The Missionary Review of the World — July 1892
APOSTOLIC MISSIONS; OR, TIlE GOSPEL FOR EVERY CREATURE
MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XV. No. 'I.-Old &ries.–JULY.–VOL. V. No. 'I.-New Series.
APOSTOLIC MISSIONS j OR, THE GOSPEL FOR EVERY CREATURE. * BY RBV. JOSEPH ANGUS, D.D., REGENT PARK BAPTIST COLLEGE, LONDON, ENGLAND.
" And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."-MARK xvi. 15.
It is a hundred years since the revival of the spirit of missions. At the close of the last century, amid the din and bloodshed of an earlier French revolution, Dr. Carey was publishing his first translation of the New Testament into one of the languages of Bengal. After seven years of apparently fruitless labor, he had begun to desecrate the water of the Ganges by the baptism of his first convert. In the same year Dr. Vanderkemp reached the Cape, and began missions in Africa. It is only a cen. tury since j and now the Bible has been translated for the first time into more than a hundred and fifty languages, spoken by more than half the ~Iobe. Three thousand missionary evangelists are now laboring among the heathen. More than twenty thousand native preachers and teachers have been raised up through their toils, and native church-members are counted by hundreds of thousands. There are still found men who ask tauntingly for evidence of our 8uccess, and yet I venture to affirm that as mighty a work has been done in these last hundred years as in any hundred since the beginning of the Gospel: while in Biblical Translation as much has been done in this century, to give the Bible to the world, as was done in the eighteen centuries that preceded it-Pentecost included!
Cheering as this success and these labors seem, they have not kept pace either with the march of Providence or with the needs of the world. Knowledge and commerce and material civilization, the bounties and the openings of Providence have all multiplied faster than our missions. When Carey began his work India was closed to the Gospel, as was nearly all Asia. Over Africa there brooded a darkness which made even its geography a mystery. Europe was everywhere under the power of the man o~ • See Ed. Notes for Editor'. Introduction. sin, or its churches frowned upon all evangelical labor. Within living memory, India and China, Turkey and Egypt, Burmah and Persia have all become open. Africa has been traversed from end to end; and as to Europe, there are two Baptist churches in Madrid, and dozens of Protestant churches in Italy, while the Gospel is now preached again" at Rome also." The march of Providence, I repeat, has outstripped the progress of the Church.
Or, if that march be measured by other standards than the number of open doors, it is no less striking. When Franklin, the American printer and statesman, proposed for his wife, her mother objected to the marriage, because there were already two presses in America, and she thought there was not room for a third. It is little more than a century since, and there are now ten thousand printing offices in that country alone. To reach that Continent required as many weeks as now it takes days. Only thirty years ago to crOSi from the Atlantic to the Pacific was a six months' journey, perilous and toilsome in the extreme; now it is pleasantly done between Monday morning and Saturday night! Any man who has to travel much will save ten weeks out of every twelve; and if he were to spend his life in travelling, the facilities of travel would practically multiply his years fivefold. Half a century of life spent in travel would now effect as much as two centuries and a half a hundred years ago! In 1871 I read, in San Francisco, what had been written that morning near Sedan, seven thouaand miles away j and most marvellous, perhaps, of all, I reached that city within a month of leaving home, by the gentlest touch of human hands controlling iron and steam-forces that are among the mightiest that men wield. Yet within eighty years the man who spoke of " steam wagons" was deemed insane, and was helped only because" his invention," it was said, "could do no harm, and might lead to something useful." So it is with everything. The human eye can now see through 'space millions of miles farther than it could even when we were born. The three thousand or four thousand fixed stars which the apostles saw are now known to be six or seven millions. The yearly income of England is six or eight times larger than at the beginning of the century, and has trebled within thirty years. The effect of all this is that, for openings of Providence, for facilities of usefulness, for material strength and resources, this year of grace 1892 is much further beyond the year 1800 than are the missionary labors of this year beyond the labors of our fathers. The march, the bounty of Providence, has outstripped us all.
What are the feelings in which we ought to indulge ~ Devout thankfulness and as devout discontent.
Our labors have been" more abundant," the results are highly encouraging, and yet comparatively very little has been done. In this spirit I shall discuss the subject of missions, under the twofold division: (1) The work itself j and (2) the cxtent to which we are to prosecute it. We are to preach the Gospel-that is our work, and we are to preach it to every creature, to all creation, as the word is also rendered-that is the limit of our work. May the Good Spirit Himself help us to understand and to observe both parts of this command.
1. Our Work.-We are to preach the Gospel. The Gospel. In an important sense, it is as old as creation. From the very first men knew of a Divine law, fixing distinctions between right and wrong. Their sinfulness and guilt, atonement through vicarious suffering, God's free and yet righteous mercy, the obligation and th(' efficacy of prayer, the necessity of holiness-all were revealed. But now these truths are set forth with new proofs, are enforced by new motives, amid stronger light, and for a wider audience. This Gospel we may describe in various ways. It is a threefold message-of repentance and remission of sins through our Lord; of personal holiness, and of the work of the Spirit whereby the new life is begun and perfected; of blessedness for all who love and !lerve God. Forgiveness, holiness, blessedness. What more can we need ~ Or it is a twofold message: Christ's work for us, in living, and dying, and pleading, and reigning; and Christ'!! work in ns beginning in grace and ending in glory 1 Or is it a single message: of Christ as crucified, the true Revealer of the Divine holiness and love, the Redeemer and Comforter, and Pattern and Sanctifier of us all ~ This Gospel-at once a threefold, and a twofold, and a single message-Christ came to found even more than to teach. Yet it is the Gospel He taught, as it is the Gospel His apostles taught. So mighty did it prove that the most successful preacher of the apostolic age resolved, as much, perhaps, from experience as from direct inspiration, to know nothing among men, save Jesus Christ as crucified-the power and the wisdom of God. And this Gospel we are to preach. The words that describe our duty in this respect are all of them suggestive. The first of them is the one used in the text at the head of this article. Weare to proclaim it as heralds-not making our message, but carrying it and announcing it with boldness and authority. Sixty times in the New Testament is this word found. Everywhere it describes the bearing of men who feel that they are speaking in God's name. A second word, translated in the same way, means" to talk." It is applied to the easy conversational method adopted by our Lord, and to the somewhat exaggerated sayings of the woman of Samaria. It describes a gift of priceless value-the power of readily introducing and speaking of religious themes. A third word means" to reason," "to discuss." It is the word used to describe Paul's discourses; and it was preaching of this kind that he continued at Troas till midnight, as it was under such preaching Felix trembled. The fourth, and one of the commonest words of all, translated "preach," means to announce " glad tidings." More than fifty times this word is used. It forms the glory of the new Dispensation-that" the poor have the Gospel preached to them." This is the thought that justifies the outburst of the prophet : " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace." "Blessed [happy] are the poor in spirit," is the first word of our Saviour's longest discourse, and it is the word that is found oftenest ther~. Weare then to be heralds, and talkers, and reasoners, and publishers of good things.
Constantly connected with these terms, which are all translated" preach," are other three. One means to " testify, or bear witness" -from Scripture, and especially from our own experience; another means" to teach ;" and a third " to exhort, or entreat." Thus, at Pentecost, Peter testified and exhorted, saying, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation." Thus Christ sent His disciples to teach all nations: thus the apostles ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ; the word suggesting that the truths which we announce we are also to explain and apply. Thus also, wherever Paul went, he exhorted and entreated; his own summary of his ministry is " As we go, we beseech men in Christ's stead. Be ye reconciled unto God."
Here, then, we have in brief the inspired description of our calling. Weare to proclaim the truth with the authority of ambassadors and in God's name j we are to announce it in quiet talk j we are to enforce it by argument, by explanations, by appeals to what we have ourselves felt, by earnest entreaty. There is a preaching that never speaks with authority, but questions and doubts on all things. There is a preaching that never reasons, but is always dogmatic or emotional. There is a preaching that never " talks," but is ever stilted and formal. There is a preaching that is cold discussion, or bare announcement, and never entreats. Apostolic preaching was a combination of all these processes, saturated with prayers and tears.
These statements of the work of Christian evangelists are, I hope, familiar to all our readers. It is part of their glory that they ('.ontain nothing new; and yet they rebuke theories and practices which are found on all sides. They tell us that it is the Gospel we are to preach-not science, or art, or ethical duties; not what we think on public questions, or even on subordinate pointli of theology, but what we know of essential truth. This Gospel we are to preach-not to discover, or to manufacture, or to excogitate from our own consciousness. We are to preach the Gospel-not become pastors of the churches which our preaching may form; not exhibit a gorgeous ritual, or repeat a solemn litany. Weare simply to preach it as men who feel its power, are conyinced of its truth, and know that they have a Divine authority for all they are saying. To this work we are to restrict ourselves when carrying out our Lord's commission. This is the command that is embalmed in the tenderest feelings of true disciples; the one Jegacy which, besides His peace and the promise of His presence, He bequeathed to His Church until He come again.
2. But the second part of my theme may create difficulty. The words of the text not only tell us what our work is, but what its limits are-to what extent we are to prosecute it: "To every creature," " to all creation" is this Gospel to be preached. "In Jerusalem and Judrea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth," is the inspired description of the duty as defined in the Acts j and in thirty years after the death of our'Lord, it had been preached, as the apostle expresses it in the Colossians, "to every creature, , in the whole creation,' under heaven. "
The words are addressed to the apostles-" the eleven j" but to the apostles as the representatives of the entire Church j for it is a duty in which all share. It was in the spirit of this command that Andrew found Peter, as Philip found Nathaniel, preached Christ to him, and brought him to Jesus. It was in the spirit of this command that the woman of Sychar went and told, in the fulness of hel' heart, of Him who seemed the Christ, and .through her talk great multitudes believed. It was in obedience to it that the members of the Church at Jerusalem, when scattered by persecution, all except the apostles went "everywhere preaching the Word." Hence apostles welcomed all fellow-helpers-men and women-in the patience and kingdom of Christ. Hence, the Thessalonian Church earned the high praise that they were " ensamples," a model Church to all that believed j for from them sounded out the Word of the Lord through all the region beyond them. A common duty!
The only other peculiarity that needs notice is that the form of the command, as given in Matthew, shows by the very expression that this work of preaching t.he Gospel to every creature belongs to each age. It is not done once for all. It has to be done again and again. The Church of each generation redeemed by the same blood, renewed and blessed by the same Spirit, has practically the same honor and responsibility-the honor of making known to the world of each generation" the manifold wisdom" and mercy of God.
Here, then, is our work, and here its limits. The Christians of each age are to give the Gospel to the people of that age. Every Christian is to tell the" good news" to everyone he can reach j and Christians collectively are to tell it, if they can, to all the world. Till this is done we are not free from obligation j and if any of the millions we can reach perish unwarned and unbidden, we divide with them the guilt of their ruin. " Many have not the knowledge of God. I speak it," says the apostle, " to your shame."
The Gospel for every creature! Can we give it 1 Is it possible for the age to tell to the age, for the Church to tell to the world the glad tidings of the kingdom ~ In ten or twenty years can repentance and remission of sins be preached through Christ to all nations 1 I believe that they can. The Christians of the nineteenth century are more able to preach the Gospel to the whole world than the Christians of the first century were to preach it to the world of their day. If so, the duty is binding, and the precept of the text is a literal command, a summons claiming obedience from all disciples. Carefully mark once more what the duty is, and how, in the light of the gospels and of the Acts, it is to be fulfilled. In 1he three years of our Lord's ministry He travelled three times over Galilee. Three times He travelled through Judrea and visited Jerusalem. He preached for weeks at Capernaum, His home, and a border town where many were coming and going. Six months He labored in Perrea ; twice at least He was in Samaria. Twice He sent out disciples-the twelve, the seventy; and in all these districts there were believers, hundreds of them, though no church was yet formed. Such was His three years' work-an itinerant home ministry-among, perhaps, three millions of people.
In five-and-twenty years Paul travelled three times over a great part of Asia Minor and Europe. Twice he was kept as prisoner for two years, at Cresarea and at Rome, preaching to all who came to him, and especially to successive soldIers to whom he was chained. At one place he wintered; at another he spent a year and a half; at a third two whole years, " So that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus." The charm of each scene of labor was an open door and many adversaries. If churches were formed, he encouraged others from among the churches themselves to take the oversight of them, sending written instructions for their government. Those instructions are now the inspired handbooks, which we give in a printed form to our converts, and which are, under God, the means of the growth and permanence of our societies. This missionary rented buildings and used the houses of those who were disposed to receive him. He took nothing of the Gentiles-i.e., of the unconverted-but gratefully ackll0wledged the gifts of all fellow-Ohristians who ministered to his necessities, and yet was ready to work with his own hands, that he might preach a free Gospel, and maintain his character for disinterested independence. In this spirit he travelled from Jerusalem even unto I1Iyricum, fully preaching by his life and by his words the Gospel of Christ. Fellow-helpers he found or made wherever he went; so that within thirty years after the ascension, the sound of the voice of the first preachers-the music of their message, as the terms imply-had gone out into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. And I believe it demonstrable that with apostles, messengers of the churches-missionaries, as we call them, of a like spirit-we are able to do for our world, in the way of preaching, more than Paul and the apostles did for the world of their day.
To the extent of our ability we are to preach it, and we can preach it to all. Take the least favorable case. Suppose that this work is to be donp hy members of churches in Christendom only-i. e., in Europe and America.
We might need fifty thousand preachers, and their support might amount to fifty or seventy-five millions of dollars a year for ten years. In that time, and by snch an agency, the Gospel might be preached, and preached repeatedly, to e'ery man and woman and child on earth.
It seems a great company-fifty thousand preachers. And yet the number is less than ten per cent of the Baptist evangelical church-members in Great Britain and her colonies alone. Two out of every hundred mem- bers of Baptist churches alone, in Great Britain and America, would yield more than we need. While if Britain and America and Protestant Europe were to combine, our fifty thousand would mean one Christian worker out of every three hundred church-members only. England sent as many men to the Crimea to take a single fortress and to keep up for a few years a Mohammedan despotism. Ten times this number of men fell on each side in the great American war to set free three or four millions of slaves.
Five hundred years ago the Crusades had cost more lives, and they sought to win from men wellnigh as chivalrous as the invaders a material Jerusalem and an earthly" sovereignty." And cannot fifty thousand redeemed men be found to win back the world to Je~us Christ 1 Have our hymns no meaning 1 " Oh, send ten thou8and heralds forth, From East to West, from South to North, To blow the trump of Jubilee, And peace proclaim from sea to sea."
It seems a great sum-seven hundred and fifty millions of dollars in ten years. Y6t it is only five dollars a year from each member of the Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches of Europe and America. England alone spends nearly as much every year on intoxicating drinks; and the blessings of civil government, imperial and local, cost Britain every year more than two thirds of the amount. The Crimean War cost five hundred millions of dollars; the American War more than ten times as much. An annual tax of three and one-half ceuts on a dollar on the taxable income of Great Britain alone would yield the seventyfive millions of dollars we need. Nay, more; it would be easy to find ten thousand professing Christians who could give it all.
Looking only at men and money, is it not self-evident that it can be done 1 But, in fact, the process is less costly than I have supposed. In America and England, and generally on the continent of Europe, the Gospel might be preached, fully and tenderly, without much more cost than the loving personal labors of our church-members. In India there are, say, one hundred and fifty millions of heathen. Suppose that we could send out at once three thousand men, who should each spend a couple of years in learning one language or more, and go for eight years or ten of work. They might gather around them, or get from existing churches, three thousand more-plain men or women, competent to preach the Gospel with tenderness and power. And then in ten years the Gospel might be preached, and preached repeatedly, to all India. The entire cost of such an agency for ten years, and for six thousand agents, need not amount to fifteen millions of ponnds. Five thousaud men sent iu the same way to China might, in the same time, evangelize the whole country. It can be done. I have not forgotten the difficulties of all kinds that surround this enterprise-travel, health, unknown regions, barbarous tribes, the great wrath of one who perceives that" his time is short." I know, or can imagine, them all. But I venture to say that. whatever these difficulties, they would be overcome if national honor were at stake; if diamond beds or gold fields of sufficient value had been discovered i nay, if even a Nile were to be traced and mapped. Is there a part of the earth that Englishmen could not penetrate-jor a consideration? And shall Christ's command and the world's needs fail to move 1 I repeat it-It can be done!
The recommendations of some such plan, so simple and comprehensive -the preaching of the Gospel, and, nothing more, to every creature, and nothing less-are clear and decisive.
There is, first of all, the Divine command and the Divine example. Education is of value i so is the relief of distress; the alleviation of suffering ; so are canals, and railroads, and commerce the implements of a material civilization. We honor them all i but they are most honored when made subservient to the Gospel. When the blessed God stepped forth from his place, as philanthropist (Titus 3 : 4) He gave His law and prophets, and sent His Son. And now all the improvement He work!! begins in human hearts, and is to spread from within outwardly till all is renewed. There are, be assured, profound reasons, as there is a Divine command, to justify the announcement that the preaching of the Gospel is the first business of the Christian Church.
Some such comprehensive plan, moreover, will have the advantage of proving to the world that we believe what we profess-viz., that the Gospel is God's remedy for human misery and sinfulness, and that it is the Church's honor to make it known. Everyone sees that our present agencies, with their million pounds a year, for the evangelization of eight hundred millions of people, do not mean businels; and there is, in consequence, widespread infidelity in relation to the Gospel and in relation to the sincerity of the Christian Church herself. . •• What an answer it would bc to rationalism, and secularism, and sectarianism, and popery, and infidelity in all their forms i and what a healthy confirmation of our own faith if the evangelical churches of Christendom were to resolve, in God's strength, to preach the Gospel to every creature. It would be the fitting reply at once to papal infallibility and to rationalistic unbelief.
And how our work would simplify and extend if we confined it to this business of preaching the Gospel. Many men would be found, of every class and of various social positions, competent to do this work, but not competent to become pastors, and not caring to take upon them the business-labors of many modern missionaries-good men, full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost. Nay, might not our best men-our laymen and pastors -whether young or old, be prepared to give five years,or ten, or parts of every year, to this specific work, who are not prepared to become missionaries for life, in the common meaning of the term. "'hat enormous anxieties would be spared us in connection with mission.buildings, and churches, and schools-the dead weight of many existing agencies. All thege things would come in time, but they would come independently of those who make it their business to preach the Gospel. Churches would be formed by thousands; but they would be left to their New Testament, and to native pastors, being commended, not selfishly, but from enlightened conviction, "to God and to the word of His grace. " A freer Christian life might be the result of such an arrange· ment; but the life would be more true, more natural, and, I believe, more abiding.
And what a blessing would it be to the heathen to filld hundreds of men in their country all preaching substantially the same Gospel, and all pointing for details of spiritual and ecclesiastical life to the same book!
It can be done. It is our duty to do it, and there will be blessing even in the attempt. Yes, you say, in the attempt j but in anything besides' Can we, without miracles, hope that men will believe' Is a message of human sinfulness, of Divine mercy, and of holiness-in one word, of Christ, and of Christ as crucified for us-likely to win men who have grown old in sin Y Must we not rather keep to our schools and be content to elevate men by the gradual training of a few in each generation, till, centuries hence, the whole are trained? I think not. The contempt of the foolishness of preaching has not yet died out. Signs, miracles, are still deemed essential. Wisdom, education, is still sought for as the precursor of the Gospel or its substitute. Yet is the Gospel more than a sign. It is power itself, and the power of God; and more than wisdom-the wisdom of God. Miracles have their place in introducing a new revelation, but they are not needed to justify us in preaching the Gospel, nor were they the means of the repentance and faith of the first converts. The truths we have to preach-man's guilt, God's free and righteous mercy, the necessity of holiness-still appeal to men's consciences and hearts, as they did at Jerusalem and at Corinth j the preaching is still followed by "greater things" than Christ Himself wrought j and, in short, the meso sage of the Cross, delivered as it ought to be, with prayer and tears, is still the power of God j and our strength is in proclaiming it. Some will not believe, but multitudes will ; and we shall have discharged our con· science and have obeyed our Lord. There will be a blessing in the attempt, and in much belides.
Thill, then, is the conclusion to which I come. If the Christian Church will give itself to this business of preaching the Gospel, it has wealth enough and men enough to preach it, in the next fifteen or twenty years, to every creature. All we need is a " willing mind"-a Pentecostal spirit of prayer, and faith and zeal. Only expect what God promises to give, only attempt what God bids us to do, and the thing will be done.
The Divine method of ruitlsions has been briefly marked out. We are to work to this model j make the preaching of the Gospel to every creature our ambition, our passion, as it was Paul's. Begin with our children and our friends. Continue in our busineils that we may have the more to give. Take it up as work, not as play.
Let the resolution of our missionary boards be to have hundreds of missionary evangelists with simple work, requiring few, though noble qualifications-love, insight, faith. And let our resolution be to give, not single dollars, but fives, tens, hundreds, and thousands-sums we think we can ill spare; and let all give. And soon-the Lord hasten it !-" His way will be known on earth, and His saving health among all nations."
And yet it is not so much men we need, or money! Not 80 much demonstrations of the sufficiency of our wealth and numbers. What we most need in order to use the wealth we have and to send the men is a heart of warmer love-still greater tenderness and simplicity, more faith and more prayer; in short, the Holy Spirit in us and with us. All I have here written on the power of preaching takes as granted that it is not we who speak, but God who speaks by us. The consciousness, the temper. and the reality of a Divine presence-is not this the great need of us all?
Yet is it less accessible than the men or the money ¥ Nay, it is more accessible than either, and the only thing needed for the acquiring of both. If God give us the Spirit-and can we doubt His willingness-nothing else essential will be withheld.
STATISTICAL FACTS.
I. NUMBERS.
BAPTISTS. Ministers and Members or Communicants. Missionaries. 505,090 Briti.sh. Empire, Colonies, and 3,281,500 MlsslOns ………….•.• 2,853 America and Foreign States .. 25,005 Total (a) …. …. .. 27,858 3,786,590 CONGREGATIONALISTS. Ministers and Members or Communicants. Missionaries. 360,000 Great Britain (b) .. ……•.• 2,722 492,000 America (c) •• '" .•.•.•••.. 4,640 Total …•…•••••.. 7,362 852,000 EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH. Benefices. Sittings.
England (d) …•.••…•… 14,250 6,250,000 Ireland …………..• _.. America .••••..•…••….. 1,210 602,300 4,163 (Members) 1,650,000 Total ••••………. 19,623 7,502,300 (a) "Baptist Handbook," 1892. "The Congregational Handbook" (Boston) for 1891 gives American Baptists as a million more.
(b) "Whitaker's Almanac," 1892. A very inadequate view of the influence and working power 9f the body.
(0) .. The Congregationalist Handbook" (Boston) for 1891. (d) This seems the simplest way of giving an idea of the strength of the Established Chnrch. 'fhe ministers are much more numerous than the benefices, and the nominal melDbers than the Eit~ tings. See H Whitaker's Almanac," p. 236. PBlCSBYTERIAN . Ministers. Communicants.
United Kingdom, Colonies, 5,510 1,418,000 and Missions .•••…….. 5,527 469,000 11,918 European Continent …..•.. 1,561,000 America …•..•••……… —– Total (e) . ••••.••••.• 22,955 3,448,000 WESLEYAN AND OTHER Ministers. Communicants. METHODISTS. 7,285 1,362,000 Great Britain, Colonies, etc. 31,365 4,983,000 (7 bodies) ……•……. —— America (14 bodies)…….. 6,345,000 Total (I) …. ……. 38,650 23,000,000 —- Grand Total (about) …… 120,000 The number of commllnicants is equally divided between Europe and America.
It will be gathered from this list that in these five denominations there are upward of 15,000,000 of church. members who are pledged to the spread of the Gospel of Jesus thrist, with seyen or eight millions more who are equally pledged as members or Episcopal churches.
II. WEALTH.
[NOTE.-It is not deemad necessary to alter these figures to represent dollars. We have only to remember that a ponnd is abont five dollars.-ED.] Since modern missions began in 1792, the wealth of England has enormously increased. Ninepence in the pound from income-tax payers alone would now yield £15,000,000 a year. We spend each year on our army and navy £35,000,000. We spent last year on drink £140,000,000.
Our yearly contributions for foreign missions amount to £1,300,000. (g) In 1850 the communicants of evangelical churches in America were wurth £200,000,000 ; in 1880 they were worth £1,800,000,000. The AmerIcans spend on drink £200,000,000 a year; on tobacco, £120,000,000 a year; on jewelry, £110,000,000. Their yeady contributions for foreign missions amount to £1,400,000. (h) Looking at our numbers and wealth, am I wrong in affirming that the Chris~ian churches of Europe and America alone have men enough and money enough to do a11 I have described in a fraction of the time I have assigned for the accomplishment of this great and blessed work?
<el From" Reports of General Presbyterian Council," sent by Rev. Dr. :ltlathewi (f) From" The Wesl"yan Methodist Kalendar," sent by ~bjor Smith. (g) See Church Missionary Intelligencer, January, 1892, p. 64. (fi) See" Report of the Centenary Conference on Missions," ii. 502, 534.
DECENTRALIZATION IN MISSIONS
DECENTRALIZATION IN MISSIONS.
BY REV. A. J. GORDON, D.D., BOSTON, MASS.
In a very able article on missions in the British and Foreign Evangelical Review, the writer makes this startling statement, that" the churches of Great Britain have never as yet made foreign mi.~sion8 a part of their work. ,.
What strikes us at first as being a strange assertion is, however, justified by a further statement, which is almost as true of our country as of Great Britain: "The great missionary societies in England are all outside the churehes, which, as churches, have nothing to do with their maintenance or management. It is true the money comes from members of the churches, and church-members are managers of the societies; but all that the churches do is to manifest a benevolent neutrality, or to bestow a benevolent patronage. Missions to the heathen world are not made the work of the churches; they are a parergon-we had almost said a by-play, or a May holiday-instead of being the Church of Christ's first work, as it was her Lord's final commission-a work demanding the highest talent and most devoted service."
It cannot be denied that this statement is strictly according to fact, and the fact is one of the most serious whith eonfronts us in our missionary operations. Responsibility is the mother of activity. Only as Christians are sensible of their obligation will they be moved to active consecration.
Therefore, how to distribute responsibility for the work of evangelizing the world is the great problem to be solved in the present "crisis of missions. "
Now we do not question for a moment the great value and indispensa- ble necessity of our missionary boards. The splendid work which they have done during the last hundred years has amply justified the wisdom of their founders j and it is to be earnestly hoped that the number and efficiency of such societies may be greatly increased in the years to come; but there are certain perils connected with these great organizations to which we should be keenly alive. .
