The Missionary Review of the World — May 1903
GREAT ~M:OHAMM:EDAN FESTIVAL, .. THE ID"
A crowd of Moslems attending service at the mosque, Allahabad. India Missionary Review of the World Old Series t MAY j New Series VOL. XXVI. No.5 f 1 VOL. XVI. No. 5 NOTES ON ISLAM IN INDIA * BY JAMES MONRO, C.B., RANAGHAT, BENGAL, INDIA Director of the Ranaghat Medical Mission, 1891- In India the politician has ever been confronted with the task of governing two great races, differing in modes of thought, habits, and religion-Hindus and Moslems. How this political problem has been solved, how those peoples have been brought to live together under the" pax Britannica," the history of Ind~~n administration records.
With reference to the religious questions at issue between its subjects, the government of India has ever maintained an attitude of strict neutrality, a neutrality which in the past has not unfrequently taken the form of hostility to Christianity. Such hostile attitude has not always been maintained, and it is now generally admitted that while government, in religious matters, should be· stringently neutral, it is the duty of the Church of Christ to do' all in its power to carry out our L9rd's last command to preach the Gospel to every creature. The missionary, then, is confronted with the religious problems as between Christians on the one hand and Hindus and Mohammedans on the other. But he can not remain neutral, like the politician; he has no "pax Britannica" to appeal to as regards the religious question; his attitude must be more or less aggressive.
Missionary operations in India commenced among Hindus, and for many years missionary effort has continued to be directed toward combating the errors of Hinduism. For a long time Islam received scant attention at the hands of missionaries (the adherents of that religion were looked upon as too fanatical and too obstinately impressed with the truth of their own faith to be moved to embrace Christianity), and it' is only now that the Church is awaking to a sense of the neglect of the missionary command with reference to Mohammedans, which has been conspicuous in many parts of India.
Immobility, or stability on fixed principles, is claimed both for Hinduism and for Islam; but the supposed stability of the former is a very different thing from that of the latter. As a matter of fact, • Mr. Monro is the author of several very thoughtful and helpful pamphlets on Islam in India and in England. They may be obtained from the author.-EDITORS.
Hinduism has been in a state of llux for centuries; its so-called immobility is the immobility (undeserving of the name altogether) produced by transformation or absorption of foreign elements without any apparent regard for stability of principle. Hinduism has been, and still is, henotheistic, polytheistic, monotheistic, pantheistic, even atheistic, as circumstances have required. At the present moment, when Ohristianity is beginning to make Hinduism totter, who so ready as Hindus to cbim identity for Christ and Krishna, and to maintain that in its essentials the Christian teachings of the Bible has been anticipated in the pantheistic Gita? The supposed immobility of principles which has thus been attained by elasticity has naturally resulted in the Hinduism of the present day being but the ghost of what it was in ancient times; so great, in fact, has been the transformation that among Hindus themselves it is impossible to get any consistent or .intelligible definition of what Hinduism is.
The Immobilit)' of Islam Not such, however, has been the immobility of Islam. Of absorption or elasticity there has been no trace. All through the last thirteen centuries Islam has resisted civilization, progress, modification of religious views, and has based its polity, as well as its religious belief, on the Koran and the Hadis. And such immobility, be it remembered, is absolutely vital to the existence of Islam. 'fhe Koran, as the word of God, is susceptible of no modification;. its errors may not be admitted or corrected, its precepts, according to Islam, are as applicable in the twentieth as in the seventh century. If modern civilization does not accord with the principles of the Koran, so much the worse for the civilization, 110t for the Koran. Once admit the possibility of mistake, misdirection, modification in the Koran as handed to the world by Mohammed, and the foundation of the whole religion, with the polity bascd thereon, is sapped. Of sects among Mohammedans, immobile as Islam is, there has been no lack; but sectarianism is not dealt with by a kind of tolerant absorption into orthodoxy. Everyone of the twenty-three sects, into which, according to Mohammed, Moslems would be divided after his death, is doomed to hell, except one sect, and that pri vileged sect, in the opinion of the founder of Islam, is that which follows « the religion which is professed by me and my companions."
And yet there are not want.ing signs in India as well as elsewhere that the pressure of various forces, brought in under modern civilization and education, is beginning to prove too much for the vaunted immobility of Islam. Let us glance at a few of such signs. History shows us in the clearest manner that when Islam comes in contact with a higher civilization, politically, in the end it has to yield and take an inferior place. The Moslems, with ~ mist~ken pride, still
NOTES ON ISLAM IN INDIA
point to the sultan at Constantinople, and to recent massacres of Armenians, as a proof of the vitality and supremacy of Islam. A judicious silence, however, is maintained on the numerous occasions on which the sultan has to yield, and, as everyone knows, the anachronism of a Koranic polity at Constantinople is due to no vitality of Islam, but to the jealousy of European powers, who tolerate the Turk because they can not agree among themselves as to who is to succeed him. And this knowledge is not confined to European powers; it is beginning to show itself among Moslems themselves, giving birth to the young Turkish party, who are held in detestation by the Ulema at Oonstantinople, and who are obliged to carry out their political designs in foreign capitals, where their lives, at aU events, are safe. Education has taken long to penetrate, but it has begun to penetrate at last, and the young Turkish party, who are educated men, have commenced to realize that the immobility of Islam, based on the Koran, involves political stagnation and gradual political effacement. Progress among the powers of the world, under the polity prescribed by the Koran, they have discovered to be impossible. With education based only on the narrow teaching of MuUas and Maulavis, they find that they can not take their place among educated nations of the West; and therefore even in the great college of AI-Azhar itself at Oairo we find the number of students decreasing, owing to the demand for Western education.
The Effect of Western Ideas The same condition of affairs is visible in India. After the Moslem conquest, administration, both as to principles and language, was conducted on Mohammedan lines. Education, such as it was, was Mohammedan in its tendency; the court language, the language of the tribunals, was Persian; revenue and criminal terms were Mohammedan-everything, in short, was in accordance with India being a darul-Islam and not a dar-ul-hal'b. When Mohammedan supremacy was displaced by that of England, for many years the administration continued to be permeated with the principles and language of the Moslem regime. Persian still continued to be the language of the courts; a Mussulman Kazi invariably sat with the English Sessions judge, and gave hisfutwa (or legal opinion) as to the punishment of the accused in accordance with Mohammedan law; English. judges and magistrates only signed their decisions, the grounds for their judgments being drawn up in the court vernacular by their native subordinates. Gradually, however, all this has been changed. The English judge now writes his decisions at length under his own hand, and records all evidence in his own language. '1'he Kazi, with his pedantic f?dwas, has long since disappeared from the scene, and at present English is practically the language of the courts. A Moslem who does not know
that tongue finds that he has little or no chanee of sharing in appointments under the government. For years Mohammedans have been slow to recognize this, and they have clung obstinately to their own systems of education, which do not look with favor on Western methods. Hence the frequent and loud complaints as to Mohammedans being" crowded out" by more pliable and elastic Hindus in the competition for administrative posts. But here in India, as well as in the Western Turkish Empire, the pressure of Western civilization and the denial of hope of advancement to Mohammedans of the old school have been too much for the immobility of Islam. At the college in Aligharh has arisen a school of educated Mohammedans, whose progress and whose liberal views are strongly resented by the orthodox adherents of the old regime. With the object, it is alleged, of counteracting the spread of such views, a conference of the learned, under the title of" Nadwat-ul-Ulema," was lately held in Calcutta, its professed aim being to revive the study of Arabic, as a means, or, rather, the means, of religious education. Fifty years ago, I make bold to say, such a proposal would have been hailed with acclamation; now, however, we find views publicly expressed which, in the opinion of the orthodox, must savor of very pronounced, not to say pernicious, heresy. A Mohammedan writes: If the Nadwa desire to educate the people in their religious and moral duties, they must do so in the language of the people. What is now called religion is simply a lifeless form. A man mumbles certain sounds, and makes flexions of the body, and he has done all that this religion requires of him to do. He is now at liberty to go and cheat his employer, render false accounts, and speak a multiplicity of lies. . . . The Ulema have always been against the diffusion of knowledge; they wish to keep the Book of God, and all religious books, in a foreign and unknown tongue. They desir·e to keep the people in ignorance and superstition, so that their influence and power may continue unabated. . . . It is a futile to hope for the regeneration of our community by means of a revival of Arabic literature. . . . Historical works in the Arabic language are a bare narration of occurrences, and were written at a time when there was no idea of the sequence of events in the history of human affairs, so that we must have recourse to English for the acquisition of the knowledge of history as well as science, or we must place this knowledge before our young men in the garb of their spoken language. . . . The translation of the Koran will be regularly read, and our people will not have the mummery which is now called religion, but will have true religion as their constant reference and real guide.
Another writer, also a Mohammedan, a few weeks ago, in giving his views upon another subject, thus delivers himself: Mohammedanism, as it is generally believed by the Mohammedans, is a mere cant. It has 10lSt its force. It has no stimulating influence on the minds of the believers. . • . The present Islam is a series of questionable doctrines set forth by Aba. Hanifa, Hambal, and Melik•••• I
NOTES ON tSLAM IN !NOlA
admit the Mohammedans are in the last grade of rudeness and barbarism, but this is not because Mohammed was an imposter.
Could any stronger language be used by any Christian in denouncing the errors of Islam than the above quotations from the productions of Mohammedans? Could any stronger proof be adduced to show that the immobility of Islam, on which, be it remembered, Islam depends for its existence, has been rudely shaken, and is beginning to be felt as an intolerable burden by Indian Mohammedans themselves?
This desire for Western knowledge-this discontent with the ignorance to which the policy of the Ulema has condemned Mohammedans generally-is further signally instanced by the progress made in the publication of Mohammedan newspapers and periodicals in India. Fifty years ago such literature was conspicuous by its absence. Now there are Moslem newspapers and magazines both in English and in various vernaculars, not Arabic-all means of bringing light to the minds of many, and of making more unsupportable the darkness with which the masses have been hitherto surrounded under the teaching of the Ulema. Even in controversy with Christians there is noticeable, amid much of the old bitterness begotten of the intolerance of the Ulema, amid much of the "paralysis of intellect" developed by fanatical ignorance, a movement toward reasonableness on the part of Moslems which is thankworthy. The old Mullas and Maulavis are still bitter as ever, and hostile as before, but their influence is beginning to wane, and their ignorance, which cloaks itself in irritation and abuse, has been so often demonstrated that their supposed omniscience has received many a rude shock-a beginning, no doubt, but still a beginning, of progress toward the light.
Signs of Increased Vigor This progress, however, is not unaccompanied with signs of increased vigor in proselytizing and supporting Islam on the part of those whose watchword must necessarily be the immobility of that faith. Amid the lower civilization of Africa, Islam is undoubtedly making progress. But wherever a higher civilization intervenes Mohammedanism fails to make an impression. Still, efforts are being vigorously made. Al-Azhar sends forth every year fanatical adherents of Islam, a college has in recent times been started at Desband, in the upper provinces of India, for proselytizing purposes, but as one of the Mohammedan writers above quoted says: Arabic literature may do for the educatiou of a body of theologians, or Ulema, but as a means of general education, the Arabic language will never do in this country. • • . It [the policy of reviving Arabic] will leave behind a legacy of time and opportunities lost which we may never again obtain; it will leave behind broken links in the progress we have begun to make-links that we may never be able to replace.
Similarly we notice increased activity in missionary tours among
}Iohammedans. In connection with these it is interesting to note the illsidious attempts on the part of such Moslem missionaries to appeal for support of their efforts to H£ndlls as being all residents of India, and thus united with Mohammedans by the common bond of being Orientals. In such appeals there is doubtless some political significance, but the real foe against whom Islam does not scruple to invite polytheism to unite is not the British government, but the Christian religion, the advance of which Islam is beginning to feel itself less and less able to resist.
The same reason, no dou bt, accounts for a very recent development in methods of Moslem proselytizing. We often hear of the iniquity of Ohristian missionaries in making what are called rice-Christiansi.e., inducing Hindus or Mussnlmans to embrace Christianity by offering them temporal advantages, a system which every right-minded Christian will join with non-Christians in condemning. What do we find Islam now doing? Adopting the very system which in Christians it has condemned! I have before me a notification from" The Society for Friendliness Toward New Mussulmans," established within the last year, which sets forth, with much unction, that as there can be no salvation except through Islam, "glad news is hereby communicated to the seekers of eternal salvation." This" glad news" is not of a spiritual nature; it consists in the announcement that in the case of non-Moslems, who embrace Islam and enter the society, the latter" may undertake their education and religious instruction, and will also provide them with food and other necessaries. It is requested that those who wish to obtain eternal salvation should embrace the faith of Islam, aud come to the society without any hesitation and obtain religious instruction. God willing, the society will make proper arrangements for their food, education," etc. If this "glad news" is not proselytizing by inducements in the shape of temporal advantages, words have no meaning!
The same reason may account for the patronage on the part of the sultan extended to the ridiculous farce which is being enacted in Liverpool, generally known as "Guilliamism," and which is represented by Moslems in search of encouragement under the decadence of their faith as a remarkable development of Mohammedanism in England. The author of this farce, a Mr. Guilliam, the sultan has had the misfortune to dignify with the title of Sheikh-aI-Islam, altho the tenets which he professes to hold are simply a parody on Islam, altho the Liverpool farce has been condemned by the Moslem Society of London as a fraud under the name of religion, a-Itho it has been denounced by Indian Mohammedans in Constantinople itself as " more or less humbug," and altho in India itself Guilliamism has been extinguished in the ridicule and laughter of all orthodox Mussulmans. Islam has surely come to a sorry pass when it blesses aid to Mohammedanism derived from such a puerile exhibition; but with the new
NOTES ON ISLAM: IN INDIA
l'ul'kish party making their presence felt at Constantinople, the alleged spread of Islam in England was, in the opinion apparently of the representation of the caliphs, II> good card. to play, altho this supposed advance of Islam in Liverpool was nothing but a travesty of Mohammedanism, based on teaching which by all orthodox Ulema could only have been condemned as unsound and heretical.
In Persia, notwithstanding persecution, Babism is extending in a manner which is quite remarkable. During recent years, in the Punjab, a blasphemous imposter, styling himself the promised Messiah, after the fashion of Alex. Dowie of Chicago, has gathered a considerable following among Mohammedans, in ~pite of a display of ignorance, presumption, and blasphemy on the part of the leader which might well debar any Moslem from doing aught but denounce him as an enemy of Islam. The heresy of this schismatic has been denounced by some of the orthodox Mussulmans in the Punjab, but in the way of general repudiation of such unsound doctrines, there is still much to be desired. Islam in India is not apparently strong enough to repudiate with boldness such indubitable heterodoxy, a sign of decadence which may well cause grave anxiety to the Ulema and the orthodox adherents of the faith.
Prospects of Missionary Work As regards missionary work among Moslems in India, prospects seem hopeful and encouraging. The immobility of Islam has of recent years sustained lllany a rude shock frolll which it is trying vainly to recover. With increasing numbers of educated men coming to the front every year, the frequency and severity of such shocks are not likely to diminish, and opportnnities for missionary work are thereby afforded which the Church of Christ will do well to "buy up" instead of allowing them to slip. First of all, let our missionary bodies awake to the fact that there isa great work to be done among Mohammedans. Too long has the mistaken notion prevailed that no such work was worth undertaking or likely to end in successful results. The number of valuable converts who have come from Islam is an earnest of the great work which lies before Christian missionaries, and a proof of the way in which God has owned what has already been done. Let us thank God and take courage. With the Church awakened to the importance of the task laid upon her as regards missionary operations among Mohammedans, the first step to be taken is to send more consecrated men and women, moved by the Spirit of God and trained for work among Moslems. Every missionary detailed for snch work should learn Arabic, and be thoroughly conversant with the Koran and the commentaries thereon. Without such knowlE.'dge he is certain to be placed at a disadvantage in any discussion with Moslems. Let us welcome every effort on the part of Mohammedans to have the Koran translateu into various vernaculars, so that it may
be "understanded of the people," and its proper value tested by them; and let us aid the plain and full preaching of the Gospel by the distribution of suitable literature among Moslems. Much literature of this kind is in existence, but it seems as if considerable power were wasted through each missionary body favoring literature prepared by its own members. Might it not be practicable to have a nnited Board to consider and select 'suitable literature for circulation among Moslems? The adoption of such a system would certainly save money, economize effort, and lead to a method of uniformity in attack which would pave many advantages. Let us not forget, too, that the mode of evangelization adopted by our Lord Himself and the early Ohurch is equally applicable to, and effective in the case of, Moslems as of others-the method of medical missions. If anyone wishes to convince himself on this point, let him read the account of recent work done in Persia-on the Indian frontiers-in every place, in short, where the method of our Lord has been followed. The method was not devised by man, but by the Son of Man Himself, and snrely He knew what was the best method by which the world' was to be evangelized. Wherever tried, it has succeeded in an unexampled way, as an evangelistic agency. Let us try it specially in our renewed efforts to spread the Gospel among Moslems everywhere.
A STREET SOENE IN HAIDARABAD, DEOCAN Haldarabad Is In tbe Nlzam's dominions, and Is a thoroughly Mohammedan city, In whloh, untH a few years ago, no Christian missionary was allowed to reside or work. Entrance was first gaIned through some lady missionaries. Now the Methodists of AmerJca, the Wesleyans of England, and the Young Women's Cbristian Association carryon mission- ary work In the city and district
THlll MACEDONtAN CALDRON
THE MACEDONIAN CALDRON BY REV. HENRY OTIS DWIGHT, LL.D. Author of" Constantinople and Its Problems"
A number of years ago, when Bulgarian affairs were attracting a good deal of attention in Europe, a gray-bearded Turk sagely remarked: "The pot is boiling, and the Europeans are keeping up the fire. We do not know what is in the pot, nor do we know whether it will blow the cover off. But one thing we Turks know, and that is that if the pot does blow up, the cover is certain to fall upon our heads! "
This time it is the Macedonian caldron which is boiling in that illstarred Balkan Peninsula. It now seems that in case the explosion occurs, again the hurt of it must smite the Turks, who await with anxiety this, to them, mysterious dispensation of Providence. During the present pause of expectancy it may be worth while to try to see the contents of the boiling caldron.
Macedonia is not a definite territorial division. Yet for the sake of convenience this ancient name is commonly applied to the three Turkish provinces of Salonica, Monastir, and Kossova. As thus defined, Macedonia lies between the Balkan Mountains and the Grecian Archipelago or Egean Sea. It is shut off from Thrace by the Rhodope Mountains, from Epirus and Albania by the main mountain chain which forms the backbone of Greece, and from Greece by the great spur thrown eastward from this mountain chain to meet the sea at Mount Olympus. Its area is about equal to that of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Oonnecticut taken together.
The spurs of the Balkans fill the northern half of the region with
their peaks and jagged ridges, having a ,general trend toward thesoutheast. Just east of Salollica one of these great spurs thrusts itself some seventy miles into the Egean Sea, finally ending in an er.ormous trident, one of whose prongs is formed by Athos, the holy mountain of the Orientil Church, the inhabitants of which are all monks. Since the rivers that spring from the southern watershed of the Balkans all empty into the Egeall, the surface of the country takes the form of a series of troughs, separated by mountains and highlands, and trending toward the sea, until on approaching the coast they widen into a broad belt of open land. The river valleys and the southern or coast regions enjoy a fertile soil, produce cotton, tobacco, opium, silk, and the cereals, and naturally attract the larger part of the population.
Characteristics of the People Since this region, naturally fitted to support its people in prosperity and content, is producing explosive matter in a way that threatens the peace of Europe and arrests the attention of the world, the characteristics of the population invite inquiry.
In the first place, it is necessary to fix· in mind the point that there are no Macedonians. All the people of Macedonia claim to have come there from somewhere else, and each to hold, by right of some long. forgotten conquest, as good a title to the land as anybody else. In the second place, these people are compactly grouped in separate parties. LeaviBg out of accouut the Jews swarming in Salonica and other large trade centers (from whose nnmbers one might imagine Macedonia to be a second Judea), there are six well-defined and thoroughly insulated factions in the population of about two million souls.
The first group is composed of the Turks, a mixture of many races, held together by a common interest in domination, and found in numbers at every strategic center of control. They possess abundant records and census returns to prove that their group is the largest of the six, for census returns in that land honor the faith of him who writes them up.
Second are the Albanians, descendants apparently of the ancient Pelasgi, renowned for patriotic love of Albania and its "Customs and language, and also for love of strifes, stratagems, and spoils. For the most part they represent an overflow from Albania, which can be increased to any extent, and they are found in all stations and occupations in cities and large towns. Somewhat more than half of them are Mohammedans, but they are allies of the Turks only so far as interest permits and nationalism does not forbid.
Third are the Wallachians, remainders from some ancient invasion of the Dacians beyond the Danube. They cherish their national Roumanian language, and are the horse-breeders and the wagoners and muleteers of the trade of these provinces. They are mostly mem-
THE MACEDONIAN CALDRON
BULGARIAN MAN AND WOMAN IN THE NATIONAL COSTUME bers of the Greek Ohurch, but they hold themselves aloof from the other groups of the population in order to profit by their dissensions. Altho they are the smallest of the six factions, cases might arise where these Wallachians would hold the balance of power.
Fourth are the Servians, chiefly found in the northern part of Macedonia, in that belt of land which goes by the name of "Old Servia," where they are unobtrusive agriculturalists and swineherds.
Fifth are the Greeks, bright, vivacious, and enterprising, swarming in the coast regions where mercantile pursuits most flourish, and always supplied with church records and census reports to prove that they are more numerous than the Bulgarians or the Turks.
Sixth are the Bulgarians, a people less well known but not less numerous in Macedonia than the Greeks. In origin they are kin to the Turks, being Turanians. In the seventh and eighth centuries they thrust themselves into the Balkan Peninsuala, coming from beyond the Volga, and penetrating as far as to the Adriatic Sea before they were thrown back toward Thrace by the Albanians. The Bulgarians conquered Slavic peoples when they came out of Asia, but adopted their language and comingled with them, so that now they are genuine Slavs, loving agriculture rather than trade. They are sturdy men, quiet and persistent, and have the curious trait of not knowing when they are defeated. '['heir kingdom was a thorn in the flesh to the Greeks of Byzantium until it was overthrown by the Turks at the end of the fourteenth century. Macedonian Bulgarians claim to be remainders from this ancient Bulgarian kingdom and to be the heirs to the land. Like the Greeks and the Turks, they have records and census reports to prove that they far outnumber all other factions in Macedonia.
The Turkish Government and Its Officials A curious peculiarity of all of the peoples of Macedonia, including, to a certain degree, the Turks, is a deep-seated and hereditary hatred for the Turkish government and all of its appurtenances and incidental appendages. The reason is not far to seek in the essential inequalities imposed upon Christians living in a Mohammedan territory. The Turkish government steadily refuses to give weight to the testimony of Christian witnesses in lawsuits against Mohammedans; it often-perhaps commonly-refuses to pnnish Mohammedan murderers when the victim is a Christian; it seizes upon trivial excuses to make Christians pay money for the support of idle Mohammedans; it refuses to regard crime as an injury to the social organization, and insists in the very worst cases that a money payment to the victim should clear the criminal; it registers the names of educated men as suspicious characters and seeks to block their way to any career; it brands the schools as seditious, so that a proverbial expression in the mouths of all Turkish officials is: "Where schools are, there seek treason."
The system of tax-farming further insures rancorous hatred of the government. The man who has bought the right to collect taxeR arranges with corrupt officials; demands the money when he knows there is no cash, and forces the people to borrow of his partner at two per cent. a month. Then he collects at harvest double value in produce for the usurious advance, and there is no redress. One class of acts which rankles in the mind of the subject is the endless meddling of the police with ordinary business. A merchant in one of the seacoast towns of Macedonia a few years ago conceived the brilliant idea of securing for his Greek customers a stock of table ware decorated
with portraits of the King and Queen of Greece. When the goods arrived the government confiscated the whole consignment as treason- able political documents, smashed the crockery and emptied the pieces into the sea. There was no redress.
Another class of such acts is the steady succession of devices by which the Christian peasants are made to feed and finance Mohamme- dans. A typical device is to appoint a Mohammedan as field-guard to a Macedonian Christian village. He is to protect the villagers from robbery and they pay him a salary. Thenceforward the man lives at ease upon the best provender of the people. If he can pick up a stray animal belonging to a village, he collects a special fee for his trouble. If a stranger stops at the village over night, he collects a fee for each horse or donkey which the traveler leaves to graze upon the village common. He keeps an eye on the prospects of all the pretty girls, and when he discovers a suitor with money but no favor, he offers him, for a consideration, the prettiest of the lot. He then forces the father to consent to the marriage. The father dares not disobey; the girl is married against her will and her interest; the field-guard pockets his fee from the bridegroom, and then he forces the father to pay him brokerage for having taken the trouble to find a husbaud for his daughter.
If any peasant dares to refuse the demands of the field-guard, he is punished by some sudden inroad of brigands summoned by the guard himself. In one case of which I knew some years ago, the people of a Christian village in Macedonia united to bring to justice the brigands who had raided their stock. The robbers were arrested and sent to jail. After they had served their term in prison, they appeared at the village one day announcing that their trade union (esnaf) had decided that they must be paid for the time which they had spent in prison. Moreover, they actually collected this "fine" in the presence of Turkish officials.
Such injuries are small and petty compared with those atrocious outrages of which the papers give us occasional descriptions. But they are continuous in action, like the tiny bits of coal-dust that sometimes get into the eye and drive a grave Ulan wild. The principle of the Turkish government toward its Christian subjects has to be, on religious grounds, the principle of Rehoboam: "My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." It is impossible that the relation of the Christian subjects of Turkey to the government which holds these principles can ever be other than that of readiness for revolt the moment that there is the ghost of a chance for success.
Jealousy of Opposing Factions Inquiry as to how the Turkish government prevents the arrival of such a chance opens out some of the more secret causes of the
mighty seething ever in progress in the Macedonian caldron. Next to the attempt to break the spirit of its subjects, 'l'urkey for many years has given attention to fostering jealousy and racial or religious hatred between the factions of the population. The Mohammedan Albanians are encouraged by immunity to abuse and rob and kill the Christian peasants. Thus the government is secured against any coalition between Albanians and Christiaus. But the Albanians, like each of the Christian factions, claim a right by inheritance to annex to Albania a goodly slice of Macedonia.
Their power, too, is so great as to make them a real danger. Hence the Turkish government intrigues to cultivate strife between the different Albanian clans. Feuds aud envies aud jealousies and mJlrderous attacks ABDUL KERIMPASHA result from very slight encourage- ment. Eveu when, as now, the The bribe-proof Governor-General of Albanians are honored by having one Monastir, Macedonia, Turkey of their own race chosen by the sultan to be his grar.d vizier, the appointment is so managed as to become a personll grievance to other Albanian chiefs. Meanwhile the Turkish officials are rubbing their hands and chuckling over the ease with which this splendid race is made to destroy its own strength instead of turning it against the government which all alike despise and hat.e.
A hatred which feeds Macedonian ebullition without aid from the Turks grows from half-political, half-religious dissensions among the Christian populations. These Macedonian Christians, whatever their race, belong almost entirely to the Orthodox (Greek) Church. Until the Crimean War of 1853-56 the Greek Patriarchate of Constantinople had paramount control over their religious affairs, and all Christian church services and all Christian schools in Macedonia were conducted in the Greek language. Under the new charter of freedom for edu- cation which resulted from the Crimean War, American missionaries, in 1858, opened schools at Philippopolis and Eski Zagra, in Eastern Roumelia, which were taught in the Bulgarian language. At that time not a school taught in Bulgarian existed in all Turkey. But the Bulgarian national spirit was not dead, and in five years from the opening of those two Bulgarian schools by the Americans, numbers of others had been opened by the people. The new idea of Bulgarian education for Bulgarians spread through the land, and after some years extended to Macedonia, altho the Greek priests everywhere savagely opposed it.
The modern Eastern Church has copied after Islam in closely
110::1 J THE MACEDONIAN CALDRON
intermingling politics and religion. The cause of the opposition of the Greek clergy to Bulgarian national aspirations was largely religious, uutwhen the question was raised in Macedonia of reviving Bulgarian churches and schools there, the opposition of the Greek Church derived its fire from the political hope of the Greeks to possess some day the whole region. It was in 1880 or thereabouts that the Bulgari ans of Macedonia began to clamor for churches and schools where their own language would be used. A long and bitter wrangle ensued between Greeks and Bulgarians. The Turkish Government favored the wrangle as another safeguard against coalitions among the °fac_ H WHERE SCHOOLS ARE, THERE SEEK TREASON! "
Some teacber. IOnd pupil. a~ the Girl.' Boarrlln go 8cbool, Mona.tl r, 1t[acedonla tiona, and about twelve years ago, with t he consent of the sultan, three Bulgarian bishops were appointed over the sees of Ochrida, . Pil'ilip, and Usknb.
The Servians of Macedonia now saw that their claim to a consider- able portion of the region might sufIer unless they asserted themselves.
Another fierce struggle took place which embroiled Bulgarians, Greeks, and Servians. Finally the Sultan, about five years ago, con- sented to the establishment of a Servian bishopric in Macedonia, and these three branches of the Orthodox (Greek) Church have been at swords points ever since. By this emnity the Turkish government profits, since the least movement of discontent in any one faction of the Christian population is promptly reported t o the government by the others with the fiendish glee of the tell-tale school-boy who hopes to see a delinquent mate flogged. .
COLONEL YANKOFF BORIS SARAFOFF Noted as a leader of "' irregular" revolu· Pronounced "the most notorious" ot tlonary b,ndB In Macedonia Macedonlan leaders That this bitter enmity between the factions of Ohristians is needless is shown by the prosperity of the American mission in Macedonia. This mission has stations at Salonica and Monastir, carried on by ten American men and women, with some forty native workers scattered throughout Macedonia at about twenty-five out-stations. Oonnected with the mission are thirteen schools and seven organized churches, haviug a membership of about six hundred. The point for special notice here is that in these evangelical churches Bulgarians, Greeks, Albanians, and Servians have put aside their racial hates in order to become brothers in devotion to Jesus Ohrist. This proves, as far as it goes, that the intermixture of politics with religion in Macedonia, by obscuring supreme devotion to Jesus Christ, is what has brought the Christians of that region to such a pass that their brawls may yet drag Europe into war, as a dog-fight sometimes brings on a riot among the bystanders on a city street.
After the last war between Russia and Turkey the treaty of San
1903J JOHN COLERIDGE PATTESON, D.D
Stefano (in 1878) gave to Bulgaria about one-fourth of Macedonia. This the congress of Berlin gave back to Turkey. Straightway people from that section of Macedonia began to emigrate to the principality of Bulgaria. Nearly two hundred thousand of these Macedonian Bulgarians are now in the principality, holding prominent places in the trades, the professsons, the army, and the cabinet of the prince. The whole influence of these men is directed toward securing Macedonia for Bulgaria without regard to Greek, Albanian, Servian, or undeserving Turk.
Turkey dreads rebellion. It dreads the Albanians, it dreads the Greeks, but especially it dreads rcbellions of imported rebels from Bulgaria, and is pouring enormous military forces into the unhappy region of the boiling caldron. The spectacle is by itself proof, if any were needed, of the utter futility of the famous reforms which, under pressure of Europe, the sultan has granted to the three provinces. It is not any Turkish reform that can weld together that hodgepodge of races which has made Macedonia what a bright Englishman has called "the infernal machine at the door of Europe."
Iu such circumstances one can no more venture to prophesy the future than one can prognosticate the future of a cyclone. The only conclusion to which past experience points is that until Europe can agree on a direct intervention, such as calmed Bosnia and quieted Crete, there is no hope of peace among the wrangling factions of Macedonia.
JOHN COLERIDGE PATTESON, D.O.. MISSIONARY BISHOP OF MELANESIA BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF In this heroic missionary we have a typical example of modern Christian martyrs. The story of his life is full of inspiration and instrudion. Born in London, 1827, and killed at Nikapu, 1871, John Coleridge Patteson's was one of the shortest lives and prominent in modern missionary endeavor, yet one of the most useful in testimony to God. Some characters are a tonic and a stimulant; to enter within their circle is to breathe a bracing atmosphere, due not 80 much to mental gifts as to manly attributes and the manifest Christ-life.
Patteson's whole course was onward and upward. His was one of the purest, saintliest, and most heroic of characters, conspicuous for truth and love. Absolutely genuine, he had also a feminine gentleness. His sincerity constrained others to trust him, while his love warmed and won them, and welded them into unity with him. These traits may be traced to his parents, as a heritage: his father, Justice Patteson, was conspicuous for sterling integrity; popular, but not at the expense of principle, the love of truth permeating his being as
veins of metal do the rock. His son always felt that whatever was best in him was largely due to his father's sturdy backbone of principle, supplemented and complemented by his mother's gentleness, which was not, however, at the expense of firmness. She exacted implicit and unhesitating obedience, but her authority was steeped in love. Her boy needed such training, for he had a tendency to passionate anger, and a natural indolence, both of which he had need to overcome.
Called Coleridge, after his mother's family name (she being related to Samuel Taylor Coleridge), he was known as "Coley." When but six years old he hinted his desire to be a clergyman, greatly to his mother's delight. Even in childhood he had an habitual reverence for sacred things seemingly connected with a deep sense of the presence of God. On his fifth hirthday his father had given him a Bible, which he early learned to read and love; and on one occasion when loudly called for, he asked a few minutes more just to finish "the binding of Satan for a thousand years." This same Bible was, twentyseven years later, used in his consecration as bishop.
Ooley owed much to the influence of his uncle, Rev. Francis G. Coleridge, with whom he lived for It time while at school, who emphasized the value of exact truthfulness in word and deed, and once gave Ooley a serious talk on the subject. He could scarcely restrain his smiles, however, when the boy tried to reduce by calculations the exact number of his fibs, maintaining that it was not more than two or three at the utmost, till it was impressed upon him that the sin lay not in the number of lies told, but in the fact of falseness; and from this time on he was more proof against such temptations.
Some special influences shaped him for the mission field. One was the atmosphere of a Ohristian home, and his first impulse came at a very early age. After listening with intense interest to the story of a missionary bishop who had experienced a severe hurricane in his field of labor, he exclaimed: "When I grow up, I'm going to be a bishop and have a hurricane, too!"
Shortly after the coronation of Victoria, in 1838, a distinguished company gathered at Eton to witness the brilliant pageant of the famous old-time school festival-" an Eton Montem." The fair young queen herself had corne from Windsor to grace the occasion with her presence. The students crowded round the royal carriage, with loud acclamations of loyalty. Suddenly one of their number, a bright-faced lad of eleven, lost his footing and was dragged beneath the wheels. Death seemed imminent and unavoidable. Instantly, however, with rare presence of mind, the young queen reached out her hand to the struggling boy, and he was saved! The little lad was none other than John Ooleridge Patteson, the future missionary bishop of the South Seas.
JOHN COLERIDGE PATTESON, D.D
While at Eton, three years after his memorable rescue, young Patteson first heard the voice of God calling him to missionary serv- ice. One Sunday afternoou, Octo1;Jer in, 1841, in company with fellow students, he heard George A. Selwyn, the newly consecrated Bishop of New Zealand, preach to his old flock at Windsor. Listening to the burning words of the great missionary, as he preached on the abundance of the sea being converted to God, his heart was fired with an intense love and enthusiasm for the work. Rev. (afterward Bishop) Samuel Wilberforce on the same day preached on "Christ's Inter- cessory Prayer" 'That they may be one in us, that the world may believ,e that thou hast sent me.' " The former sermon emphasized God's plan for the conversion of the Gentiles, and the latter the unity and authority of God's children as a witness to a dying world, and drove home the obligations of consecration to God and His work. One remarkable senten0e that influenced Coley was this: "As we are giving up our best in sending forth our cherished and chosen sons, so let there go forth" a consenting offering; let us give this day largely in the spirit of self-sacrifice as Christian men to Christ our will, and He will graciously accept the offering." So, while others were giving gold and silver, the Eton lad of fourteen gave himself. Not long after, Bishop Selwyn, calling to say "Good-bye" to the Pattesons, aoked Lady Patteson, " Will you give me Ooley? "
He knew nothing of the effect of his sermon upon her boy, but God did, and the mother did not shrink from the sacrifice. When Coley himself made a like request she encouraged his desire, promising that if, with growth of years, this purpose ripened, he should be free to follow it.
Meanwhile he faithfully pursued his college course, winning popularity by his sunny temper and manly conduct. An expert swimmer, a dexterous oarsman, and at cricket captain of the Eton eleven, he was one of the famous athletes of his day. Tho full of fun and frolic, his conduct was ever that of an earnest, consecrated man, and his influence over his associates was unbounded. On one occasion, presiding at the annual dinner of the eleven, a student started an objectionable song. He promptly ordered it stopped, adding: "If not, I shall leave the room." It did not stop, and followed by several others he at once withdrew, sending back word that if no apology was offered he would leave the eleven. Dismayed at losing so skilful a captain, an apology was promptly made.
From Eton he went to Oxford, where he distinguished himself, especially as a linguist. Some years were spent in foreign travel on leaTing college, after which, in 1853, he was ordained, and took a curacy at Affington. J.1ess than a year late!', when Bishop Selwyn returned to England in search of helpers, the old purpose, dormant for twelve years, was reawakened, and the young curate exchanged his home
parish for work among the cannibals of the South Seas, and in March, 1855, in company with Bishop Selwyn, set sail for New Zealand. For five years he labored faithfully and successfully among the Melane- sians, winning the confidence and affection of all.
In 1861 he was set apart for his missionary bishopric, and in this capacity labored for ten arduous but happy years.
About 1869, to meet the demand for laborers in Queensland and Fiji, captains of trading vessels began enticing natives on board their ships to carry them away as slaves. Bishop Patteson protested vigor- ously but in vain against this fiendish work. By and by the traders began to use the bishop'S influence throughout the islands to further their own designs. Sometimes they told the unsuspecting natives that he had sent for them; sometimes painted their vessels to resemble his ship, The'Southern Cross, and occasionally they went so far as to array a sailor in clerical garb and hold a mock service on board. As a result of such infamous wiles, large numbers of natives were entrapped. All this risked the bishop's safety, but he bravely continued his usual trips from island to island.
On the morning of the 20th of September, 1871, The Southern Oross headed for Nikapu, and the bishop gathered his Melanesian Jads around him, strangely choosing for his last talk the death of Stephen, little knowing that he was to act anew the part of the first martyr that day. In tones never to be forgotten he quoted the words: ".Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be spoken on the housetops. And I say unto you, my friends, 'Be not afraid of them that kill the body, alld after that have no more that they can do!'" • As they approached the coral reef, canoes with natives were seen approaching. Taking with them a few persons, the bishop and his companions entered a boat and pulled toward the island. The people recognized him and acted strangely, but with the unselfishness and courage whereby he ever sought to disarm suspicion, he put himself in their power, entering one of 'their canoes, and then his companion, Mr. Atkins, thought he heard the word" Tabu," which with this race refers to the offering ofpresents to an intended victim. Some yams and fruit were put before the bishop. The canoes were now dragged from the reef into the lagoon, and he was seen to land and disappear in the crowd. With intense anxiety his friends watched for his return.
Presently the men in one of the canoes shouted, "Have you anything like this?" and a shower of arrows followed, with cries of revenge.
"This for the New Zealand man!" "This for Bauro man!" "This for Mota man!" The boat sped back toward the ship filled with wounded men. Tho Mr. Atkins was dangerously wounded, he insisted on at once returning to seek for the bishop. The native boys and two
THE WOMEN OF INDIA
sailors volunteered to go with him, and at last, as the tide rose, their boat crossed the reef. A native canoe was seen to float toward them. In it was a heap which one of the sailors thought to be a man in ambush, and at which he leveled his pistol, but it proved to be the body of the dead bishop, wrapped carefully in a mat, and upon the breast a spray of native palm with five mysterious knots tied in the leaves, and beneath the palm five bleeding wounds, each wound inflicted in retribution for one of the five natives who had died at the hands of the white man. A yell of triumph rang along the beach as the precious burden was borne back to the ship. The bishop's face was calm and full of peace, and the next day the precious body was committed to its sepulchre in the deep.
Years afterward, when Bishop Selwyn had succeeded Patteson, there was another landing at Nikapu. The visitors were received by the old chief, Moto, and one of the survivors of the kidnapped men, as a penalty for whom the life of the bishop was exacted. The visitors were taken to the hut where Patteson lJad sat and spoken to the people, when, looking across the sea, he must have seen the arrows fly across at the boat; and it was then and there that he received the deat.h-blow on the head by a club, t.he five wounds being afterward inflicted. It was then found that when the other people learned of his murder, they drove the murderers from the island, and the man who struck the first blow waS shot dead by the old chief. Bishop Selwyn and his friends proposed to place a cross on the spot where Patteson was supposed to have been killed, but, at the request of the natives, who desired that it might stand where it could be seen from the sea, this memorial of galvanized iron, with a burnished copper disk, was placed on an eminence overlooking the waves, bearing this inscription: IN MEMORY OF JOHN COLERIDGE PATTESON [ MISSIONARY BISHOP Whose life was here taken by those for whom I he would gladly have given it The bishop and his party knelt where the martyr fell and repeated the collect for All Saints' Day: "Oh, Almighty God, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship in a mystical body to Thy Son Christ, our Lord, grant us grace so to follow Thy blessed saints in all virtues and holy and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys which Thou hast prepared for them that love thee. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen."
THE WOMEN OF INDIA INTELLECTUAL. SOCIAL. AND RELIGIOUS REFORMS BY MRS. J. T. GRACEY, ROCHESTER, N. Y.
Secretary of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church " India is aglow with abundant potentialities for the future," said Lord Curzon in his eloquent 3ddress at the late Durbar in the city of Delhi. The entire country is stirred as never before with awakened ideals, and into the dry bones and dead formalities of centuries is com- ing the breath of a new and vigorous life. A Christian government and Christian missionaries for years have been sowing the seeds of great reforms in social, religious, and intellectual life, and India is slowly but surely breaking away from the dead past. These reforms are permeating society at every point, resulting in a great internal conflict, a conflict which, with resistless force, is undermining old false faiths and modifying many social customs. .~ Much of the agitation in the past twenty-five years has been in connection with the conditions and elevation of India's women, for these conditions have been the great plague-spot of the country; they have called for prompt and decisive action on the part of the British government, which has sought to abolish certain of these abuses: During the period of which we speak there has set in a current of native opinion which is vigorous and influential; many leading men are advocating SOme very radical changes. It is a step far in advance when a prominent Hindu on the platform has the courage to say: "Every social evil to which India is subject has its root in the low position assigned woman"; or when another says, " The doom of God is resting on Hindu society for its cruelty to child widows."
The women of India are the victims of a most complicated and oppressive social system, a false religion, and debasing idolatry. Macaulay said, " In no part of the world has a religion existed more unfavorable to the moral and intellectual health of our race than in India." The awful facts of woman's degradation in connection with her so-called religion is difficult to make known. Their superstitious Jear keeps them in a constant round of propitiatory rites, and the evils they forecast must be averted by works of merit. In the early history of the country, women were not kept either in ignorance or seclusion. Some were so highly cultured as to compose Vedic hymns. The pernicious system of early marriages did not prevail, nor was woman condemned to suttee, nor to suffer the miseries of perpet- ual widowhood. But there came a change. PriestlJ authority became more fully established, and rules concerning woman's position and relation to religious rites were multiplied. 'fhen followed the Mohammedan conquest, which completed her degradation. The loose marriage laws by these conquerors, as well as their habit of enriching
TRE WOMEN OF INDIA
their harems with women obtained by force, necessitated their seclusion, and hence dense ignorance followed. Caste, that great formidable obstacle, influences every phase of a woman's life. It destroys all tender, sympathetic feeling, and is a barrier to the highest development. Differing castes may not eat or drink together, intermarry or intermingle. POl' a high caste woman to accept Christianity is to doom her to social ostracism. The low caste woman is free to go out, an!I has S01Jle opportunities to hear the Gospel. The high ca~te woman, if she hears it, must hear it in her own home. She welcomes the zenana teacher often, not because of the message she carries, but because it is the breath of another atmosphere, a touch veritably from another world. The long, long weary day is spent in the round of household duties, comparing jewels, discussing trifles, with little to do, nothing to see, nothing to learn, nothing to hope for, nowhere to go, /10 one to expect; without books, papers, or magazines, DO music, no pictures·-conditions surely neither helpful nor ennobling. These women, as a general thing, are intensely superstitious, and stanch supporters of all idolatrous customs. Occasionally they go to festivals, but always protected from the gaze of the pu blic. They are permitted to bathe and wash away their accumulated sins. These festivals often present fine opportunities for missionary work. The missionary women are usually in attendance at these gatherings, and invite the women to call at their tents, which are pitched in a grove near by. From curiosity they will flock to the place, and stay to hear the Message. " We a.re only cattle, how can we understand?" say they; but light penetrates the darkness, interest deepens, and they return to their homes often with new hopes, new thoughts, and the beginnings of a new life.
Every agency is being utilized to win the women over from the false to the true. Every little village school held under a tree or on a veranda, every city school, every normal school, every boardingschool, every school for higher education, is a power which is undermining the great structure of heathenism and transforming character. A missionary of my acquaintance tells of attending a meeting in a little chapel, which was crowded to its utmost capacity. 'fhe girls from one of the schools attended. After the opening exercises the pastor called on one of the girls to lead in prayer. And such a prayer! The language was almost entirely Scriptural, yet so simple and practical as she poured out her heart in thankfulness for all blessings. Everyone was impressed. My friend asked the history of the girl, and was told that she had been left a mere skeleton, starving, at the mission gate. She had come almost ready to die, and in the densest ignorance of heathen darkness. "She is now," said the pastor, "one of the brightest students in our school, and the leader of spiritual life among the pupils."
The medical missionary is doing a great work in India, and the record of this branch of Ohristian work in the past twenty-five years is simply marvelous. No more important agency was inaugurated in the past century.
The Lady Dufferin Movement, which has extended all over Inlia; the establishment in 1894 of the North India School of Medicine for Ohristian Women, where the students are taught entirely by women; the admission of women to the medical colleges; the training of hos- pital assistants, nurses, etc., many of whom are working alone in dif- ferent places, treating thousands of patients; the Lady Ourzon effort to provide a fund for the training of nurses as a memorial to the late queen-all these are movements fraught with great possibilities for the future of India's women. A medical missionary recently writing from India says: "I was called a few months since to see one of the wives of a prince, and had the opportunity of seeing a harem in which between one and two thousand women live, and to which the prince is the only man having admittance. It was an interesting but sad experience."
Every hospital and dispensary, every visit of a physician, and every prescription given is an object-lesson of the power and influence of Ohristian love. An Indian paper commenting on a successful operation performed by a lady physician, said: "The age of miracles is not passed, for Jesus Christ is still working miracles through the women physicians."
Quite recently, in one of the cities of northern India, a gathering was held of Mohammedans and Hindus. These men discussed various themes of a sQcial character, and finally adopted a resolution to the effect « that the permanent progress of society without a further spread of education among women is impossible," and then pro- ceeded to define the education necessary, that it should not only embrace religion and morals, but domestic economy and training of children.
The Rajputs, who were the chief sinners in the practise of female infanticide, and carried it on despite the prohibition of the govern- . ment, are now leading, in the province of Oudh, for its banishment. It is a stride far ahead to hear them speaking out against this awful crime. Leading societies, chiefly in Rajputana, are pressing for reforms in marriage and funeral expenses, and some are in favor of widow- remarriage.
A way to an important soclal reform has been shown by a liberalminded Hindu in Bengal who died recently. He left a wi11 in which he gave permission to his wife to take fruits and milk on the day of fasting, which the Hindu widow has to observe once in a fortnight. Ordinarily even water is not allowed to the widow on the fasting day, and it is a large concession to allow her fruits and milk. Pundits
TtIE WOMEN OF INDIA
having been consulted if an injunction like the above left by a departed husband can be followed by a Hindu widow with impunity have decided in favor of the widow. If this example comes to be largely followed, a time-honored but cruel custom will be stopped.
This is action that will have effect, for the natives say they may pass resolutions on reforms and discuss social questions, but platform oratory is not so much needed as action. A meeting was held some time ago in the City of Bombay, where the condition of Hindu widows was discussed and suggestions made for their improvement. There were ten speakers, all of them Hindu women, and tho the audience was a mixed one, the presiding officer was also a Hindu woman. Here was action, for one of the speakers subscribed one thousand rupees for founding a widows' home. When the natives of India are sufficiently interested in these reforms to contribute to their support and development, then something will be accomplished. And there are many evidences of their reaching this point. In the Oity of Bombay a Parsee girls' association supports three large schools, where special attention is given to subjects such as are likely to be of use to girls in their homes, and one family has contributed nearly ten thousand dollars toward the endowment of classes in knitting and sewing, and quite a large amount of money is in the hands of a committee for the general support of these schools.
Possibly the most radical reform affecting the homes and lives of women throughout the entire country is now being agitated by both Hindu and Mohammedan reformers. They propose to abolish the system of the "purdah" (literally curtain), or the seclusion of the zenana. A prominent Mohammedan in Northern India has recently expressed his views on the subject, saying that the custom is entirely unsuited to the conditions of the present, while the editor of a Mohammedan paper says "the custom is not only needless, but entirely unsuited to the march of progress, as progress is understood at the present day." These men condemn a system that makes it not genteel for a woman, even when veiled from head to foot, to walk on a railway platform to get into the cars. Now she has to be carried in a closed palanquin right up to the window of her compartment, and so conducted into it as not to allow anyone to have a glance at her. This paper says the present usage "is something for which religious sanction can not be found, and which the usage of other Islamic countries can not warrant." Among the educated men there is a growing feeling that the bonds of this system ought to be somewhat modified. . A book has recently been issued by a learned Mohammedan jurist, which is startling to the Moslem world, making a plea for the emancipation of the Mohammedan women. Socially and legally he would raise her to equality with man, give her an education, check the
demoralizing practise of polygamy, and bring her out into contact with the outside world. He would do away with seclusion, and abolish the veil, which he admits is a wide departure from present customs. While the conservative Mohammedan frowns upon such views, yet there is a radical element among the young men that is heartily in sympathy with the proposed innovations.
The sixteenth session of the National Social Conference of India, which met in December last, adopted a number of resolutions, a great majority relating to reforms among women, such as the remarriage of widows, raising the marriageable age of girls, the Purdah system, and the purity question. The presiding officer in his address said "the definition of social reform was woman." I give the text of the resolution referring to the abolishment of the zenana system.
This conference begs to put on record its opinion that the custom of zenana is of a pernicious character, in that it affects prejudicially the physical and mental development of women, and the conference desires all sympathizers of social reform to do their best to foster and promote public opinion against the custom in those parts of the country and in those classes in which it is prevalent.
The conference 'also recommended the formation of central reform associations for each province, in order to secure more systematic work, and the issuing of literature and the delivering of lectures, in order to create sentiment and bring about the desired modifications in social life.
A little incident of the coronation of King Edward illustrates two sides of the purdah-the desire to hold to established usages, yet the desire to look out upon the world. A native prince, a representative of Oudh, attended the coronation, accompanied by his wife. Queen Alexandria received this secluded Indian woman privately, but on the day of the review of the India contingent she was invited to the palace, where she was provided with a secluded window from which she could observe all that passed. The queen decorated her with the silver coronation medal. This was the first secluded India woman the queen had ever seen. This visit marks an epoch in this woman's life, for while she made an effort to keep her seclusion, she came in contact with the world at large.
Not only a social but religious reform is agitating the women of India. The Gospel of Christ has entered the zenana, and many have realized "If the Son shall therefore make you free ye shall be free indeed." Weary of forms and of a debasing idolatry, many are seeking God, "if haply they might feel after Him and find Him, tho He be not far from everyone of us." Statistics do not, can not give any idea of the permeating power of Christianity or the leavening process going on in their homes. 'I.'he Rev. Dr. Weitbrecht, of the Punjab, tells of a religious movement among some Hindu women of the upper classes in the Oity of Lahore. A society was organized called the
THlE WOMEN OF INDIA
"Association of Worship," which was at first composed of only five families, who met for worship and the singing of devotional hymns once a week. But the number has greatly increased. The covenant to which each member su bscribes runs as follows: "We will renounce lying, slander, quareling with friends and relatives, and all kinds of obscenity; and we will try to promote the welfare of our sisters."
At the annual 'gathering before mentioned the lady founder read a prayer in Hindu prose, and a hymn was sung: Thou art my Lord, I Thy handmaiden, Thou art Love, I thirst for love.
Papers and a report were read by various members. The editor of a small Urdu paper for women, published' weekly in Lahore, is a Mohammedan lady, and in referring to this meeeting in her editorial notes, she remarked: We give our best wishes to these true-hearted, right-minded sisters who have made such efforts for the abandonment of idolatry, and in the spread of righteousness, and of the worship of God, and we heartily pray that He will grant them success.
Dr. Weitbrecht points out that these spiritual sympathies with a movement among people of another faith are not born of the Koran, and that it is evident that "God is working in the mind of India, through the Bible and its teachings, a gradual but radical change of conceptions which is even now producing the first fruit of a harvest."
Every such reform, every cry out of the darkness like this, is a longing for something higher and a note of triumph for the seed sown by the missionary.
The Bible Woman's Conference, the Annual Conference of Christian Women, the Christian Workers' Union, the Nurses' Training- School, the Woman's Medical School, are all evidences of the religious emancipation of India's women.
Another significant movement has been the preparation of a suitable literature for women. India is practically without a Ohristian literature for women, and anyone who in attractive form breathes forth the truth on printed page and scatters it in the homes of India is doing a great and needed work. 'I'hat eminent English missionary, A. L. O. E., had a realization of this fact, and wrote or translated nearly one hundred books adapted to the needs of India's women, the greatest legacy she could leave to the daughters of the land.
All missionary societies have done much to meet the growing necessities of the case. It is a sad comment on the character of the literature of India that the government has positively forbidden the publishing of some of the" religious literature" of the Hindus because of its obscenity.
About twenty years ago the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Ohurch was deeply impressed with the necessity of providing a Ohristian literature for the women and girls in connection with the society's schools in India. An endowment fund of twenty-five thousand dollars was raised for the establishment of an illustrated zenana paper, called The Woman's Friend. It has met a great want, and is now published in five dialects, two of Northern India. and three of Southern India. It is full of current events, religious tru ths, and all such items as would necessarily interest women shut out from the great world. It is estimated that this paper reaches about twenty-five thousand women.
The recent conference in Madras adopted no less than twenty-five resolutions relating to the production and circulation of Ohristian literature, emphasizing the necessity of a better supply of literature for women and girls. One of the recent ventures in Oriental literature is the establishment of The Indian Ladies' Magazine. This is a monthly periodical, now in its second year, and devoted entirely to the interests of women, discussing ed ucation, social reforms, and all evils under which the daughters of India have labored for years. The magazine is published in English;the language understood by the educated classes. Mrs. Satthianadhan, of Madras, so well known for her ability and Ohristian culture, is the editor. The starting of this magazine marks an epoch in the intellectual life of the women.
Some of the institutions of learning are exerting a great influence in the zenanas. The Isabella Thoburn Oollege, of Lucknow, gave during the past year two entertainments, sending invitations to a number of purdah women. 'rhe hour announced was four thirty, but many of the guests arrived at two o'clock. They were all gorgeously arrayed and seemed like birds let out of a cage. There was music by the students, and stereopticon pictures explained to the delighted audjence by one of the teachers. The women asked numberless questions, and kept up a continual chatter, for everything was a novelty. They seemed more pleased with pictures of animals and people than with landscape views.
Every precaution had to be taken to protect them from the gaze of the public. As the carriages were driven to the veranda they were carefully screened, the driver jumped from his box and hid until the women were safely inside, shielded by curtains held up by the college girls.
At the last entertainment given the moon was full, and as the women saw the broad lawns flooded with moonlight, they seemed even more delighted than they had been by the stereopticon views and music. They danced like children in the moonlight before entering their closely curtained doolies that were to take them back to their dingy homes behind the purdah. These entertainments are a part of
THE WOMEN OF INDIA
the practical work of the Oollege Young Women's Ohristian Asso- ciation.
One of the teachers writes: "The interest in these entertainments shown by the women more than compensates for the trouble of con- verting the college premises into a zenana."
A similar entertainment was held in connection with one of the schools in Bombay. The drawing-room was crowded to its utmost limit with about two hundred women, a large proportion of them being from the zenanas. Many were flashing with jewels rare. Views of the" Life of Ohrist" were shown and explained, interspersed with music, after which refreshments were served, and this fact alone shows the giving away of long and deep-seated prejudices in that these women would consent to eat with Ohristians. The superintendent of this school writes that she is frequently invited to dine with native ladies, and in every case where she had accepted, a delightful time was spent. She gives one instance when the gentlemen led the way to the dining- room, where a table was spread for about twenty, and everything served very daintily. After dinner they spent the evening in singing Christian hymns, for the women of this house are much interested in Ohristianity.
The permeating character of Ohristian teaching is working a great transformation, as evidenced by the following: A teacher in one of the schools was leading the singing of the hymn, " Rejoice, the Kingdom of Ohrist is Ooming," when a Hindu teacher exclaimed, "His Kingdom has come! Here we are-Hindu, Mohammedan, Ohristian, high caste, low caste-all sitting together on the same mat, singing His praises. His Kingdom has come! "
A society has recently been formed in India for the protection of children. This society is destined to exert a great influence over the present and future life and character of India. It aims to present the public and private wrongs of children and the corruption of their morals, and to take action for the making and enforcing of laws for their protection.
I have referred to only a few of the reforms that are agitating the country, but the result of the agitation will yet give freedom of thought and life, and when this freedom comes who can estimate the power of the Indian woman? Touched by the transforming influence of the Christian religion, she will come oul! of the long night which has enshrouded her, into the dawn of a brighter and better day. There are women in the zenanas of India of great capabilities. There are Marys now sitting at the Master's feet, learning of him; there are Marthas ready to serve, Deborahs that will yet fight the Lord's battles, and Miriams who will lead the women in their songs with thanksgiving for their deliverance.
PRAYER IN THE MISSIONARY MEETING BY BELLE M. BRAIN, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO Of all the forces God has placed at our disposal for winning the world to Christ the greatest is that of prayer. Through its mighty power marvelous achievements have b,'en wrought; for lack of it the progress of the kingdom has been seriously retarded. The absolute dependence of missions upon prayer is shown by the following words of great leaders in the work: Every step in the progress of missions is directly traceable to prayer. It has been the preparation of every new triumph and the secret of all success.-ARTHUR T. PIERSON.
Epochs of prayer are the most significant epochs in the history of Christ's kingdom. Trace any stream of blessing back far enough, and its source will be found above the clouds.-AuGUSTUS C. THOMPSON.
Everything vital in the missionary enterprise hinges upon prayer.- JOHN R. MOTT.
Every element of the missionary problem depends for its solution upon prayer.-RoBERT E. SPEER.
Yet, to a great extent, prayer is an unused power in missionary work. The average missionary organization" plays at prayer," and does not even play at it very hard.
In most societies prayer is at once the most important and the least important item on the program-the most important in that no society dares to begin without it; the least important in that scant time and little thought are given to it. Too often an opening prayer is offered largely because it is the proper thing to do, and the omission of it would offend both Goa and man. An almost superstitious feeling seems to prevail that if the heads are bowed for a few moments while a brief petition is offered, 01' the Lord's Prayer is repeated (not prayed) in unison, all will be well, and the society may safely proceed to other business. Yet prayer that is offered merely for the sake of praying can not prevail with God, and leaves scarcely a memory in the heart of man. A few turns of a prayer-wheel from Tibet would serve the purpose nearly as well.
The writer recently attended a missionary meeting which was opened by a most eloquent prayer. It was a model of its kind, yet so easily did the polished sentences roll out, and so indefinite were its petitions, that less than half an hour later, when a test was made, no one present, including the one who offered it, could remember a single petition of it, or even state its general trend.
At another meeting tIle leader called for sentence prayers. Those present responded with a number of well-worded petitions, but at the close, when they were unexpectedly asked to tell for what they had prayed, only two could remember! They had probably been more concerned over the rhetorical excellence of their phrases than with the substance of their petitions, yet a halting phrase from the heart is infinitely better than a polished sentence from the head.
The lack of prayer in the missionary meeting is due to several causes. In the first place, the number of those willing to lead in prayer is usually limited. There can not be much intercession because there are so few intercessors. In some societies the Lord's Prayer is repeated at every session because none of the members will lead in prayer, and in others the entire burden of supplication rests on one or two. If these are absent, the society is in despair.
A pastor's wife, who was formerly secretary of a Young Woman's Christian Association, relates an incident that would be amusing were it not so reprehensible. One afternoon a lady from a near-by church came to the office of the association in great haste. " We are in trouble! " she exclaimed. "Mrs. W– is absent, and no one else will pray ! We can't begin the meeting ! Won't you please come over and pray for us ?" The secretary went at once. "I felt," she says, "tha~ they needed praying for in more senses than one."
In the second place, there is a widespread feeling, seldom expressed and not always realized, that in view of the vastness of the field, the hundreds of missionaries and millions of Christless souls, it is impossible to exert an influence through prayer. The supplications of some mighty man of God-a Pastor Harms, a George Miiller, or a John G. Paton-might indeed prevail, but not so the petitions of an obscure believer in an unknown missionary society. Yet the humblest believer may become mighty in supplication. The apostle James is careful to explain that Elijah, who for three years and a half controlled the rainfall by his prayers, was "a man subject to like passions as we are." The God of Elijah still rules the universe, and it is a glad tho solemn thought that the devout Ohristian of to-day may, through prayer, control the showers of spiritual blessing from on high.
Some Secrets of Prevailing PraTer But prayer in the missionary meeting is lacking not only in quantity, but in quality as well. Missionary leaders should, therefore, endeavor to learn some of the secrets of prevailing prayer.
The first lesson we need is that of definiteness in prayer. 'fhere should be more real praying for specific things. It was said of Gossner that he "prayed open both hearts and pocketbooks, prayed up the walls of a hospital, prayed mission stations into being." Having- the same great promises, any missionary society may pray workers into the field, money into empty treasuries, and heathen souls into the kingdom of God. Individual missionaries and special fields should be prayed for by name, and not in the roundabout fashion that, by reason of long usage, has become almost a law of prayer. Sir John
Patteson took a long step in advance when, at family worship, he began to pray for "John Coleridge Patteson, missionary bishop," instead of "the absent member of this family," as had been his custom. The dying prayer of John Hunt is a model of definiteness: "0 let me pray once more for Fiji! Lord, for Christ's sake bless Fiji! Save l!'iji! Save Thy servants; save Thy people; save the heathen in Fiji! "
Another lesson we need is that of agreement in prayer. The promise of the Master, "If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew xviii: 19), is often quoted but seldom' used in a way to insure its fulfilment. If the members of a missionary society would select certain definite objects, and enter into a covenant to pray for them both publicly in the meetings and privately at home, their power in prayer would be increased a hundredfold.
A third lesson is that of expectancy in prayer. It is the prayer of faith that prevails with God. In his matchless text-book, "With Christ in the School of Prayer," Andrew Murray says: "As long as in prayer we just pour out our hearts in a multitude of petitions, without taking time to see whether every petition is sent ~ith the purpose and expectancy of getting an answer, not many will reach the mark."
Probably nowhere are prayers so frequently offered with little or no expectation of an answer as in a missionary meeting. This is due partly to a lack of faith in the promises and prophecies of God and partly to the remoteness of the mission field. It seems incredible to many that a prayer offered in New York can be instantaneously answered in Calcutta. Yet with an omniscient, omnipresent God, distance is no hindrance. Through the divine telegraphy of prayer, which needs neither wire nor key, but simply a heart in tune with God, the remotest soul may be reached in an instant of time.
Prayer which combines the elements of definiteness, agreement, and expectancy has a power well-nigh unlimited with God. This is illustrated by the" Story of the Seventy" in Mrs. Geraldine Guinness Taylor'S history of the China Inland Mission. About the year 1880 the mission began to be seriously embarrassed for lack of men. Opportunities were opening in districts long closed to Gospel effort, but there were no workers to enter them. In the autumn of 1881 a number of the China Inland missionaries met at Wu-chang for conference with Mr. Hudson Taylor. As they prayed they began to realize that while they had been urgent in pleading for open doors, they had neglected to ask for men to enter them. Believing that God would supply all their neeu, they took a sheet of paper, and went over their whole vast field, province by provincf', noting the points in each where.reinforcements seemed absolutely necessary. When at length they came to an end it was found that no less than seventy new workers were needed-an overwhelming number, in view of the fact that their entire staff was less than a hundred, and that the growth of fifteen years. But, believing it to be God's plan, they then and there covenanted together to plead daily with God in agreed prayer for the coming of the seventy within three years. So confidently did they expect an answer that, before they separated, a thanksgiving service was held, in which they thanked God for wltat Ite was going to do. Note the result. At the end of three years not seventy but seventy- six new missionaries were at work in China! God had given more than they had asked.
Some Practical Suggestions In every missionary meeting there should be much prayer, not only in connection with the devotional service, but at appropriate intervals throughout the entire session.
The ideal way to open the meeting is by a brief season of silent prayer for God's blessing and the Spirit'spresence. No other form of devotion so quickly solemnizes the heart as this, which brings every soul face to face with God.
Calling for sentence prayers, consisting of a single petition for some definite object, is an excellent plan. It not only gives opportunity to a large number to take part, but teaches brevity and concise ness of petition. That such prayers are acceptable to God may be learned from a study of Bible prayers, which are, as a rule, very short. "Lord, save me!" (Matthew xiv: 30), Peter's prayer for himself, and "Lord, help me!" (Matthew xv: 25), the Syro-Phenician woman's prayer for her child, consist of but three words each, yet they were speedily and wondrously answered. It is always wise to designate the way of closing a series of sentence prayers. This may be done by appointing some one to make the closing prayer, by uniting in the Lord's Prayer, or by singing a prayer-hymn while the heads are still bowed.
A chain of prayer, which usually consists of several prayers, fewer in number but longer in petition than sentence prayers, is a very helpful plan. The names of those who participate should always be announced beforehand, so that they may follow one another in order, and if special topics are assigned they should be written on' slips of paper and distributed before the meeting opens.
The Lord's Prayer is more widely used than any other form of petition. It is universally repeated, but seldom really prayed. Missionary leaders could render no greater service to the cause of Christ than to teach a correct use of its matchless missionary petitions. " If all true believers could only unite," says Bishop Thoburn," not in
repeating the words merely, but in uttering from the heart, the first petition of our Lord's Prayer, 'Thy Kingdom come,' the nations . would be shaken, and the Kingdom of God begin to advance with mighty strides toward universal triuIll.ph."
Praise as well as prayer should have a place in the missionary meeting. There should be general thanksgiving Jor the progress of Christ's kingdom in the world, and specific praise for special blessings granted in the work. Each issue of India's Women and Ohina's Daugltters, the organ of the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society, contains two long lists of requests, one for praise, the other for prayer, which societies and individuals are urged to nse.
Maps are an invaluable aid to intercession. No great orator at the Ecumenical Conferenc-e inspired more prayer than the map that hung above the platform of Oarnegie Hall, its great dark patches revealing how much land remaineth yet to be possessed of God. At the open- ing session of the Free Assembly of Scotland, in 1886, the Moderator, Dr. Somerville, declared that the best prayer-book for daily use was a pocket atlas of the world, and proved his assertion by a series of remarkable prayers in which he daily interceded for all the nations of the earth in turn. Every state and territory in the United States, and many of the larger cities, were presented at the throne of grace by name, as were also the principal cities and divisions of India, Ohina, and other heathen lands.
An almost ideal season of map-inspired prayer was recently observed by the study class of a Young Men's Christian Association. With a map of the world before them, they spent an hour and a half in silent prayer, pleading intensely and earnestly for the conversion of the world. One by one the fields were taken up until the globe was girdled with petition. No word was spoken save by the leader, who from time to time announced the countries in their turn.
In societies where only a few of the members are willing to take part in prayer a constant effort should be made to increase the num- ber. Sentence prayers, or short Scripture prayers, written out on slips of paper, are very helpful for this. Many a timid soul has been led to pray for the first time in public through being asked to be one of many to offer a single brief petition or read a Bible prayer.
In the average society the session is so short, and so much is crowded into it, that there is insufficient time for prayer. 'ro remedy this, every missionary organization should have connected with it a – prayer circle composed of those willing to meet for a few moments before the regular meeting, or at some other convenient time, to pray for certain· specific things; or, if meeting together seems impractica- ble, a covenant might be entered into to pray daily at some stated hour in the home. Few leaders realize what can be accomplished in this way. For nearly five years it was the privilege of the writer to be the leader of a young people's missionary organization that had many remarkable experiences of answered prayer. Everything connected with the society was taken to God, not only by the leader, but by an "inner circle" of praying ones. The answers were often according to God's own scale, "Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." – In making the programs, God was always asked to give the wisdom promised in James i : 5. '['he reSl!It was a series of plans that were not only greatly blest to their original users, but that, printed later in a little book, have been widely used throughout the United States and Canada, and, to some extent, across the sea as well. The programs being made, God was always asked not only to make the young people willing to take the parts assigned, but also to make them faithful in the carrying of them out. It is worthy of note that of the seven hundred assignments made in five years' time, less than a dozen failed in any l"ay. In response to continuous prayer for more helpers and deeper interest, the society grew steadily in numbers and power. One by one the young people were prayed for by name (not publicly, of course), until they were drawn into the work, some of them giving up all forms of doubtful a,musement in order to enter more fully into the service of the Lord. Prayer was offered, too, that God would call some of their own number to the mission field. In answer to this, nve of the young people pledged themselves, God permitting, to become foreign missionaries.
It was the custom of the leader, after selecting the Scripture lesson for each meeting, to pray that God would bless His Word and make it fruitful in some soul. No prayers were answered more signally than these. On one occasion the text selected was II. Samuel xxiv: 24- " Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which dost cost me nothing." A stranger who was present that ev(- ning-the treasurer of a large church in a neighboring city-was so deeply impressed with the words, which he had never before noticed in the Book, that on his return home he had them printed on the collection envelopes of his church.
Large boxes of books and other literature were frequently sent to destitute districts in the West. Before starting them off, prayer was always offered that God would bless and use their contents. On one of these occasions the young man who led in prayer asked that" some soul might be led to Christ through something in that box, and that we might hear of it." A few months later a letter came, saying that the mother of a large family of children had been converted through reading one of the books in that very box.
One of the most remarkable answers to prayer was granted at an all-day meeting in a neighboring city, where the leader of the society and a trusty assistant had gone to conduct a young people's hour. It
was to be held at the close of the afternoon session, and the pastor's wife was very dubious about the attendance. A literary club to which many of the young women belonged was to meet at the same hour, and a large party was to be given in the evening. The outlook was dark indeeCl. But during the noon hour a little meeting was held, with but half a dozen present, in which the matter was laid before God in prayer. Early tha.1 afternoon the young women began to come in twos and threes, and when the meeting opened the room was crowded to the doors.
Encouragements to Prayer Every missionary society, to increase its faith and encourage the spirit of supplication, should study prayer and its answer in missionary history. The following examples have been selected from an almost countless number to show the power of prayer in every phase of the missionary problem.
1. Open Doors.-At the beginning of the nineteenth century almost the whole world, outside of Ohristendom, was closed to missionary effort. Now, in answer to prayer for open doors that was made without ceasing by the Ohurch of Ohrist, l'ractically the whole world is open to the Gospel. Dr. Pierson says: During the year 1858, Japan, after two centuries of sealed ports, made treaty with Great Britain; China enlarged the rights conceded sixteen years before; India became part of Britain's world-wide empire, and zenanas were penetrated by Christian women; Italy laid the basis of her new era of freedom; Mexico threw open her doors to the Protestant missionary-all this and much more within a twelvemonth. In that one annus mirabilis two-thirds of the entire popUlation of the globe were suddenly brought within the reach of a full Gospel and an open Bible. It was that same year that the week of prayer began, upon the recommendation of the missionaries in Lahore, and how quickly the answer camel 2. Laborers.-Open doors call for men to enter them, but this need, too, has been met by prayer. "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest," is a Divine command that has never been obeyed in vain. Reference has been made to the prayers of the Ohina Inland Mission for seventy new missionaries within three years. In the autumn of 1886, when again doors were opening everywhere before them, they began to pray for one hundred new missionaries during the ensuing year. Again God honored their faith. Of the six hundred candidates who applied, one hundred were selected and sent to Ohina before the close of 1887. Equally notable was the answer granted to the Ohurch Missionary Society in 1884. There was a pressing need for workers, and a day of special intercession was appointed in the hope of meeting it. The day preceding it, however, Secretary Wigram was called to Oambridge, where there was a deep spiritual movement among the students. Before midnight one hundred men had volunteered for foreign mis-
HI03] PRAYER lN TltE M1SS10NARY MEETING 35'
sions, and next day he returned to his colleagues to quote the old promise: "Before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear."
3. Money.-Reinforcements of men call for enlarged gifts of money, but the history of missions prove that there will be no lack of this when God, not man, is depended upon to supply it. When Hud- son Taylor and his associates asked for one hundred new missionaries they asked also for money to send them. And knowing that if it came in small amounts it would necessitate an increase in office force, they asked that it might be given in large amounts. It is worthy of note that the entire amount (about $50,000) was paid in eleven pay~ ments. The financial record of Pastor Harms'mission has been called a spiritual study in statistics. In fifty years the congregation of simple German peasants at Hermannsburg raised the vast sum of $2,141,- 657 for their missionary work through prayer, and so nicely was demand balanced by supply that, tho their expenditures varied greatly from year to year, the income varied in exact proportion, so that a deficit never once occurrred.
4. Revivals.-Every great ingathering on the mission field may be directly traced to prayer. Mary Moffet wrote in South Africa: The Spirit of God has commenced His operations, and surely He will go on. Oh, for a more general spirit of prayer and supplication I I hear from my friend, Miss Leeds, that the very time of the awakening here was the season of extraordinary prayer among the churches at home. What. a coincidence and an encouragement to persevere in that most important part of Christian duty I In 1846 the first of a remarkable series of revivals occurred in Miss Fiske's school in Persia. By comparing dates it was found that on the memorable morning when first the showers began to descend in Oroomiah, Mary J-,ynn had said to her pupils at Mount Holyoke: "We must pray more for Miss Fiske and her school of Nestorian girls." Of the subsequent revivals, some began on the day of the monthly concert at home, others on the first Monday in January, which was at that time devoted to the missionary cause.
5. Preservation of Missionaries.-The power of prayer to protect and deliver missionaries in time of peril is strikingly shown in the life of William Burns. Arriving in Ohao-chou-fu on the eve of the war which broke out between Ohina and Great Britain, he was arrested. and ordered sent to Canton. The relations of China with foreign nations were so disturbed that he was in the greatest danger. Yet no harm came to him. Why? In the diary of a noble Scotch woman occurs this entry: Mr. Burns was safely kept through his arrest and imprisonment in China. Comparing the dates, I find that we were met in prayer for him during his dangerous journey under guard of the Chinese officials.
Instances similar to this have occurred in the lives of many a worker in the field.
THE REMARKABLE MOVEMENT TOWARD SELF- SUPPORT IN SIAM AND LAOS-II BY REV. ARTHUR 'J. BROWN, D.D., NEW YORK The Mission Schools and Educational Work The educational work in Siam and Laos presents Ii record of seri- ous difficulties largely overcome by persistence and wisdom. The Wang Lang Boarding-School for Girls, in Bangkok, is an illustration. Formerly it was a charity school. The girls were rude and disobedient, and tho most of them came from the lower class of society, they spent more money on jewelry and sweetmeats than their tuition would have cost, and when they left the school they usually became servants. Girls from wealthier families sometimes came with from five hundred to a thousand ticals * worth of jewelry, and cried when they were not allowed to wear it. When Miss Cole changed her policy and required fees, the parents made a great outcry, and there were the usnal objections; but she insisted. The fees now asked are four ticals ($1.12) a month for day pupils, fifteen ticals for ordinary boarders, and twenty for princesses and Eurasians who require a better table-a schedule which yields an annual income of eleven thousand ticals, and pays all expenses except the foreign missionaries' salaries and a few repairs. '['he attendance not only crowds the dormitories, but fills all the missionaries' residence except five rooms, in which the three missionaries live. All pupils pay the full charges except fourteen, eight of whom pay a part, and the surplus covers the deficit. The discipline has greatly improved, the pupils come from a better class, and on their graduation become wives or teachers.
The influence of this school is tremendous. Half of its pupils come from the families of noblemen, five are royal princesses, the daughters of brothers of the King, and others are daughters of governors and ministers to European capitals. The powerful High Commissioner of Pitsannloke sends his three daughters here. The entire teaching force of the Bangkok public government schools, thirteen in number, are …. graduates of Wang Lang, twelve of them being Christians. At the recent government examinations our Wang Lang school elicited the outspoken admiration of the Prince Director-General of Public Instruction by excelling all other schools in the kingdom, including the Prince's own college, in the proportion of pupils who creditably pass the examinations.
An equally conspicuous example is the Bangkok Christian Boys' High-School, which is conducted on essentially the same principles, and where the boys paid last year nine thousand four hundred and ~wenty ticals for their board and tuition, making this school also wholly self-supporting.
• A tical is equal to about twenty-eight cents, United States money.
MOVEMENT TOW Aim SELF-SUPPORT iN SlAM AND LAOS :359
A very promising boys' boarding-school in Pitsanuloke (next to Bangkok the largest and most promising one in the mission) has never had a dollar of foreign money. The land, an old palace ground, was given by the Siamese Chief Commissioner in 1899, and the teak building, two stories high, sixty-five feet long, twenty-six feet wide, thatched with grass and plainly furnished, cost over four thousand ticals, every tical of which was secured by Mr. Boon Itt in Pitsanuloke, while all of the two thousand nine hundred and fifty ticals required for its operation last year were paid by the pupils, who came from all the leading towns in this part of Siam. In the competitive government THE WANG LANG GIRLS' BOA.RDING-SCHooL IN BANGKOK examinations the boys of this school gained the highest percentages over the boys of the Government Public School and the Royal Survey School. – The Laos fee system is illustrated by the Chiengmai rules, which are the same for both the boys' and the girls'schools. Day pupils from Christian homes pay one rupee * a month, and boarding pupils two mpees. Pupils from heathen homes pay double these rates, which are for vernacular studies only. English is one rupee extra for Chris- tians and two' rupees extra for heathen, and, in either case, it is taught only when all other fees are paid in full. This impresses me as one of the wisest plans for English teaching that I have seen. It recognizes the imperative demand for it, but it insists upon compara- tively large extra tuition. Boys from heathen }amilies are day • A rupee is equal to about thirty-two cents.
pupils, and none are taken free, unless in rare instances some boy gives early promise of Christian development and usefulness. The boarding boys are all Christians, and everyone who can not pay the required fees in full must do manual:labor one day in the week, either for the school or for some of the missionaries. In the latter case payment is personally made by the missionary concerned. This also impresses me as a very wise arrangement.
This schedule does not yield enough to make these schools selfsupporting, for the Laos scale of living is lower than in the capital, and the majority of the boarding pupils do not come from comparatively wealthy families, as in Bangkok, but from humble Christian homes in the villages. Such boys are the hope of the future, in Laos as in America, but they can not, as a rule, pay high fees.
I believe that the basis on which these schools are conducted is eminently sound. They are self-supporting in the right sense-that is, of self-help as far as practicable. Self-support is not an amount but a principle. It is significant and worthy of high commendation that almost every Christian family in Chiengmai, whether or not it has children in the schools, contributes something toward their support.
Parents have long been accustomed to pay for the education of their children in Siam and Laos. A mother will toil and save for years to get money enough to send her boy to the Buddhist temple school, paying for his admission and taking him his food regularly. While she may not send all her boys, she will cheerfully spend on one a larger amount than would suffice to educate them all at a mission school. We must not press this too far, for the people do not show the same interest in educating their daughters. Moreover, there is a Buddhist temple, with its little school in every village, so that it is easy to take a little of the daily family rice to the one favorite son who is attending the temple school. We urge our people to edUCate all their children of both sexes, and we do not have boarding-schools in every village, but only at mission stations. Parents at the out-stations can not so easily send food, while many of the village Ohristians have very little money with which to pay fees. There are, besides, orphan children to be provided for. At the Chiengmai boys' school the annual deficit of about six hundred rupees is almost wholly caused by the Christian boarders from the village churches. If it were not for them the school would be nearly self-supporting. But it would be suicidal to exclude such boys, for in Laos, as in America, our best material for the ministry comes from comparatively humble Christian homes in the smaHer towns. Some relief, however, should and will be found by the development of local parochial schools for the primary grades, and by encouraging the churches to raise scholarships to which they might nominate the more promising boys in the congregation. At Pre and Chieng Rai excellent day schools are carried on by
MOVEMENT TOWARD SELF-SUPPORT IN SIAM AND LAOS
a committee of native Christians, the people meeting the entire cost, including the salaries of the teachers. There are a few pupils from the outlying villages who must be boarded, but they are provided for in the homes of the resident Christians.
The mission carefully discussed the question whether an attempt should be made to develop, if necessary wi th foreign aid, a large school of children from heathen homes, with the idea of bringing under missionary influence as many young people as possible for primarily evangelistic ends. But the opinion prevailed that such a policy sho1Jld not be adopted, on the ground that experience has shown that the number of converts in mission schools is not great enough to justify establishing them for conversions alone, that some of those SELF-SUPPORTING PUPILS OF THE CHI&NGIfAI SCHOOL who are converted would probably have been reached in other ways if – they had not entered the school at all, and that if the object is purely evangelistic a given amount of time and labor will yield larger evangelistic returns in direct evangelistic work than in educational. The mission did not mean that converts are not expected in schools, as it believes that all our educational work should be evangeIi8tic, but it simply meant that such work is not the most effective evangelistic agency, schools being designed not so much to produce evangelistic results as to conserve them. So the mission voted that" The time has not arrived for the establishing of a regular school, supported by the mission, in Nan station, but the mission would heartily encourage any school which can be so locally self-supported."
I am in BUbstantial sympathy with this position, but I would not carry it so far as to have no school at all unless it can be wholly selfsupporting. We do not hold other missions down to that policy, and
we should not hold Laos. It must be borne in mind that every child that we do not educate ill Siam and Laos will be ed ucated, if at all, either directly by Buddhist monks in Buddhist temple schools or in government schools, which, with very few exceptions, are under Buddhist influence. In such circumstances an important center should have a Christian school. The mission is wise ill insisting that it should be locally supported, if possible; but if, after all reasonable effort, a comparatively small grant is required, I think it should be made. The mission feels- That no phase of our work has been more encouraging than these parochial schools: organized on It self-supporting basis, buying their own supplies, collecting their own fee", paying their own teachers, and quite independent of the mission, except for oversight, they approach the ideal toward which we are laboring in our mission work. The terms are frolll one to five months, and the enrolments vary from forty-six down to seven. The importance of this work can not be overestimated. Only the occasional boy or girl from the out-villages finds a way into the Chieng- mai schools. But these parochial schools at the children's homes bring education within the reach of all. Their spiritual influence upon our churches is great. Almost every child who learns to read andsing in the parochial schools means one more intelligent, interested worshiper in God's house.
. '1'he recent imperial decree coordinating all the local temple schools 'with the public educational systems, and placing them and their . workers who teach in them under the supervision of his royal high- ness, Prince Vijinyava, is likely to have far-reaching consequences.
The instruction in such schools is now and will for some time con- tinue to be rather primitive, but as United States Minister King says: Whatever may be the subjects taught at first, or whatever the qual- ity of the teaching may be, this movement provides, if not fol' every hamlet of from ten to twenty families, at least fol' every larger town throughout the whole country a school-house already established; and this is in itself a factor toward a national system of education, the value of which can hardly be overestimated.
Financially we can not cope with the government schools, which have free buildings, free teachers, and government support and patron.. age. We must, therefore, rely on the superior quality of our work, and keep our schools up to a high standard of efficiency. We are suc- cessfully doing this in Japan and India, and we can. do it in Siam· and Laos. Caution will have to be exercised lest government recognition be obtained at the cost of spiritual influence_ We must not make con- cessions which will hamper our freedom to teach religion and to endeavor to lead pupils to Christ.
Our whole educational work occupies a unique position in Siam and Laos as the only Protestant Christian schools in the entire king- dom. Our missionaries are educating the leaders of Siam. The grauuates are already occupying influential positions in many places, and they are so manifestly superior to the products of the other schools that a Siamese commissioner has said that he will take at sight for government service an the boys we can educate. We have a magnifi-
ISLAM: IN PERSIA
cent vantage-ground in these schools, and we must maintain it. That mallY of the hoys who have been educated in our mission schools do not offer themselves to the Christian ministry is a sad fact, which is, however, not peculiar to Siam and Laos, but is common to nearly all missions. After diligent inquiry I am satisfied that the missionaries who are in charge of onr schools in Siam and Laos are faithful and prayerful in their efforts to create a spiritual atmosphere and to mold the characters of their pupils for Christ. It is an eloquently suggestive fact that in Laos" it is the exception for a boy or girl to graduate from our mission schools without having confessed Christ," while conversions are frequent in several of our Siam schools.
ISLAM IN PERSIA BY REV.· s. LAWRENCE WARD The Shea, or Shiite, form of Islam, which prevails in Persia, might be called the Protestantism of Islam, in that it protests against the headship of the Sultan of Tnrkey and against the body of traditions, known as the Suna, which guides the majority of Moslems.• The traditions which the Shea accepts have never been formulated as a code and have not the stamp of authority. So, also, their leaders are such only as inspire obedience by their personal learning or sanctity.
A few years ago the religious leader who coum threaten the Shah of Persia successfully passed away, and no one so far has arisen to fill his place. He threatened to absolve the Persians from their allegiance nnless the shah revoked -the tobacco monopoly. The shah very unwillingly obeyed.
According to the Shea faith, the first three successors of Mohammed (Abu Bkr, Omar, and Osman) were usurpers of the califat('. Mohammed had promised to his nephew-son-in-law, Ali, the succession, and a verse in the Koran had revealed God's will in the matter. '1'he Koran was tampered with, and the califate was taken from the family. The Sultan of Turkey is Olle of the succession of usurpers.
It would, however, be misleading in general to call the Shilas "Protestant." The grandsons of Mohammed, Hassan and Housain, were the first of a long list of martyrs put to death by the usurpers, whose bones have formed nuclei for shrines of more or less magnificence scattered from Bagdad to Afghanistan.
The most honorable is the tomb of Housain at Kesbela, near Bagdad, while the shrine of Imans Riza, at Meshed, takes the second place in honor and magnificence; but that town is poor indeed which does not have some tomb of martyr or saint or descendant of either as a place of pilgrimage. At these shrines miracles are reported with sufficient frequency to keep 11 p their reputation, and crowds flock to them as to the parks of America. To visit them is a merit, and to be
TlIE :MtSStONAltY REViEW OF THE WOltLD
buried near them is a help toward heaven. The only railroad of which Persia can boa8t connects the capital with such a shrine six miles away. At this shrine the late shah was assassinated. 'fhe names of these" saints" are often uttered in ejaculatory prayer by the Persians, especially when they feel the need of extra strength, as when ascending a stair or lifting a burden.
The creed of the orthodox Moslem is made up of "one eternal truth and one audacious lie." The Shea has added a second lie. "There is no god but God, and Mohammed is the Prophet of God," says the Suna. The Shea adds, "and Ali is the Lieutenant of God."
The Shea holds to the Koran as given by God to Mohammed, but weakens its claim by charging Omar with tampering with the text in order to eliminate all passages upon which rested the claims of Ali. In shrine and saint worship, in the lack of an authoritative head, and in the acknowledgment that the Koran has been tampered with, lies the weakness of the Shea faith as compared with the more compactly organized Islam of Turkey.
There are other facts which, perhaps, have even more influence than these in opening Persian Islam to the influence of Christianity.
First among these, probably, is the exceeding great hospitality of the Persian, which makes him ready to receive the person and views of a stranger with toleration and politenE;lss. No matter how bigoted he may be at heart, he believes in free discussion and at least an outward examination of others' reasons for belief.
Second. There exists in the minds of many educated Persians an irritation at the fact that Islam was forced upon them by_the Arabs. They, of a higher civilization, were overcome by a nation comparatively barbarous, and forced to accept their alphabet, their learning, their religion. This irritation is not fully recognized even by those who most plainly express it, yet it exists.
Third. Not only has Persia dissented from the orthodox form of Islam, but it has broken up into sects the Shea faith itself, it has cherished the philosophy of Suferism, and to-day has lost a large proportion of its people to Baberism. The dervish orders have carried their regard for Ali to the extent of Divine honors, while the Aliillanhus, who openly claim divinity for Ali, tho regarded as heretics, are not treated with rigor.
Fourth. The present government of Persia is a dual one, with the two parts chronically at loggerheads.
The "sheriat," or religious law, is governed by the Koran, and is administered by the ecclesiastics-the mushtaherds and mollahs. Before its tribunals the testimony of others than Moslems is not received. The" urf," or common law, is built up on precedents, and is administered by the shah and by officers appointed by him. Before its tribunals the word of a Moslem does not necessarily weigh more
ISLAM IN PERSIA
than that of the non-Moslem. It will very readily appear how these facts bear upon the questions of inquiry and tolerance as far as the intellect is concerned and to tolerance of action to some extent.
To the medical missionary the doors of every class and almost every individual are open. Both the Church Missionary Society of England and the Presbyterian Board of America have recognized this fact, and are pushing the medical arm of the service. Educational work has reached the Moslems in some parts of the country, and, where the way is open, boys of the rich families have been glad to enter our schools. There they are under direct evangelistic influences, and seem to enjoy Bible study as well as any branch taught in the schools. 'fhe mission schools have become the models of more than twenty others in the capital alone, but of course in those schools the Christian element is eliminated.
In regard to direct evangelism. The homes of the people are open to the missionary, and religion is the favorite topic of conversation. Sometimes only one or two are present, and the talk is heart to heart. At times forty or fifty of relatives and neighbors have gathered in, and the discussion is more formal-perhaps heated; but the listeners are at least enlightened, and sometimes are convinced of the superiority of Christianity.
The regular Friday and Lord's day services in the chapels are now seldom interfered with by the authorities, and many of the religious leaders attend these services once or twice, and some oftener. Preaching in villages and in the streets must be done with great care and judgment, but can be done to some extent.
The death penalty still hangs over the head of the" pervert" from Islam, but the civil government is slow to enforce it-in fact, never has done so-and we may say, probably never will, unless forced by the religious powers.
Of course, the convert to Ohrist, if consistent in his life. is put into strained relations with his environment as well as with his old habits. To close his shop on the Lord's day marks him for a boycott; to refuse to lie or oppress at the command of his master means the loss of his job; to b€ known as a Christian means abuse, and perhaps poison, from his family, or mob violence from his neighbors.
When the Baber movement was in its first vigor it demanded open confession from its adherents, but later it gave permission to its converts to acknowledge their faith as Islam had done. The Baber of to-day carries the matter so far as to curse the head of the cult, in order to deceive a possible persecutor.
No religion that is not conscious of supernatural help would dare to demand an open conlession. There have been, however, some Persians who have lived openly the life of faith and died the triumphant death of the Christian. They are but the first fruits of the greater
harvest yet to be gathered. There are also hundreds who secretly believe in Christ and live the life of faith in a more or less imperfect manrier. Some of these are afraid to speak of their faith to their nearest friend, or to wife or brother; others have brought their house- holds to the same faith, and sometimes the evangelist visiting a remote place is surprised by being taken into the family of such a believer. Some _such have never seen the face or heard the voice of a preacher, but God's printed word has brought them to the light.
Travelers in Moslem lands are generally favorably impressed with the religious behavior of the people, and often carry away the idea that they are models of sobriety. The fact is that Islam is an external religion, and does not effect much in the way of morals. The forms of religion are used by the middle and lower classes as a means of increasing merit, and public opinion makes them faithful in their fasts and prayers.
The upper classes do not observe more of the externals e,'en than they are obliged to, in order to conciliate the ecclesiastics and the masses. Drunkenness is very common among the upper clasf!es and the use of opium among all classes, while the dervish orders use the Indian hemp as a narcotic.
All classes pretty much despise the religious leaders, who deserve such contempt for their covetousness, hypocrisy, and oppression.
Very seldom does one meet with a Moslem who seems to love God aud his fellowmen, but such are sometimes found, and occasionally one meets with a Moslem who seems to find in his religion a solace in life and death. Let me close with a brief description of the religious observance that is peculiar to the Shea faith.
The month of Moharrum is given up to mourning for the martyrs, The shah has a large theater erected that will hold about five thousand spectators, and here for the first ten days of the month, twice daily, are enacted the passion plays. These may treat of the sufferings of any of the one hundred and forty-four thousand prophets or of the Imams and their descendants. During the performance the audience takes advantage of the pathetic parts to weep tears that are of great merit.
Later in this month the wealthy men of the country have the plays enacted in the courts of their houses, where tents are pitched to house the multitudes who flock thither to drink tea and Jay up merit. The Host is supposed to get a spiritual percentage on the merit laid up. 'Those who can not afford a troop of players, hire a man trained to the business to tell the story as pathetically as he can, and his market value is in direct ratio to his power to bring the tears. , / During the first nine days of the mOllth, bands of men and youth parade the bazaars, beating their breasts and calling upon IIol1sain, but this all culminates in the exercises of Moharrum, the anniversary of Housain's death.
INDUSTRIAL MISSIONS IN INDIA
First might be seen a band of men striking their bared breasts with their hands as the trumpet gave the signal, calling out" Housain " with every stroke. Next follows a company of men with disks of wood in their hands and their bodies bared above the waist. Striking . these disks as they crouch upon the ground, then rising to full height and jumping into the air, they reach up their bare arms and shout " Housain ! " as they strike the disks again. These are followed by a band of youths, who whip their bare backs with chains-now over the right, then over the left shoulder. Then come horses bearing children of two to four years, whose faces are bloody from an opened yein.
Last of all .Jomes a larger company of men, with naked swords and bared heads, who now and then cut their foreheads with the sharp swords they bear aloft, until the white garments they wear are stained crimson. This procession, with banners and trumpets, passes along the street, while housetops and walls are crowded with spectators. At times the beating and leaping and whipping and cutting are done quietly, and then all rise to a frenzy and hell seems to have broken loose. This is a remnant of the old heatben rites such as Elijah saw in Oarmel, and well illustrates the words of Jesus: "If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness?"
INDUSTRIAL MISSIONS IN INDIA BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
It is of vital importance that the converts from heathenism in India be afforded means of earning a subsistence, and the famine orphans and other dependents become able to secure an honest and independent livelihood. In numbers of cases caste prejudices result in utter dIsability to pursue their usual vocations; in others the converts have been connected with idolatrous trades or traffic which they can not follow on becoming Ohristians; in others they have come from dependent classes. There can be no healthy, indigenous Ohristian community till the churches are self-supporting, but more vital yet, till the community itself is self-subsisting.
We append a list of some Christian native industries as given by Rev. John Husband, D.D., in his" Protestant Missionary Directory, 1902." First comes the Basel Mission at Calicut, which has produced cotton fabrics which have already acquired an enviable renown for their lasting wear, excellence of design, and neatness of texture. They make Damask table-cloths, napkins in various colors, counterpanes, sheetings, towels. imitation tweeds, drills, corduroys, ginghams, cotton shirtings, and maintain a tailoring department under European management. They are to be addressed, "Basel Mission Weaving Establishment, Calicut, Malabar."
Other missions are named alphabetically as to locality. This list may be dry reading to those who are looking for literature, but thousands of students of economic conditions attending on the development of a substantial independent Christian community in the bosom of the most highly organized and compact non-Christian peoples on the earth, will be gratified to get even this much data. The wide distribntion of these industries is noteworthy. They are as follows: AGRA-Carpentry and tailoring. weaving, carpentry, and black- AHMEDNAQAR (Marathi)-Sir D. M. smithing. DHAMBARI-The same, with rope- Petit School of Industrial Arts: making, etc. ELLICHPuR-Furniture, printing. Industrial and Agricultural tailoring, blacksmithing. Training. GALLE FORT-Tailoring and shoe- ASHAPURA (Naserabad)-Carpen- making. GORAKPuR-Drawn thread and try, blacksmithing, shoemaking, lace. pottery. GUNTUR-Indian embroideries. GHooM-Printing-press. AJMER-Printing, bookbinding, and lithographing. HOSHANGABAD-Agriculture, coun- try trades, weaving, joinery. ARNI (North Arcot)-Carpentry, HAZARIBAGH-Carpentry. printing, weaving, tailoring. INDoRE-Carpentry, w e a v i n 'g, ALIGARH-Shoemaking, carpentry, knitting, fancy-work. tailoring. IDIYANGUDI-Lace work. JAFFNA (Ceylon)-Industrial ASANoL-Hakery. school. AMKHUTrFarming. JUBBULPoRE-,Weaving and shoe- AKOLA (Berar)-Carpentry, smith- making. ing, tailoring. JEPPA (Mangalore)-Tiling works. BARUIPORE-Weaving, basket- KANDY (Ceylon)-Shoemaking, making, carpentry, mat-making, other industries, lace work. sewing. KALMUNAI (Ceylon)-Tinsmithing, BARoDA-Tinsmithing. carpentry, blacksmithing. BATTICALOA (Ceylon)-Printing, KARUR-The same. bookbinding, carpentry, and KANCHRAPARA-A hostel for boys blacksmithing. who are apprenticed at railway BANKuRA-Carpentry and weav- workshops.
ing. KozHAPuR-Printing, bookbind- BETHEL-Hrickmaking, lime-burn- ing, weaving.
ing, house-building. KOLAR (Mysore)-Carpentry, cab- BENAGARI1.-Printing and book- inet-making, and blacksmithing.
binding. K UD1l0LI (Mangalore) – Til in g BEAWAR-Phulkari and sewing. works. BENAREs-Weaving and shoemak- LucKNow-Dhurrie (rug) weaving, ing. tailoring. BISRAMPuR-Printing and cabinet LUDAIANA-CarpentI'Y, shoemak- work. ing, tailoring, carpet weaving. CALCUTTA (Lower Circular Road)- MANGALORE-Mechanical works, Printing'press. printing-press, weaving. CAWNPuR-Cabinet-making. CHAKAI-Gardening, road-making, MANDALA Y -W e a v i n g .
sewing. MANA MADURA- Industrial school. CocANADA-Industrial school of MADRAS – Methodist (American) carpentry. publishing house, electro plating, COTTAYAM-Industrial school, car- etc.
pentry, and blacksmithing. MHow-Rug weaving.
CHINGLEPUT-Lace-making. NADIAD-Carpentry, fitting, black- CANNANPORE-Weaving establish- smithing, etc.
ment. NAGERCOIL (Travancore) – Lite e CALICuT-Weaving and also tiling work.
works. NASlcK-Carpentry. CODAcAL-Tiling. CHINDwARA-Carpentry, blitck- smithing, farming.
DHAR-Farming. DAMoH-Farm dairy, leather,
NAYUDUPETT – Industrial school RASULIA (Hoshangabad) – Tongs, for carpentry. carpentry, dhurrie making, tin- NAZARETH (Tinnevelly) – B I a c k – smithing.
,smithing, carpentry, tailoring, SEONI-MALwA-Farming, dairy embroidery, lace work, wood-en- work, tailoring, etc.
graving, drawing, weaving. SASARAD (Eoona)-Weaving.
NEEMucH-Silk embroidery, spin- SAHARANPORE – Foundry work, ning. native weaving, shoemaking, NIKKuM-Industrial farm. tailoring, etc.
PALGBAT-Tiling works. SANGLI-Machinist's work.
PAcHAMBA-Gardening, road-mak- SALEM-Carpentry.
ing, brick-making. SAUGOR-Carpentry, bookbinding, PHALERA-Weaving. weaving, shoemaking.
PooNA-Printing. SURAT-Printing-press.
POKHURIA(Gobindpore)-Printing, SIALKoT-Industrial institute.
agricultural work, joinery, car- SHAHJAHANPORE-S,hoemaking, pentry, blacksmithing, silk work. weaving, farming.
PORAYAR-Industrial school, car- SECUNDERABAD-Lace work.
pentry, blacksmithing, weaving. SnwR-Industrial school.
RANGOON-Printing-press. ,SECUNDRA (Agra)-Carpets, dhur- RAJAMUNDRY _ Printing, black- ries, textile fabrics, bookbinding, smitbing. etc.
RAMNAD-Bookbinding, printing. TONGA-Building. RANCHI (Nagpur)-Printing-press. TRpIeOnHtIrNyO, PeOtcL.Y – Lace work, car- RANIGANJ-Carpentry. TIRUKOILOR (Arcot)-Lace work.
RICHMOND HILL (Galle) – Carpen- TUMKAR-Carpentry.
try, blacksmitbing. UJAIN-School for blind.
RUTLAM-Printing, turning, car- W ALLACEPUR – Industrial school, pentry, blacksmitbing, dburrie carpentry.
sewing, Niwar weaving, drawn WELAwATTA-Cotton-miIl, indus- thread work. trial home, boys.
One of the most promising signs of the growth past and prospect- ive is that these several factories, however small, have developed as a whole till a great central agency has been established, known as "The Industrial Missions Aid Society," at 63 Apollo Street, Fort, Bombay, which works both ways. It offers to furnish facilities for the disposal of mission industries' products, and to supply these industrial institu- tions with materials at the lowest possible cost. They offer to supply a complete equipment for industrial workshops and technical schools, dyed silks, cotton and wool, timber, building materials, charts, educa- tional handbooks; they will become advisors of proposed schemes, and revise or develop plants. They keep a register of trained workers and teachers for the information of Ohristian missions, and will report on application statistical statements of the success or the reverse of experiments already made by the missions in industrial efforts.
Now all this has a business look, and affords encouragement to hope for an independent indigenous Ohristian community throughout the empire, able to resist the limitatIOns imposed by caste, and the obstructions of idolatrous usages to making a livelihood, We have previously mentioned the Native Ohristian Industrial Exhibit at Lucknow. We hoped to be able to write of a similar exhibit at Madras during the Decennial Oonference, but the data is not yet at hand. It will, however, be of interest to quote what Dr. Outhbert Hall said in an interview accorded to the Bombay Guardian since the
date of the Madras exhibition. He was asked: "What hav~ been YOU! impressions with regard to industrial missions? Is there any danger at this point that the missionary will be diverted from his legitimate work? " .
His answer is comprehensive and assuring. He said: I have had excellent opportunities for observing the industrial element that is at present entering largely into many missions. All that 1 have seen commands my full confidence. So far from looking upon industrial missions with distrust, so far from sharing the fear that they mark a departure of the Church from her mission to evangelize, I believe the introduction of the industrial element into missions is quite as truly a work of the Holy Spirit as preaching or healing the sick. Anyone who is acquainted with the economic problem of India at the present time must, I think, rejoice that Christian missionaries have identified themselves with the industrial development of young Indians. India is a land possessing latent possibilities and talents of a high order. I attended the Indian Nati(tnal Congress at Ahmedabad, and viewed with surprise and pleasure the great variety of objects produced by Indian manual skill and displayed in the industrial exhibition connected with the Congress. But Indians are discouraged. They have lost hope in their own powers of self-support. Competitive forces, into the nature and ethics of which I shall not enter, have overriden and trampled down native industries. [Does he include the manufacture of idols in Germany and Philadelphia for the Indian market ?-EDITORS.] Christian missionaries, by combining industrial pursuits with other lines of education, are rebuilding the broken courage of the people, are opening a new world of hope to the men and women of the future. The influence of these mission mdustries upon the character of the youths now practising them is one of the most beautiful sights in India. I hope that no word at home shall ever again be spoken against industrial missions. The Christians of the West who disparage industrial missions know not what they do.
The reference to the loss of hope made by Dr. Hall will need inter- pretation for American readers. This may be seen in the opening address made by a native prince at the same industrial exhibition which Dr. Hall says he attended and studied. The Gaekwar of Baroda mentioned the" fatalistic apathy" of the India people as destructive of competitive and inventive energy, and the lack of confidence in themselves. He rebuked their tendency to depend on a paternal government to lead their enterprise and awaken their ingenuity.
