The Missionary Review of the World — August 1897
VIRGIN OF ANDACOLLA AND HER
(2) THE PILGRIMS IN THE CATHEDRAL PLAZA, (1) THE IMAGE OF THE VIRGIN. (3) THE PRIESTS AND CACIQUE AT THE CEREMONIES. MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD: VOL. XX. No. S.-Old 8'erie8.-AUGUST-VoL. X. No. 8.-N6UJ;&rie8.
SPIRITUAL MOVEMENTS OF THE HALF-CENTURY.- ORGANIZATIONS OF CHRISTIAN YOUNG PEOPLE.
BY THE EDITOR-IN-OHIEF.
No human progress is either rapid or regular, potent, or permanent for good, which does liot, in sonie way, educate and elevate the youth of the race. The salt that heals the waters must be cast in the springs where the rills rise and whence the rivers flow.
Childhood has been well compared to a mirror, catching and reflecting the images of whatever surrounds it-a reflector as sensitive to impression and injury as the· metallic mirrors of the ancients. .It would be as irrational carelessly to spray water, or,worse still, a corro': sive acid on a polishtsteel surface, and expect to efface the rust to which no scouring will remove, as to expose· childhooil needless contact with evil, and expect to find no lasting injury left upon the delicate susceptible nature. Youth is the time for making deep and wholesome impressions, as well as for guarding character from hijury! What a golden age of opportunity for teaching-for engrafting lessons from that best of books, that unique child's book-the Bible! The German proverb quaintly says that (C what Johnnie does· not learn, John never learns." The mind of youth "receives like wax, but retains like marble."
It is a grand thing, therefore, early to turn the youth of a country to the highest and noblest ideals, to inspire what Schopenhauer would call the will. to live, and what Nietzsche would call tIM will to be a power. To will to live unto God, and to be a power for God and good, that is the mainspring of a great, grand, heroic soul. We can excuse an excess of zeal and jealousy for God, but we can not excuse vicious excesses, or even apathy toward goodness. Better a violent torrent than a stagnant pool, for the torrent, once controlled, is made a force for good,but a pool is always and only a poisonous breeder of malaria. David Brainerd was expelled from college for telling a. tutor that he had no more grace than the chair he sat in, but Brainerd became one of the saintliest missionary heroes of his country.
of • This periodical adopts the Orthography the following Rule, recommended by the joint actlon of the American Philological Association and the Philological Society of Eugland :-Change d or ed 1IDal to , when so PlOAOWlced, except when the e deets a p!'CCediDg IIODnd.-l'wILIIIallM.
SPIRITUAL MOVEMENTS OF THE HALF CENTURY
It is obvious that, without some work of God, especially among the young, we should not have had the existing state of intelligence and earnestness in any departments of service to God. A recent writer* says: "With reluctance and sorrow it must be confest that the majority of Oxford and Cambridge undergraduates are without, or profess to be without, any religious beliefs at all. There are, of course, many exceptions. Exceptions, however, they remain; certainly the greater number are Gallios so far as the Church is concerned." Do these two facts-that our modern university life is so largely tinctured with German rationalism, and that so many skeptics and agnostics are issuing from university halls-stand related as cause and effect? If so, then the influence of German thought on our educationa] life is deplorable. But, bless God, there are educators that have been men of faith, and they have raised up children of faith, a faith larger, more intelligent, and more manly than that which was before it. The Scudders, Dwights, Hodges, Uphams, Waylands, Judsons, Osgoods, Stevensons, Spurgeons, Cairns, Flints, Wattses, Storrs, Christliebs, Candlishes, Bernards, Liddons, have not been headmasters of schools of sickly skepticism. "We correctly test the soundness of a system of thought by its unforced tendencies in the minds of studious young men, for a teacher is better known by the beliefs and lives of his pupils than by the manner of man that he himself seems to be. A tree is known by its fruits."
Family life also, before the public-school and college touch the young man or woman, must look well to the child-life and its development. It has been well said that the feeling with which one administers punishment will generally excite in the child a corresponding experience. If you bring anger, anger will be excited; if you bring affection and sorrow, you will find the child responding in sorrowful feelings; if you bring moral feelings, the child's conscience will answer back again.
Here in the household the first impressions for good or evil are received. The absence of discipline is criminal, for it implies an uuformed character; but the spirit in which discipline is admonisht may go far to prevent true benefit from resulting.
And woe be to the church that has no warm bosom for the young! The statistics of conversion have frequently been gathered, and these are the approximate results as taken from one careful report. Out of a thousand Christian people, the following is the classification as to the age at which they were converted: 20 years and under _________ 695 Over 40 and up to 50 ____ ___ 19 Over 20 and up to 30 _______ 208 Over 50 and up to 60 _______ 6 Over 30 and up to 40 _______ 69 Over 60 and up to 70 _______ 2 Over 70 and up to 75_______ 1 These figures show that only 305 of the 1,000 were converted after * The Nineteenth Century, October, 1895, .. The Religion of Undergraduates." the age of 20; only 97 after the age of 30; only 28 after the age of 40; only 9 after the age of 50, and only 3 after the age of 60.
The earliest age at which conversion occurred was four years, as was the case with a noted minister well known over all the world. The most advanced age at which conversion took place, according to this writer's knowledge, was 75, and the longest time spent in the Ohristian life was found to be 80 years.
The average age at conversion is 19t in this thousand list. What an argument against procrastination ~nd in favor of remembering the Oreator in the days of youth.
In view of such facts and considerations, it is quite inconceivable that God could be controlling the stupendous movements of modern history, and yet no arousing and arising of the young men and women of Ohristian lands be included in his plan.
What do we find? A development and organization of the forces of youth never before known or imagined in history. It seems as tho God, foreseeing the last great Armageddon at hand, had brought forward his reserves-the immense batallion of young men and women -never before massed on the battlefield of the ages! And this amazing development has mostly been the product of the last fifty years.
Some of the facts, however familiar, demanded a rehearsal as a part of this striking history.
Let us_begin with the Young Men's Ohristian Association. This we may pass b~iefly in review, as its history is so well known, and is so fresh in mind from the recent Jubilee celebration in 1894. Sir George Williams, its founder and father, still lives, and tells the simple story of its humble beginning. A little more than fifty years ago, he, a young man of about twenty-one, spoke to another young man about his soul; this conversation led to other like approaches; then to a meeting for mutual edification, Bible study, and united prayer; then to an organization of young men for these purposes in what is now the great mercantile house of Hitchcock, Williams & 00., in London; then to other similar organizations in other mercantile houses, and then to a meeting of their representatives, and the formation of a Y. M. O. A. for the city of London. A thought so manifestly of God could not be hid or confined within narrow bounds. It proved contagious-it spread across the sea, it became the seed thought of such associations over all the English-speaking world; it reacht out to the continent of Europe; it sent out its branches round the globe, until now the aggregate membership of the Y. M. O. A. is numbered by millions, and there is not a prominent land or nation, Ohristian or heathen, which has not a representative organization of young men belonging to the world-wide fellowship. Its conventions have past city, state, and national limits, and have become international and cosmopolitan. Here is an astounding modern development. Never before have yonng men been thus brought to the front, united in Bible study and Christian work, magnifying the essentials of Christian faith and fraternizing in forgetfulness of lesser divergencies, aiming specifically at the reclamation of young men.
To this organization may be directly traced the origin of the Young Women's Christian Associatiou, the United States Christian Commission,-so active in the late war for American unity, and especially that college association work which has already given us the Student Volunteer Missionary Union, and started the new crusade in missions. All this and more within the half century! Well may we exclaim, What hath God wrought!
This Student Volunteer movement, which began at Mt. Hermon, Mass., in 1886, now but ten or eleven years old, has enrolled probably nearly 10,000 young men and women in its ranks from the beginning until now, and has sent nearly one-tenth of its recruits to the field. At this date the membership in Great Britain reaches about 1,400, and between 300 and 400 are already engaged in mission work. A memorial from this body of students is now before the missionary secretaries and the ministers of Christ in Britain, praying them to unite in supplication to God that the lack of gifts may not be suffered to hinder their going forth to the field! Surely this is a new development, when the young men and women, who offer for missionary service, entreat the church not to embarrass their work for the lost race of man by withholding money from the treasuries of God.
What shall be said of the Youn.q People's Society of Christian Endeavor'! Rapid as has been the spread of the Y. M. C. A., the Y. P. S. C. E. outruns it. We have held our breath as we have seen this latest boom of the great organizations of youth outstrip all competitors in the race and encircle the world.
Let Rev. F. E. Clark, D.D., the President of the United Society, tell his own story of the origin of this movent, now not yet seventeen years old. We give Dr. Clark's words, with a little condensation: In the winter of 1880-81 a revival spirit visited the Williston Church, of Portland, Maine, and many young people gave their hearts to God. The pastor and older church members, naturally anxious concerning these young disciples, felt that great wisdom and care was necessary to keep them true to the Savior during the first critical years of their discipleship. The problem weighed heavily upon their minds, for they felt that neither the Sunday.school, nor the church prayer-meeting, nor the young people's prayer-meeting, tho all well-sustained admirable in their way, were sufficient to hold and mold the Christian character of these young converts. There was a gap between conversion and church membership to be filled, and all these young souls were to be trained and set at work. How should these things be done? These were the pressing problems. After much prayer and thought, the pastor invited the recent converts and young church members to his house, February 2, 1881, and, after an hour of social intercourse, presented a constitution, previously drawn up, of the" Williston Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor." This is essentially the same as that adopted by the great majority of Societies of Christian Endeavor at the present day.
Some three years later, at the request of one of the national conventions, with the aid of Rev. S. W. Adriance, the writer revised the constitution and framed the by-laws, adding various committees as they now appear in the" Model Constitution." But the lJssential features of the work were in the first constitution: the definition of the object, the two classes of members, the" prayer-meeting pledge" (the most important part of the constitution), the consecration or experience meeting, the roll-call, the provision for dropping members, and the three main eommittees, are provisions which are all found in the first constitution.
Thus the Society of Christian Endeavor, born of a revival, was the outcome of a real, felt necessity of tra.ining and guiding aright the young Christians who might otherwise stray away. It was a mere experiment, in the first place, and little credit is due to the originator, except for an effort to train his own young people in the Christian life, an effort always made by every true pastor. To his delight, and somewhat also to his surprise, nearly all the young people who assembled at his house, on the 2d of February, signed the constitution containing the stringent prayer-meeting clause, and they li1J(Jd up to it. The young people's meeting took a fresh start; the spiritual life of the members was intensified; their activities were very greatly enlarged; and, so far as they were concerned, the problem of leading them to confess Christ with their lips, of setting them at work and keeping them at work, seemed to be solved. When that pastor also found that in many other churches the same efforts accomplisht the same results, he began to feel that the hand of the Lord was in it.
The first knowledge of this experiment given to the world was contained in an article publisht in the Oongregationalist, of Boston, in August, 1881, entitled " How One Church Cares for its Young People." This article, and others whicll followed it, at once brought letters from pastors and Christian workers in all parts of the country. First they came singly, then in pairs, and then in scores, almost every day, and they have kept coming, in constantly increasing numbers, ever since. One of the first pastors to introduce this system of Christian nurture among his young people was Rev. C. A. Dickinson, then pastor of the Second Parish Church of Portland, and no small share of the success of the movement has been due ever since to his wisdom and counsel. The first society in Massachusetts was establisht in Newburyport, Mass., by Rev. C. P. Mills, in the same year that the movement originated. He has also ever since been one of the stanch friends of the cause; while another gentleman, who soon threw himself into the movement with characteristic energy, was Rev. James L. Hill, then of Lynn. The first President of the United Society, Mr. W. J. Van Patten, of Burlington, Vt., was one of the first to recognize the potency of the movement. The first man who signed the constitution, at his pastor's house, on that winter evening in 1881, was Mr. W. H. Pennell, teacher in the Williston Sunday-school of a large class of young men. He took this step, perhaps, as much to help his boys as for any other reason. The national convention honored his early devotion to the work by choosing him for three successive years its President.
So far as careful search reTeals. the distinctive features of the Christian Endeavor movement. the strict prayer-meeting pledge, the consecration meeting, the roll-call, the variety of committee work, and the duties of these committees, are characteristic of this organization alone.
Thus, at first, the Society of Christian Endeavor grew apparently as it were by chance. Wherever one of the winged seeds of information was wafted, it usually I struck' and took root, and a little Christian Endeavor plant was the result; or, as some one wittily exprest it, 'The Society was contagious, like the measles; if one churcn had it, the church next to it was pretty sure to catch it also.'
For some years little was done in a systematic or organized way to estab- lish societies. One of the first developments of the new work was naturally in the line of annual conventions. Those interested were not content to work out the problem for themselves, they must come together and tell each other what great things the Lord had done for them. The first of these conferences was held June 2d, 1882, in the Williston Church, Portland, Maine. But six societies were recorded then. In these were 481 members, the Williston SoCiety leading off with 168.
The Second Annual Conference was held in Portland, June 7, 1883. A large growth over the preceding year was noted, tho statistics were obtained from only fifty-three societies with 2,630 members. Of these fifty-three societies the report says five were organized in 1881, twenty-one in 1882, and twenty-seven in the first five months of 1883, showing what an impetus to the work was given by the little convention of the year before. Seventeen of these societies were found in Maine, eleven in Massachusetts, forty-one in all New England; while of the other twelve, five were in New York, and the rest scattered throughout the West, a very large one being found in Oakland, Cal. After this convention the society grew rapidly and steadily, but did not call another national convention until October 22, 1884, when it convened in Lowell. This was a two days' session, and a large, enthusiastic meeting.
By the time the national convention of 1885 met, July 9th and 10th, at Ocean Park, Maine, the society had grown to embrace 253 smaller societies, with 14,892 members in all parts of the country. They had. begun to be reported in foreign lands also, even in Foochow, Honolulu, and other mission fields. From this convention the work received a marvellous impulse, and everywhere the churches began to establish societies. In 1887, at the Saratoga convention, Dr.
Clark was chosen President of the United Society, and editor of Christian Endeavor literature; he, in the following autumn, resigning the pastorate of Phillips Church, Boston, to accept the position. .
Unions existed. by the year 1888, in nearly all the States of the Union, and local unions in hundreds of places; and under the blessing of God, the one society of 1881 has grown to the myriads of the present time, with their hundreds of thousands of members in America, and many added thousands in Great Britain and all missionary lands. _ In his letter of acceptance the president of the United SOCiety formulated certain principles which he presented to the societies as conditions on which he accepted their call. These principles, adopted by many influential State con· ventions and local unions, may fairly be considered the platform on which the society stands, and are therefore here embodied: PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES.
"1st. The Society of Christian Endeavor is not, and is not to be, an organization independent of the church. It is the CHURCH at work for and with the young, and the young people at work for and with the CHURCH. In all that we do and say let us bear this in mind, and seek for the fullest cooperation of pas· tors and church officers and members in carrying on oUI work. The Society of Christian Endeavor can always afford to wait rather than force itself upon an unwilling church.
"2nd. Since the societies exist in every evangelical denomination, the basis of the union of the societies Is one of common loyalty to Christ, common methods of service for Him, and mutual Christian affection, rather than a doctrinal and ecclesiastical basis. In such a union all evangelical ChristilUlS can unite without repudiating or being disloyal to any denominational custom or tenet.
"3d. The purely RELIGIOUS features of the organization shall always be PARAMOUNT. The Society of Christian Endeavor centers about th~ prayer-meet- ing. The strict 'prayer·meeting pledge,' honestly interpreted, as experience has proved, is essential to the CONTINUED success of a Society of Christian Endeavor.
, '4th. Tho Society of Christian Endeavor sympathizes with temperance and all true moral reforms, with wise philanthropic measures, and especially with missions at home and abroad; yet it is not to be used as a convenience by any organization to further other ends than its own.
"5th., The finances of the Society shall be managed economically, in accord· ance with the past policy of the Board of Trustees, and the raising of funds to support a large number of paid agents or Christian Endeavor missionaries, either in connection with the United Society or the State Unions, is not contemplated. In winning our way, we can best depend in the future, as in the past, upon the abundant dlssemmination of our literature, and on the voluntary and freely given labors of our friends, rather than upon the paid services of local agents.
"The expenses of the central office will be largely for the publication of litera· ture and for the expenses of our General Secretary in the :field. In raising very large sums, and employing many agents for whose work the United Society will be responsible, and yet which it can not to any great extent control, we shall run the risk of losing the sympathy of the churches, There is little danger that the society will not grow with sufficient rapidity, if every member does his best to make known our principles. Let it be our chief concern that our growth shall be as strong and substantial as it is rapid. In all State and local work the society can best rely upon the zeal and generosity of its friends, hundreds of whom, both laymen and ministers, are willing freely to lend their aid to our cause.
"6th. The State nnd local unions and the individual societies and members will hcartily uphold the United Society, its officers and trustees, with their sym· pathies and prayers (and their material support so far as necessary), and hamper. ing and destructive criticism of well·meant efforts are not deemed accordant with Christian Endeavor principles."
As it is important that this historic review should bring the story of this remarkable movement down to present date, we may add a. few brief items that serve to complete the record.
In 1884, the first Junior Endeavor Society was formed. In 1888, Dr. Olark made a journey to Eugland, and planted the Ohristian Endeavor Society in Britain. "Ohristian Endeavor Day," the society's anniversary, first became a fixture during this year. In 1892, the convention was held in New York Oity, and attended by 35,000, with a larg9 representation from foreign lands, Hindus, Ohinese, and native Africans being among the speakers. Within a few weeks after this convention, Dr. Olark, with his wife and son, set out on a round·theworld journey, both to start new branches and to study the conditions to which the Endeavor Society must adapt itself, and its capacity and adaptability to them. This journey covered nearly 40,000 miles. Over 350 addresses were made by Dr. and Mrs. Clark before aggregate a.udiences ,of 100,000. Twelve nations were visited, and, through interpreters, addresses were made in upwards of t,!enty different tongues. This journey was conspicuous, especially for its incidental conneCtion with the foreign mission interest, which it naturally served to create or quicken. It emphasized fellowship among the nations, and the brotherhood of the race in sin, need, and redemption, and ever since then the Ohristian Endeavor Society has been linkt with the world-field in sympathy, prayer, and giving. At Boston, in 1895, 56,000 delegates registered, and about 650,000 attended the 825 difi'erent meetings of the convention. Thirteen different countries or peoples of the world, from England to Japan, and Alaska to Africa, were represented. A World's Christian Endeavor Union was formed at this time, and a "prayer chain" that reaches round the globe.
On March 6, 1897, the following is the official enrolment; it is worth preserving and comparing with the records of sixteen years ago: The total number of societies is 48,305, of which 7,172 are in foreign lands, and a total membership of 2,800,000.
SurelyGod has some great mission for this vast host of united young men and women. If we might venture to suggest to this great army of Christian Endeavorers seven grand things to be kept in the very foreground as secrets of success, we should unhesitating say: 1. First of all, Set the Lord always before you. All life of holiness or power absolutely depends on the supremacy of God in the character and conduct-a real elevation of Him to the first place. Matt. vi. 33. All else is idolatry.
2. Beware ofpride of numbers. Power is not dependent on multitude or even organization. God often works mightily by the few, who do not forget individual duty and responsibility, and depend on the Holy Spirit.
3. Guard the habit of closet prayer. Matt. vi. 6. Nothing else so determines the true character as the vision of God in the secret place (Number(vii. 89) and in His Word.
4. Regard yourselves as stewards of God, in trust with time, talents, money, and opportunity. Use all for him. Aim at a Scriptural standard of giving. 2 Cor. viii. 9.
'5. Abide in your calling with God. Every honest and honorable work is a divine calling, a sphere of Christian Endeavor. Take God as your partner. 1 Cor. vii. 20, 6. Lose Y01tr O1en will in the will of God. Ps. xl. 8. This is the soul of all true Christian Endeavor. Be content to be simply His instruments.
7. Serve your own generation by the will of God. Acts xiii. 36. Wherever you are be a missionary, and set before you to do your utmost to bring the Gospel into contact with every human soul.
THE PIGMIES OR DWARFS OF AFRICA
THE PIGMIES OR DWARFS OF AFRICA.
BY REV. JOHN GILLESPIE, D.D.
One of the most important discoveries made by Henry M. Stanley during his last peTilous expedition in "Darkest Africa" was that of the Wambutti, a tribe of Dwarfs living between the upper Aruwimi and the Nepoko. After describing in detail the first full-grown member of the tribe seen, he writes: That little body of his repreElented the oldest types of primeval man, descended from the outcasts of the earliest ages, the Ishmael of the primitive race, forever shunning the haunts of the workers, deprived of the joy and delight of the home hearth, eternally exiled by their vice to live the life of human beasts in morass and fen, and jungle wild. Think of it! Twenty.six hundred years ago his ancestors captured the five young Nassamonian explorers, and made merry with them at their villages, on the banks of the Niger. Even as long as forty centuries ago they were known as Pygmies, and the famous battle between them and the storks was rendered into song..
It was no less a poet than Homer who immortalized the so-called battle in song. He compares the advance of the Trojans in battle array to " a cloud of birds making their loud cries heard." "So," he continues, "raises itself to heaven the outcry of storks when they flee from winter and the continual rains. They utter shrill cries, they fly over the ocean, they bear carnage and death to the men called Pigmies; and from high in the air they give them dreadful combat." Aristotle speaks of the storks as passing from the plains of Scythia to the marsh of Upper Egypt, toward the source of the Nile, and adds: "This is the district which the Pygmies inhabit, whose existence is not a fable." He makes no reference, however, to the mortal combats between them and the storks, of which Homer sings. Pliny is less careful in his statements, and leaves one in doubt as to what is fable and what is fact. But stripping these early writings of what may be f/Lirly counted fancy, there remains a large residuum of truth, which accords with the discoveries of more recent times in important par~ ticulars-such as the fact of the existence of these Dwarfs, their distinctive characteristics, their location, and their habits. In examining this subject, the questions which press for an answer are such as these: Who are the Dwarfs? whence came they? and what place shall we assign them among the races of mankind? To answer these questions adequately would require a wide range of inquiry into ethnology, history, and geography. A much more modest task is the one proposed in this paper.
In looking up the subject, by far the most comprehensive and apparently reliable authority I have consulted is, "The Pigmies," by the late distinguisht French scientist, A. de Quatrefages. It is translated by Frederick Starr, and is the second volume in the Anthropological Series issued by Appleton. This author asserts confidently that the Pigmies were at one time much more prosperous than now, and occupied a geographical area more vast and much more extended than they do to-day, but that they were gradually driven back and sup- planted by stronger races. Wherever they are met with, they seem to be retreating and dying out. This view is confirmed by the late Rev. A. C. Good, Ph. D., of the Presbyterian Mission in West Africa. In exploring the country behind the coast belt, east of Batanga, in 1893, with a view to opening a new mission station, he unexpectedly came on a village of Dwarfs. He found them exceedingly timid and diffi- cult of access, attacht as a kind of serfs to some stronger tribe, such as the Bulu, or Mabeya. It had not always been thus, however. Dr. Good says: It is not only claimed by the Dwarfs, but f~eely admitted by the other tribes of this region, that the sea was first discovered by the Dwarfs, while the people now on the coaat were still far back in the forest, and did not, as yet, know that there was such a thing as the sea. The first paths in this whole region were opened by them, and, if I am not mistaken, many of the names of localities were first given by them.
Prof. de Quatrefages says that the ancients had information, more or less exact, of five populations of little stature, from whom they have made their pygmies. Two of them are located in Asia, and three in Africa. The author, during the first years of his professorship of Anthropology in the Museum of Natural History in Paris, proposed to unite all black populations of small stature in Asia, Malaysia, and Melanesia into a Negrito branch. Later his colleague, Prof. Henry, showed that, contrary to the common opinion, there were in West Africa negroes distinguisht from the classical type by the shortness of their skulls. He showed that Africa, like Asia, possest a black sub- type, of which one of the most striking characteristics was a remark- ably reduced stature, that the little negroes, African and Asiatic, so widely separated geographically, resembled each other in several other features, either anatomical or external, that these two groups are in reality two corresponding terms geographically and anthropologically. He proposed that these Dwarf African tribes should be named Negril- los. By scientific investigation, such as the measurement of skulls, comparison of color, careful attention to instinct and manners, these Anthropologists have establisht the fact of the existence of a number of groups of Negrillos widely separated in the Dark Continent. This gives color to the belief that these little people were once more numer- ous, that they formea. populations denser and more continuous; and that they have been crowded back, separated, and divided by superior . races. The inference is that these Negrillos occupied a large part of Africa prior to the advent of the negroes properly so called. Thus, the Negrillos of Africa have had experience similar to that of the Negritos in the East, who have been opprest, dispersed, and almost annihilated by stronger races.
This resemblance between these two races of black people of small stature, separated by immense distances, seems to point to a common origin. . Some contend that the negroes, originating in Africa, pene- trated into Asia and Melanesia by a slow infiltration across the sea. Others reverse the process, and hold that the little black race devel- oped in the southern part of India, spread east and west, and peopled Melanesia and Africa. Prof. Seeley holds that the negro race form- erly occupied a belt of land stretching from Africa to Melanesia, which is now submerged, while de Quatrefages contends that the three fundamental, physical, and linguistic types of mankind arose in the central highland of Asia. The black type appeared in the south of Asia between the highland and the sea. Prest between the yellow peoples on the north, and the whites on the west, they escaped by sea, SOUle east, some west. They were the first to people the eastern archipelagoes and the islands of the Bay of Bengal. They arrived in Africa by crossing the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. "Everywhere the Negritos and the Negrillos pre- ceded the Papuans and the true Negroes."
Whatever view may be adopted as to the origin of the dwarfs, it seems probable that they were.a primitive African race, widely dis- tributed over the Dark Continent, and surviving to-day as the Wam- butti discovered by Stanley in Central Africa, the Akka, of which both Stanley and Emin Pasha speak. and the Batwa under the shadow of the Mountains of the Moon, and the Hottentots and Bushmen of the southwest, referred to quite fully by Robert Moffat, and his dis- tinguisht son-in-law, David Livingstone. It is somewhat puzzling, however, to a layman in Anthropology to find the several branches of this once wide-spread pigmy race so apparently differentiated from each other in characteristic features. Some are described by a writer in the Popular Science Monthly as having eyes very small and out of the right line, cheek-bones very far apart and high, nose flat to the face and disproportionately wide, hair crisp and woolly, and growing in separate patches and thickest on the top of the head. Dr. Moffat describes Hottentots, whom he holds to be identical with the Bush- men in race, as "not swarthy nor black, but rather of a sallow color. They are generally smaller in stature than their neighbors of the in- terior, their visage and form very distinct, and in general the top of the head broad and flat, their faces tapering to the chin, with high cheek-bones, flat nose, and large lips." Stanley, in describing four women and a boy who were captured at a Dwarf village, says, " I saw I in them two distinct types. One evidently belonged to that same race described as the Akka, with small cunning monkey eyes, close and deeply set. The four others possest large, round eyes, full and prominent, round foreheads, sman hands and feet, with slight prog- nathy jaws, figures well formed, tho dimiuutive, and of 8 bricky com- plexion." Emin Pasha describes an Akka who had been brought to him, as about twcnty-five years old, three feet six inches high, the whole body covered with thick stiff hair, almost like felt.. All the Akka he had examined were so covered. Dr. Good, in speaking of those he met with near the Equator, just back of the coast belt, says that they were of a distinctly lighter tint than the Mabeya tribe to which they were attacht, and that he saw nothing of the yellowish or reddish growth of hair, of which some travelers have spoken. Their jaws were much too large, their foreheads low and retreating, and their eyes very large.
Mr. Oscar Roberts and the Rev. F. D. P. Hickman, of the Presby- terian Mission, confirm this statement by what they saw of the Dwarfs among the Mabeya and Ngumba tribes, east of Batanga in the iuterior. Those among the latter had jaws and mouths larger than the Ngumba and head of different shape; while those among the former had their skin lighter, nose flatter, and eyes larger than the Mabeya. One man measured five feet and three inches, and a woman four feet and five inches.
