Morning Calm v.4 no.42(1893 Dec.)

THE MORNING CALM. No. 42, VOL. IV.] DECEMBER 1893. [PRICE 1d. The Bishop's Letter. CHEMULPÓ: August 1893. DEAR FRIENDS, On my return from Niu Chwang I took up my quarters in the Corean house we have bought here for our one orphan, joining Mr. Smart in the school-house at meals. Early in the month my teacher arrived from Seoul, and I am happy to say I have had an almost uninterrupted use of him for the whole of the month. As the time draws near for us to add to our heavy task of learning the far heavier task of teaching, the hours we spend with our teachers become more precious. I have sent to England a copy of a Tract or treatise which we are now engaged in translating, and hope that in some form or other it may appear in the Morning Calm. The importance of this Tract to us cannot be exaggerated. For nearly three years now we have been engaged in learning Corean and Chinese, with a view to preparing some authorised book which will commend both ourselves and our message to all classes of Coreans. When preaching and teaching, we shall for many years be guilty of faults in style and grammar. I have felt, therefore, that when our missionaries begin their work they should have something in their hands—something which they may put into the hands of others—which will not be marked with the blemishes and inaccuracies of our halting and our often unconsciously misleading speech. If they can say, "Perhaps I have expressed myself badly, but in this book you will find what I intended to say expressed accurately in language which you will understand and respect," I think we shall have gained a great deal. We shall show that our verbal blunders when speaking are due, not to any flaw in the message we bring, but to the difficulties incidental to all beginners. Then, whenever we have given a false impression by anything that we have said, the book will come to our aid and to the aid of our hearers and correct that false impression, whilst not the least advantage of having such a book will be that of showing the people how we desire to respect their language and their literature. We do not say to them, "We are in   such a hurry to teach you that any book, any tract, will do to found our half-understood spoken words upon." On the contrary, we say to them, "For three years we have lived amongst you and kept silence, preferring to spend that time in efforts to prepare, in language you will understand and respect, a book treating of the fundamental truths of the religion which we believe and which we have come here, in order that, by our preaching, you may believe also." Now, I must remind you once more that we have neither Prayer-book nor Catechism nor—what is of more importance than either—Bible. The New Testament has indeed been translated into Corean, but none of the missionaries who were here before us are satisfied with it. It has been revised once, and is shortly to be revised again. I could not therefore recommend it to my clergy, nor could I afford to wait. Remembering, therefore, that when the Apostles had to begin their work amongst the Gentiles without the Scriptures, they preached the Word as eye-witnesses of His Resurrection Whose death was to be, for all men, the grave and gate of everlasting life, I determined that we should do, so far as we could do it, the same. This Tract, therefore, prepared in the very words of the eye-witnesses, covers the whole ground of our Blesssed Lord's Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension—in a word, the ground covered by the second division of the Apostles' Creed. It consists, roughly, of 400 verses, and, prefaced by St. Paul's sermon on Mars Hill (which is the text for every missionary to the Gentiles), proceeds from the Annunciation to the Ascension, with a concluding section on the descent of the Holy Ghost and the foundation of the Church—to show people how the facts of our Lord's life were brought to bear on mankind. All this, I trust, will not only give the keynote of our teaching—which is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified"—but, in better words than we can ever hope to find, will provide Coreans with our credentials—a short answer to the question they will always be asking, ”By what authority do you preach these things? Who gave you this authority?" I feel that if all this can be done in the words of Holy Scripture, we shall be beginning our work on very secure ground. There will be no danger of our trumpet giving “an uncertain sound.” But I have another ground for satisfaction in the compilation of this Tract. Most of you know by this time that, whilst the Coreans speak their own language, the educated classes amongst them read only Chinese. The spoken language has, indeed, been reduced to writing—by means of an alphabet, which is as   easy as our English alphabet—and this spoken language, when written, can be read by most Coreans. It is called En Moun. But the educated classes have, or affect to have, a contempt for this alphabetical writing, and use Chinese characters