They must throw off the incubus of agricultural indebtedness. There was plenty of capital with Indians, but they disliked strenuousness and risk, and locked up their money in jewels and government secu- rities instead of using it to develop their resources. This native prince struck the note which Dr. Hall alludes to. He said: "Om' weakness lies in this, that we have for many years lain prostrate under the ficti- tious sense of our own helplessness, and made no adequate attempt to react against our circumstances. We have succum bed where we should have exhausted every possibility of resistance and remedy."
This prince is not a Ohristian. He appeals to patriotic motives; he believes India has had a great past, and has pride in it. He does not claim that they need to become Ohristians, or he does not say so, to improve their condition, but he does hurl invectives against the Hindu system of caste, and pleads for reform. He charges that their
DR. CHARLES CUTHBERT HALL IN INDIA
semi-religious prejudices have tied them down. Caste has denied to them foreign travel, whether for instruction or commerce. "This must be utterly swept away if we are not to go on stagnating," is one of his sentences. He affirms that their" religion and institutions of to-day have nothing in them except, perhaps, a faint shadow of their old vigor and glory on which our [their] old greatness was founded." He acknowledges the utter unfitness of the present religion of India to inspire hope or arouse commercial activity or other industrial energies competent to save India. The whole system as it is now must be thrown overboard. Here is the opportunity of Christian missionaries.
This much has been stated to give a setting for readers of the remarkable statement of Dr. Hall, about one of the important viewpoints for estimating Christian industrial development. Doubtless Dr. Hall will tell us more of all this hereafter.
DR. CHARLES CUTHBERT HALL IN INDIA BY ROBERT E. HUME Dr. Hall has now finished his Barrows-Haskell lectures in India.
According to the terms of the lectureship, he has delivered the full course of six lectures in each of the five cities-Bombay, Calcutta, MaJras, Laho're, and Allahabad, where the five government universi- ties are located. With characteristic genuine American energy he has also delivered ninety lectures, sermons, and addresses, and has traveled over 8,000 miles during the three months of his stay in India.
The orthodox and many of the progressive educated Hindus respectfully disparaged the lecturer's unassu ming endeavors to set forth the leading ideas of the Christian religion as interpreted in the distinctively Christian experience. In opposition to him they the more tenaciously advocated their own religion as unequaled in philo- sophic validity and in personal satisfaction, as much superior in antiq- uity and in national adaptation. The Subodha Patrika, the organ of the Prarthana Samaj, commented on the annonncement of the lectures which bore the title, "Christian Belief as Interpreted by Christian Experience" : .
The Haskell lecturer this year comes to India not as a theological disputant, hut to unfold the beauties of Christian experience to the people of a land which is proud of its spiritual heritage. From a missionary point of view, if it be taken to be synonymous with making con- versions, the exposition of SUbjective experiences may not he of much practical utility in a country like India. The experiences of the Hindu are as elevating and as exquisite as the experiences of any other religionist can be. Every man has as much affection for the religion in which he has been brought up as a child has for its mother. It is only when new knowledge and new light make of him, as it were, a different man, that the relation is snapped, and what is once satisfying ceases to be so. It is to such Hindus that the experiences of the followers of another religion may appeal with a new force. To the philosophic Hindu they lDay seem irrelevant.
However, the increasingly larger audiences who came on the six successive nights in each city to hear the earnest and eloquent exposition of the theme, and the very attempts of the Prarthana Samaj and other reform movements to assimilate some elements of Ohristian belief, and to produce' some of the benefits of Ohristian experience, are themselves indications that the number of Hindus who seem to be dissatisfied with the religion in which they have been reared is much larger than is the number of those philosophic Hindus who are content with their own experiences.
The Indian Social Reformer, a paper which looks for considerable reform in the Indian social and religious structure, but from within rather than by outside help, referred rather slurringly to the approaching attempt by a man, unlearned in the lore of the Indian religion and inapprecIative of the excellencies of the ideals of India, to come to the hoary East to teach it religion and to help it to something professedly higher. After the delivery of the lectures in Bombay, however, the same paper made this editorial statement: There have been many others more learned in the literature of the Orient, there have been many who have lived longer among Eastern people; but what is more precious than learning or habitation is insight, and Dr. Hall is endowed with the gift of insight. Of all exponents of Christianity which we have ever heard, there was not one who displayed greater fairness and sympathy with the leading principles of non-Christian faiths than the Barrows-Haskell lecturer for the present term.
By his sympathetic appreciation of all that is best in the Hindu philosophy and religion and in Indian character, Dr. Hall ran counter to the spirit of those of the ruling race who only look down upon the ruled, but he won the hearts of very many Indians to a kindly appreciation of Ohristianity whom no amount of disputation would have helped.
The present is a critical time for religion in India. The loyal Hindus are making every effor./., to save the day by attempting to purify their religion of admittedly degraded forms by employing the symbolic method of interpreting the tales in their. sacred writings and by eclecticism. They hope thus to maintain unshaken the hold of their religion upon the upper classes. This hold is being shaken very seriously by the education given in the government colleges, where the tendency is, if not atheistic, at least sceptical toward religion in general. The Mohammedans, too, are feeling it, and it was a unique event that just to counteract that tendency among college students that Dr. Hall was invited to deliver a non-controversial lecture on religion before the Mohammedan college in Aligahr.
Not only in oral but also in printed form Dr. Hall's lectures have been eagerly sought. In the last few places where the lectures were delivered the two hundred copies put on sale were soon taken. The nominal price at which t.he book is sold is giving it a wide circulation.
DR. BALL'S OBSERVATIONS IN INDIA
DR. HALL'S OBSERVATIONS IN INDIA * [Rev. Dr. Charles Cuthbert Hall, the Haskell·Barrows Lecturer in India in 1902-1903, has completed a very successful course of lectures which has made a great impression on the men of India. He made the following observations in regard to mission work in response to ques- tions asked.-EDIToRs.] On the whole, are you more or less favorably impressed with the work of missions than when you left New York?
I came to India with a, strong predisposition in favor of missions. This had been created by long historical and biographical study. My expectations have been more than realized. I have traveled from one end of India to the other, have visited missions in every presidency, representing American and British efforts; have inspected institutions, studied methods, and observed the spirit of the workers. The result of my observations is increased respect for missionaries and admiration for their work.
What seems to you the most encouraging aspect of the missionary enterpri&e?
Without hesitation I answer: boarding-schools and famine children. The excellent result of boarding-schools has impressed me. Aseducational institutions they deserve commendation; but as institutions for the for- mation of character and the development in Eastern society of a new type of manhood and womanhood they are beyond praise. I wish that, under wise and sympathetic leadership, they could be multiplied indefi- nitely. They contain the prophecy of a regenerated India. They may, under God, be the salvation of Indian social life.
Closely related with this subject of boarding-schools, I must speak of the wonderful opportunity given to missions in the army of famine children now enjoying protection and education in mission compounds. These orphans have been rescued_from starvation, or from a survival that was worse than death, by the Christlike work of missionaries. These children, absolved by calamity from all family ties, are unconditionally under Christian love and care. Thousands of them were rescued in infancy, and have known no other protectors than these Christian friends. They have breathed no other atmosphere than the pure, sweet atmosphere of the Christian household. Their affection for their protectors and guides is beautiful to witness. Never was better care given to children than is given to them. I have seen them in various places by scores and hundreds. They are not being transformed into poor imitations of children of the West, but are Inman children, unconsciously assimilating the best qualities of the Western spirit. Twenty years hence these tens of thousands of youths shall, by the grace of God, become a tremendous element in the transformation of India.
Some think that Hinduism is weakening in its g1'ip upon Indian life and thought. Have you been so impressed 1 I can not say that I have been greatly impressed by signs of such weakening. It is true that in student circles the study of the physical sciences and the influences of Western culture are undermining Hindu orthodoxy, and encouraging agnosticism and non-religion. But the student circle represents only a small fraction of the Hindu population. The enthusiasm for popular Hinduism shows no decline. Expensive temples are being built. Money is pouring into their treasuries. The throngs of worshipers at idol shrines continue. 'fhe pride and confidence of older .. Condensed from an interview printed in the Bombay Guardian.
Hindus in their gods diminishes not. The apparent tolerance which marks the present time must not be mistaken for a decline of Hinduism. But while Hinduism as an organized system shows no weakening, the influence of Christianity grows from day to day. Its prestige in India steadily advances. The converts multiply in a ratio shown by no other religion. Only He to whom all hearts are open knows to what extent the outward strength of Hinduism conceals an inward and silent growth of opinion in favor of the reasonableness and value of Christian faith and life.
What is your opinion of the relative value of Christian work among the educated and the depressed classes?
Considering the numerical proportion of tlie educated class to the uneducated, I am inclined to feel that the efficiency of Christian effort among the higher classes is relatively equal to its power over the illiterate. I am aware of the extraordinary openness to Christian influence of some of the lower divisions of the population in certain parts of the empire-e.g., the work among the sweepers. But when I consider the educative effect of Western culture, as tending to draw students away from ancestral beliefs, and when I remember the searchings of heart that are going on in some university circles where non-controversial presentations of Christ have been made, I am led to feel that India is ripe fora strong, wise, loving, and continuous effort to win a response to Christ from many in high social stations.
Do you see much response to Christian thought among Mohammedans?
I have reason to know that among many educated Mohammedans there is a deep longing for the advance of spiritual religion. My information on this subject is obtained from Mohammedans themselves, with whom I have been permitted the privilege of free interchange of thought. The historic monotheism of Islam, coming in contact in these latter days with the purest and best types of Christian thought may result, by the power of God's Spirit, in ways that our faith is slow to grasp.
I can not quite feel that the conversion of Islam is to be hastened by the special presentation of a denominational system of theology. I look for it to be advanced through the blessing of the Spirit upon the personal fellowship of earnest Mohammedans with large-minded Christians. Love, manifested through the trustful interchange of thought, seems more likely to be God's method of advancing this most desirable end.
Do you think that the personality of missionaries touches the life of the Churches at home as advantageously as it might?
Nothingwould be further from my mind than the impertinence of complimenting missionaries. Yet I must say that my intercourse with them in their own homes and upon their own fields of labor has filled me with emotions of respect and admiration. I have noted the rare intellectual gifts, the social grace, the scholarly culture, that are being offered up with joy in the service of India and of India's Redeemer. Nowhere in the world have I found more gentle breeding and more gracious courtesy than among the missionaries of India. But their personal and social gifts have not impressed me more than their administrative talents and their spiritual devotion. I have found among them those who went far toward realizing my ideal of statesmanlike grasp on large questions of policy, joined with Christlike self-devotion to the care and consolation of individuals. If I were looking over the Church at large, in search of typi-
DR. llALL'S oBSERVATIONS iN iNDIA
cal illustrations of what a servant of the Lord Christ should be in breadth of view, power of initiative, dignity of behavior, sweetness of spirit, I should look hopefully among the modern missionaries of the Gospel.
The missionary to be appreciated should be seen on his own ground. The missionary on furlough is at a disadvantage. Too often he is over- shadowed at home by the official dignity of Boards and Committees; he appears unrelated to the local interests of Western committees; herepre- sents things of which many Westerns are densely ignorant, and toward which they exhibit a pitiful indifference. The missionary feels all this and is ill at ease. If one would know him as he is. one should see him in the environment of his work, the administrator, the guide. the spiritual leader, the man of love and grace; his influence a commanding power, his spirit the gentleness of Christ. Would that I could bring to India the average citizen of the West and show him the toils and triumphs of missionary life I He would return a wiser and a humbler man.
Do the Churches in America and England seem to realize the gravity of their responsibility toward the Christless peoples? Have they a world- view of human need?
I do not wish to be understood, in my reply to this question, a!! ani- madverting unfairly upon the Church at home. My life is wrapped up with it, and my love for it is deep as life itself. Nevertheless, as from the midst of suffering, error-stricken India, I look back at the Church at home, it seems to me as if her realization of her duty to the world is most imperfect and inadequate. The perennial temptation of the Church at home is to be satisfied with her local prosperity, and to be immersed in her local interests. Her world-view is deficient. Too few of her mem- bers consider what the stewardship of the Gospel means, as the Church has received that Gospel from the pierced hands of her Lord and Master.
Too few of her ministers have made it their business so to study the world and its needs as to acquire a world-view and to be stirred with the passion for world evangelization. Their preaching contains too little of that element which trains a body of people to look beyond their own needs, and to interest themselves in the needs of non-Christian lands and races. There is advance toward this world-view in certain sections of the Church at home. I attribute the advance, very largely, to the indirect influence of the Student Volunteer Movement. Our colleges and universities are getting the world-view. They are becoming impreg- nated with the spirit of missions. And reflex influences, radiating from university life, are smiting with new earnestness the occupants of many a pulpit and many a pew. But, as one stands amid the rising temples of Hinduism; as one hears the roar of applause that went up in the National Congress at the mention of the name of a Hindu god; as one sees how religion is both the very life and, in a sense, the very death of the East, one's heart yearns for the day when the Evangelical Churches of America and Europe shall awake from their fond contentment with local prosperity and shall see the world-need as Christ sees it and as His missionaries see it. .
Have you found that educated Hindus and Mohammedans have been confused, or that missionaries have been caused to stumble by the so- called" Higher Criticism" of the Holy Scriptures?
No; I have met with no case of this kind among missionaries or among educated Indians. I have been asked many thoughtful questions concerning the progress of the critical study of Holy Scripture; and I
have been gratified to note the apparently widespread opinion thaI; critical study is not only a privilege but a duty, consistent with strong evangelical belief and with a deepening conviction of the Divine Inspiration of the Bible. I should think it inexpedient, alike at home and abroad, to discuss critical questions in the pulpit. The spiritual content of the everlasting Gospel of our Blessed Lord is the preacher's message. But all educated minds, Indian or European, have a right to know the history and the results of Christian scholarship. Acquaintance therewith is no menace to faith. I hesitate to speak ,of my own humble experience; yet I rejoice to testify that the intensity of my evangelical convictions grows continually regarding the Divine Inspiration and authority of Holy Scripture, the Absolute Deity of the Lord .resus Christ; the sacrificial and ever-enduring value of His atonement; the illuminating, regenerating, and sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit; the urgent need of the world for salvation from sin and reconciliation with God through the crucified, risen, glorified, and returning Savior.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANS IN INDIA The following table was exhibited at the Madras Decennial Conference last December. It is far from accurate, and we hope at a later date to publish a corrected edition. It will be noticed that Chota Nagpore, Nellore, Tinnevelly, and Travancore, scenes of great revivals of other years, still exhibit the largest figures. This is encouraging, as they were mass movements toward Christianity. The more recent great turning to Christianity in the Northwest Provinces (East and West), it may be anticipated, will have the same staying qualities: .p 1»_ .., 1»- <l <l~;;;8 ~ls~ ."8 NAME OF TOWN Olt ~ "",0 NAME OF TOWN OR +:l~~rJ1 0 DISTItICT ~~§: DISTItICT 8 o",.E~ S8"~ ]. 8 ~"l.:~ 88 "~ ~ ":z; &::°8~ ~ ":z; &::°M """0 P-i 1 Calcutta & Suburbs 5,439 11,698,310 28 Mysore , …………. 5,248 5,539,399 2 Do. South……… 7,477 2,078,859 29 Canara ………….. 5,737 1,184,713 3 Do. E. and W ….. 8,224 6,263,979 g~1~~a:~:::::::::::: : 4 Eastern Bengal. …. 10,951 21,528,847 30 370 180,607 10,151,379 31 6,035 2,7lJO,281 5 Northern do…….. 725 6,126,343 32 Cochin.. '" ………. 6 Assam …………… 20,939 308,131 99 812,025 3,489 33 Travancore ……… 98.667 2,952,157 7 Sikkim ………….. 6,188 11,090,332 34 Tinnevelly ……•… 76,860 2,059,607 8 Orissa……………. 61,698 5,901,858 35 Madura ………•… 22,523 2,831,280 9 Chota Nagpore…… 18,034 1,809,737 36 Tanjore …………. 15,896 2,245,029 10 Santal Puranas…… 2,109 19,672,744 37 Trichinopoly …….. 3.332 1,825,210 11 Behar …………… 17,658,548 2,201,752 12 Northwest Prov., E. 7,562 14,679,230 38 Coimbatore………. 2,154 6,676 16,156,101 39 Nilgiris ………….. 2,360 111,437 13 Oudh ……………. 94,752 26,690,796 40 Salem and Arcot …. 13,243 6,762,580 35,678 3,094,999 1,312.122 14 Northwest Prov., W. 10,200,213 41 Chingleput ………. 4,899 15 Punjab ………….. 906 3,201,910 42 Madras City……… 9,052 509,346 16 Himalayan………. 3,972 6,31'1,358 43 Nellore ………….. 160,148 1,496,987 17 Rajputana……….. 11,561,782 441cUddapah ……….. 14,000 2,079,521 371 2,754,016 45 Kistna District…… 3.'5,975 2.154,803 18 Sind …………….. 8,982 11,873,029 46 Godavari ………… 7,649 2,301,759 19 Gujarat …………. 2,000 11,141,142 2,933,650 20 CentralIndia …….. 47 Vizagapatam…….. 1,397 21 Berars …………… 718 776.006 48 Ceylon, North ……. 5,471 419,296 22 Central Provinces 9,076 9,41>7,979 49 Do. East ……… 3,886 248,796 11,586 7,573,700 589,811 23 Haidarabad, Deccan 10,684 1,862,733 50 Do. South…….. 4,254 963,658 24 BD~~a}'~;~h~~~t::: : 6,514 51 Do. West …. ·…. 10.482 574,670 25 2,098 52 Do. CentraL., •.. 9,434 10.449,621 26 Do. South…….. 20,715 53 Burma…………… 124,069 27 Bellary ………….. 299,126,618 — Totals………… 1,100,804 [According to Mr. Beach's" Protestant Missionary Atlas" there are 93 Foreign Missionary Societies in India, with 3,736 missionaries and 23,001 native workers in 1,256 stations and 5,367 out-stations. The native communicants number 376,617, and the other native adherents 591,310. The total population of India, Ceylon, and Burma, according to the census of 1901, was 297,843,691.- EmTOlts.]
THE POPE'S SEMT-JUBILE:Il
THE POPE'S SEMI-JUBILEE * BY REV. ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, D.D., VENICE The twenty-fifth anniversary of the election of Joachim Pecci to the popedom has just been celebrated in Rome by multitudes of people with great enthusiasm. No one grudges the pope any personal honor shown him. As a man he is welcome to be regarded with whatever respect and esteem people may choose to show him. But Joachim Pecci as a man is one thing, and Joachim Pecci as the pope is another. In this latter capacity he stands as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, an institution which is regarded by the Italian people as having been the source of the oppression, and ignorance, and poverty, and misery they have suffered from in the past; and as being to-day a political force working for the destruction of the Royal House of Savoy, and the disintegration of the kingdom. With the Italians the pope's personal character sinks into insignificance in comparison with his official character. He dwells in their midst, in his palace of the Vatican with its eleven thousand rooms, as the head and embodiment of the papacy.
Who, then, are celebrating with such enthusiasm the papal jubilee? Not the King of Italy, not the Mayor of Rome, not the citizens of Rome, not the people of Italy, but strangers. There are tens of thousands of such in Rome at present. Every hotel and every private lodging-house is full of them. The bulk of these foreigners are Roman Catholics, among whom are many from England and America. Such have chosen the pope as their sovereign in things temporal and spiritual. Such have committed to him the care of their consciences. Such have divested themselves at his command of every prerogative-reason, judgment, conscience, moral responsibility-which God has bestowed upon them. It is a sad and pitiable surrender for a human being to make; but as such have made it, we do not wonder that, on an occasion like the present, they shonld flock to Rome to prostrate themselves at the feet of their lord and master, who, insulting human reason and stultifying all history, in his claim to infallibility, sitteth in the place of God.
But among these crowds of strangers are many Protestants, men and women who have embraced Christ and Christianity, and who, realizing their responsibility in God's sight for what they believe and for what they do, have repudiated the pope and his Chnrch.
Many such Protestants crowd to see the pope and attend his ceremonies. At this we have cause to wonder, and the Italian press wonders too. I read the other day an article which expressed astonishment that Protestants should attend these papal ceremonies, and should be among the most eager to attend them, so eager indeed as to be willing to pay fabulons sums of money to do so! Of course, such Protestants would answer that they did not go through reverence for the pope or the papal Church, but from curiosity; they wanted to see what are sights in Rome, and unique sights that can be seen nowhere else. But such travelers can not gratify their curiosity in these matters without doing the following very inconsistent and, I think, wrong things: In the first place, they give financial support to tke papacy. As a matter of fact, a very large proportion of the money that goes to maintain the papal Church in its mischievous doings comes out of the pockets of Protestants.
• Condensed from The Christian, London.
Secondly, they give moral support to the papacy, and of this the Church knows how to avail itself. It follows up the conciliatory actions of these Protestants, it ingratiates itself with them, it disarms them of their Protestantism, and secures their neutrality, if not support, in the fight it carries on against the principles of enlightenment and progress.
Thirdly, these Protestants play an unbecoming part toward the government of Italy, whose protection and goodwill they are enjoying as travelers in the land. The freedom they enjoy to travel where they will, to carry what papers and books they will, to have their own places of worship, with perfect immunity from surveillance, not to say persecution, are all the gift of the government of Italy. They were not enjoyed when the pope was in power;' they would not be enjoyed now were he to have his will, for, as the Duke of Norfolk said at the jubilee of some four years ago, they, as Roman Catholics, lamented with him that he had not the power to put a stop to all Protestant wOl'k in Rome, which so grieved him and them to the heart. 'Vhat the sovereign of Italy does not do, what the government of Italy does not do, what the municipality of Rome does not do-namely, acknowledge the pope and pay homage to him-these Protestants should not do.
A JOURNEY INTO NORTH BORNEO * BY REV. J. R. DENYES, SINGAPORE Missionary of the niethodist Missionary Society, U. S, A, It was my privilege to travel with the presiding elder, Dr. West, on his recent visit to our Christian colony in Sarawak, Borneo. We arrived in Sibu on Thursday, and by Saturday morning all the preliminaries had been settled and we were ready to start down the river in a Malay house·boat. A Malay house-boat is a long, very narrow, round-bottomed dugout with an overgrown cabin for saloon passengers. After a few hours we reached the first settlement in safety and were thankful.
What exquisite pleasure it is to feel that some one is glad that you have come! There was no "making one's way into the hearts of the people," for the hearts were already open wide, Wherever we went, men, women, and children came out to welcome us. 'Even the yellow dogs yelped their pleasure until the pig came out from under the bed and grunted cordially.
We fou'nd the people hard at work planting rice and vegetables. Considering the length of time that they have been at work, the amount of clearing and planting that has been done seems almost wonderful. Aside from clothes and kerosene oil there is scarcely anything necessary to their lives that they do not produce. Their vegetables are for the most part sold in Sibu, but the more daring ones are beginning to seek better markets among the native peoples far up and down the river. Sometimes they go even as far as the Oya River, some sixty miles away. Their houses are as yet very crude affairs, merely a framework of poles enclosed on three sides. Even in this there are signs of progress and permanence, for many are beginning to put up larger and more substantial buildings.
The best word of all, however, is that these people have been looking • Condensed from The },[aZaysia Message.
A JOURNEY INTO SINGAPORE, BORNEO 3'19
after their spiritual interests. These men who are working hard from daylight to dark gather together every night of the week for prayer aud testimony meetings, besides the regular Sunday preaching service. The local preachers at the various stations have organized the work so that the different members take the meetings in turn.
The Dyaks and Malays do not speak Ohinese, but the Ohinese are picking up a few words of Malay, and with these words are already doing evangelistic work. The people are invited to Ohinese meetings and they come. If we had a resident missionary on the ground to direct their efforts and to lead them, these people could be made a great evangelizing agency among the native. tribes. The rumor spread that we were about to open up some schools, a,nd the Dyaks became very enthusiastic, call- ing upon us to promise to allow their children to attend. The fact that it would be Ohristian teaching seemed rather to increase their enthusi- asm than to diminish it.
On our return to Sibu we called on the resident of the district, and were informed that the government would be pleased to grant us land at the different settlements for church and mission purposes, if we would stake out what we wanted. Only one day remained before our boat sailed, but that was enough. By seven o'clock we were again on our way down the river, in a little canoe just large enough fot' four. The rain poured down and our muscles ached, but by 5 P.M. we had pad- dled thirty miles and staked out four claims. The government has shown itself favorable to work and willing to help us in every way it can; our Ohristians ther~ need encouragement in their struggles to subdue a new country; the natives seem especially open to religious teaching. For these and other reasons it appears to me an imperative duty for us to take immediate steps toward the placing of a resident missionary in that field. .
Additional Notes by Dr. B. F. West Arrangements were made to build four churches in Borneo. The mission is to furnish one-half the cost and the Ohinese Christians the other half. The brethren, however, say that in material and work they will provide at least two hundred dollars for one hundred by the mission. The government has agreed to give us all the land we need for these buildings. We have chosen the sites at Siong Pho, Tiong Pho, Sang 0 Ohong, and Sin Ohhu An, with from five to ten acres in each piece. This will give room for future development, such as building a parsonage, It school, woman's work, etc., and it will also allow the preacher to do some farming on his own account. Tho without the help of a missionary, or even a native preacher other than local preachers, the Borneo Ohristians have not been idle during the time since the previous visit, and on this visit I baptized fifty-two persons. The brethren, local preachers, and others are active in preaching to their unconverted neighbors and with encouraging results.
At one of the stations we found that a school had been begun. There were sixteen pupils in attendance. The teacher is a Chinese graduate of the first degree. The people are very anxious for schools, and the govern- ment are anxius to assist us in every way to give them the schools they desire. One of the most pleasing features of a visit to any of the homes of these people is to find the Bible and hymn-book on the table and invariably showing signs of usage. We visited a number of Dyak houses. When we say bouse it must be understood that we mean the long house in which the whole of one village lives. In these houses we found opposite each door of a living- room the smoked skulls of the people whom the proprietor had slain. These varied in number from three to a dozen or more. The Dyaks were very friendly, and were anxious that we should come and establish schools and teach them of our God.
EDITORIALS Disquieting Rumors From China on the throne, and set up a govern- ment at Si-an (Hsi-ngan). The tidings from China are a Whatever may be the significance mingling of praise and forebodings and outcome of these intrigues and -praise that so many are turning disorders, it is most certainly a to the missionaries for instruction time for much prayer that both mis- and are reading Christian litera- sionaries and governments may act ture, and forebodings of a coming wisely in their dealings with the storm from the 'Vest, where the op- Chinese, and all things may hasten po~ition forces seem to be gathering, the coming of Christ's Kingdom in with occasional outbreaks and many China. * rumblings. It is doubtless true that "To be Seen of Men" the leaders who were routed at the The Pope's Jubilee Was celebrated time of the Boxer outbreak will before an enormous crowd, which it was necessary to control by a not yield quietly to the new order cordon of Italian troops. Many pilgrims came from afar. The of things. The empress dowager number present is estimated at 50,000 to 60,000. The pope wore the is also said secretly to favor Tung golden pluvial and the costly tiara ($25,000) given by Roman Catholics. Fuh Hsiang and Yung Lu, the lead- He was deeply affected by his en- thusiastic reception. Of course, ers in the present uprising in Shensi nothing was omitted which could add grandeur to the imposing specand Kansuh. Dr. John R. Hykes tacular effect. The noble guard in red uniform, the Swiss guard in writes: helmet and cuirass, the royal per- sonages, diplomatic representa- There is no question that there tives, Order of Malta, Roman nois a very wide-spread feeling of un- bility, with magnificent costumes rest in China, but this is not sur- and brilliant attire and uniforms, prising after the convulsion decorations and badges, made a through which she has gone. . . . rainbow round about the -papal So far as we can learn; there is a throne. The Sistine choir disrather formidable rebellion in prog- coursed silvery music, and at the ress in the province of Kuangsi, moment of the elevation of the the province in which the Taiping host, in the grand mass, a beautirebellion originated. The officials ful symphony on silver trumpets minimize it as much as they can, was executed from the top' of thl! but weare certain that active rebel- great dome. All this may be very lion is going on there. . • . There imposing, but it looks to simpleare current reports of a renewed minded Protestants like idolatry. anti-Catholic outbreak in Eastern Szechuan, where a foreign priest is A Noteworthy Centeimial said to be in great jeopardy, but our correspondents have not re- The British and Foreign Bible ported to us any general disturb- Society, born March 7, 1804, began ance. The high provincial authori- to celebrate its centenary with the ties have been very busy of late present year, March 6. It is proin inspecting and streng'bening the defenses of the Yangtsi, but I see no special significance in that. Some alarmists do. . . . It is further reported from the northern and northwestern provinces that Tung Fuh Hsiang is massing welldrilled troops in th8.mountain fastnesses of Kansuh, and that Yung Lu has ordered the transferrence of the Shensi troops to his banner. Further, that large quantities of arms and ammunition are being sent secretly to Tung Fu Hsiang, who, it is said, will attempt to put Prince Tuan, or Prince Tuan's son,
EDITORIALS
posed to celebrate this great; festi- tion, praise, and consecration to val as it deserves, by a concord of Christian thanksgiving and thank- God. offering. ' We have arranged for a fully il- Sunday, March 6, 1904, is to be kept the world over as Bible Sun- lustrated article on the history and day, services and sermons everywhere commemorating the mission present work of this society. It of the Bible among men. March 7th a great gathering will be held will appear in a future issue. in the Albert Hall, London. For centenary celebrations in England Moravian Missions approximate dates have been suggested: For London, March 7th to Moravian Missions is a new 12th; and for provincial towns and country places, March 13th to May illustrated record of missionary 1st. work, published at 32 '.retter Lane, It is proposed to raise a special centenary fund at home of at least London, England. It is a modest 250,000 guineas. This will allow the society: (1) to employ 100 more monthly of 12 pages, and costs but colporteurs and 100 more Biblewomen; (2) to prepare new versions a shilling sterling a year. The first and extend and complete other versions begun; (3) to provide fresh number (January, 19(3) promises Scriptures for the blind; (4) to increase the society's benevolent well for the future. We find spefund; (5) to undertake ·special work in Sunday-schools and among cially interesting the article on young people in England and also in the colonies; and as one result "How Moravian Missions Began," it is hoped the society's normal income will be permanently in- by Rev. I. E. Hatten. It recounts creased. the beautiful story of Count Zin- A centenary grand committee, to which every auxiliary may and zendorf's visit to the Danish Court should appoint a delegate, has been formed, and first met in October, in 1731, and his meeting with An- 1901. Each auxiliary is recommended to form its own standing tony Ulrich, the West Indian necommittee to carry out centenary arrangements. To spread informa- gro slave, and his pathetic appeal tion and educate friends in the for his benighted people. Zinzensociety's work and the world's dor! was electrified by the persuaneeds, centenary pamphlets will be sive entreaty of this converted issued at least once a month during native, and returning to Herrnhut 1903-1904. at once, arriving at 2 A.M., he found the "Single Brethren" The prayers of all believing peo- keeping up the prayer vigil, and he ple are asked that this festi val may told the thrilling tale. He was adbe kept in the true spirit of the dressing a company of martyrs; Bible, and Christians of every com- scarce one of the refugees in Herrnmunion are desired to unite in this hut but had suffered persecution solemn and joyful act of recollec- for his faith. Leonard Dober, for example, could not get the vision of that 'Vest Indian slave out of mind: to him it was a new Mace- donian cry. So was it with Tobias Leupold. And hearing that no man could reach these slaves unless himl:lelf a slave, they were ready to sell themselves into bondage so as to work by their sides. The sacred " lot" was appealed to, and Dober drew a slip bearing the words, "Let the lad go; for the Lord is with him." All doubts were thus laid at rest as to the will of the Lord, and on August 21, 1732, at 3 A.M., the first two Moravian mis sionaries left Herrnhut for the West Indies. The story has been often told, but after 170 years has lost none of its old charm. The work of Moravian missions for 1903 will require an outlay of £85,- 000, or abont $425,OOO! So has this little seed grown to a great tree.
BOOKS FOR THE MISSIONARY LIBRARY INDIA'S PROBLEM: KRISHNA OR CHRIST. By J. pages dealing with the missionary P. Jones. D.D. IlIustrated 8vo, 369 pp. $1.50, net. Fleming H. Revell Co. and missionary organization. But Dr. Jones has lived and labored in perhaps the freshest and most force- South India for twenty-five years. He has been, and is, a careful ful chapters are those that deal student of the country, its people and its problems, and is recognized with the problems and the results; as one of the most able of the Christian workers for India's re- they give one an excellent insight generation. His book is a powerful presentation of h'is theme; its into the whole missionary question. viewpoint is that of a Christian missionary, intelligent, fair-mind- If there were a good map and full ed, and spiritual; its subjectmatter is comprehensive and well tables of statistics the book would chosen, and its arrangement is systematic and logical. This book be well-nigh complete. * is a comprehensive, clear-cut, reliable statement of the conditions in THE LEAVENING OF THE NATIONS. By Joseph India, the methods of Christian B. Clark, D.D. Illustrated. 12mo. 362 missionaries, and the results of pp. $1.25, net. Baker & Taylor Co., New their efforts. It might serve as a . York. text-book for students or a guide for missionary societies. It compels Dr. Clark has performed a valuconviction as to India's need of the Gospel, and the power of the Gospel able service in preparing this comto regenerate and uplift the people of all classes and conditions. If one prehensive story of Americanwould know the vastness of the field, let him read the chapter on Home Missions. It is a book for the land and the people. If any think the native religions good which we have had many inquiries, enough for India's needs, they can not but be convinced by the chap- and one which will remain as the ters on the religions of the land. The contrast between Hinduism and standard record of the effective Christianity, and the products of the two faiths, as shown in chapt.ers efforts of Christian churches to win three and four, must open the eyes of any.not hopelessly blind to the our land for Christ and civilizafact that to follow the one means darkness and death, while to follow tion. The subject is not treated the other brings light and life. If one would comprehend the debt from a denominational standpoint, that women owe to Christ, they will be enlightened by the chapter hut includes a statement of the on India's women, and if critics are inclined to find fault with mis- work of the variolls Christian orsionaries and their methods, they will learn something to thl'ir en- ganizations. The method of preslightenment by consulting the entation is historical, showing how the missionary work kept pace with and sometimes preceded the advance of the white settlers. The author's judicious treatment of dis- puted points is shown in his atti- tude toward the Whitman contro- versy. Of course, many romantic and thrilling details of the story of Home Missions are omitted, but the main facts are here, and enough of incident to make the book inter- esting reading. It will furnish fuel for fiery home missionary address for many days to come, and it is of the only book its kind. * THE DOUKHOBORS : Their History. in Russia and Their Emigration to Canada. By Joseph Elkinton. Illustrated. Maps. 12mo. 336 pp. $2.00. F'erris & Leach, Philadelphia. 19u3. – These •• Spirit-wrestlers of the Caucasus" are an interpsting people with picturesque characters, lofty ideals, a pathetic histo~y, ;J,nJ
1903J BOOKS 1<'OH. THE MISSIONARY LIBRARY
a doubtful destiny. The story of earnestly to bring England to a their persecution in Russia on ac- sense of her responsibility for the count of their conscientious scru- well-being of all South Africa and ples against bearing arms, their to a more just and considerate emigration to Canada at the invi- treatment of the natives, the Boers, tation of the Dominion govern- and other settlers, but his proposals ment, their settlement in Assini- were rejected in favor of a policy boia, and their recent fanatical of a mistaken kind of imperialism.
pilgrimage in search of the Messiah Dr. Mackenzie died in March, 1899, -all this has been made known at the age of 63, after over 40 years'
through the daily press and maga- service in South Africa. His body zine literature. But many do not was laid to rest in the Kimberley know that they are a hardy race, Cemetery. His life had been one nohle, industrious, conscientious, of self·sacrifice, and his memory is and Christian. They are called the held in high esteem by all who "Russian Quakers." Their great knew him or his work. * fault lies in lack of education and A MISSIONARY HOROLOGUE. By Re". J. San- ders Reed, D.D. Booklet. 84 pp. 25 cents. the mental balance which comes Watertown, N. Y.
with it. With this want supplied, This is a "Ohronological Epitome of Missions from the Days of Noah their future is bright with promise. to the Year 1902; a Cartulary of Missionaries, Missionary Societies, Mr. Elkinton writes of them sym- and Missionary Agencies Since the Foundations of Samuel; a Minute pathetically, and from an intimate of the Evangelistic Work of Celtic, Latin, and Anglican Churches." knowledge of their beliefs, habits, The author has given us a unique study in missions. He begins with and history. He has given us the an outline of the book of Ecclesi- astes as a "search for the Bummom only complete history that has appeared in English. It is ex- tremely interesting reading. The proceeds from its sale will be used for the education of the Douk- ].obms. * ,V. JOHIIMACKEIIZIE: SOUTHAFRICAIIMISSIOIIARY bonum," follows with references STATESMAN. By Douglas Mackenzie. llIustrated. 8vo. 564 pp. $2.00. A. C. to the Gospel with Old Testament Armstrong, New York; Hodder & -a very suggestive study-and 8toughton, London. 1902. <> many outline missionary Scripture Dr. Mackenzie was one of the studies, and closes with a chronowisest and ablest of missionaries logical table of missionary events who have gone to South Africa. up to the present year. 200 copies His ideals were high and his view have been secured by Drew Theofarsighted, so that his words throw logical Seminary; other large quan· much light on the problems which tities have been ordered. The face Dutch and English in Cape pamphlet will prove a very useful Colony and neighboring districts. basis for study and reference. * The son has sympathetically but judiciously selected the material FAITH AND LIFE III IIiDIA. By Robert Lee Lacey. 12mo, 160 pp. Arthur H. Stock· for this biography. He draws the well, London. 1902.
portrait of a noble servant of God, These thoughtful addresses were and sketches the life of an able delivered in India, but do not relate worker for the good of his fellow- especially to India or to missions.
men. The quoted utterances and They deal with the relation of faith writings of Dr. Mackenzie form to life, as taught and exemplified valuable contributions to the litera- in Scripture and in Christian ex- ture on the struggle in South perience. They will be found help- Africa. The missionary sought ful devotional reading. One chap-
ter on .. The Holy Land of the stirring appeals and inspiring state- ments of fact. President Roose- Hindus" (Orissa) gives an excel- velt, Dr. Henry van Dyke, Dr. H. C. McCook, Dr. Edward P. Hill, lent description of that province of S. Hall Young, and Dr. Charles L. Thompson are among the speakers Bengal as a field for missionary whose addresses are given.
work. * EFFECTIVE WOItKERS IN NEEDY Fn:LD'. Illus- trated_ 12mo, 195 pp. 60c. Student Vol- unteer Movement, New York. 1902. – Five well-known writers on mis- WHAT BUSINESS HAs A BUSINESS MAN WITH FOREIGN MISSIONS? By S. 1If. Zwemer J<'.R.G.S. ' sions here give the life story cf five successful pioneer missionaries, This exceedingly convincing little namely: Livingstone, of Africa; leaflet should be circulated by Mackay, of Formosa; Isabella Tho- thousands among the business men burn, of India; Cyrus Hamlin, of of the world. It is published both Turkey, and Neesima, of Japan. by the Reformed (Dutch) Board in The volume is prepared as a student New York and by Marshall Broth- text-book, and is especially adapted ers of London. * to that purpose. Missionary biog- WORLD-WIDE CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR. Souvenir Almanac and Record. ZOc. World"s raphy is always inspiring, and par- Christian Endeavor Union, Boston. 1903.
ticularly so with such heroes as This is a suggestive and stimu- lating pamphlet, givingmanyfacts those whose Iives are here sketched.
The power of example is greater and illustrations of the gigantic than the power of precept. The movement which has taken the lessons of these lives are many and world by storm. * valuable. * KAMALA'S LET'l'ERS TO HER HUSBAND. Edited CHINA: A Quarteriy Record, Religious, by R. Venkata Snbba Rau. 12mo, 223 pp. Philanthropic, Political. Edited by Rev. English PUblishing House, Madras, India. J. Cumming Drown. Is. Oliphant, An- 1902. derson & Ferrier, London, These letters purport to come The subjects and authors named from a Hindu woman, but we in the three copies of this maga- doubt their authenticity. They zine, which have already reached are thoroughly Oriental, but aside us, make one most anxious to taste its contents. The articles include from giving a somewhat vivid view papers by Mrs. Archibald Little, on of a passionate and disordered ., Foot Binding," Archibald Colqu- Hindu woman's brain, and a more houn, on "Ohinese People and or less accurate picture of Indian Government," "The Outlook in life and customs, we can not see Ohina," by Rev. Geo. Owen, and that there is any good reason for many news notes of value. It is their pUblication. Their flowery worth having. * language and intense imagery may be pleasing to the East, but do not THESE THIRTY YEARS. By Dr. Harry Guin- ness. A pamphlet, Illustrated. 100 pp. suit Western taste. " Is. Regions Beyond Missionary Union, Harley House, Bow, E., London. 1903. CENTENNIAL OF HOME MISSIONS. 12mo, 288 pp. $1.00. Presbyterian Board of Publi· This account of the work of the cation, Philadelphia. 1902. Regions Beyond Missionary Union, by its Acting Director, briefly de- Much interest was aroused at the scribes the various institutions conmeeting of the General Assembly nected with Harley House, all of in New York last May by the able which have sprung out of the East addresses on home missions, which London Institute for the training commemorated the centennial of of missionaries, established thirty the Home Board. These addresses years ago by the Rev. H. Grattan have been gathered in a volume, and form a valuable record with Guinness, D.D., and his wife. *
1903J GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENOE
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE AMERICA Evans) has charge of the work for Missionary The Intercollegian women and girls in the university Volunteers voices a strong call settlement in the slums of Phila- Wanted for more candidates delphia. Of the two sons, the elder, .
for foreign service Delavan, is the Managing Editor of under various missionary Boards this REVIEW, and Farrand expects and societies. There are appeals to sail this year with his wife for from thirty separate sources for Oentral America to herald the over one hundred volunteers, men Good News. D. L. L.
and women, married and single, or- A Gigantic It is estimated that dained, medical, teachers, engi- Mission Study at least 1,500,000 neers, nurses, business men, and Class women are study- literary workers. Ohina, India, ing India this year Africa, South America, Porto Rico, in the United Mission Study Oourse Syria, Armenia, Mexico, Ouba, prepared by the Woman's Com- Alaska. Siam, Tibet, The Philip- mittee. Forty different Boards pines, Egypt, and Japan call for have reported the use of the study reinforcements. Any who wish in societies connected with their further information should write several denominations, and prior to Mr. F. P. Turner,3 West 29th to March ht, 32,000 copies of the Street, New York. text-book, "Lux Ohristi,".had been sold. Arrangements have been A Missionaty In the absence of made for a text-book on Ohina for Family the editor-in-chief in England, and 1904, and it is being prepared by without consultation with any of Dr. Arthur H. Smith. those immediately concerned, this item appears. Dr.Arthur T. Pierson Eminently Not Ohurch union, is widely known as a fervid and in- Christian and but Ohristian unity defatigable friend of missions, wholly given day and night, by Sensible through c h u I' C h tongue and pen, to efforts to hasten federation and cothe world's evangelization. But it is not so generally known that his operation. This, instead of sectaseven children are everyone rian competition, is "in the air." engaged in the same form of serv- Thus, in New York Oity 202 ice for the Kingdom. Of the daugh- churches actually are Jommg ters, the eldest, Helen (Mrs. F. S. hands, and so encouraging is the Ourtis), went out to Japan in 1888, movement that an effort is on foot and is now stationed in Kyoto. to secure $500,000 for an endow- Laura went to Tucson, Arizona, a ment fund. As the Brooklyn Eagle year later, to assist in Christianiz- puts it: ing the Indians. After several years of Y. W. O. A. work in In good Ohristian fellowship one America, Louise left for Calcutta church will hunt out members for in 1901, to take charge of a home all the others as well as for itself, and school for women and girls. and, shoulder to shoulder, the Anna has seen not a little service in churches of each district will guard mission settlement work in New that district and better it. This is York Oity, and Edith (Mrs. T. S. actually being done in three large tenement sections.
And the story is told how, when at one point an Episcopal church was evidently needed, and it was found that a Boston man had a
fund ~vai1able for the purpose, a known as " Hope Halls," 1 leased in New York man took measures to Chicago, accommodating 60 'mElD, secure what was required, tho another owned by the Volunteers in neither was an Episcopalian. Flushing, which, with the new wing, accommodates 80 men, and is Another Bible The Interior states surrounded by ten acres of ground. and Missionaty that a friend of Thus far over 75 per cent. of these men have given satisfaction in the Training" Wooster (Ohio) places of occupation and trust to School University has pro- which they have been drafted.
vided for five years Harvard and Some months ago of a school for training lay workers Yale. and mention was made who plan for service at home and Missions of the missionary abroad, trusting for later gifts to ventures projected insure permanency. The trustees are making all needed preparations by these two universities, and for opening such a department launched by sending abroad each a next September. A 3 years' course picked man to explore and make is to be offered, which college grad- ready for a beginning. E. C. Caruates can Cover in one year, em- ter, of Harvard, finds much to inbracing all themes needed to mas- vite and encourage in the Punjab, ter the theory and practise of use- India, while J. L. Thurston, of ful doing. Yale, wrote home from Peking, December 26 : A New Booker Washing- "Order "with ton is nothing if not It is agreed by all that a greater opportunity never offered for up- Degrees original and sensi- lifting a people, and I believe that ble. One curse of Yale men are to be congratulated on being ready to begin their work the negro is the multiplicity of un- at the very opening of this new era profitable secret societies. The in China. If the Yale mission can "Black Belt Improvement Society" establish a strong educational work, strikes at the evil in a positive way. supplemented by medical, and kept Its members are given degrees ac- true to its purpose by the inspiracording to their worth, as follows: tion received from vigorous evan- gelistic effort, it will be doing a First Degree-Desire for better things. service to China which even China Second-3 chickens and a pig. herself will not finally fail to recog- Third-A cow. nize. Fourth-An acre of land. Fifth-An acre and a horse. What Episcopal Few people realize Sixth-40 acres and a mule. Sunday-schools how much is ac- Seventh-SO aCres and 2 mules. are Doing complished by the This, verily, is the right kind of young p e 0 pIe's freemasonry, Easter offerings. The $110,000 Volunteers' In her last report given last year would pay the' Prison Work Mrs. Ballington stipends and official traveling ex- penses of all of the 28 missionary Booth states that bishops at home and abroad, and the organization has now leagues leave a margin of about $10,000, formed in 16 states prisons, em- or it would more than pay the bracing 14,000 prisoners who are appropriation to the two missionliving reformed and subordinate ary districts of Tokyo and Kyoto, lives within the prison precincts. in Japan. It would pay the appro- A correspondence for the moral priations for work among the elevation and benefit of their fam- negroes alld among the Indians in ilies is carried on with some 22,000 our own land, or it would promen. There are 2 large homes
1903J GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
vide for about one-third of the ted Presbyterian Church in Egypt! To all this, add the existence of an appropriations to the entire foreign evangelical community of 25,000, field, or about one-quarter of the the prestige and influence of this appropriations to the entire domes- native Church, the 169 day-schools tic field. The growth in giving in established from the coast to the the Sunday-schools has been steady First Cataract, the college of 600 for twenty-five years. In 1878 the gifts were but $7,070, but by 1888 pupils at Asyut, the theological had climbed to $29,323, to $82,070 a seminary at Cairo-all of these decade later, and reached the high- est figure last year.-Spirit of educational forces silently and irre- Missions. sistibly influencing the life of the Missions About half a score nation, by molding the lives of its in Alaska of missionary socie- boys and girls-the future leaders ties are at work in and mothers of a New Egypt! Have this most remote northwest, but so we not here a veritable triumph of vast are the spaces that there is missions? Shall we make no men- room enough for all and to spare, and by friendly allotment the field tion of the" loving kindness of the is divided among them. As to the the Lord?" results after about 20 years, Rev. Sheldon Jackson has recently writ- Figures for More than 12 societen in the Sunday-School Times: Mexican ties are at work Missions among the 12,000,- From 5,000 to 10,000 of the native population through these various 000 of this neighbor organizations have been brought republic, and with these results: more or less under Gospel influences. Three or four thousand can Ordained missionaries….. …….. 59 be classed among those that we call Unordained missionaries………. 105 communicants, and many thou- Total missionaries……….. …..• 164 sands of the children are in school. Native missionaries…………… 407 Total force…………………… 571 A Missionary About fifty years Protestant congregations……… 550 Semi-Centennial ago the United Protestant communicants.. . . . . . . . 20,000 Protestant adherents ……. , . . . . .. 50,000 Presbyterians founded missions in both Egypt and Strange Tidings How can these India, have made solid achievements in both fields, and are be- from things be? And ginning to question how most fittingly to commemorate the passage South America yet this statement of the half-century mark. The is abroad: Christian Instructor jubilates in this fashion as touching the Nile Bishop McCabe, of the Methodist Valley: Episcopal Church, found at Con- But look again! Not full fifty cepcion, Chili, 2 large boarding and years have passed, and behold an army of banners! Not 2 miSSionary day schools, one for boys and the families, but 61 individital Ameri- other for girls. The schools are so can missionaries. Not a small prosperous financially that all exgroup of 8 or lOin attendance upon penses are paid from tuitions and Divine worship, but 13,000 listen to the preaching of the Gospel every there is a snug profit, which is Sabbath day! Not 4 alone, after used for the support of native five years of labor, confessing Jesus Christ, but upward of 6,500 regu- preachers. In Ecuador the governlarly enrolled members of the Uni- ment has called upon the Metho- dists to furnish teachers for a whole system of new national normal schools to revolutionize and gen- eralize education. Teachers for this purpose have been transferred from Chili, and others imported from the United States to fill the vacancies in the latter country.
The government has paid all the transportation expenses of all the teachers.
Fruit in a For a generation Trinidad the Presbyterian Mission Church of Canada has been at work in Trinidad, and largely among the
Hindu coolies, with 9 missionaries the region last named, of whom 00 have died, 31 have been invalided, and .4 ordained natives, as well as or have left fur other reasons, and 88 other helpers. The schools num- 35 arestiIl at work. From the training college 1,168 missionaries ber 57 and the scholars 5,005, tho have gone forth, and 216 deacon- "esses. 7,254 were enrolled last year; the In Aid The development communicants number 917, and the of Industrial of the work of the contributions from the field were Missions Industrial Missions Aid Society points $8,230 last year, the communicants to the need for extension along the averaging $7.38. following lines: The affording of additional facilities for trading in EUROPE London and Bombay, with the opening of the branch in New York; Origin of In China's Millions the establishment of a factory at Ahmednagar, for hammered metal the China G. T. Howell tells work, and other technical and art industries; the ~rection in India of Inland Mission how Hudson Taylor chawls (houses let out in flats), which would be a great boon to was led to organize native Christians, who now suffer the mission: much from the prejudices of Hindu and Mohammedan neighbors; the At the time of the formation of organization of household industhe China Inland Mission, thirty- tries in India, where there are openings for the manufacture of a six years ago, there were only m large Variety of articles; and the commencement of industrial operamissionaries working in China, and tions at Frere Town, East Africa, aU these were located upon the in conjunction with the Bishop of coast-line of the 6 maritime prov- Mombasa. inces, except one station at Hankow, in the central province of Jewish Missions The London Jews' Hu-peh. Nothing at all was being and the Society has founddone for the 200,000,000 Chinese in the 11 interior provinces. God laid Universities ed an annual exhithese millions of souls upon the bition of £40, tenheart of Mr. Taylor, until the burden became so great that he had able for 2 years, at Oxford and to dedicate himself to this new Cambridge, for students of Hebrew work to which the Master was call- and Rabbinic literature, who will, ing him. The existing societies after ordination, work as missionwere approached, but without re- aries among the Jews. The society sult. So 'it came about that the has offered, at Cambridge, a prize China Inland Mission was formed, of £20 for the best essay on "The and formed along certain well-de- Jewish Prayer-Book. Considered fined lines. from the Christian Point of View," and a similar offer will be made to In answer to prayer, 2 workers Oxford University next year. The for each of the 11 unreached prov- libraries in both universities have inces were given, and not only the also accepted a number of books on workers, but the means necessary "The Jewish Question." for sending them to China. This was without any solicitation for funds from man, or any appeal to men at all. And now the number of its missionaries is about BOO, while all the other societies combined have only about 2,000.
Regions This society, with Beyond Dr. Harry Guinness Union for director, has now attained to thirty years, and carries the double task of training missionaries and sending them out. Its fields are India, South America, and the Upper Kongo. No less than 00 men and women have been sent to
GENERAL )I18S10NARY INTll:LLlGll:NCE
C. M. S. Work The most recent not only has these, but also has a for Women statistics of the publishing house, a home for ex- Church Missionary priests, a girl's industrial school in Rome, and a boy's industrial school Society's zenana work are as fol- in Venice, and a seminary in Rome, lows: where 275 girls of the best Liberal Italian families study. Nothing Missionaries in home connection, 208. that Protestantism the world over In local connection (including assistants), has done has vexed the pope mo~e 100. than this audacious and successful Bible women and nurses, 254, Protestant propaganda under the Native teache~s, 542. ea.ves of the Vatican; and there Houses visited, 18,277. will be wailing and gnashing of Zenana pupils. 6,9118. teeth because the king has recently Villages. 2.226. given private audience to Rev. Dr. Schools, 258. William Burt, who, mOre than any Pupils. 10,117. other man, is responsible for the Normal or boal'ding schools. 26. record, and ha,s conferred upon Pupils. 1.087. him the decoration of the Order of Orphanages or converts' homes. 127. St. Maurice and Lazarus, as a token Inmates, 376. of his majesty's appreciation of his In-patients, 8,416. seventeen years of labor in Rome' Out-patients, 247,508. for the betterment of the life of the city and the nation.- Congrega- Protestantism It will sur p I' i s e (i(malist. in Portugal not a few to learn More In the island of Cor- that there are several Presbyterian and Anglican Good New. sica an "Away churches in Portugal served by Portuguese pastors. There are also from Comca from Rome" moveperhaps a dozen young men's and young women's Christian associa- ment, which bids tions in the country-2 in Lisbon, 5 in Oporto, and others elsewhere. fair to affect large districts, is now There are also places of Protestant worship in various cities-8 in in progress. Senator Trarieux, Oporto. These are of various denominations, Methodist, Presby- president of the league for securing terian, Episcopal, Independent. There are a number of city missions equal religious rights for all, has and each church has a school with a Portuguese schoolmistress. Re- sent a petition to M. Combes, the ligious liberty was accorded by the constitution in 1842, and the Bible minister, signed by the communal in Portuguese has been widely scattered. The Evangelical Alli- counsellors and inhabitants of Aulance has, however, more than once needed to intervene to protect these lene, in the Arrondissement Sarchurches. tena, submitting the following Methodists AmeriCltn Metho- in Italy dists many years points for his considera,tion: (1) Honored ago, with the same instinct for a foe's That the doctrines of the Catholic vulnerable point that leads the Church are contrary to reason and bulldog to fasten on the throat of its opponent, struck for Rome, and knowledge. (2) That we, our wives, began to build schools, churches, a theological semina.ry, etc. It now and our children, disapprove of !;hese doctrines, and DO longer visit the Roman Catholic Church. (3) That the teachings of the Protes- tant Church are in accordance with / our views; The petition states fur- ther that it is the wish of all that the office of Catholic priest in Aul- lene be suppressed and a Protestant pastor be elected to this position.
Jews in During the last five which he belongs, and to release the peasants from the present burd- Hungary years, 2,158 Jews ensome liability to forced labor." Our faith in a better future is prop- Turning to have been baptized erly strengthened by recaliing that it was this same Nicholas II. who Christ in Hungary; during really originated the Hague Peace Tribunal. the same time, 519 The Religions The imperial decree Gentiles have accepted the Jewish of Russia declaring religious toleration throughfaith. The great reason for this out the Russian empire has aroused going over from one faith to the considerable interest in the relig- ious make-up of that nation. Acother is that of marriage. There cording to the latest available sta- tistics, there are in Russia 95,850,000 are many mixed marriages in Hun- orthodox Greek Catholics, 12,150,000 Roman Catholics, 12,150,000 Mogary between Jews and Gentiles, hlil<~medans, 6,750,000 Protestants, 4,050,000 Jews, 1,350,000 United without the formal going over from Church and Armenians, and 2,700,- 000 followers of other faiths. There one religion to the other. In Sep- has been no law requiring conform- ity to the orthodox belief, with the tember alone, 20 Gentiles married exception of the restraints laid on the Jews. Persecution has been Jewish girls, and 19 Jews, Gentile leveled at dissenters as a rule by the local officials, altho the holy girls. 'l'he reports of the govern- synod has not been entirely inno- cent in this regard. The affairs of ment for 1901 show that the num- the Roman Catholic Church are entrusted to a collegium and those ber of the Jewish elementary of the Lutheran Church to a con- sistory, both at St. Petersburg. schools are diminishing from year Roman Catholics are most numer- ous in the former Polish provto year. There are now only 503 inces, Lutherans in those of the Baltic, and Mohammedans in eastof such, while the number of Jew- ern and southern Russia, while the Jews are almost entirely settled in ish pupils in the gymnasia (high- the towns and larger villages of the western and southwestern provschools) and universities is very inces.
large. The whole of the Jewish In the orthodox Church the czar is the supreme head, with power to population of Hungary is only 5 appoint to every office in the Church, and to transfer and reper cent. of the general population, move incumbents, limited only by the right of the bishops and prewhile the number of Jewish pupils lates to propose candidates. Prac- tically, however, the procurator of in the high-schools is 22 per cent., the holy synod, the ecclesiastical and in the universities 27 per cent., of the general number of pupils.- Jewish Gazette.
The Russian Not since 1861, when Czar's Grant 45,000,000 serfs were of Religious disenthralled, have Freedom such good tidings come from the dark regions of Northeastern Europe, where despotism has so long been enthroned. Just what the proclamation means, and how much will come of it, we must wait long to learn. But certainly it means something when this autocrat grants .. to all of our subjects of other religions, and to all foreign persuasions, freedom of creed and worship, in accordance with their rites," and it also means something that .. means are to be found to render it easier for the individual to sever connections with the community (the village commune) to
" GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
bureau of the government, has taught for 3 years in Anatolia Col- usurped many of the czar's powers lege, Marsovan, before taking his in church matters. The empire is theological course at Auburn Semi- divided into 5 bishoprics, which nary, New York. Hewasappointed were under 3 metropolititns, 14 missionary of the American Board archbishops, and 48 bishops. At in January of 1902, and went that the last report there were 65,721 year to Cesarea, Turkey. A churches, with 58,102 priests, and brother and sister are also mission- 497 monasteries and 268 nunneries, aries in Turkey under the same with 8,076 monks and 8,942 nuns.- Board, and three others are in Public Opinion. America preparing to rEturn to witness to Christ in the land of ASIA their hirth.
CleanlineH A traveler says The Fruit During the seventy- Deadly that the Russian of the seven years of its in Siberia babies in Siberia Syrian Mission history Americans, are not very attractc through the Syrian ive. And when he tells us one of Mission, have given twice 77 workthe reasons, we do not wonder at ers to this land. These workers his thinking so. He says that one have rendered more than 770 years day he noticed in one of the houses of service. They have issued the a curious bundle on a shelf, another Bible and its parts in some 77 difhung from a peg in the wall, and a ferent forms. They have printed third hung by a rope from the and distributed some 770,000,000 rafters; this one the mother was pages of Arabic literature, more swinging. The traveler discovered than one-half of which was Scripthat each curious bundle was a ture for the American Bible Sochild; the one in the swinging ciety. bundle was the youngest. The traveler looked at the little baby A Mohammedan A magazine has reand found it so dirty that he ex- Magazine cently been started claimed in disgust, "Why! do you in India which not wash it?" The mother looked horror-stricken, and cried: "'Vash should, if it fulfils the promises of it! Wash the baby! Why, it its editor, surpass in usefulness would kill it!" every other magazine which has ever been published. How absurdly The New Rev. Henry H. small is all that the S. P. G. publi- President of Riggs, a grandson cations have to offer compared with what Mirza Gulam Ahmad, of Harpoot of Dr. Elias Riggs, Qadian, promises! He undertakes College for many years to provide" an impartial review of the existing religions of the world, of Constantinople, Christianity and Islam in particuand son of Rev. Edward Riggs, lar; to solve embarrassing religious D.D., of Marsovan, Turkey, has questions, the existence of God, just been appointed president of immortality of soul, resurrection, Euphrates College at Harpoot, salvation, nature of angels, para- Turkey, to succeed Rev. C. Frank dise and hell, reward and punish- Gates, D.D., LL.D., who has re- ment, etc.; to give an explanation signed to accept a position in of the fulfilment of the prophecies Robert College, Constantinople. relating to the latter days and the Mr. Riggs was born in Turkey and advent of Messiah and Mahdi ; .to lived there until fifteen years of age. give an account of the life and nu· He is a graduate of Carleton College at Northfield, Minn., and
ture and proof of the claims of in Bombay, Miss Lilavati Singh as Mirza Gulam Ahmad, of Qadian; to professor in the Lucknow College, answer every objection against Is- Miss Sorabji in the law, Dr. Ruklam; and to discuss every question mabai in the Surat Hospital. bearing npon religion."-Mission Other names could readily be added Field. to the list. Pundita Ramabai is unique. Where shall we place her? A Treat for A zenana party is Her work for widows, begun before Hindu Women held once a quarter the decade, expanded into the Sha- rada Sadan at Poona, but far more throughout the than this is the wonderful village year at Isabella Thoburn College to at Mnkti, where nearly 2,000 women provide educational entertainment and children are brought into the for purdah women. The latest was fold of Christ, shepherded, bea stereopticon lecture on Japan, friended, taught, and trained by given by one of the professors. the great mother heart of the Pun- Music by the students was inter- dita. spersed. When the exercises were over, the women were entertained A New Rev. and Mrs. J. C. on the moonlit lawn. Their delight Industrial Lawson, of Aligarh, was unbounded, for this was a Mission School India, have severed prairie compared with their zenana limitations. The Daily Telegraph the i r connection says: with the Methodist Episcopal Mis- sionary Society in order to devote And yet it is not three-quarters of a century since Dr. Duff wrote themselves more fully to the develthat to talk of the education of na- opment of industrial mission work tive Indian women was like talking for famine children who have come of getting over a wall five hundred under their care. Mussoorie is to feet high. be their hill station, and they hope by the help of friends in Great We have climbed that wall ! Britain, America, and India to se- cure suitable premises on the plains The India I t now seems as at once for the large number of Pre.b"terian good as certain that orphan boys already under their care. Mr. Lawson writes: "Our Alliance at no distant day undertaking will be known as 'The the 12 Presbyterian Industrial and Evangelical Mis- sion,' the industrial element being bodies at work in India will be a means to an end, namely, the leagued togethe~ in one. From evangelization of India's people. the statistics of the Alliance issued We shall become a corporate body this year it appears that there are with trustees to hold all property." 7 synods and 33 presbyteries, 324 They appeal earnestly for help in ministers, 131} licentiates, and 304 preparing these boys for lives of church buildings to represent Pres- Christian usefulness among their byterianism in India to-day. Com- people in India. municants number 21,121 and adherents 31,305, making a total of Mixed Motives The chief idea in the 52,426 adult Christians. in Convert. mind of a Mala who contemplates be- How Hindu As Rev. J. E. Ab- Women bott suggested at coming a Christian is that his son are ~g the recent Madras will have a better chance than he Conference: himself has had. This desire for the welfare of their children and It should not pass notice that the improvement of their status women have risen to higher posi- and prospects is preeminent tions within the last decade; for among all the low classes, which instance, the appointment of lady inspectors of schools in Madras and
1903J GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
have yielded large numbers of con- out two or three missionaries with verts to Christianity. They see, Dr. Susie Rijnhart, author of too, that missionaries exercise "With the Tibetans in Tent and thoughtful care for their people, Temple." It will be remembered and sympathize with them in their that Dr. Rijnhart's husband was poverty and bereavements and murdered during their attempt to troubles as no others possibly can enter Tibet some years ago.
or do. But missionaries who labor among the depressed classes in Two Greatest· The mig h tie s t other parts of India will agree that Empirel masses of popula- in their religious development the tion under one inferior motives give place more scepter are exhibited by the British and more completely to higher and and the Chinese Empire, the for- better considerations, as the ten- mer with 389,000,000, the latter dency of the movement is more with 407,000,000 people. But what distinctly recognized, and the neo- contrasts! China, whose vast phyte submits himself to the influ- majority is devoted to a dry moral- ences which the change brings to istic ConfuCianism or a quietistic his environment.-Indian Witness. Buddhism, is religiously less Rev. Jacob How strange to divided than Western peoples, and Chamberlain read the following mai~tains a' primeval culture in Redivivu$ from the pen of rigorous local seclusion. She has this veteran and rounded her territory into a com- pact mass, and thus contains withhero, whose demise was reported in herself a mighty force of resome months ago: sistance. Yet, lacking initiative, On Christmas day we went to she has been p(}litically thrown our church service in Coonoor, into the background by the more active powers of. Europe, and is driving to the front of the church, and two of the consistory aided me up into the church and seated me even menaced in her original inner- on the platform, where, after all most sphere of life and influence. the usual Christma!! exercises, seated in my chair, I made a brief On the other hand, in England a (fifteen minute) Christmas addrea;, European predominantly Germanic and from it experienced no harm and Protestant people, now 40,000,- whatever. I had been anxious 000 strong, has reached out boldly about my Tamil, which I found had over the seas, and has seated itself very much left me during my sick- on every coast; she has founded ness, but was relieved and rejoiced to find that it came back to me great colonies and has subjugated when really needed, so that I did ancient realms; she has thus benot hesitate for a word. The consistory had begged me to take the come literally an ecumenical ementire Christmas service, but I de- . pire, which, in fact, spans the clined, with the fear of Ollr secre- whole world, and unites in itself tary in mind, to do marl'! than give all the religions, races, and civilia brief address. So you see I can zations of the world. In the fact that the Christian seventh of the be careful, and will be.
A New Mission The Foreign Chris- population of the empire contr(}s to Tibet tian Missionary So- a wide-stretching realm including ciety !Disciples) are 330,000,000 heathens and Moham- planning to open a new mission to medans, England affords the over- Tibetans on the West China fron- whelming demonstration of the tier. They have not yet selected religious and moral superiority their station, nor secured all of the of Christianity.-Allgemeine Mis- pioneer party, but expect to send sions Zeitschrijt.
A Good Letter Dr. A. B. Simpson, nan, reporting the peaceful condi- tion this summer of that section of from a of the Christian and the Yellow River draining Honan province, due in a great measure to Chinese Magnate Missionary Alli- the watchful energy of the officials connected with the conservation of ance, has recently the river, and to the kind interpo- sition of the Dragon River god. In received a notable communication reponse to this the empress dow- ager commands that ten large from the new Taotai (Governor) of sticks of Tibetan incense be sent to the Honan provincial capital and Sbansi, who seems to be at the handed to the said governor, who is to offer them as a sacrifice at the antipodes to his brutal and blood- temple of the river god on behalf of the empress dowager and emthirsty predecessor in that high peror, as a mark of the imperial gratitude for the protection of the office. The letter relates to the said god."
satisfactory close of arrangements The Curse of The province is sim- for the payment of all damages Opium ply cursed with suffered by the mission, and to a opium, a large ex- gold badge presented to him by the port trade being carried on with Alliance. He says in part: Canton, in addition to that sold for I am filled with admiration at local consumption. Probably no the noble and generous act of your commissioner, .Mr. "Voodberry. I Indian opium finds its way into the wish also to express my deep sympathy for those who suffered from province unless brought in privatethe critical anxieties. The last crisis has shown how very impor- ly by some official; the native drug tant it is to have a means of educating the Chinese in Western sys- alone is used. At times, companies tem, of which your holy religion has already given us the commence- of Cantonese traders to the number ment, so we may reasonably hope that when things are once more of 300 persons can be seen carrying quiet, our government will set about opening colleges and schools opium to the coast, and hundreds in various parts of the empire. We have a saying that out of evil of horses loaded with the drug comes good. Let us hope that this crisis, which seems so disastrous travel over the various roads to for both of us, may prove a blessing in disguise, and be the means Kwang-si and Canton. In 1897 the of introducing into the country many reforms and improvements, annual production of opium in two and washing away the evil thoughts of the conservative party, districts in the west of Yun-nan, which will be for the benefit of the people, and our good friendship Yung-ch 'ang Fu and Ta-Ii Fu, was may also be long standing. I am with kindest regard, 10,000,000 ounces. Opium can be Yours faithfully, bought anywhere, is in every home, SHEN TUN-HO. and for the most trivial causes is Homage to the As an illustration swallowed to commit suicide. Dur- Yellow River of the stronghold ing 15 months' residence in the cap- God in China that idolatry has ital, we were called to no less than even in the highest 243 cases of would-be suicides, 173 and most enlightened quarters in of these being women and girls.
China, we give the following ex- Of these cases 109 lives were saved, tract from an imperial decree issued 59 were uncertl1in, arid 46 weTe on October 29th last, in which it beyond hope when a:id was sought.
will be noticed that the emperor's Much as the unseen world is feared, name comes second: "Decree ac- life is cheap and is taken for the knowledging receipt of memorial most trivial reasons~' Pr{)bably 90 from Hsi-liang, Governor of Ho-
1903J GENERAL MisSIONARY IN'i'ELLIGENCE
per cent. of the men, and many He held a fellowship at Columbia women also, are victims of the University, took a business course opium habit.-China's Millions. at Albany, N. Y., and then pur- sued graduate study in Germany. How Chinese For sixteen years The bank of which he is manager is the most important one in Give the members of a Korea. Dr. Takaki has begun a little church in his home in Korea, native Women's and each Sunday he conducts a service and preaches. He has a Christian Association in Tung-cho night-school under way, and in various ways is a most decided have supported a Biblewoman in force for Christianity.
Ceylon. Their church and every- Wide-awake The missionaries in Workers Japan are to be thing of value was destroyed by in Japan commended for their alertness in the Boxers two years ago. The securing able Christian thinkers members were scattered in every and speakers for lectures and ad- dresses in the leading cities of direction, and were houseless and Japan. This is Dne result of inter- denominational coo p e ra t ion. penniless. In July of this year Within the past few years they have had visits from such men as (1002) these women sent their usual L. D. Wishard, John R. Mott, Robert E. Speer, Arthur J. Brown, contribution to their denomina- R,. A. Torrey, and George F. Pen- tecost. The latest speaker that tional board rooms in America, their enterprise has secured is Dr. C. C. Hall, who repeated the lecwith an apology for being so late tures he gave in India. Revivals and growth have been among the in sending, as it was not easy to results reaped.
reach the scattered ones still alive Japan in In 1895 the Japan- Formosa ese took posse~sion after the terrible massacres, and nominally of Forexpressing the hope "to do more mosa, but found the people up in arms against their coming. No in the years to come than in the settled government could be had until it was fought for from one past." end of the island to the other. "Vhen peace wail somewhat estab- The Coming Rev. William Ash- lished experts were sent out to survey the country and to take Harvest m 0 re w r i t es: stock of the new possessi0Tls. First of all a complete census of the coun- "Among our mis- try was taken; then 800 miles of road were constructed and a tramsion assets to-day we reckon not way laid down from Takau to Sin- tek. Then began the construction only the number we already have, of a line of railway from Kelung to Takau. A bout one-half of this line but also the multitudes we are soon certain to have. Here in China, for example, it has been long work and hard work and uphill work; but now the abundance of those Gentiles is beginning to come in.
In one province alone-that of Fukkien-the applicants for admis- sion in the past year amount to 20,000. Of these some 5,000 have already been accepted. A little while,yet a little while, and we shall see marvels of grace in China.
A Specimen Dr. Takaki, man- of Korean ager at Seoul, Ko- Christians rea, of the great J a pan e s e bank known as Dai Tchi Ginko, is a graduate of Syracuse University. He spent three years in Johns Hopkins University, receiving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
is open for passenger and freight and that permission has been grant- traffic. Cables were laid to Japan, Fu-chau, and Pescadores, while ed to open a Christian school. The every important locality of the island can· be reached by means of only condition imposed is that re- 1,500 miles of telephone and tele- graph wire. There are about 100 ligious teaching shall not be given post-offices-postage, 2 cents. One hundred and thirteen schools have to Moslem children if their parents been put in operation for the natives and 9 for the Japanese. There express objection to their receiving are 10 government hospitals, in which 60,000 patients are treated it, nor shall their presence at praygratuitously annually, and sanitary precautions are taken which ers be insisted on. This most surely have very much reduced the number of cases of smallpox, the may be taken as an answer to the plague, and the like. The government at Tokyo is unwaveringly many prayers that have been offersound on the opium question, and the people are free from this curse. ed up in this behalf. For the time Buddhist Fear Rev. Sydney L. being this measure of liberty, to- of Death Gulick writes that it is the testimony gether with permission to instruct of physicians in Japan that Budd- any who may privately seek inhists are always afraid to die. The average priest is even more fearful struction in the Christian faith is, at the approach of death than are the rank and file of the Buddhist perhaps, aU that could be wisely laity. In view of the fact that they preach the bliss of Nirvana, it would exercised.· Lord Cromer's speech be interesting to know why they tremble at the thought of entrance at Khartum on January 28th makes into that state. it clear that the authorities still AFRICA consider the till!e has not arrived Christian From the Eastern Schools Per- Sudan tidings reach for sanctioning public evangelistic mitted in us which affords efforts. His words were: Eastern Sudan much satisfaction. I entirely concur with Sir Regi- The terms in which nald Wingate, and I believe with the prohibition to engage in mis- every responsible authority in this sionary work has been expressed country, in thinking that the time from time to time have not been so is still distant when mission work explicit as to preclude a certain can be permitted among the Mosmeasure of uncertainty. By the lem population of the Sudan.-C. missionaries themselves they were M. S.Intelligencer. interpreted as prohibiting even the simplest kinds of Christian teach- Mischief- A writer in Regions ing to Mohammedans. It is a great relief to all concerned that this un- Making in Beyond says : certainty has now been cleared up, South Africa A movemen t started 2 or 3 years ago by a colored bishop from the United States, known nowas Ethi- opianism, is the cause of much trouble to all the old-established churches. Throughout the whole colony the agents of the Colored American Church have gone start- ing missions, placed in such a posi- tion that their success must mean ruin to the older work. In my dis- trict I have 2 such churches built not 50 yards from 2 of ours. I know of no single instance in which they have endeavored to rpach the heathen, but all their efforts seem to be to get the converts from the other communities. So violent has their antagonism been that the Moravian missionary on the next station to me had his life threaten- ed several times, and was so wor- ried that at last he had a physical breakdown, obliging him to leave, and he could not take charge of an- other work for six months. They
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
have not gone as far as this with deavor Society and of the Young me yet, but they try in every way Men's Christian Association were conceivable to bribe my members formed in the camps. Two of these to leave. students, Messrs. Charles Mijn- Peace hardt and Harry Webb, already Encouraging I' e – members of the Student Volunteer Returning to ports continue to Missionary Union, started mission- the Transvaal come from the re- ary meetings in the St. Helena centscenesof strife. camps in order to bring before the minds of the young converts and Work and Workers (Wesleyan) others the claim Christ makes on says: their lives for personal service in Throughout the region in which the great missionary enterprise. our work was paralyzed by war the utmost activity now prevails, As the nUIlJ ber of missionary volam}. under the able direction of uuteers increased, they sought to do personal work among their fellow- Rev. Amos Burnet arrangements prisoners, and the ministers atar~ being made not only for the re- tribute the awakening in the camps smnption but for the extension of in large measure to this individual our various missionary agencies. dealing. Alii the country settles dQ,wn, and The 175 young men who have reindustrial and commercial life is turned to South Africa pledged ior renewed, the well-proved liberality work among the heathen range in of our people will again be exer- . age from seventeen to thirty. The c"ised, and we look forward with majority are under twenty-five confidence to vigorous and success: years of age. Some, by reason of ful labor alike among British set- their previous education, arequalitlers and the native races. lVluch fied to enter the theological semiwill depend upon the steps that are nary at Stellellbosch; others can begin a course of missionary preptaken in the near future. aration at the Wellington Mis- An Unexpected With numbers of sionary Training Institution.
Outcome of the the Boer prisoners, The 'Dutch Reformed Church has Boer War the recent war naturally shown deep interest in seems to have done the event, and has come forward in a generous way to assist in the the work of a plow and harrow, training of these young men. preparing hearts for the recep- Thirty-two ministers and laymen tion of the Gospel. Among the met in conference at Stellenbosch prisoners who have returned from and resolved to open a preparatory their captivity are 175 young men, training institution, where the who during their exile formed entrants will be enabled to continue the purpose of becoming mission- their education, and at the same time receive suitable industrial aries to the beathen. Some spirit- training. Vith this object in view, the old Drostdij at Worcester, a ually minded ministers of the building surrounded by 20 acres of Dutch Reformed Church, recogniz- arable land, has been purchased ing the unique opening the prison from the Colonial government for camps offered for bringing the the sum of $50,000. Gospel to thousands of men, became voluntary e~iles that they might In accepting the liability for the training of these converts, the take advantage of the occasion. Dutch Reformed Church has given The prison c/tmp services were fol- an evidence of a revival of its lowed by a remarkable spiritual missionary spirit. It is impossible awakening, some interesting par- to overestimate the influence this ticulars of which are given in the band of young men may have npon Londale Christian Express: the evangelization of the Dark Continent.–The Christian. Some Transvaal students, who had been studying at Stellenbosch before hostilities broke out. rallied round the ministers, and with their aid branches of tbe Christian En-
The Good The Mengo hospital totally abandoned. Such habits, of the which Sir Harry especially in official circles, are ut- terly inconsistent with the declara- Ocean Cable Johnston opened in tion of our honored governor that the spring of 1900 "the founders of our government were profoundly convinced that was destroyed by lightning Novem- religion must be upheld for the ber 29th. The news reached us benefit of the State, and that it was December 4th, and the cablegram the basis for the morality of the added an assurance which was citizen." If this is a true statement most welcome-that the patients of the "profound conviction of the were all safe. December 5th the founders of our government," I Medical Auxiliary Committee had hope I will not be deemed imperti- their monthly meeting, and a grant nent if I ask our present rulers if of £500 was cabled out that same they are honestly seeking to give day, and the suggestion was made this profound conviction forceful that the new hospital should be and objective expression? built of brick. Unfortunately, as seems to our limited vision, Mr. The unanimous habit of ignoring Borup, the architect and builder the public worship of God on the of the former hospital and of the part of our civil rulers and high cathedral, is now in this country officials is not according to best and about to visit Canada. But American ideals; it is poor relig- perhaps the necessities of the case ion; it is bad morality; and worse will develop the resourcefulness of politics. others on the spot, and will afford proof of native powers on the part DR. GEORGE F. PENTECOST. of those whom Mr. Borup has trained, which in his presence Rome to be In no other land is would scarcely have been disclosed. Met in the there now, nor has -C. M. S. Inielligencer. Philippines there been in the ISLANDS OF THE SEA past, so desperate a grapple between Protestant en- Americans We Protestants do lightenment and intrenched papal in the not in any sense error as in the Philippine Islands. It is not easy to uproot institutions Philippines assume to compel that have had the growth of three our public men to centuries, and especially if the gi- gantic efforts of American Roman be Christians, but we feel that it is Catholics are put forth to maintain within our province to criticize a the grasp already gained. The unanimous non-religious habit on Romish Church, smarting under the part of officials. If this is their the obloquy which has been poured attitude toward religion and the upon the situation in the Philip- – public recognition of God, it is not a pines, and well aware of the hor- matter of wonder that almost the rible scandals, oppressions, and cor- entire American community in Ma- . ruptions of the notorious friars, nila follow their example, and~hat, will make haste to mend the situa- while we find the public race- tion and hold it, and thus to demon- courses and the fields of sport strate to the world, if possible, the crowded, the social clubs of the regenerating power of the papacy. city in full blast, public husinessin It is a desperate conflict from their full swing on the Sabbath day, the standpoint, and it will be fought. houses of worship are practically out desperately to the end. No empty and the worship of God, mere holiday work, thereforE', 110 under whose blessing we have be- COme so great a people, is almost
picnicing, no more sentimental Jews and Gentiles in New South forays need be planned by our Wales is surprising, 361 Jews and Protestant churches; they must Jewesses having intermarried with accept an earnest and arduous Christians as compared with 1,562 struggle, and many of them. It married within their own religion.
might almost be said that the The only missionary work among whole issue between Rome and these 16,841 Jews in Australia is Protestantism is at stake in the done by the Prayer Union for Philippines, the battle is on, and Israel, to which the Presbyterians the civilized and unciviIized nations have already handed their work are to be spectators. and funds, while the Church of REV. F. F. ELLINWOOD. England interest will amalgamate with it when a missionary is found.
How Hair is The native of New The Prayer Union for Israel, Aus- Dressed in Guinea wears but a tralasian Council, is publishing the New Guinea girdle of pandanus • Friend of Israel.
leaf, or a cloth of bark from the paper mulberry tree, MISCELLANEOUS but is chiefly remarkable in Good- More Zeal The Rev. Charles enough Bay for his huge head of for Missions Stelze remarks in hair. This is a mark of great beauty, and he becomes inordi- at Home the Sunday-school nately vain of it. It is all his own I Times: "A curious From the age of eleven or twelve he cultivates it, stiffens it with a phase of the situation is that, lavish supply of cocoanut oil, and somehow, the Italian who owns the combs it out with his six-pronged banana stand on the corner does wooden comb. To prevent ruffling not appeal to us with as much it when he sleeps at night he rests force as his brother in sunny Italy. the nape of the neck on a wooden The colored man who lives near the stand, or pillow, some four inches railway track is not nearly so rooff the ground. The ears are quite mantic a character as his relative covered by the hair, and will ex- who lives in Liberia. In New York, plain the taunt of one small boy to recently, they sold a fine church another, who had asked him more building in the upper part of the than once to repeat what he said: city because there were too many foreigners in the neighborhood. " Can not you hear? Are your Then they sent the money to the ears covered up? " Board of Foreign Missions."
In Collingwood Bay the hair is Behold! The biographer of worn differently, being plastered What "Waste " Phi!Iips Brooks with mud into little rat-like tails. – Mission Field. ventures to ex- claim. "What a loss to the Church Jews in Returns of the re- if Phillips Brooks had become a AustrtJia ligious census show foreign missionary!" Whereupon that in 1901 there m're 6,447 Jews in New South Pressident C. C. Tracy, of Anatolia Wales, 5,997 in Victoria, 733 in Queensland, 786 in South Austra- College, thus replies: lia, 1,259 in West Australia, 107 in Tasmania, and 1,612 in New Zea- Hold! Let us think a moment. I:tnd-a total of 16,841. The large How much greater was Phillips llllllher of intermarriages between Brooks than the Apostle Paul? And we too exclaim: "What a loss to the Church-and the world-if Saul of Tarsus had not become a foreign missionary!" If he, or such as he, had not forsaken all to go and
preach the everlasting Gospel to Clifton Springs, N. Y., June 3-9, benighted Europe, the following 1903. Opening session at 7 P.M., appalling losses, so far as we can Wednesday, June 3d. All foreign see, would have resulted: the New missionaries of any evangelical denomination; whether active. re- Testament would lack three-quar- tired, or newly appointed, are ters of the Acts of the Apostles, eligible to membership, and will be given free entertainment. Further thirteen powerful epistles, and the information obtained by addressing most shining example ever seen Mrs. C. C. Thayer, Secretary of since Christ Himself; the Christian International Missionary Union, Clifton Springs, N. Y. age would never have dawned in Europe; Western civilization would Hebrew- Rev. Louis Meyer Christian and Rev. A. R. Kulnever have been evolved; we should Conference dell have sent out a all still be heathen; there would call for a conferhave been no great Germany, no ence of Hebrew-Christians to meet mighty Britain, no glorious Amer- ica, no New England, no Boston, no Phillips Brooks! Who knows whether the final triumph of Christ's cause and kingdom might not have been hastened by half a millennium if Phillips Brooks had become a fOl'eign missionary?
A Marvel of a 0 n e sec ret 0 f July 24th to 31st, in Mountain Lake Missionary Swartz's great influ- Park, Md.
ence was his thor" The benefits expected from the ough knowledge of the native lan- . conference are a personal acquaint- guages_ He was a born linguist. ance and an exchange of experi.
German was his native tongue, and ences and ideas, bu t more especially we have seen that he acquired Eng- an advance for the cause of Jewish lish chiefly for the purpose of min- missions. It will be an object-les- istering to the British troops. He son to the Christian Church, and had a good acquaintance with He- the cause of Jewish missions will brew and Greek for Biblical study. no longer be considered an unsuc~ He understood Tamil thoroughly, cessful and a hopeless work. With having spent five of his freshest the help of God, a wave of enthu- years in India in reading the sacred siasm may be started which will books of the Hindus. He learned cause the carrying of the Gospel Portuguese at Tranquebar. so that unto tbe long-neglected sons of he might address the descendants Israel. The eyes of unbelieving of the early conquerors of that race. Jews may also be opened, when He learned Persian, because it was they see a gathering of representa- the court language in the palace of tive Hebrew-Christians, such as the Nawab; Hindustani, because can disprove the false claim of it was the common tongue of the their rabHs that only men from the Mohammedans; and Marathi, at Jewish rabble are converted to the request of the Raja of Tanjore. Christianity.
He translated into this language a A close alliance of Hebrew-Chris- dialogue between a Christian and tians is also the only way in which a heathen which he had composed the numerous frauds, who pose in Tamil.-G. M. S. Inlelligencer. as converts, martyrs, or mission- aries, can be exposed and con- NOTICF.,'S trolled. ~Te earnestly hope that THE TWENTIETH ANNUAL CON- this gathering may be held, and FERENCE of the International Mis- that it wiII be most successful from sionary Union will convene at every standpoint.
The Missionary Review of the World — February 1895
INN, ON THE ROAD TO
MISSIONARY IN NORTH CHINA STARTING ON A TOUR. MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
·YOL. XYIII. No. 2.-0ld Series.-FEBRUARY.-VOL. VIII. No. 2.-New &rleB.
MIRACLES OF MISSIONS-NO, XXIII.
* THlll PENTEOOST AT HILO.
BY TilE EDITOR-IN-OHIEF.
Among transformed communities there is one which deserves a separate setting as a peculiarly lustrous gem. Among all miracles of missions we know of none so suggestive of supernatural working.
Titus Coan, now just sixty years ago, in 1835, began his memorable mission on the shore belt of Hawaii. He soon began to use the native tongue, and made his first tour of the island within the first year. He was a relative of Nettleton, and had been a co-laborer with Fimiey ; and from such men had learned what arrows are best for a preacher's quiver, and how to use his bow. His whole being was full of spiritual energy and unction, aI).d on his first tour multitudes flocked to hear, and many seemed pricked in their hearts. The crowds so thronged him and followed him that, like his Master, he had no leisure, so much as to eat; and one day preached three times before he had a chance to breakfast. He was wont to go on four or five tours a year, and saw tokens of interest that impressed him with so strange a sense of the presence of God, that he said little about them and scarcely understood them himself. He could only say, "It was wonderful." He went about like Jeremiah, with the fire of the Lord in his bones; weary with forbearing, he could not stay.
In 1837 the slumbering fires broke out. Nearly the whole population became an audience, and those who could not come to the services were brought on the backs of others or on their beds. Mr. Coan found himself minstering to fifteen thonsand people, scattered along the hundred miles of coast. He longed to be able to fly, that he might get over the ground, or to be able to multiply himself twentyfold, to reach the multitudes who fainted for spiritual food.
Necessity devises new methods. He bade those to whom he could not *lhchol. By B. G. Humphrey. D.D.
MIRACLE!! OJ!' MISSIONS
go, to come to him, and for a mile around the people settled down. Hilo's little population of a thousand swelled tenfold, and llere was held a two years' colossal" camp-meeting." There was not an hour, day or night, when an audience of from two thousand to six thousand would not rally at the signal of the bell.
There was no disol"der, aud the camp became a sort of industrial school, where gardening, mat.braiding, and bonnet-making were taught, as well as pmely religious truth. These great "protracted meetings" crowded the old church with six thous::md, and a newer building with half as many more; and when the people got seated, they were IiIO close that until the meeting broke up no one could move. The preacher did not hesitate to deal in stern truths. The law with its awful perfection; hell, with its fires, of which the crater of Kilauea and the volcanoes about them might well furnish a vivid picture; the deep and damning guilt of sin; the hopelessness and helplessness of spiritual death-such truths as these pre- pared the way for warm Gospel invitation and appeal. The vast audience swayed as cedars before a tornado. There was trembling, weeping, sob- bing and loud crying for mercy, sometimes too loud for the preacher to be heard; and in hundreds of cases his hearers would fall in a swoon.
Tit.us Coan was made for the work God had for him, and he controlled the great masses. He preached with great simplicity, illustrating and applying the grand old truths; made no effort to excite, but rather to allay excitement, aud asked for no external manifestation of interest. He depended on the ",Vord, borne home by the Spirit; and the Spirit wrought. Some would cry out, "The two-edged sword is cutting me to pieces." The wicked scoffer, who came to make sport, dropped like a log and said, " God has struck me." Once, while preaching in the open field to two thousand people, a man cried out, "V{hat shall I do to be saved?" and prayed the publican's prayer; aud the entire congregation took up the cry for mercy. For a half hour Mr. Coau could get no chance to speak, but had to stand ~JtiII aud see God work.
There were greater signs of the Spirit than mere words of agony or confession. Godly repentance was at work-quarrels were reconciled, drunkards abandoned drink, thieves restored stolen property, adulteries gave place to purity, and murders were confessed. The high priest of Pele and custodian of her crater shrine, who by his glance could doom a native to strangulation, on whose shadow no Hawaiian dared tread, who ruthlessly struck men dead for their food or gamen1s' sake, and robbed and outraged human beings for a pastime-this gigantic criminal came into the meetings, as also his sister, the priestess, and even such as they • found there an irresist.ible power. ",Vith bitter tears and penitent confession, the crimes of this minister of idolatry were unearthed. He acknowledged that what he had worshipped was no god at all, and publicly renounced his idobtIy and bowed before Jesus. These two had spent about seventy years in sin, but till death maintained their Christian confession. In 1838 the converts continued to multiply. Though but two missionaries, a lay preacher and their wives constituted the force, and the field was a hundred miles long, the work was done with power because God was in it all. Mr. Coan's trips were first of all for preaching, and he spoke on the average from three to four times a day; but thcse public appeals were interlaced with visits of a pastoral nature at the homes of the people, and the searching inquiry into their state. This marvellous man kept track of his immense parish, and knew a church-membership of five thousand as thoroughly as when it numbered one hundred. He never lost individual knowledge and contact in all this huge increase. What a model to modern pastors, who magnify preaching but have" no time to visit"! It was part of his plan that not one living person in all Puna or Hilo should not have the Gospel brought repeatedly to the conscience, and he did not spare himself any endeavor or exposure to reach the people.
. He set converted people to work, and above forty of them visited from house to house, within five miles of the central station. The results were simply incredible, were they not attested abundantly.
In 1838 and 1839, after great care in examining and testing candidates, during the twelve months ending in June, 1839, 5244 persons had been received into the church. On one Sabbath 1705 were baptized, and 2400 sat down together at the Lord's table. It was a gathering of villages, and. the head of each village came forward with his selected converts. With the exception of one such scene at Ongole, just forty years after, probably no sucb a sight has been witnessed since the Day of Pentecost. And what a scene was that when nearly twenty-five hundred sat down to cat together the Lord's Supper; and what a gathering! "The old, the decrepit, the lame, the blind, the maimed, the withered, the paralytic, and those afflicted with divers diseases and torments; those with eyes, noses, lips, and limbs consumed with the fire of their own or their parents' former lusts, with features distorted and figures the most depravea and loathsome; and these came hobbling upon their staves, and led or borne by their friends ; and among this throng the hoary priests of idolatry, with hands but recently washed from the blood of human victims, together with the thief, the adulterer, the Sodomite, the sorcerer, the robber, the murderer, and the mother-no, the monster-whose hands have reeked in the blood of her own children. These all meet before the cross of Christ, with their enmity slain and themselves washed and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. "
During the five years ending June, 1841, 7557 persons were received to the church at Hilo, or three fourths of the whole adult population of the parish. ·When Titus Coan left Hilo, in 1870, he had himself received and baptized 11,960 persons.
These people held fast the faith, only one in sixty becoming amenable to discipline. There was not a grog-shop in that whole parish, and the Sabbath
MISSIONS AND SOCIOLOGY IN CmNA
better kept than in New England. In 1867 the old mother church divided into seven, and there have been built fifteen houses for :worship, mainly with the money and labor of the people themselves, who have also planted and sustained their own missions, and have given in the aggregate $100,000 for holy uses, and have sent twelve of their number to regions beyond.
Christian history presents no record of Divine power more thrilling than this of the great revival at the Hawaiian Islands from 1836 to 1842. When, in 1870, the American Board withdrew from this field they left "behind nearly sixty self-supporting churches, more than two thirds having a native pastorate and a membership of about fifteen thousand. That year their contributions reached $30,000. Thirty per cent of their ministers are missionaries on other islands. That same year Kanwealoha, the old native missionary, in presence of a vast throng, where the royal family and dignitaries of the islands were assembled, held up the Word of God in the Hawaiian tongue, and in these few words gave the most comprehensive tribute to the fruits of Gospel labor : "Not with powder and ball and swords and cannon, but with this living Word of God and His Spirit, do we go forth to conquer the islands for Christ !"
FOREIGN MISSIONS AND SOCIOLOGY IN CHINA.
RY REV. ARTHUR H. SMITH.
It is one of the claims of Christianity that it is a religion which is profitable for the life that now is. The civilization of Christian lands is in many respects so much superior to that of noneChristian lands, that it is very natural for missionaries to cast about for ways in which they may inject some of the forces of the higher civilization into the lower. Something of this sort is the legitimate outcome of the introduction of Christianity anywhere, as the history of missions in all ages and in aU lands abundantly shows. Without entering upon so wide a subject, it is the purpose of the present paper to give, from a single, limited field in the northern portion of the Chinese Empire, a few illustrations of the difficulty of introducing new sociological conditions among ancient races with a hoary civilization. Nothing is more essential to the well-being of a community than good roads, facilitating communication. In Northern China the travel is largely by carts, and yet the public highways are never repaired, and fIore so far from justifying their name, that it is a proverb that an old road becomes a river, which in the summer rains is literally the case. Much of the waste and misery resulting is preventible, yet it cannot be prevented! When we try to influence a farmer to repair the road over against his own house, he refuses on the ground that the track is no more his to use than it is that of others. He has no time to waste on such work-that is to say, he is unwilling to confer a benefit on others, even though he reaps a greater one himself. But there is a deeper reason still. The repair of roads require!! earth, and in a land where every avail· able square foot is necessary for tillage, who is to furnish the earth ~ Nobody. And therefore it never is furnished. Every missionary is able to perceive that, despite the industry of the Chinese, they are laboring under great disadvantages, owing to the lack of good tools; but he can seldom i~troduce better tools into actual use, either because they are far too expensive for the narrow means of a single farmer, or because, while they might be used for several' families, jealousy and selfishness would prevent the experiment from becoming a success. One of the clumsiest of the Chinese machines is the set of rollers by which cotton is very slowly and imperfectly seeded, but a foreign machine cannot be introduced to take the place of the other, for the reasons already given, as we have had opportunity to observe. Every foreigner who has travelled in the cotton States of America, and afterward in the cotton-growing Chinese provinces, is struck with the thought of introducing the American cotton plant into China. This has been done many times, but so far as we know the experiment has never succeeded. The imported plant grows rank and tall, but has the fatal defect of bearing little or no cotton; or if it does, after a season or two the seed must be renewed, which is a permanent check on the anticipated improvement. The same has been found to be the case with grains. Yet tobacco, maize, the peanut, a variety of beet, cabbage, and the potato have all been introduced into Northern China during the present dynasty, and all of them are well acclimated. Yet every such innovation has to fight for its existence for a long time, and there are probably few plants that can spring at once into favor as the poppy has done-a type of the persistence of evil and its universal adaptations.
Conservatism and suspicion are in all Oriental countries twin sisters, which resent any interference with what already exists. It is due to these traits that one is so often struck with the fact that contrivances for saving labor, which have long been in use in one region, are altogether unknown in other regions not far distant. An instance of this sort is to be found in a district in the province of Chihli, where the common form of waterwheel is fitted with buckets drawn up by a rope coiled on a windlass turned by a donkey. The machinery is rude, the buckets iII made and leaky, and the waste of power very great, but, on the whole, this is much more economical than drawing water by hand. Yet in a belt of country along the Grand Canal, only about two days' journey from the district where water-wheels are used, these devices are wholly unknown, and the only method of irrigation is either from wells with a windlass worked by men, or by two men tossing water from wicker baskets from the river into a pool above, and from thence to the field to be irrigated, thus using the labor of four men and spilling about half the water in transit. Within a few years, however, the water-wheel in a very imperfect form has made its appearance on the banks of the Canal, introduced by two men relatively more enterprising than their neighbors. The reason given for not having bought a machine sooner was poverty-the compendious explanation of so many of the ills of China. The water supply of all Oriental lands is of the most defective description, and here, if anywhere, it would appem that Western knowledge might be applied for the benefit of great numbers of people and on a large scale. In centres of population the people drink the water of rivers into which filthy cities have been for ages drained, an<1 in many cases stagnant water is all that is to be had, and is used as freely as if it were the best. Where good water is supplied to the Chineso gratis, as in the French settlement of Shanghai, the people show their appreciation of the benefit by allowing the water to run all the time. In the country most Chinese wells are so shallow as to furnish only surface water, often so impregnated with" ates" and" ites" as to be really unfit for usc. In these districts, and especially in such of them as are troubled with quicksands, what is needed would seem to be driven wells, going below the surface and tapping the pure water below. Experiments have been made with such wells on the great soda plains around the city of Tien-tsin, but the result was a failure. The nature of the difficulty was aptly expressed by one of the coolies employed on the work, who was asked why thc pipe was not driven deeper. To which he replied that it was, but" the deeper we went the more there wasn't any water!" An enterprising missionary physician living in a country mission station in Shantung, having had practical experience in California of a kind of wellboring, which drills an opening and then inserts galvanized iron pipe, has recently introduced the plant for this work into his field, and many experiments have been made with it, both at Tien-tsin and in the country; but though the tubing can be driven into the earth to the depth of sixty feet or more, it has been impossible thus far to get sweet water, which was the principal object in view. In the absence of any pump, a rude one was devised which answered the purpose, but it was so hard to work that the coolie who was employed to draw the water was very shy of the pump, and declared that it was harder than to draw up water hand over hand in the old way; but the well with its pump was surrounded by a crowd all day long, attracted from great distances by the exaggerated rumors which had gone forth. The benevolent physician was much amused from time to time to see a man who had been laboriously pumping up water from great depths, wiping the perspiration from his face, as he explained to the listeners the advantages of the" self- come water!" This experiment in a Shantung village recalls another experience many years ago in the same place. One of the missionaries had the happiness of welcoming a second son to his household, an event which seemed to the Chinese villagers of such happy omen, that they were moved to unite in subscribing a fixed sum from each family in the village, to purchase a silver neck ornament for the infant. As the suggestion was not absolutely and peremptorily declined, the committee in charge went ahead and ordered the silver chain and padlock, after which the delicate question arose by what means this gift should be acknowledged. After cam'assing many plans, one waR at length hit upon which appeared to mtisfy all the requisite conditions, which were in brief that the thing bestowed should be a <iistinct benefit to all the people, and one which they could all appreciate. It was proposed to put a force pump in a village well not far from the mission compound, where a great deal of water was daily drawn by a great many people with a great deal of labor. The force pump would make this toil mere child's play. The plan was so plainly foreordained to success, that one cf the missionaries-although not having the felicity of two sons-was moved to promise also a stone water trough, which, in Chines3 phrase, should be a joy to "ter. thousand generations." The village committee listened gravely to these proposals, without manifesting that exhilaration which the obviously successful nature of the innovation seemed to warrant, but promised to consider and report later. When the next meeting of this committee with the missionaries took place, the former expressed a wish to ask a few questions. They pointed out that there were four or five wells in the village. "vVas it the intention of the Western foreign , shepherds' to put a ' water-sucker' into each of these wells 1" No, of course not. It was meant for the one nearest the mission house. To this it was replied that the trinket for the shepherd's child had been purchased by uniform contributions from each family in the village. Some of these families lived on the front street and some on the back one, some at the east end and some at the west end. " Would it be consistent with the ideal impartiality of Christianity to put a 'water-sucker' where it could only benefit a part of those for whom it was meant 1" After an impressive silence the committee remarked that there was a further question which occurred to them. This village, though better off than most of those about, had many families which owned not a foot of land. These landless persons had to pick up a living as they could. One way was by carrying and selling water from house to house in bll{!kets. According to the account of the shepherd the new" water-sucker" would render it so easy to get water, that anyone could do it, and the occupation of the drawers of water would be largely gone. It could not be the intention of the benevolent shepherds to throw a class of workmen out of work. vVhat form of industry did the shepherds propose to furnish to the landless class, to compensate them for the loss of their livelihood 1 At this point the silence was even more impressive than before. After a pause the village committee returned to their questions. They said that " Western inventions are very ingenious, but that Chinese villagers attain unto stupidity. As long as the Western shepherds were at hand to explain and to direct the use of the water-suckers, all would doubtless go well j but they had noticed that vVestern inventions sometimes had a way of becoming injured by the tooth of time or by bad management. Suppose that something of this sort took place with the' water-sucker,' and suppose that no shepherd were at hand to repair or replace it, what should then be done after the villagers had come to depend upon it?" A lady member of the station to whom this was reported aptly observed that this was a wise word. "Father Hunt" once imported a force pump into Peking to be used in the deep wells there, but the fine sand at great depth clogged the valves so that they would not work, and it was necessary to pull the pump up again! In view of these various considerations, is it surprising that the somewhat discouraged shepherds gave up the plan of interfering with Oriental industries, or that the obligation to the village was finally acknowledged by the payment of a sum of money which they used (theoretically) for the repair of a rampart about the village, but which really went nobody knows where or to whom. The Roman Catholics have introduced the art of repairing watches among their converts, and it has proved a means of support for a multitude of persons in China ; but the number of possible industries of this sort appears to be small. Electro silver-plating has also been introduced to some extent, and may have been a partial success, but it certainly opens an avenue to fraud which the average conscience of the Chinese is unable to resis~. The plaiting of straw braid has been a new and valuable industry in many parts of Northern China, but this has been greatly interfered with by the inevitable tendency to adulteration of good straw with bad, and to short weights and short measures. No experiments of this sort are successful unless they remain successful.
Manual labor schools in a country with so complex a civilization as China meet with difficulties of peculiar obstinacy, but by long trial these can no doubt be overcome. There is space to speak but briefly of another aspect of this polyhedral subject-the function of charities in dealing with Oriental civilizations. We in the West have but just come to the consciousness that we know very little about this matter, and that most of what we have hitherto supposed ourselves to know is erroneous. Famine relief in India, with its relatively altruistic Anglo-Saxon Government, is one thing. A similar relief in China, with its patriarchal rule, where the emphasis is principally laid upon the patriarch himself, is quite another thing. Wisely conducted, famine relief has often been the means of presenting Christianity to the Chinese in a very favorable aspect, and was, under God, the golden key to unlock hard hearts long and obstinately closed to the true light; but we cannot for a moment disguise it from ourselves, that such relief, viewed as a sociological force, either as a cure or as a preventive, is wholly out of the field. We can never relieve a millionth part of the distress which we see, and we are wholly powerless to do anything which even remotely tends to prevent the recurrence of the miseries which are so frequently to be met in China. In the autumn of 1893 a ponferencE> of the missionary societies working in the Province of Shantung was held in the city of Ch'ing Chou Fu, at which two papers were read on
THREE MISSIONARY AMBITIONS
the "Poverty of Shantung, its Causes, Treatment, and Remedies." A careful perusal of these interesting and able essays would convince any thoughtful reader of three things. In the first place, the evils to which the existing social condition is due are deep-seated and ancient, and their roots are intertwined with those of the whole social system. In the second place, the only impulse toward a serious inquiry into the cause and possible cure of these evils comes from outside the present social system, and s directly connected with Christianity.' In the third place, these evils can seldom be dealt with directly. It is not enough to introduce new conditions. The" personal equation" is the largest and most essential factor of all, and without a modification of the individuals who compose society, under any imaginable new conditions, the old evils will presently reappear with seven other spirits worse than the first.
