house, "other towns and villages, also," after the manner of the Master, is the purpose for which he is "come forth." the conduct of their own religious services. Therefore he has always refused to be their pastor, though he has done pastoral work, and above all he has taught men of their own nunber how to do it. It is sometimes advocated that they must always have a missionary at their elbows to keep them in the traces. This having a missionary in some small place to look after a few sheep, or having it so that they cannot make a single move without being directly supervised by a missionary, may be more of a hindrance than a help. It prolongs dependence and delays independence. II. The Christianization or the building up on their most holy faith of those who accept evangelization and become obedient unto the heavenly vision. In this department we deal with live men. As the subjects are different, so the teachings are different, the Scriptures used are different. We preach and preach and preach repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. When two or three or more persons hear and believe, we separate them as Paul did his disciples from the unbelieving multitude. Then comes the work of nourishing, of furtherance in the hope and joy of the gospel, of developing, of pruning excrescences, of adding faith to faith, hope to hope, grace to grace, knowledge to knowledge, and of bringing them along from fresh-born infancy to childhood, and from childhood to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. The consummation of this end involves a process-a process that will call out the highest capabilities of the missionary. Of course the two processes of evangelization and Christianization overlap. Evangelization is the beginning of Christianization, and Christanization is the consummation, or the full fruition, of evangelization. In this art of nourishing up in sound doctrine and stimulating to healthy practice, the young churches, till they reach the weaning point, are to be seen some of the greatest successes and also some of the greatest failures of missionary administration. As a rule, converts have been carried in arms when they ought to be left to creep, and left to creep when they ought ought to be toddling round on their feet. The writer of this article has been convinced for more than thirty years that native Christians should be left unceasingly to their own resources in It is in the conduct of this department of missionary work that the missionary has to meet numerous issues which arise, and on which missionary sentiment is divided. The place of schools in the general administration, the relation of the missionary to converts, and of the converts to the missionary, and of both to the powers that be, the settlement of numerous questions that arise concerning social relationship,-such as cases of polygamy, of meats offered to idols, of unequal marriages, of lawsuiting in general,it is in dealings with such matters that we need to go back and study New Testament principles and precedents. It is a bane of the coming Christianity of China, and indeed of all Asia, that so many home ideas, home conceptions, and home features are allowed to have appellate influence with the teachings of the New Testament. We profess to discard tradition, and yet we have a deal of "the traditions of the leders" among us. Far better to construct at once from New Testament models, rather than to make copies of copies, and follow derived and second-hand, not to say third and fourth-hand, and even tenth-hand "drawings" by some good, but yet uninspired men. would be an improvement of inestimable value to the common weal if It in our theological seminaries students were required, as anterior and superior in all ecclesiastical study, to learn to construct a New Testament church out of biblical and New Testament materials exclusively, to learn from the Word of God what kind of material is to be used in the creation of a church, where it is to come from, how it is to be prepared and made ready, what ordinances are to be observed, what decrees are to be kept, how offices are to be managed. Baptists, of all Christians, can best afford conformity to such a method. Baptist students ought to be taught how, and all other students ought to be taught how, and especially all missionaries ought to be taught how. Our "articles of faith," our "creeds," our denominational usages in sundry particulars, our "confessions," would be the gainers by what painters call drawing from originals and not from copies, as already suggested. All this is of a general nature, but it is matter which does lie at the foundation of all inquiry as to a future policy for China or any other country. We now desire to summarize in very compendious and concrete form some convictions about our future policy in China, as the raw material of these convictions have been wrought out in half a century of observation, study and experience, and as they have been added to by recent events, and brought up to date by the missionary situation as it is to-day. In giving expression to these convictions, the writer is speaking for no one but himself, but having been asked to give his estimate of a "future policy for our missions in China," he does so frankly and faithfully from his own point of view. (Concluded next month.) IT CHINA'S MARTYRED HOSTS. T has been very freely stated in certain circles and confidently published in more than one newspaper that there were no native Christians in China. During the past two or three months we have met with many who had been quite sure of this fact, but they were remarkably silent when they would