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PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


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Purchased   by  the   Hamill   Missionary   Fund. 


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Bainbridge,  William  F.  b. 

1843. 
Along  the  lines  at  the  front 


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THE    NORMAL    AND    INDUSTRIAL    INSTITUTE. 

MEMORIAL.      BASSEIN.    BURMAH 


.nn-|,i,;o.,   ^;.•,■  I':,::,.   IT 

KO    THAH-BYU 


ALONG   THE    LINES 


THE    FRONT. 


A  GENERAL  SURVEY 


OF 


Baptist  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 


WILLIAM   F.  BAINBRIDGE, 

Author  of  "  Around-the- World  Tour  of  Christian  Missions.' 


PHILADELPHIA : 

AMERICAN   BAPTIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY, 

1420  Chestnut  Street. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1883,  by  the 

AMERICAN   BAPTIST   PUBLICATION  SOCIETY, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


Westcott  &  Thomson, 
Stereotypers  attd  Electrotypers,  Philada. 


§«bicat£ir  to  tijt  Ptmorg  of 
M.Y  Father, 

Rev.  SAMUEL   M.  BAINBRIDGE, 

A  Faithful  Minister  of  the  Gospel  for  Twenty-five  Years, 

AND  Pastor  of  the  Central  Baptist  Church, 

Elmira,  N.  Y.,  at  his  Death, 

January  i,  1865. 


PREFACE. 


Many  omissions  which  may  be  noted  in  the  following 
pages  in  records  of  travelling  experience  and  missionary 
incidents  will  be  found  supplied  in  Mrs.  Bainbridge's 
book,  Round-the-World  Letters,  and  in  another  she  is 
preparing,  entitled  Glimpses  of  Mission  Life  in  Many 
Lands.  It  has  not  been  possible,  in  the  limits  of  this 
book,  to  make  many  references  to  the  work  and  workers 
of  other  denominations  ;  but  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
general  volume  on  Christian  missions  mentioned  on  the 
title-page,  with  the  assurance  that  it  was  the  endeavor  of 
the  writer  therein  to  give  a  universal  survey  of  evan- 
gelistic work  in  such  form  as  to  encourage  the  desire  of 
all  for  the  information.  A  thorough  appreciation  of 
Baptist  missions  demands  acquaintance  with  all  other 
missions.  Our  track  crosses  Bible  lands,  and  this  time 
by  way  of  Babylon  and  Nineveh.  Yet  upon  these  pages 
I  cannot  linger,  however  tempting  the  detour,  but  must 
again  ask  the  reader  who  may  desire  to  accompany  me 
into  the  "  lands  of  sacred  story  "  to  turn  to  a  volume  I 
hope  soon  to  publish,  entitled  From  the  Garden  of  Eden 
to  the  Isle  of  Patmos :  A  Cotnplete  Tour  of  Bible  Lands. 

William  F.  Bainbridge. 

Providence,  R.  I.,  January,  1882. 

1*  "6 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Normal  and  Industrial  Institute,  Ko-thah-byu  Memorial, 

Bassein,  Burmah Frontispiece. 

Wayland  Seminary,  Washington,  D.  C 50 

Leland  University,  New  Orleans,  La 52 

American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  1420  Chestnut 

.  Street,  Philadelphia facing  62 

House  where  the  Baptist   Missionary  Society    first 

MET,  Kettering,  Northamptonshire,  England    .    .      "  99 

Andrew  Fuller,  D.  D "  107 

William  Carey,   D.  D "  108 

Leading  Native  Preachers  of  the  Swatow  Mission  .    .      "  137 

Adoniram  Judson,  D.  D "  160 

Rev.  J.  E.  Clough,  Itinerating  in  the  Ongole  Field  .   .      "  217 


MAPS. 

PAGB 

American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  Missions  and 

Schools facing  39 

Map  of  the  Work  of  the  American  Baptist  Publica- 
tion Society "  54 

Baptist  Missions  in  China  and  Japan "  124 

India,  Burmah,  and  Assam,  Baptist  Missions  .....  "  154 

Baptist  Missions  in  Europe "  237 

r 


CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

Introduction *7-3o 


CHAPTER   I. 

BAPTIST  RESOURCES  FOR  WORLD  EVANGELIZATION. 

American  statistics  —  Northern  and  Southern  Baptists  —  Colored 
church-members — Financial  resources — Providential  leadership 
of  the  North — Business  prosperity  at  the  South — Natural  gen- 
erosity— Co-operation — Freedmen — Baptist  statistics  abroad — 
Social  rank  of  Baptists  in  different  lands — Progress  of  educa- 
tion— Our  American  institutions — The  denominational  press — 
Sunday-schools — Spiritual  power — Integrity  of  the  ordinances 
— Abandonment  of  "close  communion "  an  element  of  weak- 
ness with  English  Baptists — Baptist  share  in  the  mission  re- 
sponsibility of  the  Christian  Church — Resources  adequate — 
Serious  obligation  involved  in  keeping  other  denominations 
from  our  fields 31-38 


CHAPTER   n. 
THE  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY. 

Field  of  opportunity  and  obligation — Division  of  labor  required — 
Existing  division  between  Home  Mission  and  Publication  So- 
cieties the  most  practicable — Providential  leadership — Western 
drift  of  American  population — Its  special  call  upon  mission  en- 
terprise— Transient  elements  of  the  opportunity — Immigration 
— Freedmen — Vast  responsibilities  for  our  churches — Indian 
problem  to  be  solved  only  by  evangelization — History  of  the 
Society — Its  present  mission  forces — Homeless  Baptist  churches 
— Building  demand  for  coming  five  years — Endowment  of 
Freedmen's  educational  institutions^ — Jubilee  Fund — A  Baptist 


lO  CONTENTS. 

FAGB 

building  in  New  York — Our  work  in  the  Indian  Territory — 
Mexico — Home  Mission  Monthly — Woman's  societies 39-53 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY. 

Its  vast  sphere  of  work — Consecration  of  full  power  of  press — Inci- 
dental agencies  required — Belter,  as  well  as  more,  Sunday- 
schools  needed — The  Society's  history  a  marked  providential 
development — The  denomination's  own  property — A  truly  na- 
tional society — Want  of  information — The  Society  not  at  fault 
— The  Missionary  Department  should  bear  its  proper  share  of 
running  expenses — Full  and  satisfactory  reports  of  work — Recog- 
nition of  the  Society  in  the  pulpit  and  missionary  concert — The 
little  beginning — Prudent  advances — Present  attainments — Work 
in  the  Business  Department  largely  the  most  satisfactory  mission- 
ary work — Headquaiters — Wisdom  of  the  expense  in  location 
and  building — Its  tracts  and  their  utility — Other  publications — 
Branches — Trade  inducements — All  active  Baptist  members  ap- 
pointed its  missionaries — Responsibility  to  other  denominations 
— Great  Bible  destitution — German  work  helped — A  prayer..,  54-66 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  UNION. 

Home  and  foreign  missions — The  work  one — Prevailing  indifference 
— Expediency  of  considering  the  obligation  separately — Rising 
tide  of  mission  sentiment — Dr.  Judson — Battles  with  Anti-Mis- 
sion spirit  in  England  and  America — Foreign  missionary  ranks 
at  home — General  Missionary  Convention — Triennial  Conven- 
tion— Missionary  Union — American  Baptist  foreign  mission  field 
— Missionaries — Results — Statistics  inadequate — Burdens  at  the 
Rooms — Salaries — Estimates  of  sacrifice — District  Secretaries — 
Necessity  and  arduous  character  of  their  work — Lack  of  mis- 
sionary intelligence — Auxiliary  woman's  societies — Contribu- 
tions— Fidelity — Periodicals — Their  merits  and  claims 67-80 


CHAPTER  V. 

OUR  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS,  AND  THEIR   BEARING  UPON 
MISSIONS. 

Statistics — The  leading  denominational  purpose  in  the  establishment 
of  these  schools — Monument  to  the  missionary  idea — Great  for- 
getfulness  of  obligation — Colleges — Theological  seminaries — 
Exceptions — Reminiscences — The    enthusiasm   for    instruction 


CONTENTS.  1 1 

PACK 

and  study  in  the  missionary  idea — Evangelizing  spirit  the  best 
guarantee  for  breadth  and  thoroughness  of  education — Study  of 
missions  in  theological  schools — Past  controversies  with  unbe- 
lief reappearing,  yet  in  new  forms  and  circumstances — A  revival 
of  incalculable  value — "  Ubique  " — Science  and  literature  on 
their  true  mission — Mission  professorships  and  lectureships — A 
pla.-  recommended — The  duty,  how^ever,  general 81-88 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE  MISSIONARY  SPIRIT  IN  THE  CHURCHES. 

Fundamental — Adequacy  of  missionary  supply — Loyalty — Esprit  de 
corps — Improvement — Anti-Mission  Christians — Causes  of  de- 
ficiency— Not  want  of  success  in  missions,  but  lack  of  informa- 
tion, and  especially  lack  of  Christ — Character  of  Christ  mis- 
sionary or  nothing — Promoters  of  revivals  chief  agencies  of 
Christian  missions — Some  results  of  utilizing  resources — Test 
of  Christian  character — Effect  upon  unbelief  of  lack  of  mission- 
ary spirit — Anti-Mission  Christianity  self-evident  falsehood....  89-98 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

BAPTIST   MISSIONS   OF  GREAT   BRITAIN  AND   EUROPE. 

Home-mission  work  in  England  and  Ireland — Spurgeon  Tabernacle 
missions — Society  for  Scotland — The  Baptist  Tract  and  Book 
Society — The  Baptist  Missionary  Society  (foreign) — Its  Home 
Department  in  advance  of  American  Missionary  Union — English 
wisdom  of  frequent  delegations — Their  ministry  more  practically 
interested  in  foreign  missions — American  missions  more  blessed 
abroad — Baptist  Missionary  Society  history — Dr.  Carey — An- 
drew Fuller — India — Serampore — Jamaica — "  Balathe  dhourga" 
— Drs.  Marshman,  Ward,  Yates,  and  Wenger — Extreme  sacri- 
fice—  Serampore  College  —  Calcutta  press — Emancipation  in 
West  India — Ceylon — Brittany — Congo  Mission  in  West  Africa- 
— German  Baptist  missions — Swedish  Baptist  missions — Europe 
being  leavened 99-110 

CHAPTER  Vni. 

JAPAN. 

America  and  the  Pacific — Two  months'  touring — How  to  enjoy 
travelling — Japanese  inns — Country — People — Playing  at  life 
— The  revolution — Ten  years — Realizing  that  Christianity  must 
accompany   Christian    civilization — Government    patronage  — 


12  ^  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Christian  missions  —  American  Baptists  —  Embarrassments — ■ 
Progress  in  Yokohama,  Tokio,  and  at  the  North— Making 
some  calls — New  Testament  translation  completed — Beautiful 
baptismal  scene — Signal  service  of  two  women-missionaries — 
Consecrated  politeness  and  geniality — Baptists  behind  other 
Japan  missions  in  evangelizing  enterprise — Our  special  needs 
— Farewell  at  Kanagawa 111-123 


CHAPTER   IX. 

CHINA. 

Five  months'  touring — A  world — Baptist  missionaries — Country — 
Population — Prince  Kung — Li-Hung-Chang — Industry — Strug- 
gle for  existence — Dishonesty  of  the  government — Greed  of 
the  priesthood — The  opium  curse — Confucianism — Taouism — 
Buddhism — The  latter  originally  atheistic,  pessimistic,  annihila- 
tory,  but  in  proselytism  no  regard  for  principle — The  most  selfish 
religion  of  the  world — Masquerade  of  the  virtues — Underlying 
Fung-shway  superstition — Ancestral  worship — Altar  of  heaven 
at  Peking — Mission  assistance  of  foreign  arts  and  sciences — 
Nestorian  missions — Roman  Catholics — Protestant  missions — 
Treaties — Stations  of  Missionary  Union  and  Southern  Baptist 
Convention — English  Baptists 1 24-132 


CHAPTER  X. 

CHINA  {Continiud). 

Swatow — "The  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land" — Pulling 
the  latch-string — Series  of  delightful  surprises — Native  self-re- 
liance cultivated — Education  fostered,  not  forced — Inland  vil- 
lage— A  week  of  meetings — Examining  candidates — Discipline 
— "  Thus  it  becometh  us  " — Eight  of  us  at  "  the  Beautiful  Gate 
of  the  temple" — "Peng-on!  Peng-on  I" — Ningpo — Medical 
work- — Hospitality  versus  white  ants — Missionary  care  for  health 
— Christian  homes — To  Zao-hying  in  a  kyiah-wo — Shaking 
hands  once  a  year — Breaking  up  missionary  families — Sacri- 
fice that  makes  ashamed — Chinese  classics — Southern  Baptists 
at  Shanghai,  Canton,  and  Tung-chow-fu — Hongkong — English 
Baptist  mission — Pious  delusion 133-145 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SIAM. 

Storm — Meinam — Vegetation — Siamese  indolence  versus  Chinese  in- 
dustry—  Missionaries'    servants  —  Bangkok  —  Permanency   of 


CONTENTS.  13 

PAGE 

Chinese  population — Baptists — Extreme  embarrassment — Prob- 
ability of  rebuke — Duty — Missions  under  favor  of  government 
— Historical  glance — Periods  of  extreme  trial  specially  interest- 
ing— Another  "  Lone  Star  " — Buddhism  of  Siam — Remarkable 
proclamation  of  religious  liberty — Visiting  royalty — The  roll 
of  honor — Favorable  impressions 146-153 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BURMAH. 

Amherst — Heroism  of  the  pioneers  still  required — Also  in  many 
home  churches — Mutual  sympathy  demanded — A  chasm  to  be 
bridged — Two  months'  touring — Country — Climate — Food — 
Population — Burmans  and  Karens  contrasted — Dr.  Judson's 
mistake — Bible  translation — Ko-tha-byu  Memorial — Tavoy — 
Lack  of  missionaries — The  many  resting  from  their  labors..  154-163 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BURMAH  {Continued). 

Reinforcement — Concentration — Men  needed — Vacations — Absen- 
tees— Advanced  schools  in  Rangoon  and  Bassein — Hamilton 
and  Rochester  over  again — Obligations — Co-education  of  the 
races  —  Industrial  departments — Mission  press  —  Sunshine — 
Visiting  the  stations — Ma-00-ben — Specific  donations — Manda- 
lay — Schools  the  temptation  of  missionaries — Wolves  in  dis- 
guise —  Rangoon —  Maulmain — Thongzai — Zeegong — Prome — 
Henthada  —  Shwaygyeen  —  Toungoo  — Bassein — Jungle-tour — 
Impressions — A  rich  lesson  on  giving , 164-180 


CHAPTER   XIV. 
ASSAM. 

Mission  history — How  to  utilize  it — Why  missionary  literature  is 
not  more  interesting — Evangelizing  Assam — Climate — Safety — 
Access — Population — Obligations,  philological  and  ethnological, 
to  missionaries — Drifting  of  the  races — Importance  of  Assam 
missions — Tribal  work — Brahmanism  and  paganism — Former 
in  contrast  with  Buddhism — Elements  of  sti  engtli  in  Hinduism 
— Mysteries — Tokens  of  special  favor—  Kardura  and  Omed 
fruits — Kohls — Garos,  or  "  Karens  of  Assam  " — Muster-roll.  181-189 
2 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

INDIA. 

FAGB 

Population — Increase — Emigration — Famine  problems  —  Caucasian 
features  —  The  leading  classes — Whitherward?  —  Idolatry — 
Atheism  and  religious  indifference — Brahmans  worshipped — 
Polytheistic  reaction  from  Buddhism — Mohammedanism — Im- 
portation of  infidel  literature— Brahma  Somaj — Christianity  to 
the  rescue — Baptist  share  in  the  responsibility — Serampore — 
Ceylon — Calcutta — English  Baptist  emphasis  upon  direct  preach- 
ing to  heathen  adults — Self-support  at  Delhi — Khoolnea  Band 
— A  Christian  mela — Scriptures  and  Christian  literature — 
Converts 190-20I 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

INDIA  {Continued). 

Dr.  Judson's  choice — Delayed  responsibility — Triennial  Convention 
of  1835 — Glorious  ]jlanning  and  resolving — Danger  of  unfulfilled 
promises — Drag  of  the  home  churches  upon  foreign  mission- 
aries— Telugus — Advance  of  the  missions — Italian  of  India — 
Proposals  in  America  to  abandon — Providential  interpositions — 
"Shine  on,  Lone  Star" — Prayer  of  faith  upon  Ongole  hill — 
Wonderful  ingathering  —  Canadian  Baptist  mission  —  Annual 
Conference  at  Coconada — Approach  of  Ongole  tidal-wave — 
Union  of  Societies  in  the  dominion.. 202-209 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

ONGOLE. 

From  Madras — Dr.  Jewett — A  beautiful  scene — "  Bandy  "  riding — 
Nellore — Weird  singing  of  Telugu  Christians — Ramapatam — 
Theological  seminary — Emphasis  upon  Bible  study — Evidences 
of  genuineness  and  permanency  of  Telugu  work — Kurnool — 
Secunderabad — ^  Hanamaconda — Caste  system — Rev.  J.  E. 
Clough  —  On  "Prayer-Meeting  Hill" — Crushing  burdens  — 
Meeting  five  hundred  Telugu  Christians — Providential  call  to  the 
lower  castes — Gathering  in  the  sheaves — Examining  candidates 
— "  More  so!" — A  blessed  good-bye — Contrasts — Baptism..  210-222 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

AFRICA. 

Attracting  general  attention  —  "The  Dark  Continent"  —  Central 
Africa — Explorations — Debt    of   Christendom— Total   force   of 


CONTENTS.  15 

PAGE 

missions — Advance  into  the  interior — "  International  Associa- 
tion " — Humiliating  attitude  of  American  Baptists — Liberia — 
The  death-roll — Yoruba — English  and  Jamaica  Baptists  in  West 
Africa — Advance  up  the  Congo — Mr.  R.  Arthington — Cause 
of  American  Baptist  delay — Question  of  location  for  advance — 
The  Soudan — Hindrance  and  help  of  Islam — Upper  Niger  and 
Binue — Lake  Chad 223-236 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

Triennial  Conference  in  Hamburg — Rev.  J.  G.  Oncken — Historic 
glimpses  of  German  Baptist  mission — Rev.  Barnas  Sears,  D.  D. 
— Persecution — Prosperities — Gaining  legal  rights — Encourage- 
ment in  Russia  —  Austrian  intolerance  —  Centres  of  Baptist 
strength — Poland — German  missionaries — Baptist  missions  in 
Sweden — Possibilities — Rev.  A.  Wiberg — Theological  Seminary 
— Norway — Finland  —  Self-reliant  disposition  —  Switzerland  — 
Berlin — German  Baptist  Publication  Society — Rev.  P.  W.  Bicke], 
D.  D. — Evangelical  missions  in  Protestant  lands 237-246 


CHAPTER   XX. 

SOUTHERN  EUROPE. 

Changes  since  former  visit— Greece — Paul  and  the  Hellenic  sages — 
Athens — Mission  —  Italy  —  Beautiful  deformities  —  Pictu  resque 
degradation — Situation  only  of  opportunity— Roman  Catholi- 
cism at  its  heart — The  Imperial  City — Evangelical  missions  its 
crowning  interest — Southern  Baptists — Rev.  G.  B.  Taylor,  D.  D. 
—  English  Baptists  —  Naples  —  Genoa — "  Ingresso  Libero  "  — 
Paris — Protestant  movement  at  present  more  political  than 
religious — Opportunity — Rue  de  Lille  Baptist  Chapel — Founda- 
tion laborers — Theological  seminary — Brittany — Spain 247-258 

CHAPTER   XXL 

WEST  INDIES,  BRAZIL,  AND   MEXICO. 

Deplorable  situation — Spanish  and  Portuguese  exhaustion  of  slave 
material  —  African  importations  —  Baptists  in  West  Indies  — 
British  emancipation — The  day  of  freedom — Clouds — Self- 
reliance  cultivated  in  native  churches — Bahamas — Southern 
Convention  and  Cuba — Biazil — "  Evangelistas"  in  Rio  de 
Janeiro — Para — Minas  Geraes — Political  and  religious  situation 
— Mexico — Encouraging  prospect  for  evangelization — Our  mur- 
dered missionary — Successors — Field  entered  by  Southern  Con- 


1 6  CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

vention,  and  re-entered  by  Home  Mission  Society — New  Leon 
and  Coahuila — American  capital  and  enterprise 259-269 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

RETROSPECTIVE. 

Wide  diffusion  of  Baptist  missions — Adaptability  of  Baptist  views  to 
mission  enterprise — Tendency  to  over-school  missions — Mission- 
ary sacrifice — Prevailing  underestimate  of  mission  laborers — 
Unnecessary  breaking  in  health — Imperfect  knowledge  of  lan- 
guage—;-Missionaries'  with  special  theories  not  wanted — Famil- 
iarity with  natives— Proportion  of  male  and  female  missionaries 
— Physicians — Veiling  troubles— -The  press — Field  for  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society — -Acquaintance  with  other  missions 
— Religious  papers — The  hardest  part — A  Dr.  Mullens  for  Cen- 
tral Africa 270-278 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

PROSPECTIVE. 

Home  missionary  concert — Best  time  for  the  Lord's  Supper — Wisdom 
of  adopting  special  missions,  laborers,  or  scholars  questioned — 
Missions  in  the  Sunday-school — What  to  do  with  Anti-Mission 
pastors — The  minister's  example  in  giving — Church  collectors — 
Loss  and  gain  of  "envelope  system" — Mission  maps  and  lit- 
erature— Confidence  in  mission  Boards  and  Executive  Officers — 
Representation — Boxes — Books  and  papers  for  missionaries — 
Responsibility  of  women  to  the  general  Societies — Undeserving 
enterprises — Loyalty  to  Home  Mission  and  Publication  Societies 
and  to  Missionary  Union — Business  principles — Membership  in 
the  Boards — Height  of  the  conflict — Baptist  responsibility — 
Equally  divided  between  the  three  great  denominational 
Societies 279-287 


Appendix 289-291 

Index 293-310 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  is  no  wonder  that  Boaz  fell  in  love  with  Ruth  as 
he  watched  her  gleaning  in  his  field.  The  person  of  the 
Moabitess  may  not  have  been  so  charming  as  to  have 
won  that  noble  heart,  but  the  added  industry,  the 
humble,  faithful  work,  arrested  his  attention  ;  and  the 
many  important  interests  which  she  represented  found 
through  his  affection  and  resources  a  most  generous 
support.  Mine  has  been  the  privilege  during  the  past 
two  years  of  seeing  many  of  our  Baptist  missionary 
gleaners  at  their  work  in  our  home  and  foreign  fields, 
and  they  have  won  my  heart,  as  I  know  they  would  win 
the  heart  of  every  member  of  the  churches  of  our  great 
denomination  if  only  they  could  be  seen  at  their  humble^ 
faithful  toil.  All,  however,  cannot  go  throughout  the 
South  and  West  of  our  country,  much  less  journey 
leisurely  among  the  various  nations  around  the  world 
where  our  missionaries  are  gleaning  souls  for  the  gar- 
ner of  our  Lord ;  but  perhaps  some  of  them  may  now 
be  enabled  to  see  through  my  eyes.  Perhaps  in  this 
way  noble  hearts  may  be  won,  and  lives  and  resources 
be  consecrated,  to  the  work  of  world  evangelization. 

It  is  true  that  I  have  given  to  the  public  only  recently 
a  much  larger  volume  than  this,  growing  out  of  these 
2*  17 


1 8  LVTR  OD  UCTION. 

same  two  years'  journeyings,  and  animated  by  the  same 
purpose  of  instructing  and  stimulating  the  mission  spirit 
(I  cannot  create  it :  God  only  can)  among  Christian 
churches.  But  that  endeavor  was  undenominational, 
and  another  duty  lies  before  me  in  loyalty  to  second- 
ary yet  important  convictions  which,  with  a  multitude 
of  other  followers  of  our  Lord,  I  have  prayerfully  formed 
over  the  open  Bible.  We  are  first  Christians,  and  then 
Baptists,  though  such  testimony  does  not  involve  our 
lowering  our  denominational  peculiarities  to  the  levels 
of  non-essentiality  and  indifference.  The  most  sublime 
spectacle  of  the  world  to-day  is  the  vast  array  of  the 
followers  of  Christ  moving  forward  for  the  evangelization 
of  all  mankind.  But  each  corps  of  that  army  is  itself 
having  a  glorious  record,  full  of  interest  and  inspiration. 
He  who  would  do  the  most  for  the  cause  must  fall  into 
the  lines  somewhere.  In  the  providence  of  God,  our 
place  is  in  the  ranks  of  those  who  give  special  emphasis 
to  regeneration  as  a  qualification  for  church-membership, 
to  the  all-sufficiency  of  the  Bible  as  a  rule  for  faith  and 
practice,  and  to  the  integrity  of  the  ordinances  of  bap- 
tism and  the  Lord's  Supper, 

Holding  such  views,  and  having  been  ready  upon  all 
suitable  occasions  during  the  past  two  years,  among  all 
denominations,  to  express  them,  I  am  able  to  testify  that 
the  attitude  of  thorough  denominational  loyalty  is  best 
fitted  to  command  the  respect,  the  cordial  hospitality, 
and  the  effective  co-operation  of  those  who  represent 
other  Christian  denominations.  I  am  certain  that  if  I 
had  hauled  down  my  colors  a  few  points  in  the  interest 
of  so-called  Baptist  liberality,  announcing  among  the 


INTRODUCTION.  1 9 

ministry  and  members  of  the  Church  of  England,  of 
Lutheran  and  Reformed  churches,  of  Presbyterian  and 
EpiscopaHan  and  CongregationaHst  and  Methodist  and 
other  churches,  that  I  was  not  a  believer  in  the  restric- 
tion of  the  Lord's  Supper ;  that,  while  preferring  immer- 
sion as  baptism,  I  held  any  other  method  to  be  allowable 
where  it  was  conscientiously  thought  sufficient ;  and  that 
I  was  as  much  in  favor  of  creeds  and  the  school  theory 
of  church-membership  as  themselves, — they  would  not 
have  been  half  so  respectful  and  cordial  and  hospitable. 
It  is  true  the  world  over:  we  are  the  most  respected 
when  we  respect  ourselves.  People  like  to  take  hold 
of  hands  which  have  a  grip.  They  prefer  to  drill  with 
those  who  have  back-bones  and  can  stand  up  straight. 

In  India  I  met  a  Scotch  Presbyterian  who  was  im- 
mediately informed  that  I  was  a  Baptist  as  soon  as  he 
announced  his  denominational  relations.  "  You,  of 
course,  are  liberal  and  '  open-communion '  ?"  he  re- 
plied.— "  Liberal,"  I  said  ;  "  but  a  conscientious  believer 
in  '  restricted  communion.'  "  He  at  once  invited  me  to 
his  house  to  dine,  saying,  "  I  am  glad  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  Baptists  whose  denominationalism  is  based 
upon  tangible  principles  and  firm  convictions." 

A  Church  of  England  clergyman,  since  appointed 
bishop,  at  a  formal  call  upon  me  remarked,  "  You  are 
not,  I  presume,  a  rigid  sectarian,  as  are  the  majority  of 
American  Baptists?" — "  Oh  yes,"  I  replied;  "you  would 
certainly  judge  me  to  be  so,  however  I  might  endeavor 
to  qualify  your  description."  Evidently  in  his  inmost 
heart  my  position  was  the  most  gratifying,  for  we  all 
dined  very  unexpectedly  2^  his  house  the  next  day,  and, 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

to  our  still  greater  surprise,  he  came  to  hear  me  preach 
the  following  Sunday. 

Several  instances  could  be  related  of  most  charming 
endeavors  on  the  part  of  Pedobaptists  to  entirely  relieve 
us  of  all  embarrassment  in  connection  with  their  adminis- 
tration of  the  ordinances.  They  considered  us  mistaken 
in  our  interpretation  of  Scripture,  but  admired  the  con- 
sistency of  our  action  ;  and  we  came  nearer  together  in 
sympathy  and  friendly  intimacies  than  if  I  had  given 
to  my  denominationalism  the  character  of  a  fawning 
courtier  to  their  social  favor.  Baptists  everywhere  will 
be  the  most  honored  by  other  Christians  and  the  world 
by  having  some  things  to  believe  which  plainly  warrant 
separate  organization,  by  holding  up  the  head  and  can- 
didly acknowledging  such  convictions ;  and  thus,  also, 
they  will  be  contributing  the  most  to  the  essential  unity 
of  the  Christian  Churches  in  their  spirit  and  work. 

The  opportunity  for  carrying  out  the  cherished  pur- 
pose of  years  was  presented  at  the  close  of  a  ten  years* 
pastorate  with  the  Central  Baptist  Church  of  Providence, 
Rhode  Island.  It  was  by  no  means  easy  to  turn  from 
associations  which  had  been  so  long  enjoyed,  from  work 
that  had  been  as  agreeable  as  could  be  found  in  any 
church  of  the  land,  and  from  a  city  which  for  delightful- 
ness  of  residence  is  unsurpassed  throughout  the  world ; 
but  the  way  was  clear,  life  and  health  being  spared,  for 
a  two  years'  journey  across  our  own  and  many  other 
countries  arouiid  the  globe  for  the  purpose  of  a  personal 
study  of  the  utility  and  the  comparative  methods  of 
Christian  missions.  I  was  especially  favored  in  being 
able  to  take  with  me  my  wife  and  son,  thus  by  keep- 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

ing  the  circle  of  kinship  almost  unbroken  in  all  lands 
around  the  world  preserving  from  homesickness ;  and 
thus,  also,  through  the  added  eyes  of  womanhood  and 
childhood,  seeing  a  great  deal  more  generally  and  ac- 
curately than  I  could  possibly  have  done  alone.  We 
were  enabled  to  follow  out  the  more  faithfully  the  special 
mission  purpose  of  this  tour,  because  my  companion  and 
self  had  thirteen  years  previously  quite  thoroughly  satis- 
fied an  ordinary  touring  ambition  by  visiting  Egypt, 
Palestine,  and  nearly  all  the  countries  of  Europe. 

Though  we  first  crossed  the  continent  from  New  York 
to  San  Francisco  somewhat  leisurely,  stopping  at  many 
places,  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  carrying  with  us,  in 
entering  upon  foreign  mission  study,  much  more  than 
the  results  of  any  such  brief  and  superficial  observation 
of  the  varied  work  of  home  evangelization.  Nearly  all 
the  States  we  have  been  privileged  to  visit  at  other  times, 
and  generally  upon  such  philanthropic  or  religious  er- 
rands as  gave  opportunity  for  the  best  observation  of 
mission  enterprise.  Missionary  labor  in  the  far-off  new 
settlements,  and  even  among  our  Indian  tribes ;  evan- 
gelistic and  educational  work  among  the  freedmen ;  col- 
portage  and  tract  distribution ;  and  the  establishment  of 
Sunday-schools, — of  all  this  we  have  been  favored  with 
seeing  much ;  of  some  of  it  we  know  from  several  years 
of  its  hard  but  blessed  toil ;  and  so  we  were  the  better 
qualified  to  visit  the  foreign  field.  No  one  should  either 
visit  missions  in  heathen  lands  or  go  as  a  missionary 
among  pagan  and  antichristian  populations  without  first 
becoming  acquainted  with  home  evangelization.  Baptists 
are  doing  a  work  throughout  the  destitute  portions  of 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

our  country  deserving  the  attention  and  the  co-operation 
of  all  our  members.  The  same  is  true  of  the  home  en- 
terprises of  our  denomination  in  Great  Britain.  And  in 
either  land  he  who  has  not  opened  his  eyes  to  what  is 
thus  going  on  cannot  see  clearly  as  a  traveller  into  the 
principles  and  methods  of  foreign  evangelization,  nor  is 
he  fitted  to  go  as  a  missionary  to  the  swarming  millions 
of  heathenism  to  explain  to  them  Christianity  in  its 
spirit,  its  aims,  its  sacrifices,  and  the  more  than  human 
intelligence  that  does  guide  it  in  its  "  beginnings  at 
Jerusalem." 

We  hear  much  of  God's  leadership  in  our  foreign 
work  ;  of  how  marvellously  his  providence  has  opened 
doors  of  opportunity ;  of  how  signal  have  been  the  calls 
to  duty ;  and  of  how  marked  have  been  the  tokens  of 
the  divine  approval ;  but  it  is  certain  that  all  this  has 
appeared  also  in  connection  with  our  varied  home-evan- 
gelizing enterprises.  God  has  moved  like  a  cloud  by 
day  and  a  fire  by  night  as  truly  before  our  American 
Baptist  Home  Mission  and  Publication  Societies  as  be- 
fore our  Missionary  Union.  I  fear  that  the  thoughts  of 
many,  and  of  some  even  of  our  own  foreign  missionaries, 
pass  hastily  by  the  humble  cabins  of  our  pioneer  minis- 
try in  the  far  West ;  the  hot,  crowded  class-rooms  of  our 
freedmen's  schools ;  our  wearily-plodding  colporteurs' 
trudging  along  the  highways  with  their  heavily-loaded 
satchels  peddling  their  Bibles  and  religious  books ;  and 
our  Sunday-school  missionaries  seeking  to  persuade 
communities  to  associate  for  the  study  of  God's  word; 
and  they  think  of  evangelizing  work  in  Japan,  China, 
Siam,  Burmah,  and  India  as  supremely  favored  by  divine 


.  INTRODUCTION.  23 

love  and  providential  leadership.  Truly,  there  is  a  phase 
to  Christian  missions  in  far-off  heathen  lands  that  brings 
them  specially  near  to  the  heart  of  Christ,  soliciting  his 
warmest  yearnings  and  most  generous  benedictions. 
They  are  so  emphatically  going  out  after  the  lost : 
"  Doth  he  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine  ?"  But  then 
there  are  many  destitute  portions  of  the  home  countries 
where  the  depravity  and  the  wretchedness  are  fully  equal 
to  those  in  pagan  lands — where  multitudes  of  lost  lives 
are  being  lived  as  far  away,  practically,  from  our  Chris- 
tianity as  Karens  or  Telugus.  Labor  among  them,  in- 
deed, carries,  however  incidentally,  the  patriotic  national 
motive,  but  overwhelmingly  the  impulse  is  the  same  that 
sent  Judson  to  Burmah  and  Carey  to  India.  And  often, 
perhaps  quite  as  frequently,  have  signal  tokens  of  divine 
leadership  and  favor  manifested  themselves  upon  the 
home  fields.  Few,  if  any,  have  seen  more  missionaries 
toiling  among  the  benighted  of  distant  populations,  and 
I  know  full  well  the  Christlikeness  of  their  services — 
the  self-sacrifice,  the  dangers,  the  loneliness,  the  tension 
of  faith ;  but,  from  many  a  glimpse  of  mission  work  in 
our  Western  and  Southern  fields,  and  of  home  evangeli- 
zation in  Great  Britain  and  Protestant  Europe,  I  can 
testify  that  the  home  records  are  at  least  immensely 
voluminous  of  superhuman  guidance,  of  thorough  con- 
secrations, of  extreme  self-sacrifices,  of  martyr-like 
heroisms,  and  of  all  the  highest  graces  of  Christian 
character. 

Before  asking  the  reader  to  cross  with  me  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  I  would  introduce  him  to  the  headquarters  of  our 
three  great  national  missionary  organizations.      Every 


24  INTR  OD  UCTION. 

Baptist  should  be  acquainted  with  them,  with  their  his- 
tory, condition,  principles,  and  methods  of  work,  as  well 
as  with  the  organization  and  the  administration  of  the 
church  with  which  he  is  connected  as  a  member.  These 
headquarters  belong  to  all  of  us.  It  is  our  business 
which  is  there  receiving  the  attention  of  our  own  agents. 
They  are  often  so  overwhelmed  with  work  because  we 
insist  upon  such  extreme  economy  in  administration  that 
they  are  hardly  able  to  give  any  courteous  attention  to 
their  numerous  employers.  But  they  never  mean  to  act 
as  if  they  owned  the  concerns.  They  are  toiling  there 
most  conscientiously  as  servants  of  the  denomination. 
The  majority  of  them,  at  least,  are  kept  at  their  work  by 
a  genuine  missionary  spirit.  Many  officers  and  soldiers 
of  our  late  civil  war,  after  reporting  for  duty,  were  as- 
signed to  commissariat  and  transportation  departments. 
While  others  were  amid  the  smoke  and  din  of  the  battle, 
they  were  toiling  over  military  account-books  and  papers, 
gathering  up  and  forwarding  provisions  and  munitions  of 
war  and  medical  stores ;  and  when  we  remember  the  ex- 
haustive character  of  their  work,  its  perils  to  health,  its 
list — almost  as  large  in  proportion — of  hospital  patients, 
we  do  not  count  them  out  of  the  war.  We  do  not  deny 
them  the  military  titles,  and  insist  that,  after  all,  they 
were  mere  civilians.  Likewise,  I  am  confident  that  all 
the  responsible  executive  officers  at  our  three  mission 
headquarters — in  Boston,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia 
— deserve  to  be  counted  in  with  the  great  missionary 
forces  which  have  gone  forth  from  the  ordinary  and 
far  more  agreeable  occupations  of  the  ministry  and 
membership   of  our   churches  to  fight  the   battles    of 


INTRODUCTION.  2$ 

Emmanuel  throughout  the    unevangelized   portions  of 
our  own  and  of  all  other  lands. 

The  two  most  formidable  difficulties  with  many  in  ap- 
preciating this  really  missionary  character  of  executive 
service  are  that  the  secretaries  and  treasurers  live  at 
home  in  large  pleasant  American  cities,  and  that  the  sal- 
aries they  receive  from  the  treasuries  are  generally  greater 
than  are  paid  to  the  missionaries.  There  is  another  side 
to  all  that.  I  will  not  dwell  here  upon  the  superior  tal- 
ents required  to  fill  such  important  positions  of  trust,  and 
upon  the  wisdom  of  graduating  salaries  into  the  neighbor- 
hood of  commanding  such  services.  Let  it  only  be  ob- 
served that  generally  few  are  called  upon  to  sacrifice  more 
of  the  comforts  of  home  or  have  so  large  a  list  of  offsets 
to  their  salaries.  They  are  constantly  being  called  away 
to  attend  Associations  and  Conventions,  to  adjust  finan- 
cial and  other  perplexing  questions,  to  participate  in  the 
farewell  meetings  and  the  embarkations  of  missionaries, 
and  to  help  the  pastors  of  about  as  many  churches  as 
there  are  Sundays  in  the  year  to  bring  up  their  flocks  to 
their  responsibility  to  missions.  The  secretaries  of  our 
societies  are  driven  to  about  as  much  night-riding  as 
commercial  travellers.  None  are  so  much  interrupted 
in  their  office-work  and  compelled  so  frequently  to  carrj' 
their  labors  of  conference  and  correspondence  into  the 
midnight  hours.  The  numerous  letters  they  write  are 
not  allowed  to  be  of  a  short,  sharp  business  style  :  they  are 
expected  by  contributors  and  churches  and  missionaries 
to  enter  into  a  great  number  of  detaiis,  to  communicate 
a  mass  of  general  information,  and  to  exhibit  a  spirit  of 
deep   sympathy  and  of  earnest  personal   interest.     To 


26  INTRODUCTION. 

write  such  letters  is  a  great  deal  harder  brain-  and 
heart-work  than  to  turn  off  simple  business  notes  of 
inquiry  and  explanation  and  application.  I  well  remem- 
ber an  interview  with  one  of  our  secretaries,  at  which  in- 
cidentally was  mentioned  a  matter  of  slight  embarrassment 
with  one  of  our  most  excellent  missionaries.  On  my  sug- 
gesting a  consideration,  the  secretary  took  down  one  of  his 
correspondence  copy-books  and  said,  "  Right  upon  that 
point  I  wrote  him  some  months  ago  as  follows."  Well,  it 
seemed  as  if  he  would  never  finish  reading  that  letter — page 
after  page  of  kindly  assurances,  of  protestations  of  desire 
on  the  part  of  the  Executive  Committee  to  do  everything 
possible,  of  interested  inquiries  with  regard  to  this  and  that 
other  matter  designed  to  allay  any  feelings  of  disappoint- 
ment ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  there  were  enough  points  for 
those  old-fashioned  sermons  which  our  good  fathers  told 
us  they  used  to  hear,  with  their  thirtiethlies  and  fortieth- 
lies.  It  took  all  that  for  him,  as  a  missionary  secretary, 
to  wisely,  lovingly  say  simply,  "  No." 

Their  salaries  ?  Say  they  have  three  thousand  dollars, 
and  the  foreign  missionary  but  twelve  hundred ;  yet  other 
things  must  be  taken  into  account  which  dispose  of  the 
contrast  and  make  their  amounts  about  even.  The  mis- 
sionary has  his  house-rent  in  addition — which  is  an  aver- 
age increase  of  three  hundred  dollars — to  salary,  making 
it  fifteen  hundred ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  executive  officer 
at  the  rooms  is  compelled  to  pay  out  of  his  salary  from 
five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  dollars  for  corresponding 
accommodations  for  his  family.  His  hospitality  toward 
the  vacationed  missionaries  is  expected  to  be — as  he 
certainly  desires    it  to    be — unbounded.      None  others 


INTRODUCTION.  2/ 

are  in  a  situation  to  feel  so  keenly  the  calls  upon  benev- 
olence, as  they  are  in  constant  correspondence  with  scores 
or  hundreds  of  missionaries  from  whose  sacrificing,  toil- 
ing, lonely  lives  there  are  frequently  arising  wants  which 
the  treasury  cannot  supply,  and  which  the  secretary  can 
hardly  pass  unnoticed  if  he  can  lay  his  hand  upon  a  few 
dollars  of  his  own.  Nobody  thinks  of  contributing  to- 
ward the  education  of  the  children  of  the  executive  of- 
ficers, or  of  sending  them  a  box  filled  with  useful  arti- 
cles of  clothing  and  household  furniture.  Missionaries 
and  ministers  in  charge  of  churches  get  all  these  good 
things  to  help  eke  out  their  salaries ;  the  former,  at  least, 
deserve  them  all.  No  secretary  or  treasurer  could  ex- 
pect a  year  or  two  of  vacation  to  rest  and  recover  health. 
He  knows  there  is  no  such  consideration  for  him  after 
from  seven  to  ten  years'  service  for  the  denomination. 
He  must  pay  his  family  physician,  and  never  expect  any 
assistance  in  that  line.  And  so  I  think  that  there  should 
be  an  end  to  all  unfavorable  commenting  upon  the  ap- 
parently much-better-paid  services  of  the  executive  of- 
ficers at  our  different  mission-rooms  than  of  the  mis- 
sionaries. 

When  we  have  been  along  together  a  few  chapters, 
and  reach  the  deck  of  the  steamship  that  is  to  carry  us 
five  thousand  miles  across  from  San  Francisco  to  Japan, 
I  hope  my  reader  will  be  more  free  from  prejudices  and 
misconceptions  and  alienations  toward  the  administration 
of  our  three  great  missionary  organizations  than  was  I 
toward  one  of  them,  at  least,  when  crossing  the  gang- 
plank that  was  to  separate  me  for  two  years  from  my 
native  land.     A  thousand  object-lessons  in  distant  coun- 


2  8  INTR  OD  UC  TION. 

tries  taught  me  my  mistakes  in  regard  to  many  hasty 
impressions  of  the  methods  and  expenditures  of  our 
Missionary  Union.  And  the  argument  of  analogy  led 
to  review  some  of  the  still-lingering  and  current  crit- 
icisms of  our  Home  Mission  and  Publication  Societies, 
and  it  was  found  that  due  weight  had  not  been  given  to 
some  of  the  facts  already  noted  in  pioneer  work,  in  labor 
among  the  freedmen,  in  colportage,  and  in  Sunday-school 
mission  enterprise.  We  shall  learn,  as  we  visit  together 
our  mission  headquarters  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and 
Boston,  that  we  may  throw  out  of  our  baggage  before 
crossing  the  Pacific  all  serious  criticisms  and  alienations 
regarding  these  representative  organizations,  which  we 
have  entrusted  with  the  management  of  our  American 
Baptist  portion  of  the  work  of  evangelizing  the  destitute 
regions  of  the  world.  "To  err  is  human;"  there  is  noth- 
ing in  this  world  that  is  perfect ;  and  this  we  shall  find 
frankly  acknowledged  at  all  "  the  rooms."  But  as  we 
come  to  realize  the  vastness  of  the  responsibilities  car- 
ried, the  almost  endless  routine  of  the  work  performed, 
and  the  Christlike  spirit  which  it  is  necessary  to  exhibit 
in  all  things,  the  conviction  will  be  formed  not  only  that 
our  business  at  headquarters  is  moving  on  about  as  sat- 
isfactorily as  can  be  expected  in  this  world  of  human 
limitations,  that  methods  on  the  whole  are  wise  and 
committed  to  able,  faithful  hands,  but  also  that  there  is 
no  explanation  to  such  remarkable  growth  of  evangeliz- 
ing enterprise,  such  success  in  administration,  such  tact 
and  prudence  and  foresight,  other  than  that  superhuman 
wisdom  has  been  granted  in  answer  to  prayer  and  conse- 
cration— God's  work,  not  man's. 


INTRODUCTION.  29 

I  do  not  here  make  prominent  mention  of  various 
other  mission  organizations  in  our  denomination  through- 
out the  North  and  the  South,  for  I  beheve — and  this  is 
the  evident  judgment  of  the  vast  majority  of  the  con- 
tributing members  of  our  churches — that  the  providen- 
tial tendency  is  to  concentrate  all  our  general  denom- 
inational missionary  enterprise  into  the  channels  super- 
intended by  these  three  societies.  However  earnest  the 
efforts  of  excellent  brethren  to  revive  and  secure  general 
support  for  a  society  to  do  all  our  Bible  work,  the  judg- 
ment of  the  denomination  has  been  unmistakably  ex- 
pressed, and  so  that  it  would  seem  that  it  will  not  be 
long  before  this  will  be  divided  between  the  Publi- 
cation Society  and  the  Missionary  Union.  The  former 
can  best  discharge  our  duties  in  this  important  direction 
throughout  our  home  land,  and  the  latter  at  present  oc- 
cupies the  most  advantageous  position  and  has  the  best 
possible  facilities  for  meeting  our  responsibility  toward 
the  furnishing  of  God's  word  among  heathen  popula- 
tions. 

There. is  also  much  to  encourage  the  expectation  that 
before  many  years  the  mission  work  of  Southern  Baptists 
will  come  into  organic  relations  with  these  three  leading 
societies.  Their  Foreign  Mission  Board,  with  its  thirty- 
five  missionaries,  of  whom  nineteen  are  Americans,,  its  in- 
come as  last  reported  of  forty-six  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  twenty  dollars  and  forty-eight  cents,  and  its  import- 
ant fields,  would  receive  a  special  welcome  from  the  Mis- 
sionary Union ;  and  until  it  allows  that  welcome  it  de- 
serves at  the  hands  of  Southern  Baptists  a  most  generous 
support. 


3©  INTR  OD  UCTION. 

And  now  let  the  reader  distinctly  understand  that  these 
pages  are  the  special  plea  of  no  paid  agent  of  these  so- 
cieties. My  tours  and  visitations  have  been  thoroughly 
independent,  at  my  own  expense  and  prompting.  And 
if,  in  our  journeyings  and  examinations  together  through 
these  pages,  we  meet  with  anything  objectionable  in  so- 
ciety administration  or  in  missionary  life  and  labor,  we 
shall  not  hesitate  to  make  kindly  note  of  it.  These 
pages  are  designed  to  be  thoroughly  candid  and  accurate 
for  the  eyes  of  the  people.  No  committee  is  to  sit  upon 
them  and  deliberate  as  to  what  should  and  what  should 
not  be  published.  Such  course  of  procedure  is  all  right 
at  times,  and  even  generally ;  but  the  motive  of  the  in- 
vestigations of  mission  work  which  have  led  to  these 
and  other  pages  has  been  rather  informal  and  indifferent 
of  the  character  and  effect  of  results  beyond  their  simple 
truthfulness.  All  have  seen  pamphlets  and  books  upon 
home  and  foreign  missions  which  have  evidently  been 
written  with  the  purpose  of  saying  only  the  best  possible 
and  sweetest  things  of  the  direction,  work,  and  workers ; 
I  am  anxious  to  disabuse  the  reader  of  this  volume  of 
any  such  impressions.  We  start  out  under  no  obliga- 
tions ;  we  have  no  favors  to  ask.  We  want  the  truth. 
What  are  these  three  great  mission  societies  ?  Do  they 
deserve  our  confidence,  our  prayers,  and  our  self-sacrifi- 
cing co-operation  ? 


ALONG  THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

BAPTIST  RESOURCES  FOR   WORLD  EVANGELIZATION. 

THE  last  American  Baptist  Year-Book  issued  by  our 
Publication  Society  gives  as  the  number  of  mem- 
bers of  Baptist  churches  in  the  United  States,  2,336,022. 
Of  these  less  than  one-third,  or  634,167,  are  in  the 
Northern  States  and  form  the  main  constituency  of  our 
three  great  denominational  missionary  organizations. 
As,  however,  several  of  the  Southern  States — and 
every  year  in  increasing  numbers — have  many  who 
contribute  regularly  to  our  Home  Mission  and  Publi- 
cation Societies  and  our  Missionary  Union,  we  may 
claim  a  million  members  of  American  Baptist  churches 
as  the  nominal  supporters  of  these  organizations.  But, 
alas  !  the  annual  reports  of  their  treasuries  show  that 
multitudes  of  this  million  of  members  are  entirely  neg- 
lectful of  their  responsibility  to  give  to  these  societies. 
There  are  1,701,855  members  of  our  Baptist  churches 
in  the  Southern  States,  of  whom,  in  1881,  684,483  were 
of  the  colored  race;  there  are  then  1,017,372  white  Bap- 
tist members  at  the  South.  The  colored  Associations  of 
the  North  reported,  in  1 881,  21,818  church-members,  but 

31 


32  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

it  is  probable  that  an  equal  number  are  included  in  the 
general  statistics.  So  our  denominational  representa- 
tion would  appear: 

Northern  white  church-members 634,167 

Southern  white  church-members 1,017,372 

Colored  members:    North,    43,6361  „ 

Colored  members:    South,  684,483  j  

Total 2,336,022 

Undoubtedly  much  the  larger  proportion  of  the  Bap- 
tist denomination's  financial  resources  in  the  United  States 
is  at  the  North.  There  the  aggregate  of  annual  benevo- 
lent contributions  amounts  to  over  seven  times  the  con- 
tributions of  the  Southern  white  members.  There  are 
other  explanations,  in  part,  of  this  great  disproportion. 
Notwithstanding  the  superior  culture  and  refinement  of 
many  at  the  South,  the  average  of  intelligence  and  enter- 
prise is  more  apparent  at  the  North.  Although  I  have 
met  many  in  the  Southern  States  whose  religious  cha- 
racter would  shine  brightly  in  any  Christian  community 
throughout  the  world,  whose  consecration  was  thorough, 
and  whose  zeal  in  the  Master's  service  was  unbounded,  it 
has  been  impossible  to  resist  the  impression  of  the  more 
general  prevalence  of  that  higher  type  of  piety  at  least 
in  the  North-eastern  States.  Besides,  our  greater  facili- 
ties of  intercommunication  render  it  more  convenient 
to  act  together  in  organized  missionary  enterprises,  and 
more  possible  to  develop  the  evangelizing  ability  of  the 
denomination.  And  then,  undoubtedly,  the  war  crippled 
the  finances  of  the  South  far  more  than  those  of  the 
North,  and  there  has  been  no  such  marvellous  tide  of 


HESO  UR  CES  FOR    WORLD  'E  VANGEL  IZA  TION.      3  3 

immigration  to  take  the  place,  in  field  and  shop,  of  the 
slain  multitudes. 

Nevertheless,  the  great  disproportion  in  the  aggregate 
of  benevolences  is  chiefly  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that 
all  through  our  national  history  thus  far  the  South  has 
been  much  the  poorer  section  of  the  country.  But  in 
this  respect  it  is  evident  that  a  great  change  is  taking 
place.  For  a  long  time  a  superabundance  of  capital  has 
been  accumulating  at  the  North.  Vast  quantities  from 
the  money-markets  of  Europe  have  sought  in  vain  for 
profitable  investment,  and  interest  has  dropped  almost  to 
the  low  level  of  British  consols.  The  demands  of  the 
still  rapidly-developing  West  are  not  equal  to  the  supply; 
yet  up  to  even  a  few  months  ago  capital  hesitated  in  the 
face  of  Southern  investments.  No  amount  of  real  estate 
there  was  considered  good  security.  The  difficulty  was 
largely  political;  but  it  seems  that  the  hindrances,  on 
both  sides,  are  now  passing  away,  and  capital  in  enor- 
mous volume  is  rushing  Southward.  Hundred  of  mil- 
lions of  dollars  are  being  invested  in  railway  extension, 
cotton-manufactories,  real-estate  improvements,  and  the 
establishment  of  trade.  The  soil  is  better  cultivated  as 
the  use  of  expensive  fertilizers  and  improved  agricul- 
tural machinery  is  increasing.  Business  and  society  are 
becoming  adjusted  to  free  labor,  and  everywhere  values 
are  advancing  with  rapid,  firm  tread. 

We  are  close,  then,  upon  a  time  when  the  benevolent 
ability  of  Southern  Baptists  will  not  fall  far  short  of,  if 
it  does  not  fully  equal,  that  of  the  Northern  third  of  the 
denomination.  Naturally,  our  brethren  of  the  South 
are  the  most  generously  disposed.     No  people  in  the 


34  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

world  are  so  truly  hospitable.  Many  a  time,  in  Virginia 
and  Louisiana,  I  have  seen  favors  extended  as  a  matter 
of  course  to  strangers  which  never  would  have  been 
dreamed  of  at  the  North.  Offering  a  planter  once  a 
"  greenback  "  for  the  food  and  lodging  readily  furnished 
myself  and  horse,  he  replied  indignantly :  "  No ;  we 
Southerners  cannot  part  with  our  hospitality !"  Surely 
it  is  a  cause  for  thanksgiving  that  the  time  is  at  hand 
when  the  generous,  open-hearted  Baptists  of  the  South 
will  have  abundance  to  give  to  the  cause  of  missions. 
And  along  with  this  ability — as  the  result,  in  part,  of  the 
same  influences  which  brought  it  about — it  may  be  an- 
ticipated with  great  certainty  that  there  will  be  a  draw- 
ing together  of  organization  in  mission  work.  Southern 
Baptists  will  perhaps  realize  that  separate  societies  are 
no  longer  desirable,  and  that  those  of  the  North — which, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  have  taken  the  lead  and  mul- 
tiplied their  agencies  tenfold — are  the  ones  properly  to 
survive  the  estrangement  and  stand  as  the  monument 
of  fully-restored  brotherhood.  And  in  this  brightening 
future  the  colored  members  will  bear  no  unimportant 
part.  So  rapidly  are  they  advancing  in  land-proprietor- 
ship, in  intelligence,  and  in  genuine  religious  feeling  that 
they  may  ere  long  be  counted  upon  for  large  giving  of 
money,  and  of  life  especially,  for  the  magnificently-open- 
ing mission-fields  of  Africa. 

But  Baptist  resources  for  world  evangelization  are  not 
confined  to  the  United  States.  Though  here,  in  the  prov- 
idence of  God,  our  denomination  has  had  by  far  its  largest 
development,  it  has  elsewhere  great  numbers  and  ability 
and  opportunity.     In  other  portions  of  North  America — 


RESOURCES  FOR    WORLD  EVANGELIZATION.      35 

mostly  in  the  Canadian  Dominion — we  have  64,739  m^ni- 
bers,  and  in  the  West  Indies,  chiefly  in  Jamaica,  28,352. 
In  the  Baptist  churches  of  England  there  are  2 14,966  mem- 
bers; of  Wales,  68,834;  of  Sweden,  19,297;  of  Germany, 
16,000;  and  of  other  portions  of  Europe,  including  Scot- 
land, Ireland,  Denmark,  Russia,  Poland,  France,  Norway, 
Switzerland,  Holland,  Finland,  Italy,  Austria,  Spain,  Tur- 
key, and  Greece,  21,616.  In  Burmah  we  have  21,968 
members;  among  the  Telugus  of  South-eastern  India, 
17,017;  in  China,  2035  ;  and  in  other  parts  of  Asia,  3338, 
In  Africa  there  are  3697  members  of  Baptist  churches ;  in 
Australasia,  7918;  and  in  South  America,  215.  The  de- 
nomination thus,  outside  of  the  United  States  and  scat- 
tered all  over  the  world,  enrolls  477,355,  or  almost  half 
a  million  baptized  believers  in  Christ.  Our  grand  total 
of  members  is  2,813,377,  and  in  one  year  more,  at  the 
present  rate  of  increase,  it  will  be  fully  3,000,000.  As 
the  number  of  adherents  to  any  Christian  denomination 
is  generally  estimated  at  four  times  the  number  of  mem- 
bers, we  may  claim  more  than  11,000,000  of  avowedly 
Baptist  population  throughout  the  world,  or  upward  of 
9,000,000  in  the  United  States.  We  find,  in  addition  to 
these  statistics,  40,000  Anti-Mission  Baptists,  but  with 
great  propriety  our  Year-Book  does  not  include  them  in 
our  numbers.  The  time  has  come  when  want  of  sympa- 
thy and  co-operation  with  world-wide  evangelization 
should  be  the  most  prominent  of  all  denominational 
barriers.  Indeed,  some  question  whether  Anti-Mission 
churches  should  any  longer  be  called  evangelical. 