In the first place, they tend to create a missionary trust, in which re- sponsibility is 'centred in a few hands, funds administered by a few men, and the world's evangelization syndicated in a few trustees. As great emporiums shut up small shops and drive the petty store-keepers out of business, so wholesale missions tend to concentrate the trade in Gospel pearls in a single firm, and thus to create a ~ind of evangelical monopoly.
President Wayland, whose views of missionary policy, expressed more than forty years ago, have been more and, more justified by events, had very strong convictions on this point. He predicted that the tendency would be steadily developed to carryon missions by representation instead of by participation-churches turning over their responsibility to boards, boards relegating it to executive committees, and executiye committees to secretaries. " Thus, in fact," he says, "the work of extending the cause of Christ, which belongs essentially to every disciple, is devolved on some fifteen or twenty men, who, overburdened with business, do. all they possibly can i but to what does this amount in comparison with the universal effort of six or eight hundred thousand communicants, each laboring in his own sphere, each building over against his own house, all animated with the same spirit, each determined to do with his whole heart the whole service which his Master has appointed to him individually 1"
In confirmation of this statement, let us ask how many pastors and churches practically discharge their responsibility for missions with an annual contribution, gathered on one Sunday and sent to the missionary society ~ Those who have an intimate acquaintance with the subject well know that many make this the sum total of their interest in this Divine enterprise. Thus the missionary Christ, with His great commission, is treated as a beggar to be discharged with an alms, and not as a yoke-fellow in the Gospel to be supported in daily co-operation. As a consequence, missionary contributions do not grow with the growth of the churches, and missionary interest does not increase WIth the increase of communicants.
On the other hand, whenever ~ndividual churches have taken up the work of giving the Gospel to the heathen, as their own first and inalienable obligation, the results have been surprising. God is constantly giving object-lessons on this subject: The single peasant church of Pastor Harms, in Germany, sending out and supporting more than three hundred and fifty missionaries within thirty years; Pastor Gossner commissioning and maintaining one hundred and forty-one missionaries i and in our day, Pastor Simpso~ sending out one Imndred missionaries in a single year"and receiving for their support within twelve months more than two hundred thousand dollars ! We may not altogether approve the policy and methods of these leaders; that is not the question. Here are "examples writ large" of what single pastors and local churches can do who make missions their principal business, and constitute themselves wiih the Holy Ghost sole agente, and not silent partners in that business.
A second tendency growing out of our present methods is to produce an undesirable uniformity of method in conducting the work of foreign missions. The method is the man himself. Churches which achieve unusual success in parish work generally do so by absorbing and reducing to action their minister's personality. The Metropolitan Tabernacle is a kind of organized Spurgeon iNorthfield is a sort of incarnated Moody. These types of men and method should be transplanted bodily to the missionary field, instead of being> minted and restamped with the uniform signature of a missionary board. There are churches which are hot, and there are churches which are cold. Pour their missionary spirit into a common receptacle, and lukewarm is the mean temperature. In some way the tn0St fervtfut, most evangelical, most spiritual churches ought to make their influ(mce felt directly on the foreign field through agents who shall properly represent them. Professor Christlieb in his book on missions attaches so much importance to a " variety of operations," in order to the highest results, that he even sees a beneficent Providence in denominationalism, in the partition of Christendom into a multitude of sects.
The versatility of method is really provided for in the wide dissimilarity in churches and in their administration.
Without proposing anything either revolutionary or radical, we do believe that the time has come for decentralization in missionary operations. The way to accomplish thi!l is obviQJls and the reason for it scriptural. Let every church become a foreign missionary society having its own field or station, and its own representatives for whom it is directly responsible. Confederation instead of delegation or of relegation might thus be secured. The local churches could co· operate in the work of missions without funding their responsibility in a common treasury.
The missionary boards would carryon the same work which they now conduct with considerable relief from responsibility. They would be the commission housel of the churches which they represent, doing their banking and book-keeping j transporting their missionaries to and from their fields j building their mission house8 and chapels-in fact, doing everything which they now do except supporting and directing the missionaries. We are profoundly persuaded that this responsibility should be retained by the local churches, and for this reason, that the Head of the Church has fixed it there, and that it cannot properly be transferred. The individual church is a missionary society, complete in itself. So it was ordained to be in the beginning, and so it must continue to be in order to do its largest work for the world.
And what would be gained by this method V 1. It would greatly promote the spirit of prayer for missions. Necessity is the spur to importunity. " Lord, make me sensible of real needs," was the petition constantly on the lips of an eminent saint. One who has his larder filled to repletion finds it exceedingly difficult to plead with intense unction, "Give us this day our daily bread." Christ's constant warnings of the perils of wealth and His strong dissuasions against laying up treasnres on earth are sufficiently explained in this fact. Neither wealth nor poverty are praiseworthy conditions in themselves j but the one begets independence of God, and the other dependence on God. Therefore it is not more wealth, but more need that is required in our churches to increase their missionary power. Let the burden of the support of missionaries and missionary stations rest directly on the local churches j let the trials and discouragements of the foreign field be made an immediate and sole concern of these churches, and what a new and wonderful stimulus to prayer it would furnish. Do we hear the plea that single churches are not able to undertake a foreign mission V Our answer is, let them undertake that which they are unable to perform, if ever their praying and working ability is to be brought out. It is the business of a good teacher to give his pupils problems to work out larger than their present capacity, in order to expand the mind j and Christ would have us undertake more than we can do, in order to throw us upon Himself with strong crying and intercession, and so teach us how His strength is made perfect in weakness. Missions rightly conducted are the greatest school of prayer: they nourish that by which they are nourished j they create a necessity which supplies a necessity. In a word, the most pressing demand of our day is more responsibility for missions in order to greater importunity for missions.
2. It would increase vastly the contributions of the churches j and for this reason, that it would make obligation more immediate and personal. A financial pressure resting on a board a thousand miles away is not sufficient to lift the benevolence of the local church to its proper level. Duty is what is due j hence the more personal a debt can be made to appear, the more obligatory will seem to be the claim. How churches will lift and strain their resources and tax their self-denial to build a house of worship or to purchase a new organ! What lover of missions has not longed for the same energy of self-sacrifice on behalf of this greatest of all works? The secret of the earnestness in the one instance is that the work is counted a personal obligation, and therefore since it cannot be relegated it is heroically done. Let a church have its own missionaries who will starve unless it supports them, and there will be a possibility that some at home will go hungry in order to feed a far-off workman j but there is little likelihood that such self-denial will be evoked where responsibility for a missionary'll support is subdivided among several thousand Christians. The wisdom of Sidney Smith's saying is even more apparent than its wit: " Benevolence is a universal instinct j A cannot see B in need without desiring C to help him." How much of the amiable well wishing and even fervent praying for missions is of this sort, an asking God to move others to do what we ought to do ourselves j a pleading for the cause of missions by those who are daily shirking the claims of missions. Never can the resources of the Christian Church be laid under contribution till in some way the missionary enterprise is understood to be the principal business of the Church, and a business which cannot by any possibility be entrusted to an ecclesiastical commission house.
3. It would vastly multiply the number and the variety of missionary agencies. It is quite common in these days to hear the phrase, the " scandal of a divided Christendom." This condition is doubtless to be lamented on many grounds. Nevertheless, it has unquestionably been overruled to the wider and more rapid propagation of the Gospel. An able article appeared in one of the numbers of this REVIEW, showing conclusively that when the unity of the Church bas been most compact and absolute missionary success has been the least.' All that we would emphasize here is, that centralization tellQs illIJl.9lit always to a waste of energy. A
THE NEW HEBRIDES MISSION
hundred horse-power can be had by hitching a hundred horses into cne team, but a hundred church-power does not and cannot result from uniting a hundred churches into one society. Indeed, the paradox is constantly witnessed of gaining strength by diminishing the numbers, as in the reduction of Gideon's army. Churches which are strong ought doubtless to be yoked up with churches which are weak, and so to share their burdens j but we know of no law requiring churches that are zealous and thoroughly alive to their missionary obligations to dilute their consecration and to lower the temperature of their zeal, by union with those which utterly lack in these qualities. The responsibility of being devoted, and the obligation to be zealous and self-denying ought, in other words, to be thrown upon each Christian and upon each church with no opportunity to shift them upon others.
In the immense call which is now made upon the churches of Christ for multiplied giving and multiplied laborers, it is natural to ask what further methods can be suggested. "Churches to the Front" is the answer of one of the oldest missionaries in China, in a tract now before us. If separate churches will take up the work of missions, he believes that missionaries will be multiplied a hundred-fold within a fAw years. Another eminent laborer in China has for seyeral years been advocating the same view. What is the suggestion but a call for a " policy of missions which multiplies a thousand-fold the eyes that watch for their success, the hands that work for their prosperity, and the prayers that plead for their blessing i"
THE NEW HEBRIDES MISSION.
BY REV. ROBERT STEBL, D.D" SYDNEY.
The first year of the second half century of the New Hebrides Mission witnessed the introduction of steam power to serve the interests of advancing Christianity as well as of progressive commerce in this group of islands. There are thirty islands, most of which have now resident or visiting missionaries, and all of them have native teachers. The first of the interisland vessels was the Columba, a boat of five tons. The second was the John Knox, a larger craft of twelve tons, in which was a little cabin six feet high, where ten persons could sit. and a hold which could accommodate between twenty and thirty persons. This two-masted schooner did good service for a few years, but soon proved too small. The next vessel was the result of an appeal after the martyrdom of the Rev. G. N. Gordon and his wife on Eromanga in 1861, and the perils on Tanna which caused the flight of the missionaries. The Rev. J. G. Paton, who has since become so famous, raised a sum of £3000 by his fervent appeals in Australasia for a new vessel and £lOOO for additional missionaries. A brigantine of 120 tons was built at New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and sent out to the New Hebrides under the command of Captain W. A. Fraser, in 1864, with a reinforcement of three missionaries, including the courageous brother of the martyred Gordon. In 1866 three more missionaries came from Scotland to occupy stations in the group. The vessel called the Dayspring was supported by the Presbyterian Sabbath scholars in Australia and New ?:caland, with the aid'of £250 annually from Nova Scotia and £250 from the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland. In 1873 this vessel was wrecked on a reef in the harbor of Aneityum during Ii hurricane, but no lives were lost. She was immred for £2000, which was recovered, and formed the commencement of a new fund. The Rev. Mellsrs. Copeland and Paton collected £2000 more, and with this a vessel built in Sydney, New South Wales, was purchased, and adapted to the missionary work. It was a three· masted schooner of 159 tons, and a remarkably quick sailer. For seventeen years this second Dayspring served the mission well, making two voyages snnually from Sydney with stores and mails and mission passengers, and waiting on the missionaries at their several stations. Much pioneer work was done by the aid afforded by this vessel and her master, officers, and sailors, as well as by the native crew always employed in the islands. She was insured for £2000, the premium for which was paid by means of an insurance fund inaugul'l1ted in New Zealand by the Rev. J. Copeland, and completed to a sum of £3000 by Mr. Paton. One of the services of this vessel was the conveyance of the missionaries, and often also their wives, to the place where the mission synod was held, and the entertainment of them during its several sel!lsions. Having had the pleasure of being prellent at one of these synods, I can testify to the happy and comfortable arrangement for the missionaries staying on board and meeting each other at meals. It secured proper attendance and much comfort. The wives of the missionaries were quartered at the mission house. The annual expense of the vessel was about. £1800, of which £1300 were raised by the Sabbath scholars of the Presbyterian churches in Australasia. Indeed, they frequently raised much more, and thus met the necessary repairs required from time to time. It was found, however, that this vessel was too small for the wants of the growing mission in the New Hebrides. The Rev. J. G. Paton, on a visit to Great Britain and Ireland in 1884-85, collected over £9000, of which £6000 were given for the purchase of a steamer for the use of the mission. Negotiations were entered into immediately after his return to Melbourne with a view to ascertain the probable cost of maintaining a steam vessel, and as that was found to involve an annual outlay of some £3000, considerable difficulty was felt in getting those supp-orting missionaries on the islands to undertake so heavy a responsibility. But in Divine Providence an unexpected solution of the difficulty was obtained when the mercantile marine stepped forward and offered to establish a regular line of steamers if encouragement was given. The Victorian and the New South Wales Governments each subsidized a monthly service to the illlands by way of New Caledonia and Fiji. This did not exactly meet the wants of the mission, as the steamers called only at one port on the group. The mission vessel therefore continued its voyages for another year, when the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company offered to place a steamer in the islands, with a view of promoting trade for the main line. The New South Wales Government gave a sub· sidy of £100 per month to this service, and the Maritime Board of the mission entered into a contract with the company to get all the work of the mission done among the islands. The steamer caUs at every station once a month, and conveys all passengers 'and stores. The steamer on this route meets that on the main line, and cruises entirely among the islands. In the early part of this year, and during the hurricane season, she was driven on a reef in the very harbor where the first Dayspring was wrecked. Fortunately no mission goods were lost, and no lives, but the vessel was rendered useless.
A larger and better steamer has now been put on the inter-island trade. The missionaries have greater comfort in travelling, and are altogether more satisfied. The expense has been increased some £500 a year, but no more than £300 of this faUs upon the New Hebrides Mission. The Dayspring has since been suld. In addition to all this, a small steamer is to be provided for the new mission' just started on the most northerly and largest island of the group-Espiritu Santo-hy the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. This is to be provided for by the fund raised by the Rev. J. G. Paton-now D.D., by the University of Edinburgh. The Rev. D. Macdonald, who has been for eighteen ycars at Havanna Harbor, in the island of Efate, is to superintend this new mission, and two other missionaries have been appointed to that work.. Soon all the group will be under missionary care. The evangelistic work is !!preading rapidly. There are cighteen missionaries of the Presbyterian churches now on the group. Bishop Selwyn and his missionaries operate on three of the islands to the north. There are about 180 native teachers employed. On some islands there are o·er 500 communicants; on others, 350, 200, 60, etc. On many there is a large attendance at public worship; on others it is still small. On all the work of the Lord is advancing, but the largest islands are only lately begun to be evangelized. There is still much to be done, requiring faith, prayer, labor, and perseverance. The mission contains agents of six Australasian Presbyterian churches and of the Free Church of Scotland and the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Thus eight churches work together in the cause of missions. It is no wonder that the late Rev. Dr. Duff, of Calcutta, commended this union to the first General Council which met at Edinburgh as an example of what might by done by Presbyterian churches. The same spirit is at work both in India, China, Japan, and Africa, and will doubtless prcvail. May this consummation, devoutly to be wished, soon be realized !
In April last the Rev. VV. Vatt and wife returned to their station after a visit to Europe, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, and New South Wales. Mr. Watt took with him the complete New Testament in Tannese,
WILLIAM CAREY
which he had carried through the press in Scotland. Dr. Gunn, medical mis- sionary, also returned after a short furlough with his wife and family in New South Wales. The Rev. H. A. Robertson, of Eromanga, with his wife and family, came lately to the same colony for their health. Mr. Robert- son had suffered from exposure in aiding the wrecked steamer. The Rev; P. Milne, whose career has been so successful on Ngunna and other islands, is visiting New Zealand and addressing congregations. The Rev. Dr. Paton has been doing similar work in AUlltralia. Altogether this mission, in a very difficult field, is making much progress in evangelizing the dusky tribes of the New Hebrides. A perplexing difficulty has lately been felt. British vessels are not allowed to sell arms or intoxicating liquors to the natives. French vessels are allowed to do both j and the natil'es have been refusing to sell. land unless they receive muskets in exchange. This has aided the acquirement of land by French settlers, and it has hindered purchase of land and other trade to British settlers. American vessels have also, it is said, been trading in these articles among the New Hebrides islands. It is matter requiring some diplomatic settlement, so that all • nations may be on an equal footing, and that the people be protected from trade that tends to their injury and to the injury of thc missionary work. It is high timethat enlightened nations should all agree not to take intoxi- cating liquor to the aborigines of any continent or island. Humanity and religion alike require this course.
WILLIAM CAREY.
IlL-THE TRANSLATOR OF THE 'BIBLE AND THE BENEFACTOR OF ASIA.
BY GEORGE SMITH, LL.D., F.R.G.S., EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.
When, in his great work, the" Annals of the English Bible," Christopher Anderson, thc accomplished Baptist minister, of Edinburgh, reviewed the principal translations of Holy Scripture which Carey had made into the languages of the peoples of Iudia and Southern Asia, he declared that that generation lived too near the object to be able to descry the proportions or estimate the value of the work. " Fifty years hence the character of this extraordinary and humble man will be more correctly appreciated." Dr. A. F. Cox, the historian of the first half century of the Baptist Missionary Society, wrote about the same time that Carey might have been a Luther or a Newton had he lived in their age, "but his faculties, consecrated by religion to a still higher end, have gained for him the sublime distinction of having been the translator of the Scriptures and the benefactor of Asia." Catholic and evangelical Christendom, after another half century, gratefully adopts as its own the eulogy.
As a man and a missionary William Carey's forty:one years' apostolate in India formed an all-round career. His plodding-the only merit he would admit-his natural genius j his consecration to the highest good of the dark races; his faith in God and personal "ove t~ Jesus Christ; his splendid health and capacity for patient toil; his simple Melf-denial, free alike from consciousness and asceticism for its own sake ; his chivalrous affection to family and friends, and his courtesy to his friends' enemies- for he llad none of his own-all constitute a character nearer perfectness than any since the inspired John died at Ephesus. But if analysis leads us to study each great service that he was called by the Spirit of God to render to the Church and the world, we have no difficulty in selecting these two as the greatest-the founding of his society in 1792, and the translation of the Scriptures into thirty-six Asiatic languages. If Robert Ball could, amid the controversies of his lifetime, declare Carey to have been, even then, "the instrument of diffusing more religious knowledge than has fallen to the lot of any individual since the Reformation," and if the poet Southey could challenge his own Church of England, all combined, to show the like, what shall be the verdict of evangelical Christendom now?
Carey himself estimated his own position when he declared that he was only a pioneer. He meant it modestly, and he would have admitted every' word written down to our own day by English university scholars who desiderate academic tone, microscopic erudition, and college-bred culture. But it is precisely such university gifts, so desirable in themselves and out of reach of the Northamptonshire shoemaker, that unfit their possessor to be a leader of men, an originator of a great movement, a reformer of Church or State. The Spi~it of God prefers the child-weakness of the world, and makes it mightier than all that mechanical training can do to be the spiritual force, the moral regenerator of humanity. Carey was the pioneer translator of the Word of God into the languages of Southern Asia in this sense, that he was the first-cxcept into Tamil and Telugoo-and that, not know. ing how soon he might be called away, he must make haste to give every people the good news of God in their own tongue. He worked night and day for this end, while neglecting no other imperative duty except his personal correspondence. To one lady he excused his silence thus-that eve-ry letter he wrote meant the sacrifice of a chapter of the Bengali Bible !
The providence of God had, unconsciously, trained him for this work far more effectually than if he had gone to college like Claudius Buchanan and David Brown, like Henry Martyn and Thomason afterward. When a thoughtless boy in the church of which his father was clerk and schoolmaster, he knew the Scriptures. When at eighteen he sought food for his new spiritual life among the Nonconformists, he 80 studied the Bible for himself that he "formed his own system" of belief from its self-evidence of self-revealing" contents, and found in it what all the Reformers and universities of the past centuries had failed to seethe missionary call. As the youth learned each new language, he read his daily morning chapter in it, till the number became seven. He might preach with the voice and teach with the lips and the effect might pass away with his own life, which must be brief at the longest. But, his trans- lations of the Scriptures, the first into the Oriental vernaculars, would, if once made, be improved on by others, and would carry the message of God to man far and wide where no missionary could go, and down through the ages when the pioneer was forgotten. Carey loved to preach, but he thirsted to translate; he worked sixteen hours out of ever.y twenty-four, because he hasted to. send out from the press the portions and then the whole of the vernacular Bible, while neglecting no other department of the missionary's duty that fell to him. And God so accepted His servant's work that his holy ambition was realized beyond all his yearning, and in a rapture of thanksgiving he said to Marshman as he lay a-dying: " I have not a wish left uns~tisfied." God so blessed His servant's self-denial and toil that He enabled him to contribute personally £46,625 to the creation and extension of the Serampore Mission, so that he saw before his death "twenty-six Gospel churches planted in India within an area of about eight hundred miles, and above forty laboring brethren rail'ed up on the spot amid them," as his surviving colleague wrote.
Let it not be supposed, however, that Carey neglected either the erudi- tion of scholarship or the delicate variations of literary style and colloquial idiom in his Orientalism. Comparative philology was only coming to the birth as a science in his day, and hill is the merit of having done more to prepare the data for its generalizations, as well as to apply its laws to the mastering of other tongues, than any contemporary ~r predecessor. Sir William Jones, the Christian judge, who died all too early at thirty-four, alone was before him. Sir Charles Wilkins and the elder Halhed had made the first translations from the Sanskrit and the Persian, and the former had cut the first Bengali types. Henry Colebrooke, greater than all, and in- spirer of the German Orientalists, was Carey's immediate contemporary and sometimes fellow-worker. The slightly later scholar, Horace Hayman Wilson, who beca~e first Bodleian Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford, and was no friend of missions, has more warmly eulogized Carey's Sanskrit • scholarship and fluent and correct speech than any other, remarking that " it was not in Dr. Carey's nature to volunteer a display of his erudition ;"
the marvel how even be could find time for his translations of the Sanskrit epics, the Sankhya Metaphysical treatises, and for the texts of the Hito- padesa, the Dasa, Kumara, Carita, and the Apophthegms of Bhartri-pari, still more for his many and magnificent dictionaries and grammars. But the motive accounts for it all when he confesses, in 1811, in reference to his" Universal Dictionary of the Oriental Languages Derived from the Sanskrit," which was burned in the great fire of the Serampore press soon – after, the desire" to assist biblical students to correct the translation of the Bible in the Oriental languages after we are dead."
His knowledge of the many dialects and e'en patois of the widespread Bengali and Hindi peoples was unexampled, and has probably never since been equalled. For he was a missionary who daily worked among them, and among the lowest as well as highest classes of them. He had facilities for learning their very slang and vocabulary of abuse which no one has ever since possessed in Bengal save the revenue settlement officials, who may happen to love languages, and the people in other provinces. That rare book, " Dialogues Intended to Facilitate the Acquiring of the Bengalee Language," with its curious preface, published by Carey in 1818, throws a flood of light on the life and beliefs of the eighty millions even at the present day too long neglected. In one hundred and thirteen parallel pages we have the talk of every class, learned and illiterate j the" grave style" and the" common talk of laboring people," the language of women " considerably differing from that of the men, especially in their quarrels j" the proverbial expressions and the very irregular talk of fishermen. Some of it is almost too coarse for repetition, even in EngliSh j but all, includ- ing dialogues which set forth" the domestic economy of the country," forms a priceless revelation of the inner life of the dumb millions of Ben- gal, and no less a testimony to the wonderfully human tenderness and minute knowledge of the first English missionary to India. William Carey used to exhaust three Pundits daily as his amanuenses and fellow-workers. He had the power, like some great generals, of falling asleep in a moment and for a fixed time. Each Pundit had instructions to rouse him for a new spell of work should he not be awake at the hour, and when the Oriental's reluctance to summon a sleeper back to life prevailed occailionally, t.he eager scholar never failed to reprove him. Only then was the perfect temper ruffled, for the translator had been allowed to steal time from his work for God and posterity.
If the science of comparative grammar had not been formulated in Carey's time, still less was that of biblical criticism in the modern sense dreamed of. Theology, though the queen of the sciences, was then as little studied as the active life of godliness was pursued in Christian churches and communities. The two have a far closer relation than the extreme advocate of each-right in what he asserts, bnt wrong in what he denies- ever admits. Carey accomplished his splendid work with no apparatus criticus worthy of the name in those days, and with the help of no com- mentary more critical than Doddridge's "Family Expositor," which had appeared in 1738. His Greek concordance was always at his side. An interesting parallel might be drawn between him and Henry Martyn, his yoting contemporary and neighbor for a time, at the translating work. As to Hebrew, like biblical criticism, a scholarly knowledge of that on any extensive scale is only now coming into existence j but Carey was at the – level of the best Hebraists of his day. The grammar was known then j but exegetical methods are of to-day. The problem which God gave to the Church in the evangelical revival a century ago, was that of evangelizing the dark races j and to-day there has been added that of consecrating all . recent knowledge and critical inquiry by evangelical fidelity to the true inspiration of the Scriptures. The more that Carey toiled at his translating the nearer he was drawn to the Spirit of God, and the more his faith was fed by the revelation and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
William Carey's two greatest translations of the Bible wele that into Bengali for the blind millions, and into Sanskrit for their blinder leaders. In four years after landing at Calcutta he had made his first experimental Beng~lee version of the New Testament from the original Greek. After four revisions of the MS., read to natives of all classes, he had received his first printing-press. The printer landed at Serampore in the person of William Ward, and there, in February, 1801, the first edition of two thousand copies appeared. Ward himself and Felix Carey set up the types in nine months; four Hindus worked the press. The whole, on rough, country· made paper, cost £620. The rare and precious volume is now a curiosity as it rests on the shelves of Serampore College Library. The first page in Matthew's gospel was struck off at press by Carey himself, and this one Gospel was published at once, that the Bengalees might not for a day want a complete and inspired life of the only Redeemer of men. This first ledition was presented to King George III., at the instance of Ead Spencer, owner of the great library at Althorp; and the king replied: "I am greatly pleased to find that any of my subjects are employed in this manner." The whole Bengali Bible appeared complete in 1809. Fivc editions of the Old, and eight editions of the New, Testament were revised by Carey hefore his death. As the first sheets had been offered to God on the altar or communion-table by prayer in the first Bengali chapel, so thc venerable scholar took the first copy of the last edition with him into the pulpit and addressed his converts from it, from the words (in the Bengali), " Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy sal1"ation," just two years before the Lord lovingly answered the prayer. But to the last he persisted in his ruling passion" now and then to read a proofsheet of the Scriptures."
