The Missionary Review of the World — August 1893
GOD'S SEASON-MAN'S OPPORTUNE HOUR
MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XVI. No. B.-Old Series.–AUGUST. –VOL. VI. No. S.-New Series.
GOD'S SEASON-MAN'S OPPORTUNE HOUR. * BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
Three watchwords in the thirteenth chapter mark the progress of the thought. The first is obedience-" Let every soul be subject unto the higher authority," and above all unto God. The second is obligation- " Render, therefore, to all their dues." And the third is opportunity- " Knowing the season, that now it is the hour to awake out of sleep." Obedience to authority, obligation to humanity, opportunity for fidelity, these are the connected thoughts that constitute the logical chain of Paul's argument. There are also three words in the text which are of vast importance, and they are all time-words, or words that have to do with the conception of time-the season, the hour, the day. The first word translated "time" was the word "season;" the second word translated " time" was" hour"-" That it is now the high hour to awake out of sleep, for now is [the day of] oursalvation nearer than when we believed." That is surely just the text for the London Missionary Society at its great anniversary, God-given for such an occasion.
There are three great thoughts: First of all love has a debt to pay; secondly, there is a seasonable time in God's plan for that debt to be paid; and thirdly, there is an opportune hour in man's history for that debt to be paid.
That is a fine conception which is found in the Holy Scriptures, in the New Testament, that as God made the world, so lIe made the ages. As He framed the ages, He constructed them cosmically, just as He constructed the universe. That conception runs through the entire New Testament. Just as we lay a corner·stone for a structure, and carry up pillar, and capitol, and arch, and capstone, completing the architectural plan, so God constructed the ages. He laid their corner-stone, He reared * This is a brief report of the Annual Sermon preached before the London Missionary Society at the City Temple, London, on May 10th. The text was the well-known passage from Panl's Epistle to the Romans, xiii. 11-" And that, knowing the time, that now It Is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." their colmnns and put upon them their capitols j He spanned their arches, and He was making ready to lay His capstone, and mark the completion of t!le purpose of the ages. Fitly framed together, all the parts of the universe have grown into a natural temple, in which everything saith " glory," and even the heaven and the earth exclaim, "The Lord reigneth."
The Church is His temple, fitly framed together, and it is just as true that the ages were fitly framed together and arc growing into a holy temple for the praise and glory of His name. As there was a fulness of time for judgment, as they read in the Old Testament, so is there a fulness of time for blessing, and a fulness of time for opportunity. What a grand conception that is of God's framing the time·worlds, having as much of a purpose in the ages of history as He had in the creation of this world. The final completion of a time-period is the season, and the final completion of all the seasons is the last great crowning season which shall usher in the miIIennial triumph and eternal glory-the fitness and fulness of time. We have now come to God's fit and full season for the prosecution of missions in all the earth. Service is a kind of a triangle. There is an object to be reached-the world. There is a force to be put into the field -the Church. There is a Divine Leader to guide the Church's force into the field of harvest and work. And whichever way we look at that triangle we find sevenfold evidence that the fit and full season of God is come.
First, with regard to the world, there are seven wonders of the world realized in our day: l. World-wide exploration. The whole habitable globe has now been traversed by the feet of the explorer. 2. World-wide communication. We are now in touch with all the peoples of the earth, by means of rapid transportation, by steam, and by means of the electric telegraph, etc. If it be our duty to love our neighbor as ourselves, the whole world is our neighbor. There are no distant peoples-the whole earth is one vast neighborhood. 3. World-wide civilization. Civilization means everything that could contribute to the model stat~, everything that brings men to an ideal condition, domestically, socially, politically; and civilization is extending over the whole world j everywhere on the face of the earth the triumphs of civilization are now to be seen j and education and intelligence are battering down the ancient and hoary superstitions, systems which havc had the sanction of centuries. False faiths are faIling simply because education and culture are undermining their early foundations. 4. World-wide assimilation. There have been mutual suspicion and misunderstanding among the different peoples; and a lack of fraternal sympathy, because there have been a lack of fraternal understanding j but now the barriers of mutual misunderstanding are being prostrated-the Japanese and Chinese, the people in Hindustan, and the islands of the sea, and the depths of the Dark Continent of Africa, are coming to understand the people who live iu Christian and Prot~stant nations, "Foreign devils" are not found to be fork-tailed and cloven-footed, dragons breath- ing forth flames of fire. Their breath is not found to be a pestilence, nor their vicinity poisonous and dangerous. And the consequence is that peoples are coming to us " foreign devils" to learn the secrets of progress and prosperity. 5. World-wide emancipation. The time was, in the history of the world, when slavery cursed even civilized and enlightened nations; but now, Russia has freed her serfs, England has freed her slaves, and the Civil War in America was not closed, under the providence of God, while there was an unbroken fetter remaining on four millions of bondsmen. There is not a civilized and enlightened nation to-day that keeps up slavery or upholds the traffic in human souls, and that fact is the natural precursor of the emancipation of men's minds. When the shackles are taken off the human form, they are also removed from the human intellect-men learn to think and speak freely. There comes to be freedom of intellectual life and freedom of human utterance, and then there comes also the emancipation of the conscience. God has ordained that no chain should be strong enough to bind the human thinker, and especially that no chains should be strong enough to limit the exercise of man's moral sense. 6. World-wide preparation. There is this world-wide preparation in the furnishing of facilities for the doing of the work-the printing-press and steam, and the telegraph wires stretching like the nerves of the human body and reaching even to the fingers' ends. How marvellous are that and other methods by which God has prepared the way for the transportation of the Gospel messenger and message, and the echoing of the Gospel tidings amid the mountains and valleys, the cities, villages, and hamlets of the entire habitable globe! 7. W orld-wide organization. Organization' is the association of people in lIlutual bonds of federation for the carrying out of projects of mutual interest. The whole world of to-day is organized. All great enterprises are founded upon and carried forward by associated effort, and the Church of God is learning to organize also. We see artists and artisans, the learned professions and the mechanical arts, all kinds of men in all classes, all conditions and grades of society organizing, and well may the Church ask herself, " Why should not the children of light be as wise in these things as the children of this world g" William Carey did not originate modern rilissions, but he led the way in modern organization of the Ohurch for missionary effort, and whereas there were only one or two missionary societies a century ago, now there are between two and three hundred. There is scarcely a live church in all Ohristendom that has not some sort of organization for the home and foreign missionary fields.
Then with regard to the Ohurch, is there not evidence of sevenfold completeness, fitness, and fulness of times in the Church's present condition g In the first place, we are in possession of the faith of the Reformation. It is questionable whether missions were expedient before the Reformatory era. When justification by faith was a doctrine buried and concealed III a sepulchre j when the Bible was withheld systematically from the common people, when the Church was living by works and not by faith-and very poor works at that-it is a question whether it was expedient that there should be much activity with regard to foreign missions. Waters could rise no higher in their course than the spring at their source, and it could not be expected that the average of life diffused abroad would be higher than the average of life concentrated at home. Therefore God withheld the Church from large activities in foreign missions till He had first given to her the faith of the Reformation by Luther in Germany, Calvin in Switzerland, John De Wycliffe and John Bunyan in England, John Knox in Scotland, and Savonarola in Italy. The Church has also now education in missions and consecration in missions, and possesses to.day her great~t numerical strength. The Church has also immense financial resources. Then, also, the Church has great political supremacy, which may be an immense advantage in the world's evangelization. Should the British Empire and the United States of America be absolutely united in their intentions to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, all the combined forces of papal and Mohammedan and pagan people could not stand against the impact. These two nations could die· tate terms to the rest of the world, and they represent the great Protestant peoples of the whole earth. There is no doubt about it that Christian and Protestant nations hold the sceptre of the world to.day !
There are three great military maxims which are strangely illnstrated in the history of missions. The first is, " Seize the great centres of the enemy." The second is, "Hold the great outposts of the enemy." And the third is, " Keep open lines of communication between the centres and the outposts." See how God, the great General-in-Chief of the ages, has been leading on His army to foIlow out those three great military Illaxims. See how He has enabled the Church to seize the great centres. India, for instance, the centre of all Oriental paganism, round which the tntire Continent of Asia might revolve, if set in revolution-India is the possession of the British Queen. Then, see how the outposts are being taken-Australia, the South Seas, Japan, the islands of the sea, and now Africa-girdled, zoned, penetrated by missionary effort. Then look at the open lines of communication between the centres and the outposts, ilwift and nndisputed passage from the Thames to Calcntta, the Ganges, Rnd the Indns, to Australia and to Japan. Let us be sure to keep open lines of communication between the centres of supply and the materials at the outposts of the earth. And so, may the day speedily come when the fitness and fulness of time, having been improved by the Church of God, t,he dispensation of the fulness of reasons shall come when all things shall be headed-up into Christ, the Apex of the Pyramid, the Dome, the Cap- I.ltone, and the Crown of the Ages!
MISSIONS TO ROMANISTS
MISSIONS TO ROMANISTS.
BY REV. W. J. MORNAN,. CUBA.
THEIR NECESSITY.-It would not be necessary to discuss this point if Protestant Christians were more generally acquainted with the moral and religious condition of the millions who people papal countries, and the teaching they receive from the Roman Church; but as a matter of fact great ignorance prevails among the great mas~ of evangelical ChI'tstians with regard to these two points. Romanism as it is seen in England and the United States, where it is influenced by enlightened Protestant practice and opinion, is, externally at least, a very different thing from Romanism in Spain, Cuba, South America, or Mexico, where during the course of centuries it has had free course to permeate and influence every class of society, being itself uninfluenced by any of the more salutary conditions which obtain in other lands. Romanism is indeed nothing else but paganism in a Christian dress. The pagan names have been changed, but the paganism itself -remains. The Pontifex Maximus, the official head of paganism, still lives in the person of the triple-crowned monarch of the Vatican-God's representative-the universal bishop and head of the Church-new Christ, new Saviour, as he has recently been termed. Isis, Astarte, or Venus is still adored with the greatest reverence under the title of the Virgin Mary, and many of the titles applied to her by papal writers are identical with tho3e by which Venus was known and worshipped by ancient paganism. The Mother and Child so often met with in pagan records, and so universally worshipped in pagan countries, is still the chief object of worship in thousands of Roman Catholic churches throughout the world. Here we meet with the obscene worship which was so often condemned in the Old Testament. Let those who have the time and opportunity trace the origin and meaning of the tonsure, the nimbus, the use of wax candles in religious ceremonies, holy water, prayers for the dead, purgatory, baptismal regeneration, extreme unction, celibacy of the clergy and asceticism, and they will find their origin not in God's blessed book, but in ancient Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman religions. The explanation given of these rites and practices is essentially pagan. In one word, in the Roman Church we have the essence of all idolatry-the exaltation of the creature above the Creator. God and Christ are practically dethroned and a creature exalted to the throne of Deity. God's one and only way of salvation is entirely set aside, and men are taught to seek grace and salvation through the sacraments of the Church, to receive pardon from the lips of a sinful mortal like themselves, and to hope for eternal life and felicity not through the blood of Christ, but through the intercession of the Virgin Mary.
Such, in a very few words, is the doctrine of the Roman Church. What is its effect on the social and moral condition of the millions under the spiritual dominion of the Pope? Sad indeed are the results of iilueh religious beliefs. Vcry many are the slaves of the most degrading superstitions, while others, dissatisfied with the absurdities of the prevailing religion, have lapsed or are lapsing into infidelity. With mQ it is a question whether the majority in papal countries are not really sceptics. Many times have I questioned apparently devout Romanists as to their faith, and find them denying the great truths of Christianity, such as the inspiration of the Bible, the Deity of Christ, and the truth of His incarnation. Their religion consists in being baptized in infancy, confessing their sins now and then, and receiving extreme unction at their dying moment. This teaching kills conscience, makes crime of the blackest sort appear a trifle, and renders the pursuit of holiness entirely unnecessary. Crime of all sorts is painfully prevalent. Lying and deceit abound. Ignorance and superstition reign supreme. Such a state of things is very sad, but its truthfulness cannot be denied, and shows very plainly the necessity of vigorously pushing forward missionary operations in these countries, blasted as they are by that pernicious system of pseudo-Christianity called Roman Catholicism. We cannot surely allow these millions of our fellow-creatures to perish in their ignorance and sin without doing all we can to give them the true Gospel of the grace of God. What they have is not the Gospel. It is Satan's counterfeit of the glorious revelation of God made in Christ Jesus our Saviour. The whole of the Gospel has been perverted and deprived of its saving power. In Roman Catholicism the great enemy of God and man has perhaps produced his masterpiece, and those who are acquainted with the prophetic Scriptures know the dreadful doom that must erelong be poured out on this dreadful system of impiety. This knowledge ought to inspire God's people to devote themselves more earnestly to the evangelization of Roman Catholic countries.
I fully ~ppreciate the urgent necessity for multiplying the forces engaged in China, India, Africa, and thc islands of the sea, but as one who has lived in a purely papal country, and who has had ample opportunity of observing closely the different phases of the religious and social life of the people, I am fully convinced that there exists a great necessity to multiply a hundred-fold the force now at work in these fields.
THE EXTENT OF THE FIELD.-W e will leave out the European countries, such as France, Spain, Austria, and Italy, and confine ourselves solely to the American Continent and the "Vest Indies ; and of this part of the world we will ccnsider that part which lies to the south of the United States. Let us look at the map and draw a line along the southern frontier of the great republic, and the sad fact forces itself upon our attention, that with the exception of the small island of Jamaica, with its 600,000 inhabitants, and one or two other uuimportant exceptions, the great masses of the population of this enormous extent of territory reaching to the Straits of Magellan are without the Gospel of Christ, and Jive in almost heathen darkness, without God and without hope in the world, oppressed by a wicked and avaricions priesthood, and the slaves of every conceivable lust. Who can look on unmoved ~ Who that has felt the constrainiug power of a Saviour's love can behold these millions steeped in siu and not be moved to go, or do all he can to send others to proclaim among them the way of peace and salvation ~ The population of these countries and islands amounts in round numbers to 53,000,000. I am sorry that I can find nothing like complete statistics of the number of missionaries at present at work, but from the information which I possess, I am sure the number does not exceed 500 missionaries, including wives as well, or, say, one mis- sionary to 100,000 inhabitants. We must also remember that this propor- tion does not represent in South and Central America what it would repre- sent in India or China. This population is spread over about 8,000,000 square miles, which gives less than seven inhabitants to the square mile. In China the proportion is about 265, and in India about 200 to the sy,uare mile. Thus in estimating the efficiency of the missionary force in these American Roman Catholic countries, the sparseness of the population must be taken iuto account. In some of the largest of the South American republics, such as Peru and Venezuela, if we except the agents of the American Bible Society, almost nothing is being done in the shape of missionary work.
Nor can we over~stimate the importance of this part of the mission field. These are perhaps the richest lands on the face of the earth, and are destined erelong to playa very important part in the history of the world. Their stores of mineral wealth and immense agricultural resources are simply fabulous, but are for the most part entirely undeveloped. The development has, however, commenced, and promises to make rapid progress. What the descendants of the old conquistadores have failed to do in the course of centuries English and German capital and enterprise are now rapidly accomplishing. Railways are being extended. At the present time no less than four lines of railway are being made right across the South American Continent. Two of these transadine railways are nearly if not quite completed, and another will be completed about the end of the year 1895. It is impossible to foretell the future history of these countries just now beginning to pour their products into the markets of the world. In most of them great attention is being paid to education, and immigration is encouraged by the different governments. With one or two exceptions, liberty of worship is enjoyed in all these republics and the islands of Cuba and San Domingo, and it is time that the Church of Christ were pouring her Lord's capital, entrusted to her for His service, into these destitute regions of the globe to make them rejoice and be glad at the sound of the blessed evangel of peace. We can learn much from the way in which worldly enterprises are conducted. It is estimated that in Peru alone there is invested English capital amounting to upward of fifty million of pouuds sterling. vVhat has the Church, with all the wealth and talent and energy at her disposal, done for the spiritual enlightenment of poor priest-ridden Peru, Bolivia, or Chili ~ Will the Church allow herself to be put to shame by men who are influenced only by the love of gain? Will she who ought to be influenced by the highest conceivable motive stand listlessly looking on, inattentive to her Lord's command and heedless of the death-cry of millions perishing for lack of knowledge? How many millions are wasted every year on the frivolities of life in so-called Christian lands? How many young men and women who ought to be actively engaged in this blessed work are hidden away behind" the stuff" of worldly business and pursuits? Oh, may the wealth, the time, and the talents of the Church be more fully laid on the altar and consecrated to Christ's service in this glorious enterprise of preaching the Gospel to those who have it not.
THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE WORK.-I feel constrained to say a few words on this part of the subject.
Th£' first difficulty we must notice is a dislike to change. This is true of the Spanish character in the old country, and though perhaps in some degree modified by political independence and the freedom of republican institutions, is far from being obliterated among Spanish Americans. In no department of life is this adherence to old forms and customs so conspicuous as in religious matters. A great many cannot think of a change of religion with any degree of complacency. They feel it a solemn obligation to live in the same faith which they were taught in infancy, and to transmit it to their children as they received it from their fathers. Various forms of infidelity must next be mentioned. It is fearful to think of the rapidity with which sceptical views are spreading, especially among the youth. This is hardly to be wondered at, for superstition is the parent of infidelity. As already hinted, the governments of many of the Spanish American countries are paying great attention to education, and the teachers of the higher 'schools and universities are mostly foreign, chiefly German, and nearly always belonging to the rationalistic school of thought. Thus it is that the intellectual faculties are being developed and trained without any corresponding awakening and development of the religious side of man's nature; and the result is scepticism in one or other of its various forms.
The Power of the Ohurch. – ,Ve must not underestimate the power of the foe against whICh we wage war, nor think that the Roman Church has lost its power. It is still a mighty power and has great influence over the people. Against this formidable organization we have to contend, and the very fact of our giving the people the Bible in their own langnage is a menace to its very existence. Rome too well understands this, and is never slow to put in operation all her manifold powers and influence to prevent the spread of the Gospel. She will stir up persecution and annoyance wherever she can. There is no lack of instruments by which to accomplish her designs. It has often surprised me to see with what facility she can get men to do her dirty work, who don't care a straw about her religious faith.
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To close, I will mention, perhaps, the greatest of all difficulties-indifm'- ence. I had rather deal with the fanatic or the infidel than with the indifferent, and yet the great majority in Cuba, Hayti, and Spanish America arc indifferent. Religiqn has lost its influence over the people, who are given up to the pursuit of riches, pleasure, and lust. They havQ no idea of what sin is. They do not think that it is wrong to lie or steal or murder, provided they have some plausible motive with which to silence the faint whispers of the almost dead conscience. In fact, conscience so long asleep under the soothmg effects of Roman teaching and practice, seems incapable of being awakened. Rome teaches that it is only certain great sins called mortal that will result in eternal death, little sins will be expiated by the fire~ of purgatory. She holds that baptism, penance, and extreme unction are sufficient to save the soul, thus a person who has been baptized can live a life of sin until his dying hour, when the priest can in the sacrament of extreme unction blot out all and send the unrepentant sinner into the other world assured of the salvation of his soul. I know that there are differences of opinion in regard to these questions among Roman Catholic divines, but the above is the constant and universal practice of her priests and people. In Romanism no repentance is necessary, no change of heart is heard of. It is only the priest and his iacrament. This produces the most callous indifference among the people in regard to their spiritual state before a just and holy God.
This work must be done. We must obey the King of kings, and when He bids us go, no difficulties ought to keep us back. We must clearly understand what our work is. I for one do not believe that it is to convert or reform the Roman Church. She is by God's" sure word of prophecy" doomed to destruction. But think of this. God has a people in that Church for whom the Saviour died, who are some of the sheep that He "must bring' into the one fold, and it is our blessed and glorious privilege, not to say duty, to call them out of her into the full light of the Gospel of God. To the work then, Christian brethren and sisters, in the name and in the strength of the Lord God of Hosts.
LOUIS HARMS.
BY REV. JAMES DOUGLAS, M.A., BRIXTON, LONDON.
Louis Harms was born May 5th, 1808, at Walsrode, and died November 14th, 1865, at Hermannsburg. Beyond the brief and partial biographical notice of him in Dr. Stevenson's work, "Praying and Working," but lIttle is known of him by the English-speaking population of our globe. It is time that snch a beautiful, distinctive, and gracious character should be placed more in the open, and should be better known by the followers of the Lord. His biography, written in German by hiR brother and fellow-
/iO LOUIS HARMS
helper, Theodore Harms, and published in IIermannsburg, sketches the lllan with a true and tender hand, and helps us to appreciate the many- Hidedness of a personality, the truth of which was not unfrequently the truth of paradox.
One marked trait in his character was the ardor of his local attach- ments. It was not that he did not know the bigger world, but he pre- ferred the smaller one. He turned away from the wider scope and ampler field which appeal to the man of broad view and high ambition. "I am a Luneburger body and soul," he said, "and there IS not a country in the world that I would put before the Luneburger heath; and next to being a Luneburger I am a Hermannsburger, and I hold that Hermannsburg is the best and prettiest village in the heath."
Gauged by ordinary rules, one might suppose that in a heart so appar- ently restricted in the scope of its interest no cosmopolitan pulse could ever have beat; but it was not narrowness that was the cause of this con- servatism, but a kind of rustic simplicity which learning and association with the larger world without served only to intensify. After all, it is not so wonderful, as on the surface it has appeared to some, that Louis Harms should take rank as a father in foreign missions, an inventor as regards foreign mission methods, and a modern apostle both in point of faith and chivalry; for ignorance was not the spring of his narrow patriotism, nor was the strength of his local attachments due either to limitation of view or defective sympathies.
The like applies to what some might construe as the prosaic type of the man. In the eyes of the undiscerning he might easily pass for one of the million; and such a view might have much surface support. Howbeit the very soul of romance is in that nature. His native heath, yes, every common bush of it, is to him" afire with God." He has rustic simplicity, but let it not be thought for a moment he has aught of rustic stupidity. He is a gentleman and scholar, widely read and profoundly learned. If he has cast off the pride of learning, and renounced the boasts of culture, it is not because he has failed to penetrate their secrets or win for himself by their means a name.
Louis Harms for many years before he became a village pastor was a . distinguished academician. Even as a child, we find from his brother's narrative, he developed scholastic powers. In 1817, when hut ninc years old, he went with his parents to live at Hermann51burg. After a private course of study he proceeded, at the age of sixteen, to the high school at Celie, and after two years' study there passed the entrauce examination for Gottingen University. At Gottingen he studied from 1827 to 1830. The most unblushing unbelief then reigned at this seat of learning. The effect of all this on young Harms was to determine him to get at the heart of reality, although in reaching this goal he might only find the emptiness of his own heart. To this end he set himself the ample task of traversing the whole circle of the sciences. He will know all there is to be known, if only as the outcome his feet rest at last on the foundation rock of truth. Philosophy, mathematics, physics, astronomy, Sanscrit, Syriac, Chaldaic, Italian, and Spanish arc among the branches of knowledge which he ex- plored with the greatest zeal and success. lIe became erudite, but he did not find peace. At last he reaches the Sahara of absolute denial. lIe says not in his heart only, but with his lips, "There is no God." But when he had fallen in unbelief so low that lower he could not fall, "the 'Lord had mercy on the struggling youth whom He wanted to make one of His chosen vessels;" and on an occasion when Harms was sitting up the whole night for study, revealed Himself to him as he was perusing the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel according to John. "The prayer of the High Priest and Chief Shepherd, Jesus ChriRt, softened and illuminated his heart;" at the reading of the third verse, " And this is life eternal, to know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent," the light of life broke in upon his soul; and henceforward Louis Harms was under the safe conduct of His grace.
From 1830 to 1839 Harms acted as tutor in the house of Von Linstow of Lauenburg, after which he went to be tutor at Liineburg to Arcllitect Pampel, where he remained till 1843. As tutor he was a witness for Christ. Thus while at Liineburg, it is said, his sermons and Bible classes were much blessed. Two calls reached him during the tutorial period, one from the Mission House at Hamburg, where his services were desired as tutor, the other from New York, whither he was invited to serve as preacher; but both calls he declined in deference, as he believed, to the Divine Will. He was designed for Hermannsburg, and kept waiting for it till the hour came. In 1843 he proceeds to Hermannsburg to assist his father in his cure, and in the following year is nominated, at his father's wish, as assistant minister, entering on Ilis ministry on the second Sunday ~n Advent, 1844. In 1849, upon the death of his father, he became sole miuister at Hermannsburg.
The change wrought in Harms by grace may be summed up in one word-self-effacement. Before conversion honor was his loadstone, we may say, his idol. "Take courage," he says, "in misfortunes, and should the last prop give way and everythiug be lost, let not honor be too." Such was the cable that moored the vessel in the days of his ignorance. His own honor was to him for God. It is but true to fact to record that the honor of Christ took the place of that self-honor which had occupied the throne. Even in his unconverted state this chosen vessel was kept, by God's preventing goodness, from the grosser sins. He was, too, a great walker and swimmer, and endowed with such vigor of intellect that it sufficed him, in his young days, to read over a poem of twenty pages a few times to know it word by word. Amazing fortitude was also a conspicnous feature in his constitntion. Fear was an unknown sensation. "I never feared," he says, "in my life; but when I came to the knowledge of my sins I trembled before God, from top to bottom, and all my members shook." When it is added that the great grace bestowed upon him had as its continuous check and counteractive great physical suffering, the sketcD. of th(,) man himself is tolerably complete. Why the scale should have turned so, and robust health and express speed should have been followed, on his conversion, oy a weakened frame and a thorn in the flesh that seldom left him, can only be explained on his own hypothesis that" it was the Lord's way of humbling."
Still his native fire, or rather the fire of his renewed spirit, burned through all. However the body might clog, it could not numb or repress his zest. He loved the very dust of Zion. Whatever had to do with his parish, his church, or the antiquities of the neighborhood, was a matter not only of concern, but of fascination. He was indefatigable " in his exhumations" and all alert in the hunting up and verification of legends.
What is more, he was in touch with the life around him at every point. He had an eye for the present and a hand that takes fast hold on the things that are. Let no one think because Louis Harms was an out-and-out antiquarian that he was in anywise connected with the fossil species himself. No view could be more incorrect. He was all there in respect of the ministry given him of God. All through his ministry his attitude to his parishioners is in effect this: "I am one of you, a Luneburger like yourselves, I have no false quantities to utter, your dialect is my dialect, I am here to preach to you in terms you can understand, Divine truth, and to live among you as a brother and a father. '/ In an incredibly short space of time, not many monthlli aft()r his father's decease, the fields of Hermannsburg were white unto harvest. It was as if a gale of Holy Ghost power had swept over the valley of dry bones, and where death had reigned there now appeared a living army. The Kingdom of Hanover was, it is true, comparatively orthodox, but'the orthodoxy was of the letter mainly. The pulse of spiritual life beat vcry low. Now, however, in Hermannsburg and neighborhood a great change had come. Multitudes, through the Spirit-inbreathed ministrations of Harms, begin to know and keep going on to know, that" the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power;" instead of a descrt of formality there is a garden of spiritual blossom and fruit; on every hand signs of life appear. " The laborers," says Dr. Stevenson, "have prayer in the fields; instead of country ballad!'!, the ploughboy or the weeding-girl is singing one of the grand old hymns; the people are like one Christian family, and their influence and conversation have already acted on the surrounding districts." In short, the Gospel that Harms preached and which he was at pains to adorn had come to his parishioners" not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance." The revival spread throughout the heath; and despite a sparse and scattered population the roll of communicants reaches eleven thousand in the year.
If it was happiness to be a Luneburger before, what must it be now when the heath had become as the garden of the Lord? Speaking after the manner bf men, it might be supposed that the conservatism of the place would have been intensified by this visitation. Not so. Between the Church revived. and the Church missionary there is but a step. vVhen the Holy Spirit is poured out there is not only fulness, but overflow. So was it here. It needed but the spark of suggestion, " Let us do something for the heathen," to ire the missionary train of event.