Wha.tever may be said as to the origin, or the original condition of these little people, it is certain that they a.re now not only a deprest class, but in most instances a much opprcst class wherever found. Even the Wambutti, whom Stanley pronounces by far the finest specimens of the Dwarfs, a.re children of the forest, subsisting on game, and performing numerous menial services for the tribes near which they plant their village camps. There are times, however, when they must be reckoned with by the more powerful tribes, and constitute by no means despicable allies or antagonists, when armed with their poisoned arrows. Stanley calls them the" parasites of the Oentral African forest," who glue themselves to the clearings of the larger tribes, and steal to their heart's content. Dr. Koelle, author of "Polyglotta Africana," describes a tribe, called the Betsan, in interior West Africa, of whom he had learnt, whose habits are substantially those of other Dwarf tribes. They do not cultivate the soil, but subsist by hunting, live in low dark huts, and are constantly migrating.
This answers to the mode of life of those discovered by the Presbyterian Missionaries near the West Ooast. They live in sheds constructed rather skillfully of poles, posts, and leaves, and are migratory in their habits, living on game chiefly, but also on vegetables and fruits procured from their more powerful neighbors by bartering the meat caught in the chase. They are for the time the slaves of the tribe to which they have att8cht themselves. When askt by Dr. Good, why they did not come to the coast, the answer was that the Mabeya would not permit them; and when Mr. Roberts tried to get a few boys to accompany him to the coast for education, they replied that they would first have to secure permission from the Mabeya chief.
But, altho far down in the scale of being, these little people are still men, and tho the image of the Oreator is sadly marred, and in instances almost obliterated, it can be readily traced. There is enough in the ruins of the temple to tell of a former glory, and to foretell a possible restoration under the regenerating power of the Gospel. Referring to a little man and woman who had by panto- mime intelligently answered numerous questions, Mr. Stanley adds: "Tho their souls were secreted under abnormally thick folds of ani- malism, and their finer feelings inert and torpid through disuse, they were there for all that." The traveler Moummeri says of the Akka who accompanied him on his expedition: "They are men and know how to fight." The West Ooast llfissionaries have found them able to con- verse intelligently within certain limits, when relieved from fear of the white man, and the few Dwarf boys now in the Mission School among the Mabeya manifest fairly good ability. 'fhe Dwarfs seem at times to have a language of their own, but usually they speak that of the tribe to which they are attacht.
Debased as they are, they have decided musical instincts. Mr. Roberts describes a performance he witnessed, where five rudely constructed instruments were used. A stick, probably an inch and a half in diameter lying on the ground, was a substitute for a piano. On this two women played, using a stick in each hand. For a drum they had a log hollowed out, with a deer skin tightly stretcht over the top, a woman beating it. A metal instrument, answering the purpose of cymbals apparently, was composed of two hollow pieces, the shape of an elongated cow bell. A man struck this with a stick, and the women not otherwise employed clapped their hands and sang. What Livingstone wrote with reference to some of the degraded tribes of Oentral Africa is equally true of these deprest classes: However degraded these peoples may be, there is no need of te11lng them of the existence of God or of a future life. These two truths are universally admitted in Africa. All the phenomena which the natives can not explain by an ordinary cause are attributed to the divinity. If we speak to them of a dead man, they reply, "He is gone to God."
Dr. R. H. Nassau, of the Presbyterian Mission on the West Ooast, after thirty years of close observation, says, he has yet to be askt by the most degraded people, "Who is God?" He writes: "Under the slightly varying form of' Anyambe," Angambe,' 'Njamhi,' 'Nyambi,' 'Anyam,' 'Nyam,' or in other parts as 'Ukuku,' 'Suku,' etc., they know of a being superior to themselves, of whom they themselves inform me, that he is their' Maker' and 'Father.'''
Mr. Roberts, referring to his effort to impress on two Dwarfs the fact of God's love, writes: "They knew that God is, but in all probability had never heard of his love before." In an able article in the Popular Science Monthly of September, 1890, Mr. A. Werner quotes Dr. Krapf, the distinguisht German Missionary, as referring to a Dwarf tribe who believe in a Supreme Being they name Z~r, and to whom they address prayers in moments of sadness and terror.
Yea, if thou dost really exist, why dost thou let us be 8lain? We ask thee not for food or clothing, for we only live on snakes, ants, mice. Thou hast made us, why dost thou let us be trodden down?
How pathetic! A downtrodden, opprest people, obeying the impulse of their darkened hearts, feeling after God to protect them from oppression. Referring to his visit to the Dwarf village, Dr. Good writes: "I tried to learn something of their religious ideas, but could not fiud that they differed from those of the Mabeya." The religious ideas of the Mabeya include a pronounced recognition of a Supreme Being.
Mr. Hahn, who had lived nine years among the Khoi-Khoi, a low tribe of Bushmen and Hottentots, or a cross between, in South Africa, is quoted very fully by de Quatrefages on the religious beliefs of those people. He produces and translates a chant used by the Khoi-Khoi at their public festivals, in which God is addrest as Tsuigoa-" Thou father of the fathers," "Thou our father." Still more surprising is their domestic worship, as thus set forth: "In the morning, at the first streaks of dawn, they leave their huts and go to kneel down behind some bush. There, with face towards the East, they address their prayers to Tsui-goa, the Father of the fathers."
Pl'. Moffat, in his "Southern Africa," refers, with profound regret, to the failure of the mission of the London Missionary Society among the Bushmen-the Dwarfs of the south. The failure was in large part because of the interference of more powerful tribes. In this reference he quotes from the Rev. A. Faure as follows: Some of the Bushmen whom Mr. Smith baptized had acquired very rational ideas of the principles of the Christian religion. and appeared to feel its constraining influence on their habitual conduct. They were zealous in trying to convey the same inestimable blessings to their unhappy countrymen, who live withou' God and without hope in the world. It was delightful to hear the children sing the praises of Jehovah, and to witness the progress they had made in spelling and reading. These facts, which have come under my observation, prove that the conversion of this race of immortal beings is not impossible.
Looking to the future, Dr. Moffat says: " We must continue to look for success in attracting the scattered fragments to the missionary settlement and forming outstations among them, a method which has already received the divine blessing."
It is certainly a remarkable coincidence that the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, more than fifty years later, has, after careful consideration and prolonged correspondence with the Mission,
THE MIRACLE-WOltKING VIRGIN OF ANDACOLLA
resolved to pursue this very method in trying to reach the Dwarfs within its field. The history of the undertaking is briefly this: When Henry M. Stanley emerged from" Darkest Africa," and wrote the thrilling narrative of his expedition, the heart of Miss Margaret MacLean, a consecrated Ohristian woman of Glasgow, Scotland, was deeply touched by his reference to the Dwarfs. She wrote to a number of the English Foreign Missionary Societies without being able to interest them, and finally to Mr. Stanley, himself, inquiring if it would be possible to establish a mission among these little people. His answer was discouraging, because of the immense labor and expense such a mission would involve, requiring no less than a large, wellequipt expedition to proceed up the Kongo, and thence through the dense forest of the interior. A few years later she fell in with a copy of "The Ohurch at Home and Abroad," which contained the late Dr. Good's letter, describing his visit to a village of Dwarfs. This led to a correspondence with the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. Miss MacLean generously offered to provide the necessary funds for the establishing and maintaining of a mission for twenty years among these Dwarfs, provided the Board would undertake it. As a preliminary step it was agreed to instruct the missionaries in the Kameruns district to make further examination of the whole subject and report, with such recommendations as might be agreed upon. The result was an arrangement with Miss MacLean by which the Board undertakes, in connection with its work among the larger tribes, to do what it can for the Dwarfs attacht to these tribes, preaching to them the Gospel, establishing schools among them wherever possible, training them to industrious habits, and endeavoring to put the more promising youth into the schools establisht among the stronger tribes. Already ample funds have been placed in the hands of the Board for this purpose, and the work has been begun. Let there be much prayer for the blessing of the Holy Spirit upon it!
THE MIRAOLE-WORKING VIRGIN OF ANDAOOLLA.
BY THE REV. EDSON A. LOWE, SANTIAGO, CHILE.
Not long ago I had an opportunity of seeing a prilgrimage to the Virgin of Andacolla, and was imprest anew with tho dense moral darkness of South American Romanism. With a few English com- panions I boarded the train at the seaport-town of Ooquimbo, Ohili, but found the cars so crowded that I was glad to find a place on the outside of the locomotive. After an hour's ride we left the train, and . traveled on horseback for a distance of twenty miles. We pass amid a crowd of weary pilgrims all along the way, travel-stained and burdened. Finally, after climbing over some wild mountain ranges, we came upon the little village of Andacolla, whose few hundred inhabitants suddenly found themselves the hosts of numberless pilgrims. The arrangements for their entertainment were remarkable. The price for a bedroom for two nights, without food, ra.nged anywhere from $30 to $100. Finding a friendly Norwegian, we closed with him for $30 for a room with two single beds. The people who could not pay for accommodations had the privilege of sleeping outdoors, free of charge.
It was an odd sight to see the large public square, or plaza, turned into one large bedroom, in which thousands slept upon their blankets. The good order was remarkable. No one was intoxicated; every face seemed to have an expectant, serious, even sad expression. There were various classes of pilgrims; some had come out of curiosity, some to fulfill a vow, or to present a thank-offering to the virgin, and others to offer a special prayer (usually prepared in rhyme and offered while daneing before the image), and to pay in advance for the blessing they expected to receive. The most striking class were those who had come in fancy dress in a company of their fellow-townsmen from the neighboring villages, each of which had its distinctive costume, the men and boys so dressed numbering about 2,000. These companies come to dance before the virgin, and are all under the management of one chief, called" The Oacique."
Desiring to learn all about the strange festival, we sent for the cacique, who promptly responded to our rather presumptuous request, and came to our room for a brief interview. In the course of our conversation he told us that this image of the virgin was found in a· ravine near here more than four hundred years ago, by a man named OoIlo, of whom he himself was a descendant. Oollo was working in the mine, when suddenly he heard a voice saying, "Anda, 00110." [Spanish for: Go,Oollo.] He went out, thinking that he was going to find a treasure or a gold mine, but instead he discovered this image. The people did not begin to worship her immediately, because they wasted much time trying to get her down from the mountain. They took her one day's journey toward the seaport, but the next morning she was found back in the spot where she was first discovered. When askt how the virgin got there, the cacique simply replied: "Who knows?"
They tried again to take her away to Serena, but could not get her over the hill, because she became so heavy that they could not lift her. After that they concluded that she did not wish to be removed, and so kept her there. When askt if it was true that the virgin workt miracles and cured sick people, the man said: " Yes; but that all depends on the faith of the person who is sick." He said also that the offioo of cacique is hereditary, and that he had held it ever since his father died, thirty-eight years ago. Having no son, he would name his successor when the time came.
Candor compels us to say that our visitor imprest all of us rather favorably. He seemed to have no desire to make any impression or to create any sensation. He had a spirit of frankness and sincerity, and left the impression that no tradition should grow in his telling narration of the story. He freely said: "Many of the things that people say about this virgin can not be believed; they are idle tales."
The next morning we visited the plaza and the church, which had just been completed. In a little side-room was a committee of priests ready to receive the monetary offerings, and the table at times hecame so full of precious metal that they had to put the money away into a large fireproof safe. The offerings are estimated at from $10,000 to $20,000-all contributed by people whose wages do not average more than 40 cents a day. We saw one, a poor man, going through the streets on his knees. He had on clothes which were all tattered and torn, and seven ragged children were walking wearily beside him. He was taking an offering of $50 to the virgin, probably all his hard-earned savings of the year, or rather thievings from the rightful possessions of his family. In the interior of the church numbers of people might be seen going backward on their knees. In the chancel was to be seen the wonderful virgin-in reality a French doll, about a foot and a half high, with another small doll in her arms. Her long dress, extending far below her feet, is of rich white satin, heavily embroidered with gold, and all over her are heavy solid silver ornaments. About two years ago some apostate robbed her of the solid gold crown, set with precious stones, and other costly ornaments, and altho these things were recovered, they have never again been exposed to the danger of robbery. In the gateway of the church we accosted a priest who was painfully polite, and said, among other things: "There are supernatural things occurring here all the time, but it is almost impossible to get at them, because the people are incapable of giving any connected account of their experiences. There was a miraculous cure yesterday, and a few years ago there was a most remarkable case of a woman, who had been living with a man to whom she had not been married, and who promised the virgin that, with her help, she would reform. She then told the man that she would not live any longer with him unless they were married. He became enraged, and shot and mortally wounded her; but she prayed to the virgin and was instantly healed. She brought her clothes stained with blood, and they are preserved as a memorial of the miracle."
In the afternoon of Christmas day the plaza began to fill, and climbing into the belfry of an old church we had an excellent view of the ceremonies. Various companies of dancers could be distinguisht, three classes being called "Chinos," "Dancers," and "Turban-ers." The difference between them seemed to be in their costume and manner of dancing or leaping. The Chinos are the most ancient order, and always consist of miners, and are by far the most numerous. They dress in much the same style as the cacique. The cap, shirt, belt and pantaloons are of a crushed-strawberry color, embroidered with bright colored worsted. These chinos did not dance, properly speaking, but jumpt or leapt. They would leap all at the same time, five or six feet, and drop their bodies to the ground, holding themselves in perfect control, and then, after two seconds or so in a motionless attitude, would give another leap, all springing up at once. The dancers propel' were drest in rather a more fancy costume than the chinos, and had more music in their ranks. The turban-ers, comparatively few in number, but drest in most elaborate costume, usually came from some of the larger towns. They wore lace turbans, usually white, and had quite an elaborate band of musicians, and some dancers. The dancers and turban-ers had the following instruments, tin whistles, triangles, drums, accordions, and an occasional guitar or banjo. These danced in certain places, a half hour at a time, all Christmas day, especially before the priest's palace, the old church, the three entrances to the new church, and, of course, before the virgin, whim she was in the door-way of the church, on Christmas day. Each company had a captain, who held a small flag with which to indicate their orders. About fifty companies, all marching to the sound of bands, leaping like frogs or scuffling before the sacred places, made, as can be imagined, considerable din and confusion. The virgin was brought out of the church and made a tour around the plaza, jf she was well treated by the pilgrims-that is, if she received a sufficient sum of money. She first appeared at sil: o'clock, before the thronging multitudes which filled the square and all the surrounding thoroughfares. The hills overlooking the city were also crowded with people who had waited from three o'clock in the afternoon until six, awaiting to see the wonderful sight of the annual procession of the miraculous virgin, for this is the only day in all the year when she leaves the churoh. The cacique showed his wonderful power at this moment; he walkt through the crowd and cleared a way where none seemed possible. The deep shadows from the mountains made the lighted candles carried in the hands of thousands shine out with striking effect. Several minor saints were brought out, and also an image of Ohrist, but the chief enthusiasm centered in the image of the virgin, this supernatural image! The leaping of the chinos and the dancing of the other companies now became frantic, and the excitement grew intense. The bishop who comes to this little mountain-town each year to be present at the processional, crossed from the palace to the church, and everyone fell on his knees before him as he past. Numbers of young women drest
THE FOOUS OF HEATAENISM IN INDIA
in white, were throwing flowers before the virgin. The procession moved very, very slowly, with dragging solemnity, while the frantic thousands were leaping and dancing. Now and then a man was overcome by the heat or excitement, and was carried from the path of the proceilsion, and one little boy we found dead from having danct too long in the hot sun.
We have not space to speak of the sad, strange superstitious expression on the faces of all, nor of the general bacchanalian feast that followed the night after the feast to the virgin. If anyone who still doubts the wisdom of missions to Roman Catholic countries could have been in the belfry that afternoon, he would no longer question the policy, for he could not have distinguisht between those ceremonies, and those of any oriental pagan country, where missions are assuredly sadly needed.
THE FOCUS OF HEATHENISM IN INDIA.
BY H. GRATTAN GUINNE8S, D.D.
Phantasmagoria, such as it seems; a strange incredible dream, yet it is a reality. Benares! this is India, this is heathenism. In the golden light of the morning sun flows the broad Ganges, past the crowded flights of steps, exteuding inch after inch along the bank, covered with worshiping thousands, men, women, children, in white or colored costumes, or no costumes, undressing, dressing, washing, chatting, praying, pouring the sacred water on their bodies, plunging their bodies into the sacred stream, washing their hands in it, their feet, their legs, their arms, their chests, their faces, their clothes; their wet garments clinging to their bodies, the water streaming off their limbs, their prayers babbling from their lips, washing away, as they imagine, both the filth of the flesh and the sin of the soul, in the self-same sacred stream, holy Ganges, the ever-flowing river of salvation.
The ill-savored drainage of the city pours into the sacred stream; it issues from wide openings on the banks, black and fetid, and mingles with the waters of the river; a corpse floats by, swollen and bloated, face down, or face up, in the mighty flood; the vultures sit on neighboring walls of shrines and temples, or wheel on lazy wing above the wave, or light upon the floating or stranded dead. Side by aide on the shore burn the funeral pyres, great piles of wood blazing and smoking around newly brought corpses, the feet of the dead protruding from the crackling flames, crowds gazing without concern at the daily spectacle. Hundreds of Brahmans sit or stand in ceremonial worship on wooden rafts, built out from the stone steps, on which th~ people of the city, or the pilgrims from distaut places, are performing their religious ablutions. Suniassis, Yogis, or Fakirs, naked, smeared with mud, giving a hideous ashen color to their faces and bodies, with dishevelled locks, gaunt limbs, stiff attitudes, and demoniac aspect, sit on raised platforms, and gaze at you, or stare into emptiness, or worship the stream, or grasp the offerings flung to them by admiring crowds. Above them on the river banks rise the walls, the sculptures, the terraces, the towers, the pinnacles of countless temples, some dark with age, others glowing with color, or glittering with gilded roof and spire against the clear blue sky; while beyond the shriues which line the river bank, stretch the roofs of houses closely packed together in maze-like masses, whose narrow winding streets are filled with swarming thousands, struggling in the crossings, crowding round the shrines, jammed in gateways, or courts, or temples, pouring water on the idols, scattering flowers on them, muttering prayers, chattering or shouting in half a score of tongues, beggars adding to the Babel by imploring bakshish from every passer by, while rich and poor cast food or money at the feet of proud and lazy priests, squatting half naked beside these senseless and abominable idols, idols in many cases too indecent for description, foul objects, on which the priests publicly pour the consecrated libation, or the devotee hangs the garland, or flings the flower, as to a god.
o India, thy darkness is not the darkness of mere ignorance, but the darkness of lies, fantastic lies, foul lies, leprous lies, diabolical lies; thy shame is public, it is thy song and thy boast; thy gods are grovelling, bestial, with swollen bellies, black faces, elephants' snouts, and protruding tougues, they glower on their worshippers from filthy shrines; their name is legion, their legends infamous and monstrous; thy deities are demons, and thy Pantheon a Pandemonium; thy millions made in the image of God prostrate themselves before beasts and devils, as tho they were divine, and this is thy daily habit and thy delight, this has been thy way for ages, never hast thou known the revelation; truth has never been truth to thee, from time immemorial things have been inverted, falsehood has been to thee truth, and truth falsehood. Who shall deliver thee from thy delusions? Who shall break thy adamantine chain? Who shall bring thee forth from thy dark prison-house, from thy horrid chamber of imagery, from the groveling pit of thy perdition, into the sunlight of reality, the fair open day of truth and righteousness? 0, pitiable spectacle! Look at those women, grave, earnest, elderly women, walking in procession round and round that dusty old tree by the roadside, which they are taught to hold sacred, reverently sprinkling it with water from the neighboring Ganges, each carrying a pot of water in her left hand, and a brazen spoon in her right, round and round they go, with weary feet, sprinkling and still sprinkling as sacred the gnarled trunk
SHOULD ITALY BE EVANGELIZED?
and knotted roots of an unsightly tree! And this in the name of religion! Sitting under his umbrella by the wayside, the Pundit reads to the passer-by out of some old Sanskrit book, words which the common people can not comprehend; the language in which he reads has long ceased to be spoken, it is a dead tongue; and this is all they have by way of moral or spiritual instruction. No voice that we could hear was lifted up to protest against idolatry, or to point to the way of righteousness N salvation; and this while Christendom crowds her cities with places of worship, and has pulpits with preachers, scatters her religious books and tract samong her favored children by millions, fights over petty parish rights, and local privileges, oblivious of the great world needs, and of the state of the outlying millions of the race.
Say not there are missionaries in India. There are, but what are the missionaries there to the needs? Who shall waken the Christian church to her duty? Look, 0 ye favored ones on the people of India; they are real men and women, with bodies and spirits, with hearts and consciences, with sins and sorrows like your own. But unlike you they are liv~ng and dying thus as we describe, without the knowledge of God, and without the knowledge of salvation. Who will come in a Christ-like spirit to help them? Who will bring them the message of the Gospel which Christ commanded His disciples to proclaim to every creature of mankind?
SHOULD ITALY BE EVANGELIZED?
REV. PROFESSOR RODIO. TRANSLATED BY REV. J. R. MCDOUGALL, FLORENCE, ITALY.
No Christian would ask such a question in regard to missions among pagans, who are evidently sitting in darkness, and are in ignorance of the way of salvation. But some may doubt the necessity of sending missionaries to Roman Catholic peoples, and wish to have the important inquiry settled, Are Roman Catholics to be considered Christians? The German pastor of the Lutheran Church, of Naples, has maintained, in a valuable book, in which he runs a parallel between the beliefs and rites of Paganism and Roman Catholicism, that the Italian people are still far from Christianity. If Pastor Trede is right, then the duty of evangelizing Italy would be proven. But in lively antagonism to Trede, there has arisen Signor Mariani, Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the University of Naples, who, with strong arguments, has greatly weakened, if not entirely overthrown, the too extreme view£: of his opponent.
We believe with Trede, that to all intents and purposes Roman Catholicism retains scarcely a trace of Christianity in individual belief and practice; but we assert the fact of this state of things only of the rural districts, where the ancient divinities, under other names, still retain their altars, and the musty superstitions of Paganism flourish. But for the dwellers in towns it is different. A fact, which often passes unnoticed, but is of great importance, is the existence of a religious feeling, largely emancipated from the Roman Catholic doctrine, in the hearts of many who belong to the educated classes of the land. These persons have unconsciously spiritualized the religious thought of Roman Oatholicism, and, without being aware of it, have adopted the Protestant sentiment.
One instance of this, and a classical one it is, is that of Alexander Marzoni, who, purposing to write a book on Roman Catholic morals, but drawing his inspiration from the Gospels rather than from the decrees of popes or the canons of councils, produced, in fact, a work on Evangelical Morality, as was remarkt to him by Lismondi, the great author of the "History of Italian Republics."
Another instance I take from my own experience. Fifteen years ago I had occasion to converse with a distinguisht advocate on matters pertaining to religion, and particularly on the difference between Roman Oatholicism and Protestantism. When we came to speak of transubstantation, after a great deal of discussion, I said to him, "How can you, who are so intelligent, believe in eating the material body of the Lord, with His hair, teeth, nails, etc. ?" Greatly surprised at such a question, he immediately replied," I never have believed, when joining in communion, in eating the flesh of the Lord Jesus." "What then?" I askt. He replied, "I have always believed in receiving the Lord into my heart, and not into my stomach! " " But that," I replied, "is not Roman Catholic doctrine, but precisely the teaching of Evangelical Ohristianity."
Oases such as these are constantly occurring, and a.n outsider might conclude that an evangelistic work might be needed in the country, but not in the towns. Yet here is what calls for mission work among Italian burghers. Men of heart and intelligence, to whom we have alluded, who unconsciously have spiritualism in their hearts through Roman Catholic doctrine, are found, as the years roll on, ever declining in their spiritual perceptions. The consciousness of the contradiction existing between the external profession of the faith and the inner persuasion of the heart is hurtful, and Roman Catholicism, ever hostile to civilization, progress, and spirituality, does not fail to bring the contradiction to the light of day. Many are the men who have tried in Italy to reconcile the doctrine of the Ohurch, if not with the exigencies of the religious conscience, at least with those of the political. Their names are Andisio, Ourci, Tosti, Bonomelli, etc., but all of them have been forced to yield and retreat. It is not, then, surprising to know that Ruggero Bonghi, earnestly proposing by his
WORK AMONG ITALIAN NAVVIBS
"Life of Jesus" to popularize the truths of the Gospel, should have been put in the Index Expttrgatorius.
Meanwhile this profound difference between the needs of the conscience and the proposed doctrine of the Ohurch has wrought evil consequences in Italy, similar to what Lavaleye fore8aw in Belgium. Oorruption has grown enormously, unlawful appropriations are the order of the day, deeds of blood are on the increase, and over this moral chaos there hangs threateningly the worst misfortune that can befall a people, the invasion of incredulity, and in consequence, the loss of that unspeakable treasure, the religion of Jesus Ohrist. In these last conditions of the Italian people, in whose country districts superstition reigns, and in whose cities indifference and atheism are spreading far and wide, as a resnlt of the conflict of conscience with the profest faith of the nation-in this last spectacle of an entire people wandering from the knowledge of the truth, have not the disciples of Ohrist of every church and language an urgent motive for replying in the affirmative to those who like ourselves cry, "Oome over to help us?"
WORK AMONG ITALIAN NAVVIES.
~renda, a small military station, in the mountains of the Maritime Alps, is picturesquely situated on the slope of a rocky height in the valley of the Roya. Quite a village composed of small low houses, called baracche (barracks), has recently arisen near here, because of the numbers of Italian navvies employed in the construction of a new railway tunnel which is to connect Limone and Ventimigtia, so as to bring Turin and North Italy within easier reach of the Riviera. Three years ago about ~,OOO navvies were employed in this work, so that, with the store-keepers, women and children, it grew to be quite a large community. Since then, owing to great difficulty in working the tunnel, and later to the very small pay, the number of navvies has been very much reduced. Here, three years ago, God opened the way for the Gospel' to be preacht among these poor people living a hard and often dangerous life, with no care for their spiritual interests outside of an occasional mass by a visiting priest.
Men from all parts of Italy and from other lands were gathered here, many of them having left their family and friends in far-away homes, to seek work by which they might earn their daily bread. Not only did men come who had been brought up to heavy work, but the unemployed from a multitude of other trades took up this laboro di miseria, as many called it, and to them, of course, the life seems doubly hard. In baracche, many are often crowded together in one room, for which high rent is paid; in the dark mountain they work for many wearisome hours, where at times it is so wet that the men stand up to their knees in water, or so dry, that the fine dust from the rocks, combined with the smoke arising from the frequent dynamite blasts, interferes with their breathing, and frequently brings on a bad disease. Add to this the constant peril of falling stones, earth, etc., and one can easily imagine how hard is the lot of those who are thus toiling to increase the facilities for commerce and pleasure in the interest of all countries.
No pastor or evangelist was near by at first, but one living six hours away came over on hearing of the need, and with the permission of the Tenda Syndic, an open-air meeting was arranged for. The chief store-keeper offered his bowling ground as a suitable place in the center of the village; a notice was put in his window, and invitations were written on cards with carefully selected Gospel texts, and these were given out. It was quite a new thing for them. « Every one that could, locked their doors and came," it was said afterwards. Hymn-sheets were distributed, and one stout woman, holding one up, quite near to the pastor, called out: « Here is Act 1." At the close she begged the pastor's pardon, saying that she had not at all understood what we were going to do. She was one of the first to invite us into her house, and her son, home for the holiday, from a priest's training-school, helped us by copying out hymns for the meetings. The day after the meeting a man came down to Tenda, asking to see the pastor who had preacht the night before, as he had come in the name of others to ask him to return and speak to them again soon. The pastor had already left, but the message was sent him, and, of course, cheered and encouraged him, and during the months following he returned at repeated intervals.