The Sanskrit Bible completed by Carey, burned in the fire of 1812, retranslated, and therefore not all published when he died, was his answer to the Vedic and Puranic literature of the Brahmins, who" cordially received it." As milk in a vessel of dog's skin, utterly polluted, was truth to them in one of the tongues of the common people. But in its Sanskrit dress, as afterward improved by Werger, the Bible has bem at once welcomed by not a few to whom it has proved the power of God and the wisdom of God. Every Pundit' knows Sanskrit as, of old, every educated European knew Latin; so that "by translating the Scriptures into this language we in effect translate them into all the languages of India." Carey translated and wrote every word of the great book with his own hand. It was his thirty-sixth translation and his last, though he edited and revisea the work of others in other languages.
Space fails me to tell the details or even to generalize the romantic facts of William Carey's manifold services to humanity, Indian administration, science and manufactures, botany and forestry, agriculture and horticulture,
DISCERNING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
literature and education, the mo'ral advancement of society and mlSSlon economics. These appeal to the men of science and of society, to the statesmen and atbninistrators, who rule two hundred and eighty-eight millions today, on lines which this friend of many a governor-general marked out, to all who love the progress of man in any upward direction, to unite with the whole Church in grateful commemoration of the founder and the f/lther of missions a hundred years ago. All may adopt the lines of a contemporary verse-writer, a man of the world, who knew him: .. Thou'rt in onr heart-with tresses thin and gray, And eye that knew the Book of Life so well, And brow serene, as thou were wont to stray Amidst thy flowers-like Adam ere he fell."
'But the believing Christian will specially take to his heart the last written message of the dying saint sent to Christopher Anderson on September 30th, 1833 : "As everything connected with the full accomplishment of the Divine promises depends on the almighty power of God, pray that I and all the ministers of the Word may take hold of His strength, and go about our work as fully expecting the accomplishment of them all, which, however difficult and improbable it may appear, is certain, as all the promises of God are in Him, yea, and in Him. Amen." Carey began the first modern missionary century with " Expect Great Things; Attempt Great Things;" he summons us to enter on the second not only fully expecting the accomplishment of all God's promises, but taking hold of God's strength as we go about the work of evangelizing the world.
[EJrrata.-In Part 1. of this series, page 321, for first date, A.D. 51–55, read B.O. 55-A.D. 51 ; also on page 322 under THE THBEE NEW BIRTH EpOOHS.] DISCERNING THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
[NOTB.-Thls.paper gives the substance of au address delivered In City Temple, London, April 27, 1892, before young men in behalf of the Baptist Missionary Society, and as the opening of the centenary celebration.] Deus in historia (God is in history). The undevout historian, like the " undevout astronomer, is mad." If only the fool can say in his heart, as he beholds the universe, with its marvellous arrangements and adjustinents, " There is no God," only the fool can say, as he looks upon the unfoldings and infoldings of the historic mystery, " It is the work of chance."
Yes, events have an articulated pla~ : they are not disjecta membra. As the author of Psalm 139 said of yet unborn life, we may say of the historic ages to come: "Thine eyes did see their substance, being yet unperfect; and in Thy Book all coming events were written, which in continuous succession are fashioned when as yet there was none of them."
Christ said to the imperious demand for" a sign from heaven" that the signs were already in the very horizon, but were not diicerned by that evil and adulterous generation. The red sky of evening was understood by them to be a prophecy of a fair to-morrow; and the red and lowering sky of morning to be a forecast of foul weather. Yet with all their skill in reading the weather signs, they had no discernment for the " signs of the times. " The comparison implies a profound and most weighty analogy, nalIely, that God gives U8 in the Present a prophecy of the Future; and that it is our duty and privilege to watch the historic horizon, note politi- cal, moral, spiritual phenomena, and make abroad and safe induction as to the times to come; and especially developments nigh at hand even 8t the doors.
Another grand truth implied in all this is that, as God has a plan in history, so it is an infinitely wise and good plan.j and that therefore grand historic epochs wait for the fitnes8 and fulness of times. Accident determines nothing; there is no blunder or mistake, no anticipation or procrastination. When everything is ready, and not hefore or after, with the precision of the mO!lt perfect mechanism, everything moves according to His appoiutment. There may be a wheel within a wheel, but there is the spirit of a living creation in the wheels, and they all move in one direction, obedient to the guiding spirit, and the rim of the wheel is full of the eyes of Omniscience before and behind.
Now observe what follows: God having a definite historic plan, and the fitness and fulness of times being the determining law, we have only to study carefully and prayerfully the events of the present day to see the plan revealed and read the forecast of the future, and especially the near future." The current history of mankind constitutes the putting forth of the leaves of the fig-tree, which reveals the summer as just at hand. The prayerful consideration and comparison of events occurring before our eyes thus becomes to the disciple the spirit of prophecy.
How, then, are we to know that the fitness and fulness of times for the vigorous and successful prosecution of the work of I!lissions has at length arrived 1 What, in respect of missionary enterprise, are the signs of the times now appearing on the world's horizon? This question we seek, with God's help, to answer.
There is a grand fundamental principle which underlies all discernment of the signs of the times, namely, the comparison of prophetic scriptures with providential developments. The Word of God and the work of God must agree; and we must know the former to interpret the latter. At all great crises in history it will be found that prediction, inspired prediction, has long pointed as with uplifted finger toward that crisis j and then there has been at that crisis a singular convergence of events showing a presiding genius in history far above man.
For example, take the Incarnation, that new birth-hour of history. How plainly had prophetic prediction foretold God's manifestation in the flesh, and with astonishing minuteness of detail. The Messiah was to be "Compare Matthew 16 : 1-3 and 1M: 12-14,80-34. bmn in Bethlehem of Judea, of the Davidic line, and after the expiration of sixty-nine of the seventy heptades of years from the going forth of the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. * Devout men like Simeon and godly women like Anna were not taken by surprise when they beheld the Lord Christ, for, like Daniel, they had studied prophecy, and knew that the time must be near. Then there was the convergence of events: a world-wide expectation of the coming of some great deliverer, a sort of prophecy of the human heart; there was a world-wide preparation in the universal empire of Rome and the prevalence of universal peace; and a world-wide destitution in the acknowledged failure of even Greek philosophy to supply a knowledge of God. That wide famine of soul, that altar at Athens" to God, the Unknown," those Roman roads made ready for the messenger of peace-what a gatheri,ng of rays into one burning focal point! And so because prophetically and providentially the fitness and fulness of times had come-Christ came, and as the very hour struck in the belfry of the ages.
Who can deny what Dr. Croly said years ago in St. Paul's, London, that the Reformation of the sixteenth century was another birth hour of history 1 How plainly had prophetic Scriptures pointed to a period of dark ages, succeeded by another new dawn! The long-buried treasure was once more to be unearthed, and the pearl of great price recovered from its depths, and the greatest age of world-wide evangelism to follow. There had been a general decay of evangelical faith, and there must be a revival in that direction before there could be a revival of missions; for there can never bc evangelistic era until there is an evangelical spirit.
And what a strange convergence again of providential eventlil! What can be more signally wonderful! As God's fit and full time came, preparations on a colossal scale were made for the Reformation. In 1453 Constantinople fell, and the revival of learning followed, el'pecially significant because it scattered over the Continent Greek scholars and the Greek New Testament. In 1497 the new passage to India round the Cape of Good Hope prepared the way for closer contact and communication between the centres of Protestantism and the centres of Oriental heathenism, as in 1492 the discovery of America had opened the way to the planting of a grand Protestant republic, a new missionary nation beyond the Atlantic. Then let it be remembered that about this very time the fall of feudalism, after its thousand years of petty despotisms, prepared the way of the development of individual liberty.
Equally marvellous were the marks that God's fit time was come in the theology of inventions. About the beginning of the fourteenth century the mariner's compass, coming into general use, became a guide to thc marinAr over unknown seas; the printing press issued its first book-a Latin Bible-in 1450 ; and the steam engine wag an assured success in 1543. Just at this very time Luther awoke the Church by his hammer, * Daniel 9 : 25. and the Reformed Faith, joint product of the prayers and tears of Huss and Knox, Wyclif and Calvin, Jerome of Prague and Savonarola of Florence, found its full development under the monk of Erfarth. Surely another great birth-hour was reached when William Carey led the way at Kettering, in 1792, in organizing a society for exclusively foreign mission work, and the next year himself in a uobler sense led the way by going to India.
Here again prophecy linked hands with Providence. More than three thousand years before Carey God had called another man-Abraham- " alone, " * and promised that in his seed all the families of the earth ~hould be blessed. Chri3t had distinctly foretold that the Gospel must first be preached as a witness among all nations before the end should come. And now again events converged and pointed to the time as at last arrived for world· wide evangelism. How any candid and careful student of history can doubt that the nineteenth century was distinctly indicated by God as the new century of missions passes comprehension. The whole historic horizou was aflame with an aurora borealis of splendid signals, which even at this distance are still startling and dazzling. The decay of evangelical doctrine and holy living, which made the first half of the eighteenth century seem like a sepulchre of faith and piety, had given place to one of the mightiest revivals of religion the world ever knew under such men as Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards, and a score of others like them. Those trumpet blasts had gone forth from the two Northamptons, summoning all disciples to united prayer for a ~peedy and world. wide effusion of the Holy Spirit, and the new openings for effort in the South Seas and Asia challenged the Church to fulfil her Lord's last command. Corruption in the Church had constrained the remnant who had not bowed to Baal to call mightily on God j and the new life in the Church demanded vent in missions. William Carey could not but be a missionary and an organizer of missions, for the new birth hour had come, and this was the Divine issue.
Has another great birth hour come to u~ ~ Who of us discern~, the signs .of the times 1 While we begin to celebrate this centenary of missions, there are Divine signals on the world's horizon more startling than any which fixed Carey's eye on the signs of the times. It may be doubted whether in all history there hal!! been such a convergence of testimony that the fulness of times has come for the prosecution of God's work.
During this century there has been world-wide exploration, so that now the map of the world is complete-there is no untraversed sea, no undiscovered land. We know what the" whole world" is which is to be evangelized and possessed. There is also world-wide communication. There are no nations, new afar off-the whole world is brought into one neighborhood by steam carriages and vessels, the telegraph, the postal union, etc. Man is in contact with man the world over. There is likewise world-wide fro,ternization. Nation is not ~rJ.'ayed against nation. There are friendly * Isaiah 51 : 2. and even fraternal relations existing j prejudices have been removed, treaties established j there is commercial interchange and mutual acquaintance by travel, diffusion of literature, etc. The year 1884 witnessed the august spectacle of fourteen nations assembled by representatives at Berlin to mature a constitution for the Congo Free State, and in that conference not only Protestant and Catholic peoples united, but even a MohaJJlmedan power was represented! Again, there is world-wide emancipation. Britain and America ~ave made all their slaves free, and RUBBia her serfs i and there is not one civilized and nomigaJly Christian nation to-day that upholds slavery! There is world.wide civilization-i.e., barbarism, savagery, cannibalism, snperstition, and cruelty are fast disappearing before the advance of a new civilization, with its greater intelligence and enterprise, liberality, and humanity. There is also world-wide organization. Every class of men, every calling, however humble, finds strength in association. The world is belted· by these monster zones of associated and organized capital and labor, brains and brawn.
Besides all this invention and discovery seem to have. reachecl their golden age, constraining the greatest statesman of Europe to declare that one decade of years in this century has seen more progress than five millennium~ before it. Who has opened world.wide doors before His Church i pnt in the hands of Christian nations and Protestant nations the sceptre8 of the world j given the printing pres8 and steam engine in wedlock, 80 that their countless offspring should pour into all lands; who has provided the Church with between 35,000,000 and 40,000,000 of evangelical members, and given them thousands of millions of pounds sterling, and organizations that reach round the world' And for what has God done all this if these .are not His signs of the times, which mean that just now the King's business requireth haste, and His swift coursers, even steam and lightning, are yoked to His car!
While the Church lingers and hesitates, behold the activity of the devil, who seems to work with mad haste, as though he knew he had but a short time. See him organizing anarchy to destroy the foundations of all government, pouring his missionaries into every land, to carry their doctrinal demons; see him setting up his printing presses and scattering infidel books41nd tracts, undermining the family, poisoning the fountains of public learning, pulling down the palladium of liberty, the Sabbath, destroyingthe very flower of our society by strong drink, locking up the very will in the chains of opium, and using Christian nations to forge the fetters; if we do not, he does discern the signs of the times !
At this centenary of William Carey j God's signals flash like lightning and boom like thunder around the whole sky. By every mightiest argument and most persuasive appeal j by every motive drawn from a world's need and our opportunity; by every open door and loud cry; by every Scripture prophecy and promise, and by every unfolding of Providence Christ is just now saying to His Church, "Go YB: INTO ALL THE WORLD,
TWENTmTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE McALL MISSION IN FRANCE
AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE!" He buttresses up the command and commission by the declaration, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth j" and by the promise, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age." His omnipotence, omnipresence, eternity, are on our side. And if this world-wide work were but taken up by the Church with the determination that no creature should be left without the Gospel, it would again be written, "And they went forth and preached everywhere j the Lord working with and confirming the Word with signs following. Amen!"
TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE McALL MISSION IN FRANCE.
REPORTED BY ANNA W. PIERSON.
Special meetings were held in Paris on January 16th and 18th last, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the McAIl Mission, and the seventieth anniversary of the birth of the beloved president.
The first meeting was held on the afternoon of January 16th, when friends and workers were invited to meet Dr. and Mrs. McAlI. The ladies had been busy decorating the hall with wreaths, 11ags, etc., and the place was completely transformed.
As the guests of the day arrived, they were met and escorted to the platform by Pastor Holland, the chairman of the meeting, while all rose and sang in French the hymn, •• Great God, we bless Thee; We celebrate Thy praises."
After reading of the Scriptures and prayer Pastor Holland made 8 brief address of welcome to Dr. and Mrs. McAIi. He explained the object of the gathering, and spoke of the longing they had felt for an opportunity to express the affection and gratitude which filled their hearts toward these two dear missionaries who had " Come over to Macedonia to help" them. He gave glory to the God who had prompted them to leave their native land, had broken down every barrier, and had caused these foreigners to become a bond of union between so many French Christians. He told of the rapid growth of the work and its wide extent in Paris and France.
In the name of the churches of France he thanked them for the good they had done in the community, and for the recruits received into their ranks from his attendants. He thanked them in the name of the missionary societies, both home and foreign, and also in the name of his beloTed country, to whose good they had so generously devoted themselves. He closed by saying: "There is something supremely beneficent-a symbol and prophecy of better times for which we long-in this spectacle of a foreigner who thinks of France only to bring her the most precious gift he possesses, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May our Lord give you, dear Mr. and Mrs. McAlI, good health, long life, courage and strength ever increas- ing! May He bless you and the Church which ~o generously gave you to us! May He bless you for all the blessings you have brought to us !
May He grant you here below to reap an abundant harvest from your faith- ful sowing, while we wait for that other, better, and still richer harvest which we together shall behold in the light which shall reveal all the fruits of faith and love, and, above all, of the infinite faitbfulnestl of God."
After the singing of a duet, M. Louis Sautter, one of the directors and an attached friend, spoKe in behalf of the co-workers and friends of the miSSIOn. He told how the news of salvation had been proclaimed to many who had never heard it, and spoke of the conversions which had changed the lives and households of so many. He spoke of the love, goodness, de- votion, gentleness, patience, and perseverance which they had never ceased to show to all. Then he said that the friends of the mission in Paris and France had contributed in order to offer them some tangible testimony of their affection as a souvenir of this happy anniversary j that they were much perplexed in choosing a suitable gift, and had finally decided to let him choose for himself. He then presented him with a pocket·book con- taining 4750 francs ($95()) entirely for his own use and personal comfort.
ITe also presented to Mrs. McAIl a beautiful vase and palm plant as a gift of gratitude from the lady workeff) at the mission.
Dr. McAIl then rose, greatly affected, and testified to his surprise and gratitUde, and how deeply he and his wife were touched by these testimo- nies of affection j he spoke of his personal unworthiness, and of the vahi- able co-operation with which he and his wife had been surrounded, and said that the friendship and affection exhibited had made them feel that they were no longer foreigners. He spoke touchingly of those of the workers whom the Lord had called home, and of the attachment and grati- tude he felt for their patience with him, and closl1d by calling upon pastors, Jaymen, and Christian workers to consecrate themselves anew in seeking to advance in this beloved country of France the kingdom of our glorious Saviour. .
After singing, Pastor Dhombres (Reformed Church), now quite blind, addressed a few words to the assembly. He spoke of Dr. McAll's coming to Paris after the Commune and ministering to their spiritual necessities in the time of famine, preaching the Gospel in its ~implicity and power. He referred to the conversion and transformation not only of people and homes, but of whole districts near the missions. In clolling, recalling the fact that twenty years ago Dr. and Mrs. McAB had come as strangers to Paris, he said: "Look around now on this assembly, so full of warmth, so responsive j this host of friends who lIurround you j and then say whether these two foreigners, these two voluntary exiles, have not found in our midst a new home, a new family, a new church, and a new country!"
Mr. J. F. W. Deacon, of London, then rose and presented to Dr.
McAlJ, through the president of the meeting, a resolution from the committee in London, conveying congratulations and assurance of their w/.lrm interest in the work.
Pastor Appia (Lutheran Church) then made one of his characteristic little speeches, so full of terse and brilliant thoughts. He told how, in an un- equalled degree, Dr. McAIl had been able to secure the co-operation of almost all the Christians in Paris. He spoke of the influence of the sacred songs used in the mission, and the solid biblical instruction imparted to both children and adults in the Bible classes and schools. He closed with the prayer that they should soon see a revival in all the churches in Paris.
Pastor HocaIt, on behalf of the Illesleyan Church, spoke of the great success of the mission, contrary to everyone's expectation. Of the future of the work he said: "I see in the present state of the mission a preparation for future work, perhaps very near at hand-a work much greater, much deeper, and much more extensive than we see to-day. A preparation for future blessing is, I believe, being brought about especially by the instruction of the young. Win the children to the faith of Christ and you insure a glorious future. You train up a generation, transf~rmed to grow in the ways of temperance, justice, and piety." He said: "I would also speak of the influence of the evangelization of the masses on the speakers themselves. The evangelists have learned to apeak a new language j they have found the level of their auditors, and have become truly lay preachers. They have made themselves 'all things to all men, that they might save some.' "
Pastor Decoppet (Reformed Church) then read an original French poem. The day's meeting was closed after the reading of a letter from Laura M. Fetterolf in behalf of the American McAll A~sociation, expressing congratulations and good wishes. On Monday evening the great church of the Oratoire was crowded to its utmost capacity. It was the people's meeting. They had gathered to show their affection and gratitude to the two friends who had loved and served them for the last twenty years. After opening with Scripture and prayer, PaRtor Recolin (Reformed Church) retraced the work to its beginnings. He told of how Dr. MeAll was called to the work when he and his wife were in Paris on a visit. He was accosted by a workman, who, strange to say, spoke in English-" Sir, are you not a pastor? Then why not come to speak to us of this religion of peace and love of which you are a minister 1 Ille have had enough of the attempt to impose religion on us j but if you will come to speak of a religion of liberty and earnestness, many of us will listen with joy." This was to Dr. and Mrs. MeAl! like the call to Macedonia, and some months later they left home and friends and took up their abode in Paris. Pastor Recolin stated that now, after twenty years, there are 136 halls connected with the mission in Paris and its environs. "Dr. McAll has succeeded in securing the co-operation of the pastors and Christian laymen in all the evangelical churches of Paris."
ANSWERED PRAYER
Pastor Monod then spoke, and after a few pithy opening remarks he said: "In the name of all the accustomed attendants of these 136 halls, I desire to offer you a lasting memorial of this twentieth anniversary. Don't be alarmed. No heavy burden has been laid upon anyone j the sum contributed by each would not pay for an outside place on the omnibus." He then uncovered an elegant bronze statue of Luther, twenty-seven inches in height, representing Luther as a boy singing in the streets to earn his bread. The pedestal contained a time-piece. Pastor Monod made a beautiful speech, comparing the reforms of Luther to the putting of the Bible into the hands of the people by Dr. McAll. Finally he said: "I arrive now at my third point-that is, at the third souvenir which I have to present to you. It is the humblest of the three, but, possibly, the one you will most appreciate. Do not search in this album for photographs or pictures. It contains only letters-letters in which the frequenters of your mission halls express their cougratulations and their desires for you. Their number is 11 '7, representing 136 halls. The signatures are 5300. They are very diversified in character-in some cases truly touching in their naivete." He then read one as a sample.
The meeting closed after a touching address of thanks by Dr. McAll, who closed with an invitation to the unconverted.
Many letters and telegrams of congratulation were received from friends in different parts of Europe. The occasion was one never to be forgotten. It illustrated beautifully the two sentences which were the only utterances which at the outset Dr. McAll could make in French, but which were the basis of his whole work: " God loves you," " I love you."
To Dr. and Mrs. McAB the whole Church of Christ owes a great debt. He has done immense service in welding the disciples of Christ, both in France and in the whole Christian world, into a " living, loving, lasting union," and although the days of his years are tl;iree score and ten, we hope and pray that they may reach at least four score years, and that then strength may not prove labor and sorrow, but a marvellous experience of the power of God to sustain p,nd the grace of God to reward and compensate work for him.
ANSWERED PRAYER.
BY A. B,UNKER, D.D., TOUNGOO, BURMA.
In the Toungoo district of the province of BurlDa are the Ga-Moung Mountains, the general trend of the ranges being north and south. Travelling east from the Sittang River, you climb range after range, each higher than the preceding, till you reach the watershed between that river and the Salwen. This mountainous country comprises the fields of the Bghai and Paku Kare~ Baptist missions, now numbering about 150 churches, having their village and normal schools-largely self-supporting-associations, pastors' quarterly conferences, newspapers, books, printing pre8s, and all necessary apparatus for growth in Christian civilization and for evangelistic work among their heathen neighbors. Formerly these hill tribes were worshippers of demons, believers in witchcraft, which they punished with death or exile, blood feuds keeping them constantly at war with one another.
In 1866 the churches of the Bghai Karen Mission numbered nine j now they have increased to 81 well-organized churches.
In tours up and down among these villages to the west of the watershed, the missionaries often looked away to that high range of mountains, and wondered what was beyond; In the Bghai Karen Mission ten or more tribes had already been brought under the influence of the G08pel, but information concerning the tribes beyond was small. There were reports of many tribes; and in subsequent years the missionary explored on the south, going round the more savage tribes as far east as the Salwen River, also the great Red Karen tribe on that river. Various accounts, however, located a wild and savage people between the watershed and the Red Karens, called the Brec Karens. So great was the fear of them that their country was seldom entered.
About the year 1866 Dr. Bixby, now of Proddence, R. I., made a brief visit to one of the northern chiefs among this people. He reports them as exceedingly savage and degr~ded, "fond of uncooked meat and blood." Much prayer was offered by this devoted missionary and his fol· lowers for them, but no permanent foothold was gained in their country. God, however, heard prayer, as after-events showed. Little more was learned eoncerning them for nearly ten years after this visit. As the boundaries of the Bghai Mission extended, the missionary reached the top of the watershed range, which is about 6000 feet above the sea level. The view from that lofty elevation over the land of the Brees was most grand. Here and there columns of smoke marked the locality of numerous villages as far as the eye could reach. Broken and craggy mountain peaks, dense fOlests and deep ravines showed the country to be a natural fortress. When would God give this wild people to His Son? From 1870-80 efforts were made from time to time by native evangelists to penetrate the country and plant the Gospel, but the inhabitants repelled all advances, and little progrcRs was made. The people were found to be the lowest morally and the poorest of all the Toungoo hill tribes. Living largely by plunder, their hand was against everv man, and every man's hand against them. The inaccessible fastnesses vf their country enabled them to carryon this predatory warfare with impunity. So fearful was their name, that it was a brave man who dared to go among them. Thus the missionaries were led to bestow their efforts on better and nobler tribes, going around this one as practically inaccessible or beyond Christian effort. How different God plans from man! The missionary in this case sought the nobler races, but God was preparing to display nis power and grace among the despised Brees. Previous to 1879, as has been said, little progress had been made in planting .the Gospel in the Brec country. A few churches only had been gathered on the borderland, while the heart of the country was almost unknown. In that year the Spirit of God rested upon a young man named Soo-Yah, who had recently graduated from the training school in Toungoo, and called him to work among the Brees. He set out on his journey alone, with only his hymn-book and Testament. Climbing the great range of mountains, he soon passed through the narroW' belt of the Brec country, already occupied for Christ, and took his way through the forests over an unknown road into the heart of the country. Losing his way, he finally reached Sau.pe-Ie-cho, a village famed far and wide as the haunt of a notorious band of robbers; but God was with him, and was leading him in answer to his prayers. On reaching the village, he was at once surrounded by a band of savage and angry men, who drew back their spears and lifted their long knives, crying, " KiIl him! kill him! He is a spy sent by our enemies! Cut him down!" Soo-Yah stood unmoved in their midst, and when he could make himsel£ heard, said: "Do men of war do spies go about unarmed and openly as I do ~ See!" and he opened 3 bag which he had hanging on his shoulder, showing bis hymn-book and Testament. "See! Are these the weapons of bad men 1" The people had Rot yet recovered from their amazement when he opentid his hymnbook and began to sing to them one of the sweet songs of Zion.
Never before had this poor people seen a book or heard anything in music but their own discordant battle cries or rude attempts at song; but here was a wonder before them almost as if an angel had descended from the sky and stood in their midst. They listened entranced j and having won their attention, Soo-Yah boldly declared to them thQ message God had given him.
The Gospel of Christ had come to these savages and taken hold of them. As they listened to Soo-Yah's singing, they said: "This cannot be a bad man j we never saw bad men do this way j" and they received him to the best they had, and listened to his message gladly.
Sau-pi-Ie-cho comprised four villages near each other in a natural fortress, numbering not far from 1000 souls.
In 1882, while attending the meetings of the Karen Association, on the western slope of the water-shed, the mission party were surprised one day by the approach from over that range of an armed band of wild men with drum!! and horns, as if approaching for battle. As they marched up the hill into the circle of the encampment they proved to be two chief!! from Sau-pe-Ie-cho, with their follower!!. They said they had heard the Gospel from Soo-Yah, and of this great meeting of the Christians, and had come for !L teacher, that they might learn how to worship the living God.
The spokesman was their principal chief, a man of gigantic stature named Ho-Wee, or" the blessed"-a strange name for a man who afterward told the missionaries tbat he had killed not less th~n ten men, and how many more he could not remember.