in writing to one another and in official documents, whilst the books that they read are the same as those which are read by the scholars of China. Hence, unless our written message is to be either limited to the educated (if written in Chinese), or exposed to the contempt of the educated classes (if written in En Moun), it must be in both Chinese and En Moun. There are one or two translations of the Bible into classical Chinese, which are much appreciated by Corean scholars. It only remained for me, therefore, to base the Chinese portion of the Tract on these Chinese versions, and procure, with the help of my clergy and native teachers, a translation from the Chinese into Corean, or En Moun. Thus the Tract, when finished, will be printed in the two languages, verse by verse, in parallel columns of Chinese and En Moun, just as Coreans print their editions of the Chinese classical books which are taught in their schools. It is this work on which I have been engaged during the past month. As I write, Mr. Trollope, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Davies are all engaged similarly; and if the Editor prints the Tract in the Morning Calm, you will see how we propose, out of our united efforts, to get a version of those portions of Holy Scripture, not free from faults, indeed, but as free as possible considering our imperfect knowledge of both languages. In the preparation of the Tract I have been helped—as I am helped in everything—by Mr. Trollope. To him, indeed, has fallen the chief share of this undertaking, whilst the responsibility—heavy enough—which falls on me is greatly lightened by the confidence I have in his skill and judgment. According to our calculation, we ought to finish the translation before the winter fairly sets in, and if throughout the winter months we can supply Mr. Hodge with "copy," we ought to have the Tract printed and ready for use soon after the Corean new year. When, therefore, you are praying for us, please think of Mr. Trollope as doing his share of the translation in our river-side house at Mapó; Mr. Warner as doing his in a small Corean house rented on the island of Kang Hoa, between Seoul and Chemulpó, and Mr. Davies his in Nak Tong, where he combines with this work his own preparation for Priest's Orders and a good deal of useful help which he is able to give to Dr. Baldock in his native hospital in Seoul. I have been too busy to go to Seoul since I last wrote, but,   from all I can hear, they have got very well through an unusually hot and trying summer. We all are in good health, and I am glad to report that Sister Nora, who, with an attendant sister to nurse her, has been staying for the benefit of her health in St. Michael's Parsonage, has just returned to St. Peter's Mission House, I dare not say quite well, but very much better than she was when I went to Niu Chwang. Praying God to bless you all, I am, always your affectionate,

• C. J. CORFE.

Note. Miss DAY (Lorne House, Rochester) would be glad to have the names of intending subscribers to Morning Calm for 1894 as soon as possible. Association of Prayer and Work for Corea. DURING the past month several changes have taken place in our list of secretaries of the Association. The Rev. E. F. Newton has most kindly offered to work for us at Brentwood. Mr. Hyde, of Salisbury, has consented to fill his late brother's post as local secretary at Settle—at least, until someone on the spot volunteers for it; while the Rev. A. P. Hill will take the place of Mr. Harper, his predecessor at Haslar. We very greatly regret the loss, by death, of Mrs. Lawrence, one of the secretaries in London. The Rev. S. Springett Norfolk has left York, and that local secretaryship being therefore vacant, the General Secretary would be most grateful to hear from anyone who would be willing to succeed him. Changes have occurred in the local addresses of the secretaries for Highbridge, Stoke-on-Trent, and Brighton. On All Saints' Day the Rev. E. C. Corfe preached for the Mission at Southport—in St. Luke's and in Holy Trinity. Unfortunately the day was very wet, which no doubt will have lessened the congregations. Great thanks are due both to Mr. Corfe and to the clergy who invited him to their churches. It is confidently hoped that the Sale of Work in the Westminster Town Hall, on December 13th and 14th, will be remembered and largely patronised by the members of the Association and the readers of Morning Calm in and near London. The General Secretary looks forward to receiving the last Reports of 1893 during the first week in January, and also all   the corrections that should be made in the local lists of members, in order that we may start the New Year with a thoroughly accurate register and muster roll. It might be a saving of trouble to the secretaries if they would at the same time inform the General Secretary of such matters regarding their localities or counties as they wish to see recorded in the Annual Report, although this information will be in time if received by the third week in