Previous to experience it would have seemed tolerably safe to predict that it would be easier to modify the social condition of a non-Christian community than to modify its religious condition ; but as the result of experience it appears that it is easier to introduce Christianity than to alter the type of the current civilization, and that the only permanently successful way to alter the civilization is first to introduce Christianity, after which little by little" all these things shall be added unto you."
THREE MISSIONARY AMBITIONS.
BY REV. A. J. GORDON, D.D.
We are often greatly indebted to one who asks us a question. A student inquired of us one day whether the Bible anywhere sanctions ambition. Yes! for though the word is not found in the English concordance, it occurs in the original. The word rplAOT'lp,e0ral, to love honor, is found three times in the Greek Testament, and the three texts where it occurs constitute an admirable chain of missionary exhortation.
1. The Field: "Yea, so have 1 been ambitious to preach the Gospel, where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation" (Rom. ] 5 : 20).
This is not according to the course of this world. If one were buying a house-lot it would be no objection, other conditions being favorable, that he could secure a plot where the foundation-stones had been already laid, leaving nothing to be donQ but to rear the superstructure, story upon story, till the building should be complete. "No!" says the apostle, " I desire a field where not a sod has been turned, where not a turf has been broken, lest I should build upon another man's foundation." If this saying sounds paradoxical, we believe that on reflection the whole philosophy of missions will be found wrapped up in it. The great commission reads, " Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature," not, " Stay in one part of the world and build up a Christian ci vilization. " As distinctly as concentration was the principle of Judaism, so clearly is diffusion the principle of Christianity. The requirement of the one was that all should come to Jerusalem; the command of the other is that Jerusalem shall go to all men. And this latter idea is so vital to the Gos- pel that it cannot be violated without the most fatal results. There is It wise saying that" capital is the blood of business," and the body politic can only be healthy as it is kept in circulation. But who, looking at the condition of the Protestant world to· day, can doubt that Christianity is suffer- ing from congestion at the centres-too much blood around the educational centres of Christendom, producing that intellectual vertigo by which so many theological professors are made to stumble npon the skandalon of sceptical criticism; and too much blood about the religious centres, the home churches, eausing tIlat fatty degeneration of the heart by which Christians are becoming inclined to a good-natured and easy-going toleration of all religions, pagan, heathen, and infidel. "In union is strength," the world's maxim j ., in diffusion is strength" is the motto of Christianity. " Tear down the rookeries if you would be rid of the rooks," was John Knox's advice for dealing with the religious houses where the monks and friars of his day were congregated, to fatten on the life of the nation. What intelligent Christian can question the vast benefit which would accrue to the world if there could be a removal of those theological" foundations" on which such learned professors as vVellhausen and Kuenen aud Pfleiderer and their American sympathizers have rested, while they have undermined the authority of that Bible which they are employed to teach! And if the endowments of their chairs could be capitalized for sending hundreds of plain, pious, and consecrated missionaries to the heathen, even though those missionaries were utterly ignorant of Hebrew or Greek or systematic theology. Cromwell put the same hard sense into another saying when, inquiring about certain silver shrines in the eathedrals, he was told that they were effigies of the twelve apostles. " Melt them up and coin them into shillings, and send them about doing good !" he exclaimed. So we say with the utmost emphasis eoncerning the architectural luxuritls and the artistic choirs and the sumptuous adornments of our modern sanctuaries. ·What an unspeakabltl blessing might come to the world if the evangelical wealth thus employed could be eoined into missionaries and sent to those who have never heard the Gospel! The apostle's saying embodies the deepest wisdom, and its truth was never more apparent than now. vVe believe that the great commission contains the best antidote against the great relapse whiClh threatens the Church to-day; that apostolic missions, undertaken with new zeal, furnish the only line of resistance against the apostate theology and the apostate Christianity which are now coming in upon us like a flood. Diffusion or death is the alternative which faces us. The church which is not a missionary church must now become a missing church. The foundations which our fathers laid in faith and prayer are in many instances being built upon with hay, wood, and stubble; the true-hearted must turn aside froID them and build anew upon the foundation of apostles and prophets.
In a word, it seems to us that in the apostle's method lies the true secret not only of the salvation of the world, but of the safety of the Church. The mission workers in~ur city who, without payor patron- age, plunge down into the slums to rescue the perishing, are rarely found to be unsound teachers of the Gospel. In mingling with them we have constantly been surprised and delighted at the evangelical correctness of their teaching. On the other hand, there are scores of preachers in the same city who are building on ecclesiastical foundations many generations deep-creed foundations, wealth foundations, and culture foundations-of whom it may be said without slander, that the preaching of the simple, evangelical Gospel is the last thing they know how to do. vVe see the saying of Dr. Duff demonstrated on every hand: "The church which ceases to be evangelistic will soon cease to be evangelical."
II. The Work.-Paul exhorts the Thessalonian Christians that they " be ambitious to be quiet, and to do their own business," etc. (1 Thess. 4 : 11). The nature of that business is uot defined, but the T,l, rota points to the Christian's special and peculiar work. " 'Wist ye not that I mnst be about My Father's business~" asked Jesus when His mother was chiding Him for neglect of parental claims. And since the great commission was given, every disciple may answer the claims of business, and the claims of society, and even the claims of the home church with the question: "Wist ye not that I must be about my Master's business~" There is, there can be now no work comparable for a moment with that of making known the Gospel to the unsaved millions for whom Christ died. Aud is there any sphere where a sanctified ambition is more strongly demanded than here ~ The lament of an eminent laborer on the foreign field, that in spite of aU which the Christian Church has attempted and accomplished in this century, " it has thus far only been playing at missions," is a statement borne out by actual facts; for do not men who" mean business" put themselves and their energy and their capital and their time into their special work ~ Has the Church of the nineteenth century, with all its efforts toward world-wide evangelization, done this? "Let us not be pessimists, but let us be truthists," says, and well says, a Scotch preacher. We do not expect perfection in the Christian Church, but it is better that we aim at perfection and come short of it than to aim at imperfection and attain it. We are in danger of self.complacency in view of what we have done, if we do not impartially judge ourselves for what we have failed to do.
Let us examine ourselves, then, concerning our outlay for the great work in comparison with our inlay for ourselves.
According to the best estimate which we can obtain, there are now above nine thousand missionaries on the foreign field-a noble army of witnesses, for which we should devoutly praise God. But it is computed that there are a hundred and thirty thousand ordained ministers at home representing the same constituency. How vast the disproportion! Fifteen times as many building on foundations already laid as there are preaching the Gospel where Christ is not named. Does this represent the most aggressive business policy in the enterprise of missions 1 At the lowest estimate fourteen million dollars were given by Protestant Christendom last year for the cause of foreign missions. We praise God for this testimony of Christian hearts to the constraining power of Jesus' love, and for all of sacrifice and self-denial which it represents. And yet, though the Christians of America gave nearly one half of this sum, they gave it, according to the reckoning of Dr. Strong, based on the ceusus of 1890, out of wealth amounting to thirteen billions of dollars now in the hands of the Christians of the United States; so that by the law of proportional giving they contributed on that year, he says, one thh·tysecond part of one per cent of their means to foreign missions. A widow's mite, indeed, but a mite subtracted from millions left untouched-a speck of gold-dust dropped from a mountain of gold coins ! Does this look like an aggressive policy on the part of those who are doing business for God 1 Again, it is held by many Christians that the task which the Church has assigned to her is that of converting the whole world to Christ. If success is any criterion of business enterprise, let us ask what has been actually done 1 Hardly more than two million disciples can be reckoned as the result of the toil and effort of this century of missions; and if we add what are called" adherents"-those who have in some sense been influenced by Christianity and identified with it-we may perhaps compute two millions more. But while we rejoice and give thanks for what has thus been wrought, we have to remember that in the same hundred years in which this has beeu accomplished the heathen and Mohammedan population of the globe has increased by two' hundred millions; in other words, the false religions have outstripped the true sev- enty to one, in the race for the conquest of this earth to Christ. * How long will it take to convert the world at this rate of speed ~ Is it true that the children of this world are swifter as well as wiser in their generation than the children of light 1 A hundred years have elapsed since Carey went to India, and still vast portions of that empire remain unreached. The British Government took the census of India three years ago, and did it in a single day-its two hundred and eighty millions of population numbered and registered within twenty-four hours j and yet in a hundred years missions have not succeeded in reaching all in that vast empire, and Standard Oil cans are found to-day adorning the native houses in India, where as yet no Christians are found.
Nay, more; we have to be rebuked not only by comparing ourselves with the children of this world, but with the children of the Evil One• • This i8 accordln~ ~ the eltimate of Dr. Jonetone (" Century of Mis.ions"). Did we spend less than a million for promoting the worship of our Christ in China last year ~ One of the oldest missionaries in that emp'l.re esti. mates that the worshippers of demons spent a hundred and thirty millions in sacrifices to their god, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Vhat shall we say to these things 1 We must ponder them seriously, and ask thoughtfully whether there is not room for a vastly larger business ambition in carrying on tho work of missions ~ And if, perchance, we see those who really rise to the height of this great argument, let us not count them fools and fanatics. A scene which recently occurred at a missionary meeting of Dr. Simpson, in New York, has been reported far and wide, and with not a Httle comment. It seems that at this gathering the people became so impressed with the claims of missions, and with a sense of their supreme obligation to Christ on behalf of a lost world, that they brought not only their money, but their jewels and bracelets, their watches and their rings, and laid them on the altar for foreign missions. Some conservative Christians have spoken against this action as decidedly unbecoming, as nothing less than an outbreak of religious hysteria, from which they pray to be delivered; and more charitable critics have said that at least it was a very eccentric procedure. Eccentric to what ~ Such as become truly centred in Christ are likely to be found out of centre with those whose orbit is the world. That was an eccentric scene recorded in the nineteenth of Acts, where many that believed came and confessed and showed their deeds, and made a sacrifice that counted up " to fifty thousand pieces of silver ;" but the issue thereof was that" mightily grew the Word of the Lord, and prevailed." In these days of burdened missionary treasuries the last thing we need to fear is an extravagant ambition in doing the Lord's business, which is our business, and in giving the Lord's wealth.
III. Our Reward.-" Wherefore we are ambitious, that, whether present or absent, we may be well pleasing unto Him" (2 Cor. 5: 9, vide R. V.). This certainly is the highest evangelical motive. Neither apostolic succession nor apostolic success constitutes the truest credential of the missionary. "No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life" (2 Tim. 2 : 4, R. V.). No; not even if, by so doing, he could enhance his success and multiply his conquests. "That he may please Him who enrolled him as a soldier" is the chief aim. The joy of the harvest is blessed; but one must not fix the eye upon this, so as to forget the approval of the husbandman, which is greater than all.
The first great missionary could say as his highest confession: "I do always the things that please Him" (John 8 : 29).
The chief missionary of the apostles writes: "Or do I seek to please men ~ for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Gal. 1 : 10). "I have one passion, it is He, He alone," wrote Zinzendorf. "Here I am, Lord, send me," said David Brainerd. "Send me to the rough and savage pagans of the wilderness; send me from all that
CHINESE PHILOSOPHER LAO-TS'lJ
is called comfort on earth; send me even to death itself, if it be but in Thy se1'vice and to promote Thy kingdom." The final award will not be " Well done, good and successful servant"-though blessed are they who shall be counted worthy to achieve success-but ' , Well done, good and faithful servant. "
THE CHINESE PHILOSOPHER LAO-TSE: A PROPHET FROM AMONG THE GENTILES.
(Condensedfrom the German of VictoT' t'on StrauS8 by C. (J. Starbuck.) Some travellers assure us that there are tribes wholly without a sense of religion. Vaiving the extreme improbability that a hasty traveller through barbarous tribes, often himself a man none too well affected to religion, could give a trustworthy witness as to such a point, aud supposing that there were such peoples, this would by no mcans imply that religion is a simple accident of humanity. We may sometimes see plants of the higher orders growing under conditions so unfavorable that they can bear neither flowers nor fruit; yet it is of their nature to bear both. Even so it is essential to human nature to have a sense of God, and where this does not appear, it only implies that under unhappy conditions there is an unhappy atrophy of the flower and crown of humanity. The oldest monuments of culture always bear witness to religion.
These monuments attest, moreover, that a deep and mighty conscious_ ness of God was the nurse and educatrix of mankind in its earliest childhood; that men or nations have not advanced out of a state of faithlessness to faith, out of atheism to theism or polytheism, out of materialism to idealism. History shows rather that unbelief, atheism, and materialism are products of decomposition, of that moral rottenness which breaks out only in highly cultivated peoples, and unless arrested leads to their downfall. A world-moving genius has never been a denier of God, nor a cultivated people in ascending development unbelieving. Let the truth at last come" to be held down by nnrighteousness ;" then, it is true, there arises a generation of " fools, saying in their heart, There is no God."
If Divine Revelation shone upon the cradle of the human race, we can hardly suppose but that reminiscences of it, more or less distinct, would long survive, an afterglow sinking at last, here sooner, there later, into misapprehension or dull forgetfulness. Here and there, however, it seems to act less as a nourishment to false religion than as a stimulus to earnest inquiry after the true. "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him," says St. Paul. Now God appoints notlling for which He does not give power. "He is not far from every one of us," says the same profound apostle. True, as he declares, mankind as a race, though capable of knowing God by the light of nature, have turned away from Him, and sunk into darkness, yet his recognition of the duty and possibility of finding God, and his respectful, indeed reverent quotation of a Gentile poet, who refers to our filial relation to God, shows that he by no means denied that individuals may have found Him. And there have been, among many peoples and in many ages, poets, thinkers, and sages, who have variously wrestled with this great problem. Indeed, this effort was at the bottom of all the pre-Christian philosophies.
We must distinguish that which can be known of God without revelation and that which cannot. That which depends on God'sfreedom can only be made known by Himself. That which is necessary to the very idea of God can of course be developed in thought out of that idea. Take any essential attribute of God, and every other is included. It by no means follows that pre-Christian thought has always apprehended even these, but we must admit the possibility, and need not, therefore, ascribe every profound perception of this kind to an immediate revelation. The chief end of Revelation is not to make known to us what we couM discover witllOut it, but what God, out of His unconditioned freedom, has willed, done, and wills. Indeed, the most essential part of Revelation is not found in doctrines, but in free deeds of God, of which doctrine is only the exposition.
It is worthy of note now that even human inquiry, for the discovery of God, is referred to a product of His free activity, to the work of creation, which, though bound by necessary laws, points beyond itself to a free cause and His free act; which appears to imply that deeper thought might find freedom to be involved in the very idea of God.
These remarks seem worthy of being premised, in turning our attention to the oldest philosopher of the world who has left written records. This is the Chinese Lao-tse. In him we are surprised to find not a little which we are wont to refer only to revelation.
Lao-tse's system deserves to be studied. It is deep and grand. But were it not, it would be of interest to note how philosophy was pursued in China in the time of Pythagoras and Thales. Elsewhere, too, philosophy, from its first beginning in India and Egypt till its full deyelopment in Greece, still the foundation of our own systems, is everywllere more or less interconnected. In China, on the contrary, it stands forth absolutely unique and isolated.
However we may interpret the confusion of tongues, it doubtless refers to some primeval event, which disintegrated the original unity of our race. Jehovah came down and confounded th~ir speech. What does this mean in Oriental usage ~ Plainly, that God came into their consciousness, whereupon they could not understand each other religiously. The religious divergence thereupon separated them into peoples. All gods at first were national gods. The divergence into tribes implied the rapid divergence into tongues. The endless variety of these implieswhat is confirmed by science-that the original language was the simplest.
Now in China we find a simple monosyllabic spe6ch. This section of mankind seems to have had no division of tongues or of peoples, no mythology, but from of old the sense of a unitary, all-controlling heavenly power, an abstract theism. It seems p.ossible, therefore, that it came into East Asia before the confusion of tongues. Here held safe in its primal form by seas, mighty mountains and wastes, it seems to offer the petrified image of early mankind, a self-developed culture, and a clear, documentary history of four millennia. Buddhism, with its outgrowths of superstition, appears during that time to have been the only foreign admixture, and this not coming in until after Christ. Confucius was five centuries earlier, and he was, and professed to be, only a restorer of the earlier China, morally, politically, and ceremonially. He was not in the least the founder of a religion.
Confucius-Khung-tse-was a strong, fine, penetrating spirit, but utterly void of a feeling for religion, for everything supraterrestrial, transcendent. In this, too, he was the incarnation of the already declining Chinese spirit. Lao-tse, on the contrary, was just the opposite. Older than Confucius, he was born as early as the seventh century B. C.; a deep and genial thinker, whose views of things suprasensual belong to the most significant efforts of antiquity. Confucius, who visited him in his extreme old age, acknowledged that he was overwhelmed by the fiery" dragonflight" of his thought. Most naturally. At every point, and of set purpose, Lao-tse breaks through the restricted limits of Chinese thought, which entirely contented Khung-tse. Yet, all fancies notwithstanding, he borrowed nothing from the West. He quotes elder teachers, indeed, but these are plainly Chinese. Whomsoever he quotes, his way of thinking is all his owu.
Not until old age, when retired from court, where he had been keeper of the archives, did he, at the urgent instance of a friend, consent to write a book, the " Tao-te-king. " This is the only but trustworthy record of his teaching.
In form the" Tao-te-king" is far from showing dialectical art. It is abrupt, aphoristic, apparently heterogeneous things mixed in seeming disorder. It is like a primeval wood. But, even as in nature, seeming disorder here conceals real harmony, the detail being always subordinate to the consonance of the whole, everywhere giving evidence of a system thoroughly thought out, fully rounded off.
The primal centre of Lao-tse's whole thinking is the great world-cause, which he names Tao. Out of this central intuition of the absolute-for this is Tao to him-develops itself his metaphysics, his theology, his ethics, and his politics. In view of this, the most momentous thing is to recognize one's non-recognition; for not to know knowledge is a sickness only curable by a painful sense of itself. The objective possibility of the koowledge of Tao rests in the fact that in the absolute knowing and being are one. That Lao-tse recognizes this is beyond doubt i for when, in that central intuition, the insight discloses itself to him that Tao has become world creator, and he himself then raises the question, whence he knows this, he answers: "Through Him"-i.e., through Tao Himself, an answer which necessarily presupposes the acknowledgment of this unity. The experience of the absolute is at the same time the knowledge' of the same.' The subjective possibility of the knowledge of Tao rests upon the fact that the man free of desire, turning away from sensuousness, and turning within, beholds Tao's spirituality, and when his doing accords with Tao, "becomes one with Tao." This expresses not merely the general oneness of the divine and human knowing, but as it must first be brought to pass and is attached to a condition, so that before the occurrence of this condition this oneness with Tao did not exist, pantheism is thereby precluded. Very remarkable is it that Lao-tse already attaches supreme knowledge to the ethical behavior, makes it dependent on an ethical act. This gives great significance to his declarations, "Whoever knows himself is illumined_"
While one now plunges his thought into the contemplation of Tao, he finds him first as yet, as the pure capacity of being, even of his own being, and so far yet as "void abyss," as mere potency in which being is yet restrained, therefore as not yet being. Then first he passes over to being, " Being comes out of Not-being." The significance of this simply potential, not yet actualized being, is repeatedly indicated. In this form Tao is altogether unutterable and unnamable, admitting of no predicate concerning Him. Being, however, proceeds out of bare potentiality, in that Tao-the eternal, nameless-becomes beginning and cause of heaven 'and earth-that is, actually posits that being out of which all existences arise.
The absolute Essence, however, can only maintain created being by abiding in it. Yet, as he may not resolve himself into his own creation, he must revert into the former state of unutterableness and namelessness. How, then, shall finite being continue to be, as the substratum of a manifold world ~ Only in that Tao, in turning away from it, positing himself thus as Unity, at the same time abides with it, engendering his other Self. The Second, positing Himself now as Tao, as the Second Might, which gives to all beings form and development, or is " the mother of all beings." Thus Tao is then a Dyad-an Upper, who is unnamable, unsearchable, undiscernible; a Lower, who is nowise dark and has a name, in beginning to create, to give form to Being; and thus both, as we saw, are of the same source and of unfathomable depth, as the very first chapter declares.
From the Dyad Lao-tse proceeds to a Triad. He says expressly that all beings were brought forth by Three. " In Tao is the Spirit, His Spirit is supreme purity." This Spirit he callI:) the " Valley Spirit"- i.e., effluent. He is immortal, and" His gate is the root of heaven and earth. " Mediating between the First and the Second Might, He is par- taker both of being and not-being, and is therefore" as if existent." He is also called" the deeply feminine." Lao-tse, therefore, sums up his completed sYlitem in thilil formula: "Tao engenderlil One, One engenders Two, Two engender Three, Three engender all thinglil."
Lao-tse, however, is not content with declaring that Tao in His Threeness brings forth all j he also gives deep views into the How. These are (1) the universal specifications of being as it is brought out of not-being j (2) the interior process whereby Tao accomplishes this production.
As to the first, Lao·tse is very brief and indirect. He accepts from the elder Chinese philosophy the three principles of nature known to us : The dark, reposing, feminine principle of matter, named Jin j the light, active, masculine of form, called Hng j and the psychic principle connecting the two, Khi. "All beings," says he, "have Jin for substratum and J ang for content; Khi effects their union. " We may well assume that he would have these three principles referred to the three powers of Tao, the first, nameless Power, being the cause of Jill j the second, the named Power, of Jang j the third, the effluent Spirit, of Khi. The primal, undistinguished Being, by thus distinguishing itself into the three principles, becomes capable of originating all beings.
Now as to the interior process in Tao, as creating. The first Power is empty capacity, mere infinite force, but of this proceeds the essential Tao [whom we may rightly call the Logos of Tao-C. C. S.], giving to the first Power defined content. In this [Logos], the Second Power, are all creatures, as ideally existing. How are they to receive substantial, distinct existence 1 For this we must trust the Spirit. To trust Him is to trust Tao, for He is Tao. He gives to each thing, at its appointed time, its distinct, individual existence. Creation had a beginning, but is then continuous, and the origination of each new existence is included in it.
Tao, having brought all things into being, says, " They are not Mine. " He sustains them, but does not need them. His doing toward them is not-doing, aI?-d His not-doing, doing. They, on their part, all turn to Him, as their origin and Father-that is, His doing never appears as such in the world. It escapes all observation. To appearance there is only an endless chain of necessary workings of antecedent causes j and it is precisely in the wonderful steadfastness, loftiness, and beauty of the supreme law of the world, ethical and natural, that Tao's ever-working will is recognized. His action consists in letting His will come into effect in and through things and events. Thus He acts and is at the same time without actipn. The end of His ways now is restoration j for all things, unfolded and consummated by Him, return to Him, their root, their orIgm. Man, however, is not absorbed into any universal world· soul, but in the proportion in which anyone has here become one with Tao, has returned to a filial relation toward Him, death has for him no danger. Only he who has followed the things of the outer world has no hope in his death j but whoever turns inward, and then returns to the light of Tao, "loses nothing by the destruction of his body, inasmuch as he has clothed himself upon with eternity. His life has no mortal spot." "For
THE CHINESE PHILOSOPHER LAb-TSil
Tao is all beings refuge, the good man's supreme treasure, the unvirtuous man's deliverer. Through daily seeking is He found. He forgives them that are guilty. Therefore is lIe the thing most precious of the universe. "
It is plain that for Tao, as conceived by Lao-tse, we have no other name than God. And what a depth of living thought has the Divine idea with him, compared with the abstract theism not only of traditional Chinese doctrine, but of many of our own contemporaries! This is an apprehension of God which, outside of Revelation, has not its like for depth and truth.
LAO-TSB'S ETHICS.
So much for Lao-tse's theology. His ethics rest on the same foundation. Yet one of its chief principles, "not-doing," has exposed it, both within and without China, to manifold misapprehension. It has, in fact, been declared to involve the most extravagant Quietism. Let us see with what justice.
Lao-tse's ethical doctrine develops itself out of his theology. For his ethical ideals" the holy man" is such only inasmuch as he is participant of Tao and one with him, holds him fast and walks in him. This he attains by turning away from externality and sensuousness, by turning inward, recognizing there the inshining light of Tao, and finding in him his" mother," and so, recognizing his filial relation, returning to him. "To be returned into his origin signifies to rest j to rest signifies to have fulfilled his appointed function j to have fulfilled his appointed function signifies to be eternal. To know the Eternal signifies to be enlightened. Not to know the Eternal demoralizes and makes unhappy. Whoever knows the Eternal is comprehensive, therefore righteous, therefore a king, therefore Tao's, therefore enduring." It is this which leads him to inner unity and simplicity, wherein he is in this like to the innocent child, that his demeanor and action knows nothing of reflexive intentionalness, and never has his own person as its object j that, on the contrary, it goes right out from him in pure selflessness, according as he is determined by his life-principle Tao j whom, therefore, he imitates, even without express purpose, by the very virtue of being determined by Him, so that he cannot do otherwise. Inasmuch now as Tao unweariedly brings forth all beings, provides for them, nourishes, defends, develops, consummates them, loads them with benefits, so in this also must the holy man be like unto Him. VV-herefore He 8lso lovingly concerns Himself for all, helps all, benefits all j forsakes no man, indeed, no creature. This is so often and so expressly inculcated, that it ought to have confuted the notion of Quietism. Indeed, the very last words of the book are: "The holy man's wont is Doing, and not Striving."
Lao-tse now praises this doing of the holy man, and also his not-doing. He must therefore find a distinction between doing and doing. The one is a doing that should be j the other, a doing that should not be. So it is in God, and so it should be in man. He who sinks wholly into the life of God ceases from self-regarding human activity, and enters into a receptive activity, determined by the Godhead dwelling in him. This unity with God is a being, which is the not of doing. No phenomenal doing exhausts it. The holy man converts men to God more by what he is than by what he does. It leads them to love the beautiful and the good, and to hate the ugly and the evil. In this sense, and evidently in this only, does Lao·tse commend Not-doing ahove Doing.
Lao-tse, therefore, rates legality low. He propounds no formal doctrine of duty. Such schemes, to him, mark a decline from unity with Tao. He gives the descending scale as follows: Union with Tao; formal Virtuousness; Humanity; Justice, and at last mere Seemliness, the beginning of anarchy. The holy man is portrayed in traits very much like the Sermon on the Mount. He is to deal with the evil and the good, with the impartial benignity of Tao, and to account himself rich in proportion as he gives, rather than as he receives. He is to overcome evil by good. The deep antithesis between him and Confucius is seen in the fact that Confucius censures him for this requirement, which appears to us the height of virtue.
Lao-tse'! deep sense of the converting power of perfect holiness raises him to almost prophetic heights of anticipation. When the perfectly holy man shall have come, he declares, the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the valleys shall be filled. He shall come in self-forgetting humility, and therefore shall he shine forth in peerless preeminence. He shall not strive, and therefore men cannot strive with him. By the power of his holiness he turns all men to himself. We might almost call Lao-tse the Evangelical Prophet of the Gentiles.
LAO-TSE'S POLITICS.
As Lao-tse's ethics proceed out of his theology, so his politics are derived from his ethics. In China the State had been recognized from of old as the ethical form of social life, and government as an ethical function. Lao-tse, of course, knows government only in the form of patriarchal monarchy. Yet as the moral perfection of the subjects implies the free development of their individuality, Lao-tse assumes in the rnler snch a self-limiting condescension as is only possi.ble in " the holy man."
Lao-tse [in the very spirit of a Fenelon-C. C. S.] inveighs against the wasting and rapacious pomp and luxury of rulers, "when palaces are grand and fields are untilled." The best jewels of the sovereign are the happy homes of his people. The lust of extension and conquest beggars the empire or the lesser State which it appears to enrich. Above all things he detests the intemperate rage of governing, that undertakes to interfere at every point with the natural evolution of human life. A calm and resolute maintenance of universal justice, a wise and virtuous example in the monarch, and a disposition, so far as clear necessity does not call for interposition, to have individual activity free, appears to be the foundation of Lao-tse's political science.
Lao-tse hates" destroying war" with all the energy of feeling which the warlike Achilles expresses against it. He who is one with Tao may sometimes be obliged to wield arms, but he does it most unwillingly. " He conquers and is not proud; conquers. and triumphs not; conquers and exalts not himself." He weeps over the victims of the battle-field, and does all that in him lies to limit such direful sacrifices. This even in suppressing rebellion. As to war between rival States, he has no allowance for it. " Be subject one to another," he exclaims, "so are you all conquerors and all conquered."
CONCLUSION.
The coincidences between Lao-tse's system and Christianity are certainly most remarkable.
And, first of all, it draws attention that Lao-tse, simply from the fact of creation, develops the idea of an eternal Trinity. A greater distinctness as to personality would render this almost coincident with the Christian dogma. This shows convincingly that the doctrine of the Trinity is not a simple development from the gradually unfolding facts of salvation, nor a mere transference of these into the eternal life of God. If, therefore, any one 'rejects the Trinity because it is not conceivable to him, we may well ask him how the assumption of intrinsic inconceivability is consistent with the fact that this doctrine was thought out by such a thinker as Lao-tse, in the sixth century before Christ.
How nearly Lao-tse's doctrine of creation coincides with the Christian! No extra-Christian thinker has ever raised himself to so pure a conception of the origination of all beings of and through God. If we must recognize in the unspeakable, unnamable Tao, God the Father, of whom are all things, so in Tao as namable we recognize the Son or the Word, through whom are all things; for this is precisely what Lao-tse declares.
The close resemblance of Lao-tse's morality, moreover, with the Christian, needs not to be insisted on. The Gospel also requires the very same self-surrendering to God, and self-renunciation of our own things, out of which, because God alone now reigns in the heart, all virtucs well up. And is it not the very same virtues which we also praise as emanations of a soul united with God g Even into the eternity beyond Lao-tse looks forward with a word of promise, teaching that he that is conjoined with God clothes himself upon with eternity; and that when the body' sinks away death ,has no power against him.
" In all this, it is true, his doctrine stands nearer to the New Testament than to the Old, and I hesitate not an instant to style him a prophet from among the Gentiles. But how comes it that this doctrine, which
Bin". JAMES lilVANS
was proclaimed more than twenty-four hundred years ago, which is known to every cultivated Chinese, which is claimed as its own by a whole religious community, organized under high priests and a pope, and calling itself after Tao, which has more than once even been the creed of emperors-that this pure and lofty doctrine has had no practical result, but has sunk down into an association of jugglers, sorcerers, and fools? This, I believe, is because this doctrine is only a doctrine, a philosophy, without connection with Revelation, not borne up by it, not accredited with the seal of the living God, not attached to the historical self-manifestations and acts of God. It is true, it speaks of the not-good or bad, but the knowledge of sin, as that which separates us from God, it has not. It speaks, indeed, of conversion, but it has no regeneration, which is at the base of conversion. It says of God, that He is the Deliverer of the not-good, and forgives guilt, bnt it has no means of giving assurance of either, and stops with the bare affirmation. In a word, it has no history of salvation and no institute of salvation. Let us thank God that we have both, and that thereby the way to salvation is opened to us, to which the venerable thinker with whom we have been engaged has pointed in yearning antic!pation."-Allgemeine Mi8swns-Zeit8chrijt.
REV. JAMES EVANS, MISSIONARY TO 'fHE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
BY REV. EDGERTON R. YOUNG.
Some men are so busy making history that they have but little time and less inclination to write it. This was emphatically true of Mr_ Evans. Although his life was full of most wonderful events, he has left behind him but few written records of his marvellous career j and yet, without question, he was the grandest and most successful of all the missionaries to the Indians in the vast domains of British North America.
In burning zeal, in heroic efforts, ill journeyings oft, in tact that never failed in many a trying ho-ur, in success most marvellous, in a vivacity and sprightliness that never succumbed to discouragement, in a faith that never faltered, and with a solicitude for the spread of our glorious Christianity that never grew less, James Evans stands among his brethren without a peer.
H the full accounts of his long journeys in the wilds of the northern part of the Dominion of Canada could be written, they would equal in thrilling interest anything of the kind known in modern missionary annals.
His mission field was nearly half a continent, and over it he travelled in summer in a birch canoe, and in winter with dog-trains. From the north shores of Lake Superior away to the ultima Thule that lies beyond the waters of Athabasca and Slave Lakes, where the Aurora Borealis holds high carnival; from the beautiful prairies of the Bow and Saskatchewan rivers to the muskegs and sterile regions of Hudson's Bay; from the fair and fertile domains of Red and Assiniboia rivers to the foot.hills of the Rocky Mountains, enduring foot-prints of James E,'ans may still be seen.
At many a camp-fire and in many a lonely wigwam old Indians yet linger whose eyes brighten and whose tongues wax eloquent as they recall that man, whose deeds live on, and whose converts from a degrading paganism formed a goodly multitude.
His canoe trips were often of many weeks' duration, and extended for thousands of miles. With his experienced Indian canoemen to manage his birch canoe no river seemed too rapid and no lake too stormy to deter him in his untiring zeal to find out the Indian in his lonely solitude, and preach to him the ever-blessed Gospel.
The Rev. James Evans was born in England, near Hull, in the year 1801. His father was a sailor, and early in life his son James longed for the sea. Some rough experiences, however, in a measure cured him, and he was willing to settle down to his studies at an English boarding-schoo1. When his school-days were over, and while serving his apprenticeship in a store, he was enabled to hear the celebrated Irish missionary, the Rev. Gideon Ouseley. Under his faithful words James Evans was induced to listen to the voice of the Heavenly Master, and with a glad and full surrender to Him he gave his heart, and to Him he fully consecrated his life. Shortly after he emigrated to Canada and accepted a position as a schoolteacher among the white settlers. After a varied experience he was appointed to teach the Indian school at Rice Lake. With his dcvoted wife he threw all his energy into what was to prove his life work, and labored incessantly in every way possible for the uplifting and salvation of the poor, neglected Indians. Possessing a marvellous memory, he successfully overcame the crudities of the Indian languages and became a fluent speaker in several of them. Hymns and portions of the Word of God were translated by him into different Indian dialects, and very delightful and encouraging was it to witness the marvellous transformations which were witnessed in the lives of the natives.
Mr. Evans was a man of great vivacity and cheerfulness. Possessing a splendid physique and perfect health, he ever seemed the personification of brightness and good-humor. No sullen, down-hearted Indian could long remain so in the presence of his sunny smile and pleasant words.
Even in times when food was scarce and money there was none, James Evans and his brave wife found something over which to rejoice and be glad. A friend visiting them one day found them rejoicing over thcir homely meal, which consisted only of pancakes, made by mixing some fish spawn and flour together, and cooked on top of the stove. My honored father, the late Rev. William Young, then jUl!Jt entering on his work, once called upon them when at their dinner, whieh consisted only of a loaf of bread and a little milk ; yet they were full of enthusiasm and laughing at their poverty; they were zealous for their Master, and rejoiced that the blessed work was so prospering.
For a number of years he labored among various Indian tribes in different parts of what was then known as Upper Canada, but now called the Province of Ontario. He found as his greatest obstacle to success the "fire-water" of the white man. As it has been in many other lands, where devoted missionaries have had to mourn their plans thwarted, the people debanched, the churches ruined, their work of years undone by white men from so-called Christian lands, so has it been among the poor Indians ; but even with all these oppositions Mr. Evans and his fellow-workers toiled on, and sncceeded in gathering hundreds of Indians together in different missions, all of whom, on their being received as members of the Church, signed the pledge as total abstainers from all intoxicating liquors.
After spending a number of years with great success in the work in Upper Canada, where he was associated with such devoted fellow-laborers as William Case, Peter Jones, John Sunday, Solomon Waldron, and Thomas Hurlburt, a very much wider and more responsible field opened up before him.
The English "Vesleyan Missionary Society had been for some time anxious to begin missionary work in the Hudson's Bay territories, but were delayed by the difficulty in finding a suitable man to be the leader of the devoted company who were to be the pioneers of such an arduous undertaking.
While praying and inquiring about the matter, the fame of the Rev. James Evans went across the sea, and at once the minds of the members of the committee with singular unanimity went out to this man who had been so very successful among the red men in Canada as just the leader for whom they were seeking. Never was a better choice made. Grandly was he equipped for the work by the varied experiences obtained in the successful years just ending.
With all the enthusiasm of his ardent spirit he gladly accepted of the appointment, although it meant the sacrifice of all the blessings of civilization, and complete exile from kindred spirits into a region of blizzard storms and degraded savages. To such a man difficulties and hardships hardly entered iuto his calculations. To honor God in the salvation of precious souls was his consuming passion.
So full of zeal and faith was he that amid the hurry of preparation we hear him saying: "I am in high spirits, and expect to see many of the poor savages converted to God." Such were the difficulties of travel in those days and the wretched facilities for transportation, that Mr. Evans's household effects had to make two trips across the Atlantic Ocean: first they were shipped from Toronto to England, then they were reshipped in a vessel of the Hudson's Bay Company to York Factory, on the west shore of the Hudson's Bay. From this place they were taken up in little river boats to Norway House. So difficult was this river transit, owing to the many rapids and obstructions in the rivers, that at least seventy times had the packages to be lifted out of the boats and carried on men~s heads over the rocky portages.
Mr. Evans and his family went by the canoe route from Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior, to Norway House. The trip was a dangerous one, and they were in dangers oft ; but nothing could quench the zeal of this brave man. At the different posts where Indians gathered he preached the Word, and hundreds listened with intense interest. He took with him two young Ojibway Indians, converted, zealous young men, who told their astonished brethren in those northern regions the joys and blessedness of this great salvation. One of them was the Rev. Hellry Sternham, who became a very successful missionary, and who after many years of glorious toil finished his course .with joy and entered into rest. Two noble sons are active and useful in the field.
Of Mr. Evans's trials and triumphs in the vast regions of the Northwest we cannot enter here in detail.
Glorious were his successes. There seemed to bc such a power and influence attending his words that even the old Indian conjurers and medicine men were silenced and subdued. The Indians in hundreds accepted the teachings of the great Book, and missions were established in many places. Many aud importunate were Mr. Evans's appeals for brave men to come and occupy these fields, so open and so ripe for the reapers; but, alas ! the responses were so few that many inviting fields were neglected, and the poor Indians became suspicious and soured, and even doubted the genuineness of the religion of some of the churches. In their simple, candid way they argued, "1£ Christians really believe that their religion is such a blessed thing, and so necessary for us all, how is it that Mr. Evans cannot get any of them to come and live among us and tell us all about it 2"
To make up for the lack of helpers Mr. Evans was in journeyings oft. For only about four months of each year were the rivers and lakes free from ice, but during those months his canoe was well used, and. often his trips were of many weeks' duration. No river was too rapid, and seldom were the great lakes too stormy for this man of unquenchable zeal, whose whole soul was fixed on the one work of finding the Indian in his wigwam retreats or distant hunting-grounds, that he might tell him the wondrous story of a loving Saviour, mighty to save. A perfect genius at invention, Mr. Evans manufactured a canoe out of sheet tin. This the Indians called the " Island of Light," on account of its flashing back the sun's rays as it glided along over those beautiful lakes, propelled by the strong paddles in the hands of his well-trained canoemen. Mr. Evans was a man of fearless spirit. He shunned not to declare the whole counsel of God. With the spirit of Elijah he denounced sin wherever he came in contact with it. He was an outspoken advocate for the observance of the Sabbath, and taught his Indian converts to "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."
This brought him in direct conflict with the grcat and dcspotic furtrading company, who held undisputed sway in that great land.
They employed thousands of the Indians as trippers, to take hy small inland boats, which will each hold about four tons of cargo, the goods for the fur trade to the island posts. The goods are brought out from England by the company's ships to York Factory. Some of the far-away inland posts are thousands of miles away, and yet by these hardy Indian voyagers the packages of goods must be taken to those places, and the bales of rich furs brought out to be snipped to European markets.
Before the advent of the missionary such a thing as the observance of the Sabbath on these long, toilsome trips was unknown. Like beasts of burden, they toiled on in rushing river or rocky portage. The work was very hard indeed. Many a stalwart man broke down under his heavy load, and many a brave fellow perished in the treacherous rapids. :NIr. Evans taught them tllat one day's rest in seven would not only be pleasing to God, but would enable them to do better work in the six days than they could now do in the seven.
When the Christian Indians, converted through his instrumentality, began to put in practice his teachings, the opposition and then the persecution of the company assailed him j but, conscious of being right, he quailed not before them. He appealed to them to test the matter by experiment to see if the Christian brigade, that kept the Sabbath, could not do better work in less time than any non-keeping Sabbath brigade in all the vast country.
For a long time they were too arrogant to yield to the request of the missionary, but bitterly persecuted him and his Indian converts. Failing to daunt his spirit or stop his teachings, they resorted to the basest calnmnies and the vilest accusations against; his character. Lying accnsations were sent to the home Church officials, and this blessed man had to leave his work to fight for what was dearer to him than life itself. Gloriously was he vindicated and humiliated were his persecutors.
As the outcome the Christian Indians secured the right to rest on the Sabbath day on these long trips of many weeks' duration j and the result has been that even the selfish company have had to admit, as often they have done to the writer, that our Christian Indian boatmen, who always rest on the Sabbath day, can do better work in less time than those who know no Sabbath.
For eight successive seasons I watched the strifc between the brigades, and never once were the Sabbath-keeping ones anywhere else but far away in the front.
That the Sabbath is so well kept in the vast domains of the Canadian northland to-day is owing to the brave stand taken at the beginning by James Evans. The great work' of Mr. Evans's life, and that which will ever keep his name memorable in missionary fame, was the invention and perfecting of what is now so widely known as the Cree syllabic characters. Like other missionaries among the wandering Indians, who as hunters are ever following the game, he found it almost impossible to keep them long enough together in one place to teach them to read in the ordinary way.
The thought came to him, Cannot they be taught by a simpler method 1 Wit~ this he struggled for years, and success the most wonderful was at length realized in the substitution of syllabics for letters. The principle of the characters which he adopted is phonetic. There are no silent letters. Each character represents a syllable, hence no spelling is required. As soon as the syllabics are mastered-and there are but thirty-six of them and a few additional secondary signs, some of which represent consonants, some aspirates, and some partially change the sound of the main character-the Indian titudent, be he an old man of eighty or a ehild of eight years, can by average diligence learn to read the Word of God in a few weeks. It has been the joy and privilege of the writer to go to a pagan horde of Indians, and after securing the good-will of perhaps all but the conjurers and medicine men, to mark Evans's syllabic characters on a rock with a burnt stick from his camp-fire, where his bear's meat or musk-rat had been cooked for his dinner, and with his varied audience of young and old to give them their first lesson. After a few hours' drill at the coalmarked rock, the Bibles, the gift of the British and Foreign Bible Society, were opened, and commencing at the first verse in Genesis they began to read, slowly, of course at first, the wonderful words of God.
Mr. Evans had many difficulties to overcome ere this marvellous invention was perfected and put into practical use. Living so far in the wilderness, he was destitute of tools and various other things which would have been so helpful, but with him there was no such word as failure. Obtaining as a great favor the thin sheets of lead that were around the tea chests of the fur traders, he melted them down into little bars, and from them with his pocket-knife he cut out his first types. His ink was made out of the soot of the chimneys, and his first paper was birch bark.
It required a good deal of ingenuity to make a press that would do its work, but in that he !,ucceeded at length, and then the work of printing began. If great was his satisfaction, greater still was the amazement and delight of the Indians. The fact that bark could talk was to them most marvellous. Not very artistic was the work at first, but it was intelligible and succeeded. Portions of the Gospels were first printed and also some of the most familiar hymns.
The story of this invention reached the home missionary society. Generous help was at once afforded. Samples of the type of the syllabic were sent home. A goodly supply was cast in London. A serviceable press, with all requisites, including a large quantity of paper, was sent out via Hudson Bay, and so for years that inland mission was the distributing centre from which considerable portions of the Word of God were scat-
SCUlPTURAL REFEUENCE TO TllE HlGllEH CLASSEf'
tcrcd among many wandering tribes, conferred blessings iUllu1l18rable, and causing more t.han one deputation to be sent importunately pleading for teachers to come and explain what the good words meant.
In later years the British and Foreign Bible Society has most cheerfully and generously taken charge of the work, and now those northern Indians have the whole Bible freely distributed among them, and multitudes .of them are reading its glorious truths.
Mr. Evans had his own sorrows and troubles. Persecutions assailed him because of his brave, determined stand against the use of all intoxicating liquors, Sabbath desecration, and the vicious habits of some of the white traders amoug the Indians. Another terrible disaster, that undoubtedly shortened his days, was his unfortunate accident in shooting his beloved and faithful interpreter by the premature explosion of his gun. This awful calamity nearly distracted him. From it he never recovered. To the family of his deceased interpreter he surrendered himself in such a state of grief and sorrow, that he seemed to little care whether they killed him or not. They were pagans, and at first were inclined to wreck dire vengeance upon him and exact blood for blood. Wiser councils, after three days' discussion, however, prevailed, and Mr. Evans was adopted into the family in the dead man's place. He was a good foster son to the old parents of his beloved Hassel, and did all he could for them as long as he lived; but he did not survive many years longer. His great heart was breaking with the memory of this terrible accident. He threw himself with all his energy int.o his work, and whether it was in his swift canoe, in still seeking the lost sheep in the wilderness, or on the platforms of large churches, in the home land, before vast audienccs, pleading the cause of missions, he was the tireless worker still, bnt his sore heart was breaking, and one night, at the close of a glorious missionary meeting, where he had stirred to their very depths all who had heard him, his great heart broke asunder, and suddenly he went up from his triumphs and his troubles to be forever with the Lord.
Thus passed on to the" glorious company" James Evans, aged forty. six, but to judge by his work, he lived a thousand years.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE TO THE HIGHER CLASSES.
BY REV. GILBERT REID, CHI-NAN-FU, CHINA.
Whenever a missionary seeks to influence persons of the upper classes in the non-Christian lands, immediately there are those who at once exclaim, " The scriptural view is always that of working from the bottom up, and no other plan has ever been proved to be God's plan."
While believing that it is not always necessary to follow the minutire of certain incidents of the Bible in Ollr present dealings with men, it is nevertheless profitable to test the application and force of these great principles which are deduced from biblical record. This is especially true in establishing any theory of universal missions.
Though the Bible seldom seems to direct special attention to the conver- sion of persons high in rank or authority, except in tha theocratic govern- ment of Israel, yet contact with such a class always existed, and a benefi- cent influence was always sought. As to the ~hosen people of Israel, there was'certainly no neglect of the men highest in power, but prophets, priests, and kings were always classed together, and to them the people looked as the special representatives of God Himself. In the casual contact of the chosen people with the outside tribes and the Gentile nations, any such neglect of the ruling classes or of the men of highest influence is certainly not commanded and not even countenanced. The one who was early made a type of the Messiah was none other than the King Melchizedec, who with his kingly powers united those of the priest, and one to whom Abraham did not refuse to offer his gifts of praise and worship. Joseph, rising in the Egyptian kingdom to the most dignified position next unto the throne ; Moses, versed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, becoming a sagacious revolutionist in a tyrannical kingdom, the human founder of the only theocratic government that has ever existed, and one of the most profound legislators that history has recorded; Daniel, instructed in the language and arts of the Chaldeans, appointed first by the royal favor of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar to be ruler over the whole province of Babylon, then under Darius the Mede elevated still higher to supreme head of the pashas, and finally, in the succeeding Persian dynasty of Cyrus the Great, by a retention of his previous power, being probably instrumental in the issue of the royal edict that commanded the restoration of the" exiled Hebrews to their native land j Esther and Mordecai, in the reign of Xerxes, securing by their admirable dexterity as well as by providential interposition the most honorable of positions, the one that of queen, and the other that of chief minister; Ezra, by the esteem of Artaxerxes chosen civil ruler of the Jewish province, and securing special privileges for his unfortunate race; and later on in the same reign, Nehemiah gaining first as royal cup-bearer the friendship of the heathen monarch, then generously commissioned to rebuild the city of Jerusalem-these are the fascinating incidents from among the chosen people in their intercourse with the heathen monarchies of Egypt and Babylon, Media and Persia.
In the Bible history it is noticeable that the Old Testament gives special prominence to kings and princes, judges and rulers, while the New Testament unfolds in the main the progress of the Church among the common people. To this general phase, however, there are striking divergencies, showing that no class of society is to be overlooked by Christian effort. When the news went abroad in the time of Christ that " the poor have the Gospel preached to them," it was indeed a joyful moment in the lives of those down-trodden people; but this hope aroused and joy manifested were no evidence of the superiority of the poor, but a recognition of the rights vouchsafed by Christianity not only to the favored, but to the unfortunate and neglected. Whoever is neglected, whoever is lost-not whoever is poor-has a claim on Christianity. Christ came to save, not the poor men, but man. In His ministry in Judea He favored the poor, not because the rich, the rulers, and the learned needed no favors, but because their favors were already abundant. ' , We sometimes speak and feel," said the late Phillips Brooks, "as if Jesus had only to do with the poor and needy. Yet Jesus was not simply the champion of the poor and needy. He was the representative of humanity, in order that He might inspire humanity with love to God. He asserted the way in which a man shall be superior to the fact of poverty or the fact of wealth." "Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called," but by this saying it is taught that at least there are a few. An attractive, wealthy young man of good social standing came to Christ with a solemn question, and the answer was one of love as well as truth. From an after-remark the disciples concluded that the rich more than others were excluded from salvation; but this human idea of saving faith was shattered by an appeal to a Power unseen but not unfelt, " With men it is impossible, but not with God." Spiritual life as it works in the heart of man, whatever his rank, is Divine alone, but the presentation of truth is by the co-operation of human agency.
What, now, are some of the actual facts in New Testament history ~ It is related that one time, when certain Pharisees and high priests sent some small officers to seize Christ, these men failed to execute their mission, being led to admiration and belief by the matchless words of Christ. Surprised by such a result, some of the Pharisees, as if to crush forever the popular craze, boastfully asked, " Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him f' How little did they know that the patient, beneficent life of Christ had produced its effects even within their own ranks; that" among the chief rulers many believed on Him, only because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him"! Striking, indeed, was the fact that the first persons to do Christ honor after His death were two members of the Jewish Sanhedrim-Joseph, an honorable counsellor, and Nicodemus, a secret inquirer; the one to devote his own burying-ground as the place for Christ's burial, and the other to bring myrrh and aloes to lay upon the body of Christ.
Of the twelve apostles, Matthew was an officer in the Roman Govern· ment, called directly from the tollbooth, and prominent not only as an evangelist and missionary, but as one of the authors of the life of Christ. Another officer, called Zaccheus, in becoming a disciple of Christ gave evidence of his sincerity in declaring, "Half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." Two other men of prominence, high functionaries of Capernaum, the one a centurion and the other a nobleman, were led by the healing skill of Christ to become firm believers.
Later on in the early Apostolic Church, one of the first converts was a treasurer of the heathen queen of Ethiopia, who, according to tradition, was instrumental in establishing the first Christian church in that land.
So also one of the first converts in the city of Athens was Dionysius, a judge of the court of the Areopagus, who, according to tradition, became the first bishop of that city. And what, in fact, might we have expected if the early Church had not been aided and moulded by a man of superior learning, practical common-sense, powers of organization, adaptation, and perseverence, the great missionary to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul, a man able to meet kin~s and rulers, like Felix and Agrippa, and who finally secured converts in the imperial palace among Cresar's household 7 Enough has been pointed out from the Bible record to show that the true teaching is to neglect no one, no race, no nation, no class, no soul.
The efforts of the Church reach forth, even as with Christ, to all the world, and in His name the world will one day be won.
Mr. Reid* is director of a mission among the higher classes in China, having its centre in Chi-nan-fu. He sends the following general statement concerning the work: The higher classes of China are: (1) the mandarins, military and civil j (2) the local gentry j (3) the literati; (4) the nobility, and (5) the leaders of charitable, religious, and reformatory movements. They are called the higher classes, simply because of the superior influence which they possess.
Dr. Nevius has said: "While most missionaries give their chief attention to the middle or more illiterate class, a few feel a special call to attempt to influence the literati and officials j not only because they exercise a dominating influence upon the masses, but also because they have been in general too much neglected."
Out of fifteen hundred Protestant missionaries in China, men and women, only three are devoting a large portion of their time to the upper classes, and of these two are specially engaged with the literary department. Such a neglect, and that, too, of an influential class, without whose aid China can never be transformed and uplifted, makes the need both apparent and imperative.
The aim of the mission to the higher classes is (1) the unfolding of truth, moral, religious, historical, and scientific j (2) conversion and loyalty to truth, to God, and the world's Redeemer; (3) the utilization of the dominating influence of these men for the benefit of the masses and for greater peace and protection; (4) the salvation and prosperity of China as a nation j (5) the cultivation and establishment of international friendliness and religiOUS toleration, and (6) greater enlightenment and improved civilization.
• The leading English daily paper in Shanghai eays of Mr. Reid: .. Mr. Reid is a man of observation, penetration, and strong common Bense. He h"" shown peculiar ability in dealing with Chinese officials. IDs tact, combined with native shrewdness, has enabled him to interview, generally with success, in the conrse of his career more than a hundred officials, from those In a subordinate military posltiou to the Grand Secretary, the Viceroy Li, and the foreign officer. To him bas been entrusted with BUCCesS the settlement of dl1llculties lu connection with the acquisition of land and buildings by missionaries in Chi-nan fn, Chi-ning chow, and other places, and so well have his services been appreciated by the Chinese officials, as well as by hls colleagnes, that when he WII8 leaving Chi-nlng chow ten of the leading mandarins gave him a farewell banquet, and preseuted him with a silken banner embroidered with theft names and ranks."
REV. WILLIAM C. BURNS
The methods to be pursued, in the spirit of conciliation, respect, and kindness, and based on the experience of the past, seem to be suitable and clear. In brief they are as follows: 1. Social contact with the acquaintances already made and with those to be made still in the future. This is essentially fitted to Chinese life. It is conversation rather than lecture or sermon. 2. Extended influence on matters of purely a business character. As the mandarins are the recognized authorities of the Chinese Government, and as the missionary organization is under the protection of that government, it is eminently fitting that some line of communication should be established between the two for greater peace and security, mutual understanding and frien~liness. Efforts in this direction would be put forth as opportunities arise. 3. The establishment of a simple museum to attract and inform the literary Chinese. 4. By means of such simple and suitable apparatus, as the museum would contain, the formation of an illustrated lecture· course on rudimentary topics. 5. The preparation along with other missionaries of literature to be distributed among this class. 6. The establishment of a book depot, with reading-room and reception-room attached, in which may be found on sale all the best religious and scientific books prepared in the Chinese language, and forming literary headquarters for the Chinese literati, and a mode of approach to their respect and sympathy. 7. The formation of a few monthly classes of instruction to which some of these men would be invited as guests, and where fundamental truths would be explained and enforced.
Rev. F. F. Ellinwood, D.D., Secretary of the Presbyterian Board, says in reference to the work: "While it is thought best that this work shall be carried on independently of the Presbyterian Mission, I wish to say that the relations between Mr. Reid and the mission with which he has been connected, as well as with the Board, are most cordial, and that we have reason to believe that he will still be useful to the Presbyterian Mission and to the great cause of the Gospel in China."
Thus the work as now initiated will be interdenominational, relying on the support of persons of all creeds and churches and aiding in return in the spirit of unity all the denominations in China, as opportunity shall arise. * REV. WILLIAM C. BURNS, PIONEER EVANGELIST TO CHINA.
BY REV. JOHN G. FAGG, AMOY.
William C. Burns, the first missionary of the English Presbyterian Church to China, was born at Dun, a quiet village in Angus, Scotland, on April 1st, 1815. He graduated with honors from Aberdeen and Glasgow. A students' missionary society had been organized at the University of Glasgow, and Burns became a member. Here earnest men reviewed the lives of Brainerd and Martyn; were thrilled by the latest news from Duff and Marshman in India; listened to men on the eve of depar- * The person who inaugurates the work is alone responsible for the management. Iu due time all the missionaries iu China approving of the effort, and willing to coOperate, will form the associate membership, with whom counsel will be taken. Funds donated ma~ be received by the bankers, Brown Brothers & Company, 59 Wall Streets, New York City, who wlll duly transmit them to Mr. Reid in China. A fnll account, properly andited, will be rendered every six months, and along with all reports of the work and other published matter, will be sent directly to all contributors. In brief, the funds needed are divided into two ciasses-one the estimated annual expense for the next three years, about $3,000,000; the other the expense for securing a permanent equipment, about $7,000,000. ture for the regions beyond, and to returned veterans who sounded the clarion call for volunteers. Burns's devotion to Christ was kindled into glowing intensity, and in his soul he felt that his sphere of service was to be in the lands far hence. In 1838 he offered himself as a missionary to Hindostan, but he could not be sent immediately.
He was called to minister at St. Peter's, Dundee, during Robert McCheyne's tour to Palestine on behalf of the Jews. It was no easy task for anyone, even for a short time, to occupy the pulpit of a man known throughout Scotland as one of the most gifted, singularly spiritual, and successful preachers of his time ; but the very consciousness of insufficiency made Burns strong. Older members of the congregation trembled for him as they saw the youth standing in the place of one whom they so deeply revered. Their fears were dispelled almost at the first sound of Burns's voice. "As he led with deep-toned spirituality and power the prayers of the sanctuary, they seemed to hear only the sound of his Master's feet behind him. Gifted with a solid and vigorous understa.nding, possessed of a voice of vast compass and power, and fired with an ardor so intense and an energy so exhaustless that nothing could dampen or resist it, Mr. Burns wielded an influence over the vast congregations whom he addressed, almost without parallel since the days of Wesley and Whitefield. " From Dundee he went to Kilsyth, a mill town near Glasgow. A wonderful awakening followed his preaching. One of his sermons was preached with extraordinary power. "There was about him throughout an awful solemnity, as if his soul was overshadowed with the very presence of Him in whose name he spoke. As he went on that presence seemed more and more to pass within him and -to possess him, and to bear him along in a current of strong emotion which was alike to himself and his hearers irresistible. Appeal followed appeal in ever-increasing fervor, till at last as he reached the climax of his argument, and vehemently urged his hearers to fight the battle that they might win the eternal prize, the words, 'No cross, no crown!' pealed from his lips, not so much like a sentence of ordinary speech, as a shout in the thick of battle."
Crowds of inquirers flocked at every invitation to the vestry or the manse to seek spiritual counsel. Prayer-meetings of the old and young sprang up everywhere in the village and the surrounding hamlets. The mountain glen, the coal-pits, the harvest fields, the weaving loomsteads became vocal with sounds of prayer and praise. Like results followed his preaching at St. Andrew's, Perth, Newcastle, Edinburgh, and in numerous country villages. He was called to Canada. He ministered to crowded congregations in the churches. He visited the barracks and preached with great power to the soldiers. He returned to Glasgow in 1846. The call to the Orient came in definite form. Two years before the English Presbyterian Church had concluded to open their first mission in China, and had been looking out for God's appointed servant to enter upon this work. They found him in Mr. Burns. He embarked for Hong Kong in June, 1847. From 1847 to 1851 he tarried at Hong Kong and Canton, studying thc language, and preaching in the towns and villages on the mainland opposite IIong Konji and about Canton. In July, 1851, he reached Amoy. Having a remarkable linguistic faculty, he soon acquired the new dialect, and was out among the villages on the mainland opposite Amoy Island. V<1lat a contrast his life and work in China after eight years of most fruitful labor in Scotland and Canada !
There crowds flocked to hear llim, eager for the truth, understanding the message and daily evidencing that God' s Word had borne fruit to the saving of their souls. Here crowds, too, but how different! Curious crowds, idolatrous, apathetic crowds, most of them caring nothing for the words of the preacher, responding to most earnest appeals by inquiries as to whether his hair could grow long, or what was the cost of the shoes he wore. He said: "Unless the Lord, the Spirit, continually uphold and quicken, oh! how benumbing is daily contact with heathenism!" ",Ve have not become all at once and forever superior to the withering influence of a hard, irresponsive heathenism by wearing the name missionary. ·Who in foreign lands has not felt his spiritual life at times ebbing away, with the powerful undertow of a cold and widely prevailing indifference and unbelief. The brightest lamp will burn dim in a carbon-charged atmosphere.
But ·William Burns was not left without assurance of the Lord's approval of his work. ·When, in 1853, a rebellion against the present dynasty broke out in Amoy and the surrounding legion, " when no other European could venture out among the rebels, he was free to go where he liked." "That's the man of the book," they would say, " he must not be touched." At Peh-chuia, an inland town, his labors were signally blessed. Crowds of interested hearers thronged to his preaching hall. Whole families turned to God, bringing their idols and ancestral tablets and burning them in full view of their neighbors. The Word of God grew mightily, and prevailed. " There were all the signs of the coming of the kingdom of God, after the true model of apostolic times; the general and widespread interest; individual decision and self-sacrifice; the division of families, the separation of brother from brother for Christ's sake; the joy of first love, and the spontaneous spread of the sacred influence from village to village, and from heart to heart."
In 1855 Mr. Burns went to Shanghai, hoping to get an interview with the leaders of the Taiping rebellion, in connection with whom in the beginning of the movement great expectations were cherished for the spread of Christianity in China. He never saw thc leaders, and all hopes of any furtherance to the Gospel from that quarter werc soon abandoned.
Thence, in company with J. Hudson Taylor, he went to Swatow, where thc first seed was sown, whence has sprung so goodly a harvest in the present flourishing Presbyterian MissiQn. He visited Foochow, led
A HALF CENTURY OF FAITH WORK
preaching bands through the streets of the city and the surrounding villages, and assisted in the preparation of the Foochow hymn-book.
Thence he went to Peking" to endeavor to obtain the same recognition of the civil rights of Protestants that the Roman Catholics had." His hopes were not realized in the manner he desired; but his mission was not fruitless. He did not tarry long. Hearing of virgin soil at Newchwang and the country around, he proceeded to the borderland of Manchuria. He prepared the way for the coming of the Irish Presbyterian Mission. There he died, April 4th, 1868. He was the pioneer of three now prosperous missions, at Amoy, Swatow, and Newchwang. He was unselfish enough to break up the fallow ground and then go on, giving others the joy of reaping and gathering into the garner. He gave his means, supplying himself with only the barest necessities. When the trunk containing nearly all the property he had left arrived in Scotland and was opened, it contained only a few sheets of Chinese writing material, a Chinese and English Bible, an old writing-case, one or two small books, a Chinese lantern, a single Chinese gown. " Surely," whispered a little child standing by, "he must have been very poor."
" Earnest, unselfish, consecrated, true, With nothing but the noblest end in view; Choosing to toil in distant fields unsown, Contented to be poor, and little known, Faithful to death. 0 man of God, well done 1 Thy fight is ended, and thy crown is won."
A HALF CENTURY OF FAITH WORK.
THE MULLER ORPHANAGES AND SCRIPTURAL KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTION.
BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
The venerable George Muller, of Bristol, England, has given to the world his fifty-fifth report of the work at the New Orphan Houses and of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad.
For sixty years the God of praying souls has sustained and enlarged this work, and not only cared for all temporal wants, but blessed with marvellous spiritual blessings what Mr. Muller and his co-workers have done in His name. Instead of finding in this Report tedious repetition, its very monotony is melody, like the performance of M. Jullien upon a single violin string.
PRAYER is the one word to be written in large letters on this whole work. I have stood in awe with uncovered head in the sacred room, on Ashley D07o'n, where three prayer-meetings are usnally held every week; and beside these, Mr. Muller and his son-in-law, James ·Wright, pray day by day together, and Mrs. ~Iiiller and her husband at least twice daily together, and often as many as six times; and this does not include Mr.
Muller's individual prayers alone repeatedly each day; and all this vol- ume of private and individual prayer goes up to God for His help for the Institution and His blessing on every step taken in carrying forward this multiplied work. What wonder unspeakable bounty is bestowed!
The manner in which, and the principles on which, this far-reaching service to God and His poor is conducted many may be interested to note, and so we here present some facts, carefully sifted out from this report, believing that the high rank we assign to this work, as one of the miracles of missions, and the unusual space which we give to this resume, will be abundantly justified by the remarkable facts recorded: One donor has sent for nearly thirty years, as a donation for the Insti- tution, what he would l~ave paid to insurance companies, and has been many times preser"ed from fire, when it has been near his premises. He writes with this last donation: "There has been another fierce fire within fifty yards of the back of my works and warehouse, a large factory having been completely burned down in broad daylight. To God be all the praise for His gracious preservation of premises, insured with Himself through our Lord and Saviour J csus Christ." Mr. Muller has acted on this principle himself for more than half It century; the Orphan Houses, though erected at an expense of £115,000, having never been insured, and yet year after year preserved against fire.
Another donor traces the fulfilment of God's promise in these words: "You received my letter and enclosure d £12 on Saturday. On that very day a large order was written out in Bristol for me, amounting in nct value to more than £21, and this, together with your letter, reached me Monday morning, also several other good orders by the same post. Then, again, as I sat down to write this note to you, a letter reached me, which contained a check for £12 (the exact sum I sent you), in payment of an account three months overdue. ' The Lord is good to them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.'" This Christian donor has for many years trusted in the Lord, and he has found Luke 6 : 38 verified, "Give, and it shall be given unto you j good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. " " This has also been my own experience," adds Mr. MiilIer, "for sixty-four years and six months, ever since January 1st, 1830. " Then he d wells a little on this scripture. "Give, contribute to the temporal necessities of the poor or to the work of the Lord, out of the money with which the Lord has entrusted you, be that little or lIluch. , And it shall be given unto you.' Thus I have found it invariably in my own experience, and in numberless instances of other children of God, with whom I have become acquainted. But notice further, ' good measure '-viz., abundantly. Hundreds of times this has been verified in my own experience since January, 1830. And this is not all, for it is added, 'pressed down and shaleen together and 1'unning over shall men give into your bosom. An abundance will be the return, if the love of Christ constrains us to lay up treasure in heaven. 'Shall men give into your bosom.' Already, while yet in the body, we shall reap, as we sow; but how infinitely greater will be the harvest in the world to come !"
Another donor says: "I had intended leaving to you at my death the enclosed sum of £25 for the orphans under your care, but I now deem it best to give it in my lifetime." Often sums of money are sent, hundreds and thonsands of pounds during the lifetime of the donortl, who thus become their own executors and save also the legacy duty for the benefit of the Institution; and sometimes such donations come to hand when money is greatly needed. Another Christian gentleman sends, on the anniversary of the birthday of each of his children, the average expenses for one orphan, and has done so for a number of years.
Another writes: "Last year, as I had had losses, I thought I could not afford to send to you, but since then God has sent me sickness also, so that I cannot sleep. In reading the Bible to-day I came across Provo 3 : 27, ' Withhold not good from them to whom it is due.' I thought it seemed like the voice of God speaking to me, so I have sent you a small amount." Two of the former orphans (husband and wife, both Christians for about forty years) sent £3 128. 6d. for the support of one orphan for three months. This amount is sent quarterly, and has been received for many years.
With £10 comes the following communication: "I am glad that in your Reports every year you urge the adoption of the practice of giving systematically, and I wish others would advise this too. It is good for the givers as much as for the recipients. It should be proportionate as well as systematic-i.e., in proportion to ability to give without neglecting other claims, which may be prior claims. To illustrate my meaning I would give my own practice to you-namely, that I began business about sixty years ago in rather a small way, and soon began to give 5 per cent, then 10 per cent, which was not increased for some years, because, though the business prospered, my family increased also. But after some years the business income increased beyond all reasonable family expenditure, so I gave 15 per cent, then 20 per cent, and 25 per cent. Then, having put by, for my widow (in case I should die before my dear wife) and children, what I considered would be as much as expected by them, I continued in business and gave away all my income. Several years ago, however, being unable longer to fulfil duties of business. I gave it up to my sons. Since then I have lived economically on the interest of my capital put by. I give away from that reserve fund, and in the course of fifty years I have given away more than £100,000 among God's devoted servants, in order to strengthen their hands in His work." Another donor, who encloses a check for half the dividend upon an old debt, adds: "Ten years ago I decided that half of any amount I might obtain of it should go to the orphanage fund, and I now send the amount received this day in redemption of my pledge. This dividend has come quite as a surprise, for during the last ten years I have ceased to expect anything."
Rere the reader has another glorious proof of the blessedness of systematic giving as the Lord is pleased to bless us iIi our temporal affairs. Though the Church of God will remain the little flock in comparison with the world at large to the end of the present dispensation, and though, generally speaking, the children of God are poor as to this world, yet we do not hesitate to say that, if all acted according to these principles, at least ten times more would be accomplished for God than is accomplished; for in his long Christian experience Mr. Muller has fonnd in almost numberless instances that individuals who have acted on these principles, constrained by the love of Christ, havc always had ample means to spend upon the work of God.
How grateful should the whole Church be that God has spared Mr. Muller's life for so many years, and has sustained him amid numerous severe trials of faith and patience, and made him a living witness in this century to the Church, and even to all the world, that the God who supplied the needs of the ancient Israelites for forty years in the desert is still the living and true God. His example led Hudson Taylor to venture to China, trust- ing in the Lord alone for support, and has made him such a blessing to that vast country, who with his coadjutors are laying the foundations of a wide- spread Christian Church in that empire, and Mr. Muller has contributed largely toward it, having assisted them from time to time. The whole Church owes a debt to this aged saint for having dared to set such an example of faith in God, which has already produced such results, and the extent of whose influence none but God can fully understand. Hundreds of disciples pray that God will not take dear Mr. Muller home for a long time to come. He has been such a help to their own faith that every day they ask God to strengthen him and to keep him in perfect peace, and pray that the Lord wIll incline those who have His gold and silver to give it to the orphans.
All this work goes on not without both severe trials of faith and wonderful rewards to believing prayer. Week after week the income has been small in comparison with the great expense. The balance in hand at the beginning of the last financial year was so retluced that not the fifth part was"left 9f what they began the year witll, though only three months had elapsed. Under such circumstances Mr. Muller fell again on his knees, asking that even that day-the Lord's Day-when they take in no letters, lie would be pleased to give means for the Institution. And now note what followed. After the meeting at Stoke's Croft Chapel, a gentleman, an entire stranger, came to him, with whom he conversed for a few minutes, and then he put a let.ter into his hand, saying it was for the orphans. It contained these words: "Dear Sir, will you please apply the enclosed for the maintenance of the orphans in your homes. Yours respectfully, a Pilgrim." The letter contained a £100 Bank of England note. See the power of prayer and faith! Verily we do not wait upon the Lord in vain. Thousands of times Mr. Muller has found this true within the past sixty-four years, and expects to find it thus to the end of his earthly pi1grimagoe. And all who are reconciled to God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will find it thus, more or less, just as there is real trust in Him and patient, believing prayer.' For all this long series of years God has made these orphan houses to be an object lesson to thousands, and a source of blessing, probably, to huudreds of thousands. Praise be to God for this glorious fact, for it seems now that the trial of his faith was intended for blessing, to show how" man's extremity is God's opportunity," and for the strengthening of the faith of many real Christians who watch with interest His dealings with Mr. Muller. Many believers have by this been led to a new standard of both living and giving. One donor says: "For many years I conscientiously gave a tenth of my income to the work of God, but now all that I have is His, and I give as He leads me. I am laying nothing by for sickness or old age, for I expect the speedy return of the Lord Jesus, and desire to lay up treasure in heaven. If He should delay His coming, I may not see old age j but even if I do, the Lord will provide. I believe God is greatly honored by a life of full trust in Him, and I see this more and more the older I grow. "
Through a remarkable providence of God one donor came into the possession of £3000 a short time since, and gave the whole of this amount in six donations of £500 each to the Institution, whereby for many weeks were supplied sufficient means for the orphans, when otherwise the income would not nearly have been sufficient. Thus God in one way or another continually help~, and often in the most remarkable manner as to hL.man appearance. Hear another confession: "Reading your Report has opened my eyes to my error, and even sin of not laying aside a proportion of my income for the Lord, but I have now resolved to put by five per cent, hoping to give a tenth of it to Him. I feel already grateful to God for helping me to see my mistake and to enter upon a sylftem (1' giving, every Lord's Day morning to lay apart threepence out of every five shil- lings as an act of worship and grateful acknowledgment that my God is the giver of all that I receive." "It was a comfort to me recently to. notice, while reading Genesis 47, from verse 13, of Joseph taking up all the money, the cattle, the land, and the people in exchange for the care wherewith he fed the Egyptians, that the Lord says of Himself corre- spondingly : 1. 'The silver and the gold are MINE.' 2.' MINE are the cattle upon a thousand hills.' 3.' The land is MINE.' 4.' All souls are MINE.' So that no redeemed person should ever doubt where his supplies are to come from, nor to whom he should seek in times of straitness." " I made it a rule, on eutering business as an apprentice, to give away part of my quarter's salary, and I find that God has blessed me all the four years that I have done so."
Readers of this Report may ask why all these donations are recorded, and for their sakes Mr. Muller states the following partieulars. "More than sixty years since I saw clearly that the Church of God needed nothing so much as an increase of faith,. and I therefore decided that, by God's help, I would rely upon Him alone for assistance in the way of obtaining pecuniary supplies; and would not, in the hour of need, make known my necessities to any human beings whatever; and to this plan I l~ave adhered, without ever swerving from it. The deliverances which God has wrought for me were recorded afterward, and God has made these narratives a great comfort and encouragement to believers, by strengthening thus the faith of multitudeR of His children, so that tens of thousands of persons in all parts of the earth have been benefited by this my way of carrying on the work of the Lord. Not a few, too, have been converted by seeing thus the reality of the things of God. Because the Lord has thus so abundantly blessed my way of laboring for Him, of which I had thousands of proofs among the many hundreds of thousands to whom I have preached in forty-two of the countries of Europe, America, Africa, Asia, and the six colonies of Australia in the course of seventeen years; and knowing that even avowed infidels had been stopped in their down ward course to perdition, by seeing how timeR without number God had appeared on my behalf, simply in answer to prayer, I judge that it will tend, with His blessing, to the profit of the reader if [further relate how He has helped me, for every sum referred to in this Report, small or great, was sent directly in answer to my repeated supplications and to those of my numerous fellow-laborers." A variety of donations are received from all parts of the earth, and generally from individuals entirely unknown to him.
The results of this work are worldwide. The orphanage which Mr. Ishii is now carrying on in Okayama is really one of the results of Mr. Muller's visit, and of the accounts which he gave, while in Tokyo, of the wonderful way God has provided for the orphans in Bristol. Mr. Ishii, a Christian Japanese, acts now on the same principles.
The reader of this Report will see how nothing but REAL trust in God can keep the heart in peace. In Him, however, Mr. Muller and his helpers DO trust, and rely upon Him alone for help, while in the mean time they continue in prayer. Another, sending £20 for the orphans, writes: " This amoun'.; I intended should accumulate until my death, but I have been impressed to send it to you at once." l-Iow seasonably this dona- tion arrived! The donor was impressed to send the money now, instead of letting it accumulate until her death. How came this impression ~ It was made by our Heavenly Father, who listens to our prayers and sees our need of help. Oh, the blessedness of having t~e living God as a Friend through faith in the Lord Jesus! A city missionary aud his wife, sending £50 for the orphans or for foreign missions, writes: "For nearly forty years I have been a city missionary. Our income has never been large, and we have always given much more than a tenth to the Lord's work, yet our little capital has increased to more than we think it right to pos- sess, and Heb. 13 : 5, 6 has lately much impressed us to trust altogethej· in the Lord and not in money laid by." Let the reader ponder this letter. Here is a poor city missionary giving £50 at once. How very much more could be accomplished'by the Church of God if more disciples of the Lord Jesus were like this godly city missionary! The money was taken for the orphans, for it was needed ON THAT VERY DAY, and thus the hand of God was the more manifestly seen. There was also received from London , the following letter: "I enclose a check for £15, being the expenses of one orphan for one year. I was not able to send my usual contribution at the beginning of the year as my business had been seriously affected by the financial crisis, but my wife has had some money left her by a rela- tive, and she desires to give this amount, which we SHOULD have given if my income had allowed it. This money, which came to her through the will of her grandfather, made thirty or forty years ago, was kept by our Heavenly Father till this year, when we greatly needed it, and then sent to supply our need. Surely this was a fulfilling of Philip 4: 19." From the United States come $10 with this letter: "Please accept the widow's mite, to be used in the work you are doing for the Lord. I feel prompted by the Spirit to send it this morning, and as I want to obey God in all tltings, I hope it will be accepted as coming from Him." The donor was prompted to send us this money, because the living God is a Friend to whom we go in need, and He answers prayers. It is particularly to be noticed that the income that day was very small, and this donation, therefore, came in very acceptably.
A donation came from New Zealand, the most distant country in the world from whence it could come, God in answer to constant prayers constraining the donor not to delay sending the money, and impressed it on his heart to send it as quickly as possible, because just then there was need of help.
No one can estimate the blessing resulting from reading these Reports. Mr. Muller's financial difficulties and peace of mind during most trying times have been blessed to hundreds in similar circumstances, and his unwavering faith in God has done untold good, as God only knows. " For forty years and upward," says Mr. Muller, "we have not had so few donations as for some time past; and yet we have been supplied, bountifully supplied, in answer to our constant believing supplications, for God has so ordered it in His providence that legacies, left a considerable time since, have now been paid, and thus He has abundantly made up the lack of donations. "
How many have been actuated to self-denying giving! One man writes: "From the time I went into business, the first money, taken each week, has always been sent to you, although formerly I allowed it to accumulate until it reached £2 or more. After reading your last Report I have
ICLLER'" :"lEW ORPH,~" HOeSES, ASHLEY Dow", BRISTOL, E"UL_."J>
1131£1£ PAGE 115.1
A HALF CENTURY OF FAITH WORI!
daily, and many tim.es each day, asked the Lord to increase my takings, because I desired to send you money quarterly. My business being a very small one, and the first takings varying from one penny upward, it has frequently taken more than twelve months to reach the sum of £2 ; but during the last three months, many times daily, I have asked the Lord to give me a sovereign for you before the new year should come. Up to the last week in December we had only 13s. 6d. in hand, but I continued to trnst in the Lord to give me the amount I had asked for. Strange to say, however, I did not take one penny that week until Thursday after- • noon; but in the morning, when praying for you, I remembered a debt of £1 5s. that was owing to me, and I then told the Lord that if He would please to let me have this money, I would send it to you. About three o'clock the bill was paid, the first money taken that 1IJeek, and my daughter earned Is. 6d., which she gladly gave to make up the £2. Thus the Lord has once more verified His precious promise: 'Ask and it shall be given you.' " This letter came from a distance of more than 12,000 miles, the Lord influencing one of His children, who is anything but wealthy, to take a deep interest in the work and help both by his means and by his prayers. Notice, also, the writer gives the firstfruits of his little business to the Lord every week, and perseveres in prayer till the blessing comes; for this is particularly to be attended to if we desire to have our petitions granted, even to go on praying and exercising faith and patience, till we receive an answer to our supplications. "It is to this," says Mr. Miiller, "that I owe many thousands of answers to prayer, received within the last sixtyeight years and eight month:;;. When I see that I am asking for a thing, which is according to the mind of God, I go on praying till the blessing is granted, though often I have had long, very long to wait.'" One donor encloses a gift in the way of restitution regarding certain youthful indiscretions which seem to demand restitution. Many disciples forget that restitution is to be made if in our unconverted days we have defrauded anyone. If possible, too, the restitution shonld be sent to the individual who has been defrauded, but, if not living, to his heir or heirs. If there are especial reasons for doing this an~nymously, or if no heir is known, the money may be given to the poor or to some charitable institution ; for we should remember the word of Zacchreus: "If I have taken anything from any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold."
These Reports show how, after a season of great trial of faith and patience, which lasted more or less for several years, the Lord is now again supplying bountifully the means. The appearance during those years of trial was many times, as if God had forsaken and would never care any more about this Institution, but this was only the appearance, for He was as mindful of it as ever. It was only in order that faith might be yet further strengthened that these trials were permitted; that by meekly enduring the affliction they might glorify God, and that tens of thousands of persons by reading these Reports might be benefited.
In October, 1830, Mr. Miiller was led, on scriptural grounds, to give up all stated salat·y as pastor of a church, and solely and entirely to rely upon God alone for his temporal supplies; ever since which time, for nearly sixty-four years, he has had no stipend nor emolument whatever, as pastor or preacher, nor as founder and director of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad; but God, in whom he trusts, has bountifully supplied all his temporal necessities and those of his family, though sometimes, accompanied by Mrs. Miiller, he was almost Clmstantly travelling, for seventeen years, through Europe, America, Africa, . Asia, and Australia, and repeatedly required from £100 tf) £240 at once to pay for long sea voyages. During these sixty-four years his faith has often been greatly tried, but instead of being weary of this way of living, he says: "I am delighted with it, because it has made me ac- quainted with the Lord in a way in which, humanly speaking, I should never have become acquainted with Him j and thus great spiritual blessing has been derived instrumentally through my experience, because this Insti- tution itself owes to it its existence."
The orphanage work is but a part of the great service rendered by this worldwide missionary. On March 5th, 1834, it pleased God to use His servant also to found the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home aud Abroad. Now, after it has existed sixty years, he looks back only to ad- mire the power and adore the love of God.
By it he assists day-schools, Sunday-schools, and adult-schools, in which instruction is given upon scriptural principles, and as far as the Lord may give the means, supplies suitable teachers and establishes schools of this kind.
Another work of this Institution is to circulate the Holy Scriptures. The very poorest of the poor are sought out, from house to house, and persons are supplied with the Holy Scriptures, either gratis or on the pay- ment of a small amount, in England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Nova Scotia, Canada, British Guiana, the East Indies, Australia, Africa, and China. There have been circulated since March, 1834, 268,110 Bibles, 1,409,842 New Testaments, 21,021 copies of the Psalms, and 216,185 other small portions of the Holy Scriptures. Another object of the Institution is to aid missionary efforts. Ever since his conversion (now over sixty-eight years ago), Mr. Miiller has taken a deep interest in missionary work. At five different times, within the first eight years, he offered himself most solemnly for work among the heathen j but each time it was most plainly shown that he should serve the Lord by remaining in Europe. As he could not, there- fore, go to heathen nations himself, he sought to help on missionary opera- tions to the utmost, being further stimulated to this through receiving in 1829 the truth of the Lord's coming. The moment he saw this truth clearly revealed in the Holy Scriptures the thought occurred to him : " What can I do to make Him known before His return, seeing that He may soon come~" But more than ever was he roused to effort, since the Lord at last allowed him after fifty-eight years to see the field of missionary labor in India, to which as a young believer he had so earnestly desired to go. The sight of idolatry in India, in many places visited, and espe- cially at Benares, stirred his soul to the utmost, leading him more than m'er to take the deepest interest in missions, and to decide to devote every sovereign that could be spared to this object, besides being led to pray more than ever that God would incline the hearts of great numbers of His children to help with their means. Between May 26th, 1893, and May 26th, 1894, he has been able to expend £3355 18. 4d. on missionary operations, and, from the commence- ment of the Institution, £245,109 68. Id. has been spent in this way. During the past year 129 laborers in Word and doctrine, in various parts of the world, were thus assisted. This work of Mr. Miiller thus touches missions at every vital point. He not only builds orphan houses for 3000 orphans, and founds a scriptural knowledge institution, but actually becomes the father of missions in China, India, Syria, Egypt, British Guiana, Barbadoes, Grenada, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, besides helping home evangelists.
When, about sixty years since, he found brethren who, on scriptural grounds, could not remain in the position in which they had been, and who had no income in connection with their service in the Gospel, he longed to help them; but, as his own means were insufficient, he gave himself to prayer on their behalf, that the Lord would be pleased to supply means for them. This He has done bountifully, for He has obtained in this way altogether, in answer to prayer, £245,109 for missionary objects only. Within the last fifteen or twenty years it has been laid on the hearts of several other brethren to act in a similar way, and God, we rejoice to say, has greatly blessed their labors.
As to these 129 preachers of the "Vord, in various parts of the world, they are not the missionaries of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, nor is it bound to give them a stated salary, for this would lead them out of the posi- tion of simple dependence upon God for their temporal supplies; but Mr. Muller gladly assists any man of God laboring for the Lord in the Word, whether in a more public or private way, either at home or abroad, not connected with any society, nor receiving a regular salary, and who seems to need help.
Another object of the Institution is the circulation of religious tracts and books. As to tracts for unbelievers, the aim is to diffuse such as contain the truths of the Gospel clearly and simply expressed; and as to pub- lications fOl' believers, such as may direct their minds to those truths which, in these last days, are more especially needed, or which have been particularly lost sight of, and may lead believers to return to the written Word of God.
Each branch of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution was very small at the commencement. In the first year were circulated 19,000 tracts, a small number only, but this was a beginning, for the whole number of books, pamphlets, and tracts circulated now exceeds 103,000,000. They have been sent all over the world, and thousands of Christian men and women have helped in this service. Every year hundreds of applications come for gratuitous grants of tracts, and whenever the cases are suitable, from 3000 to 50,000 at one time have been sent out gratuitously.
The principles on which the institution has been carried on are, that God alone is looked to for spiritual and temporal blessing. No one is ever asked for pecuniary help, nor is debt ever incurred in order to be able to enlarge its operations, but Mr. Muller waits upon God for means in prayer before he goes forward. Trials of faith and patience continue up to the present time. On the anni versary of the founding of the Institution the income was but .£4 168. 6d., instead of £180 needed. Often for many days together very little is received, yet God has upheld this work for sixty years, and not only is nothing owed, but there is money in hand. Only twice in all this time has it been found at the close of the financial year that the expenses were greater than the income, but there were many unpaid legacies amounting to more than six times the amount owing, and there were also many acres of valuable land which could be sold for building. There is good reason to believe that tens of thousands of persons have been spiritually benefited by this Institution.
Let us hear Mr. Muller's closing testimony as to his orphanges : " I aimed from the beginning at the salvation of the children. To make them see their lost and ruined condition by nature, through instructing them in the Word of God, and to lead them to put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation; and God has given us the joy of seeing thousands of them brought to believe in Him. In carrying on this work, simply through the instrumentality of prayer and faith, without applying to any human being for help, my great desire was that it might be seen, that now, in the nineteenth century, God is still the living God, and that now, as well as thousands of years ago, He lilltens to the prayers of His children, and helps those who trust in Him. In all the forty-two countries through which I travelled during the past twenty years of my missionary service, numberless instances came before me of the benefit which our Orphan Institution has been in this respect, not only in making men of the world to see the reality of the things of God and by converting them, but especially by leading the children of God more abundantly to give themselves to prayer, and by strengthening their faith. Far beyond what 1 at first expected to accomplish, the Lord has been pleased to give to me. But what I have seen, as the fruit of my labor in this way, may not be the thousandth part of what I shall see when the Lord Jesus comes again, as day by day, for fifty-nine years, I have earnestly labored, in believing prayer, that God would be pleased, most abundantly, to bless this service in the way I have stated.
" Further, when I began the orphan work its commencement was very small. I rented a house, furnished it, and received thirty chiidren, which was a very humble beginning; but compare this with the magnitude of the five large Orphan Houses on Ashley Down, now the greatest Orphan Institution in the world.
" When it was especially laid on my heart to labor for orphans, the total accommodation in all the orphan institutions in England was for 3600 orphans, and at the same time there were 6000 orphans under eight years of age in the prisons of England. This deeply affected me, and I sought therefore to enlarge the orphan work under my direction to the utmost of my power. This ended in providing accommodation for 2050 orphans and 112 helpers at a time, and the result of this has been that, by means of other individuals, or through societies, one institution after another has been opened for the reception of 20, 30, 50, or 100 orphans; or that orphan houses have been built for 200, 300, 400, and even 500 orphans, so that now, I am happy to say, there is accommodation in England alone for at least 100,000 orphans. From April, 1836, up to May 26th, 1894, there have been altogether 9176 orphans under our care.
In the Orphan Houses there are many vacancies for girls bereaved of both parents by death, who are legitimate children and in destitute circumstances. No payment is expected, nor is influence needed for the admission of orphans. Orphan boys also can be received in their turn, each case being considered witl~out partiality in the order in which application has been made for it.
" Without anyone having been personally applied to for anything by me over £902,532 has been given to me for the orphans as the result of prayer to God, since the commencement of the work, which sum includes the amount received for the Building Fund for the five houses. It may also be interesting to the reader to know that the total amount given for the other objects, since the commencement of the work, amounts to £370,875 19s. ltd.; that that which has come in by the sale of Bibles since the commencement amounts to £20,786 2s. 5d.; by the sale of tracts, £22,922 14s 3td.; and by the payment of the children in the dayschools from the commencement, £24,526 lIs. 6i-d."
The following resume is given in this Report:
MISSIONARY SUCCESS IN NORTHERN FORMOSA
"The total amount of money received by prayer and faith, for the various objects of the InstitutIOn, since March 5th, 1834, has been over £1,341,826 sterling; 120,438 persons have been taught in the schools, supported by the funds of the Institution; 268,1l0 Bibles, 1,409,842 New Testaments, 21,092 copies of the Book of Psalms, and 217,599 other portions of the Word of God in several languages have likewise been circulated since the foundation of the Institution; 103,335,248 books, pamphlets, and tracts in several languages have likewise been circulated from the commencement of the Institution. From its earliest days missionaries have also been assisted from its funds, and for more than forty years a considerable number of them. On this object and on the mission schools there was expended during the past year £3355, and from the commence· ment £245,109; 9076 orphans ha,'e been under our care, and five large houses, at an expense of £1l5,000, have been erected and fitted up for the accommodation of 2050 orphans at a time and 112 helpers. With regard to the spiritual result of the operations of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, we have the fullest reason to believe that many tens of thousands of souls have been blessed, but the day of the Lord alone will fully reveal all the good which, through His wondrous condescension, has been accomplished within the last sixty years by means of the Institution."
MISSIONARY SUCCESS IN NORTHERN FORMOSA.
BY MRS. A. C. JAMIESON.
The North Formosa Mission was begun twenty-two years ago, when George Leslie Mackay landed there alone, and throughout his life he has been practically alone, for no other foreigner remained long enough in the field with sufficient physical strength to render real and tangible assistance.
It was my privilege to spend nearly eight years in Formosa, and I found Chinese workers, both men and women, earnest, able, and devoted. MallY are apt to imagine Chinese brethren inferior, simply because they are Chinese, but for power on the platform North Formosan preachers are decidedly superior to the majority of English and American clergymen. Some have remarkable natural talent, and personal experience of persecution gives force to their words; but the whole band have received such a thorough training in the theology and practical use of the Scriptures as is little dreamed of by those who have not had more than a glimpse behind the scenes.
Mrs. Mackay is a clever, bright Chinese lady, who has travelled round the world, spending considerable time in India, Palestine, and Egypt, besides many months in European countries. She is of a cheerful disposition, is very warm-hearted, sympathetic, and possesses wonderful tact. She is beloved by high and low in her own land, and by all foreigners by whom she is known.
In every step in the work God Himself has been directly and humbly appealed to, and times without number He has shown His especial care of His own. Often under severe trial the presence and power of God's Spirit has been felt in such a way as to give fulness of joy at the same time that hearts were wrung with sorrow. Do not say that the Chinese cannot be Christianized. Cross the ocean and live for years in China, let the Chinese treat you kindly, grasp your hand as you lay your child to rest and say, " I'm sorry, so sorry for you, my baby's gone too." Come to the little mud-floored room, draw back the curtain, hear the last dying request, " Sing-please-sing' Forever with the Lord.' "
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
II.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY BEV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
The Ohino-Japanese War.* the same road. The" fiction of ulti- mate dependence and intermediate free- BY REV. DAVID S. SPENCER, NAGOYA, dom" might do forty years ago, but cannot stand against the march of mod- JAPAN. ern events. Japan met this inconsis- tency in the policy of the Middle King- It is the purpose of this article to pre- dom in 1873. In that year the Korean sent as briefly as possible the causes, authorities at Fusan offered a great inimmediate and remote, which have led sult to the Japanese official at that port. to this war, and to do this from Japan's Count Soejima was then in China enstandpoint, drawing the leading facts trusted with a special mission on the from official sources. This will be fol- part of Japan. Under direction of his lowed by a brief survey of the results government, the count asked the Chiof the war to date. No attempt is here nese Government whether Korea was a made to palliate the:sin80f either party, dependency of China, adding that in and it is desired to avoid as much as such a case Japan would require some possible taking sides in the issue now amends from China for this act of Kopending. But in the interests of all par- rea. China promptly repudiated all ties the truth should be known. responsibility, thus abrogating all claims to suzerainty. In consequence of this 1. For scores of years China has made the Japan-Korean treaty of 1876 recogit a part of her policy to use the petty nizes the complete independence of States on her borders as buffers for her Korea. own protection against foreign powers. But in doing this she has made it a 2. For thirty years, ever since Japan poInt to incur no inconvenient responsi- began to move in the line of modern bilities in behalf of such States. Out- progress, China has treated Japan as a side nations were to understand that petty State, weak and vacillating, a desuch States were a part of her imperial serter from Oriental canons, imbibing domain; but, on the other hand, China new and useless ideas which should be would not consent to shoulder the re- spurned, and worthy, in brief, of nothsponsibility of their acts. To the little ing but contempt. That many Chinese nations was assured whatever security and Japanese cordially dislike each might come from the shadow of her other is a fact which foreigners in both wing. but they must be responsible for countries have observed with no little their own acts except when their char- concern. But Japan has patiently borne acter as buffers was threatened. In old times this theory might hold, but with the affronts or China, and her leading the progress of Occidental civilization it was bound to give way. Step by step men, notably Count Soejima, Count Ito China has been compelled to acknowl- (now Prime Minister), Viscount Mutsu edge the independence of these little (now Minister of Foreign Affairs), and States, not only toward the world, but Count Inouye (now Minister to Korea), of herself also. Tonquin, Anam, Siam, have endeavored to avoid a collision and Burmah have each in turn taught with China, using their influence to this lesson, and now Korea is travelling build up mutual international and com· mercial interests. And these men, with • Thi. article does not treat of mieaitlDs, but it many others who might be named, are conveys informatiou which has beeu solicited themselves experts in Chinese classics. from us by sucb a ho.t of correspondents interested in missions, that we are glad to present 3. In 1876 Japan and Korea agreed it, for present and future UI••-J. T. G. upon a treaty. the first article of which «eclares that "Chosen, being an inde- conciliate the Middle Kingdom. To pendent State, enjoys the same rights meet this draft upon her resources, and as does Japan." Upon the basis of this also satisfy her greedy and extortionate treaty Japan has since dealt with Korea. officials, Korea has been compelled to It was.Japan that opened Korea to the tax her laboring classes beyond the abilworld. ity of human flesh and blood to en- dure. 4. By the Chemulpo Convention or 1882 Japan made a stipulation with Ko- 6. In 1883 and 188<1 social troubles rea that she (Japan) should have the arose in Korea. These oppressed laborright to station troops in Korea for the ing classes, ground into the dust by the protection of Japanese subjects when heel of official oppression, rose up such a course might seem necessary. against the Government, and Chinese This right on the part of Japan the soldiers were promptly dispatched to Peninsular Kingdom never questioned. suppress them. In both instances the victorious party, regarding Japan as 5. Korea concluded a treaty with the the head and front of progressive ten- United States in 1882, with Great Brit- dencies, attacked and destroyed the Japain in 1883, and with otber powers later, anese Legation in Seoul, and compelled in all of which the independence of the Japanese to leave the city_ "On Korea is implied. No claims of suze- the last occasion (188<1), when the two rainty on the part of China over Ko- empires had troops stationed in Korea, rea were then made. If China has the Japanese, a mere handful of men, secretly demanded and received tribute found themselves assailed by twenty of Korea since 1876, it is in violation of times their number of Chinese braves, treaty stipUlations touching the inde- and the Japanese representative, with pendence of Korea. But this is a way his suite and all the inmates of his Lega- China has of doing things. She by no tion, had to fly from a burn.ing building means intended that Korea should exer- and force their way from Seoul through cise the independence which was thus a mob instigated and abetted by the solrecognized as Korea's treaty right. diers of the Middle Kingdom." Japan's 1I10re distant powers were not particu- forbearance at these crises received the larly inconvenienced by China's decep. commendation of thoughtful people tion, and the burden of suffering there- everywhere. :But in the consequent from fell upon Japan. China, always negotiations she secured treaty rights suspicious lest Japan might have designs which struck a fatal blow at China's upon Korea, ill concealed her disgust, coveted suzerainty, for in 1882 she was and deception and duplicity have char- allowed to station troops in Korea; and acterized all her actions. She placed a in 1885 she concluded a treaty with Chinese resident in Seoul, and carried China (the Tientsin Treaty), by which on a covert but persistent course of in- each power pledged itself not to send fluencing Korea in herfavor and against troops to Korea without first notifying Japan. This resident (Mr. Yuan) has the other, the two empires being thus occupied virtually the position of a sov- placed upon an equal military footing ereign and dictator, though of course with regard to the little kingdom. It not openly so. A. faction known as the was equivalent to placing Korea under Min family, from which family comes the joint protection of China and Japan. the present Queen, has long held the In the disturbances of 188<1 the late l:alance of power iu Korea, much to the Kim Ok-kyun played a prominent part. dissatisfaction 01 many of the people. Through this faction, always prO-Chi- 7. Japan could not forget the ill treatnese, Mr. Yuan has e~rted his influ_ ment which her subjects in Korea reence, or, in other words, China's influ- ceived in 1884 at the hands of both Koence. The tenure of power of this re8ns and Chinese, the former urged on faction has depended upon its ability to by the latter, Japan has been able to obtain no redress. Innumerable have the official had to get all his plunder in been the instances and very annoying one third the time. The long-suffering in which Japan has suffered in this way people revolted against these burdens, during the past ten years, no single case and last spring began what is known as assuming such proportions as to war- the Togaku-to revolt in the south, which rant a peaceful nation like Japan, and soon assumed serious proportions.
especially under the present Cabinet, in The Min politicians, in concert with exceeding the limits of diplomatic force Mr. Yuan, thereupon requested the to settle it. But delay and postpone- Chinese Government to send troops to ment have defeated again and again the suppress the insurrection. China re- ends of justice. sponded with unwontcd celerity, and 8. Of the victims of extortion and op- after the departure of her 2500 troops, pression who arose in Korea in 1884 to be it noted, gave notice to the Japanese overthrow the dominant faction, Kim Government. Japan then notified Ohina Ok-kyun was one of the leaders. His that she would do the same, and landed party overcome by the force of Chinese several thousand troops at once. China's arms, Kim and a few of his associates object was to suppress the Togaku-to escaped to Japan, where he has since revolt, to make sure her own control, been sheltered by the Japanese Govern- and to re-establish in administrative ment, being considered as a political power the party that was working the refugee. His family and relatives had ruin of Korea. Japan's object was to all been put to death in Korea, and he protect her nationals, and to secure such must have met the same cruel fate had a position as would enable her to insist he returned. Many Japanese believed upon a. radically curative treatment of that Kim was a true patriot, who repre- Korea's malady. 'I'he frequent recur- sented an oppressed class, and for the rence of such troubles was not only liberation of whom he was willing to dangerous to Korca, but threatened the risk all. In March last, as the result of peace of Japan herself. At all haz- 8. plot made by Korean political enemies ards, the independence of Korea must in Japan, Kim was enticed to Shanghai, not be shattered.
where he was cruelly murdered on March But right here occurred an unfortu- 27th in a Japanese hotel by a fellow- nate incident. China, in giving Japan countryman commissioned by political the above notice, described Korea as her enemies in Korea to do the deed. China "tributary I:)tate." For the sake of honored the assassin by taking him in peace Japan would have preferred to triumph on one of her ships of war back pass this by, but at this juncture it was to Korea, and on the same ship carried a vital point. China had thrown down the body of his victim. The assassin the gauntlet. Since 1876 Japan had was honored at home, whilc Kim's body dealt with Korea as her equal, and could was mutilateu, disgraced, exposed to not now allow China's boast to pass un- public view, and finally cut in pieces and challenged. But the Chinese states- distributed among the eight provinces. men took no notice of her protest, and Japan saw the point and felt the insult continued to use in diplomatic messages keenly, but said nothing. Enemies of the disputed term. They also under- the Min faction in Korea were deeply took to set limits to the numbers and :stirred by this event. movements of Japan's troops in Korea.
9. Korea, like China, is a country in In the polite forms of diplomatic usage which misgov:ernment and extortion they indicated to Japan that China have flourished luxuriantly for centu- would settle the affairs of Korea, and ries; but under the recent :&lin adminis- Japan might stay at home where she tration a change for the worse has taken was needed. Japan again protested place. The former three years' official against the use of the terms" tributary tenure of office was reduced to one; hence State," denying China's right to set any limits as to the number or destination of move the danger to her own interests her troops in Korea. through the constant troubles arising in 10. The next step in the affair was a Korea, and to assist in the civilization of proposition by Japan that the two em- the Orient, Japan began her work of pires should unite-first, in suppressing reform, always, however, maintaining the insurrection, and then in the reform toward Korea an attitude of friendliness of Korea, as this was a matter of great and courtesy, and always disclaiming importance to them both. But China any aggressive designs. The Korean refused everything, and demanded that Government at first appeared wholly Japan should withdraw her troops from willing to undertake the reforms above Korea. Japan frankly stated her in- proposed. A commission was appoint- ability to do this unless valid assurances ed to carry them out, and the com- could be given that the internal affairs missioners expressed themselves satis- of Korea should be so reformed as to re- fied with the much-needed movement.
move the danger to herself and to her Mr. Otori then asked for their consent neighbors. The British Minister at in writing. Now they showed a total Peking now tendered his good offices change of front. The scheming of the to help settle the difficulty, but China Chinese Resident, who for nine years refused to negotiate before the Japanese had played the part of an uncrowned troops were withdrawn, and her man- king, was clearly evident. To-day the ner toward Japan now became insolent. Korean Government would promise The Cabinet at Tokyo, finding it im- everything; to-morrow they would possible to secure the aid of China in make the withdrawal of Japanese troops the task to be accomplished, resolved to an essential preliminary. High officials undertake it alone. China prepared known to favor reform were degraded.
and sent more troops to Korea. Japan Mr. Otori on July 19th sent an ultima- waited in vain twenty-six days for tum to the Korean Government, to China to recover her sober senses. which the !Iin politicians, after some Japan then informed her, July 17th, delay, replied in an insulting manner.
that the sending of any more troops to lI'lr. Otori then asked for a personal in- Korea would be considered as a bel- terview with the King, who by this time ligerent act. seems to have comprehended the situa- l!. During this period of waiting tion, and had resolved to entrust the ad- Japan had been working with Korea. ministration of the State to his father, When China refused to co-operate, the Tai Wom-kun, whom, on account Japan directed Mr. Oteri Koisuke, her of Chinese intrigue through the Min Minister at the Korean Court, to treat family, he had not seen for ten years.
directly with the Korean Government Expecting trouble from this family in on the subject of reforms. These re- such an event, the King requested Mr.
forms were simple, and show upon the Otori to land Japanese troops and escort face of them that their object was the the Tai Wom-kun to the palace. On betterment of Korea, namely, (1) recog- the way the Japanese escort was fired nition of personal responsibility of offi- into by Korean soldiers instigated by cials; (2) a separate department for for- the Min family. The first blood of the eign relations; (3) the Ieorganization of present dispute was shed; the Japan- the judiciary; (4) the improvement of ese captured without loss or injury all internal communications; (5) the adop- the arms of the Koreans, and sent them tion of a system of strict scrutiny into flying to their sheds. The work of re- matters of revenue and expenditure; form had reaUybegun. Japanese troops (6) the improvement of the educational had been posted in positions to com- system; (7) the selection of students of pletely control the capital, and in suffi- promise for study abroad. Avowing cient force to quell any disturbance that her determination to help Korea, to re- might arise. The Chinese Resident, now finding Seoul a slightly uncomfort- board, and when the Naniwa opened able place for him, was suddenly" re- fire on the Kowshing they jumped overcalled. " From the first he ha:l refused board. The Chinese flred at hem as even a friendly consultation with Mr. they were swimming for the shore, Otori unless the Japanese troops were wounding one, and also at their own first removed. countrymen who jumped into the water. The Naniwa's boats saved some of the 12. An event occurred July 25th foreigners, but the Kowshing with her which removed the whole question be- mutinous troops was sunk. On the yond the field of diplomacy. China, in same day soon after, namely, August total disregard of the warning given by 1st, as the world now knows, the two Japan July 17th, had hired transports emperors each iss;.ed a declaration of and sent more troops to Korea. Chi- war. As to the spirit and justice exnese men-of-war convoyed these traml- pressed in these documents the world ports. Early in the morning of July must judge. 25th some Japanese men-of-war ordered to guard the coast near Chemulpo and Japanese Statements of Principal Events prevent the landing of Chinese troops, of the War to N(1). 6th, 1894. were surprised by the appearance of two Chinese men-of-war from Chemulpo. July 25th : Naval battle at Phung-do, The latter hoisted the ,Tapanese flag Japanese sink transport Kow8hing, and with a white flag above it, and were 1200 men capture T8M-chiang, destroy Been to be clearing for action, as had another ship, and badly injure a third. been the custom of Chinese ships of late Naniwa pierced by one shell, Japan's when meeting the Japanese, and then only loss. fired upon the Japanese ships, of which there were three. The Japanese re- July 29th : Battle of SlI.ng-hwan; Chiturned the fire, so shattered one of their nese loss, 500 killed; Japanese loss, 32 ships that it had to be beached, and killed; 7 died of wounds; total, 39. allowed the other to escape badly rid- Japanese victorious. dled with shot and shell. The transport, an English ship, the Kowshing, July 30th: A-san occupied by Japanchartered for this special purpose and ese, who take 8 field guns, large quanunder command of an English captain, tities of rifles, tents, 27 standards, and Galsworthy, now came up led by her other spoils. convoy, the TaM·chiang, which also hoisted a white flag above the Japan- August 26th: Treaty of war alliance ese ensign. But this ruse being now between Japan and Korea against understood, the Japanese fired across China. her bows, and summoned her, as well as the transport, to heave to. The September 6th: Hwang-ju captured TaM-chiang surrendered. Captain Gals- by Japanese. worthy would have followed the Japanese man-of-war as commanded, but September 8th: Chung-hwa captured the 1200 Chinese troops on board de- by Japanese. clined to permit this, and threatened the captain with instant death if he did so. September 10th : Japanesenavaldcm- He signalled to the Japanese Naniwa his onstration at Wei-hei-wei. inability to act. The Japanese asked the foreigners on board, of whom there were September 15th-16th : Ping-yang capseveral, to leave the ship. This the Chi- tured by Japanese. Chinese defence, nese refused to permit. Four hours were 16,000 to 20,000; Japanese forces, 16,400. spent in parley with them. Captain Japanese loss, 162 killed, 399 wound- Galsworthy then called his officers on ed, 4 missing. Chinese loss, 2000 killed, 4000 wounded, 511 prisoners, 42 caD- non, large quantities of rifles, military stores, rice, and several hundred thou- sand dollars of gold and silver. Com- plete defeat of Chinese, who retreat in disorder.