The  social  rank  of  Baptists  in  other  lands  is  not  equal 
to  that  which  they  hold  in  America.     The  accessions  have 


36  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

generally  been  from  among  the  poorer  and  more  illiterate 
classes.  This  has  been  very  noticeable  to  me  in  Great 
Britain  and  in  different  parts  of  Europe.  Yet  between 
1867  and  1880  I  could  see  a  marked  advance  toward  the 
securing  in  our  churches,  congregations,  and  schools  of  a 
larger  element  of  the  higher  middle  classes  of  society. 
There  appeared  to  be  more  who  had  enjoyed  opportu- 
nities for  thorough  instruction  in  early  years,  who  had 
had  the  refining  advantages  of  competency  in  mode  of 
life,  and  who  possessed  to  a  degree  the  capacity  of  mak- 
ing circumstances.  The  preaching  to  which  I  listened 
after  an  interval  of  thirteen  years  seemed,  even  as  did 
the  denominational  papers,  to  be  more  intelligent  and 
more  capable  of  exerting  a  wide,  healthful  influence. 
And  the  prospect  abroad  is  of  more  and  rapid  advance  in 
this  direction.  The  foundations  are  being  laid  in  vari- 
ous literary  and  theological  institutions.  Leaders  among 
the  ministry  and  members  are  earnestly  pressing  the  duty 
of  commending  our  cherished  principles  to  all  classes 
of  society.  Yet,  in  this,  American  Baptists  are  much 
in  the  advance.  We  have  many  well-established  acad- 
emies, colleges,  and  theological  seminaries.  Our  acad- 
emies, seminaries,  institutes,  and  female  colleges  of  the 
same  rank  number  47,  with  350  instructors,  5522  stu- 
dents, and  property  to  the  amount  of  ;^2,878,298.  We 
have  31  universities  and  colleges,  with  280  professors, 
4609  students,  ;^3, 279,1 59  endowments,  and  ;^7,9io,597 
of  other  assets.  And  then,  to  crown  the  educational 
department  of  our  American  denominational  work,  are 
8  theological  institutions,  with  37  professors,  430  stu- 
dents, ^1,191,681    of  endowments,   and   ;^  1,689,878   of 


RESOURCES  FOR    WORLD  EVANGELIZATION.      37 

other  property.  We  have  also  62  Baptist  periodicals, 
weekly,  semi-monthly,  monthly,  and  quarterly,  command- 
ing the  editorial  and  contributing  services  of  many  of  our 
leading  minds,  who  add  largely  to  our  educational  forces, 
which,  under  God,  are  sure  in  time  to  place  Baptists  in 
the  front  rank  of  Christian  intelligence  and  culture. 

Thanks  largely  to  our  Publication  Society,  the  condition 
of  the  Sunday-school  enterprise  among  American  Baptists 
is  very  encouraging.  We  have  reported  13,492  schools, 
116,355  teachers  and  officers,  926,979  scholars,  and 
950,926  volumes  in  library.  But  the  advance  in  num- 
bers for  the  last  decade  has  been  surpassed  by  what 
is  even  more  gratifying — a  general  movement  in  the  di- 
rection of  better  methods  and  greater  efficiency.  With- 
out the  prompt  and  able  leadership  of  the  Publication 
Society,  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  the  International 
Series  of  lessons  would  have  been  generally  adopted. 
To-day,  with  their  lesson-papers,  the  scholars  come  to 
the  sessions  of  their  schools  as  well  prepared  as  were 
the  average  of  the  teachers  fifteen  years  ago.  The 
book  and  periodical  literature  in  use  is  increasingly 
adapted  to  the  development  of  true  and  intelligent  Chris- 
tian character.  And  the  cause  of  missions  has  much  to 
expect  from  the  better  foundations  which  are  being  laid 
by  the  Sunday-school  in  the  rising  generation,  so  soon  to 
furnish  our  missionaries  and  their  support. 

The  spiritual  power  of  the  Baptist  churches  is  not  be- 
low that  of  any  other  denomination.  By  some,  indeed, 
we  are  still  surpassed  in  culture  and  general  intelligence, 
and  these  are  a  religious  advantage,  calculated  to  develop 
a  truer  and  more  useful  piety.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
4 


38  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

we  have  the  integrity  of  the  ordinances  as  they  were 
instituted  by  the  Lord.  It  more  than  counterbalances. 
God  is  pledged  to  specially  honor  this  obedience.  We 
know  that  through  the  Holy  Spirit  this  promise  is  ful- 
filled in  us,  and  multitudes  can  testify  that  by  our  literal 
observance  of  the  ordinances  their  attention  was  arrested 
and  truth  thus  in  symbol  was  blessed  to  their  conversion. 
In  Great  Britain  and  most  of  her  colonies  Baptists  largely 
suffer  from  a  partial  loss  of  this  element  of  strength. 
As  in  the  past,  it  is  probable  our  denomination  still  leads 
in  the  emphasis  given  to  a  converted  church-member- 
ship. Others  may  have  this  same  aim  before  them  as 
distinctly,  but  we  are  less  trammelled  by  the  school- 
theory  of  the  church,  and  look  more  for  the  demonstra- 
tion of  the  Spirit  in  actual  regeneration.  In  these 
things,  which  are  esteemed  our  weakness,  we  find  great 
strength.  Thus  are  our  resources  for  world  evangeliza- 
tion vastly  augmented.  Our  mission  record  is  inspiring. 
No  denomination  is  being  more  blessed  at  present  in  its 
home  and  foreign  evangelizing  labors.  Our  share  of  the 
mission  responsibility  at  present  is  immense — from  one- 
fourth  to  one-fifth,  it  is  safe  to  assume,  of  all  the  vast 
mountain  God  has  placed  upon  his  churches.  But  with 
the  divine  blessing  we  are  equal  to  it.  Not  to  do  more, 
however,  than  we  are  now  doing  would  be  a  sad  failure. 
Standing  still,  we  hinder  others.  Thousands  of  the 
fairest  fields  of  the  mission  world  we  have  pre-empted, 
and  our  neglect,  in  many  of  them,  to  use  our  resources 
means — for  a  long  time,  at  least — total  neglect  of  all  the 
other  Christian  resources. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   AMERICAN  BAPTIST  HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY. 

IN  considering  the  question  of  the  responsibihty  of 
American  Baptists  in  home-mission  enterprise,  the 
field  of  our  opportunity  and  obh'gation  broadens  out  so 
immensely  that  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  work  can  be 
carried  on  the  most  effectively  without  a  division  of 
labor.  Evidently,  no  board  or  executive  officer  is  equal 
to  the  mastery  and  the  management  of  all  the  details  of 
business  so  extended,  so  complicated,  so  requiring  the 
exercise  of  the  best  reason  and  judgment.  Feeble 
churches  in  all  our  States  and  Territories  are  to  be  as- 
sisted in  the  support  of  their  ministry  and  in  the  erection 
of  their  houses  of  worship.  The  religious  interests  of  a 
fifth,  at  least,  of  the  enormous  and  constantly-increasing 
tide  of  immigration  from  all  parts  of  the  world  must  be 
fostered.  A  like  if  not  much  larger  proportion  of  the  six 
million  five  hundred  thousand  colored  population  of  our 
country  demands  various  evangelizing  and  educational 
enterprises  at  our  hands.  We  have  yet  to  furnish  the 
Bible  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  homes.  The  number 
of  our  Sunday-schools  must  be  doubled,  and  the  efficiency 
of  all  vastly  augmented.  Sunday-school  and  general 
denominational  literature  must  be  provided  in  varied  and 
constantly-increasing   quantities   whose   aggregate  it  is 


40  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

bewildering  to  contemplate.  Not  only  must  the  exist- 
ing market  be  supplied  with  these  publications,  but  an- 
other and  a  larger  market  must  be  created.  A  vast 
amount  of  evangelistic  work  must  be  done  beyond  those 
centres  where  local  church  organizations  are  in  demand. 
It  would  be  cruel  to  ask  any  one  set  of  men  to  thor- 
oughly and  efficiently  superintend  all  such  immense  and 
complicated  responsibility,  made  doubly  vast  and  com- 
plex by  the  necessity  of  dragging  along  with  the  enter- 
prise the  heavy  dead-weight  of  the  comparative  indif- 
ference of  more  than  half  the  ministry  and  the  churches. 
The  proposal  would  be  as  impracticable  as  that  to  unite 
in  one  department  of  our  government  the  Treasury,  the 
Post-office,  and  the  Interior  Departments. 

But  how  shall  we  divide  our  denominational  responsi- 
bility for  home  evangelization  ?  On  what  principles  shall 
the  lines  be  drawn  ?  It  is  first  of  all  evident  that  en- 
couragement should  be  given  to  Associations  and  State 
Conventions,  even  as  previously  to  individuals  and 
churches,  to  do  the  utmost  possible  within  their  limits 
to  meet  our  obligations  to  home-mission  work.  Co- 
operation, especially  with  all  the  State  Conventions, 
would  be  wise  for  this  among  other  reasons — that  the 
general  responsibility  of  the  denomination  would  be 
very  materially  lessened.  Then,  as  to  this  remaining 
obligation,  it  might  be  suggested  that  the  division  should 
be  made  between  the  pulpit  and  the  press — the  mission 
of  the  living  voice  and  that  of  a  Christian  and  denomi- 
national literature.  But  that  would  be  a  very  one-sided 
arrangement,  reducing  the  publishing  department  to  a 
comparatively  subordinate  and  irresponsible  position  that 


HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.  4I 

would  interfere  materially  with  its  efficiency,  and  that 
would  not,  on  the  other  hand,  very  greatly  relieve  the 
remaining  pressure  of  our  extensive  work  of  home  mis- 
sions. There  are  those  who  would  place  under  the  care 
of  separate  societies  our  Bible  work  and  our  freedmen 
educational  work.  But  care  should  be  taken  not  to 
multiply  societies  unnecessarily,  on  account  of  increased 
expenditure,  and  of  confusion,  and  hence  neglect,  in  the 
matter  of  benevolences  among  the  churches.  Moreover, 
the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  and  that  of  Christian 
literature  would  naturally  go  together,  as  also  the  teach- 
ing and  the  sending  forth  of  colored  preachers  and  in- 
structors. A  very  practical  division  would  be  between 
evangelist  and  pastoral  labor — the  missionary  work  and 
the  methods  and  means  which  scatter  broadcast,  and 
those  which  locate  into  permanent  centres  of  organized 
church  life  and  activity.  The  evangelist  should  be  pro- 
vided with  copies  of  the  Scriptures  and  with  Christian 
tracts  and  books  to  leave  behind  as  he  passes  on  from 
house  to  house  and  from  neighborhood  to  neighborhood, 
and  the  more  permanently  located  missionary  should  be 
enabled  to  strengthen  the  hands  of  his  new  and  feeble 
church  in  the  securing  of  a  suitable  sanctuary,  or  the 
erecting  and  equipping  of  a  school  building  for  the  special 
religious  training  of  those  whom  he  would  qualify  to 
associate  with  him  in  his  work.  It  is  this  latter  division 
which  the  providential  course  of  events  has  brought 
about  in  the  home-mission  work  of  our  American  Bap- 
tist denomination.  We  surely  see  the  traces  of  divine 
wisdom.  The  actual  adjustments  have  not  yet  all  been 
perfected,  but  evidently  it  is  God's  solution  of  the  ques- 

4« 


42  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

tion,  How  can  we  best  discharge  our  mission  responsi- 
bility to  our  own  country  ?  Our  Publication  Society  is 
our  evangelist,  thoroughly  equipped  for  his  itinerant 
work ;  our  Home  Mission  Society  is  our  missionary 
pastor,  supported  in  his  efforts  to  establish  self-sustain- 
ing churches  in  all  the  destitute  centres  of  population 
throughout  the  land,  to  secure  to  them  suitable  sanctu- 
ary homes,  and  among  the  freedmen  to  educate  native 
pastors  and  Christian  teachers.  It  is  a  serious  responsi- 
bility for  any  to  interfere  with  an  arrangement  so  ad- 
mirable, and  so  evidently  bearing  upon  its  face  the  seal 
of  the  divine  ordination.  The  aim  of  every  Baptist 
should  be  to  adjust  the  workings  of  this  relationship 
in  the  two  great  departments  of  our  home-mission  ser- 
vice the  more  perfectly.  And  now,  after  these  many 
years  of  counselling  and  experience,  the  most  that  nearly 
all  can  do  in  the  direction  of  this  aim  is  prayerfully  to 
contribute  as  largely  as  possible  to  the  treasuries  of 
these  societies,  that  they  may,  under  God,  be  enabled 
to  show  still  more  plainly  the  wisdom  of  the  plan,  and 
to  make  those  far  larger  attainments  in  home-land  evan- 
gelization for  which  God  is  holding  us  responsible. 

The  most  important  fact  to  engage  our  home-mission 
interest  is  the  immense  Western  drift  of  our  native 
American  population.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that 
the  vast  territory  between  the  Mississippi  River  and  the 
Pacific  coast  is  becoming  occupied  chiefly  by  immigrants 
from  Ireland,  Germany,  and  Scandinavia.  They  are  in- 
deed there  in  large  numbers,  and  they  are  continuing  to 
flow  thither  in  great  and  swelling  streams ;  but  there  are 
more  native  Americans  there  than  immigrants,  and  our 


HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.  43 

East  will  continue  to  furnish  to  our  West  more  citizens 
than  does  Europe.  This  is  probably  more  the  efTfect  of 
foreign  immigration  than  of  the  natural  increase  and 
overflow  of  our  Eastern  population.  Foreign  labor  is 
still  the  most  powerfully  attracted  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi by  kinship  ties,  church  privileges,  the  natural  taste 
for  density  of  population,  the  demands  of  the  market, 
and  the  less  expense  required  for  travelling  and  settle- 
ment. The  young  men  of  our  native  population,  espe- 
cially those  in  the  agricultural  districts,  grow  restless  in 
the  presence  of  such  labor  competition.  Educated  by 
years  of  free,  enlightened  American  life,  and  having  in- 
herited the  enterprise  of  their  parents,  they  turn  from 
their  limited  sphere  beside  the  European  workman  and 
search  in  the  West  for  opportunity  to  strike  out  for  them- 
selves and  to  use  their  conscious  capacities.  Multitudes 
of  our  young  women  feel  that  there  is  placed  before  them 
by  the  pressure  of  foreign  domestics  the  alternative  either 
of  the  shop  or  of  the  West.  With  a  considerable  pro- 
portion of  this  restlessness  and  feeling  that  the  East, 
with  all  its  competition  in  the  labor  market,  is  not  the 
best  sphere  for  young  American  enterprise  I  have  no 
sympathy ;  yet  the  fact  is  that,  borne  upon  the  flood- 
tide  of  such  conviction,  our  vast  West  is  being  settled 
chiefly  by  a  native  American  population. 

I  have  met  them  from  New  England  and  the  Middle 
States  in  Iowa,  Missouri,  and  Nebraska,  in  Wyoming, 
Nevada,  and  California ;  and  there  is  hardly  a  settlement 
where  they  are  not  to  be  found  the  controlling  element 
in  the  community  throughout  also  Kansas,  Colorado, 
.        Texas,  and  Oregon.     In  all  this  is  to  be  recognized  that 


44  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

divine  wisdom  which  has  thus  far  guided  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  our  nation.  The  West  is  becoming  first 
Americanized,  and  the  majority  of  our  European  immi- 
gration are  held  by  various  influences  where  in  the  pro- 
cess of  time  they  must  become  assimilated  to  our  new 
national  life  and  institutions.  It  is  a  grand  opportunity 
for  the  Christian  churches  to  pre-empt  the  West  for 
evangelical  Christianity — an  opportunity  which,  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  is  transient,  and  which  belongs  espe- 
cially to  the  present  generation.  In  locating  a  home 
missionary,  for  example,  upon  the  Missouri  in  Dakota, 
or  the  Rio  Grande  in  New  Mexico,  it  makes  a  world  of 
difference  whether  the  controlling  element  in  the  com- 
munity is  native  American,  retaining  the  impressions 
from  years  gone  by  in  the  Eastern  States  favorable  to 
the  Bible,  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Day,  Protestant 
worship,  and  the  great  cardinal  doctrines  of  Christianity, 
The  evangelizing  opportunity  is  vastly  greater  than  with 
settlements  principally  made  up  of  foreigners,  with  their 
superficial  ideas  of  religion  and  their  antagonism  or  in- 
difference to  the  Scriptures.  To  follow  up,  then,  the 
providence  of  God  in  many  hundreds  of  native  Amer- 
ican communities  throughout  our  Western  States  and 
Territories  ;  ta  avail  ourselves  of  the  natural  inclinations 
toward  the  religion  and  the  Christian  institutions  of  years 
past  in  the  homes  and  sanctuaries  and  neighborhoods  of 
the  East ;  and  to  do  this  before  the  present  pioneer  gen- 
eration shall  give  place  to  the  next  with  its  less  favorable 
consideration  for  Christianity,  as  also  before  the  advan- 
cing tide  of  immigration  shall  have  rendered  the  mission 
work  far  more  complicated  and  difficult, — this  is  the  call 


HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.  45 

of  to-day.  Under  the  leadership  of  our  American  Bap- 
tist Home  Mission  Society,  every  member  of  the  churches 
of  our  denomination  should  contribute  in  this  direction 
a  large  measure  of  sympathy,  prayer,  influence,  and 
money. 

Foreigners  are  now  emigrating  to  our  country  at  the 
rate  of  nearly  half  a  million  a  year.  The  check  given 
by  the  war  and  the  subsequent  financial  depression  has 
passed,  and  we  have  the  near  prospect  of  an  annual  in- 
crease of  a  full  million  of  immigrants  to  our  population. 
Already  we  have  six  millions  of  Germans  among  us, 
more  than  a  million  Scandinavians,  and  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  French,  Italians,  Mexicans,  Chinese,  and 
Russians.  The  strength  and  the  activity  of  Rome 
among  our  Irish  population  have  thus  far  rendered  them 
less  accessible  than  others  of  our  foreign  citizens  to 
evangelizing  efforts,  but  upon  multitudes  of  them  our 
national  life  and  institutions  are  plainly  having  an  en- 
lightening and  disenthralling  effect,  and  we  shall  be  very 
neglectful  and  disobedient  to  the  call  of  God's  provi- 
dence if  we  do  not  turn  more  mission  efforts  in  their 
direction.  The  majority  of  our  immigrants  require  to  be 
reached  through  their  own  native  languages.  They  soon 
learn  enough  English  to  transact  their  limited  secular 
business,  but  it  is  a  long  way  biyond  to  understanding 
in  English  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  the  instruction 
of  the  Sunday-school,  or  the  conversation  of  the  mis- 
sionary. They  surely  do  not  bring  with  them  evangel- 
ical religious  advantages.  We  must  furnish  them,  if 
they  are  to  be  furnished  at  all.  We  must  be  on  the 
constant  watch  for  those  whom  God  has  called  by  his 


46  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

truth  and  Spirit  to  carry  his  message  of  salvation  to 
these  various  peoples,  and  we  must  support  them  until 
their  work  is  self-supporting.  This  is  loyalty  to  our 
country,  to  our  denomination,  to  Christ.  Not  to  do  very 
largely  in  this  direction  under  the  auspices  of  our  Home 
Mission  Society  would  be  neglectful,  improvident,  dis- 
obedient to  God. 

The  nearly  four  million  of  those  made  free  by  our  war 
have  increased  in  the  South  to  over  five  and  a  half  million ; 
the  one  million  more  of  the  colored  population  are  scattered 
throughout  the  North.  It  is  evident  that  the  numbers 
of  this  race  are  to  be  much  larger  in  America.  No  em- 
igration probabilities  can  materially  lessen  the  enormous 
rate  of  increase  which  has  held  good  since  their  emanci- 
pation. The  social  and  religious  conditions  of  the  vast 
majority  are  deplorable  in  the  extreme.  They  are  the 
legacy  of  slavery  and  of  centuries  of  degradation.  Their 
religion  is  largely  superficial  and  full  of  folly  and  vice. 
Over  half  a  million  are  professed  members  of  Baptist 
churches,  and  very  many  of  them  are  true  Christians, 
intelligent  and  useful.  I  know  some  of  them  who  adorn 
their  profession  with  consistent  living,  and  who  are  as 
clear  in  their  convictions  and  as  firm  in  their  principles 
as  any  of  their  white  brethren.  But  the  prevailing  ig- 
norance and  degradation,  even  within  the  churches,  is 
sad  to  contemplate.  Many  of  their  ministers  cannot 
read ;  many  of  their  churches  do  not  possess  a  Bible. 
Multitudes  of  them  have  adopted  the  ordinances,  but 
know  little  or  nothing  else  of  Christianity.  To  deal 
with  the  problem  is  a  great  responsibility.  Government, 
which  has  lifted  the  colored  people  to  citizenship  and  to 


HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.  At7 

suffrage,  is  touching  the  difficulty  at  some  points,  but  the 
great  burden  necessarily  rests  upon  the  head  and  the 
heart  of  the  Christian  churches.  The  evils  are  too 
deeply  rooted  for  mere  legislation,  and  the  ignorance  is 
too  dense'  to  be  removed  by  mere  secular  education. 
Christian  schools  must  be  established  and  sustained  to 
qualify  a  great  number  of  colored  preachers  and  teach- 
ers to  go  forth  in  Christ's  name  to  lift  up  this  mass  of 
ignorance  and  degradation.  Our  Home  Mission  Society 
is  bravely  endeavoring  to  lead  the  Baptist  denomination 
forward  to  do  its  share  of  this  momentous  work,  but  it 
does  not  have  half  the  support  it  should  receive. 

The  Indian  problem,  also,  is  plainly  a  responsibility  of 
Christian  churches.  It  is  doubly  so  since  the  nation,  by 
its  almost  uniform  treatment  of  the  American  aborigines, 
has  disqualified  itself  for  its  share  of  the  duty.  Our  sec- 
ular contact  with  the  Indians  has  been  more  cruel  and 
more  deadly  than  that  of  the  Saracens  upon  the  shores 
of  the  Mediterranean.  We  were  as  ferocious  at  Gnaden- 
hiitten  and  Schoenbriin  as  were  the  Sepoys  at  the  Cawn- 
pore  massacre.  We  bound  together  with  the  men  twen- 
ty-seven women  and  thirty-four  children,  put  them  into 
two  buildings  which  we  called  "  slaughter-houses,"  and 
then  murdered  and  scalped  them  all.  Many  scenes  of 
equal  horror  could  be  recounted.  It  is,  therefore,  no 
wonder  that  our  civil  service  and  our  military  forces  are 
thoroughly  distrusted  by  the  majority  of  our  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  Indians.  The  Christian  churches 
must  meet  the  emergency ;  missionaries  must  extend  the 
olive-branch.  They  must  heal  the  wounds  we  have  cre- 
ated by  a  century  of  war,  in  which  we  have  expended 


48  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

many  thousands  of  lives  and  five  hundred  milHons  of 
dollars.  By  earnest  efforts  at  evangelization  we  must 
pay  the  national  debt  to  the  Indians,  who  gave  the  need- 
ed help  to  the  English  and  to  English  Protestantism  in  the 
desperate  effort  to  extinguish  French  power  and  French 
Roman  Catholicism  in  our  country."  We  need  to  remem- 
ber the  obligation  of  our  civilization  to  the  Iroquois,  and 
that  the  Oneidas  did  not  join  against  us  in  the  Revolu- 
tion. A  peace  policy  has  been  adopted  by  the  govern- 
ment, and  some  favorable  results  are  already  apparent ; 
but  the  best  of  it  is  "the  enlarged  opportunity  it  furnishes 
to  Christian  missions.  The  complicated  situation,  the 
opportunity,  and  the  responsibility  are  thoroughly  un- 
derstood at  our  Home  Mission  rooms,  and  all  can  with 
perfect  confidence  entrust  their  funds  to  this  evangelizing 
agency. 

The  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  was  or- 
ganized in  New  York  City  in  1832.  The  population  of 
our  country  then  numbered  but  fourteen  millions.  The 
"  Great  West"  lay  between  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi 
Rivers.  During  the  first  year  the  amount  raised  was 
;^6,586,  which  has  steadily  increased  to  last  year's  receipts 
of  ;^235,032.  The  results  of  this  pioneer  work,  begun  a 
half  century  ago,  are  in  part  to  be  seen  to-day  in  many 
prominent  Baptist  churches  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan, 
Illinois,  and  Wisconsin.  The  number  of  missionaries 
and  teachers  appointed  has  been  8,635,  and,  in  connec- 
tion with  their  labors,  85,381  converts  have  been  bap- 
tized and  2,765  churches  organized.  The  Society's  present 
force  of  392  missionaries  and  teachers  is  thus  distributed: 
9  in  the  Eastern  States ;   1 1  in  the  Middle  States ;  86  in 


HOME   MISSION  SOCIETY.    -  49 

the  Southern  States  ;  286  in  the  Western  States,  includ- 
ing the  25  upon  the  Pacific  coast.  Of  this  large  number, 
209  are  laboring  among  Americans,  40  among  Germans, 
30  among  Scandinavians,  and  with  the  French  6,  the  In- 
dians II,  the  Freedmen  21,  and  the  Chinese  3.  During 
the  last  year  1,202  churches  and  out-stations  have  been 
supplied  with  the  regular  preaching  of  the  gospel. 

While  it  is  gratifying  to  learn  of  so  many  missionaries 
among  our  native  American  population,  it  is  saddening 
to  think  of  the  paltry  sums  which  our  churches  furnish 
toward  their  support.  But  a  still  greater  embarrassment, 
with  many  of  them,  is  the  lack  of  meeting-houses.  In 
the  West  there  are  eight  hundred  homeless  Baptist 
churches,  besides  an  almost  equal  number  in  the  South. 
It  is  reckoned  at  the  rooms  that,  with  the  one  per  week 
continued  increase  of  mission  churches,  assistance  should 
be  given  toward  the  erection  of  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  sanctuaries  per  year  for  the  next 
five  years.  This  would  require  nearly  seventy-five  thou- 
sand dollars  annually — an  amount  that  should  certainly 
be  provided,  and  which  is  less  than  several  of  the  other 
denominations  are  purposing  to  expend  in  the  same 
direction.  About  half  of  the  church-edifice  loan-fund 
of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  has  been  transferred, 
by  consent  of  donors,  to  a  benevolent  department,  the 
interest  to  be  used  in  direct  donations  to  churches  build- 
ing at  an  expense  of  not  over  ten  thousand  dollars,  and 
receiving  from  the  mission  assistance  never  to  exceed 
five  hundred  dollars.  It  is  required  that  the  house  shall 
be  free  from  debt  at  dedication,  and  that  the  donation, 
with  interest,  shall  be  secured  to  the  Society  in  case  the 
5 


50 


ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 


edifice  shall  no  longer  be  used  by  a  Baptist  church. 
The  judgment  of  the  Board  has  come  to  favor  decidedly 
this  plan  of  assistance,  rather  than  the  loan-fund  which 
was  so  popular  with  us  a  few  j'ears  ago.  If  that  plan 
has  definitely  proved  unwise,  then  it  would  be  best,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  to  cease   any  epecial  effort  to  increase  the 


Fig.  I. — Wayland  Seminary,  Washington,  D,  C. 

endowment  of  the  Church  Edifice  Benevolent  Depart- 
ment, and,  in  view  of  the  appalling  destitution,  to  seek  to 
expend,  under  the  restrictions  adopted,  every  dollar  that 
can  be  raised  for  this  purpose. 

The  proposed  endowment  fund  toward  the  support  of 
our  educational  institutions  among  the  freedmen  is  a 
different  matter  and  eminently  wise.     It  is  the  prevailing 


HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.  51 

judgment  of  nearly  all  Christian  denominations  that, 
while  it  is  not  best  to  endow  churches  and  purely  mis- 
sionary enterprises,  all  Christian  schools  of  a  high  grade, 
in  proportion  as  their  standard  of  instruction  is  raised, 
should  be  made  independent  through  the  income  of  in- 
vested funds.  Our  Home  Mission  Society  has  founded, 
and  mostly  sustains  at  present,  ten  of  these  schools — Way- 
land  Seminary,  Washington,  D.  C.  (see  Fig.  i);  Richmond 
Institute,  Richmond,  Va. ;  Shaw  University,  Raleigh, 
N.  C;  Benedict  Institute,  Columbia,  S.  C. ;  Atlanta  Semi- 
nary, Atlanta,  Ga. ;  Leland  University,  New  Orleans,  La. 
(see  Fig.  2) ;  Natchez  Seminary,  Natchez,  Miss. ;  Nashville 
Institute,  Nashville,  Tenn. ;  Florida  Institute,  Live  Oak, 
Fla. ;  Alabama  Institute,  Selma,  Ala. ;  and  Bishop  Bap- 
tist College,  Marshall,  Texas,  In  these  schools  there  are 
nearly  sixteen  hundred  pupils,  taught  by  instructors  who 
in  their  persons  and  in  their  work  deserve  generally  the 
confidence  of  the  denomination.  It  would  be  difficult 
to  overestimate  the  value  of  their  labors  to  the  enfran- 
chised race,  to  our  country,  and  to  the  cause  of  Christ, 
But  now  the  standard  of  instruction  in  these  institu- 
tions is  being  rapidly  raised,  and  a  very  advanced  Theo- 
logical Department  is  proposed  in  connection  with  the 
Richmond  Institute.  The  time  has  therefore  come  to 
move  in  regard  to  their  endowment.  It  is  proposed  to 
celebrate  the  current  year — the  semi-centennial  of  the 
Society — by  raising  a  Jubilee  Fund  of  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  one  hundred  thousand  of  it  to  be  ap- 
propriated to  an  endowment  of  the  freedmen's  schools. 
The  proposal  is  worthy  of  our  enterprising,  hard-worked 
Secretary,  H,  L.  Morehouse,  D.  D.,  and  of  the  Executive 


52 


ALONG   THE  LINES  AT   THE   FRONT. 


Board.  Still,  if  this  movement  is  successful,  it  will  only 
lift  us  up  to  the  plane  of  our  yearly  responsibility.  Let 
every  America*!  Baptist  give  liberally  to  the  Jubilee  Fund 


Fig.  2.— Lfxand  University,  New  Orleans,  La. 

and  then  continue  sending  the  same  amount  annually 
to  the  Astor  House  rooms  in  New  York,  until  Baptists 
shall  have  their  own  headquarters  in  that  city  as  they 
have  in   Boston  and  Philadelphia,  when  our  home-mis- 


HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.  53 

sion  treasury  may  continue  to  receive  and  to  use  without 
deductions  for  rent.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that,  in  connec- 
tion with  Rev.  Edward  Judson's  noble  mission  enterprise 
in  the  business  part  of  the  metropohs,  a  Tremont  Temple 
or  "  1420  Chestnut  Street  "  may  be  erected  as  the  home 
of  all  our  general  interests  here  centering. 

Our  work  among  the  Indians  has  been  chiefly  in  the 
Indian  Territory,  where  we  have  nearly  100 'churches, 
with  6000  members  and  the  beginning  of  a  "  university  " 
at  the  capital,  Tahlequah.  This  institution  should  be 
thoroughly  equipped  to  meet  our  share  in  the  higher 
educational  demands  of  the  Cherokees,  Choctaws,  Creeks, 
Chickasaws,  and  Seminoles,  among  whose  60,000,  34,500 
already  can  read  and  have  their  214  day-schools  and  11 
boarding-schools.  They  have  over  314,000  acres  under 
cultivation,  own  nearly  800,000  head  of  stock,  and  wor- 
ship in  154  church  edifices.  The  Cherokees  have  a 
weekly  newspaper.  A  tenth  of  the  population  of  these 
five  civilized  nations  are  members  of  Baptist  churches. 

Let  me  add,  in  passing,  a  word  of  gratitude  that  the 
Mexican  Mission  is  being  revived  by  our  Home,  if  not 
by  our  Foreign,  Mission  Society  ;  that  the  Monthly  of 
our  Home  Society  is  so  deserving  of  a  welcome  in  all 
our  homes  ;  and  that  the  prospect  is  that  all  our  Wo- 
man's Home  Mission  Societies  will  become  as  thoroughly 
auxiliary  to  the  General  New  York  Society  as  are  our 
Woman's  Foreign  Mission  Societies  to  the  Missionary 
Union. 

6* 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY. 

WE  have  seen  that  our  home-mission  work  divides 
itself  very  naturally  into  two  great  departments — 
the  church  and  teaching  department,  and  the  publishing 
and  itinerating  department.  Thousands  of  centres  of 
population  should  be  occupied  by  our  missionaries,  and 
held  with  a  varied  and  generous  support  until  a  Baptist 
,church  has  been  organized  and  housed  and  become  self- 
sustaining.  Then,  as  a  part  of  this  work  among  the 
Southern  freedmen,  because  of  no  other  supply  of  quali- 
^ed  colored  preachers  and  teachers,  schools  must  be 
provided  equal  in  number  and  in  facility  to  the  demand, 
B.^t  then  alongside  this  mountain  of  responsibility  there 
has  arisen  another  of  equal  magnitude — twin-mountains 
of  our  Baptist  obligation  to  God,  to  our  denomination, 
and  to  our  country,  Ebal  and  Gerizim  upon  the  right 
and  upon  the  left  of  our  Israel:  it  is  to  consecrate  upon 
the  altar  of  American  evangelization  the  full  power  of 
the  modern  press,  and  therefore,  not  only  to  provide  the 
Scriptures  and  literature  for  sale  and  free  distribution 
throughout  the  land,  but  also  to  create  for  them  a  mar- 
ket by  every  practicable  agency — through  pastors,  home 
missionaries,  colporteurs,  Sunday-school  workers,  ad- 
vertising, and  all  business  enterprise.      There  are  tens 

64 


Central  Souse    jQt 
BrnTLch  Souses  -^ 


Olltli. 

AMgRiUtAiNi   i 


G.  S  H.rriJ*  Sons. lull  Plal. 


Colpnrtriif  Missio 


frulrol  /fniisr   Jj^  Oulliiic   .M.i]i   ol'  llic  Work   ol    Ihc 

j      ///-.(/I,/;  //..H.sv.v  ^         AMERICAN    BA  PTIST    PU  BLICATI  ON    SO  CI  ET  Y.  .f«n//'/.- .VrfcW  .l/7W.,ra«,-,«     •     I 


PUBLICATION  SOCIETY.  55 

of  thousands  of  neighborhoods  and  by-paths  not  access- 
ible to  our  settled  pastors  and  home  missionaries,  where 
there  should  be  furnished  at  least  once  every  few  years 
an  opportunity  of  securing,  by  gift  or  by  purchase,  a 
Bible  and  some  choice  Christian  literature;  of  religious 
conversation  from  house  to  house;  and  of  encouragement 
and  assistance  in  Sunday-school  organization  for  the  study 
of  God's  word.  Besides,  there  is  need,  not  only  of  more 
Sunday-schools  and  more  religious  reading,  but  that  the 
quality  of  schools  already  formed  should  be  improved, 
and  that  the  standard  of  demand  for  Christian  literature 
should  be  elevated.  While  these  latter  should  be  the 
constant  aim  of  settled  pastors  and  home  missionaries,  it 
is  a  lamentable  fact  that  multitudes  of  them  are  either 
indifferent  or  incompetent  for  the  task ;  and  as,  there- 
fore, a  quite  general  missionary  Sunday-school  agency 
would  seem  desirable,  it  is  evidently  most  fitting  that  it 
be  under  the  direction  of  those  who  have  the  largest 
opportunity  of  influencing  our  Sunday-schools. 

It  is  a  real  spiritual  treat  to  study  the  providential 
development  of  each  of  our  three  great  denominational 
organizations,  and  equally  that  of  the  American  Baptist 
Publication  Society.  The  leading  hand  of  God  is  seen 
all  along  every  year  from  the  beginning  to  the  present. 
The  record  is  full  of  extraordinary  providences,  showing 
the  special  importance  which  Supreme  Wisdom  has  at- 
tached to  this  varied  and  vast  department  of  the  home- 
mission  responsibility  of  American  Baptists.  Occasion- 
ally there  may  have  been  errors  of  judgment  and  mis- 
takes in  carrying  out  of  measures.  If  so,  these  have 
been  inerely  incidental  and  exceptional,  simply  showing 


56  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

that  the  glorious  divine  enterprise  was  being  carried 
on  through  human  instrumentality.  Neither  its  fortunes 
nor  its  misfortunes  have  ever  taken  the  work  out  of  our 
Heavenly  Father's  hands.  Men  of  great  wealth  and  in- 
fluence have  liberally  patronized  it,  but  to  clear  and  can- 
did observation  God  has  not  yielded  the  proprietorship. 
Under  him,  the  responsibility  still  belongs  to  the  whole 
denomination — to  every  member,  however  humble — as 
really  as  if  there  had  never  been  any  Crozer  and  any 
Bucknell  family.  The  Society  has  been  represented  as  a 
merely  local  business  concern,  with  a  very  capable  and 
enterprising  Secretary  at  its  head,  and  with  earnest  sup- 
porters, who  are  among  the  leaders  of  our  denomination, 
yet  limited  to  a  very  secondary  sphere  in  comparison 
with  the  work  either  of  the  Home  Mission  Societj''  or 
of  the  Missionary  Union.  So  I  have  been  told  repeated- 
ly, and  so  I  believed  until  I  learned  better. 

A  society,  to  be  efficient,  must  have  a  centre  of  opera- 
tions. Wherever  it  be — New  York,  Philadelphia,  or  Bos- 
ton— there  it  will  naturally  secure  a  leading  interest  and 
support.  It  is  well  that  this  is  so  for  the  sake  of  those 
who  labor  at  the  rooms.  They  have  a  hard-enough  time 
as  it  is ;  and  if  our  three  headquarters  were  changed  all 
around  without  the  special  interests  accompanying,  the 
Secretaries  and  Executive  Committees  would  hardly 
stand  it  a  year.  The  centralization,  then,  of  warm,  gen- 
erous interest  at  Philadelphia  in  the  American  Baptist 
Publication  Society  is,  in  so  far,  as  it  should  be,  and  fur- 
nishes no  evidence  that  the  enterprise  has  not  a  thor- 
oughly national  character.  Indeed,  it  has  come  to  be 
evident  that  this  agency  is  co-ordinate  with  our  Home 


PUBLICATION  SOCIETY.  57 

and  Foreign  Mission  Societies ;  that  its  sphere  is  as 
broad,  at  least,  as  the  continent,  and  its  responsibility 
that  of  the  entire  denomination ;  and  it  would  not  be 
necessar)'-  to  make  these  statements,  much  less  to  argue 
them,  were  it  not  that  some  of  our  ministry  and  mem- 
bers have  never  been  led  to  understand  clearly  the  full 
scope  and  the  real  importance  of  its  work — its  connec- 
tion with  our  denominational  progress  in  the  past  and 
the  promise  which  is  given  for  increased  usefulness  in 
the  future. 

A  leading  Baptist  of  New  York  City — one  of  the  most 
intelligent  and  influential  of  our  denomination,  than  whom, 
it  is  generally  supposed,  few  are  better  posted  in  regard  to 
home  and  foreign  missions — remarked  lately,  "  I  really  do 
not  know  much  about  the  Publication  Society  and  its 
work,"  A  few  months  ago,  in  Boston,  I  heard  a  prom- 
inent Baptist  minister  declare  publicly  that  "  the  Publi- 
cation Society  is  a  Philadelphia  affair,  that  will  be  taken 
care  of  there."  It  certainly  is  not  the  fault  of  the  Society 
that  they  are  not  better  informed,  and  that  they  are  not 
deeply  interested  in  the  Society  and  zealous  supporters 
of  its  varied  work.  No  guardians  of  our  denominational 
mission  interests  have  been  more  faithful  than  the  Society 
in  explaining  their  work  and  in  spreading  it  before  the 
people  in  books,  pamphlets,  and  periodical  literature. 
Take,  for  example,  its  semi-centennial  report  of  the  an- 
niversary held  in  Washington,  May,  1874.  I  never  saw 
it  surpassed  for  completeness  and  perspicuity  by  the  re- 
port of  any  Society  of  any  denomination.  The  present 
year's  Annual  is  almost  equal  to  it.  A  little  pamphlet 
was   lately  issued   and   largely  circulated,  entitled   The 


58  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Work  of  the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  Defined. 
It  is  an  admirable  statement  of  the  aims  and  the  methods  of 
the  Society.  It  has  been  the  design  of  the  Board  to  con- 
duct the  Business  Department  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
it  self-sustaining,  and  they  have  very  happily  succeeded 
in  carrying  it  out.  This  department  is  kept  totally  dis- 
tinct from  the  Missionary  Department.  The  two  depart- 
ments have  separate  account-books  and  separate  bank- 
accounts.  The  work  of  the  Missionary  Department  they 
aim  to  carry  forward  as  economically  as  possible.  The 
Missionary  Secretary  thus  states  the  position  of  the 
Board  on  this  subject,  and  at  the  same  time  shows  how 
the  Business  aids  the  Missionary  Department : 

"  Inasmuch  as  all  the  expenses  for  the  services  of  the 
General  Secretary  and  of  the  Treasurer  rendered  to  the 
Missionary  Department  are  borne  by  the  Business  De- 
partment without  cost  to  the  missionary  treasury,  and 
also  all  expenses  for  rent,  fuel,  light,  taxes,  furniture,  and 
repairs  are  borne  by  the  same,  and  then,  too,  an  annual 
credit,  embracing  all  profits  derived  from  colporteur  sales, 
is  given  by  the  Business  to  the  Missionary  Fund, — it  is 
the  hope  and  aim  of  the  Board  that,  by  a  rigid  limitation 
of  the  expenses  for  collecting,  the  contributions  made  for 
missionary  work  may,  with  the  smallest  discount  for 
expenses,  be  applied  to  the  work  for  which  they  are 
intended." 

This  seems  to  be  eminently  fair  and  just.  I  do  not  sym- 
pathize with  those  who  would  have  every  dollar  sent  to 
our  Missionary  Societies  expended  in  direct  mission  work, 
without  a  fraction's  deduction  for  the  salaries  of  officers 
and  running  expenses.     It  seems  to  me  that  the  people 


PUBLICATION  SOCIETY.  59 

should  be  educated  to  the  allowance  of  a  reasonable  per- 
centage on  all  their  benevolences  to  the  running  expenses 
of  the  Mission  Societies  which  receive  and  forward  their 
contributions  and  superintend  all  the  details  of  their  work. 
The  Societies  are  not  wrong,  nor  are  they  unfortunate,  in 
deducting  from  five  to  eight  per  cent,  for  such  necessary- 
incidental  expenses.  People  who  forward  a  benevolent 
contribution  to  some  object  or  person  at  a  distance  would 
ordinarily  rather  themselves  pay  the  postage  on  the  let- 
ters containing  their  gift  than  ask  somebody  else  to  pay 
it  for  them.  They  cheerfully  meet  the  cost  of  getting 
their  donation  to  the  desired  point.  At  the  same  time, 
it  is  eminently  proper  that  this  necessary  cost  should  be 
made  as  small  as  possible. 

Our  freedom  in  the  expression  of  our  opinions  on  this 
subject — which,  by  the  way,  is  merely  Baptist  freedom, 
such  as  we  have  especially  proposed  to  exercise  in  these 
pages  for  the  sake  of  a  most  candid  examination  of  our 
denominational  mission  work — makes  us  the  more  hope- 
ful that  our  testimony  will  be  received  by  the  reader  as 
we  take  up  again  the  line  of  highly-commendatory  state- 
ment. And  we  repeat  that  it  is  not  the  fault  of  our  Pub- 
lication Society  if  people  are  not  thoroughly  informed 
with  regard  to  the  character  and  the  methods  of  its 
work.  It  cannot  be  expected  to  make  all  the  details  of 
its  extensive  Business  Department  plain  to  those  who 
have  no  practical  knowledge  of  manufacturing  and  mer- 
cantile transactions,  particularly  in  the  publishing  line. 
I  am  sure  I  do  not  want  any  more  of  its  figures  than  it 
gives ;  for  even  if  I  had  access  to  all  its  daybooks  and 
ledgers  and  cash-books,  without  the  guide  of  an  account- 


60  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE   FRONT. 

ant  expert  I  should  be  lost  as  a  babe  in  the  woods.  In- 
deed, it  is  a  sufficient  strain  upon  an  ordinary  knowledge 
of  book-keeping  to  understand  the  simple  business  state- 
ments that  are  made  in  the  annual  reports. 

A  chief  reason  of  the  lack  of  information  among  Amer- 
ican Baptists  regarding  their  Publication  Society  is  the 
infrequency  of  references  to  it  in  the  pulpit  and  in  the 
prayer-  and  the  conference-meetings  of  the  churches. 
Ministers  hesitate  very  much  more  to  make  mention 
of  it  and  its  varied  work  than  of  the  other  Mission  Soci- 
eties, from  a  half-defined  feeling  that  it  is  advertising  bus- 
iness in  God's  house.  And  in  the  missionary  concert  it 
is  seldom  if  ever  referred  to,  except  under  the  general 
head,  perhaps,  of  "  other  organizations  having  in  view 
the  advancement  of  the  Redeemer's  cause."  But  all  this 
is  a  mistake  and  very  unfortunate.  There  is  the  business 
feature  to  the  Society's  work,  but  it  is  not  the  business  of 
any  man  or  family  or  Philadelphia  partnership.  There 
are  none  to  lay  claim  to  any  dividends :  the  whole  con- 
cern belongs  to  the  denomination.  It  may  be  as  fitting- 
ly mentioned  in  the  pulpit  or  in  social  prayer  as  a  church 
business-meeting,  the  calling  of  a  pastor,  or  the  erection 
of  a  sanctuary.  It  is  all  the  Lord's  business,  laid  over 
completely  upon  his  altar  more  absolutely  than  could  be 
the  case  with  the  affairs  of  any  individual,  any  partner- 
ship, any  corporation ;  and  that  hallows  it  sufficiently  to 
place  it  upon  the  high  level  of  the  better-understood  de- 
partments of  our  great  mission  work.  The  time  is  not 
far  distant  when  every  mission  pulpit  will  give  co-ordi- 
nate emphasis  to  the  general  work  of  the  Publication 
Society,  and  among  the  familiar  themes  of  the  mission- 


PUBLICATION  SOCIETY.  6l 

ary  conference  and  the  prayer  concert  will  be  the  purely 
business  as  well  as  colportage  and  Sunday-school  depart- 
ments of  this  Society. 

A  young  minister  of  Maryland,  the  year  after  his 
ordination,  in  1823,  wrote  a  letter  to  a  Washington  editor 
suggesting  that  a  tract  society  should  be  organized,  to 
sustain  the  same  relation  to  Baptists  that  the  American 
Tract  Society,  Boston,  did  to  Congregationalists.  This 
suggestion  of  Rev.  N.  Davis  was,  under  God,  the  be- 
ginning of  the  history  of  the  American  Baptist  Publica- 
tion Society.  For  greater  convenience  in  distribution, 
the  headquarters  were  early  transferred  from  Washington 
to  Philadelphia,  and  gradually,  under  the  direction  of  the 
denomination,  the  Society's  work  was  enlarged  to  include 
the  publication  of  Sunday-school  books  and  other  Chris- 
tian literature,  Bible  distribution,  colportage,-  and  general 
Sunday-school  mission  enterprise.  Each  step  in  advance 
has  been  taken  prayerfully,  deliberately,  in  deference  to  the 
spheres  of  work  of  our  other  missionary  organizations, 
in  thorough  loyalty  to  our  distinctive  denominational 
.principles,  and  with  confidence  that  it  was  obedience 
to  the  call  of  God. 

The  receipts  of  the  first  two  years,  amounting  alto- 
gether to  only  ;$i,oio.33,  have  increased  to  last  year's 
grand  aggregate  of  ^421,137.73.  Of  this  large  amount, 
indeed,  ^326,820.58  was  received  in  the  Business  Depart- 
ment, but  very  much  of  it  is  fully  as  gratifying  as  the 
benefactions  represented  by  the  funds  accredited  to  the 
purely  Missionary  Department.  A  colporteur  finds  a 
family  without  a  Bible,  and  persuades  them  into  the 
promise  to  read  it  if  he  will  give   them  one.      Or   he 

6 


62  ALONG    THE    LIXES  AT   THE  FRONT. 

organizes  a  little  Sunday-school  of  reluctant,  half-seri- 
ous members,  with  the  pledge  of  a  small  library  and 
some  lesson-helps  as  a  gratuity.  Then  the  Society's 
Missionary  Department  solicits  contributions  to  meet 
the  expense  of  this  Bible,  these  books,  and  these 
papers.  But  yonder  comes  a  poor  man  to  that  same 
colporteur,  or  into  one  of  the  depositories  of  the  So- 
ciety, hungering  for  the  bread  of  life  for  himself  and 
his  family,  and  out  of  his  week's  hard  earnings  he  him- 
self pays  for  a  Bible.  Or  a  newly-organized  Sunday- 
school,  appreciating  in  a  measure  its  opportunity  and 
the  facilities  offered,  takes  up  a  generous  collection 
among  its  own  number  and  neighborhood,  and  buys  its 
own  library  and  lesson-help  papers.  These  two  trans- 
actions, indeed,  are  business — pure  business :  a  word 
which  has  a  hard,  cold  sound — and  the  receipts  would 
be  put  down  to  the  credit  of  the  Business  Department 
of  the  Society.  Yet,  from  an  intelligent  missionary 
standpoint,  these  latter  transactions  are  certainly  as 
gratifying  as  the  former.  Without  undervaluing  the 
gratuitous  work  of  the  Missionary  Department,  there 
is  at  least  as  much  real  God-blessed  mission  enterprise 
in  the  strictly  Business  Department. 

There  is  a  great  contrast  between  the  little  second- 
story  room,  with  an  annual  rent  of  one  hundred  dollars, 
that  was  the  Society's  first  depository  in  Philadelphia, 
and  the  present  commodious  and  beautiful  edifice  for 
headquarters  at  1420  Chestnut  street,  owned  by  the  So- 
ciety, without  a  dollar's  debt,  and  able  to  make  every 
Baptist  who  crosses  its  threshold  feel  an  inch  taller.  It 
cost  a  great  deal  of  money — two  hundred  and  fifty-eight 


14-2U    CHESTNUT    STREET.    PHILADELPHIA. 


PUBLICATION  SOCIETY.  63 

thousand  dollars — but  the  funds  were  given  specially  for 
this  purpose,  and  the  generous  leaders  in  this  magnificent 
building-enterprise  were  wise  in  the  investment.  All  its 
room  is  needed,  or  will  be  shortly.  The  walls  are  strong 
and  substantial,  making  a  structure  that  in  the  long  run 
will  be  decidedly  the  most  economical.  The  location  is 
an  expensive  one,  but  it  is  the  right  place — not  only  so 
for  convenience,  but  it  is  where,  as  a  representative  build- 
ing of  the  denomination,  it  makes  the  most  favorable 
impression  upon  the  largest  number  of  other  Christian 
denominations  and  upon  the  world.  It  is  quite  common 
for  those  who  do  not  know  us  very  well  to  say  that  Bap- 
tists are  a  quite  illiterate  people,  unenterprising,  behind 
the  times,  and  poverty-stricken.  Whenever  I  meet  them 
I  am  quite  likely  to  suggest  a  visit  at  the  next  opportu- 
nity to  1420  Chestnut  street,  Philadelphia.  Our  Publica- 
tion Society's  headquarters  are  unrivalled  in  the  world 
in  their  visible  proof  of  denominational  intelligence, 
and  enterprise,  and  farsighted  wisdom,  and  financial  re- 
sources. 

Baptists  should  feel  a  special  interest  in  that  feature  of 
our  Publication  Society's  work  which  first  characterized 
it.  Its  introductory  name  was  "  The  Baptist  General 
Tract  Society  ;"  but  many  have  come  to  look  upon  tract 
distribution  as  rather  an  old-fashioned  and  antiquated 
method  of  evangelization.  Sermons  and  books  and  re- 
ligious conversations  have  taken  the  place,  they  imagine, 
of  a  simple  leaflet  with  a  brief  statement  of  doctrine  or 
an  incident  of  encouragement  or  of  warning.  But  this 
is  a  great  mistake,  as  multitudes  in  our  churches  and  in 
our  ministerial  and  missionary  ranks  can  testify  to-day.     It 


64  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

would  help  the  Christian  life  of  the  present  very  much 
if  there  could  be  less  of  the  "  grand-flourish  "  style  of 
conversion,  and  more  of  the  quiet,  undemonstrative,  un- 
obtrusive way  of  simple  tract-influence.  Improvements 
should  be,  and  are  being,  introduced  into  the  style  and 
the  form  of  religious  tracts.  In  this  none  have  been 
more  enterprising,  within  wisely-restrained  limits,  than 
our  Publication  Society.  It  issues  nearly  four  hundred 
tracts  admirably  adapted  for  general  evangelizing  and 
denominational  uses.  Many  of  these  are  in  German, 
Spanish,  Swedish,  French,  Norwegian,  and  Dutch.  Every 
pastor  and  church  should  be  well  supplied  with  a  variety 
of  the  valuable  leaflets,  which  the  Society  furnishes  at 
one  dollar  per  thousand  pages,  postage  paid.  They  are 
an  inestimable  help  in  mission  work  and  in  scattering 
broadcast  correct  views  of  Baptist  principles.  Unbelief 
and  Pedobaptism  are  largely  using  this  means  against 
us. 

The  book-publishing  of  the  Society's  work  has  enor- 
mously developed.  Not  counting  old  and  unsalable 
books,  the  present  list  upon  its  Catalogue  includes  1326 
publications.  The  enterprise  is  shown  in  that  last  year 
fifty-seven  new  books  were  stereotyped  and  printed — more 
than  one  for  every  week.  These  publications  are  not  only 
Sunday-school  and  denominational,  but  also  of  the  charac- 
ter of  general  library  reference-books.  It  has  a  very  im- 
portant New  Testament  commentary  enterprise  on  hand, 
enlisting,  under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  Alvah  Hovey, 
D.  D.,  a  large  number  of  the  ablest  biblical  scholars  of 
our  denomination.  The  Society's  contribution  to  the 
service  of  song  in  multitudes  of  our  churches  has  been 


PUBLICATION  SOCIETY.  65 

very  valuable,  and  is  destined  soon  to  be  still  more  so. 
Including  all  its  publications,  the  Society  has  issued 
more  than  ninety  millions  of  copies.  Through  its  Sun- 
day-school periodicals  it  is  believed  to  be  continually  in- 
structing and  influencing  fully  120,000  teachers  and  more 
than  a  million  scholars.  So  vast  a  business  throughout  the 
country  demands  branches,  and  they  have  been  located 
at  4  Beacon  street,  Boston ;  9  Murray  street.  New  York ; 
71  Randolph  street,  Chicago  ;  and  209  North  Sixth  street, 
St.  Louis.  The  late  admirable  appointment  of  Rev.  G. 
S.  Abbott,  D.  D.,  as  Superintendent  of  Sunday-school 
work  in  California  and  of  the  Publication  Society's  De- 
pository, is  a  hopeful  indication  of  better  things  in  store 
for  the  Baptists  on  the  Pacific  coast,  I  am  confident  that 
it  is  decidedly  to  the  interest  of  all  our  Sunday-schools 
to  concentrate  all  their  trade  for  books  and  periodicals 
upon  their  own  Society,  and  that  the  ministry  and  mem- 
bers generally  will  be  best  satisfied  by  ordering  their 
theological,  standard,  and  miscellaneous  works  through 
this  channel. 

The  present  number  of  colporteurs,  Sunday-school  mis- 
sionaries, and  missionary  agents  is  73.  They  organized 
last  year  321  Sunday- schools,  and  called  for  religious 
conversation  upon  17,459  families.  This  work  is  dis- 
tributed among  forty-three  of  the  forty-eight  States  and 
Territories  of  our  great  country.  The  total  issues  of  the 
Society  for  the  year  were  equal  to  509,120,748  i8mo 
pages — an  average  of  1,394,851  pages  daily.  The  distri- 
bution of  this  vast  quantity  of  religious  literature  and  of 
the  largely-increased  amounts  of  coming  years  depends, 
chiefly,  not  upon  the  hired  agents  of  the  Society,  but 

6* 


66  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

upon  its  owners,  the  members  of  our  churches.  Its 
plan  is  to  make  all  our  ministers  and  working  mem- 
bers its  colporteurs  and  Sunday-school  missionaries. 
We  should  have  enterprise  and  generosity  enough  to 
place  some  of  its  religious  and  denominational  literature 
in  the  hands  of  every  unconverted  person  and  Pedobap- 
tist  in  our  neighborhoods.  There  are  nearly  forty  thou- 
sand Pedobaptist  ministers  and  theological  students  in 
our  country.  Through  this  Society  we  should  inform 
them  of  our  principles  and  the  grounds  of  our  belief. 
No  doubt,  it  would  lead  many  of  them  into  our  ranks. 
Let  it  be  remembered  that  in  every  fifth  family  of  our 
population  there  is  no  Bible,  and  the  destitution  is  veiy 
much  greater  among  the  freedmen.  In  Germany  and 
other  lands  the  Society  is  being  called  of  God  to  aid  in 
establishing  similar  societies  for  a  similar  work.  For  all 
the  pressing  demands  for  enlargement  we  need  the  busi- 
ness sagacity  of  those  eminently  successful  business  men 
to  whom  the  prosperity  hitherto  is  so  largely  due,  and 
for  the  preservation  of  their  lives  still  more  than  for  their 
continued  contributions  all  should  earnestly  pray. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  UNION 

MANY  excellent  Christians,  uninfluenced — at  least, 
consciously — by  selfish  motives,  insist  that  while 
so  much  mission  work  remains  to  be  done  in  the  home- 
land it  is  not  wise  to  give  great  prominence  to  foreign 
evangelization.  They  feel,  and  rightly,  that  the  situa- 
tion of  the  destitute  in  our  crowded  cities  and  the  newly- 
settled  districts  of  the  West  and  among  millions  of  the 
freedmen  is  more  serious  than  among  any  correspond- 
ing number  of  Asiatic  or  other  heathen.  He  who  pro- 
nounced greater  woes  upon  Chorazin  and  Bethsaida  than 
upon  Tyre  and  Sidon  because  of  the  fuller  light  in  which 
the  former  cities  were  manifesting  their  ungodliness,  and 
who  uttered  his  special  denunciation  against  the  favored 
Capernaum,  must  look  to-day  with  far  more  severity  upon 
the  irreligion  of  those  in  the  mission  fields  of  America 
than  upon  the  idolatry  of  benighted  pagans.  And  it  is 
undoubtedly  true  that  largely-increased  contributions  of 
lives  and  of  funds  to  the  various  departments  of  home- 
mission  work  would  still,  fail  to  meet  all  their  reason- 
able demands. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  those  who  insist  quite  as 
strenuously,  and  likewise  often  with  questionable  motives, 
that  the  great  present  obligation  is  foreign  evangeliza- 
tion.    Over  against  the  many  millions  in  heathen  lands 

67 


68  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

who  have  never  yet  heard  the  gospel,  they  think  of  the 
thousands  of  churches  and  ministers  and  Sunday-schools 
scattered  throughout  our  highly-favored  country.  They 
would  not  repress  any  efforts  to  reach  the  neglected 
classes  in  our  crowded  cities  and  destitute  sections;  but 
then  here  the  majority  can,  if  they  will,  receive  Christian 
instruction  and  encouragement,  while  there  are  vast  ter- 
ritories in  Asia  and  Africa  where  no  sanctuary  is  open, 
no  voice  witnesses  for  Christ,  and  not  one  leaflet  of  Bible 
truth  has  yet  been  carried.  Frequent  comparisons  are 
made  between  the  ministerial  supply  at  home  and  the 
missionary  supply  in  Burmah  and  India  and  China. 
And  then  the  spirit  of  the  Master,  as  illustrated  in  the 
parable  of  the  Ninety  and  Nine,  is  urged  as  the  most 
befitting  Christian  churches  in  their  evangelizing  enter- 
prises. Having  so  generally  offered  the  gospel  to  our 
home  populations,  if  now,  leaving  them  to  their  oppor- 
tunities and  to  the  enlarging  influences  of  our  established 
institutions,  we  go  forth  to  the  depraved  and  wretched 
millions  of  heathen  lands,  exhausting  all  our  benevolent 
resources  to  save  them,  we  are  told  we  shall  be  the  most 
Christlike,  shall  secure  the  highest  religious  character  and 
activity  at  home,  and  thus  all  around  the  globe  contrib- 
ute the  most  effectively  to  the  advancement  of  the  Re- 
deemer's cause. 

