 single ment, etc. This phenomenon is the women, not including wives of mar- achievement directly and indirectly of ried men. This will give one man and John E. GunckeL a single woman to 50,000 people. They now have 237 men and 123 sin- Seventeen years ago 102 newsboys gle women, so they will need 990 were gathered at a Christmas dinner more men and 1,104 more women. by Mr. GunckeL It required seven They will also need a total of 28,221 policemen to preserve order, and one native workers, men and women. The of them was put out of the building! amount of monev needed for the un- Last summer 2,000 newsboys had their dertaking is estil~ated at $12,378,°50. annual outing at Toledo Beach, and The average yearly contribution of the not a policeman in seventeen miles! Northern Baptists is now about $0.60. The Association now has 2, roo active This will need to be increased to $9.88. members, a total of 60439 having been enrolled during its history. Within Congregational Growth Abroad two and one-half years lost articles found by the boys, approximating The American Board has recently $32,000 in value, have been returned published these encouraging figures to their owners. The success of the relating to the growth of fifteen years Toledo movement has leel to its extenin the foreign field: sion to other cities and the organiza- tion of the National Kewsboys' Asso- Missionaries (including wives) . 69 248 ciation. 44 Pl-incipal stations ……….. 20 General William Booth 32 7 Other stations ……….. ,… 205 April roth was the eightieth an111- 13 1 versary of the birth of General Will- Ordained natives ………… 58 iam Booth, founder and leader of the 687 world-wiele Salvation Army. This Lay natives …………….. 372 event was celebrated with appropriate I I ,170 ceremonies in every institution under Communicants . 0"' • • •• • • • • • • • 3,833 the Army's cOl1tr;l, as well as by Added during the year….. 329 I,3 6 J thousands outside the Arnw, who have been influenced by the Ge;eral and by Schools ,……………….. 105 201 the Salvation Army.
Pupils …………………. 3.679 7,489 In connection with this anniversarv 43 an endowment fund of $1,000,000 was Students for the ministry….. 35 started for a proposed University of 10 Humanity, which will be' for the train- Hospitals and dispensaries…. 4 ing of y~ung men and women for all I TO,933 sorts of social service. Patients treated …………. 25,998 $604,45 I Appropriations for I year ….. $224,835 Stirring Up His Brethren Mr. Henry P. Crowell, a far-sighted Presbyterian layman of Chicago, has decided to invest $7,500 a year in a campaign of missionary education among the Presbyterians of his own State, in the effort to lead them up to an average of $5.00 per member for the work abroad, this being the Temperance Growth in Manach&set's Japan, Korea and the Philippines. Visits, with evangelistic services, will The recent elections in Massachu- be paid to such cities as Melbourne, setts towns and cities show as great Ballarat and Sydney. progress in temperance reform as in any other part of the country, and in The Pacific Coast and Missions some respects greater, The total vote gives about 26,000 majority against The Pacific Coast States should have licensing saloons. Of the 33 cities in a particular interest in missions to the the commonwealth, 20 have voted no- Orient, as they are destined to come license. Six of the ten largest cities into closer and closer contact. New in the United States in which the sa- interest has recently been awakened by loons have been closed are in Mas- a successful tour conducted by the sachusetts. Of the 321 towns, 270 missionaries. have voted against the saloon. Nearly all the temperance gains of the last The tour of the Pacific coast by Dr. twenty-five years in the State have Horace Underwood, Dr. Avison, Rev. been made since the No-License Earnest Hall and Prof. Homer B. League got to work ill 1906. Its Hulbert in a special campaign for efforts have been reenforced by mo- funds to meet the great crisis of evantives which have been strengthened by gelism in Korea. The broad-visioned recent legislation not directly intended philosophy of the missionaries respectto promote temperance. ing the interrelation of the Orient and the coast States of America made a Bishop Thobum's Semicen!ennial profound public impression in all the cities visited, and particularly in Port- In 1859 Rev. James M. Thoburn land. The business men of these went out to India as a missionary. In cities realized the immense significance 1888 he was elected the first mission- of the question the missionaries asked ary bishop for southern India. The them-whether they were willing that fiftieth anniversary of his going to the development of the Orient should India occurs in April, 1909. At the be wholly a material development unrecent General Conference, held in relieved by any spiritual factor. In Baltimore, Bishop Thoburn was placed money returns the tour brought imon the retired list, and since that time mediate pledges of $100,000 and he has resided in Meadville, Pa. It "there's more to follow." is proposed by his friends to present to the bishop, at the close of his half A New Missionnry Maguine century of service, a home in which he may live during the closing years The Board of Foreign Missions of of his life. The people of Meadville the Reformed ( German) Church in are contributing generously for this the United States has this year bepurpose, and it is thought that many gun the publication of an excellent and other friends of the bishop will be attractive monthly magazine called glad to share in this gift. The Outlook of Missions (Philadel- phia). It is well printed, well illus- The jubilee was marked also by an trated, well edited with brief paraanniversary celebration at Allegheny graphs, news from the mission fields College, when addresses were made by and from the churches, "Quiet Hour" prominent men and women. quotations and book reviews. We wish the Outlook a bright future. A World-wide Revival Tour The International Missionary Union March 25th Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, Mr. C. M. Alexander, and nearly The well-known I. M. U., of which a score of other workers sailed from our honored co-editor, Dr. J. T. Vancouver on a tour planned to cover Gracey, is president, is to hold its the better part of a year, and to in- 26th annual conference at Clifton clude the Hawaiian Islands, Fiji, Aus- Springs, New York, June 8th to 14th. tralia, New Zealand, Tasmania, China, Over roo missionaries are expected to
GENERAL MISSIONARY
be guests of the sanatorium, and Indians involved in the proposal to many others will attend the meetings. place carpet wool on the free list.
This is a rare opportunity for mis- This tribe is dependent upon its sheep sionaries on furlough to combine rest, industry. The attention of the Board social fellowship and opportunities for was also called to the need of a fur- conference. Those who expect to at- ther safeguarding of the property tend should write immediately to Mrs. rights of the Indians, with a view to H. J. Bostwick, Clifton Springs, N. Y. a more adequate protection of their interests.
Secretaries to Visit Asia and South America Dr. Arthur J. Brown, secretary of Oklahoma as a Mission Field the Presbyterian Board, will go to the Oklahoma has an area about equal Far East this summer, sailing from to that of Ohio and Indiana combined.
San Francisco in August. He will It has vaster resources than those represent the board at the celebration States with which it has just been of the quarter centennial of Protestant compared in extent, and about a milmissions in Korea, which will take lion and a half of people. The growth place in Seoul. Dr. Brown is planning is rapid. Here is a civilization whose to spend two weeks in Japan, four record is unparalleled in history. weeks in Korea, and four weeks in Where 18 years ago was virgin prairie China, making a total absence from without a sign of human habitation, New York of about four and a half now a city of 40,000. Another city of months. A friend has offered to pay 6,000 on a spot which was wilderness all the expenses if the board will send six years ago. These are not camps, three of its secretaries to attend this not clutterings of shacks; they are quarter-centennial. modern cities.
Mr. Robert E. Speer is also to spend The population is 86 per cent white, some months visiting the neglected and the enormous immigration in- stations of the "Neglected Continent," cludes only a slight foreign admixture.
South America. He starts earlv in Of the alien immigration to the May. Next year lfr. Speer gives the United States only six-tenths of one Duff Lectures in Scotland. His sub- per cent reported Oklahoma as the ject will be "Christ and the Nations." destination.
The opportunity for the Church is The Needs of the Indians right now. Set the church life mov- Representatives of the Protestant ing right, and the business is done, Home Mission Societies in conference so far as outside assistance is involved. with the Board of Indian Commission- The Church in Oklahoma will speedily ers, in vVashington, D. C, February take care of itself once it is well set 18th, made the following recommen- upon its feet. Men and means for the dations: start, that is all needed from the dis- tance. 1. The enforcement of laws preventing the sale of intoxicating liquors to In- There are over 40 growing towns dians. which have no organized religious work of any name. 2. The suppression of the Mescal cult.
3. Desirability of increasing the force of field matrons. Religious Progress in Mexico 4. Advisability of suppressing the The signs of progress in Christian boarding-school dance. work are always encouraging, espe- cially in a difficult field. Mission work S. Instruction of Indians in dry farm- mg.
6. Need of a larger force of physicians in Roman Catholic countries is reon reservations. garded as exceedingly difficult, and of The attention of the Board of In- these fields Mexico has been one of dian CommIssioners was called to the the hardest to work. But as affording question of the interests of the Navajo a contrast between the old times of
persecution and opposition, we are in- EUROPE formed that "thirty years ago Protestant missionaries were stoned and Another British Missionar), Exhibit driven out of Guanajuato." But in this same city recently over 600 Prot- Great Britain is more conservative estants of all denominations gathered in most respects than is America, but for a convention of Sunday-school in promoting intelligent interest in workers and young people's societies. missions that country is more invent- The convention was not only not mo- ive if not more progressive. Thus lested, but the visitors were received there was held in London last year an with nothing but courtesy on every elaborate display and object-lesson hand, and the governor of the State presentation of mission work in the met with and cordially welcomed a Orient. Mission stations, converts, committee of the young people and heathen rites and customs, were present a pleasant message to the con- sented true to life, and a great pageant vention. was conducted at intervals. Another exhibit is being prepared for next Conditions in Cuba summer to be called "Africa and the East." General Gomez is now president of the Cuban republic, and Governor- A special leaflet, "Africa and the General Magoon has returned to the East Notes," is to be issued from time United States. Some three thousand to time for the assistance of the many Gnited States troops still remain in secretaries and workers of all kinds, the island, but are to be withdrawn. who are making elaborate preparations President Roosevelt saluted the Presi- for the event. The Chinese street, the dent and Congress of Cuba with these Japanese village, models of church words: "Upon the occasion of this missionary society churches and instifinal act, I desire to reiterate to you tutions, the industrial mission exhibit the sincere friendship and good wishes -all these and many other features of the United States and our most will contribute to what is expected to earnest hopes for the stability and suc- be the most extensive missionary excess of your government. Our fondest hibit that has ever been held. hope is that you may enjoy the blessing of peace, prosperity, justice and Still another method employed to orderly liberty, and that the friendship awaken interest and diffuse intelliwhich has existed between the republtc gence is the organization of a modified of the United States and the republic parliament which is conducted on the of Cuba may continue for all time to plan of the British parliament. Miscome." sion fields are divided into depart- ments and assigned to separate mem- In Cuba the race problems will prob- bers of the parliament whose duties ably grow more difficult of adjust- require that they study their fields and ment. President Gomez has shown inform the entire membership through himself an agitator of the Latin- meetings conducted much after the American type, not always scrupulou~ plan of the legislative body of the emin the means he has employed. It pire. President Gomez convinces the more conservative people and property own- Mr. Meyer', Tour m Misaion Land. ers of the island that his administration is capable of good and honest Rev. F. B. Meyer was advertised government, in the interest of the to leave London for Turkey on March whole island and not merely of his 17th, and two days later to reach own personal ambition, the second Philippopolis to hold a three days' Cuban republic will be stable, but they mission, and on the 23d to arrive at can not be counted on unless they are Constantinople, where' he is to hold controlled by true Christian principles. meetings for missionaries. He wlll also speak at Smyrna. Mr. Meyer leaves Port Said by P. and O. steamer on April 21st, and is expected on ]Iay 6th at Penang, in the Malay Set- ciety has already enabled several hun- tlement. In June he will hold a ten dred men to become self-supporting.
days' mission at Hongkong, and in The society runs a small printing J ul y and August he is to visit towns office, which serves the double purpose in China. At the beginning of Sep- of supplying new recruits with em- tember he starts for home by the ployment and of printing the organ of Trans-Siberian Railway. It is ex- the movement, La Erode. M. Haute- pected that in China he will address feuille, the founder of the society, some 1,200 missionaries at health re- hopes soon to start another publica- sorts, where the meetings arc being tion, which will advocate the establish- planned. The expense of this part of ment of a National Free Church, open the tour will be borne by the Council to all worshipers, without reference of the Keswick Convention, in whose to creed.
interests the deputation has been Kaiserwerth Deaconesses arranged. The work begun in 1836 by Pastor The Church of Scotland Not Decadent Fliedner at Kaiserwerth is one of the The Scottish Established Church is glories of Germany. Its ministrations able to report that "financially 1908 of mercy have reached out to all lands has been, by a long way, the record by the kind and tender hands of the year in the history of the foreign mis- deaconesses, and it is good to know sion. In 1907 the total contributions that its work continues to extend.
available for foreign mission commit- From the Guild Supplement to Life tee purposes were 129,642. In 1908 and Wark for December, 1908, we they have reached 138,846. From all take the following, written by a recent parts of the country, from individuals visitor to Kaiserwerth: and from congregations, has the re- The work so modestly begun in 1836 sponse come. In many cases the one- has grown to extraordinary dimensions, fourth addition which was asked for and is still growing. Kaiserwerth is has been exceeded; in some cases ever lengthening her cords and strengthwhich have already come under no- ening her stakes. All over Germany, in tice last year's contributions have been other parts of Europe, and in the East doubled, and in a few they have been -Constantinople, Smyrna, Alexandria, trebled; and altho a considerable num- Cairo, Jerusalem, Beirut-she has flourber of congregations, doubtless for ishing hospitals and schools. Then you reasons of their own, have refrained find the sisters in various city hospitals throughout Germany, the directors of which had applied to Kaiserwerth to from sharing in the effort, the wide- provide them with a nursing staff. So spread character of the response is a much is paid for the services· of each feature which is in the highest de- sister, and the money thus obtained goes gree encouraging. and which gives to headquarters. evidence of the Church's determination not to fall behind in the great Twenty-five years ago there were in work of wor1cl-evangelization to which all over 600 sisters, of whom about 500 she is called." were deaconesses and 145 probationers. At the close of 1906 there were 1,250 sisters, of whom almost 1,000 were dea- conesses and nearly 300 probationers. At French Priests Renouncing Rome the close of that same year there were 6 "mother-houses" for the accommoda- So many French priests have left tion and training of the sisters, one at the Catholic Church under the impuL Kaiserwerth with 44, and 5 elsewhere of modernism and nationalism that a ·vith 21 sisters.
society has been founded under the Annual Reports of Netherlands Societies name of Anciens Pretres Catholiques, In America little is known of the for the purpose of finding ex-priests. missionary work carried on by the In the face of clerical opposition and churches. of the Netherlands.
popular prejudice the ex-priest has a The Netherlands Missionary 50- htrd time, but in the course of the two ciet:y, founded in 1797, is the oldest of cr three years of its existence this so- the missionary societies of Holland. Its report for the year from July I, Mennonite Union for the Propagation 1907, to June 30, 19Q8, published in of the Gospel in the East Indian Posits organ M aalldbericht, is an inter- sessions of Holland, and the Union for esting and carefully edited document. the Propagation of the Gospel in In Java it is carrying on an extensive Eg;,'pt, a!"e carrying on missionary missionary and educational work, un- work among the inhabitants of the der 35 European missionaries, of countries named in their titles. whom one is sent out by the Java Committee and one by the Netherlands An Excellent German Periodical Missionary Union, while 87 native Christians are employed. The success Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift (a is seen from the fact that the 80 con- general missionary magazine, or one gregations have a membership of not 'published. in the interest of any 12,678, and that 698 baptisms were partIcular sOClety), with such firstperformed by the missionaries during class authorities upon its editorial staff the completed year. The educational as Warneck and Grundemann, easily Christian work was carried on in 78 takes rank among the foremost of misschools with 5,218 pupils. The income sionary publications. The March numof the Society from all sources was ber is especially valuable, with its $51,290. Its missionary training- nearly ~fty pages almost wholly covschool is at Rotterdam. ered WIth these three scholarly arti- cles: "The Fifty Years' Work of the The Mission of the Reformed Netherlands Missionary Society," Churches in the Netherlands, pub- "The American (United) Presbytelish statistics in H et Zendingsblad. rian Mission in Egypt and the Sudan," On the islands of Java and Sumba, and "The Mission of the Berlin Sogroups of congregations are support- ciety in German East Africa." ing particular stations and laborers. A Church Most Unique The Utrecht Missionary Union was founded on April 13, 1859. Its fields The Moravian Church, like the of missionary activity are New ~arIy Christian Church at Jerusalem, Guinea, Halmaheira, and Buru (Dutch IS small at the trunk, but wide in its East Indies). From New Guinea its branches. Of its 64,567 communiannual report brings the refreshing cants, but 6,197 live in Germany, tidings that the movement toward while 32,478 are upon the foreign Christ among the heathen, of which its fields where its missionaries labor. It missionaries reported the first signs in numbers 17,820 members in the 1906, is continually increasing in force, United States, and 6,457 in Great so that it seems as if a great revival is Britain. In every country its adhernear at hand. There were 3 mission- ents are from three to four times its aries upon 4 stations in the work upon membership, since only the most zeal- New Guinea, while 10 missionaries la- ous of its converts are fully prepared bored upon the 8 stations upon Hal- to assume the conditions of life which maheira, and 1 missionary occupied prevail in a Churc11 so thoroughly Tifu, the station upon Bum. The in- evangelistic. come of the Society from all sources Germlln Students' Conference was $33,789 in 1907· The Auxiliary to the Salatiga Mis- The fourth annual conference of the German Student Volunteers for Forsion (of the Neukirchen Missionary eign Missions was held in Halle, from Institute of Germany), contributed April 16th to 20th. A number of during 1907, $8,928 for the support of well-known missionary leaders were the prosperous work upon that station on the program, and of the many sub- jects to be discust we mention, "Imin Java. portant Missionary Problems in In- The Ermelo Missionary Union is dia," "Urgent Problems in Africa," "Open Doors in East-Asia." engaged in missionary labors in Africa, while the Java Committee, the
John R. Mott in Scandinavia be illustrated by a few facts which are all the more significant in view of the Dr. Karl Fries, the chairman of proverbial lack of expression on the the World's Student Federation, part of Scandanavian students. After writes in the Student World: one meeting in Copenhagen, Mr. Mott "There was a marked difference in invited those who wished to believe in the reception given to Mr. Mott at this visit as compared to the visit ten years Christ, but felt conscientiously unable ago. Then he was looked upon with to do so, to meet him in a private some distrust even by those who pro- house situated at a considerable disfest to be Christians, while those op- tance. At the late hour of I I P.M., posed to Christianity kept aloof from about thirty came together and listhe meetings. Now the Christians re- tened for more than an hour to Mr. ceived him with confidence and the au- Mott on overcoming doubts. In He1diences included students of all possi- singfors on~ hundred and seventy ble shades of opinion. In Christiania, students who had not previously been a professor of jurisprudence invited in touch with the Christian Union sigto his home the leading men of the nified their intention of beginning a athletic, social, political, and profes- new life with Christ as their personal sional clubs to meet Mr. Mott. As Savior. a result men from all these groups attended. A large hall was crowded to "In each of the places visited Ml'. the utmost at every occasion. The Mott ende,j with a meeting of the first meeting was attended by the King, leaders and aimed at putting the rewho invited Mr. Mott to a private sponsibility on them and giving them audience on the following day. An- guidance regarding conserving the reother day the Student Corporation, sults. Great stress was laid on organwhich includes nearly all the students izing Bible circles. In Copenhagen, of the University, arranged a recep- there were already before Mr. Mott's tion which was attended' by at least visit seventeen Bible circles, but it was five hundred. resolved to aim at doubling this num- ber and similar resolutions were taken "In Stockholm the first meeting was in the other places. attended by nearly one thousand students and older schoolboys and girls. "Much prayer had been offered by At a meeting open to the public about the students who were responsible for three thousand people crowded the the organization of the meetings and church. by many other friends in various coun- tries who faithfully uphold Mr. Mott "The attendance not only in Upp- in his work." sala and Lund but in all the universities was far beyond expectation, and ASIA in many cases the biggest halls of the cities were crowded. In Copenhagen Orient and Occident Coming Together Mr. Mott found the largest student audience which he has ever addrest in The ditch through the sand fr01l1 the Occident, fourteen hundred men, Port Said to Suez has changed the drawn from the university, the poly- course of the world's commerce, and technic, and the colleges. On several the bronze hand of Ferdinand de Lesoccasions nearly equally large num- seps points not at the canal, but tobers of men gathered and on one occa- ward Europe, from which the best sion three thousand people of the things for the East are constantly comgeneral public filled a church tho ad- ing. All along the line from Yokomitted only by ticket. A similar num- hama to the Mediterranean great ships ber attended one of the meetings in are carrying to the West the products Helsingfors. -tea, coffee, silks and myriads of other articles that the world wants, "The intensity of the interest may and taking toward the East the prod- ucts of the highest civilization the world has ever seen. It looks strange
at first to see a Cinghalese acting as and Afghanistan, and they, with wamotorman and a Chinaman as con- ning strength, exercise little or no inductor on an electric-car at Singapore t1uence in world political questions. or Colombo, or a native of Sumatra as chauffeur of the latest build of auto- Mecca's We:come to Liberty mobile, but they are doing it, and ?oing it well, and seem to be catch111g The Sacred City of Mohammed, on to the growth of the rest of hu- where the Kaaba Stone stands as the manity.-REv. C. C. ADAMS, in The goal of pilgrims, has welcomed the Pacific. constitution that destroys the boasted supremacy of the Sultan in religion, The Sultan as Ruler of Islam judicature, and public administration. The Arabian press reports that in Secretary Barton has recently said former times llecca was known as that "the influence of the Sultan of EI-Balad ttl ameen, the "city of lib- Turkey over .Moslems of all races far erty"-liberty for man and beast and surpasses that of any other living tree. No offender against the law man, however much we may question who took refuge there could be aphis ability to inaugurate a general holy prehended; no wild creature could be war against infidels, or questio.n his hunted; no tree could be felled. But right to be called the representative of during the late reign of terror estab- MOhammed. It is a significant fact lished by the government at Constanthat negotiations for the peaceable tinople, Mecca has been a pandemosubmission of the Moslems in the nium of misery. The natives of the Philippines to the government of the land have been robbed and their land- United States were carried on at Con- ed property usurped by the sheriff of stantinople between the United States Mecca. The pilgrims coming from all Minister and the Sultan of Turkey. It parts of the Moslem world have b~en is known that a communication from subjected to every sort of extortlOn the Sultan to the Moros advising them and inconvenience, to accept quietly the sovereignty of the United States accounts for the We read in the Arabic paper, El fact that they have caused us no more Lewa (Constantinople): trouble than they have. It is reported in the daily press that the good offices On the 18th of August, 1908, the indigof the Sultan of Turkey have been nation of the upholders of despotism sought by the British Government to against the populace reached its limit, keep the Moslems in India in ?:der and their nerves were stra1l1ed to a while the present disturbed conditIons breaking-point by hearin~ so freq~ently prevail." the word "liberty," publtcly mentIOned. So, the Kaim-Makam, or the Lieuten<l:nt- Political Power of Islam Waning governor of Mecca, convened a meetmg of the officials at the Government-house, Turkey and Persia: these two countries are the only remaining independ- with the object of deciding on the arrest ent Mohammedan governments of any considerable significance. Other Mos- of everyone who uttered the word "liblem powers once playing an important erty." part in the politics of the world have come under the protectorate or control The streets were thronged with of Christian nations, like the Mogul crowds of people shouting "Liberty," Empire of India, and the kingdom of and the Sacred City seemed suddenly Zanzibar and Algeria, or have pass~d transformed into a revolutionary out of existence, like the Moors 111 Paris. Spain. There remain to-day practically only two independent Mohamme- INDIA dan governments besides the two we have under consideration, Morocco United Theological College Perhaps the most importan~ ~nd far-reaching step taken on the miSSlOn- field in recent years is in the direc- tion of a closer union of one Chris- tian body with another. The Church of Japan would seem to have taken the lead. In India there has been thi.s tanica is not appreciated as it ought coming together of the several Presby- to be, for the simple reason that we terian bodies; while our own London are not able to recognize the worth Mission, and the .Madura American of any benefit till it has gone.-Mos- Mission have been stretching out lCIn Herald. their hands. A United Theological College for the higher training of In- Missionary Honon dian Christians-preferably graduated -through the medium of English, is Rev. Henry Forman, of the Ameri- to be started in the near future in can Presbyterian Mission, has recently Bangalorc; the L.l1.S., the American been given the Kaiser-i-Hind medal lIadUl"a, and also the Vesleyan Mis- for service in famine-relief. The same sion-it is hoped-each contributing a honor has been given to Dr. ]. P. professor; while the most opportune Jones by the British Government, for Arthington Fund has promised a lib- "distinguished service in India." Dr. eral grant. Such a college must here- J ones is at present taking active part after exercise a powerful influence for in a campaign in America. good on the life and thought of the Indian Church, and do for the South, Latest News from the National Socie'y on a modest scale, what the imposing scheme for a great Christian univer- The immediate opening of work in sity, with its theological degrees, at a new field has been decided on. This Serampore is expected to do for the makes the third field of the society North.-Lolldon Chronicle. and is situated in western India, while the other two, it will be remembered, Religious Feuds in India are in northern India, one in the Pan- jab and the other in the United Prov- The recent affrays in Calcutta be- inces. The new field comprises the tween Hindus and .Mohammedans are Karjat Taluk of the Ahmednagar disone more proof that the tension of trict and the Karumala Taluk of the feeling between the two communities Sholapur district. The work is to be is becoming more and more acute, and commenced by sending there the Rev. emphasizes the necessity of penna- Savalramjee Salve, who has been for nently providing against the recur- nine years pastor of the Ahmednagar rence of such untoward incidents. first church. His support is guaran- That fracases of this sort seriously in- teed by the church which he now terfere with business is undeniable. leaves to go out to the mission field. It is equally true that the innocent Immediate appeals are being issued to suffer for the sins of designing per- secure a qualified Indian missionary to sons. Time and again attempts have take charge of the mission. A fourth been made to reconcile these two large field has also been selected to be sections of the Indian population; but worked on behalf of the Mar Thoma the differences have not been sunk. Syrian Church. It is in the southern Whv? Because evidentlv there is no borders of the Nizam's dominions. love' lost between the two" classes. We The Syrian community has already would suggest the appointment of a forwarded Rs. 5IO as its first instalcommittee to investigate into the ment toward the cost of this mission. causes of these yearly outbreaks, and -I1ldian Witncss. to find out the best means of bringing about peace between the divided com- C. E. Convention in India munities. It is plain from what has hitherto taken place that British Gov- The World's Christian Endeavor ernment is the only security for peace Convention will be held at Agra, Inand tranquillity in this country. The dia, November next. The Makhzan moment John Bull leaves these shores I Masihi says: "One great aim of the chaos would reign in India. Pax Brit- Convention will be to let the thousands c:f young converts see that they be- long to a great army with branches in every province of India, as well a[
throughout the world. – Woman's The head priest of the temple came out Work. to see me, and asked about things he saw lying about. He came upon a book Indian Women in Congress and wanted to know what it was. Being told that it was a book, he wanted to The part which Indian women know whether it was English or French, played in the recent national congress and was surprized to find it written in the is causing comment. Over 100 Ma- most beautiful Laos characters he had dras Hindu ladies assembled at the so- ever seen. "Who wrote it?" "Not writcial congress, when several read pa- ten, it is prinkd." "How did they do pers before a large audience of men. it? What is it about?" Being told that "This is the first time that a caste it was a dream that a man who was in woman in Madras has ever spoken in prison had written out, he started to public," was (he comment of a Brah- read. When he was compelled to leave man lady. The faces of the men were he asked to borrow the book. Next an interesting study, for the large audience seemed to be vastly amused, mornins he brought it back to ask perastonished and pleased to think that their women folk could speak so well mission to keep it longer; he had read it in public. The papers read showed all nig-ht, and had not finished. It all that thoughtful and careful considera- ended in his accepting "Pilgrim's Progtion is now being given by Indian ress" as a present, and the fame soon women to important domestic subjects. spread through the neighborhood, and we The papers were on "Marriage expen- disposed of all the literature we had ses," "The raising of a marriageable brought with us and two loads more, but age for girls," "Should English be as brethren from the north were coming taught to our girls," etc.-Madras through Pen Nyow they camped by that Statesman. temple. The prie~t called on them and told of the book, and that it had been Progress Among Indian Women stolen from him during a Shan raid_ He wanted another, and also a copy of the A most interesting proof of prog- Bible to which the book referred. The ress, and that among the 'Women of old priest received the books with Mysore, was given me by an old marked gratitude, and seemed especially Hindu priest whom I knew intimately, pleased to get the Bible. Weare praythe founder of an important temple in ing that God will use His Worel to the the city, of some generous charities, salvation, not only of the priest, but also and of a remarkable Oriental and of many of his followers. mixed library and reading-room. This reading-room was, at the time of my Soon Itt Memorial. Siam visit, closed every day of the week from three to five to men, and open Progress is reported on the Boon Itt only to Indian women; a social gathering of ladies, Indian and European, Memorial building in Bangkok. The started by the educated wife of this beautiful red tile roof is on, the walls 'enlightened man, is held every Saturday afternoon, when papers are read have been plastered both inside and by the Indian ladies on social and religious questions.-Chrollicle. out and are now ready for the white The Laos Reading the Word ccat, which will be tinted a delicate yellow. The floor will soon be laid Rev. Hugh Taylor gives in All The W or/d, an instance showing how the throughout the entire building. The Word of God satisfies heart-hunger among the Laos of Siam: building from the outside is very pretty and presents a very striking ap- Four years ago we were camped by pearance. one of the chief temples of the district. The Board of Directors of the Boon Itt Memorial has authorized Dr. E. P.
Dunlap, the president of the organi- zation, to confer with the Board of Foreign Missions in New York with a view of raising at once $3,000 gold, so as to get the building ready for occu- pation and finish it along lines laid out from the first.
The Boon Itt Memorial will also be called the Young Men's Institute. It has a board of fifteen directors, a con- stitution modeled after the Y. M.
MISSIO~ARY INTELLIGENCE
C. A. work in America, with the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in same evangelical basis that has been the course of an address: .. It is stated the Gibraltar of that noble orgamza- that the population of China numbers tion. 400,000,000. But, if one deducts from this figure the Chinese women and con- CHINA siders them as ciphers, China has but half of its inhabitants. . .. The woman The Celes!ial Empire Census who remains in ignorance wrongs not only herself, but also her family and her Hitherto we have had only esti- country." mates, but now China is about to take a census of the uncounted millions Chinese Girls Graduate in Medicine within her borders. In accordance with the program for constitutional Seven young Chinese women gradreform, an edict, which has been re- uated recently from the medical colceived at the State Department, has lege of the Presbyterian Board at Canbeen issued directing police and pro- ton. The Taotai, or mayor of the city, vincial treasurers to enumerate the in- was present and delivered an address dividuals and families of the empire. which closed with the wish, "May you The returns for the census of families female students all pluck up your must be completed by 19IO and for courage!" No doubt they will do this, individuals by 1912. After returns are all over China. It is a new day for made the records of families will be that old empire when Chinese women reviewed each two months and the physicians from Christian missionary records of individuals every half year. institutions are sent forth to their pro- The edict provides that the communi- fessional work with the official approties not yet organized into provinces, val of their rulers. such as Inner and Outer Mongolia and Tibet, must be enumerated by A Religious Bank Opening their respective officials, who will report to the Board of the Interior. Two Christian Chinese opened a bank at Chefoo, last summer, and Chinese Women Coming to Their Own marked the occasion by a religious service. Mr. Elterich says that every Not a few signs appear that Chinese opening of a heathen business firm is women will ere long attain to their attended with superstitious practises. intellectual and social rights. Anti- He understands that one-twelfth of footbinding societies have been estab- the profits of this .Christian bank are lished; numerous young women's to go to the Lord's work, one-twelfth clubs have been formed, and some of to the employees, and the balance to the members have boldly proclaimed the firm. What would be the result if themselves as "girls who follow their our church-members at home would own will." At Peking and Shanghai conduct their business enterprises on a "gazette for young women and this basis.-Woman's Work. girls" has appeared; and in a recent number one reads the following: JAPAN AND KOREA Oh, ye 200,000,000 of Chinese, our sis- Social Changes in Korea ters, listen! In China it is said that man is superior and woman inferior; that man Yesterday a wedding was performed is noble and woman vile; that man in the First Methodist Church here, should command and woman obey…. the contracting parties of which were But we are not under the domination of both Koreans. The groom is the diman. The nature of man and of woman rector of the Educational Bureau of is the universal sense of Heaven. How, Korea, and the bride the daughter then, can one make distinctions and say of the Governor of Chemulpo. Many that the nature of man is of one sort, prominent men and women were presand that of woman of another? for the ent. The dividing curtain between the Celestial principle has neither form nor men and the women was down its full figure. :Recently the second wife of the length for the first time in the history of Korea. Among the higher-class celebrated Yuan (:he-k 13ai, pre§ideut of guests present was a prince who sat beside his wife, one of th~ ladies-in-
waiting at the palace. Truly, it is Koreans. We know, many good Korean startling to think of the contrast be- people want to be our church member, tween the Korea of twenty years ago but there is one thing to hinder them and the Korea of to-day. There sat become our Church member. That is many ladies who had always been so they can not speak English well enough. carefully nurtured and so completely We all don't learn from service and can secluded that one naturally thought it not understand words of the sermon. It must be a frightful ordeal for them. seems to us very hard to increase our Yet seemingly it was not so, for they Church membership. Therefore we ask chatted and laughed and seemed to in favor that you let us have a own place feel as much at home in the gaze of to worship God and appoint a priest who the world as do their "tVestern sisters. can speak us by our own language. This Hail to the new Korea !-World-Wide is our anxious hope. J'Iissiolls. Korean Students in Japan Spiritual Marvela in Korea From The Chillese Student in Japan In a recent r¥estminster, Minot C. for November, 1908, arc taken the fol- lowing facts: Morgan tells of two "experiences" he had in Korea, of which the first was There are at present 700 Korean in Seoul. "Wednesday evening we students living in Tokyo, Japan. Their attended prayer-meeting. There were studies embrace the practical subjects of 600 present, and this is only one of a law, commerce, agriculture, medicine, number of churches in the city. Six theology and technical courses. The hundred, think of it, ask yourself what average age of the student is nineteen. it means. It means that Christianity The intense desire of these young men looms large to these people. It is the to fit themselves for spheres of honor whole thing, and they know it. The and usefulness is evident from the fact whole congregation comes to prayer- that out of the total number there, only meeting, to Sunday-school, to church eighty-one are at the expense of the govtwice on Sunday, and how they listen." ernment. As Tokyo is conveniently near and as it offers excellent facilities for But his Sunday in Pyeng Yang mental advancement, it is more than brought his "greatest experiences." likely that some years to come there First came the I I o'clock service for will be a steady increase in the number women in the Central Church, with of students. This year there is already more than 1,000 present, and Pastor an increase over last year of two hun- Kim, a native Korean, presided. "At dred. In the various centers of learning 2 P.M., we were back for the men's the progress of the Korean students is service. It was full, about I AOO pres- not a whit behind that of their compeers. ent. Think of it, a total of at least Mr. Kim, Young Men's Christian Asso- 2,400, and in a town which was wholly ciation secretary among the Koreans, a and unanimously heathen only four- capable and active leader, gives a report teen years ago, with the reputation of full of encouragement. In every branch being the worst town in Korea!" of the work there is a steady increase. The enrolment of students both in the Korean Pastor Needed in Hawaii English and in the Bible classes is over 100. Since the secretary began his work The Spirit of Missions publishes more than twenty of the students have this appeal addrest to Bishop Resta- become earnest Christians. rick, and signed by 93 Koreans in Jubilee Conference in Japan Honolulu: The Church of Christ in Japan rep- Please hear our supplication: for resents the Reformed and Presbyabout three years, we have an advan- terian cults. The Kumi-ai churches tage to attend to the Episcopal Church in Honolulu. There are about ninety or stand for independency. The Methmore most religious Koreans in St. Elizabeth's House and St. :vIary's School and odist Church of Japan was formed by other plantations. We believe that God bless to succeed the faithful work for a union of the Methodist bodies, and is now presided over by Bishop Hon- da, a native Japanese. The irenic and unifying ministry of the standing committee of cooperating- Christian missions in Japan continues its active and useful service in various depart- ments of religious work. At its last
MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
general meeting, the committee pre- no means dying, tho it has lost much sented plans for holding a Jubilee of its power. He gives us a dark pic- Christian Conference in the year I909, ture of the decline in morality in J ato celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of pan, of increasing theft and murder, the opening of Christian work in gross immorality and disastrous prosmodern Japan. This jubilee confer- titution, and the immense increase in ence will be representative of all suicide. Mr. Schiller's article is a Christian churches and evangelical strong appeal for more missionary organizations in the empire-a united work in Japan. jubilee, to commemorate the entrance of the blest religion of the one Lord AFRICA and Master of us all among the Japanese people.-Prcsb),tcrian. Mr. Roosevelt in Africa Christian Situation in Japan Ex-President Roosevelt's expedition to Africa is to be for the purposes of The Zcitschrift fiir 1lJissionsku1lde science, but his coming is hailed with und Rcligionswisscncschaft has an ar- delight by missionaries, as they are ticle by Rev. Schiller, missionary su- assured that he will be a keen observer perintendent of the German General and will be fearless in his denuncia- Evangelical Protestant Missionary So- tion of evil and outspoken in his comciety at Kyoto. mendation of the good that he sees. :Mr. Roosevelt's route will take him to American missionaries, Mr. Schil- Mombasa on the East Coast, from ler tells us, retain the leadership in thence through Uganda and down the Japanese missions to-day, and Ameri- Nile by way of Khartum, Luxor and can influence in Japan means Prot- Cairo. He will thus have an opporestant, Christian influence. Such state- tunity of seeing the work carried on ments are very complimentary to all by the Church of England on the East our missionaries and ourselves. J ap- Coast, and the remarkable results of anese Christianity has been created missions in "Cganda, together with the "through the skilful, industrious, and excellent work of American United often far-seeing labors of American Presbyterians and the Church Mismissionaries." sionary Society in Egypt and the Egvptian Sudan. We will await Mr. The Japanese Parliament of 380 Ro~sevelt's return and the publication members contains I4 Christians, or of his reports of journeys, as they are four per cent, while the number of to appear in Scrib1lcr's Magazinc. Christians in Japan is about 0.45 per cent. Of these 14 members of Par- In the course of January the Methliament 7 are Presbyterians, 2 llethod- odist Episcopal Church in America ists, and 5 Kumiais (native Congre- celebrated at Washington the Diagationalists) . Among them are Shi- mond Jubilee of its work in Africa, mada Saburo, editor of a great daily and 11r. Roosevelt was the chief paper; N emoto, the leader in the speaker, and referred at considerable temperance movement, and Yokoi, length to Africa. He said: formerly president of the Doshisha. There is a question that is larger than Japanese Christians are divided into either government or trade, and that ,is orthodox and liber:tl, and, if we can the moral well-being of these vast milfully accept the statements of Mr. lions who have come under the protec- Schiller, who might be classed among tion of modern governments. The repthe liberals, the liberal sentiment is resentative of the Christian religion must increasing. We gladly hear that the have his place side by side with the American Presbyterians (including all man of government and trade, and for Reformed), and the Episcopalians are generations that representative must. be the stronghold of orthodoxy in Japan supplied in the person of the foreign to-day. missionary from America and Europe. Civilization can only be permanent and Buddhism, Mr. Schiller says, is by continue a blessing to any people if, in addition to promoting their material
well-being, it also stands for an orderly the keen and strong Mohammedan individual liberty, for the growth of in- whites. telligence, and for equal justice in the administration of law. Christianity alone Politics and Missions in Morocco meets these fundamental requirements. A strong spirit of Moslem fanati- The responsibiiity of America toward cism prevails among all the tribes of Africa is emphasized because of our past Morocco, only waiting to be fanned history, and because of the number of into a flame by some spirited leader. our citizens who are of African descent. Therefore while we can only commit As a result of the African slave trade, the future to God who rules the naand of two and a half centuries of sla- tions, the political situation surely de- very in America, the United States has mands the prayers of all who love nearly 10,000,000 of colored people as a Christ's kingdom. part of its citizenship. No other coun- try outside of Africa has so large a While foreigners can reside with a negro population; and, what is more, degree of safety in the cities and travel there are no other 10,000,000 negroes in between them and the coast, a large the world who own as much property part of the country is inaccessible to and have as large a percentage who are Christians and that in no part is there intelligent, moral and thrifty. The edu- any real religious liberty. cation and uplift of the American negro now going forward should be accom- The government uses its influence panied by the increase of the missionary to hinder the work of missionaries and and Christian forces on the continent especially to keep us from going to from which his ancestors came. It is the Berber tribes. The people are not unreasonable to suppose that a large strongly opposed to the Gospel and few share of the leadership for the evangeli- are willing to be seen listening even to zation of the continent will be furnished a private conversation on the subject from among our own colored leaders in of religion. Is it not time then for America. definite earnest prayer that, whatever political changes come to Morocco, The Largest Diocese in the World more freedom may be given for the preaching of the Gospel and that the William Taylor, of world-wide hearts of the people may be inclined fame, preceded Bishop Hartzel! as to read the Scriptures which are now Bishop of Africa. He engaged in being published in their dialect ?-F. C. ENYART in The Gospel AIessage. forty years of devoted service, twelve The Kongo Question of them being in the dark continent. Bishop Hartzell's introduction to Af- The conditions upon which the rica, twelve years ago, was fortunate. Kongo territory has been transferred 0nder Bishop Hartzell's leadership the to Belgium provide little hope that the natives will be more humanely treated. work has been greatly enlarged, until Reports from British and American consuls published in the recent 'iVhite now 6 centers are occupied in 500,- Book-(Africa 1-I909)-state that there is no improvement in the state 000 square miles of territory, among of affairs on the Kongo. 'Vice-Consul Armstrong says: "LTnder the condiwhich are IO,OOO,OOO of pagans and tions existing to-day in the Kongo Free State the native can aspire to Mohammedans. A leading London nothing more than remaining forever the slave of the concessionary compamagazine has called it the largest dio- nies and the State." cese in the world. These 6 districts include Liberia, that negro republic An examination of the figures pro- vided by Consul W. G. Thesiger so closely related to the United shows that the burden borne by these States, over which Rev. Isaiah Scott, also a Methodist missionary bishop of Africa, presides; Portuguese Angola, a plateau country inhabited by the intelligent Kimbundu and other Bantu tribes; the Madeira Islands, "The Pearl of the Portuguese Crown,"
Portuguese East Africa; British Rho- desia, where Anglo-Saxon govern- ment and the Christian Church are working together for the uplift of the native races; and Algiers, where dwell
unhappy people is as follows: "They question has been: How shall we do must bring in monthly 40,500 kilos of it? By a loose federation or by a cen- rubber, which, according to the State tralized government? The latter idea'
regulation, represents the work of 13,- has triumphed. The draft-constitution 500 able-bodied men, yet in the whole follows the Canadian, not the Ameri- district there are not 3,500 ! can or Australian models, in giving to "Those who refuse are punished, the Central Government all powers not . 'native villages are de- delegated to the provinces. The colo- stroyed and such prisoners as can be nies are to retain their present names, taken sent in chains to work on the with the exception of the Orange railway 'des Grande Lacs.' " River Colony; it is to be called the In spite of these facts the Belgian Orange Free State Province.