January. News (and grateful thanks) has just come from Corea of the safe arrival of the box despatched last May, containing the carpet given to the Church of the Advent by Stoke Newington members, the mats worked by two young friends of the Bishop's, and a box of seeds sent by another friend. M. M. CHAMBERS HODGETTS. Rowancroft, Exeter: November 9th. Hospital Naval Fund. It will be observed that some changes have taken place in the officers of the H.N.F. His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, now Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, instead of remaining President, has consented to be a Patron. With him is associated H.R.H. the Duke of York, a captain in the Royal Navy, who has expressed himself very pleased to become a Patron. The post of President, the Executive Committee propose should be filled ex officio by the Chaplain of the Fleet for the time being. This arrangement will keep the Mission in touch with the Active Service and conduce to permanency, and will doubtless be confirmed by a general meeting of the members of the Fund. It is intended that this general meeting shall be held at an early date. The time and place will be advertised in the naval papers, and notices sent to all contributors at home. It is hoped that many naval officers and other friends may be able to attend. J. B. HARBORD, Hon. Sec. (H.N.F.) St. Peter's (Kilburn) Foreign Mission Association. THE Secretary of St. Peter's Foreign Mission Association calls the attention of members to a notice on the last page of Morning Calm. Mrs. Buckham, our Sledmere Secretary, has opportunities of getting festival cards, prints, and photographs from the Continent, and is very anxious to sell them for the benefit of the Association. It would be a kindness if intending   purchasers of Christmas and New Year's cards would get them from her. Specimens will be sent on application. The Secretary also wishes to tell members and other friends that a Bazaar, for the works of St. Peter's Community, will be held by the Associates in the Kensington Town Hall on December 19th and 20th. By the kindness of the Sisters the proceeds of the stalls will be given to our fund. The Secretary would be very glad of contributions of poor clothes, fancy work, and any saleable articles. She hopes members will try and visit the Bazaar and bring friends. Parcels should be sent to Miss Graham, 48 Pont Street, S.W., not later than December 14th. Some Notes of a River Journey in Corea. (Continued from page 150.) On Wednesday, October 5th, we began the ascent of the large northern tributary of the river Han; we had not gone far up before we found that the river began to broaden considerably, though it was not very deep, and the bottom was exceedingly rocky all over. The boatmen were very much delighted at finding the remains of a very fine fish on one of the ledges of rock, which had evidently been just caught by an otter, which with its well-known daintiness had just taken a bite out of the best part of the flesh and then left the rest; needless to say the boatmen showed no such daintiness, and it was at once put in the pot for dinner. This river is a marked contrast to the main stream, being in places very full of weeds, but so far it seems much easier to navigate against the stream. The following day we were surprised by coming across the telegraph wires, which connect Seoul with Ouen-San, and felt quite within reach of civilisation again—there is I hear actually a telegraph office at a place called Tchyoun-Tchyen, where we shall arrive in the course of a few days I hope. To-day we passed a place called Tchyeng-hpyeng-nai, situated near the mountain of Tchyeng-hpyeng-San, in the province of Kang-Ouen-To. Near this village lives a Japanese who has a small gun-powder factory, where he manufactures gun-powder for the Corean Government. We passed near this place some enormous floats of wood, which were being brought down the stream to Seoul. One of these got nearly broken up on the rocks in shooting one of the rapids, as it was it got seriously damaged, and lost a good deal of wood; had it gone to pieces the men would have run a great risk of being   drowned, as the current was very swift and they would inevitably have been dashed against some of the numerous rocks. The next day we passed a small tributary which joins the main stream shortly above a place called O-Chaing-Kol, there was not more than an inch of water on the bar when we passed it, but the boatmen say that during the summer rains it is navigable as far as the town of Hong-Tchyen. The following morning we were unable to start until much later than usual owing to the fog, which was so thick that we could scarcely see a yard before us. I am afraid from what the boatmen say we shall have these fogs nearly every day now, as it seems to be the season for them. A very curious feature in some of the hill villages of this district, is that there are scarcely any dogs to be seen; this is the more remarkable because all Corean villages and towns abound in dogs, which