The good reception given us, and the quiet behavior of these miners, must have surprised many at Tenda, who lookt upon these workmen as such a rough set. " Do not go," said one of the officers of the company quartered there, to a German lady who was· going to the meeting, "they will be sure to stone yoa."
Singing is a great attraction to the Italians, who are naturally fond of music, and special meetings for teaching them the hymns were held two or three times a week. Many men showed their interest by asking for the hours to be changed, so that their work might not prevent them attending. Nearly all who came bought the small hymn books, which were sold at 2d each, and they told us that many of them would gather together in a room at Vievola and sing not only the hymns they had learned, but others also, putting the words to some known tune. One man said to me: "Down in the dark tunnel my companion and I amuse ourselves by trying to remember the words of some hymns, and repeating them to each other." "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," which had been translated, is a great favorite with all.
Many tracts were given and books loaned, and a good number of Bibles and Testaments were sold. Several societies kindly gave grants of books and tracts, and Mrs. Spurgeon sent many copies of her husband's sermons, which have been translated. A Swiss woman, whose husband was an Italian, and who was a barber (a common occupation for women, it seems, in her part of the country), asked us for extra books to put on her table, as the men were often glad to sit and read in her barber-shop. Most of them after all their hard work have nothing but their crowded rooms to go to, or the os/erie (public houses) which are very numerous. Who then can blame them severely if at times they do drink and quarrel? What a blessing it would be if a reading-room and hall could be opened where the men would be free to go at any time.
Some of our singing friends drew up a petition, which was signed by 120 people, asking the pastor to send them some one to live among them, that he might teach them and their children the way of truth. This petition was presented at the Synod of the Waldensian church, and an evangelist was sent up towards the end of October, who took up his abode in Tenda, where meetings had also been held, and where religion was at a very low ebb. The one remaining priest was not respected and there was a strong anticlerical feeling. A French gentleman had interested himself in Tenda and used to send up evangelists or pastors from time to time to hold evangelical meetings. He hoped to build a hall so that a permanent mission could be establisht, but died before this object was accomplisht. He always found a strong supporter up there in the schoolmaster, who, poor man, has had much to contend with, different people doing their utmost to make him lose his position. He has written a pamphlet on the persecutions experienced in these parts by Protestants in times gone by. Far up on the slopes of the rocky mountain above Tenda is the Balma die Protestanti (Oave of the Protestants), a large cavern to which Ohristians in those early days came to worship God. It is a steep climb up to it, especially the last part of the road. Once or twice in these latter years, parties of Ohristians have found their way up there. Bearing in mind those who had gone before, they have held a short service there to worship Him who has done such great things for that land, and has granted to them the liberty of conscience, which was denied to their fathers. The evangelist was much cheered on beginning his work at Tenda by the friendship of the people and the good attendance of men at the meetings; years later, by the efforts of a German lady, sufficient money was collected to buy a house, the lower part of which was formed into a hall, and above were rooms for the evangelist. This was opened in February, 1895, when sixteen or seventeen persons were admitted as members of the little church, five or six being from the mining village, Vrievola. At the latter place a room had been hired, where meetings were held twice a week; these were immediately followed by a school for the children.
THE EVANGELIZA.'fiON OJ!' THE J!'mtNCB CA.NADIAN
The work of the tunnel was stopt for a time, and the navvies disbanded. The work having been begun again, however, the number of navvies has been gradually increasing. A regular pastor has replaced the evangelist, and last summer, open-air meetings were held regularly, and here many heard the pure Gospel for the first time. A poor man, who had been nearly crnsht to death by a very heavy wagon passing over him, told us that he had attended several of the meetings, and now counted the time till he should be well enough to go again. He eagerly took a Testament and afterwards said, "Those are good, true words."
It was a pleasure to talk to one of the members, a poor day-laborer at Tenda, he seemed a man of such strong and simple faith. He told us that the first time he had attended an evangelistic meeting he had said to himself: "This is my religion; the one I have sought so long;" and when he had received the Gospel message, he said it was as tho a weight of lead had been taken off his heart. "Before I was so anxious and full of care; now I have peace." He was the first to have his baby baptized in the little church. The priest came, telling him how wrong he had been, and his father-in-law came in great anger on hearing of it, but the man was firm and decided: "If you offered me all Tenda, from the rock downwards," he told them, "I would not change, I value eternal life more."
A room was rented at Vievola, in which to hold services and a Sunday-school; we had the pleasure of being present at the first meeting, when the room was crowded. It was hoped they would have continued all the season; but since we have heard that, owing to the Waldensian committee not seeing its way to meet the expense involved, the room has been given up.
A maestro-evangelista who had the advantage of spending several months in one of Dr. Gra.ttan Guinness' training colleges, is now working at Tenda. He has his government diploma, and carried on a day-school in the higher standards, a thing which was much needed up there, but, Off course, it has been bitterly opposed by the 'priests. Still a small beginning has been made, and the number attending the school, instead of diminishing, had increast when last we heard.
THE EVANGELIZATION OF THE FRENCH CANADIANS. The need of missionary work amongst the French population of Canada may be questioned by some who are unacquainted with the existing conditions, but it is urgently advocated by those who live in their midst. According to the last census, the population of French origin in the Dominion of Canada, is as follows: British • Most of the facts of this article are taken from the Reports of the Board of French Evan· gelization as quoted in The (Canadian) Presb'/lterian Record. Columbia, 1,181; Manitoba, 11,102; N. W. Territories, 1,543; Ontario, 101,123; Quebec, 1,186,346; New Brunswick, 61,767; Nova Scotia, 30,181; P. E. Island, 11,847. Total, 1,415,090 or 29.4 per cent. of the total population. Several of the counties of Quebec are Roman Catholic almost to a unit. For example, the census of 1891 gives Montmorency 9 Protestants in a total population of 12,309; Bellechasse, 4, in 18,369; Kamouraska, 3 in 20,454; L'Islet, 2 in 13,823. The total number of Protestants in the province at the same date was 198,974, in a population of 1,488,535.
The actual evangelizing agencies at work among the Romanists are: Grande Ligne Mission (Bap.), missions in 15 fields, with 33 workers and an annual expenditure of $23,839.65; Methodist, missions in 7 fields, with 13 workers and an annual expenditure of $11,578.54; Sabrevois Mission (Episcopalian), missions in 5 fields, with 13 workers and an annual expenditure of $12,342.32; Presbyterian missions in 37 fields, with 66 workers and an annual expenditure of *35,011.20.
There is a radical element in the Church of Rome in the Province of .Quebec, determined in its efforts for reform, but with little, if any, sympathy with evangelical truth; it is anti-clerical and destructive, and may become anti-religious. Another element, whose sympathy is on the whole with the cause of truth and liberty, cherishes the hope that in some way all needed reforms may yet be effected from within their Church; it sympathizes with the radical element in its struggle for the emancipation of the people from ecclesiastical despotism. Many are losing faith in the dogmas of their church, who have been educated in the belief that the Church of Rome is the true representative of the religion of Jesus Christ, and consequently prejudiced against every other form of it, yet with little or no knowledge of Scripture, and no religious conviction born of individual responsibility. Unless in some way the principles of the Gospel are brought to bear on the hearts and consciences of the people, history must repeat itself, and these, our fellowmen, sink into religious indifference and infidelity. The work of demolition is going on. Our work is to build up and restore by presenting the Gospel in the spirit of its Author.
The French press is represented by ten daily and fifty-one weekly papers, having each an average subscription list of somewhere about 4,500 and 3,500, respectively; five humorous and illustrated papers, and six recueils and reviews, devoted to literature or religion, issued weekly or monthly. With scarcely an exception these publications, some from conviction, the majority from self-interest, court ecclesiastical authority. Independence is sacrificed for favors and, if asserted, is stricken or slain outright by the all-powerful arm of the Church. Recent events show how difficult a thing it is for even the stoutest to hold up against the ma.ndates of bishops, who are determined to let no voice go forth to the people but that of the Ohurch. Quebec has, also, not yet reacht the era of a free press, but the fact that the people are becoming more of a reading people is full of encourage- ment for the future.
The following is an interesting example of a Romish prayer: I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael, the archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, Father, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech the blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul and all the saints, and you, Father, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
Everybody seems to be duly honored here, except the Lord Jesus Ohrist and the Holy Spirit. Even Judaism can not furnish a parallel to this violation of the teachings of all Scripture on the subject of prayer.
Rev. Principal McVicar, D.D., thus writes on the subject of FRENCH EvANGELlZATION: This means very much the same as Irish, Scottish, English, Ohinese, or Hindu evangelization. It consists chiefly in giving the pure Gospel to those who are without it. In the sight of God they are as much entitled to enjoy the blessings of salvation as we are, and the work of placing the provision of grace within their reach needs no apology or defense. To do this is not to be guilty of proselytism or sectarian bigotry, but to be loyal and obedient to the Savior's command. With us this is a day of good tidings, but if we hold our peace, some mischief will come upon us.
This work is necessary because the people for whose good it is undertaken profess many unscriptural and anti-scriptural beliefs; and the more ignorant and unwise men are, the more need they have of being helpt. Here are some of their errors: Like the men of Athens to whom Paul preacht (A.cts 17-22) they are in all things too religious, and do not limit their worship to "God that made the world and all things therein." They adore the Virgin Mary and the" Host," which is simply a wafer made of flour, but which they believe to be changed by the manipulation and power of a priest into the very body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. In churches and on the streets they fall upon their knees in profound adoration of this deified wafer.
Our Savior instituted only two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, but this people make use of five more, viz.• Confession, Penance, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction. Baptism with them means regeneration; but according to Christ and his apostles we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit alone, and not by any outward ordinance. They regard the Sacraments as the only channels of grace and absolutely necessary to salvation, and inasmuch as they are in the hands of the priest who may grant or withhold them at his pleas· ure, it follows that he has complete control of the eternal dertiny of the souls of men. It is no wonder that all who devoutly accept this dogma are in servile subjection to the priest In things temporal and spiritual. If they are otherwise, it is because they are more or less sceptical.
Scripture teaches that there is but "One Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus," (1 Tim. 11: 5), but this people appeal to many mediators, to saints and angels, and especially the Virgin Mary, who is represented as even more compassionate and accessible to sinners than Jesus. Divine attributes and honors are freely ascribed to her, and the month of May is consecrated to her service. Scripture teaches that the blood of Christ, shed once for all, cleanseth from all sin (1 John 1 : 7-9), and therefore it is extremely derogatory to the efficacy of His propitiatory and expiatory death to attempt to supplement it in My way. But Romanists believe in purgatory, a place of unutterable torments and of purification, into which souls pass at death and where they are cleansed from the defilement of sins committed after baptism. This process of cleansing is effected through the prayers of priests, the intercession of Mary and the saints, and, above all, the offering of the sacrifice of the mass.
The Romish Church boasts that she has never changed in doctrine or spirit. We may concede the latter part of this claim, but the former, as to doctrine, i8 set aside by the recent authoritative declaration of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin and the InfallI'bility of the Pope. According to these, Mary was born without sin; arid the Pope when he speaks eIt catk«lra, i. 6., officially, can not err. It is held that Peter had supremacy over the rest of the apostles in spite of the fact that Paul .. resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned"
(Gal. 2 : 11; R. V.); and, that, like all his successors in the Popedom, and all cardinals, bishops, and priests, he was an unmarried man, altho we are expressly told in three Gospels that Jesus healed his wife's mother of a fever.
The Pope is the Vicar of Christ, his representative upon earth, and is therefore clothed with supreme divine authority, so that to him as the visible head of the Universal Church, sovereigns, princes, and governors, as well as people of all nations, owe submission. It is not illogical or surprising, therefore, that he and his ecclesiastical subordinates-bishops and priests-presume to meddle with civil government, and to enforce their views and commands by the spiritual penalties they can inflict. In accordance with this high claim, in the Province of Quebec, Romish bishops are invested with legal power, not only to levy tithes upon their people, but also to tax them to any amount they deem requisite for the erection and repairing of churches and dwellings for their priests. These taxes are collected by process of law like any civil assessment or ordinary debt, and are a 1irst lien upon the property of parishioners. This accounts for the comparative poverty of the bulk of them, and the magnificence of numerous churches, convents, colleges, and palaces of bishops and priests.
Do we need to add, as reasons for French evangelization, that idolatry and the manifold superstitions which accompany it, enslave and de~rade. The true spirit of patriotism and Ohristianity bids us give thIS people who are possest of many admirable natural qualities, the best gift we possess-the Gospel of the kingdom. Enlightened by the Gospel they are capable of contributing their quota-a most valuable one-to the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual outfit of the Dominiou; for it is a gross mistake, an offense against good taste and good citizenship, to depreciate them and their lan~age. But left in darkness under the yoke of a medieval ecclesiastIcism, which very many of them feel to be bitterly oppressive, they can only exert an influence detrimental to the unity, the progress, and freedom of the nation. And who are to blame? Not those born in darkness, but those who refuBe or neglect to give them the light. If we decline to repel and remove anti-scrip1mral errors, they will certainly encroach upon our borders and enter our homes and our churches. This is the testimony of all history, and is consonant with our own observation. To those who honestly desire to hold fast and hold forth the word of life we have thus recited more than sufficient reasons for the vigorous prosecution of French evangelization. .
The work is carried on by colporteurs, teachers, evangelists,. aM pastors under the direction of a board annually appointed by the Oanadian General Assembly. Oolporteurs go among the people from house to house, in the spirit of love distributing the Word of God and Biblical literature. Bibles and New Testaments are loaned or sold when possible. They deliver no other message than that of Ohrist and his apostles. They gather children and men and women into mission schools, where they receive the elements of a Ohristian education, the Bible and Shorter Oatechism being the principal text-books. When by innumerable visits, meetings, conferences, and prayers in the hum- ble homes of the people and in little school-rooms, success has been achieved and the Spirit of God has opened the eyes of parents and children, they are gathered into churches under the care of missionary pastors. This unostentatious and apostolic work of faith and labor of love is IOnducted in many rough out-of-the-way places, where the selfdenial, courage, and patience of the workers are far more severely tested than if they ministered to wealthy congregations; and to the honor of devoted colporteurs be it said, some of them have cheerfully persisted in this most useful form of service for thirty and forty years.
Figures very imperfectly represent spiritual influences and results. It is probable that during the last fifty years between twenty and thirty thousand converts have left our country owing to local persecutions and other causes.
. The Presbyterians of Canada have at present, mission fields occupied, 37; preaching stations, 93 ; families of converts, 928 ; church members, 1,179 ; added during the past year, 153; Sunday-school scholars, 1,020 ; mission day-schools, 21, with scholars on the roll, Protestant, 299 ; Roman Catholic, 308 ; at Point- aux-Trembles, Protestants, 77 ; Roman Catholics, 78; total number of pupils in all mission schools, 762. Amount contributed by converts, for salaries, $2,9JD.70 ; for other purposes, $2,918; school fees, at Point-aux-Trembles, about $1,400; other schools, $400 ; total contributions, $7,707.70.
The desire for the unadulterated Gospel and for sound Ohristian education has for many years been widely diffused by all our agencies, and a spirit of freedom and manly independence has been gradually fostered, which of late has unmistakably manifested itself throughout the province in dealing with public matters. This is the outcome of missionary effort, and should stir up all true Ohristians and patriots to more earnest prayer and greater liberality for the extension of our mission. The present and the near future are far more promising than any period during the last half century. There is an intellectual and a spiritual awakening among the French people, which opens the way to greatly increased evangelistic activity, and which can not be neglected without the most serious peril to our Ohurch and country.
The following extracts are translated from private letters written by the young woman officer in charge of the mission carried on by the Salvation Army amongst the French in Montreal. They are addrest to a contributor to its funds. The difficulties of the work are great~
THE CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR IN INDIA
as the officers themselves have to collect the means with which to carry it forward. But the greatest difficulty is to interest the English-speaking Protestant people in this work of rescuing the Oatholic population from the errors and superstition in which they have been brought up. The same difficulty is experienced by all workers amongst Roman Catholics, and while the need and character of the work varies according to the couutry in which it is carried on, the call for such work nevertheless exists in North as well as in South America: The French corps (Salvation Army) now occupies quarters above our hall, which is a vacant shop, fitted up for meetings, on one of the leading thoroughfares in the French quarter of Montreal. • . . About two-thirds of the rental is contributed by headquarters and the remainder I have to collect as well as the rent of the rooms in which we live. If I could find twelve families who would give $20 each during the year, this would meet the whole balance of the rental.
Our situation is such a good one. Catholics always come in large numbers, especially on Sunday evenings. Weare so glad to give them the opportunity to come out from their errors, in which they are so deeply plunged, and we work with.courage, counting always on the victory. • . . But an audience of two hundred people will only put fifty cents in the collection. And yet we have no other resource except this and what our friends supply in monthly contributions. • . • We walk by faith, not seeking our own interest but the advaneement of our Master's cause, and we are much happier in so doing.
If you could only look in for a few minutes at our hall on a Sunday evening, your heart would be moved to see so many Cat.hollcs face to face with the pure Gospel, with no interruption from anyone. The faces of the most thoughtless change after a few minutes, and they seem to take the truth home to themselves. All is so new to them. The Lord came to open the eyes of the blind, and He still does so in the most unmistakable way.
THE OHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR IN INDIA.
BY REV. FRANCIS E. CLARK, D.D.
It is always a source of gratification when a new method of Evangelization aud Ohristian training shows its adaptation to many lands and proves its right to be considered a universal movement. Such a claim, I think, can be maintained for the Ohristian Endeavor movement, which, of late, has been demonstrating that it has the same grasp, and grip, and" staying power" ill Asia and Africa as in America, and Europe, and Australia.
Within a few months the "United Society of India" has been formed on the same lines as the United Society of America; a provincial union has also been formed for South India, and other unions in the Oentral Provinces, in the Northwest Provinces; and in Bengal. In these unions the missionaries of all the societiea of America and England and Scotland lead the way, working together in the most fraternal harmony. The native Christians follow their lead, and bear their part of the labor.
Tho the work among the many English and Eurasian churches of India is important, yet the great work of Christian Endeavor, or any other evangelizing agency, must be to help lift the hundreds of millions of non-Christians from the degradation of their heathenism into the liberty and light of Christ. To accomplish this, the Christian Endeavor pledge and consecration have been translated into languages spoken by scores of millions of Hindus; their languages include Tuarathi, Hindi, Hindustani, Bengali, Canarese, Tamil, Teluga, Cyngalice, and Burmese, while it will soon be put into Punjabi, Muliari, and the languages of Cashmere and Assam.
The most gratifying results have already followed the introduction of Christian Endeavor Societies among the native Christians in many places. In the Arcot mission of the Dutch Reformed Church of America, a holy missionary zeal seems to prevail in many of the societies, and the native Christian Endeavorers go out into the highways and hedges and attempt to compel their heathen comrades to come into the Gospel feast. One of these societies preaches the Gospel every week through its active members to fully a thousand heathens in a score of villages, which lie about the town of Madanapalle, in the Madras Presidency. Many others emulate this example, and have become genuine centers of evangelistic effort.
Perhaps the most markt and fruitful development of Christian Endeavor in India is among the rice-fields of East Bengal, where, within a short radius, there exist more than sixty active and efficient societies in as many different villages of Bengali Christians. These villages are very small, and consequently many of the societies are small, some of them having only three, or four, or half a dozen members; but they have gone far to solve many serious problems of mission work, and to show how a small band of earnest native Christians, nnder adverse circumstances, can maintain the holy fire of zeal and Christlike devotion among themselves, without the aid of a resident missionary, or even a native pastor.
These societies have their weekly meetings, as do the societies at home; their consecration meetings are full of energy and purpose, and they reach ont their hands in many ways to bless those around them. One of the most enthusiastic and spiritual conventions I ever attended was in the little Bengali village of Chhabikhazpar, attended by over a thousand Bengali Christians, many of whom had walkt or paddled in their dingey a whole day or more to reach the meeting.
This most hopeful work is under the charge of Rev. William Oarey, a great-grandson of the great missionary of the same name. In the
THE PROTESTABT MISSION SOCIETIES oJ' GERlIANY
advancement of Christian Endeavor among the native Christians he shows the same zeal and intelligent devotion, as did his famous ances- 'tor, and, through t1Iis society, he is teaching a multitude of native Christians to "expect great things from God, and to attempt great things for God." , THE PROTESTANT MISSION SOCIETIES OF GERMANY.
BY PROFESSOR GEORGE H. SCHODDE, PH. D., COLUMBUS, O.
In Germany State and Church are united, and the number of State churches is more than forty. There is no such an institution as a National Protestant Church of Germany. Each one of the States, large and small, that enters into the composition of the Empire, has a separate State church of its own, and a number of the States have several Thus, e. g., Prussia has one form of ecclesiastical government for the nine old provinces, and separate consistories for the three new provinces acquired in 1866. As a result there is considerable diversity in trend and character of the various State churches, and a deplorable lack of union and unity, both against the commou foe, Roman Catholicism, as also in the prosecution of Christian work and enterprises. This lack of unity and cooperation is seen too in the mission activity of Protestant Germany, which is by no means what it ought to be and would be, if there was one, and only one, Protestant State church in the whole c9untry. Then, too, the State in its 'management of the affairs of the church payll no attention whatever to the outside interests of the congregation, such as inner and foreign mission work. Everything in this direction is the result of private enterprize, which is all the harder to secure in this case, as the German Christians are not accustomed to take the lead in matters pertaining to the affairs of the chqrch, expecting this to be done by the officials appointed by the State. As a consequence German Protestantism does not, in proportion to its numerical strength, do its share of foreign mission work.
This fact, too, is recognized by the Germans themselves. In the latest edition of the Theologisc7ws Jahrbuch, for 1897, the twenty- ' fourth issue of this excellent and complete church statistic of the Fatherland" the editor, Pastor J. Schneider, of Elberfeld, in commenting on the mission activity of the Germans, after mentioning the progress made in recent years, adds: I' However encouraging this progress bas been, it is nevertheless true that comparatively the work of the evangelical church of Germany in the department of missions stands in no proportion to the population. Inoluding German Switzerland, we represent more than one-fifth of all Protestant Ohristianity, yet we furnish less than onethirteenth of the total mission contributions of Protestantism, and furnish about the seventh part of the missionaries now in the field. Our men work cheaper than the English and the Americans, and our success, when the sums expended in the cause are taken into consideration, is greater than theirs. Then, too, there is found in Germany, not only among the Moravian brethren, who stand head and shoulder above all the others in this regard, but also elsewhere, a pronounced interest in the cause of missions, especially in the South and Western portions of the Empire, but the general percentage is materially decreast by the lack of interest that is almost universal throughout Northern and Eastern Germany."
A birdseye view of what is actually being done by the Germans in this regard can be secnred from the following table, based on the latest reports of the various societies accessible.
NAMES 01' MISSION Mission· Native Income In Expenses in SocIETIES. aries. Christians. marks. marks.
BMaosrealvS iaonclBer~e thr en. ________ 174 93,645 495,789 1,610,420 __ : ___________ 170 30,200 871,224 1,127,285 56,944 490,857 Barmen or emsh________ . 105 27,908 833,291 497,702 Berlin 1 __ . _____ – – __________ 26,157 210,885 856,152 68 14,517 852,456 210,950 Hermannsburg _____________ 59 40,500 180,312 856.225 Leipzig ___________________ . 1,490 148,058 162,954 Berlin 11. __________________ 89 42,418 144,586 Bremen. ___________________ 23 700 104,178 88,415 274 55,580 100,726 Neukirchen ________________ 16 85,111 18 79 89,889 61,501 mo. ________________ Breklum ______ 0 ____________ 10 100 88,000 85,111 208 13,188 35,887 Berlin 10 800 14.906 85,000 8 123 15,298 Neudettelsau ___________ • ___ 8,438,087 14,906 293,142 Protestant Society__________ 6 4,818,118 Jerusalem Society. _________ 8 China Mission Society_______ 1 Oriental Woman's Society___ Total _____________ . _. 705 According to the compilation of Professor Vahl, of Denmark, one of the most reliable missionary statisticians living, the latest full Protestant mission reports for the globe covered the year 1894. It gave the following totals: 5,933 male missionaries, 1904 wives of missionaries, 3,391 unmarried mission women, as also 3,815 ordained and 49,758 unordained native helpers of all kinds, who have taken charge of 1,060,822 communicant converts and about 742,344 children. The total income of all the societies Vahl computes at 56,000,000 marks. Of this total he credits to Germany 587 male missionaries, ~65 wives of missionaries, 149 unmarried women missionaries, together with 79 ordained and 3,736 non-ordained native helpers, in charge of 104,292 communicant converts and 23,244 children, with a total income of 4,500,000 marks. . These two reports substantially cover the same year, altho made independently of each other. In this year, 1894, the German missionaries of all the societies, baptized 21,248 adults and children. The relative growth of this work can be soon from the following comparative list of totals: YEAR. Native MiBsionaries. Expense. Christians 1873. _______________ 500 2.140,000 1883 _______________ 128,000 517 2,707,000 1887 ________________ 194,000 551 2,884,000 210,000 549 8,042,800 11889880 _________________________. ___.__ 215,000 606 8,445,000 1891. _______________ 247,000 687 1892 ________________ 257,000 647 -_ ……… 1894 _____ . __________ 267,000 695 298,142 8,688.700 " 714,521 The chief among the German societies is that of the Mora.vian Brethren, the missionary church of the world, par excellence, which has its workers almost everywhere. The society was establisht in 1732. Its headquarters are at historic Herrenhut, and its organ is the Missionsblatt aus der Brildergemeinde. Its chief fields of operation are Sonthwest Africa, Southeast Africa, South America, Western Africa, Alaska, Jamaica, Greenland, Labrador, British India. The record of the Moravians in this regard is generally well known to readers of mission literature.
The second society in importance among the Germans is that of Basel, where are also found the famous educational institutions of this association. The society was establisht in 1815. Its president is Pastor Minscher. Its organ is the EvangeUsclwr Heidenbote. Not a few of the graduates of the Basel schools enter the services of the British societies. Its chief fields of operation are India, China, the Gold Coast of Africa, and the Cameroons. The Basel society is particularly popular among the South Germans, but its popularity has received a shock in recent years by the fact that one or more of the Basel teachers became infected with the contagion of higher criticism. This was particularly the case with Pastor Kinzler, whose statements in this regard were approved by Director Oehler, of the same institution. In fact, the Moravians had the same trouble with their schools and teachers, and the excitement on this account has not yet died out. The Basel missionary institute of St. Chrishona is an excellent school graduates of which are found in goodly number also in the German Lutheran Church of America, especially among the western synods.
The Berlin I. Society was establisht in 1826, a.nd has now an able president ,in the person of Pastor von Gerlach. Its organ is the Berlin Missionsberichte, edited by the famous mission authority More~sky. This society publishes also a popular illustrated mission journal entitled Der Missions.freund, and it also manages a special mi88ion book concern in the German capital. It is probably the best organized of all German mission societies) having no fewer than 314 branch societies in the various provinces of Prussia. It has in South Africa seven districts in which its men operate. Recently it has begun work also in German East Africa. China is evidently the Schmerzenskind of this society. Altho engaged there for 13 years, it reports only 818 baptisms in all this time.