Colonial Secretary has declared to the Members of both Houses of Parlia- Belgian House "that the situation (on ment must be British subjects of Eu- the Kongo) is at the present moment ropean descent and have resided in the satisfactory." The real truth of the Union for five years. No voter is to Belgian position is found in the words be disqualified because of race or color.
of M. Lorand, the Progressive Liberal The existing judiciary is to be unified leader: "The Belgians don't care, and by the establishment of a Supreme can't be made to care, and you are sim- Court of South Africa, from which an ply deluding yourselves if you think appeal shall lie only to the Imperial otherwise." Privy Council.
France and Germany have recog- Pretoria, the present capital of the nized the transfer of the Kongo to Transvaal, is to be the executive capi- Belgium. Great Britain has firmly re- tal of the Union, and Cape Town, the fused to sanction it until definite guar- legislative. Bloemfontein is to be the antees are forthcoming that a radical seat of the judiciary.
change will be made in the adminis- A serious criticism concerns the ex- tration. The United States also has clusion of natives from Parliament.
notified Belgium that she withholds Some radicals would like to see the her recognition of thc transfer until Cape franchise extended over the such guarantees have been given to the whole of South Africa, but in the pres- British Government. In the mean- ent state of general feeling not even time, the tragedy goes on-villages the best-educated natives would be burned, homes broken up, the sancti- deemed suitable members of Parlia- ties of sex violated, pillage and mur- ment. Any forcing of the issue would, der on every hand. in our opinion, have indefinitely de- The Christian Church should work ferred South African union. At the and pray more earnestly still if the same time, however, the Cape policy remnant of the Kongo people is to be may gain favor, because there is to be liberated from slavery and saved from in Parliament a nucleus of men repre- extinction.-JoHN H. HARRIS in The !':enting the natives. These men will Baptist Missionar3' Herald. desire to extend to the natives, who Unifying South Africa constitute the vast majority of British subjects in South Africa, some direct or The Constitutional Convention has indirect voice.-The Outlook. been in session at Durban, the chief city of Natal, and at Cape Town, the ISLANDS OF THE SEA capital of Cape Colony. Men in Cape Volcanic Devastation in Samoa Colony, Natal, the Orange River Col- Rev. A. Hough, of the London Mis- ony, and the Transvaal have long been sionary Society, Samoa, gives an ac- convinced that, politically, socially, count of a visit to the most active vol- economically, and commercially, the cano in the world, which has recently colonies would gain by transforming devastated a large part of the island themselves into a single state. The of Savaii, where important mission work was conducted. The volcano be- London Mission of the Messrs. Torry gan in August, I9'-'5, in a hollow about and Alexander, was responsible for eight miles from the sea. It has built much of the success of the work. We up a crater which to-day stands over have known few men of finer mis- 2,000 feet above the sea level, and the sionary spirit than 1V1r. Putterill. As whole country between it and the sea the Secretary of the Central Associa- was covered with lava. Mr. Hough tion, he reached out in every direction . writes: "There was rock-bound coast, and influenced the associations which thirty feet high, being formed every radiated from this great metropolitan moment under our very eyes. It was center. He was widely beloved, as a huge black mass, weird and fantas- well as highly esteemed. tic, but repulsive and awful. Village, after village lies buried beneath that W. H. Millard. of China fearful mass. Their existence can only be known from the fact that now and On March 9th, a cablegram brought again the tower or spire of a church the news of the death of Rev. W. H. is seen above the lava. The most fer- Millard, one of the most promising of tile land in all Samoa lies buried and the younger group of Baptist missionlost, and perhaps will remain so for aries in China. Mr. Millard was born hundreds of years." at Waltham, Mass., in 1877, was grad- uated from Harvard in 1899 and from One purpose of Mr. Hough's visit Newton Theological Institution in was to advise the friends in Savaii as 1902, receiving that year appointment to the continuance of mission work to missionary service. For five years there, but the question was settled by he was stationed in the city of Hangthe words of the missionary's wife, chow, where Wayland Academy is lowho said, "So long as our people stay, cated. In the fall of 1908 he was we stay." The volcano is situated transferred to the Shanghai Baptist about four miles behind the mission Theological Seminary to teach New house, but the flow is toward the east, Testament and theology. so that for the time the house is safe. Hitherto the lava has only come very Rev. John Husband. of India slowly, and as yet no life has been lost. Samoans have had time to save The Scotch Presbyterian missionary, their goods, and in some cases have Rev. Dr. John Husband, died at Ajmer had time to dig out the large posts of on November 2 I st. He had been failtheir houses. All the churches have, ing for some months. A slight attack however, been lost. of malaria hastened the end. "He was an ideal colleague," writes Dr. R. G. OBITUARY Robson, "and he will be greatly missed both by his colleagues and by the J. H. Putterlll. of London whole native population of Ajmer."
In March, Mr. Putterill, General Dr. Husband was born at Cupar, Secretary of the London Y. M. C. A., Scotland, and his early training well suddenly died at the age of fifty-three, fitted him for the career he afterward after being actively engaged in relig- chose. ious work in London for more than thirty years. Twenty-one years ago During his preparatory medical he became assistant to J'vIr. R.obert studies in Edinburgh he labored with Bunn, then Secretary of the London much acceptance with Dr. Burns Y. M. C. A., and, six years later, be- Thompson in the Cowgate Medical came the General Secretary. He was Mission, until his services were sea man of unusual powers and not only cured by the United Presbyterian conducted the affairs of the association Church, and in October, 1870, he was with singular skill, but, during the sent out to Rajputana, where he labored for 38 years.
THE MISSIONARY
My AFRICAN JOURNEY. By Winston Spen- been written, which would seem to cer Churchill, M.P. 16mo, 250 pp. and 61 illustrations. $1.25, net. George H. leave almost nothing yet to be said Doran, New York. 1909. that is new and striking. This He who desires a journey with one book certai?ly contains a great deal ?f the most entertaining of compan- that to us IS both novel and fascina- Ions and keenest observers from ]lom- til:g.. It is, not .written purely from a basa to Cairo straight down the Nile m!sslonary s pomt of view. It gives Wider scope to the narrative in a perand through Uganda Protectorate sonal knowledge of the Dark Contishould buy this book. The style is nent, through travel and contact with vililvuisdt,ratthieonfsactasreareasupgtoooddatae~ and the the natives, with the consequent study photo- of their habits, customs and character- istics; and it is interspersed with much graphs. It is not a missionary book, common sense and much vivacious hu- . mor. ~lr. Milligan has his own way not even a chapter is devoted to mis- si?ns, but the author has ful1 sympathy with the enterprise. "The Kingdom of Uganda," he says, "is a fairy tale. of lookmg at men and things, and his You climb up a railway instead of a methods of treating his themes are beanstalk and at the end there is a original and fascinating. He seems to wonderful new world. . . . More kn?w how to strike at the interesting POl?ts, .and pass by many things of inthan 200,000 natives are able to read fenor mterest and importance. We and write. More than 100,000 have embraced the Christian faith. There follow him in his voyages along the hwcoihsaesertx,epinenorihewinshcteirtseavomeflatshnethhpraoedruieglsvheatrnhdbeeneBon~ueslih~ is a. court, there is a regular system of ties of such travel. At the camp-fire, natrve law and tribunals, there is dis- cipline, there ispeinacdeu.strvI~ there is cul- where so many superstitions seem to ture, there is fact, I ask be illumined by the light of the flame he gives us clear insight into the Bush ~nyself whether there is any other spot p~o'ple, the Kruboys, and their super- stitions. He draws an interesting con- 111 the whole earth where the dreams and hopes of the negrophile, so often mocked by results and stubborn fraeacltis~ have ever attained such a happy zation." And the author admits that trast between the whites and the the chief factor in this wonderful blacks. He tel1s us about the fetish worship and. the prevailing witchcraft, transformation has been the mission- and lets us mto the difficulties of the ary. The last chapter of the book pro- mission schools and churches. The poses and pleads the extension of the present railway to L:ganda throuO'h most interesting part of this book to Uganda, and linking it to the Egy;t- us is his description of the Fang Sudan Railway, because, compared people, of whom we had never heard much before, and his charming story. ~ith "a jogging, grunting, panting of N dong Mba, which we count one of lme of tottering coolies, any line of the most beautiful brief biographies s~eam communication, however primi- we have ever met in missionary litertIve, however light, however inter- ature, and which we will reproduce rupted, is heaven." almost in full in a subsequent number JUNGLE FOLK OF AFRICA. By Robert H. of this REVIEW. If any of our read- Milligan. IllustratUl. 8vo, $1.50. e~s ,;ant a most intere'sting and fas- cl11at1l1g book on African life we can Fleming H. Revell Co. New York 1908. ,.
T~is is a somewhat unique book, al- cordially recommend Mr. Milligan's tho It treats of a continent upon which "Jungle Folk."
a~1 eyes have been turned, especially A PARSON IN THE AUSTRALIAN BUSH.
s1l1ce the days of Livingstone, and Matthews. Arnold, London. 1908.
about which numerous books have Mr. Matthews was vice-president
of the Brotherhood of the Good age. The story of his preparation, his Shepherd, in New South Wales. The call, his battle with evil and hardship Australian Bush problem has been on the frontier show a man of high found very difficult, and' the extent of ideals, strong personality and many the area and the fewness of Christian resources.
laborers made it difficult to bring re- Charles W. Gordon as a biographer ligion into successful contact with the has not, however, the fascination of people that they desired to reach. The Ralph Connor, the novelist. The in- various forms of mission Christianity terest is not sustained, being inter- had, for some reason, failed in Aus- rupted by an undue amount of detail tralia. This book is the unfolding of unimportant to any but the hero's clo- a partially successful effort to reach sest friends. In about half the space the people, and solve the problem by Mr. Gordon might have told the life cooperative labor. A number of An- story and portrayed the character of glicans went out and undertook Mr. Robertson so that every line Brotherhood work. They had a would count. Among the most stri- brotherhood-house, with a large din- . king portions are the descriptions of ing-room, dormitory for priests who how he handled men.
were at home, a large study, a sort of MISSIONS IN THE PLAN OF THE AGES. By chapel, visitor's room, offices, etc. W. O. Carver, M.A. 12mo, 289 pp. This was the brotherhood center and nucleus. There they met and from that $1.25, net. Fleming H. Revell Co. 1909. point they dispersed and radiated their forces through the country; and to this If anyone has doubts about the point, from time to time, they re- Bible being from beginning to end a turned. The narrative is very inter- missionary book, those doubts should esting, especially for giving some in- be forever dispelled by these Bible sight into the condition of the Bush studies. They are careful, systematic, people and their settlements. It is progressive presentations of the place very strongly Anglican and rather of missions in the revealed plan of high church, and to us there is some God. They are sound and convincing, inconsistency in encouraging dances but might have been made vastly more and even public balls among the peo- interesting if enlivened and enforced ple as a way of accomplishing eccle- by occasional incidents and examples siastical results, and gathering funds from missionary history. About seven for church purposes. To those who hundred passages of Scripture are are interested in the question of how used to show the Biblical basis of the to reach the scattered population of argument. It would mean much to the Australia, this book can not but have future of missionary endeavor if every a double interest. It is published in pastor were well grounded in this course of lectures.
London, by Edward Arnold. INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN MISSIONS. By THE LIFE OF JAMES ROBERTSON. By Charles Thomas Cary Johnson. 12mo, 220 pp. W. Gordon (Ralph Connor). 8vo, 403 Presbyterian Committee of Publica- pp. $1.50, net. Fleming H. Revell Co., tion, Richmond, Virginia. 1909.
New York. 1908. One evidence that Christian missions James Robertson is the Scotch-Ca- are being given a more prominent nadian Home Misisonary hero whose place in our theological seminaries is character and experiences furnished seen in the increasing number of the basis for Ralph Connor's well- books on the subject from theological known works of fiction. For twenty- professors. Dr. Johnson's lectures five years Mr. Robertson was mission- show the missionary purpose and ary superintendent of the Northwest character of the Church, and describe Territory, and in his travels and briefly the history of the missionary achievements manifested the elements movement through Paul, the Nesto- of greatness, self-sacrifice and cour- rians, Raymond Lull, Erasmus, and the
THE MISSIONARY LIBRARY
Roman Catholics down to the present customs and superstitions, give a clear time. The great motives to mission- and entertaining view of real pioneer ary endeavor are summed up as fol- work. The work is as difficult as was lows: (I) Love to God; (2) love to the taming of tribes of the most warman; (3) love to one's self-for con- like Indians bv small bands of settlers sistency, self-interest, reputation, the in the early ~lays in America. The reflex influences of missions and the results of Christian teaching and ex- development of character. ample are already evident in the changed lives of individuals and the Such a logical and historical pre- more friendly attitude of the people. sentation of the subject is a valuable study, calculated to touch the will BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL. By Dr. through the intellect rather than through the heart. It is an appro- C. r. Scofield. Three volumes pubpriate text-book for theological seminaries. lished by Francis E. Fitch, New York.
THINGS KOREAN. By Horace N. Allen. We have seen no contribution Illustrated. 8vo, 256 pp. $1.25. nct. to Bible study which on the whole Fleming H. Revell Co., New York. equals these three volumes. Dr. 1908. Scofield has about 5,000 students in correspondence with him whom he Dr. Allen was first a pioneer mis- has carried more or less completely sionary and then Cnited States Min- through the course of Bible study ister to Korea. His twenty-two years' from Genesis to Revelation by quesresidence there and his intimate asso- tion and answer. The first two volciation with official classes give au- U1nes cover the Old and New Testathority to his statements. Dr. Allen ment books and are a careful exsympathizes with Korea and strongly amination of the contents of each criticized the failure of the American book. They show how to study the Government to keep their promise to Scriptures. They give most valuaprotect Korea from Japanese absorp- ble hints as to the laws of interpretion. tation within safe limits and con- servative methods. Then in the last The purpose of the book is not, how- volume we have some twenty-three ever, political, but is a collection of great words of Scripture, reminding incidents, humorous, tragic, and pa- us of Bengel's remark in his Gnomon, thetic, that have been gathered from "That to understand a score of words knowledge of native life, experiences in the Bible is to solve largely the of travel, and the history of missions mystery of Scripture teaching." and politics. The missionary com- Under these great words of Scripments are forceful and discriminating, ture, Dr. Scofield gives us a brief and some of the incidents furnish ex- but complete system of Biblical cellent material for reading in mission- theology. Then he treats the Trinary meetings. ity, showing the different functions and offices of Father. Son, and Holy TIBETAN OUTPOSTS. By David P. Ekvall. Ghost. Then he takes up the sub- Illustrated. 12mo, 227 pp. $1.00. Al- ject of the Sects, their present strifes liance Press Co., New Yark. 1907. and their fnture difficulties; and the last section of the book is taken up The Christian and Missionary Alli- with prophetical epochs and facts, ance is one of the few societies work- and is a very careful study of esing- on the Chinese borders of Tibet, chatology. After fifty years of study waiting for an opportunity to enter of the Bible, we feel like joining this the still closed land. In steamer, by correspondence class ourselves. This river boat, sedan chairs and on horse- is a book that any disciple may study back, the author made his way with immense profit, and which we to western Kansu. His adventures should be glad to see translated into among the Tibetan nomads and en- every living language and put into counters with highwaymen and ferocious dogs, his descriptions of strange every school where Christian truth By Rev. James Wells, D.D. Illusis taught. It would be invaluable in trated, octavo, 419 pp. $1.50, net. Hodmissionary lands for the training of der & Stoughton, London. George native converts in the knowledge of H. Doran Company, New York and the Scripture, and especially of stu- Toronto. 1909. dents for the ministry. rVe hope that some missionary teachers will ex- THE LIFE OF DR. GEORGE BROWN, Pioneer amine these volumes and consider Explorer and Missionary. An Autothe expediency of making them biography. Illustrated, large octavo, available in the instruction of those 536 pp. $3.50, net. Hodder & Stoughunder their training. Dr. Scofield seems to us to have been raised up ton, London. George H. Doran Comof God and trained for this specific pany, New York and Toronto. 1909. work, to which he has given the bulk YOUNG CHINA. A Book about Children of his energies during twenty years. of China. By Archdeacon Moule. Il- lustrated, 8vo, 83 pp. $1.00. Hodder TRUSTING AND TOILING. Volume 14. A & Stoughton, London. George H. Magazine of Jewish Missionary Effort. Doran, New York and Toronto. 1909. Mildmay Mission to the Jews, London. THE LIFE OF S.UIUEL ADJAI CROWTHER. 1908. The Black Bishop. By Jesse Page, F.R.G.S. Preface by Eugene Stock, The Mildmay Mission to the Jews D.C.L. Illustrated, octavo, 440 pp. is one of the most successful and best $2.00, net. Hodder & Stoughton, Lonconducted of those working for the don. George H. Doran Company, salvation of Israel. The yearly volume New York and Toronto. gives much valuable and interesting in- A STUDY IN MISSIONARY IDEALS AND formation on Hebrew beliefs and cus- METHODS. D. M. Thornton. By W. H. toms, reports of conferences, stories of T. Gairdner, B.A. Illustrated, 12mo, conversions and letters describing con- 283 pp. $1.25, net. Hodder & Stoughditions and work in Russia, Morocco ton, London. George H. Doran Comand elsewhere. pany, New York and Toronto. 1909. My AFRICAN JOURNEY. By Winston THE CONVERTED CATHOLIC. Bound vol- Churchill, M.P. Illustrated, 8vo, 266 pp. ume 26. Edited by Rev. James A. $1.25, !lct. Hodder & Stoughton, Lon- O'Connor, 331 West Fifty-seventh don. George H. Doran Company, Street, New York. $1.00. 1908. New York and Toronto. 1909. DAYBREAK IN KOREA. A Tale of Trans- Here is a volume of unusual value formation in the Far East. By Annie for those who are working for the L. A. Baird. Illustrated, 12mo, 123 pp. Christian enlightenment of ignorant 60 cents, net. Fleming H. Revell Comand superstitious Roman Catholics. pany, New York. 1909. Mr. O'Connor speaks from an intimate AMONG THE WILD TRIBES OF THE AFGHAN knowledge of the fallacies and failures FRONTIER. By T. L. Pennell, M.D., of Romanism and from a wide and B.Sc., F.R.G.S. Illustrated. 16s, net. long experience in leading inquirers Seeley & Co., Great Russell Street, into the light and liberty of the simple London. 1909. Gospel of Christ. This volume con- THE RELIGIOUS ATTITUDE AND LIFE IN tains many interesting stories of re- ISLAM. By Duncan Black MacDonald, formed priests. M.A., B.D. $1.75. The University Press, Chicago. 1909. NEW BOOKS BENARES. The Stronghold of Hinduism. By Rev. C. Phillips Cape. Illustrated, NEW ANNOTATED BIBLE. Dr. C. 1. Scho- 12mo, 262 pp. 2s, 6d. Robert Culley, field. 8vo, 1,362 pp. $2.00 to $10.00. Ox- ford University Press, N ew York. 1909. London. SPAIN OF TO-DAY FROM WITHIN. By Man- HISTORY OF THE LONDON SOCIETY FOR PRO- MOTING CHR[STIANITY AMONG THE JEWS. uel Andujar. Illustrated, 12mo, 220 pp. Rev. W. T. Gidney, M.A. 4s, 6d, net. $1.25, net, Fleming H. Revell Co., London, 16, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W. C. New York. 1909. STEWART OF LOVEDALE. The Romance of BESIDE THE RED MOUNTAIN. By Kingston Missions in Africa told in the Life of James Stewart, D.A., M.D., F.R.G.S. De Gruche. Illustrated, 12mo, 197 pp. 1s, 6d, net. Robert Culley, London. 1909. THE MARTYRS' ISLE, or Madagascar, the Country, the People, and the Missions. By Annie Sharman. Illustrated, 174 pp. 2s, 6d. London Missionary So- ciety, London. 1909. AN AFRICAN GIRL-The Story of Ma Eno.
By Beatrice W. Welsh. Illustrated, 12mo, 96 pp. Is, 6d. Oliphant, Ander- son & Ferrier, Edinburgh. 1909.
The Missionary Review of the World — November 1890
THE DUTY OF CHRISTENDOM TO THE JEWS
MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XIII. No. ll.-Old Series.– NOVEMBER. –VOL. ill. No. 11.-New Series.
I.-LITERATURE OF MISSIONS.
THE DUTY OF CHRISTENDOM TO 'I'HE .JEWS.
BY REV. F. F. ELLINWOOD, D.D., NEW YORK.
That most intelligent and devoted friend of missions, Robert N. Cust, LL. D., of London, has published recently in the Church Missionary Intelligencer, an able article on the changing phases of the non-Christian religions, in which occurs an interesting monograph on "Neo Judaism." Dr. Cust is a member, not only of the Administrative Committee of the Church Missionary Society, but also of the London Missionary Society to the Jews, and he is equally qualified to speak of the operations and the successes of both. More than this, he is a man who thoroughly acquaints himself with the character of those systems which he hopes to see displaced by the Gospel of Christ. He confesses that great success has not as yet crowned the efforts of Christian missionaries among the Jews, either in London or in the cities of the Continent and of northern Africa. But he is none the less certain as to the duty of the Christian Church. He states that the Jews now number not less than 7,000,000, and are, therefore, a much more numerous people than were ruled over by David or Solomon-more numerous, in fact, than Palestine could possibly have supported.
If Dr. Custis correct in this estimate-and he seldom errs in matters of fact-the return to the Holy Land must be hastened, or it can only be re-occupied by representation. For what race, unless it be the American Negro, increases so rapidly as the Hebrew? Wherever the environment is favorable, and he has an equal chance with others, the Jew is the most thrifty of men, not only in money-getting but in the number and healthfulness of his children. Where the native American imagines that he cannot afford to marry, and must be satisfied with the" club" instead of a home, the Jew rears a prosperous family, and in the end endows them with wealth.
That the Hebrew race have suffered great persecution during the past centuries, must be confessed to the shame of the Christian Church. They have found in Europe as well as Africa and western Asia, another and much longer Babylonish captivity. But that this has been wholly due to religious prejudice cannot be affirmed. The tone and implication of Shakespeare's" Merchant of Venice" must rest on a basis which, even in his time, was historic. Probably the prejudice and contempt entertained toward the race by their Roman conquerors was fully as strong as has ever been exercised by the most bigoted of Christian nations. Nay, the latter .prejudice may have been in part an heirloom of the former.
The strangest prejudice and the greatest injustice and oppression now visited upon the Jews, so far as the Christian powers are concerned, are found in eastern Europe, where the doctrines of Christianity have the slightest hold, and where governmental policy and the bitterness of industrial competition must be held responsible for the entire crusade. One million of Jews are now being banished from Russian territory, not because of their faith but because the Government does not regard them as desirable subjects.
One thing is certain, whatever prejudice exists against the Hebrew population in the United States, does not arise from differences of .faith. Their best friends, both in this country and in Great Britain, are found in the Christian Church-certainly in the Protestant Church.
Some months since, the question was sent out to different men of prominent positions among us, "What is the occasion of the prevailing prejudice against the Hebrews ?" , Generally the re.sponse given was, "We are not aware of any prejudice." . Several clergymen disavowed any feeling of the kind. But Rev. Edward Everett Hale was cre~ited with charging the hostile feeling to a difference of religious faith.
As the implication was that of a prejudice now existing on the part of the American churches, we must earnestly protest against it. Mr. Hale cannot be aware-possibly he has forgotten-that four or five years ago, U. S. Minister Strauss was chosen to represent our Government at Constantinople on the recommendation of the missionary boards, and that petitions from the missionaries in the Turkish Empire were sent to Washington asking that he might be appointed for a second term.
The hostile feeling against the Jews in this country grows out of business relations. It is not cherished by Christians as such, but by those who have had to do with them in trade, or by those who have been employed by them in manufacturing. The trades unions, largely composed of infidels and Nihilists, would probably be found to represent the most bitter of all the animosities that they encounter. Whether it be just or not, there exists a feeling that the chief oppressors of poor needle-women are Jews. The industries in which unfortunate and starving females engage, as a last resort, are mostly in the hands of this class of men, and when the ruinous rates at which manufactured garments are produced in the attics and tenement houses of desperate poverty corne to be known, it must not be thought strange if popular sympathy and indignation are aroused. Some Americans join in the same extortion, but their miserable plea is that .competition compels them to do what others do. As a rule, women do not "strike." They suffer on and die, and their employers prosper .and live on Fifth Avenue.
There are among our Hebrew citizens thousands of worthy and honorable business men who suffer unjustly from the prejudice which .other thousands of their race have brought upon them, and it is to be hoped, that on the one hand, public opinion will become more discrimjnating, while on the other, the example of the nobler Hebrew tradesmen will raise the standard of honor and humanity among all their race.
Another thing which creates prejudice against the Jews may be regarded as a mere accident of their phenomenal thrift. At the summer resorts they are deemed undesirable guests on account of rough and disagreeable manners. This is no proof that the average of the race is more clownish or swinish than other races. Quite as disagree- ,able companionship might be found among the Irish, or some classes of native-bom Americans, but the difference is, that these are not found at first-class hotels; with them, there is a different relation between manners and money. Financial competency reaches a lower stratum in Jewish society than in any other. It extends to classes among whom the gentle amenities of life are unknown, and even good grammar is wanting. And the same habit of overreaching, which has made the money, is carried into all the contacts and experiences of hotel life.
Now, it is quite time that the common notion that Jews are suffering from any narrow religious prejudice of the Christian Church were laid aside.
How is it in Mohammedan countries where a common rejection of Christianity might be supposed to draw both classes of rigid Monothists together in full sympathy? In no Christian country-not even in Russia-is there so bitter a hatred, so degrading a bondage for the ~ews as in northern Africa-particularly in Morocco. They are thrifty in money matters, even there. It is impossible to impoverish them by any ordinary measures of oppression. On some accounts it is for the interest of impecunious Moors, and even of the officials, to have such a class from whom to borrow money, and by whose energy business shall be kept from stagnation, but as to indignitIes of every kind, the treatment meted out to them is almost incredible. They must wear a prescribed attire, and dwell in a certain quarter, and submit to many special police regulations; while in taxation, the only question is how far the life blood can be drawn with safety.
It seems strange that in their wide range among the nations, these people who are not a nation, cling to the Mohammedans and the Christians. Though the world is open before them, and they do not seem bound by local attachments, they are never found among the heathen. Opportunities for money-getting have been great in the East; almost every other race of Europe and western Asia-ancient and modern-has been lured by the wealth of India or China or the southern Archipelago, but never the Jew. His financial counterpart, the Parsee, is everywhere found in the East, driving bargains with Jewish sagacity, in opium or in spices and coffee, but the Hebrew has never crossed their track. Even in those centuries where he has suffered the greatest disabilities in the proscribed "Jew quarters" of European or Levantine cities, it seems never to have occurred to him to join the rush of Persians, Pathans, Macedonians, Portuguese, Dutch, and English, after the wealth of the heathen Orient. He preferred to be snubbed and crushed by Christian and Moslem nations, and to find solace in that money-getting passion which, in the course of centuries, has become a nature.
Hertzog alludes to the fact that the Jew confines himself mostly to temperate latitudes; he is not found in the tropics of either hemisphere. And our readers hardly need to be reminded that he is always found in the cities. Who ever heard of a Hebrew farmer ?-at least this side of Bible times. The Nomadic character has forsaken him. He is no longer a keeper of sheep. Yet, no other race except the Hindu or the Mongolian has shown such tenacity of life and such unimpaired vigor. The Romans who crushed the national life of Israel, on the one hand, and t].}e Assyrians who enslaved and scattered the chosen tribes, on the other, have alike perished, while the seed of Abraham, driven everywhither, have survived and are more numerous and a hundredfold more thrifty than in the days of Solomon and his glory.
The financial power of Jewish bankers on the Continent of Europe has become proverbial. The author of La France Juive claims that French politics, as well as finance, are largely controlled by the same race. We have, in our day, seen a D'Israeli climb to the heights of power in England, and wield a magician's wand over Queen and Parliament, and finally win for himself a statue in the consecrated shrine of national heroes and statesmen.
On this side of the Atlantic, the main business thoroughfare of our great metropolis is exchanging the names of its old American firms for the names of German Jews. 'l'hey are sure to become not only a great financial power but a strong social and political element in this country. The logic of their twofold increase-by natural generation and by immigration-renders certain a great future development.
Meanwhile, there is reason to believe that a better state of feeling is springing up. If the Jew has been rather Ishmaelitish than Israelitish it is not wholly his fault, though it is in part. On both sides, there should be confidence, and among business men of the highest grade there is already a clasping of hands over the old "wall of partition.'" Dr. Cust quotes from an address, delivered this very year, by Dr. Adler (not Felix), in the great synagogue in Aldgate, in the presence -of the Lord-Mayor, himself a Jew, in which the Rabbi alluded to the influence exerted by that synagogue. "Many a soul-stirring service," said the speaker, "has been witnessed within its venerable walls. Whatever the event that moved the hearts of England's sons-when a great victory evoked national rejoicing; when a sovereign had been _stricken down by illness, and when it pleased the Lord to send him healing; when a joyous jubilee was kept, and when death had entered -the palace-every event was commemorated in the great synagogue with the voice of prayer and supplication, of praise and thanksgiving, proving that the Israelite then, as always, was steeped to the very lips with loyalty. Nor were the administrators of the synagogue unmindful of the needs of their fellow-men-though of other lands and -creeds. Whether the appeal came to relieve a famine in Sweden, or to diminish the sufferings of English prisoners in France, or a plaint reached these shores from the hunger-stricken children of Ireland- the authorities of the great synagogue were ever ready to aid and to succor."
The benefactions as well as the exalted character of a Moses Montifiore are fresh in the mind of every reader. And that love of fair play which is so strong in the character of Englishmen, is welcoming :such men as he to their confidence, and is appreciating the philanthropic efforts of the great synagogue.
Instead of clinging to an old religious grudge against the race, Christian London is the focal centre of interest ih their welfare. Mis- -sions to the Jews at home and abroad are multiplied, and the strong :prayer of faith is offered up by thousands of devout Christians that God 'Will redeem His own chosen people by the blood of an accepted Christ!
It must be confessed that the Christian Church at large has seemed to be apathetic in regard to Jewish missions, but it has been rather the apathy of despair than of indifference. There has been too great .a readiness to "turn unto the Gentiles" and to consider the engrafted "wild olive" the real tree. At the London Missionary Conference of 1888, Mr. James E. Mathieson quoted the late Dr. Schwartz as saying, '''You Gentile Christians take all the sweet promises to yourselves, out you leave all the curses to the poor Jews." And in continuing, Mr. MathieRon alluded to a custom of the Scotch ecclesiastical bodies .()f rising at the close of their sessions (though they usually sit in prayer), and singing with marked solemnity: "Pray for the 'peace .()f Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee," etc. "But they do not mean Jerusalem," he added, "and they do not mean the Jews: they mean the Established Church and the Free Church of Scotland." 18 Dot this something like "robbery for burnt offering ?"
But, however, the Church, a8 a whole, may have negleeted her duty, there have always been those who have God's chosen people in their hearts. Count Zinzendoof, the founder of the Moravian Mis- sions, took a warm interest in the Jews, and he had the great joy, in 1735, of seeing a prominent Jewish rabbi become a member of the' Moravian Church, and a successful missionary among his people. "Everywhere," says Dr. Fleming, Secretary of the London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, "he won the esteem of the Jews, and not long since, a gift was sent to the Moravian Church at Herrnhut by a Jewish family who cherished the traditions of bless- ing through Rabbi Lieberkiihn."
The London Society, above named, has been at work for over eighty years. Nor is it alone. There are altogether eight Jewish missionary societies in England, five in Scotland, and one in Ireland. Together, these employ 312 agents. On the Continent of Europe, the societies number 27. America has seven, with 34 agents. Thus 48 societies with 377 agents are striving to win God's ancient people to· tlileir own Messiah. That their labors have not been wholly in vain is shown by the estimated fact that 100,000 Jews have been baptized in the last seventy-five years, and that with their children the number' of believers may be set down at 250,000. Among these have been many distinguished men.
Though these numbers are not relatively great, yet it is believed that the breaking down on both sides of an unrelenting prejudice, has been a far greater result and one which opens the way for blessed in-gatherings in the time to come.
There are certainly some valid grounds of hope for the Jews, even aside from the Divine promises. They are less tenacious of their old faith than they were formerly. Though still more or less clannish, yet they are more than ever disposed to break down barriers and be like other people. They are getting tired of the real or imagined stigma and reproach attached to their name. Each successive generation cares less for the old shibboleths and more for the privileges of social life without distinction of race.
It is seen that the prophetic situation is awkward. If the Messiah has come, who, and what was He? If He has not come, when will He appear? If sacrifice symbolized a promised Redeemer why is it not 'kept up? Why is the Moslem permitted to hold century after century, the only place of sacrifice, unless to show that its meaning is done away and its necessity gone? Perhaps it is in despair over such questions as these that multitudes of Jews are driven to Agnosticism., More and more Jews observe our Sabbath as a day of rest, and their Sabbath-schools inevitably tend toward Christian ways. It is well-nigh impossible to prevent their children from coming intosympathy with the Christian institutions and customs which prevaiL around them. Two or three years ago a liberal-minded and philanthropio Jew in Italy offered an immense sum of money to be devoted to the edu- oation of children in Russia, and recommended that Jews and Chris- tians be educated together. His idea was that the race distinction should be ignored, and that the young of his people should be allowed to become absorbed in the national life wherever they might be, and that gradually the distinction between Jew and Gentile should dis- appear. It may be, that social abs!)rption, intermarriage, the assimi- lating influence of the common school, the fading out of the Jewish pride and prejudice of race are to be factots in God's plan of recovery. Doubtless, they will have a part to act, but God's express will is that the Gospel shall be ,faithfully preached meanwhile, and that prayer be .offered for His people. '
Surely the Christian Church owes it to itself to present no higher consideration to promote the spiritual enlightenment of the Jews. We ourselves need this effort, if only tt> remind us continually how much we owe to the race that ga,ve us the Saviour of mankind-if only to keep fresh in memory the great missionary whom the Jewish race gave as the Apostle to us Gentiles. Our indebtedness for the Chief of the apostles will never be paid. The Gentile world, with its Christian institutions, is a monument of the great fact that it is possible to overcome the most inveterate Jewish prejudice, and to win the stoutest Pharasaic heart to Christ. If Paul could be converted and could convert thousands of others of his own faith, the Christian Church has no right to despair. Jew:ish synagogues were the first cradles of the nascent church in all lands. They opened their doors to the apostles for the planting of the first germs of truth, and Jewish converts everywhere gave character and steadiness to the ignorant Gentile church.