live in the street and act as scavengers. The people say that if they keep many dogs here it attracts the tigers from the neighbouring hills, but I don't know whether to believe that this is the reason or not; at any rate we have seen exceedingly few dogs in the villages of late. This evening finds us at Ka-hpyeng, a small prefectural town governed by a Kounsyon, who has recently been promoted to be second in command to the newly-created Ryon-Syon at Tchyoun-Tchyen. Tchyoun-Tchyen and Ka-hpyeng having been amalgamated into one district, and the former raised to the rank of a citadel, or fortress city, guarding the capital. Ka-hpyeng is quite a small place with only about four hundred houses, and is about a mile and a half from the banks of the river. The 11ext day brought us into a part of the river which needed very careful navigation, being studded for some distance with sharp rocks, which are not always visible until one finds oneself very close to them. To-day one of the boatmen got drunk, and was inclined to be very quarrelsome, but he came round after a little and made a solemn apology for his behaviour. He had “met with an acquaintance, who had treated him to wine on an empty stomach," a not infrequent excuse in an English police-court. October 10th was again very foggy, and we could not start before eight in the morning. To-day we had to encounter some of the most difficult rapids we have yet come across, but the fineness of the scenery makes up for our slow progress. Many of the magnificent rocks which rise sheer out of the water to a great height, are covered with creeping plants, which look lovely with their red autumnal tints. Indeed the varied tints to be seen on all the well-wooded hill sides fairly surpass description. After a good deal of trouble we reached the village of Sin-   Yang-Kam, near to which is the high road which leads to the fortified town of Tchyoun-Tchyen, distant from the river about four miles. We reached the town about five o'clock in the evening, and found an English-speaking official at the telegraph office, who was very civil to us, and assisted us greatly by changing some silver into Corean cash for us. The telegraph office here seems to be very seldom used, in fact the official in charge told us that it was used once a month at most. I wished to telegraph my whereabouts from here to Seoul, and in order to do so had to wait while the official telegraphed to Wen-San to know how much I had to pay per word, which seemed rather a strange proceeding. I was then told that the wire was broken between this place and Seoul, but that it would probably be all right the next day, so I left my message with him, and returned to the boat, not reaching it, however, till after ten o'clock. The next few days passed much as usual, we were invariably delayed by the fogs, and the nights began to grow perceptibly colder. We passed a great many very large groves of chestnut trees and were able to buy as many excellent chestnuts as we cared for. The nearer we get to the source of the river the more frequent the rapids become, and of course the river becomes narrower and more shallow in parts. October 15th brought us within a day's journey of the town of Nang-Tchyen. Shortly before our arrival there, however, our boat got into trouble in an awkward rapid, and was so knocked about on the stones that when we got through we found she was leaking badly, and rapidly filling with water. Fortunately for us we were not in a deep place, or we should most likely have lost all our belongings; as it was we managed to get her near to the side and clear out everything on to the bank, and in a little while the boatman had repaired all the damage, so no one was any the worse. We found the official at Nang-Tchyen very civil, and one of the secretaries in his employ was very curious to know all about England. He wanted to know first of all why the country was all red, and how it looked at night, and whether the colour prevented its being dark at night. I could not think what he meant, and told him that it was not red at all, but just like Corea. However, he said he knew that it was red, because he had seen a map of all the European nations, and some were green, some blue, and some yellow, while England he remembered was all red. The following morning we began our return journey down the stream to Seoul, and made very good travelling; nothing worth recording happened on the return journey, and we arrived at Seoul in the afternoon of October 20th. Of course no missionary   [사진] THE PUPIL. Here is a picture of the eldest son of a Corean gentleman. He is a constant visitor at Nak Tong, and both he and his father are on most friendly terms with the members of the Mission. For some time he has been the pupil of Mr. Trollope.   