Both  these  lines  of  consideration  are  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance if  they  are  not  allowed  to  antagonize  each  other, 
and  are  used  to  overcome  the  prevailing  selfishness  and 
indifference  with  which  the  great  mass  of  professed  Chris- 
tians contemplate  the  subject  of  world  evangelization.  It 
is  like  Paul  on  faith  and  James  on  works,  whose  state- 


MISSIONARY  UNION.  69 

ments,  under  the  inspiration  of  God,  are  not  designed  to 
be  contradictory  in  the  sHghtest  degree,  but  mutually  to 
contribute  the  utmost  possible  to  true  Christian  life.  As 
with  the  great  cardinal  doctrines  of  Christianity,  so  with 
the  subject  of  evangelizing  our  fallen  race,  the  vastness 
of  the  object  requires  different  points  of  observation. 
The  human  mind  cannot  take  in  its  whole  duty  or  its 
whole  privilege  with  one  sweep  of  thought.  It  is  like 
endeavoring  to  reach  around  one  of  those  giants  of  the 
California  forests  with  a  single  stretch  of  a  pair  of  arms. 
Supreme  obligations  to  Christianizing  our  home-land,  be- 
cause it  is  ours  and  because  its  enlightened  infidelity  is 
so  extremely  perilous;  supreme  obligations  to  evangel- 
izing the  hundreds  of  millions  of  heathen,  because  it  is  so 
Christlike  to  go  after  the  lost,  to  carry  the  light  of  the 
gospel  to  those  who  are  in  utter  darkness, — both  should 
be  considered,  both  lines  of  obligation  so  felt  as  to  con- 
trol the  influence  and  action  of  all  God's  servants.  In 
each  direction  there  is  a  mountain  of  motive  towering 
into  the  very  heavens ;  and  when  we  stand  in  the 
presence  of  either,  that  for  the  time  seems  the  highest. 

If  any  one,  then,  has  been  so  familiarizing  himself  with 
the  needs  of  heathen  lands,  and  so  considering  the  yearn- 
ing disposition  of  the  Great  Exemplar  toward  those  who 
are  the  most  depraved  and  wretched  and  in  the  densest 
darkness,  that  he  feels  profoundly  moved  by  the  convic- 
tion that  there  is  no  cause  making  so  loud  a  call  upon 
his  benevolence  as  foreign  missions,  then  let  him  obligate 
himself  in  the  light  of  that  conviction,  and  afterward — 
not  before — contemplate  the  field  covered  by  our  Home 
Mission  and  Publication  Societies.     Or  if  he  has  first  been 


70  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT   THE  FRONT 

specially  investigating  the  demands  upon  the  churches 
from  the  destitute  regions  of  America ;  if  he  has  been 
thinking  and  praying  over  colportage,  and  Sunday- 
schools,  and  Freedmen's  Institutes,  and  church  build- 
ings, and  he  says,  "  Every  dollar  I  can  raise  I  ought  to 
give  to  further  these  glorious  enterprises," — by  all  means 
let  him  act  at  once  in  the  presence  of  his  supreme  obli- 
gation; and  then  afterward — not  before — let  him  turn  to- 
ward the  vast  responsibility  of  carrying  the  gospel  to  a 
thousand  millions  of  perishing  souls.  There  is  very  lit- 
tle danger  of  such  a  plan  leading  us  to  do  twice  as  much 
as  we  should.  Even  if  it  js  not  quite  business-like,  yet  the 
tendency  is  to  be  so  selfish  in  this  world  that  such  an 
expedient  is  desirable.  I  doubt  whether,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  a  year,  many  Christians  are  equal  to  answering  the 
question,  "  What  are  all  my  obligations,  for  the  coming 
twelve  months,  to  the  various  causes  of  benevolence  ?" 
We  are  advised  to  designate  as  large  an  amount  as  pos- 
sible, and  then  divide  it  among  the  Societies.  The  yearly 
card  and  weekly  envelope  system  is  admirable  in  many 
respects,  but  it  is  liable  to  let  us  off  too  easily  when  it 
allows  us  to  survey  a  range  of  mountain-like  obligations 
at  once,  and  necessarily  at  the  greater  distance,  rather 
than  deliberately  and  impressively  to  take  them  in  suc- 
cession. W^ith  very  rare  exceptions.  Christians  need  to 
do  several  times  during  a  year  all  that  they  think  they 
can  do  for  missions  that  year  before  they  have  really 
done  their  full  duty  in  the  sight  of  God  and  in  the 
light  of  eternity. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  but  for  Dr.  Judson  the 
cause  of  modern  missions  to  the  heathen,  and  especially 


MISSIONARY  UNION.  7 1 

that  of  American  Baptists,  would  have  been  kept  by  the 
indifference  of  the  churches  from  moving  forward  for 
many  years.  This  eminent  pioneer  of  our  missions  rep- 
resented a  movement  in  the  interest  of  world  evangehza- 
tion  that  had  aheady  set  in  quietly,  but  powerfully;  and 
if,  in  the  providence  of  God,  this  faithful  and  heroic  man 
had  not  been  among  the  five  ordained  at  Salem  in  1812 
for  the  beginning  of  American  foreign  missions,  and  if, 
on  his  voyage  out,  he  had  not  been  led  to  adopt  Baptist 
views,  and  thus  to  become  our  foremost  standard-bearer 
in  the  heathen  world,  some  other  man  would  have  ap- 
peared for  an  equivalent  service.  The  time  was  ripe. 
The  Master's  hand  was  stretched  forth  to  gather  this 
fruit  from  off  the  vine  himself  had  planted,  even  as  just 
before  Wesley  and  Luther  and  Wycliffe  and  Augustine 
and  Athanasius.  Men  are  not  so  much  leaders  in  the 
great  movements  of  the  world  as  the  resultants  or  signs 
of  those  movements  which  are  the  breath  of  the  Almighty. 
And  that  breath  had  been  felt  by  many  an  American  Chris- 
tian, by  many  a  member  of  our  early  Baptist  churches  in 
this  country,  before  Drs.  Baldwin  and  Bolles  received  Dr. 
Judson's  request  to  be  numbered  as  "  one  of  us."  The 
Baptist  missionaries  at  Serampore  had  been  laboring  to- 
gether for  fourteen  years,  and  Dr.  Carey  for  six  years 
longer,  and  their  example  and  pleas  had  reached  many 
hearts  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Yet  even  they,  in 
turn,  were,  under  God,  only  contributors  to  the  great 
modern  awakening  in  the  interest  of  foreign  missions. 
There  was  abundant  evidence  at  our  first  May  meetings 
in  Philadelphia  in  18 14  that  God,  who  had  prepared 
Adoniram  Judson  and  Ann  H.  Judson  and  Luther  Rice 


72  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

for  Burmah,  had  also  prepared  a  constituency  for  them 
among  the  pastors  and  the  members  of  our  American  Bap- 
tist churches.  Various  influences  had  been  combining 
to  a  special  awakening  of  spiritual  life.  Domestic  mis- 
sions in  the  West  and  North  were  evidences  of  this  re- 
vived condition.  And  so,  when  the  call  of  God  came 
from  far-off  Asia,  there  was  a  hearing  all  in  readiness 
for  it. 

Battles  had  to  be  fought  with  the  anti-mission  spirit, 
yet  they  were  not  so  fierce,  or  at  such  odds,  at  least,  as 
those  in  which  Andrew  Fuller  and  John  Ryland  and 
John  Sutcliffe  and  others  had  been  engaged  in  England. 
I  would  not  detract  an  iota  from  the  credit  due  the  early 
missionaries  and  their  successors  for  the  mission  influ- 
ences exerted  among  the  home  churches  by  their  ex- 
amples, their  letters,  their  personal  appeals  in  public  and 
in  private  when  visiting  around  upon  their  return ;  yet 
I  do  believe  that  sufficient  obligation  is  not  generally  felt 
toward  that  much  larger  number  of  the  ministry  and 
members  who,  under  God,  have  fought  down  public 
sentiment  at  home,  meeting  opposition  to  missions  in 
countless  sermons  and  editorials  and  addresses  and  con- 
versations, and  maintaining  a  constant  and  generous  finan- 
cial support  amid,  in  the  early  days,  frowns  and  derision 
and  misrepresentations.  Furman  and  Semple  and  Cone 
and  Baldwin  and  Sharp  and  Malcom  and  Staughton  and 
Bolles  and  Peck  and  Webb, — these  and  others  have  been 
among  the  heroes  of  our  home  battles  in  the  cause 
of  missions,  as  well  as  those  who  have  carried  the 
wounds  also  of  foreign  conflict.  Many  have  toiled  for 
the  evansfelization  of  the  heathen  who  have  never  left 


MISSIONARY  UNION.  73 

American  shores,  and  in  secretaryships  or  committees  or 
pastorates  or  elsewhere  experienced  their  Oung-pen-las, 
their  Serampores,  their  jungle-fevers. 

Our  foreign  mission  organization  was  first  called  "The 
General  Missionary  Convention,"  but  subsequently, 
from  meeting  once  every  three  years,  "  The  Triennial 
Convention,"  until,  in  1845-46,  the  Southern  States  with- 
drew their  co-operation,  and  the  Society  received  the  name 
it  still  bears — "  The  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union." 
It  was  very  evident  that  the  founders  of  the  Society  in- 
tended that  foreign  missions  should  be  its  only  respon- 
sibility ;  yet  for  a  while  attention  came  to  be  diverted  in 
part  in  the  interests  of  domestic  missions  and  of  classical 
and  theological  instruction  in  Philadelphia  and  Washing- 
ton. Experience,  however,  taught  the  wisdom  of  return- 
ing to  the  one  undivided  object  of  missionary  operations 
among  the  heathen. 

The  mission  field,  occupied  by  the  Society  at  first  in 
Burmah,  has  extended  into  Assam,  India,  China,  Japan, 
Sweden,  Germany,  France,  Spain,  and  Greece.  The  two 
missionaries  in  Rangoon  are  succeeded  by  the  present 
missionary  force  of  186  in  Asia  and  of  463  in  Europe. 
The  latter,  however,  are  all  native  laborers,  supported 
only  in  part  by  the  funds  of  the  Missionary  Union,  and, 
enumerated  with  the  643  native  preachers  connected  with 
our  Asiatic  stations,  give  1 106  as  the  number  of  laborers 
in  the  ministry  associated  with  our  fully-supported  mis- 
sionaries. And  that  one  first  Burman  convert,  Moung 
Nau,  baptized  by  Dr.  Judson  after  the  toil  and  waiting 
of  six  long  years,  has  multiplied  into  550  churches,  with 
42,226  members,  in  Asia,  and  455  churches,  with  47,046 ' 
7 


74  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

members,  in  Europe,  or  a  grand  total  in  sixty-eight 
years,  not  including  the  multitudes  of  converts  who 
have  entered  into  rest,  of  1005  churches,  with  89,272 
members. 

Yet  here,  again,  as  with  the  work  of  our  Home  Mission 
and  Publication  Societies,  the  statistics  of  results  fall  far 
short  of  indicating  all  that  has  been  accomplished  under 
the  blessing  of  God.  When  a  single  station  has  been  oc- 
cupied in  the  midst  of  a  vast  heathen  population,  or  of 
multitudes  of  merely  nominal  Christian's  whose  religion 
is  rarely  more  than  a  mingling  of  superstition  and  for- 
malism ;  when  the  missionary  has  secured  a  shelter  and 
a  preaching-room  and  a  working  knowledge  of  the  lan- 
guage,— it  means  a  great  deal  more  than  figures  can  tell. 
And  especially  after  a  few  years,  or  decades  of  years, 
when  a  little  company  of  converts  have  been  gathered ; 
and  a  number  of  the  young  men  have  become  qualified, 
through  divine  grace  and  careful  training,  to  preach  as 
only  the  natives,  after  all,  can  preach  the  gospel ;  and  an 
equal  number  of  the  young  women  have  been  so  educated 
that  they  are  fitting  companions  for  these  native  evangel- 
ists and  pastors;  and  the  Scriptures  have  been  translated 
and  printed,  together  with  a  few  books  and  tracts  of  the 
most  helpful  Christian  literature, — they  nevertheless  all 
together  do  not  make  much  display  in  statistical  tables. 
But,  in  reality,  many  heroic  battles  have  been  fought, 
many  signal  victories  have  been  won  ;  a  position  has 
been  taken  and  fortified  in  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  ter- 
ritory ;  and  the  advantage  gained  is  incalculable,  in  re- 
spect to  all  future  aggressive  movements,  in  the  moral 
influence  that  is  already  felt  among  the  opposing  ranks, 


MISSIONARY  UNION.  75 

and  in  the  greater  facilities  furnished  to  all  the  mission- 
ary successors. 

Likewise  at  home,  figures  are  very  inadequate  to  tell 
the  story  of  the  labors  and  the  sacrifices  and  the  triumphs 
of  those  whose  lives  are  being  devoted  to  the  furtherance 
of  the  cause  of  missions.  Of  this,  perhaps,  some  of  the 
missionaries — and  certainly,  I  know,  many  of  their  per- 
sonal friends — need  to  be  reminded,  even  as  nearly  all  of 
us,  that  bare  statistics,  even  with  much  accompanying 
explanation,  do  not  reveal  all  the  toils  and  the  hardships 
and  the  attainments  of  the  missionary's  life.  It  is  quickly 
read  that  at  the  last  May  anniversaries  the  life-members 
and  delegates  to  the  assembled  Missionary  Union  elected 
a  number  of  managers  to  fill  up  the  Board  for  the  ensu- 
ing three  years;  then  that  at  the  sixty-seventh  annual 
meeting  of  that  Board  an  Executive  Committee  and  a 
Corresponding  Secretary  and  a  Treasurer  were  elected ; 
and  then  there  is  a  brief  Annual  Report  which  next  May 
these  executive  officers  will  have  ready  for  the  denomi- 
nation to  read — oh  that  all  would  be  so  wise  as  to  read 
and  re-read ! — but  even  then  how  little  is  known  of  the 
amount  of  time  spent  by  these  officers,  mostly  gratui- 
tously, over  innumerable  questions  of  detail  connected 
with  the  spread  of  missionary  information  and  the  devel- 
opment of  missionary  sentiment  among  the  ministry  and 
the  churches;  in  regard  to  the  moneys  received  and  their 
wisest  possible  distribution  in  the  face  of  the  most  earnest 
pleadings  in  every  direction  for  vastly  more  than  can  be 
furnished;  and  in  the  selection  and  assignment  and  coun- 
sel of  the  missionaries,  often  in  the  most  complicated  and 
embarrassing  circumstances!    And  this  is  not  all.    There 


'J^  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

is  much  else  of  perplexity  and  anxiety  and  labor  that  can 
seldom  so  much  as  be  intimated  in  the  published  reports. 
A  great  deal  of  human  nature  is  developed  in  the  commu- 
nications of  so  many  thousands  of  churches  and  ministers 
with  the  Rooms.  Contributions  have  been  accompanied 
with  immature  suggestions ;  articles  have  been  urged 
for  publication  which  plainly,  to  those  at  the  Rooms,  the 
cause  required  should  be  returned ;  appointments  have 
been  made  for  anniversary  exercises  which  had  to  pass 
by  many  who  had  a  great  deal  they  would  like  to  have 
said  upon  those  interesting  occasions;  some  missionary's 
judgment  with  regard  to  additional  expenditures  or  the 
modification  of  the  work  has  not  secured  the  approval 
of  the  executive  officers,  and  forthwith  hastily  the  ag- 
grieved missionary  has  opened  his  heart,  through  cor- 
respondence, to  many  of  his  personal  friends  in  the 
ministry  and  among  the  churches.  Most  of  them  judge 
simply  from  his  representations,  and  forthwith  there 
comes  down  upon  the  Rooms  an  avalanche  of  more  or 
less  brotherly  and  sisterly  criticism,  containing  frequent 
intimations  that  if  the  judgment  of  the  Rooms  is  not 
reversed,  funds  will  be  withheld  and  solicitations  be  made 
elsewhere  to  enable  the  missionary  brother  to  carry  out 
his  plan. 

Of  course,  it  will  not  do  to  alienate  any  individual,  es- 
pecially, if  he  is  generously  disposed;  nor  any  church, 
especially  if  it  is  attentive  to  its  missionary  obligations ; 
yet  of  still  greater  consequence  is  loyalty  to  the  cause. 
Obligations  have  been  assumed  by  the  executive  officers 
which  comprehend  the  whole  mission  field  and  embrace 
every  station,  even  the  humble  and  discouraging  as  well 


MISSIONARY  UNION.  J7 

as  the  most  conspicuous  and  prospered.  Each  is  a  sacred 
trust  committed  to  their  hands  by  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  contributors,  and  they  must  preserve  a  judicial  frame 
of  mind,  not  cold  and  unfeeHng — ah!  they  cannot  if  they 
would,  so  close  to  the  beating  hearts  of  so  many  toiling, 
sacrificing,  dying  missionaries — but  ever  looking  upon 
all  sides  of  every  question,  leaning  toward  the  judgment 
of  the  missionaries  in  all  matters  of  doubt,  yet  standing 
firmly  against  whatever  to  them  is  evidently  imprudent 
or  unwise.  Yet  action  in  each  case  must  never  be  taken 
without  every  possible  effort  to  lessen  its  cost.  Hence, 
anxiety  and  conference  and  correspondence  enough  for  a 
year's  pastorate  of  a  church  or  a  year's  editorship  of  a 
newspaper.  Indeed,  figures  cannot  adequately  repre- 
sent such  services  as  are  being  rendered  every  week — 
yes,  every  day — for  the  mission  cause,  for  our  denomi- 
nation, for  Christ,  at  the  Rooms  in  Boston,  as  well  as  at 
the  headquarters  of  both  our  Home  Mission  and  Publi- 
cation Societies  in  New  York  and  in  Philadelphia.  I 
have  seen  a  thousand  missionaries  abroad,  and  many 
missionaries  and  colporteurs  at  home,  in  the  midst  of 
their  harassing  cares  and  crushing  burdens  and  sacrifi- 
cing lives ;  and  then  I  have  seen  and  talked  with  the 
executive  officers  of  our  three  great  Baptist  national 
organizations.  With  some  of  them  I  have  sat  in  coun- 
sel, and  I  must  testify  that  the  latter  also  deserve  univer- 
sal appreciation  and  sympathy,  the  prayers  of  all,  and 
cordial  recognition  as  really  belonging  to  the  mission 
ranks. 

"  But,"   many  reply,  "  the   executive   officers  of  our 
three  missionary  societies,  who  are  under  pay,  receive 

7« 


78  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

much  larger  salaries  than  the  missionaries,  and  hence 
cannot  be  ranked  with  them  in  sacrifice,  even  if  they 
can  in  harassing  cares  and  wearing  toils."  This  is  a 
mistake,  as  we  have  seen  already  in  part,  and  we  would 
not  refer  to  it  again  except  for  its  serious  prevalence.  It 
is  nothing  to  the  point  if  any  of  them  are  fortunately  cir- 
cumstanced outside  their  salaries,  for  this  has  happened 
to  some  of  our  missionaries  and  pastors.  Only  they  can 
then  help  the  more — as  they  do — with  their  financial  re- 
sources, as  well  as  with  head  and  heart  and  hands.  More- 
over, especially  with  foreign  missionaries,  when  to  the  sala- 
ries are  added  the  house-rent,  repairs,  vacation-support, 
pensions,  and  other  perquisites,  the  inequality  in  the 
amounts  themselves  is  not,  as  we  have  before  observed, 
very  apparent.  Neither  the  Missionary  Union,  the  Home 
Mission  Society,  nor  the  Publication  Society  have 
any  dwellings  for  their  Corresponding  Secretaries  and 
other  officers  in  those  great  cities  where  rents  are  so 
high.  They  make  no  special  appropriations  for  the  en- 
larged hospitalities,  as  we  have  said,  which  have  to  be 
extended  in  the  interest  of  the  mission  by  these  execu- 
tive officers.  And  when,  lately.  Rev.  J.  N.  Murdock, 
D.  D.,  after  eighteen  years  of  efficient  service  in  the  sec- 
retaryship of  the  Missionary  Union,  broke  down  in  health 
— temporarily  only,  it  is  to  be  hoped — he  could  not  upon 
some  physician's  certificate  drop  his  work  for  two  or  three 
years,  if  necessary,  and  go  off  to  some  other  country  to 
rest  at  the  charges  of  the  Society.  No,  indeed  ;  for  even 
for  a  three  months'  vacation  from  the  Rooms  there  had  to 
be  a  formal  resolution  of  permission  passed  in  his  behalf 
by  the  Board. 


MISSIONARY  UNION.  79 

And  now  I  wish  to  add  a  testimony  of  impression  with 
regard  to  others  of  our  brethren  than  those  whose  execu- 
tive duties  confine  them  chiefly  to  the  Rooms.  I  refer  to 
the  District  Secretaries,  of  which  the  Missionary  Union 
has  seven,  the  Home  Mission  Society  sixteen,  and  the 
Pubhcation  Society  five.  Their  work,  its  necessity,  and 
its  extremely  arduous  character  I  never  appreciated  as 
recently,  after  having  done  a  little  touring  of  churches 
in  behalf  of  our  foreign  missions  on  account  of  the  threat- 
ened deficit  in  the  treasury.  The  want  of  information  and 
of  sympathy  regarding  missions  that  is  to  be  found  among 
a  large  number  of  our  ministers  and  churches  is  astonish- 
ing. They  do  not  place  themselves  in  the  way  of  mis- 
sion intelligence,  and  they  do  not  seem  anxious  to  be- 
come enlisted  in  interest  and  co-operation.  They  have 
their  own  church  to  look  out  for,  and  they  have  not,  and 
do  not  care  to  have,  any  other  responsibility.  It  is  a 
great  field  for  still  further  evangelization.  Those  who 
go  to  them  with  argument  and  entreaty  and  prayers  to 
convert  them  to  the  cause  of  missions  are  as  surely  mis- 
sionaries, and  often  have  as  hard  a  time,  as  the  workers 
in  Burmah  or  in  China.  There  is  no  other  way  than 
personal  labor  with  these,  whose  sympathy  and  help  are 
so  much  needed.  The  Corresponding  Secretaries  at  the 
Rooms  cannot  attend  to  this  duty,  being  already  overbur- 
dened with  the  details  of  office ;  so,  many  of  our  best  men 
must  be  enlisted  for  the  service.  They  must  generally 
be  ministers,  thoroughly  appreciating  the  position  of  the 
pastors,  and  able  to  fill  acceptably  and  effectively  even 
the  most  prominent  pulpits.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  so 
much  talent  has  to  be  provided  and  so  much  expense 


80  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

incurred  to  do  what  the  ministers  themselves  ought  to 
do  ;  but  at  present  there  is  no  help  for  it.  And,  mean- 
while, if  there  are  any  servants  of  Christ  in  the  wide 
world  who  deserve  sympathy  and  support,  kindly  words 
and  hospitalities,  prayers  and  every  possible  co-opera- 
tion, they  are  the  District  Secretaries  of  our  missionary 
societies. 

The  cause  is  greatly  to  be  congratulated  upon  all  the 
efficient  and  harmoniously-working  woman's  societies. 
The  Missionary  Union  has  been  particularly  favored  in 
the  wisdom  and  the  spirit  which  have  controlled  its 
women  auxiliaries.  Of  the  entire  income  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Union  the  past  year,  including  ;^2 1,284.70  from 
sundry  funds,  and  ^28,651.10  from  legacies,  amounting 
to  ^288,802.48,  the  woman's  societies  have  contributed 
;^59,899.52.  As  this  represents  a  much  larger  average 
of  little  sums,  and  as  it  is  the  constant  effort  to  realize 
these  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  contributions,  an  im- 
mense amount,  of  routine  work  is  indicated,  not  only  at 
the  Rooms  on  the  part  of  the  Secretaries  and  Treasurers 
and  Directors,  but  by  all  the  District  Secretaries.  The 
Helping  Hand,  as  also  The  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine, 
deserves  a  place  in  every  family.  Indeed,  may  the  time 
hasten  when  all  the  periodicals  issued  by  our  Missionary 
Union  and  Home  Mission  and  Publication  Societies  shall 
be  considered  a  necessary  part  of  the  expense  of  every 
Baptist  family  in  the  land ! 


CHAPTER  V. 

OUR  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS,  AND  THEIR  BEAR- 
ING  UPON  MISSIONS. 

WE  have  seen  that  American  Baptists  have  47  acad- 
emies or  schools  of  their  grade,  31  colleges  or 
universities,  and  8  theological  institutions.  Among 
their  10,561  students,  1532  are  in  course  of  preparation 
for  the  ministry ;  ^Gy  instructors  are  under  appointment 
to  carry  out  the  purpose  of  the  denomination  in  the 
establishment  of  these  various  educational  centres,  at 
a  cost  of  ;^  16,949,61 3.  Nearly  all  thesfe  teachers  are 
Christian  men  and  women,  many  of  them  conscien- 
tiously seeking  to  discharge  faithfully  the  trust  com- 
mitted into  their  hands.  Not  only  in  the  theological 
seminaries,  but  also  in  the  colleges  and  academies,  it  is 
realized  that  more  is  expected  than  a  mere  secular  train- 
ing. These  institutions  were  not  intended  by  the  great 
majority  of  those  who  have  toiled  and  sacrificed  for  their 
establishment  to  be  merely  ornamental  appendages  to 
the  denominational  structure,  doing  under  denomina- 
tional supervision  what  is  done  quite  as  well  in  the 
public  high  schools  and  the  State  universities. 

Their  purpose  was  twofold — to  raise  the  intellectual 
standard  of  the  ministry  and  members,  and  to  promote 
evangelization.     Rather,  the  purpose  was  one — to  qual- 

81 


82  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

ify  our  churches  and  their  pastors  the  better  to  go  forth 
to  the  conquest  of  the  world  for  Christ.  The  grand  idea 
which  gave  birth  to  our  educational  institutions  was  the 
missionary  idea.  Without  it  not  a  quarter  of  these  near- 
ly seventeen  millions  of  dollars  could  have  been  raised. 
The  large  majority  of  the  donors  had  the  spirit  of  the 
"  Great  Commission  "  in  mind :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  It 
would  have  been  far  from  sufficient  to  suggest  that  in- 
creased educational  facilities  would  advance  social  rank ; 
or  that  it  would  be  doing  as  other  denominations  had 
done ;  or  that  thus  our  young  men  and  young  women 
would  be  kept  from  going  to  the  other  denominations. 
Such  a  class  of  motives  would  have  availed  only  to  a 
comparatively  limited  extent.  But  the  missionary  idea 
prompted  many  of  our  wise  and  farsighted  members,  and 
they  reasoned  that  educational  institutions  of  various 
grades,  under  thorough  Christian  influence,  would  con- 
tribute greatly  to  the  advancement  of  the  Redeemer's 
cause.  The  ministry  would  be  better  fitted,  not  simply 
to  ornament  their  sanctuaries,  but  especially  to  reach  the 
unbelieving  and  ungodly  masses  with  the  gospel  mes- 
sage, and  so  to  educate  their  churches  in  turn  that  they 
should  be  the  more  aggressive  and  victorious.  They  felt 
the  need  of  more-disciplined  and  better-informed  minds 
in  the  counsel  and  administration  of  the  churches,  that 
their  light  might  shine  out  upon  the  surrounding  dark- 
ness more  brightly  and  more  steadily.  Some  have 
thought  directly  of  educating  men  and  women  to  go  to 
mission  fields  in  both  home  and  foreign  lands,  but  usu- 
ally the  thought  has  been  more  general,  yet  none  the 


EDUCATIONAL   INSTITUTIONS.  83 

less  was  it  the  grand  missionary  idea  of  extending  the 
influence  of  Christianity  in  ever-deepening  and  ever- 
widening  circles.  The  boundaries  of  Christ's  kingdom 
must  be  enlarged ;  the  world  must  be  evangelized. 

But  on  the  part  of  the  guardians  and  instructors  in  our 
denominational  schools  there  is  a  great  deal  of  forgetful- 
ness  of  this  supreme  evangelizing  purpose.  It  is  not 
enough  that  they  live  a  consistent  Christian  life  before 
their  pupils,  exercise  a  little  more  freedom  in  formal  re- 
ligious services  than  is  customary  in  the  public  secular 
schools,  and  occasionally  give  an  evangelical  flavor  to 
their  class-room  explanations.  The  teacher  of  a  de- 
nominational school'  is  a  missionary,  placed  there  to 
watch  for  souls  as  one  who  must  give  account  unto 
God.  His  constant  aim  should  be  to  lead  his  pupils 
to  Christ  and  to  qualify  them  to  go  forth  into  the  world 
as  Christ's  workmen.  This  is  not  to  interfere  with  any 
other  duties,  but  to  accompany  them  all  and  to  bathe 
them  in  a  brighter  light.  Young  men  have  told  me,  as 
they  drew  near  to  college  graduation,  "  Neither  president 
nor  professors  have  ever  addressed  me  personally  upon 
the  subject  of  religion."  Yet  this  was  in  colleges  estab- 
lished with  Christian  money  to  advance  the  cause  of 
Christ!  Indeed,  I  lately  heard  one  of  the  most  reliable 
of  our  younger  ministers  say  that  during  the  three  years 
of  his  theological-seminary  life  the  subject  of  missions 
was  never  mentioned  by  his  instructors,  except  by  way 
of  history  or  with  such  incidental  reference  as  awakened 
no  feelings  of  the  grandeur  of  the  work  or  of  personal 
obligation. 

This  must,  of  course,  be  exceptional,  even  in  the  in- 


84  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

struction  of  the  institution  to  which  he  referred.  I  know 
that  in  some  of  our  theological  seminaries  the  missionary 
spirit  is  honored  and  fostered.  Meeting,  on  my  return, 
at  Venice,  Italy,  Dr.  Stearns  of  Newton,  he  most  cordial- 
ly invited  me  to  give  a  talk  to  the  students  at  home  on 
missions.  Casually  meeting,  in  New  York,  Dr.  Strong 
of  Rochester,  a  like  request  was  made.  And  when, 
under  the  arrangement  of  Dr.  Weston  of  Crozer,  I  ad- 
dressed the  students  there  on  missions,  it  was  very  evi- 
dent that  I  was  in  a  cordial  missionary  atmosphere,  and 
that  the  members  of  the  Faculty  were  endeavoring  in 
this  also  to  be  faithful  to  their  trust.  But  the  charge  of 
neglect  herein  undoubtedly  holds  good  against  much  of 
the  instruction  in  our  colleges  and  other  institutions. 
The  missionary  idea  is  largely  absent  from  them. 
Prayerful  effort  is  not  continually  made  upon  suitable 
occasions  to  convey  the  impression  that  the  special 
object  of  the  schools  is  a  religious  one,  and  that  all 
science  and  all  literature  should  be  subservient  to  the 
advancement  of  Christianity.  Personal  endeavors  to  lead 
to  conversion  and  full  consecration  of  service  are  sadly 
neglected.  Many  of  our  youth  graduate  without  the 
remembrance  of  a  single  earnest  personal  effort  for  their 
salvation  on  the  part  of  their  instructors,  or  of  any  at- 
tempt to  guide  them  out  from  self  and  a  selfish  aim  in 
life  into  a  broad  Christlike  view  of  service.  In  one  of 
the  best  of  our  colleges — the  one  to  which,  above  all 
others,  I  should  prefer  to  send  my  son — I  yet  remember 
that,  though  entering  at  the  age  of  fourteen  and  living 
among  strangers  far  from  home,  none  of  my  teachers 
ever  asked  me  about  my  church  attendance,  or  invited 


EDUCATIONAL    INSTITUTIONS.  85 

me  to  a  prayer-meeting,  or  talked  religiously  and  prayed 
with  me  in  private  at  that  moulding  period  in  life.  It 
was  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  during  that  time  for 
one  year  and  a  half  I  never  crossed  the  threshold  of 
any  church. 

It  is  more  than  fidelity  to  a  solemn  religious  trust  that 
requires  the  teachers  and  the  guardians  of  the  educa- 
tional institutions  of  our  denomination  to  keep  promi- 
nently before  the  minds  of  students  the  missionary  idea. 
In  no  other  purpose  than  .that  of  promoting  evangeliza- 
tion can  there  be  found  so  much  enthusiasm  for  instruc- 
tion and  for  study.  There  is  no  better  guarantee  for 
breadth  and  thoroughness  of  education  than  constant 
recurrence  to  the  great  central  fact  of  all  human  know- 
ledge— Jesus  Christ  and  his  work.  The  theological 
seminary  needs  the  inspiration  of  a  grander  idea  than 
the  mere  evolution  of  doctrinal  systems  and  ecclesias- 
tical forms,  even  the  missionary  idea  in  all  its  glorious 
comprehensiveness,  working 'like  leaven  through  all  the 
curriculum  of  instruction,  and  giving  character  to  all  the 
conscious  and  unconscious  influences  of  the  institution. 
"  Missions  and  their  present  history,"  observes  Dr. 
Christlieb,  "  claim  more  regard  from  our  theological 
professors,  not  only  in  practical  theology,  where  this 
usually  begins,  but  also  in 'history  and  exegesis — e.g.^ 
in  expounding  the  Acts,  Pastoral  Epistles,  and  Proph- 
ets." I  am  very  certain  that  I  should  now  look  back 
Avith  more  satisfaction  to  those  three  years  of  special 
training  for  the  ministry  after  college  graduation  if 
there  had  been  some  abridgment  of  the  lectures  upon 
Gnosticism    and    Montanism,   Sabellianism    and    Mani- 


86  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

cheism,  Arianism  and  Pelagianism,'  and  if  the  learned 
professors  had  turned  from  the  second,  third,  fourth,  and 
fifth  centuries  to  the  nineteenth,  and  informed  us  upon  the 
history  and  the  work  and  the  prospects  of  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Mission  and  PubHcation  Societies  and  of 
the  Missionary  Union.  It  is  quite  certain  that  there 
have  been  deHberations  and  movements  connected  with 
modern  missions,  under  the  oversight  of  our  own  de- 
nomination, which  deserve  to  be  mentioned  alongside 
of  the  Councils  of  Nice  and  Ephesus,  the  Christolog- 
ical  controversy  between  the  Schools  of  Antioch  and 
Alexandria,  and  the  distinctions  in  scholastic  theology 
between  the  tendencies  represented  by  Abelard,  Anselm, 
and  St.  Bernard. 

It  can,  indeed,  be  replied  that  the  principles  and  the 
methods  on  both  sides  of  the  conflict  with  unbelief  to- 
day are  identical  with  those  which  in  the  early  centuries 
immortalized  the  names  of  Origen  and  Sabellius,  of  Atha- 
nasius  and  Arius,  of  Augustine  and  Pelagius,  and  many 
others.  This  is  true,  and  yet  not  to  the  extent  which 
some  of  our  learned  and  honored  theological  antiquari- 
ans assume.  The  circumstances  of  to-day  are  not  those 
of  the  age  of  Leo,  or  of  that  of  Gregory,  or  of  that  of 
Charlemagne.  This  is  the  age  of  Christian  missions,  far 
more  prominently  than  when  the  Nestorians  carried  their 
evangelizing  enterprise  even  to  the  east  of  China.  The 
circumstances  of  our  conflict  with  unbelief  have  many 
points  of  resemblance  with  those  of  the  past,  but  there 
are  also  many  contrasts.  And  it  is  essential  to  the  best 
equipment  that  these  dissimilarities  should  be  studied 
and   understood.      The   scepticism   and   the   formalism 


EDUCATIONAL   INSTITUTIONS.  8/ 

and  the  worldliness  that  are  now  encountered  in  the 
home  and  mission  work  of  the  churches  in  America 
cannot  be  understood  by  ever  so  much  famiharity  with 
the  past  eighteen  centuries  of  rehgious  thought  and  hfe. 
Never  before  have  heathen  and  anti-Christian  nations 
faced  Christianity  in  the  unfettered,  candid,  inquiring  at- 
titude of  to-day.  A  Chrysostom  would  not  be  ready  for 
a  Boston  pastorate,  nor  an  Augustine  for  a  missionary 
appointment  in  Kansas.  A  Lactantius  would  not  be 
at  all  qualified  for  colportage  work  in  California,  nor 
an  Ambrose  to  enter  upon  missionary  labor  in  Tokio, 
Swatow,  Rangoon,  or  Ongole. 

In  all  our  schools  the  need  is  not  to  change  the  curric- 
ulum of  study,  but  to  put  more  of  Christ  into  it — more 
of  the  Christ  of  to-day  into  his  work  of  to-day.  Some 
of  the  teachers,  even  as  some  of  the  pastors  of  ovix 
churches,  need,  above  all  things,  a  revival  of  religion  in 
their  own  hearts.  They  need  to  feel  far  more  their  spe- 
cial responsibility  for  souls,  directly  for  their  ten  thousand 
five  hundred  and  sixty-one  pupils,  and  through  them  for 
the  multitude  throughout  the  world  whom  they  will  in- 
fluence. The  persistent  aim  should  be,  not  to  qualify 
these  youth  for  a  life  simply  of  religious  luxury  in  pul- 
pit or  pew,  but  to  incline  them  to  the  attitude  of  readi- 
ness to  be  and  do  anything  which  the  Master  requires. 
It  is  said  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  declared  to  the 
House  of  Lords  that  he  believed,  such  was  the  discipline 
and  the  esprit  de  corps  of  his  Peninsular  army,  he  could 
march  it  anywhere.  That  "Anywhere" — "Ubique" — 
has  since  been  chosen  as  the  banner-motto  of  brave 
British  regiments.     And  "Ubique" — "Anywhere" — un- 


88  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

der  Christ,  should  be  the  watchword  of  every  graduate 
of  our  denominational  schools.  For  this  every  teacher 
should  be  consecrated  before  God.  And  to  the  altar  of 
this  accepted  service  all  science  and  all  literature  should 
be  brought. 

What,  however,  is  not  a  specialty  is  not  very  apt  to  be 
made  prominent.  Mission  professorships  and  lecture- 
ships have  been  proposed.  With  the  former,  one  insti- 
tution is  already  experimenting ;  several  are  trying  the 
latter  plan.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  American  Baptists 
will  soon  establish  a  general  mission  lectureship.  Let 
several  of  our  best  men  be  engaged  every  year  to  de- 
liver addresses,  at  different  educational  and  other  im- 
portant centres,  upon  home  and  foreign  missions.  Let 
these  annual  contributions  be  gathered  up  and  printed, 
and  circulated  throughout  the  denomination.  A  thirty- 
thousand-dollar  endowment  fund  could  not  be  more 
wisely  invested.  Its  income  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
per  year  would  doubtless  be  sufficient  for  compensa- 
tion to  the  lecturers  for  travelling  expenses,  and  for  the 
regular  and  prompt  issue  of  the  lectures  in  book-form. 
The  trustees  of  the  fund  might  be  the  Secretaries  and 
the  Presidents  or  Chairmen  of  the  Boards  or  Executive 
Committees  of  our  three  great  denominational  societies. 
Yet  still  more  important  is  it  that  all  the  teachers  in  our 
religious  schools  become  inspired  with  the  missionary 
idea.  In  no  way  can  they  so  enlarge  their  own  resources 
as  in  thus  being  faithful  to  the  trust  already  committed  to 
their  hands. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  MISSIONARY  SPIRIT  IN  THE   CHUPCHES. 

IT  is  fundamental.  Missionaries,  and  money  for  their 
support,  are  essential,  but  underneath  is  the  still  more 
important  consideration  of  the  missionary  spirit  in  the 
churches.  Men  and  women  may  be  sent  with  the  gos- 
pel message  to  the  destitute  throughout  home  and  for- 
eign lands,  and  the  contributions  from  many  Christians 
may  be  sufficient  to  provide  them  an  extremely  econom- 
ical living ;  yet  the  structure  of  world  evangelization  is 
insecure  unless  it  rests  upon  a  deep,  strong  sympathy 
among  the  masses  of  Christ's  followers.  So  numerous 
are  the  members  of  the  Christian  churches  to-day,  and 
so  abundant  are  their  financial  resources,  that  it  would 
be  possible  adequately  to  supply  the  whole  mission  field 
without  requiring  an  exhaustive  measure  of  self-sacrifice 
on  the  part  of  the  great  body  of  believers.  For  example, 
four  or  five  times  the  present  number  of  missionaries 
could  be  sent  to  Kansas  or  to  Asiatic  fields  without  seri- 
ous embarrassment  to  home  labor  or  finance.  Yet,  under 
God,  the  required  measure  of  success  would  depend  upon 
something  else,  even  the  missionary  spirit  in  the  churches. 
As  in  war  loyalty  is  still  more  essential  than  men  and 
money ;  as  in  the  heat  of  a  battle  the  esprit  de  corps  of 
the  army  is  more  important  than  are  even  guns  and  am- 

8*  80 


90  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

munition ;  or  as  we  inquire  of  a  city,  not  only  whether 
it  has  population  and  wealth,  but  also  if  it  has  public 
spirit,  if  its  citizens  are  enterprising,  if  they  are  generally 
animated  with  the  purpose  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times 
in  all  modern  improvements, — so  the  great  question  of 
missions  to-day  is  that  of  general  loyalty  to  the  cause. 
It  is  the  esprit  de  corps  of  Emmanuel's  army  in  the  face 
of  the  enemy;  it  is  the  religious  enterprise  X)f_  Christ's 
followers,  their  disposition  to  glorify  his  name  through- 
out the  world. 

It  is  encouraging  to  note  the  marked  improvement 
shown  during  the  last  few  years  in  the  missionary  spirit 
of  our  churches ;  all  the  laborers  in  their  vacations  at 
home  gratefully  recognize  the  change.  With  every  year 
not  only  are  there  more  to  give  and  more  to  go,  but  there 
is  also  improvement  in  the  quality  of  the  interest  felt  in 
evangelizing  the  world.  With  multitudes  that  interest  is 
more  intelligent,  more  unselfish,  more  generous.  Many 
of  the  ministry  and  the  members  are  taking  a  more  com- 
prehensive view  of  Christian  responsibility  than  what  per- 
tains to  things  within  the  sound  of  their  own  church-bell. 
And  they  are  apprehending,  also,  that  even  such  limited 
responsibility  cannot  be  fully  discharged  without  the  mis- 
sionary spirit.  They  see  that  it  is  not  so  much  a  ques- 
tion whether  the  mission  cause  can  flourish  without 
their  assistance  as  whether  their  own  sermons  and  ex- 
hortations and  various  religious  observances  can  accom- 
plish much  without  the  accompaniment  of  a  large  measure 
of  the  spirit  of  Christian  missions.  But  this  improvement 
is  far  from  being  as  general  as  many  suppose.  In  some 
of  our  churches  still  an  almost  entire  indifference  to  the 


MISSIONARY  SPIRIT  IN  THE    CHURCHES.  9 1 

cause  of  missions  prevails.  Its  agencies  are  not  wel- 
comed ;  the  subject  seems  to  be  considered  an  intru- 
sion. 

There  are  numerous  indications  of  this  lamentable 
state  of  things.  Some  pastors  never  discourse  from 
their  pulpits  upon  mission  themes,  and  never  in  public 
prayer  refer,  except  in  the  most  general  and  formal  terms, 
to  world  evangelization.  As  a  rule,  it  is  considered  diffi- 
cult, if  not  impossible,  to  sustain  the  missionary  concert. 
Solicitors  for  subscriptions  for  the  mission  papers  and 
magazines  find  it  very  hard  to  secure  names,  and  then  it 
is  by  no  means  certain  that  they  have  secured  readers. 
Few  so .  give  of  their  money  as  to  feel  it.  People  are 
generally  surprised  whenever  a  person  makes  a  contri- 
bution to  missions  that  is  fully  up  to  the  measure  of 
his  ability,  and  especially  if  there  is  evidently  a  real  self- 
sacrifice  in  the  act.  Seldom  are  parents  ready  to  have 
their  own  children  think  of  becoming  missionaries.  They 
do  not  want  them  to  go  abroad  among  the  heathen;  and 
at  home,  if  they  are  to  go  into  the  ministry,  their  parental 
ambition  is  to  have  them  "  well  settled  "  in  the  midst  of  re- 
ligious, educated,  and  refined  associations.  When  Chris- 
tians meet  each  other  for  social  conversation,  it  is  too 
rare  for  them  to  take  up  the  theme  of  carrying  the  gos- 
pel to  the  destitute  regions  beyond  their  own  neighbor- 
hood ;  they  have  naither  the  information  nor  the  interest 
required.  And  there  are  many  other  indications  of  the 
prevailing  dearth  of  the  true  mission  spirit. 

Strangely,  there  are  those  who  seek  to  justify  them- 
selves from  a  mission  standpoint  in  limiting  their  labors 
and   their   sacrifices  to  their   own  local   churches   and 


92  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT 

neighborhoods.  It  is  thus,  they  claim,  that  indirectly 
and  eventually  they  will  the  most  effectively  reach  the 
unevangelized  in  home  and  foreign  lands.  The  great 
need  in  their  eyes  is  to  have  strong  and  flourishing 
churches  in  the  centres  of  Christian  population,  with 
imposing  sanctuaries,  popular  preaching,  and  all  the 
modern  conveniences  for  religious  enterprise  at  home. 
Thus  they  would  centralize  all  possible  good  influences, 
and  trust  to  their  natural  effect  in  ever-widening  circles 
among  the  population  of  the  whole  world.  But  such  a 
plausible  theory  is  suspicious  in  being  so  well  adapted  to 
mask  the  most  repulsive  selfishness.  It  is  so  easy  to  re- 
strict home-giving  to  mere  payment  for  value  received ; 
so  that  usually  it  comes  to  pass  that  there  is  no  benevo- 
lence at  all  in  those  who  limit  their  contributions  to  the 
maintenance  of  their  own  sanctuary  services.  But  even 
when  the  motive  is  honest,  the  plan  is  impracticable. 
Anti-Mission  churches  do  not  prove  to  be  radiating 
centres  of  powerful  Christian  influence.  The  cause  of 
world  evangelization  is  more  hindered  than  helped  by 
them.  A  church  wrapped  up  within  itself,  Christ  can- 
not use. 

It  is  well  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  this  prevailing 
destitution  of  the  true  missionary  spirit  among  our 
churches.  Why  are  they  generally  so  absorbed  in  their 
own  local  prosperities  ?  Why  do  they  take  so  little  in- 
terest in  sending  missionaries  and  colporteurs  to  our  new 
States  and  Territories,  and  in  sustaining  Christian  labor- 
ers among  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  heathen  lands? 
It  is  not  from  want  of  success  upon  the  mission  field. 
Our  Home  Mission  Society  records  the  baptism  of  85,281 


MISSIONARY  SPIRIT  IN  THE   CHURCHES.  93 

converts  and  the  organization  of  2765  churches;  our  Pub- 
lication Society's  colporteurs  and  other  laborers  have  vis- 
ited religiously  over  650,000  families,  established  4000 
Sunday-schools,  and  been  blessed  to  the  conversion  of 
many  thousands ;  and  our  Missionary  Union  numbers 
at  present,  in  connection  with  all  its  foreign  stations,  908 
churches,  1054  native  ministers  and  helpers,  and  85,308 
members.  This  is  unquestionably  great  success  when 
we  take  into  account  the  vast  difficulties  which  have 
been  overcome,  the  foundation-work  which  has  thus 
been  laid  for  a  far  more  demonstrative  future,  and  the 
reflex  benefits  which  have  been  derived  in  such  numerous 
ways  and  in  such  bountiful  measure.  It  is  as  plain  as  the 
sun  at  noon  that  God  has  owned  and  blessed  our  missions. 
Nor  is  there  any  want  of  opportunity  for  enlargement  to 
make  excuse  for  the  lack  of  the  missionary  spirit.  Never 
have  the  calls  been  so  loud  for  the  reinforcement  of  mis- 
sion stations ;  never  have  there  been  such  opportunities 
for  evangelizing  enterprise  among  our  native  and  foreign 
populations  ofthe  West,  among  the  Freedmen  of  the  South, 
throughout  Europe  and  the  vast  interiors  of  Asia,  Africa, 
and  South  America. 

The  cause  of  the  great  lack  of  the  missionary  spirit  in 
our  churches  is  that  there  is  not  enough  of  Christ  in 
them.  Want  of  information,  indeed,  is  an  explanation 
that  is  frequently  given,  and  one  that  has  much  force. 
It  is  strange  that,  with  such  numerous  and  excellent 
facilities  for  every  one  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
mission  fields,  the  work,  and  the  workers,  so  little,  after 
all,  is  really  known.  I  have  been  asked,  even  by  minis- 
ters, whether  any  progress  has  been  made  in  Christian- 


94  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

izing  the  Indians,  and  what  a  colporteur  really  is.  And, 
since  my  return  to  America,  I  was  announced  in  one  of 
our  Northern  cities  by  one  of  our  well-known  pastors  as 
an  old  and  successful  missionary  from  Burmah.  Church 
members  considered  qualified  to  teach  in  the  Sunday- 
school  inquire  if  the  Zenana  tribe  is  anything  like  the 
Sqitaw  Karens ;  if  the  Publication  Society  does  any  mis 
sionary  work ;  if  the  Home  Mission  Society  does  any 
thing  for  the  Freedmen  ;  and  if  the  Missionary  Union  is 
a  union  society  or  undenominational.  Such  inexcusable 
lack  of  information  must  seriously  interfere  with  any  con- 
siderable missionary  interest.  It  can  hardly  be  possible 
that  those  who  make  such  inquiries  have  ever  carefully 
read  through  a  single  annual  report  of  either  of  our  three 
great  Baptist  mission  societies ;  scarcely  is  it  probable 
that  they  have  studied  so  much  as  one  of  our  monthly 
missionary  magazines  or  papers. 

But  then  information  is  not  enough.  Every  Chris- 
tian family  might  receive  the  missionary  periodicals,  and 
be  provided  with  the  standard  histories  and  biographies 
and  books  of  travel  which  belong  to  the  literature  of 
Christian  missions,  and  all  the  members  of  our  churches 
might  become  thoroughly  informed  upon  the  whole  sub- 
ject ;  yet  an  adequate  measure  of  the  true  missionary 
spirit  would  be  absent  without  more  of  Christ  in  the 
churches.  The  grand  necessity  is  for  a  general  and 
genuine  revival  of  religion.  Information  is  badly  enough 
needed,  indeed,  but  vastly  more  essential  is  the^zeal  of 
the  divine  life  within  the  heart  of  the  believer  to  take 
hold  of  this  information  and  use  it  to  the  glory  of  God 
in  the  salvation  of  souls.     Christ  was  a  missionary  from 


MISSIONARY  SPIRIT  IN  THE    CHURCHES.  95 

the  bosom  of  the  Father  in  heaven  to  our  ruined  race. 
Upon  him  was  breathed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  the  mission- 
ary idea  without  measure.  To  go  after  the  lost  at  every 
personal  sacrifice  and  through  every  possible  danger  was 
the  consuming  purpose  of  his  earthly  mission.  Had  he 
not  been  driven  forth  from  Nazareth,  he  must  have  gone, 
impelled  by  the  self-emptying  love  he  felt  for  all  man- 
kind. He  could  not  confine  his  sympathies  and  limit 
his  benefactions  to  Nazareth  or  Capernaum  or  Jerusa- 
lem. Christ  was  nothing  if  he  was  not  missionary  in 
his  motives,  his  aims,  his  methods.  His  attitude  was 
ever  that  of  endeavoring  to  reach  all  around  our  sin- 
cursed  world.  His  disciples,  so  far  as  they  represent 
their  Divine  Master,  must  represent  him  in  this.  They 
must  continually  exhibit  a  disposition  to  go  out  after 
the  lost.  They  will  never  be  contented  with  a  localized 
religious  interest.  If  the  light  from  God  is  within  them 
more  than  a  feeble,  flickering  flame  of  future  possibilities, 
it  will  shine  out  upon  the  surrounding  darkness  of  world- 
liness  and  heathenism.  Sympathies  and  prayers  and 
benevolences  will  flow  forth  toward  the  destitute  regions 
of  the  world.  More  of  Christ,  then,  in  his  followers  is 
the  supreme  need  of  the  missionary  cause — more  of  his 
love,  more  of  his  mind,  more  of  his  life ;  thus  will  inter- 
est be  enlisted  in  world  evangelization.  Let  the  execu- 
tive officers  of  our  societies  toil  on  to  spread  more  and 
more  information  among  the  myriad  members  of  our 
churches.  Let  their  noble  volunteer  assistants  in  this 
work,  scattered  all  over  the  country,  persevere  in  the 
effort  to  give  the  masses  a  missionary  education.  But 
that  still  larger  number  of  the  ministry  and  members 


96  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

who  are  seeking  all  the  while  by  their  lips  and  their 
lives  to  make  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  better  acquaint- 
ed with  its  head,  its  heart,  its  all ;  whose  chief  burden 
in  prayer  and  effort  is  to  secure  a  deep  and  general  revi- 
val of  genuine  piety — the  vital  union  of  every  member 
with  him  who  came  into  this  world,  "  not  to  be  minis- 
tered unto,  but  to  minister  "  to  others,  to  all, — they  con- 
stitute the  most  important  agency  of  the  mission  cause 
to-day;  upon  their  instrumentality  especially  depends 
the  missionary  spirit  in  our  churches. 

It  is  evident  that  the  resources  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation are  equal  to  a  very  great  enlargement  of  mission- 
ary enterprise  without  at  all  interfering  with  legitimate 
home  interests.  At  a  cost  of  less  than  two  cents  per 
week  for  each  member  throughout  the  North,  we  are 
supporting  only  six  hundred  and  thirty-eight  mission- 
aries and  colporteurs.  Only  one  out  of  every  fifteen 
hundred  of  our  church-members  is  sent  to  the  destitute 
regions  of  our  own  land  and  to  the  teeming  millions  of 
anti-Christian  and  heathen  populations.  A  very  much 
larger  proportion  could  be  spared  from  our  home  minis- 
try and  membership  without  rendering  it  necessary  for 
churches  to  go  pastorless  or  Sunday-schools  to  be  with- 
out teachers.  Should  twice  the  number  of  present 
laborers  be  immediately  sent  forth,  and  at  three  times 
the  present  expense — for  that  would  not  be  a  too-gen- 
erous support — it  would  still  fall  far  short  of  our  respon- 
sibility before  God ;  yet  the  direct  results  would  be  glori- 
ous and  the  reflex  blessings  upon  the  home  churches  an 
equal  benediction.  Faith  would  be  strengthened ;  God's 
word  would  be  irradiated  with  new  light ;  much  greater 


MISSIONARY  SPIRIT  IN  THE    CHURCHES.  9/ 

inspiration  would  be  felt  for  all  the  details  of  the  import- 
ant home  work  ;  and  there  would  be  greater  restlessness 
to  do  and  be  yet  more  for  Christ  throughout  all  the 
sphere  of  this  life's  responsibilities. 

In  view  of  the  evangelizing  interests  which  are  es- 
pecially now  at  stake,  as  also  of  the  ease  with  which  a 
worldly  mind  can  profess  a  practically  anti-mission  Chris- 
tianity, it  is  a  serious  question  whether  any  one  who 
seems  entirely  destitute  of  the  missionary  spirit  can  be 
really  a  child  of  God,  Neither  history  nor  the  prospect 
of  centuries  furnishes  a  period  of  larger  and  more 
numerous  opportunities  for  mission  enterprise  than  the 
present,  and  many  of  the  most  important  of  them  are 
of  a  transient  character.  Never  will  our  great  West  be 
opened  up  again  by  millions  of  pioneers  from  among  the 
Christian  homes  and  church  influences  of  the  East,  and 
particularly  from  New  England.  The  lessons  of  the  past 
teach  the  thoughtful  that  the  marvellous  immigration  to 
our  country  from  all  parts  of  the  world  cannot  continue 
as  at  present  into  another  generation.  There  are  slaves 
yet  to  be  liberated,  especially  in  Central  Africa ;  but 
never  again  will  four  millions  of  Freedmen  be  cast  fresh 
from  emancipation  upon  the  hearts  and  the  consciences 
of  American  Christians.  It  is  in  our  day — in  none 
other — when  Japan  takes  her  place  among  the  nations, 
and  China  casts  down  the  barriers  to  her  isolation,  and 
India  opens  her  doors,  and  Islam  totters  to  its  fall,  and 
Rome's  followers  are  beginning  to  think  for  themselves, 
and  Africa  is  explored.  Future  generations  will  have 
their  own  responsibilities,  but  plainly  ours  is  especially 
the  responsibility  of  mission  enterprise.     Not  to  see  it  is 


98  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

blindness ;  not  to  hear  it  is  deafness,  God  is  declaring 
his  purpose  to  our  generation  of  Christians  with  a  voice 
above  that  of  the  thunder.  But  the  condition  of  multi- 
tudes in  our  churches  shows  how  easy  it  is  for  people  to 
profess  religion  and  attend  to  the  formal  services  of  the 
Lord's  house,  and  yet  see  nothing  of  the  onward  march 
of  God's  special  purposes  of  world  evangelization  to-day, 
and  hear  nothing  of  Emmanuel's  voice  of  command. 
Are  they  his  soldiers?  Are  they  in  the  ranks  of  the 
redeemed  ?  The  absence  of  the  missionary  spirit  in  so 
many  of  our  churches  and  from  so  many  of  our  mem- 
bers is  largely  accountable  for  the  prevailing  unbelief  in 
Christian  lands.  By  this,  also,  millions  of  heathen  are 
being  strengthened  in  their  prejudices.  They  know,  if 
we  do  not,  that  a  practically  anti-mission  Christianity  is 
a  self-evident  falsehood. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BAPTIST  MISSIONS  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  EUROPE. 