have talked very freely before. It is now too early to get details of the sufferings of native converts in China, but there is overwhelming witness that thousands there loved not their lives unto death. They were called rice-Christians when alive. The world was not worthy of them, and so God called them home, considering them worthy to share the throne of Him who said, "Where I am, there shall also my servant be." The very few cases of which the writer has been able to ascertain details bears testimony to the fact that they prize the Gospel which has saved their souls and given them true happiness, above their lives. At Shaohing, when all around Christians had been robbed and persecuted, and Christian preachers were in danger of their lives, the latter stood at their posts, and daily opened the chapels and preached the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God committed to their trust At Ningpo Dr. Goddard was called out into the country to baptize two at Zagyiao when to identify one's self with Christians was to stake one's life. In and around Ningpo there were several others at the same time asking for baptism, which showed, as no words could, that they preferred to suffer affliction with the people of God to enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season. We think of those of whom it was said, they "had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings; yea moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, were tempted, were Islain with the sword; being destitute. afflicted, tormented, they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth." Every word of this is true of Chinese Christians to-day. C. E. B. THESE are eventful days for foreigners in China, and it is very difficult to know towards what in Swatow we are drifting. Some of our wisest men predict a long period of war and unrest in China; others are more hopeful of the situation. Under the existing conditions China is not a safe place for women and children, and some of our missionaries at Swatow have felt it their duty to pass a resolution to the effect that all the ladies and children should, if possible, leave the port. Mrs. Speicher and I have seriously considered the problem, and we have come to the conclusion that taking all things into consideration she and the two children should go to the States for the time being. The rumors of war, the excitement constantly visible at Swatow, have had a bad effect upon her health. Moreover, one of our missionaries to-day received a letter from our consul at Canton containing the following important message: "I feel it my duty again to warn you of the grave situation of affairs and to advise you to take prompt measures for the safety of yourself and all our nationals in your district. Please notify me when you leave Swatow and post me on developments. Matters here are in a precarious condition." This is a startling message, and there is nothing left for us to do but to send our wives and children away. sue. ATTITUDE OF THE CHRISTIANS. Our consul at Canton is apprehensive, and it is natural that he should be. On the other hand, much depends on the local condition of each mission centre, which must also have its due consideration in determining what course to purThat women and children should leave China is necessary. On the other hand, the local condition at Swatow is so much more peaceful at present than Canton that it would be wrong to our mission interests for male missionaries to abanIdon the work. For instance, the local condition at Kityang is very satisfactory at present, more quiet than four weeks ago. During the crisis of the past month or two I have stuck to my post at Kityang. We have more than $15,000 Mexican worth of property here, and there are fifteen to twenty small out-stations within ten square miles of Kityang. My presence here, I think, gives encouragement to Our poor native Christians. Nothing at present would prove more disastrous than for the local missionary to show signs of fear and leave the place. That would cause our Christians to be stricken with panic and the enemy would be encouraged to carry out their secret desires. The word of the foreigner at Kityang is believed, and our very presence and our friendliness with the people have given the wild rumors the lie. How the situation will be during the next few weeks is a question. We may look for another wave of excitement upon the fall of Peking. But for the present all is reasonably quiet, and it would be a mistake to abandon our positions. I will return to Kityang, but will watch circumstances and will not run unnecessary risks-that would be foolish. On the other hand, this is the time when a little courage and love for the native brethren will greatly encourage the native Christians and perhaps save unnecessary fears and idle ru mors. The ladies' house is about finished and our chapel will be completed in about a month. This outward sign of our faith for the future has a good effect upon the people. A CAUSE OF TROUBLE, Later. The anti-foreign society in our district has increased in numbers since I last wrote. There are in the district between Swatow and Kityang more than one hundred thousand men who have joined this movement. It is true this society is in sympathy with the Boxers in the North, and they look upon them as their comrades in a common cause, namely, to rid the country of the foreigner and his influence. But there is also a local cause which explains why such large numbers in the district between Swatow and Kityang have so readily joined this antiforeign society. It is due to the fact that some missionaries in the past have been