Mr. Harms takes hold of tho work with both hands. For the twelve persons who offer themselves for foreign service residence is provided and training, the course of im;truetion, whioh is both scholastic and industrial, extending over four years. At the head of this seminary is a brother of Harms, himself a clergymltn. The curriculum embraces Bible' stu.y, exegesis, dogmatics, church hi~tory, history of missions, etc.; and further, a variety of industries, Ear consIderations of health demand the latter as well as the conditions of mission work abroad. In addition a great point is made of prayer. This, in Harms's view, is the key of success. " Remember Luther's saying," he cries, " , Well prayed is more than half learned.' Therefore pray diligently in your own room, daily, daily for the Holy Spirit. "
The advantages of prayer-that is, when it rises, as m the case of Harms, into the region of power, are twofold. First of all, there is the direct advantage of obtaining the things that are desired of Him; and there is, further, the indirect advantage-the greater advantage, indeed, of the two-of obtaining His secret direction and unforeseen providential leading. In launching his missionary scheme Harms was blessed in both these respects. He was literally heard and IHi was unexpectedly led. The shaping of the mission may be said to have been taken out of Harms's hands. He had not himself thought of a mission of colonization, but it was thus the Hermannsburg Mission took form under God. The circumstances are as followtl : After a year or two had passed in preparation, an application came to hand from some young sailors of the German fleet, recent converts, soliciting entrance to the Hermannsburg training school. Their suggestion was to found a colony near Boney, in Vestern Africa, and seek, under the superintendence of Christian missionaries, to suppress the slave trade. This suggestion of the sailors was as a spark which soon set the Liineburger heath in a blaze. "Peasants who had no missionary gifts pleaded to be taken out as settlers. Out of sixty who offered eight were chosen." The enthusiasm of the sailors themselves was, for the most part, shortlived. Only two of their number endured the tedium and strain of study; but the die was cast. "Vithout these sailors," wrote Harms, " we would never have been colonists; for we honest, but somewhat stupid heath people would never have dreamed of sending any but real missionaries." Howbeit the whole matter was of the Lord. "It is not in man that walketh"-not even the man of prayer-" to direct his steps." That there was a Divine superintendence, in respect of the specific character this mission assumed, no one conversant with the outworking of the scheme will question. "He led them by the right way," though, as Harms confesses, a way all unthought of and unforeseen.
, The time was now near for the launching of the Hermannsburg mis- sionary bark. To Harms himself this event was the crisis of missions.
He could not procecd without money, and of silver and gold he had none.
Where was the wherewithal to be found 1 "I knocked diligently," says he, " on the dear God in prayer; and since the praying man dare not sit with his hands in his lap, I sought among the shipping agents, but came no speeu; anu I turned to Bishop Gobat in Jerusalem, but had no answer; and then I wrote to the missionary Krapf in Mombaz, but the letter was lost. Then one of the sailors who remained said, ' Why not build a ship, and you can send out as many and as often as you will? ' The proposal was good; but the moncy! That was a time of great conflict, and I wrestled with God ; for no one encouraged me, but the reverse ; and even the truest friends and brethren hinted that I was not quite in my senses."
As the conflict deepened Harms remembers the words spoken to Duke George of Saxony on his death-bed: "Your Grace, straightforward makes the best runner." He acts upon them; shuts man out; prays fervently to the Lord, lays the matter in His hands, and at midnight as he rises from his knees, says in a voice that startles himself: "Forward now in God's name." Henceforward, as he himself tells us, his mind is a stranger to doubt. The money is not in hand, but to the faith of Harms it is as if there. The prayer of faith has been prayed, and in the ears of the peti- tioner there is the sound of the abundance of means. The supreme crisis of the Hermannsburg Mission is over, and ever after Harms can draw on account at the Bank of Promises.
In due course the ship Candace is built and paid for-though the cost, through a slip on the part of Harms himself, is more than 2000 crowns above the estimate-and dedicated to the bearing of the GOE'pel to the South Africans. On board, at Hamburg, a service is held. The date is October 28th, 1853. To each class-sailors, colonists, officers, mission- aries-Harms has something separate to say, but when he comes to the Word of God and prayer, he knows no man after the flesh. "I beg you with my whole heart that every morning you will pray, and every evening pray. You must pray every evening for the for- giveness of sins, for there is not a day without sin, and where there is no forgiveness there is no blessing. Begin all your work with prayer; and when the storm rises, pray; and when the billows rave ronnd the ship, pray; and when sin comes, pray; and when the devil tempts you, pray.
So long as you pray it will go well with you body and soul."
Thus the first brood from the Hermannsburg cote were sent on their way. The nests which they vacated did not remain long deserted. " The people willingly offered themselves," for it was still the day of the Lord's'
power in the land of the heath. Among others who came forward was a farmer named Behrens, in whose heart the desire for missionary service was a flame which no considerations coul4 quench. He came, his wife one with him in the sacrifice, with his property in his hand, whereby (Harms's scruples having to give way) the mission became possessed of a valuable estate, which bore the name of the Mission Farm, a property suffi- ciently large, when fully reclaimed by cultivation, to suffice for the support of all the mIssionaries in training.
The work continued to grow. In 1854 Harms acknowledges himself compelled to issue a missionary magazinc-Hermannsburger Mission.,blatt. Why the notion of a missionary leaflet or herald should have scared him .so we cannot divine, but it is evident he did not yield on this point with- out a sore struggle. His words are : "Ever since our mission was estab- lished I have been besought to publish a missionary paper, and I shook off these petitions as one might shake thE; rain-drops off a wet cloak; but when you shake and shake, and it only rains the harder, you are presently wet through. And so that the rain may cease, I publish the maga- zine. "
Into thio magazine Harms's love for the Lord Christ and peculiarly homely idiosyncrasy are poured. His magazine begins, even as each day of his life begins, with prayer. After the prayer the postman's bag is opened and the tidings from the far-off children of the mission field read out. If there is still room enough and to spare, progress at home is rcported, or the work of God in the congregation commented on, or mayhap a sermon is given, or some bit of antiquarian lore that has been exhumed with much toil, and which serves to feather an arrow or point a moral. The magazine, in short, is a repertory of home chat for the interest and profit of the family circle, no less one now, though they be scattered to the ends of the earth j nay, all the more one though parted, since they mind the same thing, and in the mutua:llove of the Spirit know nothing among men save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The Hermannsburg African Mission, although severely tested for months and driven to extremities in finding a landing anywhere near the point contemplated, soon achieved a rapid and solid progress. Within seven years of the first setting out one hundred sett,lers are spread over the eastern provinces of Africa at eight stations, fort.y thousand acres of land have been acquired, dwelling houses and workshops built, flfty heathens have been baptized, and an influence slowly gained reaching" from the Zulus on the coast to the Bechuanas in the centre, and from the Orange River to Lake Ngami." These Christian workers, whether missionaries or colonists, seem animated by one spirit, and that is to go on in faith wherever they can find a door open or ajar. They believe in God and in the Saviour, whom it is their heavenly calling to make known j but there is another point in their creed which, though it be subordinate, is in their case vital to the core j we refer to their conviction that toil is the appointed lot of man. These men are in Africa to grapple with difficulty, physical as well as moral j and the fact of their maunal handiness and industrial faculty is no small explanation of the rapid and solid extension of the work consigned to their care.
The financial record of the mission is a spiritual study in statistics. BotlJ. income and expenditure ~re irregular, yet matters are so adjusted that the income never dips below the level of the expenditure. In 1M4 the expenditure was 14,950 crowns, and in the same year the income was 15,000 crowns. In 1855 over against an outlay of 9642 crowns is an income of 9722 crowns. The year 1856 records an outgoing of 14,878 crowns and an incoming of 14,978 crowns. There is a like balance in 1857 of moneys paid and sums received. The following year the expendi- ture mC!re than doubles itself, being 30,993 crowns, but the income is even more elastic still, amounting to 31,133 crowns. In 1859 the high expenditure is nearly 'maintained, but faith has its full reward, for the enlarged income has exceeded its former measure, and leaves, after meeting the year's demands, some 2700 crowns ($3300) in the treasury.
How are such results as these secured? The only reasonable answer is through the prayer of faith and by the power of God. LORis Harms did not believe in whipping up the public to keep his project going. Tllat "straightforward makes the best runner" was a fixed article of his creed. He made no appeals, sought no man'~ aid, did not advertise his needs. The reference to money matters in his magazine went no farther than the barest outline of accounts. He cast his financial burden on the Lord, and acted simply in the capacity of His steward. He was not even one of the firm, but merely an employe j and God honored his faith, and gladdened him by implanting in his own spiritual children a spirit of noble generosity. It became an early custom for each of the eleven thousand communicants to lay on the communion-table a gift for the Hermannsburg Mission. In addition a share in the annual missionary collection is granted by the Consistory. These arfil the only two regular or assured sources of income, so far as sight can trace them, and together they do not represent a tithe of the nced j but faith stands in lieu of eyes. This certainly was so with Harms. So strong is his faith, he has but to " stand still and see the salvation of God." It is God's to touch the springs, to open wells in the desert and bring honey out of the rock, while Harms receives into his lap what thc Divine bounty puts there. The whole world is tapped that the faith of Harms sustain no shock. "It is wonderful," he cries, " when one has nothing and 10, 000 crowns are laid in his hand by the dear Lord." When the history of the faith of the New Testament saints has to be written, the name of Harms no less than Muller shall surely appear. The Hermannsburg Mission is a transcription of the Saviour's charge: "Have faith in God." It is studded all over with answers to prayer and glorious exploits of faith. Time would fail us to enumerate the cases of moment. When the question of the printing shop was debated, the exchequer was empty. "Ve cried to the Lord," says Harms, " , Grant it to us j' and He granted it, for We immediately received 2000
MADRID UNDENOMINATIONAL MISSION
crowns, although the thought had not been made known to anyone; we had only to take and be thankfuL" The abo'.'e case samples the pattern of the life. With the warp of faith was interwoven the woof of Divine answer and supply ; and it needed but the wedding of the miraculous with the providential to have furnished a new edition of the Acts of the Apostles.
The Lord has taken away the chief worker, but He still carries on and extends the work. From the Report for 1891, published in German, we learn that there are now 59 stations in all and 59 missionaries. The baptisms for the year amounted to 2380, while the total number of members is 18,284. The entire amount subscribed for the mission in that year exceeded £13,000, or over 270,000 marks ($62,500). The mission has also widened in range. In addition to nearly fifty stations and missionaries in South Mrica, there are ten Indian stations, the number of missionaries being about correspondent, and also a start has been made in Australia and New Zealand. At the head of the work is Pastor Harms, a nephew, we believe, of the founder, the address being Hermannsburg, Hanover.
The last struggle of Louis Harms was terribly severe, but no murmur escaped him. Asthma, rheumatism, dropsy, and rupture were the forces that slew the poor body, but he himself overcame in the strength of the Lord, and tranquilly fell asleep in Jesus on November 14th, 1865, aged 57 years, 6 months, and 8 days. He never married. He was too busy for such pastime. His apology was, "I have no time to take a wife." In truth, his love and his affianced bride was his dear Hermannsburg. He had his heart's desire, which was that he might never reach a hale old age, but might use up his vitality in the Master's service long ere that. The love of Christ not only constrained but consumed him. He was a living sacrifice, a libation poured out for his Lord, his mission, his congregation, and all whom he could possibly help. We may epitomize his career in the words of one like· minded : " To me to live is Christ, and to die gain."
MADRID UNDENOMINATIONAL MISSION.
BY REV. ALBERT R. FENN, MADRID, SPAIN.
This mission has heen working upward of twenty years on the north side of the capital, principally in the district of Chambere, and upon the very border of the burning place of the Inquisition called the Quemadero, the smoke and odor of whose fires must often have swept over the place which afterward, in God's wonderful providence, was to be the birthplace of many souls through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, for whose sake in other days men and women" loved not their lives unto the death ;" and that book then so hated of Rome, and still destroyed wherever her ministers possess the power, is now daily taught by converted Spanish teachers to many hundreds of children. The fires, the ashes, the bonesl the nails, the matted hair, have disappeared, crowded streets cover the place, and here and there dwells a humble Christian family, whose home is consecrated by the reading of the Scriptures, prayer, and singing of sweet Gospel hymns. What hath God wrought!
The work was commenced by Mr. Charles E. Faithful, and then carried on by him and Mr. Fenn, and from 1876 by Mr. and Mrs. Fenn, having for their fellow-helpers several ladies, who for the love of souls have joined them without salary or promise from man, but trusting in the Lord for tha supply of their need.
The work at the present time occupies premises in three localities: 1. The Glorieta de Quesedo j 2. Calle Trafalgar j 3. The Barrio de Arguelles.
In the Glorieta there is the preaching-place, holding from two hundred to two hundred and fifty people. The meetings on Sundays are usually full, though no boards or announcements are permitted by Government, and the attendance at week-night services is often one hundred and fifty at the prayer-meeting and at the exposition of the Scriptures. Here, ail already said, many precious souls hav(,l received Christ Jesus the Lord j scores during the past eighteen years have finished their course wi1ih joy and gone to be with Him, whom they 10Ted on earth, and for whom they suffered not a little. More than a hundred in fellowship to· day are following them. It is expected of them that they should labor for the salvation of others, hence they largely distribute tracts, it being a condition that prayer should go with every tract. More than ten persons have been in this way brought to the truth. Others teach childree in the Sundayschools, and all are charged upon coming into communion to maintain the honoI of the Gospel by seeking to live as disciples of Christ.
Though a poor people, their liberality in contributing for their sick and poorer members, and toward the expenses of the meeting, abounds-fruit unto God. The language of 1 Cor. 6 : 9-11 applies as truly to many of these as to the corrupt Corinthians saved by the grace of God.
Besides the meeting-place in the Glorieta there are three schools there -for elder boys, little boys, and infants. These with the two schools for girls, in Trafalgar Street, and the mixed school of Arguelles come daily under Bible instruction from the lips of their teachers or the other workers. In these six schools there were last month five hu~dred and fifty-six children, and more than six thousand have been instructed from the beginning. Here is a vast field sown with the knowledge of the Scriptures, and such a knowledge as not commonly attained in more favored countries. May the Holy Spirit breathe life into their souls! These children pay 10d. or 28. (the iufants only 5d.) per month, and all who can read are e;cpected to buy the Bible at lOd. Not a few even of the smallest have died in the Lord, and ahout twenty are in church communion, some of whom are among the best teachers.
From what has been said, it can easily be imagined that there is a wide .op·en door for visiting, mother-meetings, and all such work as ladies can do best.
A word about the opposition, as a dark background that lends strength and beauty to thc principal figures of the painting, will serve to magnify the wondrous grace of God as seen in these schools. Everything that priests and Sisters of Mercy could do has been done to shut up the six schools. Three schools opened expressly to draw away the childrenthough tempting, with everything gratis, and promises of food, garments, etc., besides-have had to close, utterly failing in their purpose. A fourth is now opeil by the side and actually under the same roof as the Glorieta schools and on the same seductive terms, but at the end of three months has not taken away a child. Those who are on. the spot have to exclaim, It is of the Lord !
God has set His seal npon the work. Many, from the" little ones" of six years to the aged woman of ninety-two, having received the truth, have died rejoicing in Jesus. To Him be all the praise.
This ~ission is now passing through great trial in common with other mission schools in Spain and various parts of the world. The expenses of these have been met by the honored and now aged servant of Christ, Mr. Miiller, of Bristol, and his son-in-law, Mr. James Wright, from the funds intrusted to them, who this last autumn were obliged to retire from the responsibility of supporting these schools on account of lack of funds; but they are as prayerfully interested as ever, and hope that other means may be available for their being carried on ; and Mr. and Mrs. Fenn, while daily laying the matter before God in prayer, arc making it known, that it may be laid on the hearts of God's people to care for this branch of their mission, the sum required being about £50 per month in addition ~o the children's fees. They are also under notice to leave their principal premises (the Glorieta), which they have used for more th~n eighteen years for public services and three schools. These have long been inadequate to the need. There being no others, they are obliged to contemplate building. The whole cost of this is estimated at £4000 for very plain buildings. Toward this there is in hand or promised £223, and the offer of £500 if £2500 more can be raised immediately. Five other such sums would be sufficient for this. The time is short, but the Lord can provide not only the £3000, but the whole by that time; if not given, however, Mr. and Mrs. Fenn will still wait upon God for the money. Will not the Lord's people in America covet the opportunity of helping this purely undenominational mission in the heart of Roman Catholic Sp@in ~ Every year at a certain church in Spain the priest used to exhibit a hair of the Virgin Mary. An Englishman, not being able to see the hair, went elose up to the padre, but being still unable to see it, told the priest that he could see nothing. " Why," said his reverence, "I have been showing this hail' for twenty years, and I have never yr,t seen it myself !"
Q80 A NEW MOVEMi:NT AMONG THE STUDBNTS OF THE OLD WORLD
ANEW MOVEMENT AMO~G THE STUDENTS OF THE OLD . WORLD.
BY LUTHER D. WISHARD, NEW YORK CITY.
The Year Book of 1893 of the International Committee of the Young Men's Christian Associations of North America reports one hundred and eighty-five associations composed of the young men of the country, distributed as follows throughout fourteen foreign mission lands: North America. Europe. Asia. Africa.
Mexico 1 Bulgaria 1 Japan 29 West Central 1 Haw8M 2 European Turkey 3 China 7 Madagascar 2 India 79 Ceylon 22 Syria 7 Persia 2 Russia 5 Asiatic Turkey 24 1 4 175 3 2 The existence of these one hundred aud eighty-five bands of young men II whose hearts God has touched" is especially significant when it is known that the vanguard of this Oriental contingent of the world-wide army is composed of forty-five bands of students connected with eleven government and thirty-four Christian colleges. The fact that this new move. ment in the Far East is headed by educated Christian young men is a strong guarantee of its permanence and power. Inasmuch as the character of the movement is to be determined by the student body, and its firstfruits have appeared mainly among this class, the writer will confine himself almost entirely to a discussion of this one department of the movement.
1. The nature if the movement is the same which characterizes the American College Young Men's Christian Association, and can best be lUdicated by a brief statement of the purpose, methods, and results of the Association in America.
1. The American College Association aims to lead every student to discharge a threefold Christian obligation: first, to his fellow-students, second, to his country, and third, to his world.
2. The following methods are employed in the promotion of this threefold service : To provide for the discharge of the first of these obligations-tht is, the cultivation of the field for Christian work inside of the college among the student body, the Association conducts prayer-m4:letings, Bible classes, and evangelistic services, and organizes a thorough system of individual work.
To promote the students' Christian work outside of the college, the Association maintains meetings in misHion chapels, district'schoolhousesl almshouses, jails, hospitals, etc. Evangelistic tours are also made in some States during winter and summer vacations, and the Gospel is brought to the attention of multitudes of young men in villages :lnd county communi- ties which are rarely visited by prominent evangelists. A movement is also in progress to urge the claims of the ministry upon strong college men.
One of the most marked features of the college association is its foreign missionary department, the vigorous conduct of which brings the student face to face with the solemn question of his duty to the world. Meetings are held to study the great mission fields and the problems of missions, and to pray for the speedy fulfilment of the last great command of Christ.
To stimulate the four hundred and fifty-five associations in the prosecution of these imp.ortant lines .of w.ork there exists an intercollegiate .organization, which maintains a system of supervision and co-.operation consisting of visitation by undergraduates and secretaries of the international and state committees, conferences and c.onventions, correspondence and publication.
3. The results already achieved since the intercollegiate movement was formed in 1877 must be briefly stated. Fully twenty thousand students are reported as having confessed Christ as their Saviour. A multitude of educated men numbering tens of thousands has been trained for leadership am.ong the laity.of the Church. Many hundreds .of men are rep.orted as having devoted their lives t.o the ministry. The greatest f.oreign missionary revival since the first century, commonly kn.own as the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missio'us, was c.onceived, born, and nourished by the College Young Men's Christian Association. Although but seven years have elapsed since this movement was born, .over six hundred students, whose names are upon its muster roll, have gone to the front under commission of the Church missionary boards.
The late Roswell D. Hitchcock, one .of the foremost American students of Church history, affirmed, " The omnipresence-I had alm.ost said the omnipotence-of the Young Men's Christian Association is the great fact in the religious life of our colleges." It was believed and asserted ten years ago that this movement is too vast in its possibilities for g.ood to be limited to any country or continent; but the leaders of the movement were too busily engaged with the problems relating to its pioneer stag~s in this country to give any time to its extension to other lands, and it is now considered an eminently wise and providential thing that no vigorous eff.orts were then made to propagate the idea abroad. To be sure, some little influence was exerted, but not enough to weaken the force of the point which is next made in reference to its introduction to the students of Asia.
II. The movement was spontaneous. Students in Jatina College, Ceylon, and Tungchou C.ollflge, near Peking, asked their teachers, Messrs.
F. K. Sanders and H. P. Beach. t.o aid them in forming Christian organizations in the institutions which would promote system, aggressiveness, and the thorough distribution of responsibiiity. The students of three government colleges in Tokyo, having heard from their Bible teacher, Mr. J. T. Swift, that there are Christian organizations in American colleges, requested his help in forming them there. Incidents might be multiplied to illustrate the uniformity of movement which always has and ever will characterize the work of the Omuipresent Spirit throughout the universal Church.
III. The call for the movement by the missionaries. They were the first instruments used in planting the association in Asia, and their part in its exteusion has been fundamental. Calls to the International Committee for men to organize and direct the work have been issued by the missionaries of Tokyo, Peking, Shanghai, Ceylon, Madras, Calcutta, Allahabad, and Asiatic Turkey. The writer is not aware of any question of foreign missionary policy which has attracted as wide international and interdenominational interest, and commanded such universal sympathy and assent, as has been awakened in connection with this matter. It is doubtful whether any call from the mission fields has ever represented heartier union on the part of so many missionaries of so many denominations in so many lands.
IV. The indorsement of the movement by secretaries of church missionary boards. Wherever counsel has been taken with these home leaders of the Church's foreign work, and it has been taken very widely, the idea has b@en warmly approved.
V. Tour of investigation. The spontaneous beginning of the work, the call from missionaries, and the indorsement by board secretaries were recognized as strong guarantees of the feasibility of the movement; but it was felt that something additional was needed to impart confidenee to those who should be asked to go and also those who should be asked to support the work. It appeared that nothing short of a tour of investigation would insure this confidence. Accordingly, under instructions from the Central International Committee of Associations in all lands, the writer, accompanied by his wife, set out upon this tour in March, 1888. Forty-five months were consumed in the tour, distributed as follows: Japan, nine months; China, six; Siam and Burmah, three weeks; Ceylon, two months; India, six; Arabia, three weeks; Egypt, three; Syria, two and a half months; Persia, five weeks; Turkey, three months. Over ten months were also spent in Europe studying the question of the adaptability of the movement to the universities, and trying to awaken the interest of Young Men's Christian Associations in the foreign work.
During the thirty-one months spent in Asia, two hundred and eight mission stations were visited.
The writer personally met at least nine hundred and sixty missionaries, representing twenty-nine denominational and fourteen undenominational boards and six independent mission,;. At least three hundred additional missionaries were met in a public way and addressed in regard to the pro- posed new movement. Business men and government officials, foreign and native, were also conferred with. The subject was also discussed publicly and individually with many thousands -of students, Christian and non- Christian, and with multitudes of native pastors and church-members, prin- cipally young men. The writer makes these statements somewhat fuJI in order that the friends of the movement and all others may know that no pains were spared to get at the exact facts regarding the present state of the new Church in Asia, and the ripeness of the time for the organization of this new department of Christian enterprise.
VI. Conditions which constitute a call for the movement. Several facts characterize the student world of Asia which constitute a call for the Young Men's Christian Association, and insure for it a wide field of usefulness and-may we not hope ~-a large success. These fan±.q are merely stated now for discussion in subsequent numbers.
1. The student class constitutes a very large and rapidly increasing element in the population. India has over a hundred colleges, and Japan over two hundred high-grade institutions. It is difficult to obtain exact statistics, but one hundred thousand is a conservative estimate of the number of students in schools of high grade which present a field for the very best energies of the Association.
2. These men are rapidly abandoning their old religious faiths, but Western systems of education alone are not Christianizing them.
3. They are becoming deeply interested in the problems of self-government, and are disposed to seriously consider the part which Christianity has played among the self-governing people of the West.
4. They are kindly disposed toward Western students. The latter h.we given them their highly prized educational system, and they are not unwilling to hear what we have to say concerning the religion whose stronghold is our colleges.
5. They are so disgusted to find that their fathers were deceived by false systems of so-called supernaturalism that they are liable to completely recoil from all supernaturalism. Materialism is setting iu upon them from the West like a flood. They will not wait upon the slow pace at which the Church has approached them in the past. They will make an irrevocable decision soon. It is now or never for the educated young men of Asia; and as for the masses of the people, we tremble when we think that, as go the universities of Asia, so goes Asia.
6. The homogeneousness of the student world is a fact of deep significance. Oriental and occideutal students are more alike than unlike. This is largely accounted for by the fact that the present educational system of the Orient was established and is still in many quarters directed by Western educators. Social and religious movements may, therefore, be expect. ed to extend rapidly from the students of the Vest to thoRe of the East. What greater benefit can we confer npon the stndents of non-Christian
ti84 EDt1CA'rloN AND
lands than the College Young Men's Christian Association, with its comprehensive pnrpose, its well-tried methods, and abundant results? What greater service can we render the people of those lands than to fire the hearts of their stndents with the missionary idea, which is the crowning characteristic of the Association? The missionaries believe that when these men are fnlly charged with this spirit they will accomplish more in the evangelization of their people in a decade than foreigners can do in a century.
EDUCATION AND MISSIONS.
BY A. J. GORDON, D.D.
A text for a very extended and very impressive sermon is certainly to be fonnd in the following statement made before the recent Decennial Conference in India by Rev. Maurice Phillips, of the London Missionary Society. Mr. Phillips is reported as saying: " The only organized opposition which Ohristianity has yet had to meet has been from the efforts of the Hindu graduates of our universities. " Ve do not, in this article, propose to furnish an exhaustive sermon upon this text, but rather to furnish the framework and setting for the testimony of others who, from personal experience and a thorough mastery of the facts, are amply qualified to speak.
The notion that "the heathen mnst go through some propredentic dispensation of civilization to prepare them for the Gospel" seems to be inveterate, and only to be cnred by the teaching of dearly bought experience. Civilization to pioneer the way for Christianity and education to introduce Christianity or to confirm it when once received-this seems to be the conception which has possessed the minds of many of the most eminent missionary founders.
As to the first, certainly the Gospel nowhere intimates that God has anointed civilization to be the John the Baptist of Christianity, to prepare its way, and to make the people ~eady for its coming. Evermore does the Gospel hold its place as the root and not the fruit, as the origin and not the issue of human culture. Master missionaries, like Hans Egede and Samuel Marsden, have gone to their fields with the dictnm on their lips, "Civilization must work in preparation for conversion;" but their own experience has proved the fallacy of their doctrine, so that the latter of these, after twenty years of hard trial, inverted his doctrine and wrote, " It will always be found that civilization follows Christianity rather than conversely."* Indeed we are dealing here with an old and persistent error-the error which in its application to missionary policy Pastor Halms charact~rized as " a yoking of the horses behind the wagon." t Legalism says, " Do that you may live." The Gospel says, "Live that you may do." Human wisdom says, "Educate men that they may regenerate .. u Mi8~ion~ and Culture," ~ameck, pp. 232,~. t Ibid., p. 253•
EDUCATION AND MISSIONS
society." Divine wisdom says, " Regenerate men that they may educate society." The most disastrous heresies have sprung evermorcfrom inverting God's order and putting that as last or secondary which He has made first and primary.
'Ve ought to bear in mind that even the primitive order in reaching men-the lowly and the illiterate first-has never been successfully reversed; however, some have tried to do so. "Christ did not choose orators to catch fishcrmcn, but fishermen to catch orators," says Augustine. Perhaps we think that our Lord acted thus bccause Hc could not do any better, and that we who live in these times of high culture, with all the machinery for making orators in full operation, may wisely change the plan. Certainly the stress laid on elaborate education in connection with missions, and the demand for preachers who shall be able to deal with " the subtle and metaphysical Brahman," seems to hint at a proposed revision of the apostolic method-a working from above downward and a catching of high-caste fish by highly cultured orators.