THE  "British  and  Irish  Baptist  Home  Mission"  has 
an  annual  income  of  about  thirty-two  thousand  dol- 
lars and  its  headquarters  in  the  building  belonging  to  the 
"Baptist  Missionary  Society"  (foreign),  19  Castle  street, 
Holborn,  W.  C,  London.  But,  enterprising  and  success- 
ful as  is  this  home  society  in  establishing  and  strength- 
ening Baptist  missions  throughout  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  its  expenditures  by  no  means  represent  all  that 
is  being  done  there  by  our  denomination  in  this  direc- 
tion. Even  as  in  America  the  State  Conventions  almost, 
if  not  quite,  double  the  work  of  our  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety, so  in  England  there  are  many  local  Baptist  organ- 
izations and  enterprises  multiplying  the  labor  directed 
from  Castle  street.  In  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle,  and 
under  the  superintendency  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  there 
centres  quite  as  much  home-mission  activity  outside  the 
immediate  local  responsibility  of  this  church  in  the  des- 
titute sections  of  London  and  throughout  the  country 
as  at  the  headquarters  of  the  general  Society.  The 
English  are  great  people  for  multiplying  missions  and 
charities.  They  have  over  a  thousand  of  them  in  the 
metropolis,  and  there  and  elsewhere  Baptists  have  their 
proportionate  share.     Of  the  more  general  character  is 

99 


100  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

also  "  The  Baptist  and    Home  Missionary  Society  for 
Scotland,"  with  headquarters  at  Leith, 

Just  beyond  our  missionary  building  on  Castle  street, 
at  the  corner  of  Cursitor  street,  is  "  The  Baptist  Tract 
and  Book  Society,"  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  one  day  be 
to  the  denomination  in  Great  Britain  what  the  American 
Baptist  Publication  Society  is  to  Baptists  in  the  United 
States.  It  publishes  quite  a  list  of  valuable  religious 
and  denominational  works  and  a  goodly  number  of 
tracts  designed  especially  to  meet  current  infidelity  and 
ritualism. 

With  the  history  and  the  work  of  "  The  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society  "  especially,  the  Baptist  denomination  in 
America  should  become  acquainted.  That  Society  has 
taken  by  far  the  leading  position  for  enterprise  among 
the  general  British  Baptist  missions.  Its  income  is  eight 
times  that  of  the  home  Society,  and  it  owns  a  beautiful 
building  for  offices,  free  of  debt,  and  admirably  located 
in  the  centre  of  London.  The  total  contributions  last 
year  amounted  to  ;^5 1,459  Hs-  io<^-.  oi"  about  ^250,000, 
and  with  these  funds  are  wholly  supported  6?)  mission- 
aries, and  partially  14  more  in  India,  Ceylon,  China, 
Japan,  Europe,  Africa,  and  the  West  Indies.  Connected 
with  these  stations  are  33,805  church-members,  among 
whom  are  57  pastors  of  self-supporting  churches  and  241 
evangelists.  In  the  mission  schools  are  166  teachers, 
with  5  141  scholars. 

A  comparison  of  such  statistics  with  those  of  the 
American  Baptist  Missionar)^  Union  indicates  that  the 
home  department  of  our  British  foreign-mission  cause 
is  decidedly  in  advance  of  that  of  our  Missionary  Union, 


MISSIONS   OF  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  EUROPE.   10 1 

and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  American  evangelization 
abroad  has  been  blessed  with  much  the  larger  measure 
of  success.  Nearly  two-thirds  of  the  English  churches 
give  something  annually  to  the  cause,  while  not  over 
half  of  the  Baptist  churches,  even  in  our  Northern 
States,  contribute  at  all.  The  average  of  the  English 
Baptists  is  eighty  cents  per  member,  to  the  American 
average  of  but  thirty  cents.  I  have  sought  carefully  for 
an  explanation  of  this.  It  is  certainly  not  in  greater 
ability  to  give.  The  rank  and  file  of  Baptist  churches 
in  England  do  not  probably  handle  more  than  half  as 
much  money  as  the  same  number  of  the  same  denomi- 
nation in  America.  And  certainly  history  shows  that 
in  generosity  of  nature  the  American  is  not  surpassed 
by  the  Englishman. 

Three  explanations  we  notice,  one  at  "  the  Rooms," 
one  in  the  home  field,  and  the  other  in  the  ministry. 
Among  the  executive  officers  at  the  Baptist  Missionary 
Union's  headquarters  in  Boston  there  is  as  much  intel- 
ligence and  fidelity  as  among  those  who  superintend  our 
•foreign-mission  work  in  London.  We  have  as  much 
reason  to  be  thankful  to  God  for  the  names  of  Hovey, 
Murdock,  and  Smith  as  have  the  English  Baptists  for 
those  of  Underbill,  Baynes,  and  Tritton.  But  I  received 
in  London  the  impression  of  more  accurate  familiarity 
with  the  foreign  field  and  the  work  of  the  missionaries 
than  I  have  found  in  Boston.  The  London  acquaintance 
seemed  to  be  such  as  could  be  derived  only  from  close 
personal  observation,  while  that  of  Boston  was  evidently 
the  result  chiefly  of  correspondence  and  verbal  reports. 
At  the  English  "  Rooms  "  all  the  questions  asked  me 
9* 


102  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

showed  that  they  had  been  there,  and  that  we  were  talk- 
ing of  scenes  far  away  with  which  we  were  ahke  famihar. 
Such  information  is  specially  fitted  to  convey  missionary 
instruction  and  enthusiasm  to  the  denomination.  The 
London  administration  has  been  very  wise  in  sending  so 
many  delegations  to  the  different  parts  of  its  foreign 
field.  Secretary  Baynes  is  at  present  visiting  the  mis- 
sions in  India.  I  heard  a  little  criticism  in  Delhi  from 
one  of  the  English  missionaries  about  this  being  over- 
done, together  with  the  strongly-expressed  opinion  that 
the  administration  would  help  their  missionaries  most  by 
letting  them  alone.  But  this  was  the  sole  exception  to 
the  judgment  I  found  among  the  thousand  missionaries 
visited.  They  all  endorsed  the  plan  of  frequent  delega- 
tions from  the  home  churches,  and  especially  from  the 
executive  officers  at  the  Rooms,  to  secure  the  utmost 
familiarity  with  the  field  and  the  work  and  the  workers, 
to  carry  back  these  fresh,  vivid  personal  impressions,  and 
to  transfer  them  to  the  churches  as  the  missionaries  could 
not  themselves. 

Take,  for  example,  the  sending  of  the  Secretary,  Dr. 
Underbill,  to  Jamaica  in  1859-60,  and  to  Africa  in  1869, 
and  especially  his  previous  delegation  to  India,  where,  in 
behalf  of  the  home  churches,  he  spent  nearly  two  years 
and  a  half  in  conference  with  the  missionary  brethren. 
His  eyes  were  worth  more  than  a  thousand  letters,  though 
written  by  the  most  able  and  painstaking  missionaries  and 
read  with  the  utmost  attention  and  deliberation  by  the 
Executive  Committee.  What  he  said  subsequently  had 
double  the  weight  with  the  constituency  of  the  Baptist 
Missionary  Society.     The  churches  felt  that  they  were 


MISSIONS   OF  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  EUROPE.   IO3 

receiving  their  information  and  counsel  and  exhortations 
more  nearly  at  first  hand.     And  a  similar  impression  of 
such  special  facility  for  securing  the  interest  and  the  co- 
operation of  the  masses  a  visitor  secures  at  the  Rooms 
of  the   Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  New  York,  as  also  at  those  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  in  Boston. 
With  these  brethren,  so  remarkably  successful  in  raising 
mission  funds  (5580,256.31  and  ^430,752.46),  there  is  a 
large  measure  of  the  inspiration  of  thorough  personal 
acquaintance  with  the  various  foreign  fields.     What  they  ,• 
say  and  what  they  write  indicate  no  more  consecration  i 
to  the  great  cause,  and  no  more  intelligent  conception  of  \ 
the  principles  and  methods  of  missions,  than  on  the  part  of    \ 
our  Boston  brethren  ;  but  they  wield  a  remarkable  power 
in  public  address  and  through  their  various  periodicals. 
Each  of  these  Societies  secures  nearly  twice  as  much 
money  as  we  do,  and  supports  nearly  twice   as  many 
missionaries. 

Therefore  it  would  probably  be  a  very  wise  plan  for 
American  Baptists  to  recall  a  few  early  precedents,  as  in 
1835  and  1852,  and  to  send  Rev.  Alvah  Hovey,  D.  D., 
Chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee,  and  Rev.  J.  N. 
Murdock,  D.  D.,  Corresponding  Secretary,  as  a  delega- 
tion for  one  year  and  a  half  to  visit  all  our  stations.  It 
would  be  better  if  they  should  have  two  years,  so  as  to 
study  the  missions  of  other  denominations  and  countries. 
Then,  when  they  return,  send  two  others  from  the  Board 
in  three  years,  and  so  on.  An  accompanying  delegation 
from  the  woman's  societies  each  time  would  also  be  an 
excellent  plan.     I  thoroughly  believe  the  investment  of 


104  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

money  and  of  still  more  valuable  time  would  pay  a  very 
large  return  to  our  denominational  interest  in  foreign 
missions,  and  to  the  treasury  of  the  Missionary  Union, 
I  am  quite  sure  that  this  plan  would  receive  the  hearty 
endorsement  of  the  missionaries.  They  are  all  the  while 
seeing  and  feeling  what  they  are  conscious  they  cannot 
tell  as  well  as  others.  They  understand  the  need  of  funds 
too  well  to  encourage  any  needless  expenditures ;  yet  I 
know  that  nearly  all  of  them  would  most  enthusiastically 
second  this  motion. 

Another  thing  tending  to  the  more  general  diffusion 
of  an  interest  in  missions  in  England  is  specially  to  be 
noted — the  nearness  of  all  the  churches  to  the  Rooms 
and  the  ease  with  which  they  can  be  reached  by  the 
mission  agencies.  The  entire  area  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland  does  not  greatly  exceed  twice  the  area  of  New 
York,  nor  four  times  that  of  Massachusetts,  It  is  one 
thing  to  reach  and  move  churches  packed  in  the  small 
area  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  thousand  square 
miles,  and  quite  another  to  do  the  same  with  those  which 
are  scattered  over  nearly  three  million  square  miles.  Bring 
our  churches  as  close  together  as  those  of  Great  Britain, 
and  we  shall  probably  be  able  to  move  them  much  more 
speedily  and  effectively.  If  they  were  all  brought  to- 
gether in  the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and  Indiana 
— which  would  make  up  nearly  the  area  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland — then  forty-eight  hours  would  take  a  secre- 
tary from  the  Rooms  to  the  farthermost  point  and  back, 
and  in  our  pulpits  and  among  the  members  there  would 
be  very  much  more  missionary  intelligence,  interest,  and 
co-operation. 


MISSIONS   OF  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND   EUROPE.   IO5 

And  this  emphasizes  another  fact  that  American  Baptists 
are  too  slow  to  learn — the  need  of  the  support  of  a  large 
and  efficient  corps  of  home  agencies.  We  cannot  contract 
the  limits  of  our  vast  territory.  Not  until  invention  has 
made  much  greater  progress  with  modes  of  travel  can 
Secretary  Griffith  or  Secretary  Johnson  be  in  Portland 
to-day,  and  to- morrow  in  Leavenworth;  or  Secretary 
Morehouse  at  a  meeting  in  Providence  this  evening, 
and  at  another  in  St.  Paul  the  following  evening ;  or 
Secretary  Murdock  attend  a  farewell  missionary  service 
in  New  York,  a  mass-meeting  in  Cincinnati,  and  a  con- 
ference with  the  Executive  Committee  in  Boston  all  in 
one  day.  So  far  from  being  reluctant  to  support  the 
agencies  we  now  have,  there  ought  to  be  a  demand  for 
more  of  them.  The  churches  in  the  vicinities  of  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  and  Boston  are  not  made  up  of 
more  intelligent  and  generous  members  than  in  many 
other  localities  throughout  our  country,  but  with  them 
the  agencies  at  the  Rooms  come  more  frequently  into 
contact.  In  those  neighborhoods  it  is  more  as  in  Eng- 
land. Commerce  and  politics  with  us  accept  the  situa- 
tion, and  lay  out  the  larger  amount  upon  running  ex- 
penses. The  same  wisdom  should  be  exercised  in  all 
our  mission  enterprises. 

Another  explanation  of  the  fact  that  the  home  depart- 
ment of  the  English  Baptist  Missionary  Society  is  very 
noticeably  in  advance  of  that  of  the  American  Baptist 
Missionary  Union  is  that  the  English  ministers — prob- 
ably, in  a  good  degree,  on  account  of  their  nearness  to 
each  other  and  to  the  Rooms — take  a  more  general  and 
intelligent  and  practical  interest  in  foreign  missions  than 


I06  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  ERONT. 

we  do.  In  the  British  Isles  the  pastors  are  the  moving 
spirits  in  the  communicating  of  information  and  in  col- 
lecting and  forwarding  funds  to  the  treasury.  With  us, 
alas!  how  many  the  churches  where  such  responsibility  is 
left  almost,  if  not  entirely,  to  the  casual  missionary  prompt- 
ings of  some  of  the  members!  On  the  24th  of  last  April 
there  were  missionary  sermons  preached  both  morning 
and  evening  at  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  different  Bap- 
tist chapels  in  London — three  hundred  and  six  sermons 
— and  at  seventy-eight  of  these  places  there  were  "juve- 
nile missionary  services"  held  in  the  afternoon  of  that 
same  day.  The  English  Baptist  missionary  anniversa- 
ries last  a  full  week,  and  that  alone  in  the  interest  of  the 
foreign  work ;  while  in  America  there  is  restlessness  at 
the  Missionary  Union  taking  two  days  of  the  four,  as 
also  at  the  Publication  Society  reaching  over  into  an 
extra  evening  with  the  anniversary  exercises  of  its 
grandly-developing  Sunday-School  Department.  The 
Missionary  Union  has  seven  District  Secretaries,  and 
then  the  auxiliary  woman's  societies  come  up  bravely 
with  thirty  State  Secretaries ;  but  then  I  have  before  me 
a  list  of  "  District  and  Corresponding  Secretaries  of  the 
Baptist  Missionary  Society"  (English),  including  the 
names  of  ninety-three  ministers  and  members.  Great 
pains  are  taken  to  distribute  suitable  rules  for  the  or- 
ganization of  "County  Auxiliaries"  and  "Congregational 
Auxiliaries"  and  "Ladies'  Branches"  and  "Juvenile  Mis- 
sionary Societies"  and  "Sunday-School  Missionary  Asso- 
ciations." 

In  the  work  abroad,  however,  the  American  mission- 
aries have  been  more  abundantly  blessed  than  those  sent 


ANDREW     FULLER.    D.  D. 
riif.'c-  1(17. 


MISSIONS   OF  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  EUROPE.   10/ 

by  the  English  Baptist  Society.  The  success  of  the  lattei 
in  the  West  Indies  is  equal,  numerically,  to  that  of  the 
former  in  Burmah ;  yet  the  converts  connected  with  the 
American  stations  outnumber  the  English  in  India  and 
Europe.  The  same  is  true  in  China  and  in  Japan,  but 
there  is  no  opportunity  for  comparison  in  those  coun- 
tries, as  the  English  missionaries  have  been  so  few  and 
so  recently  stationed.  The  English  Baptist  translation 
and  press  work  at  Serampore  and  Calcutta  has  been  very 
remarkable,  but  the  American  missions  are  in  advance  at 
Bassein  in  general  education,  at  Swatow  and  Ramapatam 
in  the  training  of  a  native  ministry,  and  in  Ongole,  Ger-/ 
many,  and  Sweden  in  evangelizing  enterprise.  Ameri- 
cans are  the  more  democratic,  and  more  easily  adjust 
themselves  to  labor  among  the  masses.  They  are  nat- 
urally the  more  enterprising,  the  more  ready  to  form 
their  own  plans  and  to  carry  them  into  execution.  Then 
almost  uniformly  their  principle  of  temperance  is  total  ab- 
stinence. Besides,  we  Americans  are  more  in  favor  with 
other  nations,  since  there  is  no  suspicion  of  our  enter- 
taining ambition  to  annex  foreign  territory.  And  in 
China  we  have  the  immense  advantage  of  not  being 
identified  with  the  government  which  is  responsible  for 
the  vast  opium  curse. 

The  Baptist  Missionary  Society  was  formed  in  1792. 
Among  the  twelve  founders  were  William  Carey,  John 
Ryland,  and  Andrew  Fuller.  That  same  year  Dr.  Carey 
preached  the  memorable  discourse  from  Isa.  liv.  2  whose 
two  headings  became  the  appropriate  motto  of  the  Soci- 
ety:  "  1st.  Expect  great  things  from  God;  2d.  Attempt 
great  things  for  God."     It  was  discovered  that  "there 


I08  ALONG   THE   LINES  AT   THE  FRONT. 

was  a  gold-mine  in  India,  but  it  seemed  almost  as  deep 
as  the  centre  of  the  earth." 

"  Who,"  said  Dr.  Fuller — "  who  will  venture  to  ex- 
plore it?" 

"  I  will  go  down,"  replied  Dr.  Carey;  "but  remember 
that  you  must  hold  the  ropes." 

Not  till  three  years  after  reaching  Calcutta  was  a  home 
found  for  the  mission,  and  then  at  Serampore  under  Dan- 
ish protection.  At  the  same  time  Drs.  Ward,  Marshman, 
and  others  arrived  as  reinforcements.  The  greatest  dif- 
ficulties upon  the  field  came  from  the  English  Govern- 
ment. But  they  were  providentially  overruled  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  gospel,  in  that  these  brethren,  so  pre- 
eminently qualified  for  the  work,  were  compelled  to 
devote  most  of  their  time  to  the  acquisition  and  the  use  of 
the  native  languages  in  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures 
and  in  the  preparation  of  a  Christian  literature.  It  was 
seven  years  before  the  first  convert  was  baptized. 

The  Society  entered  upon  the  interesting  work  in 
Jamaica  in  1813,  but  Serampore  still  commanded  the 
most  attention.  The  natives  called  the  first  mission 
press  a  balathe  dhoiirga — "  English  idol."  Yet  they 
soon  learned  that  it  was  not  speechless.  The  word  of 
God  was  issued  in  Bengali,  Hindustani,  Chinese,  San- 
scrit, Hindi,  Malay,  Singhalese,  Tamil,  Javanese,  be- 
sides numerous  lexicons  and  grammars  and  other  liter- 
ature in  several  of  these  languages.  Dr.  Yates  became 
the  successor  of  Dr.  Carey  in  this  vast  translation  work, 
and  before  they  and  their  associates,  Drs.  Marshman  and 
Ward,  entered  into  rest,  the  Bible,  either  in  whole  or  in 
part,  had  been  issued  by  them  in  forty-four  of  the  Ori- 


WILLIAM    CAREY,    D.  D. 
Page  108. 


MISSIONS   OF  GREAT  BRITAIN  AND    EUROPE.  IO9 

ental  languages  or  dialects,  spoken  by  more  than  five 
hundred  millions  of  people.  An  immense  number  of 
religious  tracts  also  were  placed  in  circulation,  which 
contributed  to  undermine  the  popular  confidence  in 
idolatry  and  to  lay  the  foundations  for  Asiatic  Chris- 
tianity. 

The  sacrifices  of  these  early  Baptist  missionaries  have 
never  been  surpassed  in  the  history  of  modern  missions. 
Though  receiving  at  times  large  compensation  for  the 
valuable  services  they  were  able  to  render  to  the  Eng- 
lish Government  on  account  of  their  knowledge  of  so 
many  native  languages,  they  drew  but  a  dollar  per  week 
each  for  their  food  for  long  periods,  and  were  enabled 
thus  to  contribute  several  hundred  thousand  dollars 
themselves  to  their  translation  enterprises  and  to  the 
founding  of  the  Serampore  college.  I  visited  this  col- 
lege, as  also  the  Calcutta  press  establishment,  and  with 
the  most  profound  gratitude  for  the  magnificent  work 
which  both  have  done.  For  the  former  as  well  as  the 
latter  there  should  be  a  future.  A  manufacturing  estab- 
lishment has  been  allowed  to  be  erected  close  to  the 
college,  but  this  difficulty  must  be  surmounted  even  as 
so  many  others  have  been  in  the  name  of  this  Baptist 
institution,  and  the  noble  monument  to  the  Serampore 
missionaries  must  be  preserved.  So  say  those  three 
neighboring  graves  to  our  denomination  in  England, 

Very  great  assistance  has  been  rendered  by  this  So- 
ciety, not  only  to  the  cause  of  evangelization,  but  also 
to  that  of  emancipation,  in  the  West  Indies.  In  Ceylon, 
where  its  labors  have  been  specially  blessed,  several  native 
churches  are  furnishing  bright  examples  of  self-reliance 
10 


no  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

and  evangelizing  zeal.  I  look  to  see  its  work  in  Brittany 
soon  starting  forward  upon  a  more  prosperous  career, 
since  the  situation  throughout  France  has  lately  become 
so  hopeful  for  Protestant  missions.  Dr.  Wenger's  com- 
pletion of  the  Bible  in  Sanskrit  is  a  great  monument  to 
sacred  learning.  I  was  glad  to  see  also  at  our  press  in 
Calcutta  Pilgrivi's  Progress  in  Hindi.  The  Congo  mis- 
sion in  West  Africa  is  now  being  pushed  by  this  Society 
with  great  earnestness.  Its  missionaries  have  reached  as 
far  inland  as  Stanley  Pool.  Some  of  them  there  evident- 
ly feel  as  Dr.  Livingstone  when  he  wrote  to  his  Society : 
"I  am  at  your  disposal  to  go  anywhere,  provided  it  be 

I  FORWARD." 

German  Baptists  are  sustaining  a  quite  successful  mis- 
sion in  British  Caffraria,  South  Africa,  as  also  in  Central 
and  Southern  Russia.  Their  labors  in  Sweden,  assisted 
from  America,  and  taken  up  and  carried  forward  by  the 
Swedish  converts  themselves,  form  one  of  the  most  en- 
couraging chapters  in  the  history  of  modern  missions. 
"The  Missionary  Union"  of  Stockholm  has  sustained 
over  one  hundred  laborers,  chiefly  in  the  home  field. 
How,  by  these  and  by  other  Baptist  forces  in  Europe, 
great  victories  for  the  cross  are  being  constantly  gained 
all  over  the  continent  we  shall  have  occasion  to  note 
more  fully  toward  the  closing  chapters  of  this  volume. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

JAPAN. 

WE  have  crossed  the  American  Continent  and  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Three  thousand  miles  of  railway- 
riding  and  five  thousand  miles  of  voyaging  upon  the 
great  deep  have  brought  us  from  the  shores  of  the  At- 
lantic States  to  those  of  "  The  Kingdom  of  the  Rising 
Sun  " — far  away,  indeed,  from  Rhode  Island,  yet  not 
homesick,  for  we  have  brought  home  with  us.  Though 
one  link  has  been  left  behind  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  we  can 
still  form  a  family  circle — father,  mother,  son — around 
the  table  of  a  Japanese  inn,  within  .the  house-boats  of 
interior  China,  and  in  the  dock-bungalows  of  India.  The 
arrangement  is  admirable,  and  guarantees,  if  life  and 
health  are  spared,  a  pleasurable  second  year's  absence 
abroad.  It  is  a  poor  way  to  travel,  to  leave  the  wife  at 
home.  When,  in  Egypt,  Palestine,  and  Europe,  I  have 
met  American  gentlemen  enjoying  their  opportunities 
selfishly  by  themselves,  it  was  a  satisfaction  to  hear  them 
speak  of  loneliness  and  unattended  sicknesses  and  social 
rebuffs  :  they  deserved  them  all. 

For  an  account  of  our  journey  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco,  of  the  three  weeks'  Pacific  voyage,  as  also  of 
many  other  "  fillings-in  "  of  this  tour  around  the  world, 
I  shall  be  compelled,  by  the  limits  of  these  pages,  to  re- 
in 


112  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

fer  the  reader  to  our  books  mentioned  upon  the  title-page 
and  in  the  preface  to  this  volume.  Suffice  it  here  to  re- 
late that  we  found  west  of  the  Mississippi  the  cars  and 
tracks  fully  equal  to  the  best  in  the  Eastern  States,  and 
the  ocean  accommodations  comparing  very  favorably 
with  those  upon  the  Atlantic.  In  attendance,  there  is 
marked  improvement  from  Chicago  westward.  The 
Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevadas  made  it  very 
plain  that  Americans  need  not  go  to  Europe  to  find  a 
Switzerland.  We  did  not  turn  aside  in  Utah  to  visit 
Salt  Lake  City,  having  seen  enough  of  Mormonism  in 
Turkey.  In  San  Francisco,  exceptional  opportunity, 
under  police  guidance  and  protection,  convinced  me 
that  it  outranks  even  New  Orleans  in  vice,  and  that  the 
Chinese  portion  of  the  population  are  not  the  leaders  in 
the  downward  road  to  death.  Alas  that  here  and 
throughout  California  the  evangelizing  work  of  the 
Baptist  denomination  has  been  so  hindered  by  un- 
worthy politico-religious  leadership,  in  alliance  with  the 
worst  elements  of  society !  May  God  strengthen  the 
hearts  of  Rev.  G.  S.  Abbott,  D.  D.,  and  our  like-minded 
brethren  upon  the  Pacific  coast,  to  struggle  on  in  the  effort 
to  redeem  our  name,  and  to  give  Baptists  an  honorable 
place  in  the  Christianizing  of  our  farthermost  West ! 

For  many  days  after  passing  out  through  the  Golden 
Gate  it  was  difficult  to  realize  that  we  had  left  America 
and  Christian  civilization  behind,  and  should  next  meet 
lands  and  people  upon  the  other  side  of  the  world.  The 
crossing,  in  mid-ocean,  of  the  one  hundred  and  eightieth 
meridian,  and  the  dropping  out  there  of  a  day,  helped  to 
transport   in  feeling  from  the  Occident    to  the    Orient. 


JAPAN.  1 1 3 

But  it  was  not  until  we  cast  anchor  in  the  harbor  of 
Yokohama  ;  saw  the  strange  new  life  swarming  around 
our  steamer;  noted  peerless  Fuji-yama  looming  up 
sixty  miles  away ;  passed  the  custom-house  examination 
at  the  hands  of  those  queer  little  gentlemanly  Japanese ; 
and  then  stepped  into  a  jin-riki-sha,  or  man-drawn  baby- 
carriage,  to  ride  in  search  of  friends  and  mail  and 
quarters, — that  I  fully  realized  the  distance  accom- 
plished, the  exchanged  hemispheres,  and  that  I  was 
again  in  Asia.  It  was  two  months  from  this  intro- 
duction to  Japan  to  our  reluctant  departure  from  so 
beautiful  a  land  at  the  harbor  of  Nagasaki. 

Meanwhile,  we  visited  Tokio,  Kiyoto,  Osaka,  and 
Kobe;  travelled  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  through 
the  interior  of  the  country  upon  the  celebrated  Tokaido ; 
went  to  Kamakura,  Dai-Buts,  and  Fuji-yama;  sailed  over 
Lake  Biwa  and  the  matchless  inland  sea ;  and  besides,  I 
took  an  excursion  alone  for  a  hundred  miles  to  the  north 
from  Tokio  to  the  wonderful  shrines  of  lyeyasu  and  lye- 
mitsu  at  Nikko.  The  journeying  was  mostly  by  jin-riki- 
shas,  though  occasionally  we  were  compelled  reluctantly 
to  exchange  them  for  roughly-constructed  stages  and  ex- 
cruciating kagos — the  rudest  kind  of  a  bamboo  palanquin. 
Heavy  luggage  was  kept  in  range  of  the  steamships,  and 
the  plan  in  the  interior  was  to  test  thoroughly,  in  all  their 
varieties,  the  native  resources  for  food  and  comfort.  Trav- 
ellers in  foreign  lands,  especially  in  the  more  distant  East, 
make  a  great  mistake  in  trying  to  ensure  the  familiar  home 
accommodations  everywhere.  Better  make  up  the  mind 
to  take  the  natives  at  their  own  familiar  best,  and  enjoy 
the  novelty  of  it  all.     Those  Japanese  inns,  far  removed 

10* 


114  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

from  the  European  and  American  hotels  at  the  treaty- 
ports, — it  was  a  rich  treat  to  be  put  through  their  quaint 
processes  of  entertainment.  Such  exquisite  poHteness ; 
such  remarkable  cleanliness ;  such  good  rice  and  eggs 
and  fish — if  you  had  ordered  them  cleaned ;  and —  Well, 
not  much  else  that  would  be  very  appetizing ;  but  then, 
after  every  effort  to  make  out  an  extrav^agant  bill,  to  re- 
ceipt for  supper,  lodging,  breakfast,  attendance,  fire, 
lights,  baths,  etc.,  for  fifteen  cents  each  person!  Charm- 
ing simplicity,  indeed  !  It  is  really  a  pity  that  so  soon 
the  natives,  even  in  the  far  interior,  will  learn  the  ex- 
travagant ways  and  high-priced  living  of  foreigners. 

The  country  is  very  beautiful ;  almost  equal  in  extent 
to  our  New  England  and  Middle  States;  comprising  four 
large  and  nearly  four  thousand  small  islands;  abounding 
in  mountain-  and  hill-ranges,  generally  cultivated  and 
covered  with  a  rich  foliage.  The  fields  are  kept  very 
fertile ;  and  vegetables,  tea,  rice,  and  other  grains,  are 
raised  in  abundance.  The  last  census  gave  a  population 
of  34,338,404,  and  to  the  capital,  Tokio,  1,036,771.  The 
Japanese  are  the  French  of  the  Orient,  of  which  the  Chi- 
nese are  the  Anglo-Saxons.  The  Japanese  are  very 
impulsive  and  imitative ;  of  small  stature,  but  good 
muscular  development;  their  complexion  copper  color; 
the  men's  heads  partly  shaved,  with  the  remaining  hair 
gathered  into  a  topknot ;  the  married  women's  teeth 
blackened ;  and  for  all  a  long  loose  style  of  dress  pre- 
dominating, except  where  dress  is  discarded  nearly  alto- 
gether. Sandals  of  wood  or  straw  are  worn  everywhere. 
The  houses  are  generally  of  one  story,  with  thatched 
roofs  and  with  movable  paper  screen  partitions.     Every 


JAPAN.  1 1  5 

home  has  its  little  garden  laid  out  in  extensive  miniature 
landscape,  generally  in  the  rear,  next  to  the  best-room, 
the  kitchen  being  on  the  street.  Everything  is  on  such 
a  diminutive  scale  that  the  people  seem  to  be  playing  at 
life. 

But  their  history  for  the  last  ten  years  has  been  no 
child's  play.  The  marvellous  results  of  Japan's  revolu- 
tion in  civilization  are  much  more  than  the  effect  of  im- 
potent resistance  to  foreign  encroachment.  The  Empire 
of  over  twenty-five  centuries'  uninterrupted  mikadoship 
had  become  herself  ripe  to  break  with  the  shogunate  and 
bakufuate  usurpation,  and  to  strive  for  the  overthrow  of 
feudalism.  The  foreigner  was  the  occasion,  not  the  cause, 
of  the  revolution.  Native  men  of  ability  like  Okubo, 
Kido,  and  Iwakura  were  ready  to  improve  the  oppor- 
tunity and  to  lead  rapidly  forward  upon  the  highway  of 
civilization.  They  have  reinstated  the  Emperor ;  organ- 
ized all  the  departments  of  government  upon  the  most 
approved  plans  among  advanced  nations ;  furnished  an 
army  and  a  navy  with  the  best  equipment ;  constructed 
telegraph-lines  and  railways ;  built  public  docks  and 
workshops  ;  dotted  their  coasts  with  lighthouses  ;  estab- 
lished a  thorough  educational  system  (with  three  and  a 
half  million  now  in  the  schools,  the  male  pupils  largely 
and  unduly  preponderating) ;  encouraged  the  press  to  a 
marvellous  development ;  adopted  a  decimal  currency ; 
erected  the  second-sized  mint  of  the  world ;  declared 
complete  religious  toleration ;  conformed  to  the  calendar 
of  Christian  nations;  recognized  the  Lord's  Day,  com- 
manding the  nation  to  observe  it ;  suppressed  two-thirds 
of  the  Buddhistic  monasteries ;  given  Shintooism  a  broad 


Il6  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

hint  that  it  has  had  its  day ;  and  sent  many  hundreds  of 
Japan's  most  promising  youth  to  America  and  to  Europe 
to  learn  what  more  improvements  can  be  made. 

Truly,  it  is  wonderful.  Already  the  leaders  are  be- 
ginning to  realize  that  they  cannot  have  our  civilization 
actually  and  permanently  without  having  our  Christian- 
ity also.  They  had  been  hoping  otherwise.  When  they 
came  to  appreciate  that  Shintooism  and  Buddhism  must 
pass  away,  they  welcomed  a  revival  of  the  old  Confucian 
philosophy  in  sympathy  with  the  modern  materialism  of 
America  and  Europe.  But  I  rejoiced  to  find,  in  conver- 
sations with  the  official  classes,  in  visits  to  the  govern- 
ment schools,  and  in  watching  the  drift  of  the  native 
press,  many  evidences  that  the  leaders  of  Japan  are  more 
and  more  disposed  to  extend  a  positive  encouragement  to 
Christianity.  Indeed,  my  anxieties  were  awakened  lest 
this  should  go  too  far.  A  government  patronage  might 
be  more  calamitous  than  persecution.  But  for  the  pres- 
ence and  influence  of  the  missionaries,  and  the  fact  that 
a  majority  are  Americans,  I  should  expect  to  see  in  fifteen 
years  more  a  union  of  church  and  state  in  Japan,  the 
government  maintaining  Christian  services  in  all  the 
old  Shintoo  and  Buddhist  temples. 

Christian  missions  could  not  fail  to  see  the  grandly- 
opening  opportunity  and  to  hear  the  voice  of  God.  Mis- 
sionaries of  several  of  the  societies  began  to  enter  the 
fi.eld  twenty-two  years  ago,  but  till  1872  their  work  was 
simply  introductory,  engaged  in  the  government  schools, 
and  instructing  private  religious  classes.  They  were 
greatly  embarrassed  by  the  flagrant  immoralities  of  so 
many   foreigners   among   a   grossly  licentious   heathen 


JAPAN.  117 

people,  and  also  by  the  bewildering  readiness  to  class- 
ify Christ  and  his  prophets  and  apostles  among  the  gods 
of  Shintoo  worship.  The  proclamations  of  death  to  all 
accepting  the  "  vile  Jesus  doctrine  "  still  remained  post- 
ed throughout  the  Empire.  Yet  a  few  here  and  there 
were  believing  in  Christ  and  distinguishing  between  his 
true  followers  and  the  ungodly  of  Christian  lands.  Gov- 
ernment began  to  have  confidence  in  the  missionaries. 
Chinese  Testaments  were  numerously  sold  at  different 
points  throughout  the  country,  the  educated  being  able 
to  read  in  the  Chinese  characters.  The  week  of  prayer 
of  1872  witnessed  a  special  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  upon  the  missions  and  many  of  the  natives.  A 
few  months  after,  the  first  Japanese  Christian  church  was 
formed  in  Yokohama. 

At  the  same  time  the  same  Spirit  was  moving  Amer- 
ican Baptists  to  undertake  mission  work  in  Japan.  The 
Free  Mission  Society  had  done  some  preliminary  work 
through  Rev.  J.  Goble,  and  Rev.  N.  Brown,  D.  D.,  was 
under  appointment.  That  Society  being  ready  to  trans- 
fer its  responsibility,  the  Missionary  Union,  at  the  evi- 
dent desire  of  the  denomination,  received  it  and  assumed 
the  support  of  these  brethren.  They  reached  their  field 
in  1873.  The  former  soon  became  disconnected  from 
the  Society,  but  has  done  some  valuable  work  since  as 
an  independent  Baptist  missionary,  and  is  at  present  very 
successful  throughout  the  country  as  a  Bible  colporteur. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  located  at  Yokohama,  while  toward 
the  close  of  the  year  the  reinforcement  Rev.  J.  H.  and 
Mrs.  Arthur  arrived  and  soon  commenced  work  in  To- 
kio.     For  a  year,  assistance  was  rendered  by  Rev.  J.  T. 


Il8  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Doyen,  whose  failure  of  eyesight  compelled  him  to  with- 
draw. In  1875,  the  little  church  in  Yokohama  had  its 
faith  tried  in  the  loss  of  its  chapel  by  fire,  and  a  year 
afterward  our  other  infant  church  in  Tokio  was  far  more 
afflicted  in  the  death  of  the  earnest  and  successful  young 
missionary  Mr.  Arthur.  Meanwhile,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  F. 
S.  Dobbins  joined  the  mission,  but  the  health  of  the  lat- 
ter soon  compelled  return  to  America.  In  1875,  Miss 
Clara  A.  Sands  was  located  in  Yokohama,  and  Miss 
A.  H.  Kidder  in  Tokio.  In  1878,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  H. 
Rhees  were  appointed  to  Tokio,  where  Miss  Kidder  has 
since  been  joined  by  Miss  E.  J.  Munson.  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  A.  A.  Bennett  began  work  in  Yokohama  in  1879. 
We  have  learned  recently  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rhees  have 
commenced  work  in  Kobe,  with  out-station  at  Tokushima 
in  the  north  of  the  island  of  Sikok.  This  new  move  is 
recorded  with  feelings  of  mingled  satisfaction  and  anx- 
iety. This  year,  also.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  T.  P.  Poate  received 
appointment,  the  former  having  been  a  professor  in  the 
Imperial  University,  and  the  latter  a  missionary  under 
the  Presbyterian  Board.  Though  located  in  Yokohama, 
their  principal  work  of  late  has  been  far  to  the  north,  at 
Sendai  and  Morioka.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  F.  S.  Dobbins  have 
since  rejoined  the  mission,  where  it  is  hoped  that  her 
health  will  permit  their  life-work  to  be  done  with  all  the 
marked  efficiency  illustrated  of  late  in  Philadelphia. 

Let  us  make  some  calls  upon  these  our  missionaries 
and  look  in  upon  their  work. 

This  house  upon  the  Bluff,  the  Foreign  Concession  of 
Yokohama,  is  the  home  of  Dr.  Brown  and  his  family — a 
double  house,  one-half  to  be  occupied  by  the  new  mis- 


JAPAN.  1 1 9 

sionaries,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  A.  Bennett.  The  other  house, 
which  belongs  to  the  mission,  is  occupied  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Poate  and  wife  and  Miss  Sands.  All  the  other  leading 
missions  here  have  better  homes  for  their  missionaries. 
But  ours  would  answer  if  only  they  could  be  kept  in 
repair;  and  they  would  never  misrepresent,  as  some  mis- 
sion dwellings  do,  the  life  and  the  labor  of  missionaries. 
A  pleasant  greeting  from  Mrs.  Brown,  and  we  are  intro- 
duced into  her  husband's  workshop.  It  has  the  appear- 
ance of  those  German  studies  where  such  prodigious 
labor  is  accomplished.  It  would  never  be  mistaken  for 
a  parlor.  At  the  table,  with  an  efficient  native  assistant, 
Dr.  Brown  is  toiling  on  at  Bible  translation.  This  occupa- 
tion recalls  his  similar  service  for  the  Assamese,  in  whose 
country  he  labored  nearly  a  score  of  years.  He  has  fin- 
ished the  New-Testament  translation  into  the  phonetic 
character.  The  Union  Committee  of  the  other  missions 
have  done  the  same,  but  into  the  literary  style,  which  has 
appropriated  the  Chinese  characters.  The  latter  work  is 
in  the  most  demand,  for  it  is  in  the  style  in  which  the 
people  are  being  educated — God's  wisdom,  perhaps,  to 
keep  them  the  better  qualified  eventually  to  co-operate 
in  Chinese  evangelization.  Our  venerable  brother's  labor, 
however,  has  been  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  Bible 
cause  in  Japan.  "Venerable"?  No,  indeed  !  A  young 
man  still,  or  he  could  not  have  so  tired  me  out  on  those 
long  walks.  The  most  beautiful  sight  I  witnessed  in  all 
Japan  was  his  baptism  of  three  converts  in  the  waters 
upon  the  shore  of  the  sea.  Two  of  them  were  a  mother 
and  her  daughter,  while  the  father,  a  physician,  and  al- 
ready a  member  of  the  Yokohama  Church,  held  his  lit- 


120  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

tie  son  in  his  arms,  explaining  to  him  that  this  was  the 
way  that  Jesus  did,  and  that  he  wanted  us  all  to  do. 

Upon  the  side  of  the  Bluff  we  will  call  upon  Miss  Sands. 
"  Not  at  home,"  as  we  might  have  expected,  for  she  is  a 
most  indefatigable  worker  among  the  Japanese  homes. 
We  will  then  take  the  railway  to  Tokio,  eighteen  miles 
distant,  and  we  shall  reach  Miss  Kidder  there  at  just  the 
hours  she  is  occupied  with  her  girls'  school.  These  la- 
dies have  been  of  incalculable  service  to  these  two  sta- 
tions. Dr.  Brown's  translation  work,  the  lamented  death 
of  Mr.  Arthur,  and  the  removals  and  various  circumstances 
of  the  other  missionaries,  have  to  a  very  unusual  extent 
thrown  responsibility  upon  them.  How  faithfully  they 
have  trained  their  Bible-women ;  how  judiciously  man- 
aged their  schools ;  how  laboriously  visited  from  house 
to  house  !  They  have  appreciated  the  need  of  winning 
the  hearts  of  the  natives,  and  plainly  they  have  done  it. 

Mrs.  Rhees,  whom  we  meet  in  her  new  home  then  in 
Tsukiji,  is  also,  both  by  nature  and  by  grace,  specially 
adapted  to  the  work.  Her  husband  is  a  laborious  stu- 
dent of  the  language,  conscientious,  and  of  many  years' 
experience  in  home  pastorates. 

Mr,  Poate  is  a  valuable  accession  to  the  effective  work- 
ing force  of  our  mission.  He  is  perfectly  at  home  among 
these  exceedingly  polite  and  genial  people.  These  ele- 
ments of  qualification  are  of  more  consequence  here  than 
in  China  or  in  India  or  in  America.  The  gratifying  way 
in  which  his  tours  to  the  far  North  have  been  blessed 
shows  us  that  Baptists  need  not  be  behind  Presbyterians 
and  Congregationalists  and  Methodists  in  the  success  of 
Japanese  missions.     Of  the  nearly  two  thousand  members 


JAPAN.  121 

and  eight  thousand  adherents,  our  ingathering  thus  far 
has  not  exceeded  one  hundred  converts  and  five  hun- 
dred regular  attendants. 

When  we  look  at  the  marvellous  opportunity  for  mis- 
sion work  in  Japan  which  the  providence  of  God  has  sud- 
denly sprung  upon  the  Christian  churches,  and  observe  the 
way  in  which  several  of  our  sister-denominations  are  meet- 
ing their  responsibility,  we  feel  ashamed  of  the  compara- 
tively small  contribution  of  life  and  money  which  Baptists 
have  thus  far  made  in  this  direction.  The  Presbyterians 
have  21  missionaries;  the  Congregationalists,  45;  the 
Methodists,  23;  the  American  Baptists,  only  ii.  While 
the  demand  for  native  preachers  is  enormous;  and  the 
Congregationalists  have  their  hundred  in  preparation  at 
the  Kiyoto  Training-School ;  and  the  Methodists  have 
just  completed  a  five-thousand-dollar  theological-semi- 
nary building  and  commenced  an  endowment  with  ten 
thousand  dollars ;  and  the  three  Presbyterian  missions 
are  united  in  the  support  of  a  most  efficient  institution 
for  native  preachers  at  Tokio ;  and  both  the  Church  of 
England  and  the  American  Episcopalians  have  theirs  at 
Nagasaki  and  at  the  capital, — we  Baptists  as  yet  are 
doing  nothing  except  in  a  private  and  incidental  way. 

Our  Board  should  be  enabled  immediately  to  double, 
at  the  least,  our  mission  force  and  our  expenditures  in 
Japan.  The  necessity  is  not  the  ordinary  one  for  en- 
largement. The  life  of  the  mission  is  at  stake.  The 
enterprise  of  others  will  swamp  us,  unless  we  enter  more 
vigorously  upon  the  discharge  of  our  duty.  No  doubt, 
if  we  allow  our  denominational  interests  there  to  drift 
along  as  in  the  past,  the  time  will  come  in  the  future 
11 


122  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

when  Japanese  Christian  scholarship  will  investigate  the 
Greek  Testament  and  church  history  for  itself,  and  Bap- 
tist principles  will  become  prominent.  But  now,  even  as 
it  ought  to  be,  it  is  more  a  question  of  evangelizing  en- 
terprise than  of  denominational  principles.  And  we  are 
woefully  behind.  I  saw  it  and  felt  it  all  the  time  I  was 
in  Japan.  I  wished  sometimes  the  denomination  had 
never  commenced  there  until  ready  to  be  more  enter- 
prising. 

We  should  establish  a  theological  school  at  once  at 
Tokio,  with  two  missionary  professorships  and  fifty 
scholarships.  God  would  fill  it  up  immediately,  as  he 
did  the  training-school  at  Kiyoto.  We  should  have  a 
weekly  religious  paper,  like  that  the  Congregationalists 
print  at  Kobe.  The  press  is  a  wonderful  power  in 
Japan,  The  editor  and  chief  proprietor  of  the  Nichi- 
Nichi-Shinbiin  showed  me  his  exchange  list  of  forty 
dailies  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  weeklies  and  month- 
lies. Two  families  should  be  located  in  the  North,  in- 
cluding a  missionary  physician.  And,  as  others  besides 
the  American  Board  have  stations  in  the  South,  I  felt 
strongly  we  should  immediately  have  one  at  Osaka  or 
upon  Lake  Biwa.  Otsu  would  be  an  admirable  loca- 
tion. 

The  last  of  our  mission  band  whom  we  met  in  Japan 
were  Miss  Sands  and  Mrs.  Poate,  who  came  to  Kanagawa 
to  bid  us  Godspeed  upon  the  Tokaido,  May  they  and 
their  fellow-laborers  soon  be  reinforced  up  to  the  full 
measure  of  our  denominational  responsibility  !  Around 
them  are  most  interesting  millions  prepared  to  be  re- 
ligiously instructed,  and  already  impressed  to  a  degree 


JAPAN.  123 

that  the  new  religion  must  accompany  the  new  civiliza- 
tion. A  remarkable  number  of  the  "upper  Samurai  class 
are  enlisting  as  Christians  and  begging  a  special  theo- 
logical training  to  become  qualified  as  preachers  to  the 
people.  The  English  Baptists  have  lately  located  a  mis- 
sionary (Rev.  W.  J.  White)  in  Tokio.  But  evidently  the 
chief  denominational  responsibility  must  be  met  by 
American  Baptists.  Japan  is  at  our  doors,  is  receiving 
our  civilization,  and  asks  our  evangelization. 


^^,3^8-,^^'^ 


CHAPTER   IX. 

CHINA. 

FIVE  months  in  the  country,  reaching  Shanghai  early 
in  May,  and  leaving  Hong-kong  during  the  first 
week  of  October.  It  was  not  a  day  too  long  for  the  de- 
sired touring  throughout  the  great  Empire  and  a  thorough 
study  of  the  utility,  principles,  and  methods  here  of  Chris- 
tian missions.  Indeed,  when  the  fiercer  heat  of  the  sum- 
mer required  us  to  take  shelter  a  few  weeks  at  Chefoo, 
the  sanitarium  of  China  far  to  the  north,  it  was  with  great 
reluctance  that  we  consented  to  lose  so  much  time  in  the 
presence  of  so  much  opportunity.  My  first  journey  was 
inland  from  Ning-po,  via  Zao-hying,  Hang- chow,  Su- 
chow,  Chang-chow,  Chin-kiang,  Nan-king,  Wuhu,  Ngan- 
king,  Kiu-kiang,  to  Han  kow,  six  hundred  miles  interior 
from  Shanghai,  to  which  latter  city  I  returned  by  steamer 
nearly  all  the  way  upon  the  Yang-tse-kiang.  From  Che- 
foo,  with  Mrs.  Bainbridge,  I  crossed  the  Pe-chili  Gulf, 
ascended  the  Peiho  to  Tientsin  and  Tung-chow,  and 
then  travelled  overland  to  Peking  and  the  Great  Wall. 
We  had  a  tour  also  into  the  Shan-tung  province  before 
returning  south.  Subsequently  we  visited  the  vicinities 
of  Fuchow,  Amoy,  Swatow,  and  Canton,  touring  from 
the  last  two  cities  somewhat  into  the  interior.  I  had 
thus  been  in  nine  of  the  eighteen  provinces,  twenty-eight 

124, 


G  S  Harris  *  SonsLith  PhiU 


CHINA.  125 

of  the  great  walled  cities,  thousands  of  villages,  and  met 
nearly  all  the  four  hundred  and  ninety-eight  Protestant 
missionaries  at  work  throughout  the  Empire.  It  was 
our  special  pleasure  to  see  all  the  Baptist  missionaries 
excepting  Rev.  T.  Richard,  sent  from  England  to  Shan- 
si  ;  and  I  freely  testify  the  conviction  that  for  piety,  intelli- 
gence, culture,  and  enterprise  they  are,  of  the  laborers  in 
China,  the  peers  of  those  of  any  other  denomination. 

China,  including,  as  we  should  say  in  America,  her 
states  and  territories,  is  twenty-two  times  the  size  of 
Great_Britain,  and  has  a  population  of  from  three  hun- 
dred millioji  to  four  hundred  millions.  I  incline  to  the 
latter  enormous  estimate  from  comparison  of  impressions 
of  density  of  population  here  and  in  India.  There  the 
reliable  British  statistics  report  two  hundred  and  fifty 
million  five  hundred  thousand.  But  never,  even  in  the 
most  crowded  portions  of  the  valley  of  the  Ganges,  did 
there  seem  to  me  to  be  such  swarming  masses  of  human- 
ity as  in  many  a  district  of  interior  China.  Their  authen- 
tic history  dates  back  to  the  eighth  century  b.  c.rmost  of 
the  time  since,  the  government  has  been  in  the  hands  of 
native  dynasties.  Kublai  the  Mongol  and  his  succes- 
sors ruled  for  sixty  years  from  a.  d.  1 280.  The  present 
dynasty,  the  Manchu  Ts'ing,  usurped  from  the  native 
Ming  in  1644.  The  Emperor  being  still  in  his  minority, 
the  dowager  regent  presides  at  the  Peking  Court.  It 
was  our  privilege,  while  guests  of  Minister  Seward  at 
the  American  Legation,  to  see  Prince  Kung,  the  prime 
minister,  and  all  the  heads  of  the  departments,  and  sub- 
sequently the  great  viceroy  Li-Hung-Chang,  at  Tientsin. 

The  Chinese  are  the  most  industrious  people  to  be 
11  * 


126  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

found  in  the  whole  world.     And  herein,  probably,  is  one 
leading  reason  why  they  are  permitted  by  Providence  to 
become  so  numerous,  and  why  they  are  colonizing  to- 
day in  almost  all  lands.     Other  populations  are  afflicted 
with  indolence.     It  is  the  cause  of  a  large  proportion  of 
their  financial  distresses.     If  they  could  only  be  taught  the 
lesson  of  industry,  their  condition  would  be  very  much 
improved.     So  here  come  the  needed  host  of  teachers 
from   the  Orient  who    know   nothing    of  indolence.      I 
never  saw  a  lazy  Chinaman.      The  natives   are  always 
working    in    the   field   or    the   shop  or  the   stre^  from 
morning  till  evening ;  yet  the  vast  majority  are  very  poor, 
and  this  marvellous  industry  is  but  a  struggle  for  exist- 
ence.    The  three  chief  causes  are  the  dishonesty  of  the 
government,  the  greed  of  the  priesthood,  and  the  opium 
curse.     Theoretically,  there  is  much  about  the  civil  ser- 
vice which  is  admirable  ;  practically,  it  is  about  as  bad  as 
it  can  be.     The  examination  system  is  very  elaborate,  but 
administration  is  one  vast  round  of  cruel  extortion.     I  do 
not  believe  that  five  per  cent,  of  the  revenues  of  the  coun- 
try are  used  legitimately.     Twenty  million  dollars  were 
raised  by  forced  contributions  for  the  late  famine  suffer- 
ers in  Shan-si,  Shen-si,  and  Chi-li ;  yet  undoubtedly  the 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  of  English  relief 
funds,  distributed  mostly  by  the  missionaries,  went  far- 
ther.     Then,  among  a  people   so  excessively  supersti- 
tious,   priestcraft    has    full    swing.      One-fourth    of    the 
female  labor  of  the  land  is  thrown  away  in  the  making 
of  paper  money  for  the  dead.     Then  half  the  men  smoke 
opium — a  most  expensive  as  well  as  deadly  habit.     The 
British  Government  of  India  derives  a  revenue  of  nearly 


CHINA.  127 

forty-five  million  dollars  annually  from  the  trade,  an 
equal  amount,  perhaps,  being  raised  in  China,  especially 
in  the  western  provinces.  And  many  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  wretched  Chinese  perish  every  year  within  the 
coils  of  this  terrible  anaconda.  There  is  great  wealth  in 
the  land,  but  it  is  in  the  hands  of  the  i^w,  and  they  dare 
not  make  much  show  of  it. 

The  three  great  religions  of  the  people  are  Confucian- 
ism, Taouism,  and  Buddhism.  The  first  is  a  system  of 
morals,  with  the  worship  of  the  ancestral  tablet  perpet- 
uated ;  the  second  is  a  very  degraded  materialism  and 
idolatry,  taught  first  by  Laou-tsze,  who  flourished  with 
Confucius  in  the  sixth  century  b.  c.  ;  and  Buddhism,  the 
religion  of  Fo  (the  Chinese  name  for  Buddha),  was  trans- 
planted from  India  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian 
Era.  It  became  very  different  in  China  from  what  it 
had  been  below  the  Himalayas.  Indeed,  this  is  the 
most  chameleon-like  religion  upon  the  face  of  the  globe. 
As  it  was  taught  by  its  founder  it  was  atheistic,  pessimis- 
tic, and  annihilatory,  and  thus  it  will  be  found  to-day  in 
Ceylon  ;  but  in  China  it  adopted  a  degraded  theism  and 
exchanged  its  Nirvana  for  the  new  western  paradise.  In 
Japan  it  joined  hands  with  Shintooism.  In  Thibet,  As- 
sam, Siam,  and  Burmah,  Buddhism  readily  consented  to 
admit  to  its  temples  and  its  priestly  supervision  all  the 
native  worship  of  evil  spirits  necessary  for  successful 
proselytism.  This  want  of  regard  for  principle  is  one 
great  shame  of  this  heathen  religion  which  many  foes  of 
Christianity  are  so  foolishly  praising. 

Buddhism  is  the  most  selfish  religion  of  the  world.  It 
contemplates  no  virtue  but  for  the  sake  of  personal  gain. 


128  ALONG    THB  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Lying  would  be  better  than  truthfulness  if  it  paid  better. 
The  whole  system  is  a  masquerade  of  the  virtues — the 
stealing  of  the  livery  of  heaven  in  which  most  effectively 
to  serve  the  devil.  This  generally  is  the  religion  of  the 
Chinese  when  they  come  to  sickness  and  infirmities  and 
death.  In  health,  however,  they  frequent  Taouist  or 
Confucian  temples,  their  choice  depending  upon  whether 
their  leading  anxiety  is  business  prosperity  or  govern- 
ment patronage.  Such  a  changeable  arrangement  could 
not  work  unsupported.  Human  nature  requires  some- 
thing abiding,  if  it  be  but  the  grossest  superstition  of 
fetichism.  The  Chinese  have  this  in  their  belief  of  the 
Fung-shway,  a  superstitious  regard  for  the  real  and  the 
imaginary  powers  of  nature.  Ancestral  worship  is  an 
important  element  in  this  vast,  permanent,  underlying 
faith,  in  that  it  is  thought  that  the  departed  spirits  have 
special  facilities  for  helping  or  hindering  the  good  or  the 
bad  Fung-shway  influences.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  an- 
nual worship  of  the  Emperor  at  the  altar  of  heaven  in 
Peking  is  a  part  of  this  universal  devotion  to  the  real 
and  the  fancied  objects  and  powers  of  nature. 

It  is,  then,  this  citadel  to  the  heathenism  of  China 
which  must  first  be  carried  before  Christianity  can  tri- 
umph. The  people  must  be  taught  that  there  is  a  God 
above  nature.  They  must  be  led  to  realize  that  there  is 
something  more  than  good  and  bad  luck  in  this  world. 
A  vast  network  of  superstition  that  tangles  every  act 
of  their  lives  must  be  swept  away  by  visible  evidences 
of  its  folly  and  by  a  true  doctrine  of  the  supernatural. 
In  this  much  may  be  expected,  and  that  soon,  by  way 
of  preparation  for  the  gospel,  from  the  introduction  of 


CHINA.  129 

the  arts  and  the  sciences  from  Europe  and  from  Amer- 
ica ;  and  especially  from  the  speedy  advent  of  telegraphs 
and  railways  and  great  manufacturing  establishments 
throughout  the.  Empire.  These  innovations  strike  at 
the  whole  system  of  the  equilibrium  of  invisible  influ- 
ences. The  popular  faith 'in  the  Fung-shway  must  go 
as  those  poles  and  lines  of  wire  and  iron  rails  advance, 
and  as  those  chimneys  tower  above  their  houses  and 
temples,  and  even  their  pagodas.  We  saw  that  Li-Hung- 
Chang  had  succeeded  in  erecting  a  telegraph-wire  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Peiho  to  Tientsin,  and  from  thence  the 
bold  effort  is  now  being  made  to  introduce  the  line  along 
the  Grand  Canal  to  Shanghai. 