The Barmen or Rhenish Society publishes three different journals, all of them of a popular character. It labors chiefly iu Southwest Africa, New Guinea, and Sumatra, and is about to begin in China. The Bremen Society was organized in 1836, and has as its inspector the well-known mission writer, Pastor Zahn, publishing as its organ the Missio1tsblatt. What is official1y known as Berlin II. is the famous Gosner Society of Berlin, which recently celebrated the fiftieth year of its existence. It labors chiefly in India. None of the societies have enlisted the interest and cooperation or nniversity men to the same degree that this has been done by the Leipzig Society, of which the venerable and veteran Professor Luthardt has been a leading officer for a. generation. This society is characterized by a positive Lutheran basis, in which respect it agrees ful1y with the Hermannsburg Society, which is the most pronounced of all in its confessionalism and conservatism. The Leipzig Society labors chiefly in India, while the Hermannsburgers go to Africa, India, and China, and until recently also to Australia. Both of them have mission institutes of their own, that at Hermannsburg being in' an especially flourishing condition. Both of these societies are supported also by contributions from the Lutheran Church of the United States, who have selected those two because of their positive standpoint. Some of the contributions also go to the Neudettelsau Society for the same reason. Of the other and smaller societies special interest attaches itself to the Protestant Mission Society, which has been organized by the liberals of Germany in order to show the world that they, too, a.nd not only the conservatives and positive Christians can engage in mission work. As yet little or nothing has been accomplisht, altho an effort has been made to convince the Japanese of the blessings of a liberal Christianity. It is a noteworthy fact that all this mission work of Germany, as also all the enterprize exhibited by the friends of that blessed innovation, "Inner Missions," has emanated from positive and conservative Christian centers. Altho Germany is the headquarters of liberal theological thought, this liberalism has been particularly barren in the field of mission enterprise, both home or foreign.
In conclusion attention yet should be drawn to the fact that a movement, not unlike the Volunteer Student Movement in America and England, has been inaugurated in Germany, too, at the universi-
1897..1- THE SCANDINAVIAN ALLIANCE MISSION 01' AlmmOA
ties, and apparently with fair success. A national 8tudentenbund fur· Mission was organized at Halle, with the following as leading principles: 1. This Society is an association of prayer that solicits help for the cause of missions. 2. Every student can become a member who stands on the basis of the Scriptures and has faith in the realization of the mission command of the Lord. 3. The members try to realize this ideal by either becoming missionaries themselves, or seeking to gain others for this cause. 4. ']'hose who feel that the Lord has called them for this work, promising to follow this call. This society is now represented at the majority of the German universities.
THE SCANDINAVIAN ALLIANCE MISSION OF AMERICA.· BY REV. R. A. JERNBERG, CRICAGO, ILL.
Frederik Franson, the Scandinavian apostle to the Gentiles, was born near Nora in Nerike, Sweden, June 17, 1852. When 17 years of age he emigrated with his parents to America, having previously enjoyed the instruction of the best schools and teachers in hiB native town, and having been a student in the Latin school of Orebro. At the age of twenty, while working on his father's farm in Nebraska, he was converted, aud three years later began his career as an evangelist. He traveled widely among his scattered countrymen in America for five or six years, his year of labor among the Scandinavians in Utah leading him to write a book again!!t Mormonism, which has had a wide reading aud great influence. In Chicago he united with the Chicago Avenue Church, commonly known as Mr. Moody's Church, of which he is still a member.
In 1881 Mr. Franson went to Sweden, .where his eighteen months of labor were greatly blest. In 1883 he commenced work in Norway, beginning at Christiania, where a strong church of more than 400 members still attests his success. During this and part of the following year he visited almost every city in Norway along the entire coast. In the autumn he went to Denmark, and· labored nntil the following year, when he was imprisoned for preaching and praying • The Cong'8gatlonal and Independent BcandinaTian churches In Chicago haTe recently been stirred by the visit of a man whose praise Is In all thelle churches, both In this COUDtry and In Scandinavia, though he Is but a humble, unpretentious lay preacher, whose only purpose IJlllfe seems to be that of doing his Master's will. Brother Franson started from America about four years ago, after bavlng organized the Scandinavian Alliance Mission. He visited Norway and SwedeD, recruiting volunteers for foreign mlll8lonary service. A.bout three years after the first company had sailed, he himself started on a tour of Inspection of the various m1ssfons that had been establlsht, and It was fresh from this tour that this modern apostle to the Gentiles came to the Scandinavians In Chicago and the West. The number of American Christians who have heard his name Is small, but a brief aketch of the maD and his work may be of Interest and value in estimating some of the religious movements among the foreign populations of our country, especially in their relation to those American churches nearest to them in falth and polity. for the sick. His trial lasted seven weeks, and resulted in his banish- ment from Denmark, which has the distinction of being the only country in the world, except Tibet, where this Gospel messenger may not preach the tidings of the cross. In Sweden, also, Mr. Franson was arrested for the" emanation of a doctrine tending to schism in the church." He was fined and imprisoned repeatedly by the lower courts, but was set at liberty on appealing to the king.
After his banishment from Denmark, Mr. Franson visited Germany, where he attended some of Prof. Christlieb's lectures in the University of Bonn, and spent about a year in preaching. He also perfected himself in French, and preacht in that language in Switzerland, France, and to the Waldensian churches in Piedmont.
After a tour to the Levant he returned to Norway and Sweden via Poland and Northem Germany, preaching the Word wherever he went. During this visit to the Scandinavian countries, Mr. Franson went to Finland, and afterwards again to Germany. His interest in missionary work for the heathen, and his special endeavors in their behalf, may be said to have begun with this visit to Germany, where a missionary expe,dition to China was organized by his friend arid colaborer, Emanuel Olson, in 1890. Not long afterwards Mr. Franson sailed for America with the declared purpose of arousing an interest among his countrymen here in behalf of the millions of China.
In three months he had secured fifty volunteers for missionary ser- vice, whose support was pledged by various churches and individuals. Arrangements were made with Rev. J. Hudson Taylor for the recep- tion and care of this first company at one of the stations of the China Inland Mission, with which the Scandinavian Alliance Mission has ever since been in closest sympathy. The first company of thirty-five, which sailed from San Francisco, January 22,1891, was followed a lit- tle later by the remainder of the first fifty. The following year thir- , teen more went to China, ten to India, hoping in time to enter Tibet, twenty to Japan, and eight to South Africa. In 1893 and 1894 these were reinforced by five sent to China, two to Japan, two to South Africa, and thirteen were sent to establish a new mission among the Gallas in East Africa. In 1895 a new mission was begun in Mongolia which has two missionaries. Several of those here enumerated have since connected themselves with other societies, a few have returned or died, so that the total number now on the societies' roll is only eighty-six. But the working force is much greater, including the na- tive helpers employed by the missionaries.
This force has been placed in the field and supported during the five years of the society's existence at an aggregate cost of *110,000, an average of *22,000 per year. While this sum is small enough to be divided between eighty or ninety laborers, it still is a cause of great surprise, when we consider that it comes from the poor dis- senting or free Scandinavian churches in America, the majority of them struggling hard to support themselves, many of them receiving home missionary aid, and all of them making heroic sacrifices to support their representatives on the foreign field.
While the success of this movement has certainly been remark- able, there were yet some conditions which favored it from the be- ginning, and which expJain, at least in part, how it was possible for Mr. Franson to send out a party of fifty missionaries, whose whole support was pledged, only four months after he undertook the work.
There are in this country a.bout 350 Scandina.vian free churches, e., i. either Independent, Congregational, or Swedish Mission Friends.
UntH the organization of this new missionary society the Independent and Congregational Churches had not assumed the responsibility of any foreign missionary work at all, neither had the Swedish Mission Friends, tho they had arranged with their brethren in Sweden to care for the mission among the Indians in Alaska, begun by them some years ago. Mr. Franson, therefore, found an open field, and it can not be denied that he has made it yield almost to the limit of its capacity. It is certain, moreover, that no other society could have united these Scandinavian Christians in work for the heathen world, as has the Scandinavian Alliance Mission. ,If these churches had simply been askt to contribute to the general fund for Con- gregational foreign missions, they would only have done so in a half-hearted, uninterested way, very different from the enthusialltic spirit which marks their giving to a society which in every respect they can call their own. Differences of creed, polity, and nationality are swept away before a force like this, and the incoming of Cltrist's kingdom is felt not only here, but to the ends of the earth in con- sequence. The Christiau people represented by the Scandinavian Alliance Mission are not generally in favor of "numbering Israel," and it has not therefore been easy to obtain statistics showing the results of the five years' work. From the statistics of other societies, however, we learn that in Japan the Scandinavian Alliance Mission at the close of 1895 had ten foreign missionaries, eight native helpers, eight main ,stations with twenty-one branch stations, and the membership of the churches numbered ninety-five adults.
Mr. Franson says that if the workers in the other missions of the society have been as successful as the missionaries in Japan, then it is safe to say, that about 1,000 adults have already been converted through their instrumentality, tho until now the work has been almost entirely one of preparation.
In China, the society has thirty stations of its own, and mans ten stations of the China Island MiSSIOn.
But the impression made by the missionaries on the field may per-
WALDBNBIAN )[J8810N8 IN ITALY
haps be gathered even better from a letter received last year from Rev. J. Hudson Taylor, dated Shanghai, Jan. 11, 1895. He says in- t81' alia: We have recently had an all too short visit from our earnest friend, Rev. F. Franson, and I gather from him that you are likely to be interested in hearing of my visit to the Scandinavian missionaries who are working in Central Chin8 in 888oclation with the China Inland Mission. In the course of this visit I met with most of the Scandinavian workers of Central China, and my intercourse with all these friends WBlj most pleasant and profitable. . • .
I had been in Si·gan eight years before, and found one of our missionaries living in an inn; after years of persistent eftort our attempt to obtain a residence in the' city failed, and had to be abandoned, but now "He who opens and no man shuts .. had 80 thoroughly opened the doors that we met a band of twenty missionaries for conference and fellowship for more than a week without molestation or one unkind word.
The missionary brethren were living inside the west gate of the city in a comfortable house rented by our late brother P. E. Holmen (of the Scandinavian Alliance Mission). Here we were most hospitably entertained for eight or nine days, and were very thankful for all we saw. At some little distance outside the walls In the western suburb was the sisters' d welling. I was Imprest with the good progress both brothers and sisters had made in the knowledge of the language, and by the practical experience they had gained. They had evidently won confidence and respect among the people and had favor with the authorities. • • I will not refer in detail to our visits to Ping-Yang. Hoh-Chan. and other pIeces, where we met Scandinavian workers; for all whom we met, without exception. we give hearty praise to God and can not but feel that they are God-sent mISSionaries. who have already been used by Him. and are qualified for still more Important service In the future. Those whose contributions have 888isted in sending them out and in supporting them, have good cause to thank God for the privilege of shBrlllg in 80 blessed a work.
WALDENSIAN MISSIONS IN ITALY.
BY REV. G. C. MAUGERI, SICILY.
Who does not know something of the marvelous history of that wonderful people, "the Israel of the Alps," living high up in the recesses of the Cottian mountains? The thrilling story of the noble Waldenses may be traced far back into the early Christian centuries. For a thousand years they alone remained faithful to the teachings of the pure Gospel of Christ; and they can show many evidences of the fierce persecutions which they endured at the hands of the Catholic Church and her emissaries for six hundred years.
In the dark a~es, when the hateful tyranny of priest-power held sway over all ChrIStendom, the Waldenses stilI held high the banner of the Gospel and were ready to die for truth's sake. Century after century they continued to protest against the innovations; apostasy, and abominations of the adulterous Church. They shone as a pure light in the midst of the darkness which surround them; their lamp was not under a bushel, but on a lamp-stand. Their most earnest, powerful, and promising men were sent two by two throughout Europe as missionaries of the cross, and many of them paid for their zeal with their lives. The German, French and Swiss reformers of the fifteenth century were 8stonisht when they discovered this small body of Christians living in seclusion in the fastnesses of the Alps, and learned that for centuries they had held the faith which now was gaining new adherents. After this heroic band of believers had undergone thirty-three persecutions, had suffered confiscations of property, imprisonment, privation, banishment, and death, they were at last emancipated by Oarlo Alberto on the 17th of February, 1848. After this righteous act, worthy of a just 'king, the Waldenses exerted all their energy in strengthening their churches in the valleys, and in sending miSSIOnaries wherever there was an open door to organize new churches and open schools. These pioneers met with many difficulties, and were compelled to fight for their advance inch by inch. But many vic- tories were won, and from the land of the dead many dry bones arose to life and usefulness; from Alpine ranges to Sicilian shores, and from sea to sea, they have now forty-nine organized churches, forty~four stations, and 5 circuits, with 5,419 church members, 684 catechumens.. and 3,272 Sunday-school children. The work is carried on by fortyfive pastors, seventeen evangelists, sixty-two teachers, and twelve colporteurs or Bible readers. A number of Young Men's Ohristian Associations have also been started allover Italy, besides various benevolent societies, orphanages, dispensaries, hospitals, soup-kitchens, day and evening schools, colleges, and one Theological Seminary.
After havin~ thus briefly glanced at the history and present .extent of the Waldenslan work. we propose to answer some of the qnestions which have beenaskt by those who have been askt to contribute toward the extension and support of the work throughout Italy.
1. Wl~y do not the Italians support the Waldensian work! Of course, the vast majority of Italians are Roman Oatholics, and are thus antagonistic to all forms of Protestantism, which, in their minds, comprises all that is heretical, and therefore infamous.
As to the Italian Protestant Ohristians, they are, in the first place, very lew in comparison with the magnitude of the work. How could five thousand members carryon, unaided, a work among over thirty millions of people? It would be as tho one or two large congregations were to undertake the evaugelization of the whole of South America. These Protestants are also very poor, and are already doing more than should be expected of them. In every new field the first converts are, for the most part, from among the poorer classes. Strong working peopJe, faithful members of our church in Sicily, could not afford more than two scanty meals of their brown bread a day. Some of them said, with tears in their eyes, that they had not attended church for some time, because they felt ashamed that they were unable to contribute a single cent for the Lord's work. God alone knows how much of the pastor's and missionary's scanty salary is spent to relieve the needy ones. No sooner does a man profess belief 1D the pure Gospel than he suffers grievous persecution, and is often deprived of all means of support. But, notwithstanding their povertY' and heavy taxes, the five thousand church members last year, a very hard vear, contributed 81,000 lire (tl6,OOO). This was only accomplisht by true self-denial, such as has, perhaps, few parallels in the history of the church. At the time of the sulphur ore crisis in Sicily, last year, many of our brethren, after they had sold all their household goods, could not obtain work for even five cents a day.
2. Wl~JI do not the WaldenslJs support their own work! In the first place, they are but a small community, mainly of the peasant class, numbering about 25,000 people. Up to the tIme of their emancipation they were, by law, restricted to compulsory poverty, being not allowed to own an inch of land outside of their own little valley. They were a.lso excluded from the practice of law, medicine, or any of. the liberal arts, except among themselves. Their taxes were much heavier than those of the Roman Oatholic subjects. Their pastors were not allowed, under pain of imprisonment, to sleep, even for a single night, in a papal parish.
But, in spite of the difficulties, these people are giving nobly. The eighteen churches of the Waldensian Valleys, with their 14,528 church members, 1,015 catechumens, and 22 pastors, are carrying on effective work in their own district, ani, in addition, send generous contributions to the missionary board of the church. 1'hey have organized 86 Sunday-schools, with 376 Sunday-school teachers and 3,761 pupils; also 206 primary schools, with 4,750 pupils. To carryon the present mission work, our Board of Evangelization needs from sixty to seventy thousand dollars y'early. How could these few poor peasants be expected to contribute that amount, besides what they are giving toward the support of their own work at home? By faith they have planted the blessed banner of Ohrist throughout the land of the Pope, and believe that the Lord will not desert them, but that Italy shall, at last, be won for God.
3. Why does not Europe care for Italy'! We must remember that Europe is not a Protestant continent. Papal Spain, Portugal, and Austria, sceptical France, or orthodox Russia and Greece can not be expected to assist in purifying Italy. Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland and Holland, are already keenly interested in the evangelization of Europe and are also sending missionaries to North America and to the uttermost parts of the earth.
If the Waldensian received as much aid from America as from Europe,* the working force could be doubled and Italy might soon be evangelized. But what has come from America has been thankfully received and has aided materially in the work. The American brethren of the Methodist Episcopal and North and South Baptist Ohurches are doing something for Italy under the direction of their own Boards. The Presbyterian and Reformed Ohurches say that the W0.1denses can accomplish better work among the Italians than any foreigner could be expected to do, and yet these denominations, who leave work of reformation in the hands of their Waldensian brethren, fail to come to their support with sufficient funds to enable then:.. to carryon effective work.
More than one has refused aid for the evangelization of Italy on the ground that Italians have already had the Gospel preacht to them have rejected it while the heathen have never had an opportunity, and therefore deserve all our attention.
We affirm, and believe that the affirmation is unquestionably supported by history, that tho Italians did not reject the Gospel, but that they were led into error, step by step, by the Ohurch of Rome, who buried the truth, as it is in Ohrist, deep down beneath a mass of superstitions and false doctrines, until the misguided masses can no longer distinguish the true from the false. The Jesus whom they know is only a helpless babe in the arms of a gentle vir~n, or, at most, is but a dead Ohrist on the cross.
Not long ago, a stranger was invited by the local scholastic author- -Europe contributed last year $68,112.68 for the Waldenslan work in Italy, while America .contributed $1,588.12 for the same.
THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OP ITALY. 6()S
ities of a small town in Southern Italy to visit their schools. Before leaving the girl school, the visitor askt a bright girl, "TeU me, dear, whom do you love most, the ;Lord or the Madonna?" After some hesitation, she answered, "I love the Madonna the most." "Why?" " Because the Madonna sends me in Paradise, while the. Lord drives me down to hell or purgatory !,,* This is a good illustration of the thought concerning the virgin and Christ in the minds of the papists of Italy. Will not our Christian brethren put more of the money intrusted to them into the much neglected work of the Master in sunny Italy, that they may, at His coming, return unto the Lord His own with interest? t THE E V AN GEL I CAL C H U R C H 0 FIT A L Y.
BY REV. ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, D.D., VENICE.
The great need of Italy is the Gospel. Twenty or twenty-five millions of its thirty mijlions of inhabitants have long ago ceased to believe in the Papal Church, and their connection with it is merely a matter of birth and name. Not only have they ceased to believe in it as a Christian Church, but they have come to regard it as an institution hostile to Ohrist and to the Gospel. "Egli porta troppo l'evangelo" (He carries too much of the Gospel) was the judgment a theological canon in St. Mark's Ohurch, Venice, pronounced upon a friend of mine who was in trainillg to become a prIest, and accordingly he was cast aside as an unfit instrument. And yet the Papal Ohurch stands sorely in need of Italian priests. Her native priesthood is dying out. Enough priests can not be obtained to fill the churches, and so they have to import them in large numbers from other countries, and especially from Protestant England. But, say the Papal authorities, better an empty parish than a priest who knows the Gospel. Such an one is utterly disqualified for the priestly office, and, indeed, I have never known nor read of a priest becoming a Christian who did not suffer persecution at the hands of his Ohurch.
But it is the Gospel, and only the Gospel, that brings real and lasting blessings to men and to natiom. It is the reception of the glad tidings of a free and full salvation in Jesus Christ that recreates unto good works the children of men. The Papacy rretends to give salvation in sin, and wherever it goes it destroys 0.1 right thinking and obliterates all morar distinctions. The Pope claims and exercises the power of making right wrong and wrong right; hence the Government of Italy has had to make marriage a civil rite, as the priests would sanction any kind of marriages, if only they were paid enough. I was once askt by an Italian young lady if a thing could be right and wrong at the same time; for, she said," My priest has offered to make wrong right for me." What Italy needs, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who saves not in sin but from it. The. Italians to a • From" Dis e Popolo." t Subsciiptlons may be forwarded to the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, 156 Fifth 'Ave., New York. Those who wish to send money directly to Italy, may do 80 by a check on any American hank, endorsed to Messrs. Nast-Kolb and Schumacher, Bankers,9 Via Mercade, Rome; or, to Comm. Matteo Prochet, D.D., 101 Via NazlontUe, Rome. $125 wUl support 180 laborers and their families for one day; $25 will support an evangelist or a teacher for a whole month; $20 a colporteur tor a month; '15a lady teacher tor a month. large extent realize this and want something to make them better, not worse. They have cast off the Papal lie, and now they want to know the truth. Hence the remarkable and annually inoreasing sale of Scriptures, both those produced by the British and Foreign Bible Society and those printed and publisht by native publishers, like the illustrated family Bible of Sonzogno, of Milan. Hence the number of religious books, like Bovio's "Christ at the Feast of Purim" and" St. Paul," which are having an extraordinary circulation. Hence, too, the recognition by Italians in general of Protestants as Christians, whilst Clerioals are put in opposition to both, and hence, too, the . readiness with whioh they attend Protestant services.
Every Church, then, that has for its objeot the evangelization of Italy ought to receive our cordial sympathy and support. It is a matter of thankfulness that there are many such. Some lament that this is the case, and wish that there were only one. There ought to be only one so far as aim and spirit are concerned, but we must remember that differences of belief and of government and operation are the necessary accompaniments of life. There can be no growth where there are no diversities. Outward nnity, about which we hear so much at the present time, would be for the Church of Christ, I believe, a great calamity, ending in torpitude and death. The Papal Church is one, but it is a dead church-spiritually dead, utterly without faith and without life. As Professor Bovio, himself within its pale, has described it, " It is a rotten bough on the tree of Chris- tianity." The fact, then, that there are several evangelical Chnrches in Italy is not to be regretted, so long as they are occupied, not in advancing their own party ends, but that of the evangelization of Italy. One of these, which keeps steadily in view the good of Italy, is the Evangelical Church of Italy. Its very name declares the evan~ gelization of the country to be its aim and object; but its name tells more-it tells of self-denial and self-sacrifice for the general good. Self-denial, manifested in the giving up of names, entered into the making of the kingdom of Italy. Piedmont, Lombardy, Venetia, Tuscany-all merged themselves in the one United Kingdom of Italy, and so in 1889 this churoh gave up the special name it re- ceived at its birth and had borne for nearly twenty years, namel" "The Free Italian Church," for the more general one it now bears, III the hope that other churches would do the same, and so put an end to provincialism in evangelistic as well as in political matters.
On the 20th of September, 1870, a breach was made in the walls of Rome at the Porta Pia, and the temporal power of the Pope was taken away for ever. The year of young Italy's birth was also that of this Evangelioal Churoh. They oame into being together and were both the offspring of the refusal of the Italians longer to be enslaved materially, intelleotually, and spiritually by the Papal power. Thus the Evangelioal Churoh has perhaps more than any other been in full sympathy with Italy's rise and progress. It oame into being unhampered with traditions, with no historio past to bind it to a oonservative polioy" It was not a foreign oorporation introduced into the country; It was of Italy, and was free to run its course. If it obtained pastors and teachers, members and adherents, they had to be Italians. It could not call in help from without; it had to go down into the depths of Papal ignorance and superstition, vice and crime, and bring up into truth and purity those who were to be its clergy and its laity. All its members were to be found within the pale of Popery.
In its mission it has succeeded. It has abundantly justified its existence and its name. It has at the present time twenty-nine lead- ing congregations, forty-seven smaller groups of believers, and 132 other preaching stations, where evangelistic work is carried on. Ex- priests and monks as well as young civilians are offering themselves for training in its theological hall at Florence, and whole villages, like Roccapietra, are desirous of being formed into new congregations.
On the 20th of September, 1895, the Kingdom of Italy celebrated its semi-jubilee. It was then twenty-five years old, and could boast of having done not a little in the work of undoing the mischief wrought by the Papacy. Roads had been made, cities lighted, schools and colleges opened, life and property made safe, public confidence restored, commerce increased, dishonesty, fraud, brigandage, murder, and all similar fruits of the Papacy lessened, if not banisht from the realm. The government could even point to the church of the Pope itself as having been purified by the strong arm of the law. On that same day the Evangelical Church of Italy celebrated its semijubilee. .
Since then both Italy and the Evangelical Church have had trials to endure. The Papal party, backed by Englishmen, has put forth all its cunning and power to destroy the kingdom. Its efforts were doomed to failure, altho by bribery and corruption exercised amongst the lowest of the I!eople, it has been able to do what Englishmen at home soom to do WIth their eyes open-put clericals into positions of trust and power in certain municipalities and in the government, where all local and imperial interests are made subservient to the advancement of the ends of the Papacy. Already, however, in Italy a reaction has set in, and the time is not far distant when every Papist will be swept from office and power as a disloyal subject.
In the same way a hostile force made war last winter upon the Evangelical Church of Italy. Some, of.whom better things were to be expected, boasted that they would destroy it. Their efforts were also futile, and in God's providence their very hostility has been over- ruled for good. They have brought t6 the Evangelical Church the blessings that a struggle for life never fails to bring to those who hava to face it. Its pastors and people, forced to stand shoulder to shoulder ill the fight, have let drop secondary interests, and now more than ever" stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel." And to the example it manifested of patience and meekness under persecution may be attributed in part the acces- sions that have lately taken place to its ranks. Many, seeing that to it had been given" in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for His sake," joined themselves to its com- munion.
The Evangelical Church well deserves the sympathy and support of the Christian public. The young church is entering upon a new epoch of its life and history, and it is for those interested in the cause of Jesus Christ aud in its advancement in Italy, so long cursed by the Papacy and now free and united, to so befriend and help it that its record at the close of caonnocltuhdeerdt.w* enty-five years may be even more splendid than that just • The Bev. Dr. MacDougall's address Is tl1e Scottish Church. Florence, Italy.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT. , (Aug1.lst
II.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
Interna.tional :r.fisaiOna.ry UniOn. this REVIEW, by giving this long list.
FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. It will be read with intense interest in The International Missionary Union every mission, field of the world, and convened for its fourteenth Annual Session, June 9-15, inclusive, at Cllfton those of our readers not finding it en- Springs, N. Y., being the eighth ses- sion held at this place, as the guest of tertaining will bear in mind that not all the founder of the Sanitarium, Dr. Henry Foster., The largest attendance readers are equally intQreSted in any of its history was recorded, there being one hundred and fifty-five missionaries part of a great cyclopedic volume, such present. These were from the several countries as follows: Africa: Abyssinia, as this becomes In the course of each 1 ; Egypt, 2; West Central and South Africa, 9 ; total 12. Austria, 1; Bul- year. The figures show the years of garia, 1; Italy, 1; Spain, 1. India: Assam, 1; Burma, 8; other parts of service of the person whose name they India, 29; total, S8; Egypt, 2; Syria, 3; Turkey, 12; Laos, 2; Siam, 2; precede, the country following the China, 43; Japan, 27; Korea, 4; Malaysia, 2 ; North American Indians, 2 ; name, the field of labor. Mexico, 3; West Indies, 1; South America: Brazil and Chile, 3; Micro- 1874-78, Mrs. Sarah C. Adams, (Janesia, 2 ; New Zealand, 1. pan); 1892–94, Miss Hester Alway, (India); 1865-97, Mrs. Marj J. Ander- The several missionary organizations son, (China, N, Zealand); 1887-95, were represented numerically as fol- Rev. J. O. Ashenhurst, (Egypt); 1886lows: The American Board, 46; 95, Mrs. J. O. Ashenhwst, (Egypt); Methodist Episcopal, 28 ; Canada 1892– ,Miss Louise A. Babe, (Africa); Methodists, 3; Methodist Protestant, 2; 18~, Rev. S. L. Baldwin, D.D., Free Methodist, 1; Presbyterians, 23 ; (China); 1890- ,Rev. W. S. Banner- United Presbyterians, 2; Baptist: Am- man, (Africa); 1890- , Mrs. W. 8. erican Baptist Missionary Union, 13; Bannerman, (Africa); 1867- , Rev. Seventh Day Baptist, 1 ; rCanada Bap- Lyman Bartlett, (Turkey); 1884- , tist. 8; Reformed Church (Dutch), 9; Mi88 Cornelia S. Bartlett, (Turkey); Protestant Episcopal, 1, London Mis- 1883-89, Mrs. Harlan P. Beach, (Chisionary Society, 1; Established Church, na); 1879-81, Mrs. W. H. Belden, Scotland, 2; Woman's Union Mission- (Bul~aria); 1897-, Woo. C. Bell, ary S,ociety, 4; China Inland Mission, (AfrIca) ; 1'888- ,Miss Florence E. S; Friends, 2; Phil.-African League, Ben-Oliel, (SYI1a); 1891-96, ~iss Ag- 1 ; Canada Colleges' Mission, 1; Inde- nes M. Bigelow, (Africa); 1867-85, pendent, 2: total 155. Mrs. J. T. Booker, (India); 1887- , Rev. Woo. B. Boomer, (Chile); 1879- As for nine years past the names, , Rev. Eugene S. Booth, (Japan) ; years of service, and country of those in 1879- ,Mrs. Eugene S. Booth, (Jaattendance on these meetings has been pan); 1887-96, H. J. Bostwick, (Chipreserved in the. reports of this maga- na); 1887-96, Mrs. H. J. Bostwick, zine and in no other, we venture once (China) j 1889-, Miss Emma F. more to add to the historical value of Boughton, (China); 1897- ,Mr. F. S. Brockman, China); 1897- ,Mrs. F. S. Brockman,(China) j 1853-88, Mrs. A Bushnell, (Africa); 1882- , Miss M. J. Cartmell, (Japan); 1878, Mrs. Ben- jamin Chappell, (Japan); 1887- , Rev. C. A. Clark, (Japan); 1893- , Mrs. W. J. Clark, (India); 1883-94, Rev. J. T. Cole, (Japan) j 1890- ,Mrs. W. H. Cossum, (China) j 1877- ,Rev. John Craig, (India); 1885- , Mrs. John Craig, (India); 1892– ,. Rev. Horace A. Crane, (India):; 1892- ',Mrs. Horace A. Crane, (India); 1886- ,Miss E. T. Cros]:>y, Micronesia; 1878-79, Rev. Chas. W. Cu~hing, (Italy); 1869- 79, Rev. J. A. Davis, D. D., (China); 1869-70, Mrs. J. A. Davis, (China); 188{)- , Rev. F, W. Davis, (China); 1887- , Rev. John E. Davis, (India); ton, (India); 1876- ,Mrs. F. Ohlinger, 1897- ,Mrs. John E. Davis, India); (China, Korea); 1863- ,Rev. M. P. 1876-90, Mrs. A. D'Ouseley, (India, Parmelee, M.1>., (Turkey); 1871- • China); 1893-96, Misa Marie A. Dowl- Mrs. Moses P. Parmelee, (Turkey); ing, (Ohina); 1891- ,Miss Effa Dun- 1888- , Rev. Lyman P. Peet, (China); more, (Mexico); 1886-96, Miss SUl'llln 1888- ,Mrs. Lyman P. Peet, (China); Easton, (India); 1882- , Rev. James 1878- ,Mrs. James H. Pettee, (Japan); D. Eaton, !.¥exico); 1882, Mrs. James 1897- , Miss Nellie Pierce, (Korea); D. Eaton, (Mexico) ; 1872- , Mrs. C.H. 1889- , Rev. C. W. Price, (China); R.Elwell, (Burma); 1890- , Mi88 S. A. 1889- , Mrs. C. W. Price, (China); Esterbrooks, (W. Indies, S. Amer.); 1878-80, Miss Mary Priest, (Japan); 1852, Rev. W. A. Farnsworth, D.D., 1879- ,Mrs. W. H. Roberts, (Burma); (Turkey); 1852- , Mrs. W. A. Farns- 1889- ,Rev. James B. Rodgers, (Braworth, (Turkey); – – – , Miss Celia zll); 1889- , Mi88 Martha Rogers, J. Fames, (India); 1887- , MiBB M. (India) ; 1865-81, Rev. H. A. Schauffier, EsteJ.le Files, (Burma); 1891- , Ed- D.D.. (Turkey, Austria); 1897- , ward. A. Ford. (Africa); 1853-58, Mrs. Mrs. J. W. Schenck, (Japan) ;'1890- , O. M. Ford, M. D., (Mrica); 1880- , Rev. Henry J. Scudder, (India); Mi88 Elsie M. Garretson, (China); 1897- , Rev. Frank S. Scudder, (Ja. 1881- , Mrs. W. C. Gault, (Mrica); pan) ; 1897- ,Mrs. Frank S. Scudder, 1861-68. Rev. J. T. Gracey, D.D., (In- (Japan); 1897- ,Mi88 Clara G. Seydia); 1861-68. Mrs. J. T. Gracey, (In- mour, (China); 1888- • Mi88 Sarah dia); 1889- , Mi88 Fanny E. Gris- Simpson, (India); 1861-95, Mrs. Nathwold, (Japan); 1897- , Rev. Adam F. an Sites, (China); 1890-96, Miss Ruth Gl'Ol8beck, (China); 1897- , Mrs. Marie Sites, (China); 1886- , Mrs. Adam F. Grresbeck, (China); 1872-93, Arthur W. Stanford, (Japan); 1884- Rev. T. L. Gulick, D.D., (Spain); 1887 , Mi88 Eva C. Stark, (Burma); 1881- – ,Rev. Sidney L. Gulick, (Japan); 90, Rev. M. L. Stimson, (China); 1881- 1887-77, Rev. Cyrus Hamlin, D.D., 90, Mrs. M. L, Stimson, (China); (Turkey); 1890- ,Dr. R. A. Hardie, 1889-94, Miss Cora A. Stone, (Japan); (Korea); 1889- , Rev. W. V. Hig- 1879- , Rev. G. I. Stone, (India); gi~, (India); 1889- , Mrs. W. V. 1883- • Ella F., Swinney, M.D., Higgins. (India); 1890-96, Mrs. A. T. (China); 1888- " 1tliBB Ella J. Taylor, HUt (Japan); 1881- , Mary A. (Burma); 1854-64, Rev. Robert Tel- Holbrook. M.D.. (Japan) ; 1884- ford, (Siam, China); 1890-96, MI88 92, Rev. T. E. Inglis. (India); 1884- Caroline M. Telford, (Japan); 1868-73, 92, !!rs. T. E. Inglis, (India); Rev. C. C., Thayer, M.D, (Turkey); 1890- , Rev. Robert Irwin, (Laos); 1868-73, Mrs. C. C. Thayer, (Turkey); 1887- , Rev. Herbert B. Johnson. 1869-72, Miss Mary A. Thompson, (Japan); 1878- ,Adeline D. H., Kel- (China); 1888- , Rev. E. Tribolet, sey, M.D., (Japan); 1892- ,Rev. Chas. (Burma); 1888- , Mrs. E. Tribolet, C. Kelso, (Malaysia); 1892- , Mrs. (Burma); 1890- • Rev. E. H. Van Chas. C. Kelso, (Malaysia); 1879-81, Dyke, (Japan); 1890- , Mrs. E. H.
Rev. Albert A. Kidder, (India); 1889- Van Dyke. (Japan); 1871-88, Mrs.Le- , Rev. Chas. A. KiIlie, (China); roy M. Vernon. (Italy); 1858- ,Rev. 1889- ,Mrs. Chas. A. KiIlle, (China); Theophilus Waldmeier, (AbY88inia, 1887- , Rev. Wm. H. Lacy, (China) ; Syria); 1858- ,Mrs. Theophilus Wald- 1870- , MI88 Martha C. Lathrop, meier, (Syria); 1872- , Rev. JOBeJ?h (India); 1873- ,Miss Elizabeth Law- E. Walker, (China); 1870- , Miss rence, (Burma); 1888-95, Mi88 Alice C. Grace R. Ward, (India); 1891- ,MI88 Little, (Micronesia); 1880-90, Mrs.Ll.S. Laura White, (China); 1880-91, Mrs. Long, (Japan); 1867- , Rev. Hiram H. Wellington White, (China); 1848-57, Lowry, (China) ; 1897- , Rev. Henry Rev. J. K. Wight, (China); 1856- , W. Luce, (Ch~na); 1897- ,Mrs. Henry Rev. Jonathan Wilson, (Slam, Laos); W. Luce. (Chma); 1877- ,Mrs. J. M. 1885-88, Mrs. W. E. Witter, (ABBam) ; McCauley, (Japan); 1870-97. Mrs. S. D. 1838-86, Rev. Geo. W. Wood, D.D., McMahon, (India); 1885-95. Rev. C. W. (Tllrkey);1871-86. Mrs. Geo. W. Wood, P.,Merritt, M.D., (China); 1885-95. Mrs. (Turkey); 1868-77, Rev. Egerton R. C. W. P. Merritt, (China); 1892- , Young, (Hudson Bay Indians); 1868- 77, Mrs. Egerton R. Young, (Hudson !Irs. S. F. Moore, (Korea); John R. Mott; 1887- , E. Murray, Bay Indians). (China); 1887- , Mrs. E. Murray, The officers of the Union for the next (China); 1887- , Rev. Horatio B. year, arePre8UUnt, J. T. Gracey, D.D.; Newell, (Japan); 1888- ,Mrs. Horatio VICe Pr68ident, S. L. Baldwin. D.D. ; B. Newell, (Japan); 1872-89, Rev. A. Secretary, Mrs. C. C. Thayer; Tr~ur Norton, (India); 1874.-00, Mrs. A. Nor- cr, Rev. C. C. Thayer, M.D.; LilYrarian, Mrs. Rev. W. H. Belden, and a The German College Christian AlH. Board Df Oontrol, consisting of twenty ance exercised a quickening interest in other members besides the above Bible reading, in temperance and purity, and now they have taken up the sub. offi~rs.
WORLD'S FEDERATION OF CHRISTIAN ject of missions. The vanguard ot STUDENTS. this movement numbers twenty.seven students. ~ext Mr. Mott visited Scan. MR. J. R. MOTT. dinavia, organizing the colleges of Mr. Mott occupied an hour narrating Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Nor- the work done in connection with a way in a National Christian Students'
round.the-world tour among the col- Association. Mr. Mott proceeded to leges. He spoke of the importance of Robert College, Constantinople, thence the student class in their infiuence on to Egypt and Syria. During the visit society: "Asgo the universities, so goes to Scandinavia the suggestion was made the nation." He recounted the history of the organization of a "World's of the organization of students in the Federation of Christian StUdents."
world. In America, the Young Men's In India Mr. Mott found the largest Christian Association was organized body of students, numbering one hun.
twenty-six years ago. They have been dred thousand. .. As go these students, cemented together by the Intercollegiate so will go India." There were twenty· Christian Associations, which now num- two Young Men's Christian .Associa- ber over five hundred. These associa- tions in di1ferent parts of India, but tions have been the means of leading they were not united. It was proposed over thirty thousand young men to to assemble them in Students' Confer- Christ. There has been a great increase ences, and six such conferences were in voluntary Bible c1l11!ses in the col- held, attended by over fifteen thousand leges. Over four thousand have been delegates, twelve thousand students, led to enter the ministry. One of the five hundred Christians, and one hun- indirect effects of this association was dred missionaries. One hundred and'
the organization of the Students' Vol- thirty-five students came forth out of unteer Movement, which 'enrolls over these conventions having a determina- four thousand, over eight hundred of tion to preach the Gospel in their own whom have reacht the. foreign field. land, and now five men are engaged In During the past three years more have furthering this interest.
gone abroad than in the preceding six Proceeding to Australia, which Mr.
years. Mott said has a homogeneous popula.
In commencing his tour of visitation tisn and a good climate, they found of the colleges of the world, the first only five societies; but, among the field visited by Mr. Mott was Great young men, many became interested in Britain. The British College Christian the movement for closer union amongst Association numbers one hundred aux- the students. Twenty.five branches of iliaries, embracing all the leading col- the college organization were formed.
leges and universities in England, Scot- They found only one voluntary Blble- land, Ireland, and Wales. More young class in the institutions of learning, and men have beeome Christians in Edin· very little missionary interest among burgh University during the past two the students. but it was not long before years through the inlluence of the they were awakened into a greataggres.
British College Christian movement, slve spirit.
than in the whole experience of the Reaching China, they found the professors of that institution, some of greatest combination of difficulties of whom have been there twenty.:iive any country. The Chinese are indus· years. It has led to a great revival of trious, patient, and have many other mllsionary interest. virtues, but as a nation they have been kept back chiefly by the IItudent class, the war with Japan. The government the old conservative literati of the land. was made to realize its own weakness But they found a fringe of Christian by that war, and aIso to understand colleges skirting the coast of China, that Japan's strength came from her and they attempted the organization of progress during the last twenty-five a National Christian Students' Society, years along the line of Western educa- holding four conferences for that pur- tion. Recently the foreign office in pose, in which over three thousand Pekin has made a recommendation to delegates were present. From amongst the government to establish a university these about one hundred young men in each of the eighteen provinces, with came out from the clutches of Con- smaller schools in the chief cities, fucianism, and seventy young men gave where the Chinese can study English, up preferment and business opportuni- chemistry, physics, and metaphysics.
ties to engage in Christian work. Stu- The important thought in connection dents from eighteen colleges covenanted with this movement is that the Chris- to keep the "watch hour." tian churches awake to the importance Proceeding to Japan, they were im- of recommending Christian scholars as prest by the keenness of the intellect professors and teachers in these institu- of the people, and with the fact that tions, and thus aim to tum this modem there they confronted the largest stu- educational movement in sympathy dent class in the Orient. Here were with Christianity. It also emphasizes thirtY·five hundred teachers, among the importance of renewed attention to whom were very few Christians. They our Christian schools of high grade found, however, eight societies which, that young men may be trained in them following their arrival, were au~ented for positions in these government insti- to twenty-eight, and a national move- tutions."
ment was organized. The Japanese Rev. Hunter Corbett, D.D., of Che- leaders have come out straight on the foo, China, was prevented being pres- evangelical basis of Christian truth. ent, and Rev. Charles A. KUlie gave The most remarkable feature of the an abstract of the paper sent by Dr.
student life here has been the confedera- Corbett, from which we select the fol- tion of the Christian colleges in this lowing passages: student movement. "The war had a beneficial effect on The subject of the organization of a China. It has awakened as never be- World's Federation of Christian Stu- fore a desire to receive instruction from dents was brought before each of these missionaries. During the war, the National organizations, and they were papers and magazines publisht by mis- invited to send delegates to a conven- sionaries were eagerly BOught by all tion to be held in Northfield, Mass., classes, because they knew they would July. 1897; and have responded get reliable information. One Chinese thereto. firm printed the editorials from a mis- sionary magazine in book form to CroNA. supply the demand for such informa- In the several sessions of the week tion. The scholarship and intellectual interesting and important statements power of Western men is now recog- were made concerning China. nized. Many non-Christian parents Dr. H. H. Lowry, of North China, are pleading to have their children said: educated in mission schools, for they "There is one feature of education say these schools teach reverence to in China that I wish to call attention to, parents, and loveof honesty and virtue.
as it is very important just at this pres- ChrisUanity and education are coming ent time. You are all aware of the new to be regarded as inseparable. It is impetus that has come to China since said when C. D. Tenny started to secure the most promising students for the during the past quarter of a century newly-establisht college at Tientsin, has been at the head of the Chinese with the view of educating men for customs. Railroads are being built, government service, the late viceroy, mines opened and operated by foreign Ll Hung Chang, told him to secure all machinery under foreign direction. he could from the Christian schools, as Presses and dies have been shipt from there he would find the best material. Bridgeton, New Jersey, so that here- Duringthe past year there has been a after China will have a silver as well growing demand for all the books mis- as copper coin. The number of com- sionaries have written or tranSlated, municants has about doubled in the such as historics, works on science, past five years." political economy, natural and moral philosophy, and all text-books for MISSIONS IN TURKEY. IlChools and colleges, as well as relig- iousbooks. Rev. Cyrus Hamlin, D.D., read a " China is a land of great possibilities. paper on "The five great periods of She has nearly three thousand miles of American Mission work in Turkey." I coast-line, and numerous rivers and We cannot summarize it, but select a lakes abounding in fish. Mines of gold, few paragraphs. silver, iron, coal, and primeval wealth of almost every kind abound. There The work of American Christians is an intense desire to learn the English began in 1879. The work for twentylanguage, and wherever it is taught, seven years was only educational. Not the schools and colleges are over- till 1848 was there a formation of any crowded, and many are offering to pay native churches in connection with the well for such instruction. Physici6ns American Mission. The Americans are frequently called to treat men hold- sought to preach the Gospel, especially ing high official positions. Lady phy- to Armenians and other Oriental Chrissicians are allowed to enter the homes tians. It gave offense to the Czar of the wealthy, and are treated with the Nicholas that members of the Greek deepest respect and kindness. Mission National Church of Russia should be hospitals and dispensaries are crowded attending the meetings of the American by suffering people, and last year in missionaries, and he commanded the one station in North China over nine- Russian patriarch at Constantinople to teen thousand received medical care. anathematize all members of the Greek Church who attended the meetings of "The Emperor of China has conferred the American missionaries. When Lord the 'Imperial Order of the Double Stratford, the British Ambassador, was Dragon' upon Rev. B. C. Atterbury, applied to, he said to Goodell, "Now, M.D., of the Presbyterian Mission. you Americans go to work and organize This honor was in recognition of ser- a Presbyterian church." Then churches vices in connection with the Red Cross were organized in various cities and Society during the late war. Not a towns, and an era of church extension few of the hospitals lately erected have took place in the American Mission in received liberal subscriptioIl8 from Turkey. Christian converts, and from officials and merchants not yet Christian. However the Crimean War may have affected the nations, it greatly opened "The Chinese are asking, what is the way for the American missionaries the secret of the power, wealth, and in Turkey. At about this time, the influence of Western nations. China, great Secretary of the American Board, like a great sleeping giant, is slowly Dr. Anderson, made a rule that all misbut surely awaking. The organization sionaries of that society must cease givof a complete postal-system has been ing instruction in English, or be cut off from the society. I was cut off, and intrusted to Sir Robert Hart, whO then went to work to found Robert College. It took seven years to obtain (Lord Canning), was British Amb8l8apermission to put up the buildings of dor in Constantinople, and gave his Robert College. Then it came as by great infiuence to securing religious miracle, the Sultan giving an imperial liberty for nominal Christians. Dr. irad6, the highest form of permission. Schauffler told me that the great Mah- mood would have banisht the first mis- The present Sultan, Abdul Hamid, sionaries from Turkey but for the power has had a reign of blood for the twenty- of diplomacy• one years of his occupancy of the Turkish throne. But we should not be too .. Once the Rev. Mr. Bartlett and I hard on the Sultan. He has been the were together in the hands of a mob, tool of the Czar, and able to do only and, for a time, the mob conquered, but what the Czar allows him. through diplomacy we finally gained a complete victory, and it was very help_ In regard to the massacres, it has Dot ful to missionary work in all that rebeen known to what extent the Russian gion. We received a bell from America Armenians, belonging to the Armenian for our church building in Tales, a revolu'ionary secret society, the Hun- suburb of Cesarea. The Turks hate a chagist, have contributed to bring them bell. When U came, we were made on. God, in His mercy, has brought aware that the raising of it would be some good out of these massacres. The offensive to them. But we could learn old middle wall of partition between of no law against our use of the bell. the Gregorians and the Evangelical Ar- The local government wisht us to secure menians has been thrown down by an order from the governor-general for those massacres. And in this, Hamid, its use, but we knew that was impos- II the Assassin," has done a work which sible, so, one fine day, we took the bell, it would have taken the missionaries a intending to raise it, but a crowd gathhalf a century to have accomplisht, ered, and we found ourselves at their tho no thanks to the" Assassin." mercy. In the rush, one of our number got a pretty hard blow, the mark Dr. Farnsworth, for forty-five years of which he carried for some time. in Turkey, spoke on this subject. and Through the efforts of our minister in said in part: .. What is the relation of Constantinople, backed by the British the tea merchant and the tea trade to Ambassador, after a few months' delay, diplomacy and protection? An Amer- the local government sent Its own repican, or an Englishman, by becoming a resentative and raised the bell for us. tea merchant in China or Japan, does Thus was a victory gained for religious not cease to be a citizen of his country. liberty." He has a perfect right to appeal to diplomacy for all his rights as a citizen, Dr. Cyrus Hamlin said it was an but has absolutely no right to ask diplo- old question, as to whether a missionary macy to help on his business. Just so should be protected by his government. the missionary. A right may be denied At one time, 1839, the Sultan intended to either of them that will injure his to banish all missionaries from Turkey. business, or the granting of which will They appealed to CommOdore Porter, help it• who said they must go. but they con- sulted together, and decided they had a .. Diplomacy has had much to do in right to stay. but if they were banisht, the work of missions. The organization said they would return. Commodore of the Turkish government and of the Porter said that the treaty of the United non-Mohammedan peoples under that States with the Sublime Porte had refergovernment, a wheel within a wheel, is ence only to commerce, and he could such, that without the aid of diplomacy do nothing, but would protect them it would have been an absolute impos- until they could write home to the Secsibility to have prosecuted missionary retary of State. The,. did 80, and tC)- work. Just lilt a critical time that wonderful man, Sir Stratford RadclUfe teived a reply that missionaries had full cal, each in charge ofa competent and equality with the rights of merchants. devoted expert. Such towns will radi- Several speeches were made on the ate good influences, will be practical subject, all deploring the lack of proper object-lessons to all the dark regions and able diplomatic relations. England around, will strongly tend to hinder protects her citizens everywhere, but both slavery and the slave-trade, and Americans are compelled to hang their will be a barrier to the foreign forces heads in shame, because our diplomatic of evil. The white workers, while imservice is so limp and ineffective. They proving in many ways the material hoped much in Turkey from Mr. An- condition of the natives, will live in a gell's appointment. The intluence of manner so frugal and simple that their the former minister had been against examples can be easily and directly folmissionaries, and that feeling was shared lowed. This plan has been approved somewhat in Washington, and a better by the African departments of the diplomatic service was needed. In European colonial government, and is England it mattered not whether Glad- pronounced by leading Africanists to stone or Salisbury was in power, her be "the best plan ever devised for the policy was to look after her citizens. purpose in view." Mr. Hell Chater- Mr. Ding, the Chinese delegate to the lain, the well-known Africanist, ex- Northfield Conference of World's Fede- plorer, linguist and missionary, who ration of Christian Students, spoke on labored for years In Angola, and who the subject. is familiar with the proposed field of operations, will himself found the first THE PBIL-AMERICAN LEAGUE. of the towns, as soon as the needed funds are secured. Mr. Webb represented a new movement which is receiving considerable Mr. Webb said that there were six attention. The detlnite object of the persons connected with this league that league is to oppose by peaceful means were ready and expected to sail early the domestic slavery and slave-trade of in July to inaugurate the work as thus the Dark Continent. The slaves of sketched out. The first town is to be Africa are estimated at fifty millions, about five hundred miles from the west and the annual deaths caused by slav- coast. The headquarters are in the ery are believed to be not less than five United Charities building on Fourth hundred thousand. The horrors of the avenue and Twenty-second street, New servitude and the traffic are beyond de- York city. scription or imagination. Polygamy and witchcraft, together with rum and RESOLUTIONS AnOPTEDBYTHE INTERunprincipled white men, perpetuate and intensify the woe. NATIONAL MISSIONARY UNION.
The plan of the league is as follows: POLITICAL PROTECTION OF MISSION- First. To acquire fertile lands, by ces- ARIES AS CITIZENS. sion from E~ropean governments and by purchase from native chiefs, exclud- "In view of recent religious persecuing from the acquired territory all evil tions and atrocities, whereby the lives in1luences. Secondly. The settlement, and work of Christian Protestant misin towns of freed clans and natives, sionaries have been imperiled in China, and then education in unsectarian Turkey, and some other countries, this Christianity. As a town becomes con- International Missionary Union mainfirmed in civilized and Christian ways, tains the sacred obligation of Christian the freed slaves can be safely adopted nations to protect by treaty-rights and in larger numbers. Third. The great consular intervention the person and divisions of town life will be agricul- property of their citizens engaged in tural, industrial, educational, and medi- extending the benefits of Christian truth and education equally with those engaged in commercial enterprise, .. We commend the prompt action of its domination, and also in the legal and the American and British consuls in peaceful abolition of terrible iniquities China, whereby the dignity of the na- and abominable customs which had ex- tion was vindicated, and every possible isted in India, sanctioned by tho not an indemnity obtained for the outrages per- essential part of the religions of its peo- petrated there_ And we equally con- ples. Wherever the British flag floats, demn the failure hitherto of the Chris- it affords equal protection to professors tian powers to prevent the continued and propagators of all religious faiths.
murder of thousands of our co-religion- American and other non-British mis- ists in Turkey, and the destruction of sionaries also now have in cases of need valuable missionary property and pro- often occurring in some regions assist- spects in that affiicted land. ance as readily and fully extended to SYMPATHY AND COMMENDATION. them by British officials, as if they were loyal English subjects. The aI- "Resolved, That we deeply sym- most ubiquitous protection of the Britpathize with the persecuted and op- ish flag in missionary fields in which it prest for conscience sake under what- is of greatesL value. deserves thankful acever form in whatever land such per- knowledgment, which we gladly give, secution is practiced; that we praise as specially due at this time of felicita- G'od for his grace abundantly bestowed tions to her majesty, whose personal on those who in such great numbers character and influence during the sixty have recently in a spirit of Christian years of her reign have done so much to forgiveness submitted to suffering even secure this happy condition and other unto death, rather than to accept de- great benefits to mankind." liverance and worldly gain in return for denying Christ. Proposed Home for the Insane in " That we honor and commend mis- Syria.
sionaries in Turkey, China, and else- where. who exhibit an example of BY MR. THEOPRILUS WALDMEIBR.
Christian courage and self-abnegation AJ3 I have been for thirty-eight years truly apostolic in maintaining their a missionary in the East, first in Abysposition and carrying on their work as sinia and afterwards in Syria, I have heralds of the Gospel amid great dis- had abundant opportunities for studycouragements and perils, and we pray ing the needs of these countries. I for all such, and for the distrest peo- speak especially now about the urgent ples among whom they labor, that their need of Syria, and feel constrained to strength may be equal to their day, and bring it before the public. I am sure their afflictions may be to the glory of that this pressing need will find many God. helping hands and hearts for poor suf- THE VICTORIA REIGN HELPFUL TO fering humanity.