In response to their request, a mission party visited Sau-pe-Ie-cho, and after a week's instruction one of the four villages gave up their worship of demons, destroyed their altars, and received a Christian teacher. In 1889 a church of 40 members was formed. and the remaining three villages asked for teachers. About this time the heathen of this tribe began to be envious of the Christians j for since they had taken up the worship of God they had greatly prospered. Instead of eating roots and herbs, and such game as they could trap in the forests and streams, they had rice. Now no longer sacrificing to the demons or engaging in war, they had time for the cultivation of the soil, and food was abundlint. Not so with the heathen. Having destroyed all the weaker villages on their borders which they could reach, food became scarce, and the prosperity of the Christians excited their envy.
They began to discuss an attack upon them. Some, however, opposed, for, said they, " the Christian's God is not like the Burman's god. lie is a living God j and we have heaJ:p. that Be takes care of His people." Others disbelieved, and wished to make the experiment on one of the Christian villages j and " if the God of the Christians did not interfere, ,. they said, " we shall know that He is a dead God like the Burmans', and that He cannot take care of His people. Then we will eat up all the Christian villages. " These plans were reported to the missionary some time before they were put into execution j but it was hoped that they would not come to the trial.
This tribe being outside of English territory, the Christians had absolutely no protection save God alone.
During the rainy season of 1SS9 these heathen put t.heir plans to the trial, raided the village of Than-thee-per, and carried off two children. Messengers were immediately sent to the missionary, four days' journey distant, with a letter reporting this fact. The issue was now clearly drawn by the heathen. It was tIle God of the Christians or the powers of darkness-which would conquer ~ The missionary took the letter, went into his private room, opened and spread it out before the Lord, and pleaded. for help for His name's sake. If these children were not delivered from their captivity the eight churches would be scattered, and the faith of all the native Christians would be greatly shaken, for they had been taught. from the first that God would take care of them. The matter was discussed with the native pastors, and an arrangement made to have the pastors and deacons, with their missionaries, meet at Sau-pe-Ie-cho after the rains, to plead with God for help and deliverance. Sau-pe·le-cho was about a day's journey from the village holding the captive children. At the time appointed they met, strengthened each other with the promises, and with cases of the deliverance of God's people in Bible history; offered much prayer, and chose messengers to go and demand the liberation of the captives. They were told to demand their liberation in the name of Jehovah, the living God. The messengers went, were driven in shame from the face of the chief who held the children captive. Said he, " If you have brought three hundred rupees ransom for each of them, pay the money and take them away j if not, and you are men, come and take them." The mes- . sengers retnrned greatly discouraged, and so were most of the native pas- tors at their report.
The fall of Jericho and other Bible instances of trial of faith were quoted for their encouragement, and a second delegation was sent with express orders to demand the liberation of the captive children in the name of Jehovah, the living God, the God of the Christians. These were also followed by the united prayers of those who remained behind. Again they were roughly refused j but not a few things occurred to strengthen their faith that God would answer their prayers. The fear of the Lord was beginning to be manifest among them.
The next day, moving to the village from which the children were taken, another meeting was held, and in the evening, while yet at prayer, word came from the village holding the children that if the chief of the village where we were assembled and the parents of the children would come for them the children would be given up. To some this message brought joy, but to others-among whom was the chief of the village-it meant treachery, an ambuscade formed in order to seize the chief and parents of the children, to make their success more certain. Among the pastors and deacons, however, were some who believed that God was about to answer their prayers, and these volunteered to go for the capt~ves. They were led by one of the bravest of the pioneer pastors, and were joined by one of the palents of the children. They lighted their torches and set out on their night's jonrney through the forests for the third trial for the cap- tives. Allllight they went on through the woods till the next day, in the forenoon, they reaehed the village where the captives were. They had been threatened that they would be sh'ot if they came again without a ran- som, yet they marched boldly up into the open place in the centre of the village. The women and children, thinking a battle was about to be fought, fled into the jungle. The old chief came out with all his armed men, ready for battle. He took up his position on rising ground at some little distance, and there he stood. The leader of the Christian band then took out his hymn·book and said, "Let us sing," and the whole band united with a will. This brought back the people who had fled. It was to them a new kind of warfare j they were charmed with the sweet song of Zion, which they had never heard before. After singing, the pastor said, " Let us pray." Another surprise for tile heathen j but as he prayed, all his companions kneeling with him, the Spirit of God fell upon them, and the effeet was great. How earnestly he besought God to soften the hard heart of the chief, to open his eyes to see how the degradation and poverty in which his people lived WIIS due to the fact that they had forgotten the living God and joined themselves to the worship of demons. Rising from their knees, the pastor said, " Now I am going to give you a message from the living God. Listen all of you." Taking a hymn they had just sung for a text, he proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus to that crowd of warriors with most remarkable effect. The singing and the prayer had wrought upon the people greatly; but as the speaker described their ignorance, poverty, and slavery to sin, and the prosperity, joy, and happiness of the children of God, the people were melted. During the address the old chief had drawn near, and when the doxology had been sung, while yet seated on the ground, he looked up and said to the preacher, "Take the children; take them; but give me your trousers as a token of good wiII." This pastor seems to have been better off than many of his brethren, for he had on two pairs, which fact th~ chief had discovered; hence his request.
With what anxiety and with what earnest prayer had those who remained behind followed this band of native Christians on their perilous mission!
All the next day, till near nine 0' clock in the evening, they waited in supplication that God would now vindicate His honor among these heathen, and deliver these captives with power, that all, both Christians and heathen, might hear of His mighty works, and be led to fear Him.
About eight o'clock in'the evening two gunshots were heard on the mountain opposite. Directly torch lights came into view, and in about half an hour the band marched up into the assembly, two of the number bearing the captive children on their shoulders.
The scene following was indescribable. One gray-haired old pastor took one of the children and put him between his feet, and solemnly lifting his right hand to heaven, exclaimed: " We never saw it on this wise before. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has answered our prayers. He has easily done what our might or wisdom could never do. Hehas put His fear upon our enemies, and deli,·ered us from their snares. Praise be to His great name!" Then followed such a praise meeting as is seldom seen.
This, however, was but the beginning of a most gracious answer to prayer. Much had been asked for, but a gracious God gives heaping measure when He bestows answers to the prayers of His children. So it proved in this case. The heathen, as they heard of this deliverance, wrought by the manifest power of Jehovah, the God of the Christians, were greatly moved, and came by villages to the missionary, asking for teachers to show them how to worship this great God. "This is the God we want," said they. "He takes care of His people." Teachers were supplied as fast as they could be procured. Nor was the work confined to the heathen alone, but some of the old churches caught the missionary spirit, and assembled for prayer and contributions for this work. Young men came forward and offered themselves. So great was the fear of God
THE WORK IN THE DIAMOND MINES
among the heathen that in several cases captives were surrendered on demand of native pastors, and in other cases, when chiefs holding captives heard that the Jesus Christ teacher was coming for them, they were sent to meet them in the way. Already some score of captivEs have been surrendered.
In October last a missionary meeting was held at the Toungoo training school, at which about seventy pastora and evangelists were assembled. A good delegation from the Brec country were present. Their reports were thrilling. Said one pastor. "So many villages among the Brees are now asking for teachers that we no longer remember the number." Manyexpressed their belief" that if the churches were faithful, the whole tribe would turn to the Lord." The missionary spirit seemed to take full possession of the meeting, when th!Jleader arose and said, "Indeed, the Lord is doing marvellous things for us. Let us sing 'Jesus shall reign.' "
Said a missionary present, "It moved us deeply to see with what enthusiasm these native pastors, once savages, now joiu in praise to Jesus, who has redeemdd them, and has given such wonderful answers to their prayers.
THE WORK IN THE DIAMOND MINES.
BY MRS. H. B. ALLEN, MERIDEN, CONN.
On the occasion of the first visit of my sister, Miss Ferguson, to the Kimberly Diamond Mines, she was deeply impressed with the opportunities for Christian work among the multitudes gathering there-Europeans, Cape natives, and Kaffirs. In writing of it, she says: " I do not know when my heart has been so stirred. Among the Europeans there is much of sin, much of poverty and suffering. The Cape natives, away from the helps they have had in the Colony, have drifted; but that which has deeply moved me has been the tens of thousands of heathen gathering from all the tribes of South Africa from the Zambesi to the Transkei-heathen bronght in God's providence to our very doors, where they may learn of Christ and carry back the good tidings to their people. It is calculated that 30,000 pass through the Diamond Fields every year, remain for a few months, and then are gone, giving place to others. Mr. Teske, a Dutch missionary, is working among the Colonial natives, and some are much interested in building a church, and it is hoped he will become permanently their missionary."
Miss Ferguson became so much interested in the possibilities of work here, that after nine months' journeying through the mission fields of South Africa she again visited Kimberly before returning to Wellington. She says: "We had a little conference at Beaconsfield, to consider the great need and what was to be done-Rev. Mr. Kriel and Rev. Mr. KeRtell, pastors of Dutch churches here, with their wives, Mr. Teske, and myself. For three hours we consulted and waited before God. It seemed very important that Mr. Teske should be retained for work among the Colonial natives, that a missionary be found to give his entire time to the foreign natives, especially those in the compounds, and that Christian nativee be found to assist in the evangelization of the heathen. We resolved to bear the matter continually before the Lord, to do what we could to find the missionary and the money needed for this most important work-one of the most. jmportant I have seen in South Africa, and promising sl1ch large results.
" Dear friends, will you who believe in prayer and in a God, who hears and answers prayer, pray that the Diamond Fields may become a fountain from which pUl'e streams of living water may flow to all parts of our land ~ " Rev. Mr. Kriel has written to Mr. MabilIe, at Morijah, for six natives from the Bible school for the compounds j only two were found. They had gone into the mines as workmen, as it is the only way they could be admitted. This is a test of a man's love for souls certainly, and it is a question whether the native Christians in our mission churches are willing to make the sacrifice for Christ's sake.
"Mr. Kriel is very anxious several ladies should take up the great work waiting outside, having a mission home, and forming a centre for mission work."
Later Miss F. writes: "You will be glad to hear that Miss Mary Murray, Rev. Andrew Murray's eldest daughter, has offered herself for work at the Diamond Fields. She has visited Kimberly, and was so much moved by all she saw of the need!! for work outside the compounds that she said, on returning: I If there is no one else to take up this work, I must.' She speaks Kaffir well, ha"ing been a missionary at the Moculi station, and is admirably fitted for the work. Two others, also our Huguenot daughters, will go with her, and Mr. Walklett, who has corne from England with the Cape General Mission party, will superintend the work in the compounds."
When the ladies arrived in Kimberly, Mr. Kriel went with them to look for a house. They found one with dining-room, sitting-room, five bedrooms, and a large room which could be used for meetings for £5 a month. It seemed just the place for the work. They were soon settled, and commenced with house-to-house visiting. Then followed Bible-classes, Sunday-schools, mothers' meetings, evening schools, visiting the poor and sick-so much that could be done! One of the ladies writes: "It is wonderful f how the Lord leads us just to t.he places where we are most needed, when we g-ive ourselves to His keeping and guidance. "
Two months later Miss F. visited the little mission home. She says: " We came into the town in the rain and stepped out into a sea of mud. We passed the wretched huts of the Kaffirs, scarcely bigger than the anthills we had been seeing, and found a warm welcome at this little home. Many loving hands have made it bright, attractive, and homelike. This bit of carpet aT that ornament came from kind ladies in Boston; the texts on the wall and table-covers from other friends. It is a sweet resting- place for weary workers.
"'Ve were· greatly interested in visiting among the people with our workers. They are reachinga helping hand to as many as possible. It was a great joy to see the eagerness with which the boys come to the evening school-white boys who cannot read, the eldest seventeen years old! but they are eager to learn, and they will.
" It is such a wonder to the natives in the compounds to see a woman • who can speak to them in their own tongue. It was beautiful to see their faces light up when they heard their own language. The first time they heard it they seemed almost beside themselves. They called others to -come, and soon hundreds were pressing close around our workers, laughing' and shrieking, eager to catch every word that was said.
" The first evening of my visit we met in consultation with Mr. Kriel as to the purchase of a house, either this or some other, as the centre of our work:. It is very desirable that the workers should have a fixed habitation, and in many ways much better to own rather than rent. We are very anxious to have the money in hand before we purchase-no debt!
" Our pupils are taking up the work heartily, and are interesting others in taking shares. Weare searching for something more precious than diamonus. We ask "ur friends not to take shares in the mines, bnt shares in a home for the workers, where we hope many precious souls may be gathered. The shares are one shilling (25 cents), and certificates are given to all who take them; of course, one person may take a number of shares. Some friends have taken twenty each. "
A letter has just come from Miss F., saying: "Rev. Kriel wrote early in February to say that the owner of the mission house had died, and the house was to be sold at auction. How much were we willing to give for it 1 The money for the shares had been coming in, so that we had about £80 in hand. The rent was £60 a year, and it seemed much better economy to buy. , " On the day of the sale Mr. Kriel telegraphed: ' Property bought for £150.' This was certainly very little to pay. A year ago the owner valued it at £800, but property has depreciated in value.
II The £80 has just come of itself, and the Lord knows we still need the £70. He has cared for this precious work most wonderfully. Weare anxious the house should be wholly paid for outside the regular funds of the Woman's Missionary Union.
" We congratulate the shareh alders that they are part owners in this bit of the Lord's work, and will they ask that we may be helped to the money still needed for the purchase of the property, so that it may be quite free from debt 1 "Certificates are sent to all who send one or more shillings, to show tJ!at they are shareholders. In these days of bank failures one is afraid of shares, but this is simply to show that you have a share in the Lord's
A PROTEST AGAINST NEEDLEf'S EXPOSURE IN MISSION WORK
work, and you have no further responsibility excepting to bear the work on your hearts before the Lord, and no dividends excepting such as the Lord gi ves. "
[The editor would add to this statement of the noble work at the Diamond Mines, that he would be glad to have any of his readers take shares in the Lord's stock. A" Lover of Missions" has already sent five dollars, which has been forwarded. 'Viii not the readers of the REVIEW ~ake up the needed $350? Send to Mrs. H. B. Allen, Meriden, Conn.] A PROTEST AGAINST NEEDLESS EXPOSURE IN MISSION WORK.
BY W. R. LEE, M.D.
In the New York Observer of February 18th, 1892 (sixth column, page 54), the following appears: " News has been received of the death of Rev. W. D. Dalrymple, a Presbyterian missionary, at Rampur Beauleah, in Bengal, from leprosy, contracted about two years ago while attending upon the lepers. Rev. W. D. Dalrymple had devoted himself to the service of the wretched sufferers, and he had only been six months in their midst before signs of the disellse made themselves evident in his own frame. Surely this is a noble martyrdom. "
Ever since Father Damien made himself so famous, a few years ago, by exposing himself to leproRY and becoming thereby a leper, the popular mind has been running riot on this martyrdom, so called. It is high time a halt was called by some one, and this dangerous and foolish error looked squarely in the face. Looked at through professional eyes, the report bears some marks of not being well authenticated; but whether true or not, it has served the purpose of bringing to the surface the expression of a dangerous sentiment, and it is this sentiment I desire to attack.
While the best authorities on leprosy disagree on the subject of how close a contact is necessary to transmit leprosy from an infected person to a clean one, yet they are at one in saying that the contact must be close and long continued (such as eating, sleeping, and living in the same rooms), or by direct inoculation (as a fresh wound coming in contact with a leprous ulcer).
This is certainly borne out by the experience of everyone who has had an opportunity of studying the disease from a scientific standpoint.
Further, it is a noticeable fact that in hospitals sustained for the exclusive use of lepers, those who come in daily contact with the dillease yellr after year (I refer to physicians and nurses) do not become lepers.
Under peculiar circumstances, it may occasionally become necessary for a medical missionary to put himself into dangerously close relationship with a leper; yet even then, if he be worthy the name of a nineteenth century. physician, he possesses sufficient knowledge to protect himself from contagion. A PROTEST AGAINST NEEDLESS EXPOSURE IN MISSION WORK.
Under no circumstances that I can think of is it ever the duty of a (medical) layman missionary to come into such close contact with lepers as to make it possible for him to become infected.
While a missionary of the Presbyterian Board at Petchaburi, Siam, and later, as a medical officer of the Siamese Government, I saw and treated many lepers. I also saw, at the same places and time, missionaries (not physicians) preach the Gospel to these lepers; but I never saw the least occasion for dangerous exposure by either myself or them. The life of a missionary, particularly if he has heen on the field long enough to have learned the native language, is too valuable a thing to be exposed to needless dangers; and it is enthusiasm" badly run to seed" for such a person to expose himself on the threadbare plea that lepers are neglected.
With reasonable care for his health, a missionary may last years and preach the Gospel to thousands of heathen whose souls are of equal value with a leper's soul; while by needless exposure he will, probably, not last longer tha~ four or five, the later part of which will be useless to the cause of missions because of the worker's (physical) inability to do his work. vVherever it becomes necessary for a missionary, or any other person, to expose life for the safety of others, let us give bravery its just reward; but that state of things very ra1'ely occurs to a medical missionary in working among lepers, and never to a missionary who is not a physician.
Preach the Gospel to them, my brother, but keep your place, which is far enough away from them that you are in no danger of contagion. If you do not know how many feet that is, ask the medical missionaries of your station.
[Rev. George A. Huntley, of the China Inland Mission, at Chien-kuhsien, China, also writes very earnestly on the subject of proper precautions being taken by missionaries against small-pox. W8 publi.l!h copious extracts.-ED. ] All interested in missions in China must have been saddened by the great mortality among missionaries through that awful disease small-pox. Through it many of our youngest, strongest, and most promising missionaries have been removed from the ranks during the last two years; and what makes the matter more 8ad is the fact that the simple precaution of vaccination or revaccination before embarking had been neglected in the majority of instances.
I will give particulars of a few cases out of the many; and it will be noticed that in each case the sufferer had not been vaccinated successfully for several years before contracting the disease; while the nurses, who had either' been recently vaccinated or had already suffered from the same com· plaint, did not in one single instance contract the disease.
Case 1. Patient had not been vaccinated since childhood. Symptoms of confluent and hlack small-pox developed, and later, hemorrhage, proving fatal on the eighth day. A medical man and traiued nurse were in attendance. Among those who assisted in nursing, one had previously contracted the same disease, the remainder had been recently vaccinated. No one contracted the disease.
Case 2. Patient had not been vaccinated since childhood. The disease assumed a very serious type, !lnd has left the patient very badly marked. There was no medical attendant j and of the two ladies who undertook the nursing, one, a trained nurse, had been recently vaccinated, and the other had previously suffered from the same complaint j neither contracted the disease. The patient believed in "faith healing," and thought it would not be trusting the Lord to be vaccinated.
Case 3. Patient contracted disease while travelling, and reached his station with much difficulty. He had not been vaccinated since childhood. The brother who nmsed him had been recently vaccinated, and did not eontract the disease. Patient was delirious and blind for some days, and took no medicine. The sufferer's hair came completely off, and his face is pitted.
Case 4. Patient had not been vaccinated'for thirty-seven years-viz., in infancy. Duration of disease, fourteen days. A medical man attended. The patent's wife, who did the nursing, had not been vaccinated since childhood, but was revaccinated as soon as symptoms of small-pox were discovered, and did n~t contract the disease.
In addition to these melabcholy particulars I have received the following valuable testimony from medical gentlemen in China: The Rev: J. Hudson Taylor, M.R.C.S., Director of the China Inland Mission, writes: "I quite agree with you that it is most desirable that the home officers of the various missionary societies should not merely recommend, but insist on all candidates being vaccinated shortly before leaving for these shores. Our China Council is urging on our home councils the following rule: ' All candidates who have not been successfully vaccinated within a recent period must be vaccinated before leaving, and must procure a certificate as evidence that this is done.' If I were not so pressed, it would be very easy to collect a large number of cases in which missionaries have taken small-pox owing to this practice not having been carried out. I can only, however, just now refer to the fact that in our Ladies' Training Home at Yang-Tcheou, or the stations immediately connected with it, we have for three successive years lost a lady worker each year by death from small-pox, not to mention other cases in which there has been recovery. The question has been asked by one of our branches, ' In the event of a candidate having conscientious objection to vaccination, what would you advise? ' And my reply was to advise that the candidate work at home, where the danger is less, and where there is sufficient strength to nurse, or hospital accommodation procurable in the event of small-pox taking place. It may be very well for the patient to take the personal risks of the disease, bnt what about the attendants-are they to be exposed? As you know, the work of a station may be seriously interfered with by cases of this kind. " I would like to add that it should not be too lightly assumed that a person is protected because revaccination is not sllccessful. I eould men- tion eases where persons have been unsuccessfully revaeeinated, but who at once took the disease on exposure. A lady missionary reeently arrived' in China, having been three times unsuceessfully revaccinated before em- barking. I recommended her not leaving Shanghai withont being vacci- nated again. This time the vaccination proved very suceessful. '1'he pustules wcre large and fully formed, and showed that there would have been no protcction whatever had she been previously exposed to the disease. May the Lord prosper your undertaking, and precious lives be saved for Chri~t's service 1"
J. A. Lynch, Esq., M.D., Chin-Kiang, sends the following: "I am strongly of your opinion as to the need of vaccination for missionaries coming to China, and wish you every success in your efforts. Small-pox is so widely prevalent in China that no resident can hope to escape being repeatedly exposed to contagion; and my experience has taught me that a single vaccination in childhood is far from being a reliable safeguard. Within a single twelve months I have seen half a dozen cases of small-pox occurring in foreigners, all of whom had been vaccinated as children. Two of these cases were very serious, and one fatal. I know of no instance where a recently vaccinated person has taken tAe disease. It is clearly the duty of missionary societies to take such measures as may secure from needless risk the health of those whom they send abroad. The neglect of such a simple and obvious precaution as revaccination amounts to criminal carelessness. "
Dr. Howard Taylor, C. 1. M., says: "In reply to your question on revaccination, allow me to say that I regard it as of supreme importance that every civilized man and woman should be as completely safeguarded from small-pox as possible. There is no shadow of a doubt as to the efficacy of vaccination properly carried out and repeated twice in diminishing the severity. at least, and in most cases in absolutely preventing the diseases.
" Every candidate who has not thus been thrice successfully vaccinated (unless it prove impracticable, on repeated trial, to do so) ought, I am satisfied, to be refused on that ground alone, if they are unwilling, for their own sake and that of their fellow-workers, to be revaecinated before leaving for the mission field.
"A baby I suecessfully vaccinated a few weeks ago had been thrice before vaccinated without effllct. But in adults it would be enough for practical purposes to attempt inoculation with vaecine three times; if all these failed, the candidate might with reasonable certainty be pronounced immune from small-pox, and might safely come out."
Dr. Randle, C. I. M., Tungshin, Chefoo, sends the following: "Smallpox is one of the most prevalent diseases in China, and I think of the more dangerous diseases it is the most common. It is not specially deadly in its ravages among the Chinese; but Europeans are apt to suffer considerably, mortality among them running very high. We have lost a good many valuable workers in the C. 1. M. through small-pox.
" I don't know how necessary it would be ill England to insist upon each candidate for mission work in China first being vaccinated, for I should have thought that recommendation would be sufficient, seeing that the necessity for protection is indeed great.
" I would urge, too, that the vaccination should be done thoroughly, say in five places at least. It is more important, too, for intending missionaries to China to be vaccinated at home rather than after they get to Chim, for here vaccine is very uncertain, besides being expensive."
Dr. Parry, C. 1. M., Chien·tu, writes: "In reply to your note, I need only say that I am in hearty sympathy and agreement with you in regard to the matter of your appeal to the societies at home in vaccination or revaccination being insisted upon in the case of all their accepted candidates.
"I cannot support this by any experience personally of tQe disease among missionary families, the only case under my own care being that in our own family last year, when among our three children, who were equally exposed to infection, the only one to take the disease was the youngest, who had not been successfully vaccinated."
These facts and testimonies will speak for themselves. Weare ju~t now on the eve of a great influx of Christian missionaries into China, and my earnest desire and praye~ is that this important subject should be at once brought before the committees and boards of the various missionary societies, and intending missionaries throughout the world, and that the simple precaution of vaccination should be insisted upon in the case of every accepted candidate for mission work in the Celestial Empire.
There is, happily, good reason to believe that leprosy is rapidly decreasing in our Eastern Empire. Commissioners have been conducting a Government inquiry into the numbers and localities of lepers; and instead of half a million, as it was believed they would find, they have ascertained that the total number is only 100,000. It is also asserted that the evidence goes far to prove that there is not much risk of contagion, if reasonabJJ precautions are observed by those who come in contact with lepers, and also that the disease is not hereditary. But no such hopeful dil'lcoveries can or should abate our admiration of the saintly missionaries who have been carrying the Gospel, and with bright success, to the miserable victims of what still remains a loathsome and incurable disease.
" The two greatest demands of the hour are the liberal giver and the winner of souls. Given these in the individual church, there will be occasions for a spiritual rejoicing over pastors sustained, church improvements made, and sinners saved. Multiply the number of those who devise liberal things for God and labor for souls until every congregation feels their activity, and what fresh life will be infused into Zion at large, how the Gospel will be extended far and near, and what myriads will be won to Christ I"
EXTRACTS AND TRANSL.T10NS FIWM FOREIGN PERIODICALS
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS FROM FOREIGN PERIODICALS BY REV. C. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, MASS.
THE UNITED KINGDOM.
-During the last twenty-five years the voluntary contributions of the Church of England have amounted to £85,000,000, an annual contribution of a million is made toward Church extension, and three quarters of a million toward foreign missions. Three hnndred mission preachers halTe been appointed in 20 dioceses. In London there are 6000 appointed lay workers of the Church of England. Since 1877, 32 university and public school missions have been founded. When the time of general spoliation of the Church of England comes, under the united forces of political dissent and embittered atheism, the £85,000,000 will doubtless be swept away to secular uses, with no regard to the claims of the donors j but the miosions, home and foreign, being in private ownership, may escape.
-The President of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society, at the Annual Meeting, held November 26th, 1891, said that" he thought the jubilee year of their society could not have fallen on a more auspicious time. He did not suppose that in Scottish history there had been a time when Christians were looking forward more prayerfully and hopefully to widespread blessing. They welcomed the visit once more of Messrs. Moody and Sankey to their shores. The requisitions received daily from all parts of the country, urgent and impressive, sent by minist~rs of e,rery denomination, and by Christian workers of every class, meant that all over the land there was a yearning for and expectation of a blessing."