But, how shall the Jews of our time be reached? The London Society, as the result of eighty years of experience, answers this question under the following heads: (1.) By striving to win their confidence by removing prejudice: (a.) Never speak sneeringly or disparagingly of them; overcome the habit in ourselves and others. (b.) Manifest sympathy with them as a nation and as individuals. (c.) Win confidence by medical missions.
(2.) By preaching the Gospel as the apostles preached it-proving from their own Scriptures that Christ is the promised Messiah.
(3.) By encouraging a diligent, oandid, and prayerful study of the whole Bible-the Old and the New Testament in their connection.
(4.) By educating Jewish children. In a school supported by the Society, in Palestine Place, London, where 595 Jewish boys have been educated, the master, after 28 years of service, does not know of one pupil, who, after pursuing a full course, has relapsed into Judaism.
(5.) By assisting poor Jewish youth to obtain positions and Imcouraging them in seeking a subsistence.
(6.) By training promising young men as missionaries. tt should not be forgotten, as an encouragement, that the Jews are worshippers of our God, have a large portion of our Bible, are sharers of our civilization, speak our language, and are-or ought to be-our friends as well as neighbors, and are even before us, heirs of the covenant of promise !
THE MIRACLES OF MISSIONS
THE MIRACLES OF MISSIONS.
THE WONDERFUL STORY OF MADAGASCAR. [EDITORIAL.-A. T. p.] To an English boy, Robert Drury, wrecked near Port Dauphine, the Southeastern cape of Madagascar, we owe the first full account of the savages on this great island. He saw the captain and crew, who escaped with him from the angry sea, pierced with the lances of the inhospitable natives, till out of over a hundred only a dozen survived, and he himself was saved only to be enslaved. This was early in this century. He found the country divided among many warring tribes; might the only right, women and children carried off like cattle and made slaves; woman, so degraded that even the King's daughter, wife or mother, cringed before him and licked his feet. Heathen ceremonies of the most absurd and degrading kind were matters of daily occurrence. A wooden charm called an owZey, borne up by forked sticks, was worshiped with incense. Fortune tellers, or umossees, held the people in the bondage of superstition, and lived upon their ignorance and credulity. The Malagasy were the victims of magicians, and constantly fought and plundered one another, The arrival of a European vessel was the signal for wholesale crimes of lust and trading in human bodies and: souls. All who had slaves drove them to the seaside.
Half a century ago the Hovas held the interior portion of the island, and their King or chief, who was called Radama, had come to the throne in 1808. With these Hovas and their sovereigns the modern history of Madagascar is mainly concerned, Morally and spiritually the picture is very dark. From three to four thousand natives were sold, it is said, every year, and the spot where they caught the last glimpse of home, and the first glimpse of the sea that was to bear them into hopeless exile, is even now called the''weeping pZace ofthe Hovas." Though they had courts of law, bribery was so common that trial was a form and a farce. Honesty was scarce known, and children were trained to falsehood and deception as a virtue. Punishments were savagely cruel, devised to give long, lingering pain-burning by slow fires, drowning in boiiing water, poisoning by tangena, beating, starving, hurling over precipices, crucifying. 'fhe tangena was a substitute for trial, and thousands died every year from this poison, while those who proved their innocence by outliving the dose were wrecked in health.
The people were a nation of thieves as well as liars. Madame Pfeiffer's property was stolen while at the house of the Chief Justice, but }'ecovery was impossible, where even high officers stole. Even graves were robbed, bodies stripped, and every article of value buried with the dead was an object of ruthless plunder. The nation was so wedded to lying and thieving that Christianity was objected to because it taught people to be true and honest. They were so far lost to all virtue that they resisted any influence that promised moral improvement. .As to the homes of Madagascar, there were none. A native never I:lpoke ,of family or family ties. Madame Pfeiffer's travels had brought t.o her knowledge no people so immoral, and her pen refused to chronicle what her eyes and ears were compelled to see and hear. The worst vices were so universal as to seem natural. A man might put away his wife for no cause and take a fresh one as often as his caprice or passion led him; female virtue was of so little account that it did not ·even affect the legitimacy of offspring. Children born on unlucky days it was no crime to strangle, drown or expose to the trampling feet of cattle.
The Hovas were not an irreligious people-idols filled the land. ·Gods were so plenty that anything new, which they did not compre- hend, though it were a machine or a photograph, they deified. Their idols were conceived as having all power, but neither knowledge nor .goodness, virtue nor love; they were simply human greed, cruelty,mean- ness and malice, invested with almightiness! monsters of lies and lusts.
Among such a people-of whom the French governor of the Isle of Bourbon said, "You might as well attempt to convert sheep, oxen or -asses, as to make the Malagasy Christians "-among such a people the gospel has gone to win some of its mightiest triumphs.
The first obvious step that God took was one of preparation. He -gave Madagascar political unity. King Radama in his reign of twenty years"proved himself the Cresar or Napoleon" of his realm, making him- self master of the whole island except two districts in the South,and this rendered easier the spread of a new faith, as the unification of the Roman Empire had done eighteen centuries before. Radama was at ·once a general, a ruler and a reformer. He had with all his faults and vices a patriotic spirit. Contact with European civilization had becn sufficient to satisfy him of its superior type, and he first opened the -door to civilization and Christianity that he might secure the progress .and prosperity of his people. He made a treaty with Britain, abolishing the slave trade, though domestic slavery still prevailed in his own ,dominions; and seeing t~e benefits accruing to even heathen lands from the gospel of Ohrist, he welcomed the pioneer English mission- -ary, in 1820, to his capital Antananarivo, and kept his word, which pledged to him and others who might join him royal protection.
The missionaries reduced the language of the people to writing, and in teaching and preaching had all their time and strength employed. -God gave them the king's patronage; an adult sch,ool was opened in the palace court yard, and by his favor a central model school was -opened for training native teachers for the villages round about; and when murmurs arose against the missionaries, because their teachings lessened respect for the native religion, Radama had the independence ;and the indifference to go on with the work of education, at heart -caring nothing for the idols that the Hovas worshipped. In 1826 the first printing press was set up in the i.sland, and a new literature began to be created. The people were slowly waking from the sleep of ages. But at the death of Radama, in June, 1828, not'om~' convert had yet made a confession of Christ. The king himself was a progressive sovereign, but he was led simply by worldly wisdom. It was civilization and not Christianity, as such, that he encouraged. He was too intelligent to have faith in priestcraft and witchcraft, but too carnally minded to embrace Christianity or even attend preaching services.
And now opens the era of a most bloody and cruel persecution. One of Radama's wives, Ranavalona, took forcible possession of the throne, mounting it by murdering all rivals. If Radama was the Cresar, she was the" Bloody Mary," of Madagascar. From twenty to thirty thousand victims fell annually a prey to her cruelty. She was as reckless as Nero, as treacherous as Judas, and as selfish as Cleopatra. Her chief amusement was a bull-fight, her imperial journeys were·· destructive raids that left famine in their track, and her whole rule was that of a despot that cared neither for the liberty nor life of her subjects. She would waste tears over the death of a favorite bull, and lavish honors on its burial, such as not even the decease of her whole· family would have drawn forth. Had her reign been long, the island would have been a depopulated desert; and as it was, it has been calculated that half of the population perished under her. bloody sceptre. We purposely draw her hideous portrait that it may be seen what wasthe natural flower of the Madagascar society, and under what a deadly influence the infant church of Christ there struck down its tender' roots and unfolded its stalk.
There was everything, humanly speaking, to prevent the gospel from getting any hold in Madagascar. The soil was thick with the awful growths of a paganism of the lowest type; and a queen who had neither justice nor mercy was ready to pluck up the first plant of godliness, 01' burn over any field where the seed of the gospel might spring up. Among her first acts was the prohibition of all preaching and the breaking up o~ the schools. 4fterward, probably from motives of policy, she permitted the missionaries not only to make converts, but to organize native Christian churches, and, in 1831, twenty were baptized, among them "Paul," who had been a famous heathen diviner, but who had become a humble learner in the school of Christ.
As soon as the work of conversion thus began in earnest, the queen Bet herself resolutely against it. Her hatred and cruelty were so satanic' that a pall seemed to have fallen upon the whole people. The preaching went forward, and the queen was besought not to persecute the· new disciples. But it was all in vain. In March, 1834, a royal proc– lamation was made in the ears of a hundred thousand people drawn. up on the plain, Imahamasina, declaring war against the new faith•.. Converts were branded as criminals, and required to accuse themselves within one week on pain of death. Astonishing as it may seem, the, great body of these native disciples stood firm. Praying for help, trusting in God, they appeared before the judges and confessed their faith in Jesus. In these days of peril these Malagasy Christians spent whole nights in prayer, by their fidelity to an unseen Saviour exciting the astonishment of their very enemies. The queen contented herself in this case with degrading four hundred officers and fining two thou~ sand others. A week httor she demanded all books to be delivered up. As all literature on the island was the creation of the mission press, this edict was aimed against the Bible. But the brave Malagasy would not give up the Scriptures, which some of them had walked a hundred miles to procure.
The strong hold of the gospel upon the native J,J:ovas could be ac- counted for on no philosophy that excludps the power of God. Al~ ready twenty~four hundred of the queen's officers were among the con~ verts, and in the army the best and bravest soldiers were also soldiers of Christ. In vain were they placed in the most exposed positions in the battle: they still routed the foe. Thirty~thousand Hovas could read the Scriptures. Many cast away idols and superstitious charms.
Large congregations met at the capital and the influence reached hundreds of miles in every direction. No fault could be found in the Chi-istians of Madagascar, except that founl! with Daniel in Baby~ lon-they believed in their God. Wheu compelled to cease public labor, the missionaries worked privately, and besides teaching the people, published the complete Old Testament and" Pilgrim'S Progress." Then, driven from the island, they left the young church of Christ without a foreign mi~sionary among them, in July, 1836; and for twenty-five long years, persecution which had bared her red right arm continued to make it a crime to confess Jesus as Saviour aud Lord. .
Ranavalona 1., ather coronation in June, 1829, took two of the na- tional idols in her hands and said, "From my ancestors I received you; in you I put my trust, therefore support me.. " And, robed in scarlet.
and gold, those idols were held at the front of the platform to overawe the multitude while the ceremonies went forward. Here was a throne literally pillared on idols, as her reign abundantly proved.
There .were four eras of persecution, lasting respectively for fourr seven, three and. two years, together reaching from 1835 to 1860, with intervals of comparative quiet. The third was the most severe.
Christians met secretly in each other's houses, and traveled sometimes twenty miles to mountain tops, to praise and pray and read the word of God.
A woman of high family, Rafaravavy, became a sincere disciple and opened one of the largest houses in the capital for Christian worship. Despite the queen's hostile attitude, she continued to hold Sunday .evening meetings. She refused to reveal the names of her fellowworshipers, and the queen in a rage ordered her put to death. While -expecting cruel tortures, she retained her serene composure; the peacc {)f God filled her soul. Her life was spared, but her property in part ~onfiscated. She continued to meet believers, however, and the number of converts constantly increased. These persecuted disciples, bereft of human teachers, looked only to the Holy Spirit as teacher, and became themselves instructors of others who could not read. Their .quick sensibilities made them weep at the bare mention of Jesus. Rafaravavy's house was assaulted by a mob, and she was led away, as ~he snpposed, to execution, and put in irons; but a terrible conflagration that same night was snpposed to have alarmed the queen and .aroused her supe;stitious fears, and the penalty was delayed. At last .sentence of perpetual slavery was inflicted on all who had been seized in Rafaravavy's house, and Rasalama, another of the women, was speared while kneeling in prayer. Thus, on August 14, 1837, the first Mada- .gascar martyr died witnessing for Jesus. Two hundred converts were .enslaved for Jesus' sake at this time. Some of those thus enslaved to traders, afterwards escaped, but astonished their masters by returning to them accounts of their goods, with money obtained from sales. Fugitives hid three months at a time in forests. Wanderers often 'came into contact with lonely dwellings, where little congregations hitherto unknown gathered for Christian worship.
These are fragments of this remarkable story of Madagascar which read like the highest romance of Christian chivalry.
In 1839 some fugitives, on their way to England, stopping at Port Elizabeth, in South Africa, met with fellow-converts. Unable to communicate freely with these converted Hottentots, their Bibles be- -l'ame actually vehicles of converse. The Malagasy and Hottentots turning to the same passages in their respective translations of the Word, in this way made known to each other their sentiments. For .example, the Hottentot disciples pointed to Ephesians ii : 2 : "Among whom we all had our cop,versation in time past," etc. The Malagasy disciples responded by Eph. ii : 14, 15: "For He is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition." Also Gal. iii: 28: "Ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Again, the Hottentots pointed to John xvi: 33: "In the world ye .shall have tribnlation." The Hovas replied by Rom. viii: 35: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation?" etc. When was e'Ver the Bible put to a more beautiful use even by the most mature Christians? Then they sang the same hymns to the Bame tunes in different languages. Verily, "Multm terricolis lin~um; celestibus una." Then the Hottentots made them a voluntary contribution to help pay costs of their voyage, and knelt on the beach commending them to God. And these were Hottentot" dogs" and Malagasy "asses!" How soon and strangely they had developed into Christian men!
When these fugitives reached England, in May, 1839, they wrote a letter to their suffering fellow-disciples at home, which for beauty and purity of Christian sentiment might have graced the fame of Paul, theapostle and writer of epistles. For three years they stayed on British shores, winning universal esteem and love, and furnishing an unanswerable proof of the reality of the gospel. When, in 1842, they returned to Mauritius, their mission station at Moka became the asylum for other fugitives from persecutions at Madagascar. The queen was only enraged by the escape of her victims. She became the more bloodthirsty. She ordered her soldiers, when they found any Christians, 4J;0 dig a pit, cast them into it, pour boiling water on them and then fill up the pit, and go in search of others on whom to wreak similar vengeance.
Meanwhile, the patience and fidelity of these poor disciples confounded their very enemies, and constrained them to admire and wonder at a power so mysterious that could take away the fear of death, even in forms so horrible. In July, 1840, nine perilons, recaptured out of sixteen who had fied, were put to death by the spear of the executioner, and among them PauZ the Aged, the converted conjurer and preacher. And still the Gospel made conquests in these, the darkest days.
Two years of respite from persecution passed by, and a second era of cruelty began about June 19, 1842. Two converts were seized while returning from a missionary tour among the Salaklava tribes, and tortured to induce them to reveal the names of their fellow-disciples, but in vain. These lambs went to the slaughter without opening their mouths to betray other believers.
A few months later the queen was wrought to fury by the act of some imprudent person who affixed to the wall of a house in the capital a leaf of the New Testament, underlining Matthew xxiii, 13, "Woe unto you," etc. Construing this as a personal insult, she required the unknown offender to confess in four days, under penalty of being cut into pieces as small as musket balls. As no confession followed, the queen arrested several Christians and selected two, whose bodies wereliterally chopped as fine as mincemeat, and then burned to ashes! And the only ground for attaching to these disciples the guilt of this offence was that they knew enough to read and write!
Strange to say, it pleased God that the only son and heir of this atrocious Jezebel should, at the age of sixteen, become interested in the very Christians who were the,objects of his mother's persecuting rage! Rakatond.-Radama was one ofthat illustrations of that paradox of heredity, that a lamb should be born of a hyena. His gentle spirit was the exact reverse of his mother's ferocity. Where she delighted in cruelty, he delighted in kindness; he hated blood-shedding even as she thirsted for it. Of course, the people soon found out where to go for sympathy and succor. He cut the cords of those who were bound, and released those appointed to death; and yet the natural affection existing between the son and mother prevented a rupture between them.
About tliis time, 1847, Ramaka, called Rasalasala, or the BoZd One, arose, a mighty preacher, the first in the Madagascar church. Prince Rakatond was drawn to hear him, and was so impressed that he had Christian teachers come to the palace to instruct him in the Scriptures and pray with him. So far as he could he prevented all executions, .or, at least, modified and mollified the severity of the sentence against accused disciples. Though he never seems to have become a convert himself, he often attended OhrIstian worship and befriended the converts in every possible way. His cousin, Prince Ramonja, older than he, yet singularly like him, and also a favorite of the queen, joined him in the chivalrous defence of the persecuted followers of Jesus. The nephew of the prime minister went further than these two royal princes, and openly declared himself a disciple, and so the gospel once more invaded "Ooosar's household." His uncle threatened him with the loss of his head, but he calmly answered, I l( am a Ohristian, and if you will, you may put me to death, but I must and will pray." He might be assassinated, but could not be in- timidated, as Ourran said of himself when conducting the defense of Bond.
To recount all the fascinating story of the Malagasy's sufferings would require a volume. But we seek rather to portray in outline the main features of this romance of missions. One of the most affecting memorials of this persecution may be found in the fragments of Holy Scripture afterwards brought home by Mr. Ellis. During this famine .of the written word, the more educated converts copiAd out portions .of the blessed book, and these were found, worn, soiled and rent, with the toru edges carefully drawn together and sewed with fibres of bark, .or repaired with pieces of stronger paper; and giving evidence that they had been buried in the earth or hidden in smoky thatches, to conceal them from the eyes of the malignant persecutors.
In 1849 a third era of persecution began with the a~sault upon Prince Ramonja. A kabar or business meeting was summoned at Andahalo. rrhe queen addressed a message to her subjects, asking «why it was that they did not give up praying," in view of the :severe penalties affixed to the crime of apostasy from the gods of Madagascar.
The Ohristians made mild but firm answer, refusing to recognize idols. Rainitraho, a noble of royal blood, was among Ohrist's conlessors, and his heroism was so contagious that the officers stopped the -examinations lest the whole people should be carried away with his example. Four nobles were burned alive, and f.ourteen others hurled from a precipice 150 feet high, and their families sold as slaves; 117 were publicly flogged and compelled to labor for life in chains; 1,700 were fined, and Prince Ramonja was degraded from his rank. The -prince royal was accused of being a Christian, but the queen was too indulgent to her only son to take notice of the charge.
No acts of violence could sway these simple Malagasy converts from Jesus. They calmly replied, "None of these things move me." They sang a hymn of "going home to God," as they were borne to ~,x:ecution, and prayers and praises ascended in the very flames that wrapped the stakes. Once, indeed, the flames were extinguished by a sudden rain, and a bow appeared, one end of which seemed to rest on the very posts to which the martyrs were tied. The spectators were overwhelmed with awe, but the fires were relit, and the martyrs gave up the ghost.
To the precipice near the palace, .JI.mpamarinana, fourteen prisoners were then led and hurled over its awful edge, bounding from ledge to ledge until they were broken on the granite rocks below, and one of them was heard singing as he fell. One timid woman, Ranivo, who was kept to the last, compelled to look over the edge of the cliff upon the mangled bodies below, in answer to the '6ntreaties of friends that she would save her life by apostasy from Dhrist, only begged to be hurled from the precipice too. And yet the word of the Lord had free course and was glorified. Converts was still gathered. Believers numbered thousands. In at least seven places in the capital secret meetings were held.
Rainiharo, one of the ministers who had placed Ranavalona on the throne and propped her persecuting policy by his influence, died, and this period of relentless persecution came to a close. The prince royal, Rakatond, now became associated with his mother in the government: The time now seemed to have come for the return of the expelled mIsSIOnaries. The London Missionary Society, to whose planting the gospel owed Its harvest in Madagascar, sent a deputation, composed of the veteran missionary, Rev. William Ellis, and the Rev. Mr. Cameron, to prepare the way for re-establishing the mission which for about eighteen years had been broken np.
Mr. Ellis found two parties on the island, led respectively by Prince Rakatond and by his cousin, Ramboasalama, the former favoring Christ~anity and all its noble institutions; the latterin league with idolatry and all its vicious associations. But Mr. Ellis found the church of Christ in the island stronger than before persecution began, and the knowledge of the gospel spread to the remote parts of the island. Not until his third visit, in 1856, did he reach the capital. But when he did, he found that just the fruits which the blessed gospel had produced in the most enlightened communities, it had borne in Madagascar. Disciples had there fought the same fight of faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, and burning with zeal for God and passion for souls. Closet and la:mily prayer were more common than among disciples in London; the word of God was daily searched as for hid treasure, and the meetings for worship were attended at all risk. . The fourth and last persecution may be traced to a plot to depose the wicked queen. June, 1857, was fixed as the time for carrying out the design. Mr. Lambert, a Frenchman, first sought aid from Louis Napoleon and the English prime minister, Lord Clarendon, in relieving the misery of the Malagasy. When the hope of foreign interference failed, he is said to have enlisted the co-operation of Prince Rakatond with some of the nobles and soldiers, in' the plan of revolutionizing the government by native aid alone. No violence was to be done to the queen's person; she was simply to be removed from the throne, and her son to be proclaimed king. But ou the eve of accomplishment the plot failed, and when the knowledge of the conspiracy came to Queen Ranavalona's ears, she refused to allow anyone to hint a suspicion against her son, and like Nero when Rome burned, fixed the guilt of the whole plot upon the poor innocent disciples of Christ. A traitor who had professed conversion gave the queen a list of seventy whom he charged with a share in the conspiracy. Prince Rakatond got hold of this list and tore it in pieces. But the bloody queen must have some victims for her new fever of rage, and so another kabar was called. Not more than three hundred Christians were found, as they had fled in bands so numerous as to put to flight the detachments of soldiers sent to capture them. The infuriated queen declared that her search should extend to the bowels of the earth and the very beds of lakes and rivers; but the more she raved the more calm and cautious were the followers of Jesus; only Prince Rakatond's energy and interposition prevented the destruction not only of hundreds of natives bUl of the six Europeans who were on the island, including Madame Pfeiffer, the traveler. They were, however, banished and barely escaped from the island with their lives.
Christians were pierced and tortured with spears and then beheaded. More than two hundred suffered punishment, most of them men of mark, and stoning was now for the first time employed as a new and cruel mode of execution. Iron necklaces were attached to the necks of others and they were thus linked together and compelled to constant companionship until death ended their sufferings; if one died the rest had to drag about this body of death-a revival of the hideous forms of ancient torture. Fifty-seven Christians were thus chained together and banished to a distant province. This was the last triumph of persecuting hatred against the little church in Madagascar. For thirty-two years Ranavalona had held her red sceptre. She had sought to trample upon and stamp out with iron heel the humble plant of renown that was growIng in the soil of this great island. But God used all this rage of this modern Jezebel to test and develop the faith and love of disciples. The tan.gena draught, the boiling caldron, the rice-pit, the awful precipice, the chain, the spear, the stone, the stake-all united in vain to compel these poor~ ignorant, persecuted disciples to disown their newly-found Saviour. For the first time iu the history of modern missions God permitted a. feeble church, just planted and scarcely rooted on pagan soil, to undergo It quarter of a century of persecution, having scarcely a parallel in violence and cruelty. That church was literally anu emphatically isolated; not only on an island, but cut off from sympathetic contact and communication with the Ohristian church in otber lands, and yet it more than survived; for a,t the end of that twenty-five years, when, if not plucked up by the roots, it might have been expected to be found feeble and half dead, it was strong and firmly rooted, and among its precious fruits were many of the soldiers, the nobles and even the royal household. Many thousand persons had been sentenced to various punishments by the" Bloody Mary" of Madagascar, for theirfaith; and yet when, in 1861, persecution ceased, the Christian popUlation was fivefold greater than before she began to exterminate them; and more than this-this Plant of Renown had spread its roots through the very soil of society, and its branches reached afar; the perfume of its golden blooms pervaded the very atmosphere; its fruits were to be found in every home. The whole community was undergoing transformation. The name of Christian had become the sign and synonym, the pledge and promise of truth, purity, fidelity, integrity-new virtues were growing, where vice had sprung up rank as weeds. A miracle had been wrought. A Supernatural Power had been at work. The Spirit of God had breathed new life into Malagasy hearts.
July, 1861, came and the queen died~ and Rakatond, as Radama II., became king. His first act was to proclaim his policy of toleration. The era of religious liberty had dawned for Madagascar. He proclaimed deliverance to the captives and the opening of prison doors to them that were bound. Exiles returned home, slaves were set free; it was a year of jubilee. Idols were banished from the palace, and to show his contempt he sent some Christians to burn the very shrine of one of the national gods, while he looked on to witness the impotency of the so-called" deity." Radama was a reformer, but not a Christian. He was tolerant of the gospel, and so he was of rum, and 60,000 gallons flooded the island in a week and debauched whole villages.
It was now safe for Mr. Ellis to come again and resume missionary work, and in November. 1861, he sailed for Madagascar. On his arrival, with Radama's permission, he secured the sites made sacred by the blood and ashes of the martyrs, for the building of churches; and so the houses of worship in Madagascar to-day are monmilents and memorials of the faith and faithfulness of those who there s~ered for Jesus.
!;Ir. Ellis's arrival was the signal for a triumphal march through the island. Delegations of disciples met him, and processions went ont to welcome the veteran missionary. Throngs of worshippers assembled. at early dawn. .A second service would begin by 8 o'clock in the morning. Every encouragement was now given to the devoted missionary from the hut of the poor to the palace of the king.
Radama II. fell a victim to a conspiracy within a twelvemonth. :ge who had never shed blood was strangled by assassins, in May, 1863, and his widow, under the title of Queen Rasoherina, ascended the vacant throne, the first constitutional ruler of the Malagasy. She reigned five years, and her subjects enjoyed full liberty of conscience. 'rhe work of evangelization went rapidly forward. Nevertheless the government was not Christian, and at her coronation, which was on Sunday, the priests and idols were conspicuously in the foreground.
Congregations multiplied and converts increased, and a native ministry was trained up, and a native Christian literature created. The thirst of the native Christians for the word of God was insatiable, and every mark of a Christian home was to be found in their domestic life. Marriage was honored and divorce discouraged. Contributions were liberal, aud the missionary spirit led to abundant labors to spread the gospel by both home and foreign missions.
The queen's health was failing, and before she died, it is believed, her mind turned from her old idols, which she had placed in her court and carried on her journeys. She died in April, 1868. Her youngest sister took the throne as Ranavalona II. And now, for the first time, Madagascar had a Christian as well as a constitutional ruler.
He who would see the marvelous change in Madagascar, need only contrast the coronation of the two queens-Ranavalona I. and Ranavalona II. One took place June 12, 1829. Then the Bloody Mary of Madagascar took two of the national idols in her hands, and declared: " I received you from my ancestors. I put my trust in you, therefore support me." And then the scarlet-clad images were held at the front corners of the platform to awe the superstitious multitude. On September 3, 1868, a Christian queen was crowned, and the ceremony befitted such a monarch. 'I'he symbols of pagan faith were nowhere to be seen. In their place lay a beautiful copy of the Bible, side by side with the laws of Madagascar. A canopy was stretched above the queen, and on its four sides were four Scripture mottoes: "Glory to God"; "Peace on earth"; "Good-will to man"; "God with us." Her inaugural address was interwoven with Scripture dialect, and instead of Ohristianity it was now idolatry which became a suppliant for toleration. And all this took place seven years after Ranavalona I. expired! Astrologers and diviners were no longer to be found at court; Rasoherina's idol was cast out of the palace. Government work ceased on Sunday, and the Sunday markets were closed. In the palace court services of divine worship were instituted, which are kept up to this date. Ohurches now grow rapidly, sometimes fivefold in a year. The Madagascar New Year, formerly an idolatrous festival, now became a Ohristian holy day; and the queen's address declared, "I have brought my kingdom to lean upon God, and I expect you, one and all, to be wise and just, and to walk in His ways." Just one month later Ranavalona II. and her prime minister were publicly baptized by one of the native preachers, in the very courtyard where, a few years before, the bloodiest edicts had been issued.
In the queen's examination by the native ministers, it transpired that her first serious impressions were traceable to a native Ohristian who, when she was a mere child, sought to impress her with the truth as it is in Jesus. It was Andriantoiamba, one of the four noblemen who were afterward burned as martyrs, who thus sowed the seed in that young heart that afterward ripened into the first Ohristian queen of the island. Two days before their baptism the queen and the prime minister, were wedded, and shortly after both publicly joined in the Lord's Supper, thus magnifying the Ohristian family and the Sacraments of the church of God.
Such an example was likely to be followed. Almost all the government·officers of high rank, and among them the chief idol-keeper, the astrologer of Rasoherina, came forward to receive baptism. Oongregations multiplied beyond all means of accommodation. One hundred new buildings were in demand; 37,000 persons attended worship, an increase of 16,000 in a year! On July 20 the cornerstone of a chapel, designed for the use of the queen and court, was laid in the very courtyard of the palace.
To-day in that palace courtyard the traveler may see a beautiful house of prayer. In gilded letters upon two large stone tablets forming part of the surbase of the structure, appears engraven the following royal statement, read at the laying of the corner-stone in 1869 : "By the power of God and grace of our Lord Jesus, I, Ranavalomanjaka, Queen of Madagascar, founded the House of Prayer, on the thirteenth Adimizana, in the year of our Lord Jesus Ohrist, 1869, as a house of prayer for the service of God, King of kings and Lord of lords, according to the word in the Sacred Scriptures, by Jesus Ohrist the Lord, who died for the sons of all men. and rose
THE INHERITANCES OF NATIONS ALLOTTED BY GOD
again for the justification and salvation of all who believe in and love- Him. ":For these reasons this stone house, founded by me as a house of prayer, cannot be destroyed by any one, whoever may be king of this my land, forever and forever; but if he shall destroy this house of prayer to God which I have founded, then is he not king of my land, Madagascar. Wherefore I have signed my name with my hand and the· seal of the kingdom.
" RANAVALOMANJAKA, "Queen of Madagascar.
" This word is genuine, and the signature by the hand of Rana- valomanjaka is genuine.
"RAINILAIARIVONY, "Prime Minister and Commander-in-Ohief of Madagascar."
If you should visit this island to-day, you would find four sacred sites occupied by memorial ehurches. .I1.mpamannana, the summit of the martyrs' precipice; .I1.mhohipotsy, where Rasalama, the first martyr, w~s speared; .I1.mhatonakan,ta, where so many were kept in prison; and Faravohitra, where the rainbow rested over the burning pile, and where the first stone of the church was laid exactly beneath the spot where the remains of the martyrs were found.
Is it possible to account for changes such as these, wrought within the space of sixty years by the simple preaChing and teaching of the gospel, unless the power of God is indeed behind the Bible? If there ever was a wonder that compelled even the sceptical and the unbelieving to exclaim, "What hath God wrought I" it is to be found in the story of Madagascar.
THE INHERITANOES OF NATIONS ALLOTTED BY GOD.
BY REV. A. W. PITZER, D.D., WASHINGTON, D. c.
"God's works of Providence are His most holy, wise and powerful, preserving and governing all His creatures, ordering them and all their actions to His own glory."
Individual life cannot be detached from God and His overruling Providence; and nations rise, flourish, decay and die in accordance not merely with natural law and second causes, but also, in accordance with His eternal purposes and plans. Before man was created, or human history had begun, God had a fixed place for every nation and a definite phm for every man's life. Nor has this Divine decree· and Providence ever impaired the freedom and responsibility of the individual or the nation, nor is God the author of man~s sin, nor is the efficiency of second causes diminished.
The nations of the earth come to their separate places of inheritance on the globe, moved by various motives and impelled by different forces. Restless for change, greedy for gain, envious of their neighbors, ambitious for fame, filled with cruelty and thirsting for blood, the nations of the past and the present have freely worked ()ut the problem of national destiny. And yet, it was the Most High God, whose Providence divided to these nations their inheritance, and who decreed and settled the bounds of all kindreds, tribes and peoples; and to each and to all He said, "Thus far shalt thou go and no farther, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed." There is a philosophJt of history, but the Godless historian has never seen it-a philosophy of history human, yet divine-that m"akes full estimate of all human forces at work in the world, but fails not at the same time to see the mighty Providence of God in the onward march of all earthly things.
The Most High God located the nations of the old world and the new. He planted the Egyptian by the waters of the Nile, ,flowing from the ever-living lakes of equatorial Africa; He gave to the sons ()f Ham the "dark continent" teeming with life and filled with food; from central Asia His hand led out the people after the confusion of tongues at Babel to the Euphrates and Tigris; to India, to China, and to the islands of the great seas that wash the coasts of the Asiatic -continent. To the sons of J apheth, the Cimbri, the Tartars, the Medes, the Greeks, the Muscovites, He gave northern Asia, Asia Minor and Europe.
The ethnology of the lOth chapter of Genesis remains an unchallenged chart of the nations to this day. Fifteen hundred years after Moses incorporated in his writings this chart, and after he had sung this song, another descendant from the family of Shem, stood in the midst of Mars Hill and declared to the wisdom-seeking sons of Javan that God had made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath deterniined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation, that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him and find Him.
God, then, has a purpose concerning this race and world of ours, and His overruling providence is silently, but irresistibly, conducting the races and nations along the great highway of human history. He plants and He plucks up dynasties, kingdoms, nations and empires, and orders, controls and governs all things according to the counsels ()f His own will.
What, then, is that supreme purpose of God, to the development and accomplishment of which, all agents and agencies, all forces and events, all kings and empires are made subservient and tributary? Surely it must be an object worthy of God Himself, and commensurate with His all-embracing and resistless providence. It is nothingless than the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth, in visible sovereignty and glory. Devout worshippers of the true and living God in all ages and lands have cried in prayer to -Him, "Thy Kingdom Come." In his last song, Moses tells the children of Israel encamped on the plains of Moab and in sight of the promised land, why it was that God had divided to the nations their inheritance and fixed the bound- aries of the peoples. He had taken Israel, the seed of His friend Abraham, as his possession and portion, and, in relation to their number and location on the globe, He had arranged all other nations and peoples.
The Kingdom of God is to come on earth through Israel; for sal- vation is of the Jews; and David's greater soil' is yet to sit on David's throne, and hence God's people, His portion must be the centre around which and for the sake of which, all national movements, great and small, shall revolve.
The little strip of land on the western border of the continent of Asia, not 200 miles from north to south, by less than 100 miles from east to west, washed by the Mediterranean Sea, almost in sight of the life-giving waters of Africa's great river, and touching to the west- ward, the isles and lands of the Gentiles, is the divinely ordained home of the chosen people, and the geographical centre of all human history until the Kingdom of God shall come in power and glory.
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Greece, Rome, all the nations of modern Europe have gazed with greedy eyes on this historic spot of earth.
Canon Farrar, in deAcribing this land, as it spread out in beauty before the eyes of Jesus of Nazareth, says, "Pharaohs and Ptolemies, Emins and Arsacids, judges and consuls, have all contended for the mastery of this smiling tract. It had glittered with the lances of the Amalekites; it had trembled under the chariot wheels of Serostris; it had echoed the twanging bow strings of Sennacharib; it had clashed with the broadswords of Rome; it was destined to ring with the battle-cry of the Crusaders, and thunder with the artillery of England and France. Here, Europe and 'Asia, Judaism and Heathenism, Barbarism and civilization had met and struggled for supremacy."
The careful student of history cannot fail to see that the destinies of the empires of the Old World were determined by their relations to this land and its wondrous people whom the living God had chosen for portion and possession.
If he in<iuired why this land and people were so important in the history of the race, the answer is easily given. From Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Malachi, by words and acts, God made Himself known to this people. He came into this earthly realm, and became a factor in human history. Israel received from God the truth unto salvation in trust for all the nations of the earth. They are the divinely appointed trustees of this sacred deposit-to hold this in trust and preserve it pure, for all the families of man, is their high calling and providential mission to all tribes and races and nations. The history of Israel, therefore, will have relations that reach out and embrace all lands and all peoples.
To the Egyptians, God gave the fertile valley of the Nile, that, here in the midst of this ancient civilization, the !!Qns of .Jacob, His chosen, might be developed from a clan into a nation, and be taught and trained in all the wisdoms and arts of this mighty and marvelous people.
To the Assyrians he gave the lands along the Euphrates and the Tigris, t.hat here might be founded an empire that should, as His minister of justice and judgment, at the appointed time, sweep the kingdom of the ten tribes from the land of their fathers.
He, too, ordained that Assyria should be wasted by Babylon, and that Babylon should become the hammer of the whole earth, and should carry His people, Judah, captives to that far-off land, that in the horrors of the seventy years' captivity they might forsake idolatry forever. And when God has accomplished His purposes concerning Israel with Babylon, then He raised up the Medes, who broke down her broad walls, and burned her high gates with fire, and Babylon became heaps of ruins, a dwelling-place for dragons, an astonishment and an hissing without inhabitant_ The Hebrew pi'ophets depict with the utmost minuteness and clearness the relations of the nations to Israel, their providential places in history, and how God used them to extend on the earth the knowledge of that truth given to His chosen and covenanted people. Isaiah foretells the fate of Moab, of Damascus, of Egypt, of Tyre, of Assyria, and of Babylon. Daniel in vision, and under the symbol of a beast, beholds in succession, the empires of Babylonia, the Medo- Persian, the Greek and the Roman, and even the destruction of the old Roman empire, and the ten kingdoms of modern Europe, that continue until the return of Jesus our Lord, from the heavens.
God divided to all these nations their inheritance; He fixed their boundaries; He appointed their providential mission; He determined the days of their dominion, and the day of their destruction; their highest use and chief end were what service they rendered in the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. Egypt furnishad the tempOl'ary home of the Israelites; the Babylonish captivity cured them of idolatry; the Persians restored them to their own land; the Grecians prepared the language to contain the Gospel of the son of David; and Rome builded the great highways whereon the apostles of our Lord carried the glad tidings to the ends of the earth.
Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of God, was the climax and culmination of the revelations of God to the Hebrew people; and when He died upon the Cross, the inscription over His head, testifying to His kingship, was written in the world's historic language!;l, the Hebrew, tIle Greek and the Roman. Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and the people of Israel, did whatsoever God's hand and counsel had determined before to be done. To this great central and germinal event all the ages had looked, and all nations had oontributed. The wise men from the east spake not for themselves merely, but for others, when they said: " Where is He that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen His 'star in the east, and have come to worship Him." God's kingdom must come on earth through Him, who is both David's son and David's Lord.
The Risen Christ, from His father's throne in heaven, exercises now an invisible, but resistless, dominion over all nations, kingdoms and empires, and the nations still come to their inheritance according to the divine appointment, and as they serve to make known on earth the sacred truth given in trust to the Jews, they prepare the way for the coming. Lord, by proclaiming the glad tidings of that kingdom that shall never end.
God still determines the appointed times of the nations and the bounds of their habitations, with reference to their relations to His son, Jesus Christ, and the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. Many nations shall yet say: "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths;' for the law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
So far as nations have had any history, since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that history has been connected with and tributary to the extension and establishment of the Gospel of that Risen Lord among all the peoples of the earth: for that Gospel must be preached to all nations, as God's witness, before the Kingdom of Heaven can come in power and glory on this earth.
The movements of men and nations through eighteen Christian centuries have been guided by the divine eye, and controlled by the divine hand. 'fhe dismemberment of the old Roman empire, the rise of the kingdoms of modern l£urope, the growth of the Papacy, the career 'of Mohammed, the wars of the Crusaders, the darkness of the Middle Ages, the 'revival of learning, the persecutions of the Church by Rome-Pagan and Papal-the invention of printing, the translations of the Scriptures, the reformation of the sixteenth century, the exile of Christians for conscience sake, the use of the mariner's compass, and the opening up of new and unknown lands, were not less directed by the Almighty God of heaven, than Israel's march from Egypt to Canaan, and the times and bounds of the nations of the Old World.
Nowhere is the overruling providence of God more clearly seen than in this our land, and in the history of the people of these United States. Israel's God and our father's God divided to us this rich inheritance; and He has appointed our time and fixed our bounds, that we might not only seek the Lord ourselves, but should give His -Gospel, committed in trust to our custody, to all the nations. Morde- ~ai's question to Queen Esther comes with fearful emphasis to the rulers and people of this republic: "If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whe'ther thou art come to the king- ·dom for such a time as this?"
Our forefathers brought with them to this new world that fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom, that liberty of conscience to worship God that could not be enjoyed at home. With them came, too, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, the inspired and infallible Word of God; the family as the basis and unit of all true life in both Church and State; the sanctity of the oath unto God as the hope of a pure administration of justice in our courts; the divinely .ordained rest of the Lord's Day, not for a holiday but for a holy day -in short, they brought with them, not monarchy, nor anarchy, not .communism, nor atheism, not infidelity, nor materialism, nor papacy, but God-fearing piety and customs founded on the Word of God.
We have come to the Kingdom at such a time as this-a time when there are no longer any hermit nations, nor Chinese walls of ·exclusion; in a wider and deeper sense than ever before, every man may now say, "The world is my parish." Steamships supersede sail vessels, the engine does the work of a thousand men and horses, the :Bun paints our pictures, electricity illumines our cities and sends our words with lightning speed around the globe. All the ends of the .-earth are brought face to face in the great struggle for existence; .and all races and nations jostle each other on the broad highway .of life. Surely the Anglo-Saxon Christianity of America must have .a mission from the God of Heaven to all the races and nations of the .-earth. "The wheels of history are the chariot wheels of the Almighty, .a.nd with every revolution there is an onward movement toward the goal of His eternal purposes," to establish here on earth the Kingdom .of God in supernal splendor. .
The providential mission of this nation is to give the blessed Gos- ]>el of the Son of God to all peoples of the earth. The weary and :sin-stricken children of Adam, of every continent and island, of every tribe and tongue, in their darkness and degradation, look, with long- ing eyes to us for light and help and healing. "Come over into Mace- .donia and help us," is the despairing cry borne on every breeze and from every land beneath the skies-from China and Korea, from In- .dia and Japan, from Persia and Papal Europe, from the South Ameri- .can Republic and Mexico, from the islands of the oceans and the "'dark continent" of Livingstone and Stanley.
We hold the Gospel, not merely for ourselves but in trust for a
THE CONGO MISSIONS
lost world. We have the men and the money, the missionaries and the agencies, methods of transit and transportation, in more than abundance, to give the Gospel in ten years, as God's witness, to every nation under heaven. The supreme duty of this nation is to realize her sublime providential mission, and bear the blessed light of the Gospel to all the dark places of the earth, to the habitations of men now filled with cruelty. There is no second C~lumbus to be born~ noi' any new continent to be discovered. This is the "last days," and this "the ends of the earth," the light that shines across the' Pacific from San Francisco and Portland reaches to the very lands where first that light was kindled "Now or never," is the world to be eV2..ngelized by us.
THE CONGO :MISSIONS.
BY MISS HELEN F. CLARK, NEW YORK.
[Mr. C. J. Laffin went out to Africa llilder Bishop Taylor, but when his Congo Mission failed, he worked independently, though unofficially associated with the A. B. M. U. He sent us various notes from the Congo. He has just returned to take a medical course, then goes back to Central Africa. He has furnished Miss Clark with the facts and experiences of his three years' mission tour, which she here puts into form, under his supervision. The paper, being reliable and fresh from the Congo, cannot fail to be of special interest at the- present juncture.-J. M. S.] The question of evangelizing Central Africa is one that now en- grosses the attention of aggressive Christianity in both England and America. The best plan of work, and the character of the workers, is largely discussed among the various boards and missionary com- mittees; consequently any light that can be thrown upon these topics by missionaries who have been upon the field, and are, therefore, best qualified to give an opinion, is gratefully received.
Mr. Laffin spent his iiz-st few months in Africa in the vicinity of Vivi and Isangila, but afterwards pushed on up the Congo river 800' miles to the equator, stopping at Equatol'ville station, forming theacquaintance of various tribes along the banks of the Congo and lesser streams.
From the first he was keenly interested in the methods of work followed in the various mission stations which he visited, and carefully studied their every detail. Then followed much practical work Qn his o,*n part among the natives as he traveled throngh the country and mingled with them.
As an independent missionary, Mr. Laffin founded no station, nor reported his work to any superior, but to the great Master Himself, but wisely spent his time in examining the country and the conditions under which he must work, and in forming his own opinion as to the wisest and most effective way to prosecute that work.
The Africans he came in contact with are a peculiar people, and must· be dealt with in the utmost candor and with straightforward simplicity. With them no half-hearted work is possible; no clouded testimony in word or life will receive the 81ightest regard from them.
Nothing but sterling Christianity in word or deed will convince them that the Gospel you preach is true; but the testimony clearly borne, and the life that will bear the sharpest scrutiny, will bring a multitude of hungry hearts to God. Perhaps the work done is more satisfactory in Africa than in any other country, for the man or woman who is converted is converted in deed and in truth, and becomes at once as aggressive for the truth as the missionary himself. Mr. Laffin has vouchsafed the following interesting facts under the heads of "What has been done in Africa;" "What is being done," and" What can be done," which we give, as nearly as possible, in his own words.
FIRST-WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
There are, at the present time, four societies prosecuting active work in Central Africa: the American Baptists, the English Baptists. the Swedish Society, and the Congo Balolo Society, who have a combined working force of about 80 missionaries in all, occupying 20 mission stations. Of these stations 13 are situated on the lower Congo and Cataract region, below Stanley Pool, and the remaining 'l are on the upper Congo and in the Balolo district. Thus far 'l churches have been organized-all among the Bakongo people-which aggregate about 1,500 communicants, with half as many more who profess conversion, but whom the missionaries are keeping on probation for a short time. Besides these regular stations, there are in this vicinity from 15 to 20 out-stations and preaching-posts, all manned by able native evangelists. It is but thirteen years since the first missionaries penetrated the Congo districts, and but ten of these have been spent in actually publishing the Gospel, for the first three were spent by the little band of sturdy English Christians in fighting fevers, and in trying to conciliate the hostile natives. Since that time, one tribe only has been, to a large extent, evangelized-that is to say, the Gospel has been preached the length of the land upon which this numerous and powerful tribe of Bakongo people live. The difficulties experienced by these indomitable pioneers seem almost beyond belief. During those first three perilous years the missionaries were driven from place to place and were not able to settle anywhere. They found it difficult to establish any communication with the natives~ since the black men regarded them with the utmost suspicion and distrust, and gave them almost no opportunity to acquire the native language. In the course of time, seeing that the strange whites were neither slave traders nor state officials, the suspicion of the natives finally gave way to confidence, and their would-be friends were allowed to found their station in peace, and to begin the publication of those good tidings which afterwards brought peace to so many troubled souls among them.
The greatest difficulty in reaching the interior has ever been in getting above the falls in the great river, about 100 miles above its mouth. To navigate the stream at this point is impossible. Therefore, all stores and baggage for the interior must be conveyed a distance ·of 250 miles around in sixty-pound packages, which the lithe and .agile natives bear upon their heads. The steamboats for the upper .congo were taken apart and packed in this manner, and rebuilded upon the upper side.
There are thirty-one steamers now running upon the upper Congo, three of which are missionary boats, the others belonging either to the Government or to the traders. Two more mission steamers are now in process of construction for the lower Congo, and one for the upper.
Stations have been established among three other tribes, but as yet only one convert has crowned their labors. Here the difficulty <>f acquiring the language hinders the missionaries. There is no written language, and the tongue must be acquired slowly and unsatisfactorily by mingling with the people as often as they will permit, and there is no missionary upon the field to-day who has mastered it sufficiently to talk intelligently, without having frequent recourse to an interpreter: In these distant stations on the upper river, isolated from @ne another, it has required a long time to gain the confidence of the natives, but the past few years have sufficed at last to convince these distrustful people that the white man really came to them from an unselfish motive, and he has now won their hearts, so that to-day these perse:vering workers have a firm footing in the three tribes, and are ready to branch out into large work as soon as their numbers are re-inforced by the arrival of new missionaries.
WHAT IS BEING DONE.
As to what is being done, perhaps the most successful of all the ~fforts put forth, is that of the native evangelists. This, of course, brings us back to the Bakongo people along the Lower Congo.
Of the members of these churches, a very large percentage-considerably more than half-are persevering, energetic, aggressive Christian workers-such workers as put to shame the feeble and childish efforts of many Christians in our own land.
To them, black man or white man, State official, of however high degree, or slave, of ever so mean a degradation, is either a "son of God" or a "son of the Devil." They know but two classes, and if you are not avowedly of the first, they immediately pronounce you in the second, and proceed to give you the Gospel on the spot. They fear no man, soldier or government-official, trader or traveler, brother African' or slave, and one of the first questions asked, upon formingone's acquaintance, will be, "Kanzi, ngeye mUJana' nzambi?" (are you a son of God?) If the -answer is in the negative, they very frequently respond, "B08i mUJana' mbungi /" (Then you are a child of the Devil.) After which they present the Gospel to you with all the eloquence and clearness of which their incomparable language is capable.
These workers are continually organizing themselves into bands of twenty or thirty, and with neither scrip nor staves, they go from village to village, preaching the Gospel, and often remaining away for weeks at a time.
The missionaries freely acknowledge that one native is worth threeor four white men as an evangelist. They speak with marvellous oratorical effect; indeed, they are said to be born orators. "A sermon that I heard from one of them," says Mr. Laffin, "waf> as fi,ne as ever I heard in either Europe or America, not only in point of delivery, but in its clearness of reasoning, and in its profound perception of spiritual truth."
These bands of workers go out invariably at their own expense. Besides these unpaid volunteers there are some 25 native evangelists who go individually to out-posts and preaching-stations, and who are nearly all self-supporting or are maintained by the native churches. The natives believe the Gospel at the mouths of their own people far more readily than they do from the missionary himself; consequently their work is of vastly more value in the general evangelization of a tribe than is that of the white man.
But the simplicity of the native evangelist is, as a rule, altogether spoiled by transportation to America or England.. A taste of European life robs him of his unconsciousness of self, and, thereafter, he looks down upon his kindred and will no longer associate with them, but must live as we live, and wants more luxuries than any missionary would allow himself. These people frequently travel half a day's journey, bringing their food with them, in order to attend divine service.
The loyalty of the native Christian to God's Word is marvellous. While the people are perfectly obedient to the Supreme Being, they will bear no dictation from us whatever. If we insist upon their conforming their lives to any precept or principle which we may lay down, they immediately begin to reason the matter with us. If therule be a scriptural one, they insist upon our finding the text, when we must read it to them and translate it into their own language. But if the scripture bears out our words, that is an end of all controversy; thereafter, it becomes a law to them, or as they style it in their own beautiful native tongue, "The Lord hath said it, and we must obey." On this account we are obliged to discriminate accurately in our teaching against what is purely a matter of custom with us, since they will learn nothing from us save that which is scriptural. But when they are told not to lie, or cheat in business, or to steal, seeing it in Scripture, they immediately desist.
As an illustration of this, I will give you· an incident in my own experience. Traveling through strange villages one day, I saw a woman by the roadside with a pawpaw beside her. I asked what she would sell it for, and she named a price; I bade the boy who was with me take it away for our noon-day meal. "No, no," she cried, "the pawpaw will not be ripe enough until to-morrow; go on down the road, sir, and you will find plenty more that are ripe enough to eat now." I then learned that she was a Christian. She had heard the Gospel from a native evangelist who had ollce come to her village to preach, and she had received the truth, and, although untaught in the principles of Christian living, yet by the Holy Spirit's help, had instinctively perceived the right.
When the surveyors for the Congo railroad, which is now being built, were laying out the road through a certain tract, one of them approached the chief of the neighboring tribe, and, as is customary, offered him a glass of rum. The chief thanked him for the courtesy, but declined the rum with these words: "That is what destroys the bodies alld souls of my people. As a Christian I cannot take it."
I come now to our last proposition:.
WHAT CAN BE DONE }N CENTRAL AFRICA.
The whole of the Congo Free State is now open to mIssIonaries. This district contains about 1,680,000 square miles of country, all of which is accessible through the Congo and ,its tributaries. This immense system of rivers affords at least, according to explorations up to date, 10,000 miles of navigable waterway above Stanley Pool. This district contains from fifteen to twenty different tribes, speaking as many different languages, and numbering in the aggregate, as near as may be estimated, from thirty to eighty millions of souls. The best known of these tribes, the Balolo, is calculated to number ten millions of itself. Many parts of the interior are said to be particularly healthy and free from malaria and fevers. Dr. Summers, in speaking of Luluaburg, calls it a very healthy place, and states that at night the thermometer will sometimes fall to the freezing point.
There is not known to be a single town in the interior, or Central Africa, that will refuse to receive a missionary, if once satisfied that he is a missionary. To them the yoke of a foreign government is so galling that the very sight of the men in its employ, as a rule, arouses all their enmity.
The Congo Free State obliges all vessels to fly its flag, and wherever the missionary goes he is marked as a State man, and only undeniable proof will suffice to convince them that the missionary is lIot an enemy in disguise. To them, words prove nothing, and deeds purporting to flow from an unselfish motive are an unsolvable .enigma; hence, it is only the" heroes," who can persevere without the slightest show of fear or alarm, and endure the suspicion and the consequent tribulations until their identity is established. This some- times takes a long time. In the case of the first missionaries on the lower Congo it required three years, and it has required almost as long a time for the faithful pioneers on the upper river to gain an .entrance and a footing.
In Africa, the women missionaries are the happier. Nothing is feared from them, and they are allowed to go in and out at their pleasure without molestation. Their presence in a party has more than once spared valuable lives to the Congo work. At one time a small party, including two ladies, sailed up an unexplored river, and at night-time they attempted to land and camp for the night. The natives immediately assembled, and ordered them off. They expostu- lated in vain, insisting that they were not foes, but missionaries de- siring to be their friends, but they refused to believe them, and they were forced to take refuge on a sand-bar for the night. In the morn- ing their men came out, and examining their boat carefully, and find- ing no arms or weapons such as the State men carried, finally permitted them to land and make friends with them, but averred that it was only the presence of the ladies that had kept them from killing them immediately on their approach.
At one time, in company with two blacks from a village where I had been working, I rowed up another river a distance of probably .eigM or ten miles, when, coming within sight of a strange village, We were surprised to hear a hasty alarm sounded, and instantly a multitude of the brown-skinned fellows rushed to the banks of the creek, armed with bows and arrows. Then, with a peculiar beating of drums, a message was telegraphed down the creek to the adjoining village, and from there the alarm was sounded on to the next, and the next, till at last the hoarse din died away to a faint sound, and finally hushed to our ears altogether, while up and down the river-bank were gathered the wild people eager to wreak their vengeance on our defenceless heads.
I surely thought it was all over with me, and the blacks by my side had settled themselves stoically to meet their fate, when far off came the hurried tang-tang-tang of a message swiftly sent back. The word had gone even to the village I had left, and instantly came the response: "Let him alone! He is a missionary!" Then the assembled blacks apologized, and treated us with the utmost cordiality and friendliness, saying: "We have no complaint againt the ambassadors of God." Weare always called by them "ambassadors of God," and native Christians are called" witnesses of Jesus Christ." The mIssIonaries in Africa, as a rule, count the work of onEl' woman worth that of twelve men, since they can go anywhere, even among the fiercest tribes. Their motives are never qnestioned, and they are invariably listened to with the greatest respect. Miss Silvey went about among the Bayansi tribe with perfect freedom, althongh they are by far the most formidable of all the tribes yet known. They are also the most inveterate of the cannibals, since they buy slave- children and slaughter them for the markets, as we do cattle. Miss Silvey spoke to them only through interpreters, since their speech. has not yet been reduced to language. Miss de Hailes and Mra. McKittrick work quite as freely among the Balolo people.
These inland tribes are, as a rule, a fine, powerful people. They are not Negroes but Bantus, and are of a choclate brown color, with thin, well-curved lips and fine features. They are wonderfully energetic, pushing and business-like, and, if converted, will make princely evangelists, since they fear nothing, and will make long journeys from home, remaining away many mouths at a time. While they are suspicious of the white men, they have no hatred for them unless they have done them an injury. Government representatives they count their mortal enemies, but the missionaries, when they are once known to be such, are invariably welcomed.
The missionary's first step is to gain the confidence of the people,. and then it is easy to win their affections, and his opportunity to preach the Gospel is unlimited. When they believe in you they believe your gospel, and are quickly won to God and to abide by His. Word.
At first they will give you two motives for not believing yC!u: 1st, The improbability of people doing anything from a purely unselfish motive. 2d, The impossibility of it. Therefore, they are not willing in the beginning to believe that Jesus could possibly have loved and died for them. But the life of a missionary among them, self-sacrificing and exhibiting unfeigned love for their souls, becomes at last incontrovertible proof of the truth of the Gospel, and they accept it gladly and fully.
But one· great question troubles them, that has troubled many Christians before, "If it is all true and Christ's unselfish love begets a, like love in your souls, why is it that you never came to us before, why do not more come now?" Christian reader, can you answer it ?'
One of these men said to me one day, "White man, my heart is hungry for something, and I don't know what it is." After he was converted I said to him, "Well, have you found out now what it was that your heart was hungering for?" "Yes," he answered, quickly; " It was hungry for salvation !"
, My advice to every missionary coming here, would be, not to try to educate the people, not even to make the civilization of these tribes
THE RO~IANCE OF GOEDVERWACHT
their initiatory effort, but to make their one effort, first and last and all the time, to PREACH THE GOSPEL !
Any child or adult will refuse to come to school after the novelty wears off unless paid for it, but when converted, they Clamor at once to be taught to read, that they may search the Scriptures for themselves.
It is most unwise to attempt to Europeanize them. It is far better to leave them Africans still, since the Word teaches them all that is required for purity and wholesomeness of life and morals, and customs are only galling and useless to a people so differently situated from us.
It would require, probably from twenty to thirty missionaries per tribe to equip Central Africa; after which, the work of the native evangelist becomes the main factor in the gospelizingof this darkened land.
The Jesuits, backed by the government of the Congo Free State, are coming into this region like a flood, from the west, and the Mo- hammedans are coming in almost equal numbers, from the east. Hence, whatever is done for the spreading of the Gospel here must be done quickly.
THE ROMANCE OF GOEDVERWACHT. BY REV. PAUL DE SCHWEINITZ, NAZARETH, PA. Goedverwacht is a Moravian mission station among the Hottentots in South Africa, almost a huudred miles due north from Cape Town. The Moravians began missionary operations, both in Guinea and in the Cape Colony, in 1737, but this particular station was not founded until 1858. Like many tales of fiction, so, too, the veritable romance of Goedverwacht is founded upon a most peculiar and very complicated testament, which became intricately involved with the history of the mission, and upon which for a time its very existence depended. In 1810, a certain wealthy Dutch farmer, by the name of Buergers, purchased a beautiful, well-watered, fertile valley, of some 900 acres, in the Piquet mouutains, and, by means of his Hottentot slaves, transformed it into a prosperous little colony, which now bears the name of Goedverwacht. Here Mr. Buergers lived most contentedly uutil the year 1838, when the emancipation of all slaves should take place. To his great displeasure he noticed that his slaves had become filled with spiritual desires, and, as soon as they became free, would forsake him and move to a mission station. In order to prevent this, Mr. Buergers chose six of his slaves whom he valued most highly, and told them, that if they would remain with him and care for him up to his death, he would will them his entire estate. He drew up his will accordingly, decreeing that these six slaves should hold the estate in common, but that it could not be sold until the last of the six slaves died, and then it must be sold and the proceeds divided equally among the living children of these six slaves.
This will was considered an insult to his white neighbors and relatives, but it was drawn up so skillfully, that all attempts to upset it proved utterly futile.
Thus, in 1843, six poor, despised Hottentot men and women, having faitlfully fulfilled all the conditions of the will, suddenly became wealthy real-estate owners. The property did not fall into unworthy hands. These six gathered to- gether their friends and relatives, and soon had a colony of over 500 souls, and they at once _proceeded to take measures to have their spiritual wants sup- plied. For this purpose, they applied to the Moravians for missionaries.
The Moravians in their work among these peoples, have always found it best to gather their converts into little villages around the mission-houses, which, for this purpose must, of course, stand upon ground owned by the Church. Owing to the peculiar conditions of the will, they could purchase no land there, and so had to serve these Hottentots as best they could from a neighboring station. However, a flourishing congregation of Christian con- verts was gradually gathered. – In the meantime, the six owners began to die off. It became apparent that the time when the estate must be sold, was fast approaching. If the Moravian Church could not purchase the estate, the flourishing mission-work would be destroyed. The surrounding white farmers could scarcely await the time when tJtey could avenge the imagined insult of making Hottentots equal landowners with themselves. They openly boasted of the sums they would pay, and de- clared they would resell the land to the highest bidders. The Mora-vians, with their scanty means, could not compete with the fat purses of these hostile farmers. The future looked very dark. The survivors of the six would gladly have secured the possession to the Church, but the courts had decided that, under the will they were powerless.
In this extremity, the good brethren put in motion the mightiest force of which the Kingdom of God knows. They and their converts prayed-prayed unceasingly, prayed in Africa and prayed at home, prayed constantly-for the roofs over their heads, and the ground under their feet seemed to totter and tremble. It was an invisible power, but it was silently at work.
In the meantime, the courts had decided that, according to the letter of the will, only the actually living children of the original six, and not their grandchildren, would be thp heirs of the estate. Further, that unless all the heirs were of age the estate must be sold at auction to the highest bidder.
Further, that even if all were of age, if there was a single one who refused to agree upon a price, it would again have to be sold at auction to the highest bidder. In either of those two cases the estate would be lost to the Moravians, and their faithfulla bor of years scattered to the winds, and the scene of their prayers, and tears and triumphs for Christ become the abode and property of godless men. On the other hand, the courts had decided that, if all the heirs were of age, and if all were unanimously agreed, then they could sell the estate at private sale for any price they chose, no matter how low, and to whomsoever they chose.
:::'inally the fate -of the entire mission depended upon the life of one old womaa, the last survivor of the original six slaves. At length, on December 28, 1J) j, old Christine, who for thirty-eight years had lived the life of a true Chri~tian, died in her ninety-third year.
At once the hostile-minded neighbors began to tempt the poor Hottentot heirs with fancy prices. What would be the fate of the mission? After thorough investigation, the court decided that there were thirteen heirs ac- cording to the letter of Buerger's will, and as one of these thirteen died after Christine, the three children of that one were also heirs. By the merciful overruling of Providence the life of old Christine had been preserved just long enough to permit the youngest of these heirs to become of age. The power of prayer began to be evident. But were these all willing to sell their valuable estate to the 'Moravian mission, and not only to sell it to the mission, but also
HIDDEN SPRINGS-oR HOW MISSIONARIES ARE MADE
for a price the church could afford to pay-which must be one far below its value? Upon this now hung the fate of this flourishing mission. The count- less prayers of the believers had not been in vain. The numberless difficulties and delicate negotiations cannot be detailed here. Suffice it, therefore, to say that a prayer-hearing God so ruled the hearts of these fifteen heirs that they voluntarily adopted the unanimous resolution to sell their estate to the Mora- vian Church for the moderate sum of £750 on Jme 30, 1889. Each heir re- ·ceived £51 and 15 shillings, of which nearly everyone at once returned £1 as a gift towards a church building, and some more. However, there is still a need for much more before all the expenses of the transactions can be paid ;;'nd th!" necessary church buildings erected. But the Lord, who won the hearts of the self-sacrificing heirs, will also move the hearts of Christians to give of their' means to upbuild this noble mission.
What is the" moral" of this tale? A prayer-hearing God can overrule the testament of one who cared not for the Church, can guide the decisions of {)ourts, can defeat the machinations of malicious men, can guide the hearts of poor Hottentots.
And further, when Christians at home are earnestly, and non-Christians are sneeringly, seeking for permanent results of missionary work among debased people, here is again a shining example of the precepts of Christ entering into and controling the practical life of converts. Imagine fifteen Ameri- {)an nominal Christians of all ages and conditions, not rich, but really poor, deliberately refusing a fancy price for real estate, when it could be honestly gained, and being satisfied with a very moderate figure, out of love for the Lord Jesus and pure loyalty to the Church. It would have been so easy to have simply put the estate up at auction and taken the highest bid, and no one could have acpused them of the slightest crime, as the world goes. But higher, more Christlike principles controlled these poor South Africans. See how Christ has transformed these poor, degraded, down-trodden, despised Hottentots! God bless their self-sacrifice to them and their children!
HIDDEN SPRINGS-OR HOW MISSIONARIES ARE MADE.
BY MARIA A. WEST, SARATOGA, N. Y.
In the deep recesses of the forest and mountain solitudes, far away from human sight and pen, God prepares the hidden fountains which send their pure, perennial streams down to.the valleys below, causing life and beauty, verdure and fruitfulness, to spring up on every side, and filling the rivers which flow onward to the great sea, to carry its blessings to the distant places of the earth, till the desert shall revive and blossom as the garden of the Lord.
And, as in the economy of nature, so, also, in the Kingdom of Grace, the most powerful and· permeating forces are often those that are secretly, silently working, nnheralded and often unknown, but set in motion by the Divine Hand which keeps the heavenly record, and marks the onward flow and fruitage, through time and through eternity!
A remarkable instance of this hidden spring of far-reaching influence, l}as recently been brought to light, and is especially worthy of mention at this time, when its power is strikingly illustrated.
In the year 1837, Mrs. Francis G. Clewe-born in the year 1801-and living at Genville, a village four miles from Schenectady, listened to the preaching of a missionary sermon, at Hudson, which, as she said, "Converted her tQ missions, as much as she was ever converted to Christ!" Her first query was, "What can I do? " The result was the formation by her, of a Woman's For-
TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN MISSIONARY PERIODICALS
eign Missionary Aid Society. Perhaps the first one of the kind in these United States of America.
At the first meeting of this new-born society. she pledged one dollar, as her free-will offering to the cause. To obtain that sum, she walked four miles to Schenectady, secured some vests to make at one of the shops, and then walked home again with her work. And, at every meeting of the society, she never failed to bring an offering for herself and for each of her children, while they were still ~mall. One of her daughters died, but the gift in her name was still continued, with the words, "And this is for Ann." Her yearly offering sometimes amounted to $20,00, and was sent, now to the American Board, and then to another foreign missionary society, in which she was also interested. For this sacred purpose, Mrs. Clewesometimes reared "missionary chickens,'
sometimes planted a piece of land, or set apart a portion of her butter and eggs. And, during all those fifty or more years of her consecrated life, this "mother in Israel" continued to hold the missionary meeting of the society she had originated in her own home; even if none were present but herself and one of her children, a chapter was read, a hymn sung, and prayer offered-and this, not monthly, but every week! One of the original members of that little society is still living and testified that when Mrs. Clewe was too ill to rise from her bed, the same order was observed; and that she would "turn herself," and offer a fervent prayer for missions and missionaries throughout the world, and pleading that some of her descendants might thus be used of God.
September 9, 1889, she was called from the earth to the heavenly Kingdom, being 88 years of age, and, like a shock of corn, fully ripe. Her last earthly home was with a daughter in Schenectady. And now, a grandson of this noble Christian woman, of whom the world never heard, is appointed as a missionary of the American Board for West Central Africa; soon to depart with his young wife and little child for that "dark continent." To some in that city, where this young physician, in the opening of his career with all of earth's allurements before him, had every prospect of success, this decision seems the height of folly-like the throwing away of a life and all that makes life worth the living. They have not seen the silent working of the sacred leaven in divine preparation for this culmination. They little think that it will have its fullest manifestation and justificationon theday when' 'all the kingdoms of this world shall have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and when Christ shall reign over all, for ever and ever."
The consecration of any life, in fellowship with Christ, receives added dignity and grandeur from partnership with Him, "who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, that He might bring many sons unto glory," and "see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied," When they shall come from the east and the west, the north and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God-"A great multitude, whom no man could number-of all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues." The glorious harvest-time of souls, when the "new song" shall arise: "Unto Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood-to HIM be glory and dominion, for ever and ever, Amen !"
TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN MISSIONARY PERIODICALS.
BY REV. CHARLES C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, MASS.
M. Alfred Casalis, speaking of the Basutos, to whom he, like his father be- fore him, has now become a missionary, says: -''How can we fail to experience a closesense of unity with this little nation, so desirous of maintaining its unity and independence? It is undoubtedly, the influence of the Gospel which has alone protected it from partition and complete annexation to the invading neighbors who covet its land so greedily. .Are we sure that God may not have a great destiny in store for this pettv people? Whence shall come the missionaries capable of resisting the terrible climate of the Zambesi, ifnot from Lessuto-from that school oftheology modestly founded at Morija, and which, perhaps, in the near future, will give us a chosen band ()f native pastors? On the day when these 200,000 Basutos shall be Christians, we shall have at our disposal an incalculable force, a veritable Christian army, ready to carry afar into the interior of this Africa, still buried undera darkness so deep-the blazing light of the Gospel."
Pastor Schneller, of Bethlehem, writing, in the Allgemeine Mission3chrijt, says: "Talking lately with a priest of the Greek Church, I quoted something from the Acts. He retorted, 'You Protestants always make so much of the Old Testament and its Acts of the Apostles. Only quote some books of the New Testament, I know all of them.' The same priest, wishing to convince the people of the unsoundness of our doctrine of Jesus Christ as the only Redeemer, proved his point as follows: 'These poor Protestants! Why, they are for be- mg saved through Jesus Christ alone. DQYou believe that Jesus is able to save anybody whatever, without the help of saints? If He could, why must Judas Iscariot perish by the very side of the Lord? Why did He not save him? Why must the impenitent thief be lost by the very side of the much-praised atoning Cross? Why? Because they had not the saints! And the poor Protestants have not a single saint to help them, they have only Jesus and cqnsequently they are bound for hell.' "
Before our Anglican Church, to strengthen hersel'f against Rome, becomes too earnest for union with the Greek Church, she had better counsel her to re- vise her teachings of her clergy a little. Profe~sor Mahaffy says, that he can understand proposals to unite with the Roman Catholics, on one hand, or with the Protestant Dissenters, on the other, but, after traveling in the East, proposals to unite with the Greek Church, are, to him, an inexplicable marvel, uuleas, of course, as some parts of the Greek Church are said to have shown a disposition to do, she maintaining her own distinctiveness, welcomes the vivifying stream ()f Protestant warmth and enlightenment. At least she is not pre-committcd by an assumption of infallibility.
-"When, often, on the spot where Jesus did his greatest works, one sees how the Lord, together with his .Gospel, has become a stranger here; how, in the home of Christ, faith in Christ has been distorted into an unrecognizable caricature, it must come into the consciousness of every evangelical Christian, that, if anywhere in the world, our evangelical church has a great and momentous task to accomplish in the home of the Gospel, however great the difnculties may be."
"Almost every one in these lands," says Herr Schmeller, 'lknows only himself and his own interests, without regard to others, were they even members of his own family. His cold indifference represses the development of men that might have a benevolent interest in promoting the common weal, whether in village, city, or province of their native country. Where here are friends of the people, friends of the fatherland? The people have not even the idea of such a thing. The inhabitants of one quarter of a village or town only too often regard those of another quarter not only as utterly foreign to them but as hostile, which gives rise to perpetual feuds. To bring about unity or to carry through any unanimous purpose, is no more possible in a city or village than in the country at large. Yet, it is in just this state of disintegration that the Turkish government finds a strengthening of its own security, and it favors this accordingly."
-January 1,1888, the following were the missionary statistics of the Nor- wegian Miasionary Society.
Ordained missionaries, 41, (1 being a physician); 6 unmarried ladies, 1 layman, 16,555 church members, 87,500 school children, 44,000 adherents, 16 native pastors, 900 native teachers and evangelists, $81,050 contributions from Norway, and $12,000 from America. The fields of labor are Natal and Madagascar. The Schruder Mission in Natal, has 2 missionaries, 1 single lady, 352 bapt,ized members, 130 communicants, and 124 school children. Income, $1,505. The Santal mission h India, has 3 or4 Norwegian missionaries, and a revenue of $8,918. It now works independently of the Gossner Mission.
The sum totAll of Norwegian missionary contributions for 1887 (omitting the $12,000 from America), amounted to $91,841.76. The population being 1,913,000, this average, about 20 cents ahead.
-Herr Nather, of the Leipsic Society in South India, speaking of some famous- of bathing festivals on the banks the southern Ganges, the Kaweri remarks; "They avail for the cleansing away of ceremonial sins; for other than cere- monial sins the heathen do not really know."
-M. Teisseres and M. Allegret, missionaries of the Paris Society, after a stay of about a year with the American Presbyterian missionaries, on the Gaboon, were. in April, about leaving for the Congo, under a convoy furnished by the French government.
'-The Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift for June, 1890, in a detailed article treating of the present condition of Protestant missions in South Africa, says, that the Cape Colony is growing poorer. Much of it is incapable of sustaining ths growing population. Moreover, the almost entil'e withdrawal of imperial control has given the colonists opportunity to repel the laws restricting the manufacture and sale of brandy. This is one of the many ways in which England has done immense harm by being too eager to throw responsibility off her shoulders before the tid. She staggers "Under the too vast orb of her fate." The latest statistics of the Cape Colony, (1888-9), give: Christians of European descent,. belonging to established congregations, 267,817. Colored Christians, 234,329. Chureh sittings, 287,825. Average church attendance,172,428. Sunday scholars, 57,678. Nearlya quarter of thecolored people are baptized. Twenty different Protestant denominations are laboring in the country with 547 clergymen. The different churches receive from the colonial government, £190,432, yearly. Of this, about $150,000 may be counted for proper missionary work. The Boer (pronounced Boor) party, however, now in the ascendant, is unfriendly to these grants. Cape Town has 41,704 inhabitants, of whom 8,000 or 10,000 are Mohammedan Malays. Among the half-breeds of the west of Cape Colony, the Rhenish, the Berlin SOCieties, and the Unitas Fratrum are the principal laborers. The Berlin Society has 11 stations, 13 ordained European missionaries; 87 native helpers, 11,138 baptized adherents,' 3,918 communicants, 2,378 scholars. Contributions, $9,300. The Berlin Society (in the west), has 7 stations, 8 missionaries, 74 helpers, 4,335 baptized adherents, 1,843 communicants, 614 scholars. Contributions, $4,688. The Moravians have (in the west) 11 stations, 20 brethren, 2 native ordained missionaries, 239 helpers, 9,145 adherents, 2,218 communicants, 2,154 scholars.
The Brethren's Church, on July 9, 1887, celebrated the 150th anniversary of its first arrival in South Africa, 'Its work is still important and fruitful, but suffers under a growing difficulty. Not laboring in colonial villages, but in distinct stations, it finds its people sinking more and more into poverty, because of the scarcity of arable land. Their people are therefore widely scattered, many being in the diamond fields, whither they are followed by colored 'Diaspora laborers.' "
The Dutch Reformed Church of Cape Colony, which has 175,555 baptized white members, is coming, under Scottish and English stimulus, to show a much more animated missionary zeal. "Stellenbosch, with its theological institute, is very especially a focus of missionary zeal."
Among the others, the Wesleyan Missionary Society is most prominent. It has (in the west): 9 stations, 6 missionariE'S, 96 native helpers, 1,476 communicants, 1,467 scholars The South African Wesleyans are quite indepepdent of the British Conference. In the whole Colony, they have 71 stations, 156 churches and chapels, 55 clergymen, 1,198 native helpers, 16,840 communicants, 88,000 baptized adherents, 218 schOQls, 310 teachers, 13,803 scholars.
"But no other British society laboring in South Africa compares with the Scottish societies as respects capability, sobriety and diligence, combined with true evangelical piety."
The Free Church of Scotland haa9 stations, 10 ordained Europeans, 2 ordained natives,23 native helpers, 4,214 commnnicants, 12,113 baptized adherents, 3,510 scholars. Their institute of Lovedale (largely assisted by the colonial government) is a great force for education and indus· trial training.
The United Presbyterians have 11 stations, 12 missionaries, 60 native helpers, 2,307 communicants, 8,080 baptized adherents, 43 schools, 1,735 scholars.
-Of the 500,000 or more of Protestant Christians in India, 7,000 live in the city of Madras ~tself. South India is still the great seat of Christianity, its in- habitants being not Aryans but Dravidians, and, therefore, being related to Hinduism somewhat as the Turks are to Mohammedanism, which they have accepted, but which is not native to them, as it is to the Arabs.