September 17th: Takushan nil.val battie near mouth of Yalu River. Chinese (transports) captured, loaded with supforce, 14 gunboats, 6 torpedo-boats. plies. Their '5 transports had returned. Japanese force, 11 gunboats. One trans- October 29th: Japanese occupy Fengport, the Saikyo Maru, withdrew from hwang. Chinese fire city and escape. the scene. Chinese loss, 4 ships with all on board destroyed, both her large November 6th: Talien Bay captured, battle-ships on fire and badly injured, with 6 forts, 80 guns, many torpedoes. and other ships much shattered. Total defeat of Chinese, though they had Mrs. Isa.bella Bird Bishop. much the superior force. Japanese loss, MutsusMma-kan inj ured consider- [J. T. G.] able, but soon ready for service ; Hiyeiken lost one mast and received some Miss Isabella Bird became a famous severe shots, but again ready for action; author of books of travels prior to her Baikyo Maru, merchant transport, re- marriag~, late in life, to the estimable ceived many small shots, but is fully physician Dr. Bishop, of the Edinburgh repaired. LOllS in men, 10 officers and University, whose name she now bears. 69 men killed and 160 wounded. Time, Her "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" is 12.45 P.M. to after 5 P.M. without a peer, except in Dr. Griffis' "Mikado's Empire," as the source of October 8th : Occupation of Wi-ju by introduction of that island empire to the first army. Western world. She has had excep- tional facilities and opportunities for October 24th: First army cross Yalu observation and record of Christianized into Manchuria; second army landed and un-Christianized races, among on Liautong peninsula, on which Port North American Indians, the Sand- Arthur is located. wich Islanders, the Aino of Yezu, Jap- anese, Malays, Chinese, Tamils, Sin- October 24th: Outer defences of ghalese, Persians, aud Semitic peoples, Hushan taken by first army. Chinese the nomads of the Sinaitlc peninsula, loss, 20 killed, 2 cannon, 10 rifles; the mixed races called Egyptians, and wounded unknown. Japanese loss, no several of the races of India, eminently killed, but few wounded. in Kashmere, the Punjab, and the Brit- ish province bordering on Tibet. October 25th: Hushan taken after three and one half hours' fighting. Chi- Miss Bird was one of two sisters, her neile defence about 6000. Loss, 300 letters, which afterward were given to found dead, and buried by Japanese; the public in the goodly volumes bearmany wounded; quantities of military ing her name, being addressed to the stores and cannon. Retreat across sister remaining at home, who died soon river Ai. Japanese loss, 32 killed, 111 after their publication. Miss Bird then wounded. (1881) married an old friend of her sis- ter amI herself, Dr. Bishop. Within a October 26th: Chiu-lien captured. short period Dr. Bishop'S health de- Chinese defence, 20,000 picked men clined, and Mrs. Bishop accompanied from Port Arthur, Talien, etc. Chinese him to the south of l!'rance, tenderly mostly retreat during night under cover caring for him till his death. of a cannonade. Loss, 22 cannon, 800 tents, 4315 rifles, 36,184 cannon-balls In introducing Mrs. Bishop at one of and shells, 4,300,660 rounds of ammuni- the Woman's Congresses in Chicago in tion, and much other spoils. 1893, Mrs. Joseph Cook remarked that Mrs. Bishop, unlike many travellers in October 27th : An-tungcaptured. No the far East, had never been indifferent fighting. Chinese loss, 20 guns, 8552 to the mission work, and was converted koku of .ce (1 koku 5.13 bushels), a to an interest in it by what she had good deal of Chinese money, and other actually seen of the self-denying labors spoils.
October 27th, Sixteen Chinese junks and consecrated lives of the missiona- gi ves a good deal of in·formation about ries themselves. Mrs. Cook said Mrs. missions on that ridge of the world's Bishop had the double gitt of tongue roof.
and pen, and could always command We are sure our readers will be inter- an audience because she was not only a ested in the following informal personal missionary in spirit, but an eminent au- note received from Mrs. Dr. Joseph thor, and that she had already addressed Cook (December 3d, 1894), in which she some fifty audiences during that sum- gives information about Mrs. Bishop, mer on this subject, and proposed to some of which we have already stated.
devote the remainder of her life to the She writes: dissemination of missionary informa- "DEAR DR. GRACEY: I had the tion, and hoped to make a tour of the pleasure of meeting Isabella Bird Bishop missions of the world to this end. We the winter I spent in Edinburgh, 1880have it on good authority that Mrs. 81, when my husband was lecturing in Bishop devotes the proceeds of her lit- Great Britain. erary works to the cause of missions. "We were guests of Thomas Nelson She was personally interested, togeth- for ten days when Mr. Cook gave his er with her husband, Dr. Bishop, in lectures in Edinburgh, and I heard a medical missions, who during his life great deal about Mrs. Bishop, as she gave attention to this branch of mission was married that winter to Dr. Bishop work, and bequeathed funds for the es- of the University. tablishment of a hospital in one of the remote corners of the globe, the loca- "There was quite a romance contion not being specified. Mrs. Bishop, nected with the marriage, which is too subsequent to her husband's death, visit- long a story to tell here. Of course ed Kashmere, where she had an audi- Mrs. Bishop's friends were anxious to ence with the Maharaja of that prov- know whether such a traveller as she ince, pleading in behalf of India's women had been would be content to settle unprovided with proper medical care, down to home life, but it was currently with the result that the prince granted reported that her husband said if the her a piece of land on which to erect a passion for travelling came upon her he hospital and dispensary for women. should not restrict her movements. However, the fact was that his health After accomplishing her mission in began to decline not long after their Kashmere, she sought to return by way marriage, and for three years he was an of I,hassa, Tibet, but finding it would invalid, and his wife took most devoted not then be safe for a lady to do so, she care of him. reluctantly gave up her purpose and returned by way of Beloochistan, Persia, .. Mrs. Bishop's special interest in and Armenia, being the first European medical missions comes from the fact woman who had ever visited the source that her husband was a physician, and of the Karun River_ she herself has some medical knowl- edge, which has enabled her to relieve Since then she has made a venture suffering as she has met it on the • uninto British Lahoul, studied the Mora- beaten tracks' of travel she has so largevian missions, and has just issued a ly pursued…• charmingly written story of her travel from Kashmere to Leh, the capital of .. You remember how, in her' Hea- Lahoul, or British Tibet.* Besides the then Claims and Christian Duty,' she rather brilliant descriptions of travel appeals to Christians to Increase their under unusual conditions, the author gifts by selling their personal treasures. This appeal is doubly emphatic from * "Among the Tibetans," by Isabella Bird the fact-which she does not hint at, but I learn it from her Edinburgh Bishop. With illustrations by Edward Whym· friends-that she herself has sold many per. 12mo, pp. 159. New York and Chicago: of her valuable possessions and put the Fleming H. Revell Cli. $1. money into the Lord's treasury.
.. Over sixty years of age, and with serious heart trouble, I regard her as a real heroine to start alone on this tour, from which her physician gave her lit- tle hope she would ever return. . • . You know she suffered serious incon- venience in Korea; but my latest intel- ligence of her is that she is at present at Shanghai, where she was nearly mobbed While photographing by an excited crowd who did not understand what was an Armenia, Lake Van was always was going on under the black focussing in it, and was most of the time its cencloth. " tre, the circumference being anywhere from the Caspian Sea to the Euphrates We clip the foiIowing from Tlte ~ River. Armenians are found mostly in arniner: the great natural fort of the world, be- tween the Black, the Mediterranean, and " Mrs. Isabella Bird Bishop writes a the Caspian seas, remote, inaccessible, letter to the London Times from Peking, isolated. But where are Armenians dated October 6th, in which she says not? Two-thirds of the race are in that she is enjoying privileges never Turkey, and they are in Russia, Persia, accorded foreigners before. She says India, China, A.frlca, Europe, and the that stringent orders have been issued two Americas. They preserve their for the protection of all foreigners. national individuality almost equal to With only her Chinese servant, Mrs. Jews. Since about A.D. 300 their re- Bishop has been photographing the ligious life has been linked with their fortresses on the Tartar walls, with national or race church-the Armenian their dummy guns, and even some of or Gregorian Church. They were from the pavilions and gateways of the For- the first recognized as a branch of the bidden City. While the government Christian Church. Since miosions have has a vestige of power, Mrs. Bishop been established among them there has thinks there will be no riot; but if the been a gradual rejection of erroneous Manchu dynasty is overturned a catas- doctrines which adhered to them. trophe is almost certain. As they are just now in the public "F. S. DOBBINS." thought of the Protestant Christian world, owing to cruel massacres of [Not~.-The book reviewer of the Sunday- thousands of their number, we make School Timl8 inadvertently prefaced a notice ot room for a statement emanating from " Among the Tibetans" with some facetious que- the American Board of Commissioners ries, which brought on the unprotected head of for Foreign Missions, which has three the editor of that paperthe criticisms ofMrs.Bish. missions among them, comprising 281 op's friends, Ipecially thole of Mrs. Dr. Hepburn stations and out-stations, 944 American and Mrs. Joseph Cook. The editor, with a court- and native laborers. 112 churches, with liness worthy of a knight of the middle ages,made a membership of 11,481, 264 Sundaythe amende hunorallte, presenting hia sword, hilt schools, with 46,864 adherents, and a toward the enemy. His saying that a .. special- number of colleges and theological, ist" wrote the book-notice (not a missionary high, and boarding schools, with a total specialist evidently) provokes the inquiry, what of 19,886 persons under instruction. is a "specialist" in these days f A story is told The statement is in substance as folof a German philologist who spent the labor of lows: his life on a Greek noun, and dying regretted. he had not contlned himself to the genitive ca,e! Our sympathies were with the author, but are now with our brother editor, seeing we know how awkward it is to be edltorislly omniscie"lt. -J. T. G.] The Massacres of Armenians. We are not unconcerned about the re- ports of massacres in eastern Turkey. [J. T. G.] The position of the 177 missionaries of the American Board within the Turkish Armenia and Armenians are not Empire is an extremely delicate one. geographically synchronous. Armenia, Sympathizing deeply on the one side strictly speaking, there is none at pres- with all who are suffering by reason of ent. At least the Turkish Government poverty, oppression and misrule, they does not recognize any Armenia, but it have yet been loyal to the Government is likely to find in a new sense that it under which they have lived. and have has to recognize Armenians, or what the never countenanced sedition or rebel- Kurds have left of them. When there lion. In the Bassoun region, south of the Moush plain, there are, or recently were, many villages inhabited by Armenians. These people were systematically rob- augment the sentiment which demands bed of their flocks by Koords, and in of the pOlitical Christian powers tlll.t the latter part of the summer the Ar- the Turkish Government be called to menians pursued the robbers in the en- explain how such aggravating violence deavor to recover their property. In can be suffered within that empire. the fight which ensued a dozen of these Humanitarianism with better than the Koords were killed, among whom were picture-pocket-handkerchief sort of symsome enrolled as Turkish soldiers. pathy ought to dominate the political world which claims to suffer the Turk When information was given that the to rule. Armenians had killed some of the Sultan's troops the charge of rebellion was As to the responsibility of the Turkmade, and orders were sent to put down ish Government in the premises, there the insurrection. The result was that seems little room for doubt, since the these lawless and uncontrolled soldiers Sultan sent an Imperial Guard to bear made indiscriminate slaughter of the a special decoration to Zeki Pasha, who people who had sought to defend their was in command of the troops wh) property. In the horrible massacres were guilty of these outrages against which followed thousands were slain- humanity, decency, and religion. He some state six thousand, others ten thou- also sent a silk banner to each of the sand. The details of this wretched affair four Koordish chiefs engaged in the are not obtainable even by those near massacre en Sassoun plain. There is the scene. They never will be obtained small room to doubt the truthfulness unless foreign governments insist upon of these statements as to the governa thorough investigation conducted by ment's awards of merit, as the Conforeigners. The poor people are in ter- stantinople press has published them, ror and dare not state the truth unless which it would do at its peril, unl(lss under protection. sanctioned by the Censor of the Press.
Though our missionaries in eastern In a special article on the Armenian Turkey ale often upon the Moush plain, outrages the London Time8 gives tho where there are many out-stations in following account of the origin and which evangelical work is conducted by nature of the horrors that have taken them, yet their work has not extended place: into this Sassoun district, and hence they have no direct reports from the scene of " Though a good deal of uncertainty the massacre. Papers from Constanti- remains with regard to details, there nople, printed in that city and entirely seems to be no longer any possibility of under the control of the censors of the doubting that revolting cruelties have press, announce that the Sultan has been committed on a very large scale, sent one of his imperial guards to the not by fanatical villagers or savage city of Erzingan, in eastern Turkey, to Basbi-Bazouks, but by regular troops, carry a decoration to Zeki Pasha, the acting on the express orders of a Turkcommander of the Fourth Army Corps, ish general aud regardless of the prowhich is located there. Zeki Pasha is test of a Turkish district governor. the military commander who led the Worst of all, the conduct of the gentroops against the defenceless villages eral has been not only condoned, but in the Sassoun region at the time of the rewarded by an Imperial decoration, massacre. Another envoy carries four while the humane protesting official banners from the Sultan to the four has been summarily removed from his leading Koordish chiefs who were associated with the military commander in post. the reported massacre, and who proba- "The causes of the disturbances bly were the instigators of it. After the Sultan has thus approved of the remain somewhat obscure. The bestaction of his troops and of the Koords authenticated acc.unt which we have reit will be impossible for any commis- ceived is briefly as follows: The Armesion appointed by the Turkish Govern- nian peasants of the Sassoun district are ment to investigate the outrage and bring in any report that reflects upon the action of either the Koords or the army. By this act the Sultan seems to assume all the responsibility of what has been done.
Large mass meetings have been held iu London and New York, conducted by most influential Christian men, to for the most part practically serfs of the volting details, though they reach us local Koordish Beys, and are protected from sources apparently worthy of by these Beys against the attacks of credit and certainly not biassed in favor Koordish raiders and the exactions of of the Armenians. Suffice it to say Ottoman officials. In return they pay that the Turkish soldiers hesitated to their protectors in grain and labor, and carry out such atrocious orders against they are naturally reluctant to pay ad- defenceless women and men who offered ditional taxes to the Ottoman officials, no resistance, and they did not obey who afford them no protection what· until threatened with condign punish- ever. Some time ago, it seems, they ment for disobedience. The protests of refused to pay these taxes altogether, the Mutessarif, the civil governor of and were supported in their refusal by the district, were disregarded."
their local protectors, Thereupon the Other accounts are given which differ Ottoman officials endeavored to enforce from this somewhat, but whatever the payment, but the irregular troops sent cause of the outbreak, the barbarities thither for this purpose were repulsed connected with it make one" blush to by the Armenians and Koords com· know himself a man." Men were bined. slaughtered without mercy, and women "When this became known to the outraged with accentuated devilishness Ottoman authorities, some of the more and then cruelly put to death. Others zealous of them, knowing the domi· with heroism of the early women who nant ideas and the never-ceasing in· counted it joy to die rather than deny'
trigues in and around the Imperial Pal- their Lord, refused the proffer of pro- ace of Yildiz Kiosk, determined to gain tection If they would but abandon distinction by treating the affair as a Christianity, nobly saying, "Why serious Armenian insurrection, and ape should we deny Christ? we have no_ plied for a large body of regular troops. more reason to do so than had our sis· The Turkish Government appears to ters and brothers whom you have slain,"
have believed that the secret political wh'ose mangled corpses lay in full view.
agitation which has been going on Some women are reported to have among the Armenians for some time plunged over precipices rather than had at length produced a serious revolt, submit themselves to the tender mercies and that it was necessary to quell it at of these fiends of passion, cruelty, and once in energetic and relentless fashion. crime. However complicated with po- .. Orders were accordingly sent to litical questions, these women must be Zeki Pasha, the Mushir commanding reckoned with the .. holy army of mar- the troops at Erzinghian, to proceed to tyrs. "
Sassoun with a sufficient force and sup- press the disturbances. The precise A CHINESE INN. terms of the instructions to this ener- getic Pasha have not transpired and Our frontispiece presents a picture of will probably never be known to any a Chinese inn. It looks clean and fairly one outside the Turkish official world. comfortable. But" things are not. what Whatever they may have been, the they seem. .. You would find a mass of Pasha evidently understood that he dirt and dust that would fairly astonish was literally to annihilate those who anyone accustomed to the lUXury of an had resisted the authority of the local English inn. Every house in China officials, and he executed what he sup· ., stands four square," and all the wir..- posed to be the wishes of his superiors dows overlook the central courtyard.
with a barbarity, toward both men and You have, in China, your choice of women, which deserves the reprobation how you travel: carts, sedan-chair, a of the civilized world. We retrain for 'litter slung between two mules, pack the present from reproducing the reo mule, etc., etc.
FIELD OF MONTHLY SURVEY
1II.-FIELD OF MONTHLY SURVEY.
The Ohinese Empire-Ohina Proper,* Manohuria,t Mongolia,t Tibet,§ Formosal- Oonfuoianism"-Opium Traffic.
OHINA. is here given, that the Nestorian Ohurch The" Oelestial Empire" is one of the of Asia Minor sent missionaries to Ohina most important, most needy, and most interesting miS8ion fields of the world. as early as 505 A.D., who made con- The" Statesman's Year Book" gives the following statistics for Ohina : verts and opened a work which coo- Ana. Population. tinued until the Mongols were expelled China Proper. . .. 1,836,841 sq. m. Manchuria.. . . •• 862,310" .. 386,000,000 in 1368. Mongolia …….. 1,~,OOO" " 7,500,000 Thibet………. 651.000" 2,000,000 This Nestorian Tablet is of great in- 6,000,000 Junpria …. }IIi 147,950" .. 600,000 terest as an archreological record and as – – – – E. Turkestan 580,000 431,800"" commemorative of the introduction of 402,680,000 4,218,401 sq. m. Ohristianity into the •• Oelestial Em- There is a tradition that the apostle pire" nearly fourteen hundred years Thomas labored in the land of Sinim, and it is recorded that the Ohurch at ago. The tablet was discovered in Antioch sent Ohristians to Ohina in 107 A.D. We have certain record from the Si-ngan fu, Shensi province, in 1625, by Nestorian Tablet, a photograph of which some Ohinese workmen, and was * LUtrature for Rej'erence: "The Middle brought to the notice of Europe the Kingdom," by S.Wells W!lliaml, LL.D.; "Story same year by some Romish priests. of China Inland MilSion," by Mrs. Taylor (11M The tablet is a granite slab ubout eight Gulnels) ; .. China and the Chinese," by J. L. feet high, three feet wide, and nearly a Ne'riu8, D.D.; "Chinese Characteristics," by foot thick. It stands at present amid Rev.A. H. Smith; "Robert Morrisan,"byW.J. the ruins of an old Buddhist temple Townsend. See also pp. 29 (January), 84, 108, outside the gates of Si-ngan-fu. The 112126, and 144 (preseut S8ue). top of the stone has on it two winged t " Old Wang," by Rev. John Ro… figures supposed to be c1wrubim-:lOt ~ .. The Moghnl, Mongol, Mikado and Mis- dragons, as has been said. The large sionary," by S. A. Mutchmore, D.D.; "Among characteIs beneath the cross give the the Mongols," by Rev. Jas. Gilmore; .. James title of the stone :* Gilmore of Monfolia," by Richard Lovett. " A Tablet Eulo~iziog the Propaga- §" The Great Closed Land," by Miss Mars- tion of the Illustrious Religion (of Syria) in the Middle Kingdom." ton; "Among the Tibetan.," by Mrs. Bishop; The Ohinese characters on the face of "Trnels in Tartary, Tibet and China," by AbM the tablet give, in prose, an outline of the doctrine taught by the Nestorians E. R. Huc. See aleo p. 18 (January). and a sketch of the fortunes of Ohris- tianity In Ohina. At the bottom of the D"Missionary Success In Formosa," by Rev. tablet we read, in Syriac, that" In the year of the Greeks, 1092, the Lord Wm. Campbell, Trllbner & Co. See al.o pp. 491 Jazedbuzid, Priest and Vicar-episcopal of Oumdan (Si.ngan), the royal city … (Jnly, 1894) and 125 (present issue). set up this tablet whereon is inscribed the dispensation of our Redeemer and " .. The Religions of China," by James L~gge; the preaching of the apostolic missiona- ries to the King of Ohina." Ohinese .. Dragon, Image and Demon," by Rev. H. C. Du names and offices are also upon this portion of the tablet, and it is recorded: Bose; .. Confucianism and Taoism," by R. K. " This was erected in the second year Doutlas. See allO p. 94 (present issue). of Kienchung, of the Tang dynasty (781 A.D.), on the 7th day of the first NOTJI.-The literature here referred to may month, Sunday."
be obtained through Funk & Wagnalls Com- A complete translation of the inscrip- tion is here impracticable; one may be pany, 30 Lafayette Place, New York, as may * Translated by A. Wylie, of Shanghai. also the" Encyclopedia of Missions," a library in itsell. Maps of China may be procured from the American Board (Boston), the Presbyterian Board (New York), or from A. D. Hosterman & .Co., Springfield, O. .-
" •f
– _~ J ~ – – • ~ ~i~: _ .'~ ~.
NES'l'ORIAN TABLET. ERECTED 781, A. D.
BeRIED PROBABLY 84.5, A. D. DISINTERRED 162.';, A. D.
FIELD OF MONTHLY
found in Dr. Williams' .. Middle King- principles will survive when the lramedom" (ii. 277). We give but a sum- wQrk is forgot; it is beneficial to all mary of it, as it may be found of great creaturtls; it is advantageous to manintereet. The inscription begins by set- kind. Let it be published throughout ting forth at length the doctrines of the the Empire, and let the proper authoreternitl of God; the creation, .. God ity build a Syrian Church in the capitai operating on primordial substance ;" the in the I-ning way, which shall be gov- triune and mysterious nature of the Di- erned by twenty.one priests," etc. vine substance ; the original sinless state Then follows an inflated account of the of man; the fall; the incarnation of the religion under succeeding emperors: Messiah by birth from the Virgin, an- " The Emperor Kau Tsung respectfully nounced by .. a bri&,ht star," and ful- succeeded his ancestor [Tai Tsungl, and filling the .. ancient dispensation as de- was still more beneficent toward the in- clared by twenty-four holy men" (the stitution of truth. In every province Old Testament writers). he caused illustrious churches to be The Messiah "established the new erected, and ratified the honor conferred religion of the silent operation of the upon Olopun, making him the great pure spirit of the Triune. He rendered conservator of doctrine for the preservavirtue subservient to faith. He fixed tion of the State. While this doctrine the extent of the eight boundaries [1 the pervaded every channel, the State be- Beatitudes], thus completing the truth came enriched, and tranquillity abound- and freeing it from dross. He opened ed. Every city was full of churches, tnhefagitaht,e of the three constant principles and the royal family enjoyed lustre and hope, and love], introdUCing happiness. In A.D. 699 the Buddhists, lHe and destroying death. He suspend- gaming power, raised their voices in the ed the bright sun to invade the cham- eastern metropolis (La-yang, in Honan). bers of darkness, and the falsehoods of In A.D. 718 some low fellows excited the devil were defeated. He set in ma- ridicule and spread slanders in the westtion the vessel of mercy by which to as- ern capital (Chang-ngan). . . . The cend to the bright mansions, whereupon high·prlncipled Emperor Hsiuen Tsung rational beings were released. Having [A.D. 718-756J caused the Prince of Ning thus completed the manifestation of His and others, five princes in all, personpower, in clear day He ascended to His ally to visit the Felicitous Edifice. He true station. Twenty-seven sacred books established the worship; he restored (the New Testament) have been left, the consecrated timbers which had been which disseminate intelligence by un- temporarily thrown down, and refolding the original transforming prin- erected the sacred stones which for a ciples. By the rule for admission it is the time had been desecrated," custom to apply the water of baptism, to wash away all superficial show and The missionary labors of the Nesto cleanse and purify the neophytes. As a seal, they hold the cross, whose torians ceased in 1869, and some have influence is reflected in every direction, thought that all trace of their work uniting all without distinction." The historical part of the inscription had disappeared; but a missionary in Ningpo tells of a stranger coming to his says that .. In the time of the Emperor Tai Tsung, the illustrious and magnifi- chapel from the west who, after listencent founder of the [T'ang] dynasty, ing intently, said that he and his ancesamong the enlightened and holy men who arrived Was the Most Virtuous tors worshipped only one God, the Crea- Olopun, from Syria. In A.D. 685 he ar- tor. He knew of Moses and Jesus, and rived at Chang-ngan: the Emperor sent said he was not a Rom£.nist or Moslem, his Prime !Iinister, Duke Fang Hsiuen but that his belief had been handed Ling, who, carrying the official staff to the west border, conducted his guest down from his ancestors, and that into the interior. The sacred books thirty families in his town had the same were translated in the imperial library." religion. * The sovereign investigated the subject Roman Catholic missions began under in his private apartments, and in the seventh month of the year A.D. 688 pro- Marco Polo, in 1271, and were continued claimed that, .. Having examined the by Matteo Ricci, 1579. At one time principles of this religion, we find them there were over 1100 churches and 10e,- to be purely excellent and natural. In- 000 converts in two provinces alone; at vestigating its originating source, we find it has taken its rise from the establish· present it is estimated that there are ment of important truths; its ritual is free from perplexing expressions; its '" …Mlsslons and Science," p. 173. 400,000 to 500,000 converts and 471 small number in the southern part.
European priests in the whole empire. There are seventy tribes of aborigines in Protestant missions began with Rob- China, many of whom do not speak the crt Morrison, of the London Missionary Chinese language at all, and the lan- Society, in 1807; there are now over guage of only three of them has been fifty societies laboring there, not includ- reduced to writing; these people are for ing the ten educational and tract socie- tlie most part still nature-worshippers.
ties. The Protestant missionaries num- bered, in 1890.* 1296 foreign workers TIBET.
and 1657 native helpers; this force has This country is still a .. great closed been increased until now there are not land," a hermit of hermits. Papal less than 1600 foreign and 2000 native missions were started there in 1330, but laborers. There are 600 churches, 100 Romanists have been banished, and of which are self-supporting. Commu- there are none now in the country. nicants number about 60,000. Protestant missions have settled at the east and west to lay siege to this moun- The first modern missionary attack tain fortress of the adversary. The on China from the west has recently Moravians have three stations in Lesser been made by members of the Swedish Tibet, having begun their work there Missionary Society. The party consists in 1856; they have 11 laborers, 5 of of one missionary, his wife, a ladyas- whom are wives; 40 converts, and sistant, and two Syrians. They have about 70 adherents. Other societies arrived in Kashgar, after a long and laboring among these people are the tedious journey through Russian Tur- London Missionary Society at Almora ; kestan and across the Thian-Shan Moun- the Church of Scotland, and the Intertains. As the people in this district are national Missionary A.lliance, with 7 not very fanatical, they anticipate much workers at Darjeeling; the Scandinasuccess in the new field. vian Alliance, with 3 men and 6 women at Jel Pass; the Tibetlln Pioneer Mis- The need for more workers in China sion, with 15 laborers at Gnatong, and to-day is very great. As soon as the the China Inland Mission, with 2 men present war with Japan comes to a close in west China. it is hoped that the country and the people will be more open to the influence of the Gospel that ever. In eleven of the nineteen provinces there are over * OPIUM TRAFFIC. nine hundred walled cities without one As J. Hudson Taylor says: .. In a witness for krist. There is not one for- China there are tens of thousands of villages with small trace of Bible influeign worker for every five hundred ence, but scarcely a hamlet where t11e towns and villa,ges of northern and opium pipe does not reign. It does western China. To supply one mis- more harm In a week than all the missionary to every 50,000 people in this sionaries can do good in a year. Opium empire there is still a call for 6400 men debauches more families than drink and and women. One province (Kwangli) makes more slaves than the slave has no missionary laboring there; an- trade." Every "good" opium year other (Hunant) has but occasional visits 82 000 chests of opium-enough poison from three; the IIi district is still closed to'depopulate t11e globe twelve times to the Gospel; Mongolia has but two over if eaten by those unaccustomed to ordained workers, and Manchuria but a the drug-are ·sent to China from India, under the direction of Christian Eng • We regret that we have not been able as yet land. to collect complete statistics to date.
t In June, 1894, however, a native church of forty member. was organized at Lam-mo in Southern Hunan. These converts have been gathered by itinerant missionaries of the bor- dering provinces. • Sec" Regions Beyond," January, 1894.
189~
IV.-EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.
The Maroh of Events. an Alpine climber, and certainly has reached a lofty and clear point of pros- The partial aim of this REVIEW is to pect in his survey of city affairs. He have each monthly issue present a sort has sent the ferret of honest scrutiny of panorama of affairs so far as they into the holes where political villains touch missions at home and abroad. and their minions hide, and driven But the necessity for electrotyping and them out into the light of day. Unlike of mailing it by about the middle of the many others who are rash and Impetumonth puts us at disadvantage in com- ous, he has not made charges that petition with papers and periodicals could not be supported, looking well published daily or weekly. It is well, to his basis of facts before he has :venhowever, for permanent purposes of tured to make attacks. He has won record, to gather in each number at everlasting fame by the Infamy to which least a brief compendium of the leading others have been consigned. A battle, events and developments of the month so single handed at first, so brave all preceding. through, and so complete in its issue for truth and right, has seldom been waged. During the closing months of 1894 the march of events was rapid. We live in eventful days, and the process THE FRENCH have decided to invade of history Is "ictw"-by a succession Madagascar and establish a protecto- of blows, often not only sudden, but' rate. What will be the final result as severe. to religious liberty it is too soon to pre- ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE VICTORIES dict. But it is believed that Romanlsm ever achieved in behalf of right and will not be suffered to hinder Protrighteousness has been the triumph not estantism in the mission work so long only in the city and State of New York, carried on among the Hovas.
but in nearly every State in the Union. JANUARY 31st marked the third anni- at the polls on November 6th. This, versaryof Charles Haddon Spurgeon's though claimed as a Republican victory, death, and the sorrow and loss seem is something more than a party tri- scarce less heavy and irreparable after umph. All political leaders are apt to the lapse of these years. Mr. Thomas be corrupt and venal; and in thia case Spurgeon, according to accounts in the an aroused public conviction and con- public press, appears to be fairly success- science has for once demonstrated how ful in his undertaking to hold the fort; mighty the ballot is with manhood be- but there is no man Iiving who can fill the hind it. If a line be drawn from Pa- place of that prince of preachers, his cifIc to Atlantic, from the base of Ore- father. If ever a man had the geniu8 gon across to the base line of West for tM puZpit it was he; and he was Virginia and Delaware, the entire coun- withal a man of singular organizing try above it, excepting only Nebraska, power, as shown by the Orphanage, with went Republican; and Utah, Arizona, its 500 boys and girls; the Pastors' Col- Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Mis- lege, with its thousand alumni, and the souri, and Oklahoma, south of that line, almshouses, mission schools, colportage likewise. work, evangelistic associations, etc.
The crusade in New York City for Few people know what the Baptist the overthrow of Tammany and the l:hurches of Britain owe to this day to erection of a purer government was led that marvellous man, who trained up a by Rev. Dr. Charles H; Parkhurst, who generation of preachers ; and still less is has proven himself a man of singular it known how largely foreign missions force, courage, and persistency. He is are manned by those same students who
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
are dispersed from the rising to the set- gether likely to prevent a repetition of ting sun. Spurgeon fell at fifty.eight, these enormities.
~n the midst of his hundred·handed use- LI HUNG CHANG is reported as ousted fulness. He playfully said to me, re- from his vice-royalty In China and ferring to his brother James, who re- command of the Chinese forces, and lieved him of heavy burdens of admin- Liu Kun Yito be made chief in com· istration, that no little of the credit mand. attached by the public to himself was due to that loyal brother; and hinted THE JAPANESE continue to be triumph. that, as Moses was back of Aaron, so his ant in their movement against China. brother's careful planning was back of There are unmistakable signs of the much of his own executive work, But interference of both Russia and Engof course no sane man doubts that land in the J apan·Chinese war if hostili- Charles Spurgeon, however generous in ties go much further, and especially if acknowledgment of his debt to his they are likely to interrupt the trade with brother, was the originator of his own Shanghai. The details are too numerschemes, and deserves all the tributes ous for reproduction here j but a miswhich have been paid him for his won- sionary from Japan writes: derfully unselfish and sagacious work for Christ and for humanity. And .. The patriotic spirit of the whole while in charge of the Tabernacle pul- people is most intense, and the absolute pit for the better part of two years, loyalty of every Japanese, high or low, the writer's impression steadily grew simply marvellous. I have yet to meet that Spurgeon and his great church with a man or youth who fails to love stand unique and unrivalled in all the his country and emperor. In this war history of the Church of God. But the Japanese not only show themselves one man deserves comparison with impetuous and dashing, but brave to a him, and that is Wesley. But the com- man, counting it glory to die for native ing century is not likely to produce an- land. Humanly speaking. their defeat other man comparable with him for seems impossibility. A country Whose evangelical power, versatility, child-like war ships carry no flag of t1'1tce, the simplicity, deep spiritUality, and all else men of whose vessels have thrown to that makes a first-class preacher and the wind every 8crap of white, even to a philanthropist. handkerchief, are bound to conquer. What a striking commentary on Rom. 13 : 14, 'Make not provision for the THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES have flesh' I" awakened a storm of indignation A reader of the REvmw suggests that throughout Protestant Christendom. Mr. Gladstone utters a heroic remon- some ready pen might well write a strance, which is echoed in monster paper on the" points of similarity in meetings in America. Private letters the way in which China supports the from parties whose names cannot be war, and in which Christians support divulged, for the sake of their own the war for the conquest of the world." safety, reveal atrocities which seem incredible. A rebellion was reported A ruling elder in the Presbyterian and among Armenian Christians when there Reformed Church of Kochi has been was none, and Turkish soldiers laid elected Vice-Speaker in the Japanese waste the country and massacred thou- Lower House of Representatives, and a sands of peaceful men, women, and movement is on foot to present a copy of children. This is but the last act in the Bible to every medical man in the Japanese empire, of which therc are said to be forty thousand.
fourteen centuries of persecution of THE DEATH OF THE CZAR. which oc- these industrious and peaceful people. curred November 1st, puts Nicholas II.
Governmental interference seems alto- on the throne. He appears to be disposed to a peaceful reign. The intolerance of newspapers assert, that large bodies of the Greek Church toward the Jews, the Stundists are rejoining the church, there Stundists, and all " heretics," is likely can be little doubt that their places are to be a formidable barrier to any more being taken by new recruits. A welltolerant and Catholic tendencies of the informed official says that the total young ruler. Meanwhile, Prince Ro- number of Stundists in Russia could henlohe becomes the imperial chancel- not now be many short of half a mUllor in Germany, vice Count Caprivi. ion.
RUSSIA seems resolved to oppose the MISS TAYLOR and her Tibetan Pio- Stundists, forbidding even their prayer- neers, after six months at DarjeeUng, meetings, and holding up these humble moved to Gnatong, in the border State of disciples as a sect dangerous both to the Sikkim. Gnatong is 12,000 feet above Church and State. The whole history the sea, and very cold. Seven of the of the Stundist persecution is a page of Tibetan teachers and servants went with infamy in the annals of Russia; a pure- the party, as also Pontso. A brave and ly religious movement is construed as a persistent spirit characterizes this party; political one, and so would be crushed and it seems as though God's time had if it were possible. During the last come for invading this bermit nation. four years the measures adopted against Miss Taylor flnds the burden of leaderthem have been specially stringent. ship too heavy, and has called Mr. Ce- cil Polbill-Turner to her aid. The procurator of the Holy Synod of Russia reports that the Nonconformists THE ANTI-OPIUM MOVEMENT in Eng. of Russia-that is, the Stundists and land goes steadily forward. Some of others-are increasing every year. The the foremost men and women in Britain suppressive measures against them are are at the head of it, and the prayerful a failure. In Nijni the Nonconformists pertinacity which is behind it reminds us number 70,000 ; in Saratoff, 53,000 ; and of the anti-slavery crusade under Wilin Samara,81,000. They are also very berforce, which was met with the same numerous in the eparchiates of Viatka, carnal antagonism. The annual meet- 72,000: Tchernigoff, 50,000: and Po- ings of the aociety were held at Manlotzk, 82,000. In Siberia they steadily chester, and were marked by unusual increase. There are 30,000 in the epar- force and fire. chiate of Irkutsk, 55,000 in Tobolsk, and 80,000 in Tomsk. The largest num- ARBITBATION as a mode of settling ber of Nonconformists and sectarians in disputes seems to grow in favor. In the any single government are to be found encroachments of England on Venein the Don country, where they number zuela, which have been going on since 106,000 souls. 184-0, it is said that at least one hundred times that republic has sought to have The dispersal of the Stundist leaders the boundary question settled by such into provinces on the limits of the em- peaceful reference, but Britain has repire has resulted in a great missionary fused. It would seem that the cause is movement. From Orenburg, contigu- weak which such a nation is unwilling ous to Siberia, we have news that the thus to have arbitrated. What ju~t Stundists lately settled there have rapid- claim has Britain to the territory west ly influenced a great number of ortho- of the Essequibo River? If this absorpdox Russians, and that little communi- tion goes on, what is to hinder her posties of Protestants are now to be found session of the whole Orinoco valley? in many portions of that extensive prov- And how can standing armies be disince. Similar intelligence comes from banded so long as leading Christian nathe Trans- and Ciscaucasian provinces, tions not only act on the aggressive, as well as from different parts of Cen- but refuse to submit controversies to a tral and Eastern Siberia. If it be true, pacific adjustment 1 therefore, what the orthodox church TIDINGS FROM ZANzmAR, December one of whom has ever before become a 10th, inform us of an attack by a band Christian, it is said. You would hard- ly believe what a sensation this step of of Somalis on the American and Swed- Mr. Ramanujam caused throughout In- ish mission at Oulessa, on the Tana dia. And here at onCe a move was River, on October 30th. The natives made to counteract the infiuence of our were repulsed without loss to the D;is· association by forming a Young Men's Hindu ABsociation on lines as similar as sion beyond that of a few cattle. possible to our own, but of course lack- IN INDIA the recent conversion of Mr. ing the very heart of the matter. . One of the native rajahs has contributed 5000 Ramanujam Ch'etty to Christianity is of rupees toward a building for the new peculiar interest and importance as a sin- association. Our membership has thus been somewhat diminished, but the regular lesult of the attacks on Oltristiani- action will not be long in setting in. ty at the recent Parliament of Religions. It is a time for us to push ahead more This graduate of the Madras University aggressively than ever, quietly ignoring is one of the best-trained lawyers of his the opposition, making our privileges more valuable than ever and our work country. He was led to an examina- our more real and effective. This we tion of the claims of Christianity by are seeking in every possible way to reading the theosophical rhapsodies of do. The arrival of Mr. Davis next Mrs. Besant, and the speeches of Swami month will bring us timely reinforce- ment. Vivekananda at the Parliament of Re- "We have just celebrated the third ligions at Chicago. He studied the sub- anniversary of our Vepery branch, ject thoroughly, and became convinced, which continues to make gratifying he says, of " the hollowness of their as- progress, although receiving but little assistance apart from the volunteer sertions. " work of the members in that section. How are the mighty fallen I The car If there were nothing more to show for of Juggernaut goes no longer forth in the work of these past four years and triumphal but death-dealing procession. more than the transformation of one home in which I was a week ago, I This year, for the first on record, the should feel that our in vestment had J agannath car at Serampore failed to paid an hundred·fold. Two years ago tind devotees enough to drag it over the this month, Vyramuthu, a young man usual route. On three successive days in that home, became a Christian; since then six other young people-his brothattempts were made which ended in fail- er and his wife, his two sisters, and ure. The persuasions and threats of both of their husbands-have followed the Brahmins were in vain. May the his example in following Christ. All highways of India soon resound with of the !'even have been publicly bap- tized within these two years and are the cry: "Prepare ye the way of the shining for Jesus. On Sunday even- Lord" I May the rule of Juggernaut ings, after church, they carryon opensoon be displaced by that of Jehovah, air preaching in a village near where not long ago they themselves were living as tItle Lord of the whole earth I heathen, while I assist them with my David McConaughy, Esq., writes magic lantern. Vyramuthu himself, from Madras, October 24th, 1894 : now the assistant secretary of our Ve- " Madras seems to have recently en- pery branch, is growing in grace and in tered upon a somewhat new phase- knowledge of Christ. He had been one of organized opposition. Ever down in Ceylon last month for a wellsince the last week of prayer for young earned holiday after my return. The men, when a number of our Hindu as- steamer by which he was to return to sociate members openly asked for pray- the mainland touched at Jafl'na earlier er and subsequently several were bap- than advertised, and so he missed it. tized, many of our associate members As there was no other for another forthave showed less disposition to attend night he made up his mind to cross, our meetings; some have given expres- with his wife and baby, in a small boat. sion to unfriendliness. But just before Although his falher-in-law objected, he my return one of our associate members, carried his point, and actnallr spent a Mr. S. Ramanujam, M.A., B.L., a plead- whole day on the open sea In a little er, in the high court of Madras, was boat, crossing from Kangasanturai to baptized. He belonged to a commu- Point Calimere ; then another day was nity which has the reputation of being spent in like manner ingoing from there more orthodox than the Brahmin, no up the coast to Negapatam, whence he proceeded to Madras by rail. I men· away in 1891, but a worthy succeljlsor is tion this as showing the sort of stuff found in MiBB James. On all sides she that some of our aBBociation men are finds open doors for the entrance of the made of in India. Gospel; a recent example being an appli- cation from the Maronite priest of a "Our negotiations for the building most bigoted village to " open an Engsite are being pushed on as rapidly as is lish school" there. The influence of possible, now that we are in a position the mission is deepening and widening to purchase, and before this letter reaches in all departments. Schools are well you I hope we will have the ground se- attended, Bible women welcomed in the cured. If only we can proceed at once houses, Scripture readers attentively to build, it will immensely strengthen listened to in hospitals, in shops, in the our hands at this critical juncture. It encampments of the Lebanon soldiers, will take $25,000 to carry out our plans and even among the wild Bedouins. to completion, but we propose to erect the first section of the building as soon Mr. A. Benollel, who, with his wife as half that amount can be obtained. and daughter, has been recently in this Since our English friends have given country, proposes to erect in Jerusalem the ground, we are looking to America a miBBion hall, to be a rallying place for for the funds to build. What a splen- evangelical Christians and visitors to did memorial it will be of the jubilee if the sacred city. Of Mr. Benollel's work the money can be got yet this year I -which a certain party has been using singularly mean efforts to depreciate- " We need your earnest prayer on onr we have heard most enthusiastic enbehalf. Before this reaches you we comiums from Mr. Arthllr W. Payne, will no doubt be engaged in the week of London, who visited Jerusalem some of prayer. We are looking for' greater two years ago, and was eye-witness of things than these.' Our work is only the work. Mr. Benoliel has the peculfairly begun now. We are more anx· iar adaptation; Mr. Payne says, for the ious to see it intenBijied than to see it work of reaching the Jews from his extended. But from alll over South- knowledge of the Hebrew and other ern India calls are coming for help. dialects in use among them, and being During Christmas week our third national convention will be meeting in Madura if another outburst of cholera does not interfere, as last year. Pray that in that gathering a fire may be kindled by the Spirit of God which shall extend far and wide throughout this dear old dark land of India."
himself a converted Jew.
SAXONY.-The royal family is Roman Catholic, and when the present King of DEAN VAHL'S statistics of foreign mis· Wiirtemberg dies he too will, it is said, sionaries for 1892 has been issued. The be succeeded by a papist. But in both income of all Christian missionary so- countries Protestantism, the prevailing cieties was £2,695,188, of which £1,411,- religion, seems to be more than holding 240 was contributed in this country. its own. In Saxony the Lutherans The number of male foreign missionanumber 3,337,850 as against 128,509 ries was 5502, and of unmarried female Roman Catholics. In Wiirtemberg the missionaries, 2771. With the wives of Protestants number 1,406,648 as against married missionaries, there may be about 609,504 Roman Catholics. Dissent flour- 12,000 from Europe and America in the ishes in Wiirtemberg more than in any field. The number of communicants other country in Germany, but its was above a million. Under all headings dimensions are not great even there, there is a marked advance on the pre- .and it does not increase. The religion vious year. of these lands appears to be little affect- ed by the example set in the royal pal- A CONTRIBUTION of fifty dollars from aces. Saxony is not less Protestant be- "Mrs. McEwen, of Italy" for the Volcause its king is a papist, nor Baden unteer Fund, is thankfully acknowlless Roman Catholic because its ruler is edged, received through Mrs. Bowie, of a Protestant_ Philadelphia; also five dollars from Mrs.
SYRIA.-Mrs. Mentor Mott passed Sarah M. Wood, of New York City.
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELI,IGENCE. '
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
EDITED lIY BEV. D. L. LEONABD.
Extracts a.nd Translations from Foreign There is also a restaurant annexed, Periodioals. where a cup of tea can be served for any who are willing to converse about BY REV. C. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, the Gospel, its requirements, and its MASS. blessings. We fear that here there is CHINA. too close an imitation of Western ways. The hope of thus attracting the more -Archdeacon Wolfe, remarks the respectable classes, that are seldom per- .Allgemein8 Miaaiona·Zeit8chri/t, says that suaded into a chapel, seems somewhat learning to read, and even that not per· precarious. "
fectly, requires twenty years of strenu· ous labor for a Chinese. " It is," he is -" In Taoist literature," says the quoted as saying, " hopeless to suppose high.priest, "the two characters Shang.
that poor villagers, of whom many, ti constantly occur, and invariablyoc- when they become Christians, have al· cupy a position so honorable that more ready reached the middle of life, will honorable they cannot be. One of our ever know much about reading, even if classics says that • Shang-ti, within the they had time for lessons. Oral inatruc· period of one rest, formed the whole tion is, therefore, the principal means heavens and earth.' The commentary of diffusing Christian views. Facts to this adds that • the period of one rest being thus, we might have expected is among men a term of seven days.'
that Christian elementary schools in Not the Shu·king alone says: • The only China would long since have developed supreme Shang·ti ; ' the Book of Odes a thoroughly specialized method. The also says, • Supreme Shang-ti.' A Tao- great majority of Chinese Christians ist classic says: • Heaven is not heaven belong to the country population. We made; earth is not earth-born.' Just as must not expect ever to turn these mul- a house, a boat, a cart is made by man, titudes into readers. . . • and not self-created, so we may know " We must, therefore, not form too that there is One who made the earth, flattering notions of the effects of the as it is impossible that the earth is self- missionary prea8. This, for the great originated or that heaven could produce majority of the Chinese Christians, itself. Reflection leads to the inference amounts to nothing, or very little; as that the being who could make heaven little for the dim and common multi- and earth is no other than the most ex- tudes out of whom the congregations cellent and peerless, the only Shang-ti, are chiefly composed. It avails only who has no second. For who or what for the minority who have more or less else could effect such results? When, school training-often less rather than therefore, the classic states that Shang- more. The heathen book'gatherers may ti within the rest·period of seven days give them some attentIon, but quite as completed heaven and earth, and in- often disdain them. Perhaps all these forms us men of the fact, we see the conditions had not been sufficiently re- statement cannot be mistaken. Weare, garded when the American Methodists moreover, compelled to ask whether the at Chin.kiang opened a public reading- completion of the creation of heaven room quite in Western style. The walls and earth exhansted the power of Shang- are adorned with maps and charts; the ti. Did He not hang up the three lights tables covered with newspapers. There -sun, moon, and stars-and everything . is a COULter at which tracts and the between the heaven and the earth; Bible, in whole or part, may be bought. everything having form or color-the
189.5.J EXTRAOTS AND TRANSLATIONII
mountain peaks and the flowing streams, blessings of those institutions which are moving things, trees and peoples of the the outgrowth of a progressing Chrisearth, the various objects of nature, and tianity. Why should they not be given fruit-bearing trees, and all these in also to the heathen as a true representamyriads upon myriads. so that the par- tion of the love of the Church for them? ticles of dust could not sum up their It is held that as we present this benevonumber? Who other than Shang-ti gave lent side of Christianity the hearts of them being and appointed their trans- men are inclined to us and made more formations? Therefore the classic says: accessible to the entrance of the great • Most mighty, there is nothing He can- soul-saving truth of love to God. not do I' From this we learn the almighty power of Shang-ti. Did not the U This theory is fully justified by ancients exclaim, 'My Instructor I my Christ's own example. 'He went about Instructor I Supporting all things, yet doing good.' Perhaps three fourths of His faithfulness is not exhausted. Con- the time of Christ, as recorded in the ferring benefits on myriads of worlds, four gospels, was spent in benevolent yet this falls far short of the measure work to men, and only about one fourth of His benevolence. What is older than in the sole work of preaching. He also the most ancient does not touch the used this benevolent work as a basis fringe of His age. He covers the high- upon which to build His truly spiritual est points of heaven and earth and up- work. Having reached the hearts of holds their lowest parts; He carves and men and aroused their sympathetic feel~ fashions endle88 forms, yet when all is ings through His benevolence, He was summed up it is but an infinitesimal enabled t-o apply the deep truths of spirfragment of His skill.' What is all this ituallife and worship. In His time such but descriptive of the only Shang·ti, benevolent work consisted chiefly in who has no second, the Almighty, the comforting the poor, healing the sick, Ever·Living? Hence we learn that the and casting out devils, which comprised moving power in the endless transfor- all of the forms of such work then commations is not those transformations mon among the Jews. At the prescnt themselves. Indeed, these cannot un- time the advanced conditions of social derstand who or what it is that trans- life make new and varied forms of forms them. Is He not able to produce benevolent work possible. Lepers are endless other and stronger transforma- cared for, the blind are taught useful tions than these? The potter and trades, hospitals for various forms of moulder of all forms is not those forms sickness are erected, printing-presses themselves. All forms set forth the scatter the Word of God, and education honor of Him without whom nothing is is provided for the poor and others who moulded or fashioned. We may, there- need it. These are new forms of work fore. infer that there are invisible things for which no explicit authorization which can more abundantly declare His could be found in the Scriptures other power. He is seated beyond heaven than the general spirit of love to man, and earth and all things existing, and but they are as surely works of benevorules among heaven, earth, and all ex- lence as any of those earlier forms which isting things. Investigation will dis- are mentioned. Buch education as our cover nothing that was before Him; missionary societies attempt is only a experience will find nothing after.' form of benevolence-' a work of faith and labor of love '-done by men and " The whole paper is very interesting, women whose lives are consecrated to and intensely theistic, not pantheistic. His service. Our age Is pre·eminently Surely here must be a better soil for the an educational one, and free schools Gospel than the cold, arid, merely ethi- abound in Christian lands. These are cal Confucianism. generally acknowledged to be the fruit of Christianity, which is clearly shown II Our Christian countries enjoy the
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
by the fact that nearly all of the found- lowed to curse us. We don't want our ers of great colleges and universities homes desolated, and we know they have been Christian men, whose hearts will be desolated if this habit is encour- have been prompted to such deeds by aged. But about the tuum, about our their love to God and man. They are neighbors in India and China, thero a glory and an honor to the Church. If is no such anxiety. Very many des;;- this benevolent work of education is lated homes there are doubtless, they good in the home lands why should it admit, by this curse; but they have not be good in foreign lands ~ Boys and heard also, 'and Gashmu saith it,' that girls who receive such education are there are homes into which the opium surely profited by it, and it is a true habit has entered where it is not a curse example of 'love to man.' "-J. C. F., -that it saves 8tarving men from tho in Ohinese Recorder. pangs of hunger; that it enables jaded -The Swedish conSUl, Bock, accord- men and horses to put on a spurt; and ing to the Dansk Mil#lion8-Btad, after in these last days, though never before, having demanded of the Chinese au- and curiously not at all in malaria-ridthorities full reparation for the murder den Burma, that it shields innumerable of the two Swedish missionaries at poor men and women from malarial Sung-pu, has receded from his demand, fever! saying contemptuously that it is no great matter to Sweden if a few unedu- " The very awkward thing about this cated men have been put to death so present-day care for the meum and neglong as assurance can be given that lect of the tuum is that in the latter as trade will not suffer. The Blad corre- pect it is associated with a question of spondent remarks that he would have three millions sterling per annum of been supported by all the foreign con- revenue. The Briti8h Medical Journal, 8uls, but he did not even take the trouble in its eager ad vocacy of the free sale of to confer with them. He is notoriously opium to China, says that it involves hostile to the Swedish missionaries, 'half the revenue of India;' a statewhich explains his willingness to see ment which for accuracy is on a par them murdered. with its whole treatment of this suh- ject. But to us it seems that the very fact of this dangerous association of thCl'
-" For one home in England that is opium traffic with a revenue of largo- desolated by the opium curse there are dimensions should be the one notable rea· at least a thousand in India and ten son why Christian men in this country thousand in China. And if the strong, should be careful not to be befooled by self-restrained, cultured, Bible-taught the mushroom pleas which have sprung people of England need the help of up since this revenue has been assault- stringent sale regulation to defend them ed. It is neither Christian nor manly, from this curse, most certainly the weak- nay, it is a cowardIy inj ustice, to defend er, more ignorant, and more impulsive ourselves as we are doing against the heathen peoples of India and China re- spread of the opium curse in England, quire such defence in an immeasurably while we continue to encourage and greater degree. promote a trade whereby we ruin innu- " This argument is so clear and strong merable lives and homes among peo- that it is amazing to find anyone resist- ples weaker than ourselvcs."-Medica& ing it. It is resisted, however, by many Mission8.
of the clergy, by numbers of Christian MADAGASCAR. laymen, and notably by the very medi- cal journal qnoted above. All these -" Saturday, May 26th, was a "red- parties are quite clear about England letter day for the Antananarivo Orphan- Sll.d the meum. As far as possible age Society, as the Queen was present opium aud morphine must not be al- at the annual meeting held in Miss Cra-
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLA'rIONS
ven's beautiful school·room. The room sionary printer of the F. F. M. A.; and was crowded to its utmost capacity, both he and Mrs. Kingzett have, for and probably there were as many as years past, devoted every effort to five hundred present. The Orphanage bring the society to its present very Society is now quite one of our institu- satisfactory condition. "-The Ohronitions, and it well deserves the support cleo it receives. From Mr. Kingzett's report we learned that there are now MISCELLANEOUS. forty-seven children in the two homes, and that the cost of maintenance is -" The Emperor receives his comonly 7td. each per week! The chil- mands from Heaven; the minister his dren were present, and their happy from the prince. Therefore, when the faces and neat appearance spoke well commands of Heaven and of the prince for those who have the care of them. concur, the minister, in fulfilling the The proceedings on Saturday were en- latter, fulfils both; if they are at varilivened by singing and music, contrib- ance, the commands of the prince are uted by the orphans themselves, and not to be followed. If the prince beby Mrs. Ashwell, Dr. Moss, Mr. Rad- head him, well; but let him act rightley, and Miss Waller. The last-named eously. "-CONFUCIUS. is a young lady of color, a daughter of the ex-American Consul. She has a -It is a common impression that the powerful and well-trained voice, and Christians of Greenland are mainly unthe Malagasy seemed delighted to hear der Moravian care. This is an error. one so much like themselves singing as The Allgemeine Miaaio1Ut·Zeitschrijt Miss Waller did. It has been a great gives the whole population (except OIl surprise to many of them to find peo- the thinly peopled East Coast) as now ple of their own color who yet claim, Christianized. Of these Christians on grounds of education and culture, 8175 are under the care of the Lutheran to rank with white people. The Mala- Church of Denmark. There are 3 Dangasy name for all white people (Euro- ish and 4 native pastors, working at 12 peans and Americans) is Vazaha, and stations. The Danish ministers (they the Waller family are always spoken can hardly any longer be called misof as the • black Vaziilla.' The meet- sionaries) appear to go to Greenland ing of Saturday seems to have given only for a time. There is at Godthaab uni versal pleasure, and we had a col- (Goodhope) a seminary for the training lection of $112. For collecting taxes, of native teachers and preachers; the sun helmets and a white basin were latter, mostly half-breeds, complete their used; and as I stood on the platform education in Copenhagen. and received the money, I can testify that the helmet from the Queen's gal- The UnUas Fratrum has, at its 6 stalery was very much heavier than the tions, the care of 1591 Christian Greenrest. Her Majesty not only gave a landers. liberal contribution, but also bought nearly all the articles exhibited as speci- In Labrador there are 1329 Eskimo mens of work. Among these were sev- Christians, all under :M:oravian care. eral articles of cabinet work admirably made. The result of the meeting will, -" A Caffre asked me once: 'Is it we trust, be not only to strengthen this not true, that beyond the ocean you one society, but to stimulate Chris- are all God:s children, and that those tians in other places to follow so excel- that are not you send here to Africa? ' lent an .example. The main work of Another said to me: I I hate the guiding and superintending the society whites.' I Me too?' asked 1. I No ; devolves on Mr. J. C. Kingzett, mi- you are not a white man; you are an umjundiBi (missionary).'" – Inspector BUCHNER, in Allgemeine Mis8ioN8-Zeit- 8chrijt.
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
_" The last number of THE MIS- tian doctrine. As many as thirty men, SIONARY REVIEW OJ!' THE WORLD con- some of them old men, some of them tains matter thoroughly digested and lads of seventeen or eighteen, have atinteresting. In the Editorial Depart- tended the Swatow reading circle this ment there are articles giving an exact year. idea concerning evangelical missionary labors in England, France, Germany, LifJi1l{/ Ohristian8.-As a specimen of Spain, India, Japan, Corea, Persia, native Christianity the case of Sun-ho Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Brazil, and is cited. His benevolence is remark- Egypt. Its news department also Is, able. The first year a preacher was as ever, various and most Interesting_ sent to his village he paid the whole of We recommend this publication to all his salary. and each succeeding year he those that are interested in the exten- has paid a large share of it, though not sion of the Gospel. "-EZ Abogado OriB- a rich man. He buys medicines and tia1W Ilu8trado (Mexico). gives these away, and he bestows alms i1~ secret. He hospitably entertains -The Neukirchener ~lli88ion among Christians whose road lies past his the Falashas (Abyssinian Jews) has house, and, best of all, he has brought baptized 1470 since 1860. others to Christ.
English Notes. The Mi8sion Oouncil in Form08a, in their minute concerning the death of Mr. BY JAMES DOUGLAS. Thou, to which we have already re- ferred, says: .. He laid much stress on Bapti8t M"wionary Socitty.-We have the duty of preaching the Gospel to the reason to believe that increasing care is heathen, in which connection he preused by the committee of this society to pared a sheet tract on ' Saving Truth,' send into the mission field disciplined which has already been distribut.ed and well-qualified workers; men, and in tens of thousands throughout the women too, who have earned their spurs island." by laborious industry and the educatlonalstandards passed. Various parts The OhU1'ch Mi88ionarll &ciety.-In of the mission field have recently been a recent InteUigencer interest is mainly strengthened by the addition of work- focussed in Dr. H. :Martyn Clarke's ers of this kind. Mr. McCallum, B.D., article on "Some Results of the Late is designated for work in Ceylon, where Mohammedan Controversy" in India. it is hoped eventually he may be useful The controversy took the form of a in training Singhalese native Christian public debate, which lasted fifteen evangelists. Mr. Thomas Watson Is days. The Mohammedan champion appointed to Barisal, in Eastern Bengal, concluded the proceedings with a and is well equipped for his work by prophecy. Claiming that a direct reveopen-air evangelism and direct mission- lation from God was given to him, he ary training. Mr. Charle~ Edward Wil- asserted that within fifteen months, son, B.A., a brilliant student and ver- counting one month for each day of the satile Christian worker, goes to Jessore, discussion. the Christian opponent, Mr. Eastern Bengal. By these and like Abdullah Athim, would die, In a later additions the Baptists of England are revelation Dr. Clarke was himself ingiving of their best to the service of the cluded in the doom pronounced. The Gospel in foreign lands. prophecy kept the discussion alive in the minds of the people. and the whole Prubyterian Ohurch of England.-A Mohammedan population were in a state 81JJatow .. Ohautauqua" is an interesting of the utmost tension and ferment. item. It consists of a reading class (six Dismay struck home to many hearts weeks' course), the object of which is when, as time proceeded, it became the training of Christian men in Chris- bruited abroad that Mr. Athim was not
ENGLISH NOTES
only looking well, but in addition" was Pro8p6rity in BUBineu. -Under this growing fat." Needless to say, events head Mr. Peat, of Sih-Chau, Shan-si, have shown that Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, gives an interesting account of Mr. the champion of Islam, has not "the Ch'ao, a Chinese convert, whose stand power of the keys." Several leading for the purity of commercial principles Moslems have come out on the side of and the sanctification of the Lord's Day Christ. The first to come forward was the Lord has signally honored. Deterthe J andiala youth who had been the mined not to make a cent unlawfully, fons et O1'igo of the discussion. The but to incorporate the principles of our next was Akhund Sahile, as he is holy religion with all the practical determed, a Mohammedan gentleman of tails of business life at whatever cost, education, and who had been a trusted he has both had an abundance of sunfriend and apostle of the champion. shine within, and has seen the hand of His baptism, together with that of his the Lord displayed in his behalf in the daughter, was a wonderful occasion. most marked manner. Whatsoever he This bitter blow to Mirza was followed by one still harder to bear, for his own did has prospered. Mr. Ch'ao Pas brother-in-law, hlsnear relative and trusted private secretary, was admitted proved by experience that honesty is by baptism into the Church visible. the best policy, and above all the Scrip- Akhund was the means of his conver- ture .. Them that honor Me I will honsion, and has also led three other lIe- or." How many besides the Chinese need hammedans to Christ. Up to Septem- so to learn Christ as to do likewise I ber 1st fourteen had been baptized from Mohammedanism, and it is expected Wesleyan Miuionarg Society. – An that hundreds may follow_The move- Indian family which had settled on the ment altogether is the most remarkable Kalubara estates of Ceylon, and were one which has yet taken place in the active opponents of Christianity, have Mohammedan field; and the definite come out on the Lord's side and been issue joined is surely the prelude to a as a family baptized by the Rev. J. S. great awakening. Corlett, Wesleyan missionary. The reading of tracts and portions of the r China's Millions-Happy Years in Scriptures distributed to them by Mr. Ohina.-Mr. Edward Hunt, of Gan- Benjamin, the Tamil minister, was the King, supplies a sketch of recent con- means of their conversion. verts won from China's millions. The first is that of Sle, a soldier, whose London Mi8Bionarg Societll.-In the bright, glad face Is an index of his in- decease of Andrianaja, the London Misward joy. Next is llr. Cheng, aged sionary SOCiety has lost, in Madagascar, fifty-eight, dismissed from his situation one of their very best evangelists_ for attending Christian serVices, but "The people in his district," writes happy to avow his faith in Jesus in bap- W. J. Edmonds, "were impressed by tism. The third is Hu Ki-cheo, coolie his individuality, conscious of his earand barrow-man. "None," says Mr. nest wish to assist them in all good Hunt, "could doubt his sincerity or things, and were decidedly infiuenced speak evil of his conduct, and with by his lpiritual power; while the pasgreat joy we all received him." Last tors under his care, with one exception, came Ling Tao-hoien, the house coolie are the most earnest and spiritually in the training home, a bright fellow of minded of the sixty connected with my twenty-seven, who, from being an in- district, and their churches are the veterate gambler and worse, gave evi- most progressive." The pastors with dence of being "a new creature" in whom he co-operated have sent in a Christ Jesus. memorial to this effect: "We prefer to have no evangelist at all rather than have one who may undo the work done by Andrianaja."
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGE:liCE
[THESE statistics are de.igned to include only Missions among either non-Christian or nonduced. Accuracy has been son~ht, but also completeness. and hence conservative estimates have the space afforded by two pages of this Magazine, a large number of the s.naller and spe~ial organi- g oi '" ,; 3~ a '=al.:!;l s:l NAIES OF MISSIONARY SOCIETIES .,,,…. 'l3 a~rd ';oS ~ .. .'"~_~r:i ~ " ,- . , INIEUaol'B, Asu., ETC. 00 gs] oZ ~ 0" '21 :a;'~" =" .C~IS";:; ;;'~ E-<,s .s.g~ ~~ "''' A 20" 0$:1 – – – —– – – – — — — — 0 ……. I English Baptist……………… 1792 — $381,000 $42,240 110 29 97 64 64 2 Strict Baptist. _…………. " ……….. 1861 3,725 250 1 2 1 1 6 8 London (L. M. S_) …………………… 1795 728,410 184,515 164 28 148 68 1476 4 Chnrch (C. M. S.) …………….. -…… 1799 1,486,111 177,220 339 78 257 407 323 5 Propagation (S. P. G.)……………….. 1701 6 UlI.lversities' Mission ……………….. 1880 565,395 ………. 230 38 215 12 173 7 The Friends' • ……………………… 1867 101,550 ………. 27 38 …. 23 5 .. . 620 21 – 1/; 20 … 46,180 8 Wesleyan Methodist.. .. ____ ………….. 1816 670,435 82,940 138 35 110 61 175 16,100 9 Methodis' New Connection ..•. _.•…••. _ 1859 14,r.05 462 8 … 6 1 …. 105,475 …….. 10 Primitive Methodist…•.•.•. _.•• 1869 311,294 3,695 9 … 5 …. 3 18,420 25 1 15 …. …. 11 United Methodist Free Churches •••••••.. 1837 6,794 13 2 7 /; 3 12 Welsh Oalvinistic.. __ . __ …. ………… 1841 13 Presbyterian Church of England.•. _•.. _• 1847 99,295 2,500 20 13 22 22 11 14 Presbyterian Chnrch ofIreland………. 1840 96,145 7,500 21 2 17 12 10 15 China Inland …… ____ ………………. 1865 160,894 40,005 85 174 112 227 12 16 Church of Scotland …………….. – …. 1829 222,476 42,500 20 16 23 43 7 17 Free Church…. _…….. …………… 1843 542,075 196,245 60 59 75 46 18 ~ 3,665 ………. 2 … 2 1 ….
18 Reformed Presbyterian ..••••.•.••••.••. – 184% 19 United Presbyterian …… __ …. _…….. 1847 167,720 46,350 71 23 78 31 19 …… 20 Other British Societies.. _•.••••• , •••.••.. 1,132,520 ………. 184 47 90 210 18 Sl Paris Society… .. …………………. 1822 77,800 9,895 30 6 29 7 2 22 Basle SOciety……………………….. 18111 250,845 33,610 153 47 101 6 36 .. 23 Berlin Society.•••• ………………. 1824 75,130 84,761 70 '7 57 6 1 11 .., 24 Breklum Society…. _……………….. 1877 13,013 ………. 7 …. …. 23 '" 25 Gossner's Society…………………… 1836 25,105 992 61 7 17 …. 18 26 Hermannsburg Society••..••.•• _.••••..•. 1849 40,135 4,841 53 ' … ….
……. 17 Leipsic Society ….. _….. , ….. , 1836 71,216 4,148 33 2 25 1 17 28 Moravian Church………….. " …….. 1734 119,435 277,955 171 -" 151 14 23 29 i'torth German Society………, … :'….. 1836 24,479 381 14 4 5 6 1 30 Rhenish Society…………………….. 1829 15,465 18,196 87 9 76 5 16 …… .. . 81 Eight other German Societies •.•••••••.. 65,720 ………. 33 18 15 3 …. …… 32 Nine Netherlands Societies…………… 163,390 ………. 45 '" 37 30 …… ………. 83 Twelve Scandinavian Societies…. _…… 118 30 110 63 35 263,986 – – – -.-.. – – – – …… 84 Societies in Africa, A~ia, etc…… _• _•••. 490,780 -.. –..-..-.. .3-45169 43 317 ….. – – – – – – – – – – Totals for Europe, Africa, etc .•.•.•.. — $8,296,569 $1,082,849 2,692 689 2,150 1,420 2,816 —- — — . -. – – – – – – – – – – – …. Totals for America.. _………… " …. Totals for Christendom …•••••• $5,173,749 $425,515 1,336 323 1,895 1,028 1,331 – – – -~— …… $13,470,318 $1,458,464 4,0281,012 3,545 2,448 4,147 Protestant people., and hence the ligures of certain societies doing colonial work have been Tebeen made concerniJl!! £ertain Items omitted from 80me reporte. MaiJlly in order to keep within zations have been grouped together.] . …_ ., .,.to .;, J….. ..
I .. "" . "" -5 "'(~-i"s=.~'~-"~…~,,,~,"'~!-=i ~ "aa <g ~ 5 ~-=O".".,. 8 – – – – ? v~~ 0 ",,:i ~.t-P ''0" ::g;; Countries in which ~~ <> Missions are Sustained. ",;"..,a~-i <::I Ul Ul ,,".~oo >'l — – S — – – – – – – -UJ – 973 1,337 855 51,534 3,341 135,000 855 86,129 India, China, Palestine, Africa, 1 We~t Indies. , 778 India (Madras, Ceylon). 57 68 71 793 175 1,800 81 2 6,758 8,644 !,557 94,192 1,792 404,795 1.977 125,984 China, India, Africa, Madagascar, S 5,706 7,110 488 52,343 3,893 199,882 2,033 Polynesia. 2,300 2,!J6!! 2,370 49,000 3,000 100,000 82,368 Persia, Chins, Japan, India, 4 1,166 96 855 Africa, North America, etc. 104 194 37 2,727 175 4,100 86 40,600 Ind,a. China, Japan, ,Malaysia, 5 420 476 150 88,992 4,800 16,000 165 Africa, West Indies, etc. 2,429 2,945 1,986 1,542 92 120,000 880 66 81 86 3,000 34 2,106 Africa (Lake Nyu." and ZIlDZi'1 tI bar), 12,000 Palestine, India, China, Madagas- 7 car.
52,000 India, China, Africa (West and' 8 Sonth). West Indips. 377 China (Shantung, Tien.tsln). 9 46 63 30 669 140 2,300 9 610 Africa (Fernando Po, Zambesi). 10 420 461 72 7,569 240 20,000 127 6,280 China, Africa, Australia. 11 404 434 23~ 2,344 105 10,496 210 5,048 N. E. India, France (Brittany). 12 154 242 146 4,267 313 7,357 57 2,603 India, China, Malaysia. 13 242 304 34 771 81 2,100 55 3,997 China, India (Kathiawar). 14 249 859 228 4,234 528 10,000 35 629 China (Fifteen Provinces). 15 480 589 64 1,434 62 6,500 157 11,547 India, East Africa, Palestine. 16 872 1,108 260 7,727 295 15,000 387 1l6,485 India. Africa, Sonth and East. 17 45 2 Arabia, Palestine,NewBebrides. 3 160 Syria (Antioch, etc.). 6 10 57 2 18 694 B38 267 18,460 1,046 43,000 280 18,957 India, China, Japan, Africa, West 19 1,060 1,469 822 and South, West Indies. 2,700 …… 8.500 532 18,000 20 145 219 184 10,970 1,781 16,365 140 7,280 Africa, South and West, Tahiti. 21 846 1,188 449 14,274 940 28,861 325 13,155 South India, China, West Africa. 22 133 274 157 12,9ii3 2,020 25,6e<J 150 4,770 East and South Africa, China. 23 18 36 7 86 10 153 7 115 India (Telugus). 24 336 894 60 11,940 940 38,187 68 1,384 India (Ganges, Chota Nagpore). 25 291 411 114 16,778 219 21,561 57 8,930 Inl~d. South Africa, New Zea- 26 171 249 178 6,886 340 14,142 182 4,842 South India, Burmah. 27 1,6~ 1,896 148 32,288 1,841 98,246 ~44 23,728 South Africa, AustraIfa, South 28 36 66 22 7J4 165 1,247 . America, West Indies, Eskimu.
19 566 West Africa, New Zealand. 29 251 444 196 16,741 676 53,818 145 9,450 Africa, East Indies, New Gnlnea, 80 43 112 ' 72 695 120 China.
1,700 33 8!4 31 298 410 130 49,273 1,450 130,000 215 7,500 32 1,257 1,613 450 '23,384 1,268 70,000 410 33,730 33 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ' – 4,7:15 6,599 1,4n 188,863 7,500 380,000 2,713 97,800 34 – – – – – – – – – – – – – 33,610 44,111 13,897 728,824 39,446 2,044,825 13,660 -65-5,'1-32 11,309 15,064 4,648 _801,942122,810 -7- 25,41 15 6,- 134 204,555 45,419 59,175 18,545 1,030,766 62,256 2,770,240 19,794 860,287 THE KINGDOM. so that he can do the most efficient work 1" -The lower lines of the two pages just preceding are well worth scanning -The same Journal has this item: closely, for at least in some measure "Last year we got a check of about they tell in summary what Christendom $2300 from one church, and shortly is doing for the spiritual weal of hea- after came a contribution from the same thendom. They sllow that more than church of one cent, which belonged to 11,000 ,men and women are preaching the former contribution. Who gave Christ in all the world. As co-laborers that one cent? God knows. It may they have not l~ss than 50,000 of their have been the largest gift in the Lord's converts, and among them are upward treasury for the year."
of 4000 native pastors. About $13,500,- -Quoth the Nashville 'Ohristian Ad- 000 were expended upon the work last 'IJOCate: "The Rev. Dr. Sutherland, of year. The blessed fruits of toil appear the Methodist Church in Canada, has in the more than 1,000,000 communi- reduced his own salary $500, and thus cants in the churches in the nearly 2,800,- relieves the Missionary Board, of which 000 who have forsaken their idols, and he is the General Secretary, of that in the 860,000 pupils to be found in the much expense per annum. Will any- schools. body follow'his example? Canada must -The full significance of the figures have a very high grade of Methodism composing these statistical tables cannot if Dr. Sutherland is a sample. To by any means be discerned without fre- which we make answer that all the offiquently .. reading between the lines." cers of our Board of Missions, in view For lack of space some weighty names of the prevailing financial distress, voldo not appear, and by their most abun- untarily cut their salaries at the rate of dant suecess other names fail to re- 20 per cent more than six months ago." ceive much of what is justly their due. Thus the English Wesleyans once had -This item is just as good for any a work among the Indians of Canada; island or continent under the sun. their many churches gathered in the Rev. H. A. Robertson, of Erromanga, West Indies are now independent; their writing regarding his work in Erromore than 80,OCO converts in South Af- manga, says: "To,day completes my rica are organized in a conference by two·and-twenty years here. During themselves, whUe Fiji, with as many all these years I have been the only more, is now a part of the great Aus- missionary on this island. But I am tralasian Conference. The London Mis· quite in error, for my dear wife has sionary Society, the English Baptists, also been a missionary here during all the American Board, etc., have "lost" those years; and if I have worked hard trophies by the ten thousand in & simi- and suffered a good deal and have beep larly blessed fashion. exposed to danger often, she has work- ed, harder, suffered more nnd has been exposed to quite as many dangers as I -Among recent articles well worth have been. Somehow churches, soci- reading are these two : "Concerning eties, etc., fall into the same grievous the Collection," by Rev. A. W. Patten, error of speaking of what this or that in the devotional column of the Epwortlt missionary has done, what he has suf- Herald, and " Salaries of the Missiona- fered and what his victories, while his des" in the Foreign Mission Journal wife, who left home and parents and (Southern Baptist). In the second arti- aU to aid her husband in the work of cle the idea is very pungently set forth the Church, and for the present and that "the question should never be, eternal well-being of the poor ignorant How cheap can a miSSionary live? but heathen, and has, it may be, had her How much will it take to support him once splendid constitution completely shattered by the constant strain and suf- there were only 15; but by the end of fering and toil and danger of years 1884 the number had risen to 160."
in a trying climate, where she has had There are now 407. .. In twenty years, no society except that of her husband, from 1873, the number of female teach- and has had to give up her children for ers in the same society increased from years, and yet one seldom hears one 375 to 892."
word about it. The missionary's wife -Shall women be commissioned to has the suffering and he gets all the glory." baptize 1 is a question very practical and very urgent in many parts of the -Thus are" Christians" instructed Orient, and especially where an entire to pray in South America, neglected sex is kept secluded In zenanas, abso- continent Indeed: •• In the name of the lutely beyond the reach of masculine Most Holy Virgin, give me aid, and she missionaries. Cases are continuallyoc- will bless you forever, " cries the wretch- curring where evidently penitence and ed beggar by the roadside. •• I will pray faith and love have entered the heart, the Holy Mother to succor you in time and there is a readiness to make a pub- of need and to give you a crown of life," lic confession by receiving this.rite, but says the poor sick woman to whose wWch only a woman can be allowed to child a coin i~ given. To the question, administer• .. What are you thinking of, Augustine 1" -MiBB Agnes G. Hill, of Toledo, 0., quick as a flash comes the answer from has recently gone to India as a missionthe bright-eyed little fellow : "In God ary, with headqua.ters at Madras. and and l'Iary, the Most Holy One." At to be the first foreign general secretary the close of selections in a book of tales of the Young Women's Christian Assofor children we read: "Put your faith ciation. alone in Ma1"'/1, the Holy Vir.qin, and Blle will 8ave yO'lt from your Bins. " -This good news appears in Woman's Work for Woman: .. The last of the -Dr. Paton states that during his re- large girls at Tabriz school, Persia, cent tours through Great Britain and came into the church April 1st. First America he was able to collect for vari- Chinese converts at Chiningchow, 0 of ous funds the snug sum of £25,433 them united with the church i 14 adults ($127,165). were baptized In June at Che Hom, two -Mention was recently made of a days north of Lakawn, Laos; 4 were missionary collection at a funeral, and added to the church at Tungchow, now a Teutonic toiler on the Pacific China, in June, and 10 at Curityba, Coast writes to the Congregational head. Brazil, at the midsummer communion."
quarters: "At e'l!61"'/1 celebration of mar- -Since 1887 the gifts of the women 'riage among our people a collection is of the Southern Baptist churches have taken for home mi8siom, and a number steadily increased from $17,000 until of times I have had the pleasure to for- they reached $45,129 last year, and the ward it." And the delighted secretary year before, under an Impulse from the adds: "We heartily congratulate our Carey centennial, shot upward to $62,- brother on his entirely original plan, 287.
and cherish the hope that weddings -The Congregational Woman's may be frequent in his parish… Board reports contributions in the East last year amounting to $95,558, WOMAN'S WORK. and in the interior to about $65,000, a -Rev. A. R. Buckland, in the Bun- total los8 from the year preceding of day Magazine, says: "The first unmar- nearly $10,000.
ried woman was sent out by the Church -The women of the United Breth- Missionary Society in 1820 i in 1888 ren Church raised ,14,753 last year for work in Atrica, China, and among the -The report of the Friends' mission- Chinese in America. ary work for 1893-94 came too late for use in the statistical tables. These are -According to the official report of the important features: Income, $44,- the Kaiserswerth Home, there are now 000 : ordained missionaries, 12; unor- no less than 68 Deaconess mother houses dained, 22; wives, 9; unmarried wom· in various countries, with 10,412 sisters en, 20; ordained natives, 10; unorand 4063 probationaries, laboring at dailled, 56; stations, 40; native Chris- 3641 localities. More than $2,000,000 tians, 910; schools, 22; scholars, 809. are annually spent in the prosecution of this labor of love. As yet Germany -Dr. Day, under date of October leads in the number of houses and of 15th, writes: "This morning we sent sisters, but there is no country of any to Monrovia 9000 pounds of coffee for importance on the globe where the shipment by the first steamer. We sent, cause is not represented. The mother by the Lweria 6000 pounds and by a houses with the largest contingent of German steamer, a few weeks ago, 10,- sisters are Kaiserwerth, 914 at 234 000; making, with the amount sent places ; Copenhagen, 202 at 88 places; down this morning, 25,000 pounds. Ac- Konigsberg, 403 at 173; Augsburg, cording to the price here, it ought to be with 138 at 54; Berlin, with 564 at worth in the United States not less than 156; Bern, 409 at 80; Bielefeld, 640 at twenty-five cents a pound, which will 249; Christiania, 334 at 83; Danzig, go a long way toward meeting the ex- 230 at 122; Darmstadt, 196 at 67 ; Dres- penses of the mission for this year."- den, 395 at 164; Flensberg, 130 at 50 ; Lutheran Mi8sionary Journal. Frankenstein, 179 at 105; Frankforton-the-Main, 103 at 41 ; Halle, 147 at -Says Dr. C.C. It-IeCabe, of the 54; Hanover, 281 at 117; Carlsruhe, Methodist Missionary Society: "Thir- 181 at 63; Kassel, 126 at 62; Krash- ty-five years ago we had one convert in nitz, 205 at 102; Neuendettelsau, 376 all our foreign fields; now we t.ave at 150; Stockholm, 189 at 89; Strass- 130,000, and they give $250,000 per anburg, 209 at 52; Stuttgart, 507 at 113 ; num for self-support." Zurich, 147 at 47. -Surely Bishop Thoburn occupies U:NITED STATES. no sinecure. For, after a busy canvass for funds in this country, extending -Eleven fresh-air funds in New over several months, he returned in No- York City, meant to minister to the vember to India and Malaysia to hold health and comfort of the poor during conferences, etc., and is expected to be the summer heats, expended in the ag- in the United States again in March or gregate $127,774 during 1894. April to secure at least $30,000 to save his work from disastrous retrenchment. -Hermann Warszawick, whose work Alas I that upon one man should be among the Hebrews of New York City thus laid a double burden. is well known, has severed his connection with that local movement in order -The Ohurcl.man, speaking only or to make an extended tour through the those who are connected with the Epis- United States and inaugurate efforts in copal missions, says: "The offerings in behalf of his brethren in all the large the mite boxes of the Indian women of centres of popUlation. South Dakota, during the past seven years, have averaged $200 a year, or a -The American Board Almanac for total of $1400. This is a remarkable 1895 is attractive to the eye, and its showing." nearly fifty pages are well packed with a great variety of missionary informa- -" The new Japanese Church erecte'l tion. by our mission in San Francisco, the first structure of the kind on this continent, was dedicated in December. It upon a little tea and the dried fish of has a large seating capacity, and cost, the natives. Bishop Bompas has juet with its school department, over $10,- published an interesting book, 'North- 000. It is furnished in Japanese style. ern Lights on the Bible.' So far away In the rear are rooms suitable for school is he that the first copy will not reach and institutional purpo~es. The Church him until July."-The Ohurchman.
Extension Society gave $5000 toward the edifice, and the Japanese have raised EUROPE. $3000 or more. Nearly $600 was raised on the day of the dedication."-Pacific Great Britain.-Canon Scott Robert- Ohri8tian Advocate. son has published his twenty-third an- nual summary of British contributions -Four years ago the American Mis· for foreign missions in 1893, from which sionary Association opened a school it appears that the amount is less than under the care of two young men, for any year during the last half decade. Messrs. Thornton and Lopp, at Cape His figures in brief are as follows: Prince of Wales, Alaska. The Eskimo were rude and degraded, without law Church of England pocietles ..•…….. £518,663 or government. But they came, young Joint societies of Churchmen and Nonand old, in such numbers that schools conformists ………….. . …….. . 211,510 Nonconformist societies in England had to be held three times a day. and Wales ……………………… 345,918 Three years afterward Mr. Lopp was Scotch and Irish Presbyterian societies. 208,999 allowed to take charge of the Govern- Roman Catholic societies ………•…• 8,167 ment reindeer station at Port Clarence, and Mr. Thornton was murdered in his Total……………………… £1,288,257 -Medical missi~ns are on the in- house. Mr. Lopp has now returned to crease. Tlte Gleaner states that out of the mission, has found the property all some 400 men studying in London Hos- safe, and has had a warm welcome from pital, 100 are members of the Missionary the natives. TIe expects to come home Association, and that 22 are definitely next summer, and a successor is sought intending to devote themselves to work for by the society. The call is for a in heathen lands.
minister and his wife, not beyond mid- -" A foreign missionary week whicq dle age, without children, willing to re- had 18 meetmgs, addressed by 13 differmain at the post for three years at least, ent missionaries, representing China, Inand content to endure hardness in a dia, Ceylon, Morocco, Lovedale, and the promising field of labor among an en- Congo, was held lately at the Wynd tirely destitute people. Church, Glasgow. The closing meet- -In Southeast Alaska the Presbyte- ing was a missionary consecration ser- rians occupy Haines, Hoonah, Juneau, vice, at which 81 persons publicly yield.
Sitka, Mangele, Klawack, and Jackson. ed themselves for foreign service. Over At these places are 5 organized churches 300 others pledged themselves to be among the nativeF, with from 500 to 600 helpers to foreign mission work, are native communicants. formed into a missionary parliament, -" A thousand miles up the Yukon and are to circulate among themselves River, in a section of country where no a dozen oC the leading missionary monthother religious body is doing any work, lies. "-Regions Beyond.
the missionary of St. James's has a par- -November 4th, 1794, under an im- ish of about 100,000 miles in extent. pulse received from a letter written by Naturally he looks upon a canoe jour- Carey, 8 clergymen in London met to ney of 900 miles as nothing for one trip. consult concerning a missionary organi- A diet of beans and flour seems to him zation. In due season the London Mis- luxurious, for the good Bishop Bompas, sionary Society was launched, and now, far to the north, depends on his journeys after a hundred years, it has 256 men and women in the field. 1734 native -Another party of 750 Jews from pastors, 125,000 in its schools, in its Bessarabia, Podolia, and Yekaterahos- churches almost 100,000 members, and lay recently left the city of Odessa for native Christians to the number of the Argentine Republic. Baron Hirsch's nearly 400,000. Jewish colony, to which this party is -The East London Institute is to bound, is proving successful. The open a home for the children of mis- wheat crop last year was valued at sionaries, where they may be lovingly $150,000. The baron hail already adcared for and educated during the years vanced upward of $2.000,000 for the when separation from their parents is settlement of this single colony, and necessary. hopes to have there within ten years 100,000 persons. Each company scnt . -The London Missionary Society has out numbers 50 families, to each of received $30 from half as many boys which is given a tract of land, that they of Rarotonga. They wrote with the are expected to seUle upon in villages. money, •• We want to help them because A rabbi and a doctor accompany each they have done so much for us. We band. all went and picked coffee on our holi- day afternoons, and dried and sold it, and so we got the money which we now ASIA.
give. We each give $2 with our love." Islam.-In the Ohurch at Home and AbroadJ.G. Wishard, of Teheran, writes -The United Presbyterians of Scot- thus of .. a needy province in Persia :" land are adding 7 helpers for their work " The population, outside of the cities, in Old Calabar, West Africa-2 of them is largely composed of rice and cotton missionary carpenters and 5 young planters, who depend upon the peasanwomen, 2 being zenana missionaries, try to do all their work in the fields. and 3 trained nurses.
The COl1tinent.-Upon the Prot- It is simply impossible to give any sort estants of France, whose numbers are of an accurate description of the condi- but few, and whose financial ability is tion of this great laboring class, more quite limited, is laid a responsibility than half of whom are women. It is peculiar both as to kind and degree. not an unususl thing for a planter to They are not left to seek fields for them- marry from BirIJ to a doun wifJe8 in the selves, but full-grown missions are spring to plant his rice for him, and in thrust upon them. And mainly on ac- the autumn, when the harvest is gath- count of the fashion the French Gov- ered, .to divorce them all. Most of ernment has of compelling the use of them, without any means of support, are the French tongue in all its colonies. turned out into the forest to beg, steal, Take Tahiti as an example. About and take up their abode wherever they tifty years ago a .. protectorate" was set can find shelter and food enough to up in that group, and presently the sustain life. And strange as it may London Missionary Society found it seem, with the coming of early spring impossible to remain, and so turned they find their way back to the man over a most 1l0urlshing work to the So- who so unfairly used them the previous ciete des Evangeliques. year, and are willing to enter again as -The Iglesia Espagru:ila" or Reformed members of his family. So these poor Church of Spain, arose in 1881. hcon- creatures, more like beasts than human, sisted of 15 congregations, with 3000 live on from year to year, in the winter members. Its founder is Cabrera, for- knowing nothing but hunger, cold, and merly a Roman priest, who entered the sin, and in the summer the hardest and service of the Presbyterian Evangeliza- most menial kind of toil, receiving in tion Society in 1868 as preacher in Se- return the curses and blows of a cruel ville, and afterward in Madrid. master." -The annual report of the American the Bible into classical Bengali. They College for Girls at Oonstantinople have asked and obtained the assistaDce shows that the number of students en. of representative men of the Christian.
rolled during 1894 was 173, di vided communities lest anything should ap- among 9 nationalities as follows: Ar- pear in the translation which should menian, 90; Bulgarian, 24; Greek, 23 ; make it antichristian in tone. The English, 21; American, 6; German, whole of Matthew's Gospel is now in 3; Israelite, 3; Turkish, 2; Swiss, 1. manuscript. Rev. Herbert Anderson, There were 96 boarders and 77 day who furnishes this intelligence, says: pupils. The college department num- .. It seems to me marvellous that this bered 50, and in the preparatory schools small band of broad·minded, educated.
there were 123. The class wWch grad- non-Ohristian Bengall gentlemen of this uated in the summer numbered 7. city should realize the benefit, and have -The London Jews' Society consid- the desire of giving the Bible to their ers Palestine a sphere of such great im- fellow·countrymen in the way they pro· portance that it devotes over £10,000 a pose."
year to the work there. -Miss Amanda M. Jefferson, of Pau· hala, India, writes: .. The work among India.-This is a picture from real life the leper women has been more encour- in Indore, Oentral India: "The grown aging of late. At first they seemed to people are employed in various ways. welcome my visits, then a change came, One woman is cleaning her cooking and they would not listen to my words.
utensils. This is done by rubbing My entrance among them was a signal earth on the vessel with the hand until for one little woman to flourish her the metal becomes bright. then rinsing handless arms and cry out, • We don't with cold water until all the sand is want,Your God I We don't want your gone, and turning the dishes, mouth Holy Spirit! We don't want your down, to dry in the sun. A second JesusOhrist I We have our own gods "
prepares spices for the curries. A flat But I kept on trusting and praying, stone lies on the ground; on tltis the and again a change has come. ' A little spices are placed, and with a second group of eager faces await the hour of stone in the hand of the operator a my arriving on Saturdays, and listen crushing or rolling process is carried on most attentively to the words about the until the desired result is obtained. sympatWzing Saviour."
Some of the others are making baskets, -The Free 0 hurch Monthly tells of and others again are preparing the rna· the recent baptism of 13 families conterial. They have no implements but sisting of 28 adults and 27 cWldren. of the rudest sort. A woman takes a bamboo pole in her hand, and with an -These figures show how much iron instrument resembling the broken money ie expended by 7 of the leading blade of a scythe she begins to split missionary societies upon the work of the wood. As soon as the end is free conquering India for Ohrist : she grasps it with her toes, and drawing Church Milsionary SOciety••••••.•••••. $479,145 the rod up with her hand she completes American Bapt18t.. . • .. . . •. • •.. ••.. •… 337,778 the separation, placing each piece thus Methodist Episcopal•.•••…•..••••••••• 265,950 taken off in a basin of water to render London Missionary Society…•..•..••.• 281,075 it flexible. A number of children are American Presbyterian .•••••••••••..•• , 152,5711 playing about, some in scanty garments English Baptist .•.•••••.••• …… •… 133,045 American Board …………………… 127,076 and some without any. " Total ……………………… $1,'/'26,687 -An interesting sign of the times is -The Bishop of Madras has issued a the fact that the Arjya Literary Society pastoral in which he forbids the prac· in Oalcutta are now engaged translating tice of adding titles of distinction to the names of persons whose banns of mar- School in New York :City. Later he riage are published in divine service. became a medical missionary among the He says the practice, at first sight, might tenement·houses on the East Side. In be regarded as innocent, but such dis- 1891 he sailed for his future field. On tinctions ought not to be countenanced the breaking out of the war between in anything which takes place in the China and Japan, Dr. Hall identified house of God. It is in accordance with himself with medical missionary work this principle that it has been ever the in the army. He was prominent on the practice in the Church of England not field of Ping.Yang, and it was donbt- to prefix the titles of " Mr." or" Mrs." less owing to his services and his hard- to the names of persons whose banns of ships there that he contracted the dis- marriage are published, or when re- ease from which he died.
questing the prayers of the Church. -" One important branch of mis- In India, where titles are often a rnst- sionary work is that of touring, and, ter of caste distinction, the subject as- like everything else, it has its bright sumes an importance which does not side and its dark side. One item of the belong to it in Western lands.-The dark side is the ceaseless pelting of the Ohurchman. words Fankuei (' foreign spook '). It· is common 'to render the phrase by China.-In the Review of Review8John 'foreign devil.' The word keui may Russell Young gives us this impressive mean devil, but the original meaning is incident from the life of Li Hung Chang rather' ghost' or • spook.' The appliconnected with the death of his mother, cation to foreigners is not intended to and when he emerged from the period stigmatize them as fiendish, but as not of mourning: "I had had an idea, based having the true human features, dress, upon the way in which sacrificial duo etc. Hence' spook' is the more accuties are performed at home, that the rate" term. Another thing is the consackcloth and ashes and physical priva. stant wrangling that one hears among tions were perfunctory or sentimental. the people. When wrangling their But when I met the Viceroy I saw the speech is constantly interlarded with signs of mourning. He looked like a the vilest language that human tongue starving beggar. He wore the coarsest can command." raiment. His beard and forehead had not been shaved, and his quene hnng -In the annual report of the Church down from a clotted mass of hair. Missionary Society's Hang-chow Medi- Lines of sorrow streaked his face, and cal Mission, Dr. D. Duncan Main gives his hands were grimy as if he had been an account of the progress of the work. lying in ashes ; and yet this was a no- During the year 12,074 new patients bleman, careful as to comeliness in per- passed through the dispensary. Outson and the niceties of raiment, rather patient work alone is not wholly satisdisposed to ostentation than otherwise. factory, but as a " feeder" to the hos- There was every evidence that this, the pital, where patients can be more carefirst man in the empire, had been as if fully looked after, it plays a very imhe were its meanest subject, down in portant part. Of the hospital work, the very dust, in privation and pen- Dr. Main says: "Many of the diseases ance, doing reverence to his mother's are so chronic, and so aggravated by memory as appointed by faith." native quacks, that even with the best -The decease of W. J. Hall, M.D., treatment we can do little to relieve at Seoul, Korea, from typhus fever, is them. As a rule, they come to us after announced. A native of Kingston, Ont., all other plans have failed. Idols, as- he studied at Queen's University, and trologers, fortune-tellers have been con- after graduation was a student at Dr. suIted; the wonderful virtues of tigers'
George D. Dowkontt's l'Iedical Mission bones, snakes' skins, and dragons' teeth have been tried; charms have been panied him into the interior, that she used to expel the evil spirit and pacify was pleased with the country, the eli.
the offended gods. and when they have mate, the people, the missionaries, and, spent all and are nothing better they even the dogs of Africa, enjoyed her come to us, hoping to be cured, many walk of five hundred miles from the of them 'right off.' Not a few are head of steamboat navigation, and had brought to us in the last stage of fatal not been sick a minute since her ar- sickness, and when we tell them that rival.
they cannot be cured their friends are -Christian King Khama and some most unwilling to carry them away. other members of his tribe have made a and often remain for hours on the com- present of 40 oxen, which will realize pound. pleading with us most earnestly some .£352, to the Phalapye Mission, to on their knees. and knocking their fore· aid in building the new mission-house heads on the ground, to save them. It there. His kindness and generosity have is hard to convince them that there is been further demonstrated by the cona limit to our power." struction of a road from the mission church to the stadt, and a stone fence ]apan.-It reads like a fairy tale, round the church itself. The work was what the Japan Mail of November 10th performed in one week by two of Khatells of the Red Cross Hospital at Tokyo, ma's regiments, under the Rev. W. C. tu which a company of wounded Chi- Willoughby's direction. nese soldiers were recently taken for healing. "It enjoys the reputation of being the best-equipped hospital in Asia. -Yes, Africa has a future. For The laboratories, the museums, the " 169,733 ounces of gold produced in operating theatres, the medical inspec- one month, valued at £584,311, or an tion rooms, the wards, all are supplied average of five tons of pure gold, valued with everything that science in the most at £4,611,732 sterling per annum; a advanced stage dictates. Bright, airy gold reef 45 miles long ; a town eight rooms, capital beds soft as to mattresses years old with a population of 40.000 and coverlets, excellent food, a spa· Europeans and 40,000 natives; a gath- cious garden for exercise, scrupulous ering of men devout and otherwise out cleanliness everywhere, uniform kind of every nation under heaven; a rail- treatment and nursing, a complete ab- way 1000 miles in length to Cape Town sence from toil and moil. It may safe· -such are some of the facts which have ly be said that they never fared so tended to make Johannesburg a place sumptuously before." No wonder the of world-wide interest." And the Wes- prisoners were dazed, and feared they leyans are helping to care for the spir- were being fattened for slaughter! itual interests of these thronging thou- -Life and Ligltt for December has sands. Thirteen preaching services are an article upon the Kyoto Training held regularly, and 2 open-air missions School for Nurses. which ranks high are sustained.
among the Christian institutions of -The Livingstonia Mission Commit- Japan, and gives a fine picture contain- tee has appoint('d 3 evangelists and ing the faces of teachers, pupils, etc. craftsmen to labor on Lake Nyassa. Seven graduated last June, and 11 be- One of them, Mr. Malcolm Moffat, long to the present se)lior class. Ten grandson of the famous missionary, has offered themselves as nurses to care for given up a lucrative colonial appointwounded soldiers. ment for missionary work, and has now AFRICA. received the appointment of agricultur- ist for the new institution on the north- -It is said of Dr. Jennie Taylor, the west of the.. lake. Numerous plants bishop's niece, who recently aecom- have been granted by the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, London, to be accli- sions, quotes also from a leading article matized. in the North BritW. IJaily Mail, head- -Mr. Johnston, t1ae British commis- ed "The French Colonial Fever." sioner, gives some interesting particu- The Mail says: lars regarding Nyassaland. He says it is mountainous, 75 per cent of the coun- " It we were disposed for recrimina· try being 3500 feet above the level of tion we could easily plead colonial the sea. The nati ve population is about grievances of our own against France 3,000,000. In 1891 the Europeans num- in respect of Newfoundland, of Madabered only 57, with 1 trader and 8 gascar, of Siam, and of any or every steamers. Now there are 14 traders, 14 portion of Africa where the French steamers, and over 100 boats. About have sought to divert our trade or cut the same time the value of the trade oft the hinterland from our settlements, was £20,000 a year; now it Is over and these grievances would be consid· £100,000. During the same period the erably more substantial than the vague number of acres under cultivation dog-in-the-manger·like jealousy which (mainly for coffee) has risen from 1250 is now finding expression among a cer· to 7300. At the earlier date there were tain school of French politicians. But 4 missionaries ; now there are 7. There it is best to leave thl',se matters to be setare 3 newspapers, but no hotels. tled by diplomacy. It is neither digni. fied nor useful to squabble in public -Writing from Unangu, Mr. Joseph over the assumed' rights' which Euro· Williams says: "Funerals are very pean powers have been pleased to ap· lively affairs here among the natives. propriate in Africa. After all, there The procession to the grave hi generally should be honor among thieves, and we headed by a man bearing a white or a are all thieves in the Dark Continent."
red flag, who runs along before the -The dialects of the Malagasy have body. Then comes a woman with a been differentiated, Bays a recent writ· basket of flowers, to be laid on the er, by the custom of extending the grave after the interment. A large " tabu" to words. It is unlawful, for number of people usually follow the example, to use in common speech any body to the grave, which is always dug syllable that occurs in the name of a after the corpse has reached the spnt chief. The prohibition is the same as chosen for its resting-place. A drum if the British under Queen Victoria is beaten on the way, and people sing were obliged to abandon such words as and dance, and sometimes the body victory, victim, convict.
itself is pushed along at a rollicking -The Presbyterian, of London, repace. When the grave is dug, and the ports that in New Zealand, owing to requisite depth has been reached, a the adoption of female franchise, the place is dug in the side of the grave in fiery e:l!i8tence of the liquor trade is threatwhich to place the body; sticks are ened in that colony. placed across, and then the earth is thrown in. The divfning rod is nearly -The immigration from India to Fiji always consulted after every death, and is increa8in~ so fast as to jeopardize the somebody accused of having caused it, Christian character of the islands_ The who is made to pay damages to the coolies are engaged upon the sugar relatives. Even after the death of a plantations and refineries. As these cow or a goat they sometimes consult Hindu laborers are heathens, and bring the diviner." with them their own priests, the native church is threatened with grave peril. ISLANDS OF THE SEA. The brighter side of this question is -The MadagasCM N6'UJ8, which vigor- found in the hope that Christian Fiji ously represents British interests in that may liave a reflex influence on heathen great island as against French preten· India.
The Missionary Review of the World — February 1892
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING cmNA FOR CHRIST
MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XV. No. 2.-0ld Serics.–FEBRUARY.–VoL. V. No.2.-New Serie&.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING CHINA FOB. CHRIST.
BY REV. JOHN R. HYKES, KIUKIANG, CHINA.
1. China is to-day the great mission field of the world• .Whether we consider the extent and resources of her territory, the number of her population, her antiquity, or the character and possibilities of her people, she is unquestionably the greatest and most important field for misl!ionary operations on the planet.
1. Size.-In the Chinese Empire we have one of the largest domains ever swayed by a single power in any age or any part of the world. Ac- cording to the most careful estimate it comprises a continuous area of more than five and a quarter million square miles. It is one half larger than the United States with Alaska thrown in. It forms one third of the entire Continent of Asia-one tenth of the habitable globe. In extent it is equal to a Europe and a half. Next to Russia it is the largest empire that has ever existed.