– " We would strongly insist that nowhere within all the range of religious narrowness has such ignorance been illustrated as that which places the whole of man in the crucible of a physical analysis, or reckons the sum and crown of human knowledge to be incomplete without the rightful exposition of the families of the Monotreme. We mnst suppose that the Chair of History will be discredited by the authority of these later days, and the ethical factor in the conduct of human affairs will be eliminated from the treatment of the problem. Yet it will be affirmed, in spite of the confident contention of the physicist, that considerations of justice and equity, however rightly or wrongly understood, are the pivots and bearings on which the axles of socialistic and individualistic ideas revolve, and these ideas appear to be extending their sway over the whole horizon of political life. Nor have we, we believe, uselessly pointed out that neither locomotion nor commerce, with the extension of their several facilities, are any more than the improved instruments of true culture j and we have, we trust, established that it is missions, or, in other words, Christianity in motion, that, seizing upon the central and cardinal points of human nature, implants there the germ of that mysterious growth which, though the fulness of its perfect nature lies out of sight in the far distances of eternity, still lends on earth its lower fruit!'! of culture and the branching shades of its civilization to the sons of men. "-Rev. GEORGE ENSOR, in Ohurch Missionary Intelligencer.
MISCELLANEOUS.
– " Rev. J. B. Gribble, incumbent of St. Paul's, AdeIong, New South Wales, is contemplating a missionary journey to the Bellenden Ker Mountains, in Northern Queensland. He writes: 'The poor blacks in this region are sadly neglected and wronged. There is vast scope for real missionary enthusiasm in Australia, and it is passing strange that such a field should be so overlooked.' "-Bombay Guardian.
-Miss Leitch, the a11thor of" Seven Years in Ceylon," has, with her sister, raised more than $150,000 for foreign missions during her visit to this country and Great Britain.
-Mr. George Smith, of Aberdeen, returning from the East, says: "The secret of Palestine is outside itself. It is something that can be preached and believed on in any spot on earth j something that is not a mere message j something that was and is and evermore shall be a living presence with men. People would mistake the Crusaders if they imagined that their error, fatal as it proved, was anything more than an excrescence on a true life and faith. The soldiers of the cross sought Christ's land because they had first found Christ in their own land. And so with the living pilgrims of to-day."
-IGNORANCE OF THE MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE.-" The type of Anglo- Indian who has ne'er heard of Llissions in India, or who superciliously assures his credulous acquaintances at home ·that they are doing no good, is by this time sufficiently well known to be taken at his true value. But here is a story of ignorance which, if more incredible, is at least naif. In the end of 1890 Herr Buchner, a Moravian missionary director, went into Berlin to transact some 'business on account of the new missions which the Moravians were then establishing on German tel'ritory at the northern end of Lake Nyanza. He called at the office of the German East African Company to' inquire about transmission and exchange of money. The cashier, not being able to give him definite imformation, took the matter before the directors, who happened to be holding a meeting at the time. The directors invited Herr Buchner to their room, showed the liveliest interest in the project of a new mission to East Africa, and asked' whether the Moravian Church had ever attempted any mission enterprise before ~ , It was like asking whether Germany had any soldiers, or Britain any sailors. "-Missionary Record (U. P.).
-An old rabbi perfectly well saw the logical conclusion that Jesus must be the Messiah, but when I pressed the point as a personal matter, he said to me, , Ah, sir! God hath given us the spirit of slumber-eyes that we should not see, and ears that we should not hear.' "-Dr. PRINSKI SCOTT, Smyma, in QUa1·terly Paper of Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society.
-The Ohurch Mi8sionary Intelligencer says that ihe statement sometimes made that India is on the very verge of coming to Christ overlooks the fact that there are tens of millions in India who never heard of Christ at all.
-The Spectator, quoted in the Jewish Herald, says: "While the question [of the return of the Jews to Palestine] has not yet come within the range of practical politics, yet it has ceased to be what it would have been thought to be fifty years ago by aJIbut a few students of prophecyridiculous. "
It also quotes the New York Evening Post as follows: "This is no longer a dream of visionary Bible students, but an actual reality. . . . The question of the return of the Jews to Palestine now seems to be one that interests all nations."
And so it still is; the students of the words of God are" visionaries ;" but their visions come at the last to be practical realities, of which unbelievers have to take heed. The word which has come' out of God'8 mouth shan not return unto Him void.
-The Catholic Government of Nicaragua has given a cordial consent that the Moravian brethren should open a mission within its territory. 'rhey are, however, in hope of obtaining a general permission for the whole of Nicaragua-that is, for the pagan Indians subject to it.
-The oldest Protestant church in Africa, the Moravian church in Gnadenthal (Gracevale), South Africa, now ruinous, has seen its last service, and is to give way to a new one.
-The 48 pages of National Righteousness for May (special number) are filled with the exquisitely painful but very encouraging report of the National Christian Anti-Opium Convention. Sir Lepel Griffin, and his associates, of course, imagine that their ribald abuse is going to bring all this to naught. The haters of Christ have often measured their strength with Him before, but the result has not been encouraging for them.
-A very interesting article on " Religious Movements in the United States," by the Rev. John Smith, M.A., in the November number of the U. P. Record, cO'lcludes: "This is a very cursory view, but it may explain so far the conviction which has come with quickening power into my own life, that America is with us in the van of Christian activity, and tlHlt through h~r co-operation the day of victory is nearer and surer than wc had dreamed."
THE EAST INDIES.
-It 'appears that Bengal alone was lashed into a flenseless fury of opposition to the Age of Consent bilL "The rest of India," says Dr. K. Macdonald, " accepted the position with composure, if not with gratitude. "
– " Dr. Grundemann states that of all the missions he has seen in India, none is more hopeful, none less adequately provided for, none more attacked by enemies and rivers than Gossner's Evangelical Lutheran Mission among the Kols, in Chota-Nagpore. . . . Caste, so formidable an obstacle to the spread of Christianity elsewhere, forms no particularly great hindranco here, and hence it happens that the field of the Kols is ripe for the harvest; they embrace the Christian religion in families, in groups of families, in whole village communities."-Ha1·vest Field (Madras)., – " , A Brave Life,' by Annie H. Small. This sketch contains the personal reflections of a Mohammedan lady. It iii an autobiography in ontline of one who, though not a Christian, yet' had the habit of referring all to God; who cultivated a spirit of meek and sweet submission to His will as revealed to her.' Its mere literary charm is great. The story is told in an artless manner, which is all the more effective from its artlessness. "Vo seem to be in the shaded veranda of a Mohammedan house, and seated upon the razai with the old lady while she recounts the stirring scenes of the past, giving us glimpses of a life which is certainly ~hat of a Christian, though we may not call her by that name. "
-Sir Charles A. Elliott, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, says, as quoted in the Chinese Recorder: " The mere reduction of the missionary's income would only tend to lower his life to the pitiful level which we sometimes see in a poor white or Eurasian clerk, and would condemn him to a life of squalid poverty, which would undermine his constitution without in any way increasing his usefulness, or making him venerabl~ in the eyes of the people. On the contrary, I believe that the sight of a missionary bungalow such all I have often seen in the midst of a wild and rude population, with its modest comfort, its decent order, and its friendly accessibility to all visitors, is a civilizing agency of a high order."
– " A Bombay news writer, commenting upon the arrival of a large number of missionaries in India, remarks that if their coming has no other significance, it will at least affect the price of one-horse victorias. The missionary and his one-horse victoria are too much for a nnmber of the Europeans in India, though why so it is not clear. The missionary always pays for his victoria, and with his own money, too, and his one-horse victoria has as much right on the Breach KUlldy road as any four-horse drag or two-horse barouche. The missionary pays his debts, and, according to his income, pays his share toward all pnblic institutions and more than his share toward benevolent enterprises. He dres not come into competition with any class of professional men, or take the bread out of the mouths of , the merchant or artisan. The worst that can be said of him in this direction is that his wine bill is very small, and he never l:1ubscribes to a Derby sweep. He is not; a noisy neighbor, nor a quarrehome member of society, nor an officious personage, usurping the rights and honors of other people; but he does sometimes drive a one·horse victoria. We more than half suspect that it is the man in the victoria and not the vehicle itself that is such an eyesore tG our critic. "-Indian Witness.
-" The English language works wonders in India. It gives access to three millions of cultivated Hindus." -Calwer Missionsblatt.
– " The idea prevalent so widely among English Christians, that the world' is thirsting for the Gospel, ' is, alas! as far as possible removed from the truth. The world is not thirsting for the Gospel. Men are not disposed, in India or elsewhere, to accept the terms of God's salvation and to wear the yoke of Christ. Thfl evangelist to the heathen, if he speaks the unvarnished truth and avoids exaggerations, has to record a routine with unwilling souls. He sows the good seed of the kingdom on ground which has long been tramped by the feet of profane and degrading superstitions, and his feelings and experiences find oftentimes their truest expression in the cry, , Lord, who hath believed. our report ~' But, thank God, it is not always fruitless toil."-Rev. T. WALKER, in Church Missionary Intelligencer.
– " The feature that marks this year in the Methodist Episcopal Mission is the great increase in the number of baptisms. This increase is , more clearly seen by contrast. One jubilant over the baptisms of 1888 wrote: 'In our whole Indian work, about 2340 have been baptized;' but this year the baptisms will exceed 15,000, or an increase of about sevenfold since 1888, and thousands refused baptism because there is no provision for the care of the converts. This is a harvest from a part of the field which has been sown with Gospel seed for over a quarter of a century."~ Indian Evangelical Review, January, 1892.
-The Ais~ionary Herald reports the ful and warm acknowledgment lately given by Lord Harris, Governor of the Bombay Presidency, to the American Marathi Mission of the American Board, of the obligations under which it has laid the Presidency as respects vernacular, female, industrial, and normal education. Officially Lord Harris confines himself to the edu- cational aspect of missionary labors.
AFRICA.
-" FRENCH CONGO AND ITS PROSPECTS…..:…MM. Tessieres and Allegret, after spending a year in the French country to the north of the Congo cataract region, have returned and reported to the French Protestant Mis- sionary Society which sent them out on this immense new region, which seems to have such claims on them for the Gospel. They find the sphere a perfectly open and inviting one, not so unhealthy as Senegal, and the people not prejudiced against the French by a long series of wars and fight- ingR, as in AIgiers and Tunis. The tribal organization of the country averts all fear of dangerous combined opposition. Each tribe is anxious to be good friends with the white man, and most are very favorably disposed. The climate, too, is fairly good-better, at any rate, than that of Senegal, where yellow-fever is such a scourge. But, as in the rest of Central Africa, the total absence of roads is a hindrance to the occupation and civilization of French Congo. The Ogowe is very much broken by rapids, rendering any continuous navigation impossible. Commerce cannot at present assume any importance, but there is no reason why missionary work should not be vigorously prosecuted. Our French brethren are making a brave attempt to IItart work in that country, and MM. Tessieres and Alh3gret have volunteered to return as the first missionaries j but large funds are needed to start Central African missions. Protestant~ are not numerous in France, and even the few there are not all true Christians, much less consecrated givers and workers for the world's evangelization. The Societe des Missions Evangeliques will have a hard struggle to add a new and expensive mission to those it is already conducting, none of which can possibly be abandoned. May God Himself move the hearts of French Christians to rise to the level of their responsibilities and opportunities !"-Missionary Record of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
-Dr. R. N. Cust, quoted in Central Africa, says of the missionaries: " The schools, hospitals, and printing presses which have come into existence through their efforts are distinct milestones of progress j but the very presence of a missionary raises the moral standard of all who come into contact with or even gain a sight of his holy life. The spectacle of a holy, self-restrained, chaste, benevolent, and laborious manner of living is a phenomenon which astonishes, attracts, and gradually brings into subjection the wayward, though not necessarily evil, will of the unsophisticated races. Not to be plundered, not to be ill used, not to be robbed of wiffl and children, by one who certainly has the material power to do such things, creates a new sensation. The employment at free work in a mission station is a new surprise, for there is an absence of violence, forced labor, and the whip, and the presence of a day's wage, a kind word and a smile, a careful attention to bodily injuries or sickness. Add to this a continuous respect to old age, a delicacy toward the weaker sex, and a kindness to children-all this would go for nothing in a Christian land j but it opens out new fields of thought to barbarians, and is a living, walking, speaking Gospel, presented to their understandings and hearts. Let no one undcrvalue the civilizing effects of the presence of a self-restrained man of European culture in the midst of an African population. "
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
n.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
China in Paragraphs. The proclamations made this year, he says, are the only effective notification [EDITORIAL, J. T. G.] of the people as to the intent of the im- perial authorities ever given, and even' The Rev. G. T. Candlin, of China, these we know are very limited in the writing to the Manchester Guardian, in very quarters where most needed. In England, says the right of residence and consequence of this ignorance of the real the right to hold property have never rights of the native Chinese Christians been conceded to missionaries in the in- and the absence of any suitable mao terior of China. There is a clause in chinery for enforcing the conditions of the treaty between the French and the the treaty, a species of indefinite Mis- Chinese which declared this right, but sionary Protectorate has arisen, which that is held now to be invalid. Never· Mr. Candlin thinks is irritating to the theless, missionaries do reside and hold Chinese officials and others. He does property in the interior and away from not think well of the missionary becomthe treaty ports. How is this done? ing the guardian of the convert's rights Mr. Candlin explains that it is done in the courts. The foreigner, to begin under the passports granted to foreign- with, claims exemption for himself from ers. These protect the travelle:r, and, as the jurisdiction of the native courts and a matter of fact, are not inquired into, authorities altogether; and for such a and the custom has obtained of allow- person to interfere besides, with the naing them to extend practically without tural operation of the course of justice limit. Right to hold property he has in the indigenous courts having jurisnone other than this, which subjects diction over the native converts, he him theoretically to being told by any thinks intolerable to any government. local authorities to "move on." It is The remedy seems to lie in the fuller under this fiction that all foreigners, as and sufficient advertisement of the enwe understand it, hold property and re- tire population of the treaty rights conside indefinitely away from the treaty ceded by the Government; and the exports. If Mr. Candlin is correct in this, tension of these to the full recognition it is an easy thing for the Chinese Gov- of the rights of residence and property ernment to retaliate the disrespectful holding in the interior; and then let action of the United States Congress the missionary, Romanist or Protestant, without contravening any phase of treaty abandon all claims to protect his concompact with any Western Government. Vel·ts, leaving them entirely in the hands It can thus break up foreign missionary of their constituted rulers with the work in the interior, at leo.st so far as same remedy at law that they would the foreign missionary residence and have in any other case. holding of property go, which would be well nigh destructive of it in places, and Another subject which has found obstructive of it everywhere. some recognition in the preIs of both Europe and China, while it is novel, While we are dealing with this com- seems worthy of more 'than superficial municaHon of Mr. Candlin, we may add examination. It is nothing less tha-n that he thinks a great deal of trouble in the proposition to have a representative regard to foreigners arises from the fact of the missionaries, as Minister of Reof insufficient advertising to the people, ligion, at Peking, with whom the impe· of the concessions which the Govern, rial authorities of China and the acment has made by treaty with foreign credited envoys of the foreign countries countries, and of the protection which shall deal in the matters pertaining to has been promised to native Christians. the missions in all their branches. On should devote his attention to missionathe Chinese side it is thought such a ries, and keep the British Minister admeasure would not seem so unusual as vised on all such questions, that thus on our side, as the Chinese Government he might be prepared to bring up queshas a Minister of Religion as it has a tions before the Chinese Foreign Office. Minister of War, at Peking, with estab- This would form a link at least between lished offices in the provinoes for the the British missionaries and the Chinese express purpose of attending to mis- Government. The French Government, sionary questions. On their side the this correspondent says, has been tried idea would not be novel. It is urged as an intermediary, and has in some rein favor of the proposition to estab- spects failed. The Roman Catholics lish such a missionary representative have representation through their bishthat the leaders of Christian thought op, who has direct access to the Foreign ought to have some way of direct access Office. But the present proposition is to the Government leaders of Chinese quite other than that of the missionary thought in order to understand each secretary attached to a legation. It is, other aright. This is impossible to the if we understand it, to relieve the narepresentatives of the missions and tional ministers of the charge of mischurches severally, but might be got sionary affairs by setting np, as a sort through a single accredited central officer of imperium of their own, the missionacting for them all ; a personal'"1lnit with ary force in Ohina. It is certainly an whom the Government might deal. The interesting and may be a very imporsuggestion, we may say, is not a new one, tant suggestion, and we fancy there it having been broached as long since might be great gain in many respects if as 1883 ; but it has not been considered some Buch arrangement could be effectwithin the range of practical politics ed. hitherto, as it was complicated with representation of the often diverse in- Missions on the Gongo. terests of the Roman Catholics and Protestants, and with the difficulty of the BY JUDGE JAMES w. LAPSLEY, ANNISTON, Protestants agreeing on a representative agent. It is now, however, growing ALA. easier to overcome both these obstacles. In some of the larger cities in China tb e Their importance may be estimated missionaries are organized as evangelical when we observe that they extend over alliances, and it is held that they could a million-and-a-half square miles, an extend this organization over the coun- area thirty times that of New York, and try, and could form a sort of national or- containing fifty millions of souls, ganization and elect a president, and heathen, but now known to be capable perhaps a vice-president, who should be of high development j for from Cape recognized as thereby selected as the Town nearly up to the Soudan the domi- Minister of Religion at Peking, at least nant tribes and races in the interior befor the Protestants. One correspondent long to what has been called goes so far as to mention, by way of illustration, the fitness of Rev. W. A. P. THE BANTU FAMILY, Martin, D.D., now at the head of the Imperial University, as such minister. of whom a recant traveller sayB : Another correspondent, who thinks com- ., The Bantu is a fine, tall, upright bined aotion of the several nations impracticable, suggests the appointment man, with delicate, small hands, an(l of a Missionary Secretary of Legation to well-shaped feet; a :fine face, high, thin the British representation in China, nose, beard and mustache." who might perhaps be a consul who Mr. Lapsley, of the Presbyterian Mis- sion at Luebo, corroborates this descrip- tion, speaking of some of those around him as" magnificent men and handsome ,If women, variously colored, from a.bright a great slave trade carried on by raids yellow to black-brown being the pre· on his neighbors on all sides. Villages vailing shade." He speaks also of their are burned, men are killed, women and handiwork in iron and coppbr, mined children are enslaved. The stockade in and worked by them, as marvels of skill which Msidi lives has every post surand beauty; and 'of the product of their mounted by a skull. He thins out his looms as sometimes like" a compact, hundreds of wives by frequent decimastout, smooth, straw – cqlored linen," tions. Mr. Swan has often Been piles sometimes" soft as satin, of elaborate, of heads of men and women freshly cut. elegant pattern, woven of different col- Slaves are Bold for cloth, beads, and ored threads. You would think it came brass wire. What would cost a half dolfrom Europe." Stanley discards the lar in Europe will buy a boy. Two or name" Bantu," but speaks of .. finely three dollars' worth must be paid for a formed men, tall, warlike creatures, girl. with Caucasian heads and faces." He says they are descendants of Shem. While man is thus vile, every other prospect pleases. The country is 3000 Stanley tells, however, on the other to 5000 feet above the sea. The climate hand, of many tribes in that region who is salubrious and the soil ri<lh, producare at the lowest point of debasement. ing every tropical plant and fruit. It He describes a village of low conical is not very warm during the day; is fresh huts, from which the people thronged in the evening, and cold at night. The out to see him-" a promiscuous popu- country is full of buffalo, zebra, antelope lation of naked men, women, chil- and small game; and elephants are ,hen and infants, over a hundred beings numerous. Some of the Belgian offiof the most degraded, unpresentable cers speak of parts of the country as type it is possible to conceive of. I beautifully wooded and covered with could only comment to myself, ugly, uglier, ugliest." grass like" un v;ritable pare Anglais.' , * But all, high and low, are alike wicked, Their official reports fully corroborate cruel, and miserable, whose very crimes Mr. Swan's accounts. A recent Brusand miseries cry to heaven for the up- sels paper reports the people as "une lifting which the Gospel alone can work. race ires belle, tres forte, intelligent et vail- lanie, se distinguant non seullment par sa GARENGANGE. bravoure, mais egalement par son aptitude au travail." The Arnot Mission has Beginning at the head.waters of the been well established, the children es- Congo, in the southeast corner of the pecially being taught, and a new gen. Free State, 10° south of the equator, and eration is growing up with new ideas about a thousand miles from the Atlan- and principles. Mr. Swan brings with tic, and an equal distance from the Ind- him a grammar and dictionary of their ian Ocean, we find a Scotch Presbyte- language to be printed in England. rian mission, estlbliRhed some years ago by F. S. Arnot, in what he called" Ga- The Belgia~ [Free State] authorities rengange," but which the Belgians name have within a year past sent several the" Katanga" country. It is watered well-armed expeditions to take formal by the Lualaba and other large streams possession of the country, and in a lit· which flow northward and, united, make the Congo. * Le Marinel, chief of the Expedition to the Very recently Mr. Swan, of the Arnot Katanga, reports (February 1892): .. Le pays est Mission, has returned to Europe, afte- d'un bel aspect ..• maio c'cst -certalncment six years in Central Africa. His home dans la region des petits lacs du Samba qu'il est for four years has been at the capital of Ie plus bean. Le paysage n'y a rien d'africaiu ; Msidi, the king of that region-a bloody iI nous rappelle plutot nos sites de predilection despot, who has l<mg been the centre of des pays civili.e: de grands arbres au feuillege epais, nne herbe courte et fraiche, une belle piece d'ean . • . "-UBBile laurier rOBe et une pIllS graude varlete de fleurs que dans Jes autres contries. " tle while Msidi's cruelty may, we hope, THE AMERICAN BAPTISTS. be effectually curbed. Their farthest station is near where From Garengange down the Lualaba, the Congo crosses the equator. They through a chain of beautiful lakes and have also a station at Leopoldville, on past Stanley Falls, we would go for Stanley Pool, and a number of others considerably over a thousand ~iles be- on the caravan road from Leopoldville fore reaching any more Protestant mis- down to Matadi, the foot-path 230 miles sions ; the first being long, by which everything that goes or comes between the Upper Congo and THE CONGO ROLORO MISSION, the Atlantic must be carried on the heads or shoulders of bare-headed, bare- located on the Congo, and some of its footed Africans. They have about thirty tributaries near the equator. These are missionaries, and also own a steamer, English Baptists, Dr. and Mrs. Guinness, the lIenry Reed, and around some of of London, being ~he controlling spirits their churches whole communities have in organizing and directing the work. been brought nnder the influence of They have fi ve or six stations, and are Christianity. Banza Manteka and.Ln. doing good work. although only about kunga have been especially blessed. three years old. It has just lost two of Mr. Richards, their pastor, said of the its best men, John McKittrick and John first named: "The glorious fact is that Luff, both from hrematuric fever, so Banza Manteka is no longer a heathen fatal in that country. country, but more Christian than any I am acquainted with." Dr. Harry Guinness, in Regions Beyond for March, says of Mr. Luff's station at Mr. Lapsley, of the Presbyterian Mis- Lulanga: "After a steep climb of forty sion, was there on his way to the inor fifty feet of river bank we found our- terior, and his diary contains these selves in the capitally laid-out station notes: "Banza Manteka, 300 members, of Lulanga, only seven-months old, yet 28 villages, some of them 16 miles quite a convenient and beautiful spot. away; almost all professors now, though not all received yet. Their church And behind the garden beds with building was given by the Clarendon their sweet flowers there stands a com- Street Church, Boston [Dr. Gordon's], fortable brick house, with outhouses and was brought from Tundwa, 50 and dependencies, including carpenter's miles, on members' heads. Gray corshop and brick.yard. . .. After the rugated iron; Gothic arched windows. evening meal I walked through a string Store and vestry on either side. Ordiof villages two miles long, and must nary platform and desk, plain benches have passed a couple of thousand of for 600 people. People put their confolk in my little walk. . .. The popu- tributions in the big baskets in which lation in half an hour's walk of the women carry their great loads to marhouse Mr. Grenfell estimates at 6000. ket. Two of these go around and Kindly interested and warm-hearted, come back loaded with strings of blue they appealed to me strongly." beads, handkerchiefs, etc." There is no other currency. Again he says: "Tears of joy and sorrow mingled lately as we stood on Mr. Lapsley was also at Lukunga, and two successive days by the grave of Jobn his diary has this description of the McKittrick [at Bonginda], and at the preaching hy a native, and of the apbaptism of the first converts from Bolo- pearance of the congregl'.tion. boland. We rejoiced as we baptized five converts, and wept over 25 of them After describing Mr. Hoste's regular awaiting immel·sion." service, he writes: The C. B. M. have a steamer-the .. Luwawa rose, one foot on a bench, Pioneer-by which they communicate and his body twisting nervously around. with each other and bring up supplies He soon got his foot down, and his from Leopoldville. hands in use, and his tongue loose. first station at Luebo, on the Lulua, a Began slowly, but soon caught fire- tributary of the Kassai, the great south- spoke like his life depended on it. Not ern tributary of the Cbngo. It is about ranting style. Not very loud, but in a 5}0 south of the equator, and 600 miles hot stream of emphatic words; and his east of the Atlantic. It is the initial little eyes back under his forehead effort of the Southern Presbyterians in burned like coals. His gestures were not Africa, the pioneers being a white and extravagant, but natural and animated. a colored man, Messrs. Lapsley and The men had-some of them-a cloth Sheppard working together. Mr. and about the shoulders and another about Mrs. Adamson, Scotch Presbyterians, the loins. Some were stripped to the have also recently joined the mission, waist. Women had bare shoulders and and have reached the field. Luebo is one large cloth to the knees, or two some 1500 feet above the sea. They say aprons, one tied before the breast, and it is never very hot or hot long at a the other about the waist. Strange con· time, and never hot at night.
gregation met for communion ! Yet Belgian, French, and Portuguese trad- '
quiet and attentive, though some eyes ing posts are loclOted there, and it is a wandered, and some did like Eutychus busy centre of population and of trade in the warm room. The bread broken in ivory and rubber. * The location waR was the common bread of the cOl'.ntry made in April, 1891. Native houses -quanga." were bought and put up, and gradually THE ENGLISH BAPTISTS. some better shelters have been erected. Land has been cleared, and gardens and They have five or six stations. Mr. fruit ~rees planted; and all the time the Grenfell, missionary and far·famed ex· language has been diligently studied plorer, has a well·built station at Bolobo, and the materia. for a dictionary and on the river, 2° south of the equator. grammar carefully gathered and record-.