In  the  early  centuries  the  Nestorian  missionaries  ex- 
tended their  labors  as  far  as  Shen-si,  from  which  prov- 
ince I  have  the  copy  of  an  inscription  on  a  monument 
recording  that  "the  illustrious  religion  had  spread  itself 
in  every  direction,  and  temples  were  in  a  hundred  cities." 
All  these,  however,  disappeared  before  the  Ming  dynasty. 
Roman  Catholics  began  missions  in  China  in  the  thirteenth 
century,  under  Kublai  Khan.  They  claim  at  present  34 
colleges,  34  convents,  559  native  priests,  1,092,818  con- 
verts, 664  missionaries,  and  41  missionary  bishops.  These, 
however,  must  be  very  exaggerated  statistics.  I  became 
acquainted  with  some  of  the  bishops  and  clergy  through 
courteous  introductory  letters  in  both  French  and  Latin 
from  Bishop  Hendricken  of  Providence.  They  are  a  hard- 
working and  in  many  respects  successful  mission  band,  but 
in  the  Chinese  mind  they  are  ineffaceably  associated  with 
government  intermeddling ;  and  their  influence  in  China 
to-day  is  by  no  means  equal  to  that  of  Protestant  missions. 


130  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

A  brighter  day  began  to  dawn  over  these  four  hundred 
million  heathen  when,  in  1807,  Rev.  Robert  Morrison  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society  landed  at  Canton.  How- 
*ever,  China  was  not  yet  open,  and  only  gradual  approaches 
upon  the  very  outside  could  be  made.  Others,  as  Milne, 
Medhurst,  and  Legge,  were  gradually  sent  forward  to 
the  skirmish-line ;  but  they  had  to  fall  back  to  the  Ma- 
layan Peninsula,  and  the  pioneer  missionary  to  China 
was  compelled  to  lay  down  his  work  so  late  as  1835  at 
Malacca.  As  the  result  of  the  war — alas !  the  opium  war 
of  1842,  between  England  and  China — Hong-kong  was 
ceded  to  Great  Britain  and  five  ports  were  unbarred  to 
commerce.  Advantage  was  immediately  taken  of  these 
opening  opportunities  for  the  gospel,  both  by  the  mis- 
sionaries in  the  neighborhood  and  by  several  of  the  So- 
cieties in  England  and  America.  The  Treaty  of  Tientsin 
(i860),  at  the  close  of  the  second  opium  war,  supplemented 
by  the  Convention  of  Chefoo,  gave  freedom  to  commerce 
and  missionary  enterprise  throughout  the  whole  interior 
of  China.  Christian  missions  were  thrilled  by  the  voice 
of  God  thus  calling  to  enlarged  responsibilities.  Scores  of 
central  statfons  have  been  occupied,  and,  though  it  required 
some  years  to  give  full  effect  to  the  treaty,  the  mission- 
ary now  travels  quite  as  safely  in  China  as  in  any  other 
land.  On  many  hundred  miles  of  inland  touring — once 
for  a  week  all  alone  with  my  heathen  canal-boatmen,  and 
at  times  being  in  places  seldom,  if  ever,  visited  by  for- 
eigners— I  yet  found  no  occasion  for  special  anxieties. 
There  are  at  present  243  ordained  missionaries  in  China, 
or,  including  their  wives  and  female  helpers,  498,  They 
are  distributed  among  165  stations  and  superintend  576 


CHINA.  131 

outposts.  They  are  assisted  by  714  native  preachers,  and 
report  18,958  converts. 

The  Protestant  community  of  China  to-day  cannot 
number  much  short  of  one  hundred  thousand;  yet  this 
is  a  small  part  of  what  has  been  accomplished  there  by 
Christian  missions.  The  foundations  have  been  laid  for 
the  spiritual  temple  of  many  millions  of  souls.  The  rate 
of  increase  up  to  the  present  would  give  us,  it  is  esti- 
mated, by  19 1 3,  twenty-six  million  members  of  churches 
and  one  hundred  million  Protestants  in  China. 

I  love  to  think  of  a  Baptist  as  virtually  the  pioneer  of 
modern  missions  to  China.  When  I  stood  beside  Dr. 
Marshman's  grave  at  Serampore,  India,  I  could  not  but 
remember  that  his  work  at  the  Chinese  language  ante- 
dated all.  Rev.  W.  Dean,  D.  D.,  was  our  first  American 
missionary  sent  to  the  Chinese,  and  was  located  among 
them  in  1835,  at  Bangkok,  Siam.  Others  soon  followed, 
Rev.  J.  L.  Shuck  and  Dr.  T.  T.  Devan  being  assigned  to 
the  Hong-kong,  or  Southern  China,  mission,  and  Rev.  J. 
Goddard,  Rev.  E.  C.  Lord,  D.  D.,  and  Dr.  Macgowan  be- 
ing located  at  the  Ningpo,  or  Eastern  China,  mission. 
In  1848,  Rev.  J.  W.  Johnson  was  added  to  the  former 
mission,  and,  in  1858,  Rev.  W.  Ashmore,  D.  D.,  was 
transferred  to  it  from  Siam.  After  the  removal  from 
Hong-kong  to  Double  Island,  and  thence  to  Swatow, 
our  Southern  mission  began  its  steadily-prosperous  ca- 
reer. Special  blessing  has  rested  upon  the  superintend- 
ency  of  Dr.  Ashmore  and  the  Bible-woman's  work  of 
Miss  A.  Fielde.  Rev.  M.  J.  Knowlton,  D.  D.,  joined  the 
Eastern  mission  in  1854,  and  Rev.  H.  Jenkins  in  i860. 
These  and  other  missionaries,  most  of  whom  we  shall 


132  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

have  occasion  to  mention  in  the  succeeding  chapter,  ac- 
companied by  their  wives — as  all  missionaries  should  be 
— have  given  our  stations  an  honorable  rank  among  all 
the  others  in  China.  Meanwhile,  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention  located  missions  in  Shanghai,  Canton,  and 
Tung-chow-fu,  and,  since,  the  English  Baptists  in  Shan-si 
and  Shan-tung.  Let  us  hasten  to  visit  them  all  in  succes- 
sion; for  a  most  cordial  welcome  awaits  us,  and  from  none 
more  cordial  than  from  our  missionaries  from  the  South- 
ern States, 


CHAPTER  X. 

CHINA  {Continued). 

WE  have  been  coasting  along  all  night  south-west- 
ward from  Amoy,  and  anchor  during  the  fore- 
noon in  the  spacious  harbor  of  Swatow.  At  the  mouth 
of  the  bay  we  passed  Double  Island,  where  our  mission 
located  upon  its  first  advance  from  Hong-kong ;  but  now 
we  find  its  headquarters  a  half  mile  yonder  to  the  south, 
at  Kakchie,  opposite  to  Swatow,  a  half  mile  to  the  north 
of  our  anchorage.  The  prospect  around  upon  the  face 
of  nature  is  rather  dreary  and  not  to  be  compared  with 
the  vicinities  of  Amoy  and  Fuchow ;  but  the  considera- 
tions which  led  to  the  occupying  of  this  station  were  not 
aesthetic.  The  best  position  as  a  base  of  operations 
among  the  millions  of  the  Tie-Chiu  dialect  Chinese 
was  the  first  object  sought;  and,  as  this  undoubtedly 
is  the  neighborhood,  considerations  of  health,  safety, 
and  convenience  decided  the  location  of  oUr  mission 
homes  upon  yonder  wild,  hill-fringed  shore.  Hotels 
and  boarding-houses  here  are  out  of  the  question ;  and, 
as  the  steamship  leaves  in  a  few  hours,  if  we  linger, 
some  family  must  be  imposed  upon.  Whose  shall  it 
be?  A  missionary's,  or  a  consul's,  or  a  merchant's? 
I  will  leave  the  reader  with  my  family  aboard  while  I 
hail  a  native  boat  and  go  ashore  to  prospect. 

12  133 


134  ALONG    THE  LINKS  AT  THE  FRONT. 

God  bless  them  !  Why,  they  really  think  that  we  are 
doing  them  a  favor  to  immediately  double  Mrs.  Ash- 
more's  cares,  turn  Miss  Norwood  out  of  her  room,  fill 
another  apartment  with  around-the-world  trunks  and 
steamer-chairs,  and  give  no  end  of  bother.  The  Doctor 
rebukes  a  little  for  not  taking  such  hospitality  for  granted, 
and  Rev.  W.  K.  McKibben  stirs  around  to  arrange  for  a 
larger  boat  to  safely  transport  all  from  the  steamship. 
And  now  what  a  delightful  surprise  they  have  for  us ! 
It  is  what  Hon.  R.  O.  Fuller  missed  in  not  visiting  Swa- 
tow.  All  was  then  arranged,  but  has  been  kept  for  us. 
The  leading  Christians  from  all  the  out-stations,  to  the 
number  of  two  hundred,  are  to  be  called  together  for  a 
week's  series  of  varied  religious  exercises.  Sermons, 
prayer-  and  conference-meetings,  a  grand  covenant- 
meetincf,  lectures,  recitations,  socials,  Bible-women  ser- 
vices,  examination  of  thirty-three  candidates,  baptisms, 
— a  royal  feast  indeed.  But  the  preliminaries  will  take 
a  week ;  so  our  two  or  three  days  must  be  a  fortnight. 
Meanwhile,  we  will  make  some  missionary  excursions  to 
localities  of  special  interest  in  their  work.  And  now  it 
would  require  a  large  volume  to  record  those  two  weeks. 
It  was  a  heaven  below.  Blessed  gospel,  that  can  make 
human  companionship  so  sweet,  and  can  lighten  up 
the  darkness  of  Chinese  heathenism  with  scenes  so 
beautiful,  so  thrilling,  so  strengthening  to  faith ! 

Quite  a  cluster  of  missionaries,  indeed,  in  one  place  ; 
yet  there  is  a  good  deal  of  wisdom  in  the  arrangement. 
Besides  the  four  mentioned,  there  are  Mrs.  McKibben 
and  Misses  Thompson  and  Daniells,  M.  D. ;  and  soon 
Rev.  S.  B.  Partridge  and  wife  will  have  returned,  and 


CHINA.  135 

Rev,  and  Mrs.  W.  Ashmore,  Jr.  will  be  here  to  occupy- 
that  other  dwelling,  nearly  completed.  The  strenuous 
effort  has  been  to  locate  part  of  this  force  at  Chau-chau- 
fu,  the  great  interior  city,  but  as  yet  unsuccessfully. 
Meanwhile,  more  travelling  is  required  to  reach  the 
several  apportioned  districts  of  the  immense  Tie-Chiu 
field ;  yet  there  is  important  compensation  in  the  greater 
amount  of  mutual  cheer  and  counsel  and  guardianship. 
In  many  mission  fields  I  have  seen  too  much  scattering  of 
the  forces.  Multitudes  of  missionaries  have  broken  down 
from  lack  of  missionary  companionship.  The  smallest 
mission  station  in  the  centre  of  a  great  heathen  popula- 
tion should  be  composed  of  two  missionaries — mar- 
ried men,  of  course — to  divide  work  between  itinerating 
and  the  training  of  native  preachers ;  a  physician,  and 
two  single-women  missionaries, — for  the  leadership  and 
training  in  domestic  evangelization.  There  should  also 
be  a  missionary  ready  to  fill  the  constantly-occurring 
vacancies. 

In  the  out-stations  we  felt  the  presence  of  a  developed 
self-reliance  on  the  part  of  the  native  converts.  The 
theory  of  the  mission  is  being  justified  by  its  fruits. 
Schools  might  have  been  multiplied  by  using  more  mis- 
sion money  in  the  support  of  teachers  and  scholars,  and 
the  kind  of  advantage  thus  given  to  evangelizing  pres- 
sure might  have  been  blessed  to  a  larger  number  of 
church-members  than  the  present  seven  hundred  report- 
ed connected  with  the  mission ;  but  evidently  a  better 
foundation  has  been  laid  for  the  Christianizing  of  these 
millions  in  Eastern  Kwang-tung.  Among  the  churches 
and  stations,  pastors  and  preachers,  we  felt  as  if  we  were 


136  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

among  men  and  women,  not  children.  The  plan  has 
been  to  foster,  not  force,  education  ;  to  watch  for  the 
dawning  desire  for  education  on  the  part  of  converts, 
adherents,  and  their  dependents,  and  to  guide  and  assist 
it;  yet  never  so  as  to  destroy  the  spirit  of  noble  self- 
reliance.  Every  Christian  community  is  encouraged  to 
support  its  own  preacher  and  teacher ;  and  at  the  central 
station  schools  of  a  very  limited  number  of  pupils  are 
maintained  by  the  mission  as  patterns  and  incentives. 

We  stop  at  this  village  this  evening.  How  dense  the 
population  around !  I  count  from  the  adjoining  hill 
eighty-three  villages  within  a  radius  of  three  miles,  and 
the  missionaries  say  they  average  six  hundred  popula- 
tion. More  than  a  hundred  are  awaiting  us  in  the  well- 
built  little  chapel,  erected  mostly  at  their  own  expense. 
Delightful  greetings !  We  are  glad  to  linger  to  morn- 
ing's Lord's-Day  service.  How  oddly  it  is  introduced ! 
First,  the  church  clerk  calls  the  roll  and  gives  a  black 
mark  to  every  absentee ;  then  every  one  comes  up  and 
deposits  upon  the  table  the  weekly  contribution,  the 
treasurer  counting  each  offering.  And  all  this  before 
time  for  meeting!  I  wonder  how  this  plan  would 
work  in  our  home  churches? — the  roll-call  of  the  church 
fifteen  minutes  before  time  for  service,  and  no  chance 
of  dropping  in  a  nickel  as  if  it  had  been  a  quarter  of  a 
dollar ! 

The  week  at  the  central  station  is  never  to  be  forgotten. 
At  all  the  services  the  chapel  is  crowded,  and  every 
effort  is  made  to  throw  responsibility  upon  the  natives. 
They  do  most  of  the  preaching  and  praying  and  dis- 
cussing.    They  examine  the  thirty-three  candidates  at 


LEADING   NATIVE   PREACHERS   OF  THE   SWATOW    MISSION. 
Page  1.17. 


CHINA.  1 37 

the  church-meeting ;  and  accept,  for  the  present,  only 
twenty-one.  Those  almond-eyed  native  brethren  did 
put  some  searching  questions :  "  Do  you  owe  anybody 
any  money  ?"  "  Do  you  want  to  use  us  or  the  mission- 
aries for  any  worldly  gain  ?"  Then  there  was  a  case  of 
discipline.  A  very  prominent  member — one  who  had 
taken  a  degree,  a  lawyer^had  been  told  by  the  com- 
mittee he  must  confess  to-day  or  be  excluded.  All  were 
silent  and  solemn.  It  was  evident  in  the  expression  of 
the  countenances  of  those  native  Christians  that  they 
were  determined  to  keep  their  church  as  pure  'as  possi- 
ble, and  then  and  there  to  exclude  their  most  aristocratic 
member  should  he  not  make  acknowledgment  and  prom- 
ise amendment.  At  last  he  arose  and  said  :  "  It  is  true 
I  charged  a  lawyer's  fee  of  two  dollars,  when  it  should 
have  been  but  one  dollar.  I  regret  it,  and  will  never 
do  so  again."  All  were  now  in  a  happier  mood  for  the 
baptism;  and  that  was  beautiful,  just  as  our  Lord  knew 
it  would  be  also  in  heathen  lands. 

One  evening  the  six  brethren  on  the  opposite  page 
asked  for  a  conversation,  with  Miss  Fielde  as  interpreter. 
Then  hour  after  hour  they  plied  me  with  questions ;  yet 
not  a  word  upon  any  other  subject  than  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  China.  And  then,  at  the  close,  though  very  late, 
they  all  prayed — some  of  them  with  tears — that  God 
would  hasten  the  triumphs  of  his  grace  throughout  their 
fatherland.  I  could  not  help  it :  I  fell  in  love  with  them. 
I  had  before  learned  to  respect  the  Chinese  for  their 
industry  and  to  recognize  the  triumphs  of  the  gospel 
among  them,  but  here  were  kindled  the  warmest  of 
fraternal  feelings.     Alas  that  one  of  them,  the  loved  and 

12* 


138  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

trusted  Chiang  Lim,  is  with  them  no  more !  And  when 
a  whole  procession  formed  the  next  day  to  accompany 
us  to  the  shore,  where  we  took  boat  to  the  steamer  for 
Hong-kong,  and  all  shouted  after  us,  as  long  as  they 
could  be  heard,  "  Peng-on !  Poig-on  /"  ("  Peace  be  to 
you  !  Peace  be  to  you  !"), — well,  on  that  deck  there  was 
a  little  salt  water  which  did  not  come  from  the  sea. 

We  reach  Ningpo  by  steamer  a  night  from  Shanghai, 
The  Presbyterian  mission,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river,  presses  its  hospitality ;  but  the  two  days  here  must 
be  mostly  spent  in  looking  around  at  the  Baptist  work, 
English  Church  and  English  Methodist,  as  well  as  Amer- 
ican Presbyterian,  missions  are  here  also,  but  our  own  is 
second  to  none  in  the  ability  of  the  missionaries  and  ip 
the  success  of  their  work.  It  is  a  great  centre  for  evan- 
gelizing enterprise.  The  city  has  a  population  of  nearly 
three  hundred  thousand,  and  there  are  millions  within 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  around  made  very  accessi- 
ble by  the  numerous  watercourses, 

Mrs,  Dr,  Barchet — by  virtue  of  the  since-resigned 
United  States  consular  authority  of  her  father,  our  ven- 
erable missionary  to  Ningpo,  Rev.  E.  C,  Lord,  D.  D. — • 
confiscates  all  our  hand-baggage  and  places  it  for  our 
own  examination  in  the  guest-chamber.  At  the  adjoin- 
ing hospital  and  dispensary  it  is  the  hour  for  opening, 
and  we  hasten  to  one  of  the  most  welcome  sights  in 
China,  How  Christlike  this  plan  of  reaching  souls  with 
the  gospel  through  poor  diseased,  maimed,  enfeebled 
bodies  !  Two  hundred  have  gathered  from  the  city  and 
country  around  into  the  two  waiting-rooms  for  their  turn. 
And  as  the  doctor  prescribes  in  his  office  for  one  after 


china:  1 39 

another,  native  evangelists  and  Bible-women  are  earnestly 
at  work  with  the  waiting  throng  explaining  and  urging 
Christian  truth.  Up  stairs  are  twenty  opium-patients — 
all  who  can  be  accommodated  at  a  time.  The  course  of 
treatment  requires  about  three  weeks,  and  Dr.  Barchet  is 
very  much  encouraged  by  this  department  of  his  hos- 
pital work.  Excepting  here,  other  denominations  are 
in  advance  of  us  in  the  use  of  the  science  of  medi- 
cine in  foreign  missions. 

We  fill  up  this  second  day  very  fully  in  calling  upon  all 
the  missionaries  of  the  different  societies,  in  visiting  our 
chapel  and  schools,  leading  the  weekly  union  prayer- 
meeting  in  the  Presbyterian  chapel,  and  in  the  evening 
enjoying  a  general  union  missionary  social  by  the  de- 
lightful arrangement  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  R.  Goddard  at 
their  home.  The  three  dwellings  of  the  Baptist  mission 
and  the  hospital  and  the  school-house  are  close  together, 
outside  the  city,  beneath  the  wall,  and  along  the  bank  of 
the  Ningpo  River.  Our  hosts  for  the  evening  are  com- 
pelled to  entertain  in  a  poor  old  shell  of  a  dwelling,  but 
it  is  not  their  fault.  We  try  to  forget  how  diligent  for 
many  years  the  white  ants  have  been  at  the  timbers  and 
floors,  and  how  the  home.  Christians  have  not  sent  money 
for  repairing.  And  so  we  talk  together  of  other  helps 
and  hindrances  to  the  great  work.  And  then  we  sang. 
All  sang,  and  they  were  cheery  songs.  Oh,  missionaries 
are  generally  very  happy,  but  it  is  in  the  Lord ;  not  in 
their  dwellings  and  home  comforts ;  not  in  the  general 
sympathy  and  support  for  their  work  in  Christian  lands ; 
not  usually  in  the  progress  of  their  evangelizing  efforts ; 
for  in  our  Eastern  China  mission,  what  are  three  hun- 


I40  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

dred  and  fifty  church-members,  with  all  other  attendant 
results,  compared  with  what  has  not  been  done  ?  But  it 
is  the  Lord's  cause,  for  which«he  gave  his  life.  And  to 
be  filled  with  his  missionary  spirit;  and  to  stand  and  toil 
where  so  evidently  it  is  the  divine  will,  leaving  the  results 
with  him, — no  wonder  the  missionaries  are  happy  and  can 
sing. 

Rev.  J.  R.  Goddard  has  been  here  at  work  in  his  fa- 
ther's footsteps  for  thirteen  years,  toiling  hard  and  wise- 
ly in  the  city  and  country  and  in  the  great  island  off  the 
coast ;  yet  good  care  of  health — a  neglect  of  many  missiona- 
ries— keeps  him  strong  and  equal  to  all  the  annoyances  in- 
cident to  the  foreign-mission  work.  Therefore  we  gladly 
say,  "  Yes,"  when  he  proposes  accompanying  us  to  Zao- 
hying,  and  to  take  our  commission  to  hire  a  boat  and  lay 
in  a  stock  of  provisions.  Then  we  must  have  some  extras 
for  that  lonely  mission  home,  and  not  allow  ourselves  to 
be  invited  to  more  than  shelter.  So  all  is  ready,  and  we 
are  off.  But  it  is  hard  to  break  away.  We  leave  Mrs. 
Goddard — daughter  of  Dr.  Dean  of  Siam — with  her 
beautiful  little  ones,  trying  to  keep  the  light  of  a  Chris- 
tian home  burning  brightly  in  this  heathen  darkness. 
How  useful  are  the  mothers  and  children  at  this  work 
upon  the  mission  field  !  We  cannot  overestimate  their 
importance,  and  must  not  regret  their  drafts  upon  the 
treasury.  Both  Mrs.  Lord — since  at  rest — and  Mrs, 
Barchet  are  doing  like  work  for  the  Master,  and  in  their 
outside  labors  in  the  school  and  among  the  native  fami- 
lies are  soon  to  be  assisted  by  Misses  F.  B.  Lightfoot  and 
Emma  Inveen.  Dr.  Barchet  has  gone  over  to  his  boys' 
school,  on  the  farther  side  of  the  city,  not  satisfied  with 


CHINA.  141 

enough  hospital  work  to  kill  half  the  doctors  in  America. 
And  Dr.  Lord  would  surely  stop  his  persistent  translat- 
ing, and  come  to  the  window  to  wave  us  a  "  Good-bye," 
only  he  cpuld  not  distinguish  our  boat  from  scores  of 
others  flitting  past  upon  the  river ;  and  if  we  make  any 
signal,  we  are  in  danger  of  tipping  it  over. 

Strange  thing,  this  foot-boat.  Take  an  Indian  canoe ; 
strip  out  the  seats  ;  cover  it  with  a  light  semicircular 
framework  and  bamboo  matting ;  place  a  native  at  the 
stern  to  handle  the  propelling-oar  with  his  feet,  and  the 
steering-paddle  with  his  hands, — and  you  have  a  Chinese 
foot-boat,  or  kyiah-wo.  We  have  to  lie  down  perfectly 
still  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  sitting  up  at  a  risk,  and 
on  the  constant  guard  against  all  sudden  motions ; 
for  the  craft  will  hardly  endure  more  than  those  quad- 
ruplicate frog-motions  at  the  stern,  especially  when,  as 
on  this  trip,  we  added  a  half  frog  at  the  bow.  But  it 
goes — no  mistake ;  and  the  miles  of  rice-fields  and  na- 
tive villages  are  swiftly  passed.  Suddenly  we  awake, 
going  up  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees.  The  boat 
creaks  frightfully.  The  air  is  filled  with  the  frantic  cries 
of  a  multitude  of  men.  Be  quiet:  they  are  only  hauling 
us  by  a  windlass  up  the  bank  of  the  river  over  into  a 
canal.  The  night  and  another  day  gone.  Thirty-two 
and  a  half  hours  and  we  are  at  the  wall  of  Zao-hying, 
a  city  of  half  a  million  population.  But  it  is  long  after 
sunset,  and  water-gate  and  all  gates  are  closed.  Yet  the 
guard  is  open  to  an  inducement,  and  sixteen  cash — or  a 
cent  and  a  half — turn  the  lock  and  swing  the  great  rusty 
hinges.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  Jenkins  greet  us — other  than 
natives,  the  first  for  many  months  to  cross  their  thresh-  . 


142  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

old.  Their  children  are  not  with  them ;  all  four  are  in 
America.  Ah !  there  is  much  of  the  hardness.  And 
then  the  separations  have  to  be  anticipated,  and  the 
parents  carry  a  mountain  upon  their  hearts  for  years 
beforehand.  Then  what  shall  be  done  with  them  in 
the  home-land  ?  And  they  do  not  always  turn  out 
well  there.  Like  two  beautiful  oases  in  the  desert  of 
this  great  heathen  city  are  our  chapel  and  mission 
dwelling,  with  the  school-house  adjoining  the  latter. 
Our  brother  is  the  best  architect  I  have  met  in  mis- 
sion lands.  Only,  I  do  not  like  to  think  of  his  own 
five  hundred  dollars  in  that  chapel  alongside  my  twenty 
cents,  perhaps.  It  was  evident  at  the  well-attended 
services  that  the  natives  are  receiving  thorough  Bible 
instruction.  Soon  the  seed  being  so  faithfully  sown 
must  harvest  in  larger  numbers  than  the  sixty  con- 
verts here  and  at  Zong-pah  and  King-wo.  The  pretty 
school-building  will  ere  long  be  filled  with  the  Christian 
boys  for  whom  it  was  intended ;  and  after  carefully  weigh- 
ing the  difference  of  judgment  between  Zao-hying  and 
Ningpo,  I  cannot  see  that  a  judicious  use  of  Chinese 
classics  would  be  any  more  inconsistent  with  the  Chris- 
tian character  of  the  school  than  the  use  of  the  Greek 
and  Latin  heathen  classics  in  Brown  and  Rochester  Uni- 
versities. But  the  hours  have  too  quickly  passed.  Our 
missionary  guide  thus  far  must  return,  while  the  next 
one  takes  his  place  with  us  to  Hang-chow  and  Su-chow. 
Then  we  shall  have  experience  enough  to  press  on  into 
the  interior  alone. 

Shanghai. — We  are  becoming  quite  at  home  here,  hav- 
ing had  occasion  to  locate  in  this  great  city  three  times 


CHINA.  143 

during  our  five  months  in  China.  The  foreign  quarter, 
outside  the  wall,  is  quite  European,  with  much  display 
of  wealth  and  luxury.  And,  alas !  these  million  natives 
see  a  world  of  foreign  vice.  There  is  probably  no  harder 
mission  field  in  China.  We  rejoice  that  our  Southern 
Baptists  have  a  central  station  here,  and  such  mission- 
aries as  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Yates.  Long  and  faithfully  they 
have  toiled.  No  other  mission  has  had  a  more  valuable 
contributor  than  this  brother  to  the  Bible  translation  and 
Christian  literature  for  the  thirty  million  who  speak  the 
Shanghai  colloquial.  The  chapel  near  the  north  gate 
is  admirably  situated  and  well  attended.  The  one  inside 
the  native  city  has  lately  been  sold  to  secure  a  better 
location.  Reinforcements  are  being  urged  to  man  sta- 
tions at  Nankin,  and  Su-chow  or  Ching-kiang.  Rev.  W. 
S.  Walker  has  been  appointed  to  Shanghai. 

Canton. — Another  million,  with  so  many  millions 
around,  and  so  few  to  plant  and  reap  for  Christ.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Graves  and  Miss  Whilden,  of  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention,  have  done  much  labor  which  has 
been  owned  and  blessed  of  God.  They  are  soon  to'  be 
reinforced  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  E.  Z.  Simmonds  and  Miss 
S.  Stein.  I  spoke  at  a  regular  Lord's-Day  service  in  the 
chapel  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  Chinese — the  best-at- 
tended ordinary  meeting  I  had  found  throughout  the 
country.  There  preceded  me  in  prayer  a  Tartar  brother 
who  had  been  several  times  arrested  for  distributing  the 
Scriptures.  But  each  time  he  took  along  to  court  his 
bag-full,  and  when  called  up  immediately  passed  around  to 
judge  and  officers  portions  of  God's  word,  and  preached 
till  they  gladly  dismissed  him.     I  was  rejoiced  that  the 


144  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Baptist  mission  here,  after  so  long  renting  part  of  the 
German  building,  has  now  its  own  home — two  comfort- 
able dwellings  with  pleasant  grounds. 

Tung-cJioiv-fu. — Far  to  the  north,  in  Shan-tung.  We 
felt  as  if  it  is  the  loneliest  spot  in  this  world.  The  mis- 
sionaries cannot  expect  more  than  one  or  two  calls  a 
year  outside  the  native  population.  Rev.  Dr.  Crawford 
has  just  returned  from  the  South.  He  is  an  earnest 
and  a  useful  missionary ;  and  Mrs.  Crawford  confessedly 
one  of  the  most  competent  missionary  women  in  all  the 
foreign  field.  Mrs.  Holmes,  wife  of  the  martyr-mission- 
ary, and  Miss  Moon  are  the  other  efficient  members  of 
this  mission.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  McCullough,  Rev.  N. 
W.  Holcomb,  and  Rev.  C.  W.  Pruitt  are  soon  to  join 
their  number.  I  am  glad  that  the  little  Christian  circle 
far  off  in  this  dense  heathenism  has  the  added  compan- 
ionship of  the  Presbyterian  mission.  It  was  a  privilege 
to  preach  to  them  all  together ;  but,  ah !  they  preached 
far  more  to  me  by  the  evident  consecration  of  their  lives 
to  Christ  in  a  work  in  itself  so  lonesome,  so  repulsive, 
so  wearing  to  the  body,  and  so  harrowing  to  the  spirit. 
At  the  three  stations  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Conven- 
tion in  China  are  635  members;  connected  with  the 
missions  of  the  Missionary  Union,  nearly  iioo;  and 
with  those  supported  by  the  English  Baptists,  600 ;  mak- 
ing, in  China,  2335  Baptist  church-members,  and  prob- 
ably not  short  of  9340  adherents.  There  are  one  hun- 
dred members  also  at  Hong-kong  and  upon  the  opposite 
mainland  connected  with  the  faithful  independent  mis- 
sion work  of  Mrs.  Johnson,  formerly  of  Swatow.  This 
is  soon  to  be  united  with  the  Canton  station. 


CHINA.  145 

It  was  a  pleasure  to  meet  Rev.  A.  G.  Jones  of  the  Eng- 
lish mission  in  Shan-tung  province.  He  left  a  prosperous 
business  at  the  call  of  God  to  this  life  of  toil  and  sacri- 
fice. His  wprk  and  that  of  his  two  associates  meet  with 
much  encouragement.  It  is  a  mistake,  however,  to  dress 
in  Chinese  style  and  wear  the  queue.  The  foreigner  is 
still  as  plainly  recognizable,  and  the  deference  does  not 
commend  itself  at  all  to  the  favor  of  the  natives.  The 
same  mistake  is  made  in  China  by  quite  a  number  of 
other  Baptist  missionaries  who  form  the  majority  of  the 
"  China  Inland  Mission."  But  they  make  other  mis- 
takes of  far  greater  consequence.  They  represent  the 
erroneous  and  impracticable  views  of  Plymouth  Brethren, 
Perfectionists,  and  Higher-Life  Christians.  With  special 
facilities,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  to  study  this  phe- 
nomenon ;  having  prayerfully  and  thoughtfully  watched 
it  in  England  and  Germany  and  India ;  having  met  more 
than  forty  of  its  representatives  at  work  in  China ;  hav- 
ing entertained  many  of  them  in  my  church  and  at  home  ; 
and  having  lately  mingled  in  their  grand  rally  at  Ocean 
Grove,  where  the  official  report  claims  "  five  hundred 
sanctified  "  last  year, — I  am  compelled  to  testify,  in  the 
interest  of  truth  and  in  the  welfare  of  Zion,  that  the 
movement  is  largely  a  delusion  and  a  snare.  Good  men 
and  women  are  thoroughly  deceived  by  some  of  its  the- 
ories, and  are  doing  all  they  can  to  propagate  them. 
But  thus  they  do  violence  to  God's  word ;  they  an- 
tagonize the  overwhelming  judgment  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  up  to  the  measure  of  their  ability  introduce 
discord  and  weakness  into  nearly  all  home  and  foreign 
evangelization. 

13 


CHAPTER  XI. 
SIAM. 

A  DELIGHTFUL  sail  of  five  days  in  one  of  the 
largest  of  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company's 
steamers  brought  us  from  Hong-kong  to  Singapore. 
Here  I  forwarded  my  family  a  week's  voyage  to  Bur- 
mah,  while  I  took  passage  to  Bangkok,  Siam.  It  was 
well  that  we  separated  for  those  few  days  at  sea,  because 
it  was  at  the  change  of  the  monsoon,  and  upon  the 
north-east  of  the  Malay  peninsula  my  steamship  had  to 
endure  for  nearly  all  the  voyage  the  full  force  of  a  ter- 
rific gale,  while  theirs  was  close  under  shelter  all  the 
way.  One  night  the  winds  and  the  waves  were  furious. 
Furniture  was  torn  from  its  fastenings.  I  barely  escaped 
the  marble  slab  of  my  washstand,  that,  challenging  en- 
trance to  the  state-room,  came  whizzing  past  my  head 
and  was  dashed  into  a  thousand  fragments.  A  danger- 
ous leak  was  started,  but  before  serious  consequences 
followed  we  had  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Meinam — 
"  Mother  of  Waters  " — crossed  the  bar,  and  were  work- 
ing our  way  up  the  tortuous  channel  thirty  miles  to  the 
capital,  the  city  of  Bangkok. 

The  country  is  covered  with  luxurious  tropical  vege- 
tation, Agriciilture  has  to  contend,  not  with  infertility 
and  with  drought,  but  with  exuberance  of  foliage.     It  is 

146 


SI  AM.  147 

evident  that  an  immense  population  could  be  supported 
in  Slam  ;  but  it  must  be  a  more  industrious  population 
than  the  native  Siamese,  to  make  successful  headway 
against  the  wonderfully  rank  wild  vegetation.  I  had  a 
lesson  of  the  natural  indolence  of  these  people  upon  land- 
ing. My  luggage  was  light,  consisting  only  of  two  port- 
manteaus which  in  the  bracing  climate  of  our  Northern 
States  even  a  lady  could  have  handled  in  the  face  of  any 
imposing  hack-drivers  and  porters.  But  I  had  learned 
some  lessons  of  prudence  in  Asia,  and  especially  within 
the  tropics ;  and,  though  I  had  to  wait  an  hour  most  im- 
patiently before  the  captain  could  secure  me  a  servant  for 
a  one  mile's  tramp  to  our  Baptist  mission  compound,  I 
was  bound  not  to  take  the  risk  of  carrying  that  load. 
But,  no  doubt,  I  should  have  done  it  had  I  been  a  mis- 
sionary just  landing  from  America.  Native  servants, 
and  plenty  of  them,  are  a  necessity  for  European  and 
American  missionaries  in  these  Southern  Asiatic  coun- 
tries. To  dispense  with  them  is  to  be  "  penny  wise  and 
pound  foolish,"  But  we  could  not  secure  a  Siamese 
porter,  though  there  were  plenty  of  them  around  the 
dock.  They  had  had  their  breakfast  and  were  not  yet 
hungry  for  dinner,  and  they  could  not  be  persuaded  to 
earn  half  a  dollar.  A  Chinese  coolie,  however,  was 
found,  who,  with  more  enterprise  and  forethought, 
jumped  at  the  chance  to  secure  two  days'  wages  in 
half  an  hour. 

The  Chinese  are  rapidly  overtaking  the  Siamese 
in  population,  numbering  already  in  the  capital  two- 
thirds  of  the  half  million,  and  throughout  the  country 
almost   half  of  the  total  eight   million.       Often  in  the 


148  ALONG   THE   LINES  AT    THE  FRONT. 

streets  of  Bangkok  it  seemed  as  if  I  was  in  a  real  Chinese 
city.  But  never  in  the  great  Empire  did  I  see  such  a 
multiplicity  of  drinking-  and  gambling-dens  and  haunts 
of  vice.  What  of  Siam  the  Chinese  cannot  get  by  com- 
petition in  legitimate  industry,  they  are  acquiring  by 
fraud.  Neither  the  Siamese  proper  nor  the  Laos,  Ma- 
lays, Cambodians,  or  Peguans  have  the  physical  strength 
and  mental  energy  of  the  Chinese.  And,  however  tem- 
porary has  been  the  latter's  design  of  residence  in  Amer- 
ica, the  crowded  Chinese  cemeteries  in  Siam,  the  frequent 
intermarriages,  and  the  immense  accumulations  of  real 
estate  and  permanent  business  interests  prove  unques- 
tionably that  the  Chinese  have  come  to  Siam  to  stay. 
The  vast  majority  are  bond-fide  immigrants,  and  the  law 
of  "the  survival  of  the  fittest"  will  give  them,  before  the 
close  of  the  present  century,  the  power  at  least  to  wield 
the  political  as  well  as  the  commercial  sovereignty  of  the 
kingdom.  The  First  King  has  now  a  Chinese  woman 
as  one  of  his  wives,  and  her  lately-deceased  son  was 
the  legal  heir. 

American  Baptists  are  to  be  congratulated  in  that  their 
mission  to  Siam  has  come  to  be  chiefly  among  the  Chi- 
nese portion  of  the  population.  Through  the  Tie-Chiu 
dialect,  generally  spoken  and  understood  by  nearly  all, 
and  which  is  the  dialect  of  our  Swatow  mission,  the 
most  important  foundations  are  being  laid  of  a  future 
Christian  nation.  For  a  long  time,  however,  the  Mis- 
sionary Union  has  not  been  able  to  sustain  more  than 
one  missionary  and  his  wife  at  this  station,  and  the  lady's 
labors,  together  with  those  gratuitously  rendered  by  Rev- 
and  Mrs.  S.  J.  Smith,  are  chiefly  among  the  Siamese.     I 


SI  AM.  149 

am  pleased  to  see  that  the  Presbyterian  Board  is  consid- 
ering the  question  of  adding  to  its  Siamese  mission  a  Chi- 
nese Department.  If  we  will  leave  the  venerable  Dr. 
Dean  without  any  reinforcement  for  so  many  years, 
with  six  stations  and  almost  five  hundred  members,  and 
surrounded  by  nearly  three  millions  of  Chinese,  it  is  time 
we  were  waked  up  to  our  responsibility  by  some  other 
denomination. 

Indeed,  it  has  seemed  to  me  that  there  could  be  help 
rendered  in  this  way  by  both  the  missions.  The  Presby- 
terians have  had  many  missionaries  here  at  work  most 
of  the  time  since  1840,  and  still  their  churches  have  not 
to-day  three  hundred  members  enrolled.  A  vigorously- 
prosecuted  and  flourishing  Baptist  mission  among  the 
Siamese  might  stimulate  these  twenty-two  missionaries 
of  the  Presbyterian  Board  to  greater  evangelizing  enter- 
prise ;  and  a  few  prosperous  Presbyterian  stations  among 
the  Chinese  of  Siam  would  quickly  arouse  American 
Baptists  to  retrieve  their  disgraceful  negligence  here  for 
the  last  eight  years.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  S.  J.  Smith  have  a 
valuable  press  establishment  and  other  city  property  well 
located  for  mission  purposes,  and  a  heart,  I  believe,  to 
make  all  subservient  to  a  strong  and  permanently-estab- 
lished Siamese  Baptist  mission.  We  have  also  the  val- 
uable influence  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Chandler,  chief  foreigner  in 
the  royal  court,  for  thirteen  years  our  missionary,  and 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  Siamese  language.  Mr. 
Chandler  very  readily  secured  me  an  audience  at  the 
palace,  and  I  rode  thither  with  a  horse  and  carriage 
which  had  been  presented  by  the  king  to  Dr.  Dean, 
Surely  these    facts   suggest   many  encouragements   for 

13* 


150  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE   FRONT. 

re-entering  at  once  and  vigorously  upon  mission  work 
among  the  Siamese,  and  perhaps  the  Laos,  and  we  may 
in  part  be  rewarded  by  being  aroused  to  a  respectable 
reinforcement  of  our  neglected  Chinese  Department. 

It  will  not  answer  to  found  Christian  missions  upon 
governmental  favor ;  and  when  kings  and  their  courts, 
prompted  either  by  their  ambitions  or  by  their  fears,  turn 
from  persecuting  the  missionaries  of  the  cross  and  their 
converts  to  a  policy  of  toleration  and  patronage,  the 
greater  caution  needs  be  taken  that  conversions  be  gen- 
uine. After  many  inquiries  and  some  careful  examina- 
tion in  Siam,  I  am  confident  that  such  caution  has  been 
taken  during  the  few  past  years  of  large  ingathering  up 
to  the  full  measure  of  the  ability  of  one  aged  and  infirm 
missionary  to  superintend  such  responsibility.  It  is  quite 
possible  that  some  of  these  shrewd  Chinese  have  slipped 
into  our  churches,  because  it  was  so  evident  that  Dr. 
Dean  was  in  high  favor  at  court,  and  that  Mr.  Chandler 
could  get  whatever  he  asked  from  the  kings,  and  that 
Mr.  Smith  did  the  government  printing ;  but  so  also  do 
some  Americans  join  our  churches  at  home,  because 
they  see  worldly  influence  which  they  think  they  can 
turn  to  their  own  advantage.  The  fact  is  we  have  some 
exceptional  opportunities  and  facilities  at  present  for 
prosecuting  mission  work  among  both  the  Chinese  and 
the  Siamese  populations  of  Siam,  if  only  we  have  grace 
enough  and  enterprise  enough  to  use  them.  No  exces- 
sive timidity  should  be  allowed  to  deprive  us  of  our 
advantages,  which  may  linger  only  a  little  time  longer. 

It  was  delightful,  while  touring  about  or  when  seated 
at  the  mission  home  with  Dr.  Dean,  to  talk  over  the 
history  of  the  work  here  since  its  beginning,  under  Rev. 


SIAAf.  1 5  I 

J.  Taylor  Jones,  in  1833.  There  has  been  a  great  deal 
of  hard  labor,  mostly  performed  by  faith  and  not  by 
sight,  and  accompanied  by  much  breaking  down  of 
health  and  loss  of  life.  For  a  long,  long  time  very  lit- 
tle seemed  to  be  accomplished,  and  so  late  as  1872  the 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Union  suggested  the  with- 
drawal of  the  mission.  But  then  all  the  perseverance, 
notwithstanding,  was  beautiful.  It  is  under  such  circum- 
stances that  continued  Christian  labor  is  the  most  sublime. 
When  we  reach  Bassein  we  shall  take  pleasure  in  Rev. 
C.  H.  Carpenter's  grand  high-school  success;  yet  it  will 
be  a  special  delight  to  recall  the  less-encouraged  founda- 
tion labors  of  Rev.  E.  L.  Abbott.  In  Telugu-land  we 
shall  rejoice  with  Mr.  Clough,  our  Ongole  Moody,  in 
the  presence  of  the  wonderful  results  of  his  evangelizing 
labors ;  but  then  it  will  be  in  some  respects  a  greater  sat- 
isfaction to  visit  the  scenes  where  Drs.  Day  and  Jewett 
toiled  so  hard  and  so  long  to  keep  "  the  lone  star"  from 
falling  out  of  our  firmament.  And  this  mission  of  Amer- 
ican Baptists  to  Siam  has  for  many  years  been  another 
"lone  star;"  and  we  love  especially  to  recall  the  days 
of  faith  and  toil  and  discouragement  and  neglect  and 
removals  and  sicknesses  and  deaths. 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  T.  Jones,  from  their  previous  two 
years'  experience  in  Burmah,  were  prepared  to  meet  the 
still  more  bigoted  Buddhism  of  Siam.  The  yellow-robed 
priests  are  evidently  very  numerous.  Nowhere  have  I 
seen  so  many  Buddhistic  temples  and  shrines  to  a  given 
population,  nor  such  elaborate  ornamentation  of  idols  and 
of  altars.  Yet  it  is  plain  that  the  government  is  not  so 
much  under  the  domination  of  the  priesthood  as  fifty 
years  ago.     In  a  variety  of  providential  ways  the  influ- 


152  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

ences  of  Christianity  and  of  Christian  civihzation  have  to 
such  an  extent  penetrated  the  precincts  of  the  royal  pal- 
aces and  the  residences  of  the  nobility,  that  in  1878  a  proc- 
lamation was  issued  containing  the  following  remarkable 
acknowledgments  :  "  Whoever  is  of  the  opinion  that  any 
particular  religion  is  correct,  let  him  hold  to  it  as  he 
pleases:  the  right  or  wrong  will  be  to  the  person  who 
holds  it.  In  the  treaties  and  in  the  customs  of  the  king- 
dom of  Siam  there  is  no  prohibition  against  persons  who 
shall  hold  to  any  particular  religion.  If  any  one  is  of  the 
opinion  that  the  religion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  good,  let 
him  hold  to  it  freely."  In  conversation  with  the  Second 
King,  I  remarked  that  the  little  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
in  which  I  lived,  had,  through  its  fundamental  princi- 
ples of  religious  liberty,  elevated  the  civilization  of  the 
whole  country;  and  so  I  expressed  the  sincere  hope, 
based  upon  his  late  proclamation,  that  Siam  might  be  the 
leading  kingdom  in  all  advance  throughout  the  continent 
of  Asia,  and  to  this  sentiment  His  Majesty  replied  most 
cordially.  Still,  rulers  and  people  are  behind  Japan  in 
appreciating  the  untrustworthiness  of  Buddhism,  and  the 
darkness  is  still  very  dense  around  alike  the  palaces  of 
royalty  and  nobility  and  the  hovels  of  the  poor.  There 
are  no  middle  classes. 

Dr.  Jones  was  upon  the  field  eighteen  years.  Dr. 
Dean's  labors  in  China  and  his  protracted  absence  in 
America  have  left  him  but  twenty-four  years  in  Siam, 
though  he  joined  the  mission  here  in  1834.  Mr.  Daven- 
port's term  of  service  was  nine  years ;  Mr.  Telford's,  the 
same ;  Mr.  Goddard's,  seven  and  a  half  before  his  trans- 
fer to  Ningpo ;  that  of  both  Dr.  Ashmore  and  Miss 
Morse,  seven  years;  of  Miss  Fielde,  six  years;  of  Mr. 


SI  AM.  153 

Partridge,  four;  of  Mr.  Chilcott,  one;  of  Mr.  Slafter, 
seven  months ;  of  Mr.  Reed,  five  months ;  and  of  Mr. 
Lisle,  but  a  few  days.  Probably  no  other  mission  out- 
side of  Africa  can  point  to  more  discouragements  in 
sicknesses  and  removals.  But  it  lives,  and  it  will  live 
and  prosper.  A  telegram  lately  reports  fifty  baptized. 
Seed  sown  in  the  past,  often  by  hard  suffering  from  pa- 
ralysis of  faith,  is  beginning  to  bear  a  glorious  harvest. 
Nowhere  have  I  been  more  favorably  impressed  than  by 
some  of  the  Chinese  Christians  of  Bangkok.  That  Chi- 
naman and  his  Siamese  wife  watching  over  their  dread- 
fully-deformed son — how  Christlike  the  whole  spirit  of 
that  humble  home !  That  church  treasurer  we  met  in 
his  manufactory  of  sprouted  beans — I  would  trust  him, 
not  only  with  the  temporalities,  but  also  with  the  spirit- 
ualities, of  Zion ;  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  many 
church  treasurers  in  America.  That  deacon,  a  native  in- 
telligent Christian  Chinaman,  despite  his  still  heathen 
Siamese  wife — we  knelt  together  in  his  jelly-store,  and 
his  prayer  for  Siam  God  will  hear  and  answer. 

Let  our  farewell  be  in  the  native  old  men's  home.  It 
is  located  a  little  way  back  from  the  Meinam,  but  close  to 
the  bank  of  Death's  River.  It  was  built  by  the  Chinese 
Christians  with  their  own  money  for  the  shelter  of  their 
aged  poor.  None  of  the  church-members  reside  in  any 
better  house — a  corner  lot  upon  a  leading  thoroughfare. 
Before  we  go  the  old  men  kneel  together,  and  Dr.  Dean 
makes  the  closing  prayer:  "Thou  seest,  O  God!  that  we 
are  almost  through.  Others  soon  must  take  up  our 
work.  Let  not  the  vision  of  their  coming  tarry.  Eight 
years  we  have  plead  with  the  churches  in  America ;  now, 
O  God !  we  plead  with  thee." 


CHAPTER    XII. 

BURMAH. 

MY  first  view  of  this  land,  so  long  the  centre  and 
the  crown  of  our  American  Baptist  foreign  mis- 
sions, was  off  the  mouth  of  the  Salwin,  opposite  Am- 
herst, the  resting-place  of  Mrs.  Ann  H.  Judson.  Never 
did  I  point  my  field-glass  and  scan  the  prospect  more 
eagerly,  unless  it  may  have  been  when,  off  the  coast  of 
Palestine  for  the  first  time,  thirteen  years  previously, 
"  Land  ahead !"  was  shouted  from  the  forecastle,  and  I 
was  privileged  to  watch  looming  up  in  that  horizon  the 
principal  mountains  and  hills  and  plains  of  sacred  story. 
It  is  seldom  in  this  world  that  we  press  more  closely 
upon  the  feet  of  the  Great  Cross-Bearer  than  when  we 
track  the  weary  ways  of  some  of  our  pioneer  mission- 
aries. Yet  the  trials  of  the  past  are  quite  equalled  by 
many  of  those  of  the  present,  and  as  real  heroism  is  re- 
quired to-day  in  Maulmain  and  Rangoon  as  a  half  cen- 
tury ago  at  Amarapura  and  Oung-pen-la.  Yes,  often  in 
the  home-land  also  the  servants  of  Christ  need  for  their 
work  the  same  consecration  and  the  same  dauntless 
courage  as  were  manifested  by  her  who  was  buried  on 
yonder  shore  beneath  the  hopia  tree,  and  likewise  by  her 
heroic  husband.  Indeed,  one  way  by  which  our  foreign 
missionaries  could  bring  themselves  and  their  cause 
much  nearer  to   the  hearts  of  the   great   body  of  the 

154 


BUR  MA  H.  .  155 

home  ministiy  and  members,  would  be  to  realize  more 
clearly  that  they  have  no  monopoly  of  extreme  trial, 
of  heartbreaking  sorrow,  and  of  the  need  of  strong- 
est faith  and  noblest  heroism.  They  tell  us  of  their 
labors  and  their  sacrifices,  many  of  which  are  severe 
indeed,  and  of  which  we  know  nothing  from  our  own 
experiences;  but  then  the  converse  is  true.  Thousands 
of  the  ministers  and  members  of  the  home  churches  are 
toiling  and  suffering  for  Christ's  sake  in  many  directions 
as  really  and  as  keenly  as  are  the  majority  of  foreign 
missionaries  to-day,  especially  amid  the  safety  and  the 
conveniences  and  the  society  of  the  great  treaty  and 
commercial  ports. 

In  my  intercourse  with  over  a  thousand  missionaries 
during  the  last  two  years  I  felt  my  heart  always  drawn 
out  the  most  warmly  toward  those,  and  toward  the  work 
of  those,  who  took  in  sympathizingly  and  lovingly  the 
situation  at  home  also.  When  they  would  speak  appre- 
ciatively of  the  permanence  of  their  situations  and  the 
liberality  and  reliability  of  their  salaries,  in  contrast  with 
the  continual  unsettlement  of  the  pastoral  relation  at 
home  and  the  much  smaller  average  of  income  and 
much  less  certainty  of  its  being  paid,  my  confidence 
and  affection  were  specially  stirred,  and  I  felt  as  if  I 
would  invest  double  in  their  work.  It  may  be  said 
that  I  saw  the  missionaries  at  their  best  and  in  the 
pleasantest  seasons  of  the  year,  and  that  therefore  such 
comparison  is  unreliable ;  yet  during  two  years  I  re- 
peatedly placed  myself  and  family  for  weeks,  and  even 
months,  among  the  natives,  hundreds  of  miles  from  any 
of  the  mission  stations  or  foreign  settlements,  relying 
upon  native  resources  for  food,  and  often  refusing  to  take 


156  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

along  interpreters,  so  as  to  appreciate  as  thoroughly  as 
possible  a  missionary's  situation  in  heathen  lands.  And 
I  must  say  that,  while  our  foreign  laborers  need  our 
sympathy  in  their  separation  from  kindred  and  native 
land,  in  their  depressing  and  enfeebling  climate,  and  in 
the  dark  and  malarial  heathenism  by  which  they  are 
constantly  surrounded,  the  great  mass  of  the  preachers 
and  the  burden-bearers  of  our  churches  at  home  also 
need  sympathy,  in  order  to  work  at  their  best — sympathy 
in  their  financial  distresses  ;  in  their  care  of  the  churches, 
which  often,  as  with  Paul,  is  as  heart-crushing  as  anxiety 
for  the  conversion  of  the  heathen ;  and  in  their  struggles 
against  worldly,  selfish  influences,  at  times  quite  as  bad 
as  Buddhism  or  Hinduism.  Mutual  sympathy  is  re- 
quired. It  is  the  secret  lock  to  many  treasures  of  in- 
terest and  co-operation  in  foreign  missions,  on  the  part 
of  yet  inaccessible  ministers  and  churches.  Missionaries 
generally  go  abroad  before  they  have  met  the  stern 
battle  of  life  at  home.  On  their  vacation  returns  they 
are  entertained  chiefly  by  the  prospered  members  and 
the  high-salaried  ministry,  and  thus  gather  their  im- 
pressions of  the  self-denial  involved  in  work  among  the 
heathen.  They  should  try  to  realize  all  this,  even  as  I 
endeavor  to  appreciate  that  time  and  again  their  hospit- 
able tables  emptied  the  cupboards  of  all  the  station  and 
reduced  many  following  meals  to  the  simple  rice-and- 
curry  standard. 

But  we  have  come  twenty-seven  miles  up  the  Salwin 
and  anchored  opposite  Maulmain.  Have  I  indulged  in 
any  thoughts  since  leaving  Amherst  inappreciative  of 
missionary  toil  and  sacrifice  in  this  land  ?  God  forbid ! 
It  seems  to  me  to  be  well  to  supply  fully  the  needs  of 

14 


BURMAH.  157 

these  faithful  laborers,  and  to  appropriate  cheerfully  what 
is  necessary  fci  this  purpose.  Living  here  is  at  least 
twenty  per  cent,  higher  than  in  nearly  all  other  parts 
of  Asia.  The  British  Government  adds  one-third  to  the 
salaries  of  its  civil  and  military  officers  when  assigning 
them  from  India  to  Burmah  for  duty :  we  should  extend 
to  our  missionaries  a  like  just  and  generous  treatment. 
The  missionary  spirit  among  the  churches,  so  far  as  it 
exists,  is  to  deal  generously  with  the  foreign  work.  We 
do  not  wish  to  send  our  missionaries  to  Burmah  as  we 
do  hundreds  of  miles  out  upon  the  prairies.  But  shall  the 
same  continue  the  spirit  of  the  future  ?  We  hope  so.  Yet 
heart  must  cultivate  heart.  Every  effort  should  be  made 
thoroughly  to  appreciate  the  actual  situation  on  both 
sides  of  the  ocean.  The  foreign  missionary  will  be  in- 
spirited and  more  happy,  and  the  home  supporters  of 
his  cause  will  be  more  numerous,  more  sympathetic, 
more  self-sacrificing. 

We  have  spent  two  months  in  Burmah,  visiting  Maul- 
main,  Rangoon,  Thongzai,  Zeegong,  Prome,  Henthada, 
Ma-00-ben,  Bassein,  Amherst,  and  many  other  towns  in 
the  neighborhoods  of  these  central  stations.  Generally, 
the  travelling  was  done  by  steamer  or  row-boat,  though 
the  ox-cart  did  its  share  of  service,  and  from  Rangoon  to 
Prome  we  experienced  the  novel  sensation  of  again  riding 
upon  the  railway.  The  country  is  well  watered,  diversi- 
fied in  scenery,  and  very  rich  in  agricultural  resources. 
It  is  not  so  beautiful  as  Japan,  but  more  so  than  India. 
The  climate  during  a  large  part  of  the  year  is  very  trying 
to  our  missionaries,  on  account  both  of  excessive  heat 
and  of  excessive  dampness.  Still,  when  I  meet  such 
venerable  missionaries  in  Burmah  as  Rev.  and  Mrs.  C. 


158  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Bennett,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  L.  Brayton,  Mrs.  J.  G.  Bin- 
ney,  and  others,  and  recall  the  large  number  of  mission- 
aries to  Burmah  who  have  been  laid  away  in  ripe  old  age, 
I  am  impelled  to  the  conviction  that  some  of  the  com- 
plaints about  the  climate  here  are  unreliable.  It  is  dif- 
ferent from  that  in  America.  But  let  only  those  who  are 
in  perfect  health  be  sent  there;  let  them  promptly  take  all 
the  advice  of  the  older  missionaries  as  to  diet  and  work ; 
let  them  adopt  John  Wesley's  motto:  "I  feel  and  grieve, 
■  but,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  fret  at  nothing;"  and  I  think 
I  they  may  rely  upon  the  average  of  days  and  the  average 
of  comfort  the  world  over  in  Burmah.  For  residence 
and  labor  this  land  is  to  be  preferred  to  Siam,  or  the 
Madras  Presidency,  or  Egypt  above  Cairo,  or  the  sta- 
tions of  Bagdad  and  Mosul  which  the  American  Board 
is  soon  to  occupy.  Maulmain  is  vastly  more  desirable 
than  Zao-hying,  and  neither  Shwaygyeen  nor  Toungoo 
can  be  so  lonesome  as  Tung-chow-fu.  As  to  food,  while 
some  things  to  which  we  are  accustomed  at  home  must 
be  dispensed  with,  the  self-denial  is  in  part  best  for  a  life 
in  that  climate,  and  other  articles  of  diet  are  found  quite 
palatable  and  sufficient  to  fill  out  the  table.  The  rice  and 
the  curry  I  learned  to  relish  very  ijiuch  as  a  chief  reli- 
ance for  daily  food,  and  in  leaving  Asia  parted  with  this 
its  characteristic  diet  very  much  as  regretfully  as  if  they 
had  been  bread  and  coffee.  Mrs.  Bainbridge,  however, 
cannot  speak  so  appreciatively;  therefore,  in  this  respect, 
she  would  not  make  so  good  a  missionary.  None  of  our 
missionaries  need  suffer  in  Burmah  from  lack  of  whole- 
some food,  if  with  good  management  they  use  their  means 
of  support  as  they  were  designed,  for  this  and  other  ordi- 
nary living  purposes.     They  cannot,  however,  yield  to 


BURMAH.  159 

the  constant  promptings  of  benevolence,  and  support 
native  scholars  and  laborers,  and  otherwise  from  their 
sacrifices  seek  continually  to  make  amends  for  our 
neglects,  and  then  expect  to  give  their  health  and 
their  strength  a  fair  trial  in  Burmah. 