willing to give adherents of their missions the benefit of their influence with the mandarins. Many a scoundrel will unite with a mission for no other purpose than to get the help of the foreigner to keep him out of the clutches of the law. There is no thought of repentance of his past crimes; on the contrary, the convert becomes bolder, and by reason of the reputation that he is a friend of the foreigner, the so-called convert makes it all the more uncomfortable for his enemies. The missionary who has made a practice of doing this is the French priest. So eager has he been to increase the number of his converts and his influence in this district that every thief and scoundrel could find protection from the law if they became adherents of his mission. Throughout this whole district the wicked and rowdy element has united with the priest, and oftentimes his converts have carried things with a high hand. He has instructed his converts that they must be ready to defend themselves with firearms, and it is said that six months ago he could have called out a mob numbering thousands. The local mandarins were afraid of him; the better element looked upon him as the captain of a band of thieves. He did more harm to true mission work in a day than the entire Baptist and Presbyterian missionary force could do good in a month. People began to hate the very word "ka" (teaching), used to designate mission propaganda. Many did not discriminate between the priest's "ka" and the Presbyterian and Baptist "ka." Many people were longing to rid themselves of this unrighteous use of power and influence on the part of the Roman Catholic missionary. Thus when this association was formed it is said to have been the aim of the originators to do good works, such as making roads, caring for the dead, etc. But the shrewd Chinese soon found it to be useful to antagonize the evil influence of the foreigners' teaching. It seemed to be the time of deliverance for many who were injured and wronged by the Catholic converts, and in a short time thousands and tens of thousands hastened to unite with the movement. Then came the irony of the whole affair. Thousands of the priest's adherents, seeing that his influence was on the wane, and that this new association was determined to put an end of his influence, joined the new movement, and are to-day perhaps even more antiforeign in their utterances than others who had joined for moral reasons. At Kityang our congregation has not been affected very much by this movement. I do not know of a Christian in our more than a hundred baptized be lievers who has been moved. It needs backbone for the Christians to withstand the But we reactionary influence. have been careful in the receiving of converts, and have from the beginning refused to act as lawyers in matters that are purely secular, even for our Christians, not to speak of the heathen. We might have received three times as many converts during the past three years had we adopted another policy, but in a time of trial like the present they would have brought shame and dishonor upon the name of the Lord. The taking up of lawsuits, etc., of our Chinese converts and ad herents is a subversion of the gospel. It is a wrong committed against the native and a wrong against all true gospel work. The convert is taught thereby to put his trust in the missionary who is near; God is afar off to him. I personally will have none of it at Kityang. The Roman Catholic's failure has only confirmed me in my former resolution. The priest's hope was to increase his power through the vast number of converts in the Kityang district, but to-day he is the laughing stock of all serious minded Chinese. Those who are God's chosen, those who have been ordained to be God's elect before the foundations of the world were laid, will be attracted by the cross of Jesus, and it is an undeniable fact that the cross has an attraction to many Chinese. This will give us a spiritual church, which will be able to withstand all fiery trials and persecutions. REASONS FOR THANKSGIVING. During the crisis of the past six weeks there are three things of which I would like to make mention to thank God for his help and blessing. The first is the unsuccessful attempt of the anti-foreign association to confound our people during their services by a large idol procession. The third Sunday in June was appointed by the association for a large parade. They were to pass the Presbyterian and our chapel at eleven A. M., in order to show their power and large number. But when that day and hour came there were scarcely more than fifty in line, and a more shamefaced and disappointed company I never saw in my life. This short account does not do justice to the importance of the affair, because the heathen view such things with more superstition than we. The effect of this unssuccessful attempt to frighten the native Christians was remarkably in our favor. The second event which I desire to mention is the attempt to compel our Christian merchants in Kityang to make a money contribution toward heathen festivals. Our people refused, and then placards were posted all over the city, calling on the people to boycott the Christians, and setting a period, from the fifteenth of July to the fifteenth of August, during which time a raid was to be made upon the property of the Christians. I asked the magistrate to issue a proclamation in behalf of the Christians, which he did, and I am glad to say that nothing came of the plotting. The third event is the fact that in spite of this period of reaction and hatred towards the foreigner we have been unmolested in our plans of building. Usually |