There Mr. Bentley, of Ngombe, on the ed. The following brief extracts from Lower River, has done greut service to Mr. Lapsley's letters give a view of the all African missions by his Kikongo die. country and the work.
tionary. This mission seems especially October 4th, 1891, he writes: .. Your engaged in the work of educating and summer in Alabama is past, but our civilizing the natives, and their stations spring is just on. We have had fonr are models of good and orderly arrange- months of dry, colcI weather, with bar- ment and thorough preparation in the ren-looking hilI.sicIes,rnsty, leafless trees way of building and appliances. They overhanging the dusty road, and almost also have a steamer, the Peace. hiding the more faithful ones that keep their green. 'Dry,' I saicI; yes, from THE SWEDISH MISSION. ten o'clock till sundown, and dead hot This mission has several Btations, all out in the open exposed places. But on the Lower Rher, and about twenty when the dew begins to fall it is a very missionaries, who are doing good work rain. By the last watch before day- both as preachers and translators of the the hour I used to wake often-I could Gospel. Mr. Lapsley says of them: hear the uncanny sound of the wlltcr " Their piety is most refreshing; they dropping, dropping, when there had seem as if they had only just heard the been no rain. And a dense mist fell story of Jesus, and had not got used to then or about sunrise, so you couldn't the new joy and wouder. Such charm- ing simplicity and earnestness !" * These arc the ouly products tradou in, be- cause they alone are valuable enough to staud THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIA.N CONGO MIS- lJle heavy expense of being carried down that SION. long foot-path to the coast. Ivory is worth say 23,000 francs per ton, and rubber about 7,000 This youngest of the missions ha~ its francs. – .. Then I made a little sketch of what see fifty yards, and it was cold enough for more than my two good blankets. I might say in the town today-largely But a few weeks ago the raiIis began a translation of Paul on Mars' Hill, with nicely – not too much, but a good the clause about the Saviour enlarged drencher every evening – until the till it balanced all the rest of the dis- ground was ready for the seed. Then course.
the women of the town, Bena Kasenga, " Then about 3 P.lIT. I found a quiet held their annual meeting, to assign to corner in town, with a group of women each group of friends their patch to around, whom I knew very well. The plant of the great fields north, east, houses made a screen from the nois9 of south and west of the town. Now the the street, and the subject came np roads are walled with a mass of first naturally. My patient, lounging op· green, like our woods at home in April." posite, repot"ted herself as nearly well.
October 24th, 1891, when he had been " • That's God's doiDg,' I said; and there six months, he writes: "To·mor- asked her what she knew of Niuliuli row I hope to speak to the people. I have (God).
now enough 'Bakata'-as tha natives, the " Bomba, nursing her poor little baby, Bakete, call their language-to attempt which I think will die, and another preaching to them. A Christian soldier woman opposite began to listen and from Zanzibar, who knew Bishop Han- repeat everything, to be sure that they nington and Mackay, has lent me his heard rightly. Milembo, a great friend Kiswahili testament, and owing to of ours, comes up between two of the the similarity of thesa Bantu languages, little houses, and I ask her again abou~ it may help me in the little translation he,· knowledge of God. She answers I intend to make for use to·morrow. right along, and explains fully when I " Weare on very good terms with the stop to breathe.
Bakete of Bena Kasenga. I began to " She said : 'The Bakete know God take a little medicine to the town, and made and preserves us and everything, now I have several cases every day, and, and gives us all things.'
they all have got well so far. My boy, .. , Yet,' I said, 'you don't clap your Shamba Mwana, says they have a song hands softly three timeS-SD-and say in my honor, the refrain of which runs "Wolah," as you do if I give you only like this: a Iittle salt.'
" 'Mutomba Njila, wlltuambika bWllnga " • The Bakete would sing to Him if Watumouekisa mayo.' they only knew how,' said she.
('" Pathfluder [that's me} gives us medicine, "Then I explained who Jesus was, Makes us see health.' ") and they listened earnestly, with some The next day-Sunday, October 25th doubt about His coming again in the -he writes: "The station boys and clouds. But their usual complaint was, women came in for prayers, and we had • We haven't heard this. You white a pleasant little service. . .• Little people know, but we do not. . . .' "
Tumba came in and sat down in front Under a later date Mr. Lapsley writes of an array of ' Children's Friends' with that it is probable that the State has pictures, and went to sleep on the mat. granted his application for the right to Early dinner was brought on and dis- occupy Bolek~ at the junction of the patched-not 'Very plentiful to-day. God Kassai and Kwango. This new station was pleased to answer my prayer. A will make a small ~teamer, such as the few petitions and promises written out other missions use, very desirable to with a pencil and lying before me on keep up communication and procure my little desk took definite hold of my supplies. When necessary, it will doubt- heart, I trust, as I Bat alone in the in- less be given. In the time of need, one tense solitude of tropical noon, when all generous man in far.off Australia was others were gone away. moved to gi ve the mission steamer Henry Reed. now owned by the American Bap. who allowed him to visit them, to state tists. and explain the great leading truths of OTHER MISSIONS. the Gospel. The fierceness of the feel.
There are some voluntary, self-sup- ing against Christianity has been in this way reduced at headquarters, although porting missions, of which Bishop Tay- even now the prejudice of rich Hindus in the city is still so strong that those lor, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Who have CUIne under the power of the Gospel have had to seek employment is the head, and some purely inde. elsewhere. Mr. Hewlett was the Prin· cipal of the Mission Oollege, and in pendent work is being projected. A addition to much educational success he made every possible effort to main. few weeks ago a devout family from the tain its missionary character. The Northwest sold their home and all they had, and are now on their way to the COlIgO. going all of them as missionaries and at their own expense. '
THE ROMAN CATHOLICS Scriptures were read and expounded, also have stations scattered from the and prayer offered daily in the presence Atlantic Coast to the far eastern border, of all the students. The strain of over. and are now about putting a little steam- work has for some time been telling er on the upper river. It is estimated upon Mr. Hewlett. While feeling that that soon they will have as many as 100 the Church can ill spare such wOo'kers priests an~ nuns at work on this great it is a mournful satisfaction to kno~ field now white for the harvest. that this loving and faithful missionary has pursued his course without slack. There is the utmost activity, commer- ness to Itil very end. cial, political. and religious. The dead sleep of centuries is over. The conti· nent is moved from the centre all Great Missionary Conferenoe Next Year around. Ethiopia is at last in very deed in Japan. stretching out her hands unto God. "THE BAKETE WOULD SING TO HIM IF At a meeting of the Central Japan THEY ONLY KNEW HOW" is the plaintive answer that Africa sends back to Chris· Missionary Association, held on the tendom on hearing the first time the Gospel in Bakete. 15th inst., in Osaka, it was decided that God grant that a host of earnest men II general missionary conference, to be and women, full of the love of Jesus composed of Protestant evangelical mis. and fired with a holy ambition to be lik~ sionaries in Japan, be held in 1893 to Him. ma,y hear this sad cry from afar, and be moved by it! discuss the religious interests, p;os.
pects, and other important subjects per.
taining to.the cause of Christianity in Japan. A few present at the meeting were not in favor of II bceoennfepreuntcet~ but after the question had the Death of Rev. John Hewlett, vote and it was fonnd that a large mil.. jority were in favor of holding a confer· The death of Rev. John Hewlett ence, these declared themselves ready M.A.• one of the foremost missiona: to do all they could to further the ob· ries of the London Missionary Society, ject desired by the majority. occurred February 21st last. Seventeen of the thirty years of his laborious life The Anti-Chinese Legislation at Wash· were spent in Benares, the stronghold ington. of Hinduism, and in many respects the most difficult post in India. He wns [J. T. G.] well qnalified for such work, being both The enactment of the two houses of talented and amiable. He knew many Congress relating to the Chinese in this emin,ent Hindu priests and teachers, country has givlln offence to roany mill. ions of our citizens. It is not a case of Foreign Affairs Committee, said this sentiment merely, but one for grave registration was similar to the slave aod dignified deliberation. It is rather regulations in force before the Civil painful to note the ease with which this War, and to the ticket of leave cf the whole subject has been transferred from Australian convict system.
the domain of statecraft to tha.t of poli- The Minister says that these features tics. This whole business ought to have of the bill are in direct violation of the been begun at the other end. It should treaty of 1880, which guarantees to the have been settled long ago by diplo- Chinese laborers in the United States macy; it iR a matter for treaty, not for the treatment of the subjects of the most " municipal legislation." It is with lit- favored nations. He further says that tle grace that the President should be the treaty of 1880 was agreed to by obliged to plead in defence of his 1!aste China at the express request of the Gov- in signing this Bill that there were but ernment of the United States, which a few hours before the expiration of Bent three of its most distinguished citi- existing legislation should be outlawed. zens to Peking to ask for it. He de- Great interests, like those involved in clined to state what course his Govern.
this issue, should not be dealt with ment would take on account of the pas- merely to throw" a sop to the steer. sage of the bill.
ages of the vessels that are being un- loaded at the Battery." It had no The World's W. a. T. U, business to be a political question, which undor the prejudices of a " presi- The World's Woman's Christian Tern.
dential year would almost of necessity perance Union have prepared a polyglot drive noble senators and an unimpeach- petition to the rulers of the world, be- able President to participation in in_ seeching them "to raise the standard iquitous business." of the law to that of Christian morals, The Chinese Minister at Washington to strip away the safeguards and sanc· protested against this Bill for three rea- tions of the State from the drink traffic sons: 1. It renews the Scott Law of and the opium trade, and to protect 1888. 2. It deprives the Chinese ot. the [our] homes by the total prohibition of right of bail in habeas corpus cases. 3. these curses of civilization throughout It requires a registration of Chinese all the territory over which [their] gov- laborers which it is practically impossi- ernments extend." Miss Frances E.
ble for them to comply with. They Willard, the president of this distinct must all prove by white witnesses that organization, informs us that this peti- the~ are lawfully entitled t~ be in the tion has already been translated and Umted StateM, and as the first Exclu- signed in forty languages, and is to be sion Law was passed in 1882, every presented to the different governments Chinaman must produce before the Col- of the world by a commission of wom- lector of Internal Revenue II white wit- en, headed by Lady Henry Somerset, ness who knew him ten years ago and who will go round the world within a can swear that he was in the United year or two for that purpose. The peti.
States at that time. tion is signed by women, but endorsed The law leaves the issuance of the by men, and co·operation is sought on certificate of registration entirely to the the ground that this petition seeks the discretion of the revenue officer, and suppression of opium as well as alco· provides no way of compelling him to holies. They anticipate that the signa- do justice to the Chinaman. He must tures to this petition will swell it to ten register and produce his evidence in the mile!; in length. and as it would not be district where he resides. His white right to go to the expense of carrying so witness may be 3000 miles away. great a bundle round the world, they Senator Sherman, Ohairman of the seek the endorsement of societies, signed by the presidents and secretaries But as so little is known of this part of thereof. For this purpose they have the world, as little as of most interior prepared blanks, which are to be had of parts of Africa of late years, it is of the Secretary, Mrs. Mary A. Wood- great interest to the scientist, and in bridge, Ravenna, O. many ways to the bulk of intelligent Another feature of the movement is people of our time. It is well known under the direction of the Department that few persons have ever been success- of Scientific Instruction in Schools and ful in effecting an entrance into Thibet.
Colleges, of which Mrs. Mary H. Hunt The author of this work, Gabriel Bon- is superintendent. Mrs. Hunt writes valot, is no novice in travel and ex- to us that for several years she has been ploration, he having, on a previons oc- in correspondence with Christian mis- casion, in company with two other sionaries, irrespective of denomination, Frenchmen, accomplished the difficult urging as a means of grace in nominally if not unprecedented feat of scaling the heathen lands the introduction of table-lands of the Pamir, " the roof of physiological temperance teaching in the world," as this region is called.
mission schools. Mrs. Joseph Cook, of The volume he wrote about that adven- B.)ston, recently invited to her parlors ture, "Aux lndes par Terre" (its Eng- the missionary leaders in the various lish title was" Through the Heart of evangelical denominations to listen to a Asia"), made him known as an intrepid proposition that had been privately and wise traveller. The present volume talked over, to the effect that the Chris- gives an account of his journey over tian missionary organizations of the Central Asia, parts of which had hith- world should unite in some systematic erto been u¥traversed by any European.
method that would secure such teaching Starting from the frontiers of Siberia, of the fundamental facts called scien- and coming out at the other end of Asia tific temperance in mission schools. A on the coast of the new French colony third feature of the world.wide move- of Tonquin, M. Bonvalot and his com- ment, we belis"!e, includes the sending panions, one of whom was Prince of missionaries representing their own Henry of Orleans, the eldest son of the body, SCtile of which, if we are correct- Duc de Chartres, traversed not only ly informed, are already in heathen that portion of Thibet which several lands. English travellers and the great Rnssian, Whoever has seen the hindrance of Prje'falsky, had explored, but going be- the mission work from the alcohol habit yond their routes OTer the table-lilnds, he of nominal Christians in heathen lands, accomplished a journey through a coun_ and knows anything of the terrible curse tryon which the eyes of no European of opium among heathen in Asiatic had before fallen. It is to the credit of cOllntrieq, will surely wish these noble their shrewdness and knowledge of women God-speed. If it is not direct, human nature that they sncceeded in it is certainly indirect missionary work doing this without much active hostil- in every land under the sun.-J. T. G. ity, though not without great petIt This volume is charmingly and instruc- New Publications. tively illustrated from photographs taken by Prince Henry, is elegantly [J. T. G.] bound, and is accompanied with a fine map in a pocket showing the route trav- The extraordinary int.erost that at- elled. The ethnographer and student taches to Thibet, as the only land not of religion will find here very interest- open to evangelization, would of itself ing contributions to their stock of spe- gi ve interest to a new book jnst issued cial information-information given in by the Casspll Puhlishing Company a clear and unpretentious manner, (New York) entitled" Across Thibet." which really enhances its value, as there is no evidence of any coloring or .. JodhpOl'e and the Empress Noor Jahan bias from any preconceived theories. (Elioi Stock, London, publisher).
T.he writer simply states what he saw The same publisher has just issued and what was said that throws light on the fifth edition of "The Christian problems of world.wide interest. It is Traveller's Continental Handbook," a not a volume about missions, for mis· small but very helpful book, telling of sions there are none in this part of the the places of Christian work and wor· world; but it shows the religious con· ship in all the principal cities of Eu· dition and the social customs of the peo. rope. Others besides travellers wiI' find pie, and affords a gleam of hope that it of value.
where this intrepid explorer has gone, others may yet be able to go with the -There will be a pathetic interest Gospel of the kingdom. attaching to th" article in this Depart- ment by Judge Lapsley, which was .. Woman's Influence in the East" compiled largely from letters received ny John J. Pool, is a compilation of from his Bon, Rev. Samuel N. Lapsley, stories fabulous and historical, showing engaged in planting the new mission the noble lives of some of the past of the Southern Presbyterians in the queens and princesses of India, which Congo Valley. As we go to press we might be greatly enlarged, and perhaps ha.ve the Bad news of the death of thi~ with advantage, to the impression which devoted and capable young mission. the author seeks to make, that the women ary. Our sincerest sympathy goes ouC of the East are not without influence to the honored father and Church thus even where they are esteemed by West· stricken. 0 Africa! thou art a. great ern people to be very much degraded. prize for the Master, but thou art being That women fail of influence over so- redeemed at great cost by those who cietyand even over public events in the adore the world's Saviour, and thine East, is a figment of the imagination as a part of the whole! only of the thonghtless. Women are J. T. G.
everywhere the conservators of religion, -Rev Dr. George W. Northrup, in good or bad; women mould the child- his address at the Seventy.seventh hood of all the races of the East, and anniversary of the American Baptist throughout the continent of Africa. Union, said: "1. That the Christian What ails them ill, that they have, as a churches of the world should be satisrule, low ideals, I!.nd are content with fied with nothing less than lIending out their place in the social scale. But the one ordained missionary for every illustrious instances which are well 50,000 of the accessible pl!.gan populaknown in Indian annals, of women in tion of the world. 2. That no church high rank having the highest qualities ought to call itself thoroughly aggrespossible to the type of civilization to sive and evangelical that does not ex·' which they belong, command our ad. pend, for the support of missions at miration and suggest the possibilities large, at least one dollar for every five of Indian womanhood when elevated by it expends for itself." Christianity. Quite apart from any moral pmpose, this book is entertain.
ing reading. The Ramayana is the -Among the congresses to be held in " Iliad of the East," and the first char· connection with the Columbian Exposi.
acter presented by Mr. Pool is the myth- tion, one of the most important will bA ical one of Sita, the peroine, the Helen the" Congress of Missions," which will of this, the most popular piece df lit· occnpy eight days-September 10th- erature in all Hindustan. Among the 17tb. Societies of every name, lan- historic characters are the Ranee of guage, and location will be represented.
EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS
I1I.-EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.
Ba.ptist Missions on the Oongo. to an address lately given by Rev. R. D.
In justice to all parties concerned the Darby. from the Congo. .. The story following correspondence is published which he told of the privations and in full. It is a matter of sincere regret hardships which he and his companions that the extract from the Christian had endured was a sad and pitiful one. Leader should have appeared in our last His two companions died, and he himissue (p. 464) without editorial com_ self only narrowly escaped. In listenment, explaining- that it did in no de- ing to such a story, one cannot help gree receive our endorsement. We now feeling that there is great and inexcusareprint the extract with the remainder ble blundering somewhere. There is really no need why our missionaries ot" the correspondence, hoping thus to should be left in such straits for the lack of the common necessaries of life. do justice to everybody. We aim at ac- If the mission committee in London, curacy; but while we glean from all who are responsible. would only show a sources, we cannot of course secure in little more business ability in providing all cases" original sources." We should for the wants of their agents, no calamprint little intelligence if compelled to ity of the kind would be likely to over. do this.-A. T. P. take them. The sad thing is that the lack of proper provision for the wants Mr. Grenfell's first letter was dated of the agents sent out has less or more .. Baptist Missionary Society, London, October 10th, 1891."
DEAR Sm : I note that on page 800 of characterized the management of the your (October, 1891) issue you say : committee from the beginning. The .. Grave charges of mismanagement effects of this are shown in the "fact that have been made against the directors about sixty per cent. of the missionaries of the Baptist Congo Mission." If this sent out to the Congo district have died.
refers to the Congo Mission of the above Surely a radical change in the mode of society, it is quite unfounded, and should conducting the mission is called for."
be contradicted. You ought not to ac- Thereupon the whole correspondence cept such statements upon any other was sent to Mr. Grenfell, and from him than the best authority, and should be the following has just been received. all the more careful, seeing that your We think best to print in full : reports are so widely read and accep•. ed. I should be very glad if you would UNDERHILL, CONGO STATE, give me the name of your informant, April 5, 1892. and beg to remain My DEAR DOCTOR : It was very good of Yours faithfully, you to take so much trouble about the GEOBGE GRE"IFELL. paragraph to which I referred in my Dote of October 10th last. The fault is Upon receipt of this letter diligent evidently with the "lfonthly Messenger of endeavor was made to trace the item the Storie Street Church, which has in. to its source, and at last we found it terpreted some remarks as to the hargcame from Rev. James Johnston, of Bol- ships endured by Mr. Darby and his col. ton, England, who sent the following, leagues as an impeachment of the Misasking justification: sion Committee. That hardships were (From The Christian Leader, June 25, 1891.) endured, and more than need have been BAPTIST BLUNDERING ON THE CONGO. endured, had every one been gifted with the faculty of seeing into the future, In the Monthly Messenger of the Storie cannot be denied-such things occur in Street Baptist Church, Paisley, of which every African enterprise-but that the Dr. O. Flett is pastor, reference is made loss of life suffered by our society on the Congo can be attributed to the lack .ward it seemed best to issue it imme.
of "proper provision for its agents," diately in pamphlet form, and by per- or to the want of business •• ability" on mission of author and publishers (James the part of its committee I most dis· Nisbet & Co.) it appears with some tinctly deny, as would also Mr. Darby. slight verbal changes in the present were he here. issue of our magazine.
The statement that sixty per cent of A good word has permanent value.
the missionaries sent to the Congo died "A word fitly spoken" -literally" on as the effects of this lack of business his wheels"-" is like apples of gold ability and neglect will quite account set in framework of silver."
for Mr. Johnston's paragraph; but it is 'l'he discourse is a message on wheels, most distinctly untrue. The total losses and ought to mn round the world.
of the mission, while they are very, very Though first delivered in 1871, twenty heavy, and the cause of great sadness years ago, it is no less adapted to the of heart, are less than forty per cent; wants of the present day than it was for and I assert that no single death in the the time when it was originally con- ranks of our society can be attributed to structed. In fact, it will perhaps stir the causes mentioned. and arouse the Church of God more 'l'hanking you for your courtesy in effectively, as this new century of mod- this matter, I remain, my dear doctor, ern missions is opening, than it could Yours very sincerely, when the interest felt in a world's evan- GEORGE GRENFELL. gelization was less extensive and less P.S.–" Two educated negro women intense, and when the openings for at Vasten have begun to issue the first mission work were far less numerous newspaper in the Congo Free State. It and clamorous. aims to • enlighten the souls of the black-likinned.' " At Ollr earnest solicitation, Dr. Angus now permits us, in this REVIEW, to reo I presume the paragraph above, quot. print this vigorous address, he having brought down th e facts to this centenary ed from, your REVIEW, refers to the Se year of modern missions, 1892. It im- presses us as one of the boldest, wisest, Kukianga, published at the Baptist strongest appeals for immediate and world-wide evangelization we have ever Mission Station, Wathen; but how you read. Years ago it sounded its clarion. call, and the echo of its trumpet-peal is can have got hold of the news of two now heard wherever missions to the heathen are planned and undertaken. educated negro women having anything So far as we know, it was this address from which was drawn the motto of this to do with it is a marvel. I simply call new crusade: .. THE WORLD Fon CHRIST IN OUR GENERATION!" May the Great attention to it, and ask you to be care.
ful of Congo news derived from the same source A paper of the standing of your REVIEW can't afford to make it- self the medium of news so grotesquely metamorphosed. G. G.
II Apostolio Missions j or, The Gospel Head of the missionary host use the new and louder repetition of tbis trum- for Every Orea.ture," * pet.blast to set the whole army of the Lord moving in a mighty assault on The editor obtained a copy of this every fortress of the devil. May the grand article, with which we open this venerable and distinguished author of number of the REVIEW, as it was orig- this pamphlet yet live to see the Church inally delivered, April 26th, 1871, be- preaching to every creature the Gospel fore the Baptist Missionary Society, in he loves. London, and personally besought Dr. Angus to remodel it for republication in the REVIEW. He consented. After. A letter, inclosing five shillings ster- * See lcadin~ article of this nnmber, page 481. ling, and accompanied only by a pseudonym, has come to me, which is too let it go to the heathen." There is a suggestive to be withheld from the pub- wide gulf of dillerence between the five lic eye. shillings amI this, which is equal to £70. But in each case a luxury is surrendered e< GLASGow. April 4, 1892. for the sake of giving the Bread. of "Two or three years ago you ad- Life to lost souls. What immense sums dressed a crowded meeting in the Synod of money would our self denial bring to' Hall, Edinburgh, upon missions, in the treasuries of God were even such which many must have been very deep- self-sacrifice which does not touch our ly stirred. You spoke of giving up lux. actual necessities universal with dis- uries for missions, and suggested that ciples! ladies could give up a pair of kid gloves a year to aid such a work as McAIl's at The Fiji Islands hllve been the great Paris, etc. model field of mission operations in hea- " I thought, 'That does not apply to then lands. At the beginning of the presme; I can't do anything in that way. ent century the people were barbarians. I give one fifth of all my income and In 1835 the Christianization of them was what I earn to God's work, and never commenced, when, in October of that spend anything but what is needful on year, the Rev. W. Cross and Dr. Cargill, dress. I must have decent gloves even Wesleyan missionaries from England, if I have to buy many pairs, and I cannot proceeded from one of the Friendly Islkeep my dress account below £15 [$75] ands to Lactremba, one of the Fiji Islthis year.' ands. The population of the latter num- " However, conscience prevailed, and bered a thousand souls, some of whom next day more than I usually spend on had heard of Christianity in the Friendly a pair of 'four-button kids' went into Islands, and a few understood its charthe collection plate. I had never had acter ; and the chief gave the missiunamany presents of gloves, but at Christ- ries a friendly reception. In a short mas a friend sent me a beautiful lined time a number were baptized and began pair, and shortly after some very good the Christian life. 'rhe missionaries gloves were sold for very little, and so I then introduced the Gospel into other got a supply and lost nothing by the islands, and in 1845 there was a powerprice of a good pair sent to the MeAll ful revival throughout the entire region. Mission. Next year I sent the price of Among the many converts, the Napoleon a better pair, ~ndagain never J.I1issed of an entire island was numbered-a them, for two pairs were given to me. man who had been the most bloodthirsty You see your words were not lost, and of all the people. In 1854 the head their latest fruit is five shillings, which king, with his tribe, embraced Chris- I enclose, and which you will kindly tianity ; and so Divine truth made reforward at your convenience to Dr. markable headway in all directions McAll from one whose interest in mis- among all the people and tribes. Since tiions you have helped to stimulate." that phenomenal period a number of This letter is probably from Bome white peoples have settled in the islands, poor seamstress or woman clerk of slen- and the entire population are now far der means; and it is sent to the REVIEW advanced in civilization; and Christiancolumns simply as a very pertinent illus- ity controls the overwhelming mass of tration of the possible fruits of a little the inhabitants. Out of a popUlation of self-denial. Since that address in Edin- 120,000, 105,000 belong to the Wesleyan burgh many other fruits appeared, and Methodist denomination, Ilond are reguamong others a very brilliant marquise lar attendants in their churches and ring set with Beven diamonds, and halls. The other 15,000 have identified worth probably $350, has been sent to themselves with the various bodies me with the remark: "I can do without that, and never will wear it again; which have entered the field. It was in Summer School of Ohrlstian Philosophy. 1879 that other denominations began their work among these people, Ilnd The school of the American Institute they are helping in raising them to of Christian Philosophy begins July Christian life and civilization. This 12th at Prohibition Park, Staten Island, mission of the Wesleyan body has test· with a lecture by Joseph Cook, on ed the wonderful power of Methodism "Fast and Loose Theories of Evoluwhen permeated by the Divine Spirit in tion." The remainder of the week's converting heathen souls to a practical programme is aa follows : knowledge of Christ and the Gospel. The marvellous success here met with Wednesday, 13th.-G. R. W. Scott, should be generally known among Chris. D.D., Andover, Mass., "Man's Retians and prayerfully considered in con- sponsibility for his Belief." Nightnection with all foreign mission work R. F. Cutting, New York, " Tenementand home mission effort. House Evil."