Now, the Divine way is the right way, and it is the same from the beginning to the end. An intelligent student of the Bible can easily discover God's plan for evangelizing the world if he will observe the teaching of the Gospels and the epistles, and mark the practice of the Church as seen in the Acts of the Apostles. But would the reader be glad to know the teaching of missionary history on this point ~ This would certainly be instructive; and the thorough work of Dr. Gustav Warneck, of Germany, " Modern Missions and Culture," has exhibited this so exhaustively and so impartially as to leave little to be desired. This author is not an extremist; he treats the subject with the utmost calmness and fairncss. Yet in summing up the results of his wide research in this whole field this is his conclusion : " We plant and promote civilization whcn we present the Gospel, and we make the nature· peoples human by making them Christians. Christianity is not the bloom, but the root; culture is not the root, but a bloom of Christianity. Apart from a few half-successful experiments, as, perhaps, those of the Raja Brooke in Sarawak, we look in vain, in the history of the ancient and the modern mission, for examples of the heathen being slowly prepared, to and through culture, for the acceptance of Christianity; while conversely there is no lack of examples that the systematic way through civilization to evangelization has been not only a circuitous but a wrong way."
Now, as to education in missions-That higher education, the study of the arts and sciences, constitutes any preparation for Christianity or gives any necessary bias toward the acceptance of the Gospel we cannot believe true. It certainly does not in America. Why should it in India? On the contrary, we know of thoughtful Christian fathers who cherish considerable dread as to what the university course may do in unsettling the faith of sons and daughters who already believe. For example, the study of . philosophy and biology, as now generally conducted, seems to be fraught with not a little peril to young students. This we have sometimes heard conceded even by experts in those departments. That eminent missionary founder, John Evangelist Gossner, who was also an accomplished university scholar, took perhaps an extreme view of this question when, in training his missionary students, he substituted the Scripture classics for the heathen classics, contending that Ovid and Homer could furnish no preparation for the understanding of Matthew and John; and when, on being presented with the writing-desk of Hegel as an interesting relic, he turned it into a kitchen-table, suggesting that it was likely to do higher service in its last than in its first estate.
But conceding much more as to the value of philosophy than the eccentric preacher did, it cannot be said to be the handmaid of faith. As experience shows, it is much more likely to prove a hindrance to faith-especially to a faith in that supernatural which lies so largely at the foundation of our holy religion. Well has Bishop Butler said: "The miracles are a satisfactory account of events of which no other satisfactory account can be given." And what is this satisfactory account ~ "They saw and believed" is the simple and artless language in which the acceptance of the miracle of the resurrection is recorded in the New Testament-reception by faith.
When philosophy comes forward to give its satisfactory account, it is quite likely to do so by denying the supernatural reality. "You should have heard a Hindu graduate of a missionary school discoursing on the story of the miraculous conception of our Lord," said one to us who was reporting what he overheard in an Indian railway. This Hindu's satisfactory account of the miracle was that Jesus Christ was of illegitimate birth; and the missionary school which had taught him this divine story had for years been whetting his intellect for a keener philosophical refutation of it, which he was now circulating in a tract, accompanying its distribution with an oral exposition. A quaint old divine justifies God's ways in affiiction by telling us that" the Lord sometimes sharpens his saints on the devil's grindstone ;" but we ought to see to it that the devil does not sharpen his instruments on the Lord's grind~tone, using teachers paid by missionary money to turn the crank. In a word, why should missionary societies spend their funds in training heathen to resist that faith which . they have been organized to propagate? Certainly here is a practical inquiry. If venerable educators iu India and Japan think that we are not qualified to dogmatize on this point they will at least permit us to ask this question : How do our marching orders read ~ The great commission under which we act contains two significant words, "disciple" and " teaching. " The one is imperative and primary; the other is participial and secondary. Each is followed by 7TaVTa, "all." The first all is un- Iimited-" all nations." The second all is limited-" all t1-:!ings whatsoever I have commanded you. " No missionary is in danger of getting beyond the bounds of his preaching commission, for that is unbounded; but one may get beyond the bounds of his teaching commission, for that covers only the commands and doctrines of Christ. Philosophy, biology, mathe- matics, and physics-we know not how to include these under the specifi- cation of the great commission, and therefore we know no reason why missionary agents should be employed to teach these sciences. It no doubt sonnds petty and narrow to say this, yet a return to the simple terms of the original commission has often been found to work wonders. To drop all secular teaching and to turn the whole forcc of missionary men and missionary resources upon the direct work of evangelizing the heathen would constitute an immense rcvolution in present methods. And what if flome impartial historian, reviewing the whole field of present operations, should repeat Dr. Warneck's verdict with the variation of a single word, and tell us that" the systematic way through education to evangelization has proved not only a circuitous but a wrong way."
But is the Rtatement of Mr. Phillips, which constitutes the text of this article, borne out by the facts ~ In order to present the opinion of one eompetent to judge of the question, we transcribe an interview just held. with Rev. Willia~ Powell, of Nursaravapetta, India, for many years a devoted and successful missionary among the Telugus : " Mr. Powell, you have seen the statement of Rev. Maurice Phillips with reference to the opposition of the edncated Hindus to the Gospel. What do you say of it ~"
" I perfectly agree with it. Of course there is other opposition-notably that of the priests; but I concur that the strongest organized opposition which we have to encounter comes from Brahmans who are being or have been educated in our Christian high schools and colleges."
" Can you give examples of such opposition ~" "Yes; while preaching at Madras, one evening in November, 1889, I was interrupted by a band of students from the Christian college of that city, who flung quotations from Bradlaugh and other infidels into my face, to the effect that Christianity is a fraud and Christians deceivers. After striving in vain to persuade them to desist, I was obliged to call in the police to prevent their breaking up the meeting." " Is it common for students in the mission colleges to express such opposition ~" " Yes; not long ago six graduates of the Christian college at Madras, on receiving their degrlles and taking leave of the principal, made public exhibition of their contempt of Christianity by tearing up their Ncw Testaments and trampling them under their feet." " And yet these students had been educated at the partial expense of the mission which maintains the college, had they ~" " Yes; they receive special consideration in reduced tuition, paying only about half what they would have to pay in the Government colleges. Therefore they arc virtually aided by Christian funds in getting their education." " Do.you believe that education in India is contributing largely to the conversion of the heathen ~" " I do not. It is enough to say that in some Christian colleges there is not known to have been a single conversion for more than twenty years." " Do you think that higher education in any way predisposes the hearts of the heathen toward Christianity?"
" Most decidedly not. It rather fills them with pride and conceit, and, as a consequence, with hatred and contempt of the Gospel. I have found that the same boys who have listened eagerly and respectfully as I have spoken to them in their villages, after being two year;; in a Christian school have hooted me as I have been preaching, and done their best to prevent the people from listening to me."
"Do you think that native preachers need to be highly educated in order to cope in argnment with ' the snbtle, metaphysical Brahman? ' "
" By no means. I have one preacher, Rev. Knndla Subbiah, who was formerly a cowboy. He has been educated in our theological school, with a good grounding in the common branches and thorough biblical training. He is one of our most powerful preachers, and can gather hundreds at any time to listen to him. I have frequeutly heard him close in with learned Brahmans who have interrupted his preaching and so completely worst them in argument that they have been driven from the field amid the derision of the spectators. But his success is due to the fact that he is ' mighty in the Scriptures,' and not at all that he is mighty in metaphysics."
" How far would you have missions go in the work of education ?" " I would confine education for the most part to Christians, making the Bible the primary and principal study. If, in order to meet the Government requirement, a school must devote five sixths of its time and attention to secular topics, I would prefer to forego Government aid and carryon the school independently."
What, then, shall we say to these things? This certainly, that the method outlined in our commission is the best method; preaching the Gos- pel first and educating in the doctrines of the Gospel secondly. Missions are not called upon to erect barriers to their own success by raising np a class of educated opponents to that gospel which they preach. In Boston the most scornful objectors to the simple evangelical faith are those who have been lifted above it by their lofty literary culture. To bring men of this class into submission to Christ is so rare an achievement that we are often led to exclaim inwardly: "How hardly shall they that have learning enter into the kingdom of heaven I" John Foster did not write without occasion his famous essay on " Objections of Men of Cultivated Taste to Evangelical Re- ligion. " Other kinds of religion may indeed win them-latitudinarian religion and ceremonial religion-but that religion which" casts down im- aginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,"
gains them only in the rarest instances. Such is onr experience at home, and why should it be different abroad? If one holds a true evangelical faith before beginning his career of high literary and philosophical study, he may, by the grace of God, hold it to the end. But the chances of gaining him to that faith after the mind has been thoroughly pre-empted by human philosophy are certainly lessened. Therefore to educate men in order to convert them, to promote high culture as a matriculation 10 a lowly faith in Christ, seems to us something worse than a mistake. All this we say thoughtfully, and wilh the profoundest appreciation of educa-
A ROJlIISH VIEW OF TilE BRITISH mDIAN GOVERNMENT
tion and of the exceeding value of high culture. Yet learning, like wealth, has such perils connected with its possession that the missionary is not called to embarrass his work by putting }t into the hands of those who have not yet the faith to sanctify it.
The following from the pen of a successful and experienced missionary in India, Rev. Dr. McLaurin, appears in the Lone Star, and is an admirable putting of the" Objections to E,ducation as an Evangelizing Agency:"
1. It is secularizing Chri.~tian missions. It spends many times more time, men, and money on merely secular than upon religious subjects. It makes missionaries satisfied with and apologists for indirect and intangible results, rather than direct conversion to Christ.
2. It tends to exalt intellect at the expense of heart in religion. The tendency is to confound mental force and training with spiritual power. The two may co-exist, but there is no necessary connection between them.
3. It tends to discourage work among the poor and in the mofu8sil. Though the work of the teaching missionary is more exacting than that of his itinerating brother, yet the regularity of his work, social advantages, the postal, telegraph, railway, and scores of other advantages to which the mofussilite is a stranger, makes the educational work very desirable to our ease-loving natures. It also fosters the idea of the greater importance of the conversion of the higher classes. which is contrary to God's plan.
4. The system tends to produce a class of missionary government apologists. The man who has an entree to Government House, who is in constant official connection with government, and who is dependent upon government and its officials for a large part of his funds, will be strongly tempted to at least keep quiet, if he does not become an open partisan, when government iniquities are under discussion. The action of leading educationists at the late Decennial is a case in point.
5. Besides, it assists the classes which least need help in India, and which in the past and now oppress God's poor and oppo,~e Christianity. We are hoping and praying for the day to come when all this money and talent will be expended in preaching the Gospel and training Christian workers.
A ROMISH VIEW OF THE BRITISH INDIAN GOVERNMENT.
BY REV. SAMUEL MATEER, TRAVANCORE, INDIA.
It is truly admirable to observe how the influence of Catholicism affected a king who was a pagan, but in right intentions a model for good kings. The following is the interesting biography of Rama Vurmah, Maharaja of Travancore, India: D. LUIS DE LLANDER, My DEAR SIR : To-day, when Europe finds itself in complete decay through prostituting the noble ethics which it acquired when submissive to hear the doctrine of the Holy Gospel-when those who guide the destinies of the nations dare to lead them to the apogee of progress and civilization, rejecting the mild yoke of the Divine teachingsto-day, when, in short, it is ignorantly asserted that the mission of Catholicism in Europc has quite ceased, I think it will be useful to devote a few lines to the memory of a pagan king whom we had the misfortune to lose on August 4th of the present year.
The events of his reign prove that Catholicism to-day, as ever, is the sole thing that can bring happiness to society, and that a kingdom will travel on the path of true progress in proportion as the influence of the Gospel ethics prevails in its legislation.
Rama Vurmah, late Maharaja of Travancore, was born in 1837. His education was entrusted to a Brahman named Madava Row, now the greatest statesman that India possesses. This distinguished man, whose praises Catholics, Protestants, and pagans vie in proelain1ing, publicly acknowledged that the people of India cannot raise themselves from the abject condition in .which they are found, unless they be governed according to the ethics taught by Jesus Christ and afterward diffused by the Roman Emperor. (So say the pagans to the Supreme Pontiff.) It is clear that although we could not promise the conversion of Rama Vurmah to Catholicism, we may hope thai Madava Row did instil into the heart of his pupil those convictions which he entertained regarding our holy religion.
In fact, Rama Vurmah had not yet ascended the throne when he made public the fruits of his education by giving to the press several essays, in which, with no less profundity than learning, he proved that a society cannot enjoy happiness without religion, and that no other religion to such an extent as that inculcated by Jesus Christ could bring national prosperity. He congratulated himself and gloried in affirming that the Catholic religion is a branch of paganism; he denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, but, perceiving the weakness of his own arguments, and unable to give an explanation of the great difficulties which he met with in unfolding his thesis, he ingenuously acknowledged that he only exprcssed his own views, thereby giving a glimpse of the fluctuating state and the right intentions of his mind, which compelled him to indicate the truth.
Perhaps even the feeble efforts of a missionary might have sufficed to enlighten him, but what think you, Sr. Llander! The English State policy has condemned these royal families to remain permanently enveloped in the darkness of paganism, prohibitiug every missionary to speak to them on religious topics. Not a book, though indifferent in itself, can we offer to the king without first subjecting it to a scrupulous examination by the English Resident. It is easy to perceive the designs of England in adopting these measures. The life that paganism imposes on a king, the usages and customs to which he must be subject, are a high hedge to prevent his being able to burst the oppressive yoke under which he finds himself. Well does England know that to secure her end she must not stop half-way even in usurping the most sacred rights of men, which are those bearing upon their final destiny.
In consequence Rama Vurmah, deprived of those means that might have brought him happin9ss, remained in paganism, and ascended the throne in 1880 on the death of his brother.
The caste of the Brahmans counts little after a moment's contemplation of the crown under which such lofty ideas of Catholicism were held. Many Brahmans, astrologers, and diviners sent messages to the Maharaja prophesying that his reign would be very short, but that he might enjoy long life if he would renounce the crown or permit them to return to the practice of the ancient usages which Madava Row had abolished. On one occasion the Maharaja solemnly gave answer to these messages in the following terms: "Life and death are in the hands of God j nothing will prevent me from carrying out my ideas and plans for the improvement of the country and to secure the peace, happiness, and contentment of my subjects. I live for my people."
Do you not seem, Sr. Llander, to be listening to those illustrious mon- archs whose warlike prowess and Christian virtues adorned the throne of our Spain, filled history with brilliant pages, and bequeathed to the fine arts inspiring episodes wherewith to exercise the muse or the pencil ~ Oh, that Rama Vurmah had, in imitation of our heroes, taken into his hands the Book dictated by the Supreme Intelligence, and thence learned to con- ceive great thoughts! Nothing would equal this, drawing abundant waters with joy from the well of the Saviour j the pitcher of explanation he had not, but his understanding was moistened, and producea rich fruits of morality.
With reference to his morals, I had better translate some paragraphs from the Catholic periodical, the (Jachin Argus, which says: " His Highness's charity was unbounded j he lived to do good secretly. What a difference between a pagan and those Catholics who march through the streets with drums and banners proclaiming themselves the saviors of such and such sufferers! No one knows how many poor and afflicted were generously succored by our Maharaja. Many widows and orphans, not merely in his own State, but elsewhere, were helped to comfort and happiness by him.
" Noone ever had recourse to petitioning him for help in the name of charity that was not succored. Never did he complain of daily receiving a multitude of memorials and petitions j on the cont;ary, he said that his chief plea:mre was to lighten the sufferings of his subjects, and on such occasions he would frequently exclaim, like Job, 'Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.' "
So continues the aforesaid periodical in four long columns' (which may be mentioned in passing as a proof that true Catholics are always loving and loyal subjects of their rightful sovereigns, though they be heathens). I omit the mnch good that the (Jachin Argus goes on to relate, but I cannot forbear from saying a few words respecting the purity of this pagan.
It should be remembered that the palaces of these kings are little seraglios, but from Rama Vurmah's accession no woman ever trod the palace except his own spouse. He never left the fort without taking her with himself.
European ladies who requested audience of him were mot admitted un- less they came accompanied by their husbands, and even in that case he never gave thcm his hand. He used to say that luxury was the venom that killed the greatness of the heart; that magnanimity and lust could lot exist together in one soul.
And yet one prince found himself deprived of all the honors aRd the right of succession to the throne for having given some scandal in this respect, with the severe threat that he might have to perish in a gloomy prison if he repeated the fault. What an example, Sr. Llander! Do the modern civilizers of the European nations walk in the path of such edifying conduct? How much it were to be desired! Then should be greatly relieved the anxieties and labors of the poor missionary, to whom frequently the heathen have recourse, showing him in those filthy periodicals which the European press offers us the scandals given by some who call themselves Catholics.
Rama Vurmah took for his counsellors and friends Lord Ripon, Viceroy of India, and Madava Row, his distinguished tutor. It is superfluous to say that under the influence of such eminent men Rama Vurmah's State made great progress in legislation and the administration of the public exchequer, and even in the suppression of some heathen customs, which e!!tablished between castes odious differences and disabilities.
When a calamity or epidemic came to distress the people of Travancore, then was known the love that Rama Vurmah professed for his subjects. Calling together in assembly all the principal traders, he exhorted them not to raise the price of rice (the principal food in India). If they would not assent to this, he ordered to import from abroad great quantities, which he sold on State account at current prices. In this way during his reign Travancore felt not scarcity, in spite of several bad harvests.
Rama Vurmah enjoyed the most perfect health, but soon after he had made the grant donation prescribed by the Vedas he commenced to decline. This gift consists in weighing the Maharaja against gold coins, afterward distributing these among the Brahmans. Shortly after he realized that his sickness was not natural. The Brahmans having received the splendid donation desired that it might soon again recur. In consequence he died in a short time throngh the violence of a cancer in the stomach.
The Maharaja having died, and the corpse having been recognized by the English Resident, cremation was conducted in the following manner: The bugles and drums spread the alarm in the environs of the palace. A steady fire was kept up by the iufantry for some minutes. Forty-eight guns were fired, corresponding to thc years of the Maharaja's age. At ten o'clock at night began the procession. The confusion could not have been greater. Thousands of women of the Nair caste, paid for the purpose, deafened the multitude with their terrible lamentations, and covered with cloths the road by which the body should pass.
An elephant caparisoned opened the procession ; the troops followed in order with the musical band, the palace attendants, the Maharaja's pipers, the successor to the throne carrying in his hand the torch to set fire to the pile, and lastly some officials, who bore on a rich palanquin of silver the body, covered with a most valuable cloth of gold.
The place where the cremation was conducted is a private precinct, situated in the private garden of the palace. There, between arches and branches of sandalwood, was fixed an iron frame, on which the body was laid, and everything profusely saturated with cocoanut oil.
The procession proceeded then to the garden, and into it entered the royal family, their priests, and some of the chief Brahmans. It was now midnight. After midnight three volleys announced that the successor to the throne had applied the torch to reduce his predecessor to ashes. The corpse was enveloped in a cloth of gold, and the arms and legs adorned with rings and collars of gold, with precious stones of immense value.
They stayed all night in the garden performing these ceremonies, during which the future Maharaja must continually stir up the fire.
During the following nine days the palanquin which had borne the royal remains was carried round the ashes to the sound of the pipes (certainly disagreeable), which was the appointed music, and liked by these kings.
On the last day the Maharaja, the chief priest, and assistants betook themselves with great pomp to the garden, turned up the heap of ashes, and then, with many ceremonies, purifications, fragrant ablutions, and fumigations the sovereign divided the ashes into three portions-one was deposited in a silver urn to be kept in the garden, and before which a lamp was always burning; another portion was placed in a silver cup and deposited in the palace till the new Maharaja should perform the sacred pilgrimage to Benares, where he should cast it into the Ganges; finally, the third, placed in a brass vessel, was consigned to a Brahman, who started immediately for Benares, and was absolutely bound to make the journey on foot.
After this ceremony the Brahmans divided among themselves the melted gold that was discovered among the ashes, and with this the whole ended.
-M. F., Apostolic Missionary. -Translated/rom the Golden Ant, Barcelona, February, 1886.
The remarkable paper, of which I have given a careful translation above, appeared in a Spanish illustrated periodical some years ago, written by a Roman Catholic missionary in Travancore. It supplies a striking illustration of the mischievous and distorted view taken of the English power in India, and of the fancied grasp of Romanism on the Hindus. The whole paper gives an utterly misleading account of the state of affairs in Travancore, and would be read with irritated surprise by those who understand the country. But without noticing numerous errors and misrepresentations of fact on minor points, such as the nonsense about the Maharaja's not shaking hands with English ladies, etc., a few remarks may suffice on three principal points.
First, as to the alleged leaning of the last Maharaja toward Romanism, no one well acquainted with him ever imagined such a thing. The idea is too absurd to be entertained by anyone who knew anything of him and his modes of thought. He was no doubt officially tolerant of Christianity, but equally hostile to all so far as they claimed to regulate life and faith. The Maharaja spoke strongly in favor of good morals and virtuous practice, and so far praised the ethics of Christianity while flatly declaring that he was not a Christian and did not accept the cardinal tenets of that faith. No such opinion as that Christianity alone could save and elevate India was ever expressed by him, and in one of his published letters he even hinted at the possibility of the lofty claims of Jesus Christ having arisen from a frenzied and disordered mind. While often using expressions that seemed to indicate much enlightenment and liberality of mind, he ever showed himself an earnest and devout Hindu. Both Sir Madava Rowand his former pupil, Rama Vurmah Maharaja, more likely had a strong dislike to Christianity. There is abundant evidence of this in various essays by the latter, and in the series of articles that Sir Madava Row published in the Madras Times under the name of a " Native Thinker." The Maharaja, especially, was held by Hinduism the faster the older he grew.
Again, observe the profession of regret that the Maharaja had not " taken into his hands the Book dictated by the Supreme Intelligence and thence learned," etc. How admirably this comes from the pen of a Romish priest, whose unchangeable characteristic is their withholding, as far as possible, the Bible from the people! It is certain that the Maharaja's library would contain copies of the Holy Scriptures which are able to make men wise unto salvation. His brother and predecessor received from the missionaries of the London Missionary Society, in 1860, a copy of the English Bible splendidly bound and in a costly case, which he afterward displayed to friends with much satisfaction. And copies of the same in the Tamil and Malayalam vernaculars are constantly bcing sold at a low price through the city and in the very precincts of the palace, not to speak of one of the royal family having himself condescended to offer a careful and scholarly opinion as to the style of the Malayalam in a revision of the New Testament now nearing completion, and of the occasional reading of the Scriptures by some of the royal ladies in company with an English lady, and such like.
Compare with this the melancholy fact that though Roman Catholic clergy have been for four hundred years on the Western Coast of India, Dot a single book of Holy Scripture has been translated and published by them in the Malayalam language, the mother tongue of the Maharaja. We give the natives the Bible freely and urge it upon their attention, while
1893.J THE PRESENT ASPECT O'F MISSIO'NS IN INDIA
RO'man CathO'lics practically withhO'ld it frO'm them. Yet this writer prO'- fesses to' regret its inaccessibility to' the Hindu king.
Finally, as to' the maliciO'us assertiO'ns that the English state PO'licy cO'ndemns these rO'yal families to' remain in the darkness O'f heathenism in O'rder to' prevent their bursting the O'ppressive yO'ke, and that no religiO'us cO'nversatiO'n can be engaged in O'r bO'O'k O'ffered to' the Maharaja withO'ut the sanctiO'n O'f the British Resident, there is nO't a wO'rd O'f truth in them. In the life O'f the missiO'nary Dr. Leitch, published many years agO', we read an account O'f a religiO'us cO'nversation with the then Rajah j and a shO'rt time befO're the Spanish article appeared I had the hO'nor to' O'ffer, O'n behalf O'f the Bible SO'ciety, to' the present Maharaja a handsO'me English Bible, which was most graciously received, withO'ut any reference to the British Resident O'n either Ride. I have seen bO'th the Resident and the First Prince present as vO'luntary hearers, with O'ther English and native friends, in the missiO'n reading-rO'O'm O'n the O'ccasiO'n O'f a free distributiO'n O'f Scriptures to' students O'f the Madras University, when an address O'n the Bible 3nd its claims was delivered by my sO'n, and GO'spel SO'IDS were sung by anO'ther evangelist.
Such misrepresentatiO'ns may depreciate the gO'Dd name Df the British and exalt RO'manism amDng the ignDrant pDRulation of Spain, but cannDt gO' far with thO'se whO' understand the true PO'sitiDn O'f affairs in TravanCDre.
THE PRESENT ASPECT OF MISSIONS IN INDIA.-I1.
BY JAMES KENNEDY. HAMPSTEAD, LO'NDO'N, ENGLAND.
Character and cO'nduct cannO't fail to' be deeply affected by the disintegrating prO'cess thrO'ugh which many yO'uths in schO'O'ls and cO'lleges are passing. That we may estimate it rightly, and regard with ~ympathetic feeling thO'se whO' are subject to' it, we must try to' thrO'w O'urselves, as far as PO'ssible, intO' their pDsitiDn. YO'ung men the wO'rld O'ver, when intrO'- duced to' a new wDrld O'f fact and O'piniO'n, with a vista Dpening the way to' grand realms O'f knDwledge, in their fancied enlightenment and freedO'm are in danger Df rashly discarding established views and ways, as having O'nly traditiO'n in their favO'r, and O'f embracing new views they deem mO're wO'rthy O'f the intellectual height they have attained. HDW O'ften in Christian lands, nO'twithstanding parental influence and careful instructiO'n, have yO'ung men embraced daring and destructive speculatiDns, which have had flashy and Dne-sided arguments fDr their suppO'rt! The yDung men O'f India are as bright in intellect and as cDnfident in their O'Wn judgment as thO'se O'f O'ther lands. They knDW nDthing O'f the influences under which yO'ung men in Christian cDuntries have been brO'ught up, especially in thO'rO'ughly Christian hO'mes, by which minds have been directed to' the highest gO'O'd. They enter O'n a cO'urse which tends to' the undO'ing of the effect produced by their previous training. They cannO't take a step in Western knowledge without their faith in Hinduism being shaken. Finding their own religion baseless, it is natural for them to conclude all religion is baseless. Even when Christianity is taught, they have many questions to ask regarding God's government of the world, which no human mind can answer, and when not answered, they think themselves justified in coming to the conclusion that religion should be discarded as a subject of inquiry, as setting before the mind an insoluble problem.
It is undeniable that the actual, though not the proper tendency of Western knowledge is to turn away the ordinary Hindu mind from all religion. This tendency is encouraged or checked by the influences brought to bear upon young men in their education curriculum. With few exceptions, they have been taught in either government or missionary institutions. In education, as well as in evangelism, neutrality is the principle of the Indian Government. The very fact of religion being rigidly excluded from the school curriculum has an irreligious tendency, as it shuts out the subject which above every other affects the human mind, while no provision is made without to supply the defect. Consequently neutral professors and teachers cannot be found. Government teachers as a class may not be irreligious-we know some have been Christian menbut the fact is notorious that some in very influential positions are intensely anti-Christian, and it cannot be doubted that in school hours, and still more out of school hours, their influence has been most pernicious, fortifying minds against the reception of the Gospel.
The young men brought up in mission schools come under very different influences. Along with the usual branches of a liberal education, instruction from God's Word is daily imparted. The whole character and tone ')f the missionary teacher tends to draw pupils to the Saviour. Mission schools do much to stop the irreligious plague, but in the conduct of many EuroPilans, in the writings of Darwin, Spencer, Huxley, and men of that class, and in English papers and periodicals not infrequently saturated with sceptical notions, to which students have access, as well as in the general tone of English society in India, there is much to prevent the teaching and influence of the niission school from having its proper effect.