The  population  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  eight  mil- 
lion, equally  divided  between  the  British  and  the  native 
territories.  The  prevailing  religion  is  Buddhism,  it  being 
professed  by  nearly  all  the  Burmans,  who  probably  num- 
ber two-thirds  of  the  population,  and  by  the  Shans,  who 
may  exceed  half  a  million.  The  present  schism  of  the 
Paramats  is  very  interesting.  The  Karens,  including  the 
Sgau,  the  Pwo,  the  Paku,  the  Bghai,  and  the  Red  tribes, 
number  less  than  a  million,  and  may  not  exceed  the 
Shans,  Nearly  three  hundred  thousand  Hindus  and 
Mohammedans  have  emigrated  from  India.  The  Christian 
population  should  be  given  at  four  times  the  number  of 
members,  or  at  not  far  from  one  hundred  thousand.  The 
Burmans  are  as  intelligent  as  the  average  of  Asiatics,  and 
excel  in  pride  and  indolence.  Under  the  influence  of 
Christianity,  however,  they  become  much  more  humble 
and  industrious,  and  are  very  agreeable  and  useful  mem- 
bers of  the  churches.  The  Karens  are  counted  as  the 
inferior  or  slave  race.  They  have  not  had  the  social  ad- 
vantages of  the  Burmans,  having  been  for  ages  crushed 
under  a  heartless  tjTanny ;  yet  by  their  religious  tradi- 
tions and  superstitfons  they  have  been  preserved  from 
the  demoralizing  and  degrading  influence  of  Buddhism. 
They  develop  grandly  in  the  school  of  Christ;  and, 
though  with  less  native  intellectual  ability  and  less  at- 
tractive features  and  complexion  than  the  Burmans,  they 
furnish  a  higher  type  of  character,  more  fully  rounded  out 


l60  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

and  symmetrical,  and  more  reliable  for  the  advance-work 
in  the  evangelizing  of  the  south-eastern  part  of  Asia. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Dr.  Judson,  coming  from  a 
little  experience  among  the  high-caste  Brahmans  and 
low-caste  Sudras  of  India,  did  not  inquire  at  once  for  the 
most  common  people  of  Burmah — these  Karens — among 
whom  to  begin  our  mission,  I  believe  that  the  whole 
history  of  American  Baptist  evangelizing  enterprise  in 
this  country  is  a  commentary  on  i  Cor.  i.  26-29.  The 
direct  success  of  labor  among  the  Burmans  has  not  been 
commensurate  with  the  amount  of  work  and  the  ability 
of  the  workers.  For  many  years  we  have  barely  held 
our  own.  But  meanwhile  "  the  foolish,"  "  the  weak," 
the  "base  things"  "which  are  despised,"  "hath  God 
chosen,"  and  they  are  coming  forth  "  to  confound  the 
wise,"  and  "  to  confound  the  things  which  are  mighty," 
and  "  to  bring  to  naught  things  that  are."  I  never  saw 
such  earnest  attention  and  such  eager  listening  to  the 
preaching  in  Burman  assemblies  as  to  Karen  school  and 
religious  exercises  on  the  part  of  Burman  visitors.  They 
see  that  by  some  wonderful  power  their  former  slaves 
have  become  elevated  far  above  them,  and  they  know 
that  the  principles  of  Gaudama  could  not  accomplish 
this.  By  the  light  of  Karen  life  it  would  seem  that  the 
millions  of  Burmans  are  to  be  led  to  Christ  and  enabled 
to  appreciate  and  utilize  the  vast  amount  of  gospel  truth 
that  has  been  preached  and  printed  among  them  by  Jud- 
son and  Bennett,  by  Kincaid  and  Osgood,  by  the  elder 
and  younger  Stevens,  by  Rose  and  Crawley  and  Jame- 
son, and  by  many  others. 

Often  upon  the  rivers  and  in  the  jungles,  in  the  homes 
and  the  chapels  of  the  natives,  and  along  the  crowded 


ADONIRAM    JUDSON. 
Page  lliO. 


BURMA  H.  l6l 

highways  of  these  heathen  cities  and  towns,  it  was  rest- 
ful to  think  as  Dr.  Judson  thought  and  wrote  three  years 
after  landing  in  1813:  "If  they  ask,  What  prospect  of 
I  ultimate  success  is  there  ?  tell  them,  As  much  as  there  is 
that  there  is  an  almighty  and  faithful  God  who  will  per- 
form his  promises;  and  no  more."  He  had  to  wait  six 
years  for  the  first  convert ;  but  that  was  not  as  long,  as 
he  had  himself  said,  as  the  twenty  waiting  years  in  Ota- 
heite,  or  the  seventeen  of  Dr.  Thomas  in  Bengal.  In 
Rangoon  we  think  of  his  completion  here  of  the  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament ;  and  in  Maulmain,  on  the 
very  spot  where  his  house  stood  and  beside  the  old 
chapel  where  he  used  to  preach,  we  seem  to  see  him 
kneel  with  the  last  leaf  of  the  entire  Burman  manuscript 
of  the  Bible,  offering  it  to  his  Master,  imploring  forgive- 
ness for  its  defects  and  aid  in  corrections,  and  dedicating 
all  to  his  glory.  I  doubt  not  Dr.  Mason  did  the  same 
at  Tavoy  when  he  finished  his  Sgau  Karen  translation 
of  the  entire  Scriptures,  and  Mr.  Brayton  with  his  Pwo 
Karen. 

Rev.  C.  H.  Carpenter's  happy  thought  at  Bassein  of 
having  the  Karen  institute  building  named  the  "  Ko 
Thah-byu  Memorial "  brings  together  the  first  and  the 
latest  signal  triumphs  of  Christianity  among  these  most 
interesting  people  of  Burmah.  Many  times,  when  listen- 
ing to  the  various  class-room  recitations,  which  would 
have  done  honor  to  any  high  school  in  America ;  or  when 
attending  the  general  musical  or  other  exercises  in  the 
large  well-filled  auditorium,  and  the  fact  would  recur,  So 
wonderful,  so  unparalleled,  that  this  thirty-thousand-dol- 
lar— yea,  in  all,  forty-five-thousand-dollar — enterprise  is 
all  at  the  expense  of  the  Bassein  Sgau  Karen  Christians, 
u* 


1 62  ALONG    THE   LIXES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

— I  thought  of  the  beginning,  and  had  my  faith  in  mis- 
sions strengthened.  Some  of  our  living  missionaries 
were  upon  the  ground  almost  soon  enough  to  witness 
the  baptism  of  Ko  Thah-byu,  the  ex-slave,  at  the  hands 
of  Rev.  G.  D.  Boardman  at  Tavoy.  I  passed  there  in  the 
night,  too  far  off  to  see  the  shore,  yet  out  through  my 
cabin-window  I  looked  into  the  darkness  and  wished 
that  time  would  permit  a  return  from  Maulmain  to 
Tavoy,  and  then  at  least  a  walk  with  the  Rev.  H.  Mor- 
row down  to  where  this  first  Karen  followed  the  Lord  in 
his  own  beautiful  ordinance.  And  there  also  would  have 
been  associated  the  scene  three  years  after,  in  1831,  when, 
before  the  dying  Boardman,  Dr.  Mason  buried  in  baptism 
thirty-four  Karen  converts,  the  faithful  and  successful 
missionary  being  borne  back  from  the  service  to  the 
house  a  corpse,  while  his  rejoicing  spirit  above  began 
the  song  of  thanksgiving  in  which  many  thousands  of 
Karens,  on  earth  and  in  heaven,  have  since  joined. 

Tavoy  has  a  future  as  well  as  a  past,  not  only  in  the 
Karen,  but  also  in  the  Burmese,  Department.  But  the 
station  is  not  adequately  supported.  The  one  missionary, 
his  wife,  and  an  assistant  are  not  sufficient  for  that  im- 
portant centre.  And  this  is  the  difficulty  with  many  of 
our  stations  in  Burmah.  We  are  hardly  appointing  to 
them  missionaries  enough  to  hold  their  own.  It  would 
seem  that  American  churches  are  forgetful  that  mission- 
aries have  been  dying  off  for  the  last  fifty  years,  and  that 
they  are  resting  contented  with  the  thought  that  Board- 
man  and  Wade  are  still  laboring  in  Tavoy;  and  Judson 
and  Osgood  and  the  Haswells  in  Maulmain ;  and  Binney 
and  the  elder  Vinton  in  Rangoon ;  and  Kincaid  and 
Simons  in  Prome;    and  Mason  in  Toungoo;    and  the 


BURMAH,  163 

elder  Thomas  and  Crawley  in  Henthada ;  and  Beecher 
and  Abbott  and  Van  Meter  and  Douglass  in  Bassein ; 
and  that  Mrs.  Ingall's  husband  is  with  her  at  Thongzai, 
and  Mr.  Gushing  is  having  the  help  of  Mr.  Kelley  in  the 
Shan  work.  Indeed,  I  was  asked  lately  whether  Mrs. 
Comstock — who  was  remembered  from  the  touching  in- 
cident, so  often  told,  of  her  giving  up  her  two  children 
to  be  brought  to  America,  saying,  "  O  Jesus,  I  do  this 
for  thee!" — whether  she  was  still  at  work  as  a  missionary 
in  Arracan.  Ah,  indeed !  these  and  many  others  are  at 
rest,  and  all  their  places  have  not  been  filled.  We  have 
no  missionary  to  the  Burmans  in  Tavoy  or  in  Henthada ; 
none  among  the  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  probably, 
of  Khyens  to  whom  Mrs.  C.  B.  Thomas  is  so  earnestly 
directing  attention ;  and  no  man  in  Thongzai.  The 
younger  Stevens,  with  his  wife,  is  alone  in  Prome.  No 
wonder  the  Church  of  England  and  the  Methodists  are 
sending  laborers  to  Rangoon.  At  almost  every  station 
in  Burmah  the  missionary  force  is  too  feeble  in  numbers. 
It  needs  strengthening  another  entire  generation  for  the 
sake  of  a  qualified  native  ministry,  a  firmly-established 
condition  among  the  churches,  and  in  order  to  be 
ready  on  call  for  the  advance  throughout  Upper 
Burmah. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BURMA H  {Continued). 

THERE  is  one  way  in  which  American  Baptists  can 
release  themselves  from  the  responsibility  of  con- 
siderably reinforcing  their  stations  in  Burmah.  They 
can  say  to  other  missions,  "  We  no  longer  consider  this 
our  pre-empted  and  exclusive  field  for  evangelizing  work." 
Thus  far  all  the  great  Societies  have  deferred  to  our  judg- 
ment in  this,  except  the  Propagation  Society  and  the  China 
Inland  Mission.  The  Methodist  station  in  Rangoon  was 
not  regularly  authorized.  Let  us  officially  announce 
to  the  Congregational,  Presbyterian,  and  other  Boards 
that  they  are  welcome  to  occupy  Upper  Burmah;  to  lo- 
cate missionaries  to  the  Burmans  at  Tavoy  and  Henthada; 
and  to  receive  the  entire  responsibility  of  several  of  our 
stations,  in  order  that  we  may  concentrate  our  forces 
and  adequately  hold  those  which  remain, — and  there  is 
no  doubt  that  in  the  course  of  three  years  Burmah  would 
be  provided  with  all  the  missionaries  absolutely  required. 
But  are  we  ready  for  such  escape  from  the  duty  that  God 
has  assigned  to  us  ? 

Without  thoroughly  understanding  the  situation,  it 
may  seem  strange  that  ninety-four  missionaries — nearly 
all  of  them  confined  in  their  work  to  the  lower  half  of 
the  country — should  not  be  deemed  an  adequate  supply. 
Already  it  would  appear  that  Burmah  is  three  times  as 

164 


BUR  M AH.  165 

strongly  occupied  in  proportion  as  India.  But  in  every 
great  warfare  there  are  points  of  concentration.  More 
soldiers  were  massed  against  Richmond  than  against 
Port  Hudson  or  Atlanta.  Virginia  was  the  best  field  for 
the  strongest  attack  upon  the  Confederacy,  And,  with- 
out detracting  at  all  from  the  importance  of  our  mission- 
ary operations  in  Siam  or  China  or  Japan  or  Assam, 
Burmah  is  probably  the  best  field  for  our  strongest  at- 
tack upon  the  Buddhism  of  six  hundred  millions  of  East- 
ern and  South-eastern  Asia.  Jt  is  the  great  natural  high- 
way between  India  and  China.  Victory  here  is  victory 
over  vast  territories  beyond  the  geographical  limits  of 
Burmah. 

Moreover,  v/hile  not  unmindful  of  the  important  evan- 
gelizing service  rendered  by  the  wives  of  missionaries 
through 'the  Christian  homes  they  provide,  and  by  the 
single-women  missionaries  in  their  school  work  and  na- 
tive family  visitation,  it  must  be  noted  that  only  thirty- 
three  of  our  ninety-four  laborers  in  Burmah  are  men.  I 
think  this  is  a  disproportion,  especially  in  a  country  where 
there  is  very  little  of  that  seclusion  of  the  female  sex 
which  has  created  so  large  a  demand  in  India  for  ze- 
nana laborers.  The  number  of  women  missionaries 
in  Burmah  should  not  be  lessened — it  should  rather, 
at  several  stations,  be  increased ;  but  at  present  the 
very  much  greater  necessity  is  for  more  men.  Our 
women  at  Thongzai  and  Henthada  have  done  all  that 
women  could  do  in  the  oversight  of  upward  of  sixty 
churches;  yet  the  need  of  equally  competent  men  was 
very  evident  to  me  when  I  visited  their  fields.  Above 
the  primary  schools,  the  boys  and  young  men  had  better 
be  taught  by  men,  and,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  touring 


l66  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

work  from  village  to  village  through  these  jungles  had 
better  be  done  by  men  also.  Of  course,  there  are  many 
things  a  woman  may  do  with  perfect  propriety  if  there 
is  no  man  to  do  it,  but  better  to  furnish  also  the  proper 
proportion  of  men ;  and  of  late  years  American  Baptists 
have  not  been  doing  this  with  their  missions  in  Burmah. 
It  must  be  remembered,  also,  that  one-fourth,  on  an 
average,  of  our  Burmah  missionaries  are  at  home  on  vaca- 
tions all  the  time,  while  several  upon  the  ground  are  be- 
coming very  old,  and  are  far  from  being  able  to  do  what 
they  once  did.  I  agree  that  the  proportion  off  the  field 
is  too  large ;  it  should  not  be  over  an  eighth,  or,  making 
all  allowances,  certainly  not  over  a  sixth.  Every  mission- 
ary should  return  to  America  once  in  every  eight  or  ten 
years  for  rest  and  the  good  of  the  cause  in  the  home 
churches.  It  would  be  better  once  in  every  seven  years, 
could  cheap  excursion  rates  be  arranged — which  I  have 
reason  to  believe  is  practicable — and  if  the  length  of  va- 
cations could  be  reduced  to  one  year  and  a  half  from  the 
field.  I  am  persuaded  that  it  is  a  very  serious  mistake 
for  the  missionary  to  be  absent  from  his  post  the  second 
working  season.  But  if  broken  down  in  health,  more 
time  will  often  be  needed  for  recovery ;  and  it  is  good 
economy  to  take  it.  So  it  would  be  in  the  case  of  many 
pastors  at  home,  but  many  of  these  ministers,  and  mem- 
bers too,  have  to  work  right  on  despite  poor  health  and 
enfeebled  constitutions.  My  father  kept  at  the  pastorate 
for  twenty-five  years,  every  summer  prostrated  by  a  terri- 
ble sickness  that  would  have  sent  many  missionaries  home, 
and  have  invariably  secured  the  physician's  certificate 
of  necessity.  It  would  probably  be  wise  to  obtain  the 
approval  of  all,  or  at  least  of  a  majority,  of  the  mission- 


BUR  MA  H.  167 

ary  community  for  any  vacations  taken  before  the  com- 
pletion of  regularly-stated  terms  of  service. 

Next  to  the  importance  of  a  reinforcement  of  not  less 
than  ten  men  as  missionaries  is  the  successful  prose- 
cution of  our  advanced-school  enterprises  in  Rangoon 
(population,  132,004)  and  Bassein.  We  are  evidently 
weak  where  these  efforts  are  designed  to  strengthen. 
Among  the  nearly  twenty-three  thousand  church-mem- 
bers, of  whom  nearly  twenty  thousand  are  Karens,  I 
missed  that  proportion  of  educated  preachers  and  mem- 
bers which  I  found  in  Northern  India,  Japan,  and  some 
portions  of  China.  There  is  need  of  a  great  many  more 
such-  brethren  as  that  Burman  who  gave  us  the  address  of 
welcome  at  Prome ;  and  that  Karen  at  Bassein,  likewise 
employed  by  government  as  deputy  school  commission- 
er ;  and  that  well-named  Martin  B.  Anderson  at  Thong- 
zai ;  and  those  two  men  Dr.  Vinton  was  so  good  as  to 
invite  in  from  their  jungle  villages  to  talk  with  me;  and 
others  I  met  among  the  native  members  and  preachers. 
A  great  many  more  of  them  are  needed  to  give  the  re- 
quired solidity  and  effective  strength  to  Burmah's  Chris- 
tianity. In  some  countries  the  special  demand  apparent 
is  for  educated  Christian  women,  but  it  seemed  to  me 
there  are  more  of  them  in  Burmah  than  of  the  corre- 
sponding class  of  men.  And  the  girls'  schools  and  de- 
partments are  rapidly  increasing  their  number.  We 
therefore  take  special  interest  in  the  reopening  of  the 
Rangoon  College,  the  faithful  work  of  the  adjoining 
Karen  Theological  Seminary,  and  the  marked  prosperity 
of  the  Bassein  Institute. 

A  wisdom  higher  than  human  is  evidently  solving  our 
important  educational  problem  in  Burmah.     It  has  .seem- 


1 68  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

ed  to  me  singularly  like  the  unfolding  of  the  question  of 
Baptist  collegiate  training  in  New  York  State — Hamil- 
ton and  Rochester  over  again.  "  Alas  !"  said  many  in 
our  Empire  State,  "  how  the  cause  will  suffer  by  this 
division  of  higher  educational  interests !"  But  it  has 
proved  the  contrary.  The  Bassein  enterprise  has  had 
wonderful  prosperity  under  Rev.  C.  H.  Carpenter's  su- 
perintendency.  It  has  drawn  off,  and  will  hold,  a  large 
constituency.  But,  meanwhile,  the  missionaries  and  the 
native  Christians  of  Eastern  Burmah  have  been  strength- 
ened in  the  conviction  that  there  must  be  a  united  and 
vigorous  effort  to  establish  firmly  and  render  prosperous 
the  college  and  theological  seminary  of  Rangoon.  The 
college  is  being  reopened  by  its  President,  Rev.  J.  Pack- 
er. The  building  is  large,  convenient,  and  well  located. 
There  are  good  feeders  provided  at  several  stations.  And 
now,  with  the  experience  of  the  past  few  years,  and  the 
example  and  incentive  furnished  at  Bassein,  I  see  no 
good  reason  why  we  should  yield  to  the  English  Propa- 
gation Society  the  leadership  of  higher  Christian  educa- 
tion in  the  Burman  metropolis  of  Rangoon.  After  all 
that  can  be  said  in  criticism  of  the  spirit  and  the  meth- 
ods of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel 
in  Burmah,  there  is  great  ability  and  enterprise  man- 
ifested, especially  in  the  higher  education  of  Burmese 
young  men ;  and  I  am  strongly  impressed  with  the  con- 
viction that  our  Baptist  Mission  cannot  much  longer 
occupy  its  vantage-ground  among  the  Burmese,  unless 
the  Rangoon  College  is  made  a  conspicuous  success. 

The  new  railway  will  soon  render  the  Toungoo  and 
Shwaygyeen  districts  very  accessible  to  Rangoon ; 
Prome  and  the  intervening  mission  stations  are  within 


BURMAH.  169 

a  few  hours'  ride ;  Maulmain,  and  even  Tavoy,  are  not 
too  remote ;  and  the  boys'  schools,  or  departments,  at  all 
these  stations,  both  Burmese  and  Karen,  should  be  graded 
as  feeders  to  the  college.  Some  of  the  missionaries,  in- 
deed, would  miss  the  incentive  and  co-operation  of  their 
brightest  and  more  advanced  pupils  in  the  station  work, 
but  the  loss  would  be  more  than  made  up  in  the  course 
of  years.  It  seems  to  me  there  has  been  too  much 
of  the  mission  to  Rangoon,  and  the  mission  to  Maul- 
main, and  the  mission  to  Toungoo,  and  the  mission  to 
Prome,  etc.,  and  too  little  of  the  mission  to  Burmah. 
In  this  small  country,  stations  are  so  near  together  that 
it  is  unwise  to  encourage  any  such  independent  action 
as  may  be  necessary  between  Swatow  and  Ningpo,  or 
between  Ongole  and  Gowahati.  It  would  be  desirable 
that  the  majority  of  those  east  of  the  Irrawaddy  should 
lead,  and  be  led,  into  the  most  hearty  practical  sympathy 
with  this  college,  and  that  native  Burmese  and  Karen. 
Christian  brethren  should  be  so  instructed  as  to  feel  their 
responsibility.  The  President  would  naturally  desire  to 
have  such  assistance  in  teaching  that  he  can  give  the  need- 
ed fatherly  care  to  those  entrusted  to  him,  so  that  their 
residence  amid  the  temptations  of  the  great  city  may  not 
be  a  cause  of  undue  anxiety  to  the  missionaries  who  have 
toiled  to  rescue  them  from  heathenism. 

The  theological  seminary,  under  the  presidency  of  the 
late  Dr.  J.  G.  Binney,  and  now  under  that  of  Rev.  D.  A. 
W.  Smith,  has  done  a  great  deal  of  valuable  work  in  pre- 
paring a  native  Karen  ministry.  It  has  a  good  building, 
in  a  good  location.  Its  nearly  thirty  students  impressed 
me  very  favorably.  I  had  not  seen  so  much  intelligence 
in  an  equal  number  of  Asiatics  since  leaving  Kiyoto  and 

15 


I/O  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Peking.  I  was  reminded  of  this  latter  place  when,  after 
addressing  them  one  day  through  Mr.  Smith  as  inter- 
preter, a  full  report  was  made  out  in  the  Karen  Morning 
Star ;  only,  at  Peking,  Dr.  Martin  sprung  it  upon  his 
■heathen  class  in  the  Imperial  University  at  my  close: 
"  Young  men,  I  shall  expect  a  written  report  from  you 
all  next  week  of  the  address  just  delivered."  Alas !  if 
they  had  been  inattentive !  They  understood  my  Eng- 
lish; I  am  glad  these  Karens  did  not.  This  teaching  of 
English  in  mission  schools  is  too  often  overdone.  There 
is  not  such  a  demand  for  it  among  the  natives  as  some  mis- 
sionaries, in  their  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  vernacular 
and  their  inclination  to  dispense,  if  possible,  with  the 
long  years  of  hard  toil  in  its  acquirement,  hastily 
conclude. 

It  is  urged  that  this  theological  seminar}^  be  trans- 
ferred to  Bassein.  There  are  some  weighty  reasons  in 
favor  of  such  change ;  but,  on  the  whole,  I  think  it  is 
now  where  it  should  be.  And,  in  connection  with  it, 
Dr.  Stevens  should  be  enabled  t©  give  all  necessary  time 
to  the  sustaining  of  a  Burmese  Department.  So  should 
the  Bassein  Institute  have  its  Burmese  Department,  as 
well  as  the  Rangoon  College  continue  to  encourage  this 
education  together  of  the  races.  The  Burmese  and  the 
Karens  and  the  Shans  are  much  more  nearly  allied  than 
are  the  whites  and  the  blacks  in  America ;  and  the  rea- 
sons which  prevail  in  our  Northern  States  against  sepa- 
rate schools  are  even  more  conclusive  in  Burmah.  Some 
difficulties  have  arisen,  and  will  arise;  but  it  is  worth  the 
continued  effort,  especially  in  our  higher  mission  schools, 
to  educate  together  those  who  are  made  equal  by  the 
laws  of  the  land.     The  differences  of  language  require, 


BURMAH.  171 

indeed,  multiplication  of  teachers,  but  not  so  much  as 
with  entirely  separated  schools.  Those  mingling  togeth- 
er in  school  life  will  naturally  acquire  somewhat  of  each 
other's  native  language,  and  especially,  what  is  so  desir- 
able— much  more  than  a  knowledge  of  the  English — the 
Karens  will  come  to  have  a  working  familiarity  wnth  the 
Burmese  tongue,  and  will  be  able  to  use  it  in  evangeliza- 
tion among  the  five  to  eight  times  greater  population. 

I  was  specially  pleased  with  the  Industrial  Department 
of  the  Bassein  Institute.  To  see  those  nearly  two  hun- 
dred turn  daily  for  two  or  three  hours  to  hard  manual 
work  of  various  kinds  was  one  evidence  of  the  wisdom 
with  which  this  enterprise  is  conducted.  Watching  them 
pounding  rice  and  cutting  wood  and  clearing  ground,  I 
felt  that  they  were  not  likely  to  be  spoiled  for  return  to 
jungle-village  life.  If  this  is  best  where  the  Karens  have 
built  their  own  school  and  sustain  their  own  children  in 
their  advance  studies,  it  is  more  necessary  in  those 
schools  where  the  Burmese  and  the  Karens  are  fur- 
nished from  American  funds  with  buildings  and  teach- 
ing and  food.  Each  of  them  should  have  an  Industrial 
Department  contributing  materially  toward  the  support. 
The  girls'  schools  could  have  laundries  attached,  and 
would  command  plenty  of  custom  in  such  places  as 
Rangoon,  Maulmain,  and  Bassein.  The  Burmese  youth, 
I  know,  would  be  reluctant  to  fall  in  with  such  arrange- 
ments ;  they  are  naturally  too  proud  and  indolent.  Some 
of  them  would  refuse  and  go  off  to  the  government 
schools.  That,  however,  would  do  no  harm  to  some  of 
our  schools  which  are  overcrowded.  It  seems  to  me 
this  is  a  point  much  more  important  than  to  secure  the 
much-coveted  government  "  grants-in-aid."     It  is  prob- 


172  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

ably  best  to  take  the  latter  when  offered ;  yet  it  is  a 
shame  that  the  home  contributions  do  not  enable  our 
missionaries  to  do  all  their  legitimate  work  independ- 
ently. 

Our  mission  press  at  Rangoon  is  still  under  the  care 
of  Rev.  C.  Bennett,  who  lately  celebrated  his  fiftieth  an- 
niversary in  Burmah.  It  has  done  a  very  important  part 
of  our  Baptist  mission  work  in  this  land,  and,  of  all  the 
mission-press  establishments  I  visited  in  different  coun- 
tries, I  saw  none — the  great  Presbyterian  Publishing 
House  of  Shanghai  and  the  Methodist  of  Fuchow  alone 
excepted — better  supplied  and  arranged,  and  carried  on 
with  as  careful  business  enterprise  as  this,  which  our 
venerable  brother  has  so  long  superintended.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  conservative  principles  prevail  in  all  the  de- 
partments, but  that  has  probably  been  the  most  enter- 
prising. 

I  do  not  specially  fancy  fast  horses,  but  I  never  want 
to  ride  behind  his  horse  again,  and  take  one  hour  to  drive 
two  miles  on  a  splendid  road.  Nevertheless,  I  had  good 
company  on  the  road,  and  found  more  of  it  at  his  home 
in  his  excellent  companion.  Their  services  in  abundant 
labors  and  self-denials  and  contributions,  if  not  appreci- 
ated fully  here,  are  all  known  by  the  Divine  Master,  who 
must  soon  receive  them  into  rest.  Mr.  F.  D.  Phinney  is 
under  appointment  to  receive  the  honored  mantle  which 
is  falling  from  off"  the  shoulders  of  Mr.  Bennett. 

Several  calls  were  made  at  the  mission  house  of  the 
Rangoon  Sgau  Karen  compound  before  I  found  those 
indefatigable  jungle-workers  Rev.  J.  B.  Vinton,  D.D.,  and 
Rev.  I.  D.  Colburn  at  home.  Unquestionably,  they  have 
the  hearts  of  thousands  of  these  Karens,  and  mine  too. 


BURMAH.  173 

If  any  think  that  the  romance  of  missions  has  passed, 
these  brethren  can  undeceive  them.  There  is  plenty  of 
the  thrilling  pioneer  experience  if  only  the  city  mission- 
aries go  far  off  into  the  wild  jungles  and  mountain-forests 
to  find  it.  I  .'^avv  Dr.  Vinton  romping  for  an  hour  with 
the  boys  of  the  Karen  school,  and  again  mount  a  strange 
elephant  and  guide  it ;  but  these  characteristics  did  not 
spoil  the  memory  of  the  best  mission  talk  I  ever  heard, 
and  that  in  my  church  in  Providence  from  his  burning 
lips ;  nor  did  they  render  less  solemn  and  beautiful  the 
words  of  his  closing  prayer  at  our  farewell  meeting  with 
the  missionaries  at  Dr.  Stevens's  house.  It  would  help 
some  of  our  other  missionaries  if  they  would  cultivate 
a  little  more  of  the  romp  and  sport.  These  people  of 
Burmah  are  peculiarly  good-natured  and  frolicsome. 
I  was  in  Bassein  soon  after  Rev.  C.  A.  Nichols  arrived, 
but  I  found  him  in  high  honor  among  the  Karens — just 
the  missionary  they  wanted,  for  he  had  joined  them  a  few 
minutes  in  target-shooting  and  had  beaten  them  all.  Near 
the  old  Arracan  hills  I  came  riding  into  a  Karen  village 
with  wife  and  two  missionaries;  each  upon  an  elephant. 
With  solemn  and  majestic  movement  we  advanced  to 
the  chapel,  where,  with  every  propriety,  we  attended  ser- 
vice. Through  an  interpreter  I  addressed  them,  and  they 
listened  with  apparent  interest.  But  after  the  close  of  the 
meeting,  while  I  was  up  in  one  of  the  houses,  my  wife 
roguishly  slipped  the  ladder  from  the  door,  and  I  had 
to  clamber  and  jump  down  in  a  very  undignified  and 
amusing  way.  This  touch  of  nature  made  the  frolicsome 
villagers  and  us  close  of  kin  at  once;  and  if  I  could  have 
then  invited  them  back  to  the  chapel  and  made  my  speech 
over  again,  it  would  have  done  twice  as  much  good. 

15  « 


174  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT   THE  FRONT. 

Dr.  Stevens  is  hard. at  work  with  his  new  classes  of 
Burmese  preachers,  caring  for  the  EngHsh  and  Telugu 
churches,  editing  The  Burmese  Messenger,  discharging  va- 
rious trusts  in  connection  with  the  Rangoon  Missionary- 
Society,  and  preparing  a  concordance.  His  home  is  a  de- 
hghtful  rallying-pointfor  the  social  prayer- and  conference- 
meetings  of  the  missionaries.  We  found  a  double  bene- 
diction resting  upon  it,  in  that  Mrs.  Stevens  had  recently 
returned  from  America  accompanied  with  several  new  mis- 
sionaries, and  that  the  beautiful  little  grandchild,  daugh- 
ter of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  A.  W.  Smith,  the  other  occupants 
of  the  house,  had  lately  greeted  there  the  angels,  who,  as 
she  said,  had  come  to  take  her  up  to  heaven.  Not  far  off 
is  the  humble  cottage  where  Mrs.  J.  G.  Binney,  having 
finished  the  admirable  biography  of  her  lamented  hus- 
band, is  completing  the  Sgau  Karen  dictionary  entrusted 
to  her  by  the  late  Dr.  Mason.  She  is  a  most  intelligent, 
refined,  and  lovable  mother  of  this  missionary  Israel,  and  I 
do  not  wonder  that  Mr.  William  Bucknell  of  Philadelphia 
has  been  prompted  to  do  so  many  generous  things  to  the 
cause  in  her  name.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  L.  Brayton,  assisted 
by  Mrs.  A.  T.  Rose,  have  faithfully  held  the  Pvvo  Karen 
fort  of  the  Rangoon  district  till  the  long-delayed  reinforce- 
ment came  in  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Walter  Bushell,  located 
thirty  miles  west,  at  Ma-oo-ben.  I  hope  the  next  time 
Rev.  A.  Bunker  comes  down  from  Toungoo  he  will  bring 
that  useful  photographic  camera  and  take  a  picture  of  Mr. 
Bushell's  mission-dwelling,  with  Mr.  Brayton's  house- 
boat on  the  adjoining  shore.  The  former,  erected  at  a 
cost  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  would  be  a  valu- 
able object-lesson  among  our  churches,  and  the  boat  is 
a  plea  in  behalf  of  considerable  liberty  in  the  matter  of 


BURMAH.  175 

specific  donations.  My  old  Providence  church,  which 
gave  the  three  hundred  dollars  for  that  boat,  saved  thus, 
probably,  the  lives  of  two  missionaries  for  several  years, 
and  did  more  than  usual  that  same  year  for  the  general 
treasury  of  the  Union.  Specific  donations  are  in  order, 
when  care  is  taken  at  the  same  time  to  add  to  the  reg- 
ular annual  contributions  instead  of  subtracting  from 
them. 

Of  the  Rangoon  Burmese  church,  school,  and  subur- 
ban station  work  Rev.  A.  T.  Rose  has  special  charge. 
Much  of  his  labor,  however,  consists  of  touring  and 
preaching  all  over  the  country.  From  his  late  visit 
to  Mandalay  it  would  seem  that  the  time  has  fully  come 
for  the  permaneiTx  occupancy  of  the  native  capital  as  a 
central  mission  station.  I  hope,  on  his  return  from  his 
next  rest  in  America,  he  will  immediately  establish  the 
Mandalay  Mission.  But  all  the  missionaries  in  Lower 
Burmah  would  miss  him  and  his  wife.  I  saw  what  does 
not  come  out  in  the  official  reports — that  theirs  is  the 
big  heart  that  takes  everybody  else  in,  helping  them  in 
the  perplexing  details  of  foreign  business,  caring  for 
them  in  sickness,  cheering  them  by  frequent  correspond- 
ence, and  always  welcoming  at  their  home  with  self- 
forgetful  hospitalities.  If  others  have  done  for  theirs  in 
America,  they  have  returned  it  many  times  over  in  their 
very  marked  liberality  of  heart  and  hand  in  Burmah.  The 
girls'  school,  under  Miss  A.  R.  Gage,  Mrs.  M.  C.  Douglass, 
and  Miss  L.  E.  Rathbun,  presents  much  encouragement. 

In  Maulmain — where  it  is  a  shame  to  see  new  costly 
heathen  religious  buildings  on  ground  once  owned  by 
our  mission — faithful  and  effective  work  is  going  forward 
in  both  the  Burmese  and  the  Karen  Departments.     Rev. 


176  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

and  Mrs.  Hascall  are  very  industrious  in  their  Burmese 
boys'  school.  The  girls'  school  is  admirably  conducted 
by  Miss  Martha  Sheldon.  Mrs.  J.  M.  Haswell  and  Miss 
S.  E.  Haswell  have  returned  from  America.  In  the  Karen 
Department,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  Webster  are  winning  the 
hearts  of  all,  as  had  Rev.  and  Mrs.  S.  B.  Rand  before 
them.  Misses  Higby  and  Lawrence  are  doing  much 
through  their  school  and  native  family  visitations.  I 
was  particularly  pleased  with  Miss  E.  H.  Payne's  enter- 
prise in  shaking  a  little  clear  of  this  perhaps  too  monop- 
olizing school  work  all  around  her,  and  starting  a  Bur- 
mese Sunday-school  paper,  and  establishing  a  Bible  and 
tract  depository  down  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  Many 
interests  would  suffer  if  Miss  S.  B.  Barrows  and  Mrs.  J. 
B.  Kelley  were  not  on  hand  to  meet  constantly-arising 
emergencies.  From  Miss  E.  E.  Mitchell's  medical  work 
good  may  be  hoped.  Rev.  J.  F.  Norris,  as  pastor  of  the 
English  Church,  and,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Bryson,  in  charge 
of  the  Eurasian  girls'  home,  has  met  with  gratif\'ing  suc- 
cess in  saving  the  fold  from  wolves  that  came  clad  in  the 
disguise  of  so-called  Higher-Life  doctrines. 

At  Thongzai,  Mrs.  Ingalls  exhibits  a  great  deal  of  tact 
and  personal  magnetism  among  the  Burmese.  Her  per- 
sistent endeavors  to  encourage  the  principle  of  self- 
support  are  very  commendable.  The  station  school, 
under  the  charge  of  Miss  Evans,  refuses  all  govern- 
ment "  grants-in-aid."  Miss  J.  M.  Elwin  is  soon  to 
join  this  station. 

We  found  a  .good  deal  more  at  Zeegong  and  its  out- 
stations  than  we  had  expected.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  B. 
Hancock  are  much  blessed  in  their  work  among  the 
Burmese.     I  did  not  see  a  more  intelligent,  and  seldom 


BUR  MA  H.  177 

a  larger,  congregation  throughout  the  country.  Miss  A. 
M.  Barkley  is  assisting.  We  were  shown  Mrs.  Bailey's 
grave,  as  also  the  school  she  began  at  Gyobingouk. 

Rev.  E.  O.  Stevens,  at  Prome,  is  showing  excellent 
judgment  in  the  management  of  this  important  mis- 
sion. His  studious  habits  and  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  language  especially  commend  him  in  public  address 
to  the  better  classes  of  the  natives.  Mrs.  Stevens  and 
her  assistant,  Miss  J.  C.  Bromley,  returned  since  with 
broken  health,  exhibit  marked  executive  ability  in  the 
school  and  hospital,  and  their  home  is  a  model  one. 

From  this  far-up  station  of  Prome  we  wish  we  could 
go  farther,  calling  at  Mandalay,  and  visit  the  scenes  of 
the  labors  of  Rev.  W.  H.  Roberts  and  Rev.  J.  A.  Freiday 
and  their  companions  in  Bhamo  and  vicinity.  We  are 
glad  the  former  on  his  return  is  to  be  accompanied  by 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  L.  W.  Cronkhite. 

At  Henthada —  Well,  it  was  pitiful  to  see  Mrs.  C.  B. 
Thomas  all  alone ;  but,  thank  God !  her  son  has  come 
to  take  up  his  father's  work.  It  was  my  third  parish 
call  in  Burmah.  Very  mortifying  was  it  the  next  morn- 
ing to  find  she  had  slept  on  the  floor  that  her  guests 
might  have  the  only  bedstead  in  the  house.  A  comfort- 
able dwelling,  indeed,  and  beautifully  situated,  but  then 
I  wish  all  those  croakers  who  represent  missionaries  as 
living  luxurious  lives  could  go  through  it  and  inventory 
the  furniture.  At  another  missionary  house,  where  they 
had  two  or  three  cheap  lace  curtains — probably  a  pres- 
ent in  some  box — for  the  windows,  the  cautious  sister 
hid  them  away,  until  she  discovered  that  we  did  not 
belong  to  those  who  object  to  missionaries  having  any 
comfortable  and  pretty  things  around  them.    Then  up 


178  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

went  the  curtains.  I  did  not  ask  Brother  E.  O.  Stevens's 
permission,  or  I  should  tell  who  she  was.  There  is  no 
intimation  intended  here  that  Mrs.  Thomas  was  prompt- 
ed by  similar  caution.  That  beautiful  service  of  song 
which  she  arranged,  where  we  sang  together  in  English 
and  Burmese  and  Karen  ;  her  special  interest  in  the  up- 
ward of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  Khyens ;  and 
that  social  gathering  at  a  native  house  which  recalls  the 
delightful  native  receptions  arranged  by  my  other  two 
parishioners,  Mrs.  Hascall  and  Miss  Sheldon,  at  Maul- 
main  ;  and  such  volumes  more  of  experience  and  of 
insight  into  the  life  and  work  of  our  missionaries  in 
Burmah, — I  cannot  stop  to  describe. 

Having  met  all  but  Rev.  N.  Harris  of  the  Shwaygyeen 
missionaries,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  W.  Hale  in  Rangoon,  and 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  I.  Price  in  Ongole  and  Bassein,  it 
seemed  almost  as  if  I  ha,d  been  to  that  important  station, 
where  God  has  so  signally  blessed  the  Karen  work. 
And  ever  since  the  time  when  in  our  summer  home 
upon  the  Narragansett  Bay,  and  subsequently  in  the 
lecture-room  of  my  church  in  Providence,  Rev.  A.  Bun- 
ker exhibited  with  his  stereopticon  his  Burman  views, 
especially  of  scenes  in  and  around  his  Toungoo  station, 
it  has  seemed  as  if  we  have  been  there  also.  I  see  Rev. 
F.  H.  Eveleth  working  on  with  the  Burmese,  though  at 
the  noble  sacrifice  of  his  invalid  wife's  companionship ; 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  E.  B.  Cross,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  V.  Crump, 
as  also  Rev.  A.  Bunker  himself  and  wife,  with  the  Paku 
and  Bghai  Karens ;  Rev.  and  Mrs.  B.  J.  Mix,  until  his 
late  decease,  on  their  return,  at  Liverpool,  supplementing 
the  work  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  N.  Cushing,  D.  D.,  in  the 
footsteps  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  M.  H.  Bixby,  D.  D.;    and 


BURMAH.  179 

assisting  among  these  departments,  also,  Misses  Eastman 
and  Ambrose  and  Rockwood  and  Upham.  We  must 
have  more  of  those  mission  pictures  as  eyes  for  our 
home  churches.  Each  District  Secretary  should  have 
a  full  supply,  with  a  good  sciopticon  and  limelight. 

But  I  must  close  this  chapter,  and  we  must  pass  on 
from  Burmah.  Let  our  last  glance  be  in  a  Bassein 
Sgau  Karen  village.  With  Rev.  and  Mrs.  C.  H.  Car- 
penter, prepared  for  several  days'  tour  by  boat  and  ele- 
phant in  the  jungle,  we  leave  the  city  behind.  Pleasant 
memories  here,  indeed,  of  the  faithful  Burmese  work 
of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  M.  Jameson.  None  more  faithful  in 
all  the  mission  field.  Favorable  recollections,  also,  of 
Rev.  and  Mrs,  J,  T.  Elwell  and  their  earnest  labors 
among  the  Pwo  Karens.  But  shall  we  find  any  other 
evidences  of  evangelizing  enterprise  among  the  Sgau 
Karens  of  this  district  besides  ^yonder  Normal  and  In- 
dustrial Institute,  where  Misses  Watson  and  McAllister 
and  Mr.  Carpenter's  corps  of  native  teachers  are  car- 
rying on  what  I  unhesitatingly  call  as  yet  the  banner 
school  of  Asia  ?  After  founding  this  enterprise,  with  its 
nearly  two  hundred  pupils,  and  supporting  it,  outside  the 
missionary's  salaries,  is  there  anything  left  for  the  ex- 
penses of  village  preaching  and  teaching?  I  confess  to 
solicitude.  But  we  have  been  to  a  dozen  villages,  and 
evidently  these  extremely  poor  Karen  Christians  have 
been  taught  their  duty,  not  in  one  direction  alone.  The 
mystery  deepens,  but  it  is  plain  they  all  have  their  own 
churches  and  schools,  with  pastors  and  teachers.  How 
they  do  it  I  cannot  tell.  Our  missionary  companions 
say  it  is  very  simple,  everybody  giving  something  ac- 
cording to  ability,  no  matter  how  small  an  amount.     Ah  ! 


l80  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

but  that  itself  is  a  mystery  so  unlike  anything  we  ever 
saw  in  American  churches.  Let  us  stop  at  this  village, 
the  most  poverty-stricken  one  we  have  seen.  Half  the 
houses  have  tumbled  down,  and  soon  it  is  to  be  deserted. 
The  rats  have  multiplied  in  the  surrounding  jungle,  eat- 
ing up  the  villagers'  rice- crops,  till  last  year  half  was 
taken,  and  this  year  two-thirds.  Formerly  they  poison- 
ed these  rats,  but  lately  starvation  has  compelled  them 
to  trap,  spear,  and  eat  them. 

"  Here,"  says  the  deacon  as  we  leave,  "  are  ten  rupees  " 
(five  dollars)  "  from  our  church  for  the  Ka-Khyen  mis- 
sion." 

These  Bassein  Sgau  Karens  sustain  several  native  mis- 
sionaries up  among  those  with  whom  Rev.  W.  H,  Rob- 
erts has  been  laboring,  besides  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  A,  Frei- 
day  among  the  Shans  at  Bhamo. 

"  No,"  replies  Brother  Carpenter ;  "  you  need  this  to 
keep  you  from  starving." 

"  But,  teacher — "  the  deacon  insists;  and  pastor  and  all 
say,  "  Yes,  yes,  that  is  so.  We  can  live  on  rats,  but 
the  Ka-Khyens  cannot  live  without  the  gospel." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
ASSAM. 

THIS  field  (population,  4,815,157)  and  the  history  of 
its  evangelizing  work  are  exceedingly  rich  in  mate- 
rial for  study.  Let  any  one  carefully  gather  the  facts — 
so  numerous,  so  diversified,  often  so  impressive — and 
then  make  such  inquiries  of  them  as  these :  "  Wherein 
is  the  providential  leading  of  the  God  of  missions  mani- 
fested?" "  What  have  been  the  various  lessons  of  divine 
instruction?"  "Wherein  have  God's  ways  proved  not  as 
man's  ways,  and  still  remain  unexplained?"  "  What  have 
been  the  relations  between  the  darkest  and  the  brightest 
days  of  the  mission  ?"  It  will  then  be  seen  that  there  is 
a  golden  opportunity  for  instruction.  Indeed,  this  is  al- 
ways the  way  to  utilize  the  facts  that  are  continually  com- 
ing to  us  from  all  the  mission  fields.  To  read  simply  to 
know  if  converts  are  being  multiplied,  or  to  feel  the  mo- 
mentary excitement  of  some  thrilling  adventure,  or  to 
follow  the  missionary  experience  of  some  personal  friend, 
fails,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  to  lead  into  the  real  merits 
of  the  subject.  The  threshold  must  be  passed,  and  the 
thoughtful,  prayerful  mind  must  enter  the  temple  where 
the  God  of  missions  manifests  his  presence.  Then  all 
the  books  and  all  the  periodicals  of  missionary  literature 
become  gloriously  interesting,  for  in  them  is  seen  the 
glory  of  the  Shechinah.     Why  are  not  our  missionary 

16  181 


152  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

magazines  and  papers  eagerly  sought  by  every  Chris- 
tian ?  Many  of  them  might  contain  better  writing  and 
be  made  to  present  a  more  attractive  appearance ;  but 
the  greater  difficulty  is  in  the  superficial  way  in  which 
people  generally  use  this  literature.  Our  courts  do  not 
listen  to  witnesses  for  beauty  of  language  or  for  interest- 
ing recitals  of  personal  history,  but  to  get  at  significant 
facts  bearing  upon  the  all-absorbing  question.  It  mat- 
ters not  how  faulty  may  be  the  style  or  how  unattractive 
the  appearance  of  the  occupant  of  the  witness-stand.  And 
so  should  it  be  with  regard  to  all  testimony  that  can  be 
gathered  from  the  world-wide  mission  field.  We  want 
all  that  every  one  can  tell  us,  whoever  he  may  be,  and 
however  he  may  tell  it  to  us.  All  are  welcomed;  for  we 
are  not  listening  to  them,  but  to  the  God  of  missions 
through  the  myriad  and  varied  events  of  which  they 
bear  witness.  This  makes  many  a  missionary's  letter 
and  many  a  traveller's  chapter  intensely  interesting  when 
evidently  it  would  not  otherwise  be  worth  the  paper  on 
which  it  was  written. 

Assam  is  a  very  difficult  field  for  missionary  enterprise. 
This  is  not  on  account  of  the  climate ;  for,  being  nearly 
eight  hundred  miles  north  of  Rangoon,  and  close  to  the 
cooling  winds  and  waters  of  the  Himalayas,  and  being 
chiefly  broken  up  into  verdure-covered  hills,  and  valleys 
well  drained  by  the  great  Brahmaputra,  it  is  certainly 
more  salubrious  than  any  of  our  other  mission  locations 
in  Southern  Asia.  Nor  is  there  much  personal  danger 
from  the  inhabitants,  notwithstanding  the  occasional  re- 
volts of  the  more  remote  wild  mountain-tribes.  The 
country,  independent  previous  to  1822,  was  then  an- 
nexed by  Burmah ;  but  four  years  afterward  it  fell  into 


ASSAM.  183 

the  hands  of  Great  Britain,  whose  rule,  as  elsewhere  in 
India,  is  fully  as  effective  in  the  protection  of  life  and 
property  as  ours  throughout  America.  Nor  is  there 
any  longer  the  former  difficulty  of  access.  When  Rev. 
N.  Brown,  D.  D.,  now  of  Japan,  and  Mr.  O.  T.  Cutter, 
our  pioneer  missionaries  to  Assam,  first  went  up  the 
Brahmaputra  to  the  extreme  north-eastern  Indian  sta- 
tion of  Sadiya,  it  required  four  months  for  their  passage 
from  Calcutta;  but  now  most  of  the  distance  can  be  ac- 
complished by  railway,  and  the  travelling  facilities  upon 
the  river  have  greatly  increased  with  the  development  of 
the  immense  tea-production  and  commerce  of  Assam. 

But  the  country  is  inhabited  by  a  bewildering  con- 
glomeration of  tribes.  We  are  familiar  with  the  As- 
samese, Khamtis,  Singphos,  Nagas,  Kacharis,  Garos, 
Kosaris,  and  the  Kohls ;  but  there  are  many  other 
ethnological  and  linguistic  divisions  among  the  popula- 
tion of  the  upper  valley  of  the  Brahmaputra  and  the 
surrounding  hill-regions.  There  are  fifty-four  branches 
of  the  Tibeto-Burman  family  lying  between  the  Sutlej 
and  the  Irrawaddy,  chiefly  upon  the  southern  spurs  of 
the  great  Himalaya  range  in  the  neighborhood  of  As- 
sam. The  Assamese  belong  to  a  different  group,  and 
drifted  into  the  country  from  the  opposite  direction.  It 
is  very  interesting  to  study  the  great  variety  of  races  and 
languages  which  our  missions  encounter,  particularly 
in  India.  And  the  fact  is  that  Christian  missionaries 
have  done  the  most  of  it,  and  that  but  for  them  perhaps 
never  would  these  philological  and  ethnological  labyrinths 
have  been  explored.  Our  own  Dr.  Mason  of  Burmah 
and  the  Baptist  Serampore  missionaries  contributed 
much  in  these  directions.      And  so  it  appears  that   in 


1 84  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Assam  we  are  in  the  bed  of  the  first  great  stream  of 
immigration  that  far  back,  in  prehistoric  times,  came 
pouring  over  the  Eastern  Himalayas  into  India.  Then 
another  tide — one  of  Scythian  immigration — subsequent- 
ly rolled  in  from  the  west  by  way  of  Sindh,  conquering 
and  hurling  back  these  Kolarian  and  Tibeto-Burman  pop- 
ulations. Then,  near  2000  B.C.,  came  the  Aryan,  or  Indo- 
European,  immigration  across  the  Punjab,  crowding  on- 
ward the  Dravidian  families  into  the  ethnological  and 
linguistic  snarl  which  vastly  increases  the  difficulties 
of  our  mission  work  in  North-eastern  and  Farther 
India. 

But  these  very  difficulties  magnify  the  importance  of 
the  work  we  are  here  endeavoring  to  do.  Wherever  the 
bodies  or  the  souls  of  human  beings  are  the  more  in 
danger,  there  it  is  the  spirit  of  Christianity  to  make  the 
more  earnest  effort  to  save.  These  multiplied  tribal  dis- 
tinctions and  varieties  of  language,  together  with  the 
natural  alienations  and  hostilities  they  create,  while 
greatly  complicating  mission  work,  present  the  advan- 
tage of  less  weight  of  resistance.  For  example,  an  im- 
pression upon  the  Nagas  or  the  Garos,  once  made,  has 
not  the  mountains  of  opposition  still  beyond,  as  among 
many  millions  of  Bengalese  or  Chinese.  And  tribes  do 
not,  as  a  general  rule,  hold  on  as  firmly  to  their  heathen 
religions  as  do  populous  homogeneous  nations,  and  in 
their  conscious  weakness  they  are  the  more  on  the  alert 
to  improve  any  advantages,  as  of  the  instruction  of  the 
mission  teacher  and  his  personal  influence.  I  know 
that  there  are  special  incentives  in  mission  work 
among  a  mighty  population  speaking  the  same  lan- 
guage and  able  to  read  the  same  literature,  but  nearly 


ASSAM.  185 

all  the  missionaries  I  have  met  of  all  lands  engaged  in 
tribal  work  have  expressed  to  me  their  decided  prefer- 
ence for  it,  feeling  that  the  advantages  for  evangelizing 
enterprise  among  the  thousands  are  greater  than  among 
the  millions.  And  this,  in  Assam,  is  illustrated  when  we 
compare  the  labors  and  results  among  the  one  hundred 
thousand  Garos  with  the  same  among  the  two  millions 
of  Assamese.  Among  the  former,  with  less  outlay  of 
missionary  toil,  there  are  thrice  as  many  converts  con- 
nected with  our  stations. 

Brahmanism  is  the  religion  of  a  majority  of  the  natives 
in  the  great  Brahmaputra  valley,  while  the  hill-tribes  are 
chiefly  pagans  or  believers  in  demonolatry  and  ghost- 
worship.  The  terrible  caste  system  of  the  former,  as 
also  the  Hindu  possession  of  an  ancient,  extensive,  and 
much-venerated  religious  literature,  greatly  complicates 
and  embarrasses  Christian  work  among  them.  I  am  con- 
fident there  is  more  nobility  of  character  to  work  upon 
with  a  Hindu  than  with  a  Buddhist,  as  also  more  fun- 
damental religious  truth ;  yet  in  these  very  elements  of 
the  great  problem  special  difficulties  are  involved.  The 
ancient  Vedic  religion  made  prominent  the  unity  of  God. 
The  Rig-Veda  (or  "Veda  of  Praise"),  the  oldest  and 
chief  of  the  four  Vedas,  or  sacred  Hindu  writings  (1400 
B.  c),  declares  repeatedly,  "  There  is,  in  truth,  but  one 
Deity,  the  Supreme  Spirit,  the  Lord  of  the  Universe, 
whose  work  is  the  universe."  This  is  plainly  a  remnant 
of  God's  revelation ;  but  there  was  associated  with  it  the 
idolatry  of  nature.  The  ritual  was  simple,  and  the  faith 
unencumbered  with  the  doctrine  of  transmigration.  In- 
deed, the  Code  of  Menu  (900  b.  c.)  claims  that  the  wor- 
ship of  one  Supreme  Being  is  of  chief  importance,  though 

16* 


1 86  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

practically  absorbing  attention  with  an  absurdly  compli- 
cated ritual  and  a  deified  sacerdotal  caste.  The  Vedic 
ground-truths  of  Hinduism  became  still  farther  covered 
up  with  the  Brahma,  Vishnu,  and  Siva  rubbish  of  the 
epics  Ramaydna  and  MaJid-bJidrata  (200  b.  c.)  and  the 
voluminous  works  called  Puranas  and  To ntr as  {^oo-\6oo 
A.  D.).  Siddhartha,  called  also  Sakya-Muni  and  Gautama, 
and  his  Buddhism ;  Vrihaspati  and  his  atheism ;  Kabir 
and  his  Kabir  Parthis ;  and  Nanak  and  his  Sikh  relig- 
ious movement, — all  have  had  modifying  effects  upon 
the  Hindu  ceremonialism  and  sacerdotalism.  Neverthe- 
less, the  polytheistic  conception  has  advanced,  and  the 
Avatars  of  Vishnu  and  the  Lingam  of  Siva  have  been 
introduced.  Hinduism  has  always  allowed  a  great  deal 
of  freedom  of  thought,  notwithstanding  the  rigidity  of 
its  observances ;  and  there  is  abundant  liberty  to-day  for 
its  more  intelligent  classes  to  emphasize  the  old  Vedic 
truths,  consigning  caste  rules  to  mere  social  custom. 
There  is  scarcely  more  than  this,  in  reality,  in  the  move- 
ment of  the  Brahmo  Somaj,  in  part  under  the  celebrated 
Chunder  Sen,  whose  annual  address  I  heard  in  Calcutta, 
and  whose  acquaintance  I  formed.  Herein,  then,  are 
great  elements  of  strength  in  Hinduism  which  Christian 
missions  have  to  encounter.  It  is  more  difficult  to  argue 
with  the  Hindu  than  with  a  Buddhist;  but  then,  back 
of  the  argument,  the  difficulty  with  the  latter  in  relig- 
ious consciousness  and  moral  perception  is  the  greater. 
After  the  last  word  has  been  spoken,  the  deadlier  effect 
of  Buddhism  is  apparent. 