-Missionary Lazarus says of the moral condition of the people of Madras an admirable example of south India at large), that, like Greece in Paul's day, the things that they do "are a shame even to speak of." But whereas Paul's admonitions show plainly that his converts had but imperfectly extricated themselves from "the moral chaos surrounding them," "it may be confidently said," declares Mr. Lazarus, himself a native of India, "that the native church of Madras has raised itself above the abominations of the encompassing hea- thenism. Devil-dances, drinking-bouts, quarrels and tumults, unchastity, prac- tised under the cloak of religion, and similar abominations, are absolutely foreign to the native Christians. Such exhibitions of godlessness as are common among the lower classes in Europe, are unknown to them. The Hindus have an immeasurable vocabulary of vituperation, but I do not remember to have ever met with a native Christian that made any use of it. No native Christian has been sent to the gallows, or convicted of crime before the courts." Mr. Laza- rus, it should be remembered, is here speaking only for the Protestants; cases of crime, among the native Christiahs, it would seem, are mostly of Roman Catholics, though among these also, it is rare. The Mohammedans in M&dras, though vastly less disposed to crime than the Hindus, make but a poor show compared with the Christians generally, and seem to sink out of sight, com- pared with the Protestants.
This great superiority of the Protestants, is, however, rather an inference of my own than a distinct statement of Mr. Lazarus, and may bean exaggeration.
"The native Christians, moreover, are as good as wholly emancipated from faith in astrology and palmistry, from child-marriages and compulsory widowhood, from neglect of the education of their children, from the foolish marriage-system involved in caste, from polyandry and polygamy, from perjury and prostitution, and other violations of the moral law, which are so general among the Hindus, from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin. Even if no wider results had been reached, this alone would have been a great achievement, which must be ascribed to the steadfastness and faithfulness with which the missionary pioneers have administered their difficult trust.
"The more positive virtues are less satisfactorily developed, yet, I may venture to say, that for family virtue the Christians have established a solid reputation. Hypocrisy, however, suspiciousness, mutual detraction and backbiting, hardness toward the poor, prodigality, fickleness, pride of birth, are faults only too common among them. . . . If 'cleanliness is next to godliness,' our people have not yet discovered it, or at Ip,ast have not yet applied their discovery. In this respect they are inferior to the Hindus of the same social level. As to the English standard of moral obligation, there is much of it to which their apprehensions are not yet at all awakened." It should be remembered, however, that the English are by nature, a much higher development of mankind. "As respects the higher, active virtues, which our Lord pronounces blessed, poverty of spirit, sorrow for sin, forbearance, hunger and thirst after righteousness, compassion, purity of heart, willingness to suffer for righteousness sake, the whole moral scale, the highest that humanity can attain, of these we find in the native Christians only the first feeble shoots. There are, of course, honorable exceptions, which, in reference to deve~opment of character and Christian virtues, may easily stand comparison with European Christians, hut they are not man:r." "But when we consider the infection which lies in the air of India, together with the dullness and inertness of the people, and all the various forces, which join to work against the development of the moral sense, and also consider that the mass of the native Christians comefrom the most deeply sunken social stratum of the Hindus, there is certainly occasion for surprise and thankfulness, that the moral standing of the native church is so much higher than that of the Hindus. Thus, the last are higher than the first, as compared with the most of those who stand outside of Christianity."
"Docility, tractability, respectfulness, sobriety and meekness, trust in Providence, and careful discharge of religious duties, are, indeed, traits of our converts; but they are not peculiar to them. They were traits of the Indian character long before Christianity came hither. And it seems surprising that so eminent and learned a man as Bishop Caldwell should have described them as distinguishing traits of our Christians. They are genuine Indian traits, just as courage and capacity, sincerity and manliness, vehemence and violence and energy are genuine European, or, if you will, specific Anglo-Saxon qualities."
Mr. Lazarus thinks, that until pains are taken to secure a higher grade of catechists, we must make up our minds to a comparatively low grade of native Christians. He tells his fellow-missionaries some plain truths: "If the missionaries are to raise the native standard, they must take pains to learn how to speak elegant and accurate Tamil, a thing which, I am sorry to say, receives less attention here in Madras than in old days. Clergymen must not be content with their Sunday services. They ought to establish Bible classes for youth and grown people, as well as for children, and make these entertaining, so that they can mspire native Christians with a taste for an intelligent and thorough study of the Holy Scriptures, and in particular, of the life and work of our Lord. By these, and like means, there will !3pring up a clearer, purer and more thorough conception of what Christianity is, and this will thus exercise a growing influence upon the moral condition of the native church."
• Mr. Lazarus severely criticises the mission1l.ry schools of south India: "These schools are often Christian in name, but heathen in effect. Their main element is made up of heathen boys, and there is only a little fraction of Christian children. Most of the teachers are heathen, the rector is often a Brahmin. The director of the mission prefers heathen to Christian teachers; the former are 'wiser towards their generation than the children of light.' They are more creeping and busy; this is taken by the easily-believing director as humility and zeal; Oll the other hand, he cannot bear with the faults of 'the own children of the family.' What makes matters worse is, that the instruction in br Christianity is committed to the 'Bible teacher,' who is often a poor native Christian of the catechist class, who is nothing accounted of either his pupils or his fellow-teachers. Thus, the whole is under strong heathen mfluence; the Christian element is as a drop in the bucket. Think what it means to be eight hours daily, year out and year in, in contact with a hundred heathen lads and teachers, whose mouths overflow with abominations, and whose hearts are leavened with heathen rottenness. Such a contact cannot otherwise than strikingly infect and corrupt the young Christian's soul before he comes under the missionary's immediate influence. I speak from sad experi- ence.."
Mr. Lazarus is utterly opposed to the appointment of heathen teachers in Christian schools, in any case whatever. He also uses some plain speaking toward the English missionaries in South India: "The fault lies with the native Christians as well as with the whites, that there is so little mutual affection between them. Yet, the latter, as belonging to an older and more developed church, which is renowned not less for piety and philanthropy than for zeal and learning might be expected to be first to lay plans of love toward their weaker brethren. . . Impelled by the Saviour's self-sacrificing love, a messenger of God ought to be able to lay aside his pride of race, to overcome his prejudices, to condescend to the native level, and by free and familiar intercourse, to endeavor to lift the native Christians up to l1imself, and thus, with his Lord, to strive to develop the native church into a glorious church, not havin~ spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.' Only by the exercise of love can the mISSIOnary lead the church on and up. He ought, at least, to show himself as often in the homes oofort he native Christian s as at the dinner-tables of his c~untrymen. It is bettoc !"-:m to exercise his influence
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS OF A MISSIONARY CHARACTER
in modest native civility, than by a presence at games of ball or on croquetgrounds. It is pleasanterto see him befriending the poor, than doing homage. to the rich. In brief, all his works, all his walk, ought to be such as to call back into living remembrance the days when the Lord of heaven lived and walked in intimate converse with His own disciples."
Mr. Lazarus bears emphatic testimony to the inestimable good wrought by missionary labors in South India. But he desires, speaking the truth in love, to lay home to the hearts of some of the missionaries, considerations which they have great occasion to weigh, if they would see established in India a stable and richly developed native church.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS OF A MISSIONARY CHARACTER.
Tke New World of Central Africa; With a History of the First Christian Mission on the Congo. By Mrs. H. Grattan Guinness. London: Hodder & Stoughton. New York and Chicago: Fleming H. Revell. $2.00. Central Africa, by means of God's wonder·working Providence, is in- deed, become a "new world," to us. And the great Powers of Europe have hastened to improve their opportunity to extend "the spheres of their ir:tluence" and establish their "protectorates" over its vast areas. This is well. This is a part of God's wise and comprehensive plan for Africa's enlightenment and regeneration. This secures the rapid introduction of civilizing agencies, the development of its immense resources, the protection of life, the extinction of slavery and civil and religious liberty to all its teeming millions. The Church of Christ, also, is astir to enter this new world with the missionary, the Bible and the school, and conquer it for One greater than Cresar. And this book is just what the exigency calls for. It tells just what we want to know. It shows, briefly and intelligently, what has been done and attempted for the evangel- ization of Africa. It is well written-written with a purpose; written by one whose whole heart, as well as that of her husband and family, is given to the missionary cause. It is pro- fusely illustrated. It gives us vivid pictures of the "dark continent." It gives facts of momen· 100us interest. Take this: "The Congo and its tributaries have been already explored to a length of 11,000 miles, giving 22,000 miles of river bank, peopled with native villages. In his journey across Africa, Stanley gazed on the representatives of tribes numbering at least 50,000,000, and to none of them has the message of mercy ever been proclaimed." And this: "From the last mission station on the Upper Congo, a journey of 1,000 miles would be needed to reach the near- .est stations on the east-those on the great lakes. Seventeen hundred miles to the northeast, lies the Red Sea, and there is no mission station between. Two thousand, two hundred miles due north is the Mediterranean, and no mission station between; while 2,500 miles to the northwest are the .stations of the North African nUssion, but no single centre of light between I Seven hundred miles to the west is the Cameroons Station, but the whole intervening country is unvisited; and in the south-west, the American Mission at Bihe, is fully a thousand miles distant. "-J. M. S.
Daybreak in North Africa. By Mrs. F. T. Haig. London: Partridge & Company. This is An account of missionary work in Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli. Our readers have heard from time to time from this region, from one of our correspondents, Rev.E. F. Baldwin, of Tangiers, Morocco. The mission here is but a few years old, and is but little known and feebly supported. 'The North African Mission had no child's play before it when it sought to carry the 'Gospel to Mohammedans in that part of the world where Mohammedanism had most completely triumphed over Christianity, and had, for more than a thousand years, held undisputed sway over Berbers and Arabs alike. The success of the Gospel even against such fearful odds is proof that Islam is not invincible. Here, as elsewhere, the testimony is that Mohammedan power is passing away. But eight years have passed since the effort began, and what hath God wrought I Mrs. Haig says, "At the present time there are 51 missionaries occupying 12 dilferent statious, in connection with the North Americar: Mission. beside a nnmber of in- .dependent workers [Mr. Baldwin, for one, who has been quite successful], several of whom be· gan work with the help of the Society, but afterwards preferred working on separate lines." The book is modestly and pleasantly written and well illustrated. It encourages hope and labor for Africa.-J. M. S.
A Friend of Missions in India. The journal of Rev. Henry S. Lunn. London: James Clarke & Company. Our readers will remember that a flerce and prolonged controversy has agitated the missionaries and friends of the London Missionary Society (Wesleyan,) for a year or two past,growing out of serions criticisms,which appeared in the Methodist Times (London), respecting the administration of the Society and the habits of living on the part of it. missionaries in India, etc. The anthor of this work, and the Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, editor of the Methodist Times, were chiefly responsible for stirring up this severe controversy. In the last number of the REVIEW we gave the report of the Special Committee appointed by the Society to investigate :this whole matter.
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
The chief interest which attaches to this book is the fact that It consists of "The Cyclo- • styled Indian Journal," in the form of twelve letters, which Mr. Lunn wrote while in India as a. missionary, "thirty copies of which he sent to thirty circles of friends in England." These letters of course, laid the foundation for the discussion and warfare which followed. And when, after his return to London, he wrote a series of anonymous articles to the Methodist Times on "A New Missionary Policy," which the editor strongly 'endorsed, the writer's identity with the letters sent home from India was seen by all who had read the Journal. Bitterness of feeling, at home and abroad, and angry discussion was the result. The missionaries demanded a thorough investigation and persisted in their demand, and, at length got it, and got a vindication. Hap- pily the war Is now ended, and, apparently, all parties are snbstantially satisfied. The lesson from It all isobvions, and should be laid to heart-Young missionaries are too apt to criticise those of age and long experience.-J. M. S.
A ThousandMiles on an Elephant. By Holt S. Hallett. Dedicated by the author to the Ameri- can missionaries in Burmah and Siam. Blackwood & Sons: Edinburgh and London. This book is the record of a tour of exploration by Messrs. Colquhoun and Hallett for a railway from Bur- mah to China, through the Shan States of Northern Siam. Dr. J. N. Cushing, whom the author designated as the most learned Shan scholar, accompanied the exploring party as interpreter. They met a cordial welcome and much helpful information from Dr. McGilvary and associates of the Preshyterian Mission to the Laos of Chiang-Mal. They there enjoyed a refreshing rest after their tedious jungle-travel from Burmah. Thence onward through unexplored regions of unwasted resources of commercial wealth, and opening an easy access to the hoards of superstitious spirit-worshippers of the Shan tribes in northern Slam, and leading to the unharvested fields of commerce in China, and giving to the disciples of Christ an open door to the uncounted myriads of her inhabitants when these explorations shall result in a living railway from India to, the middle kingdom.
The book is Wllitten in an attractive style, presenting a clear picture of the dwellings, character and customs of the people, the forests of teak timber and other wood that shelter herds of elephants and buffaloes, poniesand cattle, tigers and monkeys, chickens and peacocks,with rich fiE-Ids of rice, sugar, tobacco and tropical fruits. which include pineapple, pumelo, plantin, orange, lemon, mango, mangosteen, durean, custard-apple, and in great variety and rich fiavor the fruits generally found in the tropics. Extensive plains of fertile soil still remain uncultivated for want of facilities for the transportation of the productions. It has been intimated that the Burmah·Siam-China railway, for the extension of British trade and the civilization of" south-eastern Asia, may be classed with the Slez canal and tbe American Pacific railway as one of the grand works of tbe century. We think it in harmony with the call for a thousand missionaries for China, and the Christ-command to preach the Gospel to every creature.-W. D.
Personal Life of David Lit,lngstone. By William G. Biackie, D.D. London: John Murray. This is one of the hest worth reading of all missionary hooks. I am now reading it a second time aloud to my family. For fullness of detail, intense interest, graphic portraiture of character and freedom from exaggeration, it stands very high. And I would recommend all readers· ol the REVIEW to get it.-A. T. P.
Life of John Hunt: Missionary to Fiji. By G. Stringer Rowe, London. This Is one of the most kindling books I ever read. Mr. Hunt was a pioneer, and hurned .out his life's fiame in his holy zeal for God. He died October 4, 1848, at the age of 36, but he had lived a century, judged by the standard of effective work. This hook is full of the rarest inspirlition. It is one of the finest evidences of Christianity it has fallen to my lot to examine. He, who has any doubt of the Divine Power unto salvation, should read this book; and yet. valuahle, as it is, we have seldom seen a copy of It in any missionary library.-A. T. P..
H.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions.
A leaflet lies before me setting forth with personal and peculiar interest· the Students' Foreign MissionaryUnion because of its origin. of Great Britain, not yet one year old. Some facts concerning this organi- "It began in one Howard Taylor's zation will be of interest to the read- study, on his return from Northfield, ers of this REVIEW, because of the Massachusetts, and in the hearts and tremendous significance of a new prayers of a group of missionary men student movement abroad, and vol- at the hospital, shortly before he sailed unteers will regard the movement for China." A London correspondent goes on to say "Two large and influential meetings were lished volume of letters edited by her held in connection with its foundation: one at sister, under the title "In the Far' Spurgeon's Tabernacle, when he (Spurgeon) East." Miss Wilder's name is familiar delivered a grand missionary sermon on Mark to readers of THE REVIEW by reason xvi: 15, to as many London students as could of her occasional letters to that peribe gotten together (and the great building was odical, and to young women in our full to doors and roof), and one at Exeter colleges and connected with Y. W. C. Hall." A. She is known through her mes- sage to them, entitled, "Shall I Go?" The Union numbers 165 members, which has already reached its Fifth all men. London has 74 members, edition. Miss Wilder's pamphlet, "An Cambridge 6, Oxford 5, Edinburgh 32, Appeal from India," should be read Aberdeen 3, Bangor 1. Besides these with very great care in order to be there are some scattered members and understood rightly, and not' read merely, but pondered on-not because some fu. Ireland, making the total of of any obscurity on the writer's part, but rather by reason of the meaning 165 men. of statements-which meaning does The membership consists of all not lie readily on the surface.
students who accept and sign the fol- "The fact that our Saviour is using us in the lowing declaration: salvation of souls, and for hastening the day of His coming-that is certainly the reason "It is my earnest hope, if God per- for our staying in India. So we who are here mit, to engage in Foreign mission would say to you in America and Canada, this work." is the strongest appeal we can send you for coming to India. The presence of the moving The objects of the Union shall be: cloud was sufficient reason for the Israelites 1. To band together students who to follow. Does not the presence of God's feel called to Foreign missionary work. Spirit, as now felt in India, convince us that 2. To urge the claims of the Foreign He is calling a large portion of our volunteer Mission field upon Christian students band to work for Him here I" everywhere, and to advocate the formation of missionary associations in In refutation of the popular notion connection with the various universi- that Africa presents the greatest need ties and colleges where they do not al- for missionary workers, the writer ready exist. says, "Do you say there are large 3. For the furtherance of its objects tracts in Africa unoccupied? True. the Union shall use the following Yet, relative to its population, India agencies: Meetings of members, meet- must have some 119 more missionaries ings in universities and colleges, de- to equal the missionary force of putations, correspondence and indi- Africa." vidual effort, and the pUblication of an occasional paper. Miss Wilder has corresponded with On the ground of respect for and ap- missionary agencies of the Protestant preciation of the work of the authors denominations in India, and in brief of these appeals from different coun- extracts which she gives from letters tties, the appeals, though without any from various districts, a very adequate pretence to literary merit, should be. and true picture of India's needs is read with undivided attention, and in a receptive and prayerful spirit. presented~ Mr. Forman's views on Foreign missions are familiar to us through his From the Central Provinces one addresses delivered in our colleges, in 1886-87. Miss Geraldine Guinness, writes: author of "An Appeal from China," "I am persuaded in my own mind noticed in the last number of THE RE- VIEW, has already shown herenthusi- that the most eventful period in the asm for, and consideration to her history of missionary effort in this work in China, as disclosed in the pub- country is rapi~ly approa?hing. Th.e Lord is preparmg for a time of gI01:1- ous in-gathering. These souls will need the care of his children." Arcot Mission of the Reformed the answer to every difficulty, hin- drance or disappointment." Church: "Never, in my somewhat long ex- Unoccupied fields: "The Nizam's dominions are now perience, were the claims of India ap- open; population 10,000,000. Only a parently so urgent as now. A restless, beginning has been made in the Conaalmost feverish spirit of inquiry per- rese portion on the west. Much of vades the community." India is but nominally occupied. The region about Jhonsi and Bhopal is Madura Mission, American Board: said to have 10,000,000 unprovided for, "To-day, one brother has four sta- except for the mission at Jhonsi, and tions, another three, and two others a native worker of the American two each. How can they do justice . Board at Lalitpun. to the work? They are all driven to "In closing: To you who have finthe verge of desperation and ill-health. ished your course of study, and waver We thank God that we have recently not at the question of ultimate comreceived into our mission-circle one of ing, but of coming this year, I would· that large band of consecrated stu- say, Satan is taking advantage of our dents. How we long, and pray, and delays. Our aboriginal tribes, numwrite, and implore, that more be bered at some 50,000,000, now very acsent !" cessible, are said to be getting rapidly absorbed into Hinduism. In large Marathi Mission, American Pres- cities, where for years there has been much undermining of old faiths, inbyterian Board: fidelity, materialism, and theosophy "An earnest request has been sent are being pressed u1>0n the attention of the people, and there is danger of for sixteen new workers. In Kolha- seven unclean spirits coming in place pur State alone there are 1,097 vil- of one. lages; it would take a missionary a "We need you now. We pray God whole year to preach once around to to send you to us, filled with the Holy the village population of that single Spirit. It is useless to preach Christ State." to minds steeped in ignorance and idolatry, in any other way than in the From the Akola Field, Mrs. Fuller power of the Spirit."
writes: "The greater need is the quality of the men. We need anointed menmen who know Christ, who find in God Africa.-Progress. Letters from gether for the good of the country. the missionaries in Uganda say that There is still considerable bad feeling King Mwanga has been almost wholly and jealousy, but there seems to be no stripped of the despotic power which prospect now of the open rupture that he and his fathers for centuries have recently threatened. The parties have exercised. He is now of little import- taken an oath, signed by their leaderll. ance in his own country-white influ- agreeing that whatever their disputes ences are in ascendancy. The King may be they will not spill one another's can get nothing that he does not ask blood, but will depend upon sober for from his chiefs, who are under the arguments and arbitration to settle all control of the Protestant or Catholic their quarrels. religion. This is a great change for the young King, who awhile ago killed The Mohammedan party seems to a bishop, imprisoned white mission- be entirely defeated. Thus a remarkaries, and slaughtered native Chris- able change has been wrought in tians by the score. No heathen are Uganda, where a while ago the allowed to hold any office in the new Mohammedans ruled everything, and Government. Many of them are per- by their influence upon Mwanga and mitted to remain in the land, but there his successor, Karema, drove the is not a chief among them. The great whites out of the country and threatoffices, of which there are about six ened to retard the progress of white very important ones, have been enterprises and of all civilization in equally divided between the two Central Africa for half a century to Christian parties. come. Now the Mohammedans have been driven from power in a series of There has been great danger of bloody battles, their influence is enserious clashing between the Protestant tirely gone and the Arabs are fugitives, and Catholic sects. By the advice of Uganda is a British J?rotectorate, and both Catholic and Protestant mission- the white missionarIes, recently peraries they have, however, decided to secuted, are the power in the country. bury their differences and work to- Never before was the prospect so bright for the rapid extension of European of the most valuable concessions' influence and commercial enterprise granted her by Germany. The history in the African lake region.-N. Y. of English rule in India shows how Sun. adroit she is in turning the office of protector to her own advantage. [Uganda is the field where Bishop Hanning- The situation of Zanzibar was not ton was murdered by Mwanga, and where the likely to escape the attention of the- slave-stealers. Their interest lay in lamented Mackay spent his brief but heroic making the road from the villages which they depopulated to the coast as life. Stanley speaks in warmest terms of this short as possible. On the journey, however short it may be, many of mission, declaring it "a most remarkable suc- their victims died from fatigue and exposure to the sun. Zanzibar was cess." Of Mackay, in whose house at the near, and it was also convenient. There the dealers came from Europe sonthern end of Victoria Nyanza, he took who had commissions from the Turks and Egyptians to supply them with grateful rest, "sipping real coffee and eating slaves. There, too, vessels might be chartered to carry away the living home-made bread and butter for the first time booty to other ports. So Zanzibar early became a mart of commerce in the in thirty months," he says: "He has no awful traffic. The efforts of Germany and England have largely suppressed time' to fret and groan and weep, and God this trade in Zanzibar, and under the protectorate of England we may be knows, if ever man had reason to think of sure it will not be revived. The mar- kets will now be better occupied by 'graves and worms and oblivion,' and to be the trade in ivory.-African News.
dolefuland lonely and sad, Mackay had, when, Chi n a. – A great evan~elizing after murdering his Bishop, and burning his agency. – The Chinese, especially pupils, and strangling his converts, and those in the southern part of the em- clubbing to death his dark friends, Mwanga pire, are going out from China in all turned his eye of death on him. And yet the directions. They are not only going little man met it with calm, blue eyes that to many adjacent islands and those never winked. To see one man of this kind, more remote in the Pacific, but they working day after day for twelve years, are settling upon all the coasts of bravely, and without a syllable of complaint south-eastern Asia, pushing up an the or a moan, among the 'wilderness,' and to rivers, and in every place holding hear him lead his little flock to show forth tenaciously the ground on which they God's loving kindness in the morning and His settle. They are a great colonizing faithfnlness every night, is worth going a people, and, if only the Gospel is long journey for the moral courage and con- given to them, they will assist greatly tentment that one derives from it."-J. M. S.] in the redemption of the lands to Zanzibar.-The importance of which they go from sin and darkness. Zanzibar, as a key to Central Africa, was recognized early in the era of ex- They seem to be destined, in the good ploration. What New York is to the United States, what Liverpool is to providence of God, to become a pow- Great Britain, Zanzibar is to Equatorial Africa. In his first expedition erful evangelizing agency, and a great Stanley made it the base of operations, and he went there again, in 1879, to blessing to humanity. . organize his second expedition. It lies on the east coast of Africa, seven Bishop Thoburn, writing from Sindegrees south of the equator. Its chief markets and the seat of the govern- gapore, says of these Chinese colonment are on the island of Zanzibar, but the adjacent country on the main- ists: land is also under the Sultan's domin- "'fhe more I see of our mission work ion, and is also called Zanzibar. It is at this point that the caravans from the in this part of the world, the more do interior strike the coast, and from I bQcome confirmed in the conviction there the explorers, Burton, Grant, which I received the first time I Stanley, Cameron and others, hired visited Rangoon and saw the Chinese their carriers and set out on their ex- there; mingling as they were with the peditions, and to that place they re- Burmese, that God would use them as turned, and came once more into com- a great evangelizing agency all up and munication with civilization. It was Stanley's first business, in organizing the Congo Free State, to establish a chain of stations extending from Zanzibar to Nyangwe and the lakes. Under the new arrangement with Germany and England, the latter country has acquired the right of "protecting" the Sultan of Zanzibar, which is one down these coasts. They are not only converts are mostly gathered from the most energetic people to be found in this region, but, strangely enough, the poor, he argued that it was better they seem more accessible to the Gos- pel than any others; and those of them so. When a house is to be lifted, jackwho are born in Malaysia will be able to speak the vernacular of the coun- screws are put in at the bottom. If try in which they live, and this, added to their knowledge of English and the roof was grappled it would be only Chinese, will qualify them for usefulness on the widest jossible scale. the top that would be lifted. Strange are the ways 0 Providence!" -Spirit of Missions. Hawaii.-Rev. W. A. Essery, in a recent address in London, said: England.-There is much in the "The gospel has won the victory English papers of the increasing flow over heathenism in the Sandwich Islands. It was a peculiar joy to me of converts from the ritualistic section when I found myself in Honolulu. On a certain sunny Easter Sunday of the Anglican Church to the Church morning I wended my way to the old stone church, a large square sanctuof Rome. The activity of the priests of ary, built of blocks of reef coral that had been cut out of the sea for. this Rome is very great, and their boastful- purpose by the early converts. I ness is greater. But the Pall Mall Ga- stood in the pulpit and spoke to an zette concedes that the tide sets rapidly eager audience of the purpose of {lne way. In a recent issue it says: Christ's gospel, the many triumphs thereof I had seen in all parts of the " The conversion to Catholicity is recorded world, and exhorted them to cleave of Rev. Dr. Townsend, superior of a mission to the Lord. Where are the idols the house of Oxford University at Calcutta, and people worshipped a hundred years this so soon after a similar step taken by Dr. ago? More of them are preserved in Rivington, principal of a similar institution at the museum cases of the London Mis- Bombay. Itis also given upon good authority sionary Society than I could hear of that Drs. Tatlock, Beasley and Clarke, sta- in the islands to-day. All around me tioned respectively at Christ Church, Clap- were proofs of how the gospel had ham, Helmsley, Yorkshire and St. James', raised and civilized the community. Liverpool, will shortly enter the Catholic The entire money cost of converting Church. Since the beginning of the Lenten these islanders, which was done by season no less than 100 Anglicans have em- American missionaries, was less than braced Catholicity, and this in one parish the cost of one first-class British ironalone. At Brighton, a centre of ritualistic clad. Christ's gospel has been wafted activity, the number of converts is reckoned to New Zealand. Last Good Friday at 500 persons." twelve months I landed at Gisborne, in Poverty Bay; it was about three India.-Bishop Thoburn's picture o'clock in the afternoon. Going up over the same beach where Captain of the poverty of the people of Asia, Cook had landed a hundred years before I heard the music of a churchespecially of India, where families going bell; turning in its direction I came upon a wooden, weather-boarded live on five cents a day, and thousands church; stepping inside I saw a con- gregation of Maoris, the natives of of growing children go to bed hungry New Zealand. The clergyman had just started the service, men and every night, drew forth a chorus of women had their Bibles and prayer- books, and all were taking part in the groans and sighs as well as generous worship of Him whose sorrows are remembered on Good Friday. It was gifts. He mentioned, as a sample: a a simple sight but it gladdened the heart to find Christ's name honored in man who was paid $2.50 per month, the ends of the world. And so from these illustrations we learn that the whose wife, by hard work, added 28 missionary spirit is once more a power of life in the earth, and that the work cents per month to it. This had to of Christianizing the nations has actually commenced, and is making be divided among a family of five, real progress."
none of whom could have enough even Japan.-The new Constitutional of their own coarse food (rice mixed Government assumes control of affairs with weeds). "Five hundred millions of the people of this world," said the Bishop, "will go to bed hungry to- night. The tramps of this country would be 'swell' in any part of India." Speaking of the fact that missionary in November. The Parliament will a considerable interval, iinds the <Jontain many liberal-minded men. changes that have recently occurred There will be manifest in it four dis- so marked and suggestive that he is tinct parties: the Conservatives, the induced to indicate some of the most Conservative-Radicals, the Moderates, prominent. He writes as follows: and the Radicals. All of them, " On approaching the city from the west, in former years, there were however, have more or less ad- scarcely any buildings except the Russian convent and the Monteiiore vanced notions, and have no desire to Almshouses to intercept the ·…iew of the city walls; now the whole plain is go back exclusively to the old order covered with private residences and colonies of Jews, whilst near to the ()f things. The Moderate party is Jaffa Gate· are large numbers of shops called Kaishinto. It took its rise in already tenanted and numerous others in course of construction. This ex- 1882, and has been very active in the tension beyond the walls has become necessary on account of the rapid agitation for and adoption of the increase of the population. I am in- formed by Mr. Moore, British consul present Constitution. It is very pro- here, that within the last three or four years about 20,000 Jews have come to gressive in its aims, and favors "gov- Jerusalem for permanent residence in and around the city, and that of the €rnment by party, treaty-revision and entire population of about 70,000 it is estimated that nearly 40,000 are Jews. the reform of almost all departments of He also stated that the influx of Jews into other parts of Palestine during the government." The Conservative- recent years has been entirely without precedent. The principal streets,which Radicals came into recognition in 1888 but a few years since were almost impassable in rainy weather, have and have adopted as their motto, been paved with stone, a new wide street has been opened up through a "United in great things-differing in densely-populated quarter, and five hotels are now open for the reception small." They are, as yet,few in num- 6f the annually-increasing number of visitors and traders from all lands. bers, and not very influential. The " Public works of importance have Jihu-to is the real Radical Party. been executed, and others are in pro- gress. The road from Jaffa to Jerusa- I lem, at one time all but impracticable, has been reconstructed by an eminent -Appeal from Baptist missionaries. engineer-over it our own and other "At a conference of the missionaries carriage services are in full operation ()f the American Baptist Missionary -a good road has been formed from Union, held at Yokohama, June 11, Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and another 1890, it was resolved, in view of the from Jerusalem to Hebron; several great needs of this iield and the en- others are rapidly approaching comlarged opportunities for work in this pletion-from Jaffa to Nablous (She- <Jountry, to beseech God, and, under chern), 40 miles; Jerusalem to Jericho, Him, the missionary union and the 20 miles; Caipha to Nazareth, 20 Baptists of the north, for a speedy re- miles, and Nazareth to Tiberias, 18 inforcement of twenty-three men. miles. Jerusalem has hitherto been almost wholly dependent for its water "That there has been a crisis in Ja- supply upon its large underground pan is admitted by all, and this crisis cisterns for the reception of rain water, has not passed away in the late revul- which, after a summer's drouth, often sion of feeling against foreigners, al- proves insufficient in quantity and though, we believe, it has changed in almost unfit for use. The Governsome of its phases. The situation is ment is now about to introduce an more urgent and pressing than ever. unfailing supply from a spring of pure There remain as many souls to be water beyond Solomon's Pools-about reached; the work has been increased nine miles distant. A large flour mill, in difficulty, and our time for its ac- established by the Messrs. Bergheim, complishmentis diminishing.
[This appeal is urged by many "very startling and solemn facts."-Ens.] Palestine. – Anything indicative of an awakening and a revival of energy in the Holy Land, especially at Jerusalem, must prove of especial interest to every Christian who is watching "the signs of the times."
A correspondent of the London Christian World, now on a visit to the Holy City for the seventh time, after having proved both a great benefit try to commerce, are without preceand a financial success, others, with dent in modern times. Viewed in large steam power, are in progress of connection with the numerous and erection; soap factories have com- active efforts being made by various· menced operations, and at Jaffa steam religious agencies throughout the saw-mills have been established. conntry for the evangelization of the Colonies of Jews following agricul- people, and the conversion of the' tural pursuits, stated to be successful, Jews, these facts must encourage are located, one about five miles from every lover of God's ancient people to Jaffa, and a larger one at Limerin, hope that His set time to favor Zion is near Cresarea, originated and assisted fast approaching."-Exchange. by the Rothschild family. The beforenamed rmid to Jericho is being con- The Silver Law's effect on misstructed by the Government, who sions.-Strange as it may seem, the have taken up all the land available in Silver law seriously affects Christian the best parts of the valley for the de- missions. Weallknowwhatithasdone velopment of an extensive scheme of for the silver barons. It has made a agricultural operations, which, with fine market for their ore, and lined such a temperature, so fertile a soil, their pockets, not with their own coin, and well watered by the copious but with good, merchantable money. stream from Elisha's fountain, should stamped with the seal of the United promise abundant and remunerative States Treasury. It has raised the crops. Grapes, bananas, sugar-cane, price of silver, and therefore accomcotton, and various fruits and vege- plished the purpose for which it was tables have for some time past been forced through the two Houses at cultivated here with much success. Washington, It has enriched mine- The increased amount of rain which owners; has it blessed anybody else? has fallen the last few years in Pales- We will wait to see. Meantime, it is tine has had a most marked effect in having a disastrous effect on the mislarger and more abundant harvests sionary societies which make largeexthan hitherto known. penditures in foreign lands. By rais- lUg the price of silver it has so ad- "The most important results, how- vanced the rates of exchange for all ever, of all may be anticipated from those countries which have a silver the railway about to be constructed standard that a large percentage of between Jaffa and Jerusalem. As every dollar transmitted to the various rumors in former years have pre- fields is lost in discount. vailed which have never been realized, I called upon Mr. Frutiger, the banker, The dealings of the societies, it to whom the concession has been should be explained, with Mexico, granted by the Turkish Government, Brazil and other American countries, and was assured by him that the with India, China, Japan, Syria, Pernecessary capital had been subscribed, sia, and other Asiatic fields, are all and that the works would commence conducted on the silver basis. In makimmediately npon the close of the ing appropriations for the year, the sorainy season in the early spring, and cieties make them on the basis of an pushed on urgently to completion. exchange rate, averaged on the rates of The influence such a line of communi- the previous years. -While this rate difcation between Jerusalem and the' fers in different countries, it has avercoast may be expected to exert is in- aged less, the treasurer of the Presbycalculable, for as a natural sequence terian Board, Mr. Dulles, informs us, the harbor, which is now inaccessible "than 80 cents to the dollar for all to Mediterranean steamers, must be countries. " deepened and enlarged, and the rocky barrier which prevents ingress re- Now for the effect of the Silver Bill moved. on exchange. Mr. Dulles writes us: " It is contemplated to snbsequently "I find, by reference to my records, that on extend this line via Gaza and EI-Arish over the Short desert to Port Said and April 9th, our bills sold in Chiua at 77~ (this Ismalia on the Maritime Canal, thus connecting with the railway system is discount on the Mexican silver dollar); on of Lower Egypt for Cairo, Alexandria April 21st it had risen to 79~; May 28 to 82li; and Suez, and to the Fayoum and Upper Egypt. Such important action July 15th to 86jf; July 28th to 88.03, which is for the improvement of the Holy City and the development of the resources thelast date at which I had advices of actual of Palestine, and opening up the coun- sales; or a rise of 15 per cent. This will serve as an example. In fact, our estimates were made below 77, the first price above given; but assuming the variation as above, it means that when we contract to pay a native helper or incur any other form of expense for a given number of Mexican silver dollars, we must now, in order to meet our accounts, add 15 per the Church's history has recorded' a cent. to our disbursements of American gold. similar advance, although that ad- This is not a simple illustration, but the state- vance is relativelv small in the light ment of an actual fact." of the unexampled growth of popu- lation, even in non-Christian lands. The rise in India is somewhat less. The ten missionary organizations of On April 15th £500 yielded 6,832 the United Kingdom have become 65; rupees; on May 14th, 6,357: on July the 27 of all evangelical Christendom 21st, 6,140. The last· advices, says have increased to 185. The sum of Mr. Dulles, show that the rate is still half a million sterling raised to evanrising. Withal, the market is so gelize the world has grown fivefold uncertain, that 60-day bills cannot be -to two millions and a half. The sold at all. The rates in Mexico are living converts, then under 400,000, higher, even, than in China and India, now form native Christian communivarying from 15 to 20 per cent. ties three millions strong. The mis- sionary band, ordained and unor- What is true of the Presbyterian dained, was then 760 strong, and Board is also true of the American not 12 of these were women or Board and other societies. A note natives; now it is a host of nearly to us from one of the 'secretaries of 40,000, of whom 2,000 are women, bethe American Board says its expen- sides missionaries' wives: 33,000 are ditures are affected, "not only in India natives, and of these, 3,000 are orand China, but in Japan and Mexico dained. Besides all that Carey and as well-fields in which fully one-half his imitators had done to translate the of our total expenditures are made." Word of God, we see now in other 41 The Western Christian Advocate says languages the Old Testament, and in a "special appropriation of about other 64 languages the New Testa- $20,000 to meet the increased cost of ment. Our empire has grown till we exchange" in India will have to be have become responsible for a fourth made by the Methodist Missionary So- of mankind. The English speaking ciety at its meeting in November. race were only 22 millions when Carey The cost of the Silver Bill to the So- made his survey; we have increased ciety will be, the Advocate estimates, at the rate of nearly a million a year, fully $40,000. till in and outside of Christendom we are 113 millions. Our wealth has The outlook is a serious one for all swollen even more rapidly. Our the societies. A large increase in the mother-tongue, the Queen's English, incomes of the societies will be neces- has become the Christianizing and saryto pay the same bills as informer civilizing speech of earth, carrying to years. Says Mr. Dulles, speaking for the thousand millions who are still barthe Presbyterian Board: barians in the Hellenic sense, even as Greek influenced the hundred millions "It is early to calculate the etl'ects of a of the Roman Empire, that Divine revelation which, to all who believe it, change of 15 to 20 per cent. upon appropri- is the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation. Save in the ations of $900,000. Without entering into the very heart of Asia-Mohammedan, Buddhist and Russian-The Spirit of merits of the silver-question or venturing God has opened every door, as our fathers prayed.-Free Church (Scotprophecies as to the results, it certainly is un- land) Annual Report.
likely that silver will fall much below its pres· Farewell Meeting in Boston under ent value, and those who are considering the the direction of the secretaries of the American Board, in view of the early obligations of the Church to foreign work departure of missionaries for the several fields under the care of the must bear in mind the unavoidable demand Board. The missionaries were intro- duced by Dr. Clark and Dr. Smith, acupon them this year, and indeed in subsequent cording to the fields to which they were destined, and addresses were years, on account of the special change in the made by Dr. Herrick and Mr. Bartlett, for the Western Turkey Mission; by rise of silver. " Messrs. Hill and White for the Japan Mission; by Messrs. Lay and Jeffery Upon the churches the burden must for the missions in India, and by Mr. fall. It will not do to cut down former Ransom for the Zulu Mission. When appropriations by 15 or 20 per cent.; therefore, it will be necessary for them to increase their contributions by that amount. If last year a society appropriated $500,000, it must appropriate this year, to keep up its work, $575,000 or $600,000.
