The Missionary Review of the World — September 1895
llu8BA:SD. (iC)·fU:l'WEEX. BR[DE
A JAPANESE MARRIAGF. CF.RE~IONY.
A WRITING LF.'i'iOl' -NATIVE EDUCATIO N. MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XVIII. No.9.-OldSeries.-SEPTEMBER.-VOL. VIII. No.9.-Ne'/II&riu.
"A NEW PROGRAMME OF MISSIONS."* BY THE EDITOR-IN-QHIEF.
History is, to the devout ouscrver, also prophecy. Current events have a predictive value as a hint of coming developments. Our Lord Himself intimates this when He rebukes those who were more careful in watching the weather signals than in observing and interpreting the signs of the times.
Mr. L. D. Wishard, so well known in connection with the international work of the Young Men's Christian Association, has recently launched a new book of modest pretensions upon the world-sea, and it is safe to predict for it no little importance and significance in its mission. It is freighted with instructive lesRons and useful suggestions as to the perplexing problem of a world's evangelization. Its novelty lies not in bringing to us any new facts, but in grouping those facts into such impressive arrangement as compels confidence that they are part of a Divine plan, articulated into a system. Dr. Richard S. Storrs, himself a profound student of missionary problems, in his Introduction confesses that he is " impressed by" Mr. Wishard's " statement of facts, by the conclusions which he draws from such facts, and by the bright and vast outlook into the future which his book suggests."
As Mr. Wishard projects before us a " new programme of missions," we are bound to give it a careful, critical study. Anything that proposes a new solution to the greatest practical problem ever before the Church is entitled to more than a passing glance. Kepler, in his patient application of eighteen hypotheses to the mystery of the planetary motion, and in his rapturous enthusiasm when he found the key that fitted the lock, saying: " 0 almighty God, I am thinking Thy thoughts after Thee !" may well furnish a model for the modern student of missions. What a reward to our patience in working and waiting, in trying method after method, if at last *" A New Programme of Missions," by Luther D. Wishard. New York: F. H. ReTell & Co,
"A NEW PROGRAMME OF MISSIONS."
we may discern God's mind and plan, and think God's thought after Him upon the question of a world's evangelization! .
The old "statistical" solution of the missionary problem has been tried and found wanting. No doubt the combined churches of Protestant Christendom could, from 40,000,000 communicants, supply 500,000 mis- sionaries, or one for every 2000 of the unevangelized, and could furnish sinews of war in the shape of $600,000,000 a year for the support of this army of missionaries. But in view of the fact that, with all the tremen- dous facts of human need bzfore the Church of Christ, and all the inspir- ing history of missionary labor and triumph to incite to zeal and sacrifice, we have as yet less than ten thousand foreign missionaries, and less than $14,000,000 a year to apply to the whole work, and even now are hampered by immense debts which threaten the whole work with collapse; we are compelled to abandon the hope of bringing up the Church to the point of supplying fifty times the present working force and forty-three times the present money basis for the work.
Here, then, is Mr. Wishard's proposition: " Convert the colleges offor- eign mission lands into strongholds and distributing centres of Ohristianity; make them academies of the Church militant, to train leaders for the present crusade of evangelization. "
This solution is not a new one, for it has already had practical trial both at home and abroad, as the Oxford Holy Club, the Haystack meeting at Williams College, the Yale revival under President Dwight, and the Intercollegiate Y. M. C. A. have proven. But the scale, on which Mr.
Wishard proposes to have this method put in operation, is new.
It is now nearly twenty years ago that, on the Day of Prayer for Col- leges in 1876, a rain of spiritual refreshing came down on Princeton Col- lege, which became the source of, a new river of spiritual energy, which was parted into two streams : one was thorough organitation of the Christian element in the colleges, and the other was co-operation among the colleges.
Hence the so-called intercollegiate association work, whose sublime aim is to bring out every student fully upon the Lord's side, and then organize a vast student army for work in extending the kingdom. The three methods relied on for reaching these results are Bible study, joint prayer, and per- sonal work for the unsaved.
One inevitable outcome of this movement has been that students have been confronted with the question of missions. It is impossible to study God's Word, draw near to Him in prayer, and come into close touch with needy souls, without having passion for world-wide missions awakened.
And hence the intercollegiate work almost unconsciously took on a mis- sionary department.
Careful research reveals already results at once surprising and stimu- lating. Not only is it found that the Bible has never before been so dili- gently studied, but over 25,000 students have been turned unto the Lord since 1876, and fully three times that number been enrolled in the associa. tion. Thirty-two hundred have been led into the ministry; and within nine years, since 1886, when the Student Volunteer Movement began at Mt. Hermon, Mass., over 700 have gone forth to mission lands.
These student volunteers have adopted as their motto the cry of the new crusade which the writer of this article was strangely led to suggest: " The evangelization of the world in this generation." Five hundred institutions, with over 30,000 students, are already embraced in the intercollegiate system, which now reaches out like a banyan tree, and bends down to take root in new soil. Ten years since it reached the University of Berlin, and has started a new Reformation in Germany.
Six years ago God gave signs that so-called heathen nations were to take part iII the new crusade. In the summer of 188~ the students, meeting at Northfield, Mass., were startled by a cablegram from the Sunrise Kingdom, in which the Christian students of Japan conveyed this sublime message: "MAKE JESUS KING." Great enthusiasm was kindled, and that message, finding its way to Sweden, where it constrained Scandinavian disciples to call a conference of students in 1890, representing Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, became another war cry of the new crusade.
The students of Great Britain and Ireland have likewise united the university forces of their Western island empire, and the missionary volunteers already number hundreds there also, of whom 90 per cent are in the foreign field.
The awakening among Christian converts in the Orient, as in Japan, naturally suggested a new plan for missions. To students in mission lands the work is one of home evangelization. Why not, then, organize in the colleges of lands, yet to us foreign mission fields, a student volunteer movement for home missions! And so, while in the Occident we are raising a foreign contingent, rely on converted young men in the Orient to supply a home contingent, and together push the work of a world's redemption.
The moment that such a plan is, by the very voice of events, suggested, we naturally ask whether any actual work thus far done by such converted young men in heathen lands justifies the hope that they will undertake such home evangelization.
Mr. Wishard has collated a few very convincing illustrations. For example, the Sapporo Band. . When President Clark, of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, taught fur one year, and through an interpreter, a class for Bible study in the island of Hokkaido, thirty-two students openly confessed Christ and formed a society of "believers in Jesus." Six years since one fourth of the students in the Hokkaido Agricultural College were professed disciples, and the city of Sapporo was permeated by their Christian influence. It was a letter from this body of students to their fellow-students in the Massachusetts college, upon whose model the Japanese was formed, which first prompted the embracing of students in mission lands in the new movement or crusade started in America.
The Kumamoto Band, in the southern part of the Island Empire, fur. nishes another illustration of God's leading in the same direction. In 1871 an American teacher was put in charge of an institution which Dr. Davis, in his" Life of Neesima," states was founded and supported by professed opponents of Christianity. When the new instructor was hired on a five years' contract, it was not known that he was a Christian believer, and at first he had to proceed cautiously. But eventually the students, in order to be furnished with weapons against Christianity, consented to study the Bible, as did Gilbert West and Lord Lyttleton, for a like purpose, and with similar results. The opposition of unbelief and disbelief was slowly but surely broken down; and it was found by a few of the young men that they and others with them were secretly cherishing belief in Christ, until the avowed believers reached the number of forty! Their avowal brought a baptism of fire. But they endured it. In January, 1876, while the new revival in Princeton was starting the fire in America, they, on Flowery Hill, covenanted with each other and Jesus to be as a city set on a hill, which cannot be hid. Persecution ensued, and the school was disbanded; but thirty of these. converts entered Joseph Neesima's school at Kyoto, and half of them completed in the Poshisha their theological course, and to· day the record of their character and work is written large over the Christianity of Japan.
The Poshisha revival is a still further illustration of the possibilities of student work in the East. Some twelve years since a sceptical spirit prevailed in this college of the Single Aim, as to the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, and there was a demand among the students for some adequate proof of His claims to being more than a vague Divine influence or effiuence. Of course such doubts do not go alone j the inspiration of the Word of God and the vitality of spiritual life were alike in peril.
Now our Lord teaches us in that significant word of His in the Gospel of John (3 : 8) that the Spirit breathes where He will, and, like the wind, can be known only by the sound of His going. Being invisible, He can be traced only by His effects.
Dr. Davis, one of the missionaries who was greatly troubled by this scepticism in the Doshisha, said nothing to the Japanese doubters about his purpose, but boldly threw himself on God, appealing to colleges and theological seminaries in America to offer special prayer for the Holy Spirit to come on Japanese students. Such prayer was offered in January, 1883. There was, however, nothing done in Kyoto which could in any way account for the stupendous events which shortly followed.
One night a spirit of remarkable prayerfulness took sudden possession of a few students, and an almost sleepless night followed. Before day dawned a river of grace was pouring through the Doshisha, and its flood rose until almost if not quite every student was turned to the Lord; and shortly a deputation went to the surrounding churches to carry the sacred waters of salvation. The Spirit had taken His own way of proving his personality and deity. The" Wind" proved its existence by bowing the oaks and cedars before its mighty sweep. No doubts have since prevailed in the Doshisha as to the Spirit of God. In fact, no nation rivals Japan in the keen sense of the Spirit's personality and power, existing among Chris- tian disciples.
Tungchow College, China, and Pasumalai College, Madura, South India, are other illustrations of God's plan for the evangelization of Oriental lands by converted and educated' young men. The former institution, presided over for a quarter century by Dr. Mateer, has sent out over fifty graduates, not one unconverted! and the latter has, during a half century, given over five hundred Christian workers to the field.
Mr. Wishard further calls attention to the startling rapidity with which this Christian movement has pervaded the colleges of the missionary field abroad. Almost simultaneously in Ceylon, China, and Japan there began a manifestation of desire and readiness to co-operate with Occidental stu- dents in the world-wide work.
While in the Presidency of Madras the missionaries were considering how to secure a special worker among the students of the capital, Dr. Jacob Chamberlain, visiting America and being present at the students' summer school at Northfield, in 1889, pleaded for the interposition of the International Committee of the Y. M. C. A. in the promotion of a movement among the students of India similar to that which he saw at Northfield, and an appeal subsequently came from Madras itself for a young man to be sent by the committee to India to take this work in charge.
This proposal led to Mr. Wishard's four years' tour of investigation. He went to 216 mission stations in twenty different mission lands, and met personally over a thousand missionaries, and many thousand students. He held interviews with merchants, educators, pastors, government officials, everybody who could help him to understand the questions he was studying.
He found the higher educational institutions of foreign lands to contain about five hundred thousand students, less than one tenth of whom are professing disciples. And while education unsettles the old superstitions, if students are not grounded in Christian faith, they drift into materialism, agnosticism, and open infidelity. They cast away their old gods, but get no new God in their place. It is, therefore, now or never for many of them j and it needs not to be argued that no body of men are more likely to reach, touch, move, and mould the students of the East than their fellow-students of the West, who have pursued similar lines of investigation, have felt similar intellectual perplexities, and are at a similar age exposed to similar temptations. From the student body of the Occident we may naturally expect the hand of fraternal sympathy and co-operation to be extended to and warmly grasped by the student body of the Orient. Such is the theory and such are a few of the facts, further reinforced by the following.
Christianity, Mr. Wishard says, is now firmly entrenched in nearly all of the Christian colleges of Japan, China, Burmah, Ceylon, Persia, Turkey, Egypt, as well as some of those in India. As a rule, the majority of such students outside of India are Christian communicants. Christianity has made some progress even in Government institutions not openly under distinctive Christian control. In 1889 one fourteenth of the three thousand students in the seven leading Government colleges of Japan were Christians.
Mr. Wishard, like others, observed a surprising readiness on the part of students in the Sunrise Kingdom to examine the proof as to the deity of Jesus Christ, and to respond to His claims as Lord and Saviour. Several weeks of special meetings at the Doshisha resulted in the baptism of nearly one hundred and fifty students. Similar results followed similar meetings held by Mr. Wishard and Mr. J. T. Swift, at Union College, Tokyo, Kumamoto, Osaka, Kobe, Sendai, etc., as also in the Methodist College, Foo Chow, China, and in India, Ceylon, and Asia Minor. Moreover, these converted students exhibit a remarkable passion for souls and genius for organization. Nearly fifty colleges on the mission fields of the world have already Young Men's Christian Associations, Japan alone having fifteen; and the best-organized association of them all is in Tungchow College, China, where every most approved method of Bible study, personal work, and evangelistic effort is already in active operation. In this last Chinese college a foreign missionary flame has been kindled that leads to the support of a Zulu student in the school at Natal! And the self-sacrifice displayed by these converted Chinese in extending Christianity puts to shame the benevolence of Christian lands.
The pioneer college Young Men's Christian Association in Asia was formed in Jaffna College, Ceylon, in 1884. Those who wish proof both of the evangelistic spirit and organizing facnlty of Asiatic students, should watch these Ceylonese young men, undertaking to evangelIze a neighboring island hitherto without a convert. They visit the island at stated seasons for conversation with every inhabitant. In order to support the work they not only contribute money, but put aside a tithe of their rice supply, which they sell for the benefit of the work; and they cultivate a banana garden, a committee of twelve students being appointed to work an hour each day for three months, drawing water from the wells and filling the trenches. The whole year's work yields but $20, yet how is this small gift magnified and sanctified and glorified by the altar on which it is laid!
India has long been ranked as the Malakoff of missions. Yet even here the approaches of the students from the 'Vest are warmly reciprocated. Mr. Wishard and Mr. McConaughy, who is a Y. M. C. A. secretary in India, issued an appeal to their fellow-students in the great Oriental empire; and Mr. Wishard says: "Never were messengers more warmly received." A large meeting of students assembled in Madras, and the Hindu students joined enthusiastically in " Coronation," and heard with sympathetic interest the words addressed to them. In like manner in Rangoon, Oroomiah, Bitlis, Harpoot, Tarsus, Robert College, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Bulgaria, Chili, South Africa, the response has come to the signals of the Western crusade; and the great army seems already mustering from all lands to undertake the final assault on the citadels of Satan.
The first national conference of Asiatic students convened in Kyoto, in 1889; five hundred men, representing ten Government colleges and twelve Christian colleges, were in attendance. Annual conferences have followed, and now there are two held yearly, the gathering of 1893 being attended by six hundred. India has had since 1891 a national union and annual conventions. During the six years since 1889 eighteen Asiatic conferences have been held, whose three thousand delegates have come from fifty colleges; and during those six years over three hundred students have been added to the army of believers and warriors for Christ.
These are interesting and overwhelming facts. And the question only remains, Does this movement give promise of permanence, or is it an evanescent awakening of enthusiasm ~ Only time can certainly answer this question. But meanwhile signs of permanence must be acknowledged. For instance, the aggressive spirit of evangelism pervading these Oriental student bands, alike exemplified in Japan, China, among Armenians and Tamils. 'Witness also the persistency and energy of the Japanese and Chinese ; the intensity of conviction, which leads to such tenacious holding fast the faith in the face of ostracism, caste prejudice, and open persecution.
Nothing is more shining in its promise than the well-known prayer power, for example, of Japanese converts, who have been known literally to pray all night, having literal confidence in the promise that where two or three gather in the name of Christ, He is in the midst of them. And the high standard of habitual and self-denying giving which prevails among Oriental Christians adds to all the other proofs of lasting qualities in their piety the essential element of self-sacrifice, so lamentably wanting in the Occidental world.
It is not to be wondered at that Dr. McCosh characterized t;he Student Volunteer crusade as the greatest missionary revival since the first century, and that those who have watched this latest development of the Y. M. C. A. should regard it as the Divine outcome of that marvellous uprising of young men which, starting a half century ago, has by its unifying influence upon Christian believers of all denominations been, as Dr. R. D. Hitchcock said, such " a mitigation of the deplorable effects of our too disintegrated Protestantism. "
Mr. Wishard's brief but startling book closes with a threefold appeal: "Pray ye; go ye J' bring ye-a call to supplication, service, sacrifice." Twenty-five men are shortly to be occupying strategic points in the educational centres of the three continents, South America, Africa, Asia. Many more will be needed-are now needed. Here is a work in which all
'l'HE YEAR 1895 IN JAPAN
churches can harmoniously unite, magnifying essentials, minifying nonessentials, joining in a common cause without sacrifice of individual preferences and convictions. Here is a work in which ministers of Christ, unordained lay workers, and business men, can combine their piety, consecrated learning, youthful energy, and dedicated money..
Surely Mr. Wishard's" New Programme of Missions" commends itself for its philosophy, as sensible, spiritual, scriptural; and for its factual showing, as having demonstrated its feasibility and possibility. But, above all, there is in this very remarkable interweaving of providential developments something which looks to us as though the Divine Weaver were sitting at His loom, and with His grand shuttle weaving these strange threads in one pattern; and that our duty is to mark that design and submit ourselves and our sons and our substance to be wrought into the warp and woof of His blessed purpose. Other methods, however promising, have proved unpractical or impracticable. Is God leading us to the master stroke of modern missions, the raising up and enlisting and equipping of a native agency in the educated youug men of the Orient, who shall constitute a special home missionary contingent on foreign missionary fields to carry Christ's banner among their own conntrymen and take possession of these Oriental empires in His name 1 Is it not possible that the last great signal of the Captain of our salvation is now sounding, and that Jericho's walls are about to fall ~ THE YEAR 1895 IN JAPAN.
BY REV. GEORGE WILLIAM KNOX, D.D.
The world has followed the course of events in the far East during the year past with an attention which renders unnecessary any repetition of the story. Last year a postscript was added to our" review" announcing the beginning of the war. A twelvemonth has sufficed for Japan's complete triumph on land and sea, for the couclusion of peace, and the Emperor's triumphant return to Tokyo. One brief year has witnessed the advent of a new power among the nations and a transformation of the situation in the far East.
THE NEW POWER.-For the first time in the modern era a non-Christian nation takes position abreast of the States of Europe and America. At 'last an Oriental people demonstrate their ability to care for themselves and their fitness to be taken seriously.
Europe has looked on Asia as its prey, to be consumed at convenience. Its one safeguard has been the mutual jealousy of the nations-a weak defence, as Tonquin, Siam, and Burmah show. It has been feasible to conquer an empire with a few regiments of trained troops; but a new era begins. One Oriental nation not only defends itself, but makes its infiu-
HALL, DORMITORY OF THE ~mIJI GAKUI~
(The Mciji Gukuin is nn Academy nnd Seminary of the Church of Christ in Japun.) A JAPA~F.SF. l~~.
THE YEAR 1895 IN JAPAN. 64{1
ence felt beyond its bounds. It is courted as an ally and feared as a foe. It has mastered the mechanism of war; its troops can march, shoot, fight; its commissariat is amply supplied; its medical service meets modern scientific requirements; its ordnance is of the latest pattern; everything is foreseen, provided for, and well carried out. The greatest and most complicated of machines subjected to the severest tests works smoothly. Not even Germany in 1870 was more completely ready than Japan in 1894.
THE NEW SITUATION AT ROME.-SO Japan proclaims itself master of its own destiny. Its supremacy at home is complete, assured. No power, no possible combination of powers can conquer the island empire on its own domain. Of all non-Christian States it only exists, not by sufferance, but by its own strength. Without interference it will work out its own salvation or its own ruin. It only, of all, dares claim a career of its own.
The new treaties sign and seal the triumph. Japan resumes all its sovereign rights. Again, it only of non-Christian States has jurisdiction over Christian foreigners within its bounds; it only forms treaties on the basis of absolute equality. The treaties with Great Britain and the United States were negotiated before the war had given its unquestioned proof of Japan's military and naval strength. They are the willing recognition of the nation's progress at home-a progress so great that it shows again that " Peace hath her victories No less renowned than war."
Thus is secured the object so long desired. An element of danger and difficulty is removed. No longer can demagogues use this topic to excite popular discontent and ill-wiil against all foreigners. Missions should gain as Japanese self-respect and laudable ambition are gratified.
With victory, military and diplomatic, comes evidence of a juster estimate of self. The terms imposed on China are themselves proof of the wisdom of the men who rule_ No victor could be more reasonable and self-controlled. And when Russia, Germany, and France interposed to deprive Japan of a portion of the fruits of victory, again the soundest and most far-sighted policy prevailed. The men who lead Japan to-day know at once their power and their limitations. The empire is safe in their hands_ Not less remarkable is the attitude of the nation. The modification of the treaty was a great disappointment, and the interference of the three powers was taken as a national humiliation. But the wisest self-control is everywhere manifest. Self-constituted critics have taken it upon themselves to fear insolence in the day of triumph_ One even thought defeat desirable lest the conceit of the nation become "insufferable." The event has shown how vain was the fear. There is no undue exaltation, but, on the contrary, the people have acquired just views of the progress made, and of the work remaining to be done. Doubtless there is a new self-confidence, a certainty that the career of progress has been no mistake, and that the lessons learned have not been superficial. There is a consciousness of strength, and an attitude born of the knowledge that Japan has merited the recognition so generally given it.
It turns,with earnestness to the works of peace. It knows that even military prowess in our day rests on wealth. It would prove itself also great in agriculture, commerce, and the commonplace business of every day.
The war has united the nation. For a year factional political strife has ceased. All have supported the government. There have been no dissentients. This is the more remarkable, as nowhere has party strife bep-n' more bitter or more unreasoning. Since peace was made there is evidence that the better counsel is to prevail, and that the nation will seek more calmly and unitedly its constitutional development.
THE NEW SITUATION ABRoAD.-Abroad the situation is threatening. Victory may be only a prelude to another and more serious conflict. In Korea Japan has a task of the last importance, but of the gravest difficulty. Japan fought that Korea might be independent; but Korea can be independent only as it is worthy of freedom. It is surrounded with enemies, and must be strong if it is to remain a nation. But it has not an element of strength. It is poor, ignorant, misgoverned, corrupt. The government is a confused centre of discord and intrigue. It needs reformation root and branch, but the very leaders who are pledged to reform and the new regime plot and scheme and seek their personal advantage. Korea needs regeneration. Can Japan give that? And over against Japan stands Russia, hostile, watchful, greedy. England in Egypt had a light task in comparison.
Formosa, too, has difficulties and dangers only less than Korea's. If Japan succeeds, it will prove itself worthy of a place among the very first. It needs the qualities England only has shown. It will be sharply judged, and by critics who will find their own gain in Japanese failures.
In seeking such unmeasnred responsibilities and duties Japan has entered upon a new phase of national being. It will need every power if it is to maintain itself. One doubts, but the history of the twenty years past has been a history of the triumphant silencing of such doubts.
THE CHURCH.-It is not surprising that the gain in converts has been small. Public attention has been fully occupied with other things; yet has there been much progress made.
The Church has proved its loyalty. Strange that it was doubted. But Christianity has been held a foreign religion, something of the ancient prejudice has remained, and the uncompromising teaching of the Bible making Christ Lord has been thought inconsistent with whole-hearted obedience to an earthly sovereign. The war has been more efficient in dispelling this charge than countless books and sermons. Persuaded that the war was" righteous," none has been more self-sacrificing and patriotic than the Christians. They have been wanting in no duty which pertains to good citizenship, and their conduct has been marked and approved in high quarters. So, toe, has the government shown its impartiality. It has been charged with hostility to Christianity, and in isolated instances subordi- nate officials have given occasion for the charge; but during the war the government has directly aided efforts put forth by the Church and the Bible societies. This has been the more noticeable as the war might have served as a pretext for a different attitude; but no pretext was sought, as'none was desired. Prince Komatsu, commander of the Imperial Guard, gave permission to distribute copies of the Bible to all in his command, thanked the workers, and appointed men to assist. Mr. Loomis, of the Bible Society, was given special permission to visit. all garrisons, and the missionaries and Japanese Christians in Hiroshima, the headquarters, had full opportunity for evangelistic work. Finally, two Japanese clergymen were allowed to go to the seat of war on the same terms as the Buddhist priests.
With the national triumph the Church feels an increased responsibility.
It has long talked of foreign missions, now it begins the work. A united effort is making for the evangelization of Korea. As part of this work it should be noted that some of the Korean students recently come to Japan have been sent to the school in Sendai which is maintained by the Re- formed (German) Church in the United States and is under the control of the Rev. M. Oshikawa.
At home more than ever the Church talks of independence. This is peculiarly manifest in the Kumiai churches (Congregational). Two years ago the General Conference decided to admit no church to membership which is aided by the American Board, and this year (the first; week in May) the Conference voted to receive no further subsidy for its horne mis- sionary society. .
Were this action the result of heightened national feeling only, it perhaps need not be regretted. One hesitates about it, and fears it is premature, but in other lines of action such hesitation and doubt have been proved mistaken. Why not in Christian work also? But the doubt is increased as we are told that the action is also from a desire for greater freedom of thought-in fact, of complete emancipation from all creeds.
No matter what a man may think about Christ, no matter what i!'l his belief about God, if only he seek to live the life of our Lord and to extend the kingdom. Some of the leaders, we are told, hold "not Christianity at all, but simply the Confucianism of olden times." And though" most of the pastors and evangelists are within the limits of a reasonable ortho- doxy, yet with almost perfect unanimity they stand for freedom of thought. " That is freedom for men who find" no room at all for an objective revelation," and eliminate from the "definition of God all that we of the West prize in the idea of personality." As neither the funds nor the missionaries of the American Board stand for such " free- dom, " complete independence is declared.
At the same time it must not be forgotten that the Kumiai churches are not the whole of Christianity in Japan, nor its only representatives. The other Protestant bodies stand firmly by the faith once delivered to the saints, and show no desire to widen their boundaries so as to include men who do not hold the common evangelical belief. During the year past the leading men of the Nippon Kirisuto Kyokwai (Presbyterian Reformed) strongly resented a public charge that they are untrue to their creed.
PROSPEOTS AND PROBLEMs.-In State and Church prospects were never fairer, nor problems more perplexing. The State has won victory and complete independence. It has conquered a peace, and the first demand is that the fleet be so increased that it may be invincible in Eastern seas. It commands the future of Korea, and its wisest statesmen are perplexed by the intricate difficulties disclosed. It possesses Formosa, and finds itself heir to many ills. It has shown its equality with the West, and already the politics of Europe influence its destiny. It has accomplished much, only to find itself forced to accomplish more. It has sho.wn its strength, and it has learned its dangers. In aU things it deserves our sympathy and best wishes. If it demonstrate that an Eastern nation may maintain itself, if it stop Occidental spoliation of the Orient, if it teach Europe to respect Asia, if through it the international law of Christendom extend throughout the world, it will have rendered a service to the West not second to its service to the East. Japan is said to desire a strong, self-dependent, progressive Orient, and every Christian must say, Amen.
The Church has never had fairer prospects. It has had official recognition, and that counts for much. It is representative of that spirit of Christ which aU the nation has honored in the work of the Society of the Red Cross. Confucianism in its stronghold has been shown unable to make citizens patriotic or officials honest. The influence of Christendom has been proved more effective in practical humanitarianism in a generation than was the influence of Buddhism in a millennium. The hostility excited by the old treaties against foreigners has been removed by the re- VISIOn. Missionaries can reside and travel without restrictions. The Church responds to its new conditions and undertakes with zeal work at home and abroad.