Many have entertained the hope that Brahmanism would supply the void created by the decadence of Hindu faith, some thinking that it gave in its theism all that man needs, and Christians regard it as a steppingstone to faith in Christ. Its enrolled adherents were never numerous, but its influence for a time was great. It gave prominence to a Supreme Being, who ought to be worshipped and served, but it gave no such views of His relation to man, and of man's to Him, as would transform the character and mould the life. It was too shadowy to give a resting-place to the human spirit. From time to time, from the earliest period, Hindu reformers have appeared, they have taken their tone from characteristics of their periodj they have gathered followers, but they have ended in going back to everything essential in their ancestral religion. Brahmanism is now thrown completely into the shade by the new and very zealous community called Aryans. They are the followers of a distinguished Mahratta Pundit, who found all ancient as well as modern knowledge in the Vedas, and went from city to city preaching with apostolic fervor the religion of the ancient Rishees. The Aryans differ from the Brahmanists in making little or nothing of intuition. They plant themselves firmly on the Vedas, and by the press, lectures, schools, and controversy in various forms, oral as well as written, are prosecuting their enterprise with all the fiery energy of youth. There is an Aryan Somaj in London. We learn from an account of its principles, by one of its members, it is a vague deism attached to ethics, which owe much more to the Bible than to the Vedas.
Aryanism has received a strong impulse from the newly born patriotism of the educated class. Patriotism in the Western sense of the word was utterly unknown in India till it came into Indian minds from Western books. The fashion of late has been to cultivate it carefully by praising up the ancient times, which shone with the brightest lustre, while the ancestors of the upstart English dwelt in densest ignorance. The leaders of this patriotic movement are indebted to the West well-nigh exclusively for their mental culture, and with their new powers they have discovered a mine of philosophical, religious, and literary wealth in their ancient writings, of which they had previously no conception. Their dream is to gather the nations and races of India into one grand nationality. With aU this patriotism their own vernaculars are shamefully neglected, and they are utterly unable to read the writings they praise so highly. A graduate of the Madras University says that of hundreds of graduates from the Tamil country, "there are not ten individuals who can write an ordinary Tamil letter without some sin against orthography." Hamilton and Mill are studied and criticised by a generation of Brahman youths (Hindu patriots), who have learned the names of Patanjali and Vyasa from Sinclair's" History of India." Notwithstanding this outburst of Vedic zeal, we may safely predict that Vedism will never again dominate the Hindu mind.
Amid all this flux of religious opinion in highly educated Indians, amid this confusion, one thing is certain, that over many religion has to a great extent lost its power. Not a few have lapsed into downright atheism. From every side, from natives and Europeans, thc complaint has come with increasing urgency that the absence of religious obligation has led to the sad relaxation of moral obligation. Remarkable expression was given to this opinion by Lord Dufferin a short time before his departure from India in an official minute. He condemned in the strongest terms the insubordination of educated Indian youth, their irreverence, their disregard to authority, and refusal to submit to discipline. The complaint was reechoed by Hindus and Mohammedans all over India. The Government system of education was largely blamed for this sad result. The only remedy Lord Dufferin could propose was more care in the appointment of teachers, and the introduction of a moral text-book. Many Hindus, notwithstand- ing their dread of proselytism, are so impressed by the superior moral influ- ence of mission schools, that they send their children to them in prefer- ence, and a remarkable resolution to the same effect was passed by a most influential representative assembly of Mohammedanism in 1889.
As both natives and Europeans have traced the deterioration of the educated youth to irreligion, as it is assumed that religion is the only firm basis for morals, the question arises, Among the various religions of India, what religion stands first in moral strength ~ All will acknowledge that Hindu writings often contain moral lessons, but morals are undermined, not supported by the pantheism, polytheism, and ritual of Hillduism.
Islam, too, has fatal defects. The more the Gospel is seen beside other systems, the more clearly will its incomparable excellence appear.
The charge of moral cowardice is frequently and strongly advanced against the educated class. They declaim against superstition, idolatry, and caste fetters, and yet conform to degrading rites. They denounce social wrongs, infant marriage, enforced widowhood, cruel treatment of widows, and female ignorance, confinement, and degradation, but the denunciation exhausts their strength and leaves no power for action. Their favorite work is the reform of government, which is eloquently advocated in papers, periodicals, and speeches, but they will not teach the reform of their own homes.
Sir Carver Petheran, Chief Justice of Bengal, in his capacity of Vice- Chancellor of the Calcutta University, acknowledges the remarkable prog- ress the English language is making, and the high intellectual eminence many of the students have attained. He refers to changes in food, dress, travelling, etc., but he maintains that "all these lie on the surface of Indian life, and the really importaut factors in the social system are com- paratively unaffected. They are the mere veneer of civilization."
There is no doubt In many of the educated an over-sensitiveness repel- lent to Europeans, and, on the other hand, there is often on their part a bluntness approaching to rudeness, and an air of superiority repellent to educated natives. They are at times, it cannot be doubted, treated with scant courtesy, to say nothing of kindness. We speak from some experi- ence when we say that they are as susceptible to kindly treatment and are as ready to repay it with love and gratitude as any human beings can be.
It always grieves us when we hear them denounced in contemptuous terms.
We can say with confidence that none treat them with so much kindness, and speak of them with so much consideration and sympathy as those who are imbued by the Gospel, from which so many of their number turn away.
We must not omit to mention here the many who come to England to complete their education, and fit themselves for professional life. Some time ago we saw a list of one hundred and sixty Indians, the greater number Hindus, a few Mohammedans and Parsees, and a few Christians study- ing in London, Oxford, Cambridge, and Edinburgh. Five or six of the number were accompanied by their wives. Hindus by the very fact of crossing" the Black Water" violate caste, and throughout their career in this country are every day acting in utter disregard of it. A few have submitted on their return to the disgusting ceremonies prescribed for puri- fication, but the greater number have quietly slipped back into their spcial groove, their caste brethren from fear of an open rupture declining to take action against them. This is mainly the case in the great cities. Through- out. the country generally no such violation of caste is tolerated. It has been said that not one of these young men has become a follower of Christ while in England. We trust this is not true. We do know that while some have spoken highly of what the Gospel has done for our country, others on their return have said that Christianity is becoming effete among enlightened people in England. I am not aware that our Indian churches have received accessions from the students who have been for years in our land.
The question is often asked, What is the influence of these educated men on the masses ~ Is their knowledge filtering down into the ignorance in which the people around them are steeped ~ Are they leavening their countrymen with their new enlightened views? All we can say iu reply is that many of their brethren regard them as denationalized, going away from their ancestral ways, and uniting themselves to foreigners, as half Christians because half English. To these they are the object of repug- • nance, to which some of the purely native papers give strong expression. But the English star is in the ascendant in India. Never was the English prestige so high as it is now. Many look up to those who are educated in the English fashion, and arc ready to be powerfully influenced by them. If moral improvement had kept pace with intellectual progress they would be a great power for good. The few who have embraced the Gospel are among the choicest of our native converts. To them almost without ex- ception the gate of entrance has been strait indeed. They have undergone a terrible ordeal in pressing into the kingdom of God. They may have faults, but they are, as a class, doing admirable service.
Are the educated class likely to become the followers of Christ ~ Many are well acquainted with the Bible. It is more frequently quoted than any other book in native papers and periodicals. The irreligion, the downright atheism of many, is unnatural in the proper sense of that word, and there cannot fail to be in many a craving for satisfaction, which in intellectual attainment no earthly good can meet. There is no satisfactory resting- place in either Brahmanism or Aryanism. It is certain the educated class are not looking in the direction of Islam. There is much to prejudice them against the Gospel, and to keep them away from Christ. Our only hope is that touch of the Holy Spirit, which will give reality to the Divine knowledge they possess, will raise them to a new life, will fill them with spiritual power, and make them vessels fit for the Master's use. If these young men were converted in numbers, what a marvellous change in society might we expect by the Divine blessing!
The most notable fact during the last twenty years is the vast accession to the number professing to be the followers of Christ. In the decennial census, taken in 1881, this fact was strongly attested, the Government officer in charge of the census in the great and populous region of Bengal declaring that Christian converts are increasing far more rapidly than the adherents of any other religion. During the last decennial period, ending in 1891, the ratio of increase has been still greater, as attested by officials, who in their official character are beyond all suspicion of partiality. This increase is reported regarding widely separate regions of India-North, East, Central India, and South. The one feature of these thousands of adherents is that they belong to non-Hindus and low-caste Hindus, held in different degrees of contempt by high-caste people, who would not to save their lives take water from their vessel, who in the case of pariahs in the south cannot bear even their approach.
All these bear the name of Chri8tian. Can we regard them as Christians g Would that we could! Truth requires it to be understood that looking at them as a whole, they must be regarded simply as having come under Christian teaching and training. Many have been baptized, many are catechumens receiving instruction with a view to conversion, and admission into the Church. I have not the slightest doubt that a number, weak though they be, are bearing marks of the pit from which they have been taken, are in human judgment, so far as it can carry us, true followers of Christ. In several instances individuals of these classes have been first drawn to Christ. They have had to endure a great fight of affliction. They have endured no small degree of persecution from their own class, as well as from those of higher social position, and they have remained firm. Gradually their testimony and firmness have told on others, and when the tide has set in toward Christian profession it has carried in many, as is always the case with popular movements. Of those who thus declare themselves adherents, all we can say is that their steps are in- the right direction. In times of scarcity and famine there is danger of a rush into the church from the hope of relief and support.
It is surely cause for deep thankfulness that so many from down·trodden classes are brought under Christian influence, and not a few to belief in Christ. To the poor from the beginning the Gospel has been preached, and from age to age Christ has been making the poor rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom.
During the last ten years converts have been won from the high privileged classes, but these have been very few compared with the thousands drawn from those who are low in the social, and, in the Hindu sense, the religious scale. In almost every instance the struggle has been so severe, the obstacles so formidable, that to Divine grace alone the victory must be traced. These new converts, added to those who had previously avowed themselves the followers of Christ, form a very interesting and precious part of the Christian community. While sometimes showing unpleasantly the effect of their training and position, they are as a class strong in the conviction that Christ is the Saviour of the world, and are bold in their avowal of supreme fealty to Him. Some time ago an interesting pamphlet was published by a Bengalese Christian, in reply to the statements of a high English official of agnostic views, in which he gives the names of native Christian deputy collectors, moonsiffs, doctors, and merchants in Bengal, men occupying a good social position and never ashamed of being known as the fonowers of Christ. Largely through this class native Christians have come to be recognized as a community entitled to stand alongside of other communities instead of being looked down upon with contempt and aversion. An increasing number are able and zealous preachers of the Gospel.
It is difficult and generally very unsatisfactory to give an impression of a community so large and varied as the native Christian community in India. All I can say is there is reason to believe they are growing in knowledge, character, and usefulness, as well as in number.
I have said nothing about medical missions, zenana missions, lady doctors as well as lady teachers, medical relief for Indian women, and similar subjects, regarding which much information is now diffused, and which must be taken into account if right views be reached regarding the present aspect of Indian missions.
Regarding the Government of India, all I will say is that, notwithstanding defects which can be easily exaggerated, in its just administration and its impartial treatment of all classes, it is in a very unconscious way a great educator of the natives of India. Commerce in many forms-indigoplanting, tea-planting, cotton and jute factories, railways, and all such movements-are carrying forward Indian society to a new position, and cannot fail to affect character. All these arc telling on the people, but they are, at best, subordinate to the one remedy for India's evils, the one uplifting, regenerating power, the Gospel of the grace of God.
The position of missionaries in Irrdia is very peculiar. Their purpose, their vocation, is to turn away the people from their ancestral religions to a religion hitherto unknown, from religions to which the vast majority cling to the present hour, and yet as a class they siand well with the people for high-minded conduct and kind and courteous bearing. This is shown by children sent to mission schools, and by other marks of confidence. Yet when baptisms or avowed intention to apply for baptism occur, there is a fierce outcry against them as the corruptors and deceivers of the young. Never had missionaries more encouragement than they have now, and never were they more urgently called to rise above clamors at home and abroad to Nehemiah's lofty bearing, "We are doing a great work, and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while we leave it and come down to you ~"
THE SEAMEN'S REST, 1rARSEfLLES, FRANCE
THE SEAMEN'S REST, MARSEILLES, FRANCE.
A most successful work is being carried on among the seamen in Mar- seilles, France, by Mr. Charles E. Faithfull and his fellow-workers. Their mission, the Seamen's Rest, has for its aim the spiritual and moral well- being of the 140,000 sailors of all nations who annually visit that port, irrespective of nationality or religious creed. To attain this the following among other means are used: (1) A bright, cheerful reading-room, where the Scriptures and good books in many languages and healthful amuse- ments are provided, all free. (2) The personal efforts of a devoted Ger- man-Swiss lady, who spends the best part of each day and every evening in the reading-room, seeking to point the men to Christ through the Scrip- tures. (3) Frequent gospel services in the evenings, principally in French and English, but, as occasion offers, in other languages. (4) A short ser- vice of song daily, mmally conducted in French and English, to which all are cordially invited. (5) As a rule, every sailor receives, on leaving the Rest, a bag containing a New Testament, hymn-book, a few tracts or illustrated papers, and besides, such little gifts as the efforts of lady friends enable us to give-e.g., a shirt, a pair of socks, a comforter, etc. (6) Daily visits to the quays, ships, and sailors' resorts by the port missionary, and occasionally services on board ships, distribution of portions of the Scriptures, and visits to the sick in hospita,l. (7) Following up, as far as possible, by correspondence, those who on leaving seem in any way impressed by the truths they may have heard during their stay on shore.
The followiug are a few notes from the diary of Mr. FaithfuII, and show the progress of the work : 1892, December 2d.-First magic lantern evening, a good number accepted our invitation, four different nationalities being represented j had an excellent opportunity of enforcing truths while explaining the slides.
4th.-Preached in English on board a Mexican man-of-war lying at La Seyne and again in the evening in Spanish j the latter service was particularly interesting, and the earnest attention to the message of salvation through " none other name" than Jesus was most cheering to witness. Praise God, for having sent an English commander to this vessel, and a Christian whose one desire is the salvation of his crew !
6th.-The first coffee-meeting this winter; between 30 and 40 spent the evening with us. After refreshments and several hymns, good words were addressed to them, and wholesome lessons drawn from a supposed visit to Switzerland by M. Cornu, the port missionary ; then I followed with a straight talk on the importance of accepting Christ now.
18th.-Again visited the Mexican man-of-war. The meeting in the morning was partly in English and partly in Spanish, in the evening entirely in the latter language; the commander's cabin was crammed to overflowing, and several were standing. The Lord the Spirit was present, and many seemed to be listening as if for their lives j at the close many said a hearty gracias (" thank you"), and expressed the wish that I would return. The Lord save these intelligent but sadly ignorant men. It is a mercy that at least one of the English sailors on board, and a petty officer, is a faithful and earnest Christian, so that these efforts will be followed up. 30th.-A French sailor called in, who I hope is a Christian. He showed me his card as member of the Lifeboat Crew, adding he had found salvation at the Cardiff Rest, and had also received blessing at the Con- stantinople one; so, fellow-workers, let us be of good cheer; we " shall reap if we faint not."
1893, January 7th.-Annual jete. Through the kindness of several friends a very pleasant evening was spent, principally with music and sing- ing, concluding with an appropriate and earnest address by one of the French pastors. Though it was eleven 0' clock before the gifts of woollen articles received from various kind friends were distributed, the sailors were loath to go. Many nationalities were represented, and all expressed themselves delighted with their gifts and with what they had heard ; each man received also a New Testament and an almanac.
February 17th.-Returned from my tour on the Riviera, having again proved my heavenly Father's care and faithfulness; though for various reasons the prospects were not so bright as usual, prayer has been answered, and more sympathy has flowed in than last year; this, with other indications, confirms me in the conviction that the Lord would have me go forward, and the first step in this direction will be to provide floating libraries for vessels plying regularly between this and other ports. The Pure Literature Society of Paris has kindly promised 50 volumes of soundly good reading as a first instalment; but as each box will cost about lOs., I can only begin with six, hoping to increase fourfold when more means and books are forthcoming. During my absence there has been another decided conversion-a German sailor. His history is most interesting, and the change so manifest that, though unable to converse with him, there was no doubt as to its reality. Among other evidences, his earnest endeavor at once to lead his companions to Christ was touchingly confirmatory.
24th.-Three Swedes came to say good-by, and were effusive in their thanks for all the good received. One in broken English made us understand he loved Jesus, and said, pointing upward, his eyes brimming with tears, ' , We meet again." Poor fellows ! one longs to go with them to help to cheer and encourage them; but they are in the best of keeping.
March 5th.-There were such a number to-night-French, English, Norwegian, Swedes, and one American-that I thought of a second meeting in English. At that moment two English ladies passing on to Tunis -one as a missionary-came in ; the difficulty was thus solved, and it pleased the Lord to meet with one Norwegian, who accepted Christ, and the American, a professing Christian, was greatly stirred.
During these last four months M. Cornu has continued his daily rounds with tracts, conversing with individuals, and has been much encouraged; without doubt the large increase in the· numbers, both in the readingrooms and at the meetings, is mainly due to his persevering efforts; 9399 visits have been paid to the Rest, divided, according to nationality, as follows: French, 7176 ; English or American, 448 ; Scandinavian, 549 ; Germans, 429 ; Belgians or Dutch, 177 ; Italians or Greeks, 217 : Spaniards or Portuguese, 238 ; Russians, 28 ; Swiss, 137.
I am thankful to say that our decrepit piano has recovered its youth by an outlay of £6, but the harmonium is still in prospect; £1 58. are in hand toward the £6 required for a small instrument, greatly needed when two meetings are held.
For all the mercies and help experienced and received we praise our God and thank all kind donors.
(Donations, etc., may be sent to Mr. Faithfull, 38 Quai du Port, Marseilles, France.)
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
n.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
.', :BDlTED AND CONDUCTED BY REV. J. T. GRAcxr, D.D.
International Missionary Union. Law, Syria; 1875. D. W. Learned, Ph.D., Japan; 1890, Rev. W. H. Lin· gle: China; 1890, Mrs. W. H. Lingle, TENTH ANNUAL SESSION. Chllla; 1868, Rev. W. E. Locke Bul- The tenth session of the unique insti- garia; 1868, Mrs. W. EL. uLndo,ckJe~' pBaunl'- garia; 1887. Miss H. tution known as the Iuternational Mis- sionary' Union convened in Clifton 1887, Miss E. M. Lyman, India; 1885'
Springs, N. Y., June 14th, and con- Rev. R. E. McAlpine, Japan; 1866: Rev. J. McCarthy, China; 1885 C. P. tinued in session till June 21st at noon. Merritt, M.D., China; 1872, Rev'. E. R.
The missionaries present during the Miller, Japan; 1869, Mrs. E. R. Miller week were as follows; Japan; 1857, Rev. C. R. Mills, D.D.' China; 1884. Mrs. C. R. Mills, China; 1882, Miss A. P. Atkinson, Japan; 1873-83, Rev. J. Mudge, D.D., India' 1888-92, Miss Bessie Babbitt, India; 1873-83, Mrs. J. Mudge, India; 1861: 1879-81, Rev. W. H. Belden, Bulgaria; Rev. R. H. Nassau. M.D.• D.D.• Afri- 1879-81, Mrs. W. H. Belden. Bulgaria; ca; 1861, Mrs. SN.icEh.olsN, eBwuto~n India' 1887-90, Rev. C. A.. Berger, Siam; 1888, 1879, Rev. C. A. ; 1879: Miss L. R. Black, Burma; 1887-91, Mrs. C. A. Nichols, Burma; 1872-89 Miss M. M. Bonnett, Japan; – – Rev. Rev. A. B. Norton, InInddiai;a;18188672M-i8s9~' Mrs. A. B. Norton, J. W. Brown, Africa; – – Miss V. 1.
Brown. China; 1882, Mrs. H. Burt, M. G. Nutting', Turkey; 1884-88: Miss Crow Indians; 1870, Miss C. E. Bush, A. Ottaway, Guatemala; 1874, Rev. E. Turkey; 1853-83, Mrs. A. Bushnell, G..l':hilIips, Assam; 1874, Mrs. E. G.
Africa; 1885, Miss M. E. Carleton, PhIllIps, Assam; 1882, F. D. PhiImey, M.D., China; 1884. Mrs. J. E. Case. Burma; 1890, Mrs. F. D. Phinney, Burma; 1881-86, Miss L. S. Cathcart, Burma; 1885, Rev. P. W. Pitcher, Micronesia; 1889, Mrs. E. G. Clemens, China; 1885, Mrs. P. W. Pitcher Paraguay; 1876, Mrs. L. G. Craver, China; 1879, Rev. T. P. Poate, Japan; Mexico; 1889-91, Rev. H. A. Cotton, 1886, Rev. W. Pow~l1, India; 1889, Africa; 1886-92, Miss T. Crosby, Mi- Mrs. W. Powell, IndIa; 1878-83 Miss cronesia; 1881-85, Samuel Cross, Siam; Mary Priest, Japan; 1882, &v. G. 1882-85, Mrs. L. L. Cross. Siam; 1878-79, Rev. C. W. CUShing, D.D., Reid, China; 1876, Rev. J. Saunby, Japan; 1876, Mrs. J. Saunby, Japan; Italy; 1869-70, Rev. J. A. Davis, – E. G. Smith, M.D., India; 1882, China; 1869-70, Mrs. J. A. Davis, Rev. G. B. Smyth, China; 1868-73, China; 181~807-65-48,4,ReMv.rsG. . 11'1. F. Davis C. C. Thayer, M.D., Turkey; 1868-73, India; Douglas, D.D.: West IndICs; 1877-90, Rev. A. Dows- Mrs. O. C. Thayer, Turkey; – – Rev.
ley, India, China; 1877-90, Mrs. A. H. W. White, China; 1880, Mrs. W.
Dowsley. India, China; 1873, Rev. White, C!Iina; 1877, H. T. Whitner., M.D., China; 1877, Mrs. H. T. Whit- P. Z. Easton, Persia; – – Miss M. P. ney, China; 1848-57, Rev. J. K. Wight Eddy. M.D.• Syria; 1884, Miss F. M. China; 1885, Miss F. E. Wight, China; English, India; 1887-89, Rev. William P. F. Ferguson, Mexico; 1887-92 Miss 1866, Rev. Mark Williams, China; 1882, M;. E. Files, Burma; 1838-42, Mrs: J. E. Miss C. G. Williamson, India; 1886, Miss S. A. Wintemute, China; 1836-86, FItch, Jamaica; 1863-69, Rev. A. Fol- Rev. G. W. Wood, D.D., Turkey; som, China; 1853-55, Mrs. O. M. Ford 1871-86, Mrs. I. Wood. Turkey; 1884-92, Africa; 118~7641,-6R8,evR. eAv.. Fuller, D.D.' MISS K. C. Woodhull, M.D., China; Turkey; J. T. Gracey: ~868-77, Rev. E. R. Young, D.D., lnu- D.D., IndIa; 1861-68, Mrs. J. T. lans Hudson's Bay. Gracey, India; – – Miss A. T. Graves China; 1871, Rev. O. H. Gulick'
Japan; 1871, Mrs. O. H. Gulick' SUMMARY.
Japan; 1837-77, Rev. C. Hamlin, D.D.' By Fields: India (including 2 in APr Turkey; 1884, Miss M. L Hammond' sam and 7 in Burma), 29; China, 26 ; Japan, 13; Siam,3; Turkey,8; Syria, Guatemala; 1872-76, Rev. J. H. Harp: 3; Persia, 1. Total for Asia, 83. Bulster, India; 1880, Miss J. Houston garia, 4; Italy, 1 ; Africa, 5; Mexico. 3 ; North American Iudians, 2 ; West Mexico; 1875, Rev. E. S. Hume, India: 1875, Mrs. E. S. Hume, India; 1872-76'
Miss M. Kipp, Syria; 1853-76, 1I'Irs: L. A. Knowlton, China i-Miss L. Iudies, 2; Guatemala, 2; Paraguay, 1 ; butions to special objects; and many Micronesia, 2. Total, 105. others.
BlI Societies,' American Board, 27; The reception, When all were pre- Presbyterians, North, 25, South, 4; sented to Dr. and Mrs. Foster on the Methodists, 22 (M. E. Church, 14; lawn, by the splendid tabernacle which Methodist Church of Canada, 6; Meth- Dr. Foster erected for these meetings in odist Protestant, 1; Wesleyan Method- 1892, was a delightful occasion.
ist, 1); Baptists, 13 (A. B. M. U., 12; The devotional meetings and the de- Canada Baptist, 1) ; Reformed Church, votional spirit throughout were far be- 6; Church of Scotland, 2: Lutheran, yond the ordinary plane. The sermon 1; Protestant Episcopal, 1; Italian by Rev. George Douglas, D.D.• Presi- Bible Society, 1 ; China Inland, 1 ; In- dent of the Methodist Theological Col- dependent, 2. Total, 105. Last year, lege at Montreal, will mark an era in 103. many a soul's life. Blind, and otherwise Returned mIssionaries, 98; under ap- physically disabled, he was admirably pointment, 7; years of service ren- fitted to discourse on "We glory in dered, 1159. tribulation," showing it to be the law The more formal and lecture-like fea- of physical development, the law of all tures of the session were the valuable noble achievement, the law of forma- paper of Rev. Cyrus Hamlin, D.D., on tion of noblest character, and the pledge the" Posture of the Moslem Mind tow- of divinest sympathy.
ard Christianity;" that of Dr. Nassau The farewell meeting to outgoing on " Bantu Superstitions," and another missionaries was a memorable occasion.
on "Improved Health Conditions for A few brief words were said by those Missionaries in West Africa;" that of anticipating returning to their fields be- Dr. Fuller, of Aintab College, on " In- fore the next annual meeting. They dustrial Education;" and that of Dr. were Rev. and Mrs. Phillips, of As- P. Z. Easton, on " Dervish Pantheism." sam; Dr. Nassau, of Africa; Rev. and Many other excellent papers were Mrs. Locke, of Bulgaria; Rev. and Mrs.
read. Nichols, of Burma; Rev. G. B. Smyth, The special sessions were one on Miss Dr. Woodhull, Miss Dr. Carleton, Woman's Work, conducted exclusively Rev. and Mrs. Pitcher, Dr. and Mrs.
by ladies; a Composite Language Whitney, Rev. Mark Williams, Rev.
study, comparing difficulties of acquisi- and Mrs. Lingle, Miss A. T. Graves, tion of languages; another on tradi- and Miss Vietta Brown, of China; Rev.
tions, myths, and usages found among and Mrs. Harpster, Rev. and Mrs. Pow- heathen, similar to or suggestive of ell, Rev. and Mrs. Hume, and Miss Scripture narratives and doctrines; a)ld English, of India; Miss Lund, Dr. and the stereopticon composite exhibition on Mrs. Learned, Rev. and Mrs. McAlpine, Saturday night, conducted by missiona- Rev. and Mrs. O. H. Gulick, Rev. and ries of many lands. Mrs. E. R. Miller, Rev. and Mrs. Saunby, The session presided over by Rev. of Japan; Mrs. L. G. CraverandMissJ.
James Mudge, D.D., devoted to home Houston, of Mexico; Miss C. E. Bush work for foreign missions, which oc- and Dr. Fuller, of Turkey; Rev. and cupied three hours, embraced such Mrs. Easton, of Persia; Miss M. L.
themes as the Missionary on ful'lough ; Law, of Syria.