What a pity the extra percentage cannot be assessed on the silver barons! -The Independent.
The Missionary Age. The Victorian has been emphatically the missionary era. Since the immediately post-apostolic days, no half century of
MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE FROM ALL PARTS
the name of Mrs. Ransom was read, Dr. sent to the field since the last annual Alden stated that she was a daughter report is now 54, a greater number of Rev. Simeon H. Calhoun, formerly than has been sent out by the of the Mission to Svria. The Rev. Board during anyone year for the past James D.Tracy, of theMadura Mission, 50 years. The number of missiontemporarily in tIns country, extended aries appointed since the last annual the right hand of welcome to Mr. Jef- meeting of the Board is 63, 22 of fery, who goes to the same mission. whom are men, representing all the The exercises occupied two hours, Congregational theological seminaries and were listened to with the closest of the country, excepting Bangor and attention and deepest interest by a Oakland. These facts, taken with the large audience. Thirty-four mission- very handsome increase in the receipts aries were named at this farewell meet- of the Board during the past year, and ing, either now on the way or soon to the good reports of work. from all go to their respective fields; going out parts of the mission field, give abunfor the first time. The total number dant occasion for thanksgiving and of new missionaries that have been good courage for the future.
III.':"'-MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD-FIELD.
Madagascar. where we hope shortly to build a dwelling- house, leaving the town of Ambatondrazaka to Antsihanaka, May 1, 1890. our friend and colleague, the Rev. E. H. Strib- DEAR EDITons:-Herewith I enclose a copy ling, thus extending the mission. We are of circular on the subject of a Cottage Hos- already about 100 miles, or four days' journey, pital, which it is proposed togo on with imme- from any other missionary, and a new hospital diately here iu the heathen province of Antsi- has become an absolute necessity. We intend hanaka. You will note that this mission is to to build a suitable structure to accommodate be extended by our removing a day's journey about sixteen patients, and this comparafurther north, where we hope to have much tively small effort will cost about £250. It is blessing on the work in future years. I need our earnest desire to build it without assishardly trouble you with details, other than to tance from the society, if possible, and so we say that the Christian public at home should are making known the present position of not be allowed to run off with the generally- affairs to personal friends, and to the friends accepted idea, which is false, of the "ad- of missions in general. To the former, we vanced religious and social condition of the would suggest this as a fitting opportunity for island," referred to in a letter received yester- affording encouragement to lonely workers in day from a Christian friend at home. The a far country, which, added to the far higher fact is that Madagascar is about one-third consideration of helping on the work of God, simply evangelized, and that one-third -about we hope will prove a sufficient inducement to three-fonrths-civilized. The work of deepen- help forward this particular object. Almost ing and spreading the spiritual life is only the whole of the working expenses (except now beginning in the above one-third of the the very important items of medicines and island. The work of evangelization and estab- medical appliances) have been obtained for lishment of new missions is being carried out the last two years without any help from the in about half of the remaining two-thirds, society, our patients paying more than twowhich, like here in Antsihanaka, is heathen, thirds of the expense of board and nursing; without missionary agencies at all; and the many of our native friends, too, having conrest is in "gross darkness." tributed to this object." The above is only a very general way of looking at it as a whole, but still it will give a LETTER FROM DR. BROCKETT. good idea of how things really are here. Brooklyn, July 28, 1890. With kindest regards, DEAR DR. SHERWOOD:-I was very much in- JAMES G. MACKAY. terested in that part of Dr. Pierson's letter, in your August number, which treated of the [We regret that space permits only important questions of education and evan- gelization in the mission fields, and the coman extract or two from the printed parative success of the two methods, education first, and then evangelization, or evangeliztlr circular accompanying this letter.- tion first, followed by Ohristian education. EnS.] As I have been for many years studying these questions carefully, with reference to the , .. And now to come to the point of our re- missions of most evangelical denominations, I port. Our present hospital served well for a beg leave to offer a few thoughts, which Inay beginning, .but is now too small for us. Further, the directors of the L. M. S. have agreed to our removing to a more healthy spot at Imerimandroso, a day's journey to the north, be of service in the settlement of the difficult who had the privilege of hearing Rev. Dr. J. problem. E. Clongh, the Apostle to the Telugns, tell of his experience in endeavoring to carry the 1st. I find in our Lord's missionary tours in Gospel to that [,,,ople, will ever forget how Palestine that He devoted His instruction this matter presented itself to him. The mis- and preaching to .. the common people, who sion to the Telugns was founded in 1836, and heard Him gladly"-to" publicansand sinners, in 1866, thirty years later, when Mr. Clough who thronged to hear Him, and almost trode reached Ongola, there had not been a hun· upon one another to listen to the gracious dred native Telugns converted. There were words which He spake." He opened no about fifty members of the single church there, sChools, rabbinical or other, for Pharisees and but some of them were Tamils, English sol- Sadducees, practised no asceticism like the diers or sailors, or men of other nationalities, Essenes, but the burden of his discourses was and not to exceed 25 or 30 were Telugns. concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. There was one native assistant, and sChools had been maintained for instructing the chil- I cannot find that the Apostles opened any dren of Brahmins. The missionaries were ex. school to instruct or propagate the Gospel cellent men, men of deep piety and learning, which they preached. Paul tells us that it and thoroughly in earnest in their efforts to pleased God that by the foolishness of preach- win souls. But, somehow, they did not sucing mlln might believe, and that not many wise, ceed. The Brahmins were very friendly, ana not many learned were brought to the knowl- often called on them to discuss questions of edge of the truth-that" He had hidden these science, and if pressed on the subject of perthings from the wise and prudent, and revealed sonal religion, would reply that they were exthem unto babes." Throughout the Acts and amining the Christian doctrines, and were the Epistles, whether they were preaching to very favorably impressed with them, but Greeks, Romans or Barbarians, the theme desired time to consider. They did not wish was Christ, as the Saviour and Redeemer from to mingle with the lower castes, but thought sin, and no time was spent in endeavoring to they should, in time, come over to Chriscivilize or educate the people before convert- tianity. ingthem. When Mr. Clough came to Ongola, in 1866, 2d. I think it will be found in all modern they pursued the same course with him, and missions that the great snccesses have been at first deceived him; but his faithful assistachieved by following in the line of Christ's ant had preached the Gospel to the poor outexample. In almost every Asiatic mission casts (pariahs) at one of the out stations, and field there will be found two distinct classes, had sent some of the converts in one Saturday often of different origin, the one aristocratic to Mr. Clough for examination and baptism. and lordly, generally the ruling race, educated The Brahmins heard of it, and sent a message after their fashion, and looking down with to him, begging him not to disgrace himself contempt upon their ignorant inferiors. In and them by having anything to do with these India, this class are the Brahmins, proud, in- low and degraded people. The Brahmins telligent, in some respects the superioI'S in could not visit him Or hold any intercourse inteliectual culture of even the best European with him if he thus polluted himself. Mr. a,pd races. Their inferiors, who are gi-ound down Mrs. Clough devoted themselves to the study to the lowest degradation, are the men of low of the Word of God and prayer that night. caste or no caste at all. the pariahs or out- They found that they had erred in respecting casts. persons; they humbly confessed and repented of their sins, and the next day openly went to Many of our missionaries and missionary one of the large tanks in the city, baptized societies have made the mistake of trying to these converts, and preached the Gospel to convert the Brahmins first. They were so re- the poor, who had gathered by thousands to fined and cultured, so polite, and took so witness the ordinance. The Brahmins were much pleasure in discussing-religious ques- furious: they showed tHeir displeasure by tions with the missionaries, and sometimes cutting his acquaintance and reviling him confounding them with their dialectic skill, publicly, but the common people heard him that the poormissionaries indulged high hopes gladly, and received the word with joy. Bapof gathering a church whose members should tisms were constant, and in the ten years all be converied Brahmins, and through whom (1867-1877) preceding the famine, the church the whole nation should ere long Le brought at Ongola alone had received 4,394 members to Christ. It has now been about a hundred by baptism. After the famine, and Mr. (now years since missionary labor was commenced Dr.) Clough's noble and self-sacrificing efforts in India. Has anybody ever seen or heard of to relieve the sufferingcaused by it, the people a church there composed wholly of converted began to press into the kingdom of God, and Brahmins, who, as being all of. the highest to take it by violence. In 1Si'8, 8,691 were caste, did not need to break its bonds and defile baptized in six weeks-2,222 of them in one themselves by associating with Sudras or day-and during the 13 years since the ,,-ork Pariahs? Converied Brahmins there have certainly been, but never those who came in cempanies and retained their caste. Those has gone forward steadily, till on the first of was the only God to be worshipped. Now, January, IS90, there had been during the pre- contrast with this the Karen Missions in Burvious year, in the thirteen stations of that mah. Beginning in 1828 with the baptism of mission, 3,340 baptisms, and the number of a single convert brought to Christ by Dr. Judliving members at that date was 33,838. A son's efforts, it spread through Tavoy, Moullarge majority of these are people of low caste, mein, Rangoon, Bassein and Henzada within or of no caste, but of late the higher castes a dozen years, and has now extended wherehave begun to come in, and some Brahmins ever there are Karens. These people were among them. Of course, schools were neces- very poor; they were cruelly oppressed by sary after this rapid evangelization, and they their Burmese rulers; they were illiterate; have been provided liberally. There are sem- had no written language, till the misinaries for training native preachers (many of sionari.,s reduced their languages to writing; these poor people have developed remarkable they were not idolaters, and while they had abflities, both asscholars and preachers); there some:ideas of a Supreme Being they had never are high schools for girls and boys, and sta- heard of Christ, yet they came to Him at once tion-schools for instruction in the vernacular. when they did hear of Him, and in such num- In some of the stations there are caste schools bers, that for three years and more, under the for girls, in which ·the Bible is tanght, and fierce Burmese persecution, the thOllsands very soon the bonds of caste give way. The who were willing to die for Christ could not girls in these caste schools do not seem to be receive Christian baptism. They have in sixty superior in intellect or ability to their outcast years become an intelligent and powerful peosisters. There are connected with the mission ple, advancing from semi-barbarism to civilinow 47 missionaries, f!7 of them women-IS are zation, education and administrative ability, in America or Enrope. There is pressing need till the Government of British India, whose of at least 20 more missionaries. The number subjects they are, are putting them into places of native helpers is 421, of whom 204 (67 01'- of honor and trust in the place of the Burmese, .dained and 137 unordained) are preachers. whom they have found dishonest and untrust- The appropriations of the Missionary Union worthy. This wonderful change has come for all departments of the work in 1889-'90 solely by the preaching of the Gospel of ,yere $67,972, of which about one-half was for Christ, and in their case evangelization preschools. Here, out of 54 years of mission ceded education. They have had comparawork, only 24 have been productive of large tively few American missionaries (they have visible results. now 57, of whom only 20 are men). They have 560 native helpers, of whom 125 are or- Take another instance, which illustrates my dained pastors and evangelists, many of them point still more fully-the Baptist missions in the peers of our pastors in city or country, Burmah. Dr. Judson entered upon his mis- 492 churches, with a membership of 28,000, and sion to the Burmese in 1813. No abler or more an adherent population of about 175,000. Over· devoted missionaries have been connected 40,000 have died in these sixty years. They with any missions in the world than Dr. Jud- carryon Home and Foreign Missions with son and some of his associates; they were great success. Of course they have schoolslaborious, patient and persevering to a degree over 400 of them, with 11,000 pupils, all receivalmost beyond belief, yet six years elapsed ing an elementary Christian education; ten or before the baptism of the first convert. At twelve academies-some teaching English, but the close of the first Burmese war (1824-'26) all giving instruction in the Scriptures; a theothere were not more than 30 converted Bur- logical seminary, a college, and two highmese living, and now after 75 years of very grade high schools (boarding}-one of them earnest labor, with a large force of mission- with over 400 students. Their native preachers aries constantly in the field, and 63 (20 men are well educated, and their schools have reand 43 women) now at work, there are only ceived the highest praise from the Govern- 29 Burmese churches, with about 2,000 mem- ment Commissioners and inspectors for their bers (probably 4,000 or 5,000 have gone to thorough and critical scholarship. They are heaven in these 75 y£>-&rs). The reasons of growing spiritually; aboU:t 1,850 were bapthis scanty return are not far to seek. The tized the past year. Three·fourths of missionaries are not in fault; they have done their native pastors and four-fifths of the their work faithfully and well. They relied schools, including the costly high schools and to some extent on schools, in many of which college, are supported by the native churches, English was taught. The Burmese were and every church has a chapel of its own, proud, intelligent, imperious, and cruel in built by native Christians. Their contributions temper, bigoted in their Buddhism, and looked to church and benevolent purposes, taking all down with contempt on all other nations, es- their churches together, average $1.75 per peeially upon the Karen tribes, whom they member, while in the missions, where they held in a sort of peonage. They were glad of have plans of systematic beneficence, they the schools, because their children coul~ learn come up to $3.25 per member, and this where English, though they hated the English peo- $50 a year is considered a liberal salary. Here" ple, but they insisted that the Lord Buddha most certainly, education followed evangeli· missionary life does not allow of much time zation. for writing, but I am going to do better in the I might go on to speak of the Mallegassy, who certainly were evangelized before they future. In the meantime I send you an article had anything more than the most meagre education, but are now rejoicing in many good written by my husband, Rev. F. E. Hoskins. schools; of the Kohls, of Central India, Goss· ner's converts*-in this mission, also, evangel- On.him has fallen Mr. Dale's mantle, and it ization preceded education, and indeed educa· tion has not proceeded very far yet; and of is a heavy one, eombined with the study of many other missions of a like character, did space permit, but the points I want to make Arabic. We are feeling especiaJIy burdened are these: at this tillIe, as word has COme to retrench 1. That among the nations who profess and maintain the systematized false faiths- Zahleh station ($554). Buddhism, Brahmanism, Tauism, Moham- medanism – and even, in a somewhat less If we ask which of the out stations we will .degree, the doctrines of the Greek and Roman Cathoftc churches, and who have' a written close, it is like asking a man which of his chil- langnage and literature defending and ex- pounding their respective faiths,. progress in dren he can spare best. With the present evangelization will be slow by any method, and education will help very little, if at all. state of the Government, if we close we will Comparatively little impression has been made in Siam, in the Buddhist portion of not get permission to open again. It is hard China, and in Burmah, upon the Buddhists, .and general scientific education, however com- fighting to hold what we have, and no pros- plete it may have convinced the intellect, has not touched the heart. The same is pect o~ getting more. Turks and Jesuits make equally true of the educational assaults which have been made upon Islamism among the a trying combination. Three girls' schools Turks and other Mohammedan nations. That system of faith has too strong a hold upon have been closed; each one had over seventy the weakness of human nature to be readily relinquished. It does not seem that either the pupils; $40 each would run them to the end adherents of the Greek or the Roman Church have been often educated into Protestant of the year. Can yon not stir some heart to Christianity. Indeed, the results of the educative process have very often found to enure help us? Think of the large sums that were to these religions, e. g., Cardinals Manning, 'Wiseman and Newman, and many bishops raised at Northfield. and other perverts. We have church buildings that need repair; 2. It seems easily demonstrable that our Lord'S plan was to begin missionary work. we do not see how they can stand another with the poor, the lowly, the illiterate and the sinful; to present the dying, risen and glori- winter. fied Saviour to those who are conscious of t.heir You must pray that we may have patience need of such a Saviour from sin; and when the Gospel has lifted them up to Christian under discouragements, wisdom in' facing manhood and brought them to work for the salvation of others, then Christian education many vexing questions, and a great outpoursteps in, and prepares them to lead the hardened idolaters, by the force of a holy example, ing of God's Spirit. to Him who alone can save them. In my sister's absence I have the little organ L. P. BROCKETT. you sent her.* • Syria. During the last ten days I have had a guest Zahleh, Aug. 19, 1890. who formerly lived in Zahleh, so we have had DEAR DR. PIERSON:-YOu asked me to be one of your" Editorial Correspondents." My over a hundred callers, everyone has had a.
* I think the missionaries of the Society for glass of sherbet, about half have been fed; the Propagation of the Gospel, who have ab- with a little maid (Jeannette) to look after, sorbed tbis mission, overrate the conversions among the Kohls. They took over only 7,000, do you wonder that I do not write more? But and their latest report gives only 11,954 communicants. The 32,000 were only adherents. notwithstanding all, I have read the REVIEW for July and retailed its contents to my caIlers.
How we wish you could have extended your mission tour to Syria! You mustspend some time with us when you do come. Our home is near to the grand old ruins of Baalbec.
For some years I have been gathering suo perstitioI!s of these people. Very odd, and of course have their infiuence; and if sueb articles would be acceptable to you, will send one.
Mr. Hoskins is away for the day. Since Jan. 1st he has traveled more than 1,500 miles, 1,200 of these in the saddle, in all weathers and all hours of the day. Yours sincerely, Mas. F. E, HOSKINS.
Moravians not Lutherans.
Nazareth, Pa., Aug. 20, 1890. In the August number of THE MISSIONARY REVIEW (page 634), in the "Table of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Foreign Missionary Work," we find as the 27th Society (sic) the Moravian Church included among the Lutheran Mission- ary Societies, with the foot-note: .. The 110- * This little parlor organ was sent as a help in carrying on Sunday-school and prayer ser- vices. It was given by Bethany Church, Phila- delphia.~A. T. P.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
ravians have the same confession of faith as stuecke des christlichen Glaubens klar und the Lutherans." einfach ausgesprochen sind. Die Freiheit der " Gewissen unsrer Geschwister wird dadurch This is a very inaccurate and misleading in keiner Weise gebunden, insonderheit in statement. The official statement of the doc· solchen Laendern, wo die Augsburgische Kon· trine of the Brethren's or Moravian Church, fession nicht dieselbe Geltung hat, als in as determined by her General Synod, contains, Deutschland. ") among many other statements, this paragraph (freely "trausJated): "In common with all The peculiar position which the Moravian Christendom, the Moravian Church subscribes Church holds among the continental churches to the doctrines enunciated in the so-called makes it necessary for her to take some Apostles' Creed, and acknowledges further notice of the Augustana in order to retain her that in the 21 doctrinal articles of the Augs· legal standing and to carry on her work un· burg Confession the chief points of Christian trammelled. As a matter of fact the Moravian belief are clearly and simply defined. The Church technically has no "confession" of freedom of conscience of our memhers, how· her own, and binds herself to no confessioR of ever, is in no wise infiuenced by this state· any other church, while in all essential p<>ints ment, especially not in those countries where she agrees with the creeds of all Protestant the Augsburg COnfession is not of SO much Churches. She gladly co·operates with any importance, as in Germany." Results of the Protestant Church that will work with her. General Eiynod of 1889 : However, Moravians, as such, are in no sense of the word Lutherans, and Moravian mission (" Die Bruederkirche bekennt slch daher mit work has nothing whatsoever to do with the der gesammten Christenheit zu den im apo· Lutheran Church, although the Moravians stolischen Glaubensbekenntniose enthaltenen gladly and thankfully acknowledge that they Lehrsaetzen, und erkennt weiter, dasz in den have frequently received aid both from Ger· 21 Lehrartikeln der Augsburgischen Konfes· man and American Lutherans sion als dem ersten und allgemeinsten Be· kenntnis der evangelischen Kirche, die Haupt- PAUL DE ScHWEINITZ.
IV.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
CONDUCTED BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
The Kingdom of God in the Land of planet on which changes of most sig- its Origin. nificance in the tife of races of men, have, in recent years, taken place most [Condensed from an address of Rev. George rapidly, you must leave behind the F. Herrick, D. D., of Auatolia College and great cities of this land and of Europe, Marsovan Theological Seminary, at the 7th and pass over into Asia. Annual Meeting of the InternatIOnal Mission· ary Union, June 12, 1890.] I. GLANCE AT RECENT OTTOMAN mSTORY. Occidental life is proverbiaIlyrapid; Oriental life, we are all sure, is ex- Reference is not now made to tke ceedingly slow. We travel by ex- press a thousand miles a day. The restless and aspiring empire on the Asiatic still plods on horseback along ememe margin of Asia. I do not a bridle path, or, more recently, in assume to tell of India, where, accord- a springless wagon, over his twenty- ing to those best informed, the English four miles in twenty-four hours. He language has already become the lan- smokes his nargileh, and takes no note guage of all arms of the Government of time. He scratches the ground service, of travel, of all schools; the instead of plowing it; he threshes one vehicle of a progress whose silent his grain as his ancestors did 3,000 and bloodless revolutions are in happy years ago; he puts off his shoes contrast to the numberless revolutions and wears his hat when he enters a that have characterized the life of dwelling; he pulls a saw instead of India for thousands of years.
pushing it, he builds a city with mole I point to the fact that, twenty-nve tracks through it, and if he makes years ago, the Ottoman Empire posstreets at all, it is an after-thought, sessed a territory fully as large in and he burns out the needful spaces; Europe as in Asia, and almost equally by his watch it is always twelve o'clock as large in Africa. The dismember- when the sun sets. And with all this, ment of the empire in respect of terri- if you would find the portion of our tory and its depletion in respect of population, within a qnarter of a hopeful indication of possible entercentury, has been with a rapidity that prise seen in Turkey in modern times. would be startling if we could be Meantime Russia – that essentially startled with anything which is at Oriental Power illy domesticated as once distant and Oriental. yet in Europe-has played her game with singular fatuity in South-eastern Roumania and Servia are inde- Europe. There is no Power, great pendent kingdoms, Montenegro and or small, Slavic or Greek, German, Bulgaria are independent princedoms. French, Italian or English, that will Greeceis enriched by some of Turkey's consent to see Constantinople in the fairest provinces in Thessaly and control of Russia. We should not de- Epirus. Egypt is as much under spise those smaller States, anyone British control as India. Syria is of four can mass a trained army under European protection. England of a 100,000 men, and little Greece holds Cyprus, Austria dominates Her- can launch a fleet that would rival zegovina and Bosnia, Russia has ac- our own navy. But there is one quired Batoum, the most important Power, viz: Austro-Hungary, to which Black Sea port, and Kars, the key it is a question of life or death to keep fortress of Asia Minor. Russia out of Constantinople. The great northern Power may count on In place of 44,000,000 of pop- Austria's opposing her march southulation, the Ottoman Empire now ward and westward by the full force has about 23,000,000; the proportion of her army and her navy. It is of Moslems to Christians has greatly almost equally impossible for Russia changed. They were about equally to push far into Asia Minor on the divided; ?ww the Chritsian population east. She may take and hold Erzroom is but little more than one-fourth of easily enough. She may, perhaps, pass the entire number. Van and even Harpoot, where the Christian population is proportionally The seeming strength of Turkey large, and she may, if she will, push on during the years which followed the to the Euphrates, but she may not Crimean war was fictitious and de- pass on into the heart of Asia Minor. lusive. The semblance of prosperity There, from the Black Sea to the was kept up by immense loans at ruin- Arabian Desert, and from the Euphous rates. "Let the evil come when it rates to the Mediterranean, the Ottowill, so it be not in my day." So runs man people will live, and an Ottoman the Oriental proverb. Turkey was Power will rule for long years to come. rushing on to bankruptcy, at the very Nor is it easy, in the light of history, moment when she was constructing or on principles of justice, to see how an iron-clad fleet, and building palaces the Turks can be driven from Constanon every eligible site at and near Con- tinople, where they outnumber all stantinople. She did not build roads other races put together, or from nor develop her mines, nor undertake Adrianople, their ancient capital and commerce or manufactures, nor es- a Moslem City. tablish schools, except on paper. For two years after the commence- The record of the last disastrous war ment of the present Sultan's reign of twelve years ago is well known. Turkey exhibited the farce of Consti- Strangely enough, ever since then, the tutional Government, played at a policy of the Government of Turkey Parliament with representation from has been studiously cold toward Eng- the different races. But all this was, land, and friendly toward Russia. in the expressive language of one of the ablest mi.nisters our Government We must not fail to give the Turks ever had at the Sublime Porte-HoN. the credit of covering Asia Minor, within the last ten years, with a net work of carriage roads, built without the aid of foreign capital-the most Horace Maynard, "for EUl"opean con- and acknowledge the obligations of sumption." friendly European powers ?"
II.- TURKISH PATRIOISM. "That is all very well for you to There has, under the present Sultan, say," replied my friend, "but for us been a reaction against the liberal the problem is not to be solved in that ideas that prevailed during the years way."
following the Crimean war. Many "Do you mean to tell me," I asked good things can, with truth, be said of again, "that you would prefer to per- the reigning Sultan. He certainly de- ish, as an independent people, rather sires to secure justice and the welfare than owe your continued existence of all his subjects, but he is not a and your future prosperity, with what- liberal man, as we use the term. He ever that would necessarily imply of does not see that the traditions and European influence, to th,e aid of responsibilities of his House, with all Christian nations ?"
that these imply, constitute the load ,'Yes," he promptly answered,"that of lead which leaves him hopelessly is precisely what I-what all faithful weighted in the race with the rulers Mussulmans-mean."
of his age, even with the rulers of Can any true American fail to feel States which have been erected out of a thrill of responsive sympathy with what was just now his own domin- the patriotism, the devotion to ances- ions. If he would but cultivate a tral faith, which underlies that an- relation of real friendship toward swer? And does not such a spirit fur- Christian and especially Protestant nish a new incentive to bring the bless- and English-speaking' nations, the ings of our own civilization within Ottoman State might yet justify its the reach of every race in western place on' the arena of material, com- Asia-not to impatiently force a Chris- mercial, and even of intellectual and tianity, weighted with the gravest e),- moral progress, in western Asia. rors of teaching and of example, upon One chief reason why the Ottoman Moslem races, but, watchfully keep- Turks have been so greatly misunder- ing step with the unfoldings of God's stood and maligned is that we, of the providence, to exhibit before Moslem 'Vest, in defiance of a wise maxim, eyes, at all points, the winning graces none too often quoted, have never of truly Christian example?
taken the pains to see and consider We should never forget that when the Turkish problem from the stand- Islam rose, in the first half of the sev- point of the Turks themselves. Less enth century, it was confronted by, vituperation and wholesale, and really and was a protest against, some of the unjust, condemnation, and more con- most corrupt forms of Christian doc- siderateness would greatly benefit trine and worship, some of the worst every party in interest. caricatures of Christian living, in Some time since, in conversation Arabia and northern Africa, that the with an enlightened Turkish official, world has ever seen.
on the Bosphorus, I criticised the un- Those reckless raids from Europe wisdom of his government in deliber- into Asia, called, in bitter irony, "holy ately keeping foreign capital from en- wars," in the eleventh and following tering Turkey, to construct railroads centuries, violently repelled Moham- and develop her mineral resources. medans from Christianity. How could "But," he replied, "if foreign capital they do otherwise? The expulsion of be welcomed the interference of the Moors from Spain, early in the foreign powers must be accepted sixteenth century, under the greatly too." over-praised Queen Isabella-is any "What harm can it do to govern- 'right or justice discoverable in that ment or people," I asked, "to receive movement on the Christian side, ex- ,eept the right of might? The author worldly men; examples-that is, more read, some years ago, in Turkish, cer- . than 10,000 members of evangelical tain trenchant articles of historic cri- churches in Asia Minor now–of his- ticism, from the pen of an enlightened fellow country~en who are true, liv- and acute Turk, which presented a ing disciples of their master. Evan- long array of facts from the history of gelical worship attracts, it does not Christian Europe, in a fashion not repel the Moslem. Protestant Chris- likely to win Moslem minds to an ac- tian doctrine does not, like the bald eeptance of Christianity. "orthodoxy" of the Eastern Church, And not only in the earlier years, set his reason continually at defiance.
but all down through the later centu- We must not, however, suppose that l"ies, in all western Asia, the Moslem, the Turks officially recognize the right with his clear-cut doctrine of God, or contemplate the contingency of and his sharp recoil from every sem- Mohammedans becoming Christians.
blance of idolatry in worship, with his To this degree, religious liberty is not sobriety and his generous hospitality, yet a fact. Still, in the face of dif- has pointed, with a certain contempt, ficulty and opposition, scarcely con- to the Christians around him, as less ceivable by us, some Mohammedans sober, less truthful, less hospitable, have become Christians, have lived less manly than himself, with a form and died as shining examples of Chris- of religious worship redolent of idola- tian confessors as the early ages ex- try, while his own is simple and pure, hibited. To-day there is, in a town even if it be exposed to the charge of of Asia Minor, a young Turkishwoman lifeless formality. who witnesses a good confession in the We do not say the Moslems' charge house where she was born, enduring against Christil¥lity and Christians is repeated beatings and living down cal- true. Clearly it is not true, but it is umny by Christian gentleness-who not strange the charge is made. The told her Christian sisters, only in ans- vitality and the vigor of the. Christian wer to their inquiry one day in meet- races, their better morality, their men- ing, why her arm was in a sling, that tal and moral elasticity under centu- her brother's last beating broke it.
ries of oppression, is one of the marvels Once, in conversation with one ~f of God's government of Asia. Why the most liberal and best educated do the Christian races remain in kindly Turks of the present age, a man who neighborhood to the Moslem races, has, at one time or another, filled all through western Asia, but to be to nearly all the highest offices of the them in the coming years, the means ~tate, I referred to a well-known of the largest blessing? And who are case of religious persecution that had to be theagents, and what theagencies, recently occurred. He drew me up for which those races have silently sharp on the expression, "religious and sullenly waited for so many gen- persecution," and said, "No religious ,erations? persecution is possible under our Gov- m.-OUR GRAND OPPORTUNITY. ernment. A man's faith is his own, It was, in God's providence, com- between himself and God only, and mitted to American Christians, to re- Government cannot interfere with it."
~stablish vital Christianity in the land "What, then, shall we call the ~f its origin. Call it duty, call it high case?" I asked.
privilege, thEl responsibility, the un- "Why," he replied, "it is perfectly "dertaking, is ours, to put the Bible into plain. The man renounced his ances- Moslem hands and then set before his tral, the national, faith, in which he ~yes living examples of a true and a owes duties to the State. All right, so pure Christianity by which alone the far. But he has publicly avowed his Bible is illustrated to the conviction of renunciation, and declared himself a Christian. In so doing he has com- we that we should withstand God!" mitted a civil offence, and it is, for this The Church of Christ sends out her alone, that he is arrested and pnt un- challenge, "You can do nothi-.g der discipline." against the Truth but for the Truth !"
That is, being a Christian is all right Nearly sixty years ago the Turkish for a born Moslem, if only he will never Government demanded that those say he is above a whisper. pioneer missionaries, Goodell, Schauf- fler and Dwight, be sent out of the In the meantime, as the years have country. Our ambassador, Commo- passed, the Christian races have reo dorePorter, communicated the order. sponded, more and more widely, to evangelical influence. It has pene- "Do you order us to go ?" they asked: traLed all parts of the country. Ameri- "No, I only notify you of the de- can Christian philanthropy has, mand of the Government, and of my through the several departments of inability to protect you," the work, planted the Christian home, "Then we notify you that we de- the evangelical church, developed cide to stay," they replied. Christian education, created through Political events, which shook the the press a periodical and permanent throne and resulted in the destruction Christian literature in the several lan- of the Janizaries and the introductiou guages, begun to establish Christian of European forms of law, hastened philanthropic institutions, and every- on and the missionaries were forgot- where fostered, together with loyalty ten. During all that crisis, and up till to the' existing Government, ideas of the close of the Crimean war, the freedom and of justice. American cit- leading mind, the most imperial presizens have established institutions, an ence at the Turkish capital, was that extensive Bible-house, churches, high- Christian Statesman, Lord Stratford' schools, colleges and seminaries. They de Redcliffe, of England. have acquired property in a hundred As evangelical influence extended different places all over the country. among Armenians, Greeks and Syri- These business interests have become ans, the persecuted Protestants found the care of our Government through aid and comfort from the Turks, as its-official representatives. The power the Jews who rebuilt the temple found of the United States flag is second to aid and protection from Cyrus. none. The Turks have no reason for Twenty years ago, in the Koordislt jealousy of the great republic across mountains, above the city of Mosul, a the sea. Illiberal men, in the govern- young Arab Koord, a born Moslem. ment and out of it, are jealous of was dipping deep into Mohammedan evangelical progress, and wish it had lore, at the feet of a famous teacher, not gained so strong a foothold in the his total wardrobe, a shirt; his food, land. But many Turks see that ,they the coarse bread of the tribe; his bed, also may profit by those ideas that the ground. He committed the Koran Protestant Christianity everywhere to memory, he acquired a most involves and develops, viz: The su- thorough knowledge of' Arabic, of premacy of truth and justice, the in- Moslem law, tradition, history, sciviolability of the individual consci- ence, and interpretation. He found" ence, and individual and social edu- one day, the binding of an Arabic cation and elevation. Bible which had been destroyed. Afterwards, when a teacher at Mozul, IV.-DIVINE INTERPOSITIONS. he sought, found, bought a Bible in Arabic, read and studied it, was in- The modern history of western Asia structed in it by Deacon Michah, as is a history of divine interpositions, Apollos by Aquilla, accepted Christi- These have been so accentuated, that anity as true, accepted Christ as his. men of the world, however highplaced, may well exclaim, "Who are Slaviour, was obliged to flee his part come, found him interested in anti- of the country, came to the Bible trans- quities, of which there are specially lators'room,in the.Constantinople Bible fine relics near where he had lived.
House, and aided in giving the Bible to In fine, we made ourselves as agree- the Ottoman race, a special aid very able as we knew how, not forgetting few men living could have given; to give His Excellency a cordial invi- found of God, led of God, and taken tation to visit our college and other home-to God when,the work was done. schools. "I was just about to mount Permission was asked to print the my horse to do that wnen you called,"
Biblein the Osmanly, and was refused. he said. "Ah, indeed," we replied, After long months of argument, of "then, our call and invitation are propositions and counter-propositions, quite opportune!" They were indeed.
the Board of Censors unwittingly did Thus forewarned, all was in readi- the greatest possible service to the ness at the college to receive the Gov- spread of God's Word, by condition- ernor with all respect. We showed ing the permission on the placing of him all through the buildings; he ex- the statement of the fact of Govern- amined classes, asked to see our text- ment permission on the title-page of books. Among our books he found every copy; and the time when the one of his own composition, and, nat- final version was launched was fixed urally, was not displeased with the by the Author of the Word Himself. It delicate compliment. He visited the was just as the last war closed, just as girls' boarding-school, enjoyed the the last sharp crisis of the Eastern choral singing, and, as he mounted question was attracting all eyes, that his horse at my door, he leaned over, God, by his Word, in the language of and said, "I have been greatly pleased all the people, sent forth His challenge with all I have seen; you may rely on to the Cabinets of Europe, set His wis- me for a report every way favorable.
dom face to face with their folly. And I wish we had such schools in every between that time and this, inquiry city."
concerning the Bible has become as And he meant what he said, as after common among TUl:ks, as before it echoes clearly showed. God's special was rare. They inquire from curiosity, guidance was conspicuous at every it may be, but many do buy and read point of this incident.
God's Word. V.-THE OPPORTUNITY MET.
Four years ago, just as Anatolia The evangelical centres in Turkey College was organized under that now number more than 300. These name, a demand was made through are the centres of influence, extending the local government that we procure from the extreme western border to· from the central government at Con- the farthest east, and from the Black stantinople a formal recognition of Sea to the Arabian desert. The in- our college. Meantime, one morning fluence of the evangelical press is the we learned that the Governor-General leading influence in the department of had come to town over night. We literature. The newly established, hastened to call upon His Excellency, and rapidly growing girls' boarding and invite him to visit our schools- schools, have already revolutionized all the difference in the world from the country in respect of female ectu- which side the invitation comes. In cation.
the court-yard of the house where the But there, as everywhere, the col- governor was entertained were horses, lege is the leader; and Robert College saddled and ready for mounting. We on the Bosphorns, and Syria Protest- were received in audience, praised the ant College at Beirout, and Euphra- public-spirit he had shown in the tes College at Harpoot, and Central province from which he had recently Turkey College at Aintab; and now. the last four years, Anatolia College at guiding all in the interest of His Jllarsovan, in the heart of Anatolia- church, is, by our hands, re-estab- these are the challenges of Christian lishing His Kingdom in the lands of America to the darkness of Asia. Its origin.