Much  in  the  history  of  our  Assam  missions  has  been 
very  mysterious.  Why  did  not  Dr.  Brown  and  Rev.  M. 
Bronson  have  their  attention  at  the  beginning  turned  to- 


ASSAM.  187 

ward  the  Garos  ?  Or  why  were  they  not  providen- 
tially located  first  at  Sibsagor  or  Nowgong,  instead  of 
at  the  unfortunate  station  of  Sadiya?  That  sudden 
death  of  Rev.  J.  Thomas  in  1837,  w^hen.just  in  sight  of 
his  expected  life-work,  a  tree  fell  over  on  his  boat  from 
the  bank  of  the  Brahmaputra,  killing  him  instantly — 
what  could  God  have  meant  by  this  ?  Miss  Bronson, 
who  was  to  assist  her  brother  among  the  Nagas,  fell  at 
her  post  in  seven  short  months.  In  a  few  years  Mr. 
Barker  was  buried  at  sea.  The  earnest  German  mission- 
ary Daiible  was  called  home  by  his  Master  after  only 
three  years  of  service.  Rev.  C.  F.  Tolman  broke  down 
in  two  years,  and  had  to  retreat.  Certainly,  the  mission 
has  passed  through  great  trials  which  must  have  driven 
the  toiling  band  more  and  more  to  cast  themselves  on 
God,  many  of  whose  "  ways  are  past  finding  out."  Yet 
there  have  been  many  visible  tokens  of  favor.  The 
labors  of  Rev.  N.  Brown,  D.  D.,  were  extended  over 
twenty  years,  and  were  of  great  and  permanent  value, 
particularly  in  Bible  translation.  He  gave  the  Assamese 
the  New  Testament  and  large  portions  of  the  Old.  Dr. 
Bronson  has  given  forty  years  of  service.  The  native 
preacher  Kandura  was  raised  up  from  among  the  orphans 
of  the  Nowgong  Institution,  and  his  record  at  Gowahati 
has  been  an  inspiration  to  all  the  missionaries  and  to  all 
the  friends  of  Assam.  Multitudes  have  read  of  Omed, 
the  first  convert  from  among  the  Garos,  convicted  by  a 
Christian  leaflet  swept  out  of  a  door  where  he  was  sta- 
tioned as  sepoy  guard,  and  whose  ministry  among  the 
Garo  hills  has  been  wonderfully  successful.  For  nearly 
a  dozen  years  Assam  had  the  services  of  the  present  ad- 
mirable Secretary  of  the  Women's  Baptist  Missionary 


1 88  ALONG   THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Society  for  Connecticut.  And,  as  another  special  smile 
of  Providence  upon  this  often  sorely-tried  field,  we  may 
note  the  large  immigration  of  the  Kohls  from  Chota 
Nagpore,  in  Central  India,  to  work  in  the  tea-gardens 
of  Assam ;  many  of  them  have  brought  with  them  relig- 
ious impressions  received  from  the  German  missionaries, 
and  in  connection  with  our  stations  have  professed  their 
faith  in  Christ. 

The  Garos  have  well  been  called  the  Karens  of  As- 
sam. There  is  similarity  in  form  and  in  feature,  but 
especially  in  disposition  and  superstitions.  They  prove 
to  be  peculiarly  accessible  to  the  gospel,  and  to  make 
unusually  strong  and  useful  Christians.  Often  their 
courage  has  been  shown  in  the  handling  of  weapons 
of  iron,  and  now  they  are  manifesting  a  still  higher 
heroism  in  wielding  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  Tura  is 
our  most  advantageously  located  station  among  this 
people ;  the  mission  force  there  consists  of  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Mason,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  E.  G.  Phillips,  and 
Miss  M.  Russell.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  P.  H.  Moore  and  Miss 
Orell  Keeler  are  at  Nowgong,  carrying  on  the  work  of 
Rev.  Ira  J.  and  Mrs.  Stoddard  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Neigh- 
bor. Miss  A.  K.  Brandt  is  to  be  added  to  this  station. 
At  Sibsagor,  where  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Whiting  labored  so 
faithfully.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  K.  Gurney  are  meeting 
encouragement.  Rev.  Messrs.  E.  W.  Clark  and  C. 
D,  King,  with  their  wives,  are  following  up  the  work 
among  the  Nagas.  Gowahati  recalls  the  names  of  Revs. 
W.  Ward  and  Danforth  and  Comfort. 

The  normal  school  for  the  Garos  at  Tura  is  meeting 
one  of  the  most  important  wants  of  the  field.  There  are 
many  village  schools,  but  the  supply  of  qualified  native 


ASSAM.  189 

Christian  teachers  is  too  small,  and  the  required  super- 
intendency  of  the  missionaries  takes  too  much  of  their 
anxiety  and  time.  The  training  of  native  preachers  and 
the  preparation  of  a  Christian  literature  are  pressing  du- 
ties. Among  the  fourteen  hundred  members  at  all  the 
stations,  over  half  of  whom  are  Garos,  we  may  hope 
there  are  many  other  Kanduras  and  Omeds  ■  ready  to  be 
educated  for  the  ministry,  and  to  release  our  missiona- 
ries, in  part,  for  the  vast  amount  of  surrounding  work  as 
yet  untouched.  • 


CHAPTER   XV. 

INDIA. 

THE  last  census  returns  of  India  give  a  population 
of  252,500,000.  An  enormous  population  indeed 
— five  times  that  of  the  United  States,  and  outnumbered 
only  by  China.  The  census  of  1872,  which  was  equally 
accurate  with  the  one  just  taken,  reported  238,830,958. 
In  but  eight  years,  therefore,  the  population  has  increased 
nearly  14,000,000.  But  for  the  late  famine,  there  would 
have  been  from  3,000,000  to  5,000,000  more.  No  other 
great  nation  is  multiplying  in  this  proportion.  China  is  not 
having  the  opportunity,  with  its  oppressive  government, 
its  more  sweeping  famines  and  more  sanguinary  insur- 
rections, and  the  comparatively  backward  state  of  its 
civilization.  Every  year  now  in  India  additional  safe- 
guards are  constructed  by  the  government  at  vast  ex- 
pense, such  as  railways,  canals,  and  river-dams  for 'irri- 
gation, in  order  to  render  the  recurrence  of  destructive 
famines  improbable,  I  travelled  for  several  hundred 
miles  over  the  south-eastern  portion  of  India,  through 
the  regions  which  had  been  so  terribly  scourged  by 
the  drought,  and  I  saw  that  all  the  large  resources  of  engi- 
neering skill  and  of  British  wealth  and  power  are  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  problem  of  saving  these  vast  popula- 
tions from  their  fearfully  devastating  periodical  famines. 
The  works  are  colossal  at  Bezwada,  upon  the  Kistna, 

190 


INDIA,  191 

and  a  little  below  Rajah-mundry,  upon  the  Godavery. 
The  vast  deltas  of  these  two  rivers  have  been  trans- 
formed from  an  annual  desert  into  a  perennial  garden. 
I  could  readily  believe  that  this  reclaimed  territory  is 
the  leading  grain-producing  part  of  India.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  great  peninsula  is,  therefore,  to  increase  prob- 
ably at  a  still  more  rapid  rate.  One  or  two  hundreds  of 
millions  more  would  not  overcrowd  the  country,  when 
all  the  land  has  been  brought  under  safe  cultivation  and 
government  has  abolished  opium  production.  These 
facts  deserve  the  prayerful  attention  of  the  Christian 
churches,  as  also  another — that  the  disposition  to  emi- 
grate, in  annually-increasing  numbers,  is  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  people.  I  met  many  Tamils  and  Telugus  in 
Burmah,  where  our  missionaries  are  already  encouraged 
by  work  among  them.  Indian  colonists  I  saw  also  in  the 
Malayan  Peninsula,  in  Siam,  in  Persia,  and  at  Baghdad. 
Well,  then,  may  all  evangelical  missions  take  profound 
interest  in  such  a  vast,  multiplying,  and  swarming  pop- 
ulation ;  and  especially  thankful  may  we  be  that  English, 
American,  and  Canadian  Baptists  have  been  led  providen- 
tially to  so  considerable  a  share  of  the  responsibility. 

There  is,  indeed,  an  immense  amount  of  degradation 
and  wretchedness  in  India ;  yet  it  seemed  like  coming 
home  again,  after  the  strange  far-away  feeling  the  travel- 
ler cannot  throw  off  in  Japan,  China,  and  South-eastern 
Asia.  The  majority  of  the  people  have  a  much  darker 
complexion  than  our  own ;  yet  their  features  are  very 
similar  to  the  Caucasian.  We  take  more  than  ethnolog- 
ical pleasure  in  tracing  back  the  Aryan,  and  even  Dravid- 
ian,  streams  of  immigration.  It  has  often  been  report- 
ed that  the  Parsees  of  Bombay  have  proved  themselves 


192  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

quite  equal  to  the  English  in  the  arena  of  trade,  but  I 
was  told  repeatedly  in  this  city  that  Hindu  merchants 
had  been  coming  forward  of  late  years,  and  were  dis- 
tancing both  in  the  race  for  wealth.  Multitudes  of  the 
Hindus  have  considerable  education,  outside  the  large 
number  who  have  availed  themselves  of  the  mission  and 
government  schools.  I  have  seen  many  of  them,  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  country,  able  to  read  and  converse 
readily  in  several  languages,  such  as  Sanskrit,  Hindu- 
stani, and  Persian,  besides  their  own  Hindi,  Bengali, 
Marathi,  Telugu,  or  whatever  it  may  be  among  the 
ninety-eight  vernaculars  and  still  larger  number  of 
dialects  of  India.  The  Brahmans  pride  themselves 
upon  their  familiarity  with  Sanskrit,  which  in  itself  is 
an  education  in  history,  composition,  and  thinking. 
And  when,  as  many  thousands  of  them  have,  they 
add  to  this  intellectual  training  the  advantages  of  the 
foreign  schools,  a  very  learned  class  indeed  is  created 
to  be  the  leaders  of  these  one-sixth  of  the  population 
of  our  globe. 

Whitherward  are  they  leading  to-day  ?  We  know  the 
direction  for  many  ages  of  the  past,  from  two,  and  even 
perhaps  three,  thousand  years  before  the  Christian  Era. 
It  was  away  from  God,  and  yet  with  an  effort  for  many 
centuries  to  carry  a  recognition  of  him  into  the  deifica- 
tion of  the  objects  and  powers  of  nature.  In  the  times 
of  the  Vedas  the  endeavor  was  to  serve  both  God  and 
Mammon  ;  but  gradually  the  idolatrous  and  polytheistic 
tendencies  distanced  all  the  theism  of  early  revelation  in 
the  cradle  of  the  races,  and  Brahmanism  became  fully  de- 
veloped. The  sacerdotalism  had  reached  its  extreme  in 
the  deification  of  the  Brahman  caste.     I  have  seen  hun- 


INDIA.  193 

dreds  of  Brahmans  worshipped  as  gods.  Sometimes,  as 
I  have  stood  by,  and  blinded  devotees  would  fall  at  the 
feet  of  these  monsters  of  imposition,  making  their  offer- 
ings and  saying  their  prayers,  I  could  not  repress  the 
finger  and  the  look  of  scorn  at  the  blasphemous  assumer 
of  divinity.  And  usually  the  well-dressed  and  gentle- 
manly-appearing scoundrel  would  leer  at  me  smilingly, 
as  if  to  say,  "  Of  course,  I  know  I  am  humbugging  this 
poor  fool ;  but  I  want  his  money."  The  indolence  of 
the  priesthood  and  the  poverty  of  the  lower  castes  con- 
spire to  multiply  idols  which  could  release  the  Brahmans 
from  the  weariness  of  being  constantly  worshipped,  and, 
at  least  after  the  first  outlay,  prove  economical  to  the 
Sudras,  and  even  to  the  Vaisyas  and  the  Kshatriyas  until 
they  became  extinct.  Thus  Hinduism  came  to  claim 
three  hundred  and  thirty  millions  of  deities  over  and 
above  the  score  at  least  of  millions  of  Brahmans. 

Such  numbers  appear  fabulous,  but  they  are  not  so. 
Idols  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  Hindu  house  or 
hut.  They  are  to  be  met  on  every  roadside,  in  every 
grove,  and  almost  under  every  convenient  shad^-tree. 
The  polytheistic  reaction  from  the  Buddhistic  move- 
ment, introducing  the  symbols  of  Vishnu's  Avatars 
and  Siva's  Lingam,  made  the  multiplication,  especially 
of  the  latter  class  of  idols,  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world 
for  masses  sunk  into  beastly  degradation.  The  mini- 
mum of  labor  could  mould  the  clay,  or  scratch  the  rock, 
or  gather  the  stones  of  obscenely-suggestive  shapes.  It 
is  denied  that  there  is  any  obscenity  in  the  Hindu  wor- 
ship of  the  Lingam  of  Siva.  I  must  acknowledge  a  sur- 
prise that  the  conduct  of  the  devotees  at  such  places  as 
the  ghauts  and  the  Golden  Temple  at  Benares  was  so 
17 


194  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

proper;  yet  it  is  impossible  for  religious  sentiment  to 
purify  such  indecency.  And  there  are  many  evidences 
of  the  gross  immorahty  of  the  people,  and  of  its  en- 
couragement from  this  hideous  phase  of  its  complicated 
religious  system. 

In  noting  the  drift  of  the  ages  in  India  away  into  the 
darkness  and  degradation  of  a  heathenism  only  less 
wretched  than  Buddhism,  we  must  take  into  account 
the  Moslem  element  of  the  population.  Over  fifty  roil- 
lions — or  nearly  one-third — of  all  the  Mohammedans  of 
the  world  are  to  be  found  in  this  Asiatic  Empire  of  Great 
Britain.  Immense  as  is  this  number,  and  powerful  as 
was  the  sway  of  Islam  in  India  from  the  days  of  Tamer- 
lane to  those  of  the  Mogul  Aurungzebe,  never  have  the 
followers  of  the  false  prophet  been  able  to  do  the  good 
they  did  in  Western  Asia  in  the  destruction  of  idolatry ; 
while,  at  the  same  time,  they  have  been  able  to  exert 
all  their  characteristic  influences  for  evil.  When  Sultan 
Mahmiid  of  Ghuzin  invaded  the  country,  he  marched 
about  in  the  old  iconoclastic  fashion ;  but  the  idolatrous 
multitude  was  too  vast,  and  the  milder  policy  of  tolera- 
tion had  to  prevail.  However,  the  polygamy  and  the 
slavery  of  the  now  ruling  class  contributed  to  the  greater 
demoralization  of  the  Hindus.  Zenanas  multiplied  under 
the  shadow  of  the  harem.  The  slavery  of  woman  be- 
came even  more  wretched  ;  for,  though  the  Code  of  Menu 
made  her  a  mere  thing  belonging  absolutely  to  her  hus- 
band, it  recognized  some  proprieties  of  treatment,  while 
the  Koran  denied  her  even  the  privilege  of  accompany- 
ing her  husband  through  the  funeral-fire.  After  the  ter- 
rific blow  which  Buddhism  struck  at  the  Hindu  caste  sys- 
tem, I  find  no  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  more  than 


INDIA.  195 

complete  reaction,  and  the  existence  of  the  caste  system 
to-day  in  all  its  most  extremely  complicated  and  terrible 
character,  except  in  the  influence  of  the  Mohammedan- 
ism of  India. 

But  the  leadership  of  the  present  is  not  in  the  direction 
of  an  idolatrous  Brahmanism — rather,  of  a  civilized  athe- 
ism.  It  is  the  same  as  we  have  already  noted  in  Japan. 
Multitudes  of  educated  Hindus  have  come  to  look  with 
utter  contempt  upon  idolatry,  but,  alas !  they  consider,  at 
the  same  time,  our  Christianity  as  a  superstition  of  our 
advanced  civilization.  They  have  imported  all  the  best- 
known  infidel  literature  from  England,  Europe,  and  Amer- 
ica, and  it  has  been  read,  not  only  by  tens  of  thousands 
from  the  original  text,  but  by  millions  in  the  translations 
which  have  been  made  into  various  languages.  A  few 
hundred  leading  Hindu  minds  have  revolted  against 
this  strengthening  sway  of  atheistic  thought,  but  their 
efforts  have  not  been  attended  with  much  success. 
Thirty-two  years  ago  Rammohun  Roy  thus  inaugu- 
rated a  movement  which  resulted  in  the  well-known 
Brahmo  Somaj.  At  the  first  professing  to  be  only  a 
reformed  Hinduism,  it  subsequently  became  deistic  and 
eclectic.  But  the  fewness  of  the  members,  and  their  re- 
peated divisions  and  subdivisions  and  lapses,  have  abun- 
dantly illustrated  the  inability  of  India  to  save  herself 
from  an  atheism  and  irreligion  which  would  be  worse 
than  Brahmanism. 

Christianity  alone  is  equal  to  the  task  of  saving  India 
— not  such  a  Christianity  as  Babu  Keshub  Chunder  Sen 
portrays  so  eloquently  with  his  Hinduized  conceptions 
of  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man ; 
not  such  a  Christianity  as  the  Brahmos  strive  to  appre- 


196  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

hend  and  recommend,  more  successful  even  than  Unita- 
rians in  eliminating  all  that  is  supernatural  and  essential ; 
nor  such  a  Christianity  of  dead  formalism  and  moral  im- 
potency  as  the  great  majority  in  the  civil  and  military  and 
commercial  services  from  England  are  still  living  before 
this  myriad  population;  but  such  a  Christianity  as  is  rep- 
resented by  six  hundred  and  eighty-nine  ordained  mis- 
sionaries of  the  various  evangelical  churches  toiling  to- 
day throughout  India  to  lead  away  both  from  idolatry 
and  from  the  negation  of  all  faith  to  belief  in  God  and 
in  the  gift  of  his  Son. 

In  this  work  Baptists  are  honored  of  God  in  being 
permitted  to  share  abundantly.  Our  missionary  ope- 
rations are  carried  on  among  the  two,  and  perhaps  the 
three,  most  numerously  populated  sections  of  the  coun- 
try ;  while,  in  addition,  the  American  Freewill  Baptists, 
with  sixteen  missionaries,  occupy  eight  stations  among 
the  2,000,000  of  Orissa.  The  English  Baptists  support 
thirty-nine  ordained  missionaries  in  India,  chiefly  among 
the  68,000,000  of  Bengal  and  the  upward  of  100,000,000 
of  the  Hindi-  and  Urdu-speaking  populations  of  the 
Gangetic  basin  and  Rajpootana.  They  have  four  in 
Ceylon  among  the  1,700,000  Singhalese,  one  in  Madras 
preaching  to  Telugus  and  Tamils,  and  one  at  Poonah, 
in  the  West,  among  the  15,000,000  Mahrattas.  The 
General  Baptists  of  England  have  sixteen  missionaries 
and  1,073  church-members  in  Orissa.  American  Bap- 
tists of  the  United  States  and  the  Canadian  Dominion — 
the  former  with  twenty-two  missionaries  and  the  latter 
with  eleven — confine  their  labors  to  the  nearly  1 7,000,000 
Telugus  in  the  South-east.  Although  it  is  true  be- 
yond the  land  of  the  Telugus  that  other  evangelizing 


INDIA.  197 

forces  largely  outnumber  those  of  our  own  denomina- 
tion, yet,  as  we  have  already  seen,  the  duty  was  assigned, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  to  Baptists  to  lay  the  founda- 
tion at  Serampore  of  nearly  all  the  mission  work  in 
India.  The  labors  of  Drs.  Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward 
did  not  simply  antedate  those  of  the  hundreds  from 
England,  Germany,  and  America  who  have  followed 
them,  but  they  were  of  that  marvellously  general  and 
thorough  character  which  has  made  them  a  moulding 
power  in  all  the  evangelization  and  general  education 
of  the  whole  country. 

The  island  of  Ceylon,  very  efficiently  occupied  in  the 
Colombo,  Kandy,  and  Sabaragamdwa  districts  by  Eng- 
lish Baptist  missionaries,  was  not  untruthfully  described 
by  Marco  Polo  as  "the  best  island  of  its  size  in  the 
world."  It  is  nearly  as  large  as  Ireland,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  about  two  and  a  half  millions,  of  whom  the 
majority  are  Buddhists,  and  its  geographical  situation, 
securing  two  monsoons  a  year,  keeps  it  covered  with 
luxuriant  vegetation.  The  Greek  geographers  called  it 
"  the  utmost  Indian  Isle,  Taprobane  ;"  it  was  the  Serindib 
of  the  Arabians,  and  the  Lanka  Dwipa  of  the  Sankcrit 
historians.  There  is  a  railway  from  the  capital  into 
the  interior,  passing  through  immense  cocoanut-forests, 
thousands  of  square  miles  of  coffee-plantations,  and  in 
view  of  much  veritable  Alpine  scenery.  At  Kandy  are 
the  celebrated  Buddhist  Wiharas,  or  colleges,  and  the 
well-known  temple  of  Dalada  Maligawa,  guarding  "  the 
sacred  tooth  of  Buddha."  Both  the  Buddhism  of  the 
Singhalese  and  the  Brahmanism  of  the  Tamils  include 
a  large  elAnent  of  devil-worship.  "  The  Light  of  Asia  " 
here  in  its  special  home  is  Egyptian  darkness.  But  by 
17* 


198  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

missions  is  being  written  a  poem  of  conquest  more 
beautiful  than  the  Ramayana,  which  sang,  two  centuries 
before  Christ,  the  conquest  of  Ceylon  by  Rama.  And 
the  methods  are  essentially  different  from  those  with 
which  the  Dutch  of  the  last  century  sought  to  enforce 
Christianity. 

It  was  our  privilege  in  Calcutta  (population,  683,329) 
to  meet  socially  nearly  all  the  laborers  of  the  Baptist 
mission  of  that  vicinity,  to  become  somewhat  familiar 
with  their  varied  and  important  work,  and  to  occupy 
their  pulpit  in  the  Circular  Road  Chapel.  With  General 
Litchfield — a  most  faithful  Baptist  missionary,  though 
American  Consul-General  to  India — I  gladly  made  a 
denominational  pilgrimage  to  the  other,  and  still  older, 
chapel  of  the  Lall  Bazaar,  to  see  the  baptistery  where  the 
ordinance  was  administered  to  Dr.  Judson  at  the  hands 
of  Dr.  Ward.  A  great  deal  of  itinerating  work  is  done 
here  and  throughout  Bengal.  Nothwithstanding  the 
widely-extended  and  incalculable  influence  of  the  press 
department  of  this  mission,  under  the  efficient  charge  of 
Rev.  G.  A.  Rouse,  and  the  extreme  prominence  given 
here  in  Calcutta  to  general  and  collegiate  education 
under  missionary  auspices,  it  is  gratifying  to  see  the  em- 
phasis laid  upon  chapel  and  house  and  street  preaching 
to  heathen  adults.  While  nearly  all  the  other  leading 
missions  of  this  vicinity  have  yielded  to  the  school-room 
and  book-making  temptations,  our  Baptist  brethren,  espe- 
cially of  late  years,  have  striven  to  keep  in  the  foreground 
the  proclamatioH  of  the  gospel  by  the  living  voice  to  men 
and  women. 

The  last  annual  report  from  London  thus  rejects  the 
experienced  and  intelligent  judgment  of  the  English  Bap- 


INDIA.  199 

tist  missionaries  to  India,  who  have  had  exceptional  op- 
portunity to  study  the  school  theory  of  evangelization, 
or  that  method  which  largely  withdraws  the  mission 
forces  from  living  contact  with  adults  and  brings  them 
chiefly  to  bear  upon  the  more  pliable  minds  of  the  youth. 
"  Ever  since  the  commencement  of  the  mission,"  say  the 
committee,  "  one  of  its  leading  characteristics  has  been 
the  placing  in  the  forefront  of  principle,  as  well  as  prac- 
tice, that  God  has  ordained  the  direct  preaclmig  of  the 
gospel  to  be  the  main  instrument  for  teaching  and  sav- 
ing men ;  and  certainly  the  reports  for  the  past  year  seem 
to  testify  that  bazaar  preaching,  open-air  preaching,  vil- 
lage-street preaching,  and  all  other  like  forms  of  making 
known  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  in  the  vernacular,  have 
been  followed  with  marked  and  blessed  results.  No 
other  plans  appear  more  efficient  for  the  wide-spread 
diffusion  of  the  gospel  message  than  those  of  preach- 
ing to  the  masses  of  the  people  in  the  public  thorough- 
fares and  other  places  where  they  congregate."  Though 
as  yet  the  English  Baptist  India  mission  reports  only 
4,466  members,  its  prospects  are  not  surpassed  by  any 
other  British  or  European  mission,  and  its  plan  of  mak- 
ing direct  preaching  the  main  instrumentality  is  fully 
justified  by  comparison  of  results.  Eight  new  ordained 
missionaries  are  expected  to  be  sent  out  the  present  year, 
a  Baptist  brother  of  Bristol  nobly  guaranteeing  the  outfit 
and  passage  of  all. 

In  Delhi,  as  well  as  at  several  other  stations,  the  plan 
is  successfully  tried  of  encouraging  the  principle  of  self- 
support  by  arranging  for  contributions  of  whatever  the 
native  Christians  have  to  give ;  if  not  money,  then  rice, 
or  fowls,  or  anything  else  that  has  market  value.     Here, 


2C30  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

as  at  several  other  points,  our  missionaries  report  "  in- 
creasing vitality  and  independence  of  the  native  Chris- 
tian churches." 

A  number  of  the  missionaries  have  adopted  the 
Moody-and-Sankey  method  of  introducing  a  great  deal 
of  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  by  singing.  There  is 
especially  the  "  Khoolnea  Singing  Band,"  which  usually 
accompanies  Rev.  G.  C.  Dutt  upon  his  evangelistic  tours  ; 
and  so  increasingly  attractive  have  the  services  thus 
proved  that  others  are  following  the  example. 

The  enterprise  of  this  brother  seems  quite  American 
in  another  particular.  Last  year  he  suggested  a  Chris- 
tian iiiela,  or  fair,  at  Kuddumdy — not  in  church,  but  in 
the  open  fields ;  a  several  days'  camp-meeting,  only  that 
trade  might  be  carried  on,  as  customary  at  heathen  melas, 
though  all  gamblers  and  bad  women  and  wine-sellers 
and  obscene  singers  were  to  be  excluded.  The  Hindus 
and  Moslems  declared  that  without  these  accompani- 
ments mere  trade  and  religion  would  not  be  sufficient  to 
attract  and  hold  multitudes  for  several  days.  This  was 
quite  generally  the  derisive  talk  about  the  "  Dhurmo 
Uddipony  Mela " — a  sad  commentary  upon  the  great 
Hindu  and  Moslem  religious  gatherings!  But  it  was  a 
success.  Three  hundred  stores  were  opened,  congrega- 
tions of  six  thousand  daily  crowded  the  pavilion,  and 
over  thirty  thousand  different  heathen  persons  heard 
the  message  of  salvation. 

It  is  very  encouraging  to  see  the  eagerness  of  the 
natives  at  different  points  to  purchase  tracts  and  copies 
of  the  Scriptures  from  our  missionaries.  Only  a  few 
years  ago  the  utmost  expected  was  to  find  those  who 
would  receive  them  as  gifts  and  then  not  use  them  for 


INDIA.  201 

waste-paper ;  now  the  supply  is  frequently  not  equal  to 
the  demand  of  those  who  are  ready  to  pay  all  that  is 
asked.  And  sometimes  the  Moslems  are  as  anxious  to 
buy  as  are  the  Hindus.  In  Monghyr,  Rev.  T.  Evans 
sold  during  five  months  of  last  year  seven  thousand 
copies  of  Scripture  or  Christian  literature,  and  down  in 
Eastern  Bengal  Rev.  R.  Bion  has  needed  three  men  to 
help  him  from  morning  to  night  passing  over  religious 
books  and  tracts  to  the  crowds  of  purchasers,  and  re- 
ceiving and  counting  the  eagerly-proffered  money. 

The  native  Christians — how,  indeed,  we  did  learn  to 
love  some  of  them !  The  genuine  piety,  the  intelligence 
and  effective  work,  of  many  of  them  gave  us  more  satis- 
faction to  behold  than  did  the  splendors  of  Calcutta  and 
Lucknow  and  Delhi  and  Agra.  They  are  witnessing 
faithfully  by  their  lives  to  the  truth  of  Christianity  before 
these  multitudes  of  heathen,  and  they  are  likewise  ready 
to  prove  as  true  to  their  Lord  in  death  as  one  of  their 
number  lately  in  Muttra.  To  the  idolaters,  who  alone 
were  around  him,  his  last  words  were,  "  I  am  a  Chris- 
tian. My  dear  Lord  is  calling  me,  and  I  am  going  to 
him."  No  wonder  a  Hindu  at  his  burial  was  heard  to 
pray,  "  O  thou  the  Christian's  God !  the  Christian's  God  ! 
turn  thou  my  heart !"  / 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

INDIA  {Continued). 

AMERICAN  Baptists  had  their  attention  first  directed 
to  India.  Here  the  English  Baptists  Drs.  Carey, 
Marshman,  and  Ward  had  begun  their  immortal  labors, 
and  thither  Dr.  Judson  went,  persuaded  that  there  was 
no  mission  field  throughout  the  world  more  needy  and 
more  hopeful.  But  it  proved  that  the  providence  of  God 
was  cherishing  a  different  purpose.  Burmah  became  our 
pioneer  mission,  and  not  until  twenty-three  years  after, 
in  1836,  did  we  begin  to  participate  in  the  evangelization 
of  the  vast  population  of  Hindustan.  The  year  before, 
the  Board  had  been  authorized  by  the  Convention  in 
session  at  Richmond  to  "  establish  new  missions  in  every 
unoccupied  field  where  there  was  a  reasonable  prospect 
of  success."  That  was  a  very  brave  and  thrilling  reso- 
lution, and  it  resulted  in  the  immediate  establishment  of 
our  Telugu  mission.  But  there  was  more  to  it,  and  I 
believe  that  thus  is  explained,  in  large  rpeaSure,  the  long, 
dreary  dearth  of  spiritual  prosperity  that  repeatedly  tempt- 
ed our  denomination  to  the  abandonment  of  this  mission. 
The  God  of  missions  was  insulted  by  the  way  that  res- 
olution and  its  accompanying  promises  were  followed  up 
by  those  members  and  delegates  who  had  voted  them, 
and  by  the  ministers  and  churches  which  were  repre- 
sented upon  that  occasion.  There  had  been  an  unusual 
202 


INDIA.  203 

amount  of  eloquence  expended  upon  various  missionary- 
subjects.  Able  delegates  from  the  English  Baptists  were 
present,  and  with  their  glowing  accounts  of  the  Seram- 
pore  enterprise  helped  to  awaken  a  missionary  en- 
thusiasm which  had  never  before  been  equalled.  The 
Convention  arose  as  one  man,  flung  aside  the  timid  pol- 
icy that  had  chiefly  characterized  its  previous  operations, 
authorized  the  Board  to  nearly  double  its  expenses, 
pledging  the  Convention,  the  ministers,  and  the  churches 
to  raise  the  funds,  and  directed  the  establishment  of  new 
missions  in  all  unoccupied  and  encouraging  fields  through- 
out the  whole  world.  The  spectacle  was  sublime.  But 
three  years  subsequently  the  Treasurer  was  compelled 
to  report  that  the  contributions  were  not  at  all  larger 
than  before  this  great  enthusiasm  of  words  and  conse- 
cration of  resolutions.  The  members  of  the  Convention 
went  home  to  rest,  feeling  that  they  had  done  their  duty 
— that  somehow  or  other  their  "good  time"  would  in- 
spire the  denomination,  and  their  cheap  promises  would 
be  cashed  at  the  banks.  No  wonder  that  in  a  few  years 
the  debt  rolled  up  to  forty  thousand  dollars — equal  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars  to-day — and 
that  it  ver}'  seriously  threatened  all  our  missionary  op- 
erations. How  could  God  consistently  prosper  the  Te- 
lugu  mission,  established  under  such  circumstances  ?  It 
is  surely  a  serious  thing  to  go  up  to  our  anniversaries  as 
members  of  the  Societies  or  as  delegates,  and  pledge  God 
on  our  own  behalf  and  in  behalf  of  the  churches,  and 
then,  Ananias-  and  Sapphira-like,  keep  back  part  of 
the  price. 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  S.  S.  Day  first  began  at  Vizagapatam 
the  Telugu  work  the  home  ministers  and  churches  had 


204  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  TILE  FRONT. 

SO  compromised,  removing  subsequently  to  Chicacole, 
then  to  Madras,  and  finally  to  Nellore,  It  was  truly 
among  a  most  interesting  people  our  mission  was  thus 
established — interesting  because  they  are  so  numerous 
and  so  degraded.  I  have  seen  many  of  them  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  country  who  would  rank  well  with  the 
better  native  classes  in  any  portion  of  India;  yet  evi- 
dently the  Telugus  have  been  crushed  beyond  many 
others  under  the  terrible  weight  of  Hinduism.  Their 
very  name  probably  tells  the  dreadful  story.  The  tra- 
dition is  that  their  god  Siva,  in  the  obscene  form  of  a 
Lingam,  descended  upon  three  mountains  of  their  re- 
gion, and  hence  Tri-  or  Te-lingana,  or  "  the  people  of  the 
Telingas,"  or  Telugus,  This  phase  of  Hinduism  is  its  ut- 
most abomination,  and  it  is  a  special  privilege  to  rescue 
immortal  souls  from  such  thraldom. 

Their  language  is  very  sweet  and  musical.  It  has  been 
appropriately  named  "the  Italian  of  India."  The  Seram- 
pore  missionaries  had  long  before  been  attracted  by  it,  as 
well  as  by  the  multitudes  reported  from  that  distant  field, 
and  with  their  almost  miraculous  enterprise  had  accom- 
plished a  Telugu  translation  of  the  entire  Scriptures.  The 
London  Missionary  Society  established  its  first  India  mis- 
sion in  this  field  (1806)  at  Vizagapatam,  and  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  of  England  began  its  important  mis- 
sions here  (1841)  at  Masulipatam.  The  former,  with 
leading  stations  also  at  Cuddapah  and  Nundial,  and  the 
latter,  strongly  occupying  also  Ellore  and  Bezwada,  sus- 
tain nearly  twice  as  many  missionaries  among  the  Telu- 
gus as  do  the  American  Baptists,  including  the  Canadi- 
ans, and  they  have  done  considerably  the  most  in  the 
line  of  schools  and  of  a  native  Christian  literature.     And 


INDIA.  205 

yet  in  the  great  and  ultimate  work  of  evangelization  the 
blessing  of  God  has  rested  the  more  abundantly  upon  our 
own  long-embarrassed  and  waiting  labors.  It  would 
seem  that  God  was  punishing  for  thirty  years  the  delin- 
quent American  constituency  of  the  Telegu  mission; 
yet,  at  the  same  time,  not  to  visit  our  iniquity  upon  the 
Telugus  themselves,  he  saw  to  it  that  others  should 
largely  scatter  the  seed  from  which  we  have  been 
since  privileged  to  reap  so  glorious  a  harvest. 

Ten  years  passed — ten  years  of  faithful  and  wisely- 
directed  mission  work,  during  which,  for  five  years,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Day  were  assisted  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  S.  Van 
Husen ;  but  at  the  end  sickness  compelled  the  return  of 
all  to  America,  and  apparently  all  the  fruit  that  had  been 
gathered  from  among  the  millions  of  Telugus  was  two 
converts  at  Nellore.  Our  churches  thought  it  not  wise 
to  continue  the  support  of  so  poorly-paying  a  mission. 
They  had  not  yet  taken  to  heart  God's  rebuke  of  their 
neglect  to  redeem  their  solemn  promises  in  1835,  made  to 
him  and  before  the  churches  and  the  world  with  so  much 
parade  of  prayer  and  eloquence  and  formal  consecration. 
They  were  not  prepared  to  humbly  confess  how  they  had 
withheld  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  which  they  had 
pledged  the  mission  treasury,  and  how  they  had  spent 
them  on  their  own  religious  luxuries  and  dissipations  at 
home.  And  so  they  would  seem  to  have  been  quite 
ready  at  the  anniversary  to  vote  to  abandon  the  Telugu 
mission,  when  Dr.  Judson  arose,  in  all  his  feebleness  of 
body,  but  sublime  strength  of  faith — present,  probably, 
to  do  a  work  for  the  India  of  his  first  love  second  only 
to  that  he  had  accomplished  for  Burmah — and  said  :  "  I 
would  cheerfully,  at  my  age,  cross  the  Bay  of  Bengal  and 

18 


206  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

learn  a  new  language  rather  than  Hft  up  my  hand  for  the 
abandonment  of  this  work."  Mr.  Day  also,  and  Mr.  Sut- 
ton, from  Orissa,  united  their  protests.  There  can  be  no 
question  that  these  three  vacationed  missionaries  saved 
the  Telugu  mission  that  time — a  fact  which  might  well 
be  taken  into  account  in  considering  the  wisdom  of  grant- 
ing missionaries  home  furloughs. 

The  readiness  of  Rev.  L.  Jewett,  D.  D.,  now  of  Madras, 
to  go,  and  the  ability  of  Mr.  Day  to  return,  saved  the  mis- 
sion the  following  year.  Upon  this  consecration  through 
the  dark  overhanging  clouds  the  Lord  smiled  a  little 
encouragement — enough  to  keep  Mr.  Jewett  at  Nellore 
even  after  Mr.  Day  was  again  compelled  to  return  home ; 
but  evidently  his  time  had  not  yet  come  for  laying  aside 
the  rod  of  correction  from  over  the  heads  of  disobedient 
American  Baptists.  God  had  not  forgotten  1835,  if  Ave 
had.  He  remembered  the  promises — so  demonstrative, 
so  liberal,  so  unqualified — with  which  we  accompanied  the 
establishment  of  the  Telugu  mission — all,  alas  !  broken. 
Again  it  was  proposed  at  the  anniversary,  not  to  humble 
ourselves  in  the  very  dust  of  repentance,  but  to  abandon. 
It  was  upon  this  occasion  that  Rev.  S.  F.  Smith,  D.  D., 
well  known  as  the  author  of 

"  My  country,  'tis  of  thee," 

penned  those  "prophetic"  stanzas  one  of  which  was  the 
following : 

"  Shine  on,  Lone  Star!     The  day  draws  near 
When  none  shall  shine  more  fair  than  thou; 
Thou,  born  and  nursed  in  doubt  and  fear, 
Wilt  glitter  on  Immanuel's  brow." 

Meanwhile,  Dr.  Jewett  was  reinforced  by  Rev.  F.  A. 


INDIA.  207 

Douglas ;  visited  Ongole ;  consecrated  the  adjoining  hill 
with  the  memorable  prayer  for  a  missionary  for  that  dis- 
trict, laying  hold  with  his  wife  and  a  native  Christian  com- 
panion of  that  promise  of  God  to  the  "two  or  three;" 
held  on  nine  years  more  through  occasional  encour- 
agements, but  chiefly  discouragements ;  and  then,  for- 
tunately— nay,  providentially — again  broke  in  health, 
and  was  compelled  to  return  and  be  at  home  among 
his  distrusting  and  impatient  brethren  just  in  time 
once  more  to  save  the  mission. 

Thirty-one  years  had  now  elapsed  since  the  broken 
resolutions  of  1835.  A  generation  had  passed  away. 
Almost  all  of  those  ministers  and  churches  which  had 
failed  in  their  most  solemn  promises  to  the  God  of  mis- 
sions— faithful  in  many  other  directions,  but  here  most 
faithless — had  gone  to  their  account.  It  was  then  God's 
time  to  turn  away  from  us  and  our  Telugu  mission  his 
marked  displeasure.  He  graciously  forebore  to  visit  the 
iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  their  children ;  and  so,  in 
1 866,  Rev.  J.  E.  Clough,  with  the  vision  already  before 
him  of  a  great  multitude  of  Telugu  converts,  advanced 
from  Nellore  to  Ongole.  The  prayer  offered  twelve  or 
thirteen  years  before  was  answered,  and  henceforth  the 
light  of  most  wonderful  prosperity  has  poured  down 
upon  our  whole  Telugu  mission  field. 

There  are  at  this  writing  nearly  20,000  converts  en- 
rolled in  the  Baptist  churches  of  the  Ongole  district,  and 
the  numbers  are  steadily  increasing  at  the  rate  of  about 
1,500  per  quarter;  and  there  are  nearly  1,400  more  mem- 
bers in  connection  with  the  other  stations  of  Nellore, 
Ramapatam,  Secunderabad,  Kurnool,  Madras,  and  Han- 
amaconda.    The  several  Canadian  Baptist  stations  still  far- 


208  ALOXG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

ther  to  the  north  must  include  over  1,000  more  church- 
members  ;  so  that  we  may  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable 
over  a  present  enumeration  of  nearly  22,400  converts 
among  89,600  Telugu  adherents.  This  exceeds  by  sev- 
eral hundred  the  total  number  of  all  the  Karen,  Burmese, 
Shan,  and  other  native  converts  in  Burmah ;  by  almost 
2,000,  the  great  ingatherings  of  our  Swedish  stations ;  and 
is  surpassed  only  by  the  wonderful  harvest  God  has 
granted  to  our  missionaries  in  Germany. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  I  was  eager  for  my  first  glimpse 
of  the  land  of  the  Telugus,  and  that  thereafter  the  three 
hundred  miles  of  journeying,  chiefly  overland  by  the 
tedious  canals,  though  including  delightful  intercourse 
with  all  the  Canadian  and  maritime  provinces  mis- 
sionaries, and  much  of  their  work,  were  impatiently 
accomplished,  until  four  o'clock  that  glad  morning, 
when  Brother  Clough  welcomed  me  to  Ongole. 

We  will  not  linger  at  Bimlipatam,  our  first  post  after 
leaving  Burmah,  where  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Sanford  and  Miss 
Hammond  are  laying  well  the  foundations  in  this  north- 
ern district  of  the  Telugu  field ;  nor  advance  still  far- 
ther to  the  north  to  Chicacole,  where  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Armstrong  are  reaching  multitudes  and  favorably  im- 
pressing with  Christian  truth  many  even  of  the  higher 
castes  (since  left  and  succeeded  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  I.  R. 
Hutchinson) ;  nor  stop,  though  our  steamship  does  a 
day,  at  Vizagapatam  and  see  the  London  missionary 
Hay,  who  has  labored  here  since  1839,  to  whom  all 
honor,  though  he  has  given  us  Baptists  some  trouble  in  re- 
gard to  New  Testament  translation  :  we  will  hasten  on  with 
our  Bimlipatam  and  Chicacole  mis.sionaries  to  the  anniver- 
saries of  the  Canadian  Dominion  missions  at  Coconada. 


INDIA.  209 

This  city,  which  is  about  twenty-five  miles  north  of 
the  upper  mouth  of  the  great  Godavery  River,  may  be 
said  to  be  the  headquarters  of  the  Canadian  Baptist  mis- 
sion. Here  Rev.  John  McLaurin  and  Rev.  A.  V.  Tim- 
pany  subsequently,  after  several  years  of  useful  service 
in  connection  with  the  stations  of  the  Missionary  Union, 
established  most  wisely  a  new  central  station,  the  Bap- 
tist churches  of  the  Dominion  assuming  the  support. 
Others  have  been  added  to  this  heavy  draft  upon  the 
Union's  Telugu  force,  till  there  are  now  eleven  mission- 
aries in  the  northern  field.  The  anniversary  Conference 
was  delightful.  The  reports  from  the  Coconada  district, 
under  Rev.  Mr.  Timpany,  and  from  Rev.  Mr.  Craig's 
district,  to  the  south-west,  were  specially  encouraging, 
showing  the  approach  of  the  Ongole  tidal-wave.  The 
union  of  spirit  and  work  manifested  gave  indication  that 
it  cannot  be  long  before  the  Baptists  of  the  Dominion 
will  see  their  way  over  all  real  and  fancied  obstacles  to 
the  combining  of  all  their  home  forces  into  one  foreign- 
missionary  organization.  The  political  estrangements 
between  the  maritime  provinces  and  the  up-country- 
should  not  hinder  that  same  unity  which  is  being  so 
beautifully  betokened  here,  and  for  which  all  the  mis- 
sionaries are  continually  praying.  May  the  brethren  of 
the  Canadian  Dominion,  by  their  wisdom  and  example, 
teach  us  of  the  States  how  to  close  up  our  lamentable  and 
unnecessary  chasm !  It  was  gratifying  to  note  also  the 
harmony  of  view  and  co-operation  with  the  missionaries 
of  the  Union  upon  the  important  subjects  of  Bible  trans- 
lation, revision,  and  publication. 

18* 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
ONGOLE. 

THE  city  of  Ongole  is  nearly  two  hundred  miles 
north  of  Madras.  The  latter  contains  a  popula- 
tion of  405,948,  of  whom  not  far  from  one-fourth  are 
Telugus.  Among  these,  it  will  be  remembered,  Mr.  Day 
located  our  mission,  though  wisely  moving  three  years 
after  to  Nellore  for  a  more  central  station.  Yet,  since 
the  wonderful  ingathering  among  these  people  of  late,  it 
has  become  evident  that  Madras  should  be  reoccupied  ; 
and  there  was  special  fitness  in  assigning  the  task,  even 
as  that  also  of  Bible  translation,  to  Rev.  L.  Jewett,  D.  D. 
It  had  been  abundantly  proved  that  he  knew  well  how 
to  lay  foundations,  to  gather  little  companies  of  "  two  or 
three "  and  with  them  take  hold  in  prayer  of  the  Al- 
mighty Arm,  and  to  face  unflinchingly  the  greatest  dif- 
ficulties that  can  be  presented  in  the  whole  Telugu  field. 
Among  the  thousand  mission  stations  in  many  heathen 
lands  I  never  saw  a  more  beautiful  sight  than  on  a  Sun- 
day morning  in  Madras,  when  in  the  small  temporary 
chapel  the  same  number  that  gathered  with  the  Saviour 
in  the  upper  room  met  to  hear  Dr.  Jewett  preach,  and 
to  receive  Sunday-school  instruction  from  him  and  his 
most  efficient  wife,  and  from  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Nich- 
ols, who  has  since  died.  Almost  the  same  scene  was 
repeated  in  the  afternoon  in  an  adjoining  suburb  in  a 
210 


ONGOLE.      .  211 

humble  mud-  and  thatch-covered  room.  I  never  saw- 
more  tact  and  interest  in  the  work  than  on  the  part  of 
this  young  widowed  missionary  sister.  The  picture  of 
her  father  preaching,  and  of  her  watching  the  street  from 
the  door,  ready  to  step  quickly  out  and  encourage  any 
seeming  to  halt  in  the  passing  heathen  crowd  and  hesi- 
tating whether  to  enter, — I  wish  all  could  have  seen  it. 
And  yet,  again,  in  another  Telugu  ward  of  Madras,  as 
the  sun  was  setting  that  same  day,  right  in  the  dusty, 
filthy  street,  surrounded  with  hovels  of  whose  wretched- 
ness Americans  can  form  no  conception,  indifferent 
women  pounding  rice  upon  our  left,  ugly  men  and 
noisy  boys  congregated  upon  our  right,  the  mission- 
aries singing,  to  introduce  the  services, 

"  Come,  ye  sinners,  poor  and  wretched. 
Weak  and  wounded,  sick  and  sore; 
Jesus  ready  stands  to  save  you, 
Full  of  pity  joined  with  power : 
He  is  able. 
He  is  willing;  doubt  no  more."  , 

Join  the  three  scenes  in  one,  and  remember  that  hun- 
dreds— perhaps  thousands — of  this  father's  spiritual  chil- 
dren were  gathering  that  day  in  the  Nellore,  Ramapatam, 
and  Ongole  districts,  and  that  other  thousands  would 
eagerly  and  respectfully  crowd  with  them  the  places  of 
divine  worship ;  and  yet  that  here  the  veteran  of  Nel- 
lore, with  wife  and  child,  should  stand,  almost  alone, 
surrounded  by  every  discomfort  and  discouragement, 
because  the  time  had  come  when  this  most  difficult  part 
of  the  Telugu  field  must  be  held.  Indeed,  it  was  sur- 
passingly beautiful  in  its  heroism,  its  humility,  its  self- 
sacrifice.     I  am  glad  that  the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  N.  M,  Wa- 


212  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

terbury  are  soon  to  assist  at  Madras,  and  Rev.  R.  Maple- 
son  of  this  city  also  has  received  appointment. 

I  was  glad  to  reach  Nellore  after  an  all  night's  ride 
in  a  bandy,  a  cart  drawn  by  several  men,  who  are  changed 
every  ten  miles.  The  town  was  in  its  gala-dress,  for  a 
great  neighboring  maharajah  had  just  arrived  with  a 
troop  of  richly-caparisoned  elephants.  But  I  hastened 
directly  to  the  mission  compound,  more  interested  to 
witness  the  scene  of  so  many  years  of  heroic,  patiently- 
waiting  missionary  labor.  With  very  economical  outlay, 
Rev.  D.  Downie  has  given  to  the  premises  a  quite  attract- 
ive appearance,  but  nature  has  done  more  in  maturing  the 
grand  old  mango  trees,  which  were  planted  in  the  early 
days  of  the  mission,  and  now  symbolize  by  their  shelter 
and  fruit  the  glorious  results  of  that  other  planting. 
The  chapel  is  not  yet  completed.  A  delightful  oppor- 
tunity was  arranged  for  meeting  many  of  the  native 
Christians  in  the  school-room,  which  serves  as  a  tem- 
porary place  for  religious  gatherings.  Here,  as  so  often 
elsewhere,  I  w&s  privileged  to  address  through  the  mis- 
sionary in  charge ;  and  thus  and  afterward  acquaintances 
were  formed  with  the  native  Christians  that  will  ripen  in 
eternity.  It  was  especially  interesting  to  listen  to  the 
weird  singing  of  Christian  Telugu  hymns,  led  by  Mrs. 
Downie.  Her  labor  in  gathering  up  the  native  tunes 
and  adapting  to  them  Christian  hymns  is  deserving  of 
all  praise.  Miss  M.  M.  Day,  daughter  of  the  founder 
of  this  mission,  is  the  assistant  missionary.  The  station 
schools  are  very  prosperous.  The  work  of  the  Bible- 
women  is  encouraging.  Between  the  missionary  care 
of  nearly  four  hundred  and  fifty  church-members  in  the 
district,  the  frequent  evangelizing  tours,  the  labor  of  Bible 


ONGOLE.  213 

revision,  and  the  treasurership  of  the  whole  Telugu  field, 
Mr.  Downie  is  fully  occupied. 

Again  our  perspiring  and  panting  human  horses,  hav- 
ing been  on  the  run  for  nearly  all  the  last  ten  miles, 
dropped  the  shafts  of  my  bandy  in  front  of  a  mission 
home.  It  was  this  time  in  Ramapatam,  about  fifty  miles 
from  Ongole.  At  midnight  one  of  the  relays  of  eight 
coolies  lost  the  track  a  little,  and  emptied  me  from  out 
of  a  sound  slumber  into  a  shallow  river.  I  was  safe 
enough  so  far  as  drowning  was  concerned,  but  very  un- 
comfortable, especially  as  I  could  not  express  my  mind 
in  Telugu.  However,  it  was  a  little  more  of  the  mis- 
sionary's experience ;  and  I  was  better  able  to  appre- 
ciate jungle-touring  as  also  toward  morning  a  tiger 
crossed  right  ahead  of  us  as  we  were  passing  through 
a  forest. 

But  chill  of  both  water  and  brute  was  quickly  forgot- 
ten amid  the  cordial  greetings  of  Rev.  R.  R.  Williams, 
President  of  our  Ramapatam  Theological  Seminary. 
Mr.  Brownson's  generous  endowment  of  this  institu- 
tion was  a  most  wise  investment.  Nowhere  in  all  the 
mission  world  can  there  be  found  so  large  a  number  of 
students  together  in  preparation  for  the  ministry.  Up- 
ward of  two  hundred  earnest,  intelligent  young  men, 
gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  Telugu  field,  but  chiefly 
from  among  the  multitude  of  converts  in  the  Ongole 
district,  are  here  working  faithfully,  especially  over  the 
Bible,  to  be  ready  to  be  the  pastors  of  the  many  churches 
that  are  being  established.  I  met  them  in  their  class- 
rooms, talked  with  them  collectively  and  individually, 
and  received  such  impressions  of  the  genuineness  and 
permanency  of  the  late  Telugu  work  as  are  calculated 


214  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  EROxNT. 

to  fill  every  Christian  heart  to  overflowing  with  gratitude 
to  God. 

The  special  prominence  given  all  through  the  course 
to  the  study  of  the  Scriptures — its  history  and  doctrines, 
its  prophecies  and  their  fulfilment;  the  memorizing  of 
the  Gospels  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles ;  and  the  anal- 
ysis of  the  Epistles, — all  impressed  me  most  favorably. 
More  teachers  and  buildings  are  needed.  Mr,  Williams 
is  the  only  missionary  now  here,  Rev.  A.  A.  Newhall 
being  in  America,  and  some  of  the  classes  of  the  insti- 
tution and  of  the  other  two  schools  are  compelled  to 
study  and  recite  out  under  the  trees.  Quite  a  number 
of  the  seminary  students  are  married,  and  it  was  very 
pleasing  to  notice  their  wives  by  their  side  taking  notes 
of  the  lectures  on  Church  History  and  Homiletics,  and 
writing  out  their  analyses  of  the  Pauline  Epistles.  Sev- 
eral of  their  copy-books  which  I  examined  indicated 
many  months  of  diligent  labor  in  this  efibrt  to  become 
thoroughly  qualified  to  help  their  husbands  in  the  gos- 
pel ministry.  There  are  forty-seven  members  of  the 
senior  class.  Would  that  there  were  a  hundred  !  The 
demand  is  so  great ! 

We  must  pass  on  to  Ongole.  To  the  west  of  us,  be- 
yond yonder  mountain-range,  are  three  lately-established 
stations  of  the  Missionary  Union.  Kurnool,  upon  the 
Toombudra,  fifty  miles  above  its  junction  with  the 
Krishna,  is  occupied  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  F.  E.  Morgan, 
and  the  churches  here  and  at  the  neighboring  Atmakoor 
together  number  three  hundred  members.  Rev.  D.  H. 
Drake  is  home  on  furlough.  Secunderabad,  near  Hy- 
derabad, is  an  important  field  cultivated  by  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  W.  W.  Campbell,  and  fifty  seven  converts  were  last 


ONGOLE.  215 

reported  as  part  of  the  early  fruits.  In  Hanamaconda, 
also  under  the  Nizam's  government,  and  therefore  la- 
boring under  special  embarrassments,  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
A.  Loughridge  have  commenced  work  with  a  little 
band  of  fifteen  native  Christians. 

I  approached  Ongole  from  the  north,  and  had  been 
travelling  one  week  overland  from  Coconada.  Upon 
the  last  day  I  abandoned  the  canal-boat  of  the  regular 
line,  hiring  a  swift  one  to  take  me  through  by  nightfall. 
A  Brahman  and  a  high-caste  woman  requested  leave  to 
accompany  me ;  and  during  the  day  they  gave  me  some 
lessons  as  to  the  amazing  strength  and  difficulty  of  the 
Indian  caste  system.  At  noon  they  begged  to  be  allowed 
to  go  ashore  to  buy,  cook,  and  eat  their  food.  I  told 
them,  through  my  servant  interpreter,  of  my  special 
haste,  and  that  I  could  stop  only  long  enough  for  them 
to  make  purchases.  However,  it  was  against  the  rules 
of  their  caste  to  cook  and  eat  on  the  boat  with  me ;  and 
though  they  were  invited  to  use  my  stove  arrangements, 
and  then  repeatedly  urged  to  eat  food  which  had  been 
prepared  elsewhere  for  me,  they  refused,  and,  though 
evidently  at  great  discomfort  and  pain,  insisted  upon 
fasting  all  day. 

It  was  not  till  midnight  that  I  reached  the  place,  eight 
miles  from  Ongole,  where  the  ox-team  and  cart  had  been 
waiting  two  days  for  my  arrival.  They  were  trotting- 
oxen  and  the  cart  had  springs ;  otherwise,  the  weary 
traveller  would  not  have  been  so  grateful. 

'Never  have  I  met  a  man  who  in  his  person  and  work 
reminded  me  so  much  of  Mr.  D.  L.  Moody  as  Rev.  J.  E. 
Clough,  the  Ongole  missionary — the  same  build,  the  same 
impressive  sincerity,  the   same  energetic,  business-like 


2l6  ALONG    THE  LINKS  AT  THE  FRONT. 

way  in  preaching  and  management.  When  he  is  talk- 
ing, the  natives  listen  spellbound.  Even  in  the  open 
air  and  in  the  outlying  villages  there  is  none  of  that 
straggling  from  his  congregation  which  I  have  hundreds 
of  times  witnessed  elsewhere.  He  illustrates  very  largely, 
is  very  simple  in  what  he  says,  and  the  natives  see  at  once 
that  he  means  every  word.  I  observed  no  tears  in  his 
eyes,  but  often  his  language  was  full  of  them,  and  as 
he  would  rehearse  the  story  of  the  cross  or  tell  some  pa- 
thetic incident  of  Christian  experience  his  hearers  would 
very  generally  exhibit  emotion. 

He  took  me  to  Prayer-Meeting  Hill,  where  twenty- 
eight  years  ago  God  was  asked  to  send  a  missionary  to 
Ongole.  There  we  knelt  together  and  thanked  God  for 
the  abundant  evidence  around  us  that  he  had  blessed 
the  labors  of  him  whom  he  had  sent  in  answer  to  that 
prayer,  as  also  of  those  who  have  toiled  so  nobly  by  his 
side.  And  as  I  looked  out  upon  the  far-extending  plain, 
with  its  dense  population,  its  twenty  thousand  converts 
scattered  among  more  than  five  hundred  villages,  it  was 
impossible  to  leave  that  hallowed  place  without  earnestly 
supplicating  God  to  send  more  missionaries  to  Ongole,  and 
to  bless  still  more  abundantly  the  efforts  at  Ramapatam 
to  train  up  a  large  number  of  the  native  ministry.  I  be- 
lieve Mr.  Clough  will  break  down  under  the  pressure,  uh- 
less  he  is  much  more  largely  and  speedily  relieved.  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  W.  R.  Manley  are  still  learning  the  language. 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  B.  Boggs,  who  have  here  very  effect- 
ively taken  hold  of  the  missionary  work,  must  soon  "re- 
lieve Mr.  Williams  at  Ramapatam.  And  these  are  all 
at  present  besides  Mr.  Clough.  The  much-needed  high 
school  has  a  teacher,  but  still  it  has  to  be  under  mission- 


ONGOLE.  217 

ary  supervision  and  constant  care.  So,  in  part,  with  both 
the  boys'  and  the  girls'  schools,  the  numbers  in  all  three 
of  which  equal  three  hundred  and  twenty-six.  Every 
hour  messengers  and  letters  were  arriving,  sometimes 
from  a  distance  of  from  one  to  two  hundred  miles  away 
upon  the  field,  requiring  the  most  serious  and  thoughtful 
attention  upon  the  part  of  the  senior  missionary.  I  met 
on  his  veranda  at  one  time  six  delegations  from  different 
villages  to  consult  him  regarding  a  pastor  or  a  teacher ; 
or  the  erection  of  a  school-house  or  a  chapel ;  or  the  re- 
ception or  exclusion  of  a  member ;  or  the  procuring  of 
Scriptures ;  or  some  other  matter.  But  then,  in  addi- 
tion, Mr.  Clough  must  travel  over  the  field  several  months 
in  the  year.  Then  the  rule  every  day — tenting  at  four 
villages,  four  sermons,  four  inquiry-meetings,  with  any 
number  of  consultations  interspersed,  not  only  with  those 
of  the  village,  but  with  the  constantly-arriving  delegations. 
If  the  man  is  ever  again  seen  in  America,  it  will  be  almost 
a  miracle.  No  wonder  that  he  is  pressing  the  importance 
of  the  division  of  the  Ongole  field  into  four  districts,  with 
their  central  stations  at  Ongole,  Cumbum,  Guntoor,  and 
Vinakonda.  But  this  means  several  new  missionary  fam- 
ilies, in  addition  to  Rev.  and  Mrs.  I.  F.  Burditt,  who  are 
soon  to  reinforce  Ongole.  American  Baptists  must  pro- 
vide them.  Not  for  Mr.  Clough's  sake — he  does  not  ask 
any  personal  consideration,  being  perfectly  willing  to  be 
crushed,  if  it  is  best  for  Christ's  cause  among  the  Telu- 
gus — but  for  the  sake  of  twenty  thousand  converts  and 
eighty  thousand  adherents  scattered  among  five  hun- 
dred villages — nay,  for  Emmanuel's  sake — the  call  from 
the  Ongole  field  should  speedily  be  met. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  preach  to  five  hundred  of  the 

19 


2l8  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  7 HE  FRONT. 