As the Church thus finds its opportunity, so does it find its difficulties increased. With Japan unevangelized, it must begin work abroad; as it comes on to self-support a minority deny the essential faith; with its increased self.consciousness and strength, it finds the greater difficulty in co-operating with foreign missionaries, and the foreign missionaries may· well question whether their increased facilities are not too late for the most efficient service.
Our prayer is that the Church may accomplish the work whereunto it is called. Our sympathies are all with it. Its triumph will be the vindication of foreign missions. Its success will mean hope and salvation to the lands beyond.
JAPAN'S DEBT TO CHRISTIANITY
JAPAN'S DEBT TO CHRISTIANITY.
BY REV. JAMES I. SEDER, A.M., TOKYO.
At this time of. comparatively slow progress, humanly speaking, of Christianity in Japan, it may be especially fitting to take a brief retrospect over the work which has already been done, and, with ihe gratitude to God, from the success of the past, take courage for the future.
In counting up a few of the mile-posts which Japan has set along the highway of her modern and marvellous progress, I set out with this funda· mental postulate: God is spirit, light, love, life, creator, and cause of all being. The spiritual is the genesis of the material. Spiritual light among men is the genesis of the merely intellectual, both together are the means of originating all that is good in the institutions and conditions of human society. Christianity is the embodiment of the highest spiritual or moral light, the genesis of the highest intellectual enlightenment of the race, a~d thus the source of the highest civilization. Being perfect as a doctrine of light and life, it is not responsible for the evils which attend t.his highest civilization. These result from man's perverted use of this light. If it be remarked, therefore, that some of Japan's progress is due to civilization rather than, or as well as to Christianity or to the work of missionaries, we confidently answer that ours is a Ohristian. civilization, itself the undeniable fruit of Christianity. Japan, too, has been made a partaker of the blessings of Christianity and its civilization, and thus has become infinitely a debtor.
The first doctrine, a tl'l1th fundamental to the whole superstructure of this nation's modern progress, and for which she is indebted to Christianity, is the idea of a personal God, who is at once supreme, absolute, eternal, infinite, self-existent, intelligent, spirit, and the creator of all things. This conception is utterly wanting in the old religions of Japan. At an interview with a leading Buddhist priest of the famous Nikko temples he told us that the universe was not created, but was caused to appear by a god called Bonten. This god sustains no further relation to the world, does not guide and control it, and the tiniest infant may in time also become a god capable of creating worlds. This is nothing more than the old atomic theory that possibly there was a great first cause which caused matter to exist, and out of which the world was evolved. It fails to perceive that the Being who caused matter to exist and made the laws of nature also executes them.
The teaching of the priests generally must, to judge by the results, be as much confused as the ideas of this priest, if not more so. The superintendent of schools of a certain city recently tested the religious knowledge of his pupils. He chose 118 of them, their average age being fourteen. To the question as to what is to be understood by the word" god," 97 of them, or 82 per cent, answered: "Our imperial ancestors and benefactors reverenced by us." These are really without God and without hope in the world; and this is the fruit of the old religions. Ten only replied that God is a spiritual Being outside of mankind, one adding that He is the Creator of the universe. This latter is clearly the result of Christian teaching, the fruit of missionary sermons, prayers, and gifts in the home land and of like efforts here. In God's own time these figures will be reversed.
Christianity has also given to this people the knowledge of the person- ality and immortality of the soul. In theory Buddhism teaches the trans- migration of the soul; but there are multitudes who do not know what " soul" is, nor that there is such an existence. Missionaries often experi- ence great difficulty in getting people to understand and believe that there is a soul. Out of the 118 pupils before named, 62, or over one half, denied the existence of any soul. Fifty-two believed in the existence of the soul, but 25 of these denied its immortality. Thus three fourths do not believe in an immortal soul. Said an intelligent old Samurai to the writer: "Th.ere is no immortal soul. When my body falls into the grave that is the end of me. " So these people think, believe, are I Deduct from the a~ove 118 the number of those who believed in God and those who no doubt had come under the influence of Christian teaching, and the remaining per cent of those who intelligently believe in the existence of the soul is extremely small. And yet it seems not unreasonable to infer that if the parents had any clear conceptions about the matter, the youth must have caught their ideas, so that it is not greatly unfair to apply these proportions also to the adult population. Then, too, the most hopeful thing the common adherents of the old religion have to look forward to is transmigration. The farmer or betto who maltreats his horse in this life becomes a farm-horse with a man's head in the next I Compared with the doctrine of the resurrection what a contrast I Said an old Japanese Christian lady, as she was nearing the end of her life, and after hearing a sermon on the resurrection: "The old people of Japan, for the most part, have nothing to look forward to but to fondle their grandchildren and die. How different with us who are Christians! How glorious and beautiful the new life that will be ours I"
The old religions contain no adequate conception of sin and its heinous- . ness. This is a logical consequence of their lack of the knowledge of a personal God as moral governor, and the soul as a responsible subject. When these religionists see a man who was born blind they ask, as did those of old: "Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind~" (John 9 : 2). The evil that man experiences in this world is the effect of misconduct in the former world; and by good conduct a person may again rise to high degrees of virtue, even out of hell itself. That sin is the transgression of a just, perfect, holy law of a perfect moral Being of supreme authority, and that to break this law is infinitely sinful ,and degrading, is something scarcely thought of even among the priests. The worst feature about sin-e.g., lying or stealing-is to be caught at it. Hence the degradation and utterly corrupt moral condition of even the priesthood, so that a few years ago the government found itself constrained to give warning that the priests must reform, or punishment must be meted out to them-something never before known in the history of the nation. And if such is the moral, or rather immoral, condition of the shepherds (as even the Buddhist papers bewailingly ar:;sure us), what must needs be the condition of the flock ~ But even this, though of deep significance, is not yet the worst. Bud- dhism does have some vague conception of sin and its final punishment: Pictures of paradise, of hell, and judgment are on sale, and the representations of the latter are certainly awful enough; but its devotees know nothing of a personal Saviour from sin, of effectual repentance, pardon, peace, and a joyous salvation. Only through the Gospel do they learn the words and power of the song : " I have a Saviour, He's pleading in glory, A dear, loving Saviour, though earth·friends be few. II The priests tells us (and statements in this article are based on conversations with priests and observations of the people rather than on books) that a man may, by reading the Buddhist books, become sufficiently free from evil desires to become a Buddha-i.e., attain to perfect happiness before or at death. But when asked whether anyone, as a matter of fact, did really attain to such a state in this life, he could think of but one living priest who was so far perfected that he was entirely free from the desire to steal and the like. Thus it is evident the prospects, the hope of deliverance from sin, even among the priests, is extremely small. And what, then, of the laity ~ It is only through the Gospel that the dark night of despair has been illuminated and filled with hope. Buddha, or S.akya Muni, did not die for the sins of the people. Christ did, and Christianity offers, in place of the unattainable and scarcely desirable ideal of salvation by works, that by faith-present, positive, perfect, free- Christianity has, moreover, given to Japan the best literature of which the Bible is the foundation-stone. The best of foreign missionary and Japanese talent had been for a long time engaged on the work of translation, and by the best Japanese scholars the Bible in the vernacular is pronounced one of the best translations of any book in the language. The various Bible societies, with t.he co·operation of missionaries and colporteurs, are doing a grand work in spreading the Bible. The Japan Scripture Union proposes as one of its objects, to give every man in the country, who is able to read, an opportunity of possessing the Bible for himself. The Christian Physicians' Society of 70 members proposes distributing the Bible among the 40,000 physicians of the empire and the 1000 new men who annually enter the medical ranks. Until the funds permit giving the whole Bible, the Gospel of Luke will be distribut~d, 'fhil? work has already been begun, and is now being carried on. In creating a Christian literature a colossal work has been done. In books, magazines, papers, tracts, leaflets, the number and influence is almost beyond computation. Of the school-books many contain lessons from the Bible. A Japanese youth who refnsed to listen to stories from the Bible, willingly received them out of the Third Reader. The great non-Christian dailies and weeklies often unawares bring their readers stories, anecdotes, and illustrations Christian in source, sentiment, and tendency. But with this I would not make the impression as though Japanese newspaper literature were morally of a particularly high grade. One daily paper recently contained columns of information day after day concerning the gross immoralities of the" Remmonkyo," a Japanese new religious organization. No respectable and patriotic Japanese would translate it into English because of its vileness.
But Christianity has also come in, and by its varied agencies stirred the stagnant moral life of the nation. Gospel temperance work is carried on with vigor, and the crusade is directed also against the smoking of the " filthy weed," which was introduced into Japan by the Portuguese three centuries ago. Prostitution is licensed by the government, and parents still sell their daughters into these physical and moral death-pits with the sanction of the authorities. But Christianity has uncovered the shame of this inhuman business, and sentiment has been created against it. Women themselves have taken a prominent part in this agitation, notably also the woman's magazine. In some parts of the country these public places of shame have been abolished, and the tide is rising higher.
Lying, too, is considered in a different light than it once was. Christianity is setting forth the high ideal of perfect truthfulness and is pressing its claims. As an instance of far-reaching influence upon the whole national life, which shows that veracity and truth is being songht, it may be mentioned that some of the best scholars of the empire are engaged in sifting the national history and mythology in order to ascertain the facts. Truth is coming to be valued and desired ; and although it still meets with great opposition, it will win its way here as elsewhere. Here is another instance from the humbler walks of commercial life. Said a Buddhist orange merchant to the writer recently while praising his oranges: "I don't lie; I am a Christian." Although at the very moment he spoke his foot slipped from the path of truth, as the idols and shrines in and about the house testified, yet the restraining ideal was present. The more that missionaries and Christians generally speak and live the truth among this people, the more will its power and influence spread.
In religion in general, Christianity is substituting optimism for the former pessimism. The old religious ideal was "to leave the world of suffering" and enter Nirvana, or be absorbed into the universe and prilctical nothingness ; the new is to stay in the world and help reform it. This exceeding pessimism and materialism is justly charged to the old religion. It may be due in a large degree to the ill prospects for the future world as held out by its teachings, and as believed in at least by the common people. But yesterday I studied a pair of Buddhist paintings. The one represented paradise or heaven, with Buddha sitting in a huge lotus flower as his throne, surrounded with the sacred lotus flowers and absorbed in peaceful contemplation. The angels were beings with female faces and upper extremities, and having the wings and tails of peacocks. Similar forms were in a boat on the lotus pond gathering these sacred flowers and presenting them afterward to Buddha. This, with some minor details, was to represent paradise, heaven. It was extremely commonplace at the best, and but little calculated to create any strong desire in anyone to go there. Nearly every detail of the Christian's conception of heaven was conspicuously wanting.
The second was a representation of the final judgment and hell. It was certainly awful enough. Children were there as well as adults. Among many things else was a big brown demon who, amid streams of gore, was extracting the tongues of liars. Then there was also Pin Mountain (a mountain made of pins and needles with the points upward), on which scores of women were suffering and streams of blood were flowing. These were women who had not been as careful in this world as they ought in the use of pins. Such is the pessimism of the old religion as popularly believed. What a contrast between these and Christian ideals! Not that the hell of the Bible is described in any less terrible words and figures, but through the Gospel this present life has become worth living, and our heaven is unspeakably more lovely and worth gaining, and if! accessible not only to priests and their kind, but to all who trust in Christ for salvation.
Christianity has given to Japan an ideal for home life, such as had never been known in this land before-a Christian home. Not that it has changed all or even a very large per cent of Japanese homes as yet. Quite the contrary; but the model is here, criticised by the unthinking few, but admired and desired by the intelligent many. The ideal Christian marriage, the foundation of the Christian home, is based on individual freedom, mutual acquaintauceship, union of hearts in reciprocal love, and respect for mutual rights and obligations. The custom of Japan is that partners for life, or rather for a while, are selected by a "go-between." I say" for a while" advisedly, as one third of the marriage contracts are broken by divorce, to say nothing of other kinds of unfaithfulness. In Christian America, sad to sa], the proportions of divorces to marriages are one to sixteen; but here they are one to three. Christ allows but one reason for divorce-adultery-and that to both man and woman. Confucius, the Chinese sage, after whose ideas the Japanese laws, customs, and practices on this subject are modelled, allows man, and him only, seven grounds for divorce-disobedience, barrenness, lewd conduct, jealousy, leprosy or any other foul and incurable disease, too much talki.ng, and thievishness. Christianity is justified, therefore, in setting up her ideal for Japan's imitation, and it is to the credit of this country that she is accepting the best. Christianity has also set a stake to concubinage, which was introduced into Japan while Confucianism was regnant.
The social status of woman is much improved, and her rights are being recognized more and more by "the lords of creation," by the law, and in the courts. They are, moreover, being admitted to superior educational advantages in the various government and mission girls' schools, and are winning their way to eminence in literature and art, music, poetry, painting, and other vocations. Formerly woman was regarded as so much inferior to man, that by the teachings of Japanese Buddhism she was denied entrance to the higher joys of the future world. Christianity knows no such distinctions, and the work of woman's emancipation in Japan has at least been well begun.
Even for her general educational system and progress Japan is in no small degree indebted to Christianity. Early education was in the hands of Buddhist priests, and the studies were the Slltras. Three centnries ago Confucianism came into power with the rise of the Shogunate, and from that time on, the Confucian and Chinese classics were learned by heart, and instruction was imparted in the national history and literature. Meagre as it was, and excluding women as it did, with the revolution of 1868 the old system of education fell with the Shogunate, and an entirely new start was made. Americans, notably missionaries and mission schools, exerted a strong moulding influence upon the trend of the new Japanese education in its early days. Rev. Dr. Verbeck was the organizer and for some years the head of what is now the Imperial University at Tokyo. He was also for a long time educational adviser to the· government, and thus in a position to exert an influence for immeasurable good in behalf of Japan. The common school system of Japan was modelled after that of America. Dr. McCartee, now over fifty years a missionary in Japan and China, was also a professor in the university for some years.
Nor should the names of Griffis, Janes, President Clark, and others be forgotten in connection with the establishment of the new educational system, all of whom exerted a strong Christian influence and gave it direction and momentum. Should anyone think that Christian ideas have not yet sufficiently penetrated Japan's education, let him ponder what Professor Chamberlain, of the Imperial University, says of this people's original condition: "What is the situation g The nations of the West have, broadly speaking, a common past, a common fund of ideas, from which everything they have and are springs naturally, as a part of a correlated whole-one Roman Empire in the background, one Christian religion at the centre, one gradual emancipation, first from feudalism and next from absolutism, worked out or now in process of being worked out together, one art, one music, one kind of idiom, even though the words expressing it vary from land to land. "Japan stands beyond this pale, because her past has been lived through under conditions altogether different. China is her Greece and Rome. Her language is not Aryan, as even Russia's is. Allusions familiar from one end of Christendom to the other require a whole chapter of com- mentary to make them at all intelligible to a Japanese student, who often has not, even then, any words corresponding to those which it is sought to translate." All this and much more is fact, and in view. of this it may with truth be said that in the educational line a work of magnificent pro- portions has already been accomplished j and through mission schools and other agencies, Christianity is still exerting a widely felt and lasting influ- ence for the highest good, educationally, of the nation.
Under the Tokugawa regime more than five persons were not allowed for any purpose to club together under penalty of law. Associations and societies for mutual aid or for the common weal were impossible. The hand of God was in its overthrow, and since then Christianity has come in and originated a varied and organized charity in Japan, as it does wherever it goes. Orphanages and homes for the needy poor have been established and are receiving constant support, and their number is increasing. The Roman Catholics alone report 17 with 1772 children j then they have a hospital for lepers with 86 inmates, and another for the aged. Protestant missions have 3 hospitals with 760 in-patients treated during the past year. Then there is the Sanitary Society with over 6000 members, the Red Cross Society, under immediate patronage of the Empress, both of them Christian in spirit and purpose; but besides these there are a number of other hospitals, orphanages, relief societies and charitable organizations springing up throughout the land, the legitimate fruit of Christianity and its civilization.
Absolutism, moreover, has had to give way to a constitutional form of government which pledges itself to respect the rights of the governed and promises religious liberty to Japanese subjects, if that liberty be not set aside by the government's interpretation of the twenty-eighth article of the constitution. That reads: "Japanese subjects shall, within limits not prejudicial to peace or order, and not a:ntagonistic to their duties as subjects, enjoy freedom of religious belief." It will be seen, by a careful reading of the article, that there is still considerable room for absolutism to curtail the religious liberty of Japanese subjects by acts of tyranny on the part of heads of departments of government and other officials. In point of fact this tyranny has been, and still is being exercised against Christian soldiers, school-teachers, scholars, and others, and the question may well be asked, " Is Japan dealing fairly g"
And yet the promulgation of the constitution and the institution of a representative legislative assembly, both of which, let it be remembered, are in their origin distinctively Christian, was a magnificent step upward. True, the one is not absolutely perfect, nor the other working t~o smoothly; but that is only repeating the history of representative governmente! in Western lands. Continental European history furnishes ample proof of this.
In this same line other and important reforms, all for the amelioration of the condition of the people, and for their elevation and civilization, have been inaugurated. Local self-government has also been established. The social disabilities of the pariah class, or eta, have been removed, a law passed against nudity in cities, the samurai have been forbidden to wear their barbarous sword, the burden of land-tax lightened by one half per cent, new and more civilized, and it may justly be said Christianized, laws and courts established for the whole country. And all this within a little more than a quarter of a century. Now, many of these are unquestionably permanent Christian institutions, and will remain comparatively unaffected by the ebb and flow of pro or anti-Occidental sentiment. Thus the foundation of a new nation has been laid deep and strong, and it now remains to continue the building.
When the present treaty ports were opened trade was at a very low ebb. Long ages of aristocratic feudalism, with its vexatious and ruinous restrictions, had dwarfed trade, and put it into the hands of a class of traders utterly unsuited to produce a national commercial prosperity. They were of low caste, but of a commercial morality still lower, " tricky rather than clever," and "the largest dealer did not consider it a breach of moral obligation to break a contract which went against his interests even in a trifling sum." The standard of business morality has, however, been greatly improved since their contact with the better business methods and morals of foreigners; and there still is room for improvement ad infinitum.
Commerce rests on intelligence and mutual confidence, on character for honesty and truthfulness. Native businessmen recognize this, and are seeking to establish these. Christianity promotes these. Thus domestic trade has been resurrected, so to speak, and since the opening of the country to Western nations, Japan's domestic and foreign trade has marvellously developed. In 1879 its foreign trade was estimated at only $66,000,000 ; ten years later it had more than doubled, being $136,000,- 000 in 1889 ; and since then it has largely increased, the Trade Report for the past half year indicating a foreign trade of over $210,000,000 annually. About 70 per cent of this is with distant Christian America and England, while her near heathen neighbor, China, had only 11 per cent of the above. These figures and proportions cannot be altogether without significance. Without speaking of the numerous and important industries which have arisen within the last two decades, and without entering the subject farther, it is evident that Christianity has made work and honest trade honorable as well as in many respects profitable in this land.
These are some of the indications that Christianity, in its widest sensQ, iii by no means without influence in this land. Christianity has given
THE OPEN DOOR OF KOltEA. 6&1
Japa.n the highest po!!!!ible religiou!! and ethical ideals a.nd teaching!!, the basis for her highest possible intellectual, moral, and material development; and although internal forces were at work which would have brought about a revolution, even if outside influences had not come in, yet from former revolutions, as compared with this last, it is evident, that the impact of Christianity and its civilization has given to Japan such direction and momentum as have made the Japan we see to-day, and has opened a most brilliant and promising future for the nation. But infinitely more than all that, the Gospel has come and brought eternal life to the shores, the homes and the hearts of Japan, and still proposes to itself the great task of saving this land of the rising sun.
THE OPEN DOOR OF KOREA.
BY C. C. VINTON, M.D., SEOUL, KOREA.
A few remarks upon the advantages enjoyed by a missionary in Korea may be especially welcome just now to those who have been accustomed to think of Korea as the far-off Hermit Kingdom, yesterday guarded at every loophole against the intrusion of a single foreign idea, to-day brought miraculously in contact with the blessings of civilization through the good office of a recently transformed neighbor.
Ten years and some few months have passed since missionaries first gained a foothold in this exclusive land. In that time they have taken many steps toward an understanding of its people, customs, and institutions. One fact, early perceived, and more fully realized with fuller knowledge, is that this spirit of seclusion is not a characteristic of the people themselves, but is part of the subtle scheme by which China has held them for centuries in her toils. As the child shuns the garret because it has been told there are goblins there, so the confiding Korean has learned from generation to generation to dread contact with those outer barbarians whom his kind protector, the Chinaman, told him knew only guile. Once when, three hundred years ago, a horde of such barbarians actually gained an entrance and overran his land, he found it quite as the Chinaman had said. Now it is not my wish here to discuss the premises or to call in question the conclusion itself. I seek only to draw attention to the fact that the Korean, when left to himself, is not by any means an exclusive individual, as his Chinese neighbor s~ems naturally to be; that his dislike of foreigners is based really upon ignorance, and that whatever grounds have been thought to exist for the opposite view may be readily explained by his failure to understand the foreigner and the foreigner's failure to understand him.
Simple and childlike in all but the mark of sin the Evil One has stamped upon him, the native Korean is ready to sit at the feet of whoever will instruct him. At China's feet he has sat thus long because she has con- strained him by force and persuaded him by arts. She has told him that her knowledge, her faith, and her customs arc all·sufficient, and all others false and bad; and he has believed her because he had no means of know- ing otherwise, except to let in the very evils against whose entrance she persistently warned him. So, when at last the foreigner really came with peaceful intent, there were no standards by which to judge him but those China had taught, and by these he proved lamentably deficient. How ignorant, how stupendously ignorant he was I He could not even read. For surely no civilized man would call that reading matter which was not expressed in those grand old Chinese characters, the only perfect language. How comical his dress I How undignified his gait I Both utterly unworthy the bearing of a man of breeding. How debasing his habit of performing tasks fit only for a servant! Witness his tennis-playing. Witness his gardening. Witness the personal dressing of wounds by the foreign surgeon. And, then, how violent the language he used over small things! So often petUlant or even positively angry merely because the horses he had hired for to-day have since been let out to another. And withal how impious! Since evidence can be found neither of reverence for his ancestors, nor for the spirits of his abIding-place, nor for any tangible god. How wanting in good manners, in good looks, in good taste I How incomprehensible in everyone of his traits! Altogether how contemptible a barbarian !
From the Korean stan point, yes. Quite as much as the Korean from ours. How much, there: .re, of mutual concession and adaptation was needful before any common ground of appreciation and sympathy could be reached.
But, as was said, steps have been taken-and not alone upon one side. In these more recent years the missionary has come to be able in some degree to put himself in the place of his neighbor. He understands somewhat better the modes of thought, the ambitions, the various pursuits and employments, the family life, and the superstitions of those around him. If be has not come to feel as they do, he can at least appreciate in many respects their feelings; and, on the other hand, they, if they do not appreciate his, have lost no small measure of their distrust for him. They have gotten to understand how large a measure of humanity is common to mankind, and so have joined in seeking a possible plane of mutual intercourse.
It is due, perhaps, to this gradually changing attitude most of all, that the door has been opened so widely of late to admit the Christian preacher. That such is the case no one doubts who' is cognizant of the facts. The missionaries' ability to present the Gospel acceptably and the native's willingness to receive it have increased manyfold within a few years. Of casual hearers to-day, a larger proportion manifest an interest in sacred trutbs than formerly. Of those in whom a first interest has been awakened, more prove to b~ sincere inquirers. From among inquirers, an increasing number seek admittance to the church. Such a stage exists in the prog- ress of any field toward Christianization. It might be called the stage of mutual confidence. The missionary has learned the character of his hearers and knows how best to direct his shafts. The native has learned the character of his teacher and puts confidence in his sincerity and wisdom.
Korea's door was from the outset said to stand wide open; and it did. From the day when Dr. Allen first opened that door at the point of his lancet, the missionary has gone frcely in and out. He has been forbidden to preach publicly, never privately. He has conducted educational enter- prises, in government employ as well as under the home board. He has freely treated and conversed with patients of high and of low degree alike. He has enjoyed perfect freedom of travel and of quiet intercourse with the people. Many in official circles have listened to the explanation of Chris- tian truth, as well as those of lesser degree ; and many of the people heard gladly, and praised the doctrine, and made little objection and-failed to believe. It was as the seed that fell upon stony places. The door was indeed open, but few regarded him that entered.
The door may be no wider open to-day, but they that are within give better heed. The formal prohibition of public preaching is not removed, but it has long become a dead letter, so that foreign missionaries and . native evangelists discourse freely to few or many by the roadside, in the hostelry, or in established chapels. The schools now number their pupils by scores instead of by singles, and hours of Bible study replace those formerly given of necessity to heathen classics. Patients refuse less often the surgeon's knife, recognizing that Ilis dependence is on God. Where preaching before was barren, inquirers are wont to appear. Scattered liter- ature begins to fructuate in readers seeking further light. A better soil has been reached. Korea not only admits, but welcomes.
This change had been gradually coming about during a period of sev- eral years, when last summer the war cloud burst over Korea. No wonder the poor little nation lost its wits. With impetuous onrush the dreaded Japanese swept over the land, hurling before them the forces of her ancient protector and destroying the illusions of a thousand years. The subsequent political changes, if not many in fact, are significant. A new era has dawned,-the Kaiwha-the era of reform. The former cabinet of Chinese sympathizers has been replaced by one of Japanese proclivities. Europeanized dress, coinage, and police are being introduced. A printed newspaper is issued every two days, and has a fair native circulation. A newly established Department of Education contemplates the inculcation of modern knowledge. Railroads are planned, and a train is in actual oper- ation from Pyeng Yang to the river mouth. At the palace and in all the public offices Sunday is observed as a day of rest. Honest men are being sought to take the responsible office of magistrate in country districts.
The suggestion for these reforms originates with the conqueror. They were upheld at the outset by the strong arm of a military occupation; but they are not repugnant in the main to the nation. They meet with the hearty favor of the Iring, who is really a beneficent sovereign, and who never held with the Chinese party to whom he was obliged to bend. Many of the higher government posts are filled by young men of noble Korean blood who have lived abroad, in several instances for more than a decade. Having experienced the blessings of enlightened government, they have returned to become the standard-bearers of social reform in their native land. Shopkeepers, farmers, and the other substantial classes hail the prospect of an honest collection of taxes and an honest expenditure of government funds. Gradually throughout the first few months of its propagation the Kaiwha has accumulated prestige, until now public opinion is almost unified in its favor. Foreign ideas, foreign dress, foreign implements, foreign laws, foreign observances, foreign learning are everywhere being spoken of as good, the ancient customs of the past as foolish and unprofitable. Rumors of expected fresh innovations fill the air, not only at the seat of government, but in far-off country precincts; and such rumors elicit oftener the approval than the objections of their hearers.
With these social and political changes the new era brings also a changed attitude on the part of the government toward Christianity. Of the new cabinet and their immediate supporters several are professed Christians, members of churches in the foreign cities where they have lived. Many others have experienced the benefits of religious freedom. Both king and queen have heard during the past winter, and willingly, from medical missionaries in attendance upon them, something of the truths of salvation. Officials in high position request, read, and discuss copies of the New Testament and other religious books. In such an atmosphere the law of death to those who profess Christianity is forgotten, and such persecutions as that of the previous spring at Pyeng Yang become impossible.