work was attempted on this journey because I had not advanced enough in the language to be able to speak about religion. But the object of the journey was to find out as much as we could about the possibilities of navigation on the river, and also to see what amount of population was to be found on the river side, so that we might be able to judge whether or not the river offered us any prospects for doing missionary work in the future; and I think I may say that we have come to the conclusion very clearly that we shall find many exceptionally good opportunities for doing evangelistic work by travelling up and down the River Han, and visiting the numerous villages on its banks, and this, not taking into account the very large floating population, made up of the men who inhabit the trading junks all the year round, with the exception of the winter months when the river is frozen over, for whom we shall doubtless be able to do something eventually. The Spirit of Missions. SINCE the death of the Right Rev. Phillips Brooks, every word he has written seems to flash forth from the printed page with new brilliancy and power. Witness the following taken from his sermon, "The Heroism of Foreign Missions”: “I know what some of you are saying in your hearts whenever we talk together about Foreign Missions. ‘There are heathen here in Boston,’ you declare, ‘heathen enough in America. Let us convert them first before we go to China.' That plea we all know, and I think it sounds more cheap and more shameful each year. What can be more shameful than to make the imperfection of our Christianity at home an excuse for not doing our work abroad? It is as shameless as it is shameful. It pleads for exemption and indulgence on the ground of its own neglect and sin. It is like the murderer of his father asking the judge to have pity on his orphanhood."—New York Church Mission News. The following letter by a Maori is quoted by the Southern Cross (published at Port Elizabeth, South Africa) from a New Zealand Church newspaper. It forms a most sad and searching rebuke to us for our unhappy divisions and lack of zeal, and shows how great a stumbling-block they place in the way of the Mission work of the Church:— “You published a few days ago the account of what took place at a meeting of Maoris convened by the Bishop of Christchurch. I was present at that meeting, and wish you to give me an opportunity of answering one of the questions put to us by the Bishop, namely: 'Why is the fire of Christian faith so low among the Maori people in my diocese?' I will tell you what I think is the reason. We Maoris are confused and bewildered in   our mind by the extraordinary way in which you Pakehas* treat your religion. Nobody amongst you seems to be sure whether it means anything or nothing. At the bidding of the early missionaries we substituted what they told us was a true religion for that of our forefathers, which they called FALSE. We accepted the Book containing the history and precepts of the ‘True Religion’ as being really the Word of God binding upon us, His creatures. We offered daily, morning and evening, worship to the Creator in every pah and village throughout New Zealand. We kept the seventh day holy, abstaining from every kind of work out of respect to the Divine command, and for the same reason we abolished slavery and polygamy, though by doing so we completely disorganised our social system and reduced our gentry to poverty, and inflicted much pain on those who were forced to sever some of the tenderest ties of human relationship. Just when we were beginning to train up our children to know and to obey God as manifested in Jesus Christ, Pakehas came in great numbers to this country. They visited our villages, and appeared very friendly, but we noticed that they did not pay the same respect to the Bible as we novices did. They never held any daily public worship unless a clergy man was present to conduct it. They ridiculed our strict notions about Sabbath keeping and the wrongfulness of drunkenness and unchastity, and they gave us generally to understand that all Pakehas but the clergy and a few fanatics held that the people might do just what they liked as long as they kept out of the grip of the law; that the only being we need fear was the policeman, and the only book we need read, mark, learn, and obey the precepts of was the statute-book. On seeking an explanation from our missionary friends of the plain contradictions between their statements and those of their countrymen, we received the same answer which they gave us when we asked them, when they first began to teach us Christianity, ‘Why sailor-men and Port Jackson men did not honour God and the Bible as they did.’ They told us not to pay any attention to what such persons said, because they were, like the Gentiles of old, unbelievers. Our minds were quieted for a time, and in all earnestness and sincerity we strove to put into practice what we willingly believed were God's commands. But by-and-by we were still more disturbed and mystified by Pakeha ministers of religion, who came amongst us telling us that, while the Bible was true, the interpretation put upon its contents by our missionaries was quite wrong. The Roman Catholics told us they alone knew the correct interpretation,

• Europeans.