REV. ANDREW LEES. Thursday, 14th.-George Alexander, D.D., New York, "A Believing Spirit Essential to the Learner." Night- It is proposed to hold a general con· paper prepared by Richard Abbey, D.D., ference of missionaries in Japan. Mississippi, " Where Was Man Before He Was?" Circulars are addressed as follows : Friday, 15th.-William Leroy Broun, To ..••………•…. •• The Progress of Education of the Col- At a regular meeting of the Mission- ored Race in the South." Night-·-Anni- versary. Addresses by Rev. Dr. Deems ary Association of Central Japan, held and others.
in Osaka, December 15th, 1891, the fol- Saturday, 16th.-Professor E. Herlowing minute was adopted, to wit: shey Sheath, Yale University, "Stoicism •, That the Chairman be requested to and Christianity." Night -" Prison Life," by W. M. F. Round, Esq. nominate a Committee consisting of one member from each mission in this dis- Sunday; 17th.-Annual Sermon by trict, to continue inquiries concerning Carlos Martyn, D.D., Newark, N. J. a General Missionary Conference and to Night-" The Brotherhood of Chrisreport to the next meeting of the Asso- tian Unity," Professor Theodore F. Seward. ciation.' ' In accordance with this action, the Monday, 18th. -Hon. Walter B. Hill, Georgia, "Anarchy, Socialism, and the Committee appointed desire to pro· LaborMovement." Night-" Our Shop pound to the missionaries of the various Girls," by Professor Hyslop, of Columsocieties laboring in Japan the follow- bia College. ing inquiries: 1. Is it desirable to hold a. General Conference in the near fu- Tuesday, 19th.-Ethelbert D. Warture? 2. If so, in what year? 3. Shall field, LL.D, President of Lafayette the Conference be composed of evan- College, "The Philosophy of Educagelical missionaries exclusively, or shall tion. " others be admitted? 4, If others a.re to be included, would you be unwilling Persons wishing circulars of the Sumto take part? 5. If they are to be ex- mer School and Prohibition Park, or included? 6. Shall our Japanese breth- formation concerning hotel accommoren be invited to participate? 7. If so, dations, etc., should address Mr. C. L. to what extent? Haskell, Superintendent, West New Brighton, Staten Island, N. Y. For in- The Committee earnestly request all· forma~ion about the Institute, address missionaries to give this matter their Mr. C. M. Davis, Secretary, 4 Winthrop careful consideration and to send in Place, New York. t~eir replies as promptly as possible to eIther of the undersigned.
The Ven. Archdeacon WARREN, Ohairman, No.3 Concession. Rev. T. T. ALEXANDER, Secretary, No. 14 Concession. OSAKA, December 22, 1891.
1892.J THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS
IV.-THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
BY BEV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D.
Ohinese Miss:ons in British Columbia. ample facilities for preaching services, prayer.meetings, class.meetings, Sun. BY BEV. E. ROBSON. day and week evening schools, all of wh,ich are now much more successful. The Chinese population of British The missionary is aided by a Chinese Columbia is a very uncertain quantity, assistant, two lady teachers for the evenvariously estimated at from 6000 to ing school, an efficient corps of Sunday- 9000. 'Though some .thousands arrive school volunteer workers and !I care. in the course of a year, yet there is not taker, who is a useful Christian worker a rapid increase in the aggregate num· -a native Chinese. Mr. Gardner him. ber, as many leave the province, some self speaks the Chinese, reads and for China and some, by means best writes it with elegance and fluency. known to themselves, make their way into the United States in spite of the The Woman's Missionary Society of exclusion enactment. The Chinese are this saIDe Church has had, for some mostly located in the towns, but during years past, a Refuge Home for Chinese the fishing season are to be found in Girls in Victoria, by means of which considerable numbers at the salmon can· quite a number of these poor creatures, neries scattered throughout the coast some of very tender years, have been districts; while others are engaged in rescued from cruel slavery and present mining, farming, market gardening, and or prospective social degradation and serving as oooks and laundrymen in shame. The inmates of the home are town and country. There are a few under the care of two most excellent merchants and manufacturers of mod. ladies in the employ of the Methodist erate pretensions among them, but the Missionary Society, and are instructed bulk belong to the laboring class. in everything that is calculated to do them good and render their future lives About fourteen years ago efforts were useful and happy. Most of them have put forth by the agents of the Method· given cause to hope that they have been ist Church of Canada, to bring these converted to God. Some have been reo people to the knowledge of the truth; turned to their parents in China, but but the work did not at that time make the larger number have been married to much headway for want of agents con· Chinamen resident in the province. versant with the language. These generally are doing well.
The present work of the Methodist The spiritual results of the Victoria Church of Canada among the Chinese Mission as a whole have been encourag. commenced seven years ago, in Victoria, ing. Numerous conversions have taken the capital of the province, where there place, and a very marked improvement is a resident Chinese popUlation of, say, has been brought about in the com· 3000 during the winter season, and 2000 munity known as the Chinese quarter. during summer. 'fhe Rev. J. Endicott There are 105 communicants in connec· Gardner, who had the honor, assisted tion with the church, and a good at· by others, of inaugurating the work, is tendance upon the various services still the recognized leader of it as agent especially the preaching of the Word. of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Church. For years the work of In Vancouver mission work was begun the mission was carried on in rented in 1887 by the formation of an evening halls, at considerable disadvantage. class for the study of English and relig- There is, however, now a handsome ious instruction. Under the kind and and commodious church, with school earnest labors of Christian ladies (the and class – rooms attached, affording leader being a daughter of the present writer), not one of whom could speak to, been blessed with gratifying success. or read a word of Chinese, there were, Upon invitation of the chaplain Mr. in a few months, eleven Chinese brought Ch'an preaches to the Chinese in the to a saving knowledge of Christ, all of provincial penitentiary, ten of whom whom were publicly baptized after due have given evidence of a change of examination and trial. The mission was heart and life, and have received Chris. reinforced by the arrival, from China, tian baptism at the chaplain's hands. of Mr. Ch'an Sing Kai, who was selected and sent to our aid by the Rev. Dr. The expenditure for land and build. Wenyon, of the Wesleyan Mission at ings at these three stations has been, Fat Shan.' Mr. Ch'an brought his wife including the Rescue Home, nearly and children with him-probably the $24,000, and the amount paid by the first Christian Chinese family in the society for current expenses was, last. Dominion of Canada. The work in Van. year, $4200, exclusive of the Home. couver is now carried on by Liu Yik Are the results satisfactory? Reason. Pang, who had spent three years in the ably so. The Gospel-preached, sung, study of medicine, hospital practice, and personally explained-is put within and evangelistic work in Canton, and is the reach and pressed upon the atten. a man well fitted for and useful in his tion of the Chinese population in the present position. Dr. Liu is assisted three leading towns of the provinCE> by two ladies, who teach the English every Sunday and during every week. classes and give efficient help in all the Many outlying neighborhoods have been services, which are not by any means visited, and the message of salvation confined to the mission premises, but made known. Scores of Chinese men are also regularly conducted on the and several women have been converted street, in the centre of the Chinese quar. to God. Some of these have been the ter and upon the great steamships of means of winning others of their fel. the Canadian Pacific Railway Company low.countrymen to Christ in other parts plying between Vancouver, China, and of the province, and at least several Japan, the crews of which are princi. have gone back to visit their native land pally Chinese. The society has a suit- fully resolved to do all they can, by able building, comprising chapel, school, God's help, for the salvation of their and reading.room and residence for the friends and neighbors there. The inmiSSionary, and, in addition, a number fluence of these missions has done much of pleasant lodging rooms for the Chris. for the Chinese here, and will undoubttian young men who have no homes of edly be felt in the distant Orient. their own, thus obviating the necessity for their spending their evenings and Though the Methodist Church has nights among the demoralizing associa· had the honor of leading in this inter· tions, sights, and sounds of heathen. esting work, other churches are now ism. taking hold tlnd planning for more ex· tended efforts in the future. May God New Westminster also is favored with give an abundant harvest of souls! a Chinese mission, the history of which is very similar to that just described. NEW WESTMINSTER, B. C., March 30th, Mr. Ch'an, now an ordained mission- 1892. ary, is in charge, assisted by lady teachers and volunteer helpers. On the 6th Ohinese Mission in San Francisco. inst. new mission premises were taken possession of, consisting of chapel, BY REV. F. J. MASTERS, D.D. school, and reading-room and residence for missionary-all very complete and Our first convert was baptized in comfortable and well situated. This 1871 ; since then 394 adults have been mission has, like those already referred admitted to church membership. At least 90 per cent of these converts reo main faithful. It must be borne in mind that the effect of the" exclusion" rather, most of them-come from one bill, passed in open violation of treaty, county of the Canton province). Over and the unfriendly local legislation of $1000 have been raised toward this ob. the State Legislature and municipal ject. councils, as well as the daily instances of brutal ill·treatment at the hands of One of our members, Mr. Lum Foon, white ·people, tend to alienate the Chi. lately gave up a splendid business in nese, and to make them sullen and bit· San Francisco, and has gone to China ter. Then we are working among a com· at his own expense as a self.supporting munity of young men, of whom only mIsslOnary. He has bought land and one per cent are married or have their erected a fine chapel and school, with wiveR with them. prophets' chamber .for the missionary, all at his own expense. There he We have branches of our mission in preaches the Gospel and teaches a day Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento, school. He has already been greatly where young men are gathered in for blessed in his labors. Scores have been religious and secular instruction. As converted, and he is known throughout most of the Chinese are anxious to learn the district as "the Jesus man," and the English language, numbers have his premises as " the Jesus house… come to our school to learn to read and write, and have there been brought Liberality.-During the six years I have under religious influences that have left been here our Chinese members and an impress that will never be effaced. scholars who, according to San Fran. Of the 5000 scholars who have passed cisco newspapers, are so base, sordid, through our schools, hundreds who have and unsalvable, have contributed $2650 not had the courage to confeRs Christ to the funds of the missionary society. before men have, in theory at least, ac· Besides this they have come up to their cepted the great doctrines of the Bible, apportionment in benevolences, and and have forever broken with idola· have sent $500 to aid in missionary tr.v. work in China. Every year we average $5 per member for missions. The open.air services, in which other missions take a part, are full of interest Steadfastness.-We have received 78 and encouragement. It was an impres. new members during the last three sive scene last Sabbath afternoon to see years, and only three have fallen away. 400 Chinese gathered around our preach. A Chinaman who becomes a Christian is er, the Rev. Chan Hon Fan, to hear the ostracized by his fellow.clansmen even Gospel on the open street. On the very in San Francisco, and cursed as he goes pavement that arew days before had been along the street. reddened with the blood of murder, and under the rooms of a highbinder society, Open-air services in Chinatown are the crowd stood for an hour while this held every Sunday afternoon. About brave young preacher preached on " Re. 30 or 40 Christian Chinamen sing Gos· sist not evil, but whosoe'fer shall smite pel hymns, and the crowd gathers. We thee on the right cheek, turn to him the have kept up these services with unother also," and openly denounced the abated interest for over five years, and murderous societies that had disgraced last Sabbath I preached in Chinese to a their nation and terrorized over China· congregation on the street numbering town. upward of 500. It is astonishing to see the interest and the respect that is Zeal qf Our Members.-We have a shown us, notwithstanding the brutal church of 123 members, and they have treatment theyl'eceive from street hood· just formed a Native Missionary Society lums. What I have said applies to the to employ native itinerant preachers and Chinese missions of other denomina· physicians in their native country. (All tions. The Congregational Chinese the Chinese in San Francisco – or, Church here supports two or three mis· sionaries and doctors in Kwantung. The Japanese in San Franoisoo, and circulated over 3000 tracts each month. These have been prepared REV. M. C. HABBIS, D.D. here, with special reference to the The Japanese community in this city needs. of their people.
and surrounding towns numbers about Many workers now in Japan were con- 2500. This small colony receives addi· verted here, and many more are being tions by every steamer from Japan. raised up to glorify God in Japan, They began to come about fifteen years Weare without a church home. They ago in very small numbers, but latterly live and work in rented buildings, and at the rate of 100 a month. They are have done so for six years. Now they all young men, except a score or two of are trying to buy a lot and build a women, and mostly students, seeking church.
for something from the West to enrich and beautify the far East, their home The Island World. land. Still there are some merchants and laborers among them. Those who Religion in New Zealand.-Census repush out from home into a new and dis- turns recently issued show that there tant country are usually self·reliant, am- are in New Zealand 1197 churches and bitious, and energetic, much above the chapels, being an increase of 134 in five average. years. Two hundred and forty-one school.houses are used for Sabbath ser- For some time this renewing and vices, and 161 dwellings and public strengthening power was confined chief- buildings. These val'ious edifices have ly to church-members, though many sin_ accommodation for 278,114 persons {or ners were being converted all the time. less. than half the popUlation of the About one year ago, however, the breth- colony), and are actually attended by ren, filled with the new wine of the 197,055, or about a third of the popu- Spirit, went forth to testify among the lation. Presbyterians report 40,785 unsaved. They met with startling suc- church-goers; Episcopalians, 37,252; cess, and rejoiced with unspeakable joy. Roman Catholics, 30,525; Wesleyans, Within the past six months more than 27,106; Salvationists, 14,442. There 400 have been hopefully converted. Of are 450 Jews, 200 Free-Thinkers, and this number 188 have been baptized and 3803 of no denomination at all.-Free received into the Church. But few of Church Monthly. these have been converted in the regu- lar preaching services. In private rooms, in class meetings, in the field at work, Rev. Hiram Bingham is at Spring- in the quiet places, the great transac- field, Mass. He went out to the Gilbert tion was done. It is a personal work. Islands as a missionary on the first Two things, the two great facts of the Morning Star in 1856. He brings home Bible. sin and salvation, have been pre- in manuscript a translation in the na- sented and held up to the Japanese, and tive language of the entire Bible, which pressed upon the conscience and the he intends to carry back in book form.
heart. Conviction of sin, and in most Mr. Bingham's father was also a mis- cases intense suffering, followed by sionary, going out to the Sandwich faith in Christ and rapturous delight, Islands in the brig Thaddeus in 1819_ are the usual characteristics of the ra- The son was born at Honolulu in 1831, Tival. and was graduated from Yale in 1853.
The believers carry forward the work Soon afterward he married Clara M.
with great energy, both in the city and, Brewster, of Northampton, daughter of country. They meet and welcome the the late Jonathan Brewster, whom he comers by every vessel. All the clubs persuaded to accompany him to the Gil- nnd lodging houses are regularly visit- bert Islands.
ed. For months past they have printed Soon after their arrival on the island of Apalang their first child was born monthly mail steamers plying between Il.nd died, for there was no physician Sydney and Fiji. This is a great im- nearer than 1000 miles. While Mrs. provement on the old arrangement. Bingham was ill, one of the most thrill- The Dayspring often took several days ing experiences of his life came. The to do what is now done in a few hours. king rushed into his house one day, and It several times took three days to do seizing his spy-glass, looked over toward forty miles, and what is now accom- Tarawa, the nearest island, whose palm- plished in a night was often formerly tree tops were just visible. He soon accomplished with difficulty in a week. dropped the glass and ran. In a short This change enables the missionaries to time hundreds of warriors rallied about be present at the annual meeting of the house, and about 100 war canoes Synod without being more than a month :filled with hostile Tarawas approached absent from tbeir stations, instead of for battle. The boats seemed to single three or even four, as formerly. It also out the conspicuous cottage, and made enables the missionaries more easily to straight for it, so that Mr. Bingham help one another in times of sickness, fully expected to be in the centre of the or to take a change to another island battle. He barricaded his house and when required. It enables the native prepared for the worst, being especially teachers to move about from island to distressed concerning his sick wife. island, and promises to make the whole But just before they reached land the group of islands much more accessible war oanoes tacked and headed up the to mission work. The little steamer is coast. The army of savages followed a great favorite, and is known among with a yell, and the battle was fought the islanders, like the Dayspring before about five miles away. The Tarawas it, as the missionary or Christian ship. were routed and the Apaiangs victorious, It is also called the sacred ship, as set although the Apaiang king was killed apart for God's work, and sometimes and the prince terribly wounded. The the good ship, as those on board do young man was nursed in the cottage, nothing but good to the natives. and became a firm friend to the missionaries.
Recently a Chinese convert, of San Within fifteen years from the entrance Fra~cisco, who refused to reveal his of the missionaries on Aneityum, New name to Rev. Dr. Masters, handed him a Hebrides, the entire population em- little package, directing him to expend braced Christianity. A similar change the amount in securing a native China· has taken place on several other islands. man to preach the Gospel in China. It The missionary ship has been an im- embraced nearly all of his earthly posportant factor in this work. In 1862 the sessions. The package contained $100 first Dayspring was built, and did good in gold coin. service for about ten years. It was wrecked in Aneityum harbor by a fear- Sm NEWS FROM THE NEW HEBRIDES.- ful hurricane, which visited the islands Mrs. Lawrie, of Aneityum, had a sunin 1872. A second Dayspring having stroke, and her mind has become serio been procured and the money raised, it ously affected. She is quite helpless, continued to serve the mission till 1890, and requires the constant watchfulness when it was found necessary to intro- of her husband. Mr. Lawrie has taken duce steam power. The sailing schooner her to Sydney, where, by medical ad. Dayspring could only visit the islands vice, she has been placed in the con. twice a year, but now a little steamer, valescent ward of the asylum. Truganini, sails every month between The wife of the Rev. T. W. Leggatt, the islands. Its headquarters are of the Victoria Mission, died while tem- Aneityum, and there it meets the porarily insane. A young Englishman, Mr. Sawer, who instance for a writ of habeas corpus by had been only two days married to a a Chinese person seeking to Jive in the lady who went out to become his wife, United States, to whom tbat privilege was killed by cannibals. They shot has been dellied, no bail shall be al. lowed, and such application shall be him through the heart, and murdered heard and determined promptly, with.
and feasted on the bodies of two natives out unnecessary delay, SECTION 6. And it shall be the duty of who were with him. His body was reo all Chinese laborers within the limits of covered and brought to Tungoa by the the United States at the time of the Rev. Mr. Annand. The sympathy and passage of this Act, and who are entitled prayers of friends of the New Hebrides to remain in the United States, to apply Mission will not be lacking to the be. to the Collector of Internal RevE-nue for their respective districts, within one reaved survivors.-Free Church of &01- year after the passage of this Act, for a land Monthly. certificate of residence; and any Chi.
nese laborer within the limits of the United States who'shall neglect, fail, or GOVERNMENT MONEY AND :MISSIONS.- refuse to comply with the provisions of The .1!lcaminer says: "A resolution was this Act, or who, after one year from unanimously passed by the Methodist the passage thereof, shall be found within the jurisdiction of the United Episcopal General Conference that the States without such certificate of resi- Church should hereafter' decline either , dence, shall be deemed and adjudged to make a petition to or to receive from to be unlawfully within the United the national Government any moneys States, and may be arrested by any United States customs officer, Collector for educational work among the Ind. of Internal Revenue or his deputies, ians.' In the arguments for this action, United States Marshal or his deputies, telling appeal was made to the example and taken before a United States Judge, of the Baptists, 'the only evangelical whose duty it shall be to order that he be deported from the United States as denomination in this country,' said Dr. hereinbefore provided, unless he shall J. M. King, ' who have never consented establish clearly to the satisfaction of to take one dollar from the Government said Judge that by reason of accident, for education.' We should, perhaps, sickness, or other unavoidable cause, he better deserve praise for our consistency had been unable to procure his certifiin this respect if we had done as much cate, and to the satisfaction of the Court and by at least one credible white wit.
in the cause of Indian education as our ness, that he was a resident of the Unit.
friends of other communions, but we ed States at the time of the passage of this Act, and if upon the hearing it shall rejoice that the powerful Methodist in- appear that he is so entitled to a certifi.
fluence is henceforth to be thrown in cate, it shall be granted upon his pay· the right scale." ing the cost. Should it appear that said Chinaman had procured a certifi.
The" Chinese Exclusion Bill. cate, which has been lost or destroyed, he shall be detained and judgment sus· The sections of the Chinese Exclusion pended a reasonable time to allow him to procure a duplicate from the officer Bill against which Senator Sherman and granting it, and in such cases the ,cost others most rigorously protested-pro. of said arrest and trial shall be in the tested, we may say, in representation of discretion of the Court. And any Chi.
the judgment of many millions of the nese person other than a Chinese lllbor. er having a right to be and remain in people of our country-we herewith reo the United States desiring such ce;tifi. produce, in the faint hope that after cate as evidence of such right, may ap.
November next the United States Con. ply for and receive the same without gress may be in a better judicial mind charge.
to weigh the arguments and recognize A Chinese clergyman was asked.how the indignation against them. They many clergy he thought there were in are: England, "Perhaps 1500," he said. When he heard that there were 24,000, SECTION 5. That after the passage of "Can you not," he asked, "spare 100,0 this Act, on an application to any Judge for China?" or Court of the United States in the first
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
Organized Missionary Work and Statistics. Edited by .Rev. D. L. Leonard, Bellevue, O.
THE WORLD AT LARGE. workers, and expend annually not less -11'1:. Ravenstein has published in the than $7,500,000." Prooeedings of the London Geographical It is certainly within bounds to say Society his calculations about the time that the Protestant churches of Ameri.
that it will take to fill the world with ca, Great Britain and Europe are repreall the people it will hold. The pres· sented in their work for other lands by ent population of the globe is supposed 9000 missionaries and more than 50,000 to be about 1,467,000,000 ; and he esti. native workers, and have expended durmates that the maximum of the inhabi. ing the past year about $12,500,000. tal,lts that can be sustained on the en· But this is not all. During the past tire land surface of the earth is 5,994,- half century a considerable proportion 000,000, and that this figure will be of the annual expenditure of these soreached A.D. 2072, or in about 180 years, cieties has been in the form of investat the present ratio of increase, which' ments in churches, schools and colleges, dwelling-houses, printing-presses, bindis eight per cent per decade. eries, manufactur!>d volumes of Scrip- How Muoh and How Little.-Says the In- tures, educational and religious books dependent: "There are to-day in the Unit- -pretty nearly all the machinery and ed States, including Bible, tract, and apparatus of modern aggressive Chrismedical societies, 51 Protestant general tianity. The total of this investment societies or boards, engaged either ex- has never been even estimated, but clusively or partially in the work of for- could it be done it would open our eyes eign missions. There are also 30 wom- as never before to the tremendous force an's boards, which work through the that the churches have put and are putgeneral boards of the denominations ting into the work of foreign missions. they represent; and an uncertain num- ber, not less than 10, probably not more -The cost of the McAl! Mission in than 20, of individual enterprises, in- France last year was $89,563, of which cluding the various faith missions, so- $33,910 came from the United States, called-the Plymouth Brethren, the $37,671 from EnglanJ and Scotland, and Pentecost Bands of the Free Methodist $13,340 from France and other coun. Churches, and the Pioneer Soudan Mis- tries.
sion. These all employ in the field not THE UNITED STATES. far from 3000 missionaries (male and female) and about 11,000 native agents ; -Mr. Moody's Bible Training Insti.
and at home a force of officials, includ- tute is represented on the foreign field ing secretaries and clerks, of which by 24 workers, among the North Ameri.
tl<ere i8 DO published record, but which can Indians by 4. while 19 are engaged cannot fall short of 1000; and they ex- in work in Chicago itself. The foreign pend annually in the whole work an workers are in Africa, India, China, amount not less than $5,000,000. In Japan, Turkey, Persia and South and Great Britain, Germany, France, Scan- Central America. The officers of the dinavia, etc., there are about 130 regu- Institute can locate 37 men and 9 wom- larly organized independent societies, en who are engaged in evangelistic 30 woman's boards, and perhaps 30 in- work; 31 men are engaged in pastoral dividual enterprises. These are repre- work, including many ministers who sented on the field by nearly if not quite came for further study, and 29 men are 6000 missionaries and 40,000 native now in other schools and colleges. City mission work emJ!!loys 9 men and sides other institutions, educational, 10 women; 5 men are engaged in Sun- theological, and industrial. In the day.school missions, 2 men in home Indian work aa:e 76 schools, against 51 missions, 7 women in church visitation, schools three years ago, and 87 churches.
7 men in Young Men's Christian Asso- -The" American Baptist Year-Book," ciation work, 2 women in Young Wom- which is just out, shows II total memen's Christian Association work; 18 bership of 3,269,806, an increase over men and 2 women are teachers, 5 wOmen the last year of 105,579. The number have positions in charitable institu. reported as baptized has risen from tions, and 8 are now wives of minis· 140,058 in 1890 to 160,247 in 1891 ; the ters ; 5 men and 1 woman are singing total contributions were $11,886,558, evangelists. only a slight increase on those for the Fbr the Freedmen.-Beginning in the previous year, which were $11,215,579.
dark days that followed the war, with The endowment of the seven theological 15 pupils, sheltered in the rude bar- seminaries has risen from $2,000,088 to racks bequeathed by the" Freedman's $2,259,346, and the total value of the Bureau," Hampton now houses and property from $2,992,728 to $3,269,723 ; teaches 960 students in a settlement of the college endowments, not including fitting and permanent dormitories, the University of Chicago, have risen school.rooms, and workshops. It has from $6,097,270 to $9,784,526, and the sent out 723 graduates. almost all" of total value of property from $11,074,327 Whom are teaching their own people. to $16,037,133.