What to do and What not to do; Is The munificent hospitality of Dr.
there more need for more men or more Foster, which has secured a headquar- money? How to procure suitable mis- ters and a home for this Union, is un- sionaries; What to say and how to matched, and his magnetic personality say it; Describe the most effective and spirituality pervaded all the atmos- missionary address you ever heard or phere throughout the whole week.
gave; Advisibility of soliciting contri- This sanitarium had as its basal thought benevolent medical aid to missionaries of Assam are of three classes-the Hinand ministers. The benefactions of the dus and the aboriginal tribes and imhouse reach at least $20,000 a year, and ported laborers of the plains and the the magnificent property, worth half a spirit-worshiping savages of the hills. million dollars, was donated by deed by Our most successful work is among the Dr. Foster to trustees for the benefit of two latter classes, and especially the missionaries and ministers. The build- Garas of the last class. They sought ing is being rebuilt, the new half being Christian instruction, and during the now in use-a splendid fireproof struc- thirty years intervening thousands have ture, perfect in all its appointments. been baptized, and now there are about Many hundreds of foreign missionaries 2500 communicants in the churches have been free patients in this esta1>lish- showing a good degree of self-support ment. and self – propagation. The work is going on with increasing momentum, Points from Addresses. and the prospect of the whole tribe becoming Christian in the near future We purpose giving some glimpses at very encouraging." . what was said in the meetings. We present just a few in this number. Dervish Pantheism.-Rev. P. Z. Eas- ton, D.D., of Tabriz, said: Persia, to- The Education of the BUnd in Ohina. day politically aud morally the mcre -At the Ladies'Meeting, Mrs. Charles shadow of the Persia of Cyrus and R. Mills, of Tung Chow, near Chefoo, Darius, of Sapor and Chosroes, is never- North China, represented the first or- theless more to be feared and dreaded ganized work for deaf mutes in the than they. Nothing in the legendary Empire of China. There are no statis- tales of Firdusi, nothing in the historitics giving the number of deaf mutes, cal narrative compares in seductivebut it must be large-a considerably ness and power with the influence of larger proportion probably than in the the dervish philosophical and religious United States. There is nothing done system, the only system which contests for their education. The school at with Christianity the entire field of reve- Tung Chow, which has had eleven lation, and claims to bring the creature pupils, is supported by the deaf in the here and now into such direct relations United States, and is undenominational. with the Creator that all veils shall be The object is not to estallish a large removed, all mysteries made manifest, institution, but to provide a place where and all difficulties overcome. Giving to native teachers may be trained. Con- its votaries a foretaste of the promised siderable school apparatus has been pro- blessings, it asks of them absolute and vided, including a valuable phonetic entire subjection to the murshid or chart covering the whole mandarin lan- leader, takes possession of them body guage as spoken in that region, the plan and soul, fills them with an unconquerof which could be applied to any dia- able enthusiasm, and hurls them against lect in the empire. This chart is based an unbelieving world. In our day one upon Professor Bell's-universal phonetic such leader stopped the progress of alphabet. A great deal of interest is Russia southward for thirty years; anmaniCested in the school by people in other rolled back the tide of British this country and by the native Chris- conquest in Africa; a third all but revotians in China, and it is hoped that it lutionized Persia. This system has will prove a means of furthering the taken root on our shores both as a phi- Gospel. It is now in charge of a native losophy and an institution, preaches in teacher who has worked with Mrs. our churches, lectures in our theologi- Mills from its establishment cal seminaries, talks in our prayer-meet- ings, undermines the faith, presents a The Hill Tribes of Assam.-Rev. E. G. rallying-point for materialism, infidel, Phillips, of Assam, said, .. The people ity, and all non-Christian systems, and ed to the common people, and so, owing paves the way for plunging Church, to the neglect of thc upper classes, we family, and State into tbe abyss of an- term it a special work, needing to be archy and destruction. performed by some one. No class sbould be neglected is our axiom. As Education in Japan.-Rev. Dwight to the methods, he pointed out the ob- W. Learned, of Japan, said: In Japan ject-Viz., three: the salvation of their the government provides primary edu- souls, thc teaching of knowledge and cation for all, and a complete system of truth, and the utilization of their greater higher schools and colleges for young influence for the benefit and salvation men; but yet Christian schools are of the masses. The way to do it is, first, needed (1) because young men from the tbrough medical work; second, educapublic higher schools almost never enter tional institutions; third, through literathe Christian ministry ; (2) in order to ture ; fourtb. through social calls, and train Christian men for positions of in· last through matters of business with fluence; (3) to show that Christianity is the officials. He noted that for seven not an outgrown superstition, fit only years he had been connected with this for the ignorant, but in harmony with line of work, meeting over a hundred all true service; (4) because Christian mandarins; he had met many signs of schools are a powerful means for lead· favor and friendliness. ing young people to Christ. Hence, while educational work is subordinate What a Hundred Dollars Will Do.- to direct evangelistic work, it is an cx- In illustration of what can be done with ceedingly important department of mis- a small amount of money, Rev. Mark sionary work. A few years ago numer- Williams, of Kalgan, China, explained ous schools were opened by Japanese what $100 will do in North China: 1. Christians, with which the missionaries It will maintain a boy's day school of had no connection except to do some twenty-five, as it will pay the rent of teaching of English. For a time they the room and salary of tbe teacher. 2. flourished and did most valuable Chris· It will maintain three boys in a boardtian work, but with a falling off of the ing-school. 3. It will pay the salary of desire to learn Englisb, they have de· two nati ve preachers. 4. It will pay clined in number, and probably few will the wages of two colporteurs, who not long survive The only institution for only sell, but explain the Bible. 5. It young men's education to which our will support a station class of twenty mission has given financial aid is the men, who spend all their time for three Doshisha College, in Kyoto, opened in months in Bible study. 1875 by Joseph Neesima, in co-operation with the mission. To found a Far Afield-The Outlook. Christian college in that centre of Bud· dhism was pronounced to be as difficult This Union appoints all its memoors as to move the neigbboring mountains abroad and on tbe field as an Outlook into the lake, but with God's help the Committee. A great many members of college has prospered and sent out this large committee reported to the Christian young men into all parts of meeting. We select at random a few the empire. specimens: The Higher Glasse8 in Ohina.-Rev. Zululand.-Rev. Charles W. Kilbon Gilbert Reid, of China, spoke on the wrote; "The annual meeting of the " Importance and methods of work for Zulu Mission is appointed earlier than the higber classes in China." He said: usual this year-June 16th-26th-so we As to its importance. this work is mere- shall be in-session here at Adams Misly a part of the whole work, and as far sion Station with our families at the as possible every work should be done. samc time, in part, that you are gath- Thus far most missionaries have preach- ered together at Clifton Springs. May the Lord's presence be manifested both ready begins to appear. I believe that' with you and with us. June 23d a many families will be brought into the party of four men, three ladies, and two Church by our little shining Christian children are to leave us to establish a children in these dark homes, and I mission in Gazaland, on the borders of should enjoy telling you of bright cases Mashonaland. I solicit for them and illustrating this remark. The outlook the new work your prayers." is most cheering, and I shall be eager to get back to India next October for Oltinese ]IRssion in IIawaii.-Rev. many years of work, I hope, in behalf Frank ·W. Damon wrote: " We have of her children and youth. The meet- .been at home in our work now just a ings in Egypt, Palestine, and on the little over a year, and it has been a·year continent have been full of good cheer, rich in God's blessing. Our work is in and my forty-five days in Great Britain some respects in an encouraging condi- very encouraging indeed. I look for tion, and we have much to cheer and much good from this tour in the way of inspire us. Our little island group has voluuteers for all our India missions." been passing through a period of much political excitement and unrest, but I A Greeting.-Rev. T. J. Scott, D.D., am grateful to say that it has not hin- Principal Theological Seminary, Bareil· dered the progress of our work. " ly, India, wrote: "As the time for our annual meeting comes round I think of The Sunday-School Union oj India.- your assembly, and am with you in Rev. J. L. Phillips, M.D., Correspond- spirit. I very much like this idea of ing Secretary, wrote: "Could I be with an International Missionary Union. you at Clifton I should like to testify of This I believe is the only instance where God's marvellous mercy and rich bless- missionaries of all {',hurches in Proting bestowed on me and my work for estantism meet annually for sympathy, the little ones of my dear India. In the fellowship, and counsel. You form a twenty-seven months I had in India great missionary nerve -centre, from this time, I was almost always "on to?lr," which cords of sympathy stretch to all and travelled nearly 35,000 miles, all over the missionary world. I am glad there the broad field, including both Burma is one spot where we have an annual and Ceylon. Sunday-school unions aux- missionary congress. I trust you may iliary to our India Sunday-school union never fail to do and say many practical have now been organized in Bengal, things that may stimulate better work Bombay, Punjab, Madras, Rajputana, for missions both at home and abroad. Burma, Central Provinces, Northwest One grand thought should always Provinces and Oudh, and Ceylon. In stimulate us-we live in a wonderful our report to the World's Sunday-School missionary period. Deputations are Convention, to which I am going (at St. passing round the world hunting the Louis, ~'lo.), we represent in this broad lone places still untouched by mission field of all India and Ceylon 5548 Sun- work. Soon a thousand millions of day-schools, with 10,715 Sunday-school pagan and Moslem souls will be under teachers and 197,754 Sunday-school the blaze of the Gospel! In the third pupils; hence we have great reason to century the 120,000,000 of pagan Rome thank God, and rejoicing, take courage were being reached everywhere by the for future work. In some missions the Gospel. Much more than twice this number of Sunday-schools has doubled number are within the sound of the and at some stations more than trebled Gospel trumpet to-day in India alone. during the past three years. Best of What a great work at home to bring all, one hundred of our Sunday-school the Church to a knowledge of its opporpupils have been converted· the past tunity and to a sense of its duty! I year, and some of these young disciples think your Union should work steadily have begun work for Christ with real to this point sf; something definite. zeal and enthusiasm, and the fruit al· Surely the Church, with full knowl- low-Christians by the Turkish Govern- edge of its opportunity, would feel a ment in the region of Marsovan and other places, while all Roman Catholic sense of its duty to the race-' the Gos- missions and missionaries are undispel to every creature.' " turbed, Therefore, Resolved, That we ask our Government to secure to the imperilled Governments and Missions-Resolutions. American missionaries in Turkey" the Ohinese ExclWJion. Tights and privileges of the most favored nations," constructively accorded them ~ Whereas, The United States for over by treaty. fifty years has maintained treaty rela- Resolved, 2. That we ask the attention tions with China, guaranteeing protec- of our Government to the well-known tion to American citizens in China es- fact that Christian testimony is of no tablishing full toleration from the Chi- value before Mohammedan judges, and nese Government for the Christian that in all important cases the most acreligion, and regulating American com- ceptable testimony of every kind, writmercial relations with the people of that ten and verbal, can be obtained for country, money by the powerful party.
And Whereas, Both the Scott Bill of Resolved, 3. That we petition our 1888 and the Geary Bill of 1892 have Government to' unite with other Protglaringly violated the different treaties estant Christian governments to secure of 1842, 1860, 1868, and 1880, first by the safety of the Christian subjects of forbidding Chinese laborers viSiting the Porte in Asia Minor. their native land to return to this, contrary to the express stipulations of the Persecutions in the Cm'oline I8lands. treaty of 1880, and secondly by enacting a variety of restrictions and penalties for Whereas, The American Board Misthe Chinese already residing within the sion has spent forty years in the attempt territory of the United States, contrary to civilize and Christianize the natives to the treaty of 1880, which expre~sly of the Caroline Islands, and has met states that all Chinese iu the United with great success in the prosecution of States I!!hall be subject to the same fa- its work; and vors, privileges, exemptions, and im. munities accorded to the most favored Whereas, Six years ago the Spanish nation. Government, on taking posseSSIOn of the islands, entered upon a systematic Therefore,Resolved,1. That this Union persecution of the missionaries and the desires to place on record its strong pro· native Christians, and obstructed by arbiastation to the policy of breaking a na- 1irary and brutal measures the progress tional contract, and also to the unjust of their peaceful and humane work; and unfriendly features in the laws now and aInndfoerscpeerceigalalrydcionngcCehrnininegsetihmomseigCrhaitnieosn~ who are already resident in the United WIMl'eas, The officials of said govern- States. ment have deprived the missionaries of their rights as American citizens; rights Resolved, 2. That this Union would which, accordillg to the great principle most respectfully petiti<-u the Execu- enunciated by Webster, they are entitled tive and Legislature of the nation to reo to in common with all others of their felpeal the present law, and enact such a low – countrymen, have driven them new law as will either harmonize with from the islands, and robbed them of the treaties made in the past with China the property which was deeded to them or, if desirable, with a new treaty agreed in the presence of a United States om.- upon and duly ratified by both govern- cial by the native chiefs; and ments, Whel'eas, Though our Government And Resolved, 3. That a standing com- has formally protested against the mittee of two be appointed to represent wrong done these, its citizens, and dethis Union !n endeavoring to secure in manded that the guarantees of religious every pOSSIble way such legislative liberty given by the Spanish Governaction as will be alike creditable to the ment as to the rights and property of Christian character of our nation re- the missionaries be made good, no subspectful to China, and beneficial io all stantial redress has yet been obtained; American interests in that land. therefore Resolved, That we respectfully call upon our Government to take more vigorous measures than it has yet taken to redress the great wrongs to which Ooncerning Protection in Tztrkey. these, its citizens, have been subjected, Viewing with alarm the persecution and to strengthen the hands of. its repreof our fellow-missionaries and other fel- sentatives abroad by giving them such instructions as will clearly indicate to deserve the commendation of all Chri8· the Government of Spain that further tian people for their action in favor of delay in the settlement of the questions at issue will not be tolerated. closing the gates of the Columbian Ex- hibition on the first day of the week. Liquor, etc., in New Hebrides. 2. That we deplore the example of The International Missionary Union, bad faith exhibited by the local directors convened at Clifton Springs, realizing the terrible evils connected with the in first accepting the money grant from Kanaka traffie and the introduction of the treasU'yof the United States and fire-arms, gunpowder, and intoxicating drinks into the islands of the New complying with the condition of closing Hebrides, very respectfully petition the the gates on Sunday, and subsequently Govcrnment of the United States to use its influence, and to unite in co-operation violating that condition, thereby outwith the Christian governments of Eu· rope in their efforts to suppress this raging Christian public sentiment in traffic, attended with such cruelties and abolishing aU distinction of days in the involving such demoralizing wretched· week in re~ard to requirement of labor ness to the people of those islands, just and allowmg of amusements. This emerging from barbarism into the light of a Christian civilization. action we condemn as at war with the The Stundists. time·honored institution of the Ameri· can Sabbath, and as exemplifying a Resolved, That this Union hereby·express its sympathy with the religious decadence of moral sentiment sadly in sects in Russia known as the Stundists. Mennonites, and Mollokins, in the se- contrast with that expressed in the convere persecutions to which they are ducting of the National Exposition of being subjected by the Government of that country, and to request in their be- 1876 at Philadelphia. when the gates half the prayers of our Lord's disciples of every nation and communion. were kept closed on the Lord's Day.
Government Oonnection witlL Vice in World's Missionary Oongress. India. CLIFTON SPRINGS, N. Y., June ,1893. The following resolution, moved by Rev. Dr. Georg-e Douglas, of Montreal, Rev. W. M. Barrow8, D.D., Ohairman, and seconded by Rev. J. McCarthy, of 'roronto, was unanimously adopted: etc., OltWago,- This International Missionary Union. DEAR SIR: Your letter of May 25th composed of citizens of Great Britain and the United States, has repeatedly and its enclosures addressed to the denounced the opium traffic of India; and the peculiarly obnoxious legislation members of the International Mission· in the matter of intoxicating liquors, as well as that known as the Contagious ary Union have been presented to the Disease Acts of the local Government of India, as disastrous to the interests of Conference now in session at Clifton morals aud missions in India and Cl).ina ; and it now reaffirms its former deClara- Springs. We thank you for the in· tions and petitions to all in authority in the premises; and asks Christians formation thus communicated and the throughout the world to pray for the removal of these deplorable obstacles to invitation to co·operation which is thus evangelization, and the best interests of mankind; and further solemnly pledges given. its moral support to any policy or meas· ure which will tend to the speedy or In response to your request we shall immediate abolition of these appalling evils. be happy to do what we can to aid a Sabbatlt De,~ecmtion by the Oolumbian general observance of Sunday, Oct. 1st, E.rcposition. as a Missionary Sunday throughout the Re.solved, 1. That in the judgment of this Conferen('.e the Congress and Execu· world. tive Government of the United States We cannot but be deeply interested in the object of the proposed Congress of Missions. We wish it success in accom· plishing the great beneft to true re- ligion and the world's evangelization, which is its design. As representing evangelical missions of different na- tionalities and churches in all parts of the unevangelized world, we cannot but desire to co-operate in all proper ways for the ends which it has been hoped that the Congress of Missions to be con· vened in Chicago may do much to ad- vance. . We do not doubt your entire accord and sympathy with us in respect to the deplorable cause which will keep many excellent Christian people from execut· ing their previous purpose to visit Chi· cago this summer. What may occur before the time of the meeting of the proposed Congress of Missions. and what change of views on the part of individual missionaries and others, cannot from thc fact that it could have been bestowed more worthily upon, pOBllibly, now be foreseen; but as the case now a hundred Japanesc missionaries, Japanstands we regret inability to accept offi- ese preachers, and well-read foreign residents within easy reach, who could cially your invitation to appoint delc- have told him the same things by word gates to represent the Union as an or- of mouth. ganization ; and so we leave it to our Where one's name is connected with officers and members to act upon their a toast (not to say a challenge), courtesy personal responsibility, and as repre- requires a response. On that account I now knock at the door of the columns sentatives of missions or other organiza- of the REVIEW to avow responsibility tions, in respect to attending the Con- and readiness to meet it. gress. The" discount" referred to is not only Enclosing a copy of resolutions which seeming, but I am obliged to confess it express our sentiments on the subjects real, and is only increased by what Mr.
to which they refer, and praying that the Spirit of divine grace and the overruling providence of God may accomplish through your efforts much for the extension of His kingdom among all nations, we are Yours in Christian brotherhood, Spencer now says on .. Mission Schools Resol'lJed, 1. That we heartily approve as Evangelizing Agencies" in the parthe proposal that Sunday, October 1st, ticular section in which my arraignment comes in, and with which alone I now be observed as a Missionary Sunday have to do. Whatever mission schools throughout the world. may be in other directions in the way of raising up and training evangelists, 2. That we commend to the indio pastors, teachers, and church workers vidual members of this Union prayer in is not now the question, but it is as to their pre.eminent value as evangelizing behalf of the proposed Congress of Mis· agencies. Mr. Spencer tells us in Japan, sions in connection with the Columbian Exhibition, and such action in respect to personal attendance as the provi· dence of God may allow, and each one's judgment and conscience may approve.
in the statistics for that year, that the Eduoational Work in Missions. foreign teachers are 160 and the Japan- ese teachers 287, making a total of 447.
BY REV. WILLIAM: ASHMORE, D.D., SWA· and, further, that the converts in 1890 TOW, CHINA. were 270. Not a word of reflection is In a recent number of the REVIEW intended by this citation. Beyond (October, 1892), somewhat late in find- doubt the teachers were faithful to the ing its way to these distant places, uttermost. It is God only who can give your correspondent, Rev. D. S. Spen- the increase. But I may be pardoned cer, of Tokyo, Japan, has done me the for the infirmity of not being able to see honor of holding me "responsible for that 447 teachers to 270 students con- the appearance in the missionary organ verted are sufficient to establish Mr.
of his church" (the Baptist Missionary Spencer's claim for the conspicuous ex- Magazine) of certain educational here- cellence of .. schools as an evangelizing sies, as follows: agency."
Specification First.-For an article An appeal is made to the judgment which ., seemed to put at a discount of Dr. Abel Stevens. The opinions of the educational work being carried on that eminent scholar and traveller are in Japan as compared with the evange- always entitled to respect; but it by no listic. " means follows that they are of necessity Specification Second.-For harboring an end of controversy. No doubt Dr.
an opinion that it might not be amiss Stevens has said other things at other to .. have many of the educational mis· times on this same subject to which we sionaries here drop their school work might bow with submission, but they and take up evangelistic." may not have been within convenient The honor is the more conspicuous reach of Mr. Spencer at the time of writing, a matter much to be regretted. cancels the stress laid on " most" in the To the quotations that arc made in the above sentence when he adds later, " It present case we are unable to give adhe- should not be a question among us sion. As it is not good form to declare which is MOST desirable." So the dissent and not give a reason therefor, equilibrium is restored. Still these we may cite three or four sentences mutations of emphasis are somewhat from Dr. Stevens and indicate with confusing. stinted brevity the line of demur. Once more he says, "Your science He 8ays, " The chief missionary work refutes their legendary traditions, withnow going on in all the East is by Chris- out a word of allusion to the latter." tian education. " It is well to call it " your science," The language is too strong. "AU for science and philosophy are not the the East" is a very extensive region. chosen weapons of the Holy Spirit. The statement may be true in Japan Besides, it is no side issue like legendary and in some other parts of the field. We traditions that we are aiming at, but It is are curious to know if it is true in aU sin, in the life and in the heart, and the fields of our Methodist brethren. sin is not to be reached without a word For many places the statement Is not of allusion, but by pointed and direct well adjusted to the situation. A great application of Bible truth. There is almission work has been and is still going ready altogether too much of the ciron among the Karens and the Telugus, cuitous and round-about way of ap· but it is not chiefly by " Christian edu- proaching the human heart-far too cation," which in this case we take to much building on a .. scientific basis" be a synonym for school work. A late and "a philosophical basis. " The article put down the educational staff whole system tends to rationalism and in India as only 15 per cent of the mis- genders scepticism. Retribution has Ilionary body. And certainly as regards begun already, both at home and China, which is no inconsiderable por- abroad. The Bible and chapel service tion of .. all the East," the correctness are beginning to fight for their existof Dr. St.evens's estimate must be chal- ence in some of our great secularized lenged outright. mission schools, and missionaries in Japan are flnding themselves supersed- Again he says, "This is preaching ed in leadership in teaching, and may the Gospel in the most practical and yet be relegated to positions utterly effectual way for the Eastern popula- below their worth and their qualitlcations." tions. If such a thingdoos come about it will show itself in those very schools This will be admitted by few except which make so much of philosophy, those engaged in school work them- western culture, western science, and selves. The others will dispute it. western civilization. The assertion asserts too much. That it Is a dictate of duty and good judg- I would not trespass more on your ment to preach the Gospel in whatever space, and yet there are other things way Is "most practical and effectual" that ought to have a word of considerawill be sustained by everybody. Now, tion, notably the idea that the school if the school system Is indeed "the systems of India, China, and Japan are most practical and effectual," then the really the best embodiment for those missionary body, as a whole, should countries of Paul's conception of preachdrop other forms of work in the main, ing; the further ideas, that " the school and betake themselves to building is the best chapel;" that" the English school·houses, and should Slart schools language serves as a bait;" that" Engin which to teach a combination of, say, lish is in itself a civilizer ;" that" Engone part Bible to several parts secular lish is coming to be generally regarded knowledge. Perhaps we should not as the best medium of theological indwell on this, for Dr. Stevens himself structiou ;" and that" most of the theo- EngliSh-bred portion of the ministry, logical "chools now do their chief work but on that other class coming forward ; in English." of those who, discarding science and These things are challenged boldly. philosophy as weapons of warfare, and One would like to ask whether the stripping themselves to the waist of whol!.! system of entering wedges and scholastic redundancies, shall enter the baits and secular inducements of vari- field and fight it out with the Spirit of ous kinds is not being tremendously God in their hearts and a two.edged overdone to the disparagement of the sword of God in the shape of a Japan- Holy Spirit, the paralysis of genuine ese vernacular Bible in their hands.
faith, and still further to the dishonor Our Mail-Bag. of the Great Master Himself, who comes in at nobody's backdoor, and -In a private note Rev. Young J. asks for acceptance on the strength of Allen, D.D., long and widely known as no " bait" whatsoever; and, further, to an able missionary of the Southern ask what kind of a civilizer English has Methodist Episcopal Church in China, too often been; and still more, whether says : "It may be news to you to learn it is true that English is coming to be so that, at the recent session of our Gengenerally regarded as the best medium eral Board of Missions, in answer to the of theological instruction? Is it true in urgent request from the 'Society for India? Is it true in China? Is it true the Diffusion of Christian and General in Japan that most of the theological Knowledge in China,' I have been so schools now do their" chief work" in far relieved and released from other English? If 80, then why do Japanese work in our mission as to devote my missionaries find it so ditIicult to get time and labors on returning to China men to fill the classes in the full English this fall almost exclusively to editorial course? And why such disparity of and other literary work of the kind now numbers in the English and the ver- so urgently desiderated in that great nacular courses as the catalogues seem mission field."
to indicate? And what is the meaning -Rev. Charles E. Eckels, of Ratburi, of such movements as those of Messrs. Siam, sends an item of interest. "A Ishimoto and Tamara? Since one is movement," he says, •• is being made put to it in self·defence, there can be no harm in asking such questions. The toward giving the Cambodians the whole mission-loving world will be in- Word of God. A gentleman from terested in the answers to them. Leeds. England, is interested in the project, alld has written to Rev. J. Car- It may be amost presumptuous thing rin~n, Agent of the American Bible for an outsider to say, but say it he SOClety, about it. Mr. Carrfngtonlately will, and take the censure if it comes : made a trip into this province, where It will be a blessed day for Japanese there are many Cambodians, and has Christianity when the people are eman- found men who can translate the Gos- pels from Siamese into Cambodian if his Society agree to his undertaking the cipated from the notion that in order to work. On a recent trip of twelve dars a place among the most etIicient and to one of the Buddhist places of pileligible preachers of the land, a man grimage Mr. Carrington sold about must have received his theological edu- twelve hundred portions of Scripture."
cation through the medium of a foreign -Rev. Dr. M. H. Houston has retongue. The same 'outsider has the signed the secretaryship of the Missiontemerity to avow a further conviction ary Society of the Southern Presbyterian that, when the general engagement Church to return to China and resume comes on that is to determine the rc- his work as a missionary, from which ligious future of Japan, lhe same as in he has been separated for several years. any other country in the East, the A missionary ranks a missionary secre- tary, hence we congratulate Dr. Hous- ton on his re-elevation to the loftiest brunt of the fight will come, not on the position on earth.
DEPARTMENT oll' CHRISTtAN ENDEAVOR
111.-DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
CONDUCTED BY PROFESSOR AMOS R. WELLS.
Regarding his visit to the Turkish Washington. Sixty Endeavorers, reo societies, Dr. Clark says, in one of his turning from a local union meeting, letters: .. Though I have spoken many were compelled to wait some time for times, I have not been able to do much their train. They were fresh from a directly for Christian Endeavor in this beautiful consecration meeting, and the land of the Sultan. because the Govern- Spirit put it into their hearts to go to a ment has interfered and forbidden all saloon near by to hold a meeting. This Christian Endeavor societies. In some saloon was, as they had heard, the one places societies were already fonned. great opponent of the church from In many others they were on the point which they had just come. They went, of being formed, and young men and held their meeting of song and prayer, women were just about to take our and one after another pledged himself pledge when the Armenian trouble openly to continued prayer for the closarose. The powers that be were fright- ing of that saloon. Four months afterened, became suspicious of all societies, ward the saloon was closed, and it had forbade our Christian Endeavor pubUca- no successor. tiona, which were translated, put in type, and all ready for publication, and, Here is another bit of home missionso far as possible, generally overthrew ary work from the same State: Atthe work that l'1r. Krikorian and others tempts had been made to sustain regu· had so well begun. To be sure, there lar worship in a certain country schoolare some societies left-twenty or thirty house. The attempts failed. At last, in aU Turkey. perhaps-but thel'e would amid many prophecies of failure, an be scores more were it not for this out- Endeavor society was started. That rageous interference of frightened and was nearly a year ago, amI not one foolish government officials. When meeting has been omitted. More than speaking and preaching, I have not that, they have sought out a pastor, been allowed to use the words 'En- and a prosperous frontier church testideavor' or • society,' as I did not care to fies to the sincerity of those young peo· land in a Turkish jail, and did not wish pIe's Christian endeltvors. to get any of my friends into trouble." Now it is missionary phonographs, Some time ago the Endeavorers of and a Christian Endeavorer sends the the Lima, 0., Presbytery agreed to raise first one to a'Protestant missionary. A six hundred dollars, to pay the salary of Methodist Protestant paper lately apa Presbyterian missionary in Chile. pealed to the Sunday-schools to send an They have accomplished their noble Edison phonograph to a missionary in task, having raised that amount and Japan, whose health was failing, and twenty-five dollars more. whom it would greatly help. This ap· peal brought to the mission board the The first Floating society of Christian next week a check for $150 from the Endeavor, which was organized in president of a Christian Endeavor so- Brooklyn, now numbers seventy-two members, which are distributed among ciety. nine ships. It is now proposed to make 'Ve notice a new form of home work each of these nine sets the nucleus of a new floating society. and thus the good undertaken by the Wesleyan Endeavseed will multiply by a process of self- orers of Grosvenor Street Chapel, Mandivision, until, God willing, it may cover chester, England, who are in the habit the navies of the world. of sending delegations to sing in the children's wards of one of the hospitals. Here is a bit of home missionary A beautiful thing to do. work. It happened in the State of The Junior' Endeavorers of the Zion Congregational Church of Toronto, Ont., know how to make a missionary probably the largest society in the de- collection interesting. They wrap up nomination.
their money in a piece of paper on which A former member of the King Street is written the way the money was Presbyterian Society of London, Ont., earned. Afterward these papers are all is now a mechanical missionary at Oroo- read to the society. miah, Persia. True to his pledge, he One of the most enthusiastic Chris- now reports a young men's Christian tian Endeavor conventions ever held in Endeavor society in that far·off place.