2. Resources.-In this vast territory the greatest mineral and metallic wealth of the world is stored, and it is practically untouched.' Gold and silver are abundant; the diamond, ruby, sapphire, topaz, garnet, agate, and other precious stones are known and used ; tin, zinc, lead, nickel, and all the common metals exist in vast stores. Coal and copper are found in every province, and it would scarcely be an exaggeration to say that there is enough coal in China to supply the world for the next twenty centuries. In the Central Provinces men dig a shaft a hundred feet deep, carry the coal up the incline in baskets strapped to their backs-fifty and sixty pounds at a time-and call the proces!! mining ! Water is baled out by buckets handed from one. level to another, or it is pumped to the surface by a series of rude bamboo pumps, and when these primitive methods fail . to keep the mine from becoming flooded, it is abandoned and a new shaft sunk. Yet so abundant is the supply that immense quantities of coal are mined in this rude and laborious way.
The agricultural wealth of China is proverbial. In many parts of Far Cathay it is only necessary to " tickle the soil with a hoe and it willlaug-h ~ 11l~rve(j~." The great plaill~ 1l/l <jqltivated like gardl:qs (indeed1 th; Chinese are rather gardeners than farmers), hills are terraced to their summits, and in the Central and Southern Provinces the soil will produce three crops a year. In many parts of the Empire one acre of land is sufficient to support a family, and the happy possessor of five acres is in affluent circumstances. Judged by her resources, China is pre-eminently a great country.
3. Population.-The population of China is, beyond all question, enormous, " constituting by far the greatest assemblage of human beings, using one speech, ever congregated under one monarch." According to the lowest estimate the population of China is one fourth of the human race, six times as many people as there are in the entire United States- 350,000,000 souls, men with moral accountability, intellectual activity, and immortal destiny. It is a number inconceivable in its vastness, so great that it staggers the imagination. Think of it Christian men and women!
4. Antiquity.-China is unique in her antiquity. Her authentic history dates back more than 4000 years-303 years subsequent to the deluge, 47 years before the death of Noah. If you were to undertake to write the history of China you would have to take the tenth chapter of Genesis for thc first chapter of your history of the wonderful sons of Ham. It is a nation hoary with antiquity and marvellous in its preservation. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, all the great nations of antiquity, arose, flourished, entered the charnel-house of departed empires and there mouldered into almost utter forgetfulness, and China alone remains of them all; and from present indications she is destined to go on down through the centuries. Why this marvellous preservation?
II. The greatest problem before the Church of Christ to-day is the conversion of China. . It is an extremely difficult task. No one who has lived and worked among the Chinese would minimize it; and yet there are some people who would have us believe that the evangelization of the Chinese is an unnecessary and presumptuous task. They say: " The Chinese are good enough ;" "They are vastly superior in civilization and morality to many other heathen nations;" "Let them alone. Keep your meddlesome and fanatical missionaries at home and give them work among the slums of New York;" "They are perhaps better off in their beliefs than we are in ours. ' , Let us see.
1. Moral conditiQn.-What is the moral condition of the Chinese people q It is most accurately described by St. Paul in that wonderful first chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. That terrible description of human depravity is no libel upon human nature. The black picture is not overdrawn. It is true to the life. Heathen character is no better to-day than it was in the time of St. Paul. It is worse, for there is no such things as stand-still in vice. In the mission with which I am connected, it was necessary a few years ago to tear down one of the mission houses, and it was erected on a different site at an additional expense, because the occupants could look down upon the Chinese courtyards below, and seo enacted before their very eyes some of the vilest crimes enumerated in tho first chapter of Romans. Dr. S. Wells Williams says: "They are vile and polluted in a shocking degree; their conversation is full of filthy expressions, and their lives of impure acts. By pictures, songs, and aphrodisiacs they excite their sensuality, and, as the apostle says, e receive in themselves that recompense of their error which is meet.'
Female infanticide, in some parts openly confessed, and divested of all disgrace and penalties everywhere; the dreadful prevalence of all the vices charged by the Apostle Paul upon the a:ncient heathen world; the alarming extent of the use of opium ; the universal practice of lying and dishonest dealings; the unblushing lewdness of old and young; harsh cruelty toward prisoners by officers, and tyranny over slaves by masters-all form a full, unchecked torrent of human depravity, and prove the existence of a kind and degree of moral degradation, of which an excessive statement can scarcely be made, or an adequate conception hardly be formed."
And yet. there are people who say the Chinese do not need Christianity!
2. What have existing religions done for them ?-There are in China throe sects or systems of belief which have moulded the religious faith of the Empire. They are Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
(1) CONFUCIANIsM.-Confucianism, or the Church of the Learned, is the State religion of China. It takes its name from the great eage, but it dates away back to the early dawn of Chinese history. Confucius was, as he himself says, merely a reviver of the usages of the ancient kings, a transmitter of the doctrines of the ancient sages. He was a 1·eviver and transmitter-an editor rather than an author. Confucianism cannot prop- erly be termed a religion (indeed, there is no generic word fol' religion in . the Chinese language), ·but it is rather a system of ethics and political economy. An eminent authority says: "The State religion can no more be called the religion of the Chinese than the teachings of Socrates could be termed the faith of the Greeks." It is silent on the great questions of human origin and human destiny, and it teaches nothing of the relation of man to a higher Power. "I know not life, how can I know death! " was the unsatisfactory answer the sage gave to the disciple who ventured to ask about death; and when asked in his last illness to whom he would 8acrifice, he said he had already worshipped.
Ancestral worship is the keystone of the Confucian arch. This is a most ancient cult, dating back at least to the time of Shun (B.C. 2250), and the sages are responsible for perpetuating it. One writer say!!!, they " have bound upon the millions of China a most degrading slavery-the slavery of the living to the dead." The worship of ancestors is the stronghold of Confucianism. This is the real religion of the Chinese j and the hardest thing for a convert to Christianity to give up is his ancestral tablet. These little boards, containing the legend of the two ancestors, of which there are perhaps seventy millions in the Empire, are" more potent for evil than all the idols in the land."
Confucianism contains many beautiful sentiments, as: "O,'erflow with love to all;" "Do not do unto others what you would not have others do unto you j" "I love life and I love righteousnet!s, but I love righteousness more than life j" it is a splendid system of ethics, but it contains no hope, for ordinary mortals either in life or in death. It has been a conserving intellectual force, it has inculcated and enforced filial piety, it has kept alive a belief in the futllte life, it has exerted an immense influence for good, yet after forty centuries of trial it has failed to elevate thtl nation morally and spiritually.
(2) BUDDHISM.-Buddhism was introduced from India about the year A.D. 67. According to the Chinese historians the Emperor Ming Ti, in consequence of a dream in which he beheld " an image of gigantic proportions, resplendent as gold, " sent an embassy to the West which returned with teachers of the Indian faith. The remarkable saying of Confucius, "The people of the West have sages (or a sage)," doubtless influenced the emperor's vision j and it would be interesting to know just how far it wat! excited by tidings of the advent and death of Jesus Christ.
No religion could have been propagated in any country under more favorable circumstances than the new faith in China. Introduced under imperial patronage, supplying a felt want upon the part of the people in its tenets respecting a future state and the nature of the gods, it gradually worked its way into popular favor. Emperors became the patrons of the new faith, and more than one occupant of the Dragon Throne entered the monastic order. One emperor gave nearly 4000 ounces of gold to have the sacred hooks transcribed in characters of that precious metal; another contributed 300 tons of copper to be cast into images, and only 200 years ago the renowned Kang-hsi gave the yellow porcelain tiles which cover the temples on the sacred island of Pootoo. And yet after more than 1800 years of trial, under circumstances most favorable, Buddhism has failed to elevate the Chinese to a higher life aud nobler purpose.
(3) TAOIsM.-Taoism, or the sect of the Rationalists, is a native faith dating back to the sixth century before the Christian era. It is not a religion. The philosopher Laotsz had no intention of founding a religion. It is a school of philosophy, an abstruse system of metaphysics, but it has few, if any, of the essential elements of a religious faith. The ancient Taoists were alchemists. They" sought to transmute the baser metals into gold," and professed to have diRcoyered the philosopher's stone. They discourse wisely upon the" Pill of Immortality"-a " golden elixir" which confers immortality and insures a place among the genii. The priests of to-day pander to and traffic in the superstitions of the people. They live upon the credulity of their fellow-men. A large part of their businQsll it:l tQ lU!'tlufa«tul'e and. lIell «barms to w(lrq ott all 50rts of m!1!die5 and evil influences. Some years ago there was in Southern China w:hat is known as the "Queue-Cutting Mania." Men in the fields, boys on the streets had their queues cut off, but how or by whom none could tell. Cattle pasturing in the fields lost their tails, fowls had their tail and wing- feathers mysteriously clipped. There was intense excitement throughout the Empire. In the city of Kiukiang, where I was living, two men were beheaded on a charge of cutting off queues by magic !
The priests of Tao rose to the occasion and devised a charm, which, braided in the queue, would protect that ornamental appendage from the "magic scissors" which were flying through the air. It was a great harvest for them. The head of the Taoist religion-the Pope of Tao- the" Heavenly Teacher" Chang, whom I once saw in his palace at the Dragon and Tiger Mountain, is the great wizard of China, and his charms are eagerly sought by the people. Taoism is a failure as a religion. There i~ nothing in it to comfort or elevate mankind, and the Chinese are no better for its twenty centuries' influence upon them. What China needs above everything else is the religion of Jesus Christ. It is her only hope.
There are persons who would have us believe that the conversion of China is an impossible task-that missions are a failure and should be abandoned. They argue very wisely that Christianity is not adapted to the Chinese mind, that there is something peculiar in the Mongolian ca~t of mind (the result, possibly, of his environment for the past forty centuries) which makes it utterly impossible for the religion of Jesus Christ to reach him. "The Chinaman," they affirm, " cannot be converted." If this is true the Church should know it j common honesty would demand that the missionaries admit it. If we are engaged in a hopeless warfare in the Chinese Empire the' sooner the Church recalls its forces from the field the better.
Let us look at the sources of information. These are, first, "Globetrotters;" second, naval men on the Asiatic Station.
We see two classes of travellers in the East. One, and, unhappily, much the larger class, go around the world to " see the sights" and have a good time generally. They do not stop long enough in any country to form an intelligent opinion of the people or their customs. They get their information from boon companions on the steamers and at the ports, who do not Rpeak the language of the people, have little sympathy with anything that is good, and who consequently are always ready to decry missionary work. They see nothing of missionary work for themselves. They get their information at second-hand from persons who evolve it from their own inner consciousness, and then they set themselves up a8 authorities in everything pertaining to the Chinese and pose as critics of missions! I mt't a specimen of this class when I was returning to China eleven years ago. In the same car in which we were crossing the continent we had as tra~'elling companion an elderly and intelligent man, Judge – – , several young ladies, evidently in his charge, and a youth who entertained the company with marvellous accounts of a recent trip to China. He told them all that he had seen in the far East, and, for their entertainment, a great many more things which he had not seen. After a while the judge asked him about Christian missions. Bc went glibly over the stock criticisms of missionaries, and pronounced them first-class frauds and their work an utter and hopeless failure. The judge said very emphatically: "I have been an ardent admirer of foreign missions. I have always given liberally to their support, but I have given the last cent I shall ever contribute to this cause." The next morning the judge, the youth, and myself met in the smoking-room. I told him how happy I was to meet a man who had been in China, and asked him in what part of China he had been. " Hong- Kong," he replied. "How long?" "Six weeks." "Did you visit Canton ~" " No." "Did you call at Shanghai?" " No." "Are you acquainted with any of the missionaries in Hong-Kong?" " No." " Did you see anything of the work of the Basel Mission in that place ?" " No." "Heard nothing of their schools and orphanages?" " No." " Ever been to a chapel~" "No." "Ever seen the outside of a missionary's house~" "No." "Well, you are a fine fellow to set yourself up as a critic of missions. You have never been to China at all, only to the Briti!lh colony of Hong-Kong, have never seen a missionary, a missionary's home or chapel, and yet you pose as an authority on Chinese mISSIons. You ought to be ashamed of yourself." And to his credit, I think he was j for the young ladies could not get him to say a single word about China from that time until we reached San Francisco. These are the men who know all about missions.
The other class of travellers is interested in everything that is good. They take nothing at second-hand which they can possibly get direct. They visit the missionaries in their homes, attend services in their ch3pels, and visit their schools and hospitals. A part of their business is to study this great problem of missions. It is a suggestive fact that these persons who know about missions from personal observation and. study are their most enthusiastic supporters. I met a man at Northfield last summer, who some years ago visited most of the mission fields of the world. He spent several days at Kiukiang, where I was then laboring. He was all on fire with enthusiasm for missions. He told me that since their return from abroad he had made missionary addresses in 1100 churches and his wife in 1500. Whose testimony is to be received?
It is a very unpleasant and delicate task to refer to the other critics of missions-viz., the naval men. I would be sorry indeed to think that they are all Lieutenant Woods or Captain Marthons. No man is more highly respected by the missionary body in China than Commander Barker of thll United States steamship Marion. He studied missions in every port he visited and wrote to the home papers commending the work. It is, however, an exception for an officer from a man-of-war to visit a mission chapel. Not long since the~e was a letter published from Captain Marthon, of the United States steamship Palos, in which he says that he has yet to see the first Chinese Christian. This letter was written from the city where I labored for eighteen years, and immediately after the Palos returned to Kiukiang with the victims of the Wusueh massacre. The writer must have known that the three children of the Wesleyan Mission at that place were rescued from the burning mission house, in the face of an infuriated mob, by native Christians, at the risk of their lives; that one of them when pressing through the mob with the four-months'-old infant of my friend Mr. Boden, and finding that he could not possibly save its life, tossed it over the heads of the rioters to a native Christian woman, who two hours later restored it to its mother. No Christians in China! There were Christian heroes all around, but he was too blind or too prejudiced to see. The Chinese can be converted, and a man must be incapable of finding anything if he cannot find Christians in China.
It is a common, flippant remark that more die in China every year than are converted in a century. This is not true; although it is not always easy to answer the sneers of the godless, who too often" salt their wit in the brine of our tearA." The work goes on; and it will go on, until" the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and His Christ. "
III. The conversion of China is unquestionably the most important work of the Church in this age.
This iA not so much on account of the greatness of the country and the vastness of the population as on account of the future of the Mongoliall. race. The" Chinese Question" is destined to become one of the difficult problems for this or the next generation to solve. He has emigrated to all contiguous countri~s, Japau, Siam, the Straits; he has crossed over to Canada, Mexico, the West Indies; he has settled in the Sandwich Islands, Australia, and the United States, and from present indications he is destined to overrun the world.
He is creating a general feeling of uneasiness wherever he has gone j and that not so much on account of his bad qualities as his good. Many of the objections urged again~t the Chinaman in this Christian, libertyloving country and the last decade of this marvellous nineteenth century, are trifling and childish in the extreme. The truth of the matter is, the Mongolian has by his patient industry, temperate habits, and careful economy become a successful competitor of the intemperate, extravagant, and too often vicious laborers from other lands.
John Chinaman has become the agony of colonial and American statesmen. The Australians are more anxious to get rid of him than of their pestifer~us rabhits. The United States feel that the safety and perpetuity of this Great Republip. and its magnificent institutions depend upon the exclusion of the Mongolian ! We can assimilate anything else-the Italians, Hungarians, Catholic Irish-but somehow we can't quite digest the Chinaman; and so we pass iniquitous Exclusion acts which wili put our children and grandchildren to the blush. They are a disgrace to the 'honor of our country, blots upon our national escutcheon, relics of barbarism only fit to be classed in the same category with burning witches in New England. The quicker they are repealed the better.
John is irrepressible; he is like Banquo's ghost, he won't down. Why 1 1. God has some great destiny for the Chinese race. 'I'hey have not been preserved so marvellously as a nation 4000 years for nothing. God does not work in that way. There is no waste of force or material in God's economy j and so the preservation of the Chinese down through the ages has been a conservation of a mighty force to be used by God in the consummation of His plans for the race. Neither is it for nothing that beneath the broad domain of China the mineral wealth of the world is stored.
2. The Chinese are capable of great things. They are slow, solid, aggressive, a people that will abide. They are patient, economical, filial, aDd they are pre-eminently a determined people. Some years ago China was devastated by a terrible rebellion. The southern half of the Empire was wrested from the Imperial sway and in the hands of the Taipings. The Mohammedans in the Northwest took advantage of this state of affairs and rebelled. "Aided by the reckless and seditious of all clans they drove out the governmental minions" and China lost Turkestan. At the same time Russia seized Kuldja. In a moment of weakness the Czar promised China that he would restore Kuldja as soon as China should reassert her authority in those regions and reconquer Turkestan. The attempt to restore prestige in a territory where every hand was turned against her seemed indeed hopeless. Her resources were exhausted, treasury aepleted, foreigners were within her gates, the distance to be traversed was immense, and no one dreamed she conld succeed. The Emperor sent for Tso Tsung Tang, one of his ablest generals, and asked him if he could reconquer Turkestan. Tso replied that he could. " But," said the Emperor, "have you considered that your operations will be so far removed from your base that the mules will eat up all the provision!! before they reach your army ~ Have you thought of that~" "I have," answered the redoubtable warrior, " and I have my remedy. We will push forward as far as we can as soldiers, and when our supplies are becoming exhausted we will squat as farmers and till the ground as many years as are necessary to raise supplies. We will repeat the operation as many times as are necessary, and Turkestan will be restored to your Majesty's sway." And they did it! I have intense admiration for such dogged, persistent determination -a determination to succeed in a well-nigh impossible undertaking if it took five years or fifty years for its accomplishment. Dr. S. Wells Williams says: "The history of the advance of this' agricultural army' would, if thoroughly known, constitute one of the most remarkable military achievements in the annals of any modern country." 3. They are a "brainy" race. There is no question that the Chinese are the most intellectual of all the Asiatics. They are the bankers and the wholesale merchants of the East. Some twelve years ago when General Grant returned from his tour of the world, he said that in his travels he had met three great men, three men who towered head and shoulders above all others, "with whom there were none to compare." One of the pre- eminently great men was Gladstone, England's great statesman; another was Germany's great warrior, Bismarck; and the third of these incompar- ably great men was Li Hung Chang, Viceroy of Chili and Prime Minister of China. A Ohinaman! There is to-day no man better versed in state- craft, there is no more shr~wd diplomat than Li Hung Chang.
4. The Chinese are a nation of students. In what other country in the world will you find 25,000 students competing in one examination-hall for literary honors ~ Last month iu the city of Nanking there were between 29,000 and 30,000 students attendiug the triennial examinations. Men will attend the examinations year after year until they are bowed and decrepit with age in the hope of obtaining the coveted prize. It is not an unusual thing for men of seventy-five and eighty years to be found at the;r place in the hall. So anxious are they to obtain an education, that a man who is too poor to buy oil will steal his neighbor's light through a knot- hole in order that he may study.
Is there no destiny for such a people ~ 5. China is arousing herself. Some people have an idea that China is dead. She is not dead, or if she is, I;he is a very lively corpse. She is not asleep, she is shaking off the lethargy of the centuries and arousing herself as a mighty giant for a coming struggle. She has a magnificent fleet of merchant steamers, large dockyards, arsenals, and a complete net- . work of telegraphs over the entire Empire. She has, it is true, but a few hundred miles of railroads, but railroads are coming and they will be built with native material and Chinese labor. 6. China is destined to become one of the great factors in the .future development of the world. I do not agree with Lord W olseley that she . is to become the great military power of the future, conquering Russia and India, and crossing swords with England and the United States. This seems to me extravagant; but if Genghis Khan in the beginning of the thirteenth century swept with his Mongol horde from the mouth of the Amoor to the sources of the Danube, what might not an awakened, civil- ized China do with a possible forty millions of soldiers ~ For the above reasons I repeat: The evangelization of China is the most important work of the Church of Christ in this age. Christianizing China is the only solution of the" Chinese Question." Exclusion Acts will not do it. This great problem is thrusting itself upon us. What are we going to do about it ~ We cannot ignore it-we dare not if we could. We cannot keep them out. We close the front door, but the back door is wide open, and it would take a much larger army than we have to efficiently guard it. Besides, the" Son of Heaven's" claim to universlll empire is a factor which has not been sufficiently con- sidered. The time will come when the Chinese will try to make it good.
Self-preservation demands the evangelization of the Chinese. China is destined to become either a conservator or a menace to Christendom. Which it shall be depends largely upon the missionary effort of this century. When the time comes, as it inevitably will, when an outlet must be found for the swarming millions of this land, and when they may try to make good their claim to universal empire, it will be well for us if she is a Christian land.
IV. Reasons for hopefulness. I see strong reasons for belieVing in the speedy evangelization of the land of Sinim. 1. The opening of the country. Only a little more than 300 years ago Francis Xavier, the noted Catholic missionary, stood bp.fore the walls of the Middle Kingdom vainly seeking admittance. It seemed to the devoted Jesuit that it was surrounded by a wall of exclusion as high as heaven and as hard as adamant, and he called out in the agony of his soul, " 0 rock, rock 1 when wilt thou open to my Master I" Humanly speaking, there was little prospect of ever penetrating this wall of exclusion, yet three centuries has seen it broken down, removed, entirely swept away. The mi!l8ionary to-day has access to the entire eighteen provinces of the Empire. 2. There is better feeling upon the part of the people. I make this statement with a full knowledge of the recent disturbances in China. Were there not better feeling there would have been fifty Tientsin massacres since last May. The!e troubles in China have been greatly misunderstood in this country. They are not "Anti-Missionary" riots, but an insurrectionary movement upon the part of :it treasonable secret society. The Emperor's edict is an inspiration to all who believe in the providential ordering of events. It is a distinct recognition of Christianity, and assures protection to missionaries and native converts. 3. Increased wiIlingness to hear the Gospel. There has been a notable change in this respect in recent years. There is no trouble to get large, . attentive audiences to listen to the preaching of the Gospel. 4. Success.-Twenty-five years ago there were less than 500 converts in the whole Empire. Thirteen years ago there were 13,000 communicants; now there are 40,000. In 1878, 13,000 native Christians contributed $9000 to the support of the Gospel. Last year the 40,000 converts gave $40,000 ; and the beginning of modern missions dates from the opening of the country in 1860. Besides, it must be remembered that success in missions cannot be computed by arithmetic. You cannot count heads and say this represents the results of missionary enterprise. There is an unknown quantity to be taken into consideration. You cannot measure in a table of statistics the breaking down of prejudice, the removing of
A MEMORABLE MORAVIAN ANNtV'ERSARY
opposition, the dissemination of Christian truth. In 18'15 another missionary and myself were mobbed in a certain district, barely escaping with our lives. There was no more turbulent district in all China. In 1889 I travelled through the same country with my wife and children, and did not hear a single disrespectful word in a ten-days' journey. Can such a change be measured by statistics ~ 5. A remarkable door has been opened to the dominant class. A few years ago the Emperor introduced Western science into the competitive examinations. The result is an increasing demand for this knowledge which can only be got in mission schools. It has been sneeringly said, "Mi8sionaries only get the scum." They generally get just about what they fish for; and if in future they only get the scum in China it will be their own fault.
6. Increasing momentum of truth. Truth, eternal, irresistible, unconquerable truth, is moving forward with increasing momentum in these laLter days of the nineteenth century. The Lord may seem slow in the accomplishment of His purposes, but He is not slow as some men count slackness. He will make short work in these last days.
I see no reason why China may not be CODverted in the next fifty years, if the Church awakens to a full sense of her duty and responsibility. We are on the verge of a mighty outpouring of God's Spirit upon the Land of Sinim. Why does it not come ~ Because we have not prayed for China as we ought. The great need of China is not more men, or llJore money, but united, earnest, agonizing praytlr for a copious outpouring of God's Spirit. Oh that Christian men and women would agonize in prayer for the salvation of this the greatest of all heathen nations!
A MEMORABLE MORAVIAN ANNIVERSARY.
BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
The Unitas Fratrum, the Moravian Brotherhood, may well provoke to emulation all other bodies of Christian disciples, for their consecrated zeal in the work of missions.
The whole Church is a missionary body. No board, society, or committee shoulders the responsibility and monopolizes the privilege of procuring laborers and providing for them. The entire Brotherhood is engaged in the work, and there is no thought of doing it by proxy. The Mastership of Christ is a practical article of their creed, and the last command and commission of the Master is not forgotten by the disciple. Rev. Archibald J. Brown, of London, tells how his daughter was led to give her life to Inland China. She said: "I have long known Jesus as my Redeemer and Friend, but when I fell down before Him and acknowledged Him as my Jfaster, Ho said to me, 'Am I then your, Master ~ Then go thou to China.''' Thll Moravians regard as impertinent &nd irrelevant such questions as these: Do foreign missions pay 1 Are they expedient 1 Will they be successful ~ for the Master has left His marching orders, and that settles all controversy. .
Obedience to this Master is the principle of the whole body of the United Brethren, prompt and implicit compliance with His will as expressed in the voice of His Word and the vote of His Church. Count Zinzendorf said to a Moravian believer, "Will you go to Greenland~" "Yes." " When 1" "To-morrow I" What readiness to obey, what immediate obedience to the heavenly vision! And think of a whole Church trained from infancy to this sense of individual duty and promptnpss of obedience!
The "regions beyond" represent the preferred sphere of Moravian mISSIOns. Not where Christ has been named, not building on another man's foundation; but they would help fulfil that prophecy, .. To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see: And they that have not heard shall understand."
Mary Lyon used to say to her pupil-daughters, " If you would heroically serve Christ and humanity, seek not easy fields of labor, but go where no one else will go I" And just that the United Brethren do. No field so far off, so difficult, so inaccessible, so walled in with adamant, so shut in with gates of steel; no people so repulsive and so hostile or oruel, that to that field and people their missionaries will not go. It may be the stupid, stolid Esquimaux, the slaves of the West Indies, the blear-eyed cretins of the Alps, the disgusting lepers of Africa, the cannibals of the South Seas -but anywhere and everywhere they rejoice to go and plant the cross. And the fact of greater distance, degradation, destitution, depravity, constitutes with them only a mightier appeal and argument for going where the neglect iR apt to be the greater because of such repellent features. They have learned that it is not charity, but selfishness, that" begins at home," and stays there; and, like Redslob and Marx who, during the past year, passed from Leh, the mountain outpost of Little Thibet, up to their glorious reward, the most self-sacrificing post of duty is the sentinelbox for this vanguard of the Church's army!
This noble Unitas Fratrum cultivate heroism. We have often feared that in these days the heroic spirit is fast being eliminated from modern mISSIonS. One argument often urged upon young people for devoting themselves to the foreign field is, that they will find little self-denial in such a course, since in most countries the highest civilization has found its way, and thej will find the comforts and conveniences and even luxuries of their homes still available. To our mind this is the worst sort of appeal -it is addressed to se1fishness, and leaves out the very heroi!.lm of sacrifice. A people that, in their very Litany, insert the petition, " From the unhappy desire of becoming great, good Lord deliver us I" is not very likely to court worldly comforts, honors, dignities and indulgences. And where the law and even love of self-abnegation for Christ are at the bottom of all missionary endeavor, we may well feel no surprise to find that b,y far the largest proportion of laborers in proportion to their numbers, and by far the largest average of gifts in proportion to their means, this little Moravian Church offers to the Lord's work. It is from Benjamin that the leader comes who stands above all the rest from his shoulders upward.
The Moravian Church is not only least among the tribes, but poorest. Yet out of their poverty have abounded the riches of their liberality. They put to shame the richer bodies of disciples and tempt us to t>elieve that riches bring the Laodicean spirit with them. and are a curse instead of a blessing, judged by their fruits in church life. Certainly the United Brethren are a standing testimony that small numbers and little money cannot prevent consuming zeal for missions and burning passion for souls, when in all the work the chosen formula and motto is "IN THE NAME OF JESUS. AMEN."
This paper was begun, however, with a purpose of glVlng som'.l brief account of the Third Jubilee of the Society for the Furtherance of the Gospe'! among the Heathen, which anniversary was lleld in the Moravian chapel, Fetter Lane, London, on Thursday, November 19th, 1891, at 6.30 P.M.
At this One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary it was the privilege of the editor-in-chief of this REVIEW to be present and deliver an address. The place was interesting, an oid-fashioned oblong building, hidden behind other structures, and approached through a long hallway-a building perhaps forty by sixty feet, with heavy, stately galleries, and plain board pews, and a high semicircular pulpit of evident antiquity, where Wesley and Baxter and Bradford have more than once preached the old Gospel.
The programme was interesting, announcing that "The Brethren's Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel was founded in 1741, with a view to entertain and assist Moravian missionaries passing through London to their various mission fields. It was reorganized in 1768 in order to establish the mission in Labrador. By God's goodness in protecting the ships used in this service, and in blessing the trade carried on with the natives to help iu supporting this mission, it has almost entirely been maintained by S. F. G. to the present day. The Society also endeavors to spread missionary information by publishing the quarterly' Periodical Accounts,' and in other ways contributes to the extension of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ." Hymns composed by James Montgomery, himself a member of the S. F. G., for the centenary in 1841, and by Harvey, Spangenberg Doddridge, James Hutton, firEt President of the S. F. G., as well as by Ellis and others for the present occasion, were embraced in the programme and sung. After an appropriate Scripture reading from Romans 1 and 10 by Pastor Hasse, who presided, and ~he openiD~ pra~er was ofiered, Rev. B. Latrobe, Secretary, presented warm salutations by letter from the Unity Elders' Conference at Berthels- dorf, an apostolic greeting signed by James Connor; then from Bethlehem, Pa., U. S. A., the headquarters 0: the American province, salutation!! on the sesquicentennial; from Labrador'R largest congregation, at Okak, and the Missionary Conference at Hebron, Hopedale, etc., and from Bishops A. C. Ha!.'se and Joseph Latrobe and Brother J. England, etc.
Pastor Hasse, who gracefully presided, made the usual "chairman's address." He dwelt on the modern aspect of the Society's work, as confined chiefly to Labrador. This field is its special feature, but though primarily restricted to this land of eternal snows, equally sympathizes with all missions. Mr. Hasse touched briefly but effectively on the moral and economic features of the Labrador field, vindicating missions to a people who were a century and a half ago without light or help, and are still a classic and standing example and representative of the charter right of the Gospel: "The poor shall hAve the Gospel preached to them." A situa- tion radically worse, and a type of humanity more degraded, could not elsewhere be found when missions were begun in Lahrador and Greenland. And these facts emphasized the duty of bearing to these remote shores the tidings of salvation.
As to the economic side, Mr. Hasse explained the office of the S. F. G. as a training society. The Esquimaux must primarily be fed, clothed, and sheltered if they are to live. It is desirable not to make them paupers, however; and hence they must be taught to give an equivalent in the produce of the country. The summer trade is a revel; the winter is a time of starvation ; and as the starving time covers eight or nine months, extinction would result unless trade were carried on, and it is important that such trade be in hands that will conduct it on Christian principles and so elevate and improve as well as preserve the Esquimaux race. Mr. Hasse canvassed the common objections to such mission work and appealed to the future for its vindication, remarking that the' full recognition of its value might come, perhaps, only after another hundred years had swept away. By that time, it is believed, a new people, a mixed race, may have grown up, a Christian people, stronger, more intelligent, more capable, an . Esquimo-Enropean race, to take their full place among the family of nations.
Mr. Hasse explained the nature of the Society, as first a training society, and secondly as furthering on their journey brethren who pass throngh London en route to mis!lion fields. It is a committee deputed by the whole Church, a delegation; "in our estimate," said he, " the whole body is a missionary society, and the S. F. G. is made up of officers whose position specially qualifies them as leaders; but the army is the Church itself. "
Bishop Taylor followed with some historical statements, calling attention to the pictures hung on the walls and pillars-pictures. of Bishop Stevens, the Waldensian, the first converts in Greenland, George Schmidt teaching the HottentDts, Schmidt and Nitschmann in prisDn, etc. He also. traced the SDciety's name tD3 JDhn 6: 7, 8 (Greek), and explained its dDuble purpDse, first to. suppDrt the GDspel in LabradDr, and secDndly to. further the GDspel by helping Dn their jDurney after a gDdly sort, brethren who. fDr Christ's namesake went fDrth, taking nDthing frDm the Gentile un- believers.
Then Mr. LatrDbe rehearsed the sto.ry Df the Harmony and its recent visit to. the coast statiDns Df the nDrth. Ten vessels have been emplDyed in cDnveying LabradDr missiDnaries, and the present ship is the fDurth bearing this sacred name. She has retul'ned frDm her thirty-first vDyage, but this is the Dne hundred and twenty-secDnd made to. these shDres by the MDravian vessels. He mentiDned the singular PrDvidence that has watched Dver these vessels, and said: "As the SDciety meets fDr its annual thanksgiving service, cDmbined this year with its third Jubilee, precisely the same language as was used at the Centenary will review an added fifty years o.f these special mercies: 'During this IDng periDd no. fatal accident has been permitted to. befall this favDred bark, Dr thDse whDm she was cDnveying acrDSS the bDisterDus and Dften ice-bDund deep, and alDng a CDast bristling with rDcks and abDunding with peculiar perils; nDr has the cDmmunicatiDn between the missio.naries and their brethren in EurDpe been in a single instance interrupted.' Partial failures have been experienced. In 1816, the Jemima landed the needed sto.res at Okak and Nain, but was cDmpelled to. leave HDpedale unvisited. The mDst seriDus failure was in 1853, when DUt o.f four statiDns the third Harmony was o.nly able to. reach HDpedale, the mDst sDuthern. In bDth instances persistent gales drDve the ship DUt to. sea. The extraDrdinary perils Df ice and war and Df the numerDUS rDcks alDng that still unsurveyed CDast have never been suffered to. cut o.ff the communicatio.n with the missio.n statiDns.
" The develDpment Df the missio.n and o.f the trade, which partly sup- Po.rts it, made it necessary in 1870 fDr the So.ciety to. purchase a secDnd vessel. The Oordelia was run do.wn by a steamer Dff the NDre in 1881. No. lives were lo.st in this, the mDst seriDus disaster in the one hundred and twenty years during which S. F. G. has been a shipowning firm."
Mr. Latrobe repDrted the deaths of valued native helpers, like the faithful Abraham Df Nain, and Hulda eightY-Dne years DId, and the aged Martha; at HDpedale, BDaz and his sister Bertha, wife Df JDshua, nDW tDD crippled to. be Df use. The epidemic influenza at HDpedale has taken nDt a few valued church-members away. The evangelistic tDurs by sledge were referred to., cDntinued for three weeks, with no. sleeping places at times but snDw.hnts ; the grammar Df the Esquimaux language, a wDrk Df twenty years by Dr. BDurquin, and which has been received with great thanks, was cordially mentiDned; and the Esquimaux tDngue was cDmpared to. a pDlar bear gnashing its teeth within the bars Df its cage, against the man who. wDuld seek to. bring and confine it within the rules of grammatical o.rder and regularity. Various remarks followed as to the trials of the native Christians, the long winter, the failure of autumn fisheries and sealing, and consequent lack of stores, the absence of reindeer Ilear the stations, and the good help of God at all the mission centres waR gratefully recorded.
About forty missionaries ar~ on the list, and the people may be regarded as almost altogether Christian. I n fifteen years they have contributed to outside and mission purposes out of their poverty, about £210 sterling, or upward of $1000.
Rev. W. Fuller Gooch gave a brief address, in which he referred to the eminently biblical lines on which the whole mission work of the Moravians is carried forward, as shown even in the fondness for scriptural names- Nain, Hebron, Ramah, etc.; and remarked that the mastership of Jesus was recognized even by the captain of the Harmony, who regarded himself as under orders from the Higher Captain.
After a few remarks by Rev. A. Kleinschmidt, who represented the Holland Society, the" Zeist," W. V. Drury, M.D., spoke for the London Association in aid of Moravian Missions, which for seventy years has contributed in all a quarter of a mmion of pounds sterling. It shows the confidence felt in the work of the United Brethren, that this Association, composed of all denominations, has for so long given such assistance to this small and comparatively poor body of disciples in carrying on their self-denying work. This Lovefeast, at Fetter Lane, fittingly came to a close in the Doxology, which as a unique specimen of the simple Moravian liturgy we append to this paper. Such a doxology is itself a constant reminder of the privileges and obligations of Christ's redeemed people to spread the good tidings of the Gospel; and is a noble conclusion to the brief and beautiful form of public prayer which is full of petitions for a lost world and for the Church in its missionary capacity.
DOXOLOGY.
[Italics represent the response of the congregation.] Unto the Lamb that was slain, (Rev. 5: 12.) And hath redeemed us out of all nations of the earth j (Rev. 5; 9.) Unto the Lord who purchased our souls f6r Himself ; (Acts 20 : 28.) Unto that Friend who loved us-and washed us from our sins in His own blood; (Rev. 1 : 5.) Who died f6r us once, (Rom. 6: 10, 11, 12; 2 Cor. 5: 15.) That we might die unto sin j (1 Peter 2 : 24.) Who r6se for us, That we also might rise j (1 Cor. 15.) Who ascended for us into heaven, To prepare a place for us j (John 14: 2, 3.) CHOIR. And to whom are subjected the angels, and powers, and dominions (1 Peter ;3 ; 22.) To Him be ~lory at all times,
HOW THE GOSPEL SPREADS IN CillNA
In the chu1'clt that waiteth for Him-and in that which is around Him, CHOIR. From everlasting to everlasting :- Amen. MINISTER. Little children, abide in Him; that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. (1 John 2: 28.) In none but Him alone I trust for ever, In Him, my Saviour.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee ; The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee j The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace: IN THE NAME OF JESUS: AMEN. LONDON, November 20th, 1891.
HOW THE GOSPEL SPREADS IN CHINA.
BY REV. JOHN ROSS, MOUKDEN, NORTH CHINA.
Six years ago a young Bannerman of Chinese ancestry joined our then small church in Moukden. His father was a native doctor, who from a sense of sinfulness was deeply interested in the more earnest Buddhist sects. He had been a listener during th,e angry discussions raging against Christian doctrines when they were first introduced here. As a result he cut himself off from every form of idolatry. He had never spoken to either the foreign missionary or the native evangelist, but on his death- bed he recommended his two sons, and especially this younger one, to carefully examine Christianity for themselves, and not allow themselves to be carried away with the all but universal execration to which Christianity was then held up_ Young Jang was also a man with a sensitive conscience, and he, too, was anxious to rid his soul of sin. This, combined with his father's dying advice, led him to the chapel, where he became an inquirer as eager as he was intelligent. Being a fair scholar he soon became acquainted with the leading truths of Christianity and was baptized.
His new faith not only removed the former trouble of his soul, but filled him with a joy which nothing worldly could bestow. The fire so burned within that he gave up the situation he held, and went to the city immediately north of Moukden to impart his newly-fonnd treasure to his elder brother, a doctor in this city of Tieling.
The first news we had of the journey was when, on his return, with a face shining with joy, he informed us that his brother was a believer, and that he, his whole family, and a few intimate friends who had heard and become believers, were all applicants for baptism. My young colleague, Mr. Webater, had by this time come to Moukden, and it was deemed advisable that he should go north to investigate the facts of the story. R·, 800n returned and joyfully confirmed the statement of young Jang. On account of our strict rule for probation of intending members, no one was then haptized; but on a subsequent visit Mr. Webster baptized nine individuals, and took steps to open a station there. Two senior members, one, a convert of the late Mr. Burns, from Peking, and the other a Moukden man, were sent to initiate work in this apparently hopeful station.
Mr. Webster having accompanied me on the journey to the Corean valleys, already referred to in the REVIEW, suggested on our return jOlll'Iley, that instead of going back directly to Moukden, we should make a detour and see how it fared with the young station in Tieling. When we arrived at an inn on the outskirts of the city we were informed that the chapel had been attacked by a mob and wrecked. Desiring to know what amount of truth there was in the statement, we rode in to the chapel, but found no one there. We discovered that one of the two men in charge had fled, and the other was living in a neighboring house ae the chapel was uninhabitable. This man had already stood painfully severe persecutions. We found that the chapel door had been broken open, the windows smashed to pieces, and every perishable article of furniture completely destroyed. The streets were placarded with prominent "postE'fS" containing the wildest accusations and vituperations against the foreigners who had dared to intrude into the city. It transpired that the principal authors of this excitement and the chief leaders in the riot, were men from the magistrnte's office, which was bound, when necessary, to take steps to keep the peace. Therefore we inferred that the rcal cause of the outbreak was our old acquaintance, which for years had been our chief foe in Moukden-viz., the belief that we were there as political agents to crpaie a party which would be traitorous to China and friendly to foreign powers.
To do something to remove this evil prejudice we had the boards block. ing up the broken wiudow taken down, and we stood on the ledge exposed to the street. In a few seconds the street, which ordinarily is a busy one, was so crowded that there was no passage for man or beast. A dense mass of well-dressed men, mostly young, stood fronting us as closely packed as they could stand, filling the breadth of the wide street and stretching away to right and left. From the window-ledge, which was about three feet high, we could see and be seen by all the crowd. There we preached to the people for about an hour, always keeping in view, but never even inferentially' referring to the cause of the general excitemel)t. We preached the doctrine of Jesus, the Saviour from all sin and for all men. without distinction of nationality or condition. As both caution and explanation were essential to our position, and especially to our cause, we had to enter into minute details regarding the vital doctrines of Christianity, on account of which WP, had come to their "honorable" country. We were impressed with the death-like lltillness of the crowd. As far as indications of life were concerned they might as well have been cut out of stone. Every eye was unfalteringly bent on the two foreigners; not a head, not even a lip, as far as we could see, moved in that crowd while we remained face to face.
At length we descended from our pedestal, and gently wriggling our way through the crowd, we reached the two men who were holding our ponies. But as soon as we mounted and got just clear of the crowd, the unusual silence was broken by loud laughter, bitter mockery and reviling language, and by what was still more disagreeable, a shower of eithcr small pieces of brick, or of earth which, by the keen frost, were like so many stones. Our ponies soon trotted us beyond the reach of the missiles; but we had to go through a mile of street lined on both sides with shops which seemed crowded with human beings, who greeted us as we passed with mocking laughter, shouts of angry defiance, or revilings of the grossest kind. We were not much affected by this kind of thing which " breaks no bones," and soon we found ourselves in our inn, somewhat fatigued with the nervous excitement rather than by the labors of the day.
The young doctor had been boycotted and left some time before for his native viIlage.
Exactly two and a half years after that visit of ours, during which we were so unceremoniously treated, Mr. Webster stayed in the same inn, and walked that mile of street between it and the chapel. As usual, at most of the shop-doors stood some of the men in charge of the shop. Many of these men bowed to him as he passed, with a smile of recognition, inquired after his own welfare and that of his family left behind in Moukden. He entered the compound of the small chapel, where he was met and joyfully welcomed by a considerable band of men who had meantime become members.
Next day he dispensed the communion to a congregation of fifty baptized men and women. The" bread" was handed round in a plate, which he used for his food on the road, and the wine was drunk out of his breakfast-cup, as the most respectable vessel available. "But," as he stated in a letter written at the time, " the Holy Spirit of God was there." The emotion was profound. Men and women as they thus for the first time touched and tasted the tangible tokens of their Redeemer's dying love, did so with bursting sobs and with tears flowing down their cheeks. Those only who know the stolid nature of the Chinese, and their remarkable powers of self-control, can alone fully appreciate the significance of such uncontrollable emotion.
Two years later I was there dispensing the communion to a company of about double the number, and one which would have been much larger could all the members in the outlying villages connected with Tieling have been present. The members have had to take a second and larger chapel, but this was Sl) full that a number of men had to stand during the entire service, though these were then mostly applicants for baptism. On a subsequent visit a couple of months later there were twenty-seven persons baptized. press of time prevented ~e then from going to the villages where a number of women believers, unable from household cares, to go to the city, are awaiting baptism. Every year sees a larger number than the preceding enter the Church, and every year sees an enlarged number of villages taken possession of by one or more of the disciples of Jesus. One vil!age, about seven miles from Tieling in a beautiful valley, is wholly Christian, its inhabitants being all either baptized or applicants for baptism.
Instead of the former vituperation, the foreigner is now saluted by the more respectable citizens with kindliness, the magistrate is well disposed, all the lower officials are glad to be on friendly terms with the evangelist and the deacons of the church; and there is not only no avowed hostility of any kind against those who have become members, or obstacles placed in the way of those desiring to become Christians, but the " whole city speaks we]) of Christianity."
No Christian man will be at a loss to set down all those changed condi· tions to the power of Him who works through the preaching of the Word; but He who is the Almighty, and who does what Be wills, has willed to do thIS kmd of work only in conneetion with human agency. He gives the increase, He demands that Paul plant the seed. Whose eloquence wa.'! employed, whose lives were influential as the immediate came in producing this wonderful change-amouuting to a contrast–between our fir8t visit and my last· 1 The change has not been effected thr01}gh the preaching of the foreigner, nor solely by his life. As the work was begun by that youth scarcely SIX years ago, so has it been carried on all but exclusively by his countrymen who were or have become believers, and latterly by himself, who is now-and appropriately-the trained evangelist in charge of the station.
" He who runs can read" the lessons of stimulus, lessons of faith. lessons of caution, lessons of fear and of joy, which the above very brief narrative, which could be repeated of other places not a few, presents to all sections of the Christian Church doing work for the Master among the Chinese. And in connection with this story may I be allowed humbly to rebuke the unbelief of many in our home churches, and among many of our leading clergy 1 They tell us our duty is to preach, but not to expect conversions. I would never have myself come to China did I not believe it my duty to expect hearers of the Gospel to be born again. I have expected, always, undoubtingly expected, conversions. At this moment I expect more than ever before, and I know I shall not be disappointed, for " faithful is He that hath promised." Christians in Christian lands expect conversions! There is something, whatever it be, radically wrong jf there be no conversions under the proclamation of the message of God to man. Expect conversions. Pray for them earnestly, but pray in faith, believing that ye shall have what ye ask; if not, your prayers are in vain. Act for them solemnly, and act with wisdom to take away those things which hinder the conversion of hearers. "Open thy mouth," open it wide, :;u~q see if God, the ~aithfl,ll and the trte~ will not,fill it.
FORmIGN INFLUENCE IN CHINA
FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN CHINA.
BY REV. A. P. PARKER, SHANGHAI, CHINA.
Very few people in Western countries have any adequate idea of this great Chinese Empire, of its size, the character of its people, the strength and extent of its civilization. To many, as Professor Max Muller says, the Chinaman is a joke. To others he is uncivilized or only half civilized, and but little removed from the Hottentot or the American Indian. A dozen years ago, the Supreme Court of California, in its zeal to bring a law to bear against the Chinese, held that" the term Indian included the Chinese or Mongolian race." "It thus upheld a wrong," says Dr.
S. Wells Williams, " while it enunciated a misconception. It placed the subjects of the oldest government now existing, upon a parity with a race that has never risen above tribal relations. It included under one term a people whose literature dates its beginning before the Psalms or Exodus, and containing authors whose words have influenced more human beings than any other writings, with men whose highest attainments in writing have been a few jlictures and tokens drawn on a buffalo robe. It equalized all the qualities of industry, prudence. skill, learning, invention, and whatever gives security to life and property among men, with the instincts al!d habits of a hunter and a nomad. It stigmatized a people which has taught us how to make porcelain, silk, and gunpowder, given us the compass, and shown us the use of tea, by classing them with a race which has despised labor, has had no arts, schools, or trade, and in the midst of the Californians themselves is content to dig roots for a living." So long as these wholly unjust and inadequate conceptions prevail, so long will the people and country be treated with contempt on the one hand, while, on the other hand, the Church will fail to compre- hend the vastness of the work of evangelization to be done here and the immense outlay of men and money and prayer that are necessary to accomplish it.
China is a great country, great in size, great in history, great in civiliza- tion. Extending over 71 degrees of longitude and 34 parallels of latitude, it covered, in 1840, an area of 5,300,000 square miles, a territory a third larger than the Continent of Europe, and nearly half as large again as the United States, which covers nearly 3,700,000 square miles, including Alaska. This vast area has been reduced, during the last fifty years, by about a half a million square miles, ceded to Russia and England. Reach- ing from the frozen snows of Siberia on the north, to the tropical regions of the eighteenth parallel of north latitude on the south, China affords as great a variety of climate and production as any other country in the world. Vast mountain chains, wide and fertile plains and valleys, numer- ous lakes and great river systems, are some of its physical features. It contains a population, according to Dr. S. Wells Williams, the best authority on Chinese subjects, of 380,000,000, in the eighteen provinces, and 23,000,000 in Manchuria and the colonial possessions, or a total of 403,000,000. It yields every kind of mineral, vegetable, and animal production necessary for the sustenance of its teeming population and for the development of the arts of civilized lifc-a country complete in itself.
It is the oldest country in exi~tence that has a history, covering a period of more than 4600 years without a break in its continuity. Contemporaneous with Egypt, and Nineveh, and Babylon, it has outlived them all. While these mighty empires have sunken in oblivion and heaps of rubbish mark the forgotten scenes of their power and grandeur, China has continued on her way, and is to-day one of the great,nations of the earth, whose powerful influence on the destiny of the human race it is impossible to forecast. One of the oldest books in the world, outside of the Hebrew Scriptures, is the Shu King, one of the Chinese classics, which contains a record of events that occurred in this country B.C. 2300. The dim dawn of Chinese history reaches back to 2800 B.C., or, according to Dr. Hales's chronology, 350 years after the flood, and more than 1600 years after the creation of man. The period of authentic history may, according to the most reliable evidence, be placed at about B.C. 2300, in the reigns of Yao and Shun. Everything in this country is old. Centuries are but as years and years are but as days in the history of China, as compared with the mushroom growths of America and modern Europe.
Possessed of a knowledge of letters, architecture, agriculture, and civil government, two thousand years before our era, Chinese civilization was old when Greece and Rome were young, and ten centuries ago China was the most civilized nation in the world. At that time, and subsequently, reports of the wealth and power and Oriental splendor of the Chinese Empire created as much wonderment in Europe as the Chinese of the present day experience when they hear of the power and grandeur of Western nations. Without discussing in this connection the elements of Chinese civilization, we may note the fact that it has wrought out one stupendous result that may well challenge our admiration and invite our studious attention. It has kept nnder one government, under one homogeneous set of civil institutions, the greatest mass of human beings that has ever existed under one government in any age of the world. In view of this fact we might well inquire what are the elements of its strength that have served to accomplish such a result. Geographical isolation, filial piety, industry, innate strength of character, all these have been offered in explanation of this wonderful phenomenon. Perhaps they have all combined, under the over-ruling providence of God, to produce a result that is the marvel of the foreign student of the. history and institutions of this country.
But while this is a highly civilized nation, perhaps as highly civilized as any heathen nation has ever been in the history of the world, yet it is 1I nation of idolaters, sunken in gross and degrading superstitions. Reaching its highest point of development a thousand years ago, it has been on the down grade ever since in all the elements of mental and moral progress, with only occasional periods of temporary recovery. A discussion of the moral and spiritual condition of the Chinese, which I may take up in a future paper, would show that with the multiplication of idols there has come a decrease of moral force, and the .gathering gloom of superstition has so darkened the minds of the people as to practically arrest their progress in material, mental, and moral improvement. The facts that lie on the very surface of their past history and present condition indicate that they have, somewhere in the past, reached a stage of arrested development, and idolatry and superstition are largely the cause of it.
We cannot doubt that it is in the purpose of God that this nation is now being brought into close and vital contact with the great Christian civilization of the West, in order to arouse her from her mental slumber and moral deadness and start her again on the path of progress. It becomes us, therefore, to inquire what are the influences that are being brought to bear upon this great mass of civilized heathenism, how far the people are yielding to those influences, and what is the outlook for the future.
China's relations with foreign countries have been more or less desultory until within the last fifty years. Geographically isolated from the rest of the world, so that she was very difficult of access before the age of steam, she has been left alone, largely, to work out her own destiny, almost wholly uninfluenced by any other than inferior peoples. " But to-day she stands face to face," in the language of one of her most eminent statesmen, "with a condition of things unprecedented in the history of the country. It is the decree of Heaven and we cannot close our doors and refuse to receive foreigners or fold our hands and have nothing to do with them. "
There is reliable evidence that the Chinese had trade relations with the Roman Empire' as early as A.D. 150, but the long and perilous journey to China uver the mountains and high table-lands of Central Asia made the trade uncertain and fragmentary. In the latter half of the ninth century the Arabs carried on trade with the Chinese by means of junks, crossing the Indian Ocean, passing through the Straits of Malacca, and on up the eastern coast of China as far as Hangchow. The visit of Marco Polo to China in the thirteenth century, his long residence here, and the accounts he gave of his observations and experiences, on his return, brought the great Mongol Empire vividly to the attention of Western Europe. One result of this was the sending of Roman Catholic missionaries to China to convert the heathen to the Christian faith. Great success, apparently, attended the labors of these missionaries, but their work was destroyed with the overthrow of the Mongol Dynasty.
In the early part of the sixteenth century Portugal and Holland sought to open up trade relations with the country by sea, and succeeded to some extent in accomplishing their object. It is noteworthy that up to the advent of the Dutch and Portuguese and Spanish traders the country was practically open to foreign trade j but the conquest of Malacca by the Dutch, and of the Philippines by the Spanish, and the taking forcible possession of the region now known as Mac.ao by the Portuguese, together with the buccaneering exploits of the traders from these countries along the coast of China, excited the suspicions of the Chinese, and the country was subsequently closed to foreign trade, except at the port of Canton. British trade with China commencing in the middle of the seventeenth century, and resulting in the Opium War of 1842 and the opening of China to foreign residents, though beginning later than that -of any other nation, has exerted a greater influence on the country than all the other nations of the West combined. Without, however, going into the details of the earlier attempts of the nations of Europe to open up diplomatic and commercial relatious with the Chinese, suffice it to say that it is only within the past fifty years, or, more strictly speaking, within the past thirty years, that the country has been really open to foreign intercourse. The Opium War of 1842, at the conclusion of which Christian England forced heathen China to pay $11,000,000 for the opium which British merchants had smuggled into the country, and which the Chinese Government had seized and destroyed, and also $10,000,000 for war expenses, while it was an act of the grossest injustice, yet in the wonderful providence of God it resulted in a great blessing, not only to China but to the civilized world, in that it opened China to foreign intercourse and to the introduction of Christian missions into the country.
By the Treaty of Nanking, entered into at the close of that war, five ports were opened along the coast of China where foreigners were to be allowed to reside on Chinese soil. Before the opening of these five ports -Canton, Foochow, Ningpo, Shanghai, and Tientsin-and since the closing of the country against the Dutch and Portuguese traders and the expulsion of the Jesuit missionaries, no foreigner had been allowed to reside on Chinese soil, except within the narrow limits of the little compound known as the .. Factories" on the bank of the river at Canton. But now by the terms of this treaty, foreigners, whether missionaries, merchlnts, or government officials, were allowed the right of residence within the borders of the Celestial Kingdom, subject, indeed, still to their own laws, but guaranteed protection to life and property by the Chinese Government. This is not the place to discuss the subject, but a review of foreign intercourse with China shows that at no time, particularly within the last three hundred years, since foreigners have sought to open up trade relations with the Chinese, would it have been safe to have allowed unrestricted intercourse with the peoples of the West. The flagitious conduct of many of the traders that have come to these shores, and the intriguing schemes of the Jesuits for political power and interference with the civil authority, have been entirely sufficient grounds for the fear and suspicion of foreigners entertained by the Chinese, and show only too clearly that had the foreigners been allowed free access to the country, in all probability the government would have crumbled to pieces and the country would have been divided up between the three or four most powerful nations of Europe, especially as it was the general belief in Catholic countries that all pagan lands belonged to the Pope and he could give them to whomsoever he pleased.
At the conclusion of the war between China and the Allies, England and France, an additional number of pClrts were opened to foreigners for residence, and again, in 1876, at the conclusion of the negotiations consequent on the murder of Margary, an English commissioner, by the Chinese in Southwest China, still another number was added to the list of treaty ports, so that now there are twenty-one places on the coast of China and up the Yangtse River where foreigners are allowed to reside, own property, and carryon trade with the Chinese. Originally missionaries were restricted to these treaty ports, but they have long ago overleaped these bounds, and are now to be found in every part of this vast Empire carrying on their work.
In the resistle!!s march of events of this wonderful nineteenth century, the mighty momentum of Christian civilization has struck this country, startling the Chinese out of their mental and moral lethargy, and while they have striven, blindly and foolishly at times, to rcsist the invasion of foreigners and foreign innovations, they have latterly begun to accept the situation and try to adapt themselves to a condition of things that they have found it impossible to avoid, and are, in a word, yielding to the pressure of foreign influence that has been brought to bear upon them with ever-increasing force.
The pressure of foreign influence has been delivered upon the Chinese along three general lines-viz., political, commercial, and missionary. The governments of the West have been urging upon the Chinese the necessity of receiving ministers, consuls, and government agents at Peking and the treaty ports, and of sending similar government agents abroad to the treaty powers, thus entering into the comity of nations, adopting the great principles of international law, and reaping the immense advantages growing out of intercourse with various countries of the world.
Merchants have brought innumerable cargoes of the products of field and factory, of mine and machine, to this country, urging upon the Chinese the advantages of purchasing these goods and of selling to the foreigners their productions, such as silk, tea, porcelain, etc. The merchants have brought here specimens or models or descriptions of nearly all of the principal inventions of the great West, the steam-engine, the steamship, the railroad, the telegraph, the telephone, the dynamo, the printing press, mining machinery, etc., :lnd have urged upon the Chinese the necessity of employing these wonderful machines to develop the resources of the country and become great and powerful among the nations of the world. Missionaries have been pressing into the country proclaiming hope for lost men through the Gospel of the Son of God; showing the folly and sin of idolatry; urging the p,eople to forsake their idols and tum to the living God; establishing churches, schools, and hospitals; translating into the Chinese language, religious, educational, and general literature, sC8ttering miIlions of pages annually of Bibles and Christian books over the land, and bringing to the knowledge of the people the wonderful discoveries in religion, science, and general knowledge that to-day constitute the precious heritage of Christian nations. It has required steady pressure and persistent effort to do this work. The Chinese are full of suspicion as to our purpose in coming here. They are ready to attribute to us every motive but the right one. It has been exceedingly difficult, in many towns in the interior, to rent houses, or purchase land on which to erect mission buildings. A fear is entertained by some of the Chinese that when a piece of land is bought by a missionary it thereby becomes a bit of foreign territory. The missionaries are accused of the vilest crimes in the calendar; of kidnapping women and children j of gouging out the eyes of children with which to make medicine to Bend to foreign countries; of being spies in the employ of foreign governments seeking to gain a foothold in the country in order to its ultimate conquest; of trying by the dissemination of strange and pernicious doctrines, to break down all the sanctions of morality and destroy the foundations of social and civil order, etc.
But notwithstanding the difficulties in the way, notwithstanding the fear, the suspicion, the self· conceit and the inertia, the pressure of foreign influence has been l!teady, continuous, and increasing, and we see the result to-day in the movement that is manifest on every hand. The Chinese are yielding to the pressure, slowly, it is true, but nevertheles~ surely. Many whose information is more or less superficial, think: that the Chinese are so proud and self-conceited, so bound to their ancient traditions and averse to anything new as to be altogether impervious to any influence coming from other countries; or else that they are so stolid and sordid, flO gross and material, so sunken in superstition and intellectual stagnation, as to be utterly incapable of being raised to the high plain of thought and spiritual conception contemplated in our Christian civilization. But a nearer view of the history of the Chinese, a closer acquaintance with their national life and character, would serve to dissipate many of these false notions, and give a clearer idea of the nature of those influences that are needed to hring about that improvement which every well-wisher of the race so ardently desires to see.
When we consider the, to the Chinese, long and glorious history of China in the past; the volume and range of her literature, which represents the gathered treasures of forty centuries j the long roll of illustrious sages, statesmen, military heroes, scholars, poets, and philosophers, that adorns the pages of her history; her long-established institutions and the practical outcome of these in good government and social order; we cannot wonder that she is somewhat slow to yield to those influences which come to her from outside nations, whose boasted superiority is bat a growth of yesterday, and the conduct of wh~se people in this country has, in hundreds of instances, flagrantly violated those high moral teachings claimed to be contained in the holy books of the Christians.
But a few facts, out of many here briefly stated, will suffice to show that the Chinese are yielding to the pressure that is being brought to bear upon them, and are moving as fast, perhaps, as it is safe for them to move. Much more rapid movement would bring with it the danger of social and civil upheaval and disintegration. The people must be gradually prepared for the changes before these can with safety be brought about.
In the first place they are yielding along the line of political pressure. Minister, consuls, and other government agents have been received at Peking and the treaty ports from the various treaty powers j Chinese ministers and consuls have been sent abroad to the various governments of Europe and America; in the early part of the present year the Emperor granted an audience to the foreign ministers resident at Peking, and hereafter a similar audience is to be granted to all the ministers of the treaty powers. And to-day these various treaty powers, instead of being looked upon as tributary countries, stand recognized by the Chinese as independent sovereign powers and are treated with on terms of equality and respect. Wheaton's and Brul).tscheIIi's treatises on International Law have been translated into Chinese by Dr. Martin and others, and the leading Chinese government officials have read them and can quote tbe principles of international law as readily as anyone; as, for instance, in the case of the discrimination against the Chinese as compared to other nations, shown by the action of the United States Congress in arbitrarily restricting Chinese immigration, either with or without negotiation with the Chinese Government.
Again, tbe Cbinese are yielding along the line of commercial influence. An immense trade bas grown up with foreign countries. Millions of dollars' worth of goods are brougbt here annually from all tbe countries of the world, principally, of conrse, from Europe and America. The Chinese know a good thing when tbey see it. They know the value of a dollar as well as any people in the world, and when they Bee the abundance, the excellence, tbe cheapness, of the goods tbat are brought to them from foreign countries, they buy them readily and in great quantities. National prejudice, self-conceit, suspicion, and distrust, all' go down in one common ruin before the mighty force of the desire for material gain. The products of the looms of Manchester and Massachusetts are displacing the coarser and more costly native hand-made fabrics; kerosene is superseding the vegetable tallow dips and rushligbts ; Yankee clocks and watches are taking the place of the native sun-dial and the incense time-stick; while California flour and foreign groceries and hardware in great variety are coming in to supply the wants that the native products fail to meet. A fleet of some twenty steamers, owned by the Chine8e Government, and commandp-d by European officers, does a large part of the carrying trade along her fifteen hundred miles of coast line j a short hne of railroad, eighty miles in length, was built in 1888, in North China, from Tientsin to the Kaiping coal mines, and recently steps have been taken to extend this road to the northeastern boundary of the Empire at Shanhaikwan ; two years ago the Emperor issued a decree in which he said that railroads were necessary in order to develop the strength and resources of a country, and ordered the construction of a line of railroad from Peking right down through the centre of the country -to Hankow on the Yangtse River. This road has not been built, owing to the bitter opposition of the members of what may be called the Conservative party among the Emperor's advisers, who have succeeded in staving off the work of construction for the time being. But it is the general belief, both of Chinese and foreigners, that this road will be built before very long. The tele~ graph was introduced in 1881, consequent on the fear of a war with Russia, and it has been gradually extended to every part of the Empire, and has been an important means of strengthening the power of the central government over the provincial governors and viceroys. Mining machinery has been introduced for mining coal, iron, gold, silver, copper, etc.; last year a mint was established in Canton, the machinery of which was purchased in Europe, and already silver dollars and small coin, the product of the mint, are being put into circulation j and as the result of the wars between China and foreign nations, several large arsenals and navy-yards have been established where arms, ammunition, and gunboats are being manufactured after the most approyed European models.
The yielding of the Chinese along the line of missionary pressure is very marked and very encouraging. About fourteen hundred Protestant missionaries, to say nothing of the numerous Roman Catholic missionaries, are established in various parts of the Empire, not only at the open ports, but also away in the interior, in Northern, Western, and Southwestern China, gathering churches, carrying on school and hospital work, and going everywhere preaching the Word by the living voice and the printed page. The various Protestant churches number some forty thousand Christians, which with the baptized children, the candidates for church-membership, and the nominal believers, make up a Christian community of not far short of one hundred and fifty thousand. Three thousand native assistants, preachers, exhorters, licentiates, colporteurs, and Bible-wo~en are helping in the great work of making known the Gospel to their fellow-countrymen; more than fi;e hundred churches have been organized, about one ,fifth of which are self-supporting; there are about seventeen thousand pupils in the various mission schools; three hundred and fifty thousand patients were treated in 1889 in more than one hundred hospitals and dispensaries; and six hundred and sixty-six thousand Scripture portions-that is, whole Bibles, Testaments, Gospels, etc., were sown broadcast over the land. But besides these figures there are numerous indications that the power of the Gospel is being felt in this country, which cannot be tabulated. The pure life, the fervent devotion, the patience under persecution, the triumphant death, of the native Christians prove the genuineness of the work of grace in their hearts. A great change has taken place in many of the older mission centres in the sentiments of the masses of the people toward the missionaries. Instead of being called" foreign devil," we are more frequently greeted with" Mr. Foreigner;" the pcople listen longer and more attentively to the preaching in thc chapels; they are bolder to come to our hospitals for medical treatment and surgical operations; parents are more ready to send thcir children to our pchools, and the people buy and read our books more readily. All these and many other facts, which there is not space to detail here, show that the Chinese are yielding to the pressure. The Gospel is the power of God to the salvation of this people. One other fact ought to be stated in this connection, a great improvement is going on in the educational system of the country, as the combined result of foreign influence. In 1887 Western science and mathematics were, by Imperial decree, introduced into the government examinations ; government schools have been established, with foreign professors, for teaching these subjects and the principal languages of Europe; the government has established a translation department in which foreigners acquainted with the Chinese language are employed to translate works on history, science, mathematics, military tactics, naval architecture, etc., from English and other languages into Chinese; and these translations are being published and disseminated far and wide throughout the country.
The future is full of hope. The tremor of new movements is in the air. We who are here and have a finger upon the pulse of the country, can feel the throb of the new life that is being poured into its arteries. Those are most hopeful who have been longest here and know most of the people, of the difficulties in the way, as well as of the forces that are needed to overcome them. Revolutions never go backward. Progress will be onward and upward. The recent anti-foreign riots along the valley of the Yangtse River will give a temporary check to missionary work, but this check will only be temporary. Foreign influence will be strengthened, ultimately, as the result of these riots, and especially will Christian missions receive a great forward impetus by them. We are already reaping some advantage from these riots. The decree of the Emperor, issued on account of the disturbances, places us in a stronger position than we have ever occupied in the history of mission work in China.
Thus every difficulty will be but the stepping-stone to higher achievement. The work of awakening and improvement is bound to go on Machinery will be introduced and produced in ever-increasing quantities j the material resources of the country will be developed; mines will be opened for coal, iron, copper, silver, gold; improved methods of agricult~re will benefit the farmer; railroads aud steamers will afford raJ;lid cOIll-
THE GREAT MISSIONARY UPRISING
munication and vastly increase trade and production ; the great changes that are even now taking place in the educational system of the country will improve the character while they extend the benefits of education; the newspaper" the telegraph, the telephone, will, as they are already doing, spread general intelligence among the people; while above all, and better than all, the Gospel of the Son of God will go on with ever-increasing power from the vantage ground already gained, until this shall become a Christian nation and the last stronghold of Satan will be captured.
But the Church must rally to the work with her men, her money, and her prayers. We mUl!t haye enough men to do the work. Four hundred millions of people cannot be evangelized by fourteen hundred missionaries. One missionary to fifty thousand people would require eight thousand missionaries for China.
[NOTE.-A copy of the above paper was sent to the Southern Methodist Quarterly Review also; but was intended for insertion in both Reviews. -ED.] THE GREAT MISSIONARY UPRISING.
BY REV. D. L. LEONARD, BELLEVUE, O.
In Great Britain as the centre, and intimately connected with the organization of the London Missionary Society in 1795, but powerfully affecting also all the Protestant churches of the Continent, and of the United States as well, for years William Carey had stood almost alone in English-speaking Christendom. a voice crying in the wilderness. His heart was well-nigh the only one all aflame for the conversion of the world. Even when the Baptist Society had been formed and Carey had sailed for India, the interest was confined to the Baptist churches of Britain, neither numerous, nor strong, nor held in much repute, and only to a very limited extent even in their membership. Hence, after the long and dreary night, it was but the rising of the day-star that appeared, at most but the day-dawn, or the first blossom of the spring. The glorious sun, the lovely season of buds and flowers, had not yet made its advent.
But under the guidance and inspiration of the Divine Spirit, various cooperating causes had long been preparing the way for a majestic and widespread onward movement in behalf of missions. For fifty years the Wes- 1eyan revival had been turning the religious world upside down and had been kindling on every hand boundless love and zeal, desire and devotion. As far back as 1744 had been originated in Scotland a plan, which was soon adopted by many churches, both in the Old World and the New, for the frequent and regular observance of a day of "extraordinary prayer" for the descent of the Spirit and the spread of the kingdom throughout the whole world; and of late such gatllerings had become much more com- won. In addition, the unexampled missionary activity of the entire Mora,- vian Church ever since 1732, and the self-denying apostolic labors of such as Ziegenbalg and Schwartz in Tranquebar, beginning in 1705, as well as of Brainerd and Edwards (1741-58) among the American Indians, had sup- plied noble examples. Then finally, helping in the same direction, came Carey's great sermon, the sublime act of faith performed at Kettering, and his setting forth for the ends of the earth.
" The first two English missionaries to India seemed, to those who sent them forth, to have disappeared forever. For fourteen months no tidings of their welfare reached the poor praying people of the midlands, who had been emboldened to begin the enterprise." But at last, July 29th, 1794, letters arrived for Ryland, of Bristol, who read them and sent at once for Dr. Bogue, of Gosport, a Presbyterian clergyman, and Mr. Stephen to rejOice with him. First, they all gave thanks, and prayed for a blessing upon the Baptist Society, and then the two latter called upon Mr. Hey, a leading minister, and it was determined to begin at once to agitate for the organization of a simila: society. though with a much broader ecclesiastical basis. Suiting the action to the word, Dr. Bogue prepared an article which appeared in September, in the Evangelical Magazine, addressed to "Evangelical dissenters who practice infant baptism," urging all such to bestir themselves; arguing that the time to begin was fully come; ex- pressing the conviction that many would be found willing and eager to assist if only a few would step forth t6 lead, and that funds sufficient could be gathered to support at le!lst twenty or thirty missionaries. Such in God's hands was" the little fire" which kindled" how great a matter !"
The effect of this clarion call was immediate and profound. The next month it was further stated in the same periodical that, if a society should be formed upon a large scale and upon a basis so broad as to unite Chris- tians " without respect to different denominations, or repulsive distinctions arising from points in dispute between Calvinists and Arminians," one man stood pledged for £100 and another for £500 to equip the first six volun- teers for a mission to the South Seas. Some weeks later appeared the suggestion o,·er the signatures of eighteen Independent, seven Presbyterian, three Wesleyan, and three Episcopal ministers, for a meeting for consulta- tion, urging that in the mean time local and district gatherings be held to stir interest, collect funds, and choose delegates. In July, 1795, another article reached the public from the glowing pen of "T. R." (Raweis, a Church of England clergyman, whose influence through all the years next ensuing was unequalled in raising enthusiasm to the sticking point), " showing the very probable success of a proper mission to the South Seas," giving a long and glowing and inten~ely rose-colored setting forth of the situation in those remote parts, proving conclusively the islands to be a very terrestrial paradise, and the people the loving and lovable inno- cent children of nature. ~ Thus, at length, all things being read)", September, 21st, the mo- mentous meetings began in London. At the very outset subscriptions were made by the country ministers amounting to £750. Many encouraging letters from all parts of the island were read j it was announced that several men were ready to offer themselves, and the vote was unanimous to organ- ize at once. This" fundamental principle" was adopted: "The design is not to send Presbyterianism, Independency, Episcopacy, or any other form of church order and government (about which there may be differ- ence of opinion among serious persons), but the glorious Gospel of the blessed God to the heathen j and it shall be left (as it ought to be left) to the minds of the persons whom God may call into the fellowship of His Son from among them to assume for themsel ves such form-of church gov- ernment as to them shall appear most agreeable to the Word of God." For three full days the gatherings continued, with two sermons each day upon pertinent themes from eminent divines, and to audiences" immensely great." It seemed like a new Pentecost" with Christians of all denomi- nations for the first time in the same place, using the same hymns and prayers, and feeling themselves to be one." Two hundred ministers sat together in the galleries j and Dr. Bogue said : " We are called together for the funeral of bigotry j and I hope it will be buried so deep as never to rise again." Vhereat" the whole vast body could scarce refrain from one general shout of joy. . . Such a scene was never, perhaps, before beheld in our world j and it was a foretaste of heaven. • . . We shall account it through eternity a distinguished favor, the highest honor, that we appeared here and gave in our names among the founders of the society. This will be ever remembered by us as the era of Christian benevolence. "
The flame thus kindled in the metropolis quickly spread throughout all Britain j and, of course, it followed at once that money in abundance began to flow in from all quarters. One church in Southampton subscribed £270, and from Market Harborough came £83 Is. 7d. with this word: " No event in life has given me more pleasure than this glorious attempt to send forth the Gospel." The children in a boarding-school, unasked, gave £1 98. 6d. Scotland too was aroused. Missionary societies were formed in Edinburgh and Glasgow, ani before many months had passed nearly £12,000 had been forwarded to the London treasury. Earnest souls upon the Continent dispatched their contributions, amounting erelong to upward of £1500 j so that by the end of October, the directors had £3000 in hand, which, three months later, had more than doubled, and in June, 1796, they could report the receipts at £10,000. Missionaries, too, had offered themselves in encouraging numbers. By midsummer it was decided to purchase a ship and found missions in Otaheite, the Friendly and Pelew Islands, and the Marquesas, with projects looking toward Madagascar, the West Indies, and the north shore of the Caspian, so great was their faith, and so enlarged were their ideas and longings. And thus early the prophetic hope was expressed that this uprising for the world's redemption" will spread to every Christian bosom, to the Dutch, German, American, and all Protestant churches, till the whole professing world shall burn with fervent love, and lab'or to sprelld in every heathen land the sweet savor of the Redeemer's name."
Accordingly, the Duff was purchased at a cost of £4875, and furnished for her long voyage at an additional expense of more than £7000, several years' supplies for the missionaries included. A profit of £5000 was expected from freight to be brought upon the homeward trip. A call was made, and nobly responded to, for books, tools, cooking utensils, instruments, seeds and other supplies; and one poor man expended £2 28. upon six spades, nine' hammers, and four thousand 6d and 10d nails. July 2Rth, 1796, the twenty-nine chosen were solemnly set apart-six of them married, with two childIen, only four of them ordained, one a physician, and the others artisans. Thousands joined in the novel and most impressh'e service, and no less than ten clergymen-Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Independent, Seceder, and Methodist-sharing in the exercises, "showing that affection is increasing between ministers of different denominations, who, previous to this institution, had neither fellowship nor intercourse." In reference to the religious situation it was written soon after: "In no instance in the limits of our recollection has such a ~pirit of prayer and supplication been poured out upon the churches, or such general approbation been discovered. The greatest kindness has been displayed in all departments of the Government. Neither the Council Board nor the Custom House would accept fees." Wednesday, August 10th, at five A.M., the Duff' dropped down from B1ackall to Gravesend, a vast multitude beholding, and came to anchor at t!pithead the Tuesday following. The East India convoy having already sailed, she was compelled (since the French wars were raging) to wait six weeks, at Portsmouth, for the Adamant, a fifty-two gun ship. September 22d found her at St. Helen's. The following day her anchors were finally hoisted and her sails spread for the Antipodes. Thus the great undertaking, followed in Carey's path, three years and a half later than he, and yet-in some respects at least-even outdoing that immortal founder and pioneer. It was now that one moralized with altogether pardonable exaltation of feeling: ., It is highly probable that since the Lord and the apostles, the bosom of the deep has never been graced with such a vessel," or one" in which so many thou~ands of Christians embarked their hopes and followed with their prayers."
What remarkable and rapid growth may be discerned during the period under view! How different all this, for magnitude of operations and for eclat, from the deed of those twelve obscure NorthaUJptonshire Baptist ministers, and their subscription of £13 28. 6d., over whose utter inadequacy and insignificance Rev. Sydney Smith half a generation later could make exceeding merry! For nearly two years, until May, 1798, not a word was heard from Captain 'Wilson and the tremendous ventures made by faith. Leaving the Duff t.o battle for weeks with fearful storms off Cape Horn, and then, baffled, to beat her way past the Cape of Good Hope through 262 0 of longitude, let us glance at certain step8 .:,f progress meantime taken at home. Measures were immediately "et on foot to start a mission in the Foulah country, some 250 miles from Sierra Leone, for which GlaRgow and Edinburgh offered two men each, and the London So- ciety was to add the same number. Plans were also soon laid for a mission to the Cape. In January, 1797, it could be affirmed: "Christians in every corner of the land are meeting in a regnlar manner, and pouring out their souls for God's blessing on the world." And again: "The efforts most successfully made to introduce the Gospel to the South Seas have had a most powerful tendency to unite the devoted servants of Christ of every denomination in the bonds of brotherly love, and to awaken zeal to help the perishin!! multitudes in our own country, and 'also the Jews." ~onth by month came tidings of both local and district movements to raise missionary funds, and to multiply toilerfl at many points in the foreign field, and in every destitute region at home. For this purpose scores of organizations were formE'd in every denomination. In America similar interest prevailed; in Ma8~achusetts and Connecticut, at New York, Philadelphia, and othE'r parts of the country. .Nor waR the enterprise Jess upon the Continent; in Germany, Holland, Sweden, and Switzerland associations were also formed. With all these societies, as well as with various individuals, the directors of the London Society opened correspondence for mutual instruction and encouragement. Von Schirnding, a German nobleman, was delighted to hear of the evangelizing projects Oll foot j for years he had been cheriRhing similar schemes. and aided liberally with money and men. Vanderkemp, in Holland, a famed scholar and soldier, and aforetime a pronounced sceptic, offered himself as a messenger of glad tidings to the heathen, and proceeded at once to organize the Netherlands Missionary Society. Inspiring letters came from BasIc, which since 1771 had been the seat of a widespread movement" to maintain evangelical doctrine and piety." Certain devout German brethren sent their congratulations in this fashion: "It is like the dawn promising a beautiful day after the dark night. It is the beginning of a ne,w epoch for the kingdom of God on earth. Your undertaking and its success fills our hearts with joy and our eyes with tears. The history of Great Britain is sanctified by this unparalleled mission. What harmony among different perRu!lsions! You call on the wise and good of every nation to take interest in the work and bear a part. Such a call was never heard of before. It was reserved for the close of the eighteenth century to be distinguished by it." So it was that the tide of zeal rose and spread.
It was not until May, 1798, that, in a letter from Captain Wilson; written at Canton six months before, the first tidings came from the great missionary venture in the South Seas; and in July following the Puff lay at anchor in the Downs. And now came the climax of exultation and buoyant hope. "Never, perhaps, was an undertaking more completely accomplished. Fifty-one thousand miles have been traversed without the least material loss vr damage. The winds eonE'pired to waft them safely and swiftly to their desired haven. Everywhere they were reeeived by the natives with reverence and delight. All are settled in the islands they preferred, and apparentl.y in the greatest safety. At Otaheite, a most fertile district was bestowed upon them, and a commodious building." Dr. Haweis did not fail to surpass the most fervid and fanciful in his setting forth of the past, present, and future of the mission, in a public address to Captain Wilson.
But the directors well understood that something besides pooans of gladness were in order, and therefore, immediately after a day of thanksgiving had been devoutly obsHved, they met to plan both how to maintain communieations with the brethren already sent forth, and also to found other mISSIOns. Their faith hesitated not to survey a field as broad as this: " Hindustan, the Sandwich Islands, and other groups in the Pacific; the Creek Indians, Canada, the Bermudas, and any West India islands, and any coasts of America or Asia." And presently they notify the churches: "We must have an enlarged supply of money and men. We expect a body of German missionaries, anu we plan to engage a great company and teach them both theological knowledge and also occupations adapted to the islands. " But just now all their energies were bent upon preparing for a Recond voyage of the Duff, with Captain Robson in command. On N 0vembcr 13th, forty-six were in readiness (nineteen single men and ten married, with seven children), and were set apart to their sacred task. On the 20th, the Duff dropped down the Thames and ten days later weighed anchor. December 8th found her with seventy ships at Spithead, where she layover two Sundays on account of fogs; on the 21st a southwest wind was so fierce that the fleet put into Portland Roads, and a day or two later was off under convoy of the frigate Amphion. In the same company sailed the Hillsborough, bearing some hundreds of convicts bound for Botany Bay I and also Dr. Vanderkemp and three companions-Kircherer, Edmonds, and Edwards-en route to found a mission in Cape Colony.
Hitherto, for five years, the tide of good feeling and expectation of large results had heen steadily rising and swelling with scarce a refluent wave. Not a threatening storm-cloud had croRsed the 5ky. But, of course, such conditions could not always continue. This is not God's way with His kingdom. As might have been expected, and as was every way best, a series of trials and tests now ensued in the shape of serious reverses and failures apparently disastrous, coming from yarious quarters, of divers kinds, and in quick succession. The current emotion contained much unhealthy excitement; zeal was ardent, but was not all according to knowledge, and many of the expectations fondly cherished were unreasonable because without groulld. The millennium had not yet dawned, and the victory was not to be won without a fight long and most arduous. It had already been noticed, and with deep anxiety, that scar0ely a minister, and none of note and influence, had of fered himself to go wherever the Lord, through the Society, should send him. 'L'hey who came forward were laymen from the common walks of life, of humble gifts and attainments. Even these had not been sifted with sufficient care, and quite a number proved incompetent, and some even morally unworthy. First, trouble broke out in the company which had been sent to the Foulah country. They separated, some died, and war breaking out among the savages, others left, and so the mission came to grief. Next, early in August, 1799, the directors were stunned by the intelligence that the Duff had been captured by a French privateer in Feb- ruary, when off Rio Janeiro, and had been taken to Montevideo and sold as a prize. The missionaries would be sent home, but the mere money loss was £10,000. On the heels of these evil tidings came the further calamitous news from Otaheite that most of the missionaries left there, their lives in deadly peril, had fled the island, and, by a chance vessel, had transferred themselves to Port Jackson, in New South Wales. Likewise at Tongabatoo calamity had befallen, for some had died, some had fallen into lewdness with the natives and been cut off from fellowship, and civil ~ar had broken out, in which the brethren had been robbed and then expelled. Only from Vanderkemp came words of cheer. He could write that he had made a beginning, and that a " singular interest" had appeared. The" Spirit had begun a good work in some of the most abo ject and uncultured of the race." But there was no flinching or turning back in consequence; without a moment's hesitation, either on the part of the directors or the Christian public, the task was resolutely taken up, both of repairing the damage and of sending reinforcements to the Sout h Seas and to South Africa. By May, 1800, a contingent of sixteen men had been dispatched.
For lack of space I can follow no further the thrilling story of the London Society, wh08e beginnings were so glorious, as well as of such moment both to Christendom and to the whole heathen world. It was not long after the hopes of so many of the earnest-hearted had been so rudely hurled from the zenith to the nadir, that theY'began again slowly and steadily to rise.. One by one the various denominations which had been in hearty co-operation began to withdraw, and, as perhaps was wisest, to set up societies for themselves-the Episcopalians in 1799 leading the way, and finally the Independents were left practically alone. The South Sea~ proved to be no 8inless, stormless Eden, and their inhabitants to be of a piece with savages elsewhere. Many reverses were yet in store, and long waiting for the first-fruits was required. But island after island, continent after continent was occupied for the Magter, and by such heroes of faith as Ellis, Livingstone. Moffat, Milne, Morrison, Medhurst, Vanderkemp, and John Williams the martyr of Erromanga. Early in the century, India, China, and the West Indies were entered-Madagascar (a shining marvel
AN EVANGELISTIC 'l'otrn !N .tAPAN
among missions) in 1818, and others subsequently. As late as 1810 the income was but $5298 ; in 1856 it had risen only to $8233.; but in 1890 was upward of $600,000, with one sixth of the amount derived from the mission stations. The four ordained and one medical missionary of 1795 have increased to 159, with 1202 ordained native pastors. Thongh various missions have become self· sustaining, or have been turned over to other societies, almost 70,000 members are found in the churches and 110,000 pupils in the schools. No m.ortal can say how many organizations, both in the Old World and the New, owe their origin directly or indirectly to that great missionary uprising in the last decade of the eighteenth century, of which the London Society was both the effect and the cause.
.AN EVANGELISTIO TOUR IN JAPAN.
BY REV. FREDERICK s. CURTIS, HIROSHIMA, JAP.A.N.
Early in June, 1891, in company with a Japanese brother, I left Hiroshima for a two weeks' trip among the villages in the vicinity. The first village, two hours' ride by jinricksha from Hiroshima, is Kabe, where we opened the work a few weeks ago. After weeks of effort we were at length able to secure a small house here, which will serve as a preaching place for a time. Immediately after our first meeting, Buddhist lecturers were summoned, who were expected by their harangue to nip Christianity in the bud. But though much opposition has been raised, the handful of Christians remain steadfast, and a few inquirers regularly attend the meetings. We stopped at Kabe for an hour and talked with the leading Christian there, who was formerly an elder in one of the Tokyo churches. As we were about to leave, he desired that we should have a brief prayer together, and prayed for the blessing of God upon this evangelistic tour. It was with overflowing heart that I followed him in prayer. I am rejoiced that the Japanese brethren are so ready for prayer at all times. I am rejoiced, too, that through the example of a brother missionary I came to see the importance of learning to prllY, even before learning to preach or to converse, in Japanese. There are few rarer pleasures than this, to unite one's heart in supplication to our common Lord with those who have been rescued from the darkness of heathenism.
A few miles beyond Kabe we overtook two others travelling toward the same destination. One of these proved to be a man who had come to my house a few weeks before to inquire about'Christianity. As we journeyed together we talked further of the way of salvation. The other travellera member of one of the Osaka churches-with his friend, came to our hotel in the Qvening, when we talked and prayed together before going to the theatre meeting. In the theatre a few small lamps suspended here and there, and a candle placed on the speaker's table, with now and then the glare of a match used in lighting the pipe of a hearer, supplied all the illumination. Since the building was about as large, and resembled in other respects a faif-sized barn, one may weJl imagine that it was far from being well lighted. Here some 250 people assembled, and, seated on the hard floors covered with coarse matting, listened with the utmost quiet and attention. We returned to our hotel rejoicing in the blessing of God, for we had heard that Yoshida was a hard place, and had gone to the theatre prepared for a noisy time-opposition from the Buddhists. However, next day pushing on to Miyoshi, a place of about 20,000 people, and in the evening holding another meeting with about the same attendance as at YoshIda, we found here the opposition we had expected at the former place. In these large meetings the Japanese usually speak first; otherwise some of the people go away after they have seen and heard the foreigner, who is still an object of curiosity in the country.
OUf speeches were frequently iuterrupted by cries in English of " No, no!" or in Japanese, " The Jesus religion won't do," or " Cast this foreign religion out of our country!" Also by various quotations from the sages, with other remarks mnde to cause a laugh.
The next day at our hotel we talked with quite a number of inquirers, and held a meeting with some of these and the two or three Christians we had found. I spoke especially of the Scripture proof of the immortality of the soul and of the divinity of Christ. Later, when the question of the use of "sake" (Japanese wine) and tobacco, came up for discussion, I explained the principle upon which we must judge; that since our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, in God's sight all is sin that injures the body. I felt much blessed in thus speaking, also in prayer. Before the theatre meeting of the second evening in Miyoshi, we took the precaution to provide a larger number of lamps, that the Buddhist priests and young men who were inclined to make a disturbance might not do so unobserved. While waiting for the people to assemble (a thing often done in Japan) I sat near the front of the platform and chatted with the boys about America, in which they seemed greatly interested.
I followed the Japanese speaker with a short sermon, and we were about to dismiss the meeting, which had been a noisy one, but when I saw that the majority of the 500 seemed disinclined to go, I determined to make a venture, so I told them that the whole meeting thus far having been much shorter than nsual, if they so desired I would speak again. To my surprise the entire audience sat down and called for the speech. After I had been speaking for a few minutes, or, rather, reading (for thus far I have been obliged to read the greater part of my sermons), it came over me with great power that I mnst speak, so I cast myself on the Lord and spoke as the Spirit directed. In one of these extemporaneous parts, desiring to illustrate the heinousness' of the sin of rejecting Christ I told the andience that the sin of the Japanese policeman who near Kyoto recently attempted to kill the Prince Imperial of Russia, was not nearly so great as that of rejecting the Prince of Life. As I thus spoke there was the great- est attentiun, and I trust also some impression was made. Though I had been working at the language for three years, and recently had spohn quite often, I had not felt at all sure that the masses understood me ; but now becoming fully convinced of this, and being so filled with joy that the audience had asked me to speak the second time, I could scarcely slee"p. At the close of the service the Christjans and a number of inquirer!! accompanied us to our rooms, and as usual remained till midnight talking of the things of the Kingdom. Among these inquirers the most interesting case was that of a young Buddhist priest named Chiba, who at the age of eleven took up his calling at the instance of his father and elder brother; but some time since in Kyoto, having come into posse~sion of a Bible, and learning something about Chris!ianity, he had come to us to learn more. In reply to my question as to the object of his search, he said that since he heard of Christ he could not be satisfied with Buddhism.
This young man is now twenty years of age, and next year is entitled to take charge of a temple. That he will not do this we fully believe.
The following morning we retraced our steps, and stopping to preach at Kabe, chiefly to the handful of Christians there, I returned to Hiroshima that night.
The following day, with the same Japanese brother, after teaching the teachers' meeting, we took the steamer for I wakuni. That evening at Shimminato, the seaport of Iwakuni, we hired the lower floor of a hotel .. and advertised a lecture on Christianity. In this rough place some 150 people crowded into the room and listened attentively. Going on to Iwakuni I preached to the Christians about finding Jesus in the Scriptures, and in the afternoon had a long converl3ation with some of the brethren in regard to persecution. Even in Japan persecution is no small matter. In the experience of many of the Japanese Christians a man's foes are they of his own household. In the early evening I called to see one of the officials who, with his wife, is searching the Scriptures. They seemed delighted to see me, and it was a matter of great regret that I had so few minutes with them. I urged them to make a practical test of every new truth they found, prayed with them, and went on to Imadzu "illage to hold a preaching service. In the meeting-place some 200 people gathered. Heretofore I had always read at least the greater part of my sermon; but here, for the first time, with the Japanese New Testament and a brief outline, I spoke extemporaneously; and, though conscious of some grammatical errors, I felt much blessed in thns speaking. The following day returning overland, and remaining over the next night at y'okkaichi, I had the privilege of speakiug at the first Christiau meeting ever held there. About 500 crowded into the single room and overflowed. In the midst of my sermon some one cried out, "God made the body but not the soul." I replied that we were not there to argue that point; but to tell them what Christianity taught. The Japanese speaker who followed
ONE OF THE FAITHFUL IN THE LAND
me told the audience that he would answer any questions III regard to Christianity.
There was a little hesitation; but finally some one said, " Is Buddha the savioar of Mida~" (Amida). He meant to say," Is Buddha the sa.·iour of men ?" At this the audience laughed heartily.
. The speaker replied, "I suppose you meant to say men instead of Mida ;" and went on to give a brief history of Buddha, showing him to be but a man, and therefore unable to save the soul.
Going on to Takewara, we held a large meeting. My subject was "Sin"-something very difficult for the Japanese mind to comprehend. In fact, as has so often been said, there is no word in the Japanese lan- guage to adequately express the Bible term sin. Before I preached, thrce boys delivered addresses on Christianity. The precocity of Young Japan may be fairly illustrated by the fact that these boys, aged eleven and twelve years, had chosen their themes' and prepared their addresses with but little help from others. These addresses, though short-·about three to five minutes each-werp. really very good, and delivered with absolute composure. Is it any wonder that the Japanese nation thinks it can do anything?
The subjects treated were: "The one true God," " All the blessings of mankind come from God," and" Pride makes men blind."
The following day, with the Japanese preacher located at Takewara, I .. went to a place called Mitsu, which being off the main road, it is probable that no foreign face had el'er been seen there before. Accordingly the people flocked to see me, gathering in front of the hotel and at the theatre. In this place we had two direct answers to prayer-in regard to the renting of the theatre and the attention of the people. The next day (Sunday) I spent in Takewara, and admitted to the communion two in addition to seven received early in the year.
On Monday I returned to Hiroshima, during the two weeks having held 15 meetings, with an aggregate attendance of 2500 people. In all prob- ability the majority of these had never heard of Christ before. I thank God for this privilege of preaching the Gospel where Christ had not been named.
July 10, 1891.
ONE OF THE FAITHFUL IN THE LAND.
BY C. J. vas KAMP, CANTON, CHINA.
On September 29th, 1891, our beloved pastor, Wong Kong Fuk died. He was one of the few faithful in the land; a man full of energy aM talent, who truly loved his Saviour, and labored in the service of the Mas- ter with his whole heart. He accomflished great things in his missionary station at Fayen, forty miles north of Canton, and many heathen were . converted through him. In the first years of my sojourn here I was permitted to make a few tours with him into the villages of the district of Fayen so as to preach the Gospel to the heathen. I see him yet, sitting in the tents of the Chinese, the gracious smile on his lips, surrounded by his eager listeners, to whom he is showing the nothingness of idolatry and the riches of the Saviour's love. How eloquent were his words! How well he knew how to captivate his hearers by new illustrations and skilful reasoning! How the Christians loved and honored him! With what a great respect the heathen regarded him! He brought Christ's name into his missionary station. One seldom heard a reviling word in the places where he preached. Thus the soil was prepared for the Gospel; ahd we may hope that many more in that field will find their eternal and full salvation.
A few days ago, as I was travelling toward Fayen with four students of our theological seminary, to conduct the funeral service of Wong Kong Fuk, I stopped at the large village of Thaiwuschak. Here, forty-three years ago, Wong Kong Fuk was born, and here he died. Here he also heard from the mouth of the Rev. Hauspach the words of l!fe which have been dear to him since his conversion as a stronghold in life and in death.
The narrow streets of the village, with the huts of limestone, were almost deserted. Only a few half-naked children play at the pond by the bamboo grove. I enter the open square with my companion, the student Khyamfuk.
Two high, red-painted poles point out to me the ancestral hall. A few Christians who are standing there hurry toward me, and, bowed and silent, extend to me their hand, and lead me into a hut where they offer me a cup of tea. Meanwhile the brethren, who have gathered from the most distant villages to the burial, come to greet me. A deep sorrow rests upon the men because of the death of their beloved spiritual leader.
" We are assembled to the funeral service," says Tschin. I put on my gown, tak~ the Bible and the Chinese hymn-book and stepped out into the open square in front of the ancestry hall. It was yet early in the day ; the sun had not yet sent down her beams in full force. There stood the coffin, covered with a blue bier-cloth, on which were embroidered Chinese char- acters. Dear disciples of the Saviour had sent it to their brethren in China as a greeting of the Risen One who also shall resurrect His own. There are also the large banners with the promises of comfort out of the Word of God concerning victory over death and immortal life in Christ. Com- pared with the heathen" Firlefanz," with which the heathen are buried, how delightful to eye and heart stand these banners with their beautiful Chinese characters. '
Several months before, when we buried a Christian in Canton, several scholars carried this banner through the city. They attracted the attention of the people, and many stood staring. "They appear as though they would like to march out to war," said a farmer, who had earnestly studied the text, and to whom the words, "I live, and ye shall live also," " The wages of sin is death," " Christ is the life, death is gain," and other words,
'rilE CALL TO pnAYElt
were a riddle to him. "They appear to be actors," said a second. A reader of books declared, "They are Christians," "adherents to the Jesus-religion." "So they are Jesus-people!" said the others, gazed once more upon the wonderful banner, and went their way.
Eight musicians were present, and with their funeral melodies accom- , panied the dead to his grave. These were engaged by the heathen elders of the village to render final honors to their dead.
We began by singing a song of life and resurrection. A large crowd surround the coffin. The immediate relatives of Wong Kong Fuk wear straw garments. a wreath of straw in their hair, and in their hands they carry a short bamboo rod, bowed and crooked; according to custom they thus escort their dead. A blue ribbon-the emblem of mourning-is braided in the queue just as we wear a band of crape about the arm or hat. The Christians wear white garments and caps, and they are a large number who have confessed the name of Christ in Fayen. Many of the heathen stand in the rear j for all knew and loved the Shepherd Wong. I made a short address based on Rev. 14 : 13 : "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." There was much weeping among the people, and tears fell from the eyes of many of the heathen. The Chinese know so well how to control their emotions j but here was refiected in their tears the love they felt for the dead. Tschin spoke after me, and mentioned his dying words: " Willingly I depart, for God will care for mine. Do you faith- full y carryon the work." The assistant, H yn, then offered prayer, after which I advanced to the coffin and pronounced a bJessing Over the remains.
The service made a deep impression on the heathen. How different this sorrow blessed of God from the cry and tumult of a hpathen burial, which only reveals fear and confusion before the King of Terror! The coffin was lifted, and the long procession started. The shrill tones of the bamboo fiutel' mingled with the clanging of the gongs. The Chinese music seemed to me a distressing discord, but I was obliged to endure it in silence. .
On the hill opposite the village is the grave in which we laid the body, and beyond lies the land where the light wrestles with the black darkness of heathenism. God grant His Word power and a triumphant ·ictory !
[Tran8lated from the German by M. M. Minnassian, A.B.] THE CALL TO PRAYER.
[EDITORIAL, A. T. P.] The editor feels the profoundest respect and reverence for that foremost of all missionary organizations, the Church Missionary Society, and a1though it is somewhat Jate to refer to this, its day of intercession for foreign missions in 1890 furnishes an example for all of us to follow.
The m'e of St. Andrew's Day, November 29th, and the week which it introduced, were made a period of special prayer for missions, and the prayer of Asa was adopted as a fit motto. We venture at this late day to make quotations from the re~arkable circular issued by this grand society in connection with this movement : " Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power. Help us, 0 Lord our God j for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude. 0 Lord, Thou art our God j let not man prevail against Thee. "
"This prayer of Asa, when going forth agamst overwhelming odds, may well stand out prominently in the minds of all who are taking an intelligent and prayerful interest in the carrying out of the Master's great missionary commission, as they thankf.lily approach the observance of the Day of Intercession, and realize that a great coneert of prayer will be ascending at that time, not simply from the world -wide Anglican communion, but also from almost all Protestant Christian communities, who find in the active work of proclaiming Christ's salvation a common interest, and at the throne of grace a common platform where all can unite, and thus co-operate in one common object."
" Asa's prayer is very apposite to the present position and opportunities. Fresh fields for conquest opening on all sides; 'many adversaries' more. busy and persistent than ever; only too successful attacks of the great enemy on infant Christian communities; his devices manifest in complications and difficulties even among brethren, overwheliiting demands which the very success of the work and growth of interest in it impose, requiring prayerful patience and earnest deliberation j these are some of the marked features of the time, calling for a large exhibition of the spirit breathed in Asa's prayer as he faced the great emergency with " The Cry of Faith, ' Help us, 0 Lord our God. ' " The Repose of Faith, , 'Ve rest on Thee.' " The Energy of Faith, ' In Thy name we go.' " " The remarkable appeal, signed by several prominent friends of the society, who met last July in private conference at Keswick, calling on the committee to organize' an advance on a large scale, under the directing hand of God,' is based on a review of the' needs of the heathen, and of the marvellous openings which God is providing at this time.' There are indeed marvellous openings. Africa is becoming accessible in all directions. Let special prayer be made for the Nyanza party uuder Bishop Tucker; for the Upper Niger and Soudan Mission, where an attempt is being made, fraught with promise, and with early tokens of the good hand of the Lord upon the workers, to penetrate the Central Soudan. The Imperial British East Africa Company is opening the direct route from Mombasa to the Nyanza, known as Bishop Hannington'tl route, and are cordially inviting the society to avail itself of the opelJings. China is an open field to all who will venture in. Calls reach the committee to man vigorously the frontier stations of the Punjab and Sindh Mission, so as to be in readiness as Central Asia opens its doors for the evangelist. In countries already occupied, the opportunities for evangelization demand large reinforcements; and prayer should earnestly be made that the native Christian communities in these countries may themselves be privileged to supply in large measure . the missionarieR needed in order that their own countrymen may be evan- gelized. The very magnitude of the work opening up might well appall, but for all which is implied in t.he liberty to cry, ' Help us, 0 Lord our God.' "
" A favorable symptom, as evidencing the reality of the work and the impression that is being produced by it, may be found in the increasing hostility manifested to the spread of the Gospel. In many of the older misaions of the society tho missionary may truly say, ' A great door and effectual is opened, and there are many adversaries.' This is especially noticeable in many parts of India, particularly at present among the Mo- hammedans in the Punjab, who have taken vigorous steps to stop the work carried on among their women by the Zenana missionary ladies. But the saIne spirit is apparent elsewhere, and is developing markedly in Japan and in Bagdad after the baptism of a Mohammedan convert; while political opposition is hindering the work in Palestine. Prayer is especially needed for the guidance of the missionaries by the holy Spirit, that they may act with judgment as well as with zeal j and for all inquirers after truth, and for those who are convinced of the truth, that they may be enabled to withstand the fiery ordeal of persecution, and to come out boldly to confess the faith of Christ crucified, even though it be unto death."
" The marked growth of interest in the cause among Christians at home, while full of encouragement, and a:/l.,ding ground for devout thanksgiving, brings with it special dangers and difficulties, and may well demand a large share in the prayers of God's people. The number of home workers, or professing workers, is largely increasing. This is evidenced by the increase, both in the number ,of unions of various kinds, and by the increase of their members. The Gleaners' Union, every member of which is pledged to do something for the cause, now numbers 28,000 enrolled members. If all are doing each what he or she can in the name of the Lord, and relying on the Holy Spirit's enabling grace, what may not be effected? Prayer with reference to all these tokens of growing interest is suggested in a twofold direction : " (a) That there may be no disposition to trust in mere numbers, remembering Asa's prayer: 'It is nothing with Thee to help, whethp.r with many or with them that have no power. '
" (b) That God the Holy Spirit may sift the workers, and bring to the front those whom He is calling aud equipping for the work. Of Gideon's army of 32,000 there were left but 300, the faithful few by whom the Lord would save Israel and deliver the enemy into their hands."
" Quality, rather than quantity, is needed. Let earnest supplication be made that a vast number of volunteers both from England and from every congregation in the mission field may be raised up duly qualified, and may abide the Lord's test. "
"The present position, difficulties, and opportunities of the society may well cause all who realize what is the present demand. in the Church of Christ to cry, ' Who is sufficient for these things?' 'Our sufficiency is of God. ' Let this period of intercession send His people to their knees with the cry of faith, 'Help us, 0 Lord our God j , and bring to each one the Repose of Faith which a realized dependence on Him must bring, • We rest on Thee j' and send us forth with the Energy of Faith, th<1t rests not, to stop and weigh the difficulties of the situation, but boldly takes as its watchword' In Thy name we go.' What encouragements may be drawn from the experience of the past j what incentives from the bright outlook of the future I"
" And in adopting Asa's prllyer, what reason there is to add his son Jehoshaphat's method, who, in similar straits to those of his father, followed his example of prayer. 'Oh, our God, we have no might, neither know we what to do j but our eyes are upon Thee; , and then, going in the name of the Lord, and when he had taken counsel with the people, , appointed them that should sing unto the Lord and praise the beauty of holiness' as they went before the army, and sang, 'Give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever.' "
"Compassed with the Song of Praise the Lord's army shall go forth , steadfast, unmovable,' always abounding in the work of the Lord."
" Let earnest prayer be made that. all who engage in any department of this great work may indeed, filled with the Energy of Faith by the Divine Spirit, go in the name of the Lord-in that all-victorious name to which every knee shall bow, and through which God giveth the victory. The work is not man's but God's j the object is not of human will, but of Divine purpose, for His glory in the conversion of souls and the building up of His Church. The issue must be sure, for the appeal. be. the ad versary who he may, is conclusive, , Let not man prevail against Thee.' "
A little lad who had become interested in gathering money to send the Gospel to the heathen, hit upon this happy device. He rummaged in the garret and found an old-fashioned powder-horn. which he decided to make into a missionary box. His older brother Raid he might have the horn, but wondered what he was going to do with it. The large end of the horn had a wooden bottom, and Eddie scraped it smooth, and asked his brother if he would cut some letters on it. " Yes," said his brother, and Eddie gave him these words: " Once I was the horn of an ox, Now I am a missionary box.·'
Eddie inked the letters, and then as he showed his box to his friends they were all so pleased with his ingenuity that they all put something into it, and he became a large contributor.