This interest in Christianity in high qua_ters may be taken as an evidence of that on lower social planes. This spring, as never before, the people flock to hear the preaching of the Gospel. Chapels are crowded. The throng surround windows and doors to the full radius of the speaker's voice. Street preachers draw larger groups than ever before. Hearers at dispensaries give closer attention than nsual. In country districts a. wider circle and a higher social stratum are reached. Men who have hitherto disdained the missionary now seek his attention, and this not by ones and twos, but everywhere in numbers. Men who have lived in open sin come confessing, repenting, and taking up the cross. As an inevitable consequence of this growing interest, sessions and examining bodies find their work growing burdensome. At every communion season there are numerous admissions. Nearly every Sabbath some baptism occurs. The lists of catechumens are full to overflowing. With all due caution as to seriousness and permanency of impression, this steady increase continues.
To the missionary, looking backward, then forward, it s~ems that an era. of unlimited Christian exteneion hae come on Korea, that very period for which he has been longing and praying, for which so many prayers were offered during the month-long visit among us last winter of the saintly Bishop Ninde. Vistas of rapid church growth, of multitudinous con"versions, rise before him, of speedy extension into every province and magistracy and larger town. What is God's wiII? The Christian community in Korea waits to learn it-waits not, but presses onward to preach at His bidding and to see what great things He will do.
The nation is in expectation. They look for the changing of all that is past. They are not more wedded to their old religious ideas than to those of daily social observance. The nation nevcr had a religion-only a superstition. With scholars it is the following of the precepts of Confucius j with the common people the propitiation of local spirits. Shall ever a more favorable season occur for the wide uprooting of these beliefs and the presentation of Christian truth?
What is to hinder? Chiefly the lack of workers. There is already more laid upon those in the field than they are equal for. Enquirers at every hand, new avenues daily opening, country districts one after another giving the invitation to come and preach, here a group of newly born converts in need of careful nurturing, there a slightly stronger community building themselves a church and calling for the meat of the "VOl·d-this is all as we would have it j but the hands that are ready and willing to work are weary, and drop powerless with its magnitude.
Such a crisis in religious things as passed over Japan two decades ago is to-day passing over Korea-a time when work counts double, when the first harvest is ripe and calls for garnering, when the land may be rapidly won or slowly lost-the land spoken of as a whole, as we speak of the Christian nations. As in Japan, through fewness of laborers, are opportunities and advantages to be lost? Or shall the force be so increased and so speedily that Korea shall be won while yet a fair and unbroken jewel for Christ?
The open door does not fail to be seen by those who have lately been pushing it farther open. The Christian churches of Japan have not been slow in organizing to send missionaries across the straits that separate them from Korea. Their coming is looked for and longed for by those already in the field. May Japan crown her labors by proving not only the civilizing, but the Christianizing power of the far East. From her shores yet another body of propagandists have bp,en still qnicker to embark, and are spreading their cult with a zeal not heaven-born. Throughout the southern provinces, under the guidance of a horde of Japanese monks, the revival of Buddhism progresses with a rapidity which indicates a ready acceptance for higher forms of faith. Christian missionaries do not dread them. It is not for their teachings that the heart of the sinner hungers. They preach a dying faith, and its revival can never infuse real vitality. Would that God might see fit to rouse His people to come hither and labor 8S these are doing.
THE MISSIONARY WORK OF THE LORD JESUS. [September _
THE MISSIONARY WORK OF THE LORD JESUS.* A PLEA FOR MEDICAL MISSIONS.
BY W. P. MEARS, M.A., M.D.
As in spiritual, moral, and social life, so also in mission work the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth in Holy Scripture as the Great Example to be followed.
Thus in regard to mission work He says: "As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you." "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world" (John 20 : 21 j 17 : 18).
In undertaking mission work, therefore, especially to the heathen, it is of first importance to inquire in what way the Lord Jesus carried out the mission on which He was sent, so far as concerned His work as a Man among men.
Limiting the inquiry to the Gospel of St. Matthew, the description of the first missionary journey (Matt. 4) is utilized for the illustration, by various typical examples, of the method Jesus employed in carrying on His mission work, just as the journey itself was used for the preliminary instruction of His disciples.
The Method of Work is set out first in summary. "Jesus went about all Galilee (a) TEACHING in their synagogues, and (b) PREACHING the Gos- pel of the kingdom, and (c) HEALING all manner of sickness and all manner of disease, . . . and they brought unto Him all sick people, that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and (a) those which were possessed with devils, and (f3) those which were lunatic, and (y) those that had the palsy: and He healed them." . Not only are three modes of work mentioned-viz., preaching, teaching, and healing-but also three distinct varieties of healing j for of the" divers diseases and torments" there were three groups-viz. (a) that consisting in the possession by the devil of the soul as well as of the physical organism j (f3) that comprising disorders of the mind; and (y) that constituted by diseases of the body.
The method of work is then described in detail: (a) As to Teaching.-He taught His disciples, in chapter 5, first, what manner of spirit they must have, since "theirs is the kingdom of heaven j" secondly, what kind of work they must do that others might see their" good works," and glorify their Father in heaven j and that they themselves, as children of Him who does good to all alike, might be perfect even as He is perfect. Thirdly, in chapter 6 He taught them that -whether for spirit or for body, for life toward God or life toward man- * This paper is but exteuded extracts from what is perhaps the most superb appeal for med- ical missions to be found in the literature of the subject, and which originally appeared in the (Jhurch Missionary Intelligencer, September and December, 1894. With great reluctance we have been compelled to abridge it, feeling that abridgment approaches mutilation. But we hope our readers may be led to send to Salisbury Square for a copy of the entire addrcRs.-A. T. P. implicit faith in their Heavenly Father for every detail was essential (verses 1-34).
(b) As to Preaehing.-In chapter 7 Jesus turned rather to the mul- titude, for we are told" the people were astonished at His teaching." In so doing He changed the character of His address somewhat, preaching rather than teaching. First, He reproved, invited, and encouraged His hearers (v~rses 1-11). Secondly, He drew from all that He had said the practical application: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Thirdly, He appealed to the people to accept His message- proved true, as it was, by its fruits of good works of love and mercy- and to " beware of false prophets," whose message was in human words and not in God-like deeds. Lastly, He closed with a terrible warning as to the inevitable fate of those who might hear His words, but not do His works.
Through both teaching and preaching the same dominant theme runs -loving faith toward God issuing in loving work toward man.
(c) As to Healing.-While the summary statement indicates how broad is the meaning of the words "all manner of sickness and all manner of disease" (4 : 23), the detailed examples in chapter 8 show how wide is the sense of the expression" all sick people" (4 : 24).
These examples are four in number, and cover all classes of men-viz. : The unclean by the Law physically-a Jew, a leper j the unclean by the Law ceremonially-a Gentile, the centurion's servant j the follower of Christ-Peter's wife's mother; the possessed of the devil-many of the people. * " He healed all that were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ' Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses' " (8 : 17).· It was part of the mission of Jesus to share in all the troubles of every man, and to save every man altogether, body and soul, in or from all. So He healed all who came of all sickness, not merely or only as a sign of His M:essiahship, nor merely to draw people to Him, but rather as an integral and essential part of His mission (11 : 5). Jesus identified Himself with those with whom He came into relation, putting Himself in their place, coming down to their level, and drawing them to Him by His deep sympathy with their seemingly small troubles (e.g., in the cases of Bartimoous, the Syro-Phcenician woman, and the hungry.multitude). Does it not seem as if the Holy Spirit at the very outset laid special emphasis on the practical side of the mission of Jesus for the salvation of the whole man-body and soul? Dare we overlook such an Example, so emphasized in a record inspired by God Himself ?
The result of all was that the multitudes so pressed on Jesus that He * Dr. Mears might have added that these four ailments were manifestly typical: Leprosy, of the guilt ohin ; palsy, of the impotence of sin ; fever, of its inflamed lusts; and demoniacal possession, of diabolical control.-EDITOR. was obliged tu go away across the lake. Meanwhile, on the part of the Pharisees and others, jealousy and opposition were steadily on the increase.
Then came the first apparent check. The cure of a demoniac coupled with the judgment of sin (in the case of ihe keepers of the swine) resulted in a request from the people that He "would depart out of their coasts." So ended the first missionary journey.
In His own district He encountered a second apparent check, not for healing the sick and judging sin, as in the last case, but for healing the sick and forgiving sin, in the case of a palsied man. This event, as a lesson to His disciples, preparatory to a more extended missionary journey, gave the key to the view taken by Jesus of His work. Sickness no less than sin was one of those works of the devil which He had come to destroy.
Thus, in the first place, He spoke of an infirm woman as one" whom Satan hath bound." So, too, Peter described Him as " healing all that were oppressed of the devil." So Paul spoke of his own bodily afHiction as " the messenger of Satan;" so in Hebrews it is said, " Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also • • . took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death-that is, the devil-and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
In the second place, Jesus here based His action on an argument which, as a syllogism, stands thus: The cure of sickness and the forgiveness of sins are equally the pre- rogative of God; I heal sickness without usurping that prerogative (i.e., committing blasphemy); therefore I forgive sins without blasphemy.
Or, the cure of sickness and the forgiveness of sins are identical in nature; I heal sickness; therefore I can forgive sins.
In a similar way, in the cure of a demoniac, Jesus argued: By the finger of God (or Spirit of God) only can cure be wrought; I cure; therefore I cure by the finger of God (or Spirit of God).
No man, as a mere man, can make the statement in the minor premiss of either apgument. Just as no mere man can forgive sins, so no mere man can cure or heal. A farmer merely sows the seed, but God gives the increase; a doctor merely gives treatment, it is God who cures. A medi- cal man, going in the power of God among the heathen, and showing the practical mercy and love of the Master, would, if but wholly filled with the Spirit, undoubtedly come very near to a modern representative of Jesus as He appeared to the men among whom He lived. • After the record of the two checks, there follow examples of teaching in a centre of opposition-to opponents and questioners-arising out of the preceding cure. Immediately after that cure Jesus, making His healing power a text for His preaching, used a further application of the same argument to confute the objectlOn of the Pharisees that He associated with sinners, and said in effect: "I came not to heal the whole but the sick, the sick in body and the sick in soul, sinners and not righteous men." Then come examples of healing in a centre of opposition. There in His own district He could not openly work because of the unbelief of the people. To the wilfully blind there was no revelation, to the voluntary unbeliever no sign. Still He refused none who came to Him. Hence it happened that in such a district He helped those who needed His help secretly or under pledge of secrecy.
Thus He raised to life the daughter of J aims, one of the class most opposed to Him (the people being excluded) ; He healed the woman with an issue (no one seeing) ; He cured two blind men (" in the house," so that" no man might know it") ; He drove out a devil (presumably in His own home).
Starting again on a second missionary journey, Jesus at first worked alone, "teaching • . • and preaching. . . and healing every sick- ness, . . . "as on His first journey. Healing was part of His work in private as well as in public. So heavy was the work and so great His compassion for the people, that after prayer He appointed the twelve to assist Him.
In this and six other places Jesus is spoken of as being" moved with compassion;" and in every case the objects were persons suffering from some 'purely temporal trouble. In sending out" laborers" He gave them power, while preaching, to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. The arrival of the kingdom was to be shown by the good done by the messengers. The other passages are as follows: The trouble of Bartimreus and his companion; the sorrow of the widow of Nain ; the need of the hungry multitude; the sickness of the multitude and the sickness of the leper; the adversity of the demoniac of Gadara.
Next come the names of the apostles, and then the terms of the commission -viz., " Go . • . preach . •. heal."
Jesus then" departed thence to teach and to preach," and soon came first into contact with the truly good, and then into more violent conflict with the bad. '
First He referred John the Baptist for proof of His Messiahship to His good deeds coupled with His good message, associating together as one heal- ing and preaching. He referred the people, as He had referred John, to His works, saying, "The works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me that the Father hath sent Me." Jesus did not in His public work lay weight on His fulfilment of prophecies concerning Himself, nor on the testimony of John the Baptist, but rather on the fact that His works of mercy, humanity, and healing were proofs that He was come from God the Father, and that His message of love and good-will was God-given.
He condemned the cities of Galilee, not for refusing to believe His words, but for refusing, in face of His works, to accept Him as the Mes- senger and Representative of God.
Rapidly the opposition grew. In contending with the Pharisees Jesus first argued that ., mercy is more than sacrifice," and that the satisfaction of even the temporal real need of man must take precedence of the ceremoniallaw, and even of the law of the Sabbath; that the greater law of whole-souled love to God, and of beneficent and philanthropic love to men, fulfilled all the canon of tbe law of Moses.
Jesus next illustrated this by the healing of a man with a withered hand. Nor did He lay the least stress on the miraculous power shown, but compared the bealing of the man simply to the lifting of a sheep out of a pit-to a deed of mercy which, being in man's power to do, ought therefore to be done. In a still more striking case-an infirm woman bent together-Jesus put this view forward very emphatically, saying in effect, " If it would be considered cruel and unmerciful to keep an ox tied up from the watering, would it not be far m01'e cruel, even inhuman, to rifuse to loose this woman, it being in one' 8 power to do so ? OUGHT not; the woman -if only as a deed of common humanity, how much more of God-like love-to be loosed eVen on the Sabbath day?" These passages give us not only the strongest indirect command, but the strongest logical argument for rendering benevolent, and especially medical help to all who need it.
In a rage the Pharisees went out to plot against Him, while He went out to continue His work of mercy among the" great multitudes" who were following Him, for " He healed them all."
The opponents of Jesus seized the occasion of His next recorded deed of healing-of a demoniac-as a pretext for ascribing His good works of mercy and love to the devil. Once more Jesus endeavored to show them how the devil is a destroyer and not a healer. Following up His withdrawal from open teaching and open works, He afterward spoke openly to His disciples only, but taught the people in parahles, because they would not see that He was the Healer not only of the body, but also of the soul, lest they "should be converted and He should heal them." So under a darkening cloud of conspiracy abroad and scandal at home, He brought His second missionary journey to a close in " His own country." It will be noticed that the works of Jesus produced three effects : (a) The people were attracted, andglorified God for what was done. (b) The religious leaders of the people were filled with malice. (c) The governors of the nation were undisturbed, or were rendered tolerantly curious. In His third missionary journey, immediately after the rejection and murder of His great forerunner, Jesus carried out His intention of withdrawal from open teaching and healing, and so ., departed into a desert place apart j" but, followed by the crowd, "was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick," even in His retirement carrying on His work of benevolent love. To get clear of the people and to secure freedom from observation, Jesus dismissed the multitude, sent His disciples over the lake, and followed them Himself. Landing northwest of the lake, still bent on withdrawal, He went toward Phamicia, but was hindered in His progress by His work of healing. As soon as the. inhabitants heard of His landing, "they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto Him all that were diseased, and besought Him" to heal them. What exact and literal repetitions of this scene occur in the experience of every medical missionary ! It is because Christians, as a rule, pass their lives in Christian lands, and are so accustomed to regard as entirely distinct the organizations for spiritual work and those for so-called philanthropic work, that philanthropy has ceased to be a distinctive sign of Christianity, and that Christians fail to realize the urgency and paramount importance of the close association of Gospel preaching and philanthropic labor, which is the most striking characteristic of the work as missionaries of our Lord and of His apostles; which, too, in the present day is proving to be the great lever by which alone, apparently, the fanaticism of the Mohammedan belt of Central Asia from Turkey to Thibet, and the utterly dead indifferentism of the small world of China, can to any very visible extent be moved.
Jesus passed beyond the Jewish pale and reached" the coasts of Tyre and Sidon," Himself the first to carry the universal Gospel to the Gentiles, by recognizing the faith of the Syro-Phamician woman, and by healing her daughter (15 : 22-28).
Passing thence, to avoid publicity He "went up into a mountain and sat down there." As before, He could not be hid. "Great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them," so that the people " glorified the God of IsraeL" So with the medical missionary of to-day. The sick are brought to him from all parts, and are literally cast down at his feet for him to cure, with the result in many cases. that the patients and their friends have been led to glorify the God who has put such love in the hearts of men, and has given them such means for the carrying of it into effect. All the power to heal, all the medical and surgical knowledge we have, is given directly by God for the use of men through men. Are Christians like their Master when they keep to themselves gifts such as these through which their lives have been so benefited-gifts which the Master used so liberally for all, Gentile and Jew, saint and sinner alike?
Here, as if to drive this lesson right home, Jesus suddenly called His disciples to Him, and said: "I have compassion on the multitude." For what great cause? For nothing more than so ordinary a trouble as a temporary want offood. If so small a bodily want excited the compassion of Jesus, and led to so markedly delibemte an exhibition of it, how can His Church of to-day neglect the great inarticulate wail which hourly rises to heaven from half the population of the whole ,globe, as they vainly cry out in their sickness and miser,!!, theil' helplessness and hopelessness? If help for them does not come from the Church, whence can it come? These signs were quite insufficient for the religious leaders of the people, who wished for Rigns of power rather than of love. So once more refusing any further sign than His Resurrection, "He left them and departed. "
After coming back to His daily life, Jesus, in response to an appeal for mercy and help, incidentally healed the lunatic whom His disciples had failed to cure. On them His Spirit had not yet wholly fallen. So He showed them that to work as He did they needed the qualifications of the successful missionary-aggressive faith j prayer and self-denial (fasting) j self-sacrifice and daily surrender with reference to what He had just previously told them j and confiding trust as children of the King, in their Father in heaven (17 : 20-27).
Steadfastly setting His face for His great trial, Jesus left Galilee and came into Judrea, and healed the great multitudes which followed Him.
When He left Jericho for Jerusalem, with a heart as full as ever of pity for the troubles of men, whether of soul or body, seeing and hearing blind Bartimreus and his companion, He " had compassion on them" and healed them.
Arriving in Jerusalem, there in His Father's house, where He first went about His Father's business, He finished the mi~sionary work which His Father had given Him to do. And how did He finish it 1 "The blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them.' I So ends in this Gospel the record of the missionary work of Jesus among the people.
In an epilogue, as it were, in speaking of the final judgment, the Lord Jesus sets forth that only those shall enter into the kingdom of heaven who have shown that in this present life they have followed in the footsteps of the Master, who" went about doing good" -who in simple faith and for His sake have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, provided for the solitary, clothed the destitute, cared for the sick, and visited those in any bondage.
Christians are in this world as their Master was in this world. It is by seeing their good works-as once they saw those of Jesus-that men are to be led to glorify the Father. As to what those works are, they are an indissoluble combination of verbal testimony to Jesus with such practical work as is to-day only just beginning to receive recognition by Christians generally-the work, namely, of a typical medical missionary. Can this combination be separated without direct challenge of the method of J esns ~ Is it not tautology to talk of missions and medical missions 1 Are those not the same if they resemble those of Jesus and His apostles and disciples 1 It is true that the work of preaching and the work of healing must be generally in different hands. Is not the one kind of work, however, the necessary complement and supplement of the other 1 Are they not the two sides of the same thing-the human and Divine sides of the gospel of goodwill ~ Joined, then, as these are by God, can they be put aiunder by any man without detriment to the work of God ~ II. Possibly it may be thought that the WORK OF THE APOSTLES after the bestowal of the Pentecostal gifts took a special departure in the direc- tion, chiefly, of two of the three methods of work described in the Gospels -viz., those of preaching and teaching; leaving that of healing to occupy a very secondary and temporary position.
A special study, therefore, of the missionary work of the apostles, as recorded in the Acts and as illustrated in the Epistles, becomes of impor- tance, whether as showing the continuity or otherwise of the indirect work of the Lord when He was "working with" the apostles, through His Spirit, with His direct work, while He " went in and out among" them in the flesh; whether as indicating the exactness or otherwise with which the apostles strove to imitate His example in the carrying out of that work.
In one respect the apostles had to commence and carryon their missionary work under conditions different from those obtaining in missionary effort of the present day: 1. They should be ready to carry the Gospel at once into all quarters and to varions nations; 2. They shonld have power to force home its teaching on men's hearts and consciences and to defend its doctrine against the evil ingenuity of men's minds; 3. They shonld be able, in their practice, to recommend its message of mercy by deeds of mercy.
The apostles and their co-workers and immediate snccessors, therefore, were endowed with special" gifts" for these various ends; and for only so long as they were needed until (a) the Church was firmly planted in the various great centres of the world, and (b) placed under the immediate charge of native presbyters and deacons, in whose hands were written narratives of the life of our Lord and epistolary doctrinal instructions from His apostles.
The special gifts were: 1. Of "divers kinds of tongues" and of "interpretation (understanding) of tongues;" 2. Of " the word of wisdom" (prophecy) and of "the word of knowledge" (teaching) ; 3. Of " the working of miracles" and of "gifts of healing. " None of these gifts are specially given now, because no longer necessary. The missionary of to-day has every means of instrqction at his disposal. As to the first, he can obtain a full Bible in every principal language, with grammars and dictionaries and scholars to aid him; and, as to the second, he can stndy it in the light of its own completeness, and of the teaching of a long line of commentators. Thus, by God's help, he can go out fully equipped as a preacher. Ro, too, as to the third, he can learn to wield a power of healing which would have seemed to be an actual" working of miracles" to the people among whom the apostles moved-as it does seem still to be to the heathen of to-day-and can go out fully equipped as a healer. Special gifts are no longer necessary, not only because the Church is firmly established in the world, but also because its members have (so-called) natural means at their disposal, wholly unattainable in the days of the aJlostles. There is no record of the performance of miracles where " na~- ural" means were available. But though special gifts are not now given in the same openly manifest way, the same Power, who gave them, works in the members of the Church still, and for the same ends, and the same spirit which pervaded the work and teaching of the apostles 8hould pervade their teaching and their work. As there is no longer a special gift for the healer, so there are no longer special gifts for the preacher, the teacher, 0]' the evangelist. If it be said that healing as a part of missionary work should not be employed, because there is not now a special gift of healing, will it not follow that teaching and preaching should cease also, since for these equally with healing there are not now special gifts? Preaching and healing constitute the Divine and human sides of the one Gospel message-a message which promises an "adoption, to wit, th~ redemption of our body" following on the reception of "the Spirit of adoption, whereby" our spirit is led to " cry, Abba, Father."
If the passages in the Book of the Acts are taken seriatim in which the work of the various apostles as missionaries is described, their work, as such, will be found to be a direct continuation of the work of the Master.
The apostles glorified Jesus, whose work they were continuing, and made healing of the body a proof of the truth of their message of healing for the soul. This proof they more particularly emphasized before the Sanhcdrim, who "beholding the man which was healed standing with them could say nothing against it." In the first and only recorded general prayer of the Church, there were only two petitions: "Grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy word, by stretching forth Thine hand to heal." The answer came immediately, for" they spake the word of God with boldness," "and by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought, . . . insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, . . . (and) there came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem bringing sick folks, . . . and they were healed everyone." Is not this record identical with that of the work of Jesus-viz., a record of mercy and healing for all, everywhere, in body and soul?
Such work was not restricted to the apostles only. Stephen," full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people." The people "with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did, for . . • many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. h Healing and good works seem to have been recognized and essential parts of the work of the missionary, whether he were an apostle, a deacon, or an evangelist, going hand in hand with the preaching of the Gospel, and preceding, accompanying, and following the delivery of its message.
Further on Peter found a man sick of the palsy and healed him, pointing to Jesus as the real Healer. Also he raised Dorcas. He called upon Gentiles to come to Jesus, as to One" anointed with the Holy Ghost, who went about doing g'ood and healing all, . . • for God was with Him. " The healing of the body was to Peter a direct work of God, given as a sign of God's love and pity; as a necessary part of His message of mercy, and as a proof of itR truth. That proof Jesus had elaborated when He showed that healing of the body and healing of the soul were possible to God alone, since the one act was the correlative of the other. The same argument, reversed, is therefore used by Paul when he says: "If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies." In other words, the giving of life to the soul is a proof that life will be given to the body. The argument holds good either way.
Like Jesus, the apostles cared for every bodily as well as every spiritual need. Saul and Barnabas took a long journey to carry" relief" to the poor brethren in Judrea; and in their journey spoke" boldly in the Lord, which . . . granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. " An example of their method was given at Lystra in the cure of a cripple.
Then comes St. Paul's first recorded address to the heathen: "This man has been healed by God, who has not left Himself without witness, in that He does good, filling our hearts with food and gladness, and enabling us to do these works of mercy." This address is very like a medical missionary's text and sermon.
It is remarkable that. these "miracles and wonders that God had wrought among the heathen by them" formed the sale reply which Paul and Barnabas gave to the Jewish Church, when questioned as to their mission to the Gentiles. That God was willing that the Gentiles should be healed in body was a sufficient proof that He had opened the door of salvation to them.
In hIS second journey Paul cured a demoniac at Philippi. In his third journey" God wrought special miracles by his hands, so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them." Paul restored Eutychus; he did not wait until he had finished his address, but he went at once in the middle of his sermon. Just as his Master went on healing to the last, so also did he ; for in the last chapter of the Acts he is described as healing the father of the governor of Melita, and" others also which had diseases in the island. "
In the Acts the means and methods employed are only incidentally touched upon, but quite sufficient is said to show that the apostles continued to work precisely as their Master had done. They made deeds of benevolence by no mians a secondary matte1', but did them so commonly and so constantly as to show that they considered them an essential part of their Gospel work and message.
III. Turning to the Epistles, it must be remembered that they give instruction in the truth to believers, while the Gospels and the Acts record missionary work among unbelievers. Naturally, the doctrine taught is deeper and fuller in the former case than in the latter, but it is the same doctrine. If searched through, there will not be found a single exhortation to Christians generally to evangelize, or a single appeal to them on behalf of the heathen around. Are we therefore to conclude that missions are not in accordance with the teaching of the apostles? Certainly not. For the same reason it cannot be urged that healing or work of benevolence is no part of mission work, more especially since these are several times referred to in the Epistles. In the life of Jesus, in His repeated instructions to His disciples when He sent them out, and in the record of the Acts, the duties of missionaries are plainly and sufficiently indicated. In the Epistles, on the othcr hand, the main objects in view are the building up of believers in the faith, and the giving of directions for the government of the Church. Yet on the question of benevolent work the Epistles are very clear. The practice and example of Peter and of Paul have been already dwelt upon. What say the Epistles to the Hebrews, and those of James and John?
The Epistle to the Hebrews says: "Remember them (the apostles) that had the rule over you, which spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their manner of life (marg.), imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to· day , yea, and for ever. . . . Through Him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make cOllfessl:on to His n«me. But to do good, and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (R. V.). Here the sacrifice of praise in witnessing for God is coupled with a similar sacrifice of praise in doing good to men, the one work being to the writer, apparently, as important as the other for the pleasing of God.
James asks, " What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works g • • • If a brothel' or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food (or be sick or in any other temporal trouble), and one of you say unto them, ' Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled (or cured or relieved) ; , notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit .?" The question at the beginning is repeated at the cnd. The kind of works to be done is indicated intermediately, works obviously similar to those before described in the first chapter as an essential part of " pure religion." St. James also indicates that it is the duty of the presbyters to look after the sick, and to use what means they can use to cure them. In this last-mentioned passage, healing of the body is once more coupled with healing of the soul: " The Lord shall raise him (the sick man) up, and, if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."