Philadelphia, or anywhere, attended the A Christian Endeavor society has recent meeting of the Methodist Chris- been formed in the penitentiary at Al- tian Endeavor Advisory Board in that bany, N. Y.
city. This is an organization of influ- There is now an Australian United ential Methodist clergymen, formed to Society of Christian Endeavor. The watch after the interests of Methodist organization was effected at Melbourne, Christian Endeavor societies. Philadel- by delegates from New South Wales, phia contains a large number of Meth· South 'Australia, and Victoria. There odist Christian Endeavor societies,whose were Congregationalists, Methodists, members held overflowing meetings for Baptists, and Presbyterians. In addi- four crowded sessions, listening to many tion to the formation of a continental of the most able and eloquent men of union and adoption of a constitution, the denomination. Among the points provision was made for a weekly paper urged upon Methodist Christian En· a!ld for a new Christian Endeavor deavorers at this meeting was affiliation hymn-book. This is certainly a great with the denominational society by step in advance, and under the inspiring being enrolled at Epworth Leaguehead- direction of its United Society we may quarters at Chicago as Epworth Leagues expect the Christian Endeavor move- of Christian Endeavor. It was also ment to progress in Australia with urged that Methodist Christian Endeav- even mightier strides than ever before.
or societies unite locally in denomina- The General Assembly of the Presby· tional missionary bands, to push de- terian Church, in its session at Wash- nominational missions. Methodist En- ington, wisely recommended the forma- deavor societies, under such wise tion of presbyterial unions of the Chris- leadership, are in no danger either of tian Endeavor and other young people's extinction or of failing in enthusiasm societies of the denomination. Such for their denomination and loyalty to presbyterial unions have been formed in her interests. There is no reason why many presbyteries already, and always all Methodist young people'S societie~ with the happiest results. The Assem- should not retain their membership in bly also urged the young people to still the interdenominational organization, greater zeal for missions, and undoubt- enrolling there as Christian Endeavor edly Presbyterian Endeavorers will re- societies (provided, of course, they spond gladly to the appeal.
have, as most of them have, the Chris- Here are a few more sentences from tian Endeavor plan of work, in essen- Dr. Clark's Turkish lettrrs: .. In Yoz- tials), and at the Chicago headquarters gat and vicinity arrests of Protestants as Epworth Leagues; or, better, en- by Turkish officials have been unusu- rolling in both under the compound ally numerous. It is thought by some name .. Epworth League of Christian of the missionaries that this is because Endeavor. " of the Turkish fear of the seditious let.- The Endeavor society in the Trum- ters, Y. P. S. C. E. The room in which bull Avenue Presbyterian Church of the Yozgat society held its meetings Detroit, Mich., which five years ago was saturated with kerosene oil and set numbered about thirty members, now on fire, not improbably because these numbers about four hundred, and is meetings were held in it." Speaking of the Christian Endeavor pledge and home mission field for the summer.
other literature in Turkish, Armenian, The society also conducts an extensive and Greek, Dr. Clark says that the SuI· mission.
tan's government does not permit these The District of Columbia Christian to be printed, and SQ they are written Endeavor Union took advantage of the on the cyclostyle. Endeavorers in Tur· recent presence of the General Assem- key do not dare to wear their badge, as bly in the city to secure speakers, and they would become objects of police held a rousing missionary rally, at suspicion. which over two thousand were present.
One of the most eloquent of the The Louisiana State Christian En- speakers at the New York Christian deavor Union has suecessfully held, in Endeavor Convention was Mr. Jue New Orleans, its first annual conven- Hawk, who is now working among his tion.
countrymen, the Chinese, in Portland, At the recent fine convention of the Ore. He was unable to accept an in· Kansas State Christian Endeavor Union, vitation to speak at the Montreal Con· . although not nearly all money was vention because, once over the border, reported, it was learned that the En.
our enlightened government would not deavorerll of the State had given at let him return I least $3200 to denominational missions Senior societies are multiplying in during the past year.
Australia. One of the latest, that of The results of Dr. Clark's around· the Southwark Baptist Church, was the-world Christian Endeavor journey started merely as an experiment, to run may thus be summarized, though the only six months. At the end of six full accomplishment can never be months these grown·up Endeavorers, known on earth. He has travelled thirty in number, unanimously voted about thirty-nine thousand miles, chief.
.. that we continue as a Christian En· ly by water. He has made sixteen voy· deavor society so long as God permits." ages, averaging six days each in length.
There is a flourishing Christian En· He has not lost a day nor missed an en· deavor society in the Doshisha of Japan, gagement. He has stood before over working chiefly among the non-Chris- two hundred and fifty audiences, more tian students. Societies of Christian than one hundred and ten thousand Endeavor are springing up in many people, and told them about the won- 'parts of the Sunrise Empire. derful Christian Endeavor movement.
Mrs. Alice May Scudder read before This has compelled the use, by hinIself the World's Congress of Representative and his interpreters, of fifteen languages Women at the World's Fair a long and -English, Chinese, Japanese, Tamil, able paper on" Woman's Work in the Telugu, Hindi, Hindoostanee, Bengalee, Society of ChIistian Endeavor." Marathi, Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, It would be interesting to know just Modern Greek, Spanish, and French.
how much Presbyterian Endeavorers Into all these languages the Christian are contributing to all the mission Endeavor constitution is being or has boards of their church.. Now comes been translated. Everywhere Dr. Clark the Woman's Presbyterian Board of has aroused great enthusiasm, wonder· :M:issions for the Northwest, and reports fully inspired the missionaries, and receipts from Christian Endeavor socie- greatly advanced the Christian En· ties for the year ending April 20th of deavor cause. By no means the least $3676.37. among the results of this journey is its The Westminster Presbyterian .En- reflex action on the societies at home, deavorers of Toronto, Ont., have one leading them to greater missionary in- member a missionary in China, two terest and efforts and to deeper zeal for other members prepaling for the for- their society, thus shown to be world· eign field, and four members in the wide in its adaptability and influence.
EDITOlUAL j)j;jpA:kTMENT
lV.-EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.
The Danger of Excess in II Oharity." sire to repress freedom of either opinion or utterance, it is certainly within our The editors of this REVIEW, mindful province to determine within what limof the fact that it is not simply a record its snch freedom shall be exercised in of current intelligence, but a review, in this REVIEW_ which large liberty of discussion upon topics germane to missions is allow- That many of our readers sympathize able, have been as tolerant as possible with the editor in this position may be of opinions which were not accordant seen from the accompanying protest of with their own. An editor of a review one of our most valued friends, son-incannot without arbitrary and often dis- law of George Miiller, who writes to courteous treatment of a contributor the Editor-in-Chief disapproving the remodel another's paper to suit his own " principle, adopted by the editors, of habits of thought, and must either re- admitting papers of tbe most opposed ject a contribution altogether or else teachings~ upon vital points of Chrisallow the writer's individuality to have tian doctrine. Instances of this have free play. Accordingly the Editor-in- much increased," he adds, " during the Chief has been wont to admit to these last two years. As an illustration of pages articles not entirely in accord my meaning, I refer you to the paper with his own sentiments,. disclaiming on 'The Probable Future of Budresponsibility for the writer's opinions_ dhism,' in the May number, pp. 354- 59, which propounds the following During the absence of the Editor-in- opinions, among others, viz_: Chief in Great Britain, a few articles have found their way into these pages "(a) That EVERY religion is inspired which he could not have admitted had of God_ (b) That 'man craves an inhe been acquainted with their contents carnate God_' (c) Christ could not before they appeared in print; inas- come any sooner than He did, for the much as, with all his disclaimers of re- world could not have understood His sponsibility for such opinions, the gen- doctrines any sooner (which can only eral reader will construe their publica- mean that, in the writer's opinion, when tion in the REVIEW as equivalent to the He did come the world was able to unsanction of the views they propagate ; derstand His doctrines)_ (d) That God and no affront is intended to any who has chosen the Anglo-SaaJons to be the have furnished papers for these pages world's religious teachers. That the in the present statement that in future time when THEY shall possess the whole the editor will be compelled to decline world seems not very distant-that they even a solicited article when the senti- are fitted to undertake this difficult ments therein expressed seem to him at task to-day_ (e) That Judaism was variance with the teachings of Scrip- preparatory to Christianity, so LIKEture. And he would have all contribu- WISE are Hinduism, Islamism, Budtors to understand that such will be the dhism ! !! (f) That 'Gautama' was attitude of the REVIEW in future, so one of God's saints! (g) That Budlong as the present Editor-in-Chief re- dhism will powerfully contribute towmains in charge of these pages. The ard the fulfilment of such passages as utmost charity cannot justify the ad- Isa. 11 : 8-10 and Rom_ 8: 19-22 ! ! ! mission into these pages of any opin- (h) That 'It was only to Noah (Gen_ ions, however sincerely held, which in 60 : 3, 4) that God gave distinct permishis judgment contravene the teaching~ sion to eat of animal food'!! (~) That or spirit of the old Gospel. "We can the human race is engaged in a 'mighty do nothing against the truth, but for endeavor to know its Creator' ! ! ! the truth_" And while having no de- " It is not needful, for my present pur- pose, to show that. everyone of these opinions is in direct opposition to the L. D. Wishard, Secretary of the FOl'- 'Scripture of truth.' It is sufficient eign Department of the International to point out that they are utterly irre- Y. M. C. A., gives in the present isslie concilable with the teachings of the of the REVIEW the first of a series of Editor-in-Chief of THE lVIISSIONARY articles on the Y. ~r. C. A. in foreign REVIEW as contained in his written and lands. The forthcoming papers will spoken utterances; and such as many treat of the progress and prospects of of the most valued contributors to the the movement in Japan, India, China, REVIEW would thoroughly repudiate. and other countries which Mr. Wishard has recently visited.-D. L. P. "Now, I do not think it is God's will that truth and error, food and poison, A sketch of the life and work of the should be served up to the Church of late Dr. McAll was expected for our Christ in the same vessel. Jehovah for- present issue, but was unavoidably debade Israel to sow their land with divers layed. Sketches of both Dr. 1lcAll and seeds I Has that statute beeI'. re- of Dr. Arthur Mitchell will appear in pealed? our next number.-D. L. P.
" Yours faithfully, English Notes. " JAMES WRIGHT. BY REV. JAMES DOUGLAS. .. NEW ORPHAN HOUSES, ASHLEY DOWNS, BRISTOL, ENG., June 21." The NeAll Mission. – A successor is already appointed to fill the place so With the sentiments of my friend, long and honorably held by the late Dr. McAll. Thc new director is the Rev. Mr. Wright, I am in hearty accord; Charles Greig, a Scotsman, and son of a Free Church minister. Mr. Greig has and, so far as I know, my co-editors had fourteen years' experience of the work, having been induced to become "Vould be were this communication a helper through the instrumentality of Mr. Dodds and of Dr. Horatius Bonar. submitted to them. I ask contributors It is earnestly hoped and believed that Mr. Greig is in the line of apostolic sueto let such speculations alone. There ccssion, and that the same Divine hand will be with him as wrought so grais no salvation in Buddhism, and this ciously with his lamented predecessor.
alone separates it by an infinite distance Cape Geneml Mission.-lf.r. Spencer Walton, of the Cape General Mission, from the Gospel of our Lord Jesus has had a good time in the Dutch town of Worcester, South Africa. At least Christ. A. T. P. 150 souls were dealt with. Deep con- viction of sin accompanied the Word, The Managing Editor is responsible and that sometimes in cases where very for the insertion of the article referred little English was understood. At the to by Mr. Wright, though not in sym- close of the mission a large missionary pathy with the sentiments expressed. gathering was held, when the cause of It was given a place in the REVIEW be- the heathen was advocated, and a short cause it had been solicited on the rec- account given of the Cape General Misommendation of a friend to the Editor- sion. in-Chief.-D. L. P. Native Missionaries.–Dr. Pierson, in Some of the evangelical mIssIOnary the fourth lecture of his recent course societies invited to take part in the World's Congress of Missions in Chicago are asking how they can consistently appear on the same platform with th8 so • called ., Christian and Catholic Church" that is just now conspiring to drive out 28 devoted Protestant missionaries from Algeria, and has everywhere been, as in Uganda and at Gaboon and Corisco, etc., the foe of Protestant missions. on missions, entitled "New Converts the Germans, for at the end of July last and Martyrs," points out that the native Mr. Steggall, C. M. S. missionary, reo missionaries, as compared with those ('eived a letter from Baron von Soden, sent out from the home countries, are in the German Governor at the coast, In· the proportion of nearly six to one. The viting him to use his influence with figures are 8000 white people and 47,000 Mell, to induce him to make his submis· natives of the countries into which the sion to the German officer, a task to missions were sent; total, 55,000 per- which lIr. Steggall applied himself to sons. the best of his ability. Mr. SteggaU's expulsion has been brought about by The T'ai-OhoUJ Ohurch, Mid-Ol/'ina.- German officialism in the face of evi- The Rev. J. C. Hoare, of the Church dence and on the strength of ground· Missionary Society, reports, in his an- less suspicions. Howbeit, it is better to nual letter, the baptism of nearly a hun· suffer for well than for evil.doing.
dred persons in the T'ai·Chow district during t.he year; and adds, there are Publications Notioed. now many inquirers and candidates for – Gist: A HandlJook of Mi88iona'1'1J Inbaptism. Mr. Hoare also speaks in t('rm~ of Ilpostolic commendation of the f01·mation, by Lilly Ryder Gracey, an- quality of church.membership in that swers a long.felt want in missionary district of Mid·China where it is his circles. It is compiled by the daughter privilege to labor. "I am thankful to of our associate editor, and is remark· say that I believe what St. Paul wrote able for its accuracy and richness in of the Phllfppian Christians may also be valuable facts connected with missions. truly written of the T'ai·Chow Church. The book consists largely of quotations We may give thanks' for their fellow· from missionary literature, statistics in ship in furtherance of the Gospel from regard to the home and foreign field, the first day until now;' we may reo incidents and descriptions illustrative of member their' work of faith and labor missionary life, and of the progress of of love;' we may say of them that the Gospel in foreign lands. It is pre· 'their faith groweth exceedingly, and eminently for use in young women's cir· the love of each one of them toward one cles, but its interest and value is by 110 another aboundeth;' most true is it means confined to them. It will be ex· that from Da·zih 'soundeth forth the tremely useful in the preparation of mis· Word of the Lord ' far and wide. It is sionary addresses. Volunteers should known far and wide for scores of miles. have it. Pastors and people alike will Now they have 'turned from idols to lind it most interesting and helpful. serve the living and true God.' " (Cranston & Curtis, Cincinnati; Hunt & Eaton, New York).
TIle Olosing of tlte Oltagga Mission.- -Tlte St01"y of Diwz, by Rev. George The closing of this mission is the more W. Lasher, D.D" is an interesting to be deplored that it is entirely with· sketch of this apostle of Cuba and of out reason and enforced in the very face the wonderful work of God in that of the eager evangelist. Abundant evi· island. Dr. Lasher has recently redence is to hand to show that tile turned from a visit to Havana, aud charges emanating from German gives this &.ketch as a result of his persources and reflecting on the C. M. S. sonal inspection of the work. Mr. missionaries are utterly unfounded. Diaz's own account of his work was re- So far from the missionaries having ported in tlle REVIEW for March, 1892 ; supplied powder and ammunition to the and Dr. Lasher supplements this ac· natives and encouraged them to resist count in many interesting details. (Pubthe authority of the German Resident, lished by G. E. Stevens, Cincinnati, 0., their pacific influence was recognized by price, 25 cents.)
THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS
V.-THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
Spain,* Franoe,t Italy-The Papaoy.t TUE RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF ITALY. fied, nor indeed has it moulded the mind of Italy to the extent that is gen- BY REV. J. MURRAY MITCHELL, LL.D., erally believed.
NICE, FRANCE. The religion of the State is profess- edly Romanism; but the Italian Gov- Even if the space assigned me were ernment is largely tolerant. The claims more ample, I should find it difficult to of the Church are by no means conceded give a just account of the religious con- in all cases by the State authorities. dition of Italy. One stands in great Thus every priest must serve for a year danger of generalizing too rapidly. in the army; and when civil offences Italy, indeed, is no longer a mere" geo- are committed by the clergy, they are graphical expression." She boasts of tried by civil tribunals. On a great being "one and indivisible." Politi- public occasion, such as the celebration cally she is indeed a unit. One lan- of a victory, a bishop is usually asked guage also, with but sligM dialectic to conduct a religious service; but ex- differences, prevails from the Alps to cept when the troops are out of Italy- the south of Sicily; but the diversities in Africa, for example-there are no among the inhabitants are exceedingly army chaplains; and in garrison towns great. The Venetian and the Sicilian there is no religious service for soldiers. are in many respects dissimilar. So are (For ships of war chaplains are ap- the Milanese and the Neapolitans. The pointed.) The State and Church are by Genoese were declared by Dante to be no means on friendly terms. The State different in every custom-diversi d'ogni has confiscated the property of the costume-from other Italians; and their Church, but assigns the working clergy peculiarities are passing away with ex- a salary during their period of service, ceeding slowness_ Since the fall of the and a small pension in old age. The Roman Empire, about fourteen cen- clergy, as a rule, are poor; even high turies ago, Italy, until of recent years, dignitaries cannot be called rich. The has had a sad and stormy history ; there great body of the priests are the sons of have not only been frequent invasions peasants; noble families are generally from without, but she has been dis- reluctant that their melJlbers should en- tracted by internal strife and struggle. ter clerical life. By the year 1867 many In such a state of things great differ- thousands of ecclesiastical foundations ences of character and feeling have un- -which maintained about sixty thou- avoidably arisen; and although under sand souls as monks or nuns-had been the beneficent sway of the House of Sa- suppressed ; their revenues were taken voy these have begun to disappear, it over by the State and life-pensions as- will doubtless take generations before signed their inmates. New corpora- a truly national character can be form- tions cannot legally be set up, but the ed. law is continually evaded; and the State, anxious to avoid, if possible, an It may be supposed that the religious open rupture with the Church, winks ,diversities are smaller than our words at the abuse. The" secularization of 'imply. Still, they are by no means in- Church revenues" was, of course, vehe- I 'considerable. Romanism has not uni- mently denounced by the Pope and the bishops, and the indignation of tho * See pp. 177 (March), 365 (May), 577 (present Church rose to fever-heat when tho Pope was stripped of his temporal do- issne). minions and the States of the Church t See p. 537 (July), 602 (present issue).
:1= See pp. 135 (Febrnary), 201 (March), 285 (April), 565, 589 (present issue). became an integral part of the Kingdom sense of the unseen is not largely devel- of Italy. So have matters stood for oped in their minds; it is only in the about twenty-three years past; nor north that it is so to any extent. Hence does there appear any prospect of rec- the mass of the people will seldom turn onciliation between the two parties. to the deep musings of" the visionary One cannot help wondering that so saga- Dante;" they prefer the strain of cious a man as Leo XIII. should main- "ladye-love and war, romance, and tain an attitude of such firm defiance. knightly worth," as found in the lay of The temporal dominioc. is no dogma, Tasso and still more that of Ariosto.
no article de fide: yet it is declared (as Among the ancient Romans religion recently by Cardinal Vaughan) to be was mainly a function of the State; essential to the independence of His outward ceremonial was nearly all in Holiness in his character of Universal all. }Iodern Italians are, in this respect, Bishop. It is not for us to arraign the like their ancestors, or should we not worldly wisdom of Jesuit pulicy: yet say their predecessors? A highfonzione vaulting ambition can overleap itself, will always attract a crowd, but the and the wise are sometimes taken in mind of the seeming worshipper is oc- their own craftiness. We cannot say cupied with the splendor and artistic that we regret the obstinacy at which character of theshow. Of cpurse some we wonder. Were Church and State fundamental conceptions of the charac- reconciled in Italy, the great work of t.er of God and the duty of obeying His evangelization would doubtless meet commandments-these things cannot with serious hindrances. be wholly absent wherever any tincture The Italian clergy are often-let us of Christianity exists. The worship of hope generally-worthy men, doing the Virgin also-which it is too much their duty according to their light, al- now the habit of some Protestants to though the rule of enforced celibacy, in excuse or even commend-though it many cases, entails evil consequences. leads the mind of the worshipper away But the light enjoyed by the priests is from the sympathetic Christ, yet neces- very feeble. The Pope, a scholarly sarily involves high conceptions of man himself, has earnestly recommend- womanly purity and motherly love; ed the study of the works of Thomas and yet we greatly fear that there is Aquinas. The" angelical doctor" oc- too much foundation for the sentiment cupies a high place among theologians which we once heard expressed by one (though we may note, in passing, that of Italy's greatest men of letters-name- he rejected the doctrine of the" 1m· ly, that the religion of Italy cannot be maculate Conception") ; but the teach- rightly called Christianity at all, seeing ing of the thirteenth century is a poor it is little more than the ancient pagan- preparation for the requirements of the ism, slightly veiled and bearing a new nineteenth; and, in any case, only a name.
few can enter into the depths of the H Happy the land that has faith; Thomist speCUlations. Many-we fear Italy has none." So exclaimed Dr.
we must say most-of the pI"iests are Saffi, of Bologna, at the celebration of ill prepared to serve as guides to their the tercentenary of Edinburgh Univer- flocks. Signore Mariano, Professor of sity a few years ago. Atheism is often Ecclesiastical History in the University boldly avowed, even by the lower of Naples, asserts that" their minds are classes. Where this terrible extreme sunk in servile and senile lethargy." has not been reached, a childish super- These men preach; but what can their stition is all the faith of the people.
teaching avail ? Professor Mariano affirms that, under The Italians are not constitutionally the teaching of Rome, religion has be- a religious people, though they have come-we should rather say, has re- sometimes been asserted to be so. A mained from ancient times-" a magical and idolatrous naturalism." * The so devoid of faith, true mental energy upper classes are in a somewhat differ- of any kind can survive; for doubt is ent state ; certainly not a happier one. not only chilling, but killing. Take, " There is a fatal indifference consum· for example, Leopardi, one of the most ing us," says Signore Bonghi, one of distinguished poets of recent days. His Italy's most distinguished sons. There unbelief is absolute. He speaks of seems a general lack of earnestness; the I'lnfinita vanita di tlltto mental fibre is terribly relaxed. These (the Infinite vanity 01 all things), unhappy men can neither believe nor and yet this man was even passionate disbelieve. They fall under Dante's in his patriotism. It would seem that, tremendous denunciation of in the nobler few, "the genial current Qnesti scianratl che mai non fnr vivi- of the soul" is not frozen into amass (More miBcreanta who never were alive.) of ice ; and when the avenues to another They attack the priests, but send their and better world are closed against it, children to Jesuit schools; and when it moves with the greater strength in death approaches they accept the rites the direction of the temporal and earthof the Church, partly because of the ly; but the mind of the great mass solicitation of their families, and partly must stagnate into apathy and death, because they feel they must have some· where faith is extinct. Let it be obthing to cling to as they enter the dlll'k served that these remarks hold good of unseen. the men of Italy; it would be unjust to apply them without qualification to The general tone of morality in Ital- the women. Religiously and morally ian society is low. We do not assert the women stand higher than the men ; that, in the relations of the sexes, it and very decidedly so in the important falls below the usual continental stand- matter of telllperance. ard. We are disposed to set it higher than it is in France. We refer rather The subject of this paper is religion to truthfulness and integrity. Recently in Italy. We can touch but slightly the Prime Minister, Signore Giolitti, on education. It is rather singular that affirmed that dishonesty is the great there are too many universities and too cause of Italy's financial troubles. In few schools. The former, seventeen in the Chamber of Deputies he declared number, are irregularly scattered over that, " as compared with an Italian ex· the (',ountry. Many of them are small, change, Monte Carlo itself is an honest inadequate institutions, two or three place." Poor Italy! how is national of which should be combined into one weal to be built up on so rotten a -a reform, however, which local prejfoundation? udice resists.