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS.
BY REV. CO. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, MASS.
CHINA.
-The Rev. Timothy Richard, in the May Missionary Herald of the English BaptiRts, says, writing from Tientsin: "From a political point of view, China has had a sad year. The population of China increases at the rate of/our million8 a year-forty millions (as much as all the Germans) every ten years. Without new means of support, this increase of population means the increased poverty of the existing inhabitants. As these arc already as poor as they can be and live, every increase means death. This is literally true. Under various names-droughts, floods, etc.-about twenty millions must have perished from starvation during the last dozen years. This year, in the province where Peking and Tientsin are situated, we have great floods such as they have not experienced here since the memory of the oldest living, and a few millions are expected to die before next year's wheat harvest. The saddest thing about all this poverty and starvation is that not one in a thousand of the Mandarins either knows the cause or the remedy. Such as did know, like the Marquis Tseng, who had been Minister to England, and his uncle the Viceroy of Nankin, and especially the Emperor's father (the Seventh Prince) have suddenly been cut off by denth. Now, alas! few of the remaining Manllarins know how to save their country."
-There having been a renewal of disgraceful calumnies again~t the Christian missions, especially the Roman Catholic, the Shanghai Conference has appointed seven to publish a refutation of them.
-Dr. Russell Watson, English Baptist medical missionary at Tsing Chu Fu, reports their having trp.ated over 12,000 cases during the year.
-China'8.JIillion8 for May announces the arrival, and gives portraits of 35 Scandinavian missionaries (17 male, 18 female) who arrived at Shanghai in February from America, and the names of 8 gentlemen and 7 ladies who arrived in March. "Part of the coming thousand." Sixteen of the Scandinavian brethren from America (C. 1. M.) had left Shanghai for Shan-se, under Messrs. D. Lawson and Peat. where Mr. Russell would snperintend their studies, locating them in little parties in small places within easy reach of Hiao-'i.
-The Rev. W. S. Swanson, formerly missionary at Amoy, said, at the anniversary of the London Missionary Society: "In 1800 of east longitude it does not seem to matter whether you are an Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Congregationalist. You are face to face with the great work of Christ, and your confession of faith may be summed up in this: that all men are sinners, and Jesus Christ, God's only Son, is able to save to the uttermost. That is a working creed. "
Mr. Swanson added that" there were five hundred millions of Chinese in the world. The Chinaman was an individual with some backbone in him; but the Chinese woman had several backbones in her. If they could get the women of China to become Christians they had solved the question. "
-The Roman Catho;ic mission in South Shartung, under BiRhop Anzer, has exchanged the French protectorate for the German. The Catholics in China seem to have a great many diplomatic difficulties which, as the Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift suggests, can hardly be very advantageous to Christianity. "The less inclined missionari~s are to invoke diplomatic intervention, the mme rarely the strong arm of a Western power interposes in their affairs, the better. The broken reeds of Egypt have always shown themselves to be an ominous support." The same hishop (we think it was) probably accomplished more for the Gospel when he sold his house and offered his jewelled mitre for sale to find bread for the famishing.
-We know that " Christianity has materially modified the languages of the West, and that it is modifying, and will still further modify, the language of China. We know that Chinel:le is not so inflexible as the scholars of China believe it to be. If it were so, the Chinese could never possess anything but a stunted and attenuated Christianity, for at the present moment it has no fit terminology in which to express properly many of the grandest and most important thoughts that God has given to us through the Gospel of His Son. But all modifications of language must be within certain limits, and, moreover, they must be a gradual growth. "-Chinese Recorder.
– The Chinese Churchman (cited in the Spirit of Missions) remarks that for the first time, in Government proclamations, Christianity has been raised above the category of " Little Teaehings;" and for the first time our Lord Jesus Christ has been given a higher place t:18n Mohammed.
-The New York Recorder (iikewise quoted in the Spirit of Mi88ions) says, with reference to recent troubles: "The American Govemment should not be precipitate in dealing with China in taking' joint action' with other Powers, in any policy that looks like what the London Times advises as ' severe measures.' Joint action, and especially under the lead of France, as is proposed, would be a surrender of whatever little influence we possess in that empire. It would be the furtherance of European Bmbitions in China, which would do no good either to our commerce or national prestige."
-The London MiRsionary Society has reconstituted its Board of Directors on a more thoroughly representative basis, tal_ng precautions against giving London too large a proportion, and making arrangements for a more frequent attendance of the directors from the provinces. In view, also, of the danger that the society may become merely Congregationalist, they have invited each of the three Preshyterian churches of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church of Ireland to nomi.nate a director.
-George Miiller, in his address on Faith, at Basel, reported in the Neukirchene1' Heidenbote, takes pains to correct an opinion which many may have derived from his course. He says: "To make known the pecuniary wants of benevol(nt enterprises to their friends is something which I do not regard as unscriptural. Still less do I regard it as a sin. But I have refrained from it for this reason-naulely, because through my pastoral activity and my wide correspondence, I had learned, that of nothing is the Church of God so in need as of a greater faith. Many things were needed, but nothing, nothing, nothing so sorely as an iMrease of faith. And therefore it appeared to me, if I could carryon the work of the Lord without appealing to anyone except God for help, that would be a proof that even in the nineteenth century the living God is still here, that even, although the prophets have fallen asleep, yet the God of the prophets lives, and that the Lord and Master of the apostles yet Jives."
-" Certain languages are mighty conquerors. They almost divide the world between them, while others are fast dying out. The whole Bible has been provided in all the great conquering tongues. "-Ohurch Missionary lntelligencer.
-Northern Africa ~ays: "In those churches where there is good teaching as well as good working, we generally find good candidates and the most liberal givers. Of the twelve it is said that He ordained them that they should be with Him. They were then prepared not only by his teaching, but by watching how He Himself worked. We feel the need of just these two things in candidates-they need good teaching and they alRO need to be shown how to work by Rome one able to work efficiently. In our evangelistic missions there may have been great blessing by preaching some truths that had been much neglected, but tllere has also been a danger of neglecting and even despising dry theology, which is now producing a shallow type of Christian. Might not a good deal that is now left to colleges" (i.e., seminaries) " be done in the churches l May God help us to maintain the balance of truth, and in cvery way so to teach and labor that a generation of sturdy and consecrated men, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, may be prepared for the foreign and home fields. "
N01·thern Africa, speaking of its work among the Arabs, says: "The Church seems, like Hagar of old, to have left Ishmael to die, but the God of Abraham has not forgotten the prayer offered more than three thousand years ago by him whom He deigned to call his friend, 'Oh that Ishmacl might live before Thee,' a prayer that is to be answered not only in respect to the lad, but also his descendants."
– " Modern missions have been long favored to carryon their work in all quietness. Their voice has not been heard in the street. For decadeR the world scarcely took note of them, unless, indeed, to mock at them. This place under the cross has been both a defence and a blessing. Yet even this beautiful time of youth had its drawbacks. Doubtless it involved a certain narrowness-flight of the world, as they say now. Yet of this they have no great occasion to be ashamed j it is a reproach which they share with the apostolic age. But with all their imperfections they laid hold of the mission work in its innermost essence, extended the Kingdom after the manner of the Kingdom, saved souls, laid the One Foundation Jesus Christ, wrought from below up, and went from small things to larger.
"This time of stillness and neglect on the part of the world is now gone by for missions. Doubtless there is here anadvance ; the child has become a ma,n, who takes a place in the world's history. The world, therefore, naturally finds now occasion to define its position as to missions. Missions must be carried on ; that is now agreed. But the world is not at all pleased with the way they are carried on. It seeks to influence them, to give them a totally new direction, to alter them fundamentally, and 80 to trouble them in their very end."-Dr. VYARNECK.
-Men would have missions, remarks Dr. Warneck, leave the apostolic for the mediooval method. That explains why, especially in Germany, Rome and her methods are coming to be so vehemently admired, and the patient humbleness of evangelical missions misliked, as by the world" thc folly of the cross" has ever been. But the end of missions, as given by Christ, is as fixed as the methods of missions are left by Him flexible. Jesus is not only the origin, He is the prototype of the work. As Luke says, He began to do and teach, and after Pentecost He proceeded to do and teach through His messengers. The work which is a continuance of His is the work of Christian missions; no other is. Forgiveness of sins and eternalli{e are what He came to bring; that must be, fundamentaily, what they go to offer. " The foreign mission work differs from the pastoral work in this, and this alone; it is a new "message. This involves many differences in form, but none in substance. The salvation of souls is the central work at home and abroad. The degeneration of the work of" Christ's menssengers begins when, either here or there, this is thrust out of the centre.
-The Indian Watchman, of Bombay, and the Kaukab i Hind plead for a larger incorporation of Eurasian Christians in mission work. Their mixed blood makes them natural mediators between Europe and Asia.
-The LeipRic Missionary Society is entering on thc second half-centuryof the renewed Lutheran Tamil Mission in the Madras Presidency. This mission is hot one of the most showy ones, but its work seems to be marked by a decided measure of what the Germans call Gediegenheit-i.e., well-compacted solidity and scripturalness.
-Awake, the little magazine for children published by the Church Missionary Society, in a very animated description of India, quotes thc remark of a great French writer: "Hinduism is, perhaps, the only system of belief that is worse than having no religion at all. "
-Dr. Hooper, in the Ohurch Missionary Intelligencer for March, 1891, remarks that while Christianity has shown an extraordinary power in leavening other religions whose basis remained irreconcilable with it, Islam, equally theistic, has had no leavening power at all. Sikhism has been greatly modified externally by it, but internally remains as intensely pantheistic as any other form of Hinduism.
Arya Samaj. which is rather waxing, while Brahmo Samaj is rather waning, is, unlike the latter, cold in its theism, unfriendly to British rule, and hostile to Christianity, to which the Brahmo Samaj, as a body, has always been cordial. But the extrav!lgant misinterpretation of the Rig Veda on which Arya Bamaj rests contains, remarks Dr. Hooper, the certainty of its ultimate break-up. Meanwhile .Arya Samaj does not hesitate to revile Christianity, and our Lord Himself, in the most scurrilous way, and is meeting with a good deal of present success, especially by its appeal to national feeling.
-The Evangelisch-Lutherisches Missionsblatt says, what in our smiling, we might say smirking age, we seem desperately determined to forget. "We know from the Lord's parables of the fourfold field, of the tares among the wheat, of the broad and narrow way, that He has never expected the conversion of all men. Where He and His messengers sow the good seed, there the enemy follows on the traces, sowing the evil seed. Alongside of the mission of Christ there goes through all peoples and ages a mission of the devil, which is quite as successful, nay, outwardly seems often iar more successful than the mission of Christ." It if! not every place of which Christ says: " I have much people in this city.o, It surely should be enough for the messenger of salvation, as the Missions- " blatt says, to know that God's ,Vord will infallibly accomplish "that whereto He sent it."
-Alfred S. Dyer, in National Righteousness, writing of "The Great Plague of Asia," says: "He is no friend of God or humanity who attempts to underrate the gravity of the opium scourge, which is not now confined to China alone. India, Burmah, Ceylon, arid other parts of Asia are involved. In and from every British port, from Bombay to Shanghai, the plague is spreading." The curse. therefore, which India, under British compulsion, has sent out to China, appears to be returning to plague herself.
-The Monthly says: "A grave discouragement to Christian workers in Palestine is, that it has attracted and is attracting to itself many spiritual eccentrics who surround earnest Christianity with disastrous, and sometimes with ridiculous associations. The Holy Land has a strange mystic charm for many sorts of romantic souls, from Lady Hester Stanhope to Israel Pick and the American Adventists."
-IIenri Draussin, in L'Eglise Libre, referring to the pompous and almost impiously sycophantic reception given to the Protestant queen of Madagascar, at the opening of the Roman Catholic cathedral in Antananarivo, says: "At the risk of being stigmatized as hopelessly English, we avow that this sort of politico-religious manamvring, this shrewd medley of mass and flattery, this accommodation of the anathemas of Catholic dogmas against heresy to the interested designs of a propaganda which is bent at all costs on winning over a crowned head, seem to us of ill augury. " Especially does M. Draussin censure the complaisance of the national agents toward designs so unfriendly to freedom and to a free Gos'pel.
-Le National, in its frantic hatred of the Protestant friends, French and English, of Hova rights against French aggressions, is not ashamed to renew the charge againilt the Rev. Mr. Shaw of having poisoned the wine of the French soldiers in Madagascar! The slander is too idiotic to deserve any worse epithet. It blames their admiral for not· having shot him on the spot. We owe the sight of both the above quotations to the kindness of the Maison de.~ Missions in Paris.
-The Calwer Monatsblatter for March, 1891, consists of an article on our Indians, which for thoroughness, compactness, lucidity, and fairnes~ equals anythin£!: we have seen on the subject. It would be worth circulating in English among ourselves.
-Considering the curious attempts making now to bring about· a nondescript amalgam of Christianity and Buddhism, the following brief antithesis, quoted from the Literary World by the Christian, is worth considering. However widely concrete Christianity may have diverged from this type, even for long ages, the Son of man has always been at hand to bring it back. "It does not seek to trample under foot the natural emotions and desires of man j it does not seek to withdraw him from the world in which he has been placed. It does not disparage either the dignity or the beauty of life."
Those high-bred circles which have at length discovered that culture alone does not bring blessedness, may have Buddha and Schopenhauer, or they may have Christ. But assuredly they cannot have both. It is not strange, therefore, that the" sympathy of religions," which has been lately set forth ill Japan, is said to be inclined to leave Christ altogether out of mention.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
n.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY BEV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
The Japan Earthquake, lihood, the interruption of business, the general alarm of an earth-wave which [EDITOBIAL.-J. T. G.] produced a variety of phenomena over twenty thousand square miles or more The calamity that has befallen Japan of territory, all make an extraordinary is more than a national misfortune. In phase o( the world's history. these days when all the world is thrown into such near neighborhood, one mem- Japan has done nobly for the instant ber does not suffer, but all suffer. A relief of the sufferers. The Emperor and half million of houseless, homeless, Empress gave at once $20,000 to the redazed, bereft people, stripped of their lief corps. Nobles, lords, foreign resiproperty, with business interrupted and dents, and natives generally came to temporarily at least, destroyed, appeal the aid of the bewildered people, but to the universal heart of the civilized the whole is not equal to the necessities world. The Johnstown flood disaster of the case. Nor will the demand for met with sympathetic expression from aid be met for many a day to come. It large parts of the world. The Chris- is not too late, even after these lines tians of Japan took up a collection and shall be read, for contributions to be of forwarded it, through the Japanese value. We make no appeal for moneys Methodist missionary at San Francisco, to be added to any specific fund. Any for the Johnstown sufferers. But of the treasurers of the great missionary neither the Johnstown flood nor the societies will, we are sure, gladly be the Chicago fire are to bj! compared with custodians of money for the relief fund the reach of the wretchedness of this in general, for native Christians in parseismic disturbance of nearly all the ticular, or for reparation of losl! to prop- Island Empire. The hundreds of shocks erty. They will faithfully carry out left the people too much 'llarmed to re- any instructions of the donors so far as enter the houses which were left stand- lies within their power. We say this ing, and drove them to sleeping in the without having a word of consultation open air in the cold nights. The with them, and without knowing what American Charge d'Affaires at Tokyo, measures, if any, they will take officially anu Admiral Belknap, of the United in the case. But if any persons prefer to States Navy, in charge of the Asiatic send their contributions through secular Station at Yokohama, unite in an appeal channels, they can do 80 directly to Adto th'l. people of the United States to miral Belknap, at Tokyo, for the send relief. Ninety thousand houses ., Earthquake Relief Fund." It will destroyed, perhaps thirty thousand be well that whatever is done be done more badly damaged, eight or ten thou- at once. sand persons killed, carrying grief into the hearts of tens of thousand more, So far as we are able to recall at presand ten thousand badly-injured people ent, the missions at Nagoya and vicinto be cared for, make such conditions ity-the centre of the devastated disas should send a thrill through Christen- trict-are those of the Methodist Episdom, and at once meet with a hearty copal Church, the Presbyterian Church response in practical sympathy. No South, the Methodist Protestant Church, battle-field could furnish such heart- and a lady missionary of the Cumberrending sce.nes as have been witnessed land Presbyterian Church. The Southin connection with this disaster. The ern Presbyterians are also at Kochi. subsidence of the land, the destruction The only one of the foreign missionaries who sustained injuries, so far as we have of factories, removing .the means of live- ~earned! was the Rev. Mr. Van Dyke. of the Methodist Protestant Mission. Rev. eased, the clean and the unclean, the Mr. Miyama, of the }Iethodist Episco- patients who refrain from crossing jt pal Mission, and his wife were also in- and the ministering Christians who freejured. He has been a very active ly cross over to the lepers for their conworker among the Chinese in California stant labors of love to souls and bodies. and the Sandwich Islands. A Japanese At the left of this wooden railinK are pastor of the Presbyterian Chu.rch South the quarters of the nursing staff, also was instantly killed. There are many the workroom, kitchens, bakery, etc. Christians among the sufferers. To the right of it are the quarters of the lepers. The women live all together in The Leper Hospital of the Moravian a suite of large rooms; and two or three Ohuroh at Jerusalem, men generally occupy one ohamber. These apartments need to be light and REV. J. TAYLOR HAMILTON, SECRE1'ARY airy, owing to the nature of the disease, MORAVIAN BOARD, BETHLEHEM, PA. which becomes more and more offensive to sight and smell. They might seem A traveller in Palestine, when jour- bare to a European, but are fairly furneying to· day from Bethlehem to Jeru- nished for Orientals, especially of the salem, will very probably notice a large, class from which the patients are mainsubstantially·b~ilt modern edifice as he ly drawn." nears the Holy City. It is a stately structure for Palestine-in part two, To the story of this hospital I invite and in part three stories high as it rises your attention for a brief while. A above the Vale of Rephaim_ Over the peculiar interest attaches to it from its main entrance he will perceive, carved being the only institution of the kind in in large Roman letters, the words, aU the land in which our Lord, when Gn ., Jesus Hilfe," .. The Help of Jesus." earth, cl<lBnsed lepers among thobe Stimulated by curiosity, he may pass whom His word of power savingly through the open gate of the garden and healed of their diseases. ascend the steps to the front door. There is, indeed, another shelter for He will meet with a cordial welcome these poor outcasts; but the very confrom a German missionary, who will trast it offers to the home in which gladly make him acquainted with the Christian sympathy seeks to relieve misinstitution over which he presides-that ery and anticipate the wants of the is, on the supposition that the stranger's body, ,and at the same time breathe oourage is equal to the ordeal; for this hope into the despondent !!Ioul, argues is the Moravian Leper Hospital, just forcibly for the need of just such an inoutside Jerusalem. stitution Sf! the" Jesus Hilfe."
He will find that it is a quadrangular Eight years after our home had begun building "surrounding a large oourt- its work of mercy, a oertain Pasha gave yard, in the middle of which is a huge orders for the erection of a building for cistern. This cistern may well be large, the reception of lepers at the oost of the for in this land there is no rain for half State. It is not far from the village of the year, and wat~r is a main neoessity Siloam, and is" a low building of only for such an institution. Everything in one story, lit up by five windows which and around the house and in the yard serve for as many rooms. Eight lepers is scrupulously clean." He will notice are supposed to occupy each of thes(', especially the wooden railings that run and thoy are small for the purpose. right across the middle, dividing the The roof of each room is vaulted; in court as well as the passages. "True, the walls are niches; the floor is formetl the gates stand open, and, indeed, are of a stone pavement. On this floor low never closed; yet there it is, the bar- pillars ar" erected which are bollow in· lier between the health! and tJ~e (lis. side, and serve the double purpose of store-~laces for the fruits ~athered b! the lepers, and also to mark out the " On the other hand, a peculiar char. space appropriated to each patient. acteristic of the disease, as it now oc· Nothing buL an old thin straw mat is curs, is the insensibility of the skin, exspread on the hard, cold stones. Here tending inward so far that the knots the poor creatures lie in a room dimly which form under the surface could be lighted by only one window, and in an cut out without the patient feeling any atmosphere rendered pestilential by the pain. Of this feature there is no men· breath of many diseased persons. As tion in Leviticus. Lastly, the leprosy soon as the sun is up, life begins to stir of the present day seems absolutely in these five apartments, and whoever incurable by any medical art, while the of the inmates has still the power of law of the old covenant makes proyi. movement leaves the house. Those sions for cases of healing. who are unable to walk are obliged to remain indoors, and are left without " We cannot but conclude, therefore, any help or care, for no one has either that leprosy has changed its character time or inclination to tend the suffering in the course of centuries. It has be. or comfort the dying. Thl! most that come more ineradicable and more de· can be expected to be done by those structive. Observation of individual who leave the house in search of what cases bears this out. Careful treatment may be obtained by begging, is that and constant cleansing of the sores at they divide a piece of bread with some the very beginning of the disease will more unfortunate companion, and place check its course for years, while neglect, a jug of water by his side." Thus one especially if united to insufficient diet, after another gradually succumbs to the will quickly aggravate its destruative awful disease, and with severe strug- character. The above-mentioned knots gles and great pain closes hopelessly a under the skin begin to suppurate and life from which hope had long since fled. turn into deep and spreading sores, de. stroying the flesh until the bones are Leprosy still remains one of the most laid bare." loathsome and awful visitations that can well befall a human being. Of the form Whether or not leprosy, as it exists of the malady to be met with in the to-day, is infectious, is, I believe, some_ Orient, Dr. Einszler, the honorary phy- what of an open question. Certain it sician of our hospital at Jerusalem, is, that of the Moravians who at dif. writes as follows: ferent times to the number of about 25 have ministered to the wants of lepe,ril, "Neither the description of leprosy in connection with leper homes, not given in Leviticus 13, nor the signs there one has contracted the malady. Never. given to the priest for the discernment theless, it needs a most devoted spirit of the disease at all agree WIth the symp. to care for lepers in every stage of toms of leprosy as now existing. The the loathsome disease. Think what it , plague in the skin of the flesh' is not means to spend day after day in contact now 'in sight deeper' than the skin with such woe; to witness the intense surrounding it, nor does the hair on the sufferings and hear the moans of those diseased part turn white. On the con· victims for whom the diseas'l is reach· trary, it remains unchanged in color at ing a vital part ; to breathe the air made first, but after a time it becomes brittle offensive by the eftluvium of leprosy, and falls off, as the skin loses vitality and wash and bandage the sores repeat. and the roots of the hair die. In the edly; to know that the most which can Old Testament the expression repeated- be done is to mitigate the awful suffer· ly occurs, 'a leper white as snow,' ings and for awhile postpone the end, That evidently implied that the skin of happy even in the being able, by Gurjun the person so atRicted appeared remark. and Chaulmoggra oils, to afford some ably white, which, however, is not the temporary relief. And with it all, the stupefying dulness of intellect induce:::' case in leprosy of the present day. by the physical conditions not seldom reached America 10 sisters in Germany' proves a hindrance tothe reception of the and 2 in England '6xpressed their willhigher consolation. So atvarious points ingness to go. the ministering Christian is baffied. As the work of the hospital widened, Though the Moravian 'Church was its noble foundress began to perceive active among lepers in Cape Colony that its steady maintenance would from 1822 to 1867, the present under- greatly tax her ability, and that it was taking dates only from the last of those desirable to provide for its permanent years. Two years prior to this-viz., in continuance. Hence, on January 1st, 1865, the compassion of a German Baron 1881, she made it over altogether to the and Baroness was excited by the miser Mission Board of the Moravian Church. able plight of the lepers whom they ob- The local committee, with Mr. Frutiger, served when on a visit to Jerusalem. a German banker in Jerusalem as treas- On their return home they determined urer, still continued to "have the immeto do what lay in their power toward diate oversight. The prElsent building, the founding of a home for the outcasts. erected on a new site at a cost of about The Baroness von Keffenbrinck-Asche- $20,000, was opened on April 24th, 1887. raden especially interested herself, and The missionary now in charge is the Rev. devoted her energies to the carrying out Carl Schubert, who was installed only of their design, so that she rather than last Easter, having shortly before graduher husband has been regarded as the ated from the Moravian Training School founder of the noble charity. A com- for Missionaries in Germany. Bis exmittee for the more immediate supel·in- cellent predecessor, the Rev. Fritz tendence was formed in Jerusalem, con- Mueller, had served seven years; but sisting of Bishop Gobat, the German the health of his wife had become very consul, the pastor of the Evangelical precarious. German congregation in Jerusalem, and two others. A suitable plot of ground Varying slightly from time to time, was bought outside the Jaffa Gate, and the number of inmates at the close of the Moravian Church furnished the mis- last year was 18-10 males and 8 females, sionaries, the Rev. F. Tappe and wife, 9 Moslems and 9 Christians. Their ages who had previously served for thirteen varied from 19 to 71. One had been a years ill Labrador. The Home was con- patient for 17 years, but most of them secrated on Ascension Day, May 30th, for less than 3 years. 1867. So deep, however, did the Mohammedans' distrust and hate of Chris- It may be asked what are the results tians prove, added to the dislike of any- of all this Christian effort, aside from the thing that resembled restraint and the alleviation of physical suffering and deprivation of the old privilege of beg- want? ging, that not one leper would at first avail himself of its advantages. But Besides making use of opportunities gradually prejudices were overcome, so that present themselves in private conthat by the end of the first year there versation, the missionary conducts rewere 12 patients. In due time two ligious services daily in the chapel of nurses from Germany came to the as- the hospital, and twice a week an Ara· sistance of the manager and his wife, bic catechist, Daughan by name, renders who have besides the help of a man-ser- valuable assistance. And their efforts vant. But there have very naturally have not been in vain. been times of great perplexity. In 1887, for instance, the staff of nurses com- The Rev. Dr. Rondthaler, of Salem, pletely broke down. A call for volun- North Carolina, who visited the hospital teers was issued by the Mission Board several times during a stay in Jerusalem of the Moravian Church, and before it two years ago, said that two thinglil im- pressed him greatly : 1. That the patients of the house are very grateful and as cheerful as possible under the circumstances. 2. That many of them have a hope shown us hitherto. We have found & home in your benevolent hospital, in and an expectation beyond this life, so which we are well cared for.
saddened and darkened for them. Of a You already know what v.e have to go through. God the Highest has visited farewell service which he conducted he us with t.his painful disease. The bur- den which He has thus laid upon us is writes: "How they listened as I read great and heavy, and at times scarcely to be borne. Sometimes we toss about 1 John 1, and went on to tell in simplest on onr beds with inexpressible aches and pains such as human understanding language of the love and sympathy of can scarcely comprehend. But we are comforted, and bear our misery with the Saviour, and how it is expressed in patience, for our kind reception into your hospital has shown us that we are the kindness of His people to them. not forsaken by God the Highest. Here you not only care for us, but have sent Some are still Mohammedans; but.these us such dear house-parents, who do in- deed thoroughly take a parent's place children of Ishmael shared in the audio toward us, and day by day point us to Him who said: "Come unto Me, all ye ble 'Yes, Yes,' which often showed that that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." That affords us they understood." comfort and confidence in the hope that the dear Saviour will once grant us rest The Rev. S. J. Blum, of Philadelphia after this pitiful life, for we also shall have a place in His kingdom. Our who visited the hospital last year, was hearts, honored friends, are full of joy and delight that God still loves us very much struck with the absence of though the world hates and despises us. Yes, we are glad that when our all cries for " bakshish" on the part of Saviour was on earth He always pitied and healed the sick. Those who thought the inmates of the home whom he met they had no need of a physician kept away from Him_ We know, indeed, in the garden of the institution and in that we are sinners, and, therefore, we need a Saviour who will make us free their rooms. He regarded it as a very from sin, and that Saviour is Jesus.
marked evidence of the change in char- And now we beg you to intercede for us that God will grant us grace and paacter ths.t hs.d come over them, for else- tience in our sufferings as long as we continue in this world, and above alJ. where lepers were most importnnate. that He will give us everlasting life. Do help us. Pray fervently that we Had I time I might adduce a number may not perish in our great sufferings.
of happy death-beds that have cheered With heartfelt greetings ft·om all, SALIER. the missionaries during their years of labor. Last year, for example, a young man of twenty, named Beschara, was released from his life of sufferings, re- peating the twenty-third Psalm as the farewell confession of his faith. And others like him have died in confident expectation of that life where leprosy will be unknown.
True, here as elsewhere, there have been some keen disappointments for the Christian workers in oharge. Yet on the whole they have felt themselves re- paid for their self-sacrifice. .
The following letter of thanks, com- posed by Salieh, one of the patients at the tim e of the consecration of the pres- ent building, and signed by all his com- panions, is s.n evidence that some of the poor unfortunates deeply appreciate what is done for them in the name of Christ: DEAR FRIENDS: We who have to bear Then follow the names of all the pain our bodies the wounds, and pains, tients. and whatsoever troubles this leprosy brings ~i/;h it, send you our heartfelt Thus charity that never faileth, by thanks for all the kindness. you have the grace of God implants in the hearts of these benighted outcasts a deep calm and a mo~t Christian resignation, pre. lepers, if the judgment of the medical paring them for the day of heavenly officer of the principal one of these in- health. firmaries is to be relied on. It is fair to emphasize that both these are esti· mates. No census has been taken, nor Leprosy in a. South Amerioan State, probably could be taken owing to the There is ever a melancholy interest in secrecy observed by the victims of the the subject which Dr. Taylor treats in disease and their friends, though there his article on the ., Leper Hospital at seems to be much less dread of the dis- Jerusalem ;" but the time has come for ease here among the popUlation in gen· something more that a morbid sympathy eral than in any other land of which we with lepers. The impression that lep know. The most notable thing about rosy is an exceptional and limited form the consul's report is that regarding the of human misery has perhaps caused the climatic effect on the disease of a local- modern scientist and humanitarian to ity some 1400 feet above the sea with a neglect such investigation into it as they temperature of about 82t0 in the district are accustomed to make into the more of Tocaima, about three days' journey widespread forms of human ill. But from Bogota, where there ~8 a leper asy·, the time has come for special inquiry lum at a place called Agua de Dios. It into unusual, and, as is supposed, infre. was discovered a hundred years ago that quent maladies. Pasteur, for instance, this climate arrested the progress of the is doing this for the malady arising from disease, so that lepers who remained rabies. We learn that there is a com- here rarely if ever died of leprosy, but of mission of specialists appointed for some other cause. There are sulphur England and India to inquire scientifi· springs in the locality, but the lepers cally into leprosy. But that is not broad do not use them. Other people resort enough. It looks as if such a commis- there, and quite a population has grown sion ought to be international. Certain- up about the lazaretto, and the people ly facts which may be said to have been mingle freely and without let with the recently brought to public notice, if lepers. The lepers do not now consti- indeed that is not a rhetorical state- tute more than one third of the resident ment of the extent to which they are population. The healthy people of the yet made known, about the United States locality intermarry with the lepers. The of Colombia, in relation to the preva- marriage does not result unfavorably to lence of leprosy, would suggest that a the healthy party to it; but the children great deal of important knowledge might born in this wedlock generally develop be gathered in that quarter. the disease in a few years, even little The British Consul at Bogota is author. children of four and five years being ity for most startling statements as to victims of it. On the other hand, the the extent and spread of leprosy in that case is given of a leper who bad been State. It appears to have been slowly nearly forty years in this locality who spreading for about two hundred and had passed through several stages of fHty years in that region, though in the the disease, but for the last eighteen last twenty years it cannot be said to years had had no pain or inconvenience have extended slowly, but very rapidly. from it. The mortality of the lepers, A medical review is published in Bogota, however, is far above the average of the the editor of which is recognized as a other people living there. They usually well·known physician, and he makes die of dysentery, fevers, and pulmonary the statement that of the one million complaints, The astounding thing ahout population of Santander and Boyaca, all this is the lack of restraint on the one tenth-which would be a hundred population with a view to limiting it.
thousand-are lepers. The lazarettos of If, >as the Consul says, the people believe ~l;lese districts contain thirty thousand it is both contagious and hereditary, and if from the introduction of a single case scared, haunted, held fast, the African's into Antioquia thirty years ago there can life begins and ends in fear. The chill be now counted eight hundred, what- of fear strikes it at birth and leaves it ever are the authoritiE's about that they only at death. Want, pale daughter of do not set up some kind of hygienic murder, aids to enlarge the depopulated regulations of it? If they are not finan· areas ; the knife of the cannibal threatcially able to isolate the lepers, they can ens them all-unhappy knife, the last have help from the outside world on the weapon of African atrocities! . . • simple ground of ordinary humanity, Sisters of America, shall your souls and and that not of the picture pocket-hand- ours keep silent? In the presence of kerchief sort either. It is not a case so this despair shall we look on with inmuch of sympathy as of decent humani- difference? Have our hearts nothing to tarianism of the common-sense order. ask, our energies nothing to do at a mo- We are near enough neighbors to Co- ment when great work should begin? .. lombia to take a lesson or two from her All Europe is stirred. . .. The past notebook on the subject of national of America gives assurance that it will carelessness on this matter of disease not be distanced by Europe in this great importations and inoculation, and near humanitarian movement. • .' Amerienough, too, to respond to a missionary ca, who sends her missionaries to equacall for aid in carrying the load of a torial lands, will not be indifferent to smitten population in districts where the efforts of the Old WorId, the lands one in ten of the people are suffering of their ancestors, whose conscience is the worst of human maladies. now aroused and whose valor is united for the suppression of the slave trade in J. T. G. Africa.
"An Appeal to the Women of "Sisters of America, your sisters in America." Europe rely on your i.lelp. Christian women of America, the hope of the dis- THE COUNTESS OF GASPARIN. tressed in Africa is in you."
'Ne have received the" appeal" sent The Men Who Ma~e Islam, out by the Countess of Gasparin to the women of America, on the subject of Whoever stops with the life of Muham- African slavery, in connection with the mad and the Quran will not come into a Brussels Treaty; but our space forbids knowledge of Islam, for the Quran alone using it all. We make from it the fol is to no Moslem the sole rule of life; lowing selections, translated perhaps, a and though the Sunni sect may spit little freely : upon the grave of the Khalifs Abu Bekr and Omar, yet without these men Islam "American sisters! Slavery is not would not have survived the death of dead. Nor have its abominations oeased Muhammad. To know Islam one must to dishonor the earth, nor its murders know the immediate successors of Muto stain it with blood. Extinct, is it? No! a thousand times No ! . .. Daugh- hammad-each at once king and pope ters of the continent of light, give it your pity." (Here follow descriptions – who carved out of the broken pieces of the horrors of the slave caravan.) of empire which Muhammad left strewn over Arabia, a strong State, and out of "Slaves of the Arab brigands, the his most casual utterance a canon for African people, small and great, are the the consciences of millions yet unborn. slaves of fear; the slaves of ferocious More splendid illustrations of bold, hatred, man against man, tribe against prompt decision in court or camp, one tribe. Slaves of bestiality, of falsehood, will look far afield to find than are reand of wicked spirit.s led about by storms corded of the four great khalifs, .the and hid in the forests. Slaves of the only" successors" of Muhammad. The devil, the monarch of the dark continent, very peril '-_ the first hour after Mu- that Muhammad could not die. When hammad's death only afforded such men the rumor spread that the great man opportunity to snatch triumph from was no more, the wildest excitement wild and hopeless disorder and over- swept the town, and the crowd that hanging ruin. gathered at the mosque was dazed as with delirium. c. Among them Omar The biographies of Muhammad are arose, and in a wild and excited strain past count. There are as rich resources declaimed that the prophet was not for the reproduction of every detail of dead, but in a trance, from which he his life as of any man that ever inhabit- would soon arise and root out the hypoed the earth. But for what followed crites from the land." Abu Bekr, who Muhammad ?-for knowledge of the men had been for an hour away from the who carved Islam out of the material prophet on a visit to his sick mother, which Muhammad left to them we have came hurrying back to the mosque; to resort to much painful picking in crossing the court he had stopped to dust-bins and out-of-the- way annals. kiss the prophet's face: "Sweet wert Few men are furnished for excursio"ns thou in life," he said, .c and sweet thou of this sort_ The learning, the literary art in death." Finding Omar still qualities, as well as the moral qualities haranguing the people when he reached for original researches of this kind are the mosque, he put him aside with the rare. It is with a sense of obligation memorable words: .. Whoso worshippeth which the literary and religious world Mahomet, let him know that Mahomet is should acknowledge, that we turned dead; but whoso worshippeth God, let him into and have come out of, Sir William know that God liveth and dieth not. " Omar Muir's latest studies into the fragments was speechless .. My limbs trembled, of scattered Arabian lore, which he andIknewoia certaintythatMuhammad prosecuted to furnish to the world a was dead," he would Ray in after years. portraiture of the great khalifs (Sir William persists in the old Romanizing The citizens of Medina had instantly .. caliph") of Islam; or, rather, to be assembled to select a successor to Mumore exact, to give us a noble volume of hammad, and the report of their gather. some six hundred pages, entitled ., The ing was made known at the mosque. It was a critical moment. The mantle of Caliphate :1ts Rise, Decline, and Fall. "* the prophet must fall on one and one only. The sovereigntyoflslam demand- One will search far for more graphic, ed an undivided khalifate. The die bold, and comprehensive historical must be cast and must be cast at once. grouping than is instanced in the first The men of Medina demanded that he few paragraphs describing the death of should be of themselves, for their good Muhammad, and the selection on the swords had saved Islam. spot of his immediate successor. •• Every word wnich ye men of Medina Muhammad died a little after midday have uttered in your own praise is true," in the midsummer of 632 A.D. It is said Abu Bekr, .c and more than true; doubtful if the devoted followers of the but in noble birth and influence th!l prophet had allowed themselves to con- Coraish are paramount, and to none but template the event of his death; and, them will Alabia yield obedience." like Napoleon, he seems never to have " Then," said the men of Medina, .. let thought of what would become of his there be one chief among you, and one faith or his kingdom when it should from among us." .. Away with you," fall into o~her hands. Some of his more said Omar; "two cannot stand todevoted adherents seem to have dreamed gether." The heat of the altercation was great when Abu Bekr arose. .. Ye * .. The Caliphate: its Rise, Decline, and FaIl.,. see these two," said he, pointing to Omar and Abu Obeida, .. choose ye now From Original Sources, by Sir William Muir, K.C.S.I., LL.D., D:C.L. The Religious Tract Society, London. Fleming H. ReveIJ Co., New York and Chicago, sole agents. which of them ye will, and flalute him this book of Mr. Muir's wholesome if as your chief." .. Nay," answered not palatable reading. -J. T. G. these men both at once, ,. t/Wu hast already, at thl! prophet's bidding, led the The Situation in China. prayers, and art our chief. Stretch forth thine hand." He did so, and they We wrote in the November, 1891, REstruck their hands on his, as is the Arab VIEW of "Some of the Causes of the Discustom, in token of allegiance. The turbanoe in China." We have little need men of Medina did likewise, and the to modify the statements there made. supreme power passed without let or But new factors have come into the hindranoe into the hands of Abu Bekr. problem. The" Eastern Question" has become" The Far Eastern Question." It was to no bed of roses that Abu Europe is "fencing" on the Northern Bekr had been elevated. It took a year border of China from Manchuria to the of hard fighting to reolaim the penin- corner-post of India Eussia and China, sula alone. at Pamir. The European nations are not so busy settling treaty matters with There was nothing effeminate about China as they are in playing a larger ~ha men that made Islam. Sir William game for supremacy in Asia. Hence ':links Khalid. the dashing general who the gunboat masquerade in Chinese '''ands in the foreground of these early waters is all that we seem likely to have :r 11 de days of Islam, an extraordinary just at present, while the several Eurown.rrior. "His conduot on the battle- pean powers are coquetting with China fidds whioh deoided the fate of the Per- instead of bullying her. Great Britain, sian Empire, and of the Byzantine rule who was just now trying to determine in Syria, ranks him a; one of the great- with what sauce to begin to serve Prince est generals of the world." But those Chung, has gone to hold a love-feast were rough men made for war, heedless with him in the Imperial Yemen. The of spilled blood; and Khalid, "the London Daily Telegraph found out that Sword of the Lord," as they surnamed it was manifestly the policy of England him, could wed the widow of one enemy .. to be on the friendliest terms with on the field still sodden with his own China, the 'vast realm of the oentre,' soldiers' blood, and later marry another which by the foroe of dominating cirwidow of Ibn Noweira, whose blood was cumstanoes has beoome our [England's] yet fresh upon the spot where by his natural ally in Asia, the interests of both own order he had been slain. But all empires being menaced by the same this study is not mere ourious delving potential foes;" The Speaker gave vent into antiquarian bone beds. It is by re- to the sentiment that it "is of muoh search such as this that we learn what more importanoe to make use of her blam is, what inherently and essentially limits it as a civilization. The [China1against Russia than to trouble dead hand of the prophet stretched out to be taken by the caliphs of four dynas- ourselves about missionaries . . . who ties, reached still further by the par- have no business to go where they are alyzing hands of the four Imams, and likely to be killed." The Western Daily sterility must reign wherever the soep- Press came to see that bullets and bayotre of the Moslem reaches. There is nets were of doubtful utility, because here no germ of popular institutions. " China may be a valuable ally for Eng- Erery year the politioal ascendenoy of land if Russia should ever overstep the Islam gives increasing evidenoe of being bounds of prudence in furtherance of doomed. There has been no progress, her designs in India." The Globe, the there can be no change. Islam stands- Saturday Review, and other leading still. Innovation is worse than a mis- papers write in the same strain. China take. Canon Taylor and his brood of is as muoh afraid of Russia as she is of second·hand critics of Islam will find anything else, and muoh more so when a.ny internal troubles of her own create she will gain the utmost possible for her an occasion for intermeddling with her own and other missionaries; for, with- affairs. Besides, if she can set these out being over· scrupulous about the European powers watching each other spiritual side of their work, she has long they will be the less troublesome to her ago reckoned the missionary as one of for the immediate present. the great factors in her colonial policy But that is not all the change that as well as in every non-Christian land.
has developed. It seems as if there Gltimately all that Great Britain gains were a division of policy among the by courting in North China will be made Chinese rioters themselves. Hunan has to inure to the advantage of the mis- had but one policy. As late as Sep- sionary. But if she and others should tember a conclave of Hunan leaders was utterly fail to protect the missionaries, held at Woochang. They passed a reso· it is not to be forgotten that the Roman lution to drive out all foreigners from Catholics stayed there two hundred the three provinces, Hunan, Hupeh, and years without any treaty; and Protestant Kiangsi. That may be called the Hunan missionaries may find greater defence programme. But if the information is from the fine diplomacy of Divine Provi- reliable, there is a Chinkiang section dence than from all earthly potentates.
which have a different view. These pro- Jesus Ohrist is not dead, and He will overturn and overturn "till His kingpose to lower the tea duties and favor dom comes."-J. T. G.
foreign trade, to employ foreigners ex.
tensively in the army and navy and cus- -Sad news comes from the Rev. Mr. toms. They would build railroads and Annand, in the New Hebrides. The apportion the land tax justly. Some of death of a child of Rev. Mr. and Mrs. them would employ foreign help in in- Lawrie, of the Scotch Free Mission, so augurating successful rebellion. These seriously affected the mind of Mrs. Laware not anti.Christian, nor anti.foreign, rie as to result in insanity. The wife nor anti-progressive, but are against the of Rev. Mr. Leggatt, of the Victoria present Government. church, hung herself in a fit of tem- porary insanity. A young Englishman We have traversed this mainly to show -Mr. Sawer-who had just married a that a good deal of the case has passed lady who went out to become his wife, beyond the provinco of a missionary re- was killed by bushmen, who sent a bulview. For those,who prize military and let through his heart, and killed and naval defence for missions, the imme. feasted on the bodies of two natives diate results of the political jugglery is who were with him. Mr. Sawer's renot altogether satisfactory. The Wuhu mains were brought to Tangoa by Mr. riots occurred last May, but six months Annand. He had been married but two days, and great sympathy is expressed for his young widow.
went by and nothing was done ; Wusueh -The Ohurch M"Ulsionary lntelligencer saw two wretches punished who proba. bestows high praise on the" Cycloptedia bly were not near the place at the time; of Missions," published by Funk & but no dignitary was degraded. The VIagnalls. It says: " This is far and Ichang riots occurred right under the away the most important work on misnose of the imperial representatives of sions yet published. . .. The amount the port, and the rioters were them- of information packed into the closely selves government troops. The brigadier·general stood by and saw the Oatho- printed 2700 pages is enormous ; and lie nuns driven to a horrible death, 'and one is staggered to think of the labor did not turn a hand to pre.ent the out- that must have been involved in its rage. Dr. Greig was tert'ibly maltreated production. It is worthy of AmeriIJa. in Shantung by officials and soldiers. In England we have nothing at all like We have no great grief over the diplo- it." It remarks on what is not in it, matic situation. If Great Britain be- but adds: .. We are afraid these criticomes an ally of China, sooner or later cisms will detract somewhat from our praise of the work; but W(l do praise it, nevertheless, most warmly." Men will feel, it says. that they can no more dis- pense with it than they can with Smith' 8 ,. Dictionary of the Bible."
1892.J EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS
IlI.-EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.
What is the Next Step? cree, we know, t,ook less than ten months to run from the palace at There has been during the past ten Shushan to the limits of the Persian years a widespread echoing of the cru- Empire. Here is a world about twentysade cry: "Let us in our generation five thousand miles in circumference, carry the Gospel around the world!" inhabited by about one thousand mill- It has been discussed in pulpit and ions of people, yet unreached with the press, at home and on the foreign field. Gospel. Christianity holds the strategic Animated and inspired by this motto, centres. Even Africa is girdled and the missionaries in far-off lands have penetrated by missionary bands ; Asia met to consider what ean be done; is occupied, from Turkey to Japan; have held great conventions like that South America is imperfectly supplied at Shanghai last year; have issued their with Christian missionaries, but two of loud calls for" a thousand more work- the greatest of Christian nations occupy ers" at once to enter the field, etc. The the territory north of the Gulf of Mexi- China Inland Mission, Church Mission- co; we have a band of six thousand ary Society, London Missionary Society, missionaries, of six: times as many na- English Baptist Society, etc., have all tive evangelists and teachers scattered appealed for more men and women and over the pagan and heathen world. In money, with a view to the immediate the Protestant churches of Christenoccupation of the fields as yet unsup- dom, exclusive of the Greek and Latin plied, and the vastly increased occu- communions, and Oriental churches, we pancyof fields in which at present there have over forty millions of professed is an insufficiency of laborers. What is disciples who have thousands of millions the next step? of dollars at their command. All the appliances of the nineteenth century are I think we need first of all to realize in their hands, for they represent the that the evangelization of the world in this intelligence, enterprise, and enlightened generation is not a mere wild dream, but force of the world. Who can tell how may be made a fact if the Church of rapidly the Gospel message might be God will have it so, and use the means diffused over the habitable globe if all God has given her. Great things may this available material could be utilized? be done in a very short time if there be a determination to do them. and a After twenty-~ve years of constant proper energy, promptness, and co- study of this subject, and conference operation in action. When the English and correspondence with hundreds of Government wished to take the census students of missions and missionary of India, February 26th, 1891, it was all workers, I am more and more satisfied done in six hours when the appointed that if the Church would but imitate the time came. Arrangements were so com- laudable .. push" and .. dash" of the plete that at the set hour, from aU quar- men of this generation, the children of ters, the agents of the Government light would flood the world with the moved forward within their limited ter- Gospel in as little time as Ahasuerus ritory, and the proper inquiries were disperscd his royal decree from the made and answered and the records BosphoruR to the Indus. Will anyone made. tell us why not?
We have often called attention to the .. Where the word of a King is, thelre energy and celerity with which, in the is power." .. And the King's busines!! days of Ahasuerus, three times the en- requireth haste." These two texts tire empire, that reached from the ought to be our motto and our warrant Golden Horn to the Ganges, was reached for doing this work now and for the with a royal decree; alld the third de- whole world. Back of the Kiug's word lies the authority and the assurance of among people of all classes and denomi- Divine co-operation; the very fact of its being the King's business is the all-suill- nations: cient warrant for haste. Nineteen centuries have sped by, and the King's DEAR BRETHREN : "Elect according to business remains undone; the power the foreknowledge of God the Father, back of the King's word has never yet through sanctification of the Spirit, been fairly tested and proven. Oh, that unto obedience and sprinkling of the the children of God in our generation blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you would at least honestly undertake to see and peace be multiplied." that the Gospel is borne to " every creature" in "all nations" before the gen- Not being" ashamed of the Gospel of eration passes to the great account that Christ," when brought into comparison fix.es eternal destiny! with all the heathen religions of the world, and believing that Gospel to be To my mind, one step that can be the "power of God unto salvation to taken at once toward this world-wide everyone that believeth," we desire to evangelization is to gather for prayerfUl call your attention again to the last conference, at an early date, the leaders commandment of our risen and ascendof modern missions. Perhaps the first ed Lord; " All power is given unto Me conference might be comparatively a in heaven and in earth. Go ye, thereprivate one, in the parlor of some de- fore, and teach all nations, baptizing voted servant of Christ. Why not call them in the name of the Father, and of together such men as Dr. A. J. Gordon, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teach- Dr. C. C. McCabe, Dr. Arthur Mitchell, ing them to observe all things whatso- Dr. Judson Smith, D. L. Moody, Bishop ever I have commanded you; and, 10, I Ninde, Bishop W. R. Nicholson, the am with you always, even unto the end Bishop of Huron, Ontario,J. Hudson of the world. Amen." Taylor, F. B. Meyer, Robert E. Speer, etc., and prayerfully consult as to the In order, therefore, to aid all our wider measures necessary to be insti- churches and Missionary Boards in tuted in order to secure larger results? carrying out this Great Commission, an There are men on both sides of the sea, enterprise has been inaugurated called and women too, who, after a godly sort, the" Cross-bearers' Missionary Reading have been studying this question, upon Circle, .. a course of systematic reading whose minds it has been a burden for and study on the subject of Missions, years, and who have been praying over embracing a period of three years. This it. Some of them we have mentioned movement has been before the churches because we know they are alive with in- about a year, and has received the en telligent zeal for a world's evangeliza- dorsement of many leading men in tion. We yearn to see some such meet- many lands. ing called, where at least united prayer may be offered for the speedy inaugura- The Board of Directors, therefore, tion of that new effort-shall we not say make the following appeal to faithful new era ?-of world·wide missions. Christians in all lands : The Crossbearers' Missionary Read- liirst. For one hundred thousand read- 109 Circle is a growing institution, and ers and students in the" Crossbearers' has undoubtedly a future of usefulness. Missionary Reading Circle," before the end of the nineteenth century. The following is an appeal recently sent out by them "To Faithful Chris- Second. For contributions from those tians in all Lands," with a view to who love the cause of Missions, for the ,"wakening greater interest in Ilissions purpose of establishing this Missionary Reading Circle upon a firm financial basis.
Third. For the hearty co operation of the Christian Ministry in this work throughout the world.
Fourth. To the American and English religious press for the publication of this appeal.
Fifth. That all who desire information concerning the" Crossbearers' MiHsion- ary Reading Circle" should address Pro- fessor Charles R. Foster, A.M., Fayette, Mo., U. S. A.
NOTlll.-The course()£ reading for this year is as follows : 1. "Life of William Carey," seventy-five cents; 2. ,. The Comin~ Kingdom," Jtev. W, W, Wld<lworth, $1 ; 3. .. Life of James Hanning. in London for preparation; meeting in ton, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Af. their rooms for apportionments; cor· rica," Re". E. C. Dawson, M.A., $1; 4. respondenc,e with a few eminent socie- ,. The Great Value and Success of For· ties abroad for work among the actual eign Missions," Rev. John Liggins, heathen.
seventy.five cents; 5. The MISSIONARY The work of divisJon should be ac- complished with urgent prayer and dis- REVIEW, Funk & Wagnalls, per year, patch. I deem it the first and best $1.50 ; 6. Initiation fee, per year, fifty thing to do and be done in Christ's cents. Kingdom. We append a portion of a letter This matter requires no ponderous recently received from the originator of organization, but plain and lucid statethe readulg.circle idea as applied to mis. ments, loving, intelligent minds and sionary literature: hearts. BAREILLY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, BAREILLY, N. W. P., INDIA, Provision were easily made to wel- Aug. 24, 1891. come all workers in the unoccupied dis- DEAR BROTHER: I have received your C. M. R. C. handbook, and am rejoiced tricts of great areas; thus there would beyond measure that your project has taken such good shape. Something be ample room for all existing and aris· like this has been a dream of my heart for years. You have fully taken it up, ing workers, and the very fact of the and it remains for you to fully demon· strate its practicability. I pray that division and nominal assignment being God may help you; for I think there is great power in the idea. It will in· made, and being known widely in all augurate a new erafor missions.. the evangelical Christian communities, You will require tact and push to make a first-class success of it. Nov- would probably increase and arouse to elty may wear off. Pastors may be in. different. Even missionary secretaries effective endeavor for realization. may not see much in it; but you must push right on till the ball is rolling Our Duty in Danger. welL God will help you. Interetlt will grow. Leading men will see and be- The following is a letter sent out by come convinced. J. Hudson Taylor, to the missionaries I hope your movement may send a deputation to the next annual session of the China Inland Mission, in regard of the International Missionary Union, and urge this matter on them. That is to the recent troubles in China: a place in which to .. strike the centre." You will most of you have heard of May I ask the prayers of your Circle the time of excitement through which for the great work going on in this mis· many stations in the Yang.tse valley sion in North India. We are baptizing have passed. -old and young-more than a thousand souls a month. It is hoped that the danger is now passing away, though some fear that Yours, In His Name, one of the secret societies may yet cause T. J. ScoTT. further trouble. The present time seems, therefore, opportune for consid. An Organized Effort. ering the course that we as missionaries should adopt in times of excitement and The subject of" evangelizing the world danger, and several have said that they thought it would be helpful if I gave in this generation" is more and more be- you my thoughts on the subject.
ginning to occupy the minds of men. First, then, let me remind you of the importance in this day of the command This is shown by the following sugges· not to speak evil of dignities, but, on the contrary, to pray for those in autions from Mr. Robert Arthington, of thority. The rulers of this land have often a difficult path : it is not easy for Leeds: them to take our part against their own To partition the world for evangelistic people, and we do well to ~ray that they purposes would seem quite easy and may have courage and WIsdom to act withQut m~terial expense: by interviews firmly and justly; such prayers should be public as well as private. Much may depend on their finding that Christianity promotes loyalty to tl;u~ powers that be, and the giving of honor that," Sufficient is His arm alone and to those to whom it is due. our defence is sure."
Then we do well to recognize that we What a loss it would be if any of them are not here as representatives of West- should t.hink that we relied more upon ern Powers, and that our duties do not a gunboat or a band of soldiers than correspond with theirs. We are here upon the living God! Years of teach- as witnesses and representatives of the ing would not impress them as our con- Lord Jesus Christ. •• As my Father hath duct at such times may do. Moreover, sent Me, even so send I you." Once their sympathy will be drawn out for us disciples mistakenly would have called when they see us willing to suffer for down fire from heaven to avenge the the Gospel, as they so often have to do_ Master Himself; but He rebuked them A time of danger is a grand opportunity and said: " Ye know Dot what manner of being an object-lesson to the native of spirit ye are of, for the Son of man is Ohristians.
not come to destroy men's lives, but to III. The moral effect of our action save them." And again, when the sol_ upon the heathen will, to a considerable diers would arrest our Lord, one of His extent, be the same as upon the con- disciples drew his sword in His defence, verts. A calm and confident demeanor but our Saviour said: ., Put up again will go far to disarm suspicion. The thy sword into his place; for all they people will not be slow to observe t.hat that take the sword shall perish with we are not afraid, and to conclude that the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot we have no reason to be. But if we flee, now pray to my Father, and He shall they are sure to conclude that we are presently give me more than twelve guilty of some of the charges brought legions of angels?" We may safely against us, and will be emboldened to conclude that our use of any weapon of attack and loot or destroy our premises.
defence, whereby another might be in- Even a dog will run after you if you run jured, would misrepresent our Master, away from him!
whose own distinct command to His _ Some of the older members of our disciples was: "Resist not evil, but mission have passed through more seri- whosoever shall smite thee on thy right ous times of excitement than the pres- cheek, turn to him the other also." ent. We have never at snch times re- If, then, it would not be consistent tired from a station; and though hold- for us to use weapons for our own de· ing the fort, has not always secured ns fence, it may be asked, Should we not against a riot, it has often done so, and leave our stations for such places as are, has proved abundantly fruitful in or can be, defended by the officers of strengthening the faith of our native our respective governments? It seems converts.
to me that there are several important An objection may arise in some minds reasons against taking this course, un- that we are directed, if persecuted in less absolutely compelled to do so. one city, to flee to another; to which I. We are in our stations at God's we would reply that we are not told to command, and as His ambassadors, and flee through fear of possible persecution.
therefore have both promise of, and If the Lord suffers us to be driven away, claim to, His protection. We have as St. Paul so frequently was, the re- many of us gone to places far removed sponsibility will then rest with Him; from foreign protection on this very and He will surely work out His own ground. Our risen Saviour has told us purposes through the trial. But let us that all power has been committed unto not retire ourselves from fear of loss or Him; and that, because this is so, we danger; and so doing perhaps leave our are to go everywhere, reckoning His un- Master's sheep just when they most need failing presence better defence than that the shepherd's presence and care.
which the arm of flesh can provide. We conclude, then, that the right We have a rIIre opportunity in times of course, and the best policy alike, is to danger of proving His promises for our- remain at our posts, whenever this is selves, and before our converts. possible. We may well rejoice that it is II. We are continually encouraging so, and that duty does not require the our converts to brave persecution and suspension of our work, for life is short, to snfferloss for Christ's sake, and they and daily the people are dying without are very apt to think that it is easy for God.
us to speak in this way, seeing that, as To us all is given the dignity of be- far as they can tell, we are well-to.do ing ambassadors for the King of kings; and exposed to no danger or loss. When and all His power is at all times behind then we are in danger they will mark us. We may therefore boldly say, very closely our conduct, and judge for "The Lord is on my side; I will not thexnselvEls how far we really beliElve fear. What can man do unto me I"
THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS
IV.-THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
Ohina, Eto. is destroyed, and hundreds of them are fugitives from mob violence. It is too CHARACTER OF THE CHINESE CONVERTS. often forgotten that persecution is the normal condition of the Chinese con- One of the most marked signs of the verts to Christianity. We hear of these times is the altered tone of the secular persecutions only whl'n they touch the press toward missions. A noteworthy foreign missionaries; of the daily and illustration is the championship of the sporadic outbreaks against the native modern mission by the London Times. Christians we hear nothing, for it only The great "Thunderer," eminently concerns the Chinese themselves. To since the death of Bishop HRnnington, support the hatred and social ostracism, has lost no prominent opportunity to with which, as the writer admits, the say a strong word for missions and their converts are regarded, there must be results in Africa and Asia. Its leader genuine, energetic conviction. The'tens some while since. on the" unique and of thousands of converts scattered all extraordinary interest" of the recent over China, with their numbers daily India census, showing the strength and increasing, could not, indeed, be mainculture of the native Christian com- tained for a week from the missionary munity in India. is a masterly presenta. funds sent from abroad, even if these tion of some of the salient points of wer€! devoted to no other purpose. The that new factor in Christian statistical fact appears to be that these converts economy, stout enough in its pleading contribute liberally, and in some cases to have been delivered at an Exeter Hall wholly mo.inta,in their own native pas· missionary anniversary. It is with tors and places of worship." great pleasure that we turn to its editorial rejoinder to a correspondent in THE CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT IN NORTH CHINA. its columns, who signs himself ,. A Chinese," who raises the question whether One cannot but ask whether the the great Christian governments will churches in Christendom are awake to find it worth their while to defend the the fact that "this Chinese Empire may missionaries in China, when they come see a great uprising one day, and that to know that their converts are from the in the near future. for which these lower orders of society only, and arc led churches are in nowise prepared. We to em brace the Christian relIgion from have seen the mighty movements in the low motive of pecuniary compensa- Indio., the great turning to the Lord in tion for their allegiance. The Times Ongole, and the equally sweeping reanswers with the following knock-down vival in the lYlethodist missions of sort of logic: "If the Christian converts North India, and we have stood bewilare the needy and the viciolls, and iftheir dered before' them. The truth is, as motives are wholly those of gain, why Bishop Thoburn says, the people must should it be necessary to persecute them learn to familiarize themselves with the so cruelly, in order to drive them from idea that God intends to save the world; a faith which means nothing but a lit- and if there is a shred of truth in that tle money to them. The descriptions statement, we must prepare our minds lately published in the East of the per- for the contemplation of victories on a secutions of the little Christian com- scale far transcending the little work of munities in Szechuan and Yunnan, dur- to day. "If this world," he says, "is ing the past two years, are heart-rend- to be saved, there must come a time ing. Men, women, and children are when the heathen shall be gathered in murdered by Bcores, their little property by the hundred thousand-by the million." We have somehow at last got a about five hundred inquirers in his field.
glint that this sort of thing may occur which did not cover IDore than about in India; bnt as to China, we have sup one fourth their mission territory. This posed we must wait for generations yet is a fact that Dr. Nevius, with his great before this mighty mass of deliberative cautiousness, says he has not made pub- people can be expected to move, save in lic lest he might seem to be inflating the slow and tedious way with which the prospects. Dr. Nevius is confident we have already grown familiar. that the number of applicants for bap- It seems as if God were about rebuk- tism is understated at fifteen hundred.
ing that sort of timid faith, or, perhaps, But our eye is not merely on that fif- shaming it into bolder belief. Bishop teen hundred. They will not be bap- Goodsell, of the Methodist Episcopal tized without another fifteen hundred Church, just having returned from an standing behind them, waiting their official visit to the missions in China, turn. Any such facts as these mean says boldly that the MethodiGt brethren a movement and mean a movement there have baptized hundreds, and might in which God is. Dr. Nevius speaks have baptized thousands, as the breth- cautiously; and so we may pause to ren have done in India, only that they ask if the present disturbed state of thought it wiser to keep them longer the country, and especially of the North under instruction before baptism, of China, where we read of sanguinary Whether they are pursuing the batter battles just now, in which opposition to course may be questioned; each mis- all foreigners and their religion is one sion must be the judge of its own duty, of the points of contention, will serious- The fact remains that here'is the indica- ly arrest this movement and blot half tion of what may come any day in this of these inquirers off the evangelist's great empire. The English Baptists of "little book." PersonalIy we do not North China are meeting with like en- expect any such results. The Chinese couragement. Applicants al'e standing have known all along that there was at their doors begging for baptillm. The nothing in the foreign treaties of worth Presbyterians in Shantung face a similar to them. They have not been unfaruil- problem. They are going cautiously, iar with persecution, They can furnish and yet the pressure is on t~em. Last a martyr roli,. challenging comparison year's raport showed that they had with other parts of the mission field.
yielded so far as to admit some five hun- We know those who have illustrated dred converts to baptism. But that did this already; and the Chinese Chris- not show the wonderful work of the tians are not given to" backsliding."
Lord, for that was the report for the They have not had easy conditions on current year; and just after that, most which to make their trial trip. It has of the missionaries started out on mis- nowhere put them on a bed of roses to sionary tours, during which large num- accept the Christian faith.
bers were baptized, so the whole num- But it is not that we are concerned ber baptized in twelve months WdS over about just now. Here is the intimation one thousand. Besides these, there -more than that, the prophecy-of were not less than fifteen hundred more what God may do in pouring out His on the rolls of the missionaries as in- Spirit on China. There is already a quirers, or candidates for baptism, many mighty turning to the Lord; and it has of whom would have been baptized had occurred without a great leader, But not the brethren extended their term of let some Chinese Luther appear; let probation quite recently. This is not some Mongolian Wesley send out a all; the eminent missionary, Dr. Nevius, trumpet call; let some mighty leader tells us that he reoently reoeived from a arise like those with which the history native evangelist a "little book" con- of God's great doings has familiarized taining the names and residences of us elsewhere, and tbill revivAl in the North may sweep like the Tartar hordes in a Christian home; with the issues down on the rest of China. The Chi. of the press in every province, ex.
nese characteristics cannot be pleaded cepting not even Hunan, and every.
as against this, for this people is the where more or less knowledge of the mightiest homogeneous mass of human. Christian faith-in the fllce of all this, ity on t.ho globe, and they are not unac· it is not only the triumph of faith, customed at times to being swayed en but the dictate of reason, that in China bloc by great impulses. we should "attempt great things for It may be a chimera of the imagina· God, and expect great things of God. "
tion that a European writer suggests that a Chinese general may arise, who, THE MISSIONARY IN CHINA.
flushed with successful revolt against The London Times, in the article we the Manchu dynasty, shall sweep the have already alluded to, in reply to the French into the sea at Tonquin, break criticisms of .. A Chinese" in its col.
Russia in Asia in two, or lead a half· umns, says the writer is evidently in disciplined horde into Burma and In. ignorance of what the missionaries have dill. ; but we are, in China, dealing with done for China, and advises him to con~ a people whose history records great re· suit a catalogne of their pUblications in ligious movements. The people that Shanghai and elsewhere, which, the edi~ could furnish a leader competent to tor says, will show him that, ,. whatever overthrow Confucianism after it had knowledge of any of the sciences, arts, been established in the land for six cen· or history of the West his countrymen turies, burn its sacred books, put to possess, they owe wholly to missiona.
death all who were supposed to have ries." Then occurs the most emphatic any special knowledge of it, and tram. statement, which we choose to italicize, pie it under foot for two whole centu· that" the only real interpreter oj the thaught ries ; the people that could import a and progress of the West to the millions of foreign religion like Buddhism, and in China is the mi.~sionary; and when we one year take to its bosom three thou. remember that European knowledge of sand of its priests to teach the " doc· China is derived almost wholly from the trine;" the peopl<l who could raise a works of missionaries, we may fairly Peter the Hermit like 'rai Ping Hung, say that these men stand as interpreters to rally a crude, motley mass of half.in. between the East and the West." Refer.
formed people, who, baptizing each ring to the charitable work of missiona- other in the name of the Trinity, should ries, the editor says China "had no rush forward in a " Christian" insurrec· efficient hospitals or medical attendance tion with a religious.enthusiasm that in. until the missionaries established them; creased their bravery in battle, and and, in truth, she has no c:'ther now; trained them to self.denying discipline and when her great men, such as Li till they gave the Tartar dynasty the Hung Chang and Prince Chung, are in rudest shock it has as yet experienced- serious danger, they have to go to the such a people must not be counted as despised missionary doctor for that effi.
unsusceptible of great religious impres. cient aid which no Chinaman can give sions and wide.reaching display of re· them."
ligious energy. The Chinese nation may That is not the testimony of a mis· yet take up the religion of the Bible, and sionary magazine, it is the utterance of sweep half of Asia with it. In the face a seclllar journal whose judgments are of the seed that has been sown by mis. supposed to be impartial and weighty.
sionaries and native teachers, and iso· We could fill pages with similar testi.
lated Christians, who are scattered along mony from missionary sources. Rev.
the entire coast, till, journeying its Timothy Richard, in the Chinese Re· length, a traveller may sleep every night corder, for November, makes many sim. ilar assertions. His illustrations are THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF CHINA. much of the same sort, such as that the scientific, industrial, political, and It seems as if we would never have historical books, as well as those on mathematics now in use in China, are done vying with each other in our attranslations made by the missionaries ; and the reverse is true; most of the tempts to show how important a factor translations of Chinese literature into Western languages has been done by China is in the work of this world's mISSIonaries. The mines, steamboats, and railways of China were projected evangelization. We strain after imagery by men trained in the mission schools. The !lducational mission to America and comparisons that shall enable us to was led by a Chinese Christian. The medical schools and high schools in the make real to ourselves what this great interior, in which modern education is had, are illmost wholly those established empire is. From a great collection of by missionaries, and these missionaries are the advocates of reform which will, pamphlets before us, kindly furnished Mr. Richards says, bring an annual in- Come of $1,000,000,000 to China. U8 by the principal societies for this We are very strongly tempted, while study, we select two illustrations. Here writing of this theme, to quote wholesale from a little tract, " The Missionary In- is the last Annual Report of the Amerivasion of China," of the Congregational Honse, by Dr. Henry D. Porter, can Baptist Union, "hich puts the case of North China, other illustrations in point. He says the missionary be- thus: comes the necessary creator of a new secular literature. The first missio!lary "In the past. other Asiatic nations from America gave the Chinese a history have attracted the attention of the civilof the United States and a version of ized world in a greater degree than the Bible. Weber's" Universal His- China, owing to special and temporary tory" was translated by a missionary. causes; but as the whole of the East is Mr. J. Freyer has prepared fifty or sixty becoming better known, and the real standard text·books on various subjects character of its various peoples more of Western science. Dr. Martin's work correctly understood, it is acknowledged on physics is the .special source of in- that China dominates the East, and the formation relied on by Chinese officials, conversion of China means the triumph as well as his three great treatises on of Ohristianity in Asia. The reason for international law. Kerr, Osgood, Dud- this lies not onlv in the immense size of ~eon, and others have published valu- the country and the almost inconceivable works on Western medical science. able multitude of the people. in the The natives have some appreciation of strength of their intellectual and moral this sort of thing, for one hundred and character, and in their indefatigable intwenty literary graduates appended their dustry, but also in the fact that they are names to the request that Dr. Happer making a peaceful invasion of all the would establish his college at Canton, other countries of Asia, and by their rather than at some other point of in- superior ability and industry capturing fiuence. The son of a viceroy, who the commercial and industrial activities learned to read through the New Testa- of those countries from the nerveless ment, thumbs a dictionary made by a hands of the natives. The business of millsionary. Siam is almost wholly in the hands of the Chinese. The sllmt! is largely true of the Straits Settlements and adjacent islands, and they are becoming increas- ingly influential every year in Burma, India, and even in Japan. It is saying very little to observe that the evan- gelization of the Chinese is more im- portant than that of any other race. "
Rev. Dr. Judson Smith, in a stirring pamphlet entitled" Our Missionary Op- portunity in China," has the following: ., The Chinese are at once the oldest, the most numerous, the most exclusive,. the least understood people on the face of the earth. The interval between the thoughts, the traditions, the tastes, the aspirations of this people and those which make up our inner life is nearly as great as can well be conceived. Here in the centre of the Oriental world, fac- ing the sea along a coaa~ of above three thousand miles, in a territory, the natu- churches, as to their rites, teaching, ral Beat of empire, which exceeds the and books. Let the Emperor then send whole continent of Europe in extent and forth his royal decree explaining the constitutes one tenth of the habitable teachings and meaning of the missionaglobe, amid natural conditions of cli- ries through all the eighteen provinces, mate and soil which have made inter- and cause this imperial decree to be encourse with the rest of the world need- graved on stones and placed throughout less, and which have sustained a teem- the provinces in every yamen, college, ing population for a pel'iod far outrun- private school, public hall, in every vilning the entire history of the longest lage, market town, and city, and in lived states of ancient or modern times every great ancestral hall. .. Weare -here this nation has dwelt since quite sure we would like to Bee the Abraham went out from Ur of the Chal- throne thus doing a good missionary turn; but the force of the preacher's dees, and here it abides to·day with un- logic is rather irresistible to the Chinese failing numbers and unbroken strength. It il:l the only spectacle of tho kind which history presents or the world has ever seen."
-There is plenty of uneasiness in taxpayer when he says it would be China; but Dr. Legge says that fifty much more economical for thc Govern- years ago one of the common sayings he ment than to continue to pay so much learned in China was this : "However out of the public treasury for destroyed the empire be disordered and convulsed, missionary buildings and other indem- the Changs and the K'ungs have no oc- nity, for which really the people have to casion to be troubled." He says that he pay in the form of taxes. He assumes then understood that the K'ungs were tllat the foreigners cannot be driven the descendants of Confucius entitled away, for" when stopped one step, they " Dukes," and were endowed with ex- have always gone beyond and taken .tensive estates; but it was a consid- two," so they might as well provide for erable time before he came to understand their remaini~g in some more economi- that the Changs were the Popes of Tao- cal way to the country.
ism. The headship of 1'aoism has been -We are, from various sources in in the Chang family since the ~rst cen- China, hearing of the excellence of a tury of our era, with the exception of book published at Shanghai, of which one interruption. The spirit of the first our bright and brainy friend, Rev. Ar- Pope is supposed to have transmigrated thur H. Smith, of P'ang Chuang, Shanfrom one chief to another down to the tung, is the author, entitled, .. Characpresent time. For now, close on to teristics of the Chinese." We had the nine centuries, these popes have had pleasure of reading some advance sheets large landed estates about the Lunghu of the book, and appl'eciate the high Mountains as an endowment. Weare praise it is receiving. Some American all the while thinking of Confucianism publisher should by all means bring out as the religion of the State in China; an edition of it. It is not a passing but we forget that the temples of all the book, but will be among the standard State gods are in the hands of Taoist literature of the world on China and the ministers. Chinese. Whoever knows the author -A native Chinese preacher has made will be ready to believe in advance that a proposal which the Chinese Recorder there cannot be a dull line in the volume.
translates. It is that •• all the ministers -The Presbyterian Mission at Canof the Western nations at Peking unite ton has resolved, if the way shall open in requesting the Emperor of China to for it, to erect a memorial chapel to send one of the most intimate, greatest, Rev. Wellington J. White,. at Sanui, and most faithful officers in person to the and to develop work around It as a cen- Western portions of China, to examine tre ; they will accept gifts from friends fully the Roman Catholic and Protestant toward the memorial, that thUH, Brother White being dead, may yet I!peak, -The Chinese clearly distinguish Bl. All along the coast the missions have read, between the spirituality and been scarcely at all disturbed. All this worth of the Romanist and Protestant may seem a Chinese puzzle, but the Chi. forms of Christianity. Dr. Stuart says nese are always a puzzle to foreigners. no Protestant chapel was disturbed at Iehang, nor in other cities where the The Chinese Recorder says: ,. Some Protestants had been long enough for things are clear to the understanding of the people to become familiar with every intelligent and candid observer: them. Rev. Mr. Cockburn, of the (1) Preparation 'for the destruction of Scotch Mission at rchang, writes to foreign property had been going on for Dr. McMurtrie: " The American Episco- years under the observation of officials, pal Mission in a native house within the without any serious attempt on their city, the Roman Catholic Mission within part to stop it ; (2) the movement is not the city, also in II native house, and the distinctively anti-missionary; (3) , Chi- Church of Scotland Mission Station out- na exclusively for the Chinese' is the side the North Gate, are all of them safe. idea-official or otherwise, or both ; (4) No protection was given, but everything the Imperial Missionary Decree seemed was as quiet as on ordinary occasions. If to indicate a change of policy at Pekin; Christianity be offensi ve to the Chinese, but the fact appears' that the edict aDd and mission work felt to be a grievance, its publication in the Gazette were ob. it is passing strange that the very centres tained with great difficulty,' and to all of proselytizing should not have a single appearance it has failed to command stone cast at them. What happened at the influence we had a right to expect Ichang should convince all parties that from a document of the kind, bearing it is not this or that individual class of the seal of higbest authority. It is Europeans that is aimed at, but all J!Ju.ro· more than probable that tho issue of the peans, without dis/inction of nationality or hour for us who are in China will be in. occupation." The Roman Catholics are definitely postponed through a combinamore obnoxious because of their large tion of 'circumstances fortunate for the ownership of tracts of land and exten- Government, and as the due reward of sive trade, combined· with their often a finesse that has often proved more incautious. if not questionable, ways of than a match for Western diplomacy." securing childr~n for their schools and orphanages, and the secrecy with which The Recorder also gives the transla. they conduct both trade and schools, tion of a Hunan manifesto: '" With one and also in the very objectionable way heart we offer up our lives … ' they say. in which they meddle with Government The principal points of agreement are in their own interests, than because of the ostracism of individuals and famitheir religion itself. Riots or no riots, lies 'bewitched by the spies' of the the fact is, the work even in the dis- Christian religion ; the expulsion of susturbed centres was only interrupted for picious travellers within the borders of two or three weeks in the latter part of Hunan; the offer of money, war mate- May and early June. Schools, chapels, rial, and troops to carry out any comand even street chapels, and hospitals mand the Emperor might make for the have been opened, and surgical opera. chastisement and extermination of fortions performed as usual. Only in one eign powers showing practical animosity feature does the work vary from ante- against Hunan; also the non-burning riot days-that of the extension into of churches and chapels, because of dan. new stations in the Yangtse valley. The ger to adjoining native houses; all such Roman Catholic missions in North China buildings should rather be handed over are reported to have suffered locally, to the authorities to be sold for the but the work of the American Board in benefit of the revenues." North China has not been interrupted.
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GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE. i51
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
Organized Missionary Work and Statistics. Edited by .Rev. D. L. Leonard, Bellevue, O.
-Scarcely a lie can be named, among America in zeal and liberal giving in all the hundreds afloat concerning mis. behalf of world·wide missions, though sions, more utterly without foundation, to them belongs the honor of being but,. nevertheless, frequently repeated pioneers in the work, and from first to and widely believed, than this; that last they have supplied perhaps tbeir every dollar sent to the heathen costs full proportion of men at once gifted, the sender another dollar. Among consecrated, and successful in reach. others, Chaplain McCabe, on several ing the hearts of the heathen. Ger. occasions, has undertaken to capture man societies number 16, of which 9 and slay this rascally offender, but he (Basle, Berlin, BrecklulD, Gossner's, still lives. The real facts in the case as Hermannsburg, Leipsic, the Moravian, to the economy of administration on the North German, and Rhenish) may be part of our missionary societieEl appear called the prinoipal ones, and 7 le811er in these statements, which, though re- and newer ones, and who8e accessible lating to but four, will stand for all. In statistics are but fragmentary. Tbe ago the Methodist Church (North), of every gregate of ordained missionaries is about dollar received, upward of .95 go direct 525, with 108 ordained natives, and a to the missions, and but .0066 are total working force of 5213. The com. ., sunk" in office expenses, such as sala· municants number not far from 100,000, ries of secretaries, clerks, etc. The the schools 950, and the pupils 50,000. Amet'ican Board sends to the heathen The annual income from all sources is .9225 out of every dollar paid into the nearly $950,000, of which sum about treasury, the Missionary Society of the $200,000 are derived from the mission Reformed (Dutcb) Church .948 of every fields. dollar contributed, and the Presbyterian Board (North) .955 of every dollar. Thus, -The Basle Society had its remotest tell it all abroad tbat it costs fi ve cents beginnings as far back as 1780, founded on an aVbrage to sl'nd a dollar to the a school for the training of missionaries ends of the earth. in 1816, and sent out its first men in 1821. It is undenominational, and reo -For several months the New York ceives support from Protestant churches Independent has been supplying its read· of almost every name in Central Eu. ers, in most liberal monthly instal· rope. Missions are sustained in China, ments, with the freshest intelligence India, and West Africa (Oameroons and from all lands. And among these ap. the Gold Coast). In 1890 the income peared a quasi-supplement of 13 pages, was $230,047; the missionaries num· wbich set forth the home missionary bered 133, with 92 women and 738 na· doings of the various denominations of tive helpers in addition; the communi. the United States. At least 23 of these cants were 11,584, and the school cbil· were reported; or, counting all subdi· dren 10,500. The home training-scbool visions of such as the Methodists, Bap. has an attendance of 80 to 100. Varitists, Presbyterians, etc., tbe number ous industrial and commercial institu· was about 50. A statistical summary tions are sustained in the mission fields, was appended, from which it appears whose aggregate income amount;; to that $5,818,000 was the not insignificant nearly $50,000, and from which a hand· sum expended in 1890-91. some profit is each year derived.
-The Protestant Christians of Ger. -The Berlin Society (for the Promo. many can scarcely claim equality with tion of Evangelical Missions among the their brethren in Great Britain and Heathen) was organized in 1824, and at first undertook only to raise funds and native helpers. The income in 1890 supply men for other societies, in 1829 was $19,400. opened a seminary, and sent out its first representatives in 1834. The course of -The Rhenish Society is located at study extends over five years, and the Barmen, was formed in 1828, though funds are gathered by means of auxiliary the influences from which it sprung societies, of which there are upward of began to operate more than 30 years be- 300 scattered throughout Germany. fore. Its efforts are bestowed upon The income was $79,637 in 1890. In South Africa, the Dutch East Indies its Chinese and South African missions (Borneo, Sumatra, etc.), and China. (Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, Orange With an income amounting in 1890 to Free State, etc.) are 54 ordained and 8 $111,414 ($17,698 from the field), it BUS, l1nordained miss~onaries and 11 artisans, tains 83 ordained and 4 unordained mis. with 430 native helpers. The number sionaries, 13 ordain~d natives, and 558 of. baptized persons is 22,349, of com- other helpers. In the 170 churches are municants 10,892, and in the schools 11,556 communicants, and in the 350 3966. schools are about 6000 pupils.
-The Leipsic Society dates from -Hermannsburg Society was organ- 1836, was founded at Dresden, but after ized by Pastor Harms in 1849, was sus· -about ten years-was removed to the tained by the gifts of the poor, and its city to which it owes its name. In missionaries received none of the culspirit and methods it is Lutheran, and ture of the schools. South Africa and was designed to comprise and express South India are the fields upon which the missionary zeal of that church in the bulk of self-denial and humble zeal Germany, Scandinavia, etc. Its prin- have been bestowed. The churches cipal field is South India, in the Tran. gathered number 53, with 26,940 com· quebar region, the old-time seut of the municants ; and the schools 60, with Danish Halle Mission of Ziegenbalg and 4000 pupils. The 58 ordained and 4 Schwartz. The income in 1890 was unordained missionaries are assisted by $81,090, and $2600 from the mission 240 natives. In 1890 the income reached field. With this sum 25 ordained and 2 $51,792, and the native contributions unordained ·missionaries are sustained, $15,179. as well as 17 ornained natives, and 453 other helpers. In the 148 churches are -On June 11th, 1890, the Norwegian 6911 communicants, and in the 183 Evangelical Lutheran China Mission schools 4753 pupils. Society of America was organizt'd, and soon dispatched its first representatives -The North German Society is Ioeat. -3 men-to China, sending after them ed in Bremen, was organized in 1836 also in 1891 a reinforcement sufficient from various smaller bodies (" unions") to raise the number to 12, including 4 which for years had been in existence; children. Hankow is the seat of the the next year an institute was started at mission. Hamburg, aml the first men were sent forth in 1842. The only field occupied -Over 16,000 Indians are now citi· at present is in West Africa, upon the zens of the United States. During Gold Coast, where, from the first almost the year patents to land have been until now, untold sufferings and dis· issued to 2104 persons; 2830 patents couragements, especially from sickness are ordered, 1520 are approved, and and wars, have been heroically endured. other allotments are in progress. The At the 3 stations are found 442 com· amount of acreage in the 138 reserva· municants, 14 schools with 353 scholars, tions in 1890 was 104,314,349 acres. 9 ordained and 4 unordained missiona· That has been reduced some twenty ries, 1 ordlloiued native, and 26 other million acres. The appropriations for educational work the past year were $2,216,650, or an increase of 20 per 51,410. This is, for both membership cent; for contract schools. $601,000. and families, an increase of about 17 The total enrolment is 17,926-1549 per cent. But the statistics of foreign more than last year; and 100 indi- missions show that in every single par- viduals are in public schools paying $10 ticular this rate of progress has been far per quarter. -yes, many times, outstripped. This table tells the story : -The Foreign Christian (Disciple) Missionary Society lllet for its annual 1881 1891 Iner'se Perc't. meeting at Alleghany City, Pa., Octo ber 20th. The report presented by the Stations…………. 9 15 6 66 Secretary, the Rev. A. McLean, D.D., Out Stations.. ……. 109 166 57 52 was heard with much iuterest as indi- Missionaries . … , . . . . 15 27 12 80 cating good pr0gress in every part of the field. In China the number of Lady" …….. 18 38 20 111 members has increased from 16 to 41, Natlvepastors…… 14 33 19 135 in Japan from 179 to 245, in India from Other helpers, male.. 118 218 100 84 40 to 50, in Turkey from 664 to 691, in U female. 12 63 51 425 Denmark from 131 to 141. The Sabbath- U school scholars number in China 226, in Japan 136, in India 567, in Turkey Chnrches …. …… 35 53 18 51 600. At the two dispensaries in Nan- Communicants…… 2357 5214 2857 121 king, China, 2936 new cases and 6276 Academies. ….. .. 4 14 10 250 old cases have been treated. The expenditures for the year were $71,004. Pupils in Academies. 129 604 475 868 The total receipts from churches, Sun- Day Schools……… 49 119 70 143 day·schools, Endeavor Societies and in- Day Scholars .. …. 1866 4074 2208 118 dividuals were $59,365. The bequests Theological Students. 13 43 30 231 showed a marked falling off, only $1000 Contribntions of Na· having been received as against $12,000 last year. The donations, however, tive Chnrches ..•.. $2372 $7648 $4916 179 showed an increase of $7259. -The gross income of the Missionary -The general statistics of the Evan- Society of the Methodist Church in gelical Association for 1891 show 26 con- Canada for the last year was $143,000. ferences, 2062 churches, and 150,234 members. There are 1227 itinerant -The growth of the work of the Brit· preachers and 619 local preachers; 2535 ish and Foreign Bible Society in 40 Sunday-schools, with 177,639 scholars. years has been remarkable and in every. The collections for the missionary so- direction. In 1851 the year's issues ciety were $134,443. These statistics were 1,137,617 copies; in 1891 the year's show an increase over last year of 19 total is 3,926,535 copies. 'rhe receipts churches, nearly 2000 church members, for 1851 amount to £128,023 2s. 8d.; and over 1000 Sabbath-school scholars. in 1891 they were £285,437 48. 10d. The Of the conferences three artl in foreign expenditure bears much the same prolands, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan. portion: for 1851 it was £103,543 lOs. 10d. ; for 1891. £231,583 16s. 9d. The number of versions was then 148 ; now there are 292. There were in 1851 7 foreign agents, and 2 subsidized for oc- casional servIce; in 1891 there were 27 agents in various foreign countries. There were but 5 district secretaries, with 3 local agents ; there are now 13, with 4 recognized assistants. The local societies in affiliation were than 3809 ; now they are nearly double that num· ber, being 7178.
-Thesn figures relating to the growth -There are about 3,200,000 Presbyof a decade in the Reformeil (Dutch) terians in Scotland. There are 1650 Church cannot but be full of cheer to all places of worship in connection with who examine them. The increase in the Church of Scotland, and 1575 in membership has been but 13, 732-from connection with the Free and United 80,591 in 1881 to 94323, according to Presbyterian Church-in all 3225, or the latest figures-while its families more than 1 church for each 1000 of the have increased but 7452-from 43,958 to population. -The Primitive Methodists of Eng. 11,019 ; and Protestants, 124,,623. The land report 192,652 church members, Dutch Missionary Society occupies this 104,3 ministers, 16,256 local preachers. field.
The missionary society has an income -In 25 years the Leipsic (Lutheran) of £11,099, and an expenditure of £10,. Mission in South India has increased 4,77, Aside from this there was tho from 12 to 27 stations, from 262 to 613 special income of tbe African fund, village~, from 18 to 28 missionaries, amounting to £3313. with an expendi. from G to 17 native pastors, from 75 to turo of £2263, The work of tho society 183 schools, from 94, to 311 teachers, and is carried on entirely in Africa in tho from 1687 to 4753 scholars. Kaifraria mission at Aliwal, North. An increase of 150 members was reported. – The census of the important Basle The Zambesi mission had entailod con· West African Mission, made up to Janu.
siderable cost and some reverses have ary 1st, 1891, gives the following reo had to be encountered; but tho party suits: On the Gold Coast the number sent out by the Board have crossed tho of baptized amounted to 964,7, the in.
rivor and aro now engaged in real mis. crease for the year being 738 ; in the new sionary work. field of Kamerun the baptized number -In 1890 tho Ohurch Missionary So. 256, an incr6ase of 97.
ciety accepted 80 candidates. 31 being clergymen, of whom 24, were graduates; 30 were women, and 19 were laymen. British Foreign Missions. By Rev, Jail. Within 5 years the society has sent out Johnston, Bolton, England.
130 university men, 66 of them gradu. The Niger Mission.-·Though the ates of Cambridge. Church Missionary Society is sending out a deputation to West Africa to ar. -In 1890-91 the· China Inland Mis· range matters on a more satisfactory sion could report 407 baptisms, and the basis, information has just been rec6ived addition of 66 new workers and 19 as· in England from Lagos, through a pri. vate channel, that the native churches sociates, n coming from England, 15 have resolved to secede and to work on independent lines. Unless Bishop from America, 12 from Australia, 9 from Crowther is willing to postpone this Sweden,4 from Norway, 3 from Ger· many, and 1 originally from Holland. The number of communicants is 3000.
-Of the 285,000,000 in India it is course in order to discuss tbe situa. reckoned that only about 11,000,000 can tion with the English deputation, the read. The census of schools registered new arrangement will be in force on by Government (only about half of all, January 1st next. Who the delegates but the most effective half) is, for 1888- from England will be has not yet been 89, in the three presidencies: Madras, published. Much patience and guid. schools, 18,931 ; scholars, 552.152 ; but ance are required in the development a year later. 20,512 and 600,551 respec· of this important field, which is des. tiveJy; Bengal, schools, 64,,628 and tined to become a centre of missionary scholars. 1,4,82.150; but 66,285 and influence.
1,4,91,923 in 1890-91 ; Bombay, in tbe The London Missionary Society's former year: scbools, 17,732 and schol. Report.-There comes to hand the reo ars, 582,853; and in the latter year, port of tbis Rociety, showing that the schools: 11,716 (1) and scholars, 591,627. total income last year was £121,4,55; of -In the Minahassa, the Christianized this £76,313 was subscribed at home, district of Celebes, and upon the north. exclusive of special funds, dividends, ern end of the island, the statistics of and legacies. The native congregations population for 1889 were: Catholics, raised £22,500. On its foreign church 3896; Mohammedans, 5784; heathen, roll the society has 68,000 members, and another 250,000 adherents, with some been called a "black grant" of £2500 1200 native missionaries. There are has been made; and for a period of five about 200 English missionarieB, includ- years the society has ~'mewed its grant ing 37 ladies; and as the centenary of of £500 per annum to the Archbishop'S the society two years hence is approach- Mission to the Assyrian Christians. It ing, a call for" 100 more" missionaries will be sincerely hoped that the grounds is being made, with every promise, from for the recent complaints of the Amerithe appearance of the first-fruits, of a can Presbyterian missionaries respectgoodly harvest of laborers, accompanied ing the attitude of the representatives by B generous liberality. The Chronicle, of this mission may be wholly removed which the Rev. George Cousins edits at an early date. The society has also with sterling ability, will next year be promoted medical mission work by its considerably enlarged, have more illus- grants on behalf of the medical and surtrations, and contain a series of articles gical training of women. covering a wider area of topics than has latterly been possible. Progress in Nyassaland.-Veryen- couraging accounts are told of the phys' Contributions to Church of Eng- ical and civilizing development of the land Missions by the Society for Pro- region about Lake Nyassa. The white moting Christian Knowledge.-At one influence is united, native tribes are at time and lI.nother the society has helped peace, and have confidence in the white in the endowment of 44 colonial and man. Vice·consuls are being appointed, missionary bishoprics, and, this last while" customs," police, and postal matyear its grants for church operations ters are in process of establishment. abroad have been made on a liberal For the fertile land there is quite a rush scale. It has promised a grant of £5000 among the traders and others, and agri. toward providing Tinnevelly with its cultural prospects are cheering. It is own bishop, reviTed a lapsed grant of now proved, after fifteen years of ex- £500 toward the endowment of the perience, that Europeans caD. live in bishopric of St. John's, Kaffraria, and comparati ve health on the uplands in has voted £750 toward the additional Central Africa. Dr. Kerr Cross, who endowment of the see of Mauritius. In returned this year with his bride-a aid of the initial expenses of the New daughter of the late Dr. Turner, the Guinea Mission H has made a grant of famous South' Sea missionary, whose £500, and placed £1000 at the disposal death occurred this last summer-says of the Bishop of Mashonaland toward that one can sail from England up the the expenses of his new diocese. For Zambesi and Shire to the foot of the the dioceses of Colombo, Athabasca, Murchison Cataracts. He believes that and Mackenzie River the eum of £1500 Africa can only be developed by Afrihas bE-en voted to meet sums otherwise cans, and hence it is the duty of the raised, and, in assisting the building of planter to persuade the natives to labor, churches, chapels, and mission rooms build, and live on his or their own and stations in foreign lands as much as plantations. In this direction the civ- £10,615 has been voted to upward of ilizatory part of the missionaries' task 130 cases. These buildings range in at Blantyre and Bandawe has been most size from log churches to cathedrals, successful, to which Mr. Joseph Thomand the grants cover all parts of the son, who has just returned from Lake world as widely apart as the back settle- Bangweolo, pays a glowing compliment. ments of Northwest Canada, the islands Missionary friends in Scotland are eagerof the Pacific, the palm.set plains of lyanticipating the arrival of Dr, Laws Southern India, and the wide stretching this year. veldt of South Africa. To help in the training of a native ininistry, what has Welsh Calvinistic Methodist For- eign Missions.-Two missions are supported by this branch of the Church- member which they contribllte to the one on the Khasia Hills, in India, and bep.eficent work of the Church. the other in Britanny, the former being established 50 years ago. The native -The Northern Presbyterian Church churches number 80, with a membership has 4 presbyteries in the synod of the of 6190, including communicants, pro· Indian Territory–in the Choctaw, bationers, and children, while the total Chickasaw and Creek nations-includnumber of those who frequented the ing 62 churches and 1823 members. services and had renounced heathenism None of the churches have ministers, was 8900. The total income of the mis- but they are served by home missionasionary society amounted last year to ries and stated supplies. The Southern £7952 from collections, donations, and Presbyterian Church has 1 presbytery other sources. For the mission jubilee in' the Territory, with 13 churches and fund a sum of £25,000 had already come 637 members. The Spencer Academy, in to hand, and not improbably before the connection with this preshytery, is an Bubscription list was closed, the figure important element of its work. of £35,000 would be contributed. -The American Board has put up Miscellaneous. – There is slight $1,000,000 as its goal in annual receipts doubt that the Baptist Centenary for foreign missions. It hopes to reach Fund will reach £100,000, toward which this mark by constant advances, and as a large proportion is announced. Some the missionary impulse grows stronger handsome gifts have been recently made in the Congregational churches. The by the leading Baptists of Lancashire. Methodists have fixed their high.water The autumnal Baptist gatherings in Manchester in October were fully availed mmiasrskioants$, 1~2n5d0't0h0e0yfowrilhlomreeacahnditf.oreTighne of by the missionary wing, and a pro. nounced impetus given to the claims Presbyterian Ohurch has proposed of foreign missions. The Society of $1,000,000 for foreign missions as its Friends, it is reported, is beginning to aim. It is creeping up slowly to that plant itself in the East, particularly in point, having contributed over $900,000 Philippopolis and Constantinople, the last year. ground for a new meeting-house having just been purchased in the first.named -The schools sustained by the vari· place. ous American missionary societies con- tain almost 175,000 pupils, and the Monthly Bulletin. 12,000 Protestant mission schools are training to Christian intelligence an ag- United States.-The Methodists are gregate of not much less than 600,000 jubilant over the fact that their mis- children and youth. sionary society is free from debt for the first time in twenty·five years. Greal, Britain.-By way of inaugurat- ing the effort which has been resolved -The Methodists in San Francisco upon to raise $500,000 as a special fund have had, for five years, a Japanese Mis- to celebrate the centenary of the Eng. sion, an outgrowth of their Chinese lish Baptist Missionary Society, the Mission in the same city. There were treasurer of the society, Mr. W. R. 175 Japanese members a year ago, and Rickett, of London, has just intimated their church is known among themselves his intention to give $25,000. as the Take-a-seat church. -At the recent meeting of the Con. -The Dakota (Indian) Presbytery far gregational Union of England and Wales, exceeds the others of the Synod of Professor Armitage spoke on The For- South Dakota in the average per church ward Movement in Foreign Missions. He called upon his hearers to face cer· tain facts with contrition and sorrow. In 1841 English Congregationalists had 192 missionaries in the field, and in -Two educated negro women at 18lH only 197. He said: "For 50 years Vasten have begun to issue the first we have locked up our hearts in aliena- newspaper in the Congo Free State. It tion of sympathy-not entire alienation, aims to .. enlighten the souls of the but surely a very deep and real aliena· black-skinned. " tion. But a change has come. The Lord has opened the windows of heaven, -The Central Soudan has at last been and now we are discussing the enthusi- penetrated by two English missionaries. astic proposal to send 100 men and Messrs. Harris and White have gone to women into the field." found a mission at Lake Tchad. On their journey, which they made on foot, -Former students of Mansfield Col- they were hospitably entertained by the ege, Oxford, now on the mission field Arabs, being greatly assisted by Mr_ are never allowed to feel that they are White's violin, to the accompaniment forgotten by their alma mater. Each of which he sang the Gospel tunes. term the college appoints a correspond- The valley in which lies Lake Tchad is ing secretary whose duty it is to write east of the Niger valley, and has never to each of the brethren abroad, tell him before been visited by a missionary. of the latest college news, inform him as to the new men who have come, as -The Muhlenberg Mission of the to the old ones who have gone, and en- Lutheran General Synod in Africa pays deavor to make him feel, though far a large proportion of its expenses by away, that he is still a member of the the sale of coffee, which it raises on its college fold, that those with whom he own plantation in Liberia. once studied are men that live in living affection with him and love to hear of Pacific Islands.-Miss Charlotte M. his weal. The absent one in turn Yonge, the writer, recently subscribed writes to the college and keeps it fully $10,000 for building a missionary colinformed of his trials, success, needs, lege at Auckland, New Zealand. and thus feeds the flame of missionary enthusiasm within scholastic walls. -The Presbyterians of Australia and Tasmania are planning to establish a -Two hundred and twelve thousand mission among the aborigines of North copies of the New Testament in Hebrew Queensland. have been distributed among Jews in all parts of the world by the Mildmay -The miSSIOns Qf the American Mission to the Jews. Board in the Pacific Islands are thus described: .. The institute in the -The Irish Presbyterian Church has Hawaiian Islands for the training of always given effective support to :its a native educated ministry is commend- Foreign Missions· Committee. It is now ed for larger support. At Ponape the trying a new experiment with regard to work has been interfered with by Span- – its agents Up to the present its male ish persecution. The summary of the missionaries in India have all been or- work of the Board is as follows: Five dained university men, and their allow. hundred and thirty-eight missionaries, ance has been about £350 per annum. 2648 native preachers and teachers, 410 An influential section of the general as- churches, 38,226 communicants, andl sembly has lately organized the , ••Tun- schools of various grades with 46,403 gle Tribes Missions," the agents of pupils, are the salient and expressive which are to he earnest, well-educated figures. " laymen, with allowances not exceeding one-third those of the present ordained -The Free Church of Scotland. with mISSIOnaries. They propose to begin 335,000 members, raised last year, from their work among the Bhils, and the all Bouwes, a total missionary revenue first laY' a!1ent p.as aJready sailed. for the evangelization of the world out- !!ide the United Kingdom of £113,431. 16s. 3d. ($567,155). Its native com· ing the more popular language of the municants in aU foreign fields aggregate two. The spirit of missions, at home 6620. It supports 51 ordainedmissiona- and abroad, manifestly perva.ded the ries, 8 medical missionaries, and 23 pro. body. Two students came back who fessors and teachers. had been at work on distant fields, one -Next to the Moravians the United in AbYRsinia and the other in America. Presbyterians of Scotland are the mis- Their ordination diffused a glow of missionary church, Their 570 churches, sionary enthusiasm among the pastors with 185,000 members, contributed and elders, and reports from forty-four $400,000 last year, and the gain of mission stations in Italy quickened the converts was 600 during the year. evangelistic fervor. A Scotchman who was present at the Synod has written -In an interesting paper in a recent home that" almost every family among number of The Church of Scotland Home the Waldensians has furnished minis- and Foreign Mission Record, Rev. Dr. ters, missionaries, and evangelists, and Mackinnon, of Heidelberg, calls atten- the supply is only restrained by finantion to the thoroughness with which cial difficulties. Were the gifts for the German missionaries are trained for evangelization of Italy doubled or their work. Their systematic method trebJed, there could be no difficulty is said to be remarkable indeed in com- in finding a corresponding supply of.
parison with the lax preparatory train- able and godly Vaudois to do the work.' , ing in some other countries largely en- The progress of the Church of the Vaugaged in missionary effort. After satis- dois, in Italy, is slow, but it is steady, factory proof of their fitness for the life, and the Church is in no mood to retreat the candidates in Germany are admitted from the old contest with Rome.
to attend the Mission House one even- South America.-Rev. J. MIlton ing in the week for a year. They are Greene, of Mexico, is translating into then entered upon the books of the pre- Spanish, to publish in his paper, El paratory school for two years for in- Faro. Dr. J. H. Barrows's book, "The struction in Latin, etc. After this they Gospels are True Histories." have a. course of instruction of a theo- logical nature, including the study of -The Methodist missions in South the Bible in the original tongue, and a America propose to prepare for the Co· few sessions of medical training in the lumbian Exposition an exhibit showing hospital. The years thus spent are use· the progress and results of their work ful in developing in the future mission- on that continent.
ary many qualities which are of the ut- -Dr. J. M. Allis, of the Chilian Mis· most value in the mission field. The sian, says that " if Balmaceda had been result is that men are sent out who are trained under biblical influence, and if in every way worthy of their work, and his proud nature had been disciplined who undertake it thoroughly equipped by Gospel instruction and Christian for the Master's senice. teaching, there is not the slightest ques- tion that his history and the history of ltaly.-The Waldensian Synod was Chili would have been decidedly differ. held last month. Professor Geymonat ent." was Moderator. He presides so well that he is re elected from year to year.
The Waldensians have a fine" Synod- -The Salvation Army has secured a house," erected a few years ago as a strong foothold in Buenos Ayres. Dur- memorial of the "glorious return" of ing the financial troubles it was able to the Vaudois. It was noticed that in the help thousands of men thrown out of Synod the speakers are apt to glide away work to food and shelter. It has a from the use of the French into the thriving farm colony, and is training Italian tongue, which is rapidly becom- Spanish.speaking cadets. -The Synod of Brazil recently hand- reach up to and beyond the average of ed over to Episcopal missionaries in Rio Christian giving of Chinese Christians.
Grande a church with forty members, a The most recent figures for Swatow, day school, and a fund for erecting an supplied by Mr. Maclagan, of our mis- edifice; and did it gladly, willingly, sion there, are 1543 members, who duro and in the spirit of comityand·economy ing the year have contributed $1925.
which Secretary Clark, at Pittsfield, said 'I'he Formosan churches do quite as was so necessary. well; and in Amoy the annual contribu- -Mission work in Brazil by the Pres· tion of the church members is at the byterian Church (North) has been car· rate of more than $2 per head. Chinese ried on principally in the southern por- liberality will always seem to those who tion of. t.he country. But there is a know the Chinese money-making and great field in the north. The southern money-saving propensities, one of the Presbyterians have long been active most convincing proofs of the reality of there. The vast field lying between the Chinese Christianity."