John says: "Whoso hath this world's good (Gr. j3{o~, anything and everything which appertains to living), and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" What language could possibly be stronger? Having this world's good, if money, we must give to the needy; if power to aid, IlS by- lifting- another man's sheep out of a pit, we must give our help j if benefit of medicine for ourselves, we must share it with those who have it not. Otherwise," how dwelleth the love of God in" us ?
With these words before us, and with the example of the apostleseven were we without the record of the Master's life-we should be guilty if we did not regard benevolent, and especially medical work, as an essential and important part of mission work. How much more shall we be guilty with the Master's example-four times repeated-confronting us, and with His injunction upon us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to " go (as tp.e Good Samaritan went) and do likewise" for all others, no matter whom, whether friends or enemies, wherever and whenever we find anyone in any trouble, sickness, or need. In our primary and supreme anxiety for the soul's welfare we arc often, and quite naturally, apt to lose sight of one not nnimportant point in regard to this injunction which the parable of the Good Samaritan brings out. Our Lord did not say that those who passed by the injured man were, for example (and as we might have supposed), a Pharisee and a Sadducee, professors and self·appointed teachers of religion, and His own special opponents in doctrine and practice j but He implied that those who were guilty of neglect were a priest and a Levite, men specially set apart by God for religious work, men with whom Jesus is never reported to have come int~ collision, to whom, on the contrary, He, the Great Fulfiller of the Law, had shown all deferences, as in the instances of His cleansing of lepers. Why did Jesus select these men for unfavorable contrast? Did He not mean to imply that they were wrong in interpreting their position to be one in virtue of which, as special servants of God, they were to be so exclusively occupied with spiritual things as to be warranted in passing by merely temporal sickness and trouble as something to them" on the other side" of the way-the merely human side of the way of our life here-something which did not fall within their proper sphere of duty ~ Did He not mean to show that the cultivation of His spirit of practical benevolence and mercy and healing was specially incumbent upon them as ministers of the sanctuary j and that in the service" of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man"-in which He Himself is the Great Minister-the exercise of that spirit, for His sake, is of primary importance, and" a more excellent way" of service than the' striving for the best gifts, the exercise of the highest powers, or the making of the greatest sacrifices ~ Surely it. was with the teaching of this parable, and with the text upon which our Lord founded it, in his mind and heart, that St. Paul, in writing to the Galatians and through them to Christians of the present age, gave, as the final summing up of his long argument on legal bondage and Christian freedom, this one concluding sentence for Christian practice and life: "For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' "
TIlE BA.SIS A.ND RESULTS OF MEDICAL MISSIONS
THE BASIS AND RESULTS OF MEDICAL MISSIONS.
BY R. H. GRAVES.
Though all humanitarian work may meet with the Divine approval, .the Christian feels much better satisfied when he has a " Thus saith the Lord" as the basis of his action and a Divine command as the great motive to his work. In speaking of medical missions, I wish, therefore, in the first place, to speak of the place of healing in the Divine plan for the redemption of our race.
In creating man, God made him with a soul and a body, and these two have the most intimate relations with each other. Sin in its origin affected and still affects the soul through the body; and body as well as soul suffers from its penalties. In His thoughts of mercy to our race God pities the body as well as t1le soul of man. Both were created by God, both have felt the curse of sin, and both are to share in God's redemption. As the soul infinitely transcends the body in value and duration, of course this is the chief object of God's solicitude, and still the body is not beneath His notice or His care. In the ministry of the Christ on earth He healed the sick as well as preached the Gospel. His tender heart was touched with pity for the lame, the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the palsied, the maimed, and the leper. At the grave of Lazarus, while He wept tears of sympathy for the grief of the broken-hearted sisters, we are told that He was" indignant in Himself" as He thought of the havoc which death had made in the fair form of his friend Lazarus. He saw Satan's work in men's maimed bodies, as well as in their ruined souls, and "went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil," thns fulfilling His mission to " destroy the works of the devil."
So in sending forth His followers, the healing' of the body had a place in the thoughts of our Lord as well as the salvation of the sou1. And here let me notice a distinction which is not without significance in showing the place which medical missions should occupy in our scheme for the evangelization of the world. In sending forth the twelve who were His apostJ ~s, those to whom were specially entrusted the continuance of His work and the interests of His kingdom, He says: "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise tile dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons." Their great work was preaching; healing was subsidiary (Matt. 10 : 7, 8). In Luke 10 we have an account of His sending out the seventy. Here the commission is, " Cure the sick, and say to them, The kingdom of God is come nigh to you." Notice the healing of the sick occupies the first place, and the Gospel message is to be announced to them. Here we have the warrant and the work of the medical missionary-as a physician to heal the suffering body, and as a messenger from God to tell his patient of Jesus. Thus we have two classes of laborers sent out by Christ: ordained preachers, who are to preach and found churches, and employ healing as im aid to their great work, and those who are to do the preliminary work of healing, but never to forget the immortal soul while caring for the perishing body.
If we turn to the Book of Acts we find the apostles working on these lines. The first great triumphs of the Gospel under Peter and Paul were accomplished by the preaching of the Word, but in Acts 3 and 5 we see how important a place healing occupied iu the early spread of the Gospel. So Paul mentions " he~ling" among the gifts of the Spirit.
I think we are to learn from this that the llealing of the sick should occupy the first place among the helps to the preaching of the Word. As being the only one mentioned in Scripture, it should take the precedence of schools, orphanages, and other agencies.
As the seventy were to do a preliminary work, so now Wi) find medical work of special service in preparing the way for the fuller preaching of the Gospel and founding of churches among the heathen. In China we find it especially useful in opening new stations, by overcoming the prejudices of the people and showing the benevolent aspect of Christianity in a way that the simplest may understand. We can often rent a house for a dispensary where it is impossible to secure one as a preaching-place. After the people understand our object and hear Christian truth privately their opposition melts away, and they are willing to have public preaching in their midst. Thus medical work serves as an entering wedge for the Gospel.
Having spoken of the Divine warrant for medical missions, let U3 now glance at the human need. In God's Providence the concomitant evils of sin and suffering have afflicted our race in every age and every land. In this same Providence the desire and ability to relieve suffering have accompanied the religion of Jesus. While perhaps one may be justified in saying that in God's mercy suffering is less acute among the ruder tribes, where the ability to remove it is small, and the capacity to suffer has increased with the nervous tension which is the result of civilization, and with the growth of medical skill which is able to relieve it, still the great fact remains that sickness and suffering are universal. As a general thing, heathen people have but little ability to remove or alleviate this suffering. Even in the more enlightened heathen lands, as China and India, men have no real knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Microscopy, which is so important a factor in modern physical science, is entirely unknown. Their religious views or hoary prejudices prevent any minute investigation of the true causes of disease. Their theories are crude and unscientific, and their practice is mere empiricism. In China, as in Europe several centuries ago, the most disgusting and inert substances are prescribed as remedies for disease. One has but to read the Pwan Tsao, the standard dispensatory of China, to see this. In surgery the knowledge of the Chinese is almost nil. The overweening value they ascribe to astrology has dislocated what little practical knowledge they may possess. I have seen the charts of an army doctor, where the wounds are to be treated according to the hour of the day in which they were inflicted rather than the parts injured or the instrument which dld the injury. Female complaints go almost entirely unrelieved, as prejudice prevents their calling in even their own ignorant male doctors, and they have no female physicians, except a few women who deal in what we call" old women's remedies." Hence we see the need for educated and trained physicians, both men and women, from Christian lands.
The tendency of heathenism is to dull and harden the heart; and those who suffer from disease receive very little of that sympathy which we have learned from our Master, and which has become an essential part of our Christian ei vilization. A Red Cross Society has been organized at Tientsin by foreigners, to attend to the Chinese wounded. One writing from there says: "The Chinese indifference to their wounded has been to me the worst feature in this war." The statement is published that the Tao tai, the highest official there, when: appealed to, said: "Vhat do I want with wounded men q The sooner they die the better. China has plenty of men." This heathenish eallousness to human suffering seems strange to our ears, but is perfeetly natural to an officer trained in inflicting the tortures which are so common in Chinese courts. When God " makes men's hearts soft" through sickness and pain, they are often better prepared to appreciate Christian sympathy and to receive the Gospel message of comfort and hope.
That the heathen appreciate the efforts of missionary physicians to relieve their ailments is shown by the multitudes who crowd to the dispensaries and hospitals, especially in India and China. In China we sometimes have an amusing illustration of this, in the way in which native quacks try to palm themselves off as agents of foreign institutions. Some thirty years ago, after my dispensary had been opened for a few years at Shin Hing, a city seventy-five miles from Canton, the following handbill was circulated by a man who claimed to have been sent out by me : GREAT ENGLISH PILLS AND POWDERS FOR CURING DANGEROUS DISEASES.
This panacea is respectfully presented to you. In the early years of the Emperor Tau Kwang's reign we came into possession of a recipe, which was given to the foreigners by the great English sage, Jesus, at His appearance on the earth, and transmitted by them entire and unaltered to our house, where the medicine is now compounded. When this remedy is distributed in any place, the public health of that place will be restored in less than ten days. It is truly as efficacious as if given by the gods. Within the past two or three years the people of all classes, from laborers to gentlemen, have crowded the roads and the ferries in all quarters, pressing forward to our shop to obtain the medicine. They have therefore begged us to take the medicine to all the departments, districts, market towns, fairs, and villages of the land, that we may save men's .lives by its free distribution. These pills can cure cholera. Anyone having pains, cramps, diarrhooa, dysentery, paralysis, or children suffering from fright, may come. Men and women, the old and the young may be cured by a single pill. Swallow it and drink a little rice gruel after it. A.s soon as the pill reaches the stomach the disease will be perfectly cured.
Many have counterfeited these pills, but we have the only genuine article. These men sell their medicine through love of gain, but we do not take a single cash. Signed, Messrs. Ng., Hall of Tranquil Veneration.
P.S.-Sundays and days for seeing patients, as follows: etc.
Some of these quacks put some amusing attempts at English on their posters and handbills. In Canton, on the walls may be seen in large letters, " Dr. – – , Physician to Leprosy-nor Doctors' Fees Discharged," by which is meant "leprosy cured, or the doctor's fee returned." In Macao is a sign, " Ip. healer, can doctor to surgery line, medicine line, • all kinds illness dispensation." Ent enough of this.
H we look at the results of medical missions we will find them most encouraging. They were begun by Dr. Peter Parker, who was sent to Canton by the A. B. C. F. M. in 1835. The Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society, which has trained so many missionaries for the work in city slums and in foreign lands, was the outcome of lectures delivered by Dr. Parker in Great Britain. The Medical Missionary Society in China has held its fifty-sixth annual meeting, and in 1893 there were 1608 inpatients and 25,542 attendances at the hospital dispensing.room, and 31,637 at the dispensaries in various parts of the country and city, auxiliary to the hospital, making a total of nearly 60,000 patients prescribed for during the year. They report that hundreds have given up idol-worship, and scores have been brought to Christ as the result of Christian teaching here.
The London Missionary Society's physician at Amoy reports that ] 2,000 to 14,000 towns and villages are yearly represented at the hospital, and that, as the result of the cure of one man seventeen years before, no less than seven Christian congregations had been formed with a membership of from 30 to 100 each.
The English Presbyterians at Swatow report that of their 20 country stations, 7 or 8 had their origin through the hospital patients. In 1885 out of an attendance of 5500 patients over 80 publicly declared their faith in Christ and earnestly desired to join the church.
So we might go on with annual attendances of 5000, 10,000, 15,000 at the hospitals and dispensaries connected with various missions in different cities and towns of China.
From Formosa Dr. McKay reports that from the visit of one man to the hospital there exist four congregations of Christians with a membership of 350 souls and double that number of adherents and flourishing schools.
Korea, the country to which the eyes of the world are now directed, was opened to Protestant missionary efforts by means of medical mission work.
H we turn to India, we find 8000,16,000, 40,000, 43,000, and 89,000 given as the annual attendance at various hospitals and dispensaries, and numbers of conversions reported. Medical missionaries have unlocked the doors to the dominions of natil'e princes before closed to Christian evangelization.
In Syria and Persia we read of good results among the Mohammedans through medical mission work. Everywhere God's blessing seems to rest upon this form of Christian effort.
These hospitals and dispensaries are not merely institutions for the relief of present suffering, but they are training schools, where the natil'es are taught W"estern medicine and surgery and sent out among their feHowcountrymen as intelligent, useful practitioners. Thus the benefits go on to future generations.
In all these missionary medical institutions the truths of the Gospel are taught publicly or by-the bedside, and Christian Scriptures and tracts are given to the patients to read and to take to their homes. Thus the good seed of the vYord is cast into soil prepared to receive it by the ministry of suffering and the solace of Christian sympathy. May we not confidently hope that much of it will bring forth fruit unto the glory of God ~ I am glad that you have organized yourselves into a society to help forward the work of medical missions, and trust that your efforts may be crowned with success. Let me remind you that as the great object of medical missions is to employ the healing of the suffering body as a meaus of benefiting the immortal spirit, so the work must be undertaken not from mere humanitarian motives, but in a spirit of prayer that God may use the skill of the physician aR the means of saving the soul of the patient. Only then will the doctor be a missionary-God's messenger to the deathless spirit of man.
There are two theories of medical missionary work: The first divides it into two categories, one medical and philanthropic, aiming to gather kindly disposed crowds; the other, spiritual and missionary, seeking to lead men and women to Christ. According to this theory, medicine is a means to an end, and if the same end could be reached by any other plan, as by doles of bread or cash, it would make no difference to the Church.
The other theory is that a medical missionary is representative of the men sent forth by Christ, with the instruction, "Heal the sick, and say unto them, The kingdom of God has come nigh unto you." They were clothed with miraculous healing power-a power possessed temporarily and intended to magnify their Master's omnipotence, His truth, His compassion, and the fulness of His salvation to soul and body. The IJ}{)dern medical missionary is therefore a man clothed with a healing power-that is the fruit of the presence of the spirit of Christ among men; a power which is one of the marvellous gifts of God, which has been slowly evolved through the centuries till now it is a magnificent inheritance, and in the hand of increasing knowledge moves with surer aim to overthrow disease; a power which is permanently present in the Church, and which is to be possessed in constant union and under the direction of the Spirit for the service and glory of Christ.
According to this theory, medicine is not a means to an end, but is an integral factor. in the work of presenting Christ to the heathen. Along the lines of diligent and patient study the modern Christian enters npon this possession of healing power, and goes forth into heathenism to reveal in deed and in word the Master whom he serves as a mighty and compassionate Saviour, whose salvation embraces soul and body, and who permits His servants to evidence and to seal the power, character, and extent of His lIalvation.-Medical Missions.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMEN'r
II.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY BEV. J. T. GBACEY, D.D.
India's New and Opening Fields. glad ring to his voice: "Thank you for that last word you said on leaving BY J. L. PHILLIPS, M.D., CALCUTTA, the other day. It was just what I FIELD SECRETARY INDIA SUNDAY- needed, and I went away and prayed SCHOOL UNION. for faith and for the blessings I craved It is very cheering indeed to find for our field; and you had not been American and European missionaries gone an hour before a Brahman pundit who are coming to see more in the pos· from that large village yonder, stood on sibilities and the promise of the Chris- this very veranda begging me for a tian Sunday-school as an out-and-out Christian man to teach his pupils the and successful missionary agency than Bible on the Sabbath. I have supplied ever before. In this, as in every other him with a teacher, and hope others department of effort, it is to us accord- will come now with a like request."
ing to our faith. I may illustrate with This is by no means a solitary case. I a case in point, for as a medicaJ. man I think we all are coming to see and seize naturally think more of cases than of our opportunity in the Sunday-school pet theories or stock arguments; and as never before; hence I look for larger I may add that I believe intelligent ingatherings from the non-Christian Christians attach more importance to ranks.
real cases than to finely spun theory, These children of our Sunday-schools be it never so pleasant. It was away are already beginning to be real mis- down in the very south of India that I sionaries of the cross, and are bringing had been at work for several days ad- their friends to Christ. I am constantly dressing men, women and children, hearing of cases where the whole fam- theological students, and Bible women, ily has been brought into the congre- on how to improve and increase the gation and the church through the lov- Sunday-schools, and I was going on to ing labors of a little child. Those another station. On bidding the mis- words of Isaiah's prophecy, "A little sionary good-by, he said something like child shall lead them," are being beau- this: "You must not expect to find tifully illustrated before our eyes in things so far on down here as in Upper these days, and our glad hearts are India; for instance, we've never heard thanking God in the very words of of a Brahman pundit coming to the Jesus when He said: "I thank Thee, mi2sionaries begging for a Christian to o Father, Lord of heaven and earth, come and teach his boys the Bible for that Thou didst hide these things from an hour on the Sabbath. Such cases the wise and understanding, and didst are quite unknown in these parts, but reveal them unto babes: yea, Father, I'm glad you have them in the north." for so it was well· pleasing in Thy Still holding my friend's hand, I was sight."
moved to say: "In all our work it is The rise of intelligent, hence sus- always according to our faith," and to tained enthusiasm among Christian ask him, ,. Have you been praying and workers here in this special effort for looking for this in your field?" After reaching the young with the blessed a few days I was once more his guest Gospel, I count a far greater token of on my way north. Standing on the cheer than mere numerical increase of veranda to welcome me, just where he schools and scholars, for it means a had bid me good-by, and while still large accession to our working force.
holding my hand, he said with such a Teachers are wanted now on every hand. Whereas twenty-five years ago ers, and about one hundred aud ninety- we were seeking the children of these two thousand pupils, of whom the populous lands, now, such are the mar- non-Christians are decidedly in the ma- vels of God's grace, the children are jority. About one third of the pupils seeking us. Had I ten thousand new are girls, a fact for which we have ;rea- and competent teachers to-day I should son to be sincerely thankful. Female have no difficulty whatever-such is the education is making rapid strides in rising demand for Bible instruction these Eastern lands, and the Bible is among all classes-in finding schools doing more for girls than all else com- for them all next Sunday. Our mis- bined. These five thousand Sunday- sionary superintendents on all sides are schools are taught in scores of lan-, crying out for more helpers. This guages, but the following ten are most growing demand is pushing us to more used, perhaps-i.e., Hindi, Bengali, prayer first, in obedience to our Lord's English, Urdu, Tamil, Telegu, Marathi, express command; but it is pushing us Karen, Kanerese, and Singhalese. But to more preparation as well, for this in scores more of the many tongues of noble work. Normal classes for the this very polyglot place-this broad and older scholars of our classes were un- beautiful field of ours-we should open known five years ago, but may be seen Sunday-schools soon. Few at most of doing grand service now in the way of the youth of the land can be brought training up teachers; and preparation under direct Christian training in any classes for Sunday-scbool teachers are other way than that of the Sundaybecoming quite common now in all school. Our great missionary societies churches throughout this broad field. will never be able to provide secular India's own hearty response to the ris- education for all these millions, but a ing plea of her millions of little ones thoroughly roused Christian Church begins to be heard, and hundreds of may hope, by God's help, to feed all the voluntary teachers, native and foreign, lambs of this great fold in India. The are enlisting in this delightful service. Master's command is urgent: "Give The year 1894 was one of marked ye them to eat." progress. By the organization of the For more than four years the friends Central India Sunday-school Union the in the Straits' Settlements had been work of planning our Sunday-school calling for help. This spring my work campaign for all India was completed. in British India permitted me to visit We are now thoroughly organized for them, and Singapore has organized a aggressive effort throughout India, in- Sunday-scuool union auxiliary to India. cluding Burma and Ceylon. In seven Here the churches are Anglican, Ameriof the ten Auxiliary Sunday-school can Methodist, English Presbyterian, Unions-viz., those of Bengal, Burma, and Plymouth Brethren. The mission- Central India, Ceylon, Northwest Prov- ary work is almost all in the hands of inces, South India, and Central Prov- the lIethodists and Presbyterians. I inces, there has been a decided growth find good schools opened and flourishin the number of schools, teachers, and ing, and a few small Sunday-schools. pupils. In all ten of these auxiliaries The prospects before this branch of our there has been an increase in the num- Sunday-school Union are most cheerber of teachers, which is very cheering. ing. At Penang also missionary work More accurate statistics, I hope, will is well started by the same societies, prove next year that there has been a and I hope another auxiliary Sundaysteady growth in every part of our school union will be organized there. field. The annual report presented to By prudent pushing of practical Sunthe Convention at Calcutta last Decem- day-school methods I hope our present ber gives us about five thousand Sun- statistics may be doubled within a day-schools, about ten thousand teach- twelvemonth. In this crown colony of England's, as in India, special atten- Christian work. It was good to look tion mnst be given to the training of into the animated faces of these men, teachers and to the creation and circu- to hear them sing the praises of our lation of Sunday-school literature. anorable Lord, and to tell them of scores and hundreds more like them, From Singapore to Batavia, the chief whom in seminaries of every church all city of Java, and capital of Dutch East over British India and Ceylon I had Indies, is but five hunded and fifty met face to face during the last four miles, and at the instance of interested years. Here were two men from Dutch friends I have been over there for a New Guinea and some from the west week, with a view to seeing whether coast of Sumatra. Meeting these Chris- Netherlands India would join hands tian Bataks from Sumatra brought to with British India in promoting Sun- mind a veteran missionary's graphic day-schools. My brief visit has been account at a convention several years pleasant and on the whole satisfactory, ago, of how his sailing-ship was once and I hope next spring to have more becalmed off this very coast, and the time for visiting the principal mission- cannibals were rowing out to them ary stations of Dutch India-viz., Java, greedy for capture and carnival, and Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, etc.-and or- how in answer to prayer the gracious ganizing the workers for aggressive breeze sprang up and filled the flapping effort in behalf of the children. On sails and bore them beyond danger and the French mail steamer in which I toward their port in Siam. Now I was went over to .Java were three German told there are no cannibals in Sumatra, missionaries going to New Guinea. It and there are more than a hundred nawas very pleasant meeting them, and tive Batak missionaries publishing the our fellowship was sweet. Their field glorious Gospel of our Lord Christ. is in Northeast New Guinea, in German What a grand field for missionary effort possessions, and although occupied for i~ all this land of Netherlands-India! eight years, the first convert has not I wonder so few men from Holland are been welcomed to the church. The coming to reap those golden harvests. climate there has been found extremely There must be from thirty to forty trying for foreigners, and several of millions living on these islands of the the toilers have died there. In their Asiatic or ~'Ialaysian Archipelago bebehalf, as well as in behalf of all other longing to Holland alone. Surely the distant and lone workers in the great old Dutch Reformed Church, the State fever fields of the Church, I would beg branch of it and the Free together, the special prayers o£ the churches should be doing betler and more for at home. Letters from home reach this immense constituency. Motley German New Guinea but once in two and Prescott and others have told the months. These brethren will have to world how the Christian patriots of the wait weeks in Java for a steamer to Netherlands beat back the invader, take them on to their destination. Ger- flood or foe, and defended their hearthmany has sent out many noble men and stones. Let that spirit of loyalty to women into all these Eastern lands, God and home now show itself in orand some of the hardest and most un- ganized evangelization of these fair promising fields of Asia and Africa fields. Almost five centuries ago Islam have been supplied by her self-sacrific- conquered Java, crushing the old Hindu ing sons and daughters. faith, and to-day her twenty-four mil- lions are chiefly followers of the False The brightest thing I saw in Java Prophet. Now may the Cross conquer was the Theological Seminary at Depok, the crescent, and these millions bow at twenty-one miles from Batavia. There His feet who is Lord over aU blessed were forty-five young fellows from all forevermore. I long to hear the chil- Netherlands-India, Borneo, Celebes, Java, Sumatra, etc., in trainin~ fOl dren's hosannas on all these islands. of the world, but to one that bad turn' The bulk of the present adult popula- ed aside after strange gods, and been tion may die in sin, but if the Church sold into bondage to a heathen people. of Christ does her duty by their chilo He found the same condition we find dren, God's promise to rebellious Israel in the Oriental world to·day-the same will be once more iIIustrated and ful- physical suffering, the same poverty filled, when He said: "YOUR LITTLE and degradation, the same turning to ONES WILT. I BRING IN." magicians and enchantments for relief, the same cruel torture from the un· SINGAPORE, STRAITS SETTLEMENTS, skilled and unqualified, would·be heal· April 23, 1895. ers. .. She had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all Medical Work Among the Women and that she had, and was nothing better, Ohildren of the Heathen OOllntries, but rather worse," are the words used to .describe the condition of the one BY MARIA WHITE, M.D., PUNJAB, INDIA. healed by Christ, yet the cruel torture this woman suffered is by no means ex· I present this as a humane institu· pressed in these words, and the more tion, as a means of preaching the Gos- physicians the more cruel her torture. pel to the people. To have a correct idea of the benefits The work of the medical missionary derived from medical help, we must dates from the beginning of Christ's first look at the lives and condition of public ministry, and the fact that the the people. The picture may be a sad healing of physical suffering was to be one, and may cause many to inquire, a proof that Christ was the Divine. Does she mean us to understand this as loving, and compassionate Son of God, stated ? and I will here state that in willing to give Himself that we might this paper I will speak only of things be redeemed from greater suffering which have occurred in my own practhan that of this life, is contained in tice and are literally true, facts that can the answer returned to John the Bap· be attested by all doctors of India, and tist to the question, " Art 'l'hou He who may be known to the mass of the mis· should come, or shall we look for an· sionaries present, yet I can only give other?" "Go tell John the blind see, you a glimpse into the sorrows of the the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dumb heathen women. Much that my eyes speak, and the poor have the Gospel have looked on is too terrible to describe preached to them." Christ's field of in a public paper. My field for eight ministry was not the same as those of years was in the Punjab, India, but as His followers who are laboring in civ· I returned to America I had the privilized lands to-day – lands moulded ilege of visiting the Malay Peninsula, by the light of the Gospel, till every South China, and Japan, and find in breath we draw tells of the Son of each a corresponding condition, only Righteousness who came with healing varied in accordance with the customs in His wings. As we look over these of their country. Enter with me into fields we find cleanliness and an organ· a native city of India, and look on the ized means of promoting proper sanita- heathen as they appear to open view. tion and to check the spread of disease; The streets are thronged with ox·carts, hospitals, asylums, and homes for the donkeys, dogs, and the multitude of relief of the suffering people, builded people, men, women, and children— by the light which Christ brought into the halt, the blind, the deaf and dumb; the world, are on every side; but what the fever cases, with burning cheek and was the conditio!! of the human family panting breath; small·pox in the stage when He first entered on His public of desquamation, scattering the germs ministry? to all around; leprosy, with the unmis· Christ was a Jew, born a Jew, and came to the then most· civilized nation takable signs of the first stage or per- foot-fall is never hushed to lessen their haps the advanced stage, sitting at the suffering, no anxious mother or sister corners begging, showing hands and ever places a dish before them to tempt feet from which fingers and toes have their appetite, no skilful doctor or nurse dropped; scurvy cases, that dread dis- is called to administer to their wants. ease supposed to develop in persons de- Supposed to be possessed of some evil prived of vegetable diet and dependent spirit, they are objects to be dreaded, on salt meat, developed to the most in- and every possible cruelty must be re- tense form in those who have never sorted to that it may be expelled. seen salt meat or tasted meat of any Placed in the darkest, dirtiest room of kind, victims to a hot climate. and a the house, without light or ventilation, purely vegetable diet; the miserable their bed the most filthy of rags, de- beggar, or perhaps those who are not prived of food and water, often for beggars, but who, like Lazarus, are full days they are forced to inhale the of sores from head to foot, undressed, fumes of charcoal, given off from a uncared·for, and alive with worms. smouldering pot, which is always placed Take a glance down the two sides of by their bed, and are subject to burnthe street and mark the naked infants ing from hot irons and many other on their hard stools, lying in the burn- cruelties to expel this spirit. A few ing sun, left to fret their little lives examples in my experience will illusaway while the mothers are earning the trate their condition. daily pittance. Enter the doors of You will first visit with me the home some of the homes and take a clearer of a Muhammadan Molvi, a teacher of view. Do you find the well-regulated the Muhammadan religion, and one of homes of Christian lands? The hon· the best homes, one where both wife ored father, teaching both by word and and children are loved by the husband example the love and respect due to and father. that mother who has borne all, sacrificed On a bed lies a little child of three, all, suffered all for them; the children unconscious, a true case of infantile clustering around the mother's knee ecampsia (convulsions due to disease of pouring their tales of joy and sorrow the cerebro-spinal system). The father into their ears, or watching with long- and two brothers are seated, nativeing eyes for the return of father? No; fashion, on the bed at her head, the there is nothing in their religion to mother, sister, and two or three female sweeten life or elevate the human fam- friends on the bed at her feet, all so ily. It degrades women with an in- close as to prevent the possibility of finite degradation, dwarfs their intel- air of any kind reaching her: As we lects, so that women of twenty or thirty enter, a barber has jUilt finished shaving are but as children of eight or ten. De- the hair from the head just over the prived of every comfort, regarded as frontal sinus (the place where the brain mere cattle, the property of their hus- can be seen pulsate in an infant's head, band, bought and sold as other mer- and is called by the natives of India chandise, till all the worst passions of "the door to the brain".), and a Muthe human nature are stimulated and hammadan doctor lifts a red-hot piece developed, here envy, jealousy, hate, of iron from the fire and presses it to and revenge run to such an extent, the exposed part, destroying the tissues that I have often been begged and of- to the skull, and to my cry of horror fered money if I would take away the and dismay the father, in an agony of life of some objects of their loathing. sorrow, answers: "Oh, Miss Sahib, Contrast the condition of their sick for many days that door was open, and with those of our Christian homes. an evil spirit entered there and must be The tender hand of love and sympathy destroyed, or our child will die." never cools their fevered brow, thc An old blind woman was left on my veranda. After removing her to the for Vidhata's visit have been made, indoor department of the hospital I food consisting of a coarse graham learned the following: For years she flour and coarser brown sugar, equal had supported her husband by begging. parts, wet and kneaded together to be and this day losing her way, had walk- eaten raw, has been prepared for the ed into an open well. She was taken famished mother, but both mother and out alive, but hopelessly crippled. child are unconscious, and the foreign After having been fined for dirtying doctor is called in to bring them back the well, and beaten by her husband again to life.
for what he called her carelessness, but, Place the medical work at its lowest as she quaintly expressed it, for not standard, only as a humane institution, dying when crippled so as to be no is there any more noble profession than more use, she was left at my door as a that which relieves from physical suf- means of freeing himself from a use- fering the human family? And when less burden. we can enter such homes, rescue the I will take you to but one more helpless infant from such cruel barbari- home, the house of a high caste Hindu. ties, bring the women from their dark A mother and child of six days lie un- and dirty rooms and mud floors to open conscious. The mother has survived courts and bedsteads, give water to the nameless barbarities of the native those perishing from thirst, cool the midwife. and both are now dying of burning brow, sustain and support the hunger and neglect. Every step of weak with nourishing food, teach them her treatment has been laid down in how to care for their little ones and their sacred book. I cannot in this pa- the importance of cleanliness, clear and per describe the cruelties practised cleanse their mass of living disease, and during the hours of her suffering. For bind up the sores of the beggar-are we the first three days she has been <'Ie· not following closely in the footsteps of prived of food and drink, and on the the Divine Master? And when we bring third aHowed only onc grain of rice. them out from their homes, take them Her room has been prepared by placing into hospitals and give them the same her in the darkest and dirtiest of the care and treatment we would give the house, with the most filthy of rags, on a sick in America, are we not filling one mud floor for her bed. A cow's skull of the highest missions in the annals of painted red. an image of Sasthi, the history? But this is a position that can goddess who presides over the destiny be filled by any skilful doctor; the of women and children, made of cow- medical missionaries have a higher aim dung, is placed in a conspicuous posi- than the mere relief of physical suffer- tion. This and the pot of smoulder- ing.
ing charcoal, the only furniture, are They look beyond the body of clay placed there to expel the evil spirits and see in every patient a soul perish- tIovering around. During her three ing, eternally perishing, one for whom weeks of uncleanness neither father, Christ died, and the awful responsibil- mother, hUSband, nor sister can come ity to God for the souls of those who nigh her, leaving her to the care of the have been under our care is ever before barber's wife. Ou the fifth day the us, and this brings us to the most im· filthy clothing is removed and the room portant rart of our subject, medical cleaned, as on the next is to be the work as an evangelistic institution.
worship of Sasthi, and that night Vid- The position the medical work holds hata will write on the child's forehead as a means of promoting the spread of the main events of his life. The day the Gospel and winning souls for Christ has arrived, Sasthi has been wor- can be better illustrated by quoting the shipped. The woman has been given words of a high caste Hindu, when a cold bath, all necessary arrangementll asked as to the progress made in Indil by the Christian religion, and what in God 's Word wIthout some tangible method was most likely to con vert their proof.
people to Christ, answered: "We do not fear the usual method of mission work, such as the school, printing' The Mis~onary Outlook at Foocnow, presses, and bazaar preaching, but we Ohina. do fear your lady zenana·worker, lind we dread your lady doctors; they enter BY REV. J. H. WORLEY, FOOCHOW, our homes, win the hearts of our wom· CHINA.
en, threatening the foundation of our religion. " Another year of blessed fellowship One instance in my experience will with and service for the Master bas show how this method of giving the been granted us. Although at times Gospel had taken hold of the women there has been danger of riots on ac· of Sialkot, Indill. For the first three count of the unsettled state of the coun· or four years I had been accustomed to try caused by the war, we have been close the doors of the dispensary on kept in peace and safety.
Sabbath, that both myself and assistants Now that there seems prospect of might have an opportunity of attending peace the threatened rebellion by the church services, but the women, not vegetarians at Ku·Cheng, about a hun· satisfied with their opportunities duro dred miles from here, has subsided, at ing the week, though the Bible was least for the present. In the beginning taught throughout dispensary hours, it was pretended they were attackIng asked me to hold a special service for the Christians, but this was only a ruse, them on Sabbath morning, and I open· as their real object is to overthrow the ed the doors of the waiting-room, and government, and they are only a part for the last four years have held a of the great secret societies with which chapel service for heathen women, of China is honeycombed. Whenever the whom there were from forty to sixty government is imperilled they always present. After a few days the hus- come forth. The present outbreak was bands, learning they were coming only on account of the Chino·Japanese War.
to study the Bible, Objected, and the ", When the district magistrate under· women begged me to give them one or took to punIsh the leaders he was over· two little powders on Sabbath, only powered and compelled to beg pardon flour, they said, that they might show from the rebels. Several times the day to their husbands and be permitted to was fixed to pillage and burn the city, come. Some had themsel ves attempt. kill the magistrate, and drive out the ed to prepare powders, but the hus· mIssIonaries. When the magistrate bands knew the hospital paper and skil· was ovm'powered the people became ful wrapping. Often in conversation alarmed and began preparations for with women who had received relief, self-defence. The city wall was reo when in answer to their questions of paired, the gates barricaded, and the what brought me to India, I would tell citizens took turns patrolling the streets them the story of the Great Physician, and city wall, and a request was sent they would answer: "Truly your God to Foochow for soldiers, the soldiers at is a good, kind God; none other ever Kucheng having joined the rebels.
sent help to the women. " The medi· Most of the rebels were in the villages.
cal mission is a means of presenting the so the plan was to keep them from con· Gospel to the heathen that they can centrating within the city wall. For feel and appreciate, and speaks of a several days no one was allowed to pass living, loving, and acting God. Their in or out of the city, and nearly all intellects are so dwarfed as to make it business was suspended, and it was difficult to grasp the truth as set forth feared the rebels would lay siege to the city and starve them out; but just as years 1894-95 will be known as the matters were coming to a crisis word birth-time of the new era, the Renais- came that soldiers were coming from sance in China… Now is our greatest J!'oochow, and the rebels surrendered opportunity and responsibility. Will and signed a treaty of peace. How the Christian Church awake to her op- long the treaty will be kept depends portunity and responsibility as China is on how the war terminates. No one awakening to her need? has any confidence in their sincerity. If the war come to a speedy and satis- The past year was the most hopeful factory close, and the government gets in our history. The statistics are very on its feet, they will not dare to make significant, yet they give but a faint disturbance; but if not, then we may idea of the work done and good accom- expect serious trouble in this quarter, plished; increase over the preceding and perhaps all over the empire. year: Members, 616; inquirers, 1662; day-schools, 35; day-scholars, 358; As the schools were all broken up Sabbath-schools, 39 ; and scholars, 1545. and the scholars sent home, the lady The number of Scriptures, books, and missionaries have come to Foochow, tracts sold was several times greater but the gentlemen still remain to look than last year. Two years ago on the after the work.· The missionaries de- Foochow District we had 5 day-schools serve great credit for their patience and with about 100 pupils; last year, 15 fortitude during those trying days and day·schools with about 300 pupils, but nights. this year we have 110 schools and over 2500 boys studying Christian books. Weare now waiting anxiously to Every school is a regular preaching- know the terms of peace. It is rumored place, where nearly every Sabbath and that several of the European Powers several times during the week the Gos- wlll not allow Japan's claim. We only pel is preached to the parents and hope that nothing will be done by them friends of the pupils. Most of these to hinder Japan from completing the schools have been opened by request good work already begun. If she is from the people, and there still remain left alone she will effect such material places where we have been invited, but changes that many of the greatest ob- cannot enter for want of men and stacles to Christianity will be forever means. Only two days ago a man swept away. Crush Chinese egotism came nearly twenty miles to get me to and conservatism, and with them will go to his village of several thousand be buried superstition, and a wide door inhabitants to preach and establish a opened for the Gospel such as the world Christian school. Similar requests come has never witnessed. Before China is every few days, and, oh how hard it is redeemed these changes must be effect- to turn them away with the cold an- ed, and if Japan, as she seems to be, is swer that we have no money. or there the instrument to accomplish it, we bid is no one to teach you I Yet our won- her God-speed. During the last twelve- der-working God is raising up helpers month she has gotten the work well beyond our highest expectations. Many under way, and we hope that nothing more literary men than formerly are will be allowed to cut it short. being saved who, with minds already trained, soon develop into excellent Whatever the terms of peace, we are workers, either as teachers or preach- confident a brighter day awaits China, ers. Were it not for these men we and the spread of the Gospel will be ac- could not enter half the open doors. celerated manifold. The conversion On the other hand, many friends are of China is the greatest undertaking being raised up in America and else- which has engaged the Christian where who are furnishing the money Church, and the success of the enter- over and above the missionary society's , prise hinges on the next few years. This is II crisis, a turning-point. The appropriations to carryon this marvel- Chinese college and the theological semi- lous work. It is the Lord's doings, nary, who visit the day·schools and and is marvellous in our eyes! To His preach Sundays, we are reaching tens name be all the praise ! of thousands, and God is blessing our Barriers are melting away like frost efforts. This is only one district, and before the morning sun. One of our does not take account of the woman's Bible-women was abused and her dress work of our Church and the" other two torn off for preaching in.a certain town missions operating here.
last year. Now we have a prosperous I can give you only a few of the en- school there and regular preaching. couraging facts which cheer us from A formal and most polite request came day to day and give us hope for the from the village elders. Not long ago future.
the native pastor on an adjoining cir- Nothing is more encouraging than cuit and I visited this town, and for the growing desire on the part of our two hours preached to several hundred native preachers and members for a most attentive hearers. We could es- richer experience. The great awaken- tablish several more schools there if we ing probably had its origin in the hearts had the means. The ringleader and of the members. Revival meetings sevcral others who insulted the Bible- where men and women are convicted woman are now inquirers. and gloriously saved are more and more At another place, where there is a common. Inclosed is a native artist's large public building erected to enter- crude drawing of a great tent meeting tain the viceroy when he passes through held last fall, also a short description the town, the village elders sent an in- of it. Such meetings produce a pro- vitation with their cards for me to ap- found impression. I personally know point a certain Christian man whom of many who date their determination they knew, to teach a Christian school to be Christians from this meeting. The for them. Already several influential two on the rostrum are meant for Bish- families have given up their idols and op Ninde and J. H. Worley, the former joined the church on probation. preaching and the latter translating.
At the beginning of the present Chi- M. E. MI~SION, FOOCHOW, CHINA.
nese year (in February) I appointed a student to act as pastor-teacher at a place where a student had been sta- tioned during last summer vacation. Ohristian Unity in West Ohina. Not long ago I spent a night there; and for more than two hours we preach- " With this I send you a poster used ed to a crowded house of eager listen- by the several missions at Chungking.
ers, and eighteen persons publicly gave The title of this tract is "The Great up their idols and joined the church. Doctrine for the Salvation of the Over twenty had previously joined. A World. .. On the margin are the names man gives his house free for church of the four missions laboring in Chung- and school. I came from that place king, Methodist Episcopal, China In- laden with old, abandoned idols, and as land, Friends, and London Missionary I write my desk and floor are covered, Society, with the places where their notwithstanding I am constantly send- chapels, hospitals, etc., are. These ing them to America: one of my col- posters are stuck in every part of the porteurs came in only a few moments city by the Christians connected with ago bringing three, their owners hav- the several missions. I write of this to ing recently been saved. show how practically we on the field Thus with 25 pastors, 10 colporteurs, labor together; but this is not all.
110 day-school teachers, and about 60 Regular monthly assemblies are held teachers ~nd students from the Anglo- by the native Christia.ns together with the missionaries for the deepening of ince is to be held at Chentu, the capi· the spiritual life and for fellowship and tal, and all are looking forward expectprayer. Such meetings are useful in ing a time of great profit spiritually, helping to emphasize the idea of unity. and by the discussion of our common Always Olle will hear the natives in problems we shall be brought yet closer their conversation with the heathen em· together, becoming more truly a unit. phasize the fact of the unity of the different missions, and yet they are H. OLIN CADY. strongly attached to the missions where M. E. MISSION, OHENTU SZ'CHUAN, they were converted. At Chinese New via HANKOW." Years, when there is more of leisure among the natives, the native Chris- Death of J. L. Phillips, M.D. tians form in small bands, irrespective of the missions to which they belong, We bad just returned to the printer and with the missionaries post these the proof sheets of the article" India's tracts, distribute others, hold meetings New and Opening Fields," when the in all the principal streets during the following note was received from Rev. day, and at evening come together at Dr. T.•T. Scott, of India, at present one of the missions each in turn for temporarily at Delaware, O. He writes prayer and testimony and to listen to under date July 15th: the unfolding of some teaching pertaining to the Christian life; thus a My DEAR GRACEY: Kindly mention week is spent. These meetings year as an item of missionary news that Dr. by year prove of greater interest and Phillips, of India, is dead. No particu. power. The Christian Church, as dis· lars; as I got the news from the Suntinguished from heathenism and Ro- day·school secretaries at London, and manism, is in the minds and thoughts they had got it by wire. You may reof heathen and Christians a unit: but call that he was General Secretary of such a spirit in the native church would the India Sunday·School Mission, supnever have been developed if the mis- ported under appointment of the Lonsionaries had not recognized each other don Sunday-School Union, by the chilas fellow·soldiers. There is a decided dren of the International Bible Readers' brotherly feeling among all the mis· Union. He was doing a grand work in sions and missionaries. For the main- inspiring enthusiasm in Sunday·school taining of the unity and the minister- work in India. He had travelled thouing to the spiritual growth of the mis- sands of miles annually, and lived to sionaries a regular Thursday evening see all India, Burmah, and Ceylon overmeeting for prayer, testimony, and mu- laid with Sunday·school auxiliaries, thus tual instruction is held. These meet· binding this vast extent of Eastern counings are led in turn by the different try into one organization. He was a missionaries, and have been a great aid fine leader and most effective platform to holy living: some of the meetings speaker, ready in utterance, magnetic have been seasons of wonderful bless· in touch, and full of tact in managing ing when the Holy Spirit seemed poured an audience. He had eminent qualifiout on all present. These meetings cations as a leader in Sunday·school afford an opportunity for the mission· work, being a great lover of children. aries and their families to meet socially He never forgot their names, and was and so become closely united. always sending them charming little messages in his letters to their elders. What is true of Chungking is true in A grand missionary leader has dropped spirit of all Sz'chuan, and especially from the roll in India, and his place will of the cities where several missions lao be hard to till. bor together. Next January a confer· ence of all the missionaries of the prov-
FIELD OF MONTHLY SURVEY
III.-FIELD OF MONTHLY SURVEY.
BY D. L. pmRSON.
Japan,* Korea,t Medioal Missions,t Ohinese and Japanese in the United States.§ JAPAN. The aborigines of Japan, the Ainu, The Sunrise Kingdom has passed live in the island of Yezo, or Hokkaido, through the period of dawning great· and number about 17,000 against 350,- ness, and to·day shines forth brilliantly 000 Japanese on the same island. The as the foremost nation of the Orient, and Church Missionary Society started work one of the great nations of the world. among the Ainu in 1878; the first con- The Mikad'l, claiming direct descent vert was baptized in 1885, and there is through 122 Mikado ancestors-nine of now a church membership of nearly whom have been women; the first em· 200. The language has been reduced peror, Jimnu, having founded the em- to writing, and parts of the Bible and pire 660B.c.-has forsaken the traditions other books have been translated. The and customs of his ancestors in all things Ainu are small in stature and much save religion, and now seeks by every given to drunkenness and attendant means in his power to make Dai Nippon vices; they live in wretched little huts, a thoroughly civilized country. It is de- and the women are much oppressed.
voutly hoped and confidently believed Three schools and a hospital are doing that he will soon find that this is impossi- much to elevate them mentally and mor- ble without making it at the same time ally, and relieve them physically. The Eta is another ancient but dea thoroughly Christianized country.
Although there are over 3000 islands graded race of Japan, who live in many belonging to the empire, only five of small villages on the main island. They them (including Formosa) have any are ignorant and immoral, and difficult considerable size or support a large of access; but efforts are being made to population. The area of the empire is reach them by the Society for the Propa- now about 170,000 square miles, and gation of the Gospel and others. Japan the popUlation nearly 42,000,000. The has no State religion; but Shintoism, Japanese have never been conquered by having 10 sects, is considered the most an outside nation, and have had but one patriotic, and had, in 1887, 192,359 tem- civil war, which occurred in the last cen- ples. Buddhism is largely followed, tury. and has 12 sects and 40 creeds, with 71,991 temples. Many of the priests are * See pp. 18 (January), 127 (Febrnary), 221 ignorant and immoral, and the Govern- (March), 289 (April), 342 (May), 445 (June), 582 ment has recently passed a resolution (August), 648,653 (present issue)… The Mikado's that they should be better educated. Empire," W. E. Griffis; "Japan," David :Murray. Ph.D.; "The Religions of Japau," W. E. The common people of Japan are full Griffis; "Life and Letters of J. H. Neesima," of superstitions, and have peopled the A. S. Hardy; "Story of Neesima," J. D. Davis; earth, air, and water with imps who "Japanese Girls and Women," Alice M. Bacon; cause the thunder, wind, earthquakes, .. An American Missionary in Japan," M. L. and storms. As a nation the Japanese Gordon; ,. Prince Siddartha, the Japanese Buddha," J. L. Atkinson; "The Ainu of Ja- are very ceremonious and polite, though pan," John Batchelor. not always acting in accord with West- ern ideas. Mrs. F. S. Curtis, of Yama- t See pp. 15, 62 (January), 290 (April), 450, 458 quchi, writes an interesting account of a Japanese dinner party, of which we (June), 661 (present issue). .. Korea, the Her· mit Nation," and" Korea, Without and With· in," W. E. Griffis; "Korea, from its Capital,"
George W. Gilmore. give extracts as illustrating some of the :I: See pp. 208 (March), 666, 678, 686 (present social customs : Issue). "Medical Missions," John Lowe; .. Murdered Millions," George Dowkontt. "The Japanese Christians make their § .. The Chinese in America," Bishop Burt. annual social an aU<day affair, lasting from ten A.M. to five P.M•. At the last sauce, puts it on the rice, and takes up one about seventy people came to the a mouthful of the rice, fish, etc., all tohouse, and I kept passing wafers and gether. The rice bowl is held in the tea in tiny Japanese cups until dinner. hand and brought even with the lips The house was bright with flowers ; the while the rice is pushed into the mouth chrysanthemums and roses were from by the chop-sticks, which can be done our own garden. lllustrated books and very daintily. Soup and all liquids are photographs were on the tables.. with sipped from the bowIs with a sound like maps and fresh Japanese newspapers, drawing the breath through the teeth. and were enjoyed until dinner time. This sound is much heard; in sipping At about noon we went to our school next tea, and even in making polite observadoor, which is arranged in eight class- tions or returning thanks, it is usual and rooms, with muvable partitions, Japan- polite.
ese fashion; the partitions were re- "After dinner, most of the people moved and left a long room, where the wrapped up the bean paste and lotus in little dinner-trays were set out with the paper on which they were laid and everything on but the soup. The guests put them in their flowing sleeves, as is were seated in a row around the wall customary. (Alway8 take home what and in a double row, back to back, in you can't or don't eat, for it would be the centre, so that the rows faced each r'ude to leave it.) The guests then scat- other. It would never do to put them tered about and took part in games in- in two rows all around the room, for doors and out; there was singing in one would be sitting in front of the other. Japanese and English, after which all .. A regular Japanese meal was served gathered together for games with for- -,-soup, fish and vegetables, rice, cold feits, as they always do, with great mer- stew (of potatoes, meat, chestnuts and riment. The pastor, for his forfeit, had carrots, all cut up in mouthfuls), raw to sing and dance a sword dance with a fish sliced thin, with Japanese turnips ruler for a sword. It is a stately affair, and radishes shaved into small strings, and he did it well; he used to be a warand boiled yellow chrysanthemums- rior in the time of the revolution. About these last three were eaten with soy five o'clock they all dispersed to their sauce, and were what we liked the best of homes." all. They were laid on a long strip of pine, as thin as paper and doubled over; Educational work is one of the most the soy was in a tiny cup in the centre, and the other things in bowls. Wafers successful and interesting departments and some sliced orange (sliced skin and of missions in Japan. Doshisha Uni- all), and slabs of sweet bean paste (very versity, at Kioto, founded by Joseph good if well made), and boiled lotus-root cut in strips were on pieces of paper laid Hardy Neesima, has now graduated on the mats in front of the trays. nearly 300 young men, among whom " When all were seated, some of the are many pastors and Christian workschool girls brought in the little covered ers, 130 being from the theological delacquered bowls of hot soup. When all were served, Mr. Curtis asked the partment. Over 2000 have attended pastor to pray, and afterward, bowing without graduation; and last year there to the guests, said, ' This is exception- were in attendance 556 men and women.
ally poor food ; but please to eat.' All, The education of women is rapidly bebowing in return, said, ' It is an honorable feast.' We then all removed the coming a recognized feature in all covers from the soup and took up our schools, and the governmental Minister chop-sticks and fell to. The rice is of Education has recommended higher boiled very dry, and is so sticky that education: of women in all departments. one can soon learn to pick up little or much and carry it to the mouth. The A" ragged school" has been started by fish s~up was very nice, and must be the Friends this year at Sapporo. " It eaten with the chop-sticks.. Three girls is attended twice a week by from 25 to were kneeling on each side, holding 70 boys and girls ranging from six to trays and waiting to refill the emptied rice bowls, which they did repeatedly. sixteen years old. Many come regu- After all· were satisfied with rice, the larly, rain or snow, when the red lantea cups were refilled time and again. tern hangs at the door. They make ex- When eating the raw fish, one takes a cellent progress in their studies and in nice thin piece between the chop-sticks (which are both held in one hand), takes their habits, and were it not for lack of up a little of the turnip radish with it, funds to keep the school open regularly, dips them into the little cups of soy much more might be accomplished." A. wonderful work has been going on bath for a moral address, after w•hich a among the Japanese prisoners. Sunday·school is held, attendance at which is optional. In one prison, in "Convicts whose sentences range which Christian instruction was begun from twelve years to life service have latest, where there are 1506 prisoners, 510 been sent for some fourteen years past are studying the Bible and 148 pray daily to the wilds of Hokkaido (Yezo) to pre- and follow a course of daily Bible readpare the war for settlers. There are ing. While there is no chance during four great prISons, and a fifth is soon to prison life for a public confession of be opened. A few years ago these pris. Christ, the radical change wrou~ht in ons were entirely independent of each the character of some of the men IS such o~er, and the Government was lax. as greatly to impress those who have Two years ago they were all put under witnessed it. Many of the prisoners are one superintendent-a man feared and an example to believers. So few of the liked by the prisoners, and thoroughly prisoners have yet been released, that respected by everybody. His insight public attention has not been attracted convinced him that the principles of to them yet" (Mi8sionary Herald). Christianity are what are needed for the instruction of prisoners. When he be- The Greek Church has a membership came general superintendent he intro· of 21,239, and the Roman Catholics duced a Christian teacher into each claim 46,682 adherents. The following prison. There are many inquirers about are the statistics compiled by Rev. H. Christianity in each prison. The pris· Loomis for 1894 ; oners are obliged to assemble every Sab· .S j. , 2 iI . ~a:i ~I ~~.b~{)?-1- § ~~ a~l . =:g ~I Missionaries. S ~~~~ ..0~…. ~~a"d=~:'l.~ Q~)~~ '0~S50o.. S~~1;2 'W -; 'dd r~ggI >gj. Q~ 0~ Q) ..= p.: : ; 1'r~ao .~>~- "<"l)..~. +0::'l"'E'":o~t"- a '" NAME OF MISSION. .S::l 1-.4~'- • §'" "0.~d~ "<I~'"r0:<,.0I":~ «1 1=I"d p..Q ~Q)'o::tI o:l Cj.oj • Q) ~…. !:: ci. 0 ,,:@;j:S0,,» II S ~~I ~ ~~ ~E i ~ ~ ~i ~~ ~ ~ gt ~~~~ ~ >< ~PE-< illoo~ . . . . P-r-e-sb-y-t-er-ia-n-C-'h"'.o"'f-U–"-~S"""",.=-(-1-18-59, 20 20 59 10) 20 .. -'-"-'I~ E-< E-<ZPO Reformed Ch. in America 118591 10 8 27 'I 115 …….. .. 20 3 17 …… . U. Presb. Ch. of Scotland 1874 2 .. 3 1 ~8.2. 72 1,123 ii',126c 41 75 113 24,697:20 The Ch.ofChristinJapan …. 1 140 .. …. …… .. .. .. …… .. Reformed Ch. in U. S… '11879 5 2 11 1 I 14 .. …. …… 29 .. .. …… ..
Presb.Ch.in the U.S. (So.) 1885 10 8 24 6 Women's U.M.S., U.S.A. 1871 4 4 1 .. .. …. …… .. ……. . Cumberland Presb. Ch.. 1877 4 7 15 3 J 12 .. …. .. 2.. ii r American Lutheran Miss. l 1892 2 3 12 11 f!"c 22 io 2 … 2i:40 33 200 1,684 20 39 3,101.74 Amer. Prot. Epis. Ch. (a) 1859 14 9 77 …. 40 9 /41 29 17 7 84 .2.,.4.0.6…5.8 ….21'S 8,201 I .. Chnrch Missionary Soc.. 1869' 25 30 13 30 ..
Nippon Sei Kokuwai. … I …. Soc. for Prop. of the Gos. {l1873, 12 10 28 5 10 11 … . 1,260 11 9 12 Wyckliffe Coli. M. (Can.) 18881 3 1 7 111 2 1 6 44 4 36.69 English Ch. In Canada.. 18921 2 1 5 4 3 24 76.08 68 2 1 3 Amer. Baptist Miss. Union 1860 14 16 44 9 79 19 184 1,597 12 6 37 1,373.09 Disciples of Christ .•.•…. 1883 6 6 18 1 9 3 55 286 2 5 3 75.00 Christian Ch. of America.. 1887 2 1 4 1 24 4 21 225 5 2 11 538.48 BKuamplt-isatiSC'htsh.eAr.nBC.Co.nFv.eMn.t(iobn~ 1889 3 6 24 l' 9 38 4 21.88 18691 26 31 83 12 170 7( 670 11,079 65 42 97 23,204.18 AmericanMeth.Epis.Ch.(a 1873 19 23 58 10 67 55 424 4.006 61 41 18 8,357.00 Canadian Methodist Ch.(a 1873 6 15 27 7 23 1£ 116 1,981 2 16 19 4,562.37 Evan~. Assoc. of N. Amer. 1876 5 10 2 10 13 95 705 10 13 16 1,052.26 Methodist Protestant Ch… 1880 4 2 10 3 15 4 32 312 4 3 13 347.89 Amer. Meth. Epis. Ch. (So.) 1886 15 3 31 9 32 10 83 532 14 15 1,567.6*3 ScandinavianJapanAII'nce 1891 3 7 12 12 29 24 84 2 7 Gen.Evang.Pr.(Ger.·Swiss) 1885 2 3 1 2 1 6 208 6 2 2 50.00 …..* Society of Friends, U. S. A. 1885 2 2 5 1 2 . . 23 61 . . . . 6 50.00 Inter. Missionary Alliance. 1891 3 1 , , 1 … . Unitarian ……….. .. … 1889 1 .. 1 1 5 2 .. .. i7 2 ii Universalist …………… 1890 3 5 1 7 3 25 149 11 2 6 128.26 Independent.. .. .. .. .. …. …. 3 3 7 2 . . 4 13 to72 4 1 t550.00 Tot. of Prot. Miss., 1894….. 226 210 625 134 750:1:364 3,422 39,240 353 258 536 72,217.72 (a) Statistics to June 30, 1894. * (0) To December 31, 1893. (c) Including 1,474 classed al * No Report. .. children. " t Approximate. 78 Self·supporting. • The Fukuin Domeikwai, or Gospel manly spirit. Their main objection to Alliance of Japan, representing the Christianity is that it is joreign, and Protestant churches of all denomina- when they accept it they want to make tions, recently met with 140 delegates it distinctly Japanese. Such elements and appointed a committee to consider in the national character are likely to work in Japan's new territory. Besides produce stability in the future Church.
the missionary societies, many other Nevertheless, this spirit of independence organizations are at work separately or may lead to grave mistakes on the part with the societies. The Y. M. C. A. is of those who are still babes in Christ.
doing 8 very Important work, and the The danger is greatly increased when Y. P. S. C. E. has a very large mem- it is remembered that among the mis- bership; the W. C. T. U. and missions sionaries are Unitarians, and that among to police, postmen, soldiers, prisoners, European books produced in Japan a railway men and others are doing ag- large proportion are infidel or semi-infi- gressive work. del literature.
Dr. Joseph Cook mentions among the There are 123 towns in Japan, each with a population of 10,000 to 1,000,000, reasons for encouragement in Japan : but the missionary force is as yet dis- tributed in only 40 of them. There are "1. Her island position, making her besides 4512 towns, with populations the England of the Pacific and her peo- from 1000 to 10,000. About 25,000,000 ple a nation of sailors, brave and dar- live in still smaller Villages. mg. 2. The Japanese are patriotic, and obey their federal leaders. 3. Japan The great need for Japan at present has marvellous power of assimilation. is united prayer for the missionaries and They copy the West, but their importa· converts already in the field. tions are digested, and their scholarship becomes Oriental as well as Occi- KOREA. dental. 4. The Japanese obey superiors and make good soldiers and sailors. The " Hermit Nation," or " Land of The reverence for those in high place Morning Calm," has an area of 82,000 has a Divine basis. The transfer of square miles and a population of about their reverence for authority to Christ 11,000,000, among whom labor 40 Protwould make them eminent Christians. estant and 20 Roman Catholic missiona- 5. The Japanese have a fine physical ries. The first missionaries were the and mental organism. Jesuits, who entered in the seventeenth century, but suffered much persecution " Japan is also confronted with dan- from 1840-66. Evangelical work was gers. The people also have faults we begun by Rev. John Ross, of ~Ian hope will be overcome, among which churia, who translated the New Testaare conceit, caste, and false faith. As ment for Korea. The first evangelical the foremost nation of the Orient the mission was founded in 1884 by the Japanese have much ground for con- American. Presbyterian Church (North), ceIt. They are still in danger from the door having been opened through caste. The old families may arise to the medical work of Dr. Allen. Besides claim the advantages which have come this society, which has now 28 missiona· to-the nation. Divisions are possible by ries (including 8 ordained and 4 mediwhich late gains may be lost. Except cal) and 209 communicants, in five stathe country become Christian there is imminent danger from agnosticism and false faith which would handicap the national advance. Japan needs to copy the vital faith and not the doubt of the West. Neesima's last word was: 'Free schools and Christian churches will make my nation great and noble. ' "
tions, the Canadian and Australian and The great danger for Christianity in United States Southern Presbyterians, Japan is connected with characteristics the Methodist Episcopal (North) and the of the people which are noble and fine. Society for the Propagation of the Gos- They love their country; they are of a pel are at work.
EDITORIAl, DEPARTMENT
IV.-EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.
The March of Events. ern society, it will not be because energy. patience, and prayer have not combined Of course the event of the month of in the effort. July was the gathering of the 50,000 Christian Endeavorers in Boston. from The convention may be thus summed the 10th to the 15th. 'fhey had a right royal welcome, and left a fine up: impression on the whole, though there was no little criticism on the sight- There were 250 delegates from 22 seeing which occupied too much time on countries, who spoke in 250 pulpits and the Sabbath. The peril of this noble halls. Westminster Abbey gave resociety will be twofold: first, pride of served seats to the leaders of the differnumbers; and secondly, conformity to the ent countries, and a temperance sermon world. If they can escape these two was preached by the Bishop of Dover, risks, which numerical prosperity and in Which he welcomed the delegates, enthusiastic popularity inevitably in- and said the temperance cause was sacur, and can develop a thoroughly mis- cred, and was made light of only by the sionary spirit and a systematic giving, ignorant or thoughtless. It is probably and keep out of politics, no one but God the first time that a woman's organizacan foresee the future of this organiza- tion has ever been recognized in the tion, whose unparalleled growth is like most historic of the English cathedrals, that of a mushroom, and which is now about to call a world-wide convention There was an excursion to Windsor of Y. P. S. C. E. at Washington in Castle, a garden party given to 1000 1896. White Ribbon women by Lady Henry Somerset at the Priory, Reigate, etc. Meanwhile, a convention, not less significant in its way, had been meeting in The annual addresses of the two presithe world's metropolis in June. The dents and the resolutions adopted by the Wo?'ld's Women's Christian Temperance two great conventions, the" World's" Union celebrated its third biennial con- and the" B. W. T. A.," cover every vention by meetings in Queen's Hall on phase of that modern movement by Wednesday and Thursday, June 19th which Christianity is being applied to and 20th, Miss Frances Willard giving the customs of society and the laws of her masterly presidential address, whose the land. The Polyglot Petition will be scope was well-nigh universal, covering presented to the British Government, the problems of poverty and misery, of and afterward conveyed to the various temperance and purity, of color lines governments of the world. This will take a year or more, after which the petition will probably be placed in the archives of the British Museum.
and prison reforms, etc.
The Polyglot Petition by Women di- The Island of Formosa, about the rected against the Drink Traffic was fes- middle of May, was threateneo. with tooned about the Albert Hall on Thurs- anarchy, by the resistance of the peo- day evening, covering the whole fa<;ade ple to the recent terms of the treaty of the balcony and box sections-thir- with Japan. Chinese soldiers besieged teen immense rolls of paper pasted on the governor's castle; a young Chinese linen, containing over 7,000,000 signa- literatus named Chu was reported to be tures in over 50 languages, and repre- elected king, and to have repudiated senting all countries, the whole petition Chinese rule, and to be prepared to re- being occupied with this monster remon- sist annexation by the Japanese. Riots strance against the demon of the cup. were said to be of daily occurrence, and It these godly women do not succeed that Hakka had proclaimed himself in abolishing this greatest evil of mod- king of the northern part of the island. and many had joined his standard. The has long been a vexed question, and is Chinese and Japanese were in control not easily settled. Rev. Dr. A.shmore, of affairs at last accounts. of Swatow, has recited a "heart-rend- ing case," as he calls it : Reports from Chins indicate a con· A convert applied for baptism who siderable excitement in the Celestial bad two wives. He was told that he Empire, and repeated attacks on for- must put one of them away. The eign mission premises. The Canadian question arose, which one? and the an- Mission hospital, dispensary, and chapel swer was, the one married last. But at Chung Kung are said to be looted the first wife had no children, and the and burned, and eleven places of wor- second wife had several. On hearing ship, both Romanist and Protestant, what the decision was, the discarded were destroyed. The reports are some- wife went to Dr. Ashmore and put her what sensational, and perhaps lack con- case before him in this wise: firmation up to date of this writing. "But, teacher, he is my husband, But it is said that heavy ransoms have and I am his wife. You say that he been exacted as the price of personal ought not to have taken me; but he safety; that missionaries and their fami- did take me before he knew of your lies have been compelled to find hiding new religion. He is the father of my places in dirty holes and lofts from the children. I have a right to look to him mob; and that though the soldiers' bar- for companionship and for protection. racks are within five miles, no assistance You make my children illegitimate. has been rendered, and protection rude- You should not do that; you have no ly refused. right to injure my children in that way.
You have no right to put me in the posi- Correspondents have called attention tion of a disreputable woman, for he to what had not escaped us, that in the lawfully married me according to the July REVIEW there appear contradic- usage of China. I had a husband; now tory statements as to the issues of Sun- I havc no husband. I had a home; day newspapers in Japan (pp. 517 and now I have no home. If I go and 558). There is a conflict of authorities, marry another man I shall break the and we have written to Japan to find law. I had one to whom I could go as out the exact facts. This REVIEW is the father of my children; now I can divided into departments under separate go to my children's father no longer, members of the editorial staff, and such nor may I dare to speak to him." conflicting statements cannot always be avoided, as each editor in charge has Dr. Ashmore added that this led to his own sources of information. But his" studying anew the New Testament we seek, when such contradictions ap- teaching on the subject;" and the late pear, to reconcile them or correct mis- Dr. Happer said that, under like cirleading statements. cumstances, "after a long study of the subject," he "would not have inflicted such a trial upon that poor woman as Secretary Merriam, of the A. B. M. U., to deprive her of her husband, her home, calls our attention to a misleading para- and her children in the name of the graph on page 595 of the August num- merciful Redeemer, whose Gospel is ber. In the published report of proceed- best portrayed by His own words, ings we read: "A present attempt to 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and estdblish such a union of treasurie8 would are heavy laden, and I will give you work confusion and not harmony," etc. rest.' "
(see p. 5).
This matter of how to deal with The action of the committee appointpolygamy, in case of heathen converts, ed to report to the next Assembly on this matter will be awaited with inter· .~ est. The question is not an easy one to of the tree, on the south shore cf Lake settle. There may be reasons such as Bangweolo, under which lies buried led that wise legislator, Moses, to deal the heart of Dr. Livingstone.
as he did with the matter of divorce.
But it is obvious that all polygamy vio- The statement in the June number lates the normal order; "from the be- that Dr. Cochran, of Persia, is dead was ginning it was not so." a mistake. It should read, the wife of Dr. Cochran. Thtl item was taken from Ed ward Evans writes from the Mis- another journal, in which the mistake sionary Home and Agency, Shanghai, was made.
China, as to the form in which money should be brought or sent from the In view of the famous so·called States, that a banker'8 draft on London " quadrilateral" basis of Church unity, is the most valuable and available form. it may be well to give it a permanent Gold has to be exchanged into currency, record.
post-office orders have to go through an The four principles of Church unity exchange, etc. An American banker's proposed by the bishops of the Prot- draft at from sixty to ninety days aftej' estant Episcopal Church at Chicago date saves interest on the time occupied in 1886, and amended by the Lambeth in travel, and is practically a demand , Conference of 1888, are as follows: draft when it gets round to London. 1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as containing all The Cross Bearers' Missionary Read- things necessary to salvation and as be- ing Circle continues to grow, and its ing the rule and u.Itimate standard of programme for 1895-96 is as follows: faith.
" Lives of Henry Martyn and J. H. Nee- 2. The Apostles' Creed, as the bap- sima;" "Chinese Characteristics," by tismal symbol, and the Nicene Creed A. H. Smith; "New Acts of the Apos- as the sufficient statement of the Chris- tles" and MISSIONARY REVIEW by the tian faith.
Editor. The membership fee is but a 3. The two sacraments ordained by half dollar a year, and Rev. M. L. Gray, Christ Himself-baptism and the supper St. Louis, Mo., is the President. of the Lord–ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution and The rumored death of explorer E. J. of the elements ordained by Him.
Glave, on the Congo, in Africa, isdoubJy 4. The historic episcopate, locally sad news in view of the youth of the adapted in the methods of its administra- brave Englishman. He was but seven- tion to the varying needs of the nations teen years old when he followed Stanley and peoples called of God into the unity in his expedition into that unknown re- of His Church.
gion for the first time ; and yet he soon became a trusted lieutenant, and was A well-known missionary writes: left in command of the camp at Luko- "In the April REVIEW was a letter lela. Despite his many African and from the German missionary, Mr. K6zle, Alaskan explorations since then, he had of Persia, regarding Mohammedan only celebrated the thirty-second anni- work. This account, as published in versaryof his birthday a little while be- Germany, fell under the eye of the Per- fore he set out upon this last trip to in- sian Minister at Berlin, who called the vestigate the African slave trade. It Persian Government's attention to it.
would be a fitting grave for him to be The withdrawal of the missionaries was buried in the Congo Free State, which demanded inside of ten days. The Ger- he helped to establish; and it is a curi- man Minister made objections (?) and ous coincidence that almost the last act the time was extended to thirty days.
of his life was the finding and marking Meanwhile Rev. lHr. Kozle died of typhoid-fever, and his associate, Dr. velop the missionary life in the Church."
Zerweek, with his bride, have left Per- It is called" The Missionary Pastor,"
sia. The ground of expulsion is that and is by Rev. James Edward AdamB, they came to work among Jews, but and has very helpful charts prepared by began to evangelize :Mohammedans." Robert J. Kellogg. It discusses mis- sionary methods, meetings, classes, Among new books calling for our books, and charts. It is little more reviewing, we mention con amore the than an outline, and is so designerl.
memoirs of Mrs. William Booth, "110- But jf any pastor cannot find here ther of the Salvation Army." They enough helpful hints to keep him busy, are in two bulky volumes, edited by and enough ~hintful helps to aid him in her son·in-law, Booth-Tucker, and are developing missionary interest, we are a perfect thesaurus of riches. We in- much mistaken.
tend to give these volumes a very large space hereafter in a more formal reo "Modern Missions in the East," by view of contents. Meanwhile, let it be the lamented Edward A. Lawrence, said that this biography will take rank D.D_, is from Harper Brothers' press.
alongside of the" Life of O. G. Fin· Though so recently issued, this book ney," and Hodder's "Life of Shaftes- has already taken its place by general bury," for cosmopolitan interest and consent in the foremost rank of the litera- pregnant suggestion. Everybody who ture of missions. First given in the cares for a high-toned character and a form of lectures at Andover, New world-wide service should read this Haven, and Beloit, before students, it is book. Its cost is $3.50 per set, post- the record of twenty months spent in a paid, and the publisher is Revell & Co., missionary world journey for the spe- New York. cific end of a personal acquaintance By the same publishers appears W. E. with the mission field at large. It is not Cousins' brief but valuable" Madagas- too much to say that it is a unique and car of To-day." This also will have remarkable volume. It is full of infor- more extended notice hereafter. We mation, carefully collated facts, inspir- have all learned that the story of the ing suggestion, and withal a devout Hovas is among the most thrilling in and loving spirit that rises above all nar- missions; and Mr. Cousins, himself row denominationalism, and sees good magna pars re!'um, here tells the story. everywhere, but not without impartial Read it, ye who love God's work, and perception of all defects.
lend it to others. The closing chapter, on the spiritual Revell also sends out Sir William expansioll of Christendom politically, Muir's book, " Mahomet and Islam," at industrially, intellectually, morally, $1, half the price of the former issue. spiritually, is a fair specimen of the 'rhose who know of the distinguished whole work; and while we may not author will understand his competency agree with every sentiment expressed to write of his theme. And this ques- in these three hundred and thirty pages, tion of the creseent and the power of we regard this as one of the most prince- the green banner of the prophet is one ly of modern contributions to missions, of the burning questions ot the day. and it is the more lamentable that so gifted a pen will write for us no more.
F. H. Revell Company are just pub- lishing a new book which seems to us Rev. Samuel H. Anderson, of Paris, decidedly an advance upon two thirds after two years' perseverance, has got- of the existing missionary literature in ten ready a most interesting" Histoire de its compactness, brevity, pertinency, Jesus, " a " history of the life of the Son and general availability for the supreme of Man, in all the words of the four Gos- purpose which it announces-to "de- pels, and the very words of His contem· poraries." He was led to this attempt have from that time been used as by intense pity for the masses of French chapels. In one of these we now have a native church of 126 members, and people, who do not know the thrilling the old man who gave us the building details of the acts and teachings of the is still the leading spirit in the work.
Lord Jesus. Multitudes of anti-clericals The work in the other temple has not in France regard the Gospel as a " cleri- been so prosperous, but there are now 14 members and several inquirers. cal" book, and so will have nothing to "In 1874 two more stations were do with it; and many who will not read opened, these in two cities about 80 an "Evangile" will read a " Histoire." miles apart; and that year 14 were bap- The four narratives are here combined tized. In 1875 another country station in one, so that the reader has a continu- was opened, a branch from the tirst temple, the native Christians providing ous story. Possibly some whom the the building, the mission providing the Lord has blessed may be glad to aid evangelist. Here we now have a mem- bership of 39. Pastor Anderson in the circulation of this valuable message of life, and will "Another need was apparent-viz., the need of having books in Romanized send him help at 37 Avenue de la Grande colloquial for our illiterate Christians.
Armee, Paris. He is known to us to A beginning was made by transferring the Ningpo primer into this dialect. be a most worthy man and self-sacritic· Then the New Testament was begun and completed in 1881, printed on the i~g minister. premises by men who had never done — A correspondent calls in question such work before. It has been in con- tinual use ever since. some statements in " Notes on Africa" published in the May REVIEW. He " I shall not soon forget the delight which the first sheet produced when says they" do not agree with the state- my wife took it to her women's class.
ment of Rev. Henry Richards, of Banza She had no sooner begun to read Matt. 2 than she was interrupted by them say- Manteke, who says he never saw or ing, 'These are our words; we can heard of a cannibal, and does not be- understand them!' and they wanted lieve there are any in Africa," etc. To copies at once. Other books followed, which we only reply that Jamieson, of such as 'Peep of Day;' the Book of Jonah, printed last year; the Psalms, Stanley's rear guard, was severely'cen- just finished.
sured for drawing and sending home " Up to 1890 the average increase pictures of a cannibal feast which he was about 14. During that year the witnessed.-D. L. -Po number baptized was doubled, and our little chapels began to be crowded.
Reaping time was clearly at hand; but W. D. Rudland, of the C. I. );I., we were not prepared for such an in· writes of the rise and progress of mis- crease as we have since had.
sion work in Tai·chow : " In 1891 another station was opened .. Tai-chow is a prefectural city in in a large market town, where we al- southeast Chekiang, famous for little ready had several native Christians. A else but robbers and opium; looked considerable amount of opposition was upon as the despised Nazareth of China. manifested by some of the leading man The populaion is about 120,000, mostly of the place, and one house had to be agricultural folk, with few shops and given up. But we soon found another no manufactories of any note. 1 came which was larger, and so reaped an adhere in 1870. The station bad been vantage. Now the Christians have so opened about three years, and two men grown in lAumbers as to be able to had been baptized. One of them is still lease an a<!!foining house at a cost of living, and his eldest son is one of our $50, all native contributions. There is most valued native evangelists. now a church of 78 members and near· " The country was very unsettled, on ly 100 inquirers. In another station the account of the recent Tientsin massacr(', native Christians opened an out·station and the prospect was not encouraging. in a village about four miles distant, But in May, 1871, two more were bap- paying the rent and doing the preach. tized. one of whom still lives, and is an ing themselves. evangelist. In 1873 six persons were ,. The year 1892 was one of organiza- baptized, In two villages, 40 miles tion and consolidation more than of ex- apart, idol temples were given to us, tension. But the number of inquh-ers the owners having been converted, and increased so much that the number bap· tized was 141-nearly three, times the and continued by Miss Cooke, proves number of any previous year. During itself an invaluable help to Chinese misthe last week of prayer we asked the sions by training up a body of Christian Lord for 500 souls during this year. We Chinese women, able to do good work, have already baptized 181, and still have either as teachers and Bible women, or about 400 inquirers. as wives and mothers of Christian fami· lies. Two years after Miss Grant's " Of our 13 stations, nine have been school was commenced she had the joy provided with preaching places by the' of seeing three of her pupils baptized natives themselves; three of them were into tLe Church of Christ. At that once idol temples." time the Chinese were greatly opposed to Christianity, and Miss Grant was A year ago Miss Rosamond Anne often in actual danger of her life. Dur- Webb, Secretary of the Society for ing the ten years of her stay in Singa- Promoting Female Education in the pore, however, a great change was East, wrote a letter, which simple press- wrought, and when :Miss Cooke arrived, ure of other matter has hitherto crowd- in the year 1853, all these difficulties had been removed, and she found not only ed out. She says: a peaceful and secure home established, "That society has been at work for but also a staff of native girls fitted to be teachers, and many houses open to fifty years in Singapore; the school, be visited. Three girls were baptized the Chinese girls' school (boarding), the Sunday after Miss Grant's deparand one or two other ones (day) have ture, and the work went fOIward rapidbeen nurseries for heaven. The Lord ly in Miss Cooke's hands. Making use has richly blessed the work. Many of of her native girls as interpreters, she the native young women educated there commenced Bible readings in some of are active Christian workers, and others the houses, and many women came to have gone forth as missionaries to for- these meetings. Noticing that men eign lands. By this post I send two would often stand outside listening to numbers of the society's little magazine, the Gospel, Miss Cooke was stirred to the Female Missionary Intelligencer, consider what could be done for the which give information on the subject -the article in that for February being men. just a reprint from the Malaysia Mes- The London Missionary Society, sage. Yet the Rev. W. J. Oldham, in his article on 'Malaysia' in the MIS- which for many years had flourishing SIONARY REVIEW (May, 1894), com- missions in Malaysia, had removed their pletely ignores this work, although he last man to China about seven years bewas appointed to Singapore some nine fore Miss Cooke's arrival, and the work years ago, and it is hardly within the among the Chinese had entirely ceased, range of possibility that he should have although Mr. Keasbel'ry was still carryknown nothing about it. Justice to the ing on his work among the Malays, and, devoted laborers in that island, to whom to some extent, among the Malaythe Lord has given many souls for their speaking Chinese. The entire field, hire, compels me to draw attention to therefore. was unoccupied. neither the this omission." Church of England nor the Presbyterian The information she refers to is as Church making allY attempt to reach the Chinese. Accordingly Miss Cooke follows: began to teach two men in her school- " The Society for Promoting Female room, with the assistance of a Christian Chinaman, the men walking twelve Education in the East was not estab- miles there and back every Sunday. lished until 1834, but, previously to that The number soon increased to twelve time, Miss Newell (subsequently Mrs. men, and the Church of England Chap- Gutzliff) had begun work in Malacca. lain, the Rev. W. Humphrey, becom- She was succeeded by Miss WaUace, to ing interested in the movement, advised whom the first grant ever made by this Miss Cooke to fit up a small bungalow society, a sum of £50, was allotted; and in her compound (originally built for a in 1835 the committee sent lIiss Thorn- billiard.room) as a chapel. Services ton, a missionary of their o~n, to assist were held regularly, and the con~rega her. After eleven years of labor, Miss tion soon increased to seventy or eIghty. Thornton returned home, and the com- The simplest Church prayers were semittee gave up Malacca as one of their lected, and were read by the interpreter, who was required to prepare his notes stations. for the sermon in English, so that Miss "Later. a school for Chinese girls Cooke might know what he was preach- ing. These services were continued was opened at Singapore, and as China was at that time closed to mission work, thus until the chaplain persuaded his a most important outpost was thus gained. for, through Singapore, China could be reached. To this day the school then commenced by Miss Grant, I
EDITORIAL
English congregation to employ cate· the Indian school at Carlisle, Pa. This chists, after which Miss Cooke gladly order has an advantage in missionary relinquished this branch of her work work. It is not only work for young that it might be carried on by other Indian women, but it brings them into hands. In like manner, the Scotch its membership and gives them an op- Church was stirred up to undertake portunity to work with others for the work of a similar kind. same cause. Other circles correspond " In the mean while, the work of the with these, and so keep in touch with Chinese Girls' School was progressing, the work done by each in its respective and waifs and strays and various cases field. 'The work.' says Miss Shafner of distress were frequently brought to (matron of the school), ' has a peculiar the school by the police and others. At charm for these Indian girls. The sim- one time six young women were brought plicity of its obligation, the modesty of to the school from China; two of these its purpose, its creed that it is better to became Christians, of whom one died be than to do, all find a ready response after twelve years of bright Christian in the timid but honest nature of our life, and the other remains a consistent Indian sisters.' The meetings are con- Christian. ducted by the leaders, all of whom are " In the year 1860 six little children of the school facultY', assisted by the who had been bought in China by president of each CIrcle, who are all some Malay sailors were taken from pupils. The weekly meetings are held them by the police and brought to Miss every Wednesday evening for prayer Cooke's school, grew up, and became and Bible study, and letters from out- true Christians,* and they are now the side circles are read, and other neces- wives of Chinese (clergymen, or) catc- sary reports are presented. Sunday chists belonging to the Church Mission- afternoon the circles unite for prayer ary Society. One of these five workers and Bible reading. There is corredied of cholera in 1873. One of the spondence with absent members who girls who was in the school in Miss have returned to their homes in the Grant's time is now the wife of a mis- West, and letters are also written to sionary to the Chinese in Melbourne. other girls to encourage their effort for " Another girl married a Chinese shop- good. Last year they made three quilts keeper in Batavia fourteen years ago, and sent to a hospital in Sendai, Japan. and her consistent life has been such as They pay one share of $50 for a bed in to cause others to bring their daughters, the New York Hospital for Women and begging that they might be educated Children. Fifty yards of flannel and here. One native catechist, sent to a $20 in money were contributed to sup- peculiarly difficult and arduous Chinese- ply clothes for Indian children in South speaking station, where he met with Dakota. Twenty-five dollars are annu- continual opposition, said he could ally sent to purchase Christmas gifts hardly have stood his ground without for Indian children in the West. A the support and courage and sympathy pulpit Bible worth $18 was given to of his Christian wife, who had 'been a mission; Gospel song books were trained as a pupil in the Chinese Girls' bought and presented to the Y. M. C. A.
School. of the school. They have raised funds " Such have been a few of the wonder- to help a Sabbath-school in Japan.
ful influences for good which have gone Thirty pin-cushions have been made forth from a school which has never and sent to hospitals in Philadelphia been able to boast of more than about and Indianapolis. In valid rolling chairs forty pupils, but where the great aim and other helpful things have been given of the teachers has always been to bring to the hospital of the school.
the pupils to a saving knowledge of "The ways in which the money is .Tesus, and early to instil into their hearts earned are many. Fancy articles made that simple piety for which so many of by the circles are sold at the annual fair; them have been conspicuous in after some of the girls earn money during life. " their summer vacation, and others while at the school. At the State conven- tions of the Y. M. C. A. the association As to the Indian Circle of King's of the school is always represented; Daughters, Miss Luzena Chouteau the Indian delegation is always asked to writes from Chicago : speak, and they always respond. It is "Interesting branches of the King's hoped that these organizations may not Daughters are found in the four circles at only be the means of giving an oppor- tunity to the white people to help the * One died soon after her arrival, from the Indians, but will unite them in each other in this one great efrort to better elfects of the 'cruel treatment [she had received on board ship. mankind."
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTEI.LIGENCE
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
EDITED BY REV. D. L. LEONARD.
Extraots and Translations from Foreign ceeds village, surrounded by bamboo Periodicals. groves, their darker green picturesquely contrasting with the brighter green of BY REV. C. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, the rice fields. Thr~ugh the latter wind MASS. the silver threads of canals and irrigat- ing ditches. In the background rise CmNA AND JAPAN. the mountains in terraces of increasing height as they recede, until in the far -Missionary KUNZE, in the Missions- distance they lose themselves in the F'1'6und, gives some pleasing descrip- vaporous blue. The fresh green of the tions of landscapes iuthe province of growing fields is everywhere the foun- Canton. "The region through which dation of natural beauty in China." the East River pursues its course is, as almost everywhere in the Canton prov- -" English people are beginning to ince, mountainous. One mountain val- understand how the absence of interley follows another. The mountains communications makes the parts of are often bald. or only overgrown with China which are distant from the seat dwarf fir trees. Yet there are here and of war quite safe for missionary work. there romantic forest ravines out of Dr. Griffith Jobn, writing from a place which, it is true, an idol temple usually some days' journey further inland than rises, thus lowering our delight of the Hankow, says that the people' appear natural beauties around. Behind the to take as little interest in Peking and ranges of hills which line the banks of Canton as they do in Canada and the river rise higher and yet higher Wales. ' He has been making a most mountains, over which, on the north, successful tour in places where no Eurorises still higher Mount Lofen. This pean missionary, but only catechists, is more than 4000 feet high, and is cov- have hitherto labored. At Pah-tzeered with various Buddhist monasteries. Nau, Tien-Men, Tsau-shih, and Mau- It is said that among the monks are kia-po the mandarins were friendly, the many people of rank. The story goes opposition was silenced, and many conamong the people that mandarins, who verts were baptized. At the last·named had reason to fear deposition or con- town the ancestral hall was cleared and demnation to death, have feigned them- used for service. Out of 200 candidates selves dead, had themselves borne into for baptism, 66 were baptized, coming the mortuary hall, have there escaped from 14 villages. There are candidates from their coffins, and joined the monks for baptism in 12 more villages. This of Mount Lofen. In this way they part of the Hupeh Province is therefore saved their lives and saved their wealth very hopefuL" – Ohurch Missiona;ry Into their families, which, in the event of telligencer. their execution, would have escheated to the State." -" By the time this issue comes be- fore our readers, the Japanese occupa- -The station at Tshu-thong-au is tion of Formosa will have begun. There thus described: .. A beautiful chapel will almost certainly be some initial was built there, together with a helper's difficulties with the Chinese city popudwelling, and dedicated on Palm Sun- lations, and a firm hand may be required day, 1890. From the neighboring hill to insure the establishment of the new you have a splendid view over the whole regime. But if Japan continues to show valley. The region is very populous the skill and determination and adminisand wonderfully beautiful; village suc-
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS
trative power which have been so mani- years fallen. The idea, it seems, pre- fest during the war, it will not be long vails, even in our great missionary so- before she is able to inaugurate a new cieties, that medical missionaries are era in the island by developing its re- not needed any longer for .Japan. 'In sources and improving the condition of Japan,' I am told, ' there is such progress its people. One thing will be looked that we do not now think it needful to for with eager interest. How will the send medical missionaries tbere.' Com- new government bear itself toward the ing from Japan as I do, it is news to me two Protestant missions which now pos- that its people do not need this agency.
sess a network of some 80 stations over Many skilled physicians there are in Ja- the island? We have the expectation pan, it is true, but these are not available -perhaps we are too sanguine-that for the poor any more than your leading she will not interfere with the mission consultants and skilled private practi.
work already existing, but will rather tioners are within the reach of the poor rejoice in its presence as a factor in the of your cities. Hospitals there are in interests of peace and civilization; and Japan, duly officered and appointed, that she will put no hindrance in the but among a thousand beds in these efforts to spread the Word of God still hospitals you would scarcely perhaps further. Japan has yet to find a relig- find a hundred apportioned to the poor- ion for herself in room of the old faiths est of the people. I only wish that from which she is now casting herself those in this country who are blind on loose; and it may be that in facing the this subject could know Japan as it is, problem of the government of a great and could have their eyes opened.
Chinese popUlation, she has to learn .. But now for a few words about the some lessons concerning the ultimate Bibles which you have, as an associa- principles of righteous rule which may tion, helped me to distribute among the lead her to consider more carefnlly the Japanese doctors. There are, as I have claims of Christian truth."-Medical said, many doctors in Japan-about 42,- Missions. 000 altogether. I myself have personal acquaintance with from 500 to 1000 of -At the annual meeting of the Medi- them, and I have found them always cal Missionary Association, held in Lon- most cordial and kind. The ready ac· don, May 2d, Dr. Whitney, of Tokyo, cess one has had to them one's self sug- Japan, said: gested the thought of seeking access among them for one's Bible as well ; "I stand here to represent Japan, that country in which so many are now and the naval and military surgeons interested; and also to represent the who were actively engaged in the war work of the distribution of the Bible to were our first care. .
the Japanese medical men. With this "To 160 naval, and to nearly 1000 work the lIedical Missionary Associa- military doctors, we have accordingly tion of London has been closely identi- lately sent a Testament and a book of fied, sending me at different times con· Psalms bound up together and printed siderable gifts from medical men and in the Japanese tongue. [Here Dr.
other of its constitnents-gifts which Whitney produced a small, nicely have very materially helped forward bound, tempting-looking volume from the distribution. his pocket.] Within we placed an in- "Since the opening of the country scription stating that the book was a thirty or forty years ago, medical mis- gift from medical men in America and sion work has been carried on in Tokyo, England who, knowing for themselves Kobe, Osaka, Niigata, and in many the value of its contents, were desirous other places. But I want to correct a that their brethren in Japan should also very erroneous notion into which I find find them to be spirit and life. Many that people in England have of late acknowledgments have reached me, and
GENERAL MisSIONARY INTELLIGENCE. [Septemb&r
parts of some of these you too may care lied medical missionaries in China, the to hear: • We thank you very much for better; but everyone from England your precious presents and for your should know at least something about kind writings. ' • There shall be no medicine, for whether he happens to greater happiness to me than if I get the know anything or not, medical work he truth for the grace of God's.' 'Cer- will have to do I" tainly I will read it with attention, and hope that I may not make your kindness It appears that even personal experivain.' 'Your work in distributing ence cannot rid some of the Chinese of Bibles among the doctors is doing much their fixed persuasion of the evil pracgood.' Here is one letter superscribed tices of the foreign doctors. Dr. Rigg without 'To my beloved teacher.' It says: " A little old woman came to me is, you see, rather of the lengthy order. one day who did not present a very [Here Dr. Whitney unrolled a letter pleasing appearance. Her eye was Which had rather the appearance of a swollen up. I wondered whether her parliamentary petition, trailing from the eyeball was injured, and did what I rail of the platform to the floor and could temporarily pending a fuller exalong for a length altogether of perhaps amination. Meanwhile my wife gave ten to twelve feet.] Time is so nearly her a cup of tea and some bread and up that I will not tell you all the'thanks butter, all of which she disposed of. that this letter expresses. " -ilfedicaZ though she had never seen bread and MisBion8. butter before, or had milk and sugar in her tea. The visit over, she went away -Japanese doctors are real physi- and told her neighbors, 'They gave cians; but, as we know, Chinese doc- me medicine at the dispensary to make tors are for the most part mere quack- my head dizzy, and then the foreign salvers. On the same occasion Dr. teacher took my eye out.' The next Rigg, C. M. S. missionary in Fuh-kien, day she came back to us, this time with remarked: "We have been told this her brother, a barber, who was greatly afternoon that medical missionaries are enraged with us for having excised his wanted for Japan-and that although sister's eye. The swelling having by there are 42,000 doctors in the country. this time somewhat abated, I was able And I can assure you that they are to open the eyelid and show the brother wanted in China, though there are that the eye was there all right enough, plenty of doctors there too. I am sure whereupon the old lady went back to I may say, indeed, that there are many her neighbors and informed them, • My more than 42,000 doctors in China; but brother went with me to the foreign I may add that for the whole lot of teacher and threatened him, and frightthem I would give-well, not much ened him so much that he put my eye more than twopence! Two helpers at back again.''' We see that this woman our hospital, the cook and another man, would be able to confirm the stories thought once upon a time that it would about the missionaries from her own exbe a fine thing to go into the medical perience, as according to her it was only line for themselves. So they left us, the valor of her brother that saved her bought some spectacles, and set up in eye from being used for the unhallowed business. In due course of time they dtsigns of the foreigners. quarrelled, and the partnership was dissolved. But this is a fair specimen of " A gong sounds at six, and patients the way in which many and many a throng to the dispensary, each of them Chinaman enters the medical profes- carrying a little bowl. This is for their sion. The fact that these men know so physiC. We have to take care only to little makes anybody who comes from give them a dose at a time, or they England useful. The more fully quali. would drink it all up at once. They are excellent takers of medicine. Cas- tor-oil is swallowed to the_last drop
1895.J EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONfl
without a wry face, and pills they will It poor heathen soul at this mission from eat if you do not look after them. the slavery of sin and death. There is Among the crowd as the morning went a knock at the door. The black sexton on, you may see a well-dressed student enters. "Morena 0 t8osicle!" .. Rure, dressing some loathsome ulcer. Three MO'l'ena 0 t80sicle /" are the mutual greetor four years ago this student shrank ings. sensitively from everything that was repulsive; but one day he chanced to read The same salutations greeted the misabout our Lord's washing His disci- sionary as he soon appeared in his vestples' feet, and from that day no service ments in the joyful· assembly_ The haa been too mean for him to perform whole congregation, men and women, for anyone of the patients. The ulcer young and old, were present. cases he has made his special charge; s:) much so that I have to take him off They came from a distance to a joythem at times and give them to a junior ful Easter festival. They were all neatstuden.t, for he is now one of our seniors. ly dressed, with joy visible in their There are as good Christians among my faces. No word was spo!o:en, but all students as there are in this hall. It is eyes were turned toward the reddening well worth all the trouble it has given horizon. Soon the Easter sun loorps me to have had the joy of training such forth which once before showed the men. It is well worth your while, any risen Lord. The Easter tones of the of you Christian parents who may be bell sounded now from the church here, to train up your children to such tower. The procession formed, the two work-to set medical missions before missionaries with the native helpers and your boys and girls, and to put them in teachers in advance, followed by the the way of preparing for the service. congregation. They go to the cemetery We must have missionary parents if we near the church to celebrate Easter at are to hope to have missionary chil- the graves of the departed. They stop dren." at the hill which holds the grave of the missionary Kobolde, who had been be- Ea.ster Oelebration in Africa. loved and had died young. The tolling or'the bell ceased. After a short prayer At two o'clock in the morning, as a jubilant hymn of praise breaks forth light began to dawn upon the quiet re- in this home of the dead in honor of gion, there was also an awakening tq Him who took away the sting of death life in the vicinity of the German mis- and brought immortality to light. sion in South Africa. Here and there black forms appeared between the fields There were also many Hollanders and corn gardens, singly or in small (Dutch peasants from the neighborhood) groups, on their way to the mission. present. The miSSionary therefore read Near the tower of the little church the the Easter Gospel in Dutch and made a. guests assembled. "Morena 0 tsosicle /" short address in the same;Ianguage. The (" The Lord is risen I") the tones of the festival sermon then followed from the bell proclaimed to the new-comers. other missionary in Sessutho (a native "Ru'l'e, Morena 0 t80sicle /" (" He is language), to which the white listeners truly risen I' ') was their answer. The also gave attention. The service was missionary stood at the window of his closed with hymns and prayer, a beaustudy and looked out into the dawning tiful, fitting Divine service. It showed Easter morning full of thanks and that this congregation, which once conpraise to Him who here again in Afrk-a sisted of heathens who had no hope, had shown Himself a risen and living now was composed of happy Easter Saviour, and who had also saved many Christians by the grace of God, for whom also the light of eternal life beamed across the dark portals of the grave.-li'rorn the Lutheran Kirchen- f'l'eund.
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
English Notes. throughout Tinnevelly, and aggressive and earnest efforts are being made in BY JAMES DOUGLAS. many quarters, a root of bitterness has Ohu'l'ol. Missionary Society.-Not only sprung up, owing to the order of the the friends of this society, but of evan- diocesans that caste titles should be gelical missions generally, will be in- omitted in the pUblication of the banns clined to view as an augury for good of marriage. The result has shown the proclamation of a British protec- how deep-seated is the spirit of caste torate over the States intervening be- among those who as Christians should tween Uganda and the East Coast. have given it up altogether. Still all Though the Uganda :Mission has been are not tainted. A band exists of men in no way dependent on man's arrange- full of faith, of prayer, and of the Holy ments, yet it does seem as if, in the Ghost.
overruling providence of God, the way London Missionary Society.-The bearof the Gospel was being further pre- ing of the French invasion of Madagaspared through the introduction of set- car on evangelical missions has been tled government into the heart of Afri- seriously complicated by the Lenten ca, and the decision arrived at by Her pastoral of the Roman Catholic Arch- Majesty's Government to make the bishop of Paris, who speaks of the railway to Uganda. It is hoped that French expedition as a crusade on bethe pax Britannica, like the pax Roo half of Catholicism. This sentiment is mana of old, may greatly facilitate the re-echoed by the other bishops of France, progress of the Gospel as the means of and coupled with the stronglyanti-Britearth's regeneration. ish feeling which finds utterance among Oentral Asia.-Dr. Neve's recent arti- the French Colonial party, seems to cle on Central Asia as a further field point to anxious days in the future.
for occupancy has already borne fruit Lifu, New Oaledonia.-A wondrous both as regards offers of personal ser- work of grace has recently taken place vice and of substantial contributions. on this island. the like of which had As the editor of the Missionary Intelli- never been seen on the island before. gencer points out, every region beyond The results appear to have far exceeded that is entered, every fresh enlargement faith and expectation. "I confess," of the missionary field to lands still writes Mr. James Hadfield, " that when more remote, reacts fa vorably on the I started these revival services one chief other spheres which are already before idea in my mind was that I should be the churches. The new does not preju- furnishing the pastors with a weapon dice the old, but strengthens the organic which might be of value to them in the development of the whole network of future, when they had learned to use it agency. with effect; but a stronger hand than ours has used the weapon and left us Negro Mis3ionarie8.-The Bishop of all, teachers and people alike, under a Sierra Leone, believing that the Church profound sense of God's willingness to in West Africa would be much helped help us, and of the ease with which He if negro missionaries from across the works," As a result of these services, Atlantic could be procured, has gone to conducted throughout the island by the West Indies to see who among the four of the native pastors, no less than colored Christians are willing to offer 564 natives have decided for Christ, and themselves for this work.
South India.-It is reported that while the whole island has been roused to re- the congregations at the Palamcottale newed faith and zeal. One of the pas- Tamil Church are as large as ever, tors described the movement as a true numbering over 1200, and while bap- "Penetekosa," and records that while tisms are almost daily taking place working in a remote district a somewhat
ENGLISII NOTES
severe hUlTicane came on, but the peo· as much ehristian &1 many IIlf our home pIe would not allow of the meetings villages. There !tre few houses where being interfered with, earnestly protest- family worship is not observed. Let ing that it was no hurrieane, bjt sim- people try to realize what that means, ply the rushing of a mighty wind to ac- and they will rejoice and give God company the descent of the Spirit. In thanks as I did and do."
some of the villages there is scarce one Dr. .iJjJleck Scott.-The Blantyre Misleft who is not either a church-member sion of the Church of Scotland has sufor a candidate for admission. fered a grievous loss in the death of Dr.
Hankow, Ohina.-Dr. Griffith John W. A. Scott, at the early age of thirty- writes concerning the new leper home three. His words at starting for the at Hiau Kaw, and the prospects gener- Dark Continent were, "What a glori- ally in that neighborhood: "It is now ous thing to help to save Africa 1" In about twenty years since we began labor he was unsparing of himself, and work in that district. From the begin- though his time on furlough was long ning we have been greatly encouraged overdue, he refused to leave till a suc- by evident tokens of God's favor. But cessor would come to take his place and never have we seen so much to inspire his work. His career is brief but in- us with confidence as now. The whole spiring ; and the mantle of such a man district is being leavened with Christian cannot fall to the ground.
truth, and everywhere an interest in the Baptist Missionary Society.-Great truth is being awakened in the minds of grief is felt at the early and lamented men. .. We want more men. When death of Sidney Roberts Webb, M.D., shall we have them !" of the Congo, after a short two years of Prayer of a Hunan 0 hristian. -" 0 missionary service. Skilful in the sci- Lord, Thou knowest that Hunan means ence of medicine, he had an earnest south of the Lake, and Hupeh north of evangelical spirit, and was especially • the Lake; the Lake is Tung Ting. successful in attracting the Congo boys Thou knowest, Lord, that there are to his person and touching their hearts more people in these two provinces than by his appeals. The letter of his young there are fish in the Lake, and Thou wife, narrating the circumstances of his hast sent us to be fishers of men. In last illness and departure and burial at many places the Gospel net has not sea, is unspeakably touching. One who been let down, and there is no means of well knew him writes: "Sidney Webb catching the fish, nor is there any fish- died as he lived; and he has carried erman. We pray Thee, Lord, to grant with him the character and capacity that in every place there may be a Gos- formed by the experience and discipline pel net and skilful fishermen. " of earth,"
Presbyterian Ohurch of England.- Wesleyan Mi8sionary Society.-The Writing of a visit paid to the mission "'Wesleyan Missionary Notices" constations in Formosa, the Rev. John tinue still to be occupied with addresses Watson, M.A., says: "The brethren in given at the annual meetings by breth- Formosa have been unduly depressed ren from the foreign fields_ There is an by the relapses of which they have told unmistakable ring of faith in their utus among the Christian aborigines. I terances generally, while the results, as spent a few days at Awgulan, in the summarized, show in several cases gratinorth of our district, which is virtually fying progress. Educational agencies a Christian village. The people are all are carefully fostered, and evangelistic aborigines, or Sek Hoan. They speak efforts unfiaggingly sustained. Speaktheir native dialect, and also Chinese. ing of the Galle district of Ceylon, the Some twenty-five years ago they first Rev. Robert Tebb says, "Of the 500 heard the Gospel. Now the village is members there, many of them are work-
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
in~ for Christ, and are endurin~ for ·~The la.te Rev. E. A.. Lawrence lays Him in a way to be compared with that down this dictum, which is eminently of the noblest members at home. . . . Christian: .. Every church should work Then in the educational work we are out in. a mission, and every mission very thankful indeed that we have some should work out into t1 church. " 6000 childl'en in the day schools and Sabbath-schools." The testimony of -The Spirit of Mission8 is privileged the Rev. W. Arthur Cornaley. of Wu- to be able to state a fact which unforchang, Ohina, is no less valuable: "Dur- tunately is notable because so unusual: ing the nine years I have been out there "For a long time we have received the membership of the district has al- from the same anonymous contributor a most exactly doubled. Among those regular weekly gift of $5 for missions. 650 members there are more than double We recognize it by the address on the the number of workers there were in envelope_ It shows a constant thought those earlier days. We know our num- for missions which is very gratifying." bers now. They have been tested by the riots. Not one left us under the -Bishop Potter, of New York City, stress of that persecution and excite- takes a "vacation" by going into the ment. The living influence of some 650 heart of the crowded tenement district Christians must be enormous." of the East Side, and individually tak- ing part in the mission work among the THE KINGDOM. poor. His object is twofold. First, he wants to learn for himself the character -Paul is the prince of missionaries, and requirements of that particular misand Chapter viii. of Second Corinthians sion field. Secondly, he desires, by peris the most stirriug passage relating to sonal direction of the mission, to exthe missionary spirit that his pen ever emplify his idea of the cathedral, produced. If the Christian Church were which is, that it should be a church for only to learn those twenty-four verses all classes of the people, a free church, by heart, the world's redemption would for the poor as well as for the rich. be nigh, even at the doors. The place of beginning should be at the fifth -Truly, the Scudders rank high verse, which tells how the saints of among royal families, for they have MacedOnia first gave their own selvll8 to supplied 30 missionaries to the foreign the Lord. field, and have given 529 years of toil for the salvation of India. -" Do the next thing." That may be nothing but to stand still and see the -As the New York Sun reminds us : salvation of the Lord. Thank God, His " Two centuries elapsed after the disfaithfulness and power are not dependent covery of America by Columbus before upon our faith! Our faith may fail us, Europe began to turn America to much but if we obey simply, humbly, in the account, but a single century after Ausdark, God's light and power and salva- tralia drew the world's notice saw the tion will be clearly manifested at last. full flower of civilization there. The After all, we shall find that obedience is most of Africa is the discovery of the but faith with folded wings. As Bishop past half century, and yet we know far Thoburn puts it, " God's promises are more of that great continent in all its His commands." If we cannot always aspects to-day than was known of Amerreceive the Divine message with the ica three hundred years after Columbuoyancy and cheerfulness of faith, we bus had discovered it." can receive it with the determination and the faithfulness of obedience.-Ind- -After a meeting of Babus in Bow ian Witnes8. Bazar, Calcutta, the Rev. J. F. Hewitt was questioned by a man who was on the border-line between theosophy and Hinduism. An inquisitive crowd quickly iathered, questions and answers de· which art in Heaven, above .!.mericlI I veloped into a rather lengthy discus· Hallowed be Thy name, in Am8rica. sion, which was cut short in a very Thy kingdom come, in America. Thy pleasant way. ~Ir. Hewitt writes: "A will be done, in America, as it is in negro, a pure African, thrust his way heaven. Give us this day our daily through the crowd, and, taking the bread, in America; and forgive us our Babu by the arm, besought him most debts as we forgive our debtors, in earnestly to accept the Lord Jesus as America." his Saviour. Then he told them that he was once a heathen, but a black -The Church of Rome is in princi· bishop named Crowther came to his pIe about as tolerant as a Bengal tiger. country and told them sweet words When the tiger is in his cage he submits about the Lord Jesus, which he had be· to various circumstances which he does lieved, and by which he had become a not tolerate when free to follow his own Christian. It was a sight which I shall wishes. In the freedom of the jungle . not readily forget. It did one good to we see exactly what the nature of the bear a black, rough·lookingnegro plead· animal is. And if we would know ex- – ing earnestly in broken English with actly the principles of the Church of this educated, intellectual Babu, and ex· Rome and her theories concerning the horting him to accept Christ." -Ohurch religious rights of those who are not in Missionary Intelligencer. her own communion, we should study her procedure in those countries where -Two replies come to the time·worn she is virtually at liberty to carry out and slanderous allegation that only dead her own ideas.-Indian Witne88. Indians are good. First, the tables are fairly turned upon us whites when the -For a long period, the Dutch au· Indian preachers very earnesly assure thorities in Sumatra tried to win the . their hearers that there are good white Mohammedan population by excessive people, as Miss Collins declares they do. deference and even by special privi- And then in Boston the other day Lone leges. They thought to awaken the Wolf confessed, "that is true; but gratitude of the Moslems and gain their how? I am a dead Indian, because the adherence by spending lavishly on their fire of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus temples and religious arrangements; Christ has killed the Indian that was in the ruined mosque of Atschie, in Suo me." matra, was splendidly rebuilt at the cost of the Government, and the Dutch -It appears that something besides rulers went so far as to regard the work climate is concerned in making of West of missions as PCllitically dangerous. Africa a graveyard for missionaries. They even believed that the Mohamme· One who bas suffered there writes: dan insurrection in Borneo in 1859 was " It is said, 'So many die. ' And why provoked by the missionaries. But late· do they die? Simply because the nig. ly a change has taken place, and three gardly giving of Christian people com· years ago it was emphatically declared, pels them to do and risk what no hu· in an assembly of men thoroughly ac· man being can endure in any climate. quainted with the circumstances of the One man was left with work that at Dutch colonies, that missions were a home would employ ten, and then, if great help to the Government, and the Lord doesn't work a miracle to keep should be furthered in every possible him alive, it is attributed to 'the dread· way.-Evangelische8 ]tIi88'ionsmagazin. ful African climate.' " WOMAN'S WORK.