MISSIONS. The urgent need which I desire to "Resolved, that we recognize with bring before Christians and lovers of devout gratitude to God the gain which down-trodden humanity is a home for has accrued to religious freedom in the the insane. I think I am right in say- world during the period of the reign of ing that since our Lord Jesus Christ her majel'ty. the Queen Empress Vic- had pity on the poor lunatics and healed toria. AJ3 missionaries of various na- their diseases, nothing more has been tionalities we rejoice in the liberty of done for this class of sufferers in that speech and the press secured to all per- country. I therefore believe it is right 80ns in the United Kingdom and to follow also in this respect our Divine throughout the colonies of the British Master's example, and do what we can empire, and among the vast heathen and in order to bring help and relief to these Mohammedan populations subject to afflicted people of Bible lands. American and European missionaries mania (devil-possession), and in conse- have done a great deal for Syria and quence of this we find that the only Palestine. Schools have been built, treatment of the insane is exorcism, ooUeges opened, churches and hospitals which has been kept in the hands of erected; the Holy Scriptures have been the priests from.the oldest time until translated, printed and circulated, and the present day. other good books have been printed, and various means have been employed I cannot now enter upOn the cruelty to elevate and enlighten the people. All with which the poor lunatics are treated honor and praise is due to those noble and tortured to death in these places, missionaries who have done their ut- but I will just explain what should be most for the social and religious eleva- done for them in order to ameliorate tion of the country; but there is still their deplorable condition. one great need to be supplied, and this need is that of the totally forsaken suf- The first step in this direction is to ferers from mental diseases. build a home for about forty men and forty women. This establishment should During the last seven years I have be erected in a healthy locality on Mt. been greatly interested in the insane, Lebanon, where we enjoy a Christian and have sympathized deeply with government, good laws, great liberty, them, but I could not do anything for and many other privileges. It should them, as I had on my hands the super- be built according to a well-devised intendence of the large mission station plan by a European architect for this which I organized twenty·three years special purpose, including the most ago in Brumana, on Mt. Lebanon, for modern equipments, in a locality where the Society of Friends. AB the Lord there is plenty of good water, not far has now sent seventeen native and from Beyrout. twelve European helpers for this work, I feel that I can leave the work in their The cost of such a construction achands, ~ and give myself entirely to the cording to the cottage system, would great and pressing need of helping the be about £10,000, including the land on poor insane in the East. which it is built, which should be large enough to occupy the patients in garden I had no idea of the large number of work. A well-qualified doctor (speclunatics who are in Syria, but, when I ialist) should be engaged as a resident began to study their deplorable condi- physician at the asylum, supported by tion, I found that there were more of a staff of well-qualified and experienced these unfortunate sufferers than I ever men and women nurses. anticipated. The governor of the District of El Metn told me that he found The general management of this estwenty insane in his district alone, who tablishment should rest in the hands of are bound hand and foot in iron chains, the business superintendent, who would and ~ the Lebanon is divided into be supported by the needful overseers seven districts, we may count about one and servants. The doctor of the asylum hundred and forty of these, not includ- and the business superintendent should ing the milder cases. In the rest of be guided by a local committee of Syria and other places in the Orient, prominent gentlemen at Beyrout, who where there is no proper accommoda- would meet every three months for the tion for them, the only refuges for these consideration of the general welfare of poor lunatics lU"e dark, damp, and filthy the home. places, caves or vaults, in some convents, where they are fettered in heavy Those patients who are able to pay Iron chains. must defray their full e:r;penses during their stay in the retreat, 8lld those who The only acknowledged form of in- are too poor to pay anything ought to sanity in the Orient is the demono- be maintained and cared for gratis. One part of the asylum should be ap- propriated for ~mbecile and epileptic patients, who have likewfse a great book " Strategic Points in the WorId'. claim to be cared for by medical help and Christian pity and kindness. . Conquest; The Universities and Col- The home should be bunt by col- leges as related to the progress of Christ- lections and donations specially made In different parts 01 Europe and Amer- ianity " with map of his journey ica, In addition to the funds raised in Syria itself. The current expenses (Fleming H. Revell Company, New should be met by annual Bubscriptions. Committees In various parts of Europe York, Chicago, Toronto), which gives and America should be organized, and ll.nked together by their respective sec- a lucid, simple, Itraightforward narr~ retaries, In order to keep up the interest In the establishment. Sir Richard tive of this entire journey with the Tangye, F.R.G.S., 55 Queen Victoria Street, London, B.C., has kindly con- facts observed and the experience ac· sented to be the treasurer for Great Britain and Ireland, and will be glad quired, together with a logical discus- to receive funds from individuals and from the local treasurers for the Home. sion incidentally introduced on the Annual reports and accounts will be overwhelming importance of this given by the executive committee at wonderful .. movement," for such it is. Beyrout. As regards religion, no spe- The Introduction consists of "Opin. cial creed or sect should guide this ions concerning the Federation of the establishment, but the simple Gospel Students of the World," by Ex·Presi- Truth ahould be taught, and Jesus dent Harrison, the Earl of Aberdeen, Christ should be preacht as the power the Right. Hon. William E. Gladstone, of God unto salvation. All those who Prince Oscar, of Sweden, and Count are engaged in the home should feel Andreas von Bernstorff, of Berlin. the call from God and be constrained by the love of Christ to bring relief to There are nineteen chapt.ers devoted the su1Ierers from mental diseases. respectively to the World's Student The institution should be undenomina- Christian Federation, Student movetional In its character, and receive pa· ments (}f the Occident, Papal Europe, tients from all creeds and sects, from Turkey, the Balkans, Greece, Syria, and different nationalities and religions, Palestine, Egypt, Ceylon; Indian without the slightest preference to the Student Conferences and Movements, one or to the other, as its support Australasian Student Movement, Conshould not be restricted to one nation· ferences and Students of China, of alityalone, as Dr. Clouston says, but Japan, and of the Hawaiian Islands; a all nations and denominations should lIummary of the tour, and a. table of have a share in this noble work in Bible " Itinerary." lands. The Constitution and By-Laws of the Lebanon Home for the Insane Weare much mistaken If this is not have already been drawn up and an epochal movement, and the book to printed at Beyrout. be one of the factors in augmenting its force. It is tastefully gotten up, the II Strategio POintB in the Werld'B Oon. price is $1.00, and if a hundred thous- queBt-" and copies could be distributed by purchase or Jdft, the profit to the cause Since the imperfect report of Mr. J. of the world's salvation would be R. Mott's address at the International advanced thereby. Missionary Union was put in type, there has come to OUI table, Mr. Mott'. The book is not cumbered with over- much detailed statement. In fact, it awakens a desire for more informa- tion, and fuller discussion with every chapter. But that would spoil the ideal of the volume. Those who already know much about the incidents of the tour, and important features of the Oriental movement, not even re- ferred to in this volume, may feel a shade of disappointment, that the book does not include much that is of 80 novel interest. But Mr. Mott has shown a master's reserve and skill in what has been given. It is a modest outline of a great uprising of the younger educated men of Christendom and of nascent Christendom the world over, and Ex-President Benjamin Har- rison justly says: "the work and ob- servations of Mr. Mott are full of interest, and his book ought to be widely read."
FIELD OF HONTBLY SUBVBY
III.-FIELD OF MONTHLY SURVEY.
Papal Europe,* The PapacY" t :BY DBLATAlIf L. PIERSON.
RBLIGIOUS LIFB m SPAll!. dollars by the government to a porce· Spain Is not only the land of sunny lain manufacturer. skies, under which the palm, the pomegranate, the aloe, and the orange grow Throughout Spain the Virgin Is rein luxuriance, but a country which awakens countless recollections of chiv- garded with very special sanctity. Picalryand romance. Not only so, but in historical and ecclesiastical interest she tures and images of the "Mother of ranks next to Italy. The gothic cathedrals of Spain are amongst the oldest God " surmount the altar. Many of the and finest in the world. Their exteriors are picturesque, magnificent, and im- very ancient images are regarded as posing, The f&98des are in many cases elaborate works of art, and contain in- the patron saints of provinces and cities, numerable statues, medallions, and other ornamentation. The chapter and worshiped as such. Volumes ho1U!e8 contain many valuable manuscripts and illuminated missals. The have been written upon the miracles interior of the churches contain noted works of art, but are generally dark wrought by them. The most remarkand gloomy, without seats or hassocks. The worshipers, mostly ladies, kneel able are the " heaven-descended " on the paved fioor. Convents were once everywhere, and many of them black virgins, which occupy silver were like feudal castles for size and solidity. They were, in most cases, thrones and wear crowns studded with simply nurseries of superstition and indolence, and fatal to the social prog- jewels. These images have special atreu of the country. The suppression of the convents by the government in tendants, who take in charge their 1886 left most of them in ruin. Many have been converted into civil and mili- pearl·embroidered mantos, rings, necktary hospitals, schools, colleges, courts of justice, prisons, and barracks. Others laces, and endless trinkets. Many of have been turned into poorhouses, jails, lunatic asylums, warehouses, and pub- the images are most offensive to taste lic factories. A very fine old Dominican convent was turned into a theater, and hideous in .their attire, but are and another was sold for forty thousand brought out on festival occasions and • See also pp. 38S (May); 581, 583, roo, 603, (present Issue). borne on men's shoulders throughout NJIW Boou: .. Life of Robert Whittaker the streets, thronged by reverent spec- McCall," by Mrs. McCall; "Christian Life In Germany," E. F. Williams. tators.
t See also pp. 58 (January); 575,586 (pres- Holy days, festivals, and religious entlssue). fairs are great occasions amongst the NJIW Boon: .. History of the Papacy," Spaniards, and in honor of them they CreIghton. turn out in thousands and in their pro- vincial costumes. The peasantry still adhere closely to ancient rites and cere.
monies, and are fond of pilgrimages.
They crowd to popular shrines with votive offerings of beef and corn, and on 3t. James's Day go off in procession with their cows and heifers gay with ribbons, and never fail to make a highly picturesque display. On the feast of San Isidro-the countryman's favorite saint-the peasants crowd rteoohofisvisnhgritnhe~ kiss his image, and after blessing of the priest in charge, each devotee drops a farthing at bis feet.
At another festival given in honor of a.
tutelar saint, each devotee is expected to give to the priest as much com as the individual weighs, and the weighing Is carried out on scales before the shrine. Another very ancient festival say to a Spaniard, "Have you Spanis "the blessing of the sea," when a iards any conscience? .. In a jocular, church dignitary goes out to sea with jaunty way the Spaniard rep~ed, images and relics, accompanied by a "There is no such thing in Spain." long procession of gaily – decorated The want of conscience and sanctified boats, to invoke a blesaing upon the common-sense, like the want of educaavocation of the fisherman and for tion, energy, and enterprise, is at the those who go down to the sea in ships. root of many of the clamant social, High ceremonial times are invariably political, and administrative wrongs in accompanied by a round of bull-fights. this otherwise beautiful and romantic It is never diftlcult to get a crowd of ten thousand people at least within the country.-Re1I. W. M. inglis, M. A. amphitheater; altho many churches are closed for the lack of worshippers. The difficulties which impede the progress of the Gospel in 'Spain, says Spain has still the reputation of being Mr. Armstrong, of Barcelona, seem the most ultra-Roman-Catholic country to be increasing; the Romish priestin the world, and that is not to be hood, controlled by the Jesuita and wondered at. since two-thirds of the other orders, are again more or less the people can neither read nor write. Prior governing power, and the civil authorto the suppression of the convents in ities bend to their influence. These 1836, about one·fifth of the people were are hard times for Spanish converts, engaged in the services of the Church. especially in the villages. Contrary to For a long time religious toleration the wish of the majority of the Spanish was unknown; however, at present people, Spain has lost the God-given non-Catholics are allowed freedom of right of liberty for every man's conworship-but in private. No heretic science; at present there is a bare is allowed burial in the national ceme- toleration, and which is ever becoming teries or catacombs. barer.
In certain districts the masses have To add to the poverty, misery, and broken entirely with the Church and sufferings of the people has come this have drifted in thousands into infidelity, Cuban war, the horrors of which are ultra-socialism, and anarchy. Many hidden by the military authorities. of the great towns once conspicuous for Alas I for the tens of thousands of zeal, are now hot-beds of sedition. young men, conscripts, forced to go to Fulminatory letters are unheeded, relics Cuba, a large proportion of whom will and images are moldering away, pro- never return I Alas I for the desolate cessions are rarely seen, shrines and homes left behind in Spain, where are churches are deserted, and popish sym- broken hearts, poverty, and starvation, bols have vanisht from the streets and since the bread-winners are gone I highways. It seems to be a great opportunity for Protestantism; but the What will the end be for Spain? austere, haughty, taciturn Spaniard is The cup of her national sins is rapidly slow to yield to a faith which his fore- fi1lingup. fathers fought to the death and left stronger than ever. It is true he has Writing from Linares Rev. J. P. lost much of his old fanaticism, but he Wigstone says: has not yet parted with his pride. When once he has seen the futility of "We preach salvation through his wild socialistic experiments, then Christ. salvation for the lost sinner, he will learn that Spain can only escape salvation which includes repentance, from utter wreck through the intluence pardon, justification, holiness. help for of a pure and enlightened Christianity. this life and glory by and by; and We once heard an old Scottish captain that this salvation iii revealed in the Holy Scriptures, which are the Word of God.
"My experience of twenty-three and a half years in this country, where Rome has had all her own way, is that she is what she professes to be, 'always the same! She is this In the sense of Protestants that the Romanista dare bein~ the bitter enemy of God's Word, not enforce the law. God. salvation"and God's people. In England, Rome shows the sheep's A most promising feature of the clothing, and appears, in the Pope's work in Portugal is the success of the letter, for instance, to be desirous of promoting Bible reading; here she is primary schools, in the face of much in favor of Bible burning I In Eng· opposition. In Oporto, tho the Roman· ist schools are free, and a penny a week land, she speaks of her 'Noncom· formi&t brethren; , here she persecutes is charged at the Protestant schools unmercifully, and says that a thief, an (accommodating 180), sixty.tl.ve are 81188S8in, an adulterer, is to be preferred to an Evangelical Christian. waiting for admission to the latter. In another, which acc9mmodates eighty• .. It is next to impossible to get permission to erect the plainest build- nine, there are 109 applicants. ings for the preaching of the Gospel. I have seen the priests accompany the In Lisbon the work is chiedy divided authorities when entering by force the. between the Lusitanian and Presby· houses of Evangelicals; I have seen terian churches. There are also two or them, in spite of the protests of the three independent workers here and in father, take the dead body of a child, and bury it in the Roman Catholic neighboring towns. Among the native cemetery. .0 England, where would pastors there are several who were once your Uberty be if Rome ruled I Romish priests, one of whom continues "Our meetings here are better in his old parish. All these agencies attended than they have been for a pull well together, and denominational long time, and within the last month walls are overlookt, even to the extent two new villages have invited us to of both using the same hymn book. take the Gospel to them. We have more on hand than we can well man· A peculiarly promising branch of the age; but what we are most thankful for is that from among the converted 1Vork, with a strongly unifying tenmen some are being raised up to carry dency, is the circle of Young Men's Christian Associations establisht some the Gospel to their fellow-countrymen. In Morgandanes a man was converted two yesrs ago, in connection with the through seeing the priests stone us. That was in 1878; he is now at all Swiss center. In Oporto, where they times ready to take the meeting. At were first establisht, there are three Marin, one who was converted in branches, in connection with 88 many 1877, works at his trade, but is ever churches. ready to preach the Gospel." Priestcraft stands in but poor repute in Portugal, where its representatives The Needs of Portugal. lack the respect of most, tho in the villages they still hold sway over the As yet there are only two centers of minds of the women. In place of faith, Evangelical work in Portugal-Lisbon tho side by side with hard-dying super.
and Oporto-for, tho there is a grow- IItitioDSI there is a growing spirit of ing desire all over the land for more indifference. which must inevitably Gospel teachers, the supply is almost absorb the majority of the half-enlight- nil. Very little is known abroad of the ened young if more is not done to bring needs and opportunities there. Even before them the truth.
Coimbra, the University town, is yet One hopeful sign is an increasing unoccupied, notwithstanding all the readiness to purchase Bibles, altho their advantages of work amqng the students, circulation without authorized ,. notes"
and numerous applications received is prohibited. There are several small from residents there. In the country evangelical publications in Portuguese, districts work is still difficult, as there some of which come across the Atlantic fa not yet legal liberty to convert from Brazil A Portuguese merchant Romanists, to attempt which is a returning from Brazil has offered to .criminal offence. But in the cities build a new Protestant church in LiB- public opinion is so far with the bon. In Lisbon and Oporto there are Epis- land, which the Paris Evangelicalllfl-"
copal and Nonconformist services for sion has made its own. The genius of the considera.ble colonies of English to the French tends naturally to centralbe found there, and at both places Bea- ization, and it is an immense boon that men's missions exist, doing excellent instead of a variety of rival societies, work. At Oporto, too, there is a small these two great ones divide the Home German service conducted by a.layman;· and Foreign Mission-field, and are supbut except at Portalagre, where Mr. ported by members of all denomina- Robinson conducts evangelistic services tions. !
at the cloth factory, there is practically NudI.-The pure Gospel; intelligent nothing done as yet to spread the Gos- study of God's Word; the awakening pel in Portugal•..:..J. E. Budgett Meakin. of a missionary spirit.
Some of the things we should pray Religious Oonditions in Prance. for most in regard to France are that every believer may be led to feel his or her personal responsibility for bringing In Franu, as elsewhere, the great the Gospel to the unsaved; that young . need is that the Church, through each men and women, especially of the edu- individual member, be restored to love cated and wealthy class, may be led to and faithfulness to the Church's Head offer themselves for mission work-at present only a few missionaries of the and full communion with Him. We Paris Evangelical Mission are actual can not estimate our indebtedness to French citizens; that their fathers, and the Huguenots of France. especially their mothers, may be willing A writer in The Chriatian (London) to let them go; and, that all believers calls attention to the fo~owin~ special may be drawn more and more to the religious condition, opportumties, and Lord "to 861'N the living and true God, and to wait lor his Bon .from heaven, needs in France just now: even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come." Conditions.-Great material prosperity; seCular education. An increase in drinking habits and depraved literature in the lowest classes. A decided reaction The following societies are at work from infidelity towards reli~on (espe- in France to teach the truth of the cially among the educatea classes), Gospel: which is turning almost exclusively to "The Societe Centrale d'Evangelfza- the profit of Roman Catholicism. This tion supports 140 agents, has 800 places is attributed by some to the low spirit- of worship, and visits 195 localities. It ual state of Protestantism and its divi- records the conversion of 387 Catholics, sions, but is probably due to •• Modern- and the opening of four new stations ism" in Protestant pulpits, especially during the year. doubts cast on the deity of Christ, and .. The Mission Interieur has been at the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures work for a quarter of a century. It (hafpily by no means universal, but conducts evangelistic meetings in difstil too prevalent). Aspirit of patriot- ferent districts, leaving to the care of ism, so Intense that, when it does not the nearest churches those gathered in. take the place of a religion in itself, This work is being prosecuted with re- exalts Roman Catholicism as the na- vived activit'y' tional religion of France, as opposed to "The SOCIete de Missions des France the Protestantism of her traditional has enjoyed financial prosperity, all the foes, England and Germany, and excites expenditure having been. met. The opposition to foreigners, especially Eng- operations of the society in Africa andlish, evangelizing either in France or Tahiti are extending, and much blessher colonies. This feeling is shared ing has been received. Other agencies even by Protestants, tho, of course, not in France are carrying on their lVork with success in a noble spirit of· selfbvall. – Opportunitie8.-Many devoted and sacrifice, and with great hopefulneSB. thoroughly orthodox pastors, preach- In all directions the outlook is bright. ers, and other Christian workers. The .. The McAll Mission still holds on whole machinery of the McAll Missi( 1, its way. Tho several stations have had which only needs to be extended aud to be abandoned for lack of funds, workt more and more by the French there has been much success. In par- themselves to become a universal bless- ticular the work done by the Mission ing. The immense colonies of France, Boat on the Oise, the progress of temsecond only to those of Great Britain, perance work, and the steady ingather- besides the vast mission-fields of Mada ing of converts from Catholicism give gascar, and of Basutoland and Barotse cause for thanksgiving." "
EDITomAL DEPARTMENT
IV.-EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.
Kisaionary Achievements of the Victor- in the Coronation year, 1838, that Dr. ian Era. David Abeel returned to Canton, after his noble appeal to the Christian women Alexandrina Victoria came bto the of Britain in behalf of their Oriental succession to the throne in 1837, and sisters who were shut up in zenanas, was crowned June 28th, 1838. During harems and seraglios, and unreachable these sixty years greater changes have by existing missionary methods. taken place than in all the previous centuries of written history; and par- BURMAH'S first convert was gathered ticularly on the Mission field of the ten years before Victoria's reign began; world the change has been more than but it was when she had been on the an evolutlon-a revolution. No brief throne for just forty years that the Ju- treatment of such a stupendous theme bilee gathering of 1878 consecrated the can do it justice. Volumes have been Kho-Thah-Byu Memorial Hall, which written, and will yet be, on the sub- represented forty thousand Karen dillci- ject. All we can do is to indicate a pIes, half of whom were still living. few of the directions in which this And, now, at the close of these sixty amazing development has taken place, years, the transformation of these constituting the Miracle of the Ages. Karen villages is one of the miracles of missions, reproducing the wonders of It is scarcely too much to say that apostolic times. nearly all the great openings of the world :field have been providentially made SIAM has had Protestant missions within this period. More than this, since the same year as Kho-Thah·Byu's and most amazing of all, within the conversion; but, again, we must look short period of two years (1856-1858) further on for any real rooting of mis- most of these wide doors were thrown sions there. It was when Victoria open. began her reign that the ji1'St Ohurch 01 Chinese disciples in all A8ia had been INDIA.-The Gibraltar of heathen- formed under Dr. Dean among the res- Ism-had been nominally unlocked to ident Chinese in Bangkok; and it was missionary labor for many years when in 1851 that the death of the then Queen Victoria took her sceptre, but reigning king, who bitterly opposed the British East India Company was missions, and the succession of Maha- by no means friendly to missions; and Yong-Kut, their friend and patron, the not until 1858, when its powers and most progressive and liberal sovereign possessions passed over to the English in all Asia, turned the scale. Crown, did the real epoch of Indian missions begin. But what a marvel of Turning to the •• Walled Kingdom," Providence, that the foremost Protest- we must fix 1842 and 1858 as the con- ant power of all Europe, the Christian spicuous years of breaches in CHINA'S empire of the world. should have be- wall of exclusion. In the former year come the King's forerunner, to prepare five treaty ports were opened to for- His way in that Hindu peninsula eignera, and the island of Hongkong which is a world in itself I Think of was ceded to the British; but sixteen Britain, strangely introduced there to years later four more ports were literally build roads, set up courts of opened to foreign ships, foreign travel justice, erect Christian colleges, plant was permitted, and Christianity was printing presses, and arrange and adjust tolerated by imperial decree. All these all the complicated machinery of prep- developments, of course, belong to aration for India's evangelization! the Victorian era. . The era of woman'8 emancipation in the East Indies appropriately synchro- JAPAN'S long-closed sea-gates were nizes with the Victorian Era. It was unbarred in 1853-4 to An,lerica, and soon after to Britain, RU88ia, and Hol- great developments of African occupaland. The rapidity of the revolutions tion, civilization, evangelization. in the sunrise kingdom distance anything else in the past ages, or even in These are a few only of the doors, our own epoch of marvels. A people, wide and effectual, opened before the before almost unknown, has sprung at messenger of the crOSB during the sixty a leap into a formidable military and years of this memorable reign. But naval power, and taken rank amongst who shall tell how obstacles have subthe most progressiTe nations of the sided, as tho the continents had sudworld; and in all these changes Chris- denly sunk below the sea-level, and so tianity has been the dominant factor, let in the Gospel flood I Read Dr. and all are triumphs of the Victorian Wilson's "Memoir," and learn how, era. under British rule in India, the mon- strous suttee, child murder, and three KOREA remained the hermit nation score more of cruelties and outrages until, in 1882, God used medical mis- have been abolisht or essentially consions as the key to unlock its doors to trolledl "Oahu's idols are no more." the Gospel. Dr. Allen, by a strange Fiji's cannibals have been transformed accident-to human eyes, a strange into Christian disciples. Western Poly- Providence, as disciples see it-became nesia is evangelized, and is nowevangeinstalled as court physician, and the lizing unenlightened territory. king built a " house of civilized virtue" -a government hospital under the STATISTICs.-But it is impossible to care of this Presbyterian missionary. form any real conception of the advance And now Korea's valleys are being of Christian missions without a resort penetrated by Gospel messengers. to numbers. The latest authoritative statistics give us the following approxi- The OTTOMAN EMPIRE issued the mate estimates. famous Hatti-theris, or edict of toleration, in 1856. In 1878 Asiatic Turkey The total expenditure for foreign came under a British protectorate, and missions during 1896 was, from reported a "defensive alliance" was formed be- gifts, about .£3,000,000 sterling. The tween the two nations. Turkey is whole number of ordained missionaries treacherous and tricky, and Christian is about 4,300; of layman, 2,500; marmissions have had no real encourage- ried women, 4,200; and unmarried, ment or even recognition. Even the 3,300; this gives a total missionary edict of toleration has been a dead let- force, from Christian lands, of 14,800. ter. But missions have gone on not- Mission churches have themselves given withstanding, conquering and to con- to the work 3,350 ordained natives, quer. and over 51,700 native helpers, making a grand summary of nearly 70,000 As to the DARK CONTINENT, it has actually engaged ,"n a 'tCO'l'ld's e'l!angel-tmbeen unuiled within the limits of the tion, in some 21,000 mission stations, Victorian era. To that period belongs and sustained by a body of 1,115,000 the career of that missionary general native communicants, that stand for and explorer, David Livingstone. who five times as many adherents; 62,000 went to Africa in 1841, and died in communicants were added in 1896. 1878. To this period belong the thou- And there are 18,000 schools with a sand days of Stanley's trans-continental total of about 700,000 pupils. Now, if march, from the Zanzibar to the mouth we remember that nearly aU this aggreof the Kongo; and the whole establish- gate represents a creation out of nothing, ment of the major part of missions in during these sixty years, we can get that continent. To this period belongs some idea of the missionary advance of the Kongo Free State, organized in the Victorian era. 1884, and, in fact, every one of the Much that pertains to this era defies.
August
alike description and detection. There Christian Brahmans In the pews of a are changes, quite as stupendous as native church in Ahmednagar? Have I any we have chronicled, which have not Bat for an hour in Poona with a no history, and can not have. The Brahman who told me the story of his restraints of persecution or social ostra· c8nversion to Christ? And have I not cism hinder many from eor.f688ing listened to addresses from native Chris. Christ, who really believe in Him. The tians in India, addresses so able and undermining is going on, and the very vigorous that I longed to have such ground is being honeycombed, where men and women stand before our no surface indications exist. But we churches in America? " feel persuaded that God's time may be much nearer than we think, when, Dr. Barrows al(lo bears stron~ testi· lIS with a sudden explosion or upheaval, mony to the effectiveness of miSSIOnary the kingdom of darkness shall give work in India and the assured triumph way, and He whose right it is ftrsL to of Christianity. He says: overrule and then to rule, shall take the scepter into His own hands. Would II It is well known that American that His Church could see her glorious and European travelers, bent on seeing opportunity and prove herself in gifts Hindu temples, Moslem mosques, and of men and money, in service and the varied and brilliant life of the sacrifice, equal to her responsibility! bazars, usually miss a sight of what after all is most hopeful and most im- Among the many matters which portant to the present life in India-the ought to be treated in such a record as homes, schools, churches, hospitals, and this, is the marvelous change which printing houses of the Christian mishas taken place in the Okurch itselJ' sionaries. The forces which make for during this era. Indifference and ignor. Christianity in India are growingly ance as to missions largely prevailed strong. I do not remember meeting a in 1837; now behold the Church as a missionary doubtfUl of the lInal result. body, aroused, largely familiar with The failure of Hinduism to furnish the story of missions and systematically peace and moral healing to the individorganized for the promotion of this ual and regeneration to its millions of divine enterprise. Again, consider that votaries is becoming apparent to Hindus the Literat'Ur~ of Miasions is almost themselves. The reforming sects are exclusively the creation of the Victorian an emphatic announcement of this era. There are, it is safe to say, a social and religious failure. Of course, thousand times as many books on mis- I heard many criticisms of missionaries, sions in 1897 as in 1837; in fact, more but I never heard a Hindu, Brahman are now produced in ten years than or Moslem say what ignorant and were in existence sixty years ago. prejudiced Europeans have. sometimes said in my hearing out of India, that .Rev. John Henry Barrows, D.D., the missionaries were doing no good. 'Nho has recently returned from India, I shall never forget how the famous in writing of his observations, makes Hindu ascetic, the Holy Man of Beapecial note of the fact that the harsh· nares, said to me: 'I think Jesus Christ est criticisms of missionary results come was a very good man. He must have not from natives, but from Europeans been something like Mr. Hewlett,' a and Americans. He says: deceased veteran of the London Mis. sion SocietY."' Missionaries are often II How ridiculous appears the claim foolishly cnticlzed by natives, but they sometimes made in America that men of are trusted by them, and this is the intelligence, that members of the BraL highest fraise which a Hindu can pay mlln caste are never converted to Chris- to morta man." tianity. Have I not seen a Brahman After many years of comparatively uares' preaching Christ in the bazars of Be· fruitless toil the patient faith of the Have I not seen a whole row of Moravian Brethren is beginning to re- ceive its reward. Brother Schreve thus writes from Poo, near the Tibetan border, under date of March 27 : " A1)plicat.ons for baptism continue 1.0..,,, :eceived. Up to the present time the number is twntg jiu.