Once the comparative importance of The work will not stop for discus- educational and evangelistic agencies sion and criticism. The army of God was a subject of animated discussion will march right onward, and with in missions and missionary societies, accelerated step; and the legacy we .and among the churches of this coun- will commit to those who come after try and of Great Britain. This dis- us will be to hand on our Lord's com- -cussion is a thing of the past. Edu- mission, "Go, make disciples of all the cational work, as represented and led nations," and the testimony and as- by Christian colleges–colleges in- surance we will offer to the diffident tensely Christian and Biblical-is shall be, that the Master ever fulfills His promise to be with His chosen, pressed, and to be pressed to the ut- amid all toil and conflict. Great will most possible-that is, just as far as be the multitude, who, with no alloy resource.9 can be obtained with which of sin, will chant the Hallelujahs of to carry on the work. On this all are the heavenly choir. . agreed. There is no consensus of The Brussels Anti-Slavery Oonference. those interested in the evangelization -of the world which is more perfect; The Christian world has occasion to .and the economy of administration of rejoice in the late Brussels Conference these institutions may be shown by the of signatory Congo powers, and to statement that the actual sum used to carefully study its proceedings. Per- run Anatolia College is one per cent. haps it is not too late-it is rather ·of the cost of running Yale or Cornell doubtful if it may not be too early-to University. The American Christian pass in review what it did. College-these three words are used .advisedly-The American Christian King Leopold of Belgium was the college is the hope and light of Asia. official source of the Convention; but This institution, with its Biblical in- delegates from Great Britain, Austriastruction, with its thorough culture, Hungary, Belgiuin, Congo Free State, with its pervasive Christian spirit, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, with its development of manly, self- Italy, Persia, Portugal, Russia, Spain, reliant Christian character; this in- Sweden and Norway, Turkey, the stitution, in which the preachers and United States and Zanzibar, were the teachers are prepared for their present. work, in which men of affairs are trained for the responsibilities that are The object of the Conference was coming upon them in all eastern lands plainly as possible stated in the circuin this fl.nd the next generation: this lar of invitation issued by Leopold, American Christian college is the which was "the necessity of effectively pledge of a Christian home, of a per- preventing the slave-trade in the inmanent and self-propagating church, terior of Africa, the capture of slaves of all true progress and harmony of destined for sale, and their transport races, of the gradual realization of by sea, which can Qnly be stopped by free and just government in those the organized display of force greater lands of Asia, for ages and centuries than that at the disposal of those who oppressed and groping amid the dark- take part " in the traffic. ness which has enveloped them. This was not the first Convention of Seen or unseen by our eyes, God, the great Powers held to consider the by His Word in every language, by main question. What is known as the Christian example, by education, Berlin General Act had already pro- vided that "All the Powers exercising rights of sovereignty, or any influence 6, ThQ Liquor traffic. 7, General Proin the territories in question,undertake visions, and 8, The Custom's regulato watch over the preservation of the tions of the Congo Valley. native races, and the improvement of their moral and material conditions THE SLAVE TRAFFIC. of existence, and to co-operate in the suppression of Slavery, and especially 1. The maritime trade in slaves was in the negro traffic; they will protect first considered as the part where and favor, without distinction of na- united action could be made most ef-· tionalities or worship, all religious fective if agreement could be come to. The sensitive point here was on the· scientific or charitable institutions and "right of search," whether on the high seas, or in territorial waters, over all undertakings, created and organized sailing vessels,under any Hag, suspect-· ed of being engaged in the slave-trade. for this object or tending to instruct France was specially sensitive on this· point. She, after a month, suggested the natives and make them under- a series of new measures for the pre- vention of the abuse of the French stand and appreciate the advantages Hag, and for checking the crew and passenger-lists at places of departure, of civilization." call and destination. The British government proposed a compromise, It had been fUrther provided that, subjecting only vessels of 500 tons, and under, to the right of supervision and "In accordance with the principles of detention on the high seas, which was agreed to, unless slavers of over 500 the law of nations as recognized by tons shall hereafter be discovered.
the signatory Powers, the slave-trade 2. The suppression of the foreign market was also a delicate and difficult being forbidden, and the operation part of the general question. It is the existence of slavery in foreign counwhich on land and on sea furnish tries which keeps alive the maritime traffic. Abolish that in countries outslaves for the traffic also being consid- side of Africa and the motive for the slave traffic on the high seas is extinered as forbidden, the Powers which guished. The eastern market for exercise, or shall exercise, rights of slaves must be broken down, as a part sovereignty or any influence in the of the general plan to destroy the territories forming the conventional African traffic in slaves. basin of the Congo, declare that these territories cannot serve either as a It is readily seen that this touched market or as a means of transit of most delicate lines of diplomatic slaves, of whatsoever race they may courtesy. Had Turkey been invited be. Each of these Powers undertakes to this general council, to learn that to employ all the means in its power the combined European Powers would to put an end to this traffic and to interfere here and thus with her terpunish those who take part in it." ritorial authority ? Was anyone of these Powers to find in this Congress a It was, however, recognized that dictator domineering its independence as a State? This was, indeed, a delithese most excellent provisions and cate matter. The Conference could do no less, however, than deprecate the understandings were too inoperative, influence of such domestic slavery, and it thus brought the force of Euroand the British House of Commons, in pean public opinion to bear directly March 1889, said so. In August of that year the Queen of Great Britain said in her speech that the King of Belgium had consented to call the Conference of which we now write, and it convened in Brussels November 18,1889.
The three great topics which it traversed were the slave-traffic and the means to suppress it, the importa- tion of fire-arms and the liquor traffic.
The chapters of the work as completed deal with-1, Places of capture of Slaves. 2, The Caravan routes. 3, The Maritime traffic in slaves. 4, The Countries of destination. 5, Institu- tions created for the purpose of insur- ing the execution of the general act.
THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS
()n Turkey and Persia in the matter l.-The territory to be regulated ()f slavery in those lands. The rash- in the matter of fire-arms extends n€ss of this influence is manifest. through 42 degrees of latitude (from 20 degrees north to 22 degrees south), An effort was made to provide for from coast to coast, and a hundred the regulations of caravans for the miles seaward. prevention of slave-trading expeditions. It was sought to exact security 2.-The principle of prohibition is from the chiefs and organizers of laid down, with exceptions. The ~aravans, and for the examination of arms are to be deposited in Govern- ~aravans at their places of destination ment warehouses and taken out only inland, as well as on the coast. No se- on permission, and are not to include curity from caravan organizers, how- the most improved weapons. €ver, was feasible, as these caravans seldom return to their starting points THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. with the same elements. They are renewed from place to place among the If the rights of humanity are to be tribes they pass, remain long at the conciliated with the interests of trade, ~entre, and return to the coast at dif- so far as such interests are legitimate, ferent points. The security, how- as the Conference proposed to attempt, ever, it was agreed, is to be demanded the liquor question had to be dealt ()f those who had already been con- with. The Conference distinguished demned for slave-trade.offenses. between regions where no traffic in liquors had begun and those where it FIRE-ARMS. already existed. For the first of these, the British delegates proposed absolute But slavery was only one feature of prohibition, and for the second, a the great task to which the Powers heavy duty on the importation of had pledged themselves to each other, liquor. The Conference agreed to the when they undertook "to watch over prohibition in the cage of races with the preservation of the native races, whom at present no trade exists; but and the improvement of their moral it was not so easy to reach a concluand material conditions." sion on the other cases. The powers had themselves agreed to Free Trade in From 80,000 to 100,000 muskets and the Congo Basin; how could they then rifles, mainly the disused arms of Eu- now agree to a duty on liquor in that ropean standing armies, are imported districr, and yet, how could they keep annually into Zanzibar alone, and this great channel into the interior of these fire-arms are bartered to Arab Africa from becoming contaminated traders for ivory and other inland with the liquor traffic, unless they products. If the negro is to be pro- prohibited or restricted by the impotected from the slave hunter this slave sition of a duty? The races of the hunter must be disarmed. That was second class, or those among whom a the argument. But there are great traffic in liquors is already established, trade interests which require arms it was agreed that there should be al!l for their conduct and defence. France impost of l~d. or 3 cents per quart, here, was zealous for total prohibition this duty to be subject to advance at throughout Africa. Others would the expiration of three years. limit the territory. Two things seem to have been decided upon: V.-THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
BY SECRETARY F. F. ELLINWOOD, D.D.
Brazil. to a republican form of government The year 1890 is the most eventful without bloodshed, renders it proper of all years in Brazilian history. The that the November concert of prayer fact that an empire has given place for Brazil should be largely an occasion for thanksgiving. Civil liberty is fol- standpoint. Whoever will examine lowed as it always has been by liberty our constitution will there read that ()f conscience. There is now perfect the Apostolic Roman Catholic religion ~ualityofreligious privileges among is the religion of the State; that the Emperor, Senators, Deputies, and all all sects. the public officers, are obliged by pub- The following outline of the pro- lic and solemn oath to maintain and defend it, and that the criminal code clamation of religious freedom issued establishes punishments for any of- after the establishment of repub- fence against it.
lican order will show how completely " A people that, by its fundamental the new authorities have overthrown law, gives special privileges to Roman the assumptions of the Papacy. Catholicism, and seeks by oath to "The text of a decree of the Provisional . guarantee it; that requires its profes- Government of the United States of Brazil of .January 7, 1890, states in substance: sion as a condition of holding office; 1. That Federal and State authorities alike that considers penal all offences against it, ought to be regarded as profoundly religious, eminently Cathare prohibited to expedite laws, regulations, olic. But an observer, looking only or administrative acts establishingor prohibit- at our political Constitution and penal ing any religion, or to create distinctions code, would infer that Brazil is a dis- between inhabitantsof that country on account sonant chord in the infernal chorus of ofreligious and philosophicbeliefsor opinions. imprecations against the Catholic 2. That all religious denominations have Church.
equal rights ~o liberty of worship, and to gov- "But," continues the writer, "let .em themselves in accordance with their us look on the other side of the picture.
respective creeds without being constrained in Whoever reads the history Qf Brazil the acts, private or public, which pertain to in these latter times will learn that the the exercise of this right. Government destroyed, by an edict, 3. The liberty hereby instituted shall em- the religious orders, J?rohibiting the brace not only individuals in their personal receiving of any nOVItiates; that no .acts, but also churches, associations, and insti- country pays such insignificant sal- tutes in which they may be Joined; to all of aries to its church officials; that two which belongs the right to organize and main- bishops were shamefully imprisoned tain their corporate existence in conformity for observing faithfully the Pontifical with their creeds and policy, without the Bull; that the priests are hindered on interference of the Government. every hand in the fulfillment of their duties; that any act directed against 4. That patronage with all its Institutions the Church is applauded; that a .and prerogatives is hereby abolished. bishop, respected even in Protestant countries, here has not the privileges 5. That the legal capacity of churches and of the most humble citizen. As to religious denominations to acquire and admin- the churches, some are already fallister property is recoguized within the limit ing into ruin, while others are comof the laws concerning mortmain, securing pletely stripped of their parapherto each their possession of their present nalia." properties, as well as their houses of worship. The writer goes on to show that the Over against this full and complete guaranty of freedom, the following attitude of the press is no more favorquotation from a Brazilian Catholic paper of ten years ago will show what able to the Church than the Governthe ideal empire was supposed to be in those bygone days. It is a jere- ment. With the exception of five or miad uttered by a bigoted Catholic editor over the inroads which had al- six Catholic papers in the whole em- Ieady been made upon the old regime • f intolerance and oppression, even pire (there is the difficulty) the press under the mild and progressive sceptre of Dom Pedro II. of the country is either indifferent or . "What is the religion of the Brazilian people?" says the writer. openly hostile to the Apostolic Roman " At present, this country (Brazil) is Catholic Church• in an abnormal and contradictory Yet, bad as the case seems for the Catholic, the writer spurns the idea that Brazil is, or is to be, a Protestant country. "Here and there a Protest- ant Church, frequented by a few dozen souls, is all that we see of Pro- position, viewed from a religious testantism. It is clear that with such a state of affairs soon there will be no ernment. This fact doubtless pre- religion at all in Brazil." vented Brazil from becoming a repub- Well, the evil has not mended, as lic during that series of revolutions in seen from the writer's standpoint, and the Spanish States of Central and to an enlightened American reader it South America which followed as a seems that just such specimens of result of Napoleon's usurpation of narrow bigotry as this must have power in th(l Spanish Peninsula.
been the very means of bringing about The home revolution, which oc- the fulfillment of all dark prophe- curred in Portugal in 1820, led the cyings. people of Brazil to demand a govern- More than-was predicted has been ment quite distinct from that of the fulfilled. Doubtless, it is in the mother country, and in 1822 it was power of the priesthood to obstruct declared an independent sovereignty, the extension of Protestant freedom under the heir-apparent, Dom Pedro L and enlightenment to a greater or less A year later the Portuguese court em- extent, but the civil authorities are on barked for Portugal, no more to re- the side of equality, the press willcast turn, and in 1825 Dom John formally its influence in the same direction, abdicated in favor of Dom Pedro I., and the whole spirit and drift of the and the independence of Brazil was age are against the hierarchical as- acknowledged by Portugal.
sumptions which have so long cursed In 1831, Dom Pedro I., alarmed by the country. another movement toward republi- Now that Brazil has joined the large canism, as he thought, abdicated in group of American republics, with favor of his son, Dom Pedro IL, then all the religious freedom enjoyed by five years old, and embarked for the most highly favored, a glance at Europe. Some injudicious republican its eventful history will be in place. agitations which occurred during the The country was discovered in 1499 regency prepared the country for an- by the Spaniard, Vincent Yonez Pin- other trial of monarchy, and on the con, though it was first settled by the 23d of July, 1840, Dom Pedro II. was Portuguese under Alvarez Cabral in proclaimed emperor.
1500. Other small Portuguese settle- This remarkable man, thus pro- ments were made between 1500 and claimed the sovereign of a vast empire 1550. of 3,288,000 square miles, or nearly as Rio de Janeiro was settled in 1558 large as Europe, doubtless owed his by the French as an asylum and a long reIgn to the enlightened and mission field for the Huguenots. By liberal policy which he was wise the adverse influences of shipwreck enough to adopt.
and the treachery of Villegagnon, the While the Spanish-American repub- leader of the colony, it was utterly lics were tossed with political convul- broken up, and Protestantism, as well sions, Mexico alone having experienced as French influence, was swept out of over fifty between the years 1821 and the country. 1867, Brazil, with quite as much real Brazil came under the power of political freedom as they, held on her Spain in 1578 by the assumption of peaceful way. Dom Pedro became em.
the crown of Portugal, but was re- peror at the age of fourteen, and con.
stored in 1648 on the accession of the tinued to reign for nearly fifty years.
Braganzas to the Portuguese throne. Few sovereigns have been able to In 1807, upon the invasion of Portu- maintain a sceptre so long in the gal by Napoleon's army, King Dom midst of a mercurial people, and sur· John VI., appointing a regent at Lis- rounded on every side by nations with bon, fled to Brazil and established which revolution seemed to be the- there the seat of the Portuguese Gov- normal condition of political existence._ But in late years the more advanced priesthood has so long been associated of the Spanish republics have attained with habits of profligacy and vice. and to greater stability; the increase of the hollow sham of mere official sancwealth, and the multiplication of tity, that the intelligent classes have manufacturing and commercial il;l- become infidel, while every form of vestments have rendered the ruling error-8piritualism, Theosophy, Nihilclasses more conservative, and their ism, and even Mohammedanismrapid and prosperous development have been imported; and a paralysis has spurred the aspirations of Bra- of general indifference has settled upzilians for complete freedom. At the on the country. same time, the gloomy outlook. of a possible reaction toward It tyranni- Yet, there are not wanting many incal absolutism under the probable stances of encouragement, especially successors to Dom Pedro's throne, led in the country districts, where the in- Brazilian statesmen to the conclusion fluence of foreign contact has been that the opportune moment had al- little felt. In the last reports of the ready come for a Republic. Brazilian Mission of the Presbyterian Board (North). there is evidence that The world was, therefore, suddenly the most fruitful source of results is startled by a peaceful revolution, the native ministry. The chief inwhich had been precipitated in the gatherings of converts into the quiet evening of Dom Pedro's reign. churches during the last year were in rather than wait for the dubious congregations ministered to by native morning of a bigoted and impracti- pastors. And the argument thus furcable sovereignty in the hands of his nished for the education of young nafanatical daughter. tives for this important field is strong and significant. Thus, under the pressure of an irrepressible longing for liberty, on the The Northern Presbyterian Mission part of the people, there have been reports at the close of 1889, 9 churches three notable embarkations of royalty and 5 ordained missionaries, -8 nativQ for Europe. First, in 1825, when Dom preachers and 22 teachers. The num- John VI. acknowledged the indepen- ber of communicants is 1,009-153, or dence of the Brazilian Monarchy under about 11 per cent., having been added his son, Dom Pedro 1. Second, in 1831, during the year. when Dom Pedro I., alarmed at the appearance of republican tendencies, The great educational centre of this abdicated in favor of his five-year old mission is at Sao Paulo, where 395 puson, Dom Pedro II., and, with what pils of all grades are under instruction. seems a cowardly desertion, left him Under the efficient management of alone and returned to Europe. And, Dr. Lane and his associates a noble last of all, when Dom Pedro, nearly work has been accomplished during 60 years later, was obliged to renounce the year. Dr. Chamberlain, who has a sceptre which he had swayed with labored in connection with the Sao rare moderation for half a century, Paulo institution for many years, is and sail away an exile to the land of now in this country raising funds his fathers, to find there so soon a to endow it as a college for the traingrave for his empress as well as for ing of native ministers and teachers. his life-long hopes. The success gained by the few native pastors during the year is too instruc- Brazil enjoys now perfect freedom tive to need enforcement. of opinion, but it is rather late to reap the harvest which might have been A NATIVE MINISTRY. gained years ago. Other things being equal, a native The cause of religion has so long preacher familiar with the idiom of suffered discredit, the idea of the his mother-tongue, and at one with the people in all his habits of thought, can reach his countrymen far more ons mission in the Argentine republic, effectively than a foreigner. Besides, at with five ordained missionaries and least three natives can be supported as 15 native preachers. Eight stations cheaplyas one missionary. If we add are occupied,.of which Buenos Ayres to this, the fact shown in the Brazilian is the chief. I reports, that four-fifths of the con- In Uruguay there is but 1 ordained verts have been won in the out-stations missionary, but 8 native preachers are under native preachprs, we have a at work; 7 stations are occupied, the pretty strong argument for the educa- largest of which is Montevideo.
tion of more Brazilians and for the Paraguay, Brazil and Peru are also building up of a strong and efficient occupied by the Methodist Episcopal college and theological seminary. Church, each with OIie station. In While at Sao Paulo a given number all these South American missions, a of men shall be trained for the first total membership of 882 is reported, rank of preachers and leaders, it is also 688 probationers. The total num- felt that an institution of a different ber of adherents is reported at 8,935.
grade and, perhaps, having something The missions are apparently charac- of the industrial element, should be terized by remarkable vigor, and all opened for the practical preparation friends of the cause will rejoice that of a clsss of men of lower grade of an influence so directly opposite to the scholarship to be employed in evangel- droning and stagnation of the Rom- istic work in the interior districts. ish church for nearly three centuries Probably this diversity of education past is now awakening these south- should be observed in all the South ern races.
American republics. The enterprise with which the mis- The old order of things is every- sions are carried on is shown by the where passing away. The days when fact that the mission reports $222,290 ignorance was the safe cover for in church property-viz: in churches, religious oppression have gone. Under $190,290, and in parsonages and or- the new impulse imparted by republi- phanages, $32,800, can institutions, schools and colleges The contributions reported in the will be multiplied by Government, and missions in 1889-90 are reported at they will be indifferent in religion ex- $11,205 for self-support, and $13,666 cept so far as they are infidel. for other purposes-a total of $24,871.
The Roman Catholic Church, by a Of conversions 89 were reported, and radical and politic change, will either 335 baptisms of infants. These vigor- compete on the ground, or will im_ ous missions are represented by only port well educated 'priests from Eu- 6 ordained missionaries. " . rope, and Protestantism must not be THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH open to contempt as the repreSenta- (SOUTH).
tive of an ignorant ministry. Some Missions in Brazil begun in 1875. The men must be well prepared, others first Conference was held in 1887, at must not be out of relation and sym- Sao Paulo. There are 7 local preach- pathy with the rural masses-all ers, and 288 church members. Eleven should be filled with a devoted.spirit. Sunday-schools with 33 teachers OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN MISSIONS. and 339 pupils are reported. Three Of the flourishing mission of the church buildings at Rio, Piracicaba Southern Presbyterian Church in Bra- and Juiz de Fora are valued at $52,938.
zil and the missions of the Northern Contributions dur-ing the year amount- Presbyterian Church in U.S. Columbia ed to $2,221. Bishop Granberry's re- and Chili, there is not space to write port credits the Woman's Missionary in the present article. The Methodist Society for all the educational insti- Episcopal Church (North) has a vigor- tutions of the mission, viz•• 2 colleges,
EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS
with'4 missionary teachers, and 13 as- the inhospitable shores of Terra del sistants and 143 pupils. Fuego, grew the South American Mission. His heroism roused all the MORAVIAN MISSION IN SURINAM, DUTCH best manhood, as well as the most de- voted Christian sentimentof England. GUIANA. It was resolved that, by the grace of God, so noble an attempt should not In this interesting Mission 17 sta- fail. It was another of the many in- tions are reported with 71 "mission- stances in which sacrifice and death ary agents," and 377 native helpers. have brought forth more abundant The communicants are 8,313, baptized fruit than a long and laborious life adults, 7,408; baptized children, 8,901; could have accomplished. By the re- candidates, new people, etc., 1,640. port of 1888, the South American S0- Total, 26,262. The missions carried on ciety received contributions, amount- by all Protestant societies in the three ing, with legacies, to $70,000. They Guianas are all attended by peculiar came generally in the form of indivi- hardships. These hot and malarious dual gifts. and from every land in countries have been settled from time which Englishmen wide. to time by the captives rescued from slave-ships. In fact, they were, in It will be remembered that the the early days, regarded as rendezvous late Charles Darwin, after actually for all refuse and castaway classes of seeing the work done in Terra ael humanity, and the population consists Fuego, became a supporter of the S0- -of colonies of English, Dutch, French, ciety. and Spanish, with every cross and grade, with bush-~egroes (the larger The work takes on a wide variety. -class), Indians and Asiatic Coolies. It is directed largely to the Indians in Terra del Fuego, Patagonia, and Para- The susceptible and half-savage guay, but also to chaplaincies in the bush-Negro, on the banks of the low ports and for the seamen of all nations. .and marshy rivers, affords the hope- It embraces the Falkland Islands, ful, because fruitful, field of labor for Terra del Fuego, Wollaston Islands, 1he self-denying Moravian. the Argentine Republic, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Chili. Of almost equal interest with the mission in Surinam, is that of the Mo- The Earl of Aberdeen is its presiravians on the Mosquitoe Coast. It dent, and many eminent names of reports 12 missionaries, and 490 com- England, both clerical and lay, are municants. among its vice-presidents. It has 1 field superintendent, 29 clergymen, THE SOUTH AMERICAN MISSION. and 5 native helpers.
The romance of missions will not' The annual reports of the society, esdie out till the name of Allen Gardner pecially those relating to work among shall' be fotgotten. Out of the melan- the Indians, are deeply interesting. choly circumstance of his death with that of six associates, from starvation, while trying to found a mission on VI.-EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.
.Important Official Documents From from Downing Street, London, under Sierra Leone, West Africa. date of August 28, 1890. We have not space to give the documents entire, The Editors of this REVIEW have but quote the main facts which conbeen both surprised and shocked to cern the Christian public, and espereceive a copy of sundry official com- cially all the friends of missions. One munications "relating to some Ameri- of these documents is from Dr. Ross, ('an missionaries who have latelyar- Colonial Surgeon at Freetown, and rived" at Freetown, specially directed another from Sir J. G. Hay, Governor to us by order of Lord Kuntsford of Sierra Leone, transmitting Dr. Furthermore Dr. Ross states that he understands these "missionaries. Ross's lengthy report to Lord Kunts- intend going due east into the interior, guided only by a compass;" that they ford, of the home Government, Lon- have been "living as the natives, in the hope that by so doing they will don, and one from him through his sec- gain the confidence of the people;" that they "have been eating native· retary, transmitting the whole corres- food, cooking and washing for them- selves and even collecting their own pondence to the editors of the MISSION- fuel, in this rainy weather." Of course· that they should expose themselves to ARY REVIEW, calling special attention fatal fever and should actually court death by such manner of proceeding to their contents, and "to a notice, is not strange.
headed the 'Soudan Missionary Move- Such is the purport of the commu- ment,' which appeared at page 555, of nications referred to; and the Editors of this REVIEW feel compelled to say the REVIEW for July, 1890." in this connection, that up to this time These documents inform us that sun- they had never had the least intima- dry "American missionaries .have lately arrived at Freetown with a tion that this "Soudan Movement" view of proceeding due east into the was characterized by any such fanat- interior for evangelizing purposes;" that "three of their number have al- icism. We felt that, like other move- ready died," and that "the first inti- ments originating among well meali- mation Dr. Ross had of their being ill was by receipt of a letter ing but inexperienced persons who from Mr. Kingman, reporting that are young in years, it needed a head, two deaths had occurred in the 'Mis- wise counsel and sound discretion. sion House' that afternoon," (July 9th). Even now we see no reason to recall a.. "On Inquiry," continues Dr. Ross, "I gathered that no medical man had word of commendation of the singubeen asked to attend the deceased, the lar unselfishness and heroic consecrawhole party being staunch believers in the 'faith-healing' doctrine, nor had tion that appear to have marked these any medicine been taken." Further- pioneers, but we confess to being asmore Dr. Ross "remonstrated with tounded at the statementscontained in Mr. Helmick, another member of the this correspondence. Itis a sad affair, p~rty," but could not obtain from little less than wanton suicide. To him any satisfactory promise that they persist in such a policy would not would in future depart from the course they were adopting, nor did he only ruin this whole movement but' mention that there were any more inflict a lasting damage onall missionpersons suffering in the house. To ary enterprises and compel sensible prevent this. neglected tropical fever from assuming a virulent and con- people to wash their hands clean of tagious form, the bodies were at once buried by his order and the sanitary all abetting such supreme folly and policeman sent to disinfect the house, practical madness. Certainly the destroy all infected bedding, clothing, editors of the MISSIONARY REVIEW OF etc. On the 10th of July Mrs. King- THE WORLD, have not the slightest man was found in the last stages of exhaustion from neglected fever, sympathy with such disregard of all which had then assumed a malignant proper precautions, not to say defiance type, she having been ill nine days before; and in spite of all that could be of all sanitary and social laws. done Mrs. Kingman died on the even- From the inception of this moveing of the 11th.' "Mr. Kingman was ill also and visited by Dr. Ross, who ment we have said to these western strongly urged him to take medicine. Finding Mr. Trice ill, Dr. Ross re- brethren, "move slowly; gel compemoved him to the hospital, and at last tent medical advisers, and experienced prevailed on Mr. Kingman to be treated, on the ground that his "action explorers, .that you may not risk endangered the whole coummunity." health and life by needless exposure." Dr. Ross felt "compelled to keep the God not only gives a "spirit of power missionaries from going into any other house than their own, and stopped and of love, but of a 80und mind 1'" all communication with other white poeple." We repeat the advice. Call a halt! their own lives dear unto themselves, bui and let it be fully understood that no have obediently gone forth to proclaim the man or woman goes to Tropical Africa joyful Message. to throwaway life on a theory, and -endanger the lives of others by pro- "Our beloved friends believed that nothing moting infectious disease. was too precious for their Saviour, and have made the supreme offering of their lives, and, A. T. PIERSON. standing to-day, where we may again see the J. M. SHERWOOD. broken body of the Christ and hear His words 'As the Father hath sent Me, even so send I On receiving these communications you, ' we are confident that there are -many the Editors felt bound to transmit a who will gladly offer themselves and take the (lOPY to the brethern in Kansas, who place of these messengers who have been are more closely connected with this called home, and, by His grace, plant the ban- movement, expressing also our sorrow ner of the Cross in -darkest Africa. -and apprehension as to the disastrous effect of such a course as that pursued "Asking that continual prayermay be made in Africa, not only upon this, but all to our Lord so that indeed He may speedily other mission enterprises. We have a send His messengers to the uttermost parts of reply from Geo. S. Fisher, Esq., dis- the world, I am, claiming all responsibility for these peculiar views, and saying that these "In the hope of His coming, sincerely thine, pioneers had no such views when they "GEORGE S. FISHER." left the west, but on their way a certain well known advocate of " faith heal- The National Missionary Convention ing" in New York City got hold of them and infused into them his views which met at Indianapolis Septem- <If the subject. We mention this in ber 3d to 9th, inclusive, was, in some ·order to attach responsibility to those respects, a remarkable gathering; not -to whom it 'belongs; and that responsi- in point of numbers, for but a few hundred visitors were there, and resibility, in our judgment, is a very grave dents of _the town were largely kept out of the city by the excessive heat. <lne. But there were signs of the Holy In response to our inquiry, Mr. Spirit's presence and power. Mr. Robert E. Speer, traveling secretary Fisher sends us also the following more of the Students' Volunteer Movement, -cheerful news concerning the surviv- and GeorgeS. Fisher, Esq., of Kansas, as well as Augustus Nash, of Neors.-3. M. S. braska, and Rev. T. C. Horton, of St. Paul, were among the leading spirits. "Ourvery latest Information is to the effect that, Mr. Kingman and Mr. Trice, the colored After watching the Convention with man, have both recovered, and that the others a careful eye, and noting the addresses have had no sickness whatever. They are now made and the tone of general feeling, waiting until the arrangements can be ef- we were constrained to acknowledge :fected so that they can leave Freetown, cross that there were signs of a Higher the Kong Mountains, and enter upon their Hand than man's in the whole miswork, if the Lord will, and enter among the sionary movement of which this is one Mandingo tribes." expression.
Also the following, which we read The band of intending missionaries with many "falling tears:" that we found there, were nearly all young-under thirty years. Moved "The enclosed letter is sent out with some by the awful destitution of a hundred :faIling of tears, but with much peace of heart, millions who, in Africa, are utterly for none who are conversant with the history without the Gospel, they have felt of the spreading of the Gospel in the dark more needed there than here, and have lands, will be surprised orcast down by reason practically offered thelllseives to go ~f these words: abroad to the Regions Beyond-most of them to the Soudan, some to China "'Except a corn of wheat fall into the and other lands of the Orient. No ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it <iie, it bringeth forth much fruit.' This scripture has indeed been fulfilled many times in the history of the early church, among the lllartyrs, and those who have not counted doubt there is some zeal that needs to so that this snall be a gift to the be tempered with knowledge-no Lord's cause for His servants' use doubt a good deal of imprudence that when at home for a season to gather experience will correct and chasten. new strength for further toils. Dr. A.
There is excess of enthusiasm that J. Gordon, of Boston; D. L. Moody, should be restrained, and impulsive Esq., S. P. Harbison, of Pittsburgh; activity that must be wisely guarded. Dr. Munhall, and a few others, will But there seems to be also a passion for be asked to act as counsellors in the souls, a self-surrender to God's work, completion of the plan; and it is not a certain abandon of confidence in his designed to ask any help from a~yone Word and guidance, that we would but leave to those of ~he Lord's people gladly feel were more general in dis- who may feel so inclined to assist in ciples of more mature years. We rearing the cottages. The ground is· should say that not less than fifty already paid for, mostly by one indi- young men and women were present, vidual; and already unsolicited con- whose faces are set toward the deso- tributions have been made to the ex- late regions of the earth, and who are tent of $650. Any who are so disPosed only waiting for the door to open. may send contributions to the editors of There were present several of these this REVIEW and they will be promptly young men who have been traveling acknowledged. Ultimately, after the through the States, mainly o( the cottages are built, a report of the work West, presenting the needs of the per- will be printed and sent to the par- ishing millions, and urging consecra- ties contributing, with pictures of the tion of men and of money to supply houses erected. A. T. P.
their need of the Gospel. These "trav- A Remonstranoe that Should be Heard. elling secretaries" have gone like primitive disciples, carrying nothing "Pardon me, if I seem presump- in their purses, and their unanimous tuous, but do you think the' Presby- testimony was that they ~ave lacked terian Church is moving in the right nothing. Some who heard them wit- direction in its efforts to remove the ness, publicly confessed that, though heavy indebtedness of the two Boards? they had been prejudiced against the Does it not seem that a curse, rather movement, they felt constrained to than a blessing, will follow one form say this is the Finger of GOd. A. T. P. adopted, viz. : cutting down the meagre' salarie.s of our missionaries, and leav- The Home Rest for Missianaries at ing them with no escape from this. Northfield, Mass. iron rule? Is not this 'muzzling the ox which treadeth out the corn?' I By a strange fatality a part of our do not know when anything has so editorial note on this topic in our last burdened me as this mismanagem!'nt issue was left out. We said further on the part of the Assembly. Surely, that these 15 acres of land are to be some better plan could have been laid out in a sort of park, to be named adopted there. This is something like Livingstone Park, in honor of. David 'making bricks without straw.' Livingstone, and it is proposed to erect a few economical and conven- "In my own mind it is clear that ient cottages on these grounds, to be this great debt could have been made furnished rent free to returned mis- the means of rousing the Church to sionaries who are at home for rest and a sense of its responsibility as nothing recuperation. It is desired to have else could have done. It would have these cottages free to those who oc- called out a special day of preaching cupy them without reference to de- on the subject of missions-humili- 1'I.0mination; and to enlist various ation and prayer-aday of collections. benevolent people in their erection, for the debt alone, making at least two Sundays of the fifty-two to be de- voted to the great work of the church. The letters one reads from missiona- ries on the frontier a,re pitiful; and if the church does not hear will not God avenge II "Pardon me, but I feel I am only saying what many must feel. I do awakening in this country. His 00- not like to seem to criticise over-much, dresSB evinced considerable familiarity but it makes me sick at heart to be at with the present situation of things in ease in our luxurious churches and India, and appreciation of the diffi- notice the indifference, the want of culty and importance of the mUwion reference to this, the most, crying evil he had undertaken. I have known; for it is from thosepoor missionaries that part of the money Among other things he said: already collected (?) is wrested–not voluntary offerings, but oppressive "There are 5,000,000 Hindus, young men, taxation, in a sense. " who speak English. We aregoing to reach them. They have never been evangelized. Oc- The above letter is from one -of the casionallya lecturer like the Rev. Joseph Cook largest and best known givers in the will drop in among them; but he is gone in a denomination, and we publish it, first, week. What they want is preaching every because such a munificent giver has a day for six months. All has been touch and right to be heard; and again, because go sofar. We go to preach and not to prove the this church and other denominations Gospel. Disabuse your minds of one thought. ought to know how their principal We don't propose to convert India. Weonly benefactors look on such a mistaken policy as retrenchment; -and thirdly, intend to do our share. It we come back because we feel in absolute accord with these sentiments. God will never without having made any visible impression, bless any policy which is practically we won't feel disappointed. Fifty blows may robbery both of Him and His poor be necessary before the rock of heathenism is and faithful servants, It cannot be split. We hope to strike one of those blows. our duty to do wrong, and we believe The Hindus say that as the English go to this course, whenever and wherever India they drop their religion in the Red Sea, adopted, is dishonoring to both the hoping to lind it there as they go back. The church and to God. There must be people of India are profoundly religious in some way of meeting a crisis like this their way. They look on our missionaries as beside doing an' aditional wrong. being merely men who are hired to conquer This policy reminds us of the man who their religion with our own, just as they were borrowed money to pay a debt! and politically conquered by the English. They the fact that at this time of the judge our religion not by our missionaries but world's history a great denomination by the English people among them, sevencan Bound the cry, Retrench! while tenths of whom are there to trade and not to every call of God says Advance! is it- set a religious example. Belf a melancholy sign of the times. We know one city where a craze for "We will go first to Calcutta., where we will expensive church-buildings has led to open an evangelistic mission and begin on the the abandonment of large and com- English themselves. From them-having by modious edifices for others that cost the help of God brought them to a condition enough more than the old to pay thill where they can exemplify and reflect the debt by the excess on each building. Gospel-we will proceed to evangelize the Eng, lish-speaking Hindus. After them, Provi- EDITORS. dence permitting, we will evangelize the half- breeds. We hope to make a break among the Dr. Pentecost's Farewell Words. high castes. Don't think we are pl"oud be- cause we are going to work among the high We were present at the farewell castes. We have chosen them because nQ service in Dr. Meredith's church in work of evangelization has ever been done Brooklyn, of which he was formerly among them. Finally, we are doing this work pastor. He gave an outline of his strictly at our own expense. If anybody feels plan of evangelistic work in India. He moved to chip in and help us pay our current is sanguine that a great break in expenses, all right. But we are not begging. heathenism will begin there, which Persoually I will pay my own expenses. We will be followed by a wide-spread are a voluutary mission, repreaenting no society and no fuud."