The marvel is that, in a community Before the kingdom of Italy was formed in 1870 education was in a very • As we write this onr eye lights on a para· unsatisfactory state all over the coun- graph in a Paris newspaper, La Croix, of May try, with the exception of Piedmont.
lith, 1893, which we translate literally: .. THEY A few were fairly well trained; the HAVE PRAYED 80 WELL. They write to ns from masses were almost entirely illiterate. Sora, in Italy, 88 follows: For a fortnight this The Italian Government deserves no part of the conntry has been In prayer the whole small credit for its efforts to extend day. The workpeople made processions bare- footed, with crowns of thorns on their heada popular instruction. Elementary eduand carrying the relics of the holy patrons of the cation is gratuitous. Every commune churches. Never was there a more moving of four thousand inhabitants and up- 8peCtacle. They prayed 80 well that, for the ward is bound to send the children to a last three days, we have had mnch rain. The country Is saved. So does God show favor to primary school. Still, a very large prosimple, heartfelt prayer." Assuredly, we do not portion of the population cannot read, qnote this to langh at it. Call it credulity, If chiefly among the women. This is the yon choose; It Is infinitely better than atheism case specially in the south. or agnosticism. We fear we must add that the moral should judge that he has rather a dis· influence of the edueation is far from like to Protestantism. He appeals to satisfactory. It would be wrong to say the Pope as "possessing the most ex· tlmt there is no religious teaching; for, alted intellect of our times," warns him in most cases, the priests are allowed that the Church no longer supplies that access to the schools; )Jut in the col· living water for which the Italian mind leges the case is different : in them no is beginning to thirst, and presses upon religious teaching is given. We need him various reforms, including the reo not wonder that the students should bc nunciation by his Holiness of his claim restless and insubordinate. On this to temporal sovereignty. The whole account colleges have in several cases question is looked at from a political, been temporarily closed, as, for exam· as much as a religious point of view.
pIe, at Rome, Naples, and Genoa. The writer is very unwilling that the The one good and indeed grand reo nation should be divided on questions suIt of the national education is that of faith. Apparently he has some hope henceforth a considerable and contino of being listened to, which, we confess, ually increasing number will, at all we do not share; but, at all events, his events, be able to read. It is needless well·meant suggestions are but rose· to point out how important is this abil· water remedies for a malady which ity iu connection with efforts at evan· calls for far more potent medicines.
gelization. We cannot now enter at any length But before we briefly glance at these, on the vastly important subject of Prot· let us ask whether there is any hope of estant missions in Italy, which would the Church of Italy reforming itself. demand, for its proper consideration, a The present Pope m1!lst surely see that paper at least as long as this. We sim· the state of religion over the whole ply touch the hem of the subject.
country is truly lamentable; and one The total number of Evangelical would fain hope that he deplores the Christians in Italy is about sixty thou· miserable results of centuries of uncon· sand, in a population of thirty millions trolled papal domination. He feels -that is, one in five hundred. The rightly and deeply on various questions truth makes some visible progress. The of social and moral interest. We won· venerable Waldensian Church and the der if he ever dreams of religious reo Chiesa Libera are native institutions; form, or whether, while anxious to ef· and we must not forget the earnest la- fect it, he feels that his hands are tied. bors of Count Campello, which, if suc· At all events, he will probably die and cessful, will issue in the setting up, on make no sign of entertaining the thought the Episcopalian model, of a " Reform- with which we fain would credit him. ed Italian Church. " We should have Others, however, are speaking out bold· been glad if foreign churches, whether ~y. Not to mention well-meaning, British or American, had been satisfied timid men like Curci-silent now-Sig- with granting aid to purely Italian ef· nore Bonghi, the distinguished man fort; but the Methodists and Baptists above referred to, has spoken in terms have established missions of their own.
which have compelled the attention of Still, let us remember that the divided the whole civilized world. His" Open Evangelicals of Italy assert, and we be· Letter to the Pope," which appeared in lieve truly, that there exists more of the Nuo'IJa Antologia of last December, brotherly love and co-operation among is a remarkable document. We do not themselves than is seen either in Britain take up time by quoting from it at any or America. Certainly it was very length, for our readers must have often cheering to witness the union of hearts read portions of it. Signore Bonghi is exhibited at the meeting of the Evan· a Roman Catholic, who intends to die gelical Alllance at Florence in April, in the communion of the Church. We 1891. A small number of converts is drawn stood gazing at the glorious mountains by preaching, but the present is a sow- along with two admirable men, since ing rather than It reaping time. For gathered to their rest, Messrs. Malan years past the circulation of the Bible and Meille, when, pointing toward has been large, and, for the most part, Monte Viso, one of them exclaimed: annually growing larger. Italy is very " Yonder is the.spot where in 1828 Felix poor, and the willingness of the people Neff, having come across the Alps, fell to purchase not only portions of Scrip- on his knees as he came in sight of Italy ture, but entire Testaments and in many and poured out his soul in supplication cases even Bibles, is a somewhat nota- that God would hasten the time when ble sign of progress. Tracts also are the pure Gospel might be preached over largely read; and in particular the the whole of the dark land. We arc Claudian Press at Florence sends an- waiting for that time. We believe it is nually forth a large number of truly at hand. We pray that we may be evangelical publications. As we have ready for it. Up to that time the Wal- already indicated, the importance of the denses had been shut up in their moun- press continually increases as education tain fastnesses, but soon after the House spreads. of Savoy discarded its old policy of If space permitted, we could give persecution, and the high work of pro- many interesting and some striking de- claiming the pure Gospel over Italy tails, aU proving that the faithful preach- was earnestly taken up, first by the ing and readiug of the Word of God re- emancipated Waldenses and then by tain in Italy all their immemorial power various other bodies. Last year about over the human heart. fifteen hundred converts joined the Yet one thing must be glanced at ere Protestant missions. But members we close. In the case of the venerable have been lost as well as gained. A Church of the Valleys, which has the good many have died. Not a few have largest share of the work of evangeliza- emigrated. Large numbers of Italy tion, there has recently been granted a leave their country, especially for South most cheering token of good things to America. Three Waldensian pastors, come. Spiritual life in the vallE-Ys had if we mistake not, minister to their ex- in many cases become faint and low ; patriated countrymen there.
even family worship was frequently We may note one important differ- neglected, and the lay members of the ence between the change now going on Church took little or no interest in the and that which occurred three centuries work of the pastors; but of late there ago. Italy did not remain entirely un- hIlS been a truly remarkable change. affected by the great Reformation which The Rev. W. Meille, the worthy son of shook the rest of Europe. The agita- a worthy father, has been especially tion, however, extended only to a por- blessed in his efforts to revive spiritual tion of the upper classes and a few lit- life among the congregations; and his erary men. The great body of the Ital- labors have been heartily seconded by ian people did not feel it, and indeed the pastors generally. In a spiritual hardly knew anything about it. Soon sense we may almost say regarding the the relentless Inquisition triumphed all Church of the Valleys that the winter over Italy. Some converts were joined is past, the reviving breath of spring is to the noble army of martyrs; others moving over the land, and on every were forced to flee from Italy, and up side bud and blossom are bursting into to this day the land, save in the Wal- life. densian retreats, has remained Roman- Our earliest recollections of the val- ist in name and semi·pagan in fact.
Jeys carry us as far back lIS the year Now, the religious change is seen almost 1846. We remember especially one exclusively among the common people.
J,.ord's day afternoon, on whiQh we The influence of It spreads for the most part laterally, though also to some ex- the production of the curate of the vil- tent from below upward. Even if the lage. One young fellow, a Sardinian, was in especial distress over the cruel Pope and his counsellors were to re- and violent words his father had writ- ten him. Capellini had him into his cover his power, which is a most un- study, and therc. after laying his case before the Lord, they concocted tolikely thing, they could hardly now gether a reply. the effect of which sur- crush out the truth. LClU8 Den. passed aU that their feeble faith had dared to hope; for in a few days from Thus, then, in the words of Milton's the father came a request for a Bible nohle sonnet, the Lord is now avenging and Evangelical books. Afl in former years, Signor Capellini His slaughtered saints and sowing their made several ~vangelistic tours; one. martyred blood and ashes over all the this year, in Sicily. He also left Rome to follow thc army during the" grand Italian fields, and by and by we cannot manamvres." " I set out," he writes, doubt that hundred-fold harvest will be " laden with tracts and portions of Scrip- ture, and bl'forc returning had been able rea!led for which the poet poured out to give what seemed to be appropriate his heart in fervent supplication. collocation to them all. It reminded me 1'.S.-The following short statistical ofthedays in my soldier life in which it had fallen to my lot to carry round the table (carefully drawn up by the Rev. camp the hu~e bread·basket, so heavy at starting, so lIght on returning, because Dr. G. Gray, of Rome) will be accepta- of the hungry mouths that had been fed from it. Nor was it in the garrisons only ble to our readers. It gives the in- that I found eager receivers of the Bread of Lifc. but in thc railway carriages, at crease of the membership of the chief the inn table, in the cafe, and by the wayside, the Lord gave me utterance evangelical missions in Italy from 1888 and boldness to speak of His Gospel, to 1893. and to follow up and seal what had been said with the gift of a 'l'estament 1888. 1893. or Gospcl portion or suitable tract. One WaJdensian Church…•4,074 4,737. Gaiu, 663 day a lieutenant elbowed his way through a circle of soldiers that, with Chifsa Libera.•••…….. 1,522 1,631. .. 109 outstretched hands, were pressing round WefJeyan Methodist….• 1,360 1,341. Loss, 19 me for books, and confronting me, de· manded: 'What books are these you (Arrerieau) Methodist are distributing? Give me some to Episcopal. " ….•.. , •• !)2() 965. Gain, 45 examine. ' After opening one or two, he cried out; 'Nonsense! we want no Bap~lst cllurches …….. 875 1,050. 175 priests here!' I replied, 'You are mis- taken, sir; this is no propaganda of Reformed Cath. church…•. 230 (in 1892). priests; there is nothing here but the simple Gospel.' 'Where is the differ· Mission to the Italian Soldiers, ence?' he rejoined, • Romish Church or Evangelical Church, it is all one.' One of the most interesting sights in , That,' said I, • at all events, is not modem Rome to a friend of Italian evangelization is the" Military Church," true. A glance at anyone of these with which the name of Signor Cav. books will show you that they are the Capellini is so honorably associated. condemnation of the very things of His work is indeed a unique one-what which you accuse the Church of Romc. might seem to us work in a very un- Believe me, Signor Lieutenant, our ob· likely field. Yet. during these twenty ject is to spread among these soldiers the years past, large numbers of Italian sol- Spirit of Christ, which is that of truth. diets have given undoubted evidence in righteousness, and love.' The officer was changed lives that the Word of God silent for a moment, then asked, 'Have had come to their hearts through this you a Bible to give me?' 'Certainly,'
agency. and, as Italian soldiers, after I replied, handing him one. He opened their period of service is passed, become it; then turning to the men, • Take the merged in the ranks of the civil popu· lation, Christians among them carry books, if you please; they are good ones; , on which there was a general cry the good seed to many a distant place. As might be expected, this work has of ' One for me! One for me ! ' and in a few moments our stock had disap· excited peculiar hostility among the peared."-A Voicefrom Italy, priests and Roman Catholic relatives of the converts. Several of the soldiers " ~. had received letters from their families, severely upbraiding them for having sold their souls to the devil, and threatening utterly to disown them if they did not send at once some priest's certificate to attest their return to the bosom of the true Church. In most cases it was evident that the letter was
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
VI.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
EDITED BY BEV. D. L. LEONAllD.
Extracts and Translations from Foreign the spiritual hunger and thirst to which Periodioals. other religions give expression. "-.Rev. T. E. SLATER, in Hm've8t Field (Mad- BY REV. C. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, MASS. ras).
INDIA. -" Mr. Hllppner, of the S. P. G., mentions a conversation held some years -" At the present time what force previously with a German prince, who have we here, besides the natives, for had once been in India. The prince rethe evangelization of 10,000,060 Telugur ferred to the exquisite Taj Mahal, and and the training of nearly 50,000 Chris· to Shah Akbar's tomb at Secundra. On tians ?-23 missioP"tries in all. Only 7 his mentioning Secundra, Mr. H6ppner inquired if he had visited the C. M. S. of these have rei years of experience. orphan house, which is in charge of Germans. • No,' he answered, • I have Two others only have five years or nol ~een it, and I deeply regret that I more, while 12 om of the 23 have but did 110t gain a fuller view of missions in two years or less in India. These last Ind~a. But tht fact is, the missionaries are practically dumb. Is not this like did not come to me, and I was entirely sending flocks of sheep out into the in the hands of tile officials, and could deserts with!mt shepherds? Oh, it Is not do what I would. I had to go fearful to think of the way these people where they carried me, and never a have been left! Here it is that the word about missions did they say.' churches at home have utterly failed to This great orphanage is only a hundred appreciate and meet their share of this yards distant from Akbar's grave."- responsibility. "-T1U! Lone StOll', Rama· EMngeli8ch·Lutherisches MilBionsblatt. patam, India (organ of American and Canadian Baptist Missions).
-" The Bible and the Veda may fn· culcate the' same virtues; they may teach certain truths about God and -" Contemporary Hinduism, by con· man; they may give utterance to simi· tact with the Christian West, has ac· lar prayers and aspirations, as seen in quired a certain outward varnish. but the pathetic hymns of the Rig. Veda, the inner rottenne83 often breaks out all addressed to Varuna: • Let me not yet, the more irresistibly for this. The o Varuna, enter into the house of clay; degradation, laziness, covetousness, and have mercy, Almighty, have mercy;' imperiousness of the temple priests is for human nature in this respect has al· proverbial in India; the oppression of ways been the same, conscious of its the women, especially of the widows; deep need, and yearning for delh erance the refined voluptuousness of the men; and satisfaction; but one of them alone the gross superstition; the earthly and -namely, the Bible-sati3fie8 the j blrst ; fleshly temper of the masses; the devil 'I'e.'IpOnda to the cry in its gracious DrDm· worship of the lower castes and of the ise8 of rest in pardon and peace in com· hill tribes; the general mendaciousness munion with God. A careful con pari· and characterlessness of the Hindus; son of religions-than which then can· the evermore apparent impotence of the not be a higher or more fruitful study better disposed In the endeavors for -will assuredly bring out this striking reformation; the oppression of the in· contrast between the Bible and all other ferior castes-these things and many sacred books; will establish its aati8f'll' evil things besides are the rotten j1'UitB ing character in distinction from the on the tree of Hinduism, which, now BeekinJ spirit of other faiths. It satisfies that the elder atrocities have been abol-
1893.J EXTRACTS AND TRANSI,ATIONS
ished, most palpably strike the view." brethren. Of 100,000 Protestant ChrIs- -idem. tians in Tinnevelly, 8000 within the year have been lost to the English Church. -An old peasant in Northwest India This the Lutheran brethren ascribe to learned by heart the first chapter of St. too strenuous an endeavor to carry John's Gospel. After his harvest was through in the way of outward disciover he would go out year by year into pline rather than of inward transforthe villages around and repeat what he mation an abandonment of all caste had learned. In eight years he had usages, and the assumption of self-supbrought some four hundred of his coun- port. Most, perhaps all of the defectrymen to embrace Christianity and re- tions have probably been to the Roman ceive baptism. Catholics, who have mostly let caste take its own way in India. -" It is estimated that in India, counting all Protestant missionaries, -The Rev. J. G. Trimmer, Chairman there is about one to every 500,000 peo- of the Wesleyan Mission, J atfna District, ple. The entire revenue of all the Prot- Ceylon, gives an account of what came estant missions of the world is comput- very near being" premature reporting." ed at £2,450,000. The total British share He says: " We were holding a meeting of that sum was, for 1889, £1,301,306, in a small village, and practically all while the national drink bill is about the popUlation was present. My com- £140,000,000, and one of our smaller panion had given a beautifully simple, wars cost close on £5,000,000. "-Bom- earnest address, and his audience seemed ball Guardian. to listen not only with eagerness but with acceptance. When he had done, I -" The non-Aryan races of India briefly summarized the truths of which he had been speaking, and asked, ' Do have. in all probability, a great future you believe these things?' • Yes, sir,' was the response, unanimous and hearty. before them under British rule, for, It occurred to me to see how far their faith, or profession thereof, would go though under a state of tutelage to-day, on Christian lines. ' You believe in God ; that He is one, and one only 2' time is all on their side. 'l'hey are in- , Yes, we do.' 'You believe that He deed grossly ignorant and backward, made all things and sustains all things » but their very faults are the faults of a that good is pleasing to Him and evil hateful?' Still the responses were simple savagery which has its winning , Yes.' 'Do you believe that this Bible is God's Word, and that other Vedas side. They are the children of the vast are wrong ?' 'Yes. ' , Do you believe what it says, that God sent His Son family of nations in the Indian penin- into the world to save sinners?' and still no less heartily was assent given_ sula, and as such they have endeared I marvelled, and repeated the questions in ether ways ; I made them more perthemselves to Omuetnrams u, c hDoaus gClale~velGarnad~ sonal. 'Do you really believe, then, Elphinstone, that Jesus is able to save men from sin -to save you?' • Oh, yes.' 'Do you ham, Briggs, and Dixon, who have believe that He died for you, to put your sin away-that He loves you now labored among them, for their sturdy and cares for you? ' • We do.' 'Will you, then, accept Him as your Saviour courage. their trustful simplicity. their and accept Him now?' • Yes, sir;, unwavering loyalty to benefactors.
Probably no brighter pages of Eng- land's work in India will be written in the future than the pages which will hereafter record the joint labors of po- litical agents and missionaries among them, and the marvellous results achieved."-Rev. A. T. GURNEY, in Chttrch Missionary InteUigencer.
-There is Iltagnation, if not retrogression, at almost all the mission statioll3 of South India, say the Leipsic
GENERAl. MISSIO;s'AItY I~TEI.LtGENCE
yes.' I confess I almost gasped for renuncialion of their forefathers' g,xIs breath; up to this point everything had and of their village goddesfl-hlld au ex. seemed perfect, and had I gone no fur- treme power over a simple woman who ther I might have yielded to the tempta- had decided to receive baptism. Yet tion of 'premature reporting,' and she wavered only a moment, and then penned an account of a village convert- was herself again. In the moment cd and ready for Christian baptism. when she did so, despite the deafening But I could not forbear continuing the cries and curses outside, she celebrated test. 'If you become Christians you a great victory, and in her the cross of must give up sin.' Silence. 'You Christ. Since this crisis the current has must give up lying.' A smile ran turned in our favor.-].IR. LAZARUS, in round the audience, and a voice said: Dan8k Mi88ions-Blad. , We cannot agree to that.' 'God requires it of you. Lying, thieving, im- MADAGASCAR. purity, sin in all its forms you must give up if you want Jesus to save you.' -" Imerina, the central and ruling The negative was more pronounced; :ryrovinee of Madagascar, is from 4000 and I went on sadly: 'You cannot to 4500 feet above the sea-level, so that, serve the true God and worship idols; although well within the tropics, it en· you cannot trust both Jesus and Pil- joys a pleasant, temperate climate, made lalar. Axe you willing to give up these quite cool and bracing in the cooler seathings, that He who died for you may son by the southeast trade-winds, which save and bless you?' Ah, no; wJlling come fresh and moist over the forest to accept if they might do so while the belt and the wooded eastern plains. life remained unaltered; willing to ac- The atmosphere is wonderfully pure cept e7!6TYthing, to give up wthing!" and clear, so that hills many miles away We commend this to the Salvation stand out with a sharp and distinct out- Army.-Harvest Field (Madras). line that is very deceptive to those new- ly come from our more misty air and -Mr. Lazarus, of the Danish Mission our gray English skies. in l!adras, remarks that the spasmodic attempt to organize resistance by Hindu " The general aspect of this region is street-preaching has collapsed. All the bare, as it is destitute of wood except heathen street preachers have disap- in the hollows, although there are peared. Of course the attempt may be patches of primeval forest still left in renewed, but, like all attempts to graft the northern parts of the province. Christian usages on a heathen trunk, it There is a great extent of moorlike hills, will always fail anew. Julian the Apos- so that but for the brilliant sunshine and tate was the first signal example of this, the generally clear skies, Imerina would, with his futile endeavors to spur the like much of the other central portions pagan priesthood up to imitation of the of central Madagascar, be somewhat purity and beneficence which still, as dreary, especially as the grass gets a whole, distinguished the Christian brown and parched toward the middle clergy. The Hindu Tract Society, of the dry season. To myself, however, with its abusive publications, has also the extensive prospects, the presence of dissolved itself. high hills, the pure atmosphere, and the exhilarating air always gave an inde- -" Even 'in 1.1 pariah town there is a finable charm to the landscape even of distinct public sentiment, not to speak the Hova province. But it is toward of ridicule and persecution. The bap- sunset that Imerina is seen in its most tism of the first woman was a critical attractive aspect. As the sun sinks event in Elavore's history. The other lower and lower, the hills, range bewomen's sorrowful lament over what yond range, are colored with the richest they regarded as a fatal act-namely, the shades of purple, the sky fiames wiLh crimson and gold, the long lines of red
EXTRACTS AND TRANSJ,ATtoNS
clay walls which enclose Ihe native com- MISCELLANEOUS.
pounds glow like streaks of vermilion -The Moravian Mission8-Blatt speaks on the purple as the sun begins to touch of what appears to be .. an ineradicable the horizon. There is a glory of color myth"-namely, that the early Moraover earth and sky which is truly won- vian missionaries in Greenland, not derful, and has again and again filled knowing how to translate "Lamb of me with intense delight. "-Rev. JAMES God," since the Eskimos have no sheep, SIBBEE, quoted in Jfadagatlcar N(!!J)8. finally decided to translate it "God's seal," the seal also being, as we know, SUMATRA. a gentle, docile creature. Not so ill- -Of the Rhenish lIisslonary S0- imagined, says the Blatt. It has only ciety's work in the last year, Dr. Schrei- one fault, it is not and never has been ber. as noted in the Oltronicle. reported true. In the early times, when the misthat in the island of Nias, off Sumatra, sionaries as yet knew the language imalmost all the people of the district of perfectly, they sometimes used for" the Gombu-Humene had castoff their idols, babe Jesus" an expression more properand that Missionary Thomas had bap- ly confined to the infant seal. The peotized 69 people at Easter, and 100 others ple knew what was meant, and accomwere receiving instruction. On the modated themselves to the meaning shores of the Toba Lake in Sumatra until belter knowledge taught the transsuccess still attends the labors of the lators a better word. "Lamb of God, " missionaJies. It is quite a new field, however, has always been translated by and yet at Si Gumpar there have al- a word tlJat signifies " a young sheep," . ready been 400 baptisms and a consider- and in Greenland by a word signifying' able number at the other three stations. " sheep," but lacking the diminutive; It was feared that much opposition form. Though the sheep is not found' would a.rise from the Mohammedan in Greenland or Labrador, pictures and party, but hitherto all has gone forward descriptions have made the notion of it quietly, and the missionaries are hope- easily inteIligible, and of late years ful that this district, like that of Silin- sheep, intended for the food of the dung, w:ll soon be won for Christ. In sailors, are often seen by the natives on the SiIiLdung district, indeed, in spite European vessels. The misinterpretaof the creat mortality caused by the tions of malice are usually the most percholera .ast year, some thr~e thousand sistent, but here the misinterpretation persolls ',vere received into membership, of a romancing disposition to eulogize while fnm outlying places, some of seems to hold pace with them.
them fa.!' distant, requests for teachers -The first Protestant missionaryor- are bdnl~ continually received. And in dained as such, says Professor Kruger, those parts of the island, such as Sipirok was CASPAR WILTENS, of Antwerp.
and SHoga, where Mohammedanism is He was ordained at Amsterdam, for the really a power, the work goes forward Dutch East Indies, December 20th, most hopefully. At Padang Bolak, one 1610.
of the roost recently formed stations, -The first Protestant missionary sothere ar.3 already more than five hun- ciety formed on the Continent under an dred learners. This rapid increase of impulse from England was the NetherconvtJrts. or at least of adherents, has lands Missionary Society (Het Neder- Its perils, but the missionaries are seek- land8che ZeruklingsgenootsCliap), formed ing to !,'ive the people full instruction in 1797. in the W.1yS of God, and in this they are heartily "upported by the native preach- – " It is no casual coincidence that ers and evangelists, the number of the same apostle who has maintained whom is now very considerable. with victorious lucidity the evangelical
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
foundation doctrine of justification by upon the six easternmost provinces of faith hIlS been pre.eminently the apostle the kingdom of Prussia."-Ibid.
of the Gentiles. Missions and the right- -" That our Rhenish society, besides the sacrifice of home, of health, of eousness of faith stand in intimate con- length of life. can produce martyrs in the literal sense, I need not say further nection with one another in two ways: than to mention 1859, when seven mis· sionary brethren and sisters were murfirst, faith, which apprehends Jesus dered at once, and 1891, when two young brethren left their lives for Christ, the incarnate aSsonitsofriGgohdt~otuhB'e Jesus' sake on the island of New Crucified and Risen, Guinea. What awaits you, dear breth· ren, who will undertake to say? But ness becomes an impulse to missions. if you are certain of your course in the Lord, and if you hear His voice resound· This faith, if it is living, makes me a ing in yoursouls-' I have ordained you that ye should go '-then go, and go in debtor to God and makes me a debtor all comfort and confidence. He that hath called you will also guide you, and to men, 80 that I must give out what I under His guidance you are ever in rest. Children of God, even on dangerous myself have received. Salvation im· paths, can say, with the author of the ninety-first Psalm, 'I will say of the parts the saving mind. Faith impels to Lord, He is my refuge and my fortre~s; • my God, in Him will I trust.' And testifying, gives zeal for conversion, so should their appointed way bring them into death, even into the bloody death zealous as to yearn to help every man to of martyrdom, even then they have no occasion to despond, but may lift up the a share in the saving grace of God in head with joy, knowing that their death is not a ransom for their sins, but a Christ. And moreover the life which death unto sin. and an entrance upon eternal life. "-Ibid. God hath bestowed on us in his dear Son, is so precious to the believer that it makes him ready for every sacrifice.
And because faith knows out of its own experience God's saving power in the Gospel, it also is confident of a victo· 0; rious power of God in this over all men whether Jews or Gentiles, Greeks barbarians, wise or simple. On the other hand, It is labor thrown away to try to turn faithless men or men that are uncertain of their faith or have no joy in it into missionary workers. It is, indeed, a self-contradiction to assume the existence of a self·sacrificing im- pulse for the extension of the Christian faith in him who is veld of this faith or " If each man in his measure Would do a brother's part, indifferent to it. Geographical discov· To cast a ray of sunshine eries, colonial conquests, universal com- Into a brother's heart, merce, agencies of transmarine civiliza- How changed would be our country, How Changed would be our poor I tion may easily give faith a missionary And then might l'tferrie England direction, but they have no power where Deserve her name once more. "
faith is wanting to engender an in· -PRINCESS MAY, quoted in AU8- tralian Ohristian World. terest in missions. On athfeaioththesruhcahn~d it is self-evident that :paul had engenders such a missionary impulse as Paul had."-Dr. WARNECK in Rheinische Mis8iona-Berichte. ' -Herr F. M. Zahn, commenting on Emin Pasha's disparagement of Prot- -" Assuming that all Protestant mis- estant and praises of Roman Catholic sions together have 4000 missionaries missions, slyly remarks that he ought and $10,000,000 income, it results that to be an authority in religious matters, there is not applied upon the whole non- for he was born a Jew, baptized a Prot- Christian world, with its 1,000,000,000 estant, has since professed himself a men, so much of energy and means as Mohammedan, and would not improbably on oooll8ion object to becoming a that shapes, etc. Morrison had his Catholic, being all the while, we may heart set on being a missionary in Cen- remark on Stanley's authority, a thor- tral Africa; Carey was shaping his ough-going materialist_ He is 8 friend- course for the South Seas, while Liv- ly, benevolent-tempered man, warmly ingstone would play the part of a medi- devoted to the interests of the natives, cal misSionary in China. But when the but esteems their spiritual interests a latter was ready to set forth in 1840 the chimera apparently. " Opium War" was raging with no end in sight, and so he was sent to expend THE WORLD AT LARGE. his energies upon the Dark Continent.
.. Richest are they -It was due to Chitambo, the chief That live for Christ 80 well of the village in which Livingstone died, The longest day that the superstitious horror of the Would scarce suffice to tell Africans at the removal of a dead body In what wide ways their benefac- was overcome; and four years ago the tions fell. " Royal Geographical Society of England appropriated a sum of money for the -It is said that the Rev. Mr. McAll purchase of presents to Chitambo in began preaching in Paris knowing only recognition of this service. Later it three words in French-" God loves WII8 learned that Chitambo was dead ; you. " And that hII8 been his theme but the presents at length reached their ever since. destination, and have been bestowed on his successor. A bronze tablet, sent by -The tomb of Mahomet is covered Mrs. A. L. Bruce, Dr. Livingstone's with diamonds, sapphires, and rubies daughter, accompanied these presents, valued at $10,000,000. How fortunate and has been fastened to the tree under for Christianity that the very site of the which Livingstone's heart was buried. tomb of its divine Founder is unknown; It bears the simple inscription, .. Liv- and so love and reverence are com- ingstone died here, nala, May 1st, pelled to expend themselves in far 1878." worthier ways, even in walking in His footsteps and carrying His kingdom to -Who doubts that the Youth'80om- the ends of the earth. panion is correct in affirming that &. po- tent cause in delaying the advance of -According to the English historian, Christianity in China is found in the doc- Sharon Turner, at the end of the first trinal differences of the churches? The century there were 500,000 Christians. Chinese are taught to regard difference By the end of the second century there of sect as equivalent to difference of were 2,000,000. This number was in- crced; hence they cannot ell8ily be creased in the next hundred years to brought to understand that Presbyte, 5,000,000. Then the figures advanced rians, Methodists, Congregationalists, 118 follows: 500 A.D., 10,000,000; 600 Baptists, Catholics, Greek Churchmen, A.D., 15,000,000; 700 A.D., 20,000.000; Friends, and others are all preaching 800 A.D., 24,000,000; 900 A.D., 30,000,- one faith. "Again, Chinese bewilder· 000; 1000 A.D., 40,000,000; 1100 A.D., ment is iacreased because the Catholics, 50,000,000; 1200 A.D., 70,000,000; 1300 the English and the American missiona- A.D., 80,000,000; 1400 A.D., 75,000,000 ; ries use different Chinese words for 1500 A.D., 80,000,000; 1600 A.D., 100,. God. This causes the people to think , 000,000; 1700 A.D., 120,000,000; 1800 that the missionaries have different A.D., 155,000,000; 1893 A.D., 250,000,- deities." 000. -When Morrison set forth for Chins -It is not in man that walketh to in 1807 he must needs journey from direct his steps, but there's a divinity England via New Yorl!:. After his final arrangements for the voyage had been than that prejudice was at first reduced, made in this city with the vessel owner, and at last annihilated. Those who de- the latter wheeled around from his desk. blatterate against missions have only and said, with a smile of superior sa- one thing to do-to come and see them gacity, "So, Mr. Morrison, you really on the spot. "
expect that you will make an impres- sion on the idolatry of the great Chinese WOMAN'S WORK.