San Francisco River and the Amazon is -Dr. Griffith John, the veteran miscomparatively little known to the Chris- sionary to China, is full of jubilation at tian world. Pernambuco is the chief the recent imperial edict opening the centre of this region, a city of 120,000 province ot Hunan to Christian teachinhabitants; in commercial importance ing. He says that its people are brave, one of the first in the republic. It' is manly, and straightforward, occupying the centre of the great sugar tr~de of the very highest positions as civil and Brazil. and the port of three States- military officers. They are proud, ex· Rio Grande do Norte, Parahyba, and elusive, and anti-foreign to a degree Alagoas. Three railroads in operation extraordinary even in China. But now unite there, connecting the city with that the door is opened they will be acthe northern, central, and southern cessible, and when once converts are parts of the State. Mission work is won and a footing gained there the adbeing prosecuted here with vigor and vance will be rapid.
success. -There is an apparentlywell-ground- ed expectation that the cultivated classes -The natural result of the growth of of Japan are only waiting for the con- Protestantism in Brazil is an urgent, an sent of the Mikado to embrace Protestant irrepressible demand for more ed ncation Christianity in a body. The Deshisha, -higher education. Under ordinary founded by a Japanese boy, converted circumstances the absence of such a de- by rpading a single leaf of the New Tesmand would argue the failure of the tament and educated in Phillips' Acadwork. By God's providence a new emy, Amherst, and Andover Seminary, order of things has been set up in Bra- has more students than all three of the zil, for which the ProtAst.ant ferment is institutions named. in some measure responsible. This in- tensifies the urgency of the demand. India.-A Moravian missionary named Letzen, with his wife, certainly ought China.-The Presbyterian missiona- to be written with those who love their ries in Manchuria have encouraged the fellow· men. }'or thirty years he has native Christians to form a native pres- been preaching and working at a stabytery.
-The Presbyteriom, Messenger, organ tion in the Thibetan mountains, with- of the English Presbyterian Church, out the sight of a European face, and says: ,. Without entering on any jeal- with the post-office fourteen days' dis- ous comparisons, it is permissible to re- tant, separated from them by the high joice in the fact that the members of passes of the Himalayas and dangerous our own churches in China and Formosa streams. -A native Christian, to the saliMfac- work upon it. The brickmakers and tion of the bar, the bench, and the pub- bricklayers, the painters and carpenters lic, has just been appointed Adminis- wele natives trained in the mission; trator-General of Madras, India ; and a and the hewers of wood and drawers of native Ch.ristian girl··-a graduate of one of the Christian colleges-has been ap- water were the very men who a few pointed to the charge of the post.office years before had sought to destroy the at Mandapasali. work. On May 10th the work was com- -The Gospel of Matthew, now being pleted and the church dedicated. It printed at Bangkok by the American will seat in the nltv!) and transept 200 Presbyterian Mission press, is the first move toward giving the Bible to the people with eltse, and 400 could be oro- Laos in their own language. This is vided for without passing the chancel. printed i)1 Siamese letters, but it is The wi.J.dowB are mostly memorial winhoped in the near future to give the same in the Laos letters also. dows of stained glass, and most of the fittings have been presented, including -A •• prayer-meeting" attended by handsome lamps, draperies, a bell and Hindu students of the several colleges chairs, communion table and readingin Lahore, India, is held in Mission College boarding-house every Sabbath after- desk. noon. This is in no sense a Christian prayer-meeting, and with it the college -An English Baptist m1ss10naryauthorities have nothing whatever to lir. Stapleton-writing of the ferocity do. The Mohammedan community, of the Bimgala tr1bes on the Upper too, is similarly affected.. A recent organizatiou, caJled the" Young Men's Congo, among whom he and his associ- Mohammedan Association," the secre- ates are attempting missionary work, tary of which is a graduate of a COllege, reports a .:£!gut between two villages, in announces as its object the spiritual and which thi/women took part, after which mor!>l welfare of the young men of the community. "Divine service" is regu- the victors danced in high glee, and larly conducted in four or five different brought in the bodies of those they had halls of that city; and the newspapers tell us of the" impressive sermons" and slain, presenting a sight so sickening the" earnest prayers" offered on such that it was difficult for the missionaries occasions. to eat or to sleep. The conquerors 4frica.-A very practical demonstra- cooked the bodies of their victims; and tion of the progress of missions is gi ven in the view published in various Eng- two days aft€r a lad walked into the mislish journals of the Scotch Presbyterian sion statio'l carrying on a plant.ain leaf Church, recently completed at Blantyre some of the flesh that had been roasted. in East Central Africa. The mission established seventeen years ago has passed Mr. Stapleton says: through every stage of discouragement and prosperity. At one time the fierco ., One of the men killed at Mampoko tribal antagonism threatened to extin. was a slave of the chief. He had worked guish it; but though the whole surround- for us some three months, and but the ing country was raided, the mission and I>vening before was engaged on the sta· the mission people were respected. In tion. In the morning he is killed, and 1888 the foundations of the new church in an hour or two tossed into a grave wefe laid, and !lince the!). !Ill have been at , unwept, unhonored, and unsung.' The people wanted to eat him, and would have none so, but his master refused to cut off his head, a necessary preliminary to the feast. Another man comes to the fight in full vigor; in twelve hours h1s bodv is cooked and eaten; while to burn alive a poor, sick, deserted woman is regarded as a huge joke. Yet usually these Bangalas are merry, manly fel- lows, very friendly in conversation, and quite demonstrative in their affection; but when the 1118t of blood is upon them deeds which fill us with horror are the merest incidents of the fight to them. "
The Missionary Review of the World — January 1891
J. M
MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XIV. No. t.-Old Series.–J ANUARY.–VoL. IV. No. t.-New Series.
L–LITERATURE OF MISSIONS.
FALLEN ASLEEP-REV. JAMES M. SHERWOOD, D.D. Like it winter avalanche in the Engadine-sudden, swift and inevitable-Deathcame to our beloved, associate editor, on October 22d. He had been, as usual, at the weekly prayer service, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, the week previous, and had spoken-all unct'>nsciously-his last public words. At the close of a brief, but earnest and impressive address, he faltered a little, said, "Let us pray," and sank back into his seat, speechless. He was tenderly borne to his home, and, after a few days of flickering flame, life's lamp went out so quietly that the exact moment was scarcely perceptible-let us not say "went out," but was transferred to another sphere to burn and shine forever. This departure withdraws from earthly scenes a man who had a large circle of friends. He had been preacher, pastor, author, editor, and in every sphere of activity he touched nothing which he did not adorn. He was not cut off prematurely, for he was in his seventyeighth year; and his years were packed with various and versatile endeavor. Born in Fishkill, N. Y., in 1813, he had only a common-school education, and entered, as clerk, his father's store in Johnsville; until, feeling in him the resistless impulse, toward the ministry of the Gospel, he, with his father's consent, turned his steps toward the pulpit, was taken under care of presbytery and studied theology with the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Fishkill, Rev. Robert G. Armstrong. At, the age of twenty-two, he was licensed to preach, and subsequently served churches in Mendon, N.Y., New Windsor, N.Y., and Bloomfield, N. J. In each of these churches he left his mark both as a preacher and a pastor.' He also acted as evangelist for a term in Milford, Conn. After his health seemed to demand a change of occupation he found a fitting sphere for his busy brain and ready pen in the gi'eat republic of letters. His work as editor of the National Preacher, Biblical Repository, New York Evangelist, Eclectic Magazine, Princeton Review, Hours at Home, Homiletic Repiew, and MISSION-
FALLEN ASLEEP-REV. JAMES M .. SHERWOOD, D. D
ARY REVIEW, has entered, into the unchangable record of history. He was the founder of Hours at Home, which was, in a sense, the parent of Scribner's Magazine; and the richness, variety, and marvel- lous success of the Homiletic Review, none know so well as the twenty thousand readers who study its pages.
Beside all his occasional papers, published in the leading maga- zines and periodicals, he wrote the "History of the Cross," and edited a new edition of the "Life of David Brainerd." He had also written a voluminous work on "Books and Authors," which has not yet ap- peared in print.
Such are the brief outlines of an intellectual life that extended over half a century. He was thrice married; his first wife was Miss Amanda Carpenter; his second, Mills Jane E. Lamberson; the third, Miss Annie Clarke, who survives him, as do also his five children.
We have never known a man of larger capacity for work. No one who knew him would have suspected that he was far on the way toward four-score years. And there was not the slightest sign of intellectual decadence. Up to the last his mind worked with all its pristine vigor and versatility. To the very day when paralysis struck him, he seemed as fresh and young, mentally, as in the years of early manhood, and he actually worked from fifteen to eighteen hours out of every twenty-four.
He was an embodieo, conscience. Duty was his polar star. Indeed, he had but little patienc~ with anything wrong, ignoble, di3honest. In his vocabulary the word" expediency" was not found. Right was his only might, and principle his only policy. There were those who possibly construed as severity what was only an uncompromising adherence to right and righteousness. I,ow moral standards and equivocal moral practices could find with him no toleration, and but little forbearance.
Religiously he was a thoroughly evangelical disciple. He knew no theology but the old theology of Paul. That was good enough for him. He regarded the new notions creeping into the doctrinal beliefs of our day as signs of degeneration and disintegration. He believed implicitly the Word of God and the whole of it, and bowed in humility before tIle mysteries he could not explain. To no work of his life did he give himself with such absolute heartiness as to the editing of a REVIEW whose grand object was to promote a world's evangeli-' zation. ,He was especially desil'Ous' to live till he might see this, the last and most precious work of his life, established on a basis of permanency and having a world-wide circulation.'
As a man, especially in his own household and within th~ circle of intimate friends, we cannot in these pages undertake to photograph his character. There are some secrets that cannot be unveiled to the common eye-they refuse to emerge from their privacy; they lose their beauty by disclosure. It is enough to say that 'he was most bel6lved by those who best kRew him.
Our readers will no longer read his words or feel the pOWEl'!' of his guiding hand in shaping the content·s of this REVIEW. His work here was invaluable. Although his duties, as simply editor, gave him little leisure as a 'Writer, and it was only in an occasional paragraph or a more infrequent article that his hand was seen, even while hidden, it still moved beneath the whole structure of this REVIEW. He was constantly seeking to engage the most competent pens to contribute to its columns, and was always on the alert to improve its quality and increase its circulation and enlarge its influence.
He rests from his labors; we devoutly believe that his works will follow him.
"MORS JANUA VIT.LE."
It may be well for the editor to add that, being left now in sole <lharge of this REVIEW, he proposes some minor alterations, which will be noticeable in the present issue. The number of departments will be less, and the fine print, so trying to many eyes, will be abandoned. Instead of letters from abroad, we shall venture often to give only their substance, and notices of books will appear on,Iy as editorial notes. The Monthly Bulletin will be simply an appendix to General Intelligence, in the briefest and most compendious form, presenting the latest news from various fields, etc. And, in view of the unselfishness of our work, which is undertaken solely for the promotion of the Kingdom of God, we again ask the prayerful, sympathetic co-operation of all who daily pray " Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done In earth as it is in heaven."
SYSTBMATIC GIVING.-To raise large sums for missions we have no need to depend on a few large givers, but only to "organize the littles." Dr. Guthrie eloquently urged hundreds of the poorer folk to take subscription cards and fill them up with such sums as they were able, from a sixpence to five shillings; and explained to them how the drops unite in showers, the showers produce rills, the rills, rivers, and the rivers make the sea! Not six hours after his speech a poor woman in Currie's Close had collected from scavengers and night police and basket-wives and match-sellers-and beings who live no mortal can tell how, over half a sovereign! And a little woman, who sat in all weathers on the street selling eggs from her ba8ket, brought in five shillings, the earnings of many a day's labor.
LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY
LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY. [EDITORIAL. ] On the map of Africa, which history is making, these two names will be engraven in letters so large that they will be read at the distance of ages. It may, therefore, be well to put on permanent record some characteristic facts which link with Equatoria and with each other-David Livingstone and Henry M. Stanley.
DAVID LIVINGSTONE, born March 19, 1813, died April 30, 1873~ having just passed his sixtieth year. Converted at twenty, he was. for forty years, in heart and aim, a mIsSIOnary. Thus have we roughly outlined a life that, within those two-score years, poured forth as much of the costly ointment of a consecrated service as, perhaps, anyone life since the age of the Apostles.
He was a man of singular force. As Sir Bartle Frere said, "Any five years of his life might have established for him, in any other occupation, such a character, and raised for him such a fortune, as none but the most energetic can realize." His last public utterance in his native Scotland seems to have been in Oswell's school, where his closing sentence was: "Fear God and work hard," and these words disclose the double secret of his life. By simple, God-fearing, hardworking perseverance he traveled 29,000 miles in Africa, .and added to the known regions of our globe a million square miles; he discovered Lakes 'Ngami, Shirwa, Nyassa, Moero, Bangweolo, the Upper Zambesi and other rivers; he unveiled the Victoria Falls that surpass Niagara; revealed the high ridges that flank the basin of the central plateau; first, as a European, compassed Tanganyika and gave it its true orientation; explored the geology, and hydrographyfauna and flora of the continent; nd so grappled with the two great enemies of man and beast, in Africa–j'ever and tsetse-that he himself said those two words would, at his death, be found engraven on his heart.
To energy he joined industry. What Livingstone was, as a scientist and explorer, the world does not yet fully know. His powers of mind were but medium, and his early opportunities were but meagre. But, like William Carey, he could" plod;" and rigid economy of time, yoked with patient resoluteness, gave a momentum to his life which native genius and great advantages often fail to secure. In the factory at Blantyre, where attention to his cotton-spinning was necessarily incessant, it was only fragments of time-often less than a minute-that could be spared from his work; but those fragments he gathered up, and it was upon solid and substantial diet that he fed his growing mind. In the books he read as a lad we can see the germs of his scientific career as a man. He was also careful in details. That famous" lined journal' of his was a quarto volume of over 800 pages, where the plain, neat writing is a model and a marvel -of pains and patience. The mind that, even in African wilds, found Telaxation in "Smith's Dictionary of the Bible," will not be charged with lightness or waste of time!
He was certainly ve1'satile~' and what great questions he studied! the dessication of Africa, the possible utilization of her great rivers, .as water highways; the physical structure, geology, climatology, botany, of the tracts traversed! Then, again, we find him translating hymns into the Sechuana language, and adding to all else the toil of book-making, in which, perhaps least of ali, he was a success. This was the only task he did not approach with that enthusiasm, without which he himself said that nothing either good or great is done. Book-making was to him a mere task, to which even crossing Africa was far to be preferred. But it is no marvel if a man, shut in with pagans and for years without contact or converse with a white man, not to sayan Englishman, should feel that he had none of the facile <Jommand over his own tongue, and none of that leisure to digest and .assimilate his own material, which are needful if a book is to be any- thing more than a printed jou1'llal.
Livingstone's services to science were too great for hasty recognition. The accuracy with which he traced his course and marked his geographical points, leaves almost all other explorers behind him. His astronomical observations, his dilicovery of the fact that the In- terior is a plateau intersected by various streams and lakes, whose waters reach the ocean through great fissures in the flanking hills; and his manifold contributions to every department of natural science, compelled even sages to say that such various and versatile suc- .(lesses were without precedent.
Traveler, explorer, geographer, astronomer, zoologist, botanist, physician, missionary-what a many-sided man! What accurate observation of details! What husbanding of results! He brought home twenty-five different sorts of fruits; told of oils, dyes, fibres, varieties -of sheep and vegetable-products of which even the Chamber of Commerce knew hitherto nothing. In May, 1855, the Geographical Sodety decorated him with their highest honor, the gold medal; London, Glasgow and Edinburgh conferred on him the freedom of their dties, while he who loved to minister but not to be ministered unto, shrank from publicity and courted retiracy.
Humor is a conspicuous element in all great natures. A hearty laugh, genuine and generous, somehow inspires confidence. Livingstone's habit of seeing the funny side of things saved many a tragic ending and tU1'lled many a tragedy into a comedy. He writes to his daughter Agnes, about his almost toothless jaws, that if she" takes .any more kisses from him it must be through a speaking trumpet." He declared the sight of a soko (gOt'ilIa) nauseating, and that he is so bideously ugly that he could conceive no other use for him than" to sit for a portrait of Satan." When showing his lantern-slides-the only service for whose repetition the natives clamored-it greatly amused him that those who stood on the side where the slides were withdrawn shrank back in mortal terror lest the mysterious figures that so magically appeared and disappeared should prove wandering spirits and enter into their bodies!
.Duty was his watchword. He was an incarnated conscience. In the scales of a candid mind he weighed eve)·y question, and, aftercarefully considering a course, judged for himself; and then dared to act independently, even though against the remonstrance of his best friends. To keep his word and to do his work was the double motto of his life.
Such elements of character always crystallize about a strong will. His favorite maxim was" Try again!" His persistence and perseverance were heroic and herculean. "If I live I must succeed in what I have undertaken; death alone will put a stop to my efforts,'" were his words in 1866, and they proved prophetic. Half-starved on tough and tasteless African maize, even his goats lost, and milk denied him; his medicine-chest stolen; in the heart of Africa without resource or defence against a thousand ailments, like a warrior without weapons at the mercy of his foes; afterward, narrowly escaping' death thre!l times in one day, and then almost dead of debility and disease;-not one man in a million would have gone forward. Especially when, in 1872, Stanley himself begged him to return with him to England, he never flinched from his resolve to remain in Africa. Nay, when a strange presentiment burdened him that he was on his last journey and would never reach its goal, he pressed on, praying' that before he fell he might work out his purpose!
Self-denial was, from the first, a habit. Privations and sorrows he accepted and expected, as Moses did when he calmly exchanged the treasures and pleaBures of Egypt for a share in the afflictions of the people of God. Rather than sacrifice Africa's good he would spend his last penny, surrender his dearest gains, and give up his last drop of blood.
Such was THE ~IAN who, beyond all others, henceforth stands in history as the heroic friend of Africa. Mr. E. D. Young, who knew him so long and so well, pronounced him" the best man he ever knew.'" Such filial trust in God, such a childlike, Christlike spirit, such loyalty to duty, purity of motive, simplicity of aim, energy of purpose and unselfish love, united to make his life one grand sermon. The iron pen of action, held in the hand of resolve, wrote out its sentences in living deeds on history's imperishable scroll, for all future ages to read in letters of light!
Iile was a man of great faith. His strong but simple confid~nce· in God's providence was the north star of his life. He saw how every' crisis of his life turned upon some seemingly trifling event, as a door swings on a hinge-but the hinge argues a workman who knows how much to hang upon it. He remembered how the chance reading of Dick's" Philosophy of the Future State" led him both toward faith in the unseen and toward a reverent philosophy of science; how Gutz- laff's appeal led him to be a missionary and a medical missionary, too; how while the opium war closed China against him, Moffat's visit wedded him to Africa and to his beloved" Mary" ; how the friendly word of a director procured for him another" trial," while his dangerous illness in London strangely shaped his unconscious future.
He learned also that the leadings of Providence, like the subtle sense of the Inspired Word, are to be read not by the natural but by the spiritual eye; and he sought, by specific prayer for guidance, to cultivate the" single eye," that there might be no dim or confused vision; and carefully watched every motion of God's beckoning hand, pointing finger, or guiding eye. One text gave telescopic range and microscopic delicacy to his vision: "In all thy ways acknowledge Htm, and He shall direct thy paths." This trust in God's providence discerned good and cause for gratitude even in trials and troubles.
Apparent calamity became a storm signal of the will of God; and when, in the death of his wife, that nameless sorrow which finds no earthly balm smote him, his only answer was that great petition of his life: "Fiat, .Domine, voluntas tual"
He believed in special providence. Even among men it is the great minds that give heed to minutire: the astronomer grasps an infinity of small things; the general-in-chief commands the least details in his wide survey of camp and campaign; and so God is not so high above us as not to "number the hairs of our head."
Such a man, of course, loved his Bible, wrote on his heart its pre- cious promises, and became so absorbed in them that he was indiffer- ent, if not insensible, to praise or blame; and, that he might neither be misled nor inflated by human approbation, he made it a rlile never to read or preserve any words ofpraise-which resolve, of itself, marks him as a most uncommon man. While in Manyuema, he four times read his Bible through; and when in Ulva Cottage, in Hamilton, I took that very book in my hands, I saw dimly through my tears the evidences upon its worn pages of the singular devotion of its la- mented owner.
Whatever Livingstons may be in history, in his own eyes he was, first and last, simply a missionary. Charles Gutzlaff's "Appeal for China" first set his heart aflame; but, when his early longing toward China was transferred to Africa, the fire of his enthusiasm lost noth- ing by the transfer of those live coals to a new altar of service and sacrifice. ' When he began his work his conception of himself was that of a mere missionary laborer, but better acquaintance with Africa's wants and woes gave breadth to his aim. He said there was need of one whose plans would embrace a whole continent and its whole. future. The entire land must be surveyed and mapped out; the accursed traf- fic in the bodies and souls of men abolished; the resources of the country developed, and new facilities devised for travel and traffic. Before the missionary could go, his path must be explored. Some John the Baptist must go before Jesus to make a level highway for our God. And this humble missionary-worker unconsciously devel- oped into the MISSIO~ARY GENERAL AND STATESMAN. Restraining the natural impatience of visible progress, he was willing to wait a century for the fruits of his works to be seen; as he grandly declared, the "END OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL FEAT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE EN- TERPRISE."
And so this humble man had a passion to act as a PIONEER, and open a path for others to follow; if he could not himself sow the seed, he could break up fallow ground, where as yet neither sower nor reaper had ever trodden.
Livingstone's ideas of mission work were evangelical and catholic. He offered himself to the London Missionary Society, because its sole aim was to send the Gospel to the heathen; setting up no par- ticular form of church order, but accepting laborers from different denominations, it concerned itself mainly with rearing churches of Christ on Pagan soil. Paul's motto was also Livingstone's: "THE REGIONS BEYOND." He took no "other man's line of things made ready to hand," but yearned to preach Christ where He had not hith- erto been named. As he told the directors of the London Missionary Society, he was at their disposal to "flO anywhere provided only it be FORWARD." The views of Blantyre's great hero, as to missions, are such as we wish might prevail everywhere. "Vith him the foremost law of mis- sions was NOT CONCENTRATION BUT DIFFUSION! However important to secure conversion of individual!'! or of communities, the field is the Vorld, and seed, scattered broadcast over the whole area, is far bet- ter than seed sown however thickly over a limited area. Ve are to seek to sow the whole field, rather than seek harvests however abun- dant in any part of it. He favored colonization, transplanting a body of Christian workmen into the midst of the dark places of the earth and the habitations of cmelty, to show how men and women in every calling, may "abide therein with God;" and he yearned to see twenty . 01' thirty families going together, at one time, to build up a Christian community in the heart of paganism. He gauged missionary success not by the shallow showing of so many converts for so many pounds, shillings and pence; but by the diffusion of better principles which no statistical columns can exhibit, any more than Babbage's calcula- ting machine could suffice for a barometer 01' a thermometer.
He was, in every best sense, a missionary martyr, both in witnessing and suffering. "Sacrifices" he would not call them; but they were many and great. Often soaked with drenching rains; his bed, the coarse, damp grass; his food, bird-seed, roots, African maize; forty timE)s scorched in the furnace of fever; what words can tell the agony, when, April 27, 1860, he left his dear "Mary" in the grave at Shupanga, and turned from her dust to find the only balm for his broken heart in seeking Africa's redemption! Three years later he must have touched the bottom depths of trial. His wife dead, his <lhildren orphans, his expedition recalled, his very efforts to serve God and man apparently turned by Satanic ingenuity into instruments of {lviI, isolated from all true human companionship, with the prostra- tion of disease added to all the vexation of delay and disappointment, how many men have ever faced such environments without suicidal ~e~pair? Seven years later, long without tidings from home,or contact with any European, lingering on a sick bed, without wife, child, mother, brothel' 01' friend to cheer him, a horror of great darkness fell upon him!
Among the great charms of this great man his genuine interest in individuals, however humble, was at once one of the highest, both as an ornament of his character and a secret of his influence. His deep piety transfigured this noble trait into a passion for souls which begot unsparing self-scrutiny. His lament over "poor Sehamy," and his misgivings and self-accusations, lest he had not done all he might to save his soul, reveal profound depths of habitual watchfulness over the lost. He bent every energy to the good of men. When he could not preach, his lantern-slides were made to tell to the eye great facts of Bible history; he subordinated everything to service.
His abhorrence of the slave trade was literally detestation-i. e., it compelled a testimony, which marked his whole course and even his dying utterances. To abate 01' abolish this evil was, perhaps, his master passion. What a debt Christian nations owe to Africa! The destruction of life in the" middle passage" forms but a fraction of the total waste. For every slave transported, a score have fallen by war or violence, disease 01' fatigue. Such atrocities have been linked to this nefarious traffic that the victims sacrificed by it, if laid side by side, would reach round the world, paving with skeletons a pathway over land and sea-bed. Everywhere he saw signs of this continued and continuing desolation-bones bleaching in the sun, fresh corpses floating on the rivers; often heaps of bodies where slave caravans had abandoned their sick, helpless 01' dead. Inhuman drivers shot, stabbed or left to die tho1<e who could not keep up with the rest, and often these were found not yet dead. On his way to Lake Bangweolo he heard six men, wearing the slave yoke, singing in the joy of the vengeance they anticipated in coming back after death to haunt their captors. Exaggeration as to the horrors of this trade is impossible; as the sailor said: "If the devil don't catch these fellows, as well have no devil at all! " The massacres he witnessed gave him the impression of being in hell, and to disclose the horrors of this business so as to lead to its suppression, inflamed his holy ambition more than to reveal the fountains of the Nile. And so, wherever he went, he aimed to teach the first truths of the Gospel and to rouse the dormant Christian con- cience to the measureless atrocity of this traffic. Just one year before his death he uttered those memorable words which still speak from -that memorial slab in Westminster's aisle: "ALL I CAN ADD IN MY LONELINESS IS, MAY HEAYEN'S RICH BLESSING COME DOWN ON EYERY ONE, AMERICAN, ENGLISHMAN OR TURK, WHO WILL HELP TO HEAL THE OPEN SORE OF THE WORLD!"
Livingstone's devotion to Africa was n.ot more remarkable than his power over her sable sons" even his first year there showed that in his hand was the sceptre that could rule Africans. His power was an open' secret. His simple frankness, kindly bearing, honest courage, transparent unselfishness, trust even in strangers, disarmed both sus- picion and antagonism. While with prayer and faith he sowed the seed of the Word, he sowed himself as the seed of the kingdom; and by forgiving injuries and trusting even the unworthy, by absolute fidelity even to trivial promises, and by a Christlike life that taught more than any words, he moulded even savages into noblemen. What his character wrought in this direction may be seen in Susi and Chuma, his faithful body servants, who amid such hardships bore his body from Ilala to England.
Dr. Blaikie, in his charming" Personal Life of Livingstone," sug- gests that the old Roman fashion would have written his name Livingstone" Africanus." When first overwhelmed with the vastness , of Africa, he asked: "Who will penetrate through the Dark Conti- nent ?" And that was the question of his life. From the day in December, 1840, when he first set forth for those shores, this double work, the emancipation and evangelization of Africa, was his passion. When, in 1863, he expected the recall of his expedition, he could only say: "If I am to go ' on the shelf' let that shelf be Africa." And history presents no fact more pathetic, poetic, prophetic in its sym- bolism, than this-that when, on April 80, 1878, he was found on his knees, at Ilala, dead, his heart should be buried there beneath a moula tree, while his body was borne to England to be laid in the great sepul- chre of her greater dead! Emphatically Livingstone's heart was from the beginning buried in Africa; but buried as the seed of a future harvest. It shall not abide alone, but dying, and springing up, bear much fruit-fruit too vast in measure for our arithmetic to estimate! 1Ve yearn to see that life and death bearing fruit in many holy lives. How slow are disciples to learn the ministry of money. Moffat nsed to say that the coming day will :find rich and great disciples regarding it an honor to spend their money not on hounds and horses, but in the support of whole stations of missionaries. Many who read these lines are providentially kept from giving their lives in personal labor for the degraded and destitute. But how many of Ull, had we but the spirit of David Livingstone, would be found living in the persons of other consecrated men and women, and, by the agency of these workmen, preaching the Gospel where Christ had never yet been named. Oh, that those who read the story of such a life, and walk over that memorial stone at the Abbey, would take up the work he laid down, and by their money, their prayers, their tears, their influence, if not their personal efforts, help to heal this open sore of the world, and light the flame of the Gospel and of the new life wherever darkness reigns and habitations of cruelty are found!
Yes, David Livingstone-thy candle, found burning in the grass hnt at IIala, still burns and shines, and never will it go out, until, from Zanzibar to Banana, from Nile to Niger, and from the Cape of Good Hope to the Pillars of Hercules, shall shine the Light of the World!
HENRY MORTLAKE STANLEY is by birth a Welshman, and his. original name was John Rowlands. The same year, 1841, that David Livingstone first reached Africa, was the year that ushered into life the boy who was to be his distinguished successor in the exploration of the Dark Continent. This is one of the striking coincidences of history: while the cotton-spinner of Blantyre was on his way to the Cape, an infant boy at Denbigh, in Wales, was :first starting on his voyage upon the unknown sea of life. A certain Mr. H. M. Stanley,. in New Orleans, adopted this Welsh boy, transmitting to him his own name, little knowing what high honor that boy was to reflect upon it. We follow this waif of humanity, as he enlists in the armies of the Confederacy, and subsequently drifts into the Federal ranks; until 1865, when, acting as secrctary for an admiral, he was promoted fOl' heroism, having manifested his courage by swimming, under :fire, to fasten a hawser to a Confederate vessel.
The next great step toward his after career was his becoming a· representative of the press'-;"a newspaper correspondent. He served in a Guerilla warfare against the North American Indians, then wrote letters to the New York Herald, accompanied the British expedition into Abyssinia, etc. Thus a mixed experience on land and sea, in army and navy, :fitted him for camp or campaign, tent or vessel; picking up scraps of information and gathering treasures of varied experience, he grew to be peculiarly adapted for the unique life he was to lead, but which only God's Providence had foreseen.
In 1869 he was commissioned by James Gordon Bennet, of the New York Herald, to find the lost Livingstone. His expedition was to be kept secret. He went by a round-about course, arrived at Zan- .zibar January 6, 1871, and started for the interior, feeling his way toward Livingstone by such indications as only the most sagacious instinct could recognize. He had used the time at sea, en route to the African Coast, to learn how to take astronomical observations and lJrepare himself as a surveyor. November 10, 1871, found him at Ujiji, near Lake Tanganyika, and there he grasped the hand of the .scotch herb, of whom for three years no certain word had reached the ears of an anxious outside world. Twenty-three times Stanley }lad been prostrated with fever, but he felt repaid when, on December 27th, the travelers set out together for Unyanyembe; and more espe- {)ially when, on March 14, 1872, they parted, having been four months .and four days together.
In 1873, Mr. Stanley again accompanied the British expedition to Coomassie. That same year, May 4, 1873, Livingstone was found by Susi, at four o'clock in the morning, in the little grass hut, not in bed but at the bed-side, his head buried in his hands, and both buried in the pillow; the candle still burned, but the candle of life that bad shed its rays so far over benighted Africa, had gone out. In 1874, April 18th, the sacred dust of the great traveler reached their final resting-place in the Abbey; and MI': Stanley led the body of pallbearers, as they deposited, in the tomb in the nave, the body of the man to whom he owed more than to any other human being.
And now begins a new chapter, the .fourth in the weird experi- ence of that Welsh-American. He who, at U nyamyembe, had sorrowfully parted with Livingstone, by that open grave in Westminster, resolved to take up and finish the work he had left undone. And so a new chapter also opened in' Stanley's African experiences. On August 5, he left England, and on November 12-three years almost to a day from the time he first grasped Livingstone's hand-he left Zanzibar again for the unknown interior. At Uganda he met Mtesa, whose warriors he estimated at a quarter of a million. "While at his {)ourt he translated the Gospel according to Luke, and actually wrote a brief analysis of Bible history in Kiswaheli for the monarch's use. Mte,sa professed adherence to the Bible instead of the Koran, and invited to his capital Christian teachers. Stanley then wrote a letter, which was published in the Daily Telegraph, urging that missionaries should be sent. And so Stanley began, in more senses than one, to follow in the steps of the grand Scotchman. The Church Missionary Society sent men to Uganda, who, in 1877 began to labor. That letter of Stanley's had a stl'ange histOl"Y. It was given to I~inant de Belfonds, one of the officers of Gordon Pasha. When he was killed by the Baris the letter was found in his boot and forwarded by Gor- .don Pasha. After a journey of 7,000 miles, consuming 999 days, Stanley reached Banana point, August 9th, 1877. In January, 1879, he was again en route to the Dark Continent, at the head of the expedition, organized by Leopold 11., of Belgium, who, in place of his dead son, adopted Africa as his child and ward. Stanley reached the Congo's Estuary on August 14, 1879; Leopoldville station was built in April, 1882. Compelled by illness to return for a time to Europe, he came back to the Congo toward the end of the same year; and in August, 1884, reported to the King of Belgium that his mission was ac.complished. He had performed the stupendous feat of opening up the Congo basin, with its 5,249 miles of navigable waters, its 43,000,00() of people, its area of nearly 11,000,000 square miles drained by various streams. In February, 1885, the Congo Free State was erected and recognized as such, with Leopold II. as its sovereign.
January 20, 1887, Stanley begins a new chapter, and again Africa is the theatre of his action. He departs from London for the relief of Emin Pasha. February 25th, he once more left Zanzibar, and, going by the Congo's mouth, reached Leopo}dville, April 21st. A year later, April 29th, just fifteen years from the last day of Livingstone's travels, he met Emin Pasha at Kavalli, and December 6, 1889, emerged from darkest Africa once more at Zanzibar.
From that day honors were showered thick as autumn leaves on Stanley's head. The reception given him, May 5, 1890, at Albert Hall, in London, when 7,000 people were present, was one of the most brilliant assemblages of all modern history. Then, on July 12th, in the great Abbey, he led to the marriage altar his accomplished bride, Miss Tennant; and sInce, in her jubilee year, the Queen was there, Westminster has had no such gathering. Had it been a ,royal ceremony, the interest could not have been more intense or the throng more dense. 'l'he long, crimson carpet broke its lines only over the slab which in the isle bore the name of LIVINGSTONE. Two magnificent floral wreaths, one from the officers of the relief expedition, and another from Mr. Stanley himself, were laid on the sides of the prostrate tablet, and when the bride moved up the aisle she gracefully laid still another tribute upon the marble memorial, bearing, in flowers, the words, "In memoriam, DAVID LIVINGSTONE-H. M. STANLEY."
Thus, at no little length, we have chosen to place before our readers in outline, for permanent record, the twin stories of these two strangely-linked lives. We do no injustice to Mr. Stanley when we say, what he himself is reported to have said, that, to the four months and four days that he spent with Livingstone in Africa, he owes the greatest impulses of his later life, and especially his attitude toward Christianity. Livingstone found himself suddenly thrown into the society of a stranger who was far from being a Christian disciple. There is no. evidence that during all those months he ever directly <lonversed with Stanley as to his spiritual interests. But sure we are that by his manifest character he commended the religion of his }Iaster. His uncompromising loyalty to Christ, his unobtrusive conscientiousness, his unselfishness, considerateness, readiness to obligeall this impressed Stanley as no words had ever moved him; and, when he parted from his new friend, he was constrained to' say, what Pilate said of a far greater, " I find·no fault in this man!"
From that day Mr. Stanley has led a life that runs strangely in sympathy with that which had its spring in Blantyre. When Sir William Mackinnon asked the pleasure of presenting· him with some token of friendship to carry with him to Africa, Stanley replied, "Give me a Bible," and he took it and read it thrice through. Afterward, in darkest Africa, constrained at the darkest hour humbly to confess that, without God's help, he was hopeless, he says: "I vowed a vow in the forest solitudes that I would confess His aid before men. Silence, as of death, was round about me. It was midnight; I was weakened by illness, had been prostrated by fatigue, and wan with anxiety for m'y white and black companions, whose fate was a mystery. In this physical and mental distress, I besought God to give me back my people. Nine hours later we were exulting with a rapturous joy. In full view of all was the crimson flag with the crescent, and beneath its folds was the long-lost rear column."
And now he whose previous reserve upon such matters had seemed to bear a special seal of silence, has made this, his latest confession: "Many forms of belief and curious ideas respecting the great mystery of our being and creation have been suggested to me during my life and its wanderings; but after weighing each and attempting to understand what must be unsearchable, my greatest comfort has been in peacefully resting firm in the faith of my sires. For all the human glory that surrounds the memory of Darwin and his wise compeers throughout advanced Europe, I would not abate a jot or tittle of my belief in the Supreme God and that divine :Man called His Son."
Space alone compels our pen to halt as we pursue this fasciitating story of these twin lives. We have had space not even for a paragraph about that last book, with its thousand pages, of forty lines each, all the work of fifty days, and itself a greater feat than his march in Equatoria; and the production of which as a printed volume is said to have employed an army of nearly 15,000 men and women. We have had no space to repeat Mr. Stanley's noble tributes to the heroism and success of Christian missions which present such a marked contrast to some modern critics who ought to have been in better business. We have sought merely to put side by side two lives whose unique parallelism demands a permanent memorial and suggests lessons of lasting value. We must not fail to note one marked contrast. As Livingstone's great successor followed the mIssionary explorer, he iltrewed his path with the blood of the slain. Livingstone had trodden those same paths without even a pocket pistol for personal protection from wild beasts; his great weapon of defence was a magnanimous Love that forgave even the injuries it could not prevent. And, when we read of the demijohns of strong drink which Stanley, in his former passage across the Dark Continent, distributed to those sable sons of her soil whom he employed in building his stations, we cannot but deplore any such ministry to the destructive appetite for intoxicants. We recall that letter, the first written in English by a Congo native, and addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury: " Great and Good Chief of the Tribe of Christ, Greeting: " The humblest of your servants kisses the hem of your garment, and begs you to send to his fellow servants more Gospel and less rum. " In the bonds of Christ, " U GALLA."
And now, 3S we turn from these two lives, may we not invoke the prayers of all Christians that the latter, the unfinished one, may complete its noble and heroic course by a service to God and a ministry to man that shall surpass anything yet accomplished by Stanley, or even by Livingstone? Our living hero is decked with many medals and crowned with many laurels. We crave for him one ,still higher and brighter-a crown wrought by no human handswhose lustrous gems burn with immortal fires and outshine in splendor ~Ven the glory of the stars!
A PERTINENT REPLY.-We understand that our friend, Chaplain :McCabe, has sent the following message to Colonel Ingersoll: "DEAR COLoNEL:-Ten years ago you made the following prediction: 'Ten years from this time two theatres will be built for one church.' The time is up. The Methodists are now building four churches every day-one every six hours. Please venture upon another prediction for the year."
Evidently the Colonel is as far out of the way as Voltaire was when he set up a printing press at Fernay to demolish Christianity. That press is now used at Geneva to print Bibles !!
MONEy.-Early in our own generation there were but five men in this country who were millionaires: John J. Astor and Stephen Whitney, New York; Nicholas Longworth, Cincinnati; William Gray, Boston, and Stephen Girard, Philadelphia. To-day in New York alone there are 500 millionaires, some of them worth from 100 to 300 millions, and in the coffers of American Protestant Christians there are not less than ten thousand millions oj dollars. One man in 1869 spent as much for a corner lot on which to build a private residence as the Presbyterian denomination spent for its entire foreign mission work!
NEW EFFORTS IN BELGIUM
NEW EFFORTS IN BELGIUM.
BY REV. HENRY E. DOSKER, A.M., HOLLAND, MICH.
Of all the countries of the continent Belgium is one of the most peculiar. With an area of 11,373 square miles and a population of nearly 6,000,000, it is the most densely populated strip of land on earth. This may seem strange, and yet it is true. While the Nether- lands come next in order, with a population of 312.86 to the square mile, Belgium crowds together, in the same space, not less than 481. 71 of its inhabitants. British India has only 311.57 and China but 83.86. These figures are respectively taken from the census-reports of 1885~ 1881, and 1887.
The physical aspect of Belgium, generally speaking, is flat, like that of Holland; a great part of the country actually lying below the level of the sea. In t.he south-eastern districts, alone, a considerable highland is formed, of some 2,000 feet high, by a spur of the Ardennes. This mountainous region, rich in different minerals and coal, together with a proverbially rich alluvial soil in the lower parts of the coun- try, enables Belgium to maintain its enormously dense population.
Its inhabitants are of a mixed Teutonic and Celtic stQck. The two main branches are the Flemings of German and the Walloons of Celtic, origin; the fonner out-number the latter, in the proportion of 4 to 3, throughout the country.
The French language is spoken at court and among the higher classes. In the rural districts and provincial towns a curious patois prevails, in various dialects of either Flemish or Walloon. This lack of a national language and literature has greatly retarded the intel- lectual progress of the nation, which is in no wise proportionate to its physical advantages. The educational system of Belgium was, till recently, quite deficient, and the sharp antagonism between the cleri- cal and liberal parties has made adequate provision in its behalf well- nigh impossible.
As might be expected from its history, the religion of the country is prevalently Roman Catholic. Of the nearly 6,000,000 of inhabit- ants, from 13,000 to 18,000 are Protestant, with some 35,000 Jews; the remainder nominally belong to Rome. Nominally, I say, for the close contact with France, the permeating influence of its periodic re- , volutionary attacks, and the prevalence of socialistic and rationalistic tendencies among the masses of the people, have so materially changed the religious 'complexion of the country, that a large pro- portion, possibly a majority, of its inhabitants may be put down as irreligious, if not atheistic.
The Gospel of Christ in Belgium meets with much the same dif- ficulties as it does in France. Efforts to bring the Word of God to the masses of the people have been made for years, and the so-called "Belgian Mission Church," and similar organizations, have not been unblessed in their endeavor to reach the Belgians by the channels of the two great languages of the country. But the trouble was that heretofore the labor performed has been too staid and conservative; the methods adopted were antiquated and ill-adapted to the peculiar character of the people and of the work in hand, and the little focus points of life, which resulted from such efforts, have had a tendency to develop too quickly into establishments for the edification of the few rather than for the salvation of the many.
A new attempt has been made of late at Brussels, which, if it should prove to be tenacious of life may become for Belgium and its capital what the McAll Missions are for France and Paris.
Allow me to outline the new movement. The name of its leader is Rev. N. De Jonge, who, some sixteen years ago, came to Brussels as a young preacher in the Dutch Evangelical Church. Through his personal influence, his church soon developed a rare missionary'activity. He made his people understand their divine call to labor among the bigoted 01' irreligious masses who surrounded them in the capital.
The year 1880 was one of special activity in this line. A revival visited the church, and especially those who were engaged in this department of her labors.
A city evangelization society was organized, of which pastor De Jonge became the director. The double task soon grew too heavy and he was placed before the inevitable choice between his charge and his mission. He was not long in deciding, and yet the decision. was one, in which he staked all on his faith in God; for he lost his salary and had no visible means of support. His resignation took effect on the first of Jannary, 1887, and another pastor soon took his place, whilst~ he began to devote himself, with all the energy of his young and vigorous manhood, to the work of evangelizing the masses of the Belgian capital, trusting, for the support of himself and large family, in the promise of God. And not in vain!
The work now rapidly extended and assumed encouraging proportions. It affords, to-day, the following aspect: a hall, named "Silo," with a seating capacity of 300, in the suburb I..acken; another, "Bethel," with l'oom for 80, about a mile distant, in the same neighborhood. In the suburb Anderlecht, a hall, named "Pniel," with seats for 200; neal' by, at the hamlet of Veeweyde, the hall "Bethlehem," with a seating capacity of 100. And still another and larger hall in the village of Ruysbrock, neal' by, as yet unnamed, but offering room for more than 300 hearers. As with the McAll rooms, the stations are simply but neatly furnished. Every night of the week, meetings are held in at least foul' of these mission halls, and the attend:l.llce is steadily increasing.
Besides all this the Mission has a printing-office in connection with the Silo station, where hundreds of pamphlets. and. tracts are pub- Hshed, to be spread broadcast over the entire kingdom. Two week- lies are issued fram this press: "Het Ohristelijke Volksblad" (The Christian National Paper), and "])e Blijde Boodschap voor Vlaamsch Belgie" (The Glad Tidings for Flemish Belgium.) The circulation of the latter, the smallest paper, has reached the number of 1,500. Moreover, a mission hospital has been opened, and h~ndreds of Catholic patients have been treated and evangelized at this "Beth- esda," as it has been appropriately named.
By catechetical instruction and Sabbath-school work the Mission endeavors to reach Roman Catholic children; hundreds of whom at- tend, notwithstanding the open opposition and secret scheming of the priests. All this missionary work is clinched by systematic house- visitation, which is richly blessed. Besides Rev. De J onge, the director of the Mission, two evangelists, two colporteurs, two regular trained hospital nurses, and some forty assistants are employed. It seems to me that this movement is worthy of close observation and encouragement.
The Catholic masses of Belgium are harder to be reached than those of France. The antagonism against Protestantism here is a.
growth of centuries; its earliest roots lie hidden in the memorable struggle of the eighty years' war. The southern part of the country never fully shared in the struggle for liberty. At Brussels the Spanish court was established; there the two most noted political victims of Alva's wrath were beheaded; there the "bloody assizes" held their councils. At Antwerp the two earliest religious m;utyrs of the Nether- lands fell. When the cause of freedom finally triumphed, and the North became independent, the South was still held in the Spanish vise, and the reformation within her borders had literally been drowned in a sea. of blood. From this time on, the unfortunate country was tossed to-and-fro between the great powers. To-day Austria, to-morrow Spain, then again France ruled it, as a whole or in part. In 1748 it finally came back to Austria, in whose g-rasp it remained, with varying fortune~, till the Congress of Vienna, in 1815, united it with Holland. But the two countries were only united never unijied.
In the revolution of 1830, the Belgians revolted and established their own independence and the severance became a fait accompli, by the treaty of London, May 21, 1833. Hence the antagonism against Protestantism has a political background. To the Belgian mind it is a thoroughly "Dutch" affair. And the overcoming of this prejudice is no small factor in the difficulties of Protestant missions in the country.
May the movement of De Jonge prove for the Belgians what the McAll Mistlion is to France, for the spiritual rescue of hundreds of thousands. Foreign Protestant missions, generally considered, in heathen lands, are far easier and far more hopeful than those COllducted by the handful of trusty laborers, who have given their lives to the evangelization of countries, thoroughly and for centuries nnder the influence of the papacy.
HELPERS AND HINDERERS OF MISSIONS IN JAPAN
[The following charming letter is from the beloved son of Rev. A. J. ·Gordon, of Boston, one of our editorial contributors.] HELPERS AND HINDERERS OF MISSIONS IN JAPAN.
BY ERNEST B. GORDON.
While enjoying the cordial hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Brand, the excellent missionaries of the Baptist Union, I have had considerable opportunity to observe the progress of the work as well as some {)f its drawbacks.
I went over to the Shogum's tombs, in Shita, the other day, and while straying in and about the temple of Zojigi, stumbled across a little fellow, a Buddhist novice, who spoke a little English. He had Dr. Hepburn's Dictionary, and was reading Peter Parley's Universal History. I struck up an acquaintance with him, and learned that he was a protege of Oolonel Olcott, who was to take him to India to study Sanscrit and the sacred books, but was prevented by the boy's poor health. Olcott, as is known, is the American Buddhist who goes about wearing a jewel said to be a crystalized tear of Mme. Blavatsky. He has published a Buddhist catechism in Singhalese, which has received the imprimatur of the Southern Ohurch in Oeylon, and is considered by Oeylonese Buddhists as almost canoni- ~al. It has gone through seventeen Singhalese editions, and was recently published in English by Estes & Lauriat, of Boston. I invited the boy around to Mr. Brand's to dinner and gave him a copy of the New Testament, which he promised to read. Last night he came again and talked a long time with Mrs. Brand about Shaka or Buddha and Jesus. He seemed much interested, especially when she told him of what Jesus left when He came to earth. He was surprised to find that Ohristians were not hateful and bitter.
The story of Roman Oatholic misl"ions in Japan is well known. Shinabara and the Oliff of Pappenberg will ever bear witness to the constancy and heroic endurance of the Roman Oatholic converts. Nevertheless, Oatholicism left a bad impression. I met the other day an old Japanese who remembers distinctly the annual ceremony of trampling upon the cross. A brass cross was brought around to every house in his village by the authorities, and everybody was required to trample upon it as a sign of his repudiation and contempt ()f Ohristianity. Much of this misapprehension and. bitterness still lingers among the Buddhist priests. The little novice, therefore, was pleased at our attention. He promised to come again and hear more about Ohrist.
Oolonel Olcott has done much harm here in Japan. An American is a person of influenee on account of his birthplace. To find an American teaching Buddhism was an experience, therefore, which startled young Japanese and which encouraged the Buddhist priests to attempt the galyanization of their putrescent superstition. Arthur May Knapp, too, the Boston representative of "Reciprocity in Religion," to use his own phrase, is encouraging the Buddhists in every possible way. He has abandoned his title of "missionary," and has assumed that of "ambassador"; the idea being, (,7idently, that he and the Buddhists are to exchange ideas and to treat with each other on an equal footing. This reassures the Buddhists and amazes the advanced men in Japan, who look upon Buddhism with the hatred and contempt which the liberals in Italy feel for the obscurantists of Rome.
Have you seen what Mr. Takahashi Goro, a prominent newspaper man, said at the banquet last May about the Unitarian movement in Japan? Its significance will fully appear when one takes into account the extreme politeness of the Japanese people. He said that he had not yet succeeded in fully mastering the doctrine of Unitarianism. He had perused the books kindly placed at his disposal by Mr. Knapp, but he still remained more or less in the dark. One thing, however, he had ascertained beyond question, viz., that Unitarianism is the child of orthodox Christianity. There was no manner of doubt about its parentage. Why, then, he wanted to know, should the attitude of Unitarianism to orthodox Chistianity be one of antagonism. He had read a book by Mr. Savage, entitled the "Religion of Evolution," and he had learned from it that Unitarianism regards orthodox Christianity with strong feelings of dislike, and would spare no pains to sweep it away from the face of the earth. Was that the proper attitude of a child toward its parent? Certainly not according to Japanese ideas of filial duty. Such an unnatural antipathy could only shock and deter Japanese observers. Besides, the Unitarians should remember that the law of heredity applies to bad qualities as well as to good. ""Vhen a man denounces his parents and declares them unworthy of respect he denounces himself by implication, for as the father is so, to a great extent, must the son be also. U nitarians coming to Japan, and arraying their forces against orthodox Christianity, would immediately find allies in the Buddhists and Confucianists. What would be the sequel of such an alliance? If the three united succeeded in driving out orthodox Christianity, the Unitarians might be quite sure that from that moment these sincere allies, the Buddhists and Confucianists, would turn on them and leave no stone untu'l'ned to drive them out also I In a. recent number of the Japan Mail, Mr. Takahashi Goro invites the attention of the Rev. Mr. Knapp to the short-sightedness of his alleged wish to ally himself with the Buddhists. Mr. 'rakahashi premises that he entertains no ill-feeling toward Unitarianism itself, but being convinced of the folly of the views of its representative in Japan as to Buddhism, he cannot but give utterance once more to the opinions he expressed at the Unitarian banquet some time .ago. Since then, he obse~ves, the Buddhistic press throughout the country had more and more distinctly shown a tendency to utilize Unitarianism as an instrument for attacking Christianity. Mr. Takahashi, however, believed Mr. Knapp to be too sagacious to become a tool of Buddhists. What, then, was his surprise to learn that the Unitarian missionary is still bent on cultivating the friendship of the Buddhists, as is shown by his article on the" Similarities and Dissimilarities of Unitarianism and Buddhism." Mr. Takahashi even goes so far as to say that Mr. Knapp'S attitude toward Buddhism is that of one who flatters, prays and solicits its favor.
"Does Mr. Knapp know," he asks, ,,, what Buddhism is really like? Buddhism is essentially an atheistic religion. This proposition can be proved by quotations from the Buddhist sacred writings." He then proceeds to consider another statement of Mr. Knapp, that, on the fundamental idea of creation, Unitarianism and Buddhism are directly opposed to orthodox Christianity. Mr. Knapp is represented to have stated that creation is not an event, but a perpetual progress which has neither commencement nor end.
"Now, in the first place, it is an abuse of a philosophical term to speak of 'creation' in connection with Buddhism, for how can there be any creation in a religion which does not recognize God? Nor is it correct to say that creation is a perpetual progress without either commencement or end, because man, as maintained by no less an evolutionist than Virchow, does not seem to have made any progress -during the first five or six thousand years. Further, there is no place for the idea of progress in the conception of atheistic creation."
If J-"1r. Knapp means to adopt the theory of atheistic evolution, Mr. Takahashi thinks he would better leave the Unitarian camp and join the atheistic Buddhists. Our author, however, believes that these apparently atheistic opinions have been expressed by Mr. Knapp for the purpose of obtaining the good will of Buddhists, for, from ·other utterances of his, it is evident that he recognizes the existence of God.
Mr. Knapp is said to have observed further, that Buddhism is, next to orthodox Christianity, a representative of the pessimistic religions; but that Unitarianism represents the optimistic religions. Mr. Takahashi does not attach much importance to the fact that Christianity is included among the pessimistic religions of the world, for he thinks this is merely a device of Mr. Knapp's to please his Buddhistic friends. He refers Mr. Knapp to Schopenhauer and Hartmann for an account of the crushing pessimism of Buddhism. He warns Unitarians against being utilized by Buddhists, and quotes from a Buddhist tract, by JUl'. Maesa Unkei, as follows: " Unitarianism will not be productive of any positive bendits / Jmt, as it will be negatively useful in neutralizing the evil effects of Christianity, we approve its spread for the sake of the country / nay" for the sake of our Shin-shu (Buddhistic) views."
It is interesting to note that the so-called " short cut" movement has extended to Japan. Last year the Japanese Presbyterians of Tokyo came to the conclusion that the work in Japan requires not only all the men who could be put through their theological school, but also those whose age or means would not allow them to take the full five years' course. Accordingly, of their own free will, they opened a school for evangelists. This year there are between thirty and forty men studying the Bible and receiving enough instruction to fit them for the work of preaching to the common people. The school is designed of course to supplement, not to antagonize, the Presbyterian Seminary. The Japanese Christians initiated the move.- ment, recognizing as they did the intense need of evang~lizing preachers, skilled in the Word, as well as of pastors versed in hermeneutics and apologetics. Many of the missionaries consider the success of the school as one of the most hopeful signs in late years.
It shows the determination of the Christians here to spread abroad the story of the Cross, and their good, common sense in choosing practical means for the furtherance of the work.
Christian work in Japan is complicated greatly by the present political excitement. The nnwillingness of foreign powers to repeal the unjust and unrighteous treaties forced upon Japan a generation ago has resulted in an increased hostility to foreigners and to foreign things. Christianity, of course, is classed in the latter category. Of our present United States representative, Mr. ,Swift, we will not speaK, except to say that the removal of his predecessor, the Texan Baptist minister Hubbard, appointed by President Cleveland, is greatly regretted. A Christian man, he did all in his power to assist Christian workers. No American since Perry, Minister Bingham possibly excepted, has been so popular in Japan. As to diplomatic. results, the Hubbard treaty negotiated with Count Okuma, although finally breaking down, was the first attempt to settle the vexed question of Treaty Revision in an honorable and statesmanlike way. If Mr;, Hubbard had been retained in Japan, it is likely that the revised treaty would be an accomplished fact, and the Christian missionaries would not be hampered now by the irritated condition of public opinion which prevails throughout the empire.
TOKYO, Oct. 12, 1890.
A JAPANESE CONVERT, who united with Bethany Church, Philadelphia, in 1886, said that "so great were the changes in his native country during the ten years previous, that nothing was left, as it. had been, but the naturalsceneryl"
EXAMPLES FROM MODERN MISSIONARY HISTORY
[Although the number of competitive essays sent in, in response to the editorial note in August number, 1890 (p. 631)-631), is not sufficient to justify the award, the edltor will avail himself of one or more of the best, as was then intimated, as articles in these pages.] EXAMPLES FROM MODERN MISSIONARY HISTORY OF THE UNMISTAKABLE INTERPOSITION OF GOD IN ANSWER TO PRAYER AND IN BEHALF OF HIS SERVANTS AND THEIR WORK.
BY REV. JOHN RUTHERFORD, M.A., B.D., ROTHESAY, SCOTLAND.
Pentecost was preceded by prayer. The coming of the Holy Ghost and the conversion of 3,000 souls in a single day were the result of ten days' continuous prayer.
Events like the siege and relief of Leyden, in 1574, when the Spanish armies were compelled to retreat, not before the brave Hollanders, but before the force of nature itself, visibly used by God in defence or the oppressed, witness to the fact that the hand of Almighty God is still interposed in behalf of those who trust Him. "As well," shouted the Spaniards derisively to the citizens, "as well can the Prince of Orange pluck the stars from the sky as bring the ocean to the walls of Leyden for your relief." But what was the issue? "A' violent equinoctial gale, on the night of the 1st ana 2d of October, came storming from the northwest, and then blowing still more violently f!'Om the southwest. The waters of the North Sea were piled in vast masses on the coast, and then dashed furiously landward, the ocean rising over the earth and sweeping, with unrestrained power, across the ruined dykes." The relieving fleet sailed up almost to the walls of the city. As the historian records, it was the hand of God that sent the ocean and the tempest to the deliverance of Leyden, and that struck her enemies wi th terror likewise. We cannot doubt that the preservation of Holland and Britain from the Spanish fury were in answer to many prayers offered up by those who fled to God as their refuge. (Motley, Dutch Republic, II., p. 558).
And much more does the history of the church assure us that God answers prayer. If we review the qistory of missions in any part of the wo,dd, we see that those who do the Lord's work live near to Him, and that He guards them in danger, and watches over that work which is not so much ours as His.
1. In the "Life of John G. Paton" (I., p. 118), the events are narrated which led to his leaving Tanna. He says, "On reaching Nowar's village we found the people terror-stricken, crying, rushing about in dispair at such a host of armed savages approaching. The whole village collapsed in a condition of indescribable terror. The approaching multitude had gone to the mission house and broken in the door, and, finding that we had escaped, they rushed on to Nowar's village. W e ~rayed as one only can pray when in the fear of death and on the brink of eternity. We felt that God was near and omnipotent to do what seemed best in' His sight. When the savages were about 300 yards off, N owar touched my knee, saying, 'MisRi, Jehovah is hearing! They are all standing still.' On gazing shc-rewards, we saw a dense host of warriors, but all were standing still. To our amazement the host began to turn and entered the remote bush at the head of the harbor. We were on that day His trusting and defenceless children; would you not, had you been one of our circle, have joined with us in praising the Lord God for deliverance from the jaws of death? I know not why they turned back, but I have no doubt it was the doing of God to save our lives."
2. Again Mr. Paton writes (p. 345,) "About ten o'clock the savages surrounded the mission house. My faithful dog, Clutha, pulled at my clothes and awoke me. I silently awoke Mr. and Mrs. Mathieson, who had also fallen asleep. We committed ourselves, in hushed prayer, to God, and watched them. Immediately a glare of light fell into the room. They set fire to the church all round, and the'l a reed fence connecting the church and the dwelling-house. In a ""lW minutes the house, too, would be in flames, and armed savages waiting to kill us on attempting an escape." Mr. Paton then ran out and cut the burning fence and tore it up, thus preventing the fire from reaching the house. He stood surrounded by seven or eight savages who had raised their clubs in the air, yelling in rage that none of them ventured the first blow, though they shouted "Kill him! kill him!" "At this dread moment occurred an incident which my readers may explain as they like, but which I trace directly to the interposition of my God. A rushing and roaring sound came from the south, like the noise of a mighty engine or of muttering thunder. Every head was instinctively turned in that direction, and they knew from previous hard experience that it was one of their awful tornadoes. Now mark, the wind bore the flames away from our house, and had it come in the opposite direction no power on earth could have saved us from being all consumed. It made the work of destroying the church only that of a few minutes; but it brought with it a heavy and murky cloud which poured out a perfect torrent of tropical rain. Now mark again: the flames of the burning church were thereby cutoff from extending to and seizing upon the reeds and the bush, and besides, it had become almost impossible now to set fire to our house." A panic siezed the savages, and, throwing down their torches, they fled.
Returning to the house Mr. Paton was met by Mr. Mathieson, who exclaimed, "If ever, in time of need, God sent help and protection to His servants, in answer to prayer, He has done so to-night. Blessed be His Holy name."
3. In "Darkest Africa" Henry Stanley writes, "Constrained at the darkest hour to humbly confess that without God's help I was helpless, I vowed a vow in the forest solitudes that I would confess His aid before men. A silence, as of death, was round about me; it was midnight. I was weakened by illness, prostrated by fatigue, and worn with anxiety for my white and black companions whose fate was a mystery. In this physical and mental distress I besought God to give me back my people." And' what was the result of Stanley's vow and prayer? "Nine hours later we were exulting with a raptur- ous joy. In full view of all was the crimson flag with the crescent, and beneath its waving folds was the long-lost real' column."
4. Shortly before the disruption of 1843 the Church of Scotland sent Dr. Keith, Dr. Black, Rev. R. McCheyne and Dr. A. Bonar, the last of whom still survives, on "a mission of enquiry to the Jews ;" they went to Palestine, and on their return journey visited Buda Pesth. There Dr. Keith took suddenly unwell, and all hope of his l'ecovery was abandoned.
In Buda Pesth there lived the Archduchess Marie Dorothea. Liv- ing, as she did, among a morally, degraded people, she longed that they might be made acquainted with the Gospel; for seven years she had prayed that God would send them a missionary. And God answered her prayers in a way she thought not of. She heard that an English clergyman lay dying in the hotel; she sent word that nothing should be left undone to save his life. The physicians had given up the case, but to please the Duchess they redoubled their efforts, applying friction and using other means, until, as they held a lighted taper neal' his mouth, the flames wavered: he lived.
The Archduchess visited him, and begged that the proposed mission should be located ill Buda Pesth. This was agreed to, and as long as she lived she gave it her protection and support. Thus the Gospel came into Buda Pesth. Fifty years Gospel work among a people held down by popery and ignorance and sin; such is God's answer to a woman's prayer (see Bonar's "Mission of Enquiry to the Jews").
5. Rev. E. Pearse in "China's Millions," September, 1882, vouches the truth of the following incident (see "Progress in China," by Rev. Arnold Foster, p. 52). "A man was converted, who had been for many years a vegetarian to gain merit and be saved. He came to our chapel, heard and believed the Gospel, and for years has lived a consistent Christian life. Some time ago the people collected a large sum of money to be expended in idolatrous work, in order that their houses might be saved from fire, and asked this man to contribute to that fund. He declined, on the ground that he trusted in the living God, and that the idols were not able to save them from fire. No sooner was the idolatrous ceremony over than an extensive nre broke out in the very street in which this man's house was situated; 120 houses were burnt down, and when the flames were coming nearer and nearer to his house, the people said, 'Now you see what you have got.' And they wanted to persuade him to take out all his furniture into the street that he might save something. He knew that if he brought the things out into the street, even though they would be safe from fire, they would probably be stolen. But he believed that God was going to preserve him from suffering loss, and he told the people so. While they were hurrying to-and-fro in all their excite- ment, he, in the presence of them all, prayed God that He would show that He was the living and true God. And then he watched the fire as it came nearer and nearer, until there was only one house standing between his own and the flames. But just then there was a sudden change in the wind: God had said, 'Thus far shalt thou come and no further,' and his house was saved. If I had time, I could tell you of a great many more instances."
6. David Livingstone, returning from Central Africa, tells of a great inland sea-Lake Nyassa. The Scottish churches and the Uni- versities' Mission take possession of the land for Christ-money and life are freely spent to evangelize N yassaland. After a dozen years the envy of Portugal is aroused; she sends Major Serpa Pinto to sieze the country, and Cardinal Lavigerie is ready with his priests to sta- tion them in all the places where the missionaries have labored, where the graves of English men and English women are "the title deeds to Nyassaland." Alas! is all this work for Christ to be overthrown? No, indeed; a spirit of prayer comes over the British churches, and the Portuguese encroachments are defeated not so much by the s~ates manship of Lord Salisbury as by the prayers of those who sent out the missionaries, and who, day by day, cease not to pray on their behalf. "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes."
7. On August 19, 1856, Rev. William Burns arrived at the city of Chao-chow-fu, south China; he had gone there in order to preach the Gospel and do colportage work. vVhen suddenly he was arrested and the same night examined before the district magistrate (Life of William Burns, p. 290). The magistrates decided to send him to Canton., It was the time of the Taiping rebellion, and, in addition to this, his arrest took place immediately on the eve of the war which that same year broke out between Britain and China. Had he arrived at Canton just a very little later, while the events begun by Commissioner Yeh were in progress, death would have been the probable result to the missionary. N ow compare an entry made by Mrs. Stewart Sandeman, at Perth, Scotland, in her diary, of date 28th December, of the same year: "Mr. Burns was safely kept through his arrest and imprisonment in China. Comparing the dates I find that we were met in prayer for him during his dangerous jOttrney under guard of the Ohinese ofJicials." (lVlemoir of Mrs. Stewart Sandeman, p. 177).
[ NOTE: The 8th and 9th instances are omitted, having been already published in the REVIEW, 1889, pp. 29, 348-ED.] 10. The repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts in Britain was a.
work as arduous as any in Asia or Africa. Those vile acts roused t(} a white heat the zeal of a noble band like Mrs. Josephine Butler and Miss Elice Hopkins who were aRsisted by men like Mr. Stead, Mr.
Stanfield, ~1.P., and Professor Stuart, M.P. Almost the whole strength of the House of Commons and of the House of Lords were against them. The army and the navy were against them. Two or three women and as many men against a nation! but they determined to struggle and suffer in order to save our poor, lost sisters from the brutality of demon-like men. They could endure to he hooted, to be insulted, to be written against in the daily press, as "the howling sisterhood," and they could enlist the arm of God against the power of British immorality. Christians gave themselves to prayer through- out the whole kingdom, and the power of prayer conquered, the Gov- ernment yielded, and by the unanimous vote of Parliament the Con- tageous Diseases Acts were abolished. '
Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth, whose ear is not shut to the cry of those who wrestle in prayer as they do His work.
11. And pr~er which God thus answers for the preservation of His servants and their work, also brings spiritual blessing. We have testimony to this on all hands. For example: Rev. Griffith John, of Hankow, says (Records of the Shanghai Conference of 1877, p. 26)), "Feeling my own lack of spiritual power, I spent the whole of a Satur- . day in earnest prayer for a baptism of the Holy Ghost. On the fol- lowing morning I preached on the subject. At the close of t·he ser- vice I proposed that we should meet for an hour on every day of the ensuing week to pray for a baptism of the Holy Ghost. From fifty to seventy of the converts met day by day, and confessing their sins with tears, pleaded for an outpouring of the Spirit of God. The na- tive church at Hankow received an impulse then, the force of which continues to this day. The Holy Ghost became a mighty reality t(} many. vVhere once other things are preached, Christ and His power to save is now the theme."
12. What a successful mission is that carried on in China by the English Presbyterian Church. Begun in 1847, by that apostolic man> William Burns, it has increased until now it has five separate centres, Amoy, Swatow, Formosa, the Hakka country, and Singapore. With its thousands of converts, its native preachers, its ordained native pastors, its schools and Sabbath-schools, its medical missions, its lady missionaries, it has received from God much spiritual blessing-bless- ing which has enabled the converts to stand true even when persecu- tion brought the loss of worldly goods and when heathen fury against the native Christians resulted in murder: this occurred at Poih-buan, in 1878. And they willingly acknowledge that much of the divine blessing, so abundantly given, is to be traced to a monthly prayermeeting for China, held in a room in Edinburgh.
Whether we are opposed by immoral legislation or the opium trade {)r the cruelties of slavery or of the African trade in alcohol, or by the vast forces of heathenism, let our resources be the power of God made available for all the needs of His church. Yes, in all Christian work God supplies all our need according to His riches in gl'ory in Christ Jesus.
GREED IN THE WAY OF MISSIONARY ZEAL.-We fear that there is no form of selfishness more fatal to missionary consecration than the worship of the dollar. Avarice prevents abundant giving, and it hoards fol' the sake of gain what could be used with the most ~bundant profit in the wide harvest field. Not only so, but the Scripture phrase is sagaciously accurate, gold "blinds the eyes." Men do not see the facts or feel the force of the appeal of God and {)f souls because the love of money intervenes as an obscuring medium. There are many professed disciples who hold a dollar so Dear the eye that they can see scarcely anything else in the world.
Robert Hall, arguing with a clergyman suspected of having -changed his opinions from mercenary motives, proposed to him several reforms of great importance, but was invariably met with the reply: "I don't see it; I can't see it at all."
At length, penciling in small letters the word "God" upon an .envelope which lay on the table, Mr. Hall showed it, and asked: " Can you see that?" "Yes. " Then, covering it with a half sovereign, he asked again: " Can you see it now? " " No." Whereupon, without another word, he went away. The argument was sufficiently conclusive without any drawing of a "moral" after it!
THE " New Theology," according to Dr. O. W. Holmes, in teaching probation beyond this life, has as effectually deadened all sensibility to the fear of eternal punishment, as cocaine, the new local anresthetic, deadens the sensibility of the part to which it is applied. We may be permitted to raise the honest inquiry whether any doctrine which practically destroys the power of the retributions of a future state can have any other effect than to paralyze missionary activity. And, if the tree is known by its fruit, can that be a safe doctrine to hold which either deadens sensibility to the plain warnings of the Scripture or to the degradation and destitution of the heathen world?
DO HEATHEN MULTIPLY FASTER THAN CONVERTS?
DO HEATHEN MULTIPLY FASTER THAN CONVERTS?
BY THOMAS LAURIE, D.D., PROVIDENCE, R. I.
The thought of the conversion of the world prompts the question, " How large is it?" There have been v~rious estimates of its popu- lation. In 1753, Voltaire said 1,600,000,000. Fifty years later Volney put it at 437,000,000. Matte Brun, in 1810, made it 640,000,- 000; Balbi, in 1816, estimated it at 704,000,000, and in 1843, at 739,000,000; Behm and Wagner, in 1880, fixed it at 1,456,000,000, and in 1882, with probably greater accuracy, at 1,434,000,000, though it was less than their previous estimate by 22,000,000. This popUlation they distributed as follows: Europe …….. 327,743,400 Asia…………… 795,591,000 Africa………. 205,823,200 America …………100,415,400 Polynesia…… 4,232,000 Polar Land……… 82,500 Total population of the globe………………… 1,433,887,500 These statistics do not introduce a dissertation on population, but only a brief consideration of a recent objection to the missionary work. It is estimated that modern missions have won about 4,000,- 000 converts from idolatry; but we are told that running parallel with these conversions is an increase of the number to be converted from 600,000,000 to 800,000,000, and if 200,000,000 heathen are added to the number, while only 4,000,000 become Christians, at that rate when will the world be converted to God? At first sight the case seems hopeless, and that on these conditions we can only make progress backward; but is the prospect as dark as it seems? Let us look at it carefully and dispassionately. One thing is plain: while the 200,000,000 are the natural increase of the previously existing 600,000,000, the 4,000,000 are an absolute creation. Four millions from nothing is a vastly greater proportion than the other, though the Bums are larger.
But let us examine the subject yet more carefully. Modern evangelical missions have now been in operation about a century. The first missionary society (the Church Missionary Society) dates from 1792. Now, if conversions began immediately, then the 4,000,000 converts are rightly set over against the 200,000,000 increase of heathen; but if they did not begin for a number of years, then the heathen increase of the years during which there were no converts must be subtracted from the 200,000,000, and so we have already reduced the seemingly hopeless contrast.
But that is not all. '1'he first converts were not only the fruits of many years of labor, but they were very few in number. For many years Leang Afa was almost the only convert among the many millions of China, and this introduces a riew element into the discussion, for while the natural increase goes on from year to year, and from age to age, with slight variation, missionary converts in~ease in the ratio of a geometrical progression. At first there were no conversions at all; only a work of preparation. The military stores are gathered together and the forces massed for the coming conflict, and, when that begins, each prisoner taken is not immured in a dungeon, but becomes at once an active soldier, able to avail himself of his famil- iarity with the condition and position of thc enemy for their over- throw. And it is worthy of notice, that the Lord of Hosts does not isolate the converts, but scatters them purposely among those to be acted on by their example and their labors. Already in some.of the latter decades of the century the increase of the converts has been at the rate of eighty-one per cent., and the natural increase of the heathen during the same period only six and one-half per cent. Now, if that proportion were to continue it would only require a sum in arithmetic to find out how soon the eighty-one per cent. would overtake and go beyond the six and one-half per cent. But we have seen that the ratio is one of geometrical progression-" the constant quantity by which each term is multiplied to produce the succeeding one "-and so we see the way clear to transfer very rapidly the hundreds of millions from the heathen side to the Christian side of future increase.
It may be said this is a very beautiful theory, but-. Then take an actual case. Robert Morrison entered China through much tribulation in 1807. When Dr. Happel' went there in 1844 he found only six Protestant missionaries and two native assistants in all that empire. While at the Shanghai Conference, in May, 1890, 1,285 missionaries and 1,469 native assistants were reported as then in that field, and with slich an increase in the past, what may not be hoped for in the future? Other examples might be given equally encouraging. When a fire is kindled in the forest its progress depends on the denseness of the mass of trees to be set on fire, and when everyone of the millions of China is a tor~h waiting to be lighted, it needs no prophet to foretell the effect of casting in these torches already lighted.
Take another view. A century ago there were in all the earth 174,000,000 nominal Christians, 44,000,000 of them Protestants. Now there are 165,000,000 Protestants, almost as many as the whole number at that time, among 450,000,000 nominal Christians. Add to that that the energy and efficiency of the race is concentrated in those Protestants, and the prospect for the future is radiant. Furmerly the Latin race was the conqueror and colonizer of the world, but since it fell under the paralysis of Popery it has lost its power. Now the race which lives by truth is marching at the head of the race, carrying the source of its own energy to all the nations.
It is significant in this connection that, while one hundred years
THE PRAYER LEAGUE
ago only 22,000,000 of the race spoke E'llglish, 115,000,000 now use that language, an increase of more than 500 per cent., and while at that time the 22,000,000 had neither missions nor missionaries, the 115,000,000 now sustain 120 missionary societies, of which our American Board is only one, and these societies raise annually $11,250,000 for the conversion of the world to God.
Then we need only to call to mind the immense store of Christian literature in that language to thank God that it is having such free course in all the earth.
Indeed, we thank the objectors for calling attention to a line of truth where there is nothing to discourage but everything to fill us with the assurance of a glorious success.
THE PRAYER LEAGUE.
We note with sincere gratitude the movement toward covenant prayer in various parts of the Church, and we regard it as the most promising sign of the times. When God's people begin to pray in faith and with true agreement marvels begin in the earth. And not a crisis of missionary history, from the beginning until to-day, has been turned except by prayer.
The Reformed Church has recently formed a Foreign Missionary Prayer League, whose purpose it is "to unite God's people in abundant and prevailing prayer; to intensify, accumulate and direct the power of prayer so that multitudes of heathen may be turned to the Lord in our missions."
In the very impressive appeal which has been issued prayer is recognized as the mightiest power in missionary work, whether to open the doors, thrust forth the laborers, secure the needful means, or to call down abundant blessing. Those who cannot go to the foreign field can, at least, sustain the work by prayers for it, "striving together" with the workmen by their own supplication. United prayer carries resistless power, as is shown throughout all history, and is especially acceptable to God. The method encouraged is special seasons, daily set apart, and particular prayer for individual persons and places: abundant prayer, prayer with fasting, arid with intercommunication among those who join the league.
Mrs. Joseph Scudder, 57 Cannon street, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., acts as secretary of the league. We exhort all who belong to that communion especially to join this league, and make its objects and aims heartily their own. We believe that if the whole Church would get into a new attitude of fervent, believing prayer there would be such a new Pentecost as the history of man has never yet recorded.
COl>'VENTION OF CHRISTIAN WORKERS AT BANGALORE, INDIA
CONVENTION OF CHRISTIAN WORKERS AT BANGA- LORE, INDIA.
BY REV. JACOB CHAMBERLAIN, M.D., D.D., MADANAPALLE, INDIA.
Bangalore, the chief city of the kingdom of ]fysore, has just witnessed a singular sight for the capital city of a non-Christian kingdom.
Pursuant to an invitation from the missionaries of all societies working in Bangalore and other earnest Christians residing there, a convention gathered at that place on the 23d of September, of missionaries and other ChriAtian workers from all parts of the Madras Presidency with some also from Bombay.
'l'he convention was not for the discussion of abstruse problems of missionary policy, but for the promotion of spiritual life and growth and earnestness in work for the Master.
Trains arriving on the afternoon of September 23d, from four different directions, centering at that place, brought those invited, and others who could attend, from many different provinces, districts, cities and villages. .iUJ. parts of the Tamil country, from near Cape 00morin to Madras and the N eilgherry Mountains,sent representatives. All parts of the kingdom of Mysore, the Kanarese kingdom, were represented. Two delegates from the Marathi country and one from the Gujarathi; myself and another from the Telugu country; missionary workers among the Mohammedans in Hindustani; workers in English among the Eurasians and in the English army, and native preachers in Tamil, Kanarese and Telugu were there. Seven languages were required to do the daily work at their stations of the workers there assembled.
Not missionaries alone: many laymen were there. Coffee planters from the Shevaroy and the Neilgherry mountains. An executive engineer from one of the new state railways on the East Coast; a general and several other officers from the Madras army; soldiers in uniform from the garrison; artisans and tradesmen and their families; natives, male and female, in their striking costumes. All mingled, as children of the King, in this conference. It would be hard to match it in any city of the Western world.
Twelve different branches of the Church of Christ were represented-the Church of England,English Baptists, American Baptists, English Independents, American Congregationalists, English Wesleyans, American Methodists, AustralasianWesleyans, German Lutherans, American Reformed, English Plymouth Brethren and Salvation Army officers-all joined heartily in counsel and prayer for higher spiritual life, for more absolute consecration, for more efficient. service.
Tuesday evening was devoted to an informal reception, a social gathering, the Rev. and Mrs. W. H. I. Picken, Wesleyan missiona- ries of Bangalore, behlg host and hostess.
It gave us all an opportunity of becoming acquainted. English, Germans, Hindus, Americans, Australians, and an exceedingly pleas- ant gathering it was, closing with half an b1u ~Cff more formal words of welcome, praise and prayer.
The next three days, with three sessiOn!, each day, were given to the consideration of "What Christ does for His people," "What Christ does in His people," and "What Christ does through His people," one day being given to each theme.
The vVednesday morning meeting was a Bible reading on the first theme, conducted by Rev. E. Chester, M.D., thirty-one years a missionaryof tbe American Board in the Madura Mission. The afternoon meeting was devotional, led by Rev. I. G. Hawker, twenty-five years a missionary of the London Missionary Society at Belgaum. It was a helpful, uplifting meeting. The evening's session was a more public meeting for addresses on the day's theme, presided over by the representative of the Arcot Mission of the Reformed Church in America, thirty years a missionary among the Telugus, at which every seat in the large audience-room was filled and some stood. Addresses were given by the chairman, on what Christ does (a) by His atonement; by Rev. G. W. Lawday, of Tumkur, Wesleyan, (b) By His example; and by Rev. W. Ioso, London Mission, Madras, (c) By His intercession. The exercises were interspersed with warm prayers and spir:ted singing by a volunteer choir who had previously practiced for the purpose.
Thursday's was the second theme, "What Christ does in His people." The morning's Bible reading on it was led by Handley Bird, Esq., Plymouth Brother, from Coimbatoor, and was exhaustive and stimulating. The afternoon meeting was for ladies only, and was said to have been of exceptional interest. The evening meeting, for public address, was led by Dr. Chester, of Dindigul, and addresses were given by the chairman, by Mr.E.Lynn, Plymouth Brother, Malvalli, and by Rev. John S. Chandler, of the American Madura Mis- SIOn.
Friday was the crowning day. The theme, "What Christ does through His people." The morning Bible reading, led by H. Clift, Esq., railway executive engineer, mapped out the subject well. The afternoon meeting was a conversational session on "Methods of Evangelization," or "How shall God work through us for His higher glory?" 'rhe writer was asked to open and guide the conversation. This was declared to be a "Council of War" for the conquest of India. And it proved one of the most stimulating of the meetings, full of val'lety and suggestiveness.
The methods referred to were: Oral proclamation of the Gospel in the streets, villages, markets, fairs, with such accessories as large colored Scripture pictures or magic-lantern Bible scenes, by night;with cornet and bicycle to tow in the crowd and "baby organ" to hold them for the preaching: Medical missionary work, with preaching to all patients, and terse Gospel tickets for the patients to take home; and Zenana medical work by lady doctors; Reading rooms and preaching halls in crowded thoroughfares; Sunday-school work among Chris- tian and heathen children; Young Men's Christian Association work in large cities, and Young People's Societies of Christian Endeavor in smaller places. The Press and Tract Gospel and Christian book distribution all through the country. Christian school work to reach non-Christian pupils, and to train workers, and Zenana work and Bible women, and lIindu girl's schools to reach non-Christian women.
This meeting being a "family gathering," all mingled freely in the discussion-ladies and gentlemen, lay and clerical, English, Germans, Australians, Americans, Hindus, Episcopalians, Methodists, Salvation Army, Presbyterians, Plymouth Brothers, "Faith Mission" Workers, Baptists, strict and open, Congregationalists and Wesleyans, with prayers of unction, and hymns of victory thrown in all the way. The only difficulty was in bringing the meeting to a close.
Friday evening'S meeting, the closing one of the series, was the most crowded one of all. General MacAusland, of the Madras army, presided and made the opening address, on "What Christ does through His people." (a) by the example and influence of their live!', and was followed by Rev. L. S. Gates, of the American Board's Mission, Sholapore, Bombay, on (b) by their testimony to truth and experience, and by Rev. I. G. Hawker, of Belgaum, on (0) by their works of faith and love.
After the Benediction there was a general handshaking of those who had come, many of them one and two days' journey to attend, and so this memorable "Mildmay Conference," held in India, of Christian Workers, was brought to a close amid a universal desire for a similar meeting to be held next year, at which very many more workers, lay and clel'ica~, will be sure to be present. The Kingdom is coming. We can see its onward progress. God bring it in speedily!
SAID a heathen to a mlsslOnary: "There must be something in your religion which makes you come all the way out here to tell us of it. I am sure I would not go so far to tell you of mine." Nothing is perhaps more likely to impress the minds of pagan people than the evidence that missionaries afford, that the good news is worth telling! And the more sacrifice our evangelism costs us the more eloquent is t.he testimony that missions give to the value of the great salvation and our own passion fOI" souls.
THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK
THE MISSIONARY OUTLOOK.-I.
BY J. MURRAY MITCHELL, M.A., LL.D., NICE, FRANCE.
We intend to take a view, if possible, of that field which is the world. It follows, of course, that in so general a survey, many particulars that are by no means unimportant, must pass unnoticed, and that only the most outstanding objects can receive more than a passing glance.
It is often said that we have entered, or are entering, on a new era in missionary history. Various things seem, on the whole, to justify this language. Of these we shall specify only three-the student movement in America, the request of the Missionary Conference at Shanghai that a thousand missionaries be sent to China within the next five years, and a prayer from members of the Church Missionary Society that its missions speedily receive the same accession. Ten or five years ago such things could not have been. The double, indeed ,triple demand (Mr. Hudson Taylor had already asked for a thousand new laborers for the China Inland Mission) for a thousand missionaries, if made, would have been scouted as ridiculous. Reserving to the end of this paper Bome questions as to the practical carrying out of the proposal, we can express nothing but admiration in view of the enlargement of heart which the demand implies.
We divide this paper into three parts. We first advert to the missionary spirit as it exists at home. 'Ve then speak of the position of things in the foreign field. We shall conclude with a few suggestions grounded on the sur~ey we shall thus have taken.
I.
First, then, let us attend to the missionary spirit as it exists in Christendom: Undoubtedly there has been, for a good many years past, a steady growth of missionary zeal. The movements we have already mentioned are the natural result of what preceded. Hardly any portion of the Church of Christ now fails to take a share in foreign evangelistic work; or, if it fails, it is quite aware of having to explain its position and apologize. Otherwise, it knows it will stand condemned at the bar of Christendom. There is not merely a growing interest in non-Christian peoples, arising out of a growing knowledge of their condition; there is a deepening sense of duty towards our fellow-men -an increasingly clear perception of the social character of Christianity. Time was when even good men thought not too much, but too exclusively, of their own salvation. We see better than we did that we must "add to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity"-to love of God and love of Christians-a love that embraces the entire human race and that does not evaporate in talk.
Such is increasingly the feeling of the church, and the general public shares it to a considerable extent. We are old enough to remember the time when any new missionary effort that might be pro- posed was sure to be sneered at-classed under the head of "missions to the moon and elsewhere." But no man will scoff at missions now who does not scoff at the Bible itself, and he who speaks of the useless- ness of missions is prepared to assert in the same breath the useless- ness of Christianity.
This growing appreciation of missions on the part of the general public is due to the strong testimony in regard to their practical ef- ficacy, which has been so often rendered by men fully qualified to form a judgment-many of whom were prepared to look on missions with an eye severely critical. Among .such witnesses Charles Darwin has been one of the most tnfIuential. He certainly had no predispo- sition to think well of missionary work; but, as an entirely honest man, he told what his own eyes had seen. One of his expressions has become proverbial: "The lesson of the missionary is an enchanter's wand." Speaking of some who had ridiculed the work in the South Seas, which he himself had carefully examined, he used the scathing language: "Disappointed in not finding the field for licentiousness quite so open as formerly, they will not give credit to a morality which they do not wish to practise." Testimonies in favor of missions are multiplying. Stanley has spoken, with characteristic warmth, in praise of Mackay and others, and, as we write, an eye lights on the high eulogium which Mr. Johnston, in the New Review, pronounces on the doings of Dr. Laws, of Nyassaland. Mr. Johnston says Dr. Laws "learned to make bricks in order that he might teach others. He has become a practical engineer, carpenter, joiner, printer, photographer, farrier, boat-builder and druggist, so that he might instruct his once savage people in these arts and trades."
Mackay, the "engineer missionary," labored with much zeal in teaching the arts of civilized life at Uganda. He spoke very warmly of the missions at Lovedale and Blythswood, in South Africa, as exemplifying what he regarded as the right kind of missions for Africa. They combine intellectual and religious teaching with industrial training.
Men who are believers in Christianity may be expected to write in terms such as we have been referring to. And when those that are not believers use such language as we have quoted from Darwin, we need not be surprised. For now-a-days many who never think of the service of God, plead earnestly for "the service of man." They have drawn the lesson, directly or indirectly, from the Bible, which makes the service of man an essential part of the service of God; and this they ought, in fairness, to acknowledge. But, although they believe in no Divine command to evangelize the nations; they can hardly deny the elevation of the aim. They may blame the missionaries for proclaiming dogmas which to them seem unintelligible, but the philsnthropic character of missions they do not seek to deny; and, when testimonies multiply as to their practical efficacy in raising degraded races, they cannot but express approval. 1'his is true, at least of the higher class of unbelievers-of men like Cotter Morison, one of the ablest of the Agnostics. He speaks of the "unequaled potency" of Christianity in moulding character, and of the "true Christian saint" as "one of the most wonderful phenomena of the moral wOl·ld-so lofty, so p~re, so attractive." We do not wish to make too much of such testimonies; neither do we despise them; but, at all events, language like this rises infinitely above the polished sarcasm of Gibbon no less than the vulgar ribaldry of Paine.
While we speak thus, we are not ~rgetting that, if missions are better appreciated than they were, yet the missionaries themselves have lately been subjected to severe criticism. It is not long since an Anglican canon was writing foolishly about Mohammedanism, and bitterly about the missionaries of his own church. And, certainly, we cannot overlook the excitement aroused among the 'Vesleyans by charges made by one who had seen very little of India-charges which were repeated in one or two influential quarters at home. Such attacks do temporary harm, both at home and among the heathen; but, as the truth becomes known, there is a great reaction in favor of the men assailed. Canon Isaac Taylor will hardly return to the bat-' tIe, seeing he was not only refuted by missionaries, but charged by literary men like Mr. Bosworth Smith with "invincible ignorance" and" headlong heedlessness." The Canon has done good service in linguistics and archreology, and to these he should confine llimself. And as for theWesleyans, it is, we trust, a joy even in the quarters at home in which the accusations were rashly credited, that, instead of their being" proved to the hilt," the sharp weapon, though powerfully wielded, has not pierced-has barely grazed-the skin. For the mis- .sionaries were, after the fullest inquiry, completely exonerated from all charges made, or implied. And so let us pass from the whole thing as from a painful dream.
Of course, criticism is not over. It is inevitable, if real interest be taken in the work. There will be unjust and ignorant criticism; for some men have a perfect genius for finding fault, and there will be room for legitimate and enlightened criticism, for missionaries are not infallible. Inquiry into evangelistic methods there ought to be. Every true-hearted missionary will be most grateful for any new light that can be thrown upon his work, and all friendly criticism he will meet in a friendly spirit. He will indeed be disposed to smile at not a few of the changes that are suggested as improvements on pres- ·ent methods, for probably either he himself, or others, have already tried the thing proposed and found it wanting; but he will fully appreciate the spirit oy which the criticism is prompted. No doubt, as he watches the slow, steady advance of the truth wherever the Gosper is faithfully made known, he will be pained to note the impatience of some who think that the high places in heathenism ought to be cap- tured by a rush; and he will be disposed to ask why things move so slowly at home-why the Pope and the College of Cardinals are not r converted-why unbelief and worldliness are still so fearfully strong A craving for the salvation of souls is beautiful, but a craving for results, mainly in order that we may get our money's worth, is pitiable; and the Church of Christ needs to examine her own heart and see which feeling chiefly sways her. The Apostle speaks of the need of the sower having" long patience," "till he receh-e the early and the lat- ter rain." N ow, in this ale of unsettlement and restlessness, "long patience" is, to the best of us, difficult of attainment; and many crave- for perpetual excitement and perpetual change. Let the Church be " instant in season and out of season," but let her also seek to enter into fuller sympathy with Him who sees the end from the beginning, and who is seated at the right-hand of God" from henceforth expect- ing till His enemies be made His footstool. "
We hail a growing desire on the part of the Church at home to draw tighter the bonds between the foreign laborers and herself. .One mark of this is the sending of deputies to the missions. When these are wise and sympathetic men, only good should result from this. Would that all home ministers could visit heathendom! It would enable them on their return to plead the cause of missions far more zealously and effectively. "Mine eye affecteth mine heart," and a sight of real heathenism would be a lesson and an impulse for life. Indifference to missions is often traceable to ignorance rather than unfaithfulness. Certainly, in this case, zeal will be in proportion to· knowledge.
All that we have said implies that the interest of the Church, and even of the general public, in regard to mission work has been, and still is, deepening. The world begins to see that the work is good, and the Church that it is glorious. Now, do we sufficiently realize the magnitude and importance of the change? Doubtless everyone has heard of the rebuke administered by Dr. Ryland to young Carey for his excess of zeal, and most of us -can repeat the story of the Scottish Assembly, and good Dr. Erskine's "Rax me that Bible.'" But at a later date such representative men as Bishop Horsley, in England, and Dr. Timothy Dwight, in America, were opposed to the' movement on behalf of missions. Or, going farther back, it is deplor– able that from the Reformation till about the end of the sixteenth century the only great man who is known to have seen the import– ance of missions was Hugo Grotius. When from about the year 1664 the Austrian nobleman Van Welz was striving to arouse the churches: of Germany to a sense of their obligations, he encountered the sternest opposition from men of position and unquestioned orthodoxy, such as Ursinus, the superintendent of Regensburg. "The heathen," said this high ecclesiastic, "have already had sufficient means of learning the truth. The Greenlanders could have learnt it from their neighbors, the Danes and Swedes; and the Turks and Tartars from the Greeks. God is not bound to help these'heathen more than He has done." "As for those who have been persecutors of the faith, why should heaven's pearls be thrown to dogs or swine like them?"* Can such things have been said by the leaders of the Christian Church? Unhappily, yes; and they were, by the people under them, all too readily acquiesced in.
Let us thank God that such words cannot be used again. They would arouse one general feeling of horror throughout the churches.
One proof of the deepening interest in missions is the increasing number of university men that are offering themselves for service. It was long before any such, in the Church of England at least, were willing to work among the heathen; but, during the last four years, seventy-nine English university men have become missionaries. In former days of coldness special colleges for training missionaries were wholly indispensable; but the belief is growing that ordained men in the foreign field require at least as good an education as ordained men at home. In the Presbyterian churches the same training has long been given to both classes; there is no abbreviated curriculum for missionaries. The flower of university youth everywhere is pressing more and more -into the foreign field.
The steady increase of female missionaries is equally remarkable III all missionary churches and societies. If we mention the C. M. S. as an example it is not because it stands specially prominent in this respect, but because the requisite information regarding it happens to be at hand. Three years ago it had twenty-two female missionaries. (excluding the wives of missionaries); now it has sixty. Equal or nearly equal progress has been made by the distinctively female missionary societies connected with all the churches. For example, the Zenana, Bible and Medical Mission has, during the last eight years, sent out 138 additional workers, and is making an effort to send twenty more.
The claims of the heathen world are overwhelming, and the conviction grows that the class of ordained missionaries must be supplemented by the unordained men, with or without academical training. This is as it should be. In certain fields, and for certain kinds of work, the higher education is indispensable; a thorough acquaintance with Hebrew and Greek, for example, is necessary for those who are to translate, or revise, the Holy Scriptures in foreign tongues. Devout laymen do admirable service at home, and why may they not abroad?
* See The Nordisk Missions-tids sleri/t. vol. 1, pages 62, 68. This excellent missionary maga- zine has just been started under the able editorship of Provst (Dean) Vah!. As for women, of course, the question arises: "Is the Church to Rend forth only those who are in the position of ladies?" Certainly; native ladies in India and elsewhere can quickly take the measure of their foreign visitors, and a woman of little education or refinement will hardly be welcome in the homes of the higher and middle classes. But are the lower classes to be' overlooked? No woman whose heart is burning with the love of Christ need despair of doing good to her heathen sisters. And, then, the Spirit of God will seldom work powerfully in the heart without imparting a large measure of sweetness and refinement to the bearing-whereas, polish of manner without the grace of God is nothing worth-for Smooth, good breeding, supplemental grace, 'Vith lean performance apes the work of love.
The importance of medical missions is now pretty fully recognized in Britain and America. lVIedical missionaries having British degrees are about 141 in number; while from America and the Continent there are 150. China has the largest proportion. The number of female practitioners seems to grow rather more rapidly than that of medical men.
So hI' we have spoken of Britain chiefly, though we trust our remarks apply also to America. We proceed to refer briefly to the Continent of Europe.
In Germany there is decided progress in missionary zeal. 'rhe vast territories which Germany now possesses or " influences" in East Africa have naturally led Christians to feel that new obligations rest upon them; and new societies ha~e been formed to meet these claims. For example, one at Neukirchen, another in Bavaria, and another at Berlin (where a third society has thus been set up). In medical missions Germany does comparatively little, though the late Professor Christlieb earnestly pleaded for them. Still, the lVIoravians and the Basle and Bremen societies now recognize their exceeding value.
There is a clear advance in Denmark. The imperative obligation of evangelizing heathen nations has been of late earnestly pressed on believing men and women, and a great many missionary uriions (450, at least, we understand) have been formed. The first university men that have become foreign missionaries did so in 1888 and 1889-one in each of these years; but several students of theology have resolved to give themselves to the foreign work on the completion of their course. ,"Vomen also begin to come forward. A deaconess was sent to India, in 1888; two young ladies are under training for foreign work, and several others are likely to follow their example. No medical missionaries have as yet proceeded from Denmark; but two young men are receiving medical tralning with a view to go out in 189l. The mission to the Red Karens has been given up; but one is to be begun among the Burmese. All this, it may be said, does not amount to much. Still, it distinctly implies progress; and some Danish Christians are very much in earnest with regard to missionary work.
Three missionary societies have for a good many years existed in Norway, and a fourth was formed a short time ago, called the" Free lEssion," which sends out men and women to Natal. Quite recently a small society has been set up which will send missionaries to China.
In regard to medical missions Norway is in advance of Denmark.
Au ordained medical missionary was sent to Madagascar in 1869; a second in 1876, and in the same year a third, who had taken his degree in Edinburgh, was sent to Zululand.
In Sweden there are three larger societies-that of the state (lhurch, the evangelical union, and the missionary union. '1'he Swedes work earnestly in various places abroad, especially in Africa, in the Congo Free States and among the Gallas. They have not been able to enter Abyssinia itself, but among Abyssinians on the borders they have done a good deal. These bodies send out among their agents both m<edical men and ladies. There are several other small SOCletles. There is evidently au increasing zeal for missions in Sweden, and it is interesting to note that the state church, as a (lhurch, is hearty in the cause.
The French Societe des Missions Evangeliques has of late made ~al'llest efforts to increase the zeal of French Protestants. The synods of the National, Free and Lutheran churches some time ago recommended that there should be annually a mission Sunday-a day on which the duty of evangelizing the heathen should be pressed on the attention (If worshippers. Mission festivals (fetes) have been established in "Various places~* though by no means as yet in every parish, as was the hope of the synods; publications giving missionary information are largely circulated, and subscriptions to missions have considerably increased. '1'he missions have struggled with great difficulties (in Senegambia particularly); and now, when France has obtained such vast possessions in northern and western Africa, the question is, (lan the French Protestants rise to the requirements of the high occasion? '1'hey deserve sympathy; they require help in their foreign, as in their home work.
In Holland missionary zeal is increasing, though not rapidly. Switz('rland has the Basil Missionary Society-a most valuable and progressive institution, and the small Canton de Vaud has, sinee 1872, had foreign missions connected with the Free Church. In 1883 the free churches of Geneva an<d Neuchatal joined in the work. The united society is called La Mission des Eglises Libres de la Suisse Romande. The venerable Waldensian Church, while it feels itself especially .. See last annual report, p. 3.
NUNNERY LIFE IN NAPLES
called tp evangelize Italy, has taken some part in foreign missions since 1881. It works in South Africa in connection with the Paris society.
The Finnish Christians are not neglectful of missions to th~ heathen. We wish we could say the same thing of the Hungarians (who are also of the Turanian stock). Still, let us not forget that the "T Hungarian Church works both in Herzegovina and Roumania. e have been speaking of interest in the evangelizing of the heathen nations as it is manifested in Christendom. Happily, the bounds of Christendom are enlarging. Ve may now include Australia and New Zealand under that designation. In point of missionary zeal the churches in these regions are hardly behind those of Europe and America. The Dutch Church in South Africa" is also earnest in missionary work.
[To be continued.] NUNNERY LIFE IN NAPLES.
The recent disclosures in this Italian city have produced a pro- found sensation throughout the whole bounds of the thinking world. A convent in Naples, which for four centuries has been shut to all, and has been appropriately known as the nunnery of the "Buried Alive," has been opened by the police and the secrets unearthed. A young girl had been hurriedly" buried" there to cure her of an un- fortunate passion; but when her family afterwards wiRhed to com- municate with her it was found impossible. An appeal to the Italian Minister of Justice procured an order for entrance, and, against vio- lent opposition, the police forced their way. They found twenty-six nuns, ragged, wretched, and some of them half-insane. Eight of them had been immured in this death trap by order of their parents, against their own will. The horrible spectacle thus brought to 'light has caused the Governor of Naples to order a further and complete investigation, and all the closed nunneries of Southern Italy are to be visited officially. "Free Italy" is proving both her right and her power to be free! These women were walled in, 'Yith only a small opening to " pass in food, and were like bony skeletons, The government pro- poses to turn the large convent into a school for girls. Of course the priests cry, "Sacrilegio I Sacrilegio!"
One of the Erskines said: "I can call God to witness that I have done my best to bring on a definite issue between Christ and the adversaries of the truth." .Let us not be afraid of conflict. Christ came not to send peace, but a sword. Loyalty to the truth will inevitably arouse to violent opposition the minions and myrmidons of' error.
"HOW MUCH BETTER THEN IS A MAN THAN A SHEEP?"
"HOW :MUCH BETTER THEN IS A MAN THAN A SB,EEP?" MATT. xn:12.
BY A. J. GORDON, D.D., BOSTON, MASS• • An absurd question! you may exclaim at first. But it was a very pertinent question when Jesus asked it. And it is just as truly so to- day. For do you not know that our American congress has given vastly more attention to the protection of sheep's wooi than it has given to the protection of the home and family? And this is a typi- cal fact which illustrates the conduct of worldly rulers and secular shepherds in all time. Therefore, it is necessary for us to answer anew the question: "How much better is a man than a sheep ?"
Answer first: "The gooa shephera giveth his life for the sheep,'" (Johnx:ll), which, being interpreted, means: "The Son of God gave himself for the sons of men." Our first computation of the worth of man, then, is not in an earthly currency but in a heavenly; not in the denomination of "corruptible things as silver and gold" but of "the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Think of that, ye monopolists and Christian millionaires~ who have ground humanity between the upper and nether millstones of combination and capital in order to make gain and grist for yourselves, till the Lord has cried out repeatedly: "Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up My people as they eat bread ?" Here is the difference between man's estimate of man and God's estimate: The one will grind the masses into food for his own stomach, if he can do so; the other-the Son of God-will give his own body to be ground into food for man, saying, as he offers us his own wounded and bleeding members: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." The philosopher, Compte, is said to have instituted and kept what he' called "Man's Supper," in which he partook of a crust of bread and a cup of water, saying, as he did so: "This I do in remembrance of the great multitude who have only a crust to feed upon.'" But such a sacrament is not needed: for the Lord's Supper, instituted centuries ago, declares all this and vastly more. By it our Lord says to our hungry, oppressed and suffering humanity, " I give myself to you, My.body to be your loaf, lIy blood to be your life, take, eat ye all of it." When was ever such valuation set on man as this? "Every man has his price," says the proverb. And the politician is in the market bidding for him; and the capitalist is in the Exchange bidding for him; and the man-slayer stands in the door of his saloon bidding for him. All these are bidding him down, vieing with each other in deadly competition to see which will get him for the smallest. and most paltry price. But Jesus Christ steps into the circle and sternly asks of the bidders: "How much better is a man than a sheep? Look on him, made in the image of God, and, though bruised and broken by the fall, capable of being restored to that image, and re- dothed with glory and honor and immortalityl And is this all that he is fit for, to be sheared of his daily income by the saloon; to ~ Tobbed of his fleece by the usurer, and to be sold in the shambles by the monopolist? I will not bid him down, I will bid him up. 'As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my lifefor the sheep,''' (John x:15). Here is the Divine valuation of man; Christ's invoice of humanity. Look at the price-the Lord Himself – and then estimate the purchase. N ever was such fine gold of purity and perfection coined into a single life; never was such weight of priceless suffering crowded into a single death. And all this the purchase money of our redemption. "Or what Hhall a man give in exchange for his soul?" asks Jesus. And He answers His -questions by giving Himself. We want no more powerful argument for missions than this: "Who loved me and gave Himself for me"- Himself, so infinitely much, for me, so insignificantly little. Then woe to the Christian who can hoard his gold, when the dying millions are crying out for more missionaries to be sent to them; and our bur- dened and anxious Boards are crying out for more money with which to send them.
"How much better is a man than a sheep?" Answer second: "I willmake a man more precious than fine gold/ even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir" (Is. xiii. 12). The seer looked on, through the long perspective of prophecy, to .the day when the heavens shall be shaken; when the sun shall be darkened .and the moon shall withdraw her light. In this time, when God shall }mnish the world for its eyil he "will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible"- then" a man shall be more precious than fine gold." Here is something new in the history of the race. For ages the gold brokers of this world have counted humanity as oBly so much crude ore to be reduced and coined into cash for their vaults. But now the golden age has come when a man stamped with the image and superscription .of God will pass for what he is worth-the highest currency on earth. Hear this, ye missionaries of the Cross! You have forsaken all to go down into William Carey's "Gold Mine," while many of your brethren at home are filling their safes with thousands and ten thousands of superfluous wealth, leaving you short-handed and discouraged for want of helpers which they might send you if they would only give as the Lord has prospered them. And in hours of heart-sinking and faintness you sometimes wonder what you will get for all your thankless sacrifices. Be of good cheer. You are mining men, and that for the most part out of the lowest strata of humanity; and though your products have little value in this world's market, wait a little. There is a financial panic approaching in which yellow gold will go down, while there will be an astonishing rise in your securities. Listen to the report of the coming crash, as it appears on the bulletin-board of James, v: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 'Your riches are co~ rupted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered: and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat yourflesh as it wereflre. Ye have heaped together treasure for the last days." Did you ever hear of such a gold panic as that? Boom the market; form syndicates; pass silver bills; enlist the banks! It is of no use. The day of judgment has come. "Your gold and silver is cankered." :Millionaires become insolvent, banks suspend, and the only people who have anything to depend on are those who laid up somewhat in the savings bank of heaven.
But what news for the missionary on St. James' bulletin-board? Listen: "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman 1vaiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient/ stablish your hearts/for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." "The coming of the Lord." And what of that? Ah, that is going to revolutionize society. Read the :Messianic Psalm 72d and learn for yourself the change that will be ushered in by the millennium. :Money will go down, man will come up. Immanuel will now control the market in the interest of his clients. "And to Him shall be given the gold of Sheba," and" He shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also and him that hath no helper."
And most wonderful of all: "A man shall be more precious than gold." Hear that, 0 long-suffering and patient missionary; your stock will be at par now-as it never has been before. The poor souls which you dug from' the dark caverns of heathenism, and which you coined in the mint of redemption, will be worth millions of such "corruptible things as silver and gold." Did the mother of the Gracchi present her own children to those who inquired concerning her treasures, saying: "These are my jewels?" How much more will the missionary exult in his spiritual children in that. day when the ]~ord shall" make up his jewels," presenting them before the Redeemer, and before the angels, saying: "These are my riches!" :Moffat, who is that black man who stands by your side, and what do you count him worth? And the aged apostle of Africa replies: That is Africaner, the once bloodthirsty and raging man-slayer, now become as gentle and tender as a Iamb since Jesus laid him on His shoulders rejoicing. Do you ask me wha':. he is worth? He is "more precious than fine gold. Yea, than the golden wedge of Ophir." 'Who is that, 0 William Carey, whom you are introducing with such joy to your Lord? That is Khrishna Pal, my first convert from among the heathen of India. Listen, and you shall hear him sing, " 0 thou my soul forget no more The friend who all thy sorrows bore."
And who is this, 0 Boardman beloved, whom you are leading up to the throne with such thanksgiving? This is San Quala, whom God gave me from the dark-faced Karens, and who himself in turn led thousands to Jesus Christ.
" Where can I invest most safely and profitably?" is the question constantly asked on 'Change. Invest in souls; seriously, deliberately and solemnly we urge you to inv~st in souls. There is no insurance on gold and silver that will protect tllem against the fires of the last day. But saved and glorified souls-these are" the gold tried in the fire," out of which your crown of rejoicing shall be wrought. Get money, you mayor may not, 0 Christian. But as you care aught for the rewards of heaven, fail not of getting souls. Get them at your own door; get them from the ends of the earth; but fail not to get them.
" I FEEL age creeping on me. I know that I must soon die. I hope it is not wrong to say it, but I cannot bear to leave this world with all the suffering in it /"-Earl of Shaj~esburJ/.
SCHLEGEL, and Madame de Stael after him, called" architecture, frozen music." From some of the music we have heard in so-called sanctuaries during the past five years we have concluded that the praise was frozen in the icy surroundings of an !esthetic performance, in which all the warmth of devotional fervor had somehow been utterly lost. Is it not possible for even our missionary spirit so to be chilled by the icy rigidity of a heartless formalism, that even while we are boasting of our efficient organizations, God sees that they are like frozen corpses, from which all life is gone?
ARE OUR PASTORS FAITHFUL?
The large number of our non-contributing churches, after making a liberal allowance for unintentional omission, and churches having only a nominal existence, also the trifling amount given to the Foreign Mission Work by congregation" whose wealth runs up into the millions, shows the necessity of some new movement. I have been attending a prominent evangelical church in a great city for the last three years and more, ministered to by one of the most mature preachers in our church, and during the whole tiJlle he has made no reference to the foreign work from the pulpit. The attention of the officers of the church has been called to the strange omission but no explanation has been given. If men who have the ear of the church are silent, God will raise up others. " The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber and help destroy it." This is beyond endurance.-A Parishioner.
1891.J Tl4-NSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS
TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS.
BY REV. C. C. STARBUCK.
-The Missions-Blatt der BrUdergemeine, for June, 1890, gives the follow- -ing account of the peculiar relations of the mission-stations in South Africa to the civil authorities: " The practical English government has long since come to see that mission_ stations are the very best representatives of good morals, good order and civilization, the most trustworthy guarantees of public quiet, above all in the domain <>f the hot-blooded, turbulent Caffres, who have already cost the English colony streams of blood and untold sums of money. No wonder, then, that the higher -officials, in the well-understood interest of the common weal, encourage missions~ It is natural, therefore, when a mission-station is laid out, that they should gratuitously grant the ground required for church, school and missionhouse, if it is in the hands of the government. Indeed, they used also to give, without compensation, even the land for fields and gardens likely to blil required by a future community. This was known as the station-land. The rules and ordinances necessary for such a station then receive government sanction, and the presiding missionary receives civil jurisdiction to expel, from the station and its domain, those that offend against these ordinances by gross offences. Less important violations of station rules are visited with a fine paid into the public purse of the congregation. Thus the presiding missionary of the station is armed, not only with ecclesiastical, but also with civil and judicial prerogatives. On the other hand, the State naturally reserves to its representatives the right to ascertain whethcr the grant in land is actually applied to the designated purpose, whether discipline and good order prev:;til at the station, whether the school is efficiently carried on, and so on. Moreover, those that are condemned to leave the station lands have the right, in case they esteem the penalty unjust, to appeal to a government officer, who takes cognizance of their complaint."
This banishment from the station, however, especially as concerns submission to the heathenish and degrading rites connected with circumcision, is now in disuse, milder, but practically less dangerous and more effective measures of discipline taking its place. This universal Caffre usage, in itself indifferent, is so inextricably interwoven with all manner of vile concomitants, that it seems to be Satan's chief instrument for holding the Caffres under his dominion. Yet a Caffre yputh who does not submit to it becomes virtually a pariah among his tribesmen, and can scarcely obtain, even from Christian parents, the hand of one of their daughters. Its final overthrow will storm the citadel of darkness.
-The Rev. Mr. Stahle, of Australia, a Moravian, though at present connected with another society, communicates the decision of the" Aboriginal Board," appointed to look after the interests of the rapidly-vanishing native race, that they shall all be removed to certain stations, where they shall be kindly cared for, and not allowed intercourse with the whites, or even with the half-whites, until the race disappears, as within a calculable time it appears that it must.
Mr. Stahle says that for several months an awakening, accompanied with rich blessing, had been in progress among the Tapuas of his station. "Much sickness, however, had prevailed, and from January till October there had been eleven deaths. But all who fell asleep bore witness on their deathbed of their faith in Him who justifies the ungodly, and of their fervent desire that they might be permitted to enter into the joy of their Lord."
A visitor to the station, who attended a meeting, says: " But, ah, the hacking cough, which is heard on every side from among them! It sounds like the deathknell over the remnant of the once so numerous native tribes of Australia. Sitting thus in the midst of them, we cannot fail to remark how weakly they are, and how evidently the sentence of death against them is already proclaimed by their debilitated constitution. How emphatic is the appeal to our affectionate Christian sympathy, which resounds in our ears as we listen to this cough!"
-This work of bringing the regenerating influences o(the Gospel to the last survivors of a dying race, casts, of course, a shade of sadness over the minds of the missionaries, such as appears in these words of Missionary Kramer, of the Brethren's Mission, at Ebenezer: "Our beloved Ebenezer will, doubtless, be permitted to enter, as a mission station, upon the new decade. But how will it be at the end? The Lord alone knows. If it is to be dissolved I hope that ourlittle church will remain 'God's house,' and not be turned to the uses of a barn or a· stable. Many blessings, by God's grace, have descended upon us therein, and a certain sadness comes over me when I fear that in the place where we have assembled so often, in the name of the Lord, seeking to be built up out of His Word, or to present before Him our supplications and thanksgivings, or to raise to Him <;lUr songs of praise, the voice of riotous blasphemy may be heard. May the Lord forbid that it should be so !"
The following description of Cashmere, from the Missions-Blatt, reminds one of Moore's "Who has not heard of the vale of Cashmere, With its roses the brightest that earth ever gave, " etc.
"It is a region so richly and bounteously endowed by the goodness of God. that some naturalists have ventured the conjecture that it must have been the cradle of mankind-the origin at Paradise. That wonderful union of the sharpest antitheses in the life of nature, which characterizes the mighty Indian empire, the heat and luxuriant vegetation of the tropics, combined with the refreshing alpine ail' of snowy summits, glaciers and blue-green mountain lakes-so strengthening to the nerves-this fullness of God's glorious creation bursts upon the traveler in Cashmere in its purest, noblest forms. We cannot wonder, therefore, that the children of men to be met with there are also a. wonderful combination of the most startling contrasts. These are the proper inhabitants of the land, genuine Asiatics, arrested in their development for centuries back, and still bound in the chains of a relaxing heathenism. On the. other hand, you meet here with all the facilities of modern intercourse, and the country swarms with Europeans, some seeking recovery from the ill effects of a long sojourn in the heated plains, some finding delight in climbing the glaciers and snowy mountain-tops, like the tourists of Switzerland and the Tyrol."
-It is known that the Moravian Mission among the Himalayas is at oncein Thibet and in India. In other words, the people are Thibetan Buddhists, but are on the Indian slope of the main ridge, and are subject to British authority. They say: "As a missionary, Brother Redslob, so long as he and his wife, though seeking relaxation, are still within the range of Thibetan speech, he feels it incumbent on him, wherever he makes a stay of any length, to bear his witness to the crucified and risen one."
-The Roman Catholic government of Nicaragua, after many refusals, has finally granted permission to the Moravian brethren to establish mission stations in Nicaraguan Territory, for the pastoral care of the converted Indians, who have emigrated thither from the Mosquito State, or have received the Gospel from there.
-The Missions-Blatt' expresses surprise that John Morongo, a leading Indian of their Ramona Mission in California, had previously been a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, but until lately was unbaptized! Of course he was only an adherent, not a member, of the Episcopal Church-a distinction with which our German brethren seem to find it a little difficult to become familiar, as almost everybody in Germany is baptized, and, therefore, accounted a member of some church, though not necessarily a communicant member.
-The Missions-Blatt likewise makes a slight slip, very natural in a German magazine, in speaking of the government of California, instead of that of the United States, as controlling the Indian reservation. The distinction, of course,. is of no consequence to German readers.
-Our German brethren greatly admire the American and English institution of medical missions, to which, for want of suitable candidates, they themselves have not as yet been able to give any wide extension. The Unitas Fratrum, however, has its first, and, at present, its only trained medical missionary, in Carl Marx, who is established in Leh, in connection with its Thibetan Mission. The different German societies are making special effort to come up in time with the Anglo-Saxons in what may be called this left-hand of Christ's work, which now, as with the Lord Himself, has always so mightily supported the work of His right hand.
-The annual report of the Societe EvangeZique of Geneva, for 1890, has-the following remarks: "It is, in fact, beloved hearers, a word of hope, of confidence, indeed of certainty, with which we would fain conclude this reporta word of faith, for that is it of which we have need, in present conjunctures, to sustain us in our work. The times are most serious, and, in face of the growing troubles of the present hour, one might easily be tempted to dl~wur agement. Owing, to our limited view-owing, above all, to the deafening cries of our adversaries, who, in the name of science, of progress, of liberty, of equality, of democracy, proclaim that the era of Christianity is past; that the hour of the definitive enfranchisement of human thought is about to strike on the clock of time–one might believe that it is over with the reign of Christ; that the last times are here, and that the world, given over to itself, is about to undergo the final convulsions. In face of the storm, some are ready to lay down their arms. Why strive, when defeat is certain, why suffer when there is no longer a morrow? Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. Others, more spiritual in appearance, hold another language: "Let us separate ourselves," say they, "from this perverse world, destined to a final destruction. Little Hock of the Good Shepherd, as we are, let us withdraw into His fold; the hour of deliverance is at hand. Let us go out of Sodom and Gomorrah, and, in prayer, await our Deliverer. Let us, too, eat and drink; let us feed on the heavenly bread, let us refresh ourselves with the spiritual drink, and let us abandon to their fate the masses destined to destruction.' Gentlemen, let us listen to neither of these voices, the voice of discouragement and of pessimism or the voice of spiritual egoism; the voice of insane enjoyment or the yet more culpable voice of abdication in the name of sanctity! No, no! neither: .. 'Labor, labor, for the thankful 1 let the thankless hold their hands, Happy the servants whom the Master, when He comes, shall find watching I'
"Is it true, in fact, that the final hour of defeat is arrived, and that everything is discouraging in the Church? Must the rapidly approaching twentieth century necessarily witness a new inroad of barbarians, the more terrible that it will be the inroad of science turned infidel? I do not believe it. It is true that humanity, that unceasing traveler, marches uninterruptedly through valleys and mountain ranges, now ·on the summit, in full sunshine, to-morrow in the depths, in darkness and peril. Possibly we have reached one of those dolorous hours when it descends towards the precipice; but let us not forget it stops an instant; where it takes breath and rests, in order there to address itself to the climbing of new heights. And, gentlemen, let me be taxed with optimism, but I must still say, in spite of all I hear, in spite of all Isee, in de- spite of the sombre prophecies of the guardians of Israel, and of the cries of distretls from the leaders of the flocks, I believe that the present hour is not an hour for despair; I believe that at this end of a century Christianity is not like a wild creature brought to bay; I believe, and I may even say I affirm, that never has the Church been more active, more audacious, more victorious; that never, at any epoch of its history, has Christianity exercised upon the world a power more energetic and more glorious.
"To open, Christians, the way to you, the princes of industrial civilization are transformed, without willing it or knowing it, into pioneers of Providence. These bridges which they hang in air, these mountains which they transpierce, those roads on which fire is their ,bearer and which they desire to serve their ambition, are only channels through which the Spirit is to flow. Thus did three centuries before Jesus Christ, the conquering Alexander, when he sub- dued Asia and transplanted the Hellenic civilization into the distant Orient; thus did the Romans, his successors, when marching in their turn to the con- quest of the world, they brought peoples together by their arms, and furrowed the three continents with their military roads. They believed that by these their legions would eternally pass and repass to impose their commands on the world. They knew not, what we know to-day, that they were preparing tri- umphal ways for the Saviour and his Apostles. 0, you, then,masters of science and of wealth, engineers, colonizers, conquerors, whatever may be your names and your designs, continue the work of your predecessors, abridge space, les- sen the breadth of the sea by your steamers, and suppress distance by your telegraphs, draw from nature her final secrets, so that one day the Truth may no longer be checked by rivers and by mountains, but may advance rapidly to break the last-remaining bonds of slavery and to stifle the ultimate lurking places of barbarism and superstition !"
-The report for 1889 of the Societe des ll:fissWn8 Evangeliques gives for Tahiti: 23 parishes; 4 European missionaries; 20 native pastors; 2,044 church mem- bers; 44 catechumens; 8,949 francs for home work, 594 francs for foreign missions.
-The Paris society, speaking of Tahiti, remarks: "The religious life of the Tahitians is still in a state sufficiently rudimentary. It has its bright sides: profound attachment to the Word of God, very general observance of the Sunday; regular attendance on worship; practice of Christian liberality. Butit has its deep shadows likewise: for one thing, the considerable number of the unconverted, who form the majority of the population; then, even among believers, are insufficient apprehension of the -exigences of the Law of God; the almost complete absence of true Christian faInily life; in brief, to speak with our brethren, 'a piety which still localizes itself too much within the walls of the churches, and which does not spread abroad sufficiently in good works and in regenerating influences.'"
-In speaking of the great work of the Paris society, that in Basutoland, or, as the French call it, Lessuto, the report remarks: " We bless God that He has given to the churches of France a work proportioned to their strength, adapted to their genius, and the success of which has stimulated a zeal which efforts too long without fruit might have discouraged. And, to-day, that which strikes the eye in the Lessuto mission, by the side of that in still advancing, it from time to time regains some large plateau where weaknesses and defects inseparable from every human work, is its sound and vigorous growth."
This mission last year experienced a remarkable revival, bringing in many pagans. This has not continued, but it has left open many new doors of access. Paganism, on the other hand, having recovered from the early impressions of awe before the missionaries, has become at once more malicious and more aggressive. It is assisted, as in Paul's day, by two rival missions, the Roman Catholic and the Propagation Society. The latter, however, excites the contempt of the Basutos, who regard it as coming to the ground between two -stools. "The danger is in the scandal of these three rival Christian confessions, these three Gods, as the natives still phrase it."
The awakening among the heathen Basutos resulted in the addition of 514 new members, making the present number 6,543. The present number of catechumens is 3,332. Out-stations, 110; for 1888, 94; native helpers, 194; for 1888, 176. Primary scholars for 1889, 5,347; for 1888, 4,566.
-11. Coillard, of the incipient, but noble mission of the Zambesi-anoffshoot (){ the Lessuto mission-speaking of the imperative need of extension, or rather 1)f filling up intermediate space, remarks: "We are no longer in the earlier time when missions of magnificent distances had leisure to develop themselves as they might without the risk of taking any harm. To-day the centre of Africa is the object ofa general assault, which contests every point of attack. God grant that we may be resolved and faithful."
-It is known how discreditably,indeed, ridiculously, jealous, both the French and the German governments are, of having missionaries of any other nation in their colonies. Germany, however, being Protestant, does not dislike them as Protestants, and, by its late agreement with England, expressly allows them in Africa. France, however, whose occupancy of the Gaboon, in West Africa, is much more recent than the American missionary occupancy of it, distrusts .our Presbyterian brethren there as foreigners and dislikes them as Protestants. Even French atheists are" Catholic atheists." They have forbidden our missionaries to use English in their schools, to which acceding, the Americans have obtained from the Paris brethren several teachers of French. The Journal says: "The authorities, having obtained satisfaction on the point as to which energy"-French-" colonial administration is inflexible, the teaching of the language of the mother country in the schools, have come to regard the American missionaries with a more favorable eye. If, as we hope, these friendly dispositions become fixed, every one will at last comprehend that which has always appeared evident to us, namely, that an intelligent administration, eager to extend civilization, ought not to refuse any assistance, even though offered by foreigners; especially when these foreigners are the repre sentatives of a friendly nation, and only ask leave to preach the Gospel without any intermixture of political aims."
Should the French Republic, as Father Hyacinthe forebodes, swing over from atheism to Jesuitism, it would fare ill with Protestant efforts, French or foreign, in her colonies. But, as Sainte Beuve remarks, whenever Jesuitism stretches out its hand to some great work of mischief, the eternal wound dealt by Pascal reopens, and it gives up the ghost afresh.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
n.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND OONDUOTED BY HEV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
The Past Ten Years in Persia. rians, and Catholics; and the Jews, who are quite numerous. BY REV. W. L. WIDPPLE, D.D. The field of the Bible work is divid- In looking backward ten years we ed with the British and Foreign Bible find very little change in the status of Society. Dr. Bruce, its representa- Persia. The same king, ~asr-ed-deen tive, looks after the southern, while I Shah, who has reigned, according to superintend the northern portion or the Persian reckoning, nearly fifty the kingdom for the American Bible years-the longest of any Persian Society. monarch-is still on the throne, a wiser and better sovereign than he There has been decided progress wastenyearsago. The journey which made in the missionary work, reprehe made to Europe, for the third time, sented, on the one hand, by the Amerilast year, seems to have had a bene- can Presbyterian Board, in the North, ficial effect upon him. He visited and on the other hand, by the Church most of the principal capitals and Missionary Society of England, who manufacturing centres, and appeared have their centre at Isfahan. to be in earnest in obtaining information and an insight into the various. In taking a retrospect of the Bible improvements and progress of the 19th work in Persia during the decade just century. Since his return he has be- drawing to a close, I am glad to say gun to introduce changes and reforms that it comes up, in the main, to my of a practical nature. This is no easy reasonable expectation, though not so task, for the same forces are still at extensive as I should wish to see. In work, opposing in every possible way forming plans for the work, when I the introduction of Western ideas, as first entered upon my duties, July 1, on his return from his previous Euro- 1880, I thought that if I succeeded pean tour. He has, however, gained in placing in the hands of the people in solid stamina, and we trust that he of Persia, in ten years, 40,000 copies will not be held in such subjection by of God's Word, I should be thank- "the power behind. the the throne" as ful. I was not over-sanguine that in former years. I should be able to attain that cir- culation. I find that the total cir- The kingdom has been quite free culation, including grants, has fully from internal troubles, with the ex- reached that amount. The sales exception of the Koordish Rebellion, ceed the grants in the proportion of which occurred about nine years ago, fourteen to one. The larger portion and was soon suppressed. are in the Persian, Turkish, and Ara- bic languages, representing the Mos- There has been no foreign war. The lem population. The Syriac comes. territory remains the same, contain- next. Then follows the Hebrew, ining nearly one-fifth of the area of the dicating the interest manifested by United States, or about as much as God's ancient people in His Word. Germany, France, Austria, and Hun- The Armenian does not enter so gary combined. Roughly estimated, largely in our sales as we expect it to it is 1,500 miles long, by 850 miles do in the future. There is too much wide, in its greatest extent. light creeping in on all sides of that ancient and dark Christian Church to Our work is among the following debar God's Word from its communion nationalities: The Moslems-the pre- much longer. dominent class-including the Sheah and Sunee sects (the Koords, as a In 1885 I made an address at the rule, are all Sunees); the nominal jubilee celebration in Oroomiah, com- Christian nations-Armenians, Nestomemorating a half century of mis- mission to the present time, it is be- sionary labot among the Nestorians, <>n the subject, "What part has the lieved that 70,000 copies of God's Word Bible had in the work of the last fifty years in Persia?" There were have been distributed, in different present about 2,000 persons, nearly Qne-half of whom were women and languages and among varions nation- girls. It was stated then, that fifty years before there were only two alities in Persia, apart from what has women in the entire Nestorian nation who could read, and the request was been done by the British and Foreign made that all the women present who (lould read the New Testament would Bible Society, through the agency of rise to their feet. Imagine our grati- fication when 800 arose. It was a Dr. Bruce. This may not seem very sight never to be forgotten by those present, who saw those daughters of wonderful to one unfamiliar with the the East, with intelligent and beaming faces, rise up, en masse, and remain bigotry and self-satisfaction of the standing until they were counted. And these were only representatives Persian Moslem, especially when he from many villages and towns upon the plains of Oroomiah, Sooldooz, and reads the circulation reported each Balmez, with a few from the moun- tains of Koordistan. The incident is year in some larger and older estab- a very impressive and encouraging object-lesson of what missionary ef- lished agencies. But let us not despise forts have accomplished in one di- rection merely-a rather liberal per the day of small things, nor forget >cent. of return in fifty years. Itspeaks even more teIlingly, when it is borne that these millions in Persia are a part in mind that at the commencement of the work among the Nestorians by of the world into which the triumph- Dr. Perkins and Dr. Grant these poor peeple did not have the Scriptures in ant Master commanded to preach the their own language (the Syriac). There were a few manuscript copies on Gospel. ' parchment of the ancient Syriac, so revered and precious that they were The fact that the representatives -only used on special and very holy oc- Clasions, and upon which oaths were from this Oriental land were the first administered to Moslems. as well as Christians, as they were counted very ambassadors to pay homage to the in- sacred by all classes. fant Saviour, and to lay at his feet It was the privilege of the American Bible Society to furnish the means to their royal gifts, is a very significant -carry through to completion the publication of the entire Syriac Bible, in one. And cannot we bring this up both the ancient, or sacred, and the modern languages. It is now revising before the adorable Master as "a methe modern version, and preparing to :,print a new edition with references. morial" in her behalf? We all in Per- From the commencement of the sia believe that there are brighter days in store and greater ,blessings held in reserve. The people are beginning to be aroused to a sense of their duty.
There is no more potent energy at work to bring about this greatly de- sired end than the printed Word. It enters silently where no preacher is allowed to stay, and quietly'and daily preaches to some one or more in that village or city where it finds lodgment and then suddenly the place is thrown into commotion by the rumor that one of their number has left the faith and become an "infidel Armanee"
(Christian). Then persecution begins; loss of relatives and friends and prop- erty follow, and revilings, beatings, and imprisonments hasten on apace; then threatenings, and, at last, it cul- minates in casting out and banish- ment from home and country. It may terminate in death itself.
But, meantime, this faithful one has taught a few of his firm friends, or read to them night after night from this new and interesting Book, .And this was the fact, as I can testify until they, too, have been won over to from what I have seen as I walked believe in the Injeel, and to accept through the bazaars. Christ as their Redeemer. And when a colporteur or evangelist visits the .After various methods were tried, place again, he is surprised to find a without avail, it was decided to pronumber who are not only favorably hibit all sales of Scriptures by colinclined, but who actually accept porteurs, whether in cities or towns Christianity, and petition the mis- or villages. So they could not make sionaries to send them a teacher or tours. This was made a jetwa, or ofpreacher. This has been the case in ficial action by the chief mujhtaheeds, a number of instances. It is inter- or highest ecclesiastical authority; esting, indeed, to see how the leaven 'and when the notice was communiworks, "until the whole lump is leav- cated to the governor-general hedared ened." not disregard it. He therefore in- formed our representative of this or- But in Persia, as elsewhere, "the der, and requested him to notify the kingdom of Heaven cometh not with agent of the American Bible Society observation." Very little attention at to respect it. After careful deliberafirst was paid to the circulation of the tion and counsel, we all deemed it Scriptures. When I began the work, expedient to observe the rule until reten years ago, they were admitted free dress could be obtained. of duty; but as the demand increased, and the cases of books-fifty and This proved to be by far the heaviest eighty at a time-began to arrive, the blow our work ever received. It was custom-house officials deemed it worth over one year before we could get the their attention, and soon we had to order rescinded, and receive permispay customs. A moderate rate wa..'1 sion to resume our work. This profixed, to be paid in kind. But it was hibition was in force only in .Azerbinot long before the officials com- jan, the other provinces being still plained that this was burdensome to opened to the colporteur. The printhem. They did not have room, they cipal part of our work, however, was said, to store away their share of in that province, where such cities Scriptures received for duties; so it and districts as Tabreez, Oroomiah, was decided, after due consideration, Salmas, Maragha, Sooldooz, etc., are that mone,y would be paid instead of situated. It affected, in conse- Scriptures. Soon after these points quence, our sales very materially. were settled, then the mullahs and high ecclesiastics of the Moslems ap_ I have told this story of the conflict, peared on the scene. They seemed to between truth and error, which has have been taken by surprise, and were been in progress for some years, so not aware how many Scriptures were quietly that few have been aware of going into circulation. They began to it, to show what advances the former investigate, and the more they in- is making over the latter, and, how quired the greater were they dis- stubbornly each stronghold has been turbed and alarmed. They held coun- held until captured by force. Progcils in various places, and discussed ress has been slow all along the line;' meaures for putting a stop to this but the fact that nearly 100,000 " torwork. Some were heard to say: pedoes" have been" placed," and are' " These men are filling the bazaars only abiding their time set for them with the Injeel, and wherever we go to accomplish the work intended for' we find one. Even merchants and them to do, is full of encouragement tradesmen are seen neglecting their to those who "wait patiently on the work, and poring over this book." Lord."
The colporteurand evangelist going' out together to the districts and, cities in the distant portions of Persia Testament. There are a number of have had a marked influence for good. converts to Christianity from the Indeed, they have been the advance Jews, and all have been faithful readguards, and have prepared the way for the establishing of every station in ers of the Tourat, or Old Testament. Persia except Oroomiah. All the others, viz.: Teheran, Isfahan, Ta- But as they compared Scripture with breez, Ramadan, Salmaz, and the Scripture, they were at last convinced new one recently established in the that the Messiah had surely come, and mountains of Western Koordistan, they hastened to acknowledge, and do were visited and canvassed first by him honor. There are many intellicolporteurs and evangelists, sent out gent Jews in Persia to-day, intellectuyearly by the missionaries in OroD- ally converted to Christianity, who do miah. They would spend, every not confess Jesus publicly" for fear visit, one week or more in each city in of the Jews," lest they be cast out of preaching and selling Scriptures. In the synagogue. That means to-day this way much precious seed was what it did 2,000 years ago. But the sown, which, after many days, has truth is working in many hearts, and sprung up and brought forth fruit–a will eventually prevail. The missionrich spiritual harvest–already; and aries' schools are composed entirely of the work is only fairly begun., Jewish boys and girls, who daily study the New Testament, and even the OBSTACLES IN THE WAY. catechism.
During these ten years a civil war, Another encouraging fact is the following closely upon the heels of large sale of Scriptures to Moslemsfamine and pestilence, has interfered perhaps the largest part of the gross with and curtailed materially the sales. These are in the Persian and sales of the Scriptures. Likewise, as Arabic, the Azerbijan and the Osalready mentioned, for over one year manli – Turkish languages. Weare no colporteur' was allowed to sell able, by these languages, to reach all Scriptures in the large and influential classes of the Mohammedans of Persia province of Azerbijan, where the larg- and Koordistan. Not only that, but est share of sales was usually made. they are purchased and carried home These circumstances, combined with to dwellers in Mghanistan, Beloochisthe constant animosity and vigilant tan, Turkestan, and even India. opposition to our colporteurs and the scarcity of ready money, have ham- It is a grand accomplishment and a pered the sales. Should the Armenian powerful agency in the evangelization bishops and priests withdraw their ob- of Mohammedans that the entire jections to the people purchasing the Scriptures have been translated, pub- Scriptures, and permit them to be lished, and circulated for years in the used in their schools, our sales would Arabic tongue, the sacred language of be greatly augmented; for they are all Moslems. abundantly able to purchase, and they are well supplied with schools. We The Arabic Bible and New Testahave been working to bring this about, ment are popular with the Moslem and some recent indications lead us to high ecclesiastics and clergy; for, behope that it will not be long before our ing in the sacred language, they al'e en<! will be accomplished. not suspected of reading the holy books of the Christians. If questioned ENCOURAGING FEATURES IN OUR WORK. what they are reading, they can re- ply, "the blessed Arabic tongue," and Among others might be mentioned then they read aloud a few verses in the number of Scriptures that are sNd confirmation of their statement. Our yearly to the Jews. It is true that colporteurs have sold Bibles in this most of these are copies of the Old language to some of the highest rank of Moslems, both clergy and nobility. I could mention some very interesting In concluding this paper, I append cases of this character, which it is not the resume of sales and grants for ten prudent to publish. years. The figures for 1889 are only All the converts 'from Islam to Christianity, whom I have met, at- approximately correct: tribute their conversion directly to the reading of the New Testament in The average number of men employed Persian, and not any human agency. annually ………. ~ •….. . . .. …. …… 25 Number of years spent by them…….. 170 " U miles (on horseback) tray· eled by your agent …….. 10,000 " " months spent on those jour· neys….. …. …. ……… 22 RESUME OF SALES AND GRANTS FOR TEN YEARS. GRANTS. SALES.
Bibles. Tests. Parts. TotaL Value. Bibles. Tests. Parts. TotaL Value.
From July 1880 to 2,114 1,921 4,488 $1,24800 50 285 402 737 151.00 end of 1881. .. .. . 453 2,129 1,755 4,308 1,069 12 47 265 394 706 149.40 2,178 2,363 5,026 1,295 48 58 185 240 483 127.85 F,?r 1882.. …….. 424 1,973 1,977 4,426 1,050 03 …2.9… ..1..7.3.. 236 ….4…3..8….. .1.0.6…2.5.. 1883………. 485 1,105 1,310 2,754 94090 1,549 2,974 4,852 …….. ……. . …… " 1884………. 476 1,023 1,625 2,844 1,311 98 . …… " 1885…… …. 339 2,464 2,129 5,004 384 36 1,500 1,870 3,625 87588 48 " 1886 ……… 329 1,225 15 ……… …9.0… ..1.7.1… ..3.0.9… ..6.4…0.0. , 1887. ……… 196 " 1888………. 411 " 1889………. 225 Total Sales in 10 years. .. ……… 3,368 16,035 17,924 37,327 $9,401 50 232 Total Grants in 10 998 1,448 2,637 $598.50 years… … ….. 232 998 1,443 2,637 59850 Total circulation, 10 years….. '" 3,600 17,033 19.367 40,000 $10,000 00 [NOTE: The above paper was read before International Missionary Union, 1890.-J. T. G.] Missions to the Native Mexican Races. and saving power of the Lord Jesus than their ancestors knew in the old REV.WH. P.F. FERGUSON, BANGAL, N.Y. days when the Aztec altars were piled with human hearts. I showed, in my former paper (see What prospects are there for their MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD, Christianization under present meth- ods? March, '90, p. 218) that there are today in Mexico, out of a total popula- The Roman Church has given them tion of less than 12,000,000, nearly all that it ever can.. They have the 4,000,000 who speak some one of the rosary, the crucifix, holy watermany ancient languages. In other pretty idols, compared with the fiendwords, to-day, after 370 years of the ascendency of Spanish blood, one- ish representations of the old Aztec third of the nation still use the lan- divinities; but only idols, and Rome's guages of their fathers, hands hold no better gifts.
In regard to these peoples I shall The Protestant missions' now at raise a series of questions and suggest work in the country have not, as yet, such answers as are in accord with attempted any very considerable work my conception of the facts: among the indigenes, not can they in the near future. Given the money Have these people been Christian- and the men, and to·day, in parts of ized? the Republic already under the eye of the missionary, 100 workers could be I might give a very extended an- placed in Spanish-speaking towns and swer. I might array facts and pile cities of from 1,000 to 10,000 inhabitup quotations to show you their con- ants where there is now no teacher of the Gospel and where good and sucdition. i refrain, and, with full real- cessful work could be entered upon at izationof the sad import of the words, sum up the condition of the native Mexicans to-day, in the one statement, that they know no more of the love <lnce. It is to be expected, and is To say nothing as to the ability of right, that these missions should ex- native workers to create a Christian pend their slowly increasing force literature of which I shall speak, none upon this work, lying right before of the missions at work in Mexico them and for which they are prepared. have as yet succeeded in training any It will be many years, in the probable considerable number of native minis- -course of events, before any of our mis- ters who would be considered by those sions can offer the Gospel to even the who best know them, as competent to greater part of these ancient peoples. manage the affairs of a mission with- out the constant supervision of the It seems to me, then, not in the least foreign missionary, and, besides, they unreasonable to urge the establish- are, with a few possible exceptions, as ment of special missions among the ignorant of the native languages as native Mexican races. At this day are foreigners. Some boys and girls missions are being founded among in our mission schools, and a few wasted tribes that contain only a few young men employed in the "supply" thousand, or even only a few hun- work would be available as interpre- -<Ired souls, and shall we neglect these ters, but I need not draw upon my peoples who, remnants though they own slender experience to show to .are, still are counted by hundreds of anyone who has ever been obliged to thousands and even by millions? Their work by such agencies that such work romantic history, the remains of their is often worse than unsatisfactory. .ancient greatness, their manifest and And I believe that the best results can' admirable qualities of mind and heart, never be attained by it. The bearer and, above all, the love of our common of the Glad Tidings must come into Saviour impel us to the work of their personal contact with those to whom salvation. he is sent.
This leads me. to question: Can mis- Is there any reason why the Amerisions to the native races employ the can missionary should not go to these Spanish language as the means of peoples, leaming their languages and -communication? entering into their life as he does among other nations? I speak with the fact fully in mind that there are others whose observa- Some have expressed the belief that tion uponthis point has been far more the Mexican government would asextensive than my own, and thus sume an attitude toward any such more valuable; but, in my judg_ movement not unlike that of our govment, the answer to this question is, ernment toward the use of the native No. As well as I am able to judge, languages in the Indian schools. much less than half of the 4,000,000 of whom I speak, have any knowledge of This seems to me in the highest dethe Spanish, and the greater part of gree improbable. I would expect that these but very little. I have seen the government would rather look people living within six miles of one with favor upon anything that would <If the largest cities and gaining their tend to arouse a pride of race among living by selling garden produce in the indigenes, It must be remembered its streets, who could' scarcely under- that Mexicans to-day are fond of 13tand or 'use the Spanish language thinking of the Republic as the lineal enough to transact their business. To successor of the Aztec Empire. Many confine us to the Greek language for scholars would, too, I think, give a <lur religious instruction would be welcome to a missionary who should about a parallel. undertake the study of the ancient languages. It may next be inquired: What are the available resources among our va- Some, again, look upon such labor tive Protestants? as unnecessary, believing that the use of the native tongues is soon to cease. Scriptures and religious books, my I consider this also improbable. For 370 views would be as follows: The be- years the Spanish has had every advan- ginning already made by the publica- tage in Mexico, but has failed to dis- tion of the Aztec Luke, I look upon as place the native languages. To-day it is valuable, more because of the interest· itself growing weak. The day comes, I that it has attracted than for its prac- venture to predict,when, in the greater tical use, which must be slight because- part of Mexico it will be of no greater of its antiquated form. But if mission importance than isthe French language work is ever conducted among these to-day in some of our Southern States. people to any extent, a translation of It cannot be expected to do, in its de- the Scriptures into the languages used cadence, what it has failed to do in will be a necessity. Independent. its strength. So that I do not expect translation by each worker could not to see the native languages spoken by be thought of. If schools should be any very greatly less numbers until a established and the people taught to stronger than the Spanish race rules read their own language, which they in Mexico. cannot now do, the Bible would, of course, be put into their hands and Again, it is asked, if these lan- other Christian literature would be guages are capable of expressing the called into use. The teaching of the truths of the Gospel, and if they are native languages, would, however, de- not of so barbarous a character as to pend upon conditions not as yet fully be almost impossible of acquirement. understood.
Man speaks no language in which The facts which I have briefly he may not be told that "Jesus Christ stated warrant, it seems to me, the came into the world to save sinners." appeal and give promise of success. There is no linguistic impossibility to It may be, that some of the missions the successors of those upon whom now established can be so enlarged fell the baptism of tongues. And, and adapted as to include the most from what little study I have given urgent part of the needed work; but I the subject, I am of the opinion that a should expect better results from new man who has the courage and ability missions established either by the soto begin his study at the very basis cieties now engaged in Mexico, or by anew can master even the most diffi- others. If each would confine itself cult of these in about the average to one nation, or, at least, if the work time required to master other foreign could be so adjusted as toavoid waste, languages. and conflict of forces, much could be accomplished in a short time, while The existence of numerous dialects the less numerous tribes would furnish is also urged as an insurmountable fields of labor for societies of limited obstacle. We are told that even a resources. slight change of location among people of the same race would render Conceeding the possibility that some useless the study of years. I question of my condusions may not be well if this obstacle is not very much over- founded, and doubting at the same rated. I believe that missionary his- time if data are yet at hand for a pertory will show many instances of fect judgment of the case; I would greater difficulties of this character urge that the first step should be an overcome elsewhere. And, it is to be exploration with a view to discoverremembered that the introduction of ing accurately such points as, to what missionary work in the languages will extent these peoples are dependent strongly tend to remove the differences upon the native languages, to just – of dialects. what extent the more important of them are divided by dialects, and If we shall raise here the question of the necessity of translating the what is the present prospect for their interest to remember that the mission- survival. Attention should also be ary living among these peoples, mak- given to the disposition of the people ingan intelligent studyof theirlife and toward the Roman Church, their wil- language, would doubtless encounter lingness, or otherwise, to receive in- many facts, and would give light upon struction and other things that would that most perplexing problem, the aid in the selection of fields of labor history and origin of American races. among-them. If those who were ex- pected to become the missionaries This work is a duty to someone; is should make this exploration (and this it not to us? How can the Protestant would be desirable), a good beginning Christianity of the United States be should be made toward a mastering blameless if it fail to preach the true of the native languages. Gospel to these dying millions, who, right at our doors, have been for cen- The outfit for such an expedition turies cursed with a false faith ? When need not be very expensive and. the we stand before the judgment throne total cost of a year's work could be will not we hear the question, "Where more than met by the literary pro- is thy Mexican brother?" Shall we ceeds. This part of the work might be answer, "Lord,we left him in his filth entered upon at once and would do and ignorance and vice." Or shall we much to arouse an interest in the sub- answer, "Lord, we told him of the ject and make further advance pos- blood that cleanseth, we brought to sible. In fact, I believe that it must be his dark mind the knowledge of Thy done and that, too, by private effort, be dying love, we showed to him 'the fore any organization will move to the Lamb of God that taketh ..way the work of planting a miSflion. sins of the world,' and here, Lord, he is, washed and redeemed, a jewel for Once in possession of the facts that Thy diadem." could thus be brought to light, some society, or it might be, some man of llnent the ~ec~ means whose heart God should touch, would, I trust, furnish the necessary BY REV. LEVI B. SALMANS. financial support for the opening of the work. The field chosen would Anglo-Saxons, as we are, and misprobably be remote from civilization sionaries, too, suddenly set down in and full of dangers. A small, care- the midst of a Latin people, we could fully selected and well-furnished force not fail to admire the Astec populashonld be sent to make a beginning and tion of the fastnesses of the Sierras. advance should be upon the lines de- They have never been conquered by veloped. It might prove that,under the force of arms, though the Latinized touch of Christianity, elements of the government, which has come to preold civlization would spring to life and vail throughout Mexico in a certain thus new peoples be brought into the way, has come into the power of ruler- "federation of the world." Or, it ship. Yet the Ancient Cacique is the might prove that all traces of the old organized ,power behind the throne. were but forms of dust to vanish at Nothing of importance can be done by that same potent touch. Then it the Mexican government in these would be the work of the missionary mountains except it be agreeable to to guide these peoples clear of the the leaders among the Indians, as we dangers of the present Spanish-Ameri- would call them, though they are as can civilization, and introduce them different from our Indians as the Japinto the better and purer form of life anese are from Chinamen, or French into which we are already trying to from English. I do not know whether lead their Spanish-speaking neighbors. these comparisons are just right or not, but the Astcc was a semi-civil- It cannot fail to add a thought of ized race, living in cities built of stoneand morta'!', and had laws and govern- than the inhabitants of the Sierra of ment, with arts and industries, and Pueblo, risen into prominence or fur- were by no means the wild savage nished political leaders in the national nomad, known as the Indian in the affairs of the past generation. United States. Bishop Hurst says: .. while the Spaniard conquered and On Board the "Taichiow," Two Days ruled for three hundred years in Mex- From Bangkok Siam. ico, and grafted upon the people his religion, laws and customs, the Mexi- August 30, 1890. can or Indian has at last conquered DEAR DR.GRACEy:-Am on my way the Spaniard, and taken possession of to my field of missionary labor, in the realm. More than this is true of Laos, and, in reading the July num- the Sierra of Pueblo. They were ber of THE REVIEW, 1 have been much never conquered at home, while they interested in an article headed "Meaided nobly in conquering and ex- chanic Missionaries," by Secretary pelling the Spaniard, and afterward Brown, of the International Commit- the Roman hielarchy. They formed tee of Y. M. C. A. the troops who saved the day on the The Church is waking up to the great fifth of May, 1862, at Pueblo, grand importance of utilizing its lay and on many another fiercely fought element, though slowly. Themechanic battlefield. They hold their land in missionary comes in contact with a severalty, and live largely on their class of people, the very bone and land, rather than in villages. The sinew of a country, unreachable by personal independence of the Anglo- either the ordained or the medical Saxon largely. characterizes them. missionary. The rank and ,file of an They are fierce in war, while at the army could not be made up of colonels Bame time they are very mild-man- and generals. Private soldiers do the nered in peaceful intercourse. Ro- fighting directed by their officers. manism destroys the individual and Why should not the Church carry on builds up the institution. When Pro- her work both at home and abroad on testant evangelism seeks in the midst the same plan? -of a Roman civilization for individuals Secretary Brown speaks of an extento convert, who, after being converted, sive movement to establish one or more will have independence and individu- Christian undenominational schools ality enough to become useful evan- of technology, to fit men to become gelists and leaders among their people teachers of the trades and first-class against the odds of sin, conservatism, mechanics, and at the same time to and feudal inequality, it rejoices the enlist and prepare them for personal heart to find such a people as these in work in winning souls. This is a the Sierra. It is true they are not laudable undertaking, and ought to .nearly so highly civilized as the people have the hearty support of the entire in the cities of Mexico, but they are in Church. But it will, necessarily, be sympathy with the country and the some time before these institutions country is in sympathy with them, can be in readiness for students, and and they belong to the race that is on then some time before these students the top at this time; and when we get will be ready to be sent to work. Let them converted we will have a most us call attention to the fact that you valuable evangelizingagency. Nearly have just such a school in your midst. -one-half of the whole population of Park College, Parkville, Mo., has for Mexico still speak their original fifteen years been sending its trained tongues, and maintain, to a greater or men, and women, too, into all parts less degree, their original customs. of the home field (1 am writing as an Among these none have, more notably American), and into many foreign countries. There is this difference be- hundreds of her sons pleading to be tween this college and those proposed fitted to carry the Gospel to all lands?
by Mr. Brown: its distinctive work is ROBERT IRWIN.
the training of Christian workers for M. Henri Lutteroth, who died personal Christian work. The study February 12, 1889, was the last surof the Bible and the inculcation of viving founder of that lamp shining, personal piety are first; then the col- we will not say amid darkness, but lege work proper leading up to the de- certainly among vapors, the Societe gree of A. B., and lastly, the manual des Missions Evangeliques de Paris. training, embracing nearly all the Speaking of him, the Journal says: trades. " Our work has never had greater This would seem to be the natural need than at the present hour of colorder, and an argument in its favor laborators of this stamp, knowing how is the great success Park College has to place at its service the intensity of had. Everyone of our hundred and piety and of zeal together with all the twenty-five graduates is actively en- distinctions of culture and of knowlgaged in Christian work, besides a edge. Never, in fact, has the amount. great many who were unable to of labor imposed on the committee graduate. There is a practical advan- been more considerable than during tage in their mechanical department. this year." Nothing is done simply to show how it is done, but because it is necessary. The Moravian Church, which first The institution depends largely on the sent a missionary to the south of work ,of its students. They quarry Africa, in 1737, and which has a flourthe stone, mould the brick, burn the ishing work in Cape Colony and the lime, cut the logs, saw the lumber, neighboring lands, now proposes t() and build their houses; they cultivate join the ranks of those who are seekand tend large gardens and a farm of ing the evangelization of the equaseveral hundreds of acres; raise cattle, torial regions. A mission has been sheep and hogs; make wagons, repair projected, under the protection of the implements, shoe horses, and do the German government, for that part of one-thousand-and-one other things the German zone of eastern Africa necessary on a large industrial estab- adjoining the northern and northlishment. There are now over three eastern shores of Lake Nyassa. The hundred students in attendance, and two pioneers of this newest Moravian' hundreds are refused admittance mission, Theodore Meyer and Theaevery year just because there is no phile Richard, will shortly set out for room. If now there are those who the sphere of their future labors. want the mechanic missionary training, proposed by.Secretary Brown, J. TAYLOR HAMILTON, they need not wait until several other Secretary of the Societyfor the Propainstitutions are equipped. Let twenty gation of the Gospel, Bethlehem, Pa.
such be built at once, they will not be A Waldensian church-edifice, hold- too many; but let the Church use, to ing four hundred, has been opened its utmost capacity, that one now in by Cav. Dr. Prochet in Vittoria, a existence. The foreign field is calling Sicilian town with a population of for men. It is the loud cry from the 25,000. The church was so full that north and the south and the west and Dr. Prochet could scarcely reach the the east and from all over the home pulpit. After sermon seven catechu- field. Shall the Church hear the cry mens were admitted, and the crowd, and withhold what is in her power to inside and out, was so much interested give-viz: facilities for training Chris- and excited that the municipal guards tion workers, and oppo~nities to the had to disperse it.
ii2 EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS
1II.-EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.
Editorial Prospectus for 1891. eluding notes by the editor on various The editor cordially salutes his read- topics and books of a mISSIOnary ers with the best wishes of the New character, and editorial correspon- Year. Notwithstanding the decease dence. of the associate editor, no material change will be needful either in the IV. The Department of Intelligence, character or contents of THE MISSION- including the Monthly Concert, Gen- ARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD. The eral Items of Information, Statistics editor-in-chief will be aided by the and Monthly Bulletin. prolific and graceful pen of the Rev. J. T. Gracey, D.D., president of the The editor will spare no pains, and International Missionary Union, under the publishers no expense, in securing whose sagacious control it is hoped from the ablest sources whatever will that the International Department enrich the columns of this magazine. IDay supply to our readers even richer We hope to make it indispensable to stores of missionary information and every minister and missionary, theoinspiration. The Rev. A. J. Gordon, logical student or friend of human D.D., of Boston, whose praise is in all weal. We have planted our standard the churches, will act as a regular on a level higher than any denomina. editorial contributor, and we can tional platform, and shall seek to think of no man in this country whose unite all true disciples of Christ in a words will be read with more interest new crusade against all the powers of and profit. darkness, and in favor of a speedy Beside this editorial staff we shall and universal proclamation of the be aided by a large and able body of Gospel. Once more we ask the prayer. editorial correspondents and contribu- ful and sympathetic co-operation of tors, and no pains will be spared to every Christian, and invoke, upon this secure the best talent and the most sincere and unselfish endeavor, the consecrated piety in the service of this blessing of the Master of us all! REVIEW. These pages will be devoted to the discussion of all the great ques- The editor would add a special word tions connectedwith the spread of the to contrlbutors of articles intended Gospel both at home and abroad, and for publication. So great is the influx will be open to the advocacy of every of unsolicited manuscripts already cause or IDeasure which is linked becoming that even the reading of with human well-being, and to the them has been almost impossible. Of impartial and critical investigation of course, preference will be given to papers which have been solicited; but those who desire to send manuscripts all forms of philanthropic and Chris- would ordinarily do wisely, before tian endeavor. sending, to inform the editor of such intention, state the topic, and inquire It will be observed that, in the whether they are likely to be used. interests of greater unity and sim- The editor begs to say, also, that the plicity of arrangement, we have but qualities of brevity, directness, and, four main departments: especially, freshness of matter and pertinency to the great qUj*ltions of I. The Literature of Missions, in- missions, will give particular value to cluding papers pertaining to general contributed matter. We cannot undertopics, translations from foreign peri- take to return rejected manuscripts odicals, etc. unless stamps for that purpose are enclosed with them when forwarded II. The International Department, to us. Any recent and well accredited under the efficient conduct of Dr. Gracey.
III. The Editorial Department, inintelligence from any part of the field tional interest, and at Cleveland, Ohio, will be especially valued, and all the evening meeting held in Music accepted articles will be paid for so far Hall numbered, probably, 4,000 peras the limited resources of the REVIEW sons. Some very beautiful examples allow. Manuscripts, written in a clear of the power of consecrated mission_ and legible hand, and not obscured by ary-spirited pastors to mould their corrections, interlineations and other congregations into missionary helper, blemishes, are also more likely both to and to stimulate systematic and cheerbereadandaccepted. Wehaveattimes ful giving, have been found. As in been compelled to cast aside a manu- Great Britain, there have been many :script because it was neither possible gifts of jewelry, etc., showing how for the editor to read it, nor the printer God is leading His people to sacrifice <correctly to put it in type. Special superfluities for Him. A gold pen pains should be taken by writers to with pearl handle, a seal ring, two make proper names correct and plain, solid gold chains, a society badge, a and statistics accurate and unmis- pair of gold-mounted eye-glasses, etc., takable. No second article should be have been sent to me for missions. sent, ordinarily, until it is known that Large collections of money have, in the first is accepted. If the corres- several cases been made for the Board pondents will observe these sugges- of Missions. And the farther the tour tions and exercise due patience, the has reached the more abundant the editor will endeavor to see that there calls for service became. It was a is no just cause of complaint as to his curious coincidence that the very day part of the work. The burden of on which the last week-day appointeditorial duties and responsibilities is ment was fulfilled, was the day on excessively onerous, but the constant which the co-editor, Dr. Sherwood, endeavor will be to deal courteously, departed for the Better Country! In promptly and impartially by all con- any case that death would have made tributors and correspondents. further engagements, to any consider- able extent impracticable, as it im- Since arriving in this country, in posed double duty on the survivor. June last, the Editor has been making But no impression is stronger as left a brief tour of the churches in the by these four months of contact with great centres, mostly east of Chicago, the churches, than this, that the best in the interests of missions, and with agent a mission board can have, is results most gratifying and encourag- simply an unselfish missionary-spiriting. Boston, Northfield, and Green- ed, well-informed pastor, who keeps field, Mass.; Willimantic, Conn.; Ger- the vital interests of the world-field mantown, and Pittsburgh, Penn.; Al- constantly before his people. We bany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, never once struck an apathetic church Buffalo, Lockport, Binghamton, and where there was a man in the pulpit Elmira, N. Y.; Montclair, Newark who was full of passion for souls. and Camden, N. J.; Baltimore, Md.; Youngstown and Cleveland, 0.; Lan- Are Mission Oonverts a Failure? sing and Detroit, Mich.; Indianapolis, In The Ohurch of Scotland Mission Ind.; and Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, Record of May and October, 1890, Dr. and Chicago, Ills., have been among the places comprehended in this hur- Archibald Turnbull, B.D., of the Darried tour. Almost without exception jeeling Mission, writes on the above the audiences have been large and the topic. The author is abundantly able interest manifested unusually intense. to discuss the subject. He is one of the At Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, El- ablest and most accomplished missionmira, the gatherings were of excep- aries in the field and his labors have been remarkably successflK. The A. Beautiful Epitaph.
work begun by Rev. McFarlane, in The most interesting specimen of an 1870, yielded to his prayers and labors, epitaph is one to be seen in a pretty but little apparent fruit, for some church, in Aneityum, one of the Loy- years. When Mr. Turnbull first joined alty Islands, or New Hebrides. It is the Mission, in 1880, there were some a tablet erected by the grateful natives hundreds of converts; and Mr. McFar- to their missionary, John Geddie. On lane, having been called to his rest, this tablet is inscribed, in their lan- Mr. Turnbull is now at the head of guage, the following: the mission, which has branched out When he landed, into three divisions, each headed by in 1848, able and devoted missionaries. Considerably over a thousand baptized there were no Christians here, and when he left, in 1872, Christians are now in communion with there were no heathen. it. Professor Lindsay, convener of On almost any island within 2,00<1' the Free Church Foreign Mission, who miles of the shores of Tahiti, in any recently visited India, has described direction, a similar tablet might be this Darjeering Mission, as the "best erected, as an expression of the results mission he had seen in India." When of the twenty-two years' work, besuch a man as Mr. Turnbull, with tween 1817 and 1839-the epoch of such a large experience, tells what he John Williams-and yet, "missions has seen of converts, his opinion can- are a failure! "
not but be of great value, and by per- A Practical Cure for Scepticism. mission of our beloved friend, Rev.
Thos. Nicol, B.D., the editor of The In the life of Dr. Fleming Stevenson Ohurch of Scotland Record, we pro- we find an interesting commentary on pose to give our readers hereafter, at the words, "He that doeth my will least, some portions of Mr. Turnbull's shall know of the doctrine." At one valuable testimony. He proves, to a time his mind was in a somewhat certainty, that the Gospel is the unsettled state regarding some ele- power of God unto salvation, even in ments of the creed in which he had India. been brought up, to which he clung with loyal reverence. Itwas by plung- Rabinowitch, the Hungarian Jew- ing into practical mission work that ish Rabbi, who, a few years since pub- light was to come to him upon these licly conf03ssed Jesus as the Messiah, thorny points of theology.
and led out a new body of Jewish be- This reminds us of what Shaftesbury lievers, adheres to his faith and used to say to young men: preaches to great crowds. A new, ,,Nothing is more likely to keep you large hall, called after the great evan- from mischief of all kinds-from mis- gelist of the Free Church of Scotland, chief of action, of speculation-from the Somerville Memorial Hall, is to every mischief that you can devise, be opened soon. We look with the than to be everlastingly engaged in intensest interest upon the new some great practical work of good.
movement, known as the "Israelites Christianity is not a state of opinion of the New Covenant," and bless God and speCUlation. Christianity is essen- for the Hebrew New Testament trans- tially practical, and I will maintain lated by Dr. Delitzsch, and for the this, that practical Christianity is the sermons and addresses of such men greatest curer of corrupt speculative as Rabinowitz, David Baron, Wilkin- Christianity. No man, depend upon son of Mildmay and a host of others it, can persist from the beginning of Who are taking the warmest interest his life to the end of it in a course of in the conversion of the Jews. self-denial, in a course of generosity.. in a course of virtue, in a course of ing service, go first to gather in and piety, and in a course of prayer, un- teach the poor neglected children in less he draw~ from his wellspring, un- the afternoon, then hold a yoke-felless he is drawing from the fountain lows' prayer-meeting and take supper of our Lord Himself. Therefore, I together at their humble place of meetsay to you again, and again, let your ing; and who then go out for an hour, walk the streets, and personally invite Ohristianity be practical." * to service those whom they find. And then, at eight o'clock, they go to their To all of which the writer adds his meeting-hall, or tent, and, in their confirmatory witness that never, since simple way, preach, simply as laymen, the taking up in dead earnest the work and hold after-meetings for inquiry. of a world's evangelization, have speculative doubts harrassed the mind.
As to churches and missions, I think The Ritualism, which is more and their true relations to each other are more obtruding itself upon observation very simply defined. The church is in the Anglican Church, and in some both a rallying and a radiating point. of the High-Church services of this We are to come there to be fed and go country, is compelling some who have from there to feed others. GenerallyI been zealous champions of the Episcomake my morning service especially a pal Church, to look with alarm on the encroachments of a latent Romanism feeding time for Christian swubosrtkaenrcs~ .that is rapidly becoming patent. If when I try to bring out the of the Word-the promises, the ways these things go on, they will compel a of serving, the motives of true work withdrawal of those who cannot felfor God, the preparations of prayer, lowship these semi-Papal practices. etc.-whatever helps to qualify any Take these two examples: Canon Scott mHogllhaI.nSds,eirnmSont., Preafuelr'srinCgatthoetdhreald' edautrh- . disciple for holy living and unselfish serving. Then I am glad to have my Christian workers go out after that of the late Canon Liddon, thus solicitmorning service to preach and teach ed prayers on his behalf: "Pray for that sermon and that Gogpel else- him-for his refreshment, for his ilwhere, and am quite willing to have lumination, for his eternal repose." their places empty at the second service Praying for the dead finds no warrant that they may go and hold little evan- in Scripture; it is a Romish practice gelistic meetings, cottage meetings, that ought to receive no countenance prayer services, etc., where they may from Protestants. A service, which was, to say the get at the non-church gael's. I do not least, novel, was held lately in that believe in Christians feeding without same Cathedral. It was styled a "Serworking. "If any man will not work vice of Reconciliation." In Septemneither shall he eat." Activity for ber last, during public worship, one souls prevents spiritual dyspepsia. It Sabbath morning, a stranger suddenly is the exercise needful to carry off the drew a pistol a.nd shot himself, and food into normal channels and assimi- I?hortly died within the sacred struclate it to our constitutional wants. I ture. Having no precedents to folcannot understand how any man can low, after much consultation, the dean be jealous of his workers going out to ' and chaplain formally requested the carry the Gospel and leaving an empty Bishop of London, in the exercise of place half a day for some one else to his Episcopal authority, "to declare fill who needs the Gospel far more. I the said Oathedral church exempt and have had a band of such young men, reconciled from all canonical impediespecially, for years, who, after morn- ment, and from everyprofanation con- * Hodder's Life of Shaftesbury, 1: 328. tracted and incurred by or through the aforesaid acts of suicideand blood-let- all thatoffends refined taste, the Salva- ting, forever." Hence this "Service tion Army compels recognition by of Reconciliation" on the 14th of Oc- downright earnestness and heroic self- tober. The London Times, with a denial. One of the most conservative tone bordering on contempt, asks why, ministers of the Presbyterian body, in if the great temple was "polluted" by a recent visit to London, went re- the crime, services were not entirely peatedly to the army meetings, and, suspended-why the altar was not after careful investigation, declares dismantled, and the edifice closed un- himself wonderfully impressed with til the profanation could be removed· the evidences of God's presence and by a "reconciling service?" Others power.
ask, why the freak of a sensational Shortly before his death Canon suicide, should be considered as "pol- Liddon went to one of the Salvation luting" a sacred edifice. Army meetings in London. As' he was returning with a friend, he said: General Booth gives to the world "It fills one with shame! I feel his new contribution to the great guilty when I think of myself! To problem of how to take care of the think of these poor people, with their unhoused, unfed poor of London, imperfect grasp of the truth! And yet almost at the same time that his wife's what a contrast between what they do body is borne to burial. and what we are doing! When I Her funeral was one of the most compare all the advantages we enjoy, impressive events of modern social we who possess the whole body of history. Whatever we may think of truth, and see how little use we make the Salvation Army, it is one of the of it, how little effect we produce com- most remarkable developments of our pared with that which was palpable time. Its genesis is recent-it began at that meeting, I take shame to my- in the year 1865, and kept its" Silver self. I did not like the women speak- Jubilee" in 1890. A quarter of a cen- ing, however. You know I have the tury ago William Booth resigned his misfortune to agree with the Apostle post as a'Methodist minister, New Con- Paul on that question. "
nection, and began his "Christian And now, Mrs. Booth, after long ~fission," thirteen years later called and acute suffering, has died, and the the" Salvation Army." day of her funeral, though raw, foggy, After this quarter century, this dismal, the procession numbered Salvation Army, at whose members probably 50,000 people, and the streets and methods the world and the were densely thronged with spectators.
Church sneered, now has its banners At the head of the marching columns flying in thirty-four countries or colo- were the 5,000 officers of the army, nies, boasts 10,000 men and women men and women, marshaled in fifteen wholly given up to its work, holds battalions. Each battalion carried a 50,000 religious meetings weekly, flag, some of them a number,of flags, which are attended .by millions of generally of white, with inscriptions hitherto neglected and outcast people. in colored letters, such as "Love one It has, moreover, twenty-seven weekly Another," " Save your Soul," " Believe newspapers, of which about 31,000,000 in God," and one especially striking copies are sold in the streets, saloons, flag bearing the words, "Mother of etc. It has accumulated nearly $4,000,- the Salvation Army." The coffin was 000 worth of property, and its rentals carried on an open hearse, and bore for meeting-places reaches $1,000,000 no emblems beyond Mrs. Booth's a year, while it has a total income of bonnet and cloak, and the flag of the between three and four millions. army, according to her earnest desire Despite all ita sensational methods, for simplicity in funeral reform. Even the London Times lends two or the individual statements and >()olumns to a detailed description of propositions of this book, in common the event, and the Methodist Times with thousands of the best men and describes Mrs. Booth as " the greatest women on both sides of the sea, we Methodist woman of her generation." heartily wish General Booth success. No one who has read the little volume of her addresses, known as " Aggres- Canon Farrar, on November 9, sive Christianity," will doubt her preached a sermon on this philan- })ower. thropic scheme, and even the great Abbey would not hold the crowds that And now, almost simultaneous with thronged to hear it. He had, the her death, General Booth issues his week before, made a tour of the army book, inscribed to her memory: "In centres, and was so impressed that he Darkest England, and the Way Out." made a fervent and impassioned We have read it with profound in- appeal in behalf of the proposed plan, terest, and we find ourselves very far while he disclaimed any authority to from being disposed to ridicule or dis- represent anyone but himself. regard its practical suggestions. From a somewhat extended study of the Those who wish to get the substance practical methods of the Salvation of General Booth's scheme may find a Army, especially in Great Britain, we l·ecapitulation of it in Chapter VII, were compelled to admit that, more Section 5. Some of the most pious than all the churches put together, this and philanthropic of British Chrisunique organization is bringing relief tians are coming forward with liberal to the unfed, unhoused and uncared contributions toward the $5,000,000 for masses of the great cities of for which General Booth appeals, as Britain. the financial' basis of his plan. So awful and so widespread is the degra- General Booth's book is a bold dation and destitution of this "sub- ~ttempt to solve the most perplexing merged tenth" of Britain's population, <>f social problems. His plan is a that we rejoice at any honest attempt mere expansion of that which on no to relieve and remove another of the small scale is in actual operation in open sores of the world. Let the new the Salvation Army ~ntres in London. project have at least a fair trial. He proposes a scheme of three colonies -a town, a country, and an over-the- The following is from the son of the sea colony. Cheap food depots, advice editor, studying this winter in Edinbureau, labor shops, a household sal- burgh, Scotland: vage brigade; the gathering of what would be wasted otherwise, and its " After tea we went to the univerutilization as food for human beings sity to hear Professor Drummond on and for animals, or for various pur- , Christian Evolution.' He dwelt par- })oses of manufacture. He proposes ticularly on the progress of missions to exact a reasonable amount of work and their condition and work, as he from colonists and to pay reasonable had noticed it in his recent trip around wages, so that there may be no en- the world. The lecture was a fine one couragement of paupers; to help out- in every particular, and he seemed to cast and criminal classes to a better be thoroughly in sympathy with the life; to help those who are disposed missionary movement; to have obto help themselves; to maintain whole- served keenly on the subject in his some discipline, and afford religious tour; and he urged all to consider care- {lulture without compulsion. Those fully if their lives could not be best who would know details must read his used for Christ in the foreign field. book. Without giving endorsement He lamented the fact that there seemed to the peculiar methods of the army, to be so much misdirected effort by well-meaning Christian missionaries, because the problem of missions, in Here is another, enclosing a gold. connection with the special countries pen with a pearl handle: in which they worked, was not more thoroughly studied and understood. Sabbath Morning, Oct. 5,1890. He contrasted Australia and the South Sea Islands, Japan and China, espec- DEAR DR. PIERSON: ially, as presenting entirely different kinds of fields, which were to be sown This gold pen was a Christmas gift. with the same seed but in different It has a sad story. It has nev!'r been ways, according to the nature of the used-it has lain idle ten years. May ground, and growth already planted the dear Lord now use it in some way there. One thing he said about Japan so as best to tell of the "Peace on was pretty well put-Japan is ready earth and good will from heaven for anything new and European; she toward men." has taken from France a system of law; from Germany an organization ONE OF YOUR HEARERS. for an army; from England a navy; from America a public school system; The American Missionary Associafrom' the civilized world in general a tion has 500 missionaries. Among fine system of railways and electric the Indian children they have entelegraph, etc. At present she is in couraged unselfish efforts to help in the unique position of prospecting for carrying the Gospel to the destitute a religion. There are, too, on the and unevangelized. But the children islands many missionaries prospecting had no money. Some of them had for converts: they include Episcopal- never seen a copper coin. The governians of every degree of height, Presby- meNt had offered premiums for the terians of every degree of breadth, and killing of gophers, and so the boys Methodists of every degree of warmth. would hunt the gophers and bring Roman Catholics are practically out of their tails in as proof of the work the race. done. Among other contributions was an enclosure, wrapping a gopher's tail " It was a thoroughly good lecture, within, and bearing this memoranand I would like to have it in print. dum: "Richard Fox, one gopher's tail: four cents." "DELAVAN L. PIERSON." One old colored saint in the far South Latterly, the editor has been making used to pray with great fervor for the a short tour of the great cities in the missionaries, and this was one prayer interest of missions. Among numer- heard from his lips: "Oh, Lord, let ous letters received by him, the follow- de missionary down deep into de treasing will suggest their own lesson: ures of de Word, and hide him behind de Cross of Jesus." For whom might DR. PIERSON: not that prayer well be offered?
Dear Sir-Enclosed please find four While Christianity makes us more dollars and ten cents, a small sum that and more tenderly considerate even of I had intended to use toward a society the welfare of the most distant and pin, but if the Master can use it for destitute of the race, sin makes IlUtelling the good story in the lands of man beings more callous eve:n to the darkness I dare not keep it for my own most appalling misery close at hand. pleasure. We have all heard of that notorious gambling resort on the Gulf of Genoa, I would that it were more than Monte Carlo, and of the wretched and it is. summary life-ending of many who have thrown away their means in its May God, our Master, bless you in elegantly-furnished halls. Very lately the work you are doing for Him, is it was reported that during ten weeks the prayer of a college girl. of this year as many as forty-nine E – College, Oct. 6, 1890. suicides had occurred there. "Every before the introduction of Christianity. night," says The Christian, of Boston, All interested in South Sea missions "'the grounds are carefully searched should procure it. It especially com- by the police after the casino is closed. mends itself for brevity. Other vol- Dne man drags a covered spring-cart, umes in this series, lives of Carey, the wheels of which have India-rubber Chalmers, Comber, Crowther, Morri- tires. When a body is found, for son, Patteson, Griffith John, etc., are which a reward is given, it is immedi- as readable as romances. Such vol- ately stripped of clothes and valu- umes can scarcely be multiplied in too ables, tftrust into the cart, and silently great abundance. hurried away and buried. Next morn- jng the sun shines again, the band The Success of Christian Missions, plays, saloons and tables are thronged, by Robert Young, F. R. S., G. S. In and people gamble as usual." this volume, Mr. Young has made a careful compilation of testimonies in New Books. favor of foreign missions in most heathen lands, similar to that of Mr. F. H. Revell has issued two more vol- Liggins. Personal, official and .pub- umes of the short biographies of mis- lic testimony to the value and influ- 'sionaries: Henry Martyn and Robert ence of the missionary operations of Moffat. If there are any better brief many societies is here gathered and biographical sketches for general nse preserved. For permanent reference, .as educators of the young, and as a and as an answer to the slurs and at- means of general stimulation to the tacks of adversaries, the book will be missionary spirit, we have not met always useful and should be at hand them anywhere. 'Within the compass in every well-stocked missionary ,of 160 pages, there is comprised a library as, in its way, an encyclopedia mass of information that is often di- of testimony. London: Hodder & .luted through three times the space. Stoughton. Cheap, thrilling, fascinating, these stories of missionary life combine the While we write, there just comes facts of heroism with the fancies of by mail from a dear personal friend, romance. They are very near to Dr. George Smith of Edinburgh, the ideals realized. We believe that few last book so far produced by his schol- will read one chapter without wanting arly and prolific pen. It is entitled A to read the whole, or read one of the Modern Apostle, and is the life of series, now embracing twelve, without Rev. Alex. N. Somerville, D.D., "the wanting to possess the entire series, world's evangelist." He was an ex- ,and give them away to others. We traordinary man, and we propose here- would like to give the series to every after to present an article upon young man and woman in every him to our readers. Suffice it to say Protestant congregation where Eng- that he thirteen times made a "world lish is spoken. The whole twelve may tour of missions;" viz.: to Canada, be had for $6, exclusive of postage I Syria, Spain, India, Australasia, France and Italy, Germany and Rus- The editor also cordially commends sia, Central Europe, Greece, Asia and to all readers the following books on Africa; and beside this was the able missions: James Calvert; or from and faithful pastor of one of the most Dark to Dawn in Fiji, by R. Vernon. prominent churches of Scotland. Here F. H. Revell, Bible House, New York. is a story of more than seventy-five 'This account of mission work, in what years, full of service and every form was once the cannibal group of Fijian of inspiration to heroic endeavor. – Islands, is rendered specially valuable Those who have read the lives of Carey, by its graphic account of native man- John Wilson of Bombay, Alexander .ners and customs as they were found Duff, Stephen Hislop, and that Short History of Christian missions which terestmg and valuable. One sees as. we have never seen equaled in its in a birdseye-view the steady and sure way, all of them by the same gifted advance of the Master's Kingdom, and author, will not need to be told that we rejoice. this latest volume from his pen, recently issued by John Murray of Lon- In the work of a missionary there don, is a book without which no min- is often much to disappoint. One has isters library is complete. It is one to sow in faith and labor in patience, of the grandest books that modern seeing no sign of a reaping-time. But biographers have offered to the public. when one reads of others who are al- ready rejoicing in the ingathering of Livingstonia Mission. an abundant harvest, he for a mo- ment forgets the plowing and sowing, [The following letter relol,ched Dr. the watering and waiting, and cannot Sherwood's home November 3d, too help sharing in their joy and the Maslate for his eyes to read it. Notwith- ter's. standing the personal references, the Another end gained by your REVIEW Editor feels that it belongs to the is that our hearts are enlarged and we begin to have a fore-taste of that readers of THE REVIEW.] glorious time for which our Saviour LAKE NYASSA. prayed: "That they may be one even as we are one. . . . that they may Mvera Station, May 11, 1890. be perfected in one, that the world DEAR BROTHER:-Were there the may know that Thou didst send Me." least doubt about the excellence and usefulness of your REVIEW, I With reference to the contents of should gladly give my testimony in THE REVIEW I have no suggestions to its favor. Let me merely mention make. What we in the field need is that, along with many thousands of an occasional inspiring article, one to, your readers, I most heartily enjoy rouse and encourage. To my mind and profit by it. Especially on a Sab- there is no pen so gifted, in this rebath afternoon or evening, after sev- spect, as that of Dr. A. T. Pierson. eral services and two Bible-classes, Let us be urged to prayer, patience, feeling somewhat tired, it is with personal devotion to Christ, to faith great pleasure that I take up THE and faithfulness. "Ve know these MISSIONARY REVIEW and read it things but do not realize them. through, I may literally say, from beginning to end. Even though the As many of us are unable to have "news" is from four to five months large libraries, a summary of the biold when it reaches us, we, neverthe- ography of some missionary hero (as less, eagerly look forward to each fol- has appeared of Carey, Egede, etc.), is, lowing number. always most acceptable, or even an I have, of late especially, enjoyed episode from such a man's life, or his an article in the number for Septem- views on any important missionary ber, 1890, on "Prayer-Basis of Mission subject. And why not pubhsh a whole Work," by Dr. Pierson. I have read biography, continued in several numand re-read it, and read it to my com- bers ?" panions, and each time I feel more than ever that "the whole basis of suc- As regards my own work Ishall not cessful missionary work is to befound say much. At this present station we in believing and importunate prayer." have been at work for only about six These words should be written in let- months. The work is much the same ters of gold on the tablets of our- here as on other stations round the memory. lake. Weare 3,400 feet above the sea The items of news you give from in a healthy and fertile country. A various fields of labor are most in- great door has been opened to us. The work is becoming more and more, interesting. Some 500 to 600 people simply as a way of introducing the hear the Word preached every Sabbath letter. Mr. Baldwin will be remem- day. In the school, however, we bered as the writer of the papers in have as yet only some twelve boys- The Christian (London), on "The boarders. People are afraid to send Question of the Hour," advocating the their children lest, having secured a conduct of missions on the lines laid good number, we should run off and down in Matthew x.
sell them as slaves! This fear, will, of Without giving our endorsement to course, pass away in course of time. every sentiment of Mr. Baldwin in Should you care to publish any part those letters, we confess to a large of this letter and any discouraged measure of sympathy with his general worker happens to read it, let me position. And we cannot but feel that stretch out to such an one a brotherly when any missionary in these days hand, and say, "Courage, friend! the attempts a work for God in the spirit Master is looking on and is intensely of faith and prayer, it is not for other interested in our work; let us press on, Christianworkers toridiculeor criticise if not so ably as others, then at least or oppose. There are many ways of as faithfully. Let us often prostrate doing the Lord's work. Why not let ourselves before the 'WondroUB Cross,' them all have a fair, faithful trial?
and in deep self-abasement and lowly Experiment will show whether God reverence, there learn to be' nothing, is with such methods; but the ex- nothing,' that the world might our periment must not be embarrassed Saviour see. When weary let us rest with the secret or open hostility of at His feet; when sad, lean on His even nominal disciples. Mr. Baldwin's breast. Let us drown our cares and personal consecration not even his worries in the ocean of His love, and critics can question. He is about to we shall not sow in vain, but receive start on a prolonged journey, with a the sower's reward." single companion, probably among the Bedouin. May God be with him!
Itis because I so often feel the need of encouragement myself that I am seek- Rev. Dr. Wayland Hoyt, his brother, Colgate Hoyt, and Charles L. Colby, ing to encourage others to-llfght, for Esq., have been preparing a" chapel the Master bas been very near to-day car," for use in Minnesota and on the and wonderfully kind. My subject of Wisconsin Central and Northern to-day, "My son, give me thy heart," Pacific railroads. ' , Uncle Boston" is has touched my own heart. to use this chapel-on-wheels for his I cannot ask your readers to pray Sunday-school mission work, and it is for us and our work specially; there finely adapted to his purposes. Atone are others who have probably a end are arrangements for living, and greater right to their prayers and the rest of the car is a chapel fitted thought; but let me urge all who pray for about 100 persons. During summer for missions to more "believing and months a tent will be carried, which importunate prayer," and we also can be set up for temporary use where shall receive our share of the blessing. crowds are too great for the chapel. Bishop Walker, of the Episcopal ANDREW C. MURRAY. Church, has done a like thing for the territory under his jurisdiction, in The Rev. E. F. Baldwin, now in North Dakota. Each of these moving Beyrout, Syria, desires it stated that chapels is about 60 feet by 10. The latter has gothic projections to give it the letterin the October number, 1890, a church-like appearance, and is finpages 776,777, was not a specific letter ished in oak, in gothic style,. with for THE REVIEW, although Dr. Sher- . chancel, altar, lectern, cabinet organ, wood so understood it at the time, but and even baptismal font and bishop's a circular sent to THE REVIEW. The chair. Weare surely making pro- adch'ess, "Dear Editors" was affixed grE'ss!
THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS
IV.-THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
[EDITORIAL. ] Faots and Figures about the World-wide Field.
-.Alaska's coast is the sepulchre 40,000,000 were called Protestant; now, of ships. Dr. Sheldon Jackson says the population is more than double, that almost a hundred vessels have and the nominal Protestants more found a watery gra,e there within than quadrupled!
twenty years! In one storm, and atone -The first convertamongthe natives place, thirty-three ships were ground of India was Krishna Chundra Pal between ice-fields, and 1,200 sailors in 1800. Renry Martyn said it was a cast, wrecked, on a barren shore. miracle as great as the raising of the -According to the census of 1890, dead. Now, every ten years the con- the population of the Unite9. States is verts increase over eighty per cent.
62,480,540. It seems to us that this is The first convert in western Poly- an underestimate; we have supposed nesia was King Pomare II.; now there 66,000,000 nearer the actual truth. are 850,000, and all western Poly- -A Messianic pretender appears in nesia is evangelized.
an Indian tribe. He claims that the -Up to 1853, the Edict Board of Indian power and prestige is to revive Japan made it capital offence for a and the lost ground be recovered. If Christian to set foot on the island this notion gets hold of the mercurial empire. Now, there are 30,000 pro- red men no one can tell what may fessed converts and 17,000 children in come of it: they may attempt to ex- Sunday-schools. One in twenty-eight terminate the whites. .Already, for of the elect members of the new par- three months, the whole northwestern liament is a Christian church member.
part of our country has been in a state As the Christians of Japan number of disturbance and serious alarm. but 1 to 1,200 of the population, it will -Principal Magee,ofDublin,says the be seen that the proportion of Chris- dogma of the infallibility of the Pope tian members of parliament is forty- has repelled the bulk of Irishmen, and three U'Yhes as great. This impresses led to intellectualindependencewhich us as one of the most remarkable is reducing the ranks of Romanism signs of the power of Protestant mis- and filling up those of Protestantism. sions in Japan. The contributions of He thinks vaulting ambition has native converts were about $50,000 again" overleaped itself" and "fallen last year, nearly $2 a head!
on-tother side." -At Oroomiah, Persia, last year, -These are old figures, but their fifty-one out of sixty-seven pupils in lesson is always new: the seminary were Christians and In 1800, not over 50,000 converts in members of the church.
all heathendom; now, over 1,500,000, –The McAll mission schools had and five times as many adherents. last year 235,000 children under in- In 1800, not over 70 mission schools; struction.
now, about 14,000, with 600,000 -The Established Church of Scot- scholars. land reports 2,034 converts and 2,465 In 1800, 50 translations of the Bible; pupils in the schools in the Punjab now, between 300 and 400, of the whole Mission, India, with 723 converts bap- or parts, like the Gospel of Mark. tized in 1890.
In 1800, not over 5,000,000 copies of -Dr. Robert N. Cust reckons 223 the Bible; now, more than that issue missionary societies in the world: 113 from the press every year. in Britain and colonies; 56 in the In 1800; the population of the globe United States; 20 in Germany; 14 in about 700,000,000, of whom some Netherlands, and 20 in other lands. Many of these are doubtless small. sustained by the facts. Mr. Henry Fifty have incomes of $10,000 and up- A. Hinshaw, in the August Science ward, and twenty report over $100,- Monthly, says: "At the end of the 000. At least ten of these have got mission rule the Indian was really three-fourths of their funds from less capable of taking care of himself 1tative converts! than at the beginning. He was found Roman Oatholicism, if we may trust a free man, he was left a dependent.
the "Catholic Dh;.ectory," for last year, Driven to church by the whip, forced has, in the United States, 13 arcb- to kneel by being punched by goads, bishops, 73 bishops, 8,332 priests, 2,132 with no free or rational cultivation of ecclesiastical students, 7,523 churches, mind or conscience, the religious in- 3,302 chapels and stations, 35 theo- struction made up of scarcely any- logical seminaries, 102 colleges, 635 thing else but ritual and superstition, academies, 3,194 parochial schools and the idea of obedience to the priest, with 633,238 pupils in them, 553 chari- the result was what might have been table institutions, and about 8,000,000 expected." Why should the Govern- members. ment continue to appropriate money The approximate distribution of to such schools?
missionaries is said to be as follows: -M. Monod says he adopts very No. of Mis- .much the words of one of his best col- Populatlou. sionaries. Proportion porteurs: "It seems to me supersti- .syria …….. 3.000,000 100 lto 80,000 tion is not so general as it was, and Turkey …… 21,000,000 450 lto 45,000 that what people call the' Protestant Madagascar. 5,000,000 50 1 to 100,000 Burma …… 8,000,000 40 1to 200,000 faith' is honored by many Roman Japan……. 38,000,000 200 1to 200,000 Catholics, who ten years ago felt noth- Jndia …….. 250,000,000 900 1 to 275,000 Persia……. 7,500,000 80 1to 300,000 ing but a bitter hatred against the ·.Africa.•… _..250,000,000 600 1 to 400,000 Gospel and the Scriptures which we s. America'.. 80,000,000 75 1to 400,000 colporteurs circulate. Blessed be the Korea…….. 9.000,000 25 1to 400,000 Lord for that! Those times are gone, .Siam …….. 8,000,000 18 1to 000,000 and the light of the Gospel seems to Chiua …….. 380,000.000 600 J.toQ..A5O,OOO spread. The Lord gives me new Arabia……. 6,000,000 4 1 to 1,500,000 'Tbibet.. ….. 15,000.000 7 1 to 2,000,000 openings, and I must hasten to meet In Sahara district with 3,000,000; . theln." ~ Afghanistan, etc., with 3,500,000; An- -The women's societies in America nam, etc., with 12,000,000; Russia, are doing untold good by preparing 16,000,000; Algeria, etc., 12,000,000; and scattering broadcast missionary Soudan, 75,000,000, there is an ENTIRE literature in condensed and cheap DESTITUTION. forms. Some of us, in·this fast age, [Weare aware that the above must skim the great pan and serve figures are not exact, but they are the up the cream in little pitchers, rich best we have been able to'Obtain from and sweet. Our" little pitchers" are a variety of sources. We shall be multiplying. Brief, compact and in- grateful to anyone who will furnish teresting leaflets, containing the great us correct and reliable statistics.-ED- facts of missions, or short biographical lTOR.] sketches, or quaint stories of a half- -Senator Dawes, opposing an in- humorous sort to illustrate giving and crease to the appropriations to Roman praying, and helping in the work, are Catholic schools among the Indians, freely circulated. Those who can declared the 120 years of Jesuit mis- condense the facts into a small space sionary work among the Indians of and yet preserve all their vitalizing California had left them less capable force are benefactors indeed, and this of self-support than it had found the women of our day are doing with them. The accusation seems to be well grand success. -The Church of Scotland Mission -On the plains and in the selva.s of Record nobly says: Brazil there are a million of wild " But no one can pretend that our Indians, ignored by the Christian missionary collections are such as world.
ought to satisfy us. Let us remember – During the past ten years over how large is our number of communi- 11,000 converts have been gathered in cants-about 588,000. Our missionary the missionary fields of the Moravian contributions show but a very small Church.
sum as given per communicant. For -Sabbath observance is making the foreign mission, or mission to the great progress in Paris. A determined heathen abroad, there was contributed effort is made to close all places of last year by the church at home, business on Sunday.
through the assembly scheme, the -Ninety thousand copies of the ladies' association, legacies and special illustrated Bible, issued in weekly subscriptions, a total of £28,331-not , parts, have been sold among the quite one shilling from every com- Roman Catholics in Italy.
municant. And when we exclude the -The last five years have seen ladies' association, legacies and special greater developments in the opening subscriptions, it appears that the sum and Christianizing of Africa than the raised for tilis object by church col- ninety-five years preceding.
lections in Scotland was £13,172-giv- -The Gospel of Matthew has been ing an average of only 5 1-4d from translated into the Laos language by each communicant. We grant that Mrs. McGilvary of the Presbyterian many of our communicants are poor Board. The Acts of the Apostles is persons, but it will not be denied that also nearly ready.
the great majority are in circum- -The American Baptist Telugu stances to afford some help to any Mission calls for a re-inforcement of good cause which thoroughly interests twenty-five men in the next two sears.
them. If they give nothing, or very Dr. J. E. Clough, of Ongole, has under little, we must conclude either that his care more than 17,000 Christians.
they do not know that there is an -:Et!!',">Dr. Boggs, of Ramapatam, object deserving and needing their aid, says all India is in a state of ferment.
or that they feel no interest, or little The Hindus and Mohammedans interest, in it." actively oppose the advance of Chris- -Arch-deacon Farrar, of London, tianity, and at the same time mis- says: "It comes with shocking ill sionary work is pushed more vigor- grace, and sounds like shameful ously than ever.
hypocrisy, when those who give -The appropriations of the Ameri- nothing and do nothing for mis- can Baptist Missionary Union for the sions, make the 'home heathen' year ending March 31, 1891, are $503,- a false excuse for doing nothing. 159.53. The society calls for an im- They talk as if it were weakening the mediate special contribution of $50,000 resources of England and surely that to meet the deficiency caused by the is stupendous nonsense when we are passage of the silver bill.
not even spending as much on mis- -Four railroads are projected, or sions as on tobacco and Christmas in process of construction, from the cards." east coast of Africa toward the in- -Canon Christopher, one of the terior ; one in the territory of British notable men of Cambridge, England, East Africa Company, one in German proclaims his interest in missions territory, one in the Portuguese pos- by annually entertaining a great sesions, and one passing through Port- company of representative men to uguese territory to the domain of the breakfast. British South African Company.
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
Foreign Mission Notes, by Rev. James Johnston, Bolton, England.
African Mlssions.-There are re- cessible. remarkably intelligent, and ported to be over 500 missionary considered by the missionaries to be stations in the Dark Continent, with more Christian, on the whole, than the which 400,000 converts are associated, ordinary run of Christians in England.
whose numberis increasing at a yearly By the Rev. W. E. Taylor, (C. M. S., average of 25,000 souls. Frere Town,) it was observed that the Slavery.-A meeting held at the present is the time to win the popula- Stanley and African Exhibition in tion to Christianity, otherwise they London was addressed by several re- would be made converts to Moham- turned missionaries, of different so- medanism. The Rev. R. P. Ashe cieties. Their reports were very en- (late missionary of the C. M. S. at couraging, especially as to the Congo Uganda) said that the friends of mis- region. Lord Knutsford urged more sions do not realize that the mission- exertion for the suppression of the aries in Central Africa have, with less horrible slave traffic. Although the assistance, d1fficulties to face, corresc British are less directly active in com- ponding to those which Mr. Stanley batting it they seem determined to narrated in "Darkest Africa." A col- banish the great curse of Africa. So lection was taken for the purchase far as Pro1!estant societies are con- of a steamer to be launched on the eerned they are free from the disgrace waters of Victoria Nyanza for the use of buying boys and girls to train them of the Church Missionary Society's as Christians, whereas, French Catho- agents. The total outlay will be £5,000, lie societies openly countenance this of which £2,300 has been secured. In unwisfj .pgliey. A representative of aid of this desirable object Mr. Stanley the -~Anti-Slavery Society entreated made an eloquent appeal in the eol- English people to eschew the use of umns of The London Times, to British ivory, every scrap of which, accord- Christians. ing to Mr. Stanley, issteep~la:lnblood. Bishop Smythies.-The brave lead- The venerable Archdeacon Maple, of er of the Universities' Mission, de- the Universities' Mission, described parting once more to his field, his work on Lake Nyassa. He paid a preached a farewell sermon to a eon- warm tribute to the African Lakes gregation of supporters in St. John's, Company for resistance to the intro- Red Lion Square, Holborn, from the duction of liquor and to similar evils. mlsslOnary passage in Col. il-:3, The work of Dr. Laws, of the Free "Withal, praying also for us, that Church and of the Scotch Established God would open unto us a door of Church, on the Shire Highlands, was utterance, to speak the mystery of equally eulogized. The Archdeacon Christ, for which I am also in bonds."
said, in face of the partitioning of He returns, accompanied by three Africa by European powers, their clergymen and two lady nurses, mak- duty as pioneers was to maintain their ing a complete mission staff of seventy ground unless superior force com- persons. During his sojourn in pelled them to retire. Dr. Guinness Europe the Bishop visited Berlin, and referred to the scope of the Congo was cordially welcomed by the young Mission, founded in 1878, by Mr. Emperor of Germany, who spoke with Henry Craven and others, which had marked sympathy and appreciation of at the present time three missions the Universities' Mission.
and seventy-five missionaries. No- Cardinal Lavigerie. – After dis- where in the world is mission work cussing in Rome further plans bearing more hopeful. The people were ac- on the anti-slavery question, the • Cardinal passed through Marseilles, on 1890, they had received only £13,000; his way to ~'.lgiers. From there, to meanwhile they had to borrow money Biskra, whence he will make various at a high rate of interest to meet their ,excursions in southern Algeria. . liabilities.
Holland and the S,ave Trade.- Japan. – To secure more help for The principal members of the Belgian the English Church mission in Japan government are impressing upon the an important meeting has been held Dutch cabinet the absolute necessity in the library of the Lambeth Palace, 'of giving its signatures to ,the general London. Bishop Barry said, not- act of the Brussels Conference; if not, withstanding the lateness of the Eng- a stigma will rest on the country in lish Church in the field, it would ulti- preventing the execution of effective mately take the leading place in measures for the suppression of the influence and responsibility among slave trade and its horrors. The ex- Christian communities there. A re- port trade'of the Congo State for the markable feature of the Japanese is second quarter of the year 1890 was their capacity to adapt themselves to double that of the corresponding what they had adopted. The church period of 1889, and five times larger mission had certainly no desire to than it was in 1887. These figures hinder the growth of native institushow the necessity of giving the Congo tions, or .to press upon the Japanese State the means to pursue its honor- any western customs which could not ,able and humane mission. be appreciated or assimilated.
Wesleyan Missionary Society- Madagascar. – Excitement reigns Tonga. – The good news is con- in the island consequent upon the fumed respecting the improved condi- terms of the Anglo-French agreement tion of affairs among the native Wes- becoming known. The various misleyans, chiefly due to the wise inter- sionary societies view with lIlisgivings vention of the High Commissioner, the ultimate action of the queen and Sir J. B. Thurston. The majority of her advisers. As to the immediate the exiled Wesleyans have returned prospects, religiously and politically, from Fiji. With the re-affirmation of the sta£ements of authorities are conreligious liberty, the hitherto sup- flicting. According to agents of the pressed feeling of fear and restraint is London Missionary Society recently beginning to disappear, and large arrived in England, no alarm is ennumbers are again attending the Wes- tertained in relation to Madagascar's 1eyan Church. agreeableness to the French Protecto- rate. An experienced missionary, the Secunderabad.-That ardent Wes- Rev. J. Sibree, believes that there isa leyan missionary, the Rev. William tendency to exaggerate the differ- Burgess, reports that he has baptized ences and apprehend risks only in 200 natives this year (1890), and ex- days to come. The English Governpects shortly to announce double that ment have been gradually compelled number. to subscribe to what the Malagasies must have foreseen many years since. Italy. – In, connection with the A younger missionary, the Rev. James vigorous campaign of English Wes- Taylor, declares the influence exerleyans in the Italian peninsula, the cised by the London Missionary Socidoubted secession of a whole Roman etyon the natives is unequaled by any {)atholic village in Italy to Method- kind of organization in the island, and ism is now ascertained to be beyond that from the Society it would be difdispute. ficult to wean the people.
English Wesleyan Missionary So- On the other hand these assurances ciety Finances. – With regret the are vigorously controverted by the secretaries state that out of a procSpective home income of £100,000 for latest mail communications from the car has remained quiet because she island. Great unrest prevails touch- believed that she was outgrowing the ing the Anglo-French agreement; the time for foreign aggression. She now Hovas pronouncing vehemently finds that she has been sleeping in fan- against a French Protectorate sway. cie<i'security, and to-day she is awake For two powers to deprive a country in a rage. The country is aroused. sUbstantially of her rights and privi- There is a dangerous spirit thrilling leges without consulting her is con- throughout the country. The late po- sidered cruelly unfair. In retaining litical calm has disappeared. To an her freedom to conduct her civil and individual the Hovas are patriotic, commercial intercourse, "Madagas- and, if France insists upon putting car," says the principal local journal, a wrong construction upon the Treaty "will fight to the last if France de- of 1885-6, the Malagasy will heroic- mands the control of the foreign of- ally repel her aggression. Watchful fice, or assumes a protectorate over sympathy is desired for the religious the Government of Her Majesty Ran- and national welfare of a people who avalomanjaka III." This language is are beginning to enter on a civilized unmistakably decisive. Until very career. By the missionaries in particu- recently the government in Madagas- lar, abounding grace and wisdom are car had no idea of the island's liberty needed to guide their converts in the being endangered. A claim of France right paths. some time ago to represent Madagas- London Missionary Society. – car in her foreign relations was re- The London Missionary Society will fused, consistent with articles 1-2 of send delegates to the International the 1885-6 Franco-Malagasy Treaty. Council of Congregationalists, to be It was consequently surmised that held in London in 1891. This step is as France did not urge it ,that she regarded as a sign that the society is inte~ the clauses to refer to moving from a broad evangelical basis the pledge of Madagascar not to to one of a more denominational enter into compact defensively or character. offensively elsewhere unless–tt";"'con- Church Missionary Society.- sent of France was previously ob- The benefactions to the Church Mistained. The Malagasy Government sionary Society for the current year is content to allow France to intervene are about twice as much as those of on her behalf in exterior political mat- the average of the last five years, and ters, quite otherwise respecting inter- the ordinary income steadily increases. nal affairs. Madagascar cherishes her Six London societies send out unindependence and sets great store on ordained missionaries, not demanding everything which develops her re- college education. Thus not only sources, and naturally wishes to retain are wider doors opening before the ' a free hand for her administration and, church in foreign lands, but the gate an openseaboard to transacttrade with ,of entrance for workers is becoming other lands. The organ of the Eng- much broader. lish, The Madagascar Times, asserts Two more young ladies went out that the agreement is a monstrous last month to the Zenana work in contravention of past treaties, and Rajahmundry, India, sent out by the warns France of the dangers which Lutheran Mission Committee. The await her should she persist in taking two workers, Miss Sadtler of Baltinominal possession. "Europe," this more and Miss Schade of New Brighpaper states, "is mistaken in her be- ton, Pa., were given a farewell meetlief that Madagascar has been unde- ing in St. John's Lutheran Church, monstrative because the French con- Philadelphia. A chest of medicines trol affairs. This is not so. Madagas- was presented to the missionaries. Monthly Bulletin. -Miss Anna E. Johnson has left Bryn Mawr, Pa., for the McAll work -Mr. David Sinclair, M.A., princi- in Paris. pal of the Missionary College at Mad- ras, and who, after twenty years of -Two Bengalese ladies, after a five service, retired at the beginning of the years' course, received at Calcutta last year, is dead. University the degree of Bachelor of Medicine. They are both disciples of -Professor Riggenbach, of Basel, Christ. for twelve years president of the great Basel Missionary Society, died also -The British and Foreign Bible So- September 5. He had a fascinating ciety issued last year 3,790,000 copies history. of the Bible, either wholly or in part; -Some 200 Hebrew students in the and the London ReligiouB Tract So- University of Odessa petitioned the ciety 77,000,000 publications, every Russian government to be allowed to one of which, in some form, ango forward with their studies as nounces the glad tidings of salvation Hebrews, and met a refusal. It re- in Christ.
sulted in their conversion to Ohris- -The French Protestant Mission tianity! among the Basutos has over 6,000com- -Bishop Hannington was cruelly municants.
murdered by Mwanga, of Uganda, -Rev. R. Glover, D.D., of Bristol, whose Christian subjects have now re- and Rev. T. M. Morris of Ipswich, instated him on his throne. Two years two of the foremost men of the Bapago Bishop Parker, who followed tist deilOmination in England, are in him, perished on the shores of Victoria China as a deputation from the mis- Nyanza. And now, a third bishop, sionary society to visit the stations Mr. Tucker, has started for equatorial Africa. Thus far these bishops have and report on needs and claims of the ~-…. work.
held office less than two years each; -Arthur Brooks, whom the natives but lor the work in which they per- killeq a year ago in Africa, was the ished .more than twenty have been elev~lM:llartyr the London Mission- found ready to take the place of each ary Society has given to the East one who has died. African Mission. Since then Mr.
-It is proposed to build a sort of Slade's death left but three men to "People's Temple" in London, with carry on this work.
sufficient space for 100,000 persons, so -Rev. Dr. Sheldon Jackson has been that when great public interests are at establishing three new missions-Con- stake room may be found for popular gregational, Episcopal and Presby- meetings and discussions. terian respectively, in Alaska. This -A "Hindoo tract society" in is a practical illustration of inter- Madras is trying to neutralize the denominational comity.
missionaries' work by leaflets in de- -In three colleges of North Caro- fence of Hinduism, as they have lina 15 students have volunteered for already imitated Christian "cate- mISSIons. At Oberlin 32, and $400 chisms " for teaching and indoctrina- have been raised for their outfit.
ting the young. -On Lake Nyassa the Scottish Free -A chair for study of the English Church has, at Bandawe, 1,180 pupils Bible was last year established at and 38 native teachers in its schools.
Princeton College. At Yale over 150 -Moravians distance us all in mis- students of the higher classes elect a sionary heroism. One of their Alaska course of Bible studies, with two lec- missions is 3,000 miles from its base tures a week. of supplies, and sometimes the cold is so intense that even the smoke is a pronouncedly good influence upan turned to frost in chimneys. him and his people. He has abolished drinking in his land, and is always -Mr. Penazottj, the agent of the intent on some reform. His word is American Bible Society, in Peru, is always trusted, not only by the mis- in prison solely for the crime of circu- sionaries, but also by traders and lating the Word of God in the Spanish hunters, wl'lO are mistrustful of every- tongue. His instructing of the people thing accomplished by missions. He has been construed as violating a is sincere, courageous and manly, and semi-obsolete decree of the Peruvian if all Caffre chieftains were like him, {lonstitution. We watch the result of Caffreland would have a very different this trial of Protestantiam in South look from its present one. America with interest. -Basel Missionary Society recently -Rev. John Newton, seventy-eight observed its seventy-fifth anniversary. years old, and oldest of missionaries It has missions in India, China, and in India, landed in Calcutta in 1835, on the African Gold Coast and the and is still a hale and happy worker. Camaroons, and not until recently He is a Presbyterian, and believes in have unmarried lady missionaries goue the" Perseverance of the Saints!" to the frontier to engage in educa- tional and other work among their -According to Dr. Pentecost, dark and darkened sisters. Bishop Taylor is the only evangelist who has left behind him in India a Alaska.-Important are the openpermanent work. We may be per- ings for the spread of the Gospel in mitted to say that our friend Pente- this largest possession of the United cost sometimes allows himself to make States. Its area is 531,409 square statements which are too sweeping, if miles: Arctic division, 125,245; Younot careless. Bishop Taylor not only kon, 70,884; Southeastern, 28,980. Its worked as an evangelist, but he extreme length north and south is founded churches, and large churches, 1,100 miles; its extreme breadth is too, which few evangelists do. Hence, 800 miles. Total population about his eminently scriptural and apostolic 30,426; white, 430; Creole, 1,756; Inwork abides, which cannot be said of nuit, 17,617; Aleut, 2,145; Tenneh, some who only do the work of an 3,927; Thlinket, 6,763; Hyda,788. It evangelist. . occupies the extreme northwest of the continent. This important coun- -Think of America sending a few try was purchased from Russia by the missionaries to Africa and finding it United States government in 1867, difficult to raise enough money to and is now under its control. support them, while Boston alone, from 1882 to 1887, sent to the Dark Turkey.-Great Revival in Aintab. Continent 3,500,000 gallons of strong In the annual report of the American drink! Rev. David A. Day, at Monro- Board the siguificant event in Asiatic via, saw landed at one port on one Turkey was the revival, whereby 538 Sunday 50,000 casks of gin! were added to the church in Aintab, and by its influence no less than 1,000 Africa.-Mr. J. Nixon declares of hopeful conversions occurred within Magata, a chief near Pretoria, where the limits of that one field. The three the Hermannsburg missionaries are centers of collegiate and theological working, that not even in England training were specially blessed. Only has he met with a more perfect gen- a small number of college graduates, tleman. Chief Kchama, he declares, however, enter the theological school, is also a chief whose word can be de- and there is an increasing tendency to pended upon, a noble example of suc- come to America to complete their cessful missionary work. His Chris- studies and to better their fortunes. tianity is nothing nominal, but exerts Cost of War.-According to rep- Canon Liddon on Missions.- resentations given recently in the Across the triumphs and the failures German Reichstag, France has'a war of well-nigh nineteen centuries, the footing of 3,300,000 men; Russia, spiritual ear still catches the accents 2,570,000; Germany, 2,900,000; Austro- of the charge on the mountain in Gali- Hungary, 1,150,000; Italy, 1,090,000; 100; and, as we listen, we note that or these five powers can summon into neither length of time nor change of the field, should the necessity require circumstance has impaired their it, 11,019,000. Who can foretell the solemn and enduring force. It is a awful consequences should any power precept which, if it ever had binding be so rash as to let loose the war virtue, must have it at this moment dragon? And to prevent such a catas- over all who believe in the Divine trophy, it is deemed necessary to keep Speaker's power to impose it-it must up a peace footing for Russia of 314,- bind us as distinctly as it was binding 000; France, 511,334; Germany, 486,- on the first disciples. Weare ambas- 983; Austro-Hungary, 325,693; Italy, sadors of a charity which knows no 255,418; or in all, 2,393,423. distinctions between the claimants on Worth Noting.-The secular press. its bounty, and no frontier save those announces that Abbe Mesmer has of the races of man. A good Chrisstarted from Rome to assume his posi- tian can not be other than eager for tion at the head of the Roman Catho- the extension of our Lord's Kingdom lic University in Washington. In among men, not only from his sense of this case at least, we regret that the what is due to the Lord who bought law which prohibits the importation him, but also from his natural sense of of contract labor will not be enforced. justice, his persuasion that he has no We trust, however, that the American right to withhold from others those public will not lose sight of the fact privileges and prospects which are the that this new university is to be placed joy of his own inmost life. When he under the direction of tt foreigner, and finds comfort in the power of prayer, of one who comes witk the blessing of when he looks forward in humble a Pope who, from his hatred of free confidence to death, when he enjoys institutions, continu~s to keep up the the blessed gift of inward' peacefarce of his being a prisoner in the peace between the soul and its God, Vatican, and is arrayed in open an- peace between the soul's various powtagonism to the civil law of Italy. If ers and faculties-he cannot but ask the man is like the· master, we may the question: "Do I not owe it to the reasonably expect that the consistent millions who have no part in these policy which has been so long main- priceless blessings that I should do tained in Italy will not be forgotten what I can myself, or through others in America. to extend to them a share in this smile of the Universal Father which is the Mr. W. F. Wilkinson.-Another joy and consolation of my life? Can worker fallen on the Congo. The I possibly neglect the command to Baptist Missionary Society have re- make disciples of all nations?"-Spirit ceived this.sad intelligence of one who of Missions.
less than ·six months ago was set Rev. Dr. A. P. Happer, President apart at the Society's Birmingham of the Christian College, Canton, meetings for the noblest of callings. China, .is ordered by his physician to Of heroic ardor, the death of so give up work and return home. He young a man cannot be other than a has disease of the heart. As soon as source of grief to all wilo follow with the trustees appoint his successor he interested eye the course of the con- will hand over the College, which he flict. is now arranging to do.