  and that unless we joined them our souls would be lost. The Baptists followed, who ridiculed our presenting our children to Christ in baptism, and told us that as we had not been immersed we were not baptized Christians at all. Then came the Presbyterians, who said that the office of a bishop was unscriptural, and that in submitting to be confirmed by Bishop [사진] IDOL AND TWO BUDDHIST MONKS. This is one of the noted shrines in Corea, and is situated near a monastery outside the walls of Seoul. The two men in attendance are Buddhist monks. It should be noticed that the figure's head is covered with snail shells. The legend runs thus:—Buddha one day, being weary, laid down to rest in the sun. The snails, fearing lest he should suffer from sunstroke, crawled upon his bare head, and thus afforded some protection from the fierce rays of the sun. Selwyn we had gone through a meaningless ceremony. Lastly came the Plymouth Brethren, who told us that Christ never instituted a visible Church or ministry at all, but that everybody ought to be his own minister and make his own creed.   "Besides the confusion in our minds caused by the godless example of the majority of Pakehas, and the contradictory teaching given by ministers of religion, we were puzzled by the behaviour of the Government, who, while professing to be bound by the moral law contained in the Bible, did not hesitate, when we became powerless, to break solemn promises made to us when we were more numerous and strong than the Pakehas. Great was our surprise when the Parliament, composed not of ignorant, lowborn men, but of Pakeha gentlemen, and professing Christians, put the Bible out of the schools, and, while directing the teachers to diligently instruct the children of New Zealand in all kinds of knowledge, told them on no account to teach them anything about the Christian religion, anything about God and His laws. My heathen master taught me to fear and reverence the Unseen Powers, and my parents taught me to order every action of my life in obedience to the will of the Atuas, who would punish me if I offended them. But my children are not taught now in the schools of this Christian country to reverence any being above a policeman, or to fear any judge of their actions above an R.M.* "I think, when the Bishop of Christchurch asked us the other day the question I have already referred to, we might fairly have asked him to tell us first ‘Why the fire of faith burns so low among his own Pakeha people.' We might have quoted apt words from that Book which English people want everyone but themselves to take for their rule of life, and reverence as the Word of the Living God: ‘Physician, heal thyself.’ I do not think the Bishop had then seen the following statement reported in the daily newspapers as having been made at a public meeting by one of the most learned and most eloquent of the clergy: ‘He could not attempt to prove the existence of God, because he knew no more of Him than did the Pope, or the Bishop of Christchurch, or anyone else in the world.’ “Can ignorant Maoris be blamed for lukewarmness in the service of God, Whose existence one of his ordained ministers tells them no man in Christendom can prove? I sometimes think, Sir, that my children would have had a better chance of developing into honourable men and women, and would have had a better prospect of happiness when the time comes for them to enter the unseen world and meet their Maker if, like the first Maori king (Potatu), I had refused to make an open profession of your Pakeha religion till, as he said, ‘You had settled among

• Resident Magistrate.

  yourselves what your religion really is.' Better, I think, the real belief in the unseen spiritual world which sustained my forefathers than the make-believe which the Pakeha people have asked us to substitute for it. "Yours, &c., TANGATA MAORI. “Otautahi: Sept. 13th, 1892." Here is an account, written by the Rev. P. R. H. Chambers, of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa, of the first baptisms at Kologwe, in Uzigua:— “I am glad to say that Uzigua is no longer a land without a single native Christian. We had our first baptisms on Whitsun Eve. About Christmas, 1891, Kidungwe and his friend Mgaya thought they would try life in the Mission at Kologwe, where there was only one boy living at the time. So they entered the house, and have stayed with us ever since. From the first they have entered into the spirit of the place, and at Easter, 1892, they were made catechumens by Mr. Woodward, when on a visit to Magila, thus being the first to definitely choose the Christian life. At first they were told, and we all thought, that a catechumenate of two years would be the shortest possible for first converts in a new country, but their steady perseverance and evident effort to live consistently with the teaching they received induced me to ask the Bishop whether a less time would not suffice. He replied that, under the circumstances, a year would be long enough. This was at Easter, 1893. So when I got back to Kologwe from Magila their preparation began. Every day they were to come for instruction, and, though the first three weeks were holiday time, they hardly missed a day. When I went to stay at Kwa Sigi, they came too, and slept on the floor in