At Hampton and III the various off. -The American Baptist Missionary shoots of Hampton 120,000 pupils have Union closed its financial year March been taught. not only the contents of 31st. The total receipts for current books, not only industrial knowledge, work for the year were $569,172.93 as but the elements of manhood and wom- against $472,174.21 for the preceding anhood. And from these 120,000 pu- year. The Society commenced the year pils has been drawn a body of 2000 with II debt of $61,593.94, and has 'made teachers. Its plant has cost $550,000, during the year appropriations which, free from debt, the gift of friends. The with the debt, amount to $635,927.24. school requires an income of $100,000 Thus, notwithstanding the advance of a year. Of this sum $40,000 is annually nearly $100,000 in receipts, the new year assured from regular sourcef'. The re- commences with a debt of $66,754.31. maining $60,000 General Armstrong has raised year after year, from churches, -The Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, District Sunday-schools, and private individ- Secretary of the American Board at uals. From $25,000 to $30,000 of this Chicago, has proposed a plan by which sum is contributed in annual $70 schol- the young people shall take care of the arships, each of which pays the ex- young missionaries. An annual fund penses of one pupil for one year, in the of $25,000 is to be raised in the Chrisacademic department. But more of tian Endeavor Societies and Sunday. these scholarships are needed. The schools in the form of 1000 shares of permanent endowment fund, which is stock at $25 each. The missionaries slowly growing, should be at least supported by it are to be young mis- $500,000, and will have reached the sionaries of three years' service or less, sum of $300.000 at the end of this year. and not otherwise supported.
-The American Missionary Associa- -The Roman Catholic Mission among tion (Congregational) in July of 1890 es- the colored people and the Iudians re- tablished a mission in Alaska. It is ports $361,000 r.eceived during the last situated on Cape Prince of Wales, the five years. There are now 115 colored extreme western point of the North schools. against 98 two years ago, be- American Continent, only 46 miles from East Cape Siberia, about 1000 miles $16,870,000 to unsectarian societies. north of Sitka, some 3000 miles north The amount contributed through soci- of San Francisco, and just south of the eties of the Established Church of Eng. Arctic Circle. The importance of this land was about $46,100,000; through station is seen in the fact that it is the societies of the Establishecl Church of largest Eskimo settlement in Alaska, and Scotland, $3,018,000 ; through Protestant the third largest native settlement of any Non-conformist societies in England and kind. And the school is already much Wales, $32,600,000, and through Presby- the largest in Alaska. For the first terian Nonconformist societies in Scot. school year the total enrolment was land and Ireland, about $13,000,000. 301 ; the average daily attendance for He claims th us that the societies of the the whole nine months, 109; for the two Established Churches of England last five months, 156. and Scotland contributed at least $3,160,000 more than the societies of -The Missionary Society of the all the other Protestant denominations Methodist Episcopal Church has in its of the British Isles put together. From foreign missions the following members his twenty years' study of the subject, and probationers: In heathen lands, he states his belief that of the ~16,870,- 45.745 ; in Protestant lands (in Europe), 000 contributed to joint societies of 41,413 ; in Roman Catholic lands, 5967 ; Churchmen and Nonconformists during in Greek Church lands (Bulgaria), 171 ; the past twenty years, at least $10,000,- a total of 93,296. In 1891 there were 000 was contributed by members of the expended from the regular appropria. Established Church of England. tions for these missions: In heathen lands, $315,627.50; in Protestant lands, – The Church Missionary Society's $93,380.19 ; in Roman Catholic lands, income has exceeded that of the pre- $147,655.83; in Greek Church lands, vious year, but the expenditure is great. $17,539.28 ; a total of $574,202.80. er, so that there will be a deficit of something like $20,000. The total reo -At the annual meeting of the Gen. ceipts have been about $1.157,645, of eral Executive Committee of the Wom· which $807,880 wer", received from aSb,)- an's Foreign Missionary Society of the ciations, $98,165 from special gifts, Methodist Episcopal Church, held in $146,495 from legacies, and $105,105 Kansas City, Mo., receipts were re- from other sources. The expenditure ported of $263,660.69, being an advance or the coming year is estimated at over those of last yeer of $43,330.73. $1,177,700. The estimates for the coming year were announced as $368,000. -The London Missionary Society calls for 4, men more than are at present -'rhe Southern Presbyterian Church available to fill vacancies in the staff in has decid~d to open a mission in Korea, India and China, and for 15 new mis. and two members of the senior class in sionaries, some of them ladies, to com- Union Seminary, Va., have been com- plete the first year's contingent of the missioned to commence it. They will additional 100. The Evangelical' Union sail probably in August. of the Scotland Foreign Misiion Com· mittee calls upon the churches repre. EUROPE. sented by it to ilupply 10 of the required 100 missionaries, aud notes with grati. Great Britain.-Canon Scott Robin. tude that 2 from their number have al· son has estimated that during the last ready been accepted by the Society. twenty years the sum contributed by the British Isles for foreign mission -The Unitad Presbyterians of Scotwork has amounted to $112,790,915. land raised last year, for foreign mis· Of this total about $840,000 was contrib. sions, £41,602, and for home missions, uted to Roman Catholic societies and £17,725. Their foreign work is being carried on in Jamaica, Old Calabar taught. The English Protestants have (West Africa), Rajputana (Central India), 5 schools-1 for boys, 2 for girls, and 2 and Manchuria (Northeast China). It for small children. Then there is II was their mission that suffered most in school for girls, conducted by the Dames the recent riots in Manchuria. Next to de Nazareth, who are Roman Catholic the Moravians, they are said to be the nuns; and, lastly, a school for small most missionary church in the world. children, conducted by the Loonor de St. Joseph. In most of these manual -The British missionary societies training is also a fixed part of the currichave 139 physicians engaged in mission ulum. There are a number of charitaworks, of whom 13 are ladies. ble institutions, such as the Syrian Protestant Orphanage for girls, con- Sweden.-The Swedish Missionary trolled by the Presbyterians; the Aus- Society is actively at work among the trian Hospital, and the Hospital of the Laplanders. They have an orphanage Scotch Mission. at Ange, and 6 mission schools in other parts of Lapland, in which 173 children India.-Says Professor J. R. Seeley: have received instruction. The king " As time passes, it appears that we are granted them 2000 crowns; but during in the hands of a Providence which is the past year their expenses were 1500 greater than all statesmanship; that crowns in excess of their receipts. this fabric so blindly piled up has a chance of becoming a part of the perma- ASIA. nent edifice of civilization, and that the Indian achievement of England, as it is Palestine.-Selah Merrill, United the strangest, may after all turn out to States Oonsul in Jerusalem, says that be the greatest of all her achievements." the effort to colonize the country with Jews has been a signal failure in spite -Some idea of England's grave reof the generous encouragement given by sponsibility in India may be gathered such capitalist:> as the Rothschilds. The from the latest reports of the popula- Jewish immigration is only sufficient to tion of that country and its rapid inmake the number of Jews at Jaffa 2700 ; crease. In 1881 the popUlation was Ramleh, 166; Jerusalem. 25,322 ; 257,000,000 ; in 1891 it was 288,000,000, Hebron, 1200; Nablous, 99; Taba- showing an increase in a single decade reeyeh, 2900; Safed, 6126; Acre, 200 ; almost equal to that of the whole popu- Haifa, 1640, or a total of 40,353. The lation of England and Wales. Of these, agricultural families added to this will 207,000,000 are Hindus, 57,000,000 are make a total of about 42,000-less than Mohammedans, 7,000,000 are Budhalf the number of Jews that live in dhists, while as yet only 2,284,196 can New York City. be spoken of as in any sense Christians. The increase of population in ten years -Nazareth has a population of 7419. is equal to thirteen times the number The Latin Christians have 4 churches of those who" can be spoken of as in or chapels; the Maronites, 1; the Or- any sense Christians." thodox Greeks, 4; the synagogue in which Christ is claimed to have taught The Host oj Hindus.-It is said that so is now in the hands of the United many are the millions, that if all should Greeks; the Protestants have 1 church; take hold of hands the line would reach the Moslems, 5 mosques. Then there three times around the equator; that are 7 cloisters. The Moslems have 1 there are women enough to form a collarge school, recently erected; the Or- umn, sixteen abreast, reaching across thodox Greeks have 3 schools, all taught this continent from New York to San by Russians, and only 1 for girls; the Francisco; such a host, that if each Latins have 2 large schools, in 1 of one should pick up a pinch of dirt and which several European languages are cast it upon the 100,000 Englishmen who rule them, they would be buried the people is fetichism of the lowest under two feet of Indian soil! The grade. The whole of the Congo Valley land contains 25,000,000 widows, with is now freely open to missionary operaall the woe unepeakable that word rep- tions. In this vast region the American resents. Baptists have established 10 stations.
-In the Telugu Baptist Mission, in On Lake Nyassa.-Dr. Lowe reports India, during 1891 there were about the baptism, on September 13th, of 10 8000 baptisms. There are now 60,057 men and boys and 2 women, and on Baptist members in the Telugu Mission September 20th of 17 men and boys.
in 75 churches. On this last Sabbath, 64 communicants, China.-The needs.-Says a mission. including 6 Europeans, sat together at ary : "Turn to your arithmetic and see the Lord's table. From the north end bow long it will take the 1270 missiona- of the lake we learn that Dr. Cross and ries in China to reach the 400,000,000 Mr. Aitken have selected a new station, heathen, if they use the personal meth- which they think will, in the course of od. And really, nearly all the converts years, be one of the finest places in all in China are made in this way. Sup- Africa. It is in the Uwandala country, pose you seek the aid of every Chinese at an altitude of about 6000 feet, well Christian, and then you would not have watered, free from marshes, with plenty a force of 50,000. Let.these 50,000 visit of good clay and rock lime. The letter each one person a day and talk to him speaks of a valley in which there are two hours, and let them labor in this five miles of gardens.
way for 365 days in the year, and only -The Government census of Basuto- 18,250,000 persons would be reached in land shows that the people have in- one year. At this rate, it will require creased one third during the last sixteen more than twenty years for every person years, thus illustrating the great vitality in China to hear the Gospel once. But of the African races. Tlie nnmber of is one hearing sufficient? Go and adult Christians connected with the preach the Gospel to the Chinese, and French stations of the Paris Evangelical you will find that it requires days and Society in that section is 9662, or about weeks of teaching before they really one eleventh of the whole adult popula- know what the nature of the Gospel is. tion. The mission has 13 stations and And the native Christians of China can- 116 places of worship.
not yet be relied upon for this work."
-There are 109 medical missionaries AUSTRALIA.
in China, of whom 38 are women; and of -Societies of Christian Endeavor are these last, 36 are Americans. In all but only at their beginning, but already four of the provinces medical missions number 223, and are rapidly increasbave been established. ing. 'l'hey are divided among the va- -Miss Madden bas travelled 2000 rious sections as follows: about 53 miles on horseback on her mission for societies in South Australia, 6 in Tas- the lepers of Siberia. She has secured mania, 5 in New Zealand, 20 in New $5000 for a hospital. South Wales, 13 in Queensland, 1 in AFRICA. Western Australia, and in Victoria 125, ~ith an aggregate membership of over –The Congo Valley contains 1,300,000 4000 members.
square miles, or one tenth of Africa, -The Roman Catholic mission among and an estimated population of 39,000,- the Dyaks of North Borneo has now 8 000. From above the Livingstone Falls stations with 600 Christians. There are it is easily accessible to commerce and 14 priests, 2 brothers and 9 Franciscan civilization. The religious condition of sisters. The sisters have 2 convents where they instruct the girls and small From the annual review of the progboys. One of the missionaries-the ress of education in India the figures Rev. Thomas Jackson-is if this coun- are highly encouraging as a whole. The try seeking to arouse interest in the public and private institutions for in. mission. struction increased from 134,710 to 138,054, but the increase was wholly in Bntlsh Foreign Missions. By Rev. James public institutions, those under private Johnston, Bolton, England. management having decreased from 40,547 to 38,279. The number of pupils The Niger Mission.-At a meeting has risen from 3,626,390 to 3,682,707, of the Correspondence Committee of the and the scholars who study English are Church Missionary Society on April 5th returned at 353,515. Young India's rethe question of a successor to the late ligions and races are thus represented Bishop Crowther was introduced. Arch- scholastically: Of Hindus, 2,512,916, or deacon Hamilton and the Rev. W. Allan, 68.24 per cent; of Mohammedans, 836,. who went out to Africa last year as a 389, or 22.71 per cent; of Europeans deputation from the Society (to whom and Eurasians, 25,568, or 0.69 per cent; l'eference was made in the March issue of native Christians, 86,314, or 2.34 per of the REVIEW), presented their report. cent ; and of "miscellaneous races and After a long discussion the matter was religions," 221,520, or 6.02 per cent. referred to the General Committee. The Government of India, in speaking Whether an Englishman or a native of the results as "generally satisfac. should be recommended for appoint. tory," regrets that municipal bodies do ment is causing much division of opin- not contribute more liberally to educa.· ion. Some of the members are strong- tional institutions. Possibly when Inly in favor of a black man, and, were dia's "dumb millions" are permitted this desire to prevail, one of the most to have a greater share in moulding the likely of the native clergy to be selected national policy on which their interests would be the Rev. Isaac OIuwole, a essentially depend, a more generous regraduate of Durham University. The sponse will be made in this direction. general feeling appears to favor an English bishop with a native assistant at a Wesleyan Foreign Missions Relater date. port.-With a comparatively small sum annually contributed, the Society was Education in India.-The endeavor sustaining a vast missionary system of the National Indian Association to represented by 338 missionaries, and promote female education in British 2163 paid agents besides-interpreters, India is bearing remarkable fruit. In catechists, day school officers-as well aid to girls' schools, scholarships for as a staff of 4234 unpaid a.gents. The promising students. facilities for the missionary stations number 363, with training of native teachers, and similar 1572 places of worship. The mission advantages, the special movement of church membership was 34,722, with two years ago is commending itself both 5250 on trial, and the number of schol. to native and officiai support. English ars in mission schools, 65,803. In France women graduates are being earnestlyre- and Germany the work, both among the quested to go out to India. Special people of those countries and the Engcongratulations are offered regarding the lish, had been fruitful and cheering. success attending the effort to train Ind- By the action of the governing powers ian widows as teachers in native schools. in Vienna operations there had been The marriage of Indian girls at an early seriously hindered. From Italy good age stops any supply of young unmar- reports came, and in Spain the staff had ried teachers, but the system which cre- been re-enforced. To the Wesleyan solates the difficulty provides the remedy diers stationed at Cairo constant spirin t,he very large body of young widows. itnal ministrations were given. If the crease had reached the remarkable rate Society were to take its place as one of of 250 per cent;" and then he adds, the leading missionary societies of South " The growth of Christianity in India Central Africa, this vast field, reaching has been a solid fact, and sufficiently to the Mashonaland border must reo rapid to give all needful encouragement ceive a far larger share of help than was to the supporters of missions."
at present granted t-: it. The mission- Dr. Harry Guinness.-After a year's ary staff in India needed immediate absence in Africa, in perilous journey. reinforcement. In the Madras district ings to the heart of Congoland, where alone 300 new converts had been re- he was smitt{)n by serious fevers, this ceived during the year; and in the heroic servant of God has safely reached Hyderabad district the number on trial English shores. He reports that in the had risen from 448 to 795 in addition to Upper Congo regions, where he was 482 baptisms. In China there was great often in imminent danger of death at hope )f opening up the province of the hands of the N'Gombe savages, the Hunan, with its 22,000,000 heathen. spiritual work at the Balolo stations, London Missionary Society.-From both in the cataract region and in the all sources the income of this society is depth of the continent throughout Ba.
£11,000 more this year than it was lololand, is making steady and most twelve months ago. The recent self-de- surprising progress. At the Missionary nial contributions amounted to £5375. Training Institute, London, for whose At a meeting of the directors the follow- support and management Dr. Guinness ing were accepted for service in the for- is responsible, there are nearly 150 mis.
eign mission field: Rev. R. J. Ward, St. sionary students, men and women, Helen's; Mr. W. J. Edmonds, Hackney under his care. For the maintenance College; Mr. T. W. Ingram, Cheshunt and equipment of these future missiona- College; Mr. R. C. Porter, Nottingham ries a sum of £300 is needed every week Institute, and Miss Mary Harris. The decision of the first-named gentleman FALLEN STANDARD.BEARERS.
-Mr. Ward-to go abroad has caused Rev. James Calvert.-By the demuch surprise and admiration among cease of this eminent man at Hastings, English Congregationalists. He is one on Mar~h 9th, at the age of seventy. of the most honored and successful of nine, British Wesleyanism has 10Rt a Lancashire ministers, whose career at conspicuous missionary figure. Trained home has always been marked by a spirit at Hoxton College, he was sent out, in of self·sacrificing devotion. A prayerful company with the late John Hunt, to study of the call of the millions in dark- labor in Fiji; and, nobly aided by his ness has constrained him to take up the heroic wife, he toiled for eighteen years cross very literally in order that he may among cannibals. He succeeded in share the joy of reaping on India's winning over King Thakomban to the white fields. Christian faith, whose influence after- Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Ind- ward was a powerful factor in the Chris· ian Mission.-An eloquent testimony tianization of the people. Returning to to the success of this work has just been England for five years, Mr. Calvert borne by Sir Charles Elliott, Lieutenant· superintended the translation of the Governor of Bengal. While the general Scriptures into the Fijian language, and popUlation of India increased from afterward sailed again for Fiji. In 1866 1872-81 by 8 per cent, and Christians he again arrived in England, and in 1872 by 30 per cent, yet he says, .. In the was sent to South Africa, where for Khasia Hills, where a devoted band of eight years he rendered invaluable ser- Welsh missionaries-with whom I am vice throughout the diamond fields and well acquainted-is at work, the in- other parts of the colony. In 1882 he lost his honored partner, who with him· Brooke at rest March 5th-black water had spent nearly thirty years in active fever." His demise adds another to'
mission service abroad. . When in 1885 that swiftly lengthening list of English- the jubilee of missions was celebrated men who have died in attempting to in Fiji, he went out by general request, evangelize Africa. Born twenty-seven visiting Australasia and the South Sea years ago, he was the son of Lieutenant- Islands, and was everywhere received Colonel Brooke, of Redhill. For some with great joy and affection. Since his years he had been passionately interest- final return to England he had been ed in the salvation of the Dark Conti- diligently employed in translation nent, and had tried to enter the Soudan work, in revising the Fijian Bible, and from the Co~go and Morocco before he in various ways aiding the Bible Society joined the staff of the Church Mission- and the cause of foreign missions. ary Society as an honorary member in Rev. Percy E. Comber.-The death 1890. Mr. Brooke had clearly defined of this young and intrepid missionary ideas about missionary methods, and from the terrible African fever termi- the courage to put them into execution. nates a pathetic episode in the story of It was his conviction that by adopting the Congo mission. Surviving his native habits of life and dress he could youthful wife only some twelve months, remove the antipathy of natives to Euro· he himself forms the last of a noble, self- peans, which had done so much to hin- sacrificing family, three brothers, one der the work on the upper waters of the sister, and two wives-six in all-who Niger. He tried his experiment, and 'have found graves, sacred indeed, be- with admitted success. It is said that neath the palms. Such an example of of late French movements had stirred a family's consecration to the claims of Mohammedan feeling to a dangerous missions has probably no parallel in the pitch, and consequently it was feared annals of the history of the Church of that Lokoja, Mr. Brooke's station, might Christ. .Finis coronat opus-the end become untenable for Europeans. Send· crowns the work. ing away the ladies of the party, he himself stayed at his post, and shortly Rev. Joseph J ohnston.-Intelligence afterward died. has been received of the death at Fremantle, Western Australia, of this Mr. J. H. Redman.-News has been worthy in his seventy.eighth year. Mr. received at the Church Missionary Johnston was appointed to Tahiti as a House, London, of the death of this normal schoolmaster, and was one of missionary, another victim to the clithe band of missionaries who sailed in mate of East Africa. Toward the close 1838 for the South Seas with Rev. John of last year he sailed with Bishop Tuck- Williams. In Tahiti Mr. Johnson con· er, and it is presumed that he ~as actinued to labor, with the exception of a companying the bishop up country, as few months, until the close of 1849, and it is stated that he died at SaadanL on resigning his connection with the Monthly Bulletin, society, accepted the pastorate of the church at Fremantle. -The first subscription for mission Mr. Graham Wilmot Brooke.- purposes in modem days was made by Great sorrow will be felt throughout Sir Walter Raleigh in 1589, when he the missionary world that the beloved gave £100 to the merchants to whom he and devoted leader of the mission on resigned the Virginia patent, ., in spethe Upper Niger has been taken" home" cial regard and zeal of planting the by the Lord of all service. The tele- Christian religion in those barbarous gram received from Brass, West Africa, places."
on March 19th, by the Church Mission- -Some one wrote Chaplain McCabe, ary Society, briefly read: "Wilmot asking him to take stock in a silver mine which was to be worked in the interest of duced seven languages to writing, and missions and church extension. His re- have done a large evangelistic work.
ply was as follows: "We have two mines The Dutch Reformed Church mission- already:, which we are working with great aries now work with this mission.
success. One of them is ' self·denial, ' Thirty.six chiefs have each offered to situated in the valley of Humiliation; provide a home and food for as many the other is • consecration,' which is en- European missionaries if they will come tered on the heavenly side of the book and reside with them.
Peniel. These are glorious mines! -Missionaries of the Norwegian Mis- Their riches are inexhaustible. There sionary Society have established a leper is enough in them to bring the world to settlement at Autsirabe, in Madagascar, Christ." containing besides 30 cottages, a chapel -The following, from the pen of Mrs. and a hospital. Ninety-eight lepers are Mary Clement Leavitt, who has trav- now at this asylum. A number of them elled much in mission lands, will be have been baptized, and there is a painful reading to not a few-the last church for lepers only.
sentence in particular: "Not more than India.-Among the recent accessions half the British misRionaries are total to the force of evangelists is Mr. James abstainers. It is a cheering sign, how- Monro, C.B., late Chief Commissioner ever, that nearly all young missionaries of Police in London. Mr. Monro for- from the British Isles have adopted this merly held a high position in the civil principle and practice. There is more service of India, and has always been than one British mission station in especially interested in mission work India, where all gray-haired missiona- there, being a member of the Corre- ries, male and female, are regular, daily sponding Committee of the Church drinkers, and every young one is an Missionary Society at Calcutta for many ardent abstainer. In all my journey I years.
have met with but one total abstaining Moslem ConverI8.-The Church Mismissionary from the continent of Eu- sionary Intelliqencer contains a report of rope, and I have heard of only two the conversion of the number of Moothers. Most, if not all, of the conti- hammedans who some months since nental boards send out wine and beer to were baptized at Poona. Among them their missionaries as openly and as free- was a Maulvi, who was said not to have ly as they do other supplies. " his equal in Poona. He has lived in Africa.-Among the centenary con- Arabia eighteen years, made 16 pil- tributions received by the English Bap- grimages 1;0 Mecca, and was for a time tist Missionary Society was one from the interpreter for the English Consul at native Congo church at San Salvador, Jedda. He has been a great student of amounting to £33 148. 3d. (about $165), the Koran, knows Arabic well, and is an forwarded by the deacons of the church, eloquent speaker. All this gives him with a letter thanking the Society for the great influence ove~ his people. He has Gospel, which has done them so much come to abhor Islam, and rejoices in the good. The subscription list contains the light of the Gospel. He has about him names of 45 native men and women, in Poona, as Maulvi, 200 or 300 disci- whose offerings were all in goods, the ples whom he is seeking to bring to largest being" one pig and one piece of Christ.
cloth." -Four methods of giving are prac- -The Livingstonia Mission, founded tised by the Christians of Ceylon, it is by the Free Church of Scotland in 1875, said : first, the tithes of their earnings ; at Dr. Livingston's request has opened second, the setting apart by each of a up for Christian work a field as large as tree, the produce of which is for benevo- Scotland. The missionaries have re- lent purposes; third, an offering of labor; fourth, a handful of rict! from . -An extraordinary turning from every day's meal. idols on the part of the people of Kale· van is reported by Dr. Mackay, from -Steps were taken last fall for open- Formosa. Nearly 500 idolaters cleared ing a new Burman mission station at their houses of idols in his presence, Miubu on the Irrawaddy. It is the and they also gave the missionary, as a residence of a commissioner and the place of worship, a temple built for centre of political influence for the idols. southern sections of Burma, and is also well stationed for access to a large Bur- Japan.-An orphan asylum is being man population. At a school at Bassein established in Tokio, Japan, by a Chrisa " do without" band has been organ- tian teacher, who devotes to it all his ized, with a membership of 100, who own property. It is designed for girls pledge themselves to do without some- under six years of age, that they may be thing every month. In one month 36 trained for Christian service. rupees were realized and given to religious work. "':"'A missionary writes: "There are many very poor people in Tottori, and -About forty years ago Dr. Bradley, there is very little money among the one of the earlier medical missionaries, Christian people here. In Okayama the went to labor in Siam. •• Have you girls pay 60 sen (a sen is 8 mills) per come here with your little chisel of month for tuition, while here they can Christianity to try and uproot our great only afford 30 sen. The teachers here Buddha?" was sneeringly asked of him receive only 8 yen, while in Okayama soon after his arrival by a priest. they receive 12 yen a month. (One yen is 75 cents.) The officers of the girls' Uhina.-An English Church mission- school came in the other day to see if ary in Ningpo says: .. Never have I we could do anything to help them pay heard a missionary address a heathen off a debt of 67 yen. They had been Chinese audience without the opium falling behind recently, and are much question being brought up. Often and troubled about it. One .of the teachoften have I been interrupted by the ers whose pay was 5 yen per month has sneer, • Who brings the opium?' 'Do taken no pay for the past three months, not mention that name again!' in- though he is poor and needs the money, dignantly cried an old Chinese woman but says the school must live for the -an eager listener in the crowd-to the sake of the Christian work here." preacher from whose lips had just fallen the blessed name of Christ. 'Do not New Guinea.-At a meeting of the namention that name again. I hate tive Christians held at Port Moresby re- Jesus; I will not hear another word. centiy, the collection (which was for You foreigners bring opium in one missions) consisted of $37 in money, hand and Jesus in the other! ' " 320 spears, 65 shell armlets, 92 bows, 170 arrows, besides drums, shell neck- -An important statement carrying laces, feathers, and other orpaments, all an equally important confession is made of which have, of course, a marketable by Commander F. M. Barber, of the value as curios. This, as Canon Scott U. S. Steamer Monocacy, the gunboat Holland said, at the meeting of the Uni. maintained on the Yangtse – Kiang. versities' Mission, in a similar case, .. Fourteen years ago," he says, •• I may well remind us of those three kings thought that China was a country where who knelt to offer gold and frankincense even the continued dripping of the and myrrh; for we believe and know water of Christianity would never wear that these offerings of New Guinea are away the stone of heathenism, but now as valuable in the eyes of God as those it is apparent to my unprejudiced mind rich gifts of the kings. that the stone will ultimately be forced bodily from its bed."