May he not be disappointed in this bold undertaking! May India be moved as never before! He needs and asks and deserves the earnest prayers of Christendom. He remains a month in England and then sails for India. Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins, who have aided him in his €vangelistic Alloa, Scotland, has recently gone to his reward, in his eighty-seventh work, will accompany him in this year. He set an example of benefi- cence which will be fra~ant in Scotforeign tour. J. M. S. land and in all the Christian church for many years to come. His liberal- The Tribune (New York), in a re- ity toward foreign missions is very cent editorial entitled, "Why Foreign conspicuous; but scarcely less so to- Missions Languish," exhibits the most ward all home missionaryschemes also. surprising ignorance of the subject. AUoa, where he built up his fortune, The very reverse is true. Instead of witnessed its dispensing in all good being in a languishing condition the works. He supported missions in the cause of foreign missions was never destitute neighborhoods, provided for so active, so promising, so full of en- the free entertainment of infirm minterprise, so far-reaching and world- isters at Criefi' Hydropathic; and gave, wide in its scope and plans. The great as few men since apostolic days have English societies in 1889 expended given, great sums to God's cause. He $13,000,000 in the work; and our has spent a vast fortune of $1,000,000 American societies full $6,000,000! on missions; and, out of the small anmore than in any former year! Does nuity reserved to keep him from acthis look like languishing? tual want, he managed to give, at the time of my visit to AUoa, another Quite as false is the reason assigned 250 pounds sterling; and, as a letter for the decline of missions. It argues from Dr. McAll informs me, his last they "languish" because the Gospel if! act of giving was the sending of $500 presented so as to repel rather than more to the same great work of French attract, by men not properlytrained. evangelization. He was an office- It is sure that the prevailing methods bearer in the United Presbyterian of mission work are radically wrong. Church, and one of the brightest orna- Now thousands of the ripest scholars, ments of that beautiful body of breththe broadest culture, the most distin- ren, of whom we may say on personal guished gifts, the noblest educators, knowledge that it contains some of the and the most eminent and useful men noblest examples both of piety and of in the Church to-day, are found in the generosity which the United Kingdom foreign field! Methods radically wrong furnishes. That dear old saint gave that have civilized and evangelized not grudgingly nor of necessity, but whole nations, converted millions of cheerfully. Self· denial became to him souls in heathendom, established a habit and a delight for Christ's sake. schools and colleges, and hospitals, To press his hand and look in his eyes and Y. M. C. A.'s all over the world! was one of the rare privileges of that Does not the Trtbune know these recent tour of missions in Scotland. facts? Such stupendous ignorance is He was the patriarch of givers, and, enough to bring Horace Greeley up we trust will have a numerous spiritfrom the grave to weep over the pa- ual progeny who shall emulate an per he made so grand a power for good. example that has few rivals since the This attack on missions is a very feeble days of Barnabas of Cyprus. echo of Canon Taylor's charges two years ago, the falsity and grossness of A. T. P. which were abundantly shown by testimony that could not be set aside. Bishop William Tay:or seems to be The Tribune is late in reviving a man of great common sense. He these exploded charges.-J. M. S. says that on the dead level of heath- enism all genius is excluded; any in- A Princely Giver's Death. ventor is liable to the charge of witch- craft, and the poison draught is the David Paton, Esq., of Tillicoutry, inevitable doom of one who im- Canada, and for years residing in proves upon the crude implements of his ancestors. In the South of Africa the men wear two coats, one of red paint, the other of grease well-rubbed in; and women dig, hoe, gather crops, carry burdens and do other hard work. To educate an African without chris- tianizing him is to train a polite loafer. He instanced the educated native known as "Hodge," who, with a tine culture, turned to Paganism, put on
ORGANIZED lIIISSIONARY WORK AND STATISTICS
the breech-clout and took six wives tian church, he will again let loose this and set up a harem. The educational system of false religion to drive out plan must include all industries that an infernal rum traffic let in by prepare for a life of self-support. The Christian nations! Already are 300,- short and sure cut is to be found in 000 mounted followers of the False rearing in Africa Christian industrial Prophet said to be overrunning th{l homes, adopting about 12 children Dark Continent. under five years of age. Young chil- A. T. P.
dren are not yet heathen and must be The India Sunday-school Union, prevented from becoming such. It is having secured the hearty' co-opereasy to get boys but not girls, to adopt. Girls are a marketable commodity for ation of the British Sunday-school polygamous purposes. The only way Union, has been planning a large ex- tension of its work. Dr. James L. at present is to redeem them from this Phillips, 17 years medical and educapolygamous slavery by a virtual pur- tional missionary in Bengal, has been {lhase. They are sold in infancy for appointed general-secretary of the the future harem of these polygamists, India Sunday-school Union, and sailed and if not redeemed will be claimed ~ven after adoption and education. from New York for Europe. He will A young and pretty girl was thus speak in behalf of this promising movement in the chief citIes of the adopted by a missionary's family and United Kingdom during September iirained as a converted woman, and and October, and then embark for -one day claimed as the betrothed wife Bombay, where he will enter upon his -of a rich polygamist. She was al- work, attend the Punjab Sundayready pledged to a converted young school Convention at Lahore in Thr man connected with the mission cember, and reach Calcutta for the .and presents were freely given to annual meeting of the India Sunday- -secure her release from the prior con- School Union in December. All India iiract. Apparently she was released seems ripe for Sunday-school exten- sion at this time. and the marriage consented to. But afterward under pretext of a visit to It has been our privilege to make the her parents was, with her husband, acquaintance of this beloved brother induced to go to their home, and -on entering the village her young while home on a furlough. Failing husband was literally hewn to pieces, to find us at the office, where he called and she was tied to a tree and whipped to say good-bye, he left us a very kind every two hours till she consented letter from which we make an extract: to go and live with this wretched pagan. That is a glimpse of woman's "Now I go back to my dear India, condition in the dark continent. where I was born, as general-secretary Meanwhile all the work of missions of the India Sunday-school Union, is threatened by the awful flooding of with headquarters at Calcutta. For Africa with rum. Hamburg alone two or three years I shall be on the -exports by two companies annually move constantly all over India, organ- .200,000 tuns of liquor, not to speak of izing and pushing Sunday-school what France, Spain, Portugal, Eng- work. My post is a new one. I am land and New England are doing to called back to India by my brethren ]lOur into that land an Amazon river of all the churches. Our Sunday- -of rum. If Mohammedanism were let school Union there, as here and in Eu- loose, it would soon put an end to this rope, is international and inter-debusiness, for Islam's banner is the nominational, like the evangelical banner of total abstinence and pro- alliance work in the U. S. A., with hibition. It may be that as God at the which I have been connected as gen- beginning let loose Mohammedanism eral-secretary at Philadelphia for a as the scourge of idolatry in the Ohris- year." J. M. S.
VII.-ORGANIZED MISSIONARY WORK AND STATISTICS.
SPecIAL'l'IELDS. square miles, including 30 towns and 3,579 vil· lages, and containing a population of 3,286,889, INDIA. of whom 2, 835,382 are Hindus and 284,889 are American Marathi Mission. Mussulmans. (A. B. C. F. M.) Stations, 5; outstations, 107; missionaries, REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1889. 27 (of whom 11 ordained, 1 lay, 9 missionaries' Stations at Bombay, Ahmednagal', etc. wives, 6 other ladies); n~tive helpers, 302 (of This mission covers a territory of 16,9i4 whom 18 pastors, 21 preachers); churches, 33; ordained); churches, 22; communicants,. communicants, 2,115 (1,197 male, 918 female); 2,466; additions not reported fully, about 300: added on profession, 192; schools, 127; pupils, schools, 40; average attendance, 583; Sunday- 8,280,(2,461 male, 819 female); Sunday-schools, schools, 19; average attendance, 626. 124; pupils, 4,718 (of whom 1,688 Christian); Jlatients treated at dispensary in Raburi, new, Malayalan Mission of the London Mis- 5,052; old, 9,428; total, 14,480 (of these, 12,045 sionary Society, South Travancore. Hindus, 2,059 Mussulmans, 76 Parsees, 41 R0- man Catholics, 259 Protestants). The report for this mission comes to us in four parts: the Trevandrum, Quilon and Ne- PROGREIlS IN TWENTY YEARs. yoor districts and the mission seminary.
Number of churches, 1869, 22; 1889, 33; net In the six stations there are 9 ordained mis- gain in twenty years, 11. Received on pro- sionaries; 18 ordained native ministers; 22S fession of faith, 1869, 53; 1889, 192; net gain in other native helpers; 273 congregations; twenty years, 139. Number of communicants 5,659 church members; 521 admissions; 718- at close of the year, 1869, 677; 1889,2,115; net candidates; 311 schools; 10,560 boys under in- gain in twenty years, 1,438. Contributions by struction, 3,504 girls-total scholars, 14,064; native Christians, 1869, 1,651 rupees; 1889, patients registered iu mission hospital anddi&' 4,630, rupees; net gain in twenty years, 2,979 pensaries-Protestant Christians, 13,874; Ro- rupees. Number of schools, 1869, 35; 1889, 127; man Catholics, 1,698; heathen, 12,116; Moham- net gain in twenty years, 92. Number of medans, 676-total, 28,SfU. Publications, by pupils, 1869,667; 1889,8,280; net gain in twenty London mission press, periodicals, 52 numbers, years, 2,613. 116,600 pages; tracts, 33, S23,100 pages. South Travancore Tract and Book Society has. From this it will be evident that the number published since 1833, when it was formed by of communicants on the church rolls, the con- the union of tract societies long existing at tributions of native Christians, and the num- Nagercoil and Neyoor,442,549 monthly maga- ber of schools, have trebled in the last twenty zines, 181,200 tracts, 28,500 catechisms, 13,500' years. The number of pupils is five times as books, 3,146,900 handbills, and 260,000 Glad IDany as then attended our schools. News for Children, in Tamil-4,072,649 publi- cations. American Madura Mission, South India. Basel German Evangelical Missionary- Population of district, 1,775,000. Stations Society in Southwestern India. at Madura, Pasumaleli, Battalagundi, etc. Canara, Coorg, South Mahratta, Malabar. Stations, 7; out-stations, 25; missionaries, 36 Stations, 24; European miSSionaries, male, (of whom 13 'ordained, 1 lay, 13 missionaries' 66, female, 40; native agency, pastors, 15" wives, 9 other ladies); native helpers, 448 evangelists, 106; other helpers, 27; teachers,. (of whom 17 ordained pastors); organized 27'8; communicants, 5,160; additions, 1M;: churches, 35; communicants, 3,562; added on schools, 121; pupils, 6,707. .profession, 272; schqols, 156; pupils, 5,410; Sabbath-schools, 146; average attendance Mackay Mission Hospital, Formosa. 4,151; patients treated at dispensary, new fi,066; old, 6,504; total, 15,570 (of these 4,775 Connected with the Presbyterian Board of' Hindus, 3,272 native Christians, including Ro- Missions, Canada. manists, 815 Mussulmans. New patients, 3,055; old patients returned American Free Baptist Mission, for medicines, etc., 7,224. The number is less. Southern Bengal, than the last year by 225, due to the fact that there has been less sickness and that fewer Population, 3.817,65.~. Stations at Balasore, soldiers have been admitted. J ellltSOre, Midnapore, etc. Methodist Episcopal Church, (North)t. Stations, 11; missionarles,25 (of whom 9 are North China Mission. ordained, 1 lay, 9 missionaries' wives, and 6 other ladies); native preachers, 17 (of whom Peking, Tientsin, Shantung, etc. 5 are ordained, 12 lay); other native helpers Stations or circuits, 20; ordained missionanot enumerated; organized churches, 11; ries, 15; missionaries' wives, 14; other ladies, communicants, 646; added, 55; schools, 105; 9; native ordained preachers, 6; unordained,. pupils, 3,619. Considerable medical work 10; teachers, 20: other helpers, 22; members, seems to hav" been done, but no statistics are 782; probationers, 517; averagtl atten<jancegiven. Sunday worship, 931; Sunday-schools, 10; scholars, 746; Theological schools, 3; st.udents, Canadian Baptist Telugu Mission. 40; other schools, 27; scholars, 529, Population reached 3,000,000. Stations: Board of Foreign Missions of the Presby- Akidu, Cocanada, Bimlipatam, Bobbili, etc. terian Church, (South).
Stations, 9; missionaries, 30 (of whom 11 Secretary: REV. M. H. HOUSTON, D.D., Nashare ordained, 10 missionaries' wives, 7 other ville, Tenn. ladies); native helpers, 74 (of whom 8 are [By some error the statistics reported for municants, 625;' additions, 100; schoQls, 37, pnpils, 916; medical work, out-patients (at-· this society in the September number of the tendances), 59,311; in-patients, 1,459; visits at homes, 647; surgical operations, 2,868. REVIEW were drawn from the report of 1889,in- stead of from that of 1890. Dr. Houston has kindly called our notice to the error, alld sent corrected ftgures.-EDs.] General Baptist Missionary Society.
REPORT FOR YII:AIl ENDING APRIL 1, 1800. Secretary: REV.WILLIAHHILL, Mission House. 60 Wilson St., Derby, England. Receipts. . REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING HAY 31, 1890. Balance on hand ..••••••..•••… $ 8,457 59 Receipts.
From churches……………….. 49,812 90 Collections, etc …………….. . £3,257 4 5· Legacies …………………. .. 1,497 4 11 Sabbath·schools….. .•.•• •••••••••. 8,673 50 Miscellaneous ………………. . 693 17 10 Missionary societies ••••……••.• 27,258 80 Legacies……… ..•••••••• ••••.•• 14,927 02 Miscellaneous… ••••.•••••••• •••.• 8,652 88 Total for general purposes … ,£5,448 7 2· Speclalfunds……… ………… 225 17 6 Total ••••••••….••••.••.•••••• $117,782 69 In India…. ………………… 2,929 9 6 In Rome……. … . .. . .. .. . ..• … . 149 0 11 Expenditures.
Three Brazil Missions•..•.•••••..•• 5 36,100 32 China llissions.• '" . • . •. • . •. • ••.• •• 24,701 71 Total. ………………….. , £8.752 15 1 Japan •••••••••.•.. ••••. .• 12,814 31 Pavments.
Congo . •.. .••• . • …. . . . . . . 4,000 00 Balance due May 81, 1889…….. .. £20 12 11 Greek • •• ••••• ••••• •• • . . .. 3,453 70 Orissa Mission ……………… .. 3,27013 2- Italian . . . . ••.• •• . . . •.••• •• 1,200 00 Agency…………………….. . 31517 7 Indian •••• • • ••• • •••• ••.. . • 6,490 00 Publications………………… . 171 12 0- Mexican U •• ,. • • • • ••• • •••• •••• 7,870,29 Incidentals. .. • • . .. .. …. .. …. . .. 144 5 7 Totalfor Missions. •••••.••.•••• $ 96,680 33 Assurance, Annuities, and Capi· General Expenses. . . • . . . . ..••. . … • 8,663 02 Balance on hand (including Relief tal, etc ……. " …………… . 1,441 0 4- Fund)….. • •. .. • . .. • ••.• .•••• •••• 12,489 34 In India, (see ahove) ………… . 2,929 9 9 In Rome, ……… "… .. 449 011 Total…. • • •• . .. •••••…•••••• $117,782 69 Balance to new account •••••••••• 10 3 STATISTIcs. Total……………………. £8,75215 .; STATISTICS OF ORISSA MISSION. ~ .,; -d .,; ..:=:l Stations, 4; 15 out·stations, 8 missionaries,. g 0 4 missionaries wives, 4 other female mission· s:l .'"~ -d aries, 21 native preachers, 18 chapels, 1,376 ..= ~ ~'>" church members; 1 orphanage, 122 members; '" :0;:~. '" ~ 12 schools, 641 scholars; 12 Sunday·schools, 751> • oji o[ '" '" " ] '" .$8 ..0= Z members. Local contributions, 8,411 rupees. ~~ '".." ~ » UjUj..~'Si"~1II-5..:.l..r9 ~ '" .9 f/1 ~ s:l ,Q s:l oj Baptist Missionary Society. '~I'~ ~ oj oj ~O A Secretary: ALFREn H. BAYNES, ESQ.,F. R.A.S•• 1 gl§ ~ g! Baptist Mission House, 19 Furnival St., j ~::: Holborn, London, E. C. ~ <I .S .S ~ REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1890 ::l8 Receipts. !,! ~ ! ~ — 8 – – zz 8 oj oj ::l Balance from last year, on Special — – ._- -~ Fund, and Widows" etc., 00· count…………………….. £4,894 14 9 Brazil… 3011 10 510 670 126 224 165 $1,400 China .. 1113 16 .. 15 158 12 245'260 165 For debt……….. ………….. 2,405 2 ;;. Japan •. 19 8 8 5 2 766 151 305 130 651 General Fund . . . …. …. .. • . 68,331 0 1 41111 Special, etc., account…. ……. 3,978 9 6 Greece. "c:' ~'" Total receipts…………… £74,714 12 0 28 ~ 15 … Balance over·drawn on General Italy .•. 1 .. ~ 0 Fund……………………… 2,472 3 1() Mexico. 51 2 Africa •. Z Total …………………. £82,081 10 7 2· ·8 40 …… Expenditures. 4 '3 450 71 ··~~r~ 635 Balances. Debton General Fund. £2,862 3 6 2 .. General Fund. … .. £70,346 2 10 Special, etc., account 6,761 10 3 Total. 116 3741 1931 2,072 360 1,207 845 $2,851' £77,107 13 1 1 Total expenditure……….. £79,969 16 7 American Presbyterian, (North), Mission Balance on hand on Special,etc., in Oanton, Ohina. account ……………..•.••. 2,111 14 () Stations, 2; out-stations, 28. Foreign missionaries, ordained, 8; lay, 6; mediC'.a.l, 4; mis- Total. ………………… £82,081 10 '7 sionaries' wives, 11; other ladies, 6 (1 medical); total, 31. Native 'ordained ministers, 3; other native assistants, 84; churches, 8; com- STATISTICS. Income of Funds ••..••..•••••• " 21,796 51 Government Grants-in-aid, etc…. 8,017 47 I 15 J,'"<ll i1 ~ " oj0;oj "" O.:goj $440,788 07 0; • <ll ~ U-"0=l -UC"=l Balance due April, 1890…… …… 7,942 06 ., 1=:1=l'd …. ~~.[~ ) .0 Total. …………………….. $448,730 13 """'Iaj.9 ~;;<;ll In addition there has been added to the Per- ~ ~1ii S manent Fund, $118,739.68, making the gross ! I~"' ""E"" O~~w";";d''§''~ receipts for the year $559,527.75. …. O·S ."E.:~~ -~= Expenditures. t'l Burmah ………………………. $151,290 85 z~ Assam ……………….. _…….. 22,31258 – – – – — – — — 38 Telugu…. ….. . ….. ……. …… • 64,778 India .,. 147, 57 94 9 4,129 231 15 4,027 Ceylon .• 104 4! 25 868 160342.0..3.,.1.9.0 Siam ………………. ………. 1,373 95 ,China..• 60 21 10 60 1,049 China…. …. …………. …….. 31,605 25 ~!fe~~ine 157 8 1 58 Japan ……………………… , 39,122 72 20 15 75 2 2 69 Africa…….. ……………. ….. 43,780 42 3 1 ••. Europe …………………. …… 32,984 57 Enrope •• 60 W.Indies 111 641143.73 18 1,860 210 .. 409 $381.248 72 12 6,135 423 5 Home expenses. .. …………….. 39,71387 – – – – – – – ,Africa.•• – 10 25 5 .' Publications…. ……………… 1,671 40 43 12 4 143 Annuities…….. ……….. ….. 11,92';) 58 — S440,55657 – – – 515 119319 99 14,316 1,053 47 7,896 Balance due April 1, 1839………. 8,173 56 American Baptist Missionary Union. Total. . •. …. .. . • . . . … •.. • . .. $448,730 13 Secretary: REV. J. N. MURDOCH, D.D., Tre- mont Temple, Boston, Mass. REpORT FOR YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, lR90. Receipts.
Donations ………… _………… $212,96294 Legacies……….. … ………… 91,935 49 Woman'sBoards…. … …….. ..•. 93,94922 Miscellaneous ……………….. 12,126 44 STATISTICS.
Mission· Natives. .,. ! j aries ~ ~o0~ joj~o~i ~1~~p~;1~"1'.~~jjoi ~ r/.lo)i:j~il<OO 0 ~ a.: 00 Z '21-593 45li7 116 "Bn~-rm-a':'h-..-.-..-.-.-..-.- ..-.-..-.- .•-.-..-.-.. 021 520 29,689 2,039 444 12,669 – $52,633 I Assam .. …… … ….. .. .. 7 64 11 14 22 54 30 1,937 185 87 1,900 740 381 Telugu ………. …………. 13 635 21 26 204 217 72 33,838 3,340 460 4,934 564 China (inch!ding Siam)………. ' 8 59 18 23 25 17 1,535 61 23 325 521 Japan …•… …….. ……… 8 27 15 26 29 17 10 lO5 158 6 216 311 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Africa……. ….. …… …….. 7 4 23 16 5 8 5 386 156 10 471 75 Total…………………… 64 1382 133 192 8191437 654 68,290 5,939 1030 20,515 $54,844 ,Europe …………………. 917 707 70,003 5,638 169,425 TotaL ………………….. 64 ii2 133 100 i7a6 4a7.WtI38,29311.57711OOO 2O,5i5J~ Ohurch Missionary Society. Collection 0 f Funds…….. 13,739 13 2 The Secretaries, Church Missonary House, Administration. 10,596 11 5 Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, London,E. C. £215,222 11 0 REPORT FOR' THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1890. Deduct, charged Receipts. to Special Fonds.. …. 8,193 6 7 Through Associations.. £146,771 6 10 Total Ordinary……. '" .. £207,029 4 5 Direct to the Society, including Special Funds…………….. 17,556 8 1 Legacies23,862 7 9……… . 56,046 4 8 Disabled Missionaries' Funds 1,646 10 ..
Rent and Interest …………. 4,05215 9 Total Ordinary….. ……. £208,516 17 10 Total Payments……….. £224,585 12 6 Special Funds… …………. 51,765 13 7 Balance carried to Contin- 35,696 18 11 Total Receipts…………. £26a,282 11 5 gency Fund: OrdinaryRe- Expenditures. ForMissions…..£I82,845 3 2 ceipts……… £1,487 13 5 Disabled M i s- Special Funds.. 34,209 5 6 sionaries, etc.. 7,941 3 3 —– Total…… ……………. £260,282 11 I:>
PROGRESS OF MISSIONS-MONTHLY BULLETIN
STATISTICS.
Natives, Eurasians, Missionaries, etc, ~ ~ ~..$.~; , g i 'I 3 __________________I§~ ~ ~ i~ ~ h ~ ~j~;. ~ _~_~_§__~_~____ ~ ~ @ ~ Africa ……………. ,…………. 5 59 30 17 15 48 293 9,826 445 108 8,8U Egypt, Arabia, Palestine and Persia.. 3 13 16 6 9 9 107 597 4 50 2,575 India…………… …… ………… 8 96 128 14 15 144 2150 26,942 1,577 1191 47,184 21 Ceylon.,……………… ………… 1 14 18…. 2 15 446 2,363 172 229 11,345 Mauritius…… …… .. …. .. . …. . 1 7 81 3 51 542 108 25 1,562 S!~':t~:::: .. ·:::::.~:::::::::::::::·::: ~ ~ 171 …. 19 1~ ~ 2,~~ .~ Iii 2,~ 1 38 151 2 27 378 2,631 5 1 18 2Q 65 2,455 109 58 1,424 3.835149;016 3,llo i700 ,= 59 286 75:"'581 New Zealand ……… ".. N. W, America and North Pacific .. " 6 55 321 4"..
-~L====·.~: ;iii 3t5 "286152 VIII.-PROGRESS OF MISSIONS MONTHLY BULLETIN.
Africa-It is said that the annexations of Their professed object is to convert the Afri- Great Britain in Africa amount to over cans to their faith; and their modus oper- 2,000,000 squa.re miles, "Spheres of influ- andi is to civilize them first, and then to make ence" they are termed, not annexations. We Trappists of them. Their largest monastery care not what they are called; we are glad is at l'IIarianhill, in Natal. At present it con- to know that under the flag of Great Britain tains 170 monks, and in a convent, half a mile the slave trade cannot live. Under that flag, away, are 135 nuns. There are 300 native boys the Bible may be printed and scattered with· and girls under tuition, and the knowledge im- out "let or hindrance," Under that flag, parted is almost entirely industrial. The rear- missionaries of the cross will be safe, and can ing of bees is one of the important industries, go about their work unmolested, Ambitious Papers are published in four languages. They and grasping England, men may call her, but have a church capable of holding 2,000 people, she carries into her colonies, all over the world, the light of civilization, to brighten -Harvest Field. the faces of their ignorant and degraded. -The grant of an immense territory -Rapid progress all along the line is being along tbe Zambesi river has been made to the made in the opening up of the new world of Duke of Fife and some English colleagues, Central Africa. Europe has 'such vast re- The region embraces nearly 300,000 .square sources of power and wealth to bring to bear miles and is very rich both in soil and mines, on the enterprise that the rate at which civili- The company has power to abolish slavery zation is advancing on barbarism is surpris- and restrict the liquor traffic in its domains, ing. and missionary work will be as free there as in India. -To explore Central Africa.-The Siecle says that a French expedition to explore Cen· – The Portuguese have released the British tral Africa is being organized. It will be African Lakes Company's steamer, which divided into three sections, which will start was seized by Lieutenant Continho, Thecrew simultaneously from Algeria and the Niger of the steamer have also been released, and Congo rivers, and converge at Lake Tchad, -The Roman Catholic missions at Uganda will be strengthened by a new party of priests, -The Universities' Mission in Central who were ordained in the cathedral of Car· Africa employs seventy Europeans at four thage, June 29th, According to Roman Cathoprincipal centres in Africa and on Lake Nyassa, where a church steamer is maintained, lic usage, the feet of these 20 "messengers of Bishop Smithers is the leader of this mission, which extends over 25,000 square miles, peace" were devoutly kissed by all priests present, including high dignitaries. Cardinal -The Trappists, an order of Jesuits, have Lavigerie even kissed the feet of two black lately begun work in South Africa on a large surgeons, formerly slave·boys, purchased by scale, In Natal they have an estate of 2Q,OOO white monks on the Nile. acres, and in Griqualand of 500,000 acres, Belgium.-The Government has voted a loan of $5,000,000 to the Congo Free State. The expense of the founding of this State, and introduction into-the-familyof nations, has been Catholic Church has moved against the here- borne chiefly by the king, at an expense of tic, and suppressed his services by the power $~,OOO to $300,000 a year_ In return for this of the civil law. During the present year Diaz grant, King Leopold makes Belgium the heir, and his helpers have been arrested,sent to jail, ten years hence, of his African possessions, and harassed in all possible ways. Diaz is ont which it is believed will one day prove a great on bail, but the courts hesitate and keep him source of revenue_ and his friends in suspense. The intervention of the American Government has been in- -Pastor Anet's Christian Missionary voked. Church of Belgium, added to its members last year 500 converts from Romanism and infidel- England.-The report of the Bible Car- ity. It employs 4 evangelists, 7 Bible-readers, riage Mission in England, shows tbat this so- ,and 5 colporteurs. ciety is doing an important work in the rural parts of the country. Over 49,000 Bibles and Canada.-The Presbyterian Church in Testaments, and about 367,000 books, tracts, -canada has, in all, 326 distinct fields of home etc., were circulated in 270 villages and towns. mission work, and 990 preaching places. The In these places the Gospel was preached, number of missionaries employed last year with many conversions as the result. was 329, of whom 121 were ordained ministers and liceL. iates,and 208 students an.d catechists. -Another new missionary band of special 'The average Sabbath attendance at all the interest is about to go forth in connection stations was 43,065, the number of families with the Church Missionary Society. Rev. Bar- connected with them, 11,701, and of communi- clay F. Buxton, son of Mr. T. Fowell Buxton, cants, 13,907. The progress made in the Pres- has offered to go to Japan with a smaIl party bytery of Manitoba may be given as a speci- of missionaries, undertaking both the direction men of the result.q. It was formed 19 years and entire charges himself. Mr. Barclay is an ago. Winnipeg had tben a popUlation of 421, M.A., of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is pro- now it has 22,892. Manitoba had then 19,000, posed that Mr. Buxton's party should occupy now it has 150,000. Then Presbyterianism stood the town and district of Matsupe, an import- third relative to other denominations, now it ant place at the west end of the maIn island heads the list. In meeting the expenses in- of Japan. volved in this vast home mission undertaking, the church acknowledges grants from the ~Mra. Hannington, widow of Bishop Han- Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Church nington, who was murdered in 1885, near <>f Scotland and the Free Church. Uganda, conducts a weekly missionary prayer meeting, in Brighton. -The Toronto medical students' Y. M. C. A., which has 179 members, has just sent one France.-Cardinal Lavigerie opened the <>f their number, Dr. Hardie and his wife, as a Anti-Slavery Congress, in Paris, with an admissionary to Korea, and have agreed to sup- dress, in the Church of St. SuIpice. He highly port him"for a period of at least eight years." praised the enthusiasm of England in the anti- His destination is "Fusan, where he is to co- slavery work, although it was headed by <>perate with Mr. Gale, of University College Catholics. He said he, did not desire the im-, Y. M. C. A." $1,800 is requisite for outfit and mediate abolition of slavery, as that would support for the first year. entail starvation of slaves, but that man-hunt- ing must be immediately suppressed. China.-TheChina Inland Mission hasestablished in China, 16 opium refuges, 3 hospi- Germany.-According to Bisho» Warren tals, and 5 dispensaries. The churches num- the members of the Methodist Church in Gerber 66 and chapels 110. many average, in their contributions, $4.40 per member annually, while the largest incomes -Dr Douthwaite, of the China Inland Mis- among them do not exceed $1.25 per day." sion, Che-Foo, says, that in the late famine district in Shan·Tung, there are now over a. India.-Some of our missionaries in India thousand applicants for baptism. have been caIled on to stand at the bar of the civil courts. Rev. J. J. Lucas and Rev. -The government has indemnified the Henry Forman were summoned before the Presbyterian Board to tbe extent of over a High Court in Allahabad, to answer for the thousand dollars for property destroyed by a baptism of a youth of eighteen, who had promob, in 1885, in the province of Kwong-Sai, fessed to be a convert to Christianity, and China. It has taken our United States lIIin- who had acted throughout of his own free ister a long while to securethis justreimhurse- will, and with intelligent comprehension of ment, but the final action is encouraging, in what his act meant. The judge was a Mothat it recognizes the right of foreigners to hammedan, but so clearly arrayed before him hold property in interior cities. were the facts in the case, and so explicit was the law, that the decision rendered was Cuba.-The Rev. A. J. Diaz, an evangelist that the missionaries had violated no law of her Majesty's empire, and the yonng convert <>f the Southern Baptists, in the Island of was his own master in religious affairs and Cuba, has been wonderfully successful in at liberty to dwell and worship where he preaching and organizing churches. He is a pleased. The case was regarded as an Ironative of Cuba, and preaches with great ease and freedom in his own tongue. The Roman portant one, and the judgment rendered years that the Chinese have been able makes the work of evangelizing the youth of to plant themselves in the country he India much easier and less dangerous. traveled through, so hostile have the na- tives always shown themselves, It is said -The Woman's Christian Temperance that in Thibet nearly every crime is pun- Union of Singapore has organized 'a mission ished by the imposition of a fine, and tha~ for the benefit of European sailors that visit murder is by no means an expensive luxury. tht.t port. This, of course, greatly increases the danger of travel in that remarkable land. Ireland.-The Irish Church Mission So- <:iety seeks to give a pllre gospel to the Irish United States.-The Presbyterian Wo- Roman Catholics. A good work has been done man's Mission Society received for last year through this instrumentality. Fresh impetus $337,842. The society was able to support the has been given to it by the munificent be- following missions: Indians:–ll3 schools, 164 ,quest of $150,000 by Mrs. Susan Hopper. teachers, 2,264 pupils. Mormons:–37 schools, 99 teachers, 2,374 pupils. Mexicans :-32 Korea.-A missionary, Mr. Appenzeller, schools, 67 teachers, 1,627 pupils. South:-16 in the Fndependent, says, that when mission schools, 48 teachers, 1,213 pupils. Total. 118 work began in Korea, the missionaries pre- schools, 361 teachers, 7,47'8 pupils.-Mid·Consented a Bible to the king. The prime minis- tinent. ter took the Bible to the palace, showed it to the king, and then, with the klng's approval, -The Universalists, after an existence of tore it in pieces. Years afterwards, a Ken- more than a hundred years, send out their tucky man presented the Korean minister at first missionary. Washington with a bottle of the best Bourbon whiskey for the king. This was accepted. -The Annual Report of the International 'Then the Christians of Kentuckyresolved to Medical Missionary Society, shows that 7,356 show the king, at as early a period as possible, new cases of disease and injury were treated that the country produced something better during the past Society's year; 14,717 attendthan whiskey. Recently they sent, through ances were given at the dispensaries, of which the Korean minister, three Bibles, one for the there are 7 in New York and 2 in Brooklyn; king, one for the prime minister, and one for 1,641 visits were paid to the sick in their own the foreign secretary. The present has been homes. DuriIig the eight and a half years of 4Ccepted. the Society's existence, over 32,000 cases were treated, about 70,000 attendances were given -Roman Catholic missionaI'ies have at dispensaries, and over 14;000 visits were been in Korea 200 years, yet have never Is- made to sick at their homes. This Society sued the Bible In the native language. They co·operates with all existing Christian agenhave translated the New Testament but have cies, as far as possible, and establishes medinot put it into print, and the only copies, cal missions at Gospel missions, or mission made by hand, cost from $10 to $20 each. churches, wherever practicable. The presi- dent is Boudinot C. Atterbury, M. D.; the -Sad News.-Dr. John W. Heron, Medi- treasurer, Cleveland H. Dodge, Esq., No. 11 <ml Missionary of the Presbyterian Board in Cliff Street; and the medical director, George Seoul, is dead. He died of dysentery. The D. Dowkoutt, M. D., 118 East 45th Street, New loss is great, 'for he was Superintendent of the York City. The Society deserves the liberal Royal Hospital in the capital, and had won the support of Christian people. {lonfidence of the King. His infiuence in the foreign comniunity and in Seoul was also -The receipts of the American Board for very great. the year ending Septemb"r 1st, are $617,723. This amount is $69,025 in excess of last year. .of-Moravian Missions.-The latest statistics Of this increase $22,876 is from donations, the our missions show an increase over last balance is from legacies. During the year 64 year of 620 communicants and of 1457 In the new mission aries have been appointed. 22 of total membership of our congregations in the whom are men: 54 of. these new recruits have foreign fields. The number under the direct already been sent to the field. This number care of our missionaries DOW amounts to 87,263, is in excess of any year since 1837.-The Adand of these 30,591 are enjoying the full privi- vance. leges of communicant membership. These are solid figures, and we thank God for the un- -Secretary Ellinwood of the Presbyterian mistakable token of His blessing on our work Board of Foreign Missions writes, that the in Asia, Africa, America and Australia.- new value put upon silver has so affected ex- Periodical Accotlnts. change in all the foreign countries where silver is the chief medium, that the purchasing power Thibet.-Mr. W. Woodville Rockhill, of the Board's appropriations is diminished formerly of the American Diplomatic Service, from 15 to 20 per cent., and the rate of exhas recently returned from a long and peril- change is constantly fluctuating. A heavy, <>us journey through Thibet, the unknown needless tax is thus laid upon the missionary heart' of Asia. For 700 hundred miles he cause for the benefit of a few silver kings. passed through a country where no white man had ever set foot, journeying, of course, in disguise. It is only within the last few
INDEX OF CONTENTS OF THE NOVEMBER NUMBER
INDEX OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER NUMBER.
PAGE PAGE I.-LITERATURE OF MISSIONS••••••• 801–842 plore Central Africa, 877; Universities' IT.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLI- Mission, 877; the Trappists, 877; Roman Catholic Missions in Uganda ………… 877 GENCE•• – …………….. _…. 842–850 IIT.-MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE… 85O-S54 BELGIUM.-Loan to the Congo Free IV.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT ••• 854-862 States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877 V.-MONTHLY CONOERT OF MISSIONS 862–867 BRAZIL.-Political Changes, American VI.-EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT Missions, etc., 862; Other South Ameri- can MiSSions, Brussels Anti-Slavery Con- TOPICS …… _……………. 867-873 gress……………………………… 86(t vn.-ORGANIZED MISSIONARY WORK BURMAH AND SIAM.-"A Thousand AND STATISTICS. .. ……..–873-877 Miles on an Elephant. " …………….. 842 VIIT.-PROGRESS OF MISSIONS; MONTH- CANADA.-Presbyterian Church, 878; LY BULLETIN ……………… 877-879 Toronto Medical Students' Y. M. C. A… 878 IX.-INDEX TO CONTENTS. .••••• •• • ••• 880 CHINA.-A Great Evangelizing Agency, 845; Inland Mission, 878; Presbyterian Authors. Board Indemnified …………….. : …. 878 EDITORS.-A. T. Pierson. The Miracles ENGLAND.-Flowof Converts to the of Missions; The Wonderful Story of Church of Rome……. .. . … .. …… 846 Madagascar, 808; Editorial Notes. J. M. Sherwood, Book Notices, 841; Editorial FRANCE.-Anti-sla.very Congress …… 878 Notes …………………………….. 871 GERMANY.-Generous Giving………. 878 HAWA H.-Rev.W. A. Essery's Address Blackie, William G., D.D., "Personal Life of David Livingstone, " noticed………. 842 on the Victory of the Gospel ………… 846 Brockett, r,. P., M.D., Education and INDIA.-Lunn's Work; "A Friend of Missions in India," 841; Poverty of the E.vangelization…………………….. 850 Clark. Miss Helen F., The Congo Missions, 826 People, 846; Missionaries in Court. 878 Ellinwood, F. F., D.D.• The Duty of Chris- IRELAl'U>.-Irish Church Mission So- tendom to.the Jews, 801; Brazil and its ciety ……………………………. 879 Missions. Other South American Mis- sions………… _._ ……………….. 860 JAPAN.-The New Constitutional Gov- Gracey, J. T., D.D., International Depart- ernment, 846; Appeal from Ba.ptist Mis- ment …………………………….. 851 sionaries. ……………………….. '" 847 Guinness, Mrs. H. Grattan, "New World of Central Africa," noticed…•…. __ .. 841 JEWS.-The Duty of Christendom to …. 801 Haig, Mrs. F. T.,"Daybreak in North Afri- ca," noticed…. …….. …………… 841 KOREA.-The gift of a Bible to the King, Hallett, Holt S • "A Thousand Miles on an 879; Roman Catholic Missionaries, 879; Elephant," noticed……….. .. .. . •. 842 Moravian Missions ………………… 879 Herrick, George F., D.D., The Kingdom of God in the Land of its Origin…….. 854 MADAGASCAR.-TheWonderful Story Hunt, Life of John; Missionary to Fiji, of its Evangelization, 808; Letter from noticed ……….. _…………………. 842 Rev. James B. Mackay…. .. …. . 850 Lunn, Rev. Henry S., "A Friend of Mis- sions in India, " noticed ………… "…… 841 Moravian Missions in Surinam………… 867 Moorhead, Max Wood, Student Volunteer Moravians not Lutherans……………… 853 Movement ………………… …….. 842 Pitzer, A. W., D.D., The Inheritance of PALESTINE.-An Awakening of Life Nations Allotted of God….. ………… 820 and Energy………. .. …… 847 Schweinitz, Rev. Paul de, The Romance of Goedverwacht ………………….. 833 South American Missions ……. _…….. 866 Starbuck, Rev. Chas. C., Translations from Foreign Missionary Periodicals………. 836 Turkish Empire, Dr. Herrick's Graphic West, Maria A.. Hidden Springs, or How Sketch of its Present Condition .. _. . . .. 854- Missionaries are Made.. .. .. … . . . . .. …. 835 THIBET.-A perilous journey………. 879 Countries and Subjects. UNITED STATES.-The Silver Law's AFRICA.-The Congo Missions, 826; Effect on Missions, 848;.Farewell Meeting New World of Central Africa, 841; of Missionaries in Boston, 849; Presby- Daybreak in North Africa, 841; Dr. terian Woman's Missionary Society, 879; Blackie's Life of Livingstone, 842; Mwan- Report of International'Medical Mission- ga Stripred of Despotic Power, 844; ary Society, 879; Receipts American Editoria Notes on Uganda, 845; Zanzi- Board ………………………. _…. 879· bar, 84.5; The Slave Traffic, 861; Fire- arn1S, 862; The Liquor Traffic, 861; Great Statistics of Foreign Missions. Britain. Sphere of inlluence, 877; to ex- American :r.larathi Mission, 873; American Madura Mission, South India, 874; Amer- ican Free Baptist Mission, South Ben· gal, 874; Canada Baptist TeJugn Mis- sion, 874; Malayam Mission of L. M. S., Basel G. E. M. S., Southwestern India, 874; Mackay Mission Hospital, Formosa, 874; M. E. Church (North) N. China Missions, 874; American Presbyterian (North) Mission in Canton. China., 875; B. F. Missions of Presbyterian Church (South) Report for 1889-90, 874; Ameri- can Baptist Missionary Union, 876; Church Missionary Society…… • … 876·