Empire 1" "No, sir," replied with -How did women's missionary or· emphasis this pioneer missionary to the ganizations come to be? " Experience Middle Kingdom, with its hundreds of proved that no nation can be elevated million~, and then utterly closed against until its women are regenerated; also all foreigners-" no, sir; but I expect that no man, whether clerical missionthat God will !" ary or even physician, could carry the -The ]j!l'ee ahurcl~ Monthly does well Gospel to the jealously guarded women to recall that in Tahiti fourteen years of Oriental households. When the passed without a convert-now there degradation and sufferings of Asiatic are 850,000 Christians in Western Poly- women and the darkness of their future nesia. At the end of ten years Judson were revealed, the conscience of Chris- had only 18 to show as the fruit of his tian women was aroused."
toil; since then the rate of increase has -The first woman physician to India been so great in Burmah that during was Dr. Clara Swain, in 1869; to China, the interval a new church has, on an Dr. Lucinda Combs, in 1873; to Japan, average, been established every three Dr. Florence Hamisfar, in 1883; and to weeks. Ground was first broken in Korea, about four years ago, Dr. Meta China in 1842; now there have been Howard -all sent out by the Methodist gathered into the Church nearly 50,000 women. converts. In Fiji the Wesleyans entered in 1835, when the darkness of -Only three women were present at heathenism reigned everywhere; but in the recent Decennial Missionary Confer- 1885 there were 1300 churches in the ence at Bombay who attended the first group, with 104,000 habitual attendants one in 1872-Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Johnon public worship. son, and Miss Isabella Thoburn. Then only two papers were presented by -Somebody has discovered that there women; but no one thought of the auare three kinds of Baptists-the Mission thors reading them, much less of womvariety, the Omission, and the Anti- en speaking before the Conference; but mission; and it is to be feared that our in 1892 they had a place on the probrethren of this name are no worse off gramme, and .fullliberty in the discusthan their neighbors. sions.
-Three missionary societies have -It is scarcely a figUl'e of speech to passed the million-dollar mark, to wit, say that " woman is the corner-8tone of the English Church Missionary Society, heathenism. " Notwithstanding their which is also almost halfway toward two degradation, heathen mothers have immillions; the Methodist Episcopal, and mense power over their sons. The fear the Presbyterian; nor are two or three of a mother's curse prevents many more so very far behind. Chinamen from listening to the claims -Robert Louis Stevenson has never of the Gospel; and an intelligent Hindu been classed with "religious fanatics," exclaims: "It is the women who mainand after wide observation of the facts tain the system of Hinduism."
in the case he puts himself on record in -Missions in the East hav;e secured these words: "I had conceived a great the warm interest and support of two prejudice against missions in the South well-known women-Miss Gordon Cum- Seas; and I had no sooner come there ming and Mrs. Isabella Bird Bishop, who have travelled much, and so have The expenditure of the committee for seen with their own eyes, and are ready the past year was £8695 ($43,475). to advocate with pen and tongue, the work of the Gospel in heathen lands. AMERICA. The pages of Life and Light are to be enriched by articles from both. United States.-The New York Sun says that, according to the last census, -Lieutenant Wadhams, of the United in· rough figures, the denominations in· States Navy, narrates the interview of this country stand thus: "Roman Miss Fletcher with the naval command· Catholic, 7,000,000; Methodist, 5,000,- er, who wanted to carry her oft to 000; Baptist, 4,000,000; Presbyterian, Yokohama after her home on Ponape 1,300,000; Lutheran, 1,250,000; the had been burned by the Spaniards, as rest of the Protestant communions, it was reported to him by a man who counted together, about 3,000,000." professed to be an infidel. J'fIiss Fletch· er declined the kind offer, and would -A Methodist church was recently not go ; her scholars loved her and she organized in Portland, Ore., with 30 loved them; she had come to Ponape members, and composed wholly of Jap· for a special purpose, and the people anese. needed her. "But you are in danger. Will you not go 1" "No. I have read -Most Americans will be surprised of soldiers and sailors refusing to de· to learn that all the Chinamen in the sert their posts when in danger, and United States came from a single one of why should 11" "But that was in the eighteen provinces of the Celestial time of war." " This is a time of war. Empire-most of them from one corner I propose to stay. Let us have a pray- of that province. er for guidance." "And then," said the infidel, "I had to get down on my -Mr. Jue Hawk, a Chinaman who knees, and she reeled off the best prayer delivered one of the most inspiring mis- I ever heard in my life. " sionary addresses at last year's Interna- tional Christian Endeavor Convention -The Friends' Woman's Foreign at New York, and who is now conduct· Missionary Union has attained to the ing a mission among his own people in age of three years, and reports receipts Portland, Ore., was prevented from amounting to $22,350 last year, and having a part in the recent Montreal $65,000 in all from the beginning. The convention, because if he had visited Union has decided to make an annual that city the exclusion law would not contribution from its general treasury permit his return to this country. to the support of some already existing mission to the Jews. -Sumantrao Vishun Karmarker, for- merly a high· caste Brahman, was or- -The women of the Southern Bap· dained as a minister of the Gospel in tist Church raised $36,053 last year for New Haven, June 8th. Heworeasash foreign missions and $26,284 for home which is said to be the insignia of his missions. former caste. Rev. Mr. Karmarker is sent out to do general evangelistic work -Among the English Wesleyans the in India. "Ladies' Meeting," as it is familiarly called, grows in popUlarity year by -The American Bible Society, at its year, as it deserves to do. This year it annual meeting, reported the total rewas thought by many to excel all pre- ceipts for the year to be $583,930. The vious meetings. It has a character of total number of Scriptures printed and its own, and touches chords which are purchased in 1892 amounts to 1,447,843 untouched, at least with equal tenr1l~r volumes, of which 394,057 were printed ness and force, on any other occasion. :I;wad, including 36,906 at Constanti- nople, 6000 at Beirut, 244,000 in China, 23,mi9 in Siam, and the remainder in year at the General Assembly the fol- Gcrmany and France. The total issues lowing report was read: "We haTe in of thc society during sevent.y·seven all 106 missionaries in the foreign field, years amount to 56,926,771 copies. 19 of whom have been added this past year. At least 30 persons are now be- -The annual report presented to the fore the committee ready to go, among Baptist Missionary Union, at the meet- whom are pastors, medical missiona- ing in Denver, gave an inspiring sum- ries, and tried workers. The contribu- mary of statistics-2070 preachers ill tions from every source have been $127,. the missions; 1531 churches; 169,729 812, which is $2465 less than the receipts church-members, of whom 12,856 were of last year." baptized in 1892; 85,684 scholars in Sunday-schools, and $303,270 con- -The Presbyterian Church, North, tributed for mission purposes by the rcports these large figureR for foreign mission churches. This is an increase missions: "Received from churches, over the preceding year of 40 prcach- $347,561; from woman's boards, $329,- ers, 72 churches, 5848 church-memberj!, 889; interest, individual and miscel- 7497 Sunday-school scholars, and $60,- laneous sources, $150,074; legacies, 910 in contributions. Add to these $133,546; Sabbath-schools, $36,988; figures the receipts amounting to a sum and Y. P. S. C. R, $16,447. Total, so near to a million, and what an im- $1,014,504. Fifty-six new missionaries pulse should be given to the Christian Were sent to the field. We have now beneficence of every Baptist church in 623 foreign missionaries at their posts the land! and 1647 native workers, of whom 187 are ordained ministers. This is two -The Lutheran General Synod re- hundred times the force that turned / ports receipts dnring the last biennium the world upside down eighteen hun- dred years ago." amounting to $59,200, to which the women's society added $38,080. And – What a tremendous parish is that this is the report from the field: "There in New York City under the supervision are in India 6 missionaries, 132 native pas- of the Rev. Father },Iorelli, which in· tors and catechists, and 53 helpers; 328 cludes St. Joachim, in Roosevelt Street, congregations, 135 prayer houses and 6 and the Most Precious Blood, in Bax· bungalows. During the past two years tel' Street. It is estimated that somc there have been 3362 accessions and 15,000 persons belong to the former and 2617 losses, giving a present total mem- 25,000 to the latter. St. Joachim is bership of 14,311. These members con- certainly unique. " The ground fioor is tributed in the two years $3247. In entirely distinct from the rest of the 196 schools and the new Arthur G. building; it is occupied as a rag wal'e- Watts College 277 teachers are instruct- house, and the rag-pickers and rag-pack- ing 5216 pupils. In Africa there are 2 ers may be seen busily at work below missionaries and 2 native pastors. Dur- on week days, while masses are being ing the two years there have been 78 said on the floor above to large congre- additions, showing a present member- gations in the auditorium, which seats ship of 180 communicants. In the Sun- about 1300. There are six masses each day-schools there are 12 teachers and Sunday, fully attended, so that nearly S10 scholars; in the secular schools, 2 8000 Italians visit this church each Sun- teachers and 174 pupils. In two years day." 'SO,OOO pounds of coffee have been gathered and sold for $4329." -The report of the U. S. Commis- sioner of Education, recently published, -At the close of the war in 1865 the contains a report of General Agent foreign missions of the Southern Pres- Sheldon Jackson on Alaska (1889-90). byterian Church consisted only of the He says: "Alaska has at present 15 day work in the Indian Territory. This schools, supported wholly by the Gov- Continent," according to these state- ernment, with a total enrolment of 1110 ments, condensed from Regions Beyond : pupils; 9 contract schools, containing 302 pupils, supported jointly by the " There are only 3 missionary stations Government and the missionary socie- in Colombia-its population is 4,000,000. ties; 10 mission schools, with an enrol- ment of 297 pupils, supported wholly "Ecuador, with between 1,000,000 from the funds of the churches; and 2 and 2,000,000 of people, has no mission- schools containing 79 pupils, maintained ary, and never had any. on the seal islands by the North Ameri- can Commercial Company, under con- "Dr. Thomas B. Wood is the only tract with the treasury department. In Protestant pastor among the 3,000,000 all, there are 37 schools, with 1788 of Peru. pupils. He estimates that there are 10,000 native children in Alaska." "There are not more than 20 or 30 light-bearers .among the 2,500,000 of Mexico.-The largest and most suc- Chile. cessful work done in our sister republic Is that of the Presbyterian, North, " Only 18 workers for the 4,000,000 whose mission stations present a roll of people of the Argentine Republic and nearly 6000 communicants. A marked Patagonia! feature of the work is the large number and ability of the native ministers they •• Paraguay has 5 foreign missionaries have trained and brought into service. for its 500,000 people. The proportion is the same in Uruguay, with its 800,000. -This is a cheering statement of progress in the Mexican capital: " A few passing visits have been made Twenty-two years ago, in the City of by colporteurs of the American Bible Mexico, there was but 1 Protestant min- Society among the people of Bolivia, ister and 1 congregation, with about 70 but there is as yet no resident Prot- or 1:l0 communicants, not then connect- estant missionary for its 2,300,000 souls. ed with any other mission. To-day there are 18 congregations, 16 native •• Venezuela, with a population of ministers, 8 missions, and a large mem- 2,100,000, has only 1 Protestant mis- bership; 9 Sunday-schools. with about sionary. 40 ttlachers; 13 Protestant day schools, and 3 boarding-schools for girls. .• In Brazil 14,000,000 people, and 12,- 000,000 of them still unevangelized! -One of the most appalling features That republic has • not more than 1 mis- of the work in this country is the ex- sionary on an average to every 175,000 treme poverty of the common people. souls.' " Miss Prescott, in a letter from Parral, published in Mission Studies, says: -A missionary in Georgetown, Deme- "Scarcely an hour passes that we do rara, was visited recently by about 20 not have calls to feed the starving. I aboriginal Indians, led by a converted have offered to give breakfasts to all Portuguese. They had travelled over children who will come to school if they 1000 miles, and it had taken them seven have had nothing to eat in their homes, weeks to make the journey. They . and every morning some accept the came seeking baptism, and pleading . offer. They are satisfied with a piece hard for a missionary, guaranteeing a of bread and a bit of dark sugar, cost- congregation of 1000 persons every Sun- ing only a cent and a half, and this keeps day. them from being hungry till noon." -There is a Welsh colony in Pata- South America.-What ;, call comes gonia which was planted in the Chubat to Christendom from this" Neglected Valley in 1869 by the Rev. M. D. Jones. This valley is about 40 miles long and 4 broad, and is well protected by the surrounding hills. These colo- nists originally numbered 150, but there are now 3000 of them. One of them, Jonathan C. Davis, has just published a book on Patagonia. EUROPE. There are 19,758 local offices and 12,229 bandsmen; and it is estimated tha' . Great Britain.-Says the Toronto about 7,000,000 persons are reached E'Dangelical Churchman: ,; The London some way or other each week. The , May meetings' of religious and benevo- total income is $100,000. lent organizations are very numerous, and are well attended. Exeter Hall is The Continent.-Somebody having the Mecca, and this 'great hall has be- absurdly asserted that it costs from £300 come associated with all the philan- to £1000 to convert a Jew, a Hamburg thropic and reformatory agencies in missionary replies that in that city 78 Great Britain. The world once sneered were led to accept the Gospel at a total at these meetings and the' saints' who expense of only £234, or exactly £3 attended them. Even Lord Macaulay each! spoke of 'the bray of Exeter Hall.' But Exeter Hall has won the day. The -At his recent and much-lamented JJaily News fully expressed the changed death, Mr. McAll left behind as the sentiment of the London clubmen and fruit of his twenty years' toil regular the newspaper writers when it said re- services held in 43 meeting places, with cently: 'The May meetings used to be 7400 sittings in and round Paris, 89 in pelted with some cynical ridicule at one the provinces and 6 in Algeria and time. They are pelted with no ridicule Tunis, a total of 138. of any kind now. They have had their baptism of fire, and have come out un- -His Holiness of the Vatican, at his scathed, and have only now to go on recent jubilee, was able-to increase his and do their work.' " exchequer by the sum of 9,000,000 francs from the gifts of the faithful. -The following are the approximate statistics of thc Church Missionary So- -How dense the darkness in the ciety: Stations, 324; European mis- Czar's domain, since of the population sionaries-ordained, 322, lay, 71 ; wives, of the Russian Empire but 25 per cent 249 ; unmarried women, 121 ; total, 763 ; of the men and 2 per cent of the womnative and Eurasian clergy, 281 ; native en can read and write! And yet the nalay teachers, 4196; native Christian tional government appropriates scarcely adherents, 196,638; native communi· $5,000,000 annually for education for a cants, 51,046; baptisms during the year, population of more than 100,000,000. 10,712 ; schools, 1798; scholars, 72,860 ; It has been officially declared that if income in 1892, $1,414,025. 3250 new schools be founded each year, it would take 260 years before every , -The interdenominational mission, one of the present population could read formed twenty years ago by Dr. and and write. Better let the Jews and the Mrs. Grattan Guinness, has now 3 col- St.undists alone, and send forth schoolleges, 130 students from 40 different masters by the ten thousand. countries, several mission centres in London, chiefly in the East End, and ASIA. is represented by between 600 and 700 men and women in the foreign field. Turkey.-" The Sultan of glorious The balance sheet shows that the ex- Sultans, Emperor of powerful Emperpenditure now is over £20,000 a year. ors, distributer of the crowns of infidel rulers that are seated upon thrones, the -In spite of all it~ drawbacks, the shadow of God upon earth. I who am Salvation Army has attained to a promi- the Emperor, the Asylum of Justice and nent place among the hosts of the army the King of Kings, the centre of vicof the Lord. Its work is carried on in tory; I, who, by the real Almighty, 21 languages. There were 3070 sta- the Fount of happiness, am adorned tions controlled by 10,816 officers. with the title of Emperor of both Lands and, by the crowning grandeur of my caliphate, am graced by the title of Sovereign of both Seas." Such is the English·speaking people to open our full title of Turkey's ruler. way to every place in the land."
-The Christians of Talas, Western -Christian missionaries have already Turkey, may well provoke to similar brought countless blessings to India, good works their much more highly and there are more to follow. Influ- favored brethren in Europe and Ameri- enced by the representations of the ca. For they have formed a One-cent- Madras missionaries, the Government a-week Bible Society. Mr. Fowle, of has issued orders putting a stop to the Cresarea, gives in the Missionary Herald enslavement of pariahs, and giving'
a glowing report of its first year. He them the right to hold and cultivate says: "Of the 120 members, 81 were lands.
from Talas alone. During the year -Not long ago a man came to Bom- $8.80 had been sent to each of the fol- bay who had loaded himself down with lowing countries: Japan, China, India, 600 pounds of chains. He had come and Micronesia, with twice that amount from North India. It was said that to Africa, making a total of $52.80. At when he travelled by the train he was the close of the anniversary service a charged partly as a passenger and partthank-offering was made amounting to ly as freight. He was a Mohammedan, nearly $10, and other contributions were and wished to go as a pilgrim to Mecca. forwarded, making the entire income of To reach Mecca he must take a steamthe society for the first year about $88." er. A ticket was bought for him, but Besides this, Miss McCallum writes of when he arrived at the ship the astonthe benevolent work which the girls' ished captain declined to allow him to school at Smyrna has carried on. They come aboard. In his chains were tied have a flourishing Women's Christian sonie large iron pegs and a heavy iron Temperance Union and a King's Daugh- mallet. They were used in fixing him ters' circle, which has visited the sick, firmly down when he wished to stay in contributed Christmas gifts for two mis- any particular spot. When inquired of sion schools, and provided as far as pos- why he was carrying such a crushing sible for several poor families. Besides load, he replied that as a young man he all this the pupils are supporting a little was very wicked and wished to give up girl in India, and have contributed to his wickedness, and so he determined the library fund for the Kobe Home; to chain himself to keep from sin. But also to Dr. Paton's work in the New he still sinned, and so put on another Hebrides. chain, then another, until at last there India-According to the last census hung from his limbs the 600 pounds, and there are no less than 715,000 villages in he could no longer walk.
this vast and crowded peninSUla, with -As a startling proof of the growing inhabitants varying in number from popularity of the post-office in India, it 10,000 to a few scores, or an average of may be mentioned that the postal au- 370, and separated from each other by thorities lately received a request from a about a mile and a half. Brahman pundit in Rajputana, suggest· -Rev. A. B. Simpson, of the Inter- ing that they should undertake the con- national Missionary Alliance, after an veyance of the ashes of dead Hindus by extended journey up and down the parcels' post to Hurdwar. The Brah- land, is deeply impressed by this fact: man gentleman volunteered the assur- •• God has given us, in India, the most ance that if the department could guar- open field in the world. It is a civil- antee that the ashes would be safely de- ized country under an excellent govern- livered into the waters of the sacred ment, with railroads and highways lead- stream by Brahman postmen, a large ing in every direction, perfect securi- revenue from the traffic might be antici- ty for life and property, and enough pated. -Statesman. -Lord Wenlock, the Governor of the world. They possess all the ele- Madras, when opening the other day a ments of a great people; they have mission college at Guntoor, built for the courage, physical power and absolute natives by one of our Lutheran mission- contempt for death. So great is their ary societies (General Synod), publicly aptitude for learning that I should be expressed the" gratitude of the British glad to have a force of Chinamen here, Government to Americans for all their where, under the tuition of English inefforts to improve the intelligence and fantry officers, in one year they would ~o cultivate the morals of the people of turnout the finest soldiers in the India. Our American cousins, "he add- world." ed, " are not responsible for the welfare of so large a number of the human race -A missionary received So letter from as we are. But seeing our difficulties, a banker in Chin-chao asking him to and how much we have to do, they give recommend ten or more Christians to us their money and the best of their be employed in his bank, because, he families as missionaries to promote the said, " the Christians are the only trustwelfare of those who are in no way con· worthy men in the cUy." nected with them." Last year Lord Harris, the Governor of Bombay, gave -The Chinese language contains no even yet more enthusiastic and discrimi- word for liberty. And so thoroughly nating praise of our countrymen for the for long centuries have the masses been assistance which they are rendering to disciplined into obedience to the powers the people of Western India, and his that be, though they may resent and example has been followed also by the stoutly resist the levying of extortionate governors of the Northwestern Prov- taxes, to all other forms of oppression inces and of Bengal, all of whom have they stolidly bend their necks without been unstinted in their eulogies of our limit. missionary societies.-Neto Yorlc Tribune. -In a recent address at a missionary conference in Canton, Dr. E. P. Thwing -A most affecting and urgent call said, with regard to the present condifor help comes from the Northwest tion of things: "Let no one be de- India Methodist Conference, and be- ceived and fancy that this empire is cause" at least 60 large congregations revolutionized by Western thought, are toitlwut a roof 01' shelter of any soon to be Christianized. Past miskind. " And in each case "So small judgments should teach us better. grant of $20 to $30 makes the comple- China is awake, but not in the best temtion of a chapel possible." per, as is the case with one suddenly, unwillingly roused. She is at school, -Robert P. Wilder, son of the re- but dislikes her teachers; a bright but vered founder of the MISSIONARY RE- stubborn pupil, ambitious yet self-con- VIEW, and of late so prominent in direct- ceited. She tolerates the presence of ing and enlarging the Student Volun- foreigners, admits innovations, not from teer Movement in America and Europe, conviction, but motives of prUdential before settling down for work in Kola- policy, and for self-preservation. A repore, his birthplace, has been making vision of the status of the missionary an extended tour over India, speaking body as related to the civil and military scores of times on the same theme to power is needed. They form an alien large audiences. society within Chinese society which the Government is forced to recognize China.-The Strand Magazine, of under treaties which it has been forced London, has published an interview to sign. They should appreciate the with Lord Wolseley in which the great eruptive elements embedded in Chinese English general said that" he believes society, and avoid needless collisions in the Chinese to be the greatest race in attempted modifications of social usages among converts, as to bridal and burial sent to a refractory tribe in the Aures customs, mortuary honors, and the like, Mountains, with instructions to treat also grounds of suspicion or calumny in their sick, and especially those suffering managing hospitals, orphanages, ac- from eye disease. While no white man quisition and tenure of property, in the had previously been allowed to stay, the movements of female mi~sionaries," etc. two doctors spent there a month, and their medical ad vice was eagerly sought. -The American Christians (Disci- This experiment is to be extended to ples) for years have had a dispensary in ot,her wild tribes. Where it is not pos- Nanking, and now rejoice in the com- sible to send and keep a regular physipletion of Drum Tower Hospital, "the cian, dispensaries are to be established finest building in the city." In all 8100 and put in charge of native school-maspatients were ministered to last year. ters, under the superintendence of gov- ernment physicians. This cheap and japan.-Gojumra is a total abstinence humane method of conquest was sugtown, and over each house a motto is gested by the success of Catholic and placed reading. " Frugal in all things; Protestant medical missionaries. liquor prohibited." All cities and villages throughout Christendom please -At a recent communion in Batanga, copy. West Africa, a notable scene occurred, when 21 adults and 19 children received -The editor of J)ento, a Buddhist the rite of baptism. " It was a solemn newsp3per, advises that the Bible be feast, " says a letter from Miss Louise A. taught in the Buddhist colleges. ,. Chris- Babe. "There were about 400 people tianity," he says, ., is not losing its in- in the church and 300 more outside and fluence. It is our great enemy. We underneath it. The people who came should be very cautious and prudent. from afar had to start on Saturday, We ought to understand the meaning briuging their food. I have never seen of the chief weapon of our enemy, the such a sight. One man before being Bible. In order to combat our foe "we baptized declared all his four slaves free should investigate the Bible's char- ill the presence of the congregation. acter. If we neglect the proper meatiS This man's profession was evidently of defence, Christianity will swallow up from the root." ou! believers in a great vortex. "
-The Presbyterian Church in Japan -Eugene W 011'1', the African coris not divided into half·a-dozen fac· respondent of the Berlin Tageblatt, tions, but is one body, having 6 presby- cables to that paper that the British teries, 73 churches, and 1),903 com· East Africa Company evacuated Uganmunicants. Able and discreet men are da on April 1st, and that Sir Gerald coming forward from among the natives Portal, the special Commissioner to to be leaders in things religious. Be· Uganda, hoisted the British flag and hold, how good and how pleasant it is proclaimed a protectorate over the refor brethren to dwell together in unity; gion. and especially when upon heathen soil. -The income of the Universities Mis- AFRICA. sion to Central Africa for 1892 was £21,- 483. the largest amount ever received in -The April number of the Afrique one year, and a pleasing item in the exof Geneva contains an account of a suc- penditure account is that the members. cessful attempt made by the Algerian of the staff drew for small allowances Government to gain access to some only one third of that to which they hitherto inaccessible mountain tribes were entitled. Such practical self deby means of medical missions. Dr. nial by the men who are actually bear- Trabut and Dr. Raymond, assisted by a ing the burden and heat of the day may nurse from thc Algiers hospital, were well stimulate to greater earnestness and liberality at home. Ideas of an ex- done for them." TLere are various tremely High Church type prevail in tribes speaking one languaGe and oc' this mission, but evidently there is no cupying the region north of Abyssinia lack of readiness to endure hardnflss ; and between the Red Sea, and to be for, says Bishop Smythies, "We offer reached most easily from Suakim as II no salarifls to our missionaries. We centre. They are semi-nomadic and pay their expenses only. We tell them, Mohammedan. 'You will have no emolument. You will get £20 a year for your expenses, ISLANDS OF THE SEA. and whether priest, carpenter, blacksmith, aU receive the same.' And fur- -In the village of Depok, Java, is a ther, whether it be the women who training school for native evangelists, nurse, or the women who teach, or the which was opened in 1878, and already schoolmaster, or the mechanic, the cap- 71 have graduated; and of these pupils tain of the vessel, or the engineer, all 28 were Battaks from Sumatra, 10 are on the same footing, recognizing Dyaks from Borneo, 9 Sangirese, 8 AIone another as missionaries." So no foors from Almaheira, 8 Javanese, 7 wonder the mission prospers. Sundanesefrom West Java, and 2Papu- ans from Dutch New Guinea. Malay -The three main stations of the is the language used, and, in spite of French Swiss Mission in Portuguese the differences of race, a brotherly Southeast Africa are Lorenzo-Marques, spirit prevails. 900 members of the congregation and a large chapel; Rikatla, 90 members of -In Sumatra the Battas dwell about the church and temporary buildings; the shores of the central Lake Toba. Antioka, 15 converts and no building. They number about 300,000, of whom 22,670 have been baptized. Upon the -A band of Christian singers from island of Nias, apparently an ancient South Africa (Zulus) have been making Batta colony, are found 4054 communithe tour of Great Britain to the delight cants and 5914 catechumens. of thousands. Their ?'epertoi1'e embraces selections from the Jubilee songs, -Read this inscription, to be seen on Mr. Sankey's latest collection, besides a tablet in a church in Eromanga, and well-known sacred solos of a high class. see something of what it cost to conquer that island for Christ: -Only five years ago a magnificent harbor was discovered at the mouth of "Sacred to the memory of Christian the Pungwe River, about 115 miles be- missionaries who died on tl>.is island: low the Zambesia delta, near Bishop Taylor's new mission field. It is about JOHN WILLIAMS, 2 miles wide and 6 mileR long, and on its northern shore has arisen the town JAMES HARRIS, of Beira, where 500 Europeans, half of them British, are now living, and which Killed a.t Dillon's Bay by the native~, is to be the port of Mashonaland with 30th November, 1839 ; its wealth of soil and mines. A rail- GEORGE N. GoRDUN, road 200 miles in length is to join the ELLEN C. GORDON, coast with the interior. Killed on 20th of May, 1861 ; ':"'Major-General F, T. Haig, through the London OMi8tian, apPl)als "to the JAMES McNAIR, Church of Christ in this kingdom [but let American Christians also hear] on be- Who died at Dillon's Bay, 16th July. half of the perishing tribes of the East- 1870 ; and ern Soudan. Nothing whateycr is being JAMES D. GoRDON, Killed at Portinia Bay, 7th March, 1872.
They hazarded their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus."