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MISSIONARY

BY THE HOME SECRETARY, REV. HENRY C. MABIE, D.D.

EFERENCE was made in the MAGAZINE of January to the action of the Executive Committee whereby our churches as a whole are requested to conform to the action of the woman's societies in observing the evening of Feb. 9 as an occasion for special prayer in behalf of foreign missions. The Executive Committee thought that in many cases the evening of the regular prayer-meeting would prove to be the more favorable evening. Doubtless large numbers of our pastors would see their way, however, to observe the very evening of the day the women have chosen for a special service of the whole church together. We cannot but believe that a far more inspiring result would be reached by so doing. Our devoted sisters are both able and eager to contribute much to make this a real Missionary Day for the entire church.

With such a mass of fresh material from the front as is given in the present and last numbers of the MAGAZINE to bring into such a meeting, and with the aid our sisters would afford, a great uplift should be given to the cause on Feb. 9.

The Financial Condition of the Missionary Union is not as good as could be desired, or

as was anticipated earlier in the year. The unsettled commercial situation of the autumn and winter has evidently delayed contributions. There are, however, encouraging indications of increasing receipts with the more satisfactory business conditions which now prevail. Individuals and churches are signifying their intention of making increased contributions to the Union before the end of the year. In some cases this advance will amount to fifty per cent. Let this be general, and the estimated expenditures will be met. These have been arranged with a view to the expected receipts rather than the needs of the missions. The schedule was planned on a very moderate basis, and it is strongly hoped that the expectations of income will not be disappointed.

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HE special meeting of the Board of Managers held in Boston, Wednesday, Jan. 11, was largely attended, twenty-nine members being present, and was a meeting of exceptional interest and unanimity and good feeling. The solemn circumstances which led to the calling of the meeting, the death of Dr. Duncan the late Foreign Secretary, and the great responsibility resting on the Board in view of the critical condition of the Missionary Union and of the work on many of the fields, made a deep impression on the members present. The attendance of many from a considerable distance was of peculiar interest, and the special question before the Board was canvassed with the greatest care and deliberation, and with much prayer. After full discussion, and in spite of the fact that he had declined to allow his name to be used in connection with the office of Foreign Secretary, Rev. Henry M. King, D.D., of Providence, R. I., was unanimously chosen to this high office, and a special committee consisting of Hon. Robert O. Fuller, the President of the Missionary Union, Hon. Julius J. Estey of Brattleboro, Vt., a member of the Executive Committee, and Hon. J. B. Thresher of Dayton, Ohio, was appointed to go to Providence to urge his acceptance. Dr. King was not prepared to give his final decision to the committee on the day of the meeting, but finally agreed to take the matter into careful consideration. No action of the Board has ever been more unanimous and hearty than the election of Dr. King, and his favorable response is awaited with universal interest and solicitude.

Dr. King is a native of Oxford, Me., and a graduate of Bowdoin College in the class of 1859, and of Newton Theological Institution in 1862. He was ordained at Portland, Me., Aug. 28 of that year, and his attainments were recognized by his appointment as instructor in Hebrew in the Newton Institution, from which he resigned, however, in 1863, to become pastor of the Dudley-street Baptist Church, Roxbury District of Boston, where he remained for nineteen years. His second pastorate was at the Immanuel Church, Albany, N. Y., from 1882 to 1891, when he accepted a call to the old and prominent First Baptist Church, Providence, R. I., the mother of all the Baptist churches of the United States. During his pastorate at Roxbury Dr. King was a member of the Executive Committee of the Missionary Union for eight years, from 1874 until his removal to Albany, and was again chosen a member of the Committee in 1894, and in 1895 was elected Chairman of the Committee in succession to the lamented Rev. A. J. Gordon, D.D. In 1891, at the Annual Meeting in Cincinnati Dr. King was elected Corresponding Secretary of the Missionary Union, to succeed the late Rev. J. N. Murdock, D.D., as Foreign Secretary, but having just accepted the call of the church in Providence, he felt compelled to decline the election. From this record it may be seen that Dr. King's eminence, both in the pastorate and in the service of the missionary cause, has been fairly and fully earned and well deserved, and there is no one who could so immediately and so fully enter at once upon the discharge of the important and perplexing duties of the office of the Foreign Secretary of the Missionary Union as Dr. King.

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Missionary Statistics of the World. The American Board Almanac, compiled by Rev. E. E. Strong, D.D., Editorial Secretary, gives the statistics of all the missionary societies in the world as: Societies, 242; stations, 4,779; outstations, 14,614; missionaries, 11,839; native laborers, 67,754; communicants, 1,448,861; scholars in schools, 810,949; total income, $16,244,372. The 32 societies in the United States report 3,398 missionaries, 377,030 communicants, and $5,158,114 income; 28 societies in Great Britain, 4,818 missionaries, 394,482 communicants, and $8,560,974 income. Continental Europe, 77 societies, 3,017 missionaries, 566,264 communicants, and $1,791,007 income. The societies reporting the largest number of communicants in heathen and non-Protestant countries, with their incomes, are: The American Baptist Missionary Union, 121,807, income $782,474; Methodist Episcopal Church (North), 113,291, income $946,402; Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (English High Church), 66,000, income $1,587,560; Church Missionary Society (English Low Church), 64,411, income $1,138,370; English Baptist Missionary Society, 53,345, income $392,730; London Missionary Society, 49,915, income $557,455; American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, 47,023, income $687,200; English Wesleyan Missionary Society, 44,734, income $523,536; Presbyterian Board (North), 34,782, income $835,580; Moravian Missions, 33,505, income $68,542 not including American contributions.

Truly this is an inspiring exhibit, and encourages us to press forward with greater vigor and devotion for the spread of the Redeemer's kingdom to all nations and peoples.

The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (Congregationalist) re

ports 101 stations, 1,271 outstations, 539 missionaries, 2,975 native laborers of various classes, 465 churches with 47,023 members, of whom 4,653 were admitted on profession of faith the last year. Sunday-school attendance 59,701, and scholars in schools of various grades, 56,641. The native membership of the churches raised last year for religious and educational purposes $116,753. The principal missions are in South Africa, Turkey, India, China, Japan and Micronesia, and the largest number of additions are in Turkey, 1,074; Micronesia, 906; and China, 732. The prosperity of the missions in Turkey, after the fiery trials through which they have passed, is especially gratifying. We congratulate our friends of the American Board on the substantial and successful work of their missions, and pray that blessings more abundant may be given.

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he Disarmament of Nations is the aim of Christian missions: not indeed directly, but that will be a result of the universal prevalence of the gospel of peace. Love is their motive, salvation their object, and perfect peace their ideal attainment. Peace between God and man, and peace among all men of every nation and of every race. To make real the brotherhood of man, not only because God is the creator of all, and "hath made of one every nation of men," but because Christ the elder brother is crucified for us, that all men might be saved and sanctified and made one in him by a new creation, this is the object of Christian missions, and their full success will be a redeemed and purified human race living harmoniously in a world of peace.

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W hom the Lord shall call."- We have several times called attention to the policy of the Church Missionary Society of England in accepting all applicants for missionary service whom the committee are convinced are called of the Lord to that work, and sending them out in the belief that the same Lord that calls them will provide their support. Dr. Leonard, the senior Secretary of the Methodist Missionary Society, is urging the adoption of the same policy by his society, but with the understanding that if the churches do not provide sufficient funds there shall be a scaling down of salaries equal to the deficit. This would be a practical adoption of the plan of the China Inland Mission, in which the missionaries go out without promise of definite salaries, but the funds which are received are divided proportionately among all the laborers. Dr. Leonard's plan dispenses with the element of faith which appears in the methods both of the Church Missionary Society and the China Inland Mission. In the first case the Society exhibits the faith, and in the second the missionaries. Dr. Leonard's plan seems to provide for an apparent exhibition of faith on the part of the Society with a prudential attachment by which any deficit in the income shall be loaded on to the missionaries. We prefer the plan adopted by the Executive Committee of the American Baptist Missionary Union, by which all applicants believed to be divinely called are appointed as missionaries and are thus placed before the churches, upon whom falls the responsibility of providing the funds to send them forth.

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issionary Work in Burma has its peculiar difficulties as well as some special advantages. A writer in the Indian Witness calls attention to one feature of the Burman people which, perhaps, goes far to account for the greater success of mission work among the more humble-minded and teachable Karens. He says:

From a missionary point of view the Burman is a difficult problem. If he were combative or obstructive the solution of the problem would present no special features of difficulty, but he is so absolutely catholic in his toleration of all religious opinions that the usual weapons of attack cannot wound him. He is perhaps the only Oriental who will receive an exposure of the absurdities of some of the teachings of his religion with perfect good humor, and he is a true Orangeman in his appreciation of the fun that can be extracted from the character and conduct of the priest. Such a man, for purposes of conversion, is invulnerable. He is satisfied with everything and everybody, himself included. There is one encouraging feature about his conversion, however, when it is effected, and that is, that it is a work of grace, in soil that is good though difficult to reach, solid, deep and enduring.

hanges in Educational and Religious Currents are now occurring with remarkable

rapidity. One is referred to in the paragraph on "The National Church of India." We have just noticed another significant fact in this connection. A young man from India has gone to Japan to perfect himself in the higher branches of technical education. Formerly students desirous of higher education were sent to Europe or America for study, as a matter of course. Now Japan cannot only provide all facilities for higher education for her own youth, but can compete with the schools of the West. It is strongly urged that the time has come to replace all

What a contrast they present to the fine picture of our preachers, " clothed and in his right mind," saved by the gospel from a degraded and degrading heathen life, and made men in Christ Jesus!

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Union of Our Baptist Missionary Societies has recently been suggested, as many times heretofore in our denominational history. It is interesting to note in this connection that a strong movement has arisen in the Methodist Church for an entire separation of the administration of its home and foreign missions, which. have hitherto been united in one society.

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The Advance of Civilization in Assam is illustrated by the fact that the government of India has sanctioned a scheme for the establishment of meteorological observatories at Shillong, Cherrapunji, Tezpur, Gauhati, and Dibrugarh or Sadiya, provided that suit

able arrangements can be made. It is hoped that the observatories will be in working order during the course of the coming year. If the government can now arrange a system which will give instantaneous warning of destructive earthquake shocks, it will earn the additional gratitude of all residents of Assam.

ASSAMESE PREACHERS