" The man who formerly gave ocular responses in connection with the heathen festivals through the aid of an evil spirit, together with his wife, attendance. Of the llfty-three who affords us much joy in the hours of in- claimed to be members already in good struction. People in the village have standing it was evident that lIome, at said to him, that if all the rest permit least, had been greatly quickened and themselves to be baptized, it will be of revived by the services. no consequence; but that he must not, for they can not spare him. He has Now to tabulate these results, if replied, that even tho they should put those names we have investigated are him to death for it, he will never again representative of all, the following serve as the mouthpiece of the oracle. things are evident: Later they offered him the use of a field, on condition of his not submitting First-That 47 per cent. of those to baptism ; but he remained firm and whom Mr. Moody reaches belong to we hope to be able to baptize him at the unchurcht masses of the city- Easter." those who have been lost overboard from tht churches. Every Christian For several years the Thibetan mis- ought to thank God that there are in- fluences which can reach those whom sion was fruitless; for many succeed- the churches fail utterly to touch.
ing years the fngatheringwas markt by Second-That 53 per cent. are mem- bers of the churches, manr of whom its paucity in contrast to the returns in greatly need the quickenmg which these services bring to them. In our other fields. A few years ago the call own church many members have testi- fied to receiving real help and blessing went forth for persistent pleading with from Mr. Moody's meetings.
the Lord in behalf of this particular As to the lasting effect of such ser- vices there is much to be said. Two mission, and the Thibetan Prayer Union converts from these meetings have already united with our church; there was formed. Now the Lord in His are a number of others whom we expect to receive. But let it be granted that goodness is rewarding the prayers and there are few accessions to the churches from such a work. The reason prithe faith of His people. maril;v lies in the fact that the churches critiCIze instead of cooperating. We There has been criticism from some should remember that Paul, the young quarters in regard to Mr. Moody's convert, needed Ananias, and he needed evangelistic work in great cities-a work which has been undeniably also the work of Barnabas, who introacknowledged by God. Rev. Wilton duced him to the warm circle of the Merle Smith, whose church is nearest Apostles. This is just the work which to Carnegie Hall, where the New York the church fails to do. These inquirers Sunday services were held last winter, thus writes to the New York Tribune: and converts can be gathered into the churches when the church, instead of The church I am privileged to serve criticizing, cooperates with Mr. Moody took 265 names of those who had signed and by earnest, personal work, "comthe inquirers' cards in the Carnegie pels them to come in." • • . Men Hall meetings, and who lived in our who will never enter a church will go neighborhood, for the purpose of calling upon them. Up to this date (May to Carnewe Hall. I. for one, am more 11th) 124 have been reported upon to than willmg to sacrifice a little in my the committee having this work in Sunday evening services in order that charge. Of this number 24 gave wrong some who are accustomed to hear me addresses and can not be found, 53 may hear what may prove to be more profest to be members of some church helpful preaching, and especially in in good standing, some of whom had order that those whom we pastors of put their names down for the purpose Fifty-seventh Street can never reach, of getting one of Mr. Moody's books, may hear the inspiring message from a while 47 had no church home whatever. man so thoroughly owned of God 81 Out of this 47, 22 once had been mem- Dwight L. Moody. bers of the church, but had drifted away and rarely attended now, while Fifty per cent. of the popUlation of 25 were absolutely non-attendants. this city is practically unchurcht, be- yond the reach of the churches as they In almost every instance it was found are now constituted, or with their presthat real, oftentimes deep, religious im- ent methods of work. Let us be most pressions had been made. In every in- thankful for any work which reaches stance the callers were gladly welcomed. this portion of our population, and These inquirers seemed to be in earn- which also is so truly quickening and est. Many of them testified to new habits of Bible reading and church stimulative to the Church of God.
GENERAL HISBIONARY INTELLIGENOlil
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
EDITED BY REV. D. L. LEONARD, D.D.
Extracts and. Translations from Foreign vice in the Wesleyan Chapel that even- Periodicals. ing, and he sent a letter to the command- ing officer, requesting that such matches . BY REV. C. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, should not be held on the Lord's Day. The commanding officer treated the MASS. matter as a joke, and advised Mr. Brown to follow the example of the INDIA. Roman Catholic priest, and have the service at a time that would suit the – " A minister at home told me once, convenience of the footballers. Mr. 'What a jolly life you have in IndiaI Brown could not let the matter rest No work and no study, for you repeat there, and made a representation to the same things over and over again.' the Commander-in-chief, who gave , Well,' I said, 'in the first place, I re- his very careful consideration, and gard no work and no study as the in his reply stated that while he height of misery and not of jollity; and does not approve of matches on Sun- in the second place, if I were to repeat day, he is not prepared to prohibit them the same thipgs over and over again in altogether, yet these amusements will be the same words, I should have to do so entirely prohibited when they are liable to the wind, for certainly the Hindus to disturb congregations during the would not listen."'-REv. MAURICE hours of public worship."-HaN1e8' PmLLIPS in HOI1'1!eI!t Field. Field.
-Archdeacon Caley, in the H(JIf'f)(J8t -DR. GRUNDEMANN, comparing the Field, gives a reason against the reten- wide leavening force of Christianity on tion of heathen names in the Indian Hindu Society with the comparatively churches, which puts the matter in a scant visible results yet achieved in the new light. He does not object to their way of church formation, remarks that being often names of gods, any more the latter may be likened to those geothan to using "Thursday, Friday," logical adumbrations of higher animal etc., which certainly do not lead us types which often precede the almost back into worshiping Thor and Freid. sudden introduction and universal pre- His reason is that Hindu names differ valence of these thus anticipated forms. according to caste, and that to retain them is to keep caste distinctions con- – " In view of the Unitarian missiontinually in the minds of the Christians. ary being sent out from America for The Syrian Church of India, which is work in India, the Brahma-Samaj has some fifteen hundred years old, seems declared that it is not anxious to have from the beginning to have forbidden one who has dispenst with Jesus heathen names, and is wholly un- Christ."-REv. T. E. SLATER, in TluJ troubled by caste. Ohronic~. -"There is great laxity in the observance of the Sabbath amongst Euro- -The Hindus, it appears from the peans in this country, but it seldom Bombay Guardian, have a somewhat goes so far as it did one Sunday in peculiar appellation for a masonic lodge. August last, when a football match was They call it, .. Satan's bungalow." played between a team of the Royal Munsters and a team of the Calcutta AFmCA. Club at the time of evening service in the balT8ck-squ~re, Dum Dum. The – " The story of our political connec- Rev. J. Brown was conducting the ser- tion with Bechwanaland is to many of
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS
us a very humbling chapter of Imperial the best- intentioned financial corporapolitics. But for the past ten years the tion. The matter seems to them to be tribes have been under an Imperial of such vital importance that they protectorate, which has been adminis- have undertaken the long journey to tered on lines, on the whole, most fair England to place the cause of their to the natives. They have been left in people before the Colonial Office, the possession of their territory; they have British public, and Her Majesty, the their own tribal government, European Queen. With all our hearts we wish commissioners being appointed to ad- them success."-DR. R. WARDLAW minister justice in all cases in which THOMPSON, in The Chronicle. It seems white men are involved; the sale or that while in London, they were pergift of intoxicating drink to natives is suaded into consenting to the nCrw arprohibited under heavy penalties, and rangement. is only permitted at all under special restrictions. The Protectorate was -"Far away, at Ugogwe, in the establisht not 1 day too soon. During province of Kyagwe, Uganda, a sound the past ten years, the tide of European of weeping and wailing rises on the air. immigration to the interior of South But the missionary, the Rev. G. K. Africa has flowed with swift and resist- Barkerville, hastening to the place less force. The gleam of gold is as whence the wailing comes, tells the attractive to the British pioneer as a mourning women how greatly out of bunch of carrots is to a donkey. Bech- place it is, since the departed one, the wanaland has been overrun by eager old chief Nikodemo Sebwato, has exprospectors, and mineral concessions on changed the work and the trials of a gigantic scale have been secured by earth for the rest and the glories of speculative syndicates. That remark- heaven. Nikodemo was one of the able combination of dukes and stock- early converts of Uganda; yet, when jobbers, the British South Africa Com- Raj. Kristo Rose was ordained a deapany, which was so largely the product con of the church in India, Nikodemo of the genius and enterprise of Mr. was still in heathen darkness, for it Rhodes, has acquired enormous terri- was not until seven years later, 1877, tory in the interior, partly by negotia- that the first rays of light broke upon tion and partIy by force of arms. By Uganda. Sebwato, a sub·chief of King virtue of its charter from the Imperial Mtesa and afterwards of Mwanga, Government, the company now exer- soon felt himself attracted to the light, cises sovereign control over Mashona- and after his baptism he was a faithful land, Matabeleland, and a vast tract of friend to the missionaries through country north of the Zambesi. Now it many dangers and trials. He past transpires that Lord Knutsford, when safely through the time of persecution, Colonial Secretary, promist the com- though not without enduring sufferings pany that in due time the Bechwana- for Christ's sake. When, after the revland Protectorate should be added to olution, Mwanga was restored to the their dominions. Lord Ripon in turn throne by his Christian subjects, Nikode. confirmed this promise, and now Mr. moSebwato became chief of Budu, and Rhodes is agitating for the realization later of one of the still more important of the compact. The chiefs and people provinces of Kyagwe. He was ordained of Bechwanaland object to the change. to the office of deacon by Bishop Baker, They have no complaint to make but was persuaded not to give up his against the company, but they see that chieftainship, as it afforded him such it is a company with the interests of its large opportunities of using his Christown shareholders to care for. They ian influence. He had just returned think that Imperial rule is likely to be from the expedition to Ungoro, bright, more impartial and unbiassed than even cheery, and affectionate as ever, when
GENERAL mBSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
he was seized with fever and pleurisy, me that he would see to it that religious and quickly taken home. 'Dear old liberty was scrupulously respected, and man,' writes Mr. Barkerville, 'where in a proclamation about the teaching of shall we see your equalagaln ?' There, French in the schools, he has distinctly beside the house where the dead body affirmed the principles of tolerance and lay, the missionaries and a few Christ- of liberty in religious matters. But, as ians gathered together under the mid- if they were sure of being henceforth night sky, and thankt God for the fin- masters, and of being able to proceed isht course of this brave and loving with impunity, the Jesuits are engagservant of Christ."-O. M. Gl4ane7". ing, along the whole line, in an open campaign of menaces against the popu- MADAGASCAR. lations which shall not be willing to be- come Catholics, denouncing as rebels or It seems as if Mr. Harold Frederic's friends of rebels those who refuse, and gleeful anticipations of the suppression finding only too often the support and of the English missions (not to say all concurrence of the chiefs of the milithe Protestant missions) in Madagascar tary posts." would not be disappointed through any lack of zeal or unscrupulousness on the October 18th. " The situation is part of the sons of Loyola. M. Lauga grave, very grave; and if we have not (not Langa, as it is often misprinted), faith in God, who will know how to deunder date of October 16th, 1896, fend his work, it would be easy to fall writes: into Elijah's discouragement. This is a temptation that sometimes besets the L. "The Jesuits, triumphing in the de- S. missionaries. But to yield to it would parture of M. Laroche, are engaging pn be to prove disloyal to duty, and to renall sides in a desperate and disloyal der themselves accomplices of the Jestruggle against everything Protestant. suits. They know, in fact, that we have These men without country, whose not a sufficiently assured grasp of the true country is Rome, cover themselves reins to be able to take their place. They with the French mantle, and seek to will have to suffer, no doubt, like us, persuade the military authorities, which many local wrongs, and to be witnesses just now are sovereign, that they alone of crying abuses which will come to and their adherents defend and propa- pass in spite of General Gallieni. But to gate the French influence, while, say suffer, to be misapprehended, even to be they, the Protestants combat it in the in- persecuted, is it not the lot of every terest of the English influence. And, Christian? • • • which is stranger and sadder still, altho the most superficial observation is " Time fails me to recount the recent enough to refute this, yet they are be- enterprises of the Jesuits against which lieved, they are upheld, and, of course, we have to defend ourselves at this mothe Protestants are mistrusted, or worse. ment. What men I without heart and without conscience I No regard for "It is not yet eight days since M. the most elementary dictates of moral- Laroche has quitted the capital, and ity I No regard to the honor of their from all sides news comes to us of the country! As they only know how to most. audacious enterprises of the J e- fish in troubled waters, they do not suits against the Prote~tant churches. hesitate themselves to trouble the popu- General Gallieni, I hope, will not let lations which had remained pellceable, them have their way; he has been thus in order to be able to carry on their far, in all that I have seen and heard of work of darkness among them; far him personally, perfectly irreprehensi- from being the agents of pacification, ble. At the very first interview which they sow everywhere division and hate, I had with him, the morning after my and by their violent proceedings will arrival, and in which he received me wind up, I believe, by stirring up a genwith the greatest kindness, he assured uine religious war, in which, of course, Sm.UTRA. those who are roused against (hem will be regarded as rebels against our The Rhenish Mu,iom-BM"ichi8 re- France, which they demand nothing mark: "If we do not err, the work in better than to love and serve faithfully." Padang Boleck "-where Mohammed- anism is powerful-" has, in the last When Pope Clement XIV., at the month, assumed a somewhat different demand of the Catholic courts, had aspect, inasmuch as the opposing dissolved the Society of Jesus, some strength of Islam has been mightily high ecclesiastic. greatly devoted to it. fortified. Moreover, this growing exclaimed: •• There is nothing will strength stands in manifest connection help us now but the revolution." It with the general course of events in the is known that between the revolution world. Often, already, have we been of 1773 and the revolution of 1793, the able to observe that secret threads of Freemasons, and all manner of secret connection traverse the whole Mohamsocieties of the Continent, were indefat- medan world, and that a defeat sufigably active in working for a general fered by Islam at anyone point of the overturn. Professor Nippold's sugges- world, or a triumph, real or seeming, tion, that much of the subteranean which It celebrates anywhere. has its plotting was carried out by disbanded reflex working even on the work of our Jesuits, is at least worthy of attention. missionaries in the Mohammedan part It is true, Nlppold's. fourth volume is of Sumatra. That was the case in the pervaded by such an unremitting and Russo-Turkish war; that is now again unscrupulous animosity against the the case. Besides the war of the Dutch Roman Catholics, turning every possi- against Achin, there is a deeper reason ble thing to an evil interpretation, that for the present insolent arrogance of we might well hesitate to trust a sug- our Moslems, namely, the fearful atrogestion of his, yet this is by no means cities in Armenia. We wish to point without a certain force of its own. this out especially to those who still in- The Jesuits have so completely identi- sist that these horrors have, in reality, fied the interests of Rome with the nothing to do with religion. It is most interests of right, and the interests of significant, that Missionary Simon retheir Society with the interests of lates that, on his journey to his field of Rome, that, however scrupulous any labor, he had remarkt the anxieties one of them may be in his private be- which these occurrences had awakened havior, the organic action of the order among many Christians. while they had seems to have been in numberless aroused the boldest hopes in the Moc!Ses wholly divorced from the moral hammedans. The latter would say: law. Gioberti remarks that in Ireland •Do you see? The Rajah Stamboul and America the Jesuits behave as (i. e. the Sultan of Constantinople) is, good neighbors, good Christians, and after all, the one that on whom a man good citizens, because, he significantly can put some dependence, and he will adds, the pressure of public opinion is soon come and liberate Sumatra also, too strong for anything else. Unhap- and then we will deal with the Chrispily, in France national hatred of every- tians as the Turks are dealing with the thing English and religious hatred of A.rmenians.' Allowing that these are everything Protestant seem to work to- idle clashes, which have no effect on gether in encouraging the Jesuits of reflecting Christians, it is nevertheless a Madagascar to bring out the very fact, as Missionary Irle informs us, that worst features of their corporate nature. a large number of Mohammedans, who were in training as catechumens, have One good thing has come to pass fallen away again." through the French seizure, the total abolition of slavery.
BNGLISH NOTES
English Notes. A most helpful conference for native Christians has been recently conducted BY REV. JAMES DOUGLASS, M. A. at Sin-ch'ang, lasting three days. Over a hundred and twenty native Chris- Regions Beyond.-Dr. H. Grattan tians partook of the Lord's Supper Guinness writes with regard to Burma: together at the conclusion of the con- "God has used the strong arm of ference. England to open Burma to modern civilization, and America to send it the Five candidates from this district light of the Gospel. The spectacle is have recently been received into church most impressive. I hardly know any- membership. thing quite equal to it in modern times. A few years ago Burma threw the Mr. Hudson Taylor, in writing to solitary pioneer missionary into the "China's Millions," impresses the im- dark prison house, and loaded his limbs portance of supporting and upholding with galling fetters. Now God hus the work of tlie C. I. M. by prayer. brought Burma itself out of its prison, He shows how very clearly the Lord and has struck the fetters from its manifests Himself in t.he weekly prayer limbs." meetings at Mildmay, and asks that the many interested in and feeling Good news is continually sent home for the people of China and their teachfrom the Congo Balow Mission, report- ers, will remember them at the throne ing progress in the various stations, and of grace. that the health of the workers has, on the whole, been good. The daily work The London Missionary Society held is begun betimes, for there is a preach- its annual gatherings in the second ing service at 6 A. M. in several stations, week in May. These were encouragand the work continues in varied form ing, both as regards numbers and the throughout the day. A new worker- spirit permeating the meeting. The Mr. Sidney K. Woollings-has just report was satisfactory, stating progress started for this sphere of service for the in most directions, altho there is still a Master in the great African field. May slight balance against the society, pro- God abundantly prosper his efforts to bably due to the special efforts made in bring those who sit in darkness into the behalf of the Indian Famine Fund. marvellous light of the Gospel. Mallagascar.-"The elemen tary 1M China Inland Mission.-This schools of the society in Imerina have mission has sustained a loss in the been recently handed over to the death of Miss Gambell, who has for Rev. B. Escombe, and are now under four years labored in China. She re- the care of the Paris Missionary turned to England in December, 1896, Society. Educational work has been and God called her to be with Him in much interfered with during the recent April, 1897. rebellion, and many schools have not yet been reopened. But it is cheering Filial Piety, as regarded by the Chi- to note that the total number of schools nese, is a great hindrance to Chris- transferred to the Paris. Society was tianity, in that it is diametrically op- 438, containing 30, 955 scholars. Before posed to it. It not only allows poly- the war the society's schools numbered theism, since each and all of the dead 712." are worshiped and, therefore, become gods, but it also sanctions atheism, as The Church Miasionary &ciety.-The there is no reference to the Supreme retrospective view taken at the anni- Being. All gratitude, fear, or re- versary meeting, in Exeter Hall, of the spect is for earthly parents only-the past ten years of mission work of the thought of a Heavenly Father is utterly Church Missionary Society, showed foreign to it. many markt signs of progress-in fact, almost as much has been done in these
GENERAL HISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
ten years as in fifty gone before them. s. The consideration of the duties of The decision arrived at after much prayer by the committee-namely not II. preacher. to ref;use any candidate for mission 4. For the increase of personal fidelwork because of financial difllcultieshas been attended with most evident ity to the Lord Jesus Christ and the proofs of divine approbation, nearly firm maintenance of Baptist principles. 700 missionaries have been added to the roll which numbered 900 before. "The The convention lasted two days, the Lord hath done great things for us evening meeting of the second day whereof we are glad," expresses the lasted till 11 P. H.; the people seemed feeling of all interested in the well- inclined to still go on and listen. being of the Ohurch Missionary Society. " The brethren returned to their The Rev. W. G. Peel, writing from homes next day, declaring that they Weatern India, says with reference to had been greatly refreshed, instructed, the plague prevailing there: "We have and uplifted by the meetings." still thirty 01" forty cases daily. It remains to be seen how far the disease The Rev. William Carey, of Dacca, has really been conquered. Our hearts writes hopefully concerning the Chrisoverflow with gratitude to God for His tian Endeavor Movement in India, wonderful preservation of all the mis- showing the hold it is taking in many sionaries in Bombay; indeed, it is most parts. He speaks of the work as being markt how He has kept Christians gen- stimulating and encouraging. erally from becoming victims of the pestilence." Preab1Jterian Ohurch of England.- The Swatow Mission is extending its &uth (Jhina.-A sad telegram has sphere of operations, and their equipbeen received from Archdeacon Wolfe, ment for. Christian work has been instating that the Rev. Jas. Stratford creast, better accommodation havi:r;tg Oollins has lost his life through drown- been provided for the native Christians ing. No details have been received as scattered up and down all over the yet. Mr. Oollins was the first mission- land. Nine old stations have been enary sent out by the Dublin University larged and renovated, and nine new Fau-Kien Mission in 1887. His loss ones opened. will be very much felt by the Fuh- Kien workers, as well as by the natives. The baptisms during the last six years have averaged ninety per annum, TM Baptist MiBBionary &ciet1/.- more than ever before. Increast liber- A native evangelists' convention has ality also marks the native Christians. recently been held at Serampore Col- The press is II. most powerful auxiliary, lege. This has for some years been and now the greater part of the New customary in some parts of the country, Testament is in the vernacular, and but in Western Bengal there have been also the "Pilgrim's Progress." no meetings of the kind. Invitations were therefore sent out to all parts, and There are now six ministers entirely II. very good response was made. supported by the natives.
The objects of the convention were The Japaneae Gournor of Formosa.- defined as follows: During Dr. Ferguson's recent visit to Dr. Mackay, in the north of Formosa, 1. Ohristian fellowship for the Bap- the two missionaries called on the tist Missionary Society's preachers. Japanese Governor, Mr. Nogi, and had II. most kindly reception. In the course 2. Prayer for the outpouring of the of conversation Dr. Mackay told the Holy Spirit upon the workers of our governor how the rebels had sorely society. persecuted the North Formosan Chris- tians, because they refused to take up arms against the Japanese; while on the other hand, "Japanese petty offici- als and soldiers had failed to distinguish between friends and foes, and to a barbarian people deserve a vote of had insulted, abused, and even killed thanks from the commercial world." Christians in more than one locality." Before the interpreter had finisht trans- -The one bright spot in all the darklating Dr. Mackay's story, the governor ness that has covered Asiatic Turkey .. sprang to his feet," says the doctor, has been the heroism and the common .. graspt my hand tighter and tighter, sense of the American missionaries.- Whilst he told the interpreter to say Sir Philip OU'rI'i8. that he was determined to protect the Christians. Turning to Ferguson, he -Sir George Harvey, the Scotch arsaid, 'And you in the South have tist, when askt by Dr. Cuyler if he had suffered in the same way. I will pro- seen the best American paintings, retect your Christians aIBo.'" plied: "No, I have not; but the grand- est American productions I have seen .Medical MisazOnI.-Medical work are some of your missionaries-they are bulks largely in our mission. We have noble characters." three medical mission centers in the Amoy district, ~ight mission hospitals -The government of India can not in all, whilst Mrs. Ferguson, our only but acknowledge the great obligation lady medical missionary, often accom- under which it is laid by the benevolent panies her husband in his itinerant exertions made by missionaries, whose work. blameless example and self-denying labors are infusing new vigor into the Ohinehew Oiell.-After the preachers' stereotyped life of the great population conference, held in Siong-si, Mr. Camp- placed under English rule.-.8ecretarg bell Brown spent the following Sunday for India. in Chinchew City. He writes: .. We had grand congregations. After the -Neill Livingstone and his family morning service, a young man came to rise at 4 o'clock, make a cup of coffee, me with a basket in his hand in which read Psalms 121 and 185, and pray were his idols, which he wanted to put together for the last time. Then the away. He is a very interesting young father walks with David from Blantyre fellow, a silversmith, full of intelli- to Glasgow, parts with him on top of gence. We had prayer together, after the hill, bids him a quiet, but heartfelt which he went away rejoicing." farewell, and never sees again the son whom three continents honor. The P(UJ' and Present.-We are told that father was dying as the great African of late years throughout Formosa the explorer came home to be honored by heathen have much changed; they do the queen, but he said in glorious faith: not crowd as formerly to the idolatrous "I shall know whatever is worth knowprocessions. "For now in many a ing of him, yonder where I go." Wortown there is a handful of people who thy father of a worthy son. worship Jesus Christ, and the heathen have heard so much of the Gospel on -We should not call our giving the street and elsewhere that, altho " missionary benevolence"; we should they worship idols still, they worship call it God's business. less earnestly than heretofore." -Many seem to think that because a THE KINGDOM. missionary is one sent, our contributions should be one cent. Truly, a gross mis- -Dr. Blackburn likens the legacies apprehension. received by missionary societies to ammunition taken from the cartridge boxes -" There is a widespread feeling that of dead soldiers. the modern successors of Judson, Moil:- att, Bridgman, Perkins, Eli Smith, -Said Robert Moffat: "Missionaries Carey, Martyn, are not quite up to the standard set by those heroes. Is this correct? We think not. A century ago furnisht no instances of greater Benares? Have I not seen a whole row heroism than this present generation. of Christian Brahmans in the pews of a Mackay and Hannington in Uganda, native church in Ahmednagar? Have Good and Marling on the West Coast, I not sat for an hour in Poona with a not to mention many less widely known Brahman who told me the story of his but not less heroic along the Kongo, conversion to Christ? And have I not will stand close beside the bravest of the listened to addresses from native Chrisearly pioneers of Africa. That band of tians in India, addresses so able and missionaries at Harput, Miss Shattuck vigorous that I longed to have such men at Urfa, showed no falling off from the and women stand before our churches record of the early days in Turkey. in America? Of course, I heard !nany Are these exceptions? No; they rep- criticisIns of missionaries, but I never resent the average of missionary char- heard a Hindu, Brahman, or Moslem acter, and, were there equal need or say, what ignorant and prejudiced equal opportunity, their record would Europeans have sometimes said in my be repeated in every mission field of hearing out of India, that the missionthe world."-Ind8pendent. aries were doing no good. Frequently the chairman at my lectures, or the -The Ohurch Missionary InteZU- Hindu gentleman who moved the vote genar, of England, in allusion to a of thanks, spoke with grateful appremissionary in the Arctic Circle, says: ciation of the work which missionary Mr. Peck's journal appears opportunely educators are doing. I shall never forjust now when the public are being get how the famous Hindu ascetic, thrilled with the story of courage and the Holy Man of Benares, said to me: endurance of Dr. Nansen. It reminds " I think Jesus Christ was a very good . us that for Christ's sake our brothers- man. He must have been something aye, and, we may add, our sisters too like Mr. Hewlett," a deceased veteran -are not merely traveling for a few of the London Missionary Society. months, but dwelling, year after year, Missionaries are often foolishly critiamid the rigors and privations of the cized by natives, but they are trusted Arctic regions. The world, so gener- by them, and this is the highest praise ously ready to acknowledge with its which a Hindu can pay to mortal man. due meed of praise the plodding and I know a missionary of the American undaunted heroism of the man of Board in southern India who was askt science, is singularly unimprest by simi- to take charge of the funds of one of the lar qualities when displayed for the greatest of Hindu temples.-.Re-v. J. H. sake of precious souls. We do not ask Barrow,. or desire for our Arctic laborers such !narks of interest as are the reward of -We often hear, but not so much, I the explorer; they would only embar- believe, as formerly, of the craving of rass them; but let not the church's the heathen for God, of the heathen prayers fail them. Bompas, and Reeve, fiying as the doves to their windows to and McDonald, and Stringer, and Loft- hear that Gospel which is for the healhouse, and Peck, and Sampson, whose ing of the nations. It is really no such faces are so seldom seen in the home thing at all. The craving of the Orilands, let them not be forgotten in their ental mind is for money, for wealth, for frigid and lonely stations! the things of this earth, and not for God. The longing which is represented -How ridiculous, appears the claim to exist has, I believe, no existence at . sometimes made in America that men all. And it is this discovery which often of intelligence and that members of the tends to disappoint and crush the spirit Brahman caste are never converted to of some young enthusiast who has come Christianity. Have I not seen a Brah- out thinking that he has only to preach JnaD, preaching Christ ill the bazars of and that he will gather hundreds intothe Kaiserswerth Union, and the fields oc- fold of Christ.-I8abella Bird Bialwp. cupied by them, in the years men- -The American Board pays its mis- sionaries who have families from $850 tioned: Deaconesses. Fields. to $1050 annually, to single men from $440 to $675, to single women from Years. '7,080 2,768 $390 to $575. The Presbyterians pay 8,469 3,641 to married men from $1080 to $1250, to 1888 10,412 4,250 single men $720 to $833, to single 1891 12,150 women from $540 to $628. The Meth- 1894 odists pay in A.sia, including China, 1896 Japan, Korea and India, to married men the first five years $950, single These figures show a total increase of $680; the next ten years, to married 72 per cent. in eight years. A. few men $1000, single $700; the next ten deaconess houses in Europe and in Am- years, to married men $1100, single $800; after twenty-five years, $900 to erica never have connected themselves $1200. with the Kaiserswerth Union, which are -One of the most instructive ad- estimated to have 900 sisters. It fol- dresses of the year is one by Dr. N. E. Wood, preacht at Pittsburg before the lows, then, that 13,000 deaconesses to- Baptist MissioJl8.ry Union on }Ii~sions and Victory, urging that plans and day are busy in evangelical circles methods should be such as to make world-wide success most certain, and among the needy, the distrest, the sick, most speedy. One passage on "Missionary Statesmanship," was particular- the erring, in the four veat quarters of ly :tine. The thought was for substance, the globe. And in these figures are take and hold strategic points, and expend the bulk of labor upon races which not included those who have been are likely to possess an aggressive piety. trained specially for service in the Or- WOMAN'S WORK. der of St. John, in the Red Cross soci- -For centuries it has been thought, ety, or in local deaconess societies. both by men and women in India, that a woman walking abroad in God's day- -Since the beginning in 1837, Mt. Ught and sunlight, in the streets of city Holyoke has sent 217 of its graduates or village, was either a low-caste or a into foreign mission work, while durbad woman. But since the missionary ing its 21 years Wellesley has sent out . ladies have come to India, and are seen 31, of whom 4 have taught in the Huand known to be not only good and guenot seminaries of South Africa. pure, but the most highly respected among women, this idea has been mod- -Mrs. Felix R. Brunot, of Pittsburg, ified, and the native women are begin- recently notified the Board of Foreign ning to ask, "If European women Missions of the Episcopal Church that may go abroad unveiled and meet men, she was anxious to do something for and yet be respected, why should we the lepers of China, and if the Board be cooped up in the zenana prisons?" would look over the ground and indi- cate where they wisht a hospital located -The growth of the deaconess work she would build and endow it. Mrs. in the Lutheran church may be inferred Brunot is the wealthiest woman in her from the appended tables, which show part of the country, and it is said she the number of sisters belonging to the will spend not less than half a million on the lepers. Mrs. Brunot believes that with proper care leprosy can be kept down, if not stampt out entirely.
-Lady Henry Somerset is to spend the summer with Miss Frances Willard. One of her chief appointments on this side is the preaching of the sermon be- fore the National W. C. T. U. Conven- tion, which meets in the autumn at Buffalo.
-The' Church of England Zenana Missionary Society has 84 centers of work, and 898 workers were employed Christian Union, United Presbyterian, during last year; 129 of them being 85,146; Young People's Christian European missionaries and assistants, Union, Associate .Reformed, 2,228; 191 native Christian teachers and Young People's Christian Alliance, nurses, and 78 biblewomen. The mis- Evangelical Association, 30,407; total, sionaries and biblewomen have access 4,414, 776. The Westminster League to 7,988 zenanas and houses, with 2,923 would swell the total to 4,500,000. regular pupils under instruction, while the biblewomen have visited 2845 vil- -The Endeavorers of New York lages. At the society's hospitals at City have organized the Tenth Legion. Lucknow, Benares, and Patna there It has no constitution or officials. The were 17,594 patients, and 54,924 at- names of the members are not made tendances at the dispensaries. The in- public. But each of them agrees to set come reacht a total of £18,067, not apart one-tenth of his income to good reckoning receipts for famine relief. works. Their motto is .. Unto God what is God's." The United Society YOUNG PEOPLE. has adopted the idea, and the next gen- eration will have a better tra.ini:ag in -The Ohri8tian Observer has a sug- this direction. gestionfor the Y. M. C. A. which seems worth attention. "One main object," -A library containing 200 volumes it says, "is to get a firm hold on young has been placed in the United States men from the country when first they Marine Hospital, at Detroit, Mic)!., by come to the city." For this purpose it a few Endeavor societies. A libtarian suggests that membership should be has also been supplied. These Endeafree to any young man from the country vorers regularly conduct services in the during the first year after he comes to hospital, and perform other noble minthe city, and that a notice to this effect istrations. should be posted in the railroad stations from ten to a hundred miles distant, so -The Texas Epworth Leagues raised that the young men would feel sure of $3,000 for miisions last year, and thus a welcome. At Springfield, Mass., there kept 3 missionaries in the foreigu field. is some apparent confession of present failure in attractiveness, if not of effici- -Mexico now contains 100 Christian ency, in the proposal to add billiard Endeavor societies, with 2,047 memand pool tables to the equipment of the bers. Twenty-eight of these are J unlor building. societies, with 469 members. Last year there were only 7 Junior societies in the -A proposition started in the Inde- country. :IJ61UUnt, by Dr. Carroll, for a federation of the young people's societies of the -In Yu-yiao, a city forty miles west different churches, should find ready of Ningpo, in China, a place in the cenresponse with the various organizations. ter of the dozen or more churches rep- The suggestion is not to consolidate, resented in the union, the Nmgpo Presbut to federate, nn arrangement by byterian Christian Endeavor Union which each organization will preserve held, for two days, its second annual its autonomy. He gives the following convention. The question of entertainstatistics of these societies: Christian En- ment of the delegates, which might deavor, 40churches, 2,162,000; Epworth otherwise have proved an insurmount- League, M. E. Church, 1,500,000; Ep- able obstacle, was overcome by the deleworth League, M. E. Church, South, gates coming in house-boats. 150,000; Baptist Young People's Union, 400,000; Young People's Christian -A bright young girl, a student of Union, United Brethren, 75,000; Luth- the Boston University, who is a Chris- tian Endeavorer, was recently askt the eran. League, 60,000; Young People's question: "What kind of work do you think the missionary does in the foreign field 1" She replied: "I don't know; American Baptists. North, 20; and the I have never thought about it, but I Church Missionary Society, 48. suppose that after breakfast a mission· ary lady takes her Bible, goes out and -In most cases the pioneer mission- sits down under a tree, and if people ary finds the Scriptures ready for his come to her she reads to them." I askt: use. The young men in charge of the "And is this all that you think she Arabian Mission are not called oil. does?" She replied: "I suppose that to spend long years in reducing the would be all; I·can't think of anything Arabic language to writing; the Pres- more." byterian missionaries, pushing steadily up the valley of the Nile, avail them- AMERICA. selves of supplies of Bibles readily obtained from the Bible rooms at -United States. The deaths in Beirut; and the representatives of va- New York City from diarrheal dis- rious societies, who are entering through ease, in 1892, were 1,635; and year by open gates into Venezuela, Peru, aBd year there has been a steady decline Ecuador, find that in advance of their till, in 1896, there were but 973. Presi- coming much good seed has already dent Wilson, of the Board of Health, been sown by the agents and colporteurs attributes this happy result to "clean of the American Bible Society. streets, asphalt pavements in the tenement·house districts, an improved milk -FredJ. Barny, just graduated from supply, and the increased use of steril- New Brunswick, goes soon to the Araized milk for infants." Thls improve- bian Mission as a much needed and ment has taken place while the popula- welcome addition to the force at work tion of the city has been constantly in that rapidly opening field. He is growing, and the incessant influx of sent and supported for five years by unwasht, underfed, and unintelligent the pledged donations made by the immigrants has kept up its neutralizing young people of the Marble Collegiate effect on all efforts for better hygienic Church of New York City. conditions. -The Southern Presbyterians are -What a fine spectacle it was the doing well for foreign missions. Durother day when 2,300 men in white ing the last ten years they have inuniform, each with a flower in his but- creast their contributions from $84,- tonhole, accompanied by dumpcarts, 000 to $144,000 and their force from rotary brushes, and hose-carts to the 54 to 150 workers. They gave more number of 750, with a multitude of money last year than ever before, and auxiliaries, marcht in procession, and sent out all the workers that applied. were reviewed by the mayor of New York in the annual parade of Colonel -The Cumberland Presbyterians re- Waring's street-cleaning brigade. The joice that 4 new missionaries are soon men are proud of their uniform, of to be sent out, with their support their service, of their chief, and of the already secured by special pledges. reputation for cleanliness which they have won for their city. -The Mormons are said to have no less than 2,300 elders scattered all the o -The" Medical Missionary Record" land over, busy making converts for for April has ten pages covered with the " religion" invented by J 08eph the names of 487 medical missionaries Smith, Jr. sent out by nearly 60 societies, American (267) and European, to 25 coun- -San Francisco, with 18,000 Chinese tries. Of these 116 are women. The population, 15 pagan temples, 96 houses Presbyterian Church, North, has sent of ill-fame, 89 opium dens, 13 high- 57 of these. The M. E. Church, binder camps, gambling dens innumer- able, and underground recesses, black North, 82; the American Board, 28; as Tartarus and full of misery, criule, and squalor, continues to be the great A solemn protest has been sent home center for missionary operations on signed by aU the brethren but one. this continent. Never before have we seen in San Francisco's Chinatown such EUROPE. an interest in the Gospel as during the past year. About 20 young men of our -Great Britain. The Church school and 6 of the women and girls of Army reports that the number of trained the Home were converted, and many lay-agents employed during the year of the members were quickened into a amounted to 504, an increase of' 86. new life.-G08p6l in AU Lands. Some of the men had given up salaries of from 30s. to £7 a week to join in Church -A singularly noble and generous Army work for 248. a week and less. giver was Mr. Roland Mather, of Hart- The mission vans had carried on a most ford, Conn., who died in that city May successful work, and 17 new ones had 10th, at the ripe age of 88. He was a been presented by various friends. Of descendant of Rev. Richard Mather, those who past through the labor well known in Puritan annals. lie homes, over 50 per cent. had made a began business as a boy in Boston, but fresh start in life, and 47 homes were has lived in Hartford nearly seventy in operation. About 100 pass through years. His career has been remarkably each home annually, after an average prosperous, and he has been in the stay of 13 weeks, and it is to the credit habit of dispensing his money quietly of the outcasts that no less a sum than and unostentatiously, where it would £11,000 was paid to them in wages last do the best service. His gifts to edu- year. The various agencies include, a. cational institutions have been large. market garden and farm, laundries, Last year he gave to the Education dispensaries, boarding-houses, and Society $80,000, and his benefactions clothing depots. The income amountetl while he was living aggregated more to £77,257. than half a. million dolllrs. His main bequests to benevolent societies are, to -At the annual meeting of the Misthe American Board and to the Home sions to Seamen Society in London, t.b.e Missionary Society $15,000 each, to annual report showed that the income the A. M. A. and to Hampton Institute was £38,294 last year, and that 7,300 $10,000.- Oongregationalist. seamen took the total abstaining pledge. Besides what sailors contributed more -Canada. It is pleasing to learn directly to the funds in 1896, £1,477 that the contributions for foreign mis- were given in 30 of the mission sions in the Presbyterian Church in churches and institutes. At the present Canada. this year are $25,000 in excess time 69 mission vessels, steam and sailof those of any previous year. A debt ing, 87 missions to seamen, churches, of $30,000 has been reduced to less and institutes, classes for course of inthan $10,000, and this in spite of finan- struction in first aid to the injured, cial depression, the fact that receipts savings banks, and the supply of books from legacies are smaller than usual, and magazines to forecastle libraries, and that about $15,000 have been speci- are among the efforts of the society. ally contributed to the Indian Famine There is a staff of 178 men. Fnnd. -This statement conveys not un- -The Presbyterian missionaries in pleasant intelligence, coming, as it does, India are in trouble because the Mission from a Roman Catholic organ: "His Board at home have ordered that Eminence, Cardinal Vaughan, when women, who outnumber the men two Bishop of Salford, calculated the annual to one, shall be allowed to vote on all loss to the faith in Manchester and questions, and so can control affairs. Salford, through proselyting agencies and through the workhouse system, as 258; those in danger of apostasy £850,000 for religious purposes. A large through ragged schools, soup kitchens, part of this sum will be expended on an city missions, etc., numbered 573, mak- orphanage for children of Reformed inga total for one year under these two parents. A considerable sum will be heads of 831. A Catholic census of reserved as a fund for the widows and Manchester and Salford shows, as the orphans of Reformed ministers, and Cardinal says, the following appalling another part be invested for the benefit statistics of young persons of both sexes of students attending Erlangen Uni- under twenty-one: In extreme danger versity, while about £200,000 will be of loss of faith, or practically lost to devoted to building and endowing an the faith, 5,420; in great danger, 2,341; evangelical hospital at Ratisbon.
in danger, 1,912; total 9,673." Truly ASIA. such .. danger" is better than safety. -India. Spurgeon, tho dead, is yet -Continent. A movement similar speaking. Very lately one of his ser- in character to that initiated among the mons, translated into the Hindustani students of England, America. France, tongue, was sent forth to preach to the and Scandinavia has recently been millions of India. Others are to follow.
announced as the outcome of a con- -George Smith writes: This is not ference held in Halle, in March, 1896. the place to describe what was perhaps Its committee have issued an appeal to the most remarkable of our many expethe Kommilitonen of all universities, riences in the East-the drive, under and we are fain to believe that, despite armed escort, up the Khyber Pass, from its small beginning, IJer deutsche Stu- Jumrood Fort to that of Ali Musjid. denl6nbundfitr Mission has a great and More appropriate here is a reference to noble future before it. A recent meet- the operations of the Church Missionary ing at Halle, held since the above state- Society in the fanatical city of Pesha· ment was written, was of very remark- war, and along the warlike frontier able interest. Seldom has there been right down to Karachi. To great solsuch a time of refreshing and awaken- diers like Herbert Edwardes and Lake, ing. It seems as if this movement Nicholson and Abbott, Hutchison and were about to help to deliver the Ger- George Lawrence, while yet subalterns man universities from the death-like on little pay, the Church of England inftuence which has spread over them, owes its line of Christian forts, from chiefiythrough rationalistic theological each of which the banner of the Cross professors.-Mi8sion World. invites Mussulman and stranger of every -The rapid extension of the Rhenish creed to find rest. I do not know more Missionary Society within the last de- unconscious courage than that of the cade has exceeded that of all other 5 English girls who, with Miss (Dr.) German bodies. Its European agents Mitclleson, spend the hot season and in 1885 numbered 68, in 1895 this had cold alone within the walls of Pesha- reacht a total of 111; the stations and war, the only resident missionary being out-stations from 122 have grown to the aged Imam Shah, pastor of the 230; the native adherents from 27,974 pretty church at some distance from to 60,144. King William's Land, New their settlement. The few unspiritual Guinea, and Ovampo, South Africa, enemies of missions on the spot admire have fallen to its care, and its agents that.
are working among 10 different peoples. . -In a Hindu bazaar. We turn first' Especial attention is bestowed upon the to the right, where a number of fakirs medical department, and upon woman's are sitting in an open veranda, almost work. without clothing. The most distin- -Count Ernest of Dornberg. who guisht among them announces to us died lately at Ratisbon, bequeathed with great pomp and infinite condescen-. sion that he is a priest of Siva (spouse rupees have recently been received, in of Ram); he is a bearded man of middle addition to 10,000 previously given.
age, smeared allover with ashes and The Zemindars, or native princes, of ochre. His hair, woven into an infini- the district, have contributed over tude of intricate plaits, towers above 11,000 rupees, and enough more is his head like a turban; when he lets it expected to complete the hospital build- down, it trails on the ground for about ing, costing not far from $12,000, with- a yard. When askt about his religious out drawing a single rupee of mission- belief, he becomes quite confused, and ary money. That Hindus should con- we have to help him out and explain to tribute this large sum for the building him the differences between his numer- of a distinctively Christian hospital is ous gods and goddesses. But when we certainly a remarkable testimony to the begin to talk of God and divine things, impression which medical missions he turns away contemptuously and have made upon the people of south- spits on the ground. A Gussein-fakir western India.-MisBionarll Herald.
and a Tuma·fakir are also present; -A permanent memorial in honor of these have a curious history. They are the fifty years of service of Rev. Dr. S. now a small and dwindling sect among B. Fairbank, of the Marathi Mission, Hindu fakirs, but they wear the cross has been determined upon. It is a as their symbol, and many things make well at Wadale, the community with it probable that they are the remains which he was identified, thirty-two of a Christian community which was feet deep and which will supply water -founded eighteen centuries ago on the for both drinking and irrigation. N. W. coast of India by the apostle There is a certain special fitness in such Thomas. There were also two women a memorial of such a man. fakirs; one a very graceful Panjabi woman, the other an old withered hag China.-In Mr. Wardlaw Thompson's in salmon· colored robes; this is the uni- opinion the greatest missionaryachieve- versal color of the Vishnu fakirs. The ment is to be found in India and China Panjabi woman has gold in her teeth. The work at these centers, in spite of It is good when you die to have gold in caste and custom, is being singularly your mouth, and for this reason many blessed and a great in-gathering of people have holes bored in their teeth souls is expected. India. and China, and filled up with gold, in order to be however, differ greatly in their accept- always ready.-Allgemeine Mis8ion8 ance of Christianity. Each interprets Zeitschrift. it according to their national character.
The Chinese are an essentially practical -A practical illustration of the con- people, and accept Christiauity as a fidence shown in our missionaries in India, even by those who do not accept practical thing, making it the guide of their faith, is seen in the large gifts of their life and shaping their character thereby. '
money for the erection of a mission -Almost 300 miles of railroad have been completed in China, and construchospital at Madura, in care of Dr. Van tion work goes on steadily. It seems Allen. These gifts come from traders . clear that the beginning of a really or merchants in the cities and villages. great Chinese railway system has been Dr. Van Allen reports that, as a rule, witnessed, and the Chinese Government these men are wealthy and belong to shows no disposition to grow weary of one caste, and that they are" thorough- its work in providing modern means of going, enthusiastic heathen," and it transportation in its empire. was not expected that they would contribute largely. To the surprise of every one, they have contributed most -The Rev. J. C. Hoare, of Ningpo, liberally. Dr. Van Allen says 5,000 in setting forth the progresa of the Mid-China Mission during the last 20 churches and many widely scattered years, draws particular attention to one groups of Christians. curious feature, viz., that the work seems to go forward in wa'l168; first a -The Rev. Isaac T. Headland writes wave, and then a period of compara- from Peking, North China, as follows: tive slackness, and then another wave; "Two weeks ago I wrote that our but each one higher than any preced- heathen Sunday-school had increast to ing. 800. To-day it· has just been dismist, and numbered 1,024. How I wish you -The British and Foreign Bible could see it! How it inspires the Society distributes throughout the Chi- schoolboys and girls who teach it: nese Empire the Bible in classical 1,024 heathen men, women, and chilmandarin, 10 colloquial, Kalmuck, dren studying the life of the blessed Mongolian and Tibetan languages. Savior in one congregation! Last year some 540,000 books were printed; 866,000 books were put into -Bishop Schereschewsky is about circulation, of which 358,000 were removing for a time to Japan in order sold, and 8,000 given away. The to supervise on behalf of the American books are nearly always sold at a price Bible Society the printing of a large to pay for the paper, and it was an in- edition of his revised version of the dication of the remarkable progress of Mandarin Old Testament, originally Christianity that last year no fewer publisht in Peking about 1874. He will than 11,000 were New Testaments in avail himself of the same opportunity excellent binding. Some 210 colpor- to print his Wen-li version. It is said teurs were at work, giving either a that such work is done better, more part or the whole of their time, and cheaply, and mOle quickly in Japan. they made very effective means for the evangelization of the people. -Japan. In a census of Christian charities in Japan issued in February, -Here is a group of paragraphs 1897, the Protestant report shows 12 which exhibit in strong light the busy theological seminaries, with 163 stulife the missionary leads and the vast dents; 29 boys' schools, with 1,980 variety of agencies which he must keep students; 10 women's training schools, in operation. First comes an exhibit with 238 students; 46 girls' schools, of the machinery for building up the with 2,491 students; 14 kindergartens, kingdom of Christ in Shantung: One with 526 students; 56 day or night college of about 100 young men; 1 schools, mostly for the poor, with 2,788 theological class, a fine company of 20 students; 10 orphan asylums, with 664 young men who promise to become a inmates; 13 homes for various classes, body of able and devoted pastors; 5 with 235 inmates; 15 hospitals and disclasses of native preachers and teachers, pensaries. one of these containing 30 evangelists; 1 normal class, preparing young men -A British resident in Peking forfor teaching and lay preaching; 4 wards the following from the Japan classes in medicine and surgery, with Mail: "The Boyeki Shimbun says total membership of 24; 2 boys' board- judgment in the case of Tei Keiki, a ing-schools ; 3 city girls' boarding- Chinese, and Misawa Hatsugord, a schools and 1 in the country; a widely nationalized Japanese of Chinese birth, extended and growing system of day- who were arrested the other day while schools in city and country, comprising indulging in the use of opium at the about 1,500 pupils; and about 20 residence of another Chinaman, was classes of inquirers and Christians out- given by the Yokohama local court. side of the regular school and college Ryo-zei was sentenced to hard labor work. There are about 25 organized for six years for having sold the opium, and the 2 others to major ccnnnement for two years." This is what Japan thinks of the verdict of the Royal Com- ment. It would be indignant at being mission on Opium_ If these poor Chi- called anything else. But in Mada- nese had been aware, they might have gascar religious toleration is refused, quoted the decisions arrived at by the the French officials appropriating for commission in extenuation of their the Jesuits not only the churches but offense."-Regions Beyond. even the schools and hospitals of the Protestants, and in Tunis and Algeria -A period of mourning in Japan Christianity itself is being crusht out, affects all the people. The emperor's as far and as fast as possible, lest the mother having died, all schools were susceptibilities of the Moslems be inclosed for 5 days and the theaters and jured. It looks very much as though places of amusement for 15 days. British "tyranny" was far preferable Even instrumental music in private to Gallic "freedom." houses was interdicted for 30 days. Dr. Atkinson reports that the church at -West. Says Work and Worker. Kobe in holding its prayer-meetings (English Wesleyan): We would call could have no singing and no use of attention to the importance of our misthe organ. sions on the west coast of Africa. For various reasons, they do not appeal so -A Japanese photographer who had powerfully to the imagination as do the been very succel:!8ful in business died missions in the East, or in the portions at Kobe, at the close of last year, after of Africa to which recent events have a residence there of more than twenty given prominence. But Westeru Africa. years. He had become gradually en- is a great field of this society's opera.- lightened in the Gospel, afterwards tions. Judged by such tests as the personally interested, and was received number of converts, the development to the church shortly before his death. of a native ministry, and the growth of One item of his property, a life insur- the spirit of self-support, our missions ance policy for $3,000, he bequeathed there take important rank in our hisentirely to benevolent purposes, two- tory. The number of members in the thirds of it to distinctively Christian 3 Districts of Sierra. Leone, Gold Coast, enterprises. and Lagos is 16,945, more than one- third of the total membership directly AFRICA. connected with the society. There are, moreover, 54 native ministers, to a large -North. In a recent Church MilI- extent supported by the churches, .ionarll Intellig~ncer Rev. W. G. Pope, which are also contributing on an inof Tunisia, appeals for prayer in be- creasing scale towards the extension of half of missionaries in Moslem lands. the Gospel into regions beyond them. Not only are Mohammedans probably the most difficult unbelievers to be im- -In one respect Africa may be called prest by the Gospel, but also a deter- the hardest of all the mission fields. mined effort is being made just now by This is not because the hearts of the the French authorities to check and natives are worse than those of other break up missionary work among them. continents, for all men have the carnal All doors of opportunity are being mind which is enmity against God, and closed. and the evident purpose is to the Holy Spirit can regenerate the chief drive away the missionaries. One mis- of sinners. But it is in many parts the sionary in Tunisia already has been hardest of all the fields on account of fined six times in the courts for having the climate. A missionary says in a given away copies of the Scriptures in recent letter: "Ill-health is our great his own shop. Two lady missionaries drawback. We are not only ofteR also were just about to be tried, when quite sick in this climate, but are he )"rote, for distributing copies in the scarcely ever well. Since September streets. The French Government is, at least nominally, a Christian governthere has been a great deal of fever of the poor things woke me up. Then among the older members of our family. Not the least evil in the clUle is the the next day or so they went for the great quantity of quinine that we have to take, making a disease of itself, boys, and were in swarms, so at 1.80 affecting the head, hearing, and the whole being.It A.M. I had to turn out and tind sleep- -I had my Sabbath·school girls up .ing places for the lot. Sims also, one yesterday. They arrived at 10.80 A. M •• tho I had told them to wait till after- night, had to clear out. Their last at- noon. Of course they grew hungry, so I put some eank and bananas on the tack was on the goats, and so for two table and invited them to sit down. It was the tirst time any of them had ever nights we had to have them up in the eaten at a table in their lives, and be- fore I knew what they were doing, chicken yard." they had thrown refuse pieces on the 1l00r under the table. I told them to -In German ElUlt Africa an advance leave them on their plates, but most were left on the table-cloth until they step has been taken by the United tinisht eating and were then pickt up and put on the plates. The bananas Brethren in their assumption of respon- were piled on a large platter in the center of the table and when the girls sibilities relinquisht to them by the had tinisht their eank, I told them to help themselves to bananas. Immedi- London Missionary Society, which has, ately, each girl began reaching for . them with both hands, some getting as since the year 1879, been at work in many as seven or eight. I told them to put them all back and take one at a the heart of the Protectorate. The so- time, explaining that "people" did not cieties of Berlin I., II., and III. grab things. I have not yet decided whether I helpt matters by my inter- already engaged in this portion of ference, for the way those bananas dis- appeared was a marvel. Two bites to Africa, being unable or unwilling to ex- a banana. Two dozen bananas to a Bulu is only a taste, such is their tend their efforts to Urambo, the capacity. If we could only give them M.oravians have, after anxious consid- the Gospel in like doses I But a very eration, acceded to the request pre- little is all that can be understood at a ferred to them by the L. M. S. Com· time. But I have hopes of my girls, mittee. To Urambo, as a. mission appetites and all. Some day they will center, attaches a very real importance want things different.-Mary HaYB in its position as the only Gospel fort- John80n. ress in the heart of German East Africa, excepting, of course, such light -East. Mr. Bishop of the Univer- as is offered by the Roman Catholic sities Mission writes from Newala: station of Tabora hard by. The near- "We have been having quite a plague est evangelical stations, those of Uten· of siaj'l£ (biting ants) of late, and a few gule and Rungue, north of Lake nights ago I suffered agonies by hav- Nr.assa, lie at a distance of 80 German ing to face millions of them to rescue mIles. the poor donkey and chickens, which they were devouring alive. The cries ISLANDS OF THE SEA.
-Madagascar. The latest news from Madagascar is of a decidedly more favorable kind than has been received for a long time. Thanks no doubt to the earnest exertions of French Protes- tants, the lIinister for the Colonies has given such instructions as have resulted in the restoration of more than 90 places of worship to the native Christians from whom the Jesuits had wrongfully taken them. This action has caused great joy to the congrega· tions, which have thus entered once more into their own heritage; it will also do not a little to bind the Christ· ians to French rule, and to give abiding peace. The French Minister of the Colonies has given a signal proof of the desire of his Government for religious equality to be a reality wherever the French tiag tiies; and he has also rebuked that false patriotism which doubts all patriotism that is not identical with subservience to the Church of Rome.-London Oli.rl8tian.