-This revision of the Lord's Prayer -It is said that the W. C. T. U. is has been made for those who do not be· the first women's organization to receive lieve in foreign missions: "Our Father official recognition in Westminster Abbey. At the late World's Convention ate course in medicine, and then return some of the most notable sessions were to Liberia, able to do better work in the held in the abbey, and the Bishop of line of medicine. I look forward to a Dover preached a sermon there eulogiz- long life to do good and help build up ing the organization. Surely the world Africa."
moves-even that part oj' it encompassed -Thirty-five deaconesses have gone within the British Isles. out from the Chicago Training School -A young English woman, a physi- this year into active work. They are cian, was l'ecentlyescorted from India distributed as follows: Chicago, 9; to Afghanistan by a special embassy Lake Bluff Orphanage, 4; Milwaukee, from the Ameer, and her ministrations 3; Fall River, 2; Minneapolis, 2; made an impression so favorable that Omaha, 2; Africa, 2; Peoria, Freeport, she accompanied the Buite of the St. Louis, Grand Rapids, La Crosse, Ameer's son to London. Providence, Eureka Springs, Des Moines, undenominational work in -This is written concerning woman's Chicago, each 1. Two others are can- day at the recent meeting of the Inter- didates for foreign work in India or national Missionary Union: "The most China.
interesting feature perhaps of the exer- -Two Chinese girls from Kiukiang, cises was Mrs. White's presentation to China, stood the highest in the recent the audience of three silver-haired ladies junior examinations of the medical dewith this record: Mrs. E. C. Scudder, partment of the University of Michigan. 21 years in India; Mrs. Henry Blodget, They came to America three years ago 40 years in China; Mrs. J. C. Hepburn, at the solicitation of Miss Howe, a mis- 50 years in China and Japan. The lat- sionary from Ann Arbor, hardly knowter, with half a century of good works ing a word of English, and graduate upon her, sat a queen among us. Full next year to return to China as medical of dignity, her narrative flashed with missionaries. quiet humor that brought out in happy relief the earnestness of her life. " -Miss Hu King Eng,M.D., who is -Miss Georgia L. Patton, M.D., born soon to return to China well equipped a slave, tells us this about herself: " I as a missionary of the Woman's Forworked on the farm until I was seven- eign Missionary Society. was baptized teen years old. My mother died when in China in her infancy by Rev. S. L. I was sixteen. I have attended Central Baldwin, D.D., Recording Secretary of Tennessee College since 1882. I have our missionary society. She is the been able to be in college only a few granddaughter of one of our earliest months each year, being compelled to converts in China.-Zion's Herald.
stay out and work to pay my expenses. -One of the most successful of girls'
I have paid my way and supported my- boarding·schools in the foreign field is self mostly by teaching district schools. Beirut Female Seminary, which has In 1890 I complcted the scnior normal been for many years a most valuable course, and in February, 1893, complet- part of the missionary work in Syria.
ed the three years' course in medicine. Other schools have been added to this I go to Liberia for the good I want to beginning and have had a great effect, do for others, to relieve the suffering, even upon the Mohammedan communi- and to assist in radiating the light of ties. One day-school, taught in Beirut Christianity and civilization to other by Miss Taylor, a Scotch woman, has parts of Africa. I expect to both prac- in it about 40 Mohammedan girls of the tise medicine and to teach school in better class. In self-defence, the Mo- Liberia. After two years I hope to re- hammedans started a girls' school of turn to this country, take a postgradu- their own, but it waS not successful. GENERAL MISSIONARY IN'rELI.IGENCE.
YOUNG PEOPLE. topics were considered: "An Efficient Missionary Committee, " " The Mission- -Again has the Christian Endeavor ary Meeting" and .. Systematic Givmovement astonished all Christendom ing." There was a large attendance of by the hosts it brought together at the those interested in home and foreign recent Boston convention. The names missions. of 56,435 delegates were registered, and 10,000 more are reckoned to have been -A novel method of awakening zeal present as visitors; and the spiritual and prayer in behalf of missionary work quality of that notable week's gathering has been adopted by one Christian Enfairly matched its prodigious propor- deavor Society, which has undertaken tions. The growth of the last year the support of a native preacher in the amounted to 7750 societies, making a Madura Mission, costing, above what total of 41,229, with 2,473,740 members. the people themselves raise, $40 a year.
In the sessions the place of honor among This makes 11 cents a day. A card is topics was accorded to good citizenship prepared for each day of the year, and and missions. More than $10 each had the member of the society taking that been raised by 5557 societies for the card pays the 11 cents and promises to spread of the Gospel among the nations, pray especially for that helper on that and it is estimated that the total of mis- particular day. Thus alms and prayers sionary offerings reached $425,000. The go together.
Friends reported that their Endeavorers -A call has been issued for the first sustain 15 missionaries wholly or in national convention of Young Lutherpart. Well might the Boston Adver- ans, to be held in Pittsburg, October tiser exclaim: .. What other human 30th and 31st. The object of the conconcern, belief, hope or ambition is vention will be" to promote Christian there, be it politics, business, pleasure, fraternity among all Lutherans in the knowledge, or sport, that could bring to United States, to organize a national asthis New England shore in midsummer, sociation, and to quicken practical from every State and Territory and Christian activities." province of North America, and from Australia and from Great Britain, and -One of the most interesting of the from ' the land of the midnight sun,' a missionary societies in mission fields is representative convention of 50,000 dele- the Missionary Children's Missionary gates ?" Association in Western Turkey. Its members are the sons and daughters of -The Chicago Tribune sent a staff of missionaries; its headquarters are in reporters and artists to Boston to " cov- Constantinople, and it has local societies er" the Christian Endeavor Convention; with suggestive names, such as " The the work was admirably done, and the Fishers of the Bosphorus," " Marsovan Tribune deserves the thanks of all Gleaners," " Mountain Jewel Seekers, " Christian people. in all the 7 stations of the mission. The -The Baptist rally was an amaze· local societies hold monthly meetings, ment to many. Where did all these and the annual meeting occurs in con- Baptists come from? was a general nection with that of the mission. For question. The session was full of in- a time the association supported an Ind- terest. Professor Vedder presided, and ian girl at Hampton Institute, and later greeted his fellow Endeavorers to " the the funds-about $50 a year-have been largest Baptist meeting ever held, not appropriated for schools in China and only in Boston, but in the world." Ceylon.
-The Brooklyn Christian Endeavor UNITED STATES.
Union has held a conference of mission- -The census report covering the ary committees, and the following statistics of churches has just been issued. It is a work of more than SOO Talladega must be a healthy spot for pages, with colored maps. The total of humanity, both black and white. communicants of all denominations is 20,612,806, who belong to 165,177 or- -This is a brief abstract of the hisganizations or congregations. These tory of another institution in the same congregations have 142,521 edifices, State: "Fourteen years ago Booker T. which have sittings for 43,564,863 per- Washington was still at Hampton, and sons. The value of all church property lmd not even heard of Tuskegee. He used exclusively for purposes of worship reached here in June, 1881, and all there is $679,630,139. There are 111,036regu- then was of the school was on paper. lar ministers, not including lay preach- It has closed its fourteenth year with an ers. There are 5 bodies which have enrollment of 809 students-150 in the more than 1,000,000 communicants and model school, and 66 teachers and super- 10 more than 500,000. intendents. The school owns about 2000 acres of land and has over 40 build- -The Ohicago T1·ibu.ne says that the ings either completed or going up. It total donations by gift and will in this rents 15 cottages off from the school country since January 1st. counting iIr grounds, and about 10 of the teachers dividual sums exceeding $1000, are as live in homes of their own. At least 25 follows: January, $1,698,900; Febru- industries have been carried on during ary, $1,873;300; March, $736,550; the year, covering almost every kind of April, $1,311.100; May, $4,239,300; pursuit necessary to the support of June (to date), $575,600. Total, $10,- more than 1000 people. In all of these 434,150. Of this amount colleges and operations $73,348 have been expended, universities have received $4,075,750; about one fifth of which has gone into hospitals, $1,593,000; churches, $789,- permanent plant, the balance to current , 000; and libraries, $208,000, or nearly expenses. Out of the above sum the two thirds of the total. The remainder, students received a benefit of $41,000, $3,768,400, has been distributed among which they paid in labor at an average museums, art galleries and various of 5 cents per hour toward their exclasses of charity: penses. "
-President De Forest is at the head -Rev. Dr. E. W. Gilman, one of the of a missionary institution in Alabama, secretaries of the Bible Society, has jnst and has lately informed the Ohristian been informed by its agent in Peru that public as to what it is not. Here fol- a number of Bibles consigned to him lows one paragraph from several: some time ago have been admitted " Talladega College is not a factory for through the custom house at Oallao. the making of dudes and dudesses. This result follows about eighteen Next to wickedness nothing is more months of persevering effort and litigapersecuted here than affectation, con- tion occasioned by the influence of the ceit, and finical foolishness. The long Roman Oatholic Ohurch officials, who trail is stepped on ; the stove-pipe hat tried every means to keep the agent, gets its banging; and the gold-headed Rev. A. M. Milne, from obtaining the cane, if it appeared at all, would be Bibles for circulation. made a stick for the owner's back. Neither display in dress nor the spread- -The July issue of Gospel in .All eagle in oratory command a premium ; Lands has an admirable article on « How while hard-handed industry and pains- to Run a Ohinese Sunday-School," by taking economy are advocated and de- Rev. F. J. Masters, of San Francisco. veloped. Pretence, display, and shams It ought to be reprinted in tract form, of all kinds are here persistently dis- and be in the hands of every teacher of couraged. They do not thrive in this Ohinese, whether West or East. particular latitude and longitude." –New York City continues to be GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
blessed with evangelizers of an heroic churches. The Spanish are cared for and energetic mould. Missionary Park- in New Mexico and in Brooklyn; the hurst has found a wortby coadjutor in French in New Hampshire, Indiana, Theodore Roosevelt, albeit the latter be- Chicago, and Philadelphia; the Bohe· longs away down in the secular police mians in Cleveland and Baltimore; the department. Note well these excerpts Portuguese in New Bedford, etc.
from one of his discourses : -Rev. A. Ben Oliel, of Jerusalem, " We suffer from over-legislation and has been baptized in the Jordan, has joined the Baptist Church, and already from lax administration of legislation." is stirring up his new-found brethren to " The American people will not ulti· plant a mission in the Holy City.
mately sanction the systematic violation -The Missionary Board of the Cumof law." berland Presbyterian Church is no long- er to wait for missionary candidates to " I had to choose between closing all apply for appointment, but is to search the saloons and violating my oath of out in the churches suitable men and office. I chose to close the saloons." women,and then proceed to "call" them (Hear!) to the work. And why not 2 " I would rather see this administration turned out for enforcing laws than see it succeed by violating them."
(Hear! hear!) , -A deputation from the American "I am an executive, not a legisla- Board to Japan, consisting of Secretary Barton, Mr. W. P. Ellison, of the Prutive officer. I indulge in no theorizing dential Committee, Dr. A. H. Bradabout the performance of duty." (..:1 ford, of Montclair, N. J., and Dr. J. G. Daniel I) Johnson, of the New England Church, Chicago, has been charged with an ex- Why, he could not have enunciated ceedingly important mission_ Japan's doctrine more orthodox or pungent an growing spirit of independence has put he were duly ordained by PreSbytery, bishop, or the Pope himself !
-Hillsdale College, Michigan (Free the missions there in a critIcal condition.
Baptist), has always been characterized Evidently leading strings will not be by a missionary spirit. As early as 1856 tolerated much longer by the saints 2 of its students went as missionaries in the Land of the Rising Sun; and it to the West Indies. Frequent visits bids fair to be a most difficult question from returned missionaries and the pres· to settle, just where and how to endeavor ence of students preparing for mission- to assist them with counsel and with ary work, especially the graduation of funds, and when to withhold influence, 4 of Dr. Jeremiah Phillips's daughters, leaving them to follow their own con· who entered the India field, has left the victions.
college in touch with mission interests. EUROPE. Of the stlldents, 28 have gone to the for- eign field-l to Africa, 3 to Jamaica, 2 Great Britain. – Well does tbe Evan- to China, and 22 to India, and 14 have gelical Ohurchman remind us that not all ,been home missionaries, with work titled personages are as a matter of course chiefly among tbe colored people of spiritual nobodies: .. It may be news Cairo and Harper's Ferry. to some on our democratic continent that in the great religious meetings held -In the aggregate a vast amount of during M.ay and June in London many labor has been expended in this country members of the House of Lords take a upon the foreign-born. The Method- prominent part. Scarcely a day passes ists, for example, minister to the Chi- without a peer baving taken part in a nese in New York, as well as to them meeting at Exeter Hall. Lord Bennet, and the Japanese on the Pacific Coast. son of tbe Earl of Tankerville, has been In Utah light gleams forth from 20 out on a preaching tour among the villages in the neighborhood of Chilling- -Shades of Sydney Smith and all ham Castle, the family seat in North- other mockers at missions! Read this umberland, and Lord Overtoun has been from the Reporter: co It is perhaps not conducting a number of services in too much to say that never since Sir Glasgow, and has presented a site valued James Stephens's article on the Clap- at £16,000 to the Y. M. C. A. of that hamites has the Bible Society attained city. All the members of the upper such literary recognition as it receives house are not followers of the turf and in the recent number of the Q:uarterly the prize-ring. A very large number Review. In many ways the notice is of them take a deep interest in all Chris- even more satisfactory than Sir James's, tian undertakings. for he only brought in our work be· cause it w~,s the pet scheme of the men -Dr. Pentecost is trying to mend he was dealing with. The Qnarterly things at the Marylebone Church. He Reviewer, on the other hand, starts is not satisfied with the weekly offer- with the work; to him the men are ing. He says that about 600 pennies what they should be, God's instruments, are deposited in the collection baskets by whom the work comes to pass. So every Sunday, and fears these coins may the Annual Report for 1894, and the represent the gratitude of 600 'people. co Gospel in Many Tongues," appear for And assuming that one person puts in the first time in that numbered list, at several pennies, he makes the sugges- the head of the Review, which many tion that it would be a .good plan for books have desired to enter into and those who give as much as threepence have not been able. We cannot do to take those three penny pieces on the more than urge our readers to look it Saturday and exchange them for a through, and our deputations to make threepenny bit, claiming that this opera- use of it, for it catches our society's tion " would be more honoring to God," operations from the true standpoint of and would be co a step in the evolution historical continuity, and confesses that of beneficence"-from copper to silver. 'in this work every gift is sanctified, -John Bull at the best is far removed and no pains are superfluous.' "
from sinlessness, or even saintliness; but well does the Indian Witnes8 enter -Dawn in India thus sums up the this protest; "Professor Thoumaian work of the Christian Literature So- and the Rev. A. W. Prautch are ad- ciety: "Fifteen hundred separate pub- dressing joint meetings in England on lications have been issued in 18 different , The Iniquities of Turkish Rule in Ar- languages of India, and of these more menia and the Iniquities of British Rule than 20,000,000 of copies have been in India.' The Anti-Opium Society in sold. Thirty-two missionary societies England deserves to fail if it permits its regularly take advantage of our books agents to do their work in such a ques- both for evangelistic work and for the tionable manner. What confidence can use of the converts. More than 1000 the public place in the reliability of men Christian teachers have been trained in who put England's treatment of India our institutions, most of whom are now alongside of Turkey's treatment of Ar- teaching in village schools, employed menia? Professor Thoumaian can by missionaries. There cannot have plead ignorance of India in extenuation been fewer than from 50,000 to 60,000 of his course; but a missionary who under their influence. In some cases knows India, and who reads the English churches have been formed and the papers on the Armenian atrocities, has teachers turned into evangelists and no excuse for libelling a government pastors, and 71 pupils are under train- that immeasurably surpasses all others ing in the institutions at Ahmednagar.
in just and generous treatment of sub· In Bengal 8000 children attend the cir- ject races." cle schools, and more than 40,000 chilo dren have passed through these schools. been sent out from Sweden, who are in The 15,000,000 of readers who have connection with the International Alli- come from government and mission ance of New York, and are supported schools loudly call for pure and Chris- by that association.-London Ohri8tian.
tian literature. This is the most urgent need of India. We have created the ASIA.
appetite, and if we do not provide wholesome food, the devil through his India.-Mount Maru, writes the F.ev.
agents in England and India will tempt T. Williams, of Rewarri, is, of all the them, and with the grapes of Sodom and sacred mountains of the Hindus, the the clusters of Gomorrah." most sacred. Its height, according to the Puranas, is 672,000 miles, or be- The Continent.-According to Evan- tween twice and three times the dis- , gelical Ohristendom, the Roman Catholic tance of the moon from the earth! Mr. Church in France, in providing schools Williams has lately been in the region of for the education of children free from the supposed site of this mountain, and governmeut control, in ten years has has been able, by geographical demonspent more than 30,000,000 francs. In stration as to the position of rivers and Paris there are more thau 200 such other mountains, to show the impossischools, with 76,000 scholars, and in the bilities implied in the myth. whole of France 1200 monasteries and nunneries, containing 30,000 men and – " It is the custom generally among 130,000 women. As home missionaries the Singhalese," writes the Rev. R. T.
there are 8500 priests, 33,600 nuns, and Dowbiggin, of Cotta, Ceylon, "to re- 3600 friars. ceive a dowry with the bride, and this -From the twenty· fourth annual reo varies from 50 rupees to 20,000 rupees, port of the Evangelical Church of Italy according to circumstances. A. dowerit appears that in connection with this less girl has not much chance nowadays body there are 26 churches and 35 sta- of getting married. However, there are tions, with 132 places visited regularly. exceptions. A young Christian man The ordained ministers number 21 ; evan. fell in love with a very poor fatherless gelists, 10 ; colporteurs, 8. There are girl, who at the time was also a Budteachers and Bible-women, Sunday- dhist. He wished to marry her, but schools, and associations for young peo- would not do so until she became a. ple. The communicants number 1697, Christian. He put her under the care and the adherents 6315. of a catechist and his wife, who taught her, and he paid for her board and lodg- -In 1887 the Swedish Mission in ing. After a few months she was bap- China was formed, and it has now in tized, and a month later married, the China 21 missionaries. This mission is bridegroom paying for her wedding atassociated with the C. I. M. In 1890 tire. The bridegroom wished to be the Holiness Union began work in married in our church, but in order to China. This mission. which has about do so had to travel a distance of eleven 10 missionaries, is also connected with miles in bullock carts, which took four the C. I. M. The same year the Swed- or five hours each way. ish l'Iissionary Union and the Swedish Baptist Mission took up work in China. -F. Becker Shawe, lately returned These societies have 20 workers in from Leh, on the borders of Thibet, China, but they are not connected with tells this about one of the" religious"
the C. I. M. In 1891, 50 Swedes were institutions of that country: "These sent out from America, who are sup· prayer mills contain a few written repe- ported from small Scandinavian congre- titions of some Buddhist pray,:, proba- gations in that land, and are also con- bly the six-syllabled formula, 'Om nected with the C. I. M., while 45 have mani padme hum.' Each twirl of the machine is supposed to multiply the -Miss Alice Ford thus describes in prayers placed within it, and so in- Helping Hand a jungle chapel in Bur- crease a store of good works for the wor- msh : "Some of you would have hesi- shipper in view of the future transmi- tated at the steps-two long bamboo grations of his soul. If he is wealthy poles side by side, with notches for foot- and can set up a big prayer mill to hold, and nothing to hang &n by, and contain thousands of prayers, and to be the doorway on a level with your kept in rotation by wind or water, then heads. By a helping hand above and he is supposed to be laying up a store encouragement from below, we man- of merit very rapidly. If you introduce aged to scramble up to the fioor, which steam' power into Thibet to·morrow, presented almost as many terrors as the probably the first use made of it would stairs. It was of the same kind of bam- be to turn a praying wheel. There are boo poles in splints, and where their huge cylinders in some of the monas· smooth curved sides were uppermost, teries with a million of prayers inside you stepped as if on ice. Being loosely them. One turn of these praying ma- laid down, they are apt to spread sud- chines is, however, too expensive for' den1y and let the unwary foot through.
the poor layman; he must content him- The cracks Were convenient at luncheon self with slower methods of amassing time, however, when we repacked the good works, such as twirling his own baskets, and there' were plenty of gaunt prayer mill, and purchasing little flags dogs underneath to dispose of all we or flat stones on which the lamas have threw down, to say nothing of the inscribed the sacred formula. There is chubby urchins, who are just as fond of quite an avenue of mani walls on the morsels of cake as home urchins are.
way up from the Indus to Leh. The There was matting stuck between poles flags will be placed in trees or on high but half way up the sides, so the Euro- places to flutter in the breeze. The in· pean part of the congregation spread scribed stones will be laid upon a umbrellas, and sat cross-legged on the mani, or long wall loosely built by mats, as did the native part of it. "
thousands of similar stones." -Bangkok was occupied as early as -In Dingah, Punjab, the missiona- 1840. Two tracts of land have been series of the Church of Scotland have met cured, the larger one for the church, with much opposition from the Hindus building for the press, and houses for (Sikhs). But one of the most prominent the three families. The purchase money of the adversaries had just been won for the smaller tract was given by the over in a remarkable way. He asked Siamese. For the first time the entire for a private interview with the mis- Bible in Siamese is ready for use. Sinsionary, who expected a fierce expres- gle portions are also bound. All the sion of hostility, and was immensely binding is done by native workmen. surprised when the man pulled out a The missionary medical work plays a New Testament an!! said: "Sahib, I strong part in Christianizing Siam. have read this book, and I find it to be Nearly 3000 in·patients have been treatpure and holy_ Up to ten days ago I ed. There are 13 schools and 307 scholwas a bitter opponent of yours. I gave ars, with 555 in Sunday-schools. There a public lecture against you and against are 7 churches, with a mission force of your work. Then I resolved that I 45. This includes 8 missionary wives, would expose your book. So I began lady missionaries, medical missionaries. to read it in order to pick faults in it ; native helpers and teachers. Siam has but, do you know, as I read I was contributed $2121, and its mission press drawn to it. My heart was captivated, has printed 4,600,000 pages.
alld now I cannot oppose you. I know China.-In Woman's Work/or Wom- God's light is in that book." an we read: "One of our inland missionaries went to the coaRt and • enjoyed of the country. The Buddhists are said shopping.' It had been four years since to threaten retaliation by a process simshe had been inside a store to make a ilar to excommunication. purchase. Her journey of 800 miles, taken in a mule litter with two children, -Rev. J. D. Davis has this to say had required 25 days on the road. This about Doshisha University. in whose is one of the superficial differences be- founding the remarkable life of Joseph tween life in China and in the United Neesima found its culmination: .. It States." has sent out over 400 graduates from its collegiate department, most of whom as -In Fatshan, China, the missionary Christian workers are helping to lift up doctor was stoned at first. Then they Japan; it has graduated more than 150 brought him hunchbacks, and chal- from its theological department, and lenged him to heal them. Happily they they are scattered up and down through brought a man who had lost his nose the land preaching the Gospel; it has sixteen years before. The doctor put a sent out several classes from its Girls' new nose on him, and the fellow bought School, and these young women are, as a looking·glass and became a mission- wives of pastors and of others, or as ary. He brought in a blind beggar, teachers in Christian girls' schools estaband his cataract was removed by the lished by the Japanese, exerting a surgeon's knife. Still the authorities mighty influence to regenerate Japan; were hostile until an explosion mutilat- it has sent out classes of trained nurses, ed 13 unfortunates. They were about who are to day found in the hospitals to drop these all into the river, as the of the army and among the sick in other kindest way to end their sufferings, places wearing the badge of the Red when they concluded to call in Dr. Cross and preaching the Gospel by their Wenyon. He saved 10 of them. Now words and by their works ; it has sent he is no longer" the foreign devil," but out more than 2000 undergraduates, the "angelic healer from beyond the many of whom are earnest Christian seas."-North and West. workers. "
-It is reported that a petition has -The Chicago Record has a special been sent to Pekin from South China correspondent in Japan, who makes the praying the Emperor to introduce con- following statements: "The number of stitutional reforms, to remove incapable converts to Christianity among the officials, to abolish the queue and foot- higher classes and the educated men of binding, and to allow freedom of speech Japan is comparatively small, but nearand of the press. If to any extent this ly everyone will acknowledge that the represents the feelings of a large mass influence of the missionaries upon civil of the population, it is a significant fact affairs and the progress of the country that such a petition, advocating West- has been immeasurable. One of the ern reforms, should be presented. common sayings is that the only exports from the United States to Japan are Japan.-The banishment of Buddhist kerosene oil and missionaries. Compriests from Formosa by the Emperor menting upon this the other day, an of Japan is a fact significant of the eminent statesman of this country, himprogress of the Sunrise Kingdom tow- self an unbeliever, remarked, 'Yes; ard religious freedom. The reason for both have brought Us light-light for their ejection is that so many spies were the eyes and light for the soul.' The caught posing as priests, and the pleas- progress of Christianity in Japan has ing consideration is that the Emperor been greater than in Ilny other country. does not fear to proceed to enforcement Church spires may be seen over the of a just precautionary measure against roofs of every city, and through the a cabal hitherto powerful in the affairs schools the greatest good ·has been and from Cape Colony, whose advent neceswill be done. A child who is trained sitated a partial dispersion of the Rietin the truths of the Bible seldom fails fontein Settlement. Locusts, drought, to follow its teachings in after life, and famine have also proved factors untowto close the missionary schools of Japan ard to the development of the nine would be to deprive the Christian faith Namaqua stations. Their progress of the fountain that feeds it here. It nevertheless, especially in the south, would be better to take the preachers has excited the warm appreciation of away and leave the teachers here, espe- Major Leutwein, though a weak spot is cially those who manage the kindergar- revealed in the inefficiency of the mistens and the primary and the normal sion schools, which, unlike those of schools. The portrait of the Emperor Cape Colony, are as yet uncountenanced hangs in every schoolhouse, and the by State grants. In Hereroland, the dechildren are required to bow before it spised Bergdamras, in contrast to the as they enter and leave the building. dominant race, have evinced a wider Patriotism is taught in every possible and more deeply rooted desire for the form and on every possible occasion." truth, displaying proclivities better cal- culated than those of the restless Here- AFRICA. ros for the formation of settled com· munities. In Ovampo, which since -The Brussels treaty nominally pro- 1870 has been worked by Finnish mistects the Congo Free State from the sionaries, the two Rhenish stations share liquor traffic; but actually it does noth- with them all the difficulties incidental ing. The traders are greedy to get to a hostile and irresponsible heathen gain in, a term of three years. They environment.-Church Intelligencer. patrol the front of factories, with a glass in one hand and a bottle in an- -Rev. A. B. Fisher, of Uganda, other. Workmen are compelled to writes to the London Chri8tian: "The take part of their wages in whiskey. native Christians are doing grand work. But notwithstanding this, the sales of In fact, what could we do without liquor are only one third as great as them? Praise God for the numbers of they were five years ago. The coast whole-he•. ~~ed, out-and-out helpers that traders are being Christianized. When we have here. I believe there are they are converted, these negroes will numbers of young men coming on, 1)f not touch intoxicants. The trader whom you in England have never heard, wanted to forbid the Presbyterian who will eclipse in preaching power and Church at Batanga from excommuni- general information all the older men, cating members who sold rum. who are much slower to learn. By far the ablest man here is Thomas Sem- -The recent disturbances in German fuma, one of the lay readers. He is the South Africa have naturally carried most fearless Gospel preacher that ever with' them disadvantage to the opera- I heard, and his sermons are of no mean tions of the Rhenish Missionary Society, order. Mackay bought this man's life whose sphere of influence coincides with for two tusks of ivory when a boy that of the Protectorate. The mission, Christian. I am convinced that God's which for five decades has worked in Word will win the day here. Oh! that Great Namaqua and Damara lands, and the Holy Ghost would touch the hearts since 1891 in Ovampo, has fully shared of those having means to send us Bibles the difficulties, social and political, in- so long as there is a man, woman, or duced by the last ten years' agitation child without one. Bibles are silent between the Nama Hottentots and the missionaries. If, therefore, Christian Hereros. In Narnaqualand the situa· people in England cannot come them. tion has been intensified by trekkers aelves, let them send us Bibles."