my tent, so as to miss no days, and so on till Friday before Whitsunday. That day they did not go to school, but spent the morning in devotion and instruction, and in the afternoon washed all their clothes and shaved each other's head in preparation for baptism. Saturday they fasted and kept apart from the other boys till 3 P.M., when we began evensong. “Before evensong we sent the hand-bell into the town (our school bell is so small that it can't be heard down there, though it is less than half a mile) to call the people up. About 100 came. Our little church was crowded, the little boys being seated on the altar steps. Not that every one was allowed in, only Christians, catechumens, and people under instruction to   be made catechumens; the rest waited outside. Evensong was festal, and went well, as we had taught all the hymns and the psalms in school during the week. Then, after the second lesson, our procession started out of church round the baraza and down the hill a little way to the font, which is built in the ground, with a light roof over it. The Christians and catechumens stood round the font, and the other people outside the hill and on the hill-side, and, as the boys knelt to be baptized, I think we all felt that we were engaged in a wonderful work, in bringing to our Lord the first-fruits of this land, where two years ago the name of Christ was utterly unknown. Then their black clothes were changed for the chrisoms, and we concluded the baptism service and returned to church singing, 'Conquering kings their titles take,’ and finished evensong, and I preached a short sermon of which J. B. Mdoe gave a spirited rendering in Kizigula. "On Sunday the new Christians were present at the Eucharist in their chrisoms, and we had three days' holiday—Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday—in honour of the event.” “Last Sunday I had the pleasure of admitting as catechumen a man from one of these villages who a short while ago was very strongly opposed to our work. He even threatened to murder his elder brother, who had become a very earnest Christian, and therefore, as he thought, a disgrace to the family. But by patience and care and, without doubt, earnest prayer, the elder brother has won him over, and now he himself shows promise of being a great help in winning over others."—Rev. G. D. ILIFE, of the North China Mission. The following Minute, passed by the General Committee of the Church Missionary Society on June 13th, 1893, deserves to be carefully considered:— “Since the passing, in October 1887, of a resolution which has led the Committee to adhere to the principle of accepting and sending forth all duly-qualified candidates who offer themselves, the Committee notice— "(1) That, during the four years following the date of the resolution referred to, 250 new missionaries were accepted, just double the corresponding number for the previous four years; and that the financial position of the Society was stronger at the end of that period than at its beginning. "(2) That, during the year just past, although it closes   with a deficit in the General Fund and an exhausted Contingency Fund, the goodness of God has enabled the Society to materially improve its financial position with regard to its securities and some of its special funds. “The Committee are therefore led to feel and express deep thankfulness to Almighty God that He has seen fit to justify so abundantly the faith of those who believe that He is willing to thrust forth more labourers into His vineyard, and that if He supply the labourers He will assuredly also give the means to send them forth. “On the other hand, upon consideration of the present position of the Society and its future prospects, so far as they can forecast them, the Committee notice with a sense of grave responsibility— “(1) That, while in 1890 the prayers of many friends of the Society were directed towards sending forth 1,000 new missionaries in the last decade of the century, and within four months of the publication of this suggestion the Society's missions in Asia alone sent in definite demands for 410 new workers (and for a further undefined number beyond that), so that it is clear that had the 1,000 been already supplied they would have been easily absorbed, yet during the first quarter of the decade only 108 were sent forth, while the candidates fully accepted in the year ending May 1st, 1893, were only 81, of whom only 29 were men. “(2) That not only has the present year been entered upon with a deficit of £3,713. but its probable expenditure (without counting upon the abnormal increase in the number of missionaries which should earnestly be striven for) has been estimated as likely to be £20,000 above the average income available during the past three years. "(3) That there must of necessity be growing expenses for the due equipment of the missionaries already sent forth, as their work opens out before them, in addition to the needs of new contingents. "With these considerations before them, the Committee feel that there is great cause for humble acknowledgment of unworthiness and lack of faith in the past, and for earnest prayer that the future of the Society's work may not be straitened by the increase or the continuance of these shortcomings among God's people.”