Telugu  Christians  in  their  comfortable  Ongole  chapel. 
No  longer  the  followers  of  Siva  and  Vishnu,  they  come 
together  to  worship  God.  Everywhere  perfect  order  and 
propriety,  Ezra,  the  third  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Jewett  in 
that  memorable  prayer-meeting  on  the  hill,  is  my  inter- 
preter. I  hope  I  fed  them;  the  scene  was  such  as  greatly 
to  intensify  a  desire  so  to  do.  A  large  company  of  very 
humble  Christians  indeed,  nearly  all  from  the  lower  so- 
cial castes — farm-laborers,  weavers,  cobblers,  tanners,  and 
the  like.  The  vast  majority  of  the  Telugus  are  of  low 
caste,  but  God's  call  to  work  especially  among  them 
has  been  very  unmistakable;  and  through  them  it  would 
seem  to  be  the  divine  plan  that  the  Brahmans  and  other 
high  castes  are  to  be  reached,  even  as  the  Burmese  through 
the  Karens.  At  first  Mr.  Clough  met  with  some  encour- 
agement from  the  aristocrats  of  the  country;  but  when  a 
few  conversions  took  place  among  the  low-caste  Telugus, 
all  his  proud  native  friends  threatened  to  leave  him  and 
have  nothing  more  to  do  with  his  school  and  his  religion. 
It  was  a  time  of  great  perplexity  and  trial — the  beginning 
of  the  late  mighty  harvest,  which  he  could  not  see  com- 
ing in,  and  all  the  upper  classes  in  society  giving  him  the 
alternative :  the  poor  and  despised  masses,  or  they,  the 
rich,  the  learned,  the  influential.  The  crisis  came  one 
evening.  Both  husband  and  wife,  in  different  rooms, 
were  prompted,  without  cither's  suggestion,  to  turn  to 
God's  word  for  counsel.  Each  took  a  Bible  from  piles 
that  had  lately  come  from  the  printer,  and  neither  of 
which  had  ever  been  opened  for  use,  and  both  turned 
to  the  same  passage.  First  Corinthians,  chapter  i.  Surely 
it  was  God's  hand  that  handled  for  them  those  two  new 
Bibles  in  separate  rooms,  and  made  both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


ONGOLE.  219 

Clough  read  at  the  same  moment,  for  the  relief  of  the 
same  anxious  heart-load,  "  God  hath  chosen  the  foolish 
things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise ;  and  God 
hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound 
the  things  which  are  mighty ;  and  base  things  of  the 
world,  and  things  which  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen, 
yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  naught  things 
that  are." 

After  the  five  hundred  had  scattered  from  the  morn- 
ing service,  twenty  native  preachers  came  together  to 
pray  before  going  out  that  Sunday  afternoon  into  the 
harvest-field  of  the  surrounding  villages.  Then  they 
went  two  by  two  forth  to  distances  of  from  three  to 
ten  miles  from  the  city.  The  next  morning  one  of  the 
preachers  presented  himself  at  the  mission  house  with 
three  men  as  candidates  for  baptism.  It  was  suggested 
by  Mr.  Clough  that  as  these  men  had  never  conversed 
with  the  missionaries,  and  were  fair  samples  of  the  many 
thousands  already  gathered  in,  it  was  a  providential  op- 
portunity for  me  to  examine  them  myself  in  the  presence 
of  as  many  of  the  church  as  could  be  assembled  that  day. 
I  eagerly  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity,  giving  them 
for  over  an  hour  as  thorough  an  examination  as  I  could 
have  given  any  candidate  for  baptism  before  a  church  at 
home.  Indeed,  many  of  the  questions — some  of  which 
the  Chinese  Christians  taught  me  in  Swatow — were  more 
searching  than  would  have  been  allowed  in  America. 
They  were  asked  if  they  owed  anybody  any  money ;  if 
anybody  owed  them  any  money ;  if  they  wanted  to  get 
anything  from  the  missionaries ;  and  if  they  were  deter- 
mined to  give  as  much  to  Christ  and  his  cause  as  they 
had  given  to  the  devil  and  his  heathenism. 


220  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

"  Who  converted  you,"  said  I — "  Teacher  Clough,  or 
Teacher  Boggs,  or  the  native  Christian  who  has  been 
preaching  at  your  village  ?" — "  Neither — oh,  neither, 
sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  God  did  it.  His  Spirit  has  used 
his  truth."  It  can  well  be  appreciated  that  such  an 
intelligent  and  thoroughly  satisfactory  reply  quite  took 
me  by  surprise. 

"Why  do  you  want  to  be  baptized?" — "Our  Lord 
was,  and  asks  us  to  follow  his  example." — "  But  you 
may  fail  and  go  back  to  heathenism." — "  We  cannot,  if 
we  keep  trusting  and  praying." — "  But  you  cannot 
read  the  Bible,  and  preaching  cannot  be  around  you 
all  the  time." — "  But  we  have  some  of  it  in  our  hearts, 
where  it  won't  lose." — "Will  you  be  discouraged  if  we 
do  not  baptize  you  and  receive  you  into  the  church 
now  ?"  Two  of  the  three  men  said  promptly,  through 
Ezra,  our  interpreter,  "  No,  not  till  we  die ;"  while  the 
third  qualified  a  little,  saying  he  thought  a  year  or  two 
or  three  months  longer  might  discourage  him  about 
joining  church ;  but  for  life  it  was  settled — Christian, 
not  heathen. 

I  then  turned  to  the  leaders  of  the  Ongole  Church, 
and  inquired  if  generally  their  examinations  of  the  mul- 
titudes received  had  been  as  thorough ;  and,  a  little  to 
my  discomfiture,  they  replied,  "  More  so." — "And  were 
the  majority  of  the  candidates  as  satisfactory  in  their 
answers  ?" — "  Yes,"  they  responded,  "  and  more  so." 

I  believe  they  were  right.  Missionaries,  and  espe- 
cially pious,  intelligent,  and  educated  natives,  are  best 
able  to  probe  native  conduct  for  motives.  Evidence  has 
accumulated  all  around  me  here  that  confidence  may  be 
placed  in  the  judgment  which  has  admitted  especially 


ONGOLE.  221 

the  multitude  since  the  time  of  the  famine.  It  was  wis- 
dom that  postponed  the  reception  of  members  until  after 
the  necessity  for  government  labor  and  charity  support 
was  over,  not  only  on  account  of  the  character  of  the 
ingathering,  but  also  because  of  the  general  impression 
made  regarding  Christianity,  the  object  of  the  mission- 
aries, and  the  constitution  of  a  church. 

Finally,  a  blessed  good-bye.  "  Will  you  baptize  those 
men  whom  you  have  examined  ?"  said  Brother  Clough. 
"The  church  will  act  upon  their  applications;  and,  be- 
sides, there  is  the  mother  of  the  wife  of  one  of  our  preach- 
ers already  accepted  and  awaiting  the  ordinance.  She  will 
make  a  fourth  candidate."  What  a  privilege  indeed  to 
the  tourist !  Never  was  an  opportunity  more  gladly  im- 
proved. The  sun  was  just  going  down.  At  the  door 
were  my  coolies  and  the  bandy  and  the  torch-bearer  and 
the  servant,  all  ready  for  my  departure.  The  good-bye 
was  to  be  at  the  waters  where  hundreds  before  had  been 
buried  in  the  likeness  of  their  Lord.  The  beautiful  bap- 
tistery is  on  the  compound,  in  the  direction  from  the 
dwelling  and  chapel  toward  which  we  strolled  the  other 
day  on  a  visit  to  a  ward  of  the  city  whose  dethroned 
idols,  in  my  possession,  are  too  obscene  for  exhibition 
or  for  description.  Can  it  be  that  Christianity  has  such  a 
power  to  lift  up  men  and  women  from  the  lowest  conceiv- 
able depths  of  degradation,  where  the  organs  of  lust  are 
worshipped  as  the  only  gods  of  this  world,  and  to  purify 
and  elevate  the  thoughts  and  the  affections,  until  out  of 
those  most  loathsome  of  the  vile  such  Christians  are  cre- 
ated as  I  am  about  to  baptize  ?  How  is  it  ?  Verily, 
because  its  "  gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  ;" 
"  With  God  all  things  are  possible."     These  are  miracles 

19* 


222  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

of  his  grace,  I  feel  like  taking  off  the  shoes  from  my 
feet,  for  assuredly  this  is  holy  ground.  They  sing  one 
of  their  beautiful  Telugu  hymns.  Brother  Clough 
prays,  and  then  through  him  I  address  the  surround- 
ing congregation.  The  venerable  native  preacher — the 
"  Prayer-Meeting  Hill "  Ezra — accompanies  me  down 
into  the  water  to  interpret  all  that  I  say  during  the 
ordinance.  How  their  dark  faces  shone  with  the  light 
of  heaven !  How  beautiful  their  answers,  their  whole 
conduct ! 

A  hasty  change  of  apparel ;  the  hands  of  the  mission- 
aries and  the  native  preachers  shaken  again  and  again. 
It  was  so  very  hard  to  do  it  for  the  last  time  !  Brother 
Clough  joins  me  for  a  little  distance  in  the  bandy  upon 
the  road ;  our  hearts  were  knit  together,  and  they  un- 
ravelled slowly.  And  so,  with  tears  in  my  eyes,  but 
with  song  in  my  heart,  I  left  Ongole  repeating  the  lines 
referred  to  in  the  last  chapter : 

"  Shine  on,  Lone  Star !  thy  radiance  bright 
Shall  spread  o'er  all  the  eastern  sky; 
Morn  breaks  apace  from  gloom  and  night; 
Shine  on,  and  bless  the  pilgrim's  eye, 

"  Shine  on,  Lone  Star !  till  earth,  redeemed, 
In  dust  shall  bid  its  idols  fall; 
And  thousands,  where  thy  radiance  beamed. 
Shall  crown  the  Saviour  Lord  of  all." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
AFRICA. 

THIS  is  indeed  a  great  and  populous  continent,  which 
is  beginning  to  arrest  with  absorbing  interest  the 
attention  of  all  Christian  churches.  It  contains  one- 
quarter  of  the  land  area  of  our  globe,  equal  to  both 
North  America  and  Europe  together,  and  has  a  popu- 
lation of  more  than  two  hundred  millions,  or  one-seventh 
the  entire  human  race.  There  is  considerable  civilization 
in  Cape  Colony  and  its  immediate  neighborhood,  as  also 
in  Egypt  and  along  the  Mediterranean ;  but  the  great 
masses  of  the  people  are  very  degraded  and  barbarous. 
In  regions  such  as  Uganda,  Mtesa's  kingdom,  to  the 
north  of  Victoria  Nyanza,  and  various  parts  of  the  vast 
interior  Soudan,  there  are  large  populations  very  far  re- 
moved from  the  wretchedness  of  the  Wahombo  and  Hot- 
tentots, but  it  is  all  a  "  dark  continent,"  with  a  darkness 
that  only  grows  more  dense  with  the  advancing  light  of 
the  many  modern  explorations.  A  quarter  of  the  popu- 
lation are  Mohammedans  and  nearly  all  the  rest  are  pa- 
gans, there  being,  in  addition,  some  four  millions  of  Abys- 
sinians,  Copts,  Jews,  Protestants,  Roman  Catholics,  and 
various  other  sects. 

Central  Africa,  included  between  the  Desert  of  Sahara, 
Cape  Colony,  and  the  low  malarious  eastern  and  western 
coasts,  is  a  high  table-land  of  an  average  elevation  of 

223 


224  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

three  thousand  feet,  with  many  great  lakes  and  lofty 
mountains,  is  very  salubrious  and  productive,  and,  but 
for  the  constant  warfare  and  cruel  slavery  and  inhuman 
sacrificial  rites,  would  be  one  of  the  most  densely-popu- 
lated portions  of  the  globe.  Although  it  is  crossed  by 
the  equator,  and  although  the  sands  of  Guinea  and  of 
Nubia  are  so  hot  at  times  as  to  roast  an  ^tg'g  or  blister 
a  foot,  yet  some  of  the  mountains  of  Central  Africa  are 
covered  with  perpetual  snow,  and  there  are  vast  regions 
where  Europeans  and  Americans  would  find  much  more 
health  and  comfort  than  in  Southern  Asia.  Nowhere  in 
the  world  is  vegetation  more  luxuriant  and  beautiful.  Its 
rivers — the  Nile,  the  Congo,  the  Zambeze,  and  the  Niger 
— are  vast  watercourses,  the  Congo,  for  example,  pour- 
ing into  the  Atlantic  three  and  a  half  times  the  volume 
discharged  by  the  Mississippi  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
The  discovery  of  this  interior — equal  in  extent  to  the 
United  States  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains — by  Living- 
stone, Speke,  Grant,  Burton,  Schweinfurth,  Rohlfs,  Cam- 
eron, Stanley,  and  others,  may  prove  to  have  contributed 
as  much  to  the  world  as  did  Columbus  and  Americus 
Vespucius  by  their  voyages  across  the  Atlantic. 

To  evangelize  Africa  is  to  pay  an  honest  debt  which 
Christendom  long  ago  incurred.  From  the  learned 
priests  of  Heliopolis,  Herodotus  and  the  Greeks  re- 
ceived that  instruction  which  largely  underlies  the  civil- 
ization of  Europe.  Here,  also,  Moses  and  the  Israelites 
gathered  many  elements  which  contributed  to  the  pros- 
perities of  David  and  of  Solomon  and  to  the  glories  of 
the  Hebrew  people.  The  Alexandrian  school  with  Or- 
igen  and  Athanasius,  and  that  of  Carthage  with  Cyprian 
and  Tertullian,  have  exerted  world-wide   influences   in 


AFRICA.  225 

philosophy,  doctrine,  ecclesiasticism,  and  literature.  The 
Greek-speaking  populations  received  the  Old  Testament 
in  the  African  Septuagint,  and  the  leading  theological  in- 
structor of  the  Latin  Church  was  Augustine,  from  Africa ; 
and  because  of  his  mother,  Monica,  the  womanhood 
of  the  world  is  the  more  ennobled  and  beautiful.  As 
has  been  truly  said,  "not  in  mere  charity  so  much  as  in, 
simple  justice  should  all  Christians  remember  Africa,  for' 
more  than  once  has  this  Dark  Continent  been  the  chief 
source  of  light  to  other  nations." 

Concerning  the  entire  work  of  Christian  missions  at  pres- 
ent in  Africa ;  the  six  hundred  and  sixty-four  ordained  mis- 
sionaries at  five  hundred  and  eighty- five  stations,  chiefly 
upon  or  near  the  seacoast ;  the  various  Protestant  So- 
cieties which  are  supporting  them — English,  Scotch, 
American,  German,  French,  and  others, — I  must  refer  the 
reader  to  my  fuller  and  more  general  volume,  Aroiind- 
the- World  Tour  of  Christiaii  Missions.  But  the  great  fact 
of  the  forward  movement  into  the  vast  interior  of  the  con- 
tinent, which  of  late  years  has  begun  so  vigorously  on  the 
part  of  several  of  the  leading  missionary  Societies,  should 
be  made  specially  prominent  before  the  minds  of  Amer- 
ican Baptists.  A  golden  opportunity  is  ours,  and  a  spe- 
cial weight  of  obligation  rests  upon  us.  The  Christians 
of  no  other  nation  and  of  no  other  denomination  are  so 
loudly  called  upon  to-day  to  consider  the  subject  of  the 
evangelization  of  interior  Africa.  The  Freedmen  are 
the  best-qualified  material  for  the  large  proportion  of  this 
work ;  and  they  are,  providentially,  American ;  and  their 
prevailing  denominational  convictions  and  affiliations  are 
Baptist. 

The  Church  Missionary  Society  of  England  followed 


226  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

up  quickly  the  encouragement  given  by  Mr,  Stanley's 
report  from  Uganda,  and,  with  the  fifty  thousand  dollars 
promptly  placed  at  its  disposal  for  the  purpose,  estab- 
lished the  Victoria  Nyanza  mission.  Its  stations  are 
upon  the  north  and  west  of  the  great  lake ;  and  though 
King  Mtesa  is  proving  very  unreliable,  and  trials  are 
multiplying,  chiefly  through  Moslem  and  French  Cath- 
olic intrigues,  the  important  advanced  position  is  evi- 
dently occupied  not  to  be  relinquished. 

The  London  Missionary  Society  has  made  its  heroic 
advance  into  the  neighborhood  of  Tanganyika.  Its  mis- 
sionaries, though  at  the  cost  already  of  several  lives,  have 
planted  the  standard  of  Emmanuel  upon  both  sides  of  the 
lake,  and  are  meeting  with  very  great  encouragement  at 
Uramba,  King  Mirambo's  capital.  A  steamer  is  being  con- 
structed at  the  expense  of  Mr.  Arthington  of  England. 

The  most  accessible  approach  to  the  great  interior 
from  the  east  has  been  utilized  by  the  Free  and  the 
Established  Churches  of  Scotland.  Their  stations  are 
upon  Lake  Nyassa,  which  has  direct  navigable  water- 
communication  with  the  Indian  Ocean  by  the  Shire 
and  Zambeze  Rivers.  The  only  interruption  is  at  some 
cataracts  in  the  Shire,  around  which  a  road  has  been  con- 
structed. Above  and  below,  mission-steamers  have  been 
placed. 

On  the  west  coast  the  Church  Missionary  Society  of 
England  has  been  prospecting  from  its  Niger  stations 
far  up  into  the  interior,  by  way  of  the  Binue  branch,  in 
the  direction  of  Lake  Chad.  For  five  hundred  miles  the 
messengers  upon  the  mission-steamer  were  continually 
meeting  tribes  ready  to  welcome  Christian  laborers.  Un- 
doubtedly, Moslem  and  Roman  Catholic  intrigue  and  the 


AFRICA.  227 

hostility  of  slave-traders  can  materially  modify  much  of 
this  cordiality,  even  as  in  the  Nyanza  and  Nyassa  mis- 
sions ;  but  it  is  an  occasion  for  gratitude  and  an  unmis- 
takable indication  of  providential  leadership. 

The  English  Baptists,  long  engaged  in  mission  work 
upon  the  west  African  coast,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
mouth  of  the  Cameroons  River,  have  lately  entered  vig- 
orously upon  the  advance  into  the  regions  beyond  by 
way  of  the  Congo,  or  Livingstone.  They  have  reached 
Stanley  Pool,  are  locating  ten  missionaries  at  different 
stations  from  San  Salvador  to  this  grandly-important 
basis  for  work  in  Central  Africa,  and  are  placing  two 
mission  steam-launches  upon  the  river — the  one  for 
navigation  of  the  Lower  Congo,  and  the  other  for  the 
farther  advance  into  the  interior. 

The  Livingstone  Inland  Mission  is  following  up  the 
same  Congo  line  of  communication  with  the  interior. 
This  is  an  enterprise  specially  connected  with  the  East 
London  Faith  Institution,  and  is  conducted  on  similar 
principles  with  the  China  Inland  Mission.  Its  plan  is 
to  send  as  many  Christian  workers  as  possible,  and  then 
soon  to  throw  them  upon  their  own  secular  labor  for 
support.  The  leaders  profess  to  see  reasons  which  ren- 
der this  much  more  practicable  in  Africa  than  in  Asia, 
but  they  impress  me  as  very  illusory.  The  superintend- 
ent of  their  missionary  force  of  seventeen  upon  that  field 
had  the  good  sense  last  year  to  so  far  realize  the  situa- 
tion as  to  write  to  the  directors  in  London :  "  Self-sup- 
port is,  however,  at  present,  utterly  out  of  the  question." 
The  movement  professes  to  be  undenominational  and  to 
illustrate  the  practical  working  of  sanctified  faith ;  yet  it 
is  the  most  intensely  denominational,  Avhether  upon  the 


228  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Congo  and  in  East  London,  or  in  China  and  the  Bristol 
Orphanage,  or  among  English  Plymouth  Brethren  and 
American  Perfectionists  and  Higher-Life  Christians, 
And  alongside  of  declarations  of  reliance  alone  upon 
prayer  to  God  for  funds  comes  the  widely-circulated 
appeal  this  year  from  headquarters  beginning,  "  Will 
friends  kindly  remember  the  Funds  of  the  Institute? 
They  are  very  low  just  now.  Several  brethren  are  leav- 
ing for  the  regions  beyond,"  etc.  We  sympathize  with 
our  English  Baptist  missionaries  upon  the  Congo,  on 
account  of  the  friction  and  the  embarrassment  which 
these  impracticable  and  inconsistent  efforts  will  doubt- 
less produce,  and  pray  that  soon  the  pious  and  heroic 
band  of  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission  may  enter  into 
that  real  unity  of  spirit  which  prevails  among  the  vast 
majority  of  evangelical  missions,  discarding  all  monop- 
oly of  the  most  holy  faith  and  consecration. 

The  American  Board  (Congregational)  have  lately 
made  a  very  wise  choice  of  a  point  of  approach  into  the 
interior  by  striking  directly  through  Benguela  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  and  occupying  Bihe.  This  station 
is  in  a  very  healthy  location,  surrounded  by  a  dense  pop- 
ulation, and  in  the  line  of  the  kingdom  of  Muato  Yanvo, 
described  as  equal  to  Mtesa's  Uganda.  Eventually  this 
Society  may  join  its  forces  at  work  now  from  the  oppo- 
site coasts,  even  as  the  Church  Missionary  Society  be- 
tween Victoria  Nyanza  and  the  Binue  Soudan.  Such 
planning  for  combination  is  full  of  wisdom  and  inspiration. 

Upon  the  north,  through  Egypt,  the  American  Mis- 
sionary Association  is  entering  Central  Africa  by  locat- 
ing a  first  station  in  Khartoom,  west  of  Abyssinia.  Mr. 
Arthington  has  paid  fifteen  thousand  dollars  toward  the 


AFRICA.  229 

fifty  thousand  which  they  are  raising  for  the  estabhsh- 
ment  of  this  mission. 

Mention  should  also  be  made  of  the  International 
Association  for  the  Suppression  of  the  Slave  Trade  and 
Opening  of  Central  Africa.  This  is  not  a  church  mis- 
sionary organization,  yet  is  a  noble  philanthropic  under- 
taking, with  the  Belgian  King  as  President,  and  support- 
ed by  leading  Catholics  and  Protestants.  Its  object  is 
"  to  explore  scientifically  the  unknown  parts  of  Central 
Africa,  to  facilitate  the  opening  of  roads  by  which  civ- 
ilization may  be  introduced,  and  to  find  means  of  sup- 
pressing the  negro-slave  trade."  Its  expeditions  are 
already  at  work  in  the  country,  carrying  out  the  main 
practical  measure  of  forming  a  line  of  relief  stations 
across  the  continent  from  Bagamoyo,  on  the  east,  to 
Loanda,  on  the  west,  and  at  other  commanding  centres. 
These  stations  are  to  be  provided  with  stores  of  every 
kind ;  to  furnish  resting-places  for  travellers,  explorers, 
and  missionaries ;  to  supply  necessaries  and  gather  in- 
formation. They  are  not  to  be  distinctively  commercial 
nor  religious,  but  "  missionaries,"  says  the  Secretary, 
"will  be  free  to  come  and  establish  themselves  in  the 
neighborhood."  Mr.  Stanley's  expedition,  now  proceed- 
ing up  the  Livingstone  River,  is  under  the  auspices  of 
this  Society. 

It  is  depressing  to  turn  from  so  much  evangelizing  and 
philanthropic  enterprise  to  the  still  waiting  and  watch- 
ing attitude  of  American  Baptists.  As  Rev.  H.  L.  Way- 
land,  D,  D.,  editor  of  the  National  Baptist,  said  a  year 
and  a  half  ago,  in  that  most  admirable  mission  report 
on  Africa,  "  that  Baptists  who  professionally  act  through 
the  Missionar}'^  Union  should  be  doing  nothing  for  this 
20 


230  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

land  is  a  matter  of  humiliation  and  regret."  That  our 
woman's  societies  have  lately  made  appropriations  to 
two  widows  of  our  former  missionaries  in  Liberia  is 
hardly  a  feather  to  the  weight  of  our  obligation,  and 
only  renders  more  conspicuous  the  neglect,  not  of  the 
Society,  but  of  the  denomination,  whose  servant  it  is. 

Our  record  in  Africa,  upon  its  Liberia  coast,  has 
been  long  and  full  of  sorrow,  I  have  neither  space  nor 
heart  to  give  much  of  it  here  in  detail.  It  began — where 
again  it  should  be  taken  up  most  vigorously — among 
colored  Baptists  of  the  South.  They  received  encour- 
agement from  the  Board  of  the  General  Convention  as 
early  as  1820.  Missionaries  were  now  forwarded  at  in- 
tervals, and  at  times  their  labors  met  with  a  good  meas- 
ure of  success.  The  first  life  sacrificed  was  that  of  Rev. 
C.  Holton,  whose  support  had  been  divided  with  the  Col- 
onization Society,  and  who  died  after  only  three  and  a 
half  months'  service.  Mr.  Cary  was  killed  by  slavers. 
In  1830,  Mrs.  Skinner  fell  in  two  months,  and  her  hus- 
band in  three  months,  after  reaching  Monrovia.  Mrs. 
Mylne  was  a  victim  to  the  dreadful  coast-fever  a  {q^n 
days  after  landing  in  1835,  and  her  husband  broke  down 
completely  in  three  years.  Two  others  were  soon  after 
likewise  sacrificed,  and  still,  during  all  the  sixteen  years, 
not  one  heathen  was  reported  as  converted,  the  visible 
results  being  only  among  the  American  colonists.  Yet 
the  dark  cloud  continued  over  our  African  work.  Mrs. 
Crocker  endured  the  Liberian  climate  but  one  year;  her 
husband,  after  reducing  to  writing  the  Bassa  language, 
and  after  a  rest  at  home,  died  of  hemorrhage  the  day 
after  his  return  to  Monrovia.  Mr.  Fielding  endured  the 
climate  at  Edina  but  seven  weeks.      Mr.  Clark — from 


AFRICA.  231 

whom  so  much  was  expected,  as  he  seemed  to  have  be- 
come accHmated  and  had  accompHshed  much  translation 
into  the  Bassa — was  buried  at  sea  on  his  first  vacation. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goodman  broke  down  in  two  years.  Mrs. 
Shermer  died  in  ten  months,  and  her  husband  had  to 
abandon  the  field  two  months  later.  From  1856  to  1867 
the  work  of  the  Missionary  Union  was  suspended,  the 
Liberian  Baptists,  still  mostly  among  the  twenty-five 
thousand  colonists,  sustaining  their  own  worship  in  a 
rather  indifferent  manner,  but  showing  little  interest  in 
the  evangelization  of  the  six  hundred  thousand  native 
idolaters.  Rev.  R.  Hill,  one  of  their  preachers,  on  a 
visit  to  our  churches  aroused  fresh  interest,  but  he 
died  before  return.  However,  assistance  was  sent  to 
four  of  his  colaborers,  among  whom  was  Rev.  J.  Von- 
brunn,  whose  labors,  until  his  death,  in  1876,  were  very 
remarkably  blessed  to  Bassa  native  conversions.  With 
his  death  the  work  of  the  Union  in  Liberia  was  again 
suspended. 

In  Liberia  and  in  Yoruba  the  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention has  supported  a  large  number  of  faithful  labor- 
ers. From  the  former  they  have  pressed  forward  chiefly 
into  the  interior  Beir  country.  In  the  latter  region  sta- 
tions are  occupied  at  Lagos,  Gaun,  Abbeokuta,  and  Og- 
bomishaw,  and  ninety-two  church-members  have  been 
gathered.  It  is  the  earnestly-expressed  judgment  of 
this  mission  that  white  men  are  needed  for  the  most 
effective  superintendence,  and  that  unless  first-class  qual- 
ified colored  help  be  sent  from  America  better  material 
can  be  found  on  the  ground.  In  the  forward  movement 
of  American  Baptist  forces,  to  which  we  shall  presently 
refer,  the  Yoruba  mission  of  our  Southern  Board  should 


232  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

join,  with  the  ultimate  object  of  uniting  with  the  Upper 
Niger  enterprise  upon  the  great  field  of  Soudan. 

Of  Liberian  Africo-Americans  the  Baptist  Association 
reports  two  thousand  church-members,  and  the  anniver- 
sary paper  to  which  we  have  referred  states  that  "  we 
have  good  authority  for  saying  that  the  Baptist  element 
embraces  the  most  valuable  and  efficient  portion  of  the 
population."  But  it  is  to  be  feared  that,  after  all,  this 
is  not  saying  much,  in  view  of  the  weakness  mani- 
fested in  self-support,  the  lack  of  missionary  spirit  to- 
ward the  native  tribes,  and  the  general  depressing  effect 
of  the  malarious  climate  in  their  lowlands  on  Africans 
who  had  become  thoroughly  acclimated  to  America. 
The  fever-stricken  coast-line  of  equatorial  Africa  is  plain- 
ly too  much  even  for  the  American  negroes;  and,  though 
in  a  less  degree  than  with  white  missionaries,  it  is  essen- 
tial that  they  also  live  and  labor  away  from  the  swampy 
lowlands  near  the  shore,  in  the  up-country  of  Central 
Africa.  From  thence,  in  turn,  must  be  the  main  reli- 
ance for  missionaries  to  the  coast.  Quite  similar  are  the 
records  and  the  impressions  they  furnish  of  the  mission 
operations  of  the  American  Methodists,  the  Presbyte- 
rians, and  the  Episcopalians  in  Liberia.  For  all,  Liberia 
has  been  a  school,  a  discipline. 

The  English  and  Jamaica  Baptists  have  had  an  expe- 
rience upon  the  west  coast  of  Africa  quite  like  our  own. 
It  began  soon  after  emancipation,  and  in  the  heart  of  a  col- 
ored man  named  Keith,  who,  that  he  might  preach  the  gos- 
pel to  his  tribe,  worked  his  passage  from  the  West  Indies 
to  the  very  place  whence  the  slavers  stole  him.  Others 
followed  him,  protesting,  in  the  face  of  cautions,  "  We  have 
been  made  slaves  for  men :  we  can  be  made  slaves  for 


,\ 


AFRICA.  233 

Christ."  Following  these  providential  indications,  the 
English  Committee  in  1840  began  a  mission  upon  the 
island  of  Fernando  Po,  a  little  north  of  the  equator. 
Well-supplied  missionaries  and  teachers  were  provided. 
Languages  were  learned  and  reduced  to  writing,  and 
portions  of  Scripture  were  translated.  But  soon  disease 
and  death  and  strife  clouded  the  prospects  of  the  mis- 
sion. Spain  sent  its  Jesuit  priests  and  ordered  all  Prot- 
estant Christians  off  the  island.  They  fled  to  the  conti- 
nent, and  took  shelter  at  the  foot  of  the  great  Cameroons 
Mountain.  In  succession  seven  missionaries  early  lost 
their  lives,  and  six  others  broke  down  quickly  and  were 
driven  from  the  field.  Five  are  still  at  their  dangerous 
posts  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mouth  of  the  Came- 
roons River,  and  at  last  reports  they  are  surrounded  by 
only  one  hundred  and  fifty  native  Christians — a  more  dis- 
couraging exhibit,  after  forty  years,  than  American  Bap- 
tists have  in  Liberia. 

Nevertheless,  as  we  have  seen,  English  Baptists  are  to- 
day at  the  front  in  the  great  movement  forward  into  inte- 
rior Africa.  Undismayed  by  their  experience,  they  were 
ready  to  second  promptly  the  proposition  of  the  noble 
friend  of  Central  African  missions,  Mr,  Arthington, 
and  to  push  on  up  the  Congo.  The  Committee  were 
encouraged  to  call  at  once  for  four,  and  then  for  six,  ad- 
ditional men,  to  thoroughly  equip  them,  and  to  provide 
them  even  with  two  steam.-launches.  They  say  they 
"  feel  they  are  now  plainly  called  upon  to  go  foTwardl' 
and  "very  earnestly  urge  the  churches  to  make  this  mat- 
ter also  a  subject  of  special  and  importunate  prayer  that 
the  gracious  Lord  of  the  harvest  will  touch  the  hearts  of 
some  of  his  choicest  and  most  gifted  servants — men  of 
20* 


234  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

conviction  and  culture,  of  courage,  enthusiasm,  endur- 
ance, and  wisdom,  and  full  of  love  for  souls — and  lead 
them  to  offer  themselves  on  the  altar  of  missionary 
service," 

Such  is  the  enthusiasm  for  Central  African  evangel- 
ization in  old  conservative  England  among  Baptists. 
Strange,  indeed,  that  in  America  we  are  lagging  so  far 
behind !  Brave  words  have  been  spoken,  but  we  do  not 
move  forward.  There  stood  for  many  months  Mr.  Ar- 
thington's  liberal  offer  of  thirty-five  thousand  dollars' 
assistance.  Committees  have  reported ;  the  Board  has 
prayerfully  and  thoughtfully  considered.  Why  is  not 
the  grand  movement  begun  ?  Ah  !  because  the  great 
body  of  ministers  and  churches  throughout  our  denomi- 
nation are  not  yet  as  responsive  as  in  England.  Strange- 
ly, Africa  is  not  upon  their  heart.  Hundreds  and  thou- 
sands are  not  yet  coming  forward  and  saying,  "  Here  is 
support  in  addition  for  an  advance  into  Central  Africa." 
None  are  more  eager  than  those  at  the  Rooms  for  the 
very  first  indications  of  such  response.  But  they  must 
guard  other  interests ;  missions  already  established  must 
be  their  first  care.  God  grant  they  may  not  have  to  wait 
for  Central  Africa  much  longer,  but  may  soon  feel  war- 
ranted to  issue  the  order  for  advance ! 

But  at  what  point  shall  we  make  our  advance  ?  The 
providence  of  God  seems  turning  our  thoughts  and 
hearts  toward  the  Soudan.  This  is  the  great  heart  of 
negro-land,  containing  a  population  of  from  sixty  mil- 
lions to  one  hundred  millions.  It  is  probable  that  a 
majority  of  the  people  compare  not  unfavorably  with 
the  inhabitants  of  Uganda.  The  great  intermingling  of 
Mohammedanism  has  lifted  the  masses  above  the  lower 


AFRICA.  235 

pagan  degradation.  Additional  hindrances,  indeed,  are 
placed  in  the  way  by  the  former  conquests  of  Islam  ;  yet 
there  is  probably  more  than  compensation  in  the  blows 
given  to  idolatry,  and  in  the  preparation,  by  the  general 
use  of  the  Arabic  Koran,  for  the  introduction  of  the 
Arabic  Bible.  The  Foulahs,  the  Bornuese,  and  the 
Hausas — accessible  by  the  Niger  and  the  Binue  Rivers 
— present  inviting  fields.  As  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  has  so  long  occupied  stations  upon  the  Lower 
Niger,  and  has  lately  been  exploring  the  Binue  for  five 
hundred  miles  with  a  view  to  locating  new  missions, 
there  should  be  conference  and  agreement.  It  is  cer- 
tain there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  a  fraternal  arrange- 
ment as  to  division  of  territory,  since  the  unoccupied 
regions  are  so  vast  and  so  inviting.  It  is  probable  that 
the  English  preference  would  be  to  advance  up  the  Binue 
in  the  direction  of  Lake  Chad,  leaving  the  Upper  Niger 
to  American  Baptist  enterprise.  Here,  for  the  latter,  are 
vast  populations,  with  comparatively  advanced  civiliza- 
tions, along  for  one  thousand  miles  between  the  last 
station  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  and  the 
famous  city  of  Timbuktu.  The  flooding  of  EI  Juf 
from  the  Atlantic — an  enterprise  ere  long  to  be  ac- 
complished— will  render  part  of  this  field  still  more 
accessible  from  the  Atlantic  and  from  America.  At 
the  same  time,  the  vantage-ground  in  Liberia  should 
not  be  forgotten.  An  advance  thence  overland  into 
the  interior,  with  the  ultimate  object  of  joining  forces 
with  the  Upper  Niger,  would  probably  be  wise.  Li- 
beria and  the  colored  Baptists  of  America  are  in  great 
need  of  the  inspiration  of  such  a  double  advance. 
The  English  brother's  generous  offer  of  seven  thou- 


2^6  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE   FRONT. 

sand  pounds  to  assist  the  Missionary  Union  in  establish- 
ing a  Lake  Chad  mission  is  considered  impracticable  by 
the  Executive  Committee.  While  in  duty  bound  to  be- 
lieve that  all  the  requisite  tact  in  negotiation  and  enter- 
prise in  calculation  have  been  given  to  the  question  at 
the  Rooms,  it  is  a  great  disappointment  to  turn  from  so 
immediate  a  prospect  of  co-operating  in  Central  Africa 
evangelization.  We  had  thought  that  if  the  burden  of 
advance  movements  from  Yoruba  and  Liberia  into  the 
interior  v^ere  carried  by  our  Southern  white  and  colored 
Baptist  churches,  our  Northern  churches  would  be  able 
to  establish  the  Upper  Niger  mission,  and  at  the  same 
time  respond  to  the  Lake  Chad  proposition,  and  by  actual 
trial  test  its  practicability.  It  is  so  far  north  of  the  Binue 
as  not  to  interfere  with  the  Church  Missionary  Society's 
prospective  work.  A  steam-launch,  such  as  is  being 
constructed  for  the  Upper  Congo,  could  be  transported 
in  pieces  over  the  two  hundred  miles  from  the  Binue  to 
the  lake,  and  I  believe  we  have  some  Livingstones  and 
Stanleys  equal  to  all  the  extreme  perils  of  the  under- 
taking. 

It  is  to  be  devoutly  hoped  that  the  decision  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  will  not  close  the  negotiations  with 
the  great  friend  of  Central  Africa ;  that  now  the  Mission- 
2xy  Union  will  not  allow  Northern  Baptists  to  rest  their 
responsibility  for  Africa  upon  the  possible  interest  the 
Freedmen  may  be  induced  to  take  in  their  fatherland ; 
and  that  prayerful,  tactful,  and  enterprising  thoughts  of 
the  Upper  Niger,  Lake  Chad,  and  the  vast  Soudan  will 
continue  to  engage  attention  at  our  foreign-mission 
Rooms  until  our  denomination  shall  be  doing  its  share 
in  the  grandly-opening  work  of  this  vast  continent. 


"Ho  io  3jo~ 


jC  ""''^^.y 


W  jo  Hi 

t  I 

Outline  Hap  of 
-BAPTIST  MISSIONS  IN  EUROPE 


'Bend Quarters  uf  J .B.MissTnion  German  Miss ,?■ .  Gej-man  -Baptist    Tuhliralion  Soc,  JU^ 

Sead  QvarttiTS  Enq  Jinpi  S.S. (^ 

T[ead  Qiuijiiers  Swmdish  Jjapt.  Mission. •^ 

PrineijjaZ  Mission  Centres.-. -## 

Centval  Mission  S'ta/ions. - • 

d  i)  ^  ^ 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

NORTHERN  EUROPE. 

HASTENING  down  from  Russia  at  the  close  of  the 
summer  of  1867,  it  was  our  great  privilege  to  be 
in  Hamburg  at  the  Triennial  Conference  of  the  North- 
western, Prussian,  Middle,  Southern,  and  Danish  Asso- 
ciations, as  also  to  attend  some  of  the  services  connected 
with  the  dedication  of  Rev.  J.  G.  Oncken's  beautiful  new 
chapel.  As  we  hastened  over  to  the  meetings  early  the 
next  morning  after  our  arrival  from  Liibeck,  the  first  one 
to  greet  us  was  this  venerable  father  of  our  German  mis- 
sion, and,  indeed,  of  our  mission  work  also  in  Sweden, 
Denmark,  Holland,  Poland,  Russia,  Hungary,  and  Tur- 
key. He  had  changed  much  since  1853,  when  he  play- 
ed ball  with  me  in  my  father's  home,  or  rested  those 
weeks  from  over-fatigue  with  Mrs.  Bainbridge's  parents 
in  Cleveland.  It  strengthened  our  impression  that  he 
was  growing  old  to  have  him  recall  with  wonderful 
minuteness  articles  of  food  and  fireside  scenes  we  had 
entirely  forgotten.  It  seemed  as  if  the  hand  of  Time 
was  beginning  to  open  for  him  the  book  of  everlasting 
remembrance. 

Much,  indeed,  of  thrilling  interest  is  recorded  upon 
its  pages,  as  also  in  the  memories  of  many  of  these 
hundred  missionaries  assembled  from  all  parts  of  our 
North  European  field.      Here,  also,  we  met  Rev.  J.  G. 

237 


238  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Warren,  D.  D.,  the  great-hearted  Secretary  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Union,  and  the  German  pastor  at  whose  home 
in  Rochester  I  boarded  when  trying  to  learn  this  lan- 
guage of  such  marvellous  richness  and  power.  We 
went  down  to  the  bank  of  the  Elbe,  and,  looking  in  the 
direction  of  Altona,  in  Hanover,  pictured  that  scene  in 
the  darkness  of  the  night  when  Rev.  Barnas  Sears,  D.  D., 
baptized  Mr,  Oncken  and  six  other  candidates,  the  first- 
fruits  of  so  glorious  a  harvest.  Entering  immediately 
that  year  (1834)  upon  missionary  service  for  American 
Baptists,  Mr.  Oncken  was  soon  permitted  to  welcome 
those  efficient  colaborers  Rev.  Mr.  Koebner  of  Copen- 
hagen and  Rev.  G.  W,  Lehmann  of  Berlin.  It  hardly 
seems  possible  that  leaders  of  this  great  and  beautiful  city 
bearing  the  honored  name  of  the  father  of  the  German 
Reformation  could  so  late  as  1840  enter  upon  a  violent 
persecution  of  our  mission.  But  they  then  began  by 
casting  Mr,  Oncken  into  prison,  following  it  up  by  repe- 
titions of  like  cruelty  for  eight  years,  and  then,  though 
they  were  shamed  out  of  their  unchristian  conduct  by 
the  Good  Samaritanism  of  the  Hamburg  Baptist  Church 
shown  so  conspicuously  on  the  occasion  of  the  great  fire, 
other  cities  and  towns,  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Lu- 
theran clergy,  continued  the  persecution  of  all  promi- 
nently connected  with  our  work  in  Denmark,  Sweden, 
Poland,  as  well  as  in  Hanover,  Berlin,  Stuttgart,  Mar- 
burg, Oldenburg,  Bavaria,  Pomerania,  and  in  other  cities 
and  districts  of  Germany. 

Little  did  Mrs.  Ann  H.  Judson  dream,  while  she  was 
enduring  so  much  cruelty  at  the  hand  of  the  Burman 
King,  that  her  heroic  fortitude  was  to  be  the  special  help 
in    another    generation   to  many  Baptists   of  Northern 


NORTHERN  EUROPE.  239 

Europe  in  experiences  of  heartless  persecution.  With 
Americai;!  funds  an  edition  of  five  thousand  copies  of 
her  record  of  toil  and  suffering  was  issued  in  German, 
and  multitudes  took  fresh  courage.  It  was  God's  way — 
by  the  cross  to  the  crown ;  out  of  great  tribulation  to  the 
blessed  heaven  of  present  prosperities.  Rev.  A.  Moen- 
ster  was  a  year  in  the  Copenhagen  prison  ;  Rev.  G.  Alf 
was  eleven  times  thrown  into  jail  by  the  Polish  author- 
ities ;  Rev.  F.  O.  Nilsson  was  thrice  imprisoned  by  the 
Swedish  magistrates,  and  then  banished  from  the  coun- 
try. But  all  such  trials  turned  out  unto  the  furtherance 
of  the  cause ;  and  now,  as  way  marks  along  the  path  to 
present  glorious  attainments,  we  also  found  that  Dr. 
Oncken  loves,  as  Dr.  S.  F.  Smith  has  described  in  his 
valuable  Missionary  Sketches,  to  guide  his  visitors  through 
the  streets  and  alleys  of  Hamburg  to  those  upper  win- 
dows where  he  was  stoned  by  the  mob,  to  the  filthy  dun- 
geons where  he  almost  died,  and  to  that  dark  entrance 
to  their  hidden  meeting-place  which  they  called  "  The 
Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death." 

It  was  a  privilege  of  a  lifetime  to  meet  these  brethren, 
who  by  labors  and  sufferings  abundant  had  laid  the 
foundation  for  our  now  444  churches  with  46,157  mem- 
bers. The  tread  of  mighty  continental  armies  had 
stopped  for  a  season,  and  the  mission  forces  from  the 
battlefield,  from  the  hospital,  and  from  beside  many  a 
new-made  grave  had  gathered  to  prepare  for  future 
conquests  under  Emmanuel  with  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit.  A  goodly  number  of  recruits  for  the  ministry 
were  there  who  had  been  faithfully  studying  in  Ham- 
burg and  elsewhere  to  be  qualified  to  preach  the  gospel 
among  their  countrymen,  afflicted  to  so  large  an  extent 


240  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE   FRONT. 

by  formalism,  rationalism,  and  infidelity.  Reports  of 
wonderful  revivals  were  pouring  in  from  Sweden,  Po- 
land, Russia,  and  elsewhere.  Two  foreign  missionaries 
were  to  be  appointed — one  for  South  Africa,  whose  in- 
troductory labors  there  followed  up  have  been  greatly 
blessed ;  and  the  other  for  China — a  mission,  however, 
which  was  subsequently  withdrawn  to  allow  reinforce- 
ment in  Russia.  From  scenes  so  absorbingly  interest- 
ing it  was  hard  to  break  away  and  take  the  steamer 
across  the  North  Sea  to  Hull,  England. 

Thirteen  years  passed,  and  we  were  permitted  to  re- 
visit some  of  these  scenes  where  Christian  labor,  en- 
couraged by  the  sympathies,  the  prayers,  and  the  contri- 
butions of  American  Baptists,  has  been  so  signally  blessed. 
Baptists  are  much  better  known.  In  society  and  from 
the  public  press  they  are  receiving  more  respectful,  if 
not  yet  thoroughly  appreciative,  treatment.  Prussia  has 
formally  acknowledged  the  legal  rights  of  our  churches, 
and  even  Russia  has  given  them  an  official  recognition. 
A  strong  Baptist  Church  has  just  been  organized  in  St. 
Petersburg,  and  the  materials  are  gathering  for  one  in 
Moscow  also.  Though  persecution  continues  in  Austria, 
our  mission  influences  have  reached  around  this  barrier 
of  Roman  Catholic  intolerance,  and  in  Turkey — particu- 
larly in  Bulgaria — very  hopeful  foundations  are  being 
laid  for  strong  and  aggressive  Baptist  churches.  Some 
of  our  largest  churches  in  Germany  are  in  Memel,  Rum- 
my, Konigsberg,  Altona,  Hamburg,  Berlin,  Reetz,  Ho- 
henkirch,  Ikschen,  Grodszisko,  Albrechtsdorf,  and  Goy- 
den.  Notwithstanding  Austrian  persecution,  our  church 
in  Buda-Pesth  numbers  162,  and  that  of  Vienna  70.  The 
Baptist  Church  in  Copenhagen  is  341  strong,  while  those 


NORTHERN  EUROPE.  24 1 

in  Danish  Vandlose  and  Jetsmark  have  almost  equal 
numbers.  The  Polish  Baptist  churches  of  Kicin  and 
Zezulin  have  each  upward  of  500  members,  and  like- 
wise the  Russian  at  Odessa,  Riga,  Windau,  Neudorf, 
and  Gross-Essen. 

There  is  evidently  very  special  reason  for  encourage- 
ment in  Russia  and  Poland.  Within  the  Czar's  domin- 
ions dissent  is  rapidly  on  the  increase,  and,  as  almost 
universally  immersion  is  considered  the  only  scriptural 
mode  of  baptism,  none  are  so  cordially  welcomed  as 
Baptist  missionaries.  The  Evangelical  Bible  Society  of 
Russia,  the  Russian  Bible  Society,  and  the  British  and 
Foreign  and  the  American  Bible  Societies  have  dis- 
tributed, chiefly  during  the  last  five  years,  nearly  two 
million  five  hundred  thousand  copies  of  God's  word 
throughout  the  huge  Empire ;  and  upon  this  founda- 
tion of  so  extensive  Bible  reading  Baptist  missions 
should  be  specially  eager  to  build.  For  such  work 
our  German  brethren  have  great  advantages.  Many 
thousands  of  their  fellow-countrymen  have  colonized  in 
the  vicinities  of  Kief,  Moscow,  Nijni-Novgorod,  Kasan, 
Samara,  and  Saratov,  and  the  numerous  Baptists  among 
them  provide  at  once  standing-room  for  German  mission- 
aries. Our  twelve  Baptist  missionaries,  with  two  thou- 
sand converts,  in  Russian  Poland,  and  our  over  three 
thousand  Baptist  churCh-members  in  Courland  and 
Livonia,  prove  that  even  the  strongest  holds  of  Roman 
Catholic  bigotry  and  superstition  can  be  carried  in  the 
name  of  a  thoroughly  scriptural  Christianity. 

If  we  are  to  judge  from  the  comparative  results  of 
work,  the  missionaries  from  our  German  churches  to 
the  majority  of  the  Roman  Catholic  populations  of  Eu- 
21 


242  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

rope  are  better  qualified  than  those  sent  from  English 
and  American  churches ;  they  seem  to  understand  the 
people  better.  The  history  of  their  country  has  largely 
been  that  of  a  conflict  with  Rome,  and  a  much  greater 
proportion  of  their  population  than  of  ours  is  Catholic. 
Not  only  have  they  thus  had  better  opportunity,  but  it 
is  certain  that  the  Roman  Catholicism  the  English  and 
Americans  study  in  their  countries  is  different  from  that 
in  Europe,  and  from  that  which  Europe  has  moulded  in 
South  America,  Mexico,  the  Philippines,  and  elsewhere. 
Moreover,  evangelization  by  German  missionaries  in 
their  neighboring  Catholic  countries  is  much  more  eco- 
nomical. They  require  smaller  salaries,  and  their  trav- 
elling back  and  forth  is  much  less  expensive.  France, 
and  to  an  extent  Spain,  are  exceptional,  on  account  of 
political  and  race  alienations.  Americans  especially  can 
succeed  much  better  among  the  French  than  can  the 
Germans.  And  so  it  would  seem  that  Infinite  Wisdom 
had  been  so  arranging  that  the  principal  Baptist  mission 
responsibility  to  Roman  Catholic  Poland,  Austria,  Hun- 
gary, and  prospectively  to  Italy  also,  should  fall  upon 
laborers  sent  from  our  German  churches,  while  for 
France  and  Spain  missionaries  should  be  drafted  from 
our  English  and  American  churches.  From  present 
light,  it  would  appear  that  the  best  way  also  to  help  for- 
ward evangelization  in  Russia,  and  other  countries  where 
the  Greek  faith  prevails,  is  to  strengthen  financially  the 
hands  of  the  missionary  Committees  of  our  German 
Baptist  and  Swedish  Baptist  churches.  Our  missionary 
brother  in  Greece  is  a  native,  which  gives  him  correspond- 
ing advantages ;  and  our  Southern  representative  in  Rome 
is  exceptionally  qualified  for  any  Christian  service. 


NORTHERN  EUROPE.  243 

The  development  of  our  denominational  work  in  Swe- 
den has  been  quite  as  remarkable  as  that  in  Germany. 
It  may  be  that  history  is  preparing  to  repeat  itself— at 
least,  upon  the  battlefields  of  spiritual  conflict.  As  early 
in  the  seventeenth  century  Gustavus  Adolphus  came  to 
the  rescue  of  German  Protestantism,  and  hurled  back  the 
Catholic  legions  of  Tilly  and  of  Wallenstein,  so  in  the  not- 
distant  future  evangelical  Protestantism  in  Germany,  in 
its  fourfold  conflict  with  Rome,  Lutheran  formalism, 
rationalism,  and  infidelity,  may  be  in  even  greater  ex- 
tremity than  was  Saxony  after  the  horrors  of  Magde- 
burg, and  as  were  all  the  Protestant  estates  before  the 
battle  of  Lutzen ;  and  deliverance  may  come  from  the 
North.  Swedish  power  may  again  be  required  for  the 
rescue — that  power  which  has  been  developing  of  late 
in  connection  with  our  Baptist  missions  far  more  sur- 
prisingly and  gloriously  than  did  the  character  and  the 
genius  of  the  royal  Scandinavian  hero. 

Various  influences  conspired  to  the  opening  of  the 
work  in  Sweden.  German  pietism  and  Moravian  enter- 
prise and  an  English  mission  had  awakened  a  new  spir- 
itual life  among  many  in  the  established  Lutheran  Church. 
The  glowing  light  of  our  Baptist  mission  in  Germany  very 
quickly  cast  its  rays  across  the  Baltic  upon  Swedish 
shores.  Hardy  sailors  from  this  northern  realm  were 
converted  at  sea  or  in  America,  and  returned  to  testify 
freely  of  heart-religion  and  to  illustrate  true  piety  in 
their  lives.  A  few  Baptists  were  drawn  together  at  dif- 
ferent points,  but  persecution  arose,  driving  part  of  them 
away  to  America ;  and  the  time  was  ripe  for  some  leader 
of  marked  spirituality  and  intelligence  to  rally  the  scat- 
tered forces  and  lead  them  forward  to  victory.     What 


244  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

the  German  mission  had  in  Mr.  Oncken,  the  Swedish 
Baptist  interests  needed.  Providentially,  at  this  junc- 
ture, Rev.  A,  Wiberg,  an  eminently  capable  Lutheran 
clergyman  of  Sweden,  was  led  to  the  acceptance  of  our 
denominational  views;  visited  America;  commended  him- 
self in  his  person  and  his  work  to  the  confidence  of  our 
churches ;  and  was  commissioned  by  the  American  Baptist 
Publication  Society  as  Superintendent  of  colportage  in  his 
native  land.  This  was  in  1855,  and  the  arrangement 
continued  for  ten  years,  .\^hen  the  Publication  Society 
transferred  the  responsibility  to  the  Missionary  Union. 
Meanwhile,  others  were  associated  with  Mr.  Wiberg  in 
colportage  work;  a  successful  religious  journal  was  es- 
tablished ;  much  Christian  literature  was  circulated ;  va- 
rious persecutions  were  heroically  encountered ;  such 
CO  laborers  as  Drake,  Broady,  Edgren,  and  Truve  were 
welcomed ;  and  the  Bethel  Chapel — the  beautiful  sanctu- 
ary in  Stockholm — was  nearly  completed  at  a  total  cost 
of  thirty-five  thousand  dollars.  A  second  house  of  wor- 
ship, the  Salem  Chapel,  in  the  southern  part  of  Stockholm, 
was  lately  finished. 

A  Swedish  theological  seminary  was  established  in 
1866,  and  is  proving  an  incalculable  blessing  to  the 
churches.  Gradually  the  influences  of  the  mission 
reached  over  into  Norway  and  Finland,  where  the  in- 
gatherings are  becoming  very  encouraging.  The  For- 
eign Mission  Society  of  the  Swedish  Conference  has 
been  led  to  evangelizing  efforts  among  the  Laplanders. 
The  present  statistics  of  306  churches  with  19,501  mem- 
bers in  Sweden,  even  though  attesting  such  remarkable 
results,  do  not  represent  all  that  has  been  accomplished. 
Evangelical   impressions  have  been  made  upon  multi- 


NORTHERN  EUROPE.  245 

tudes  in  the  State-Church ;  and,  while  legal  restrictions 
and  persecutions  have  not  been  entirely  removed,  the 
sympathy,  and  even  the  co-operation,  of  many  influen- 
tial Lutherans  have  been  secured.  Moreover,  the  strong 
tide  of  emigration  to  America  has  brought  to  us  several 
thousand  members  of  the  Swedish  Baptist  churches,  and 
they  are  scattered  especially  throughout  our  North-west, 
a  most  valuable  part  of  its  population  and  of  its  religious 
life.  The  self-sacrificing  character  of  the  converts  is 
seen  in  that  in  Stockholm  alqne  twenty  missionary  evan- 
gelists are  supported  in  work  throughout  Sweden  and 
Norway,  While  there  is  disposition  to  so  nobly  help 
themselves,  it  is  wise  for  American  Baptists  to  continue 
their  assistance. 

We  have  three  substantial  churches  in  Switzerland, 
and  ground  for  hope  that  among  this  interesting  Alpine 
population  our  mission  work  will  soon  be  very  much 
enlarged. 

When  in  Berlin  it  was  not  our  privilege  to  meet  Rev, 
G.  W.  Lehmann,  who  has  since  died,  at  a  very  advanced 
age  (February  21,  1882),  but  his  work  continues  and 
speaks  for  itself;  and  in  all  that  great  proud  capital 
there  is  nothing  so  hopeful  for  good  as  the  various  mis- 
sion enterprises  and  church-life  influences  centring  in 
the  Baptist  chapel  and  dwelling  on  Schmidt  Strasse. 

The  new  enterprise  of  the  American  Baptist  Publica- 
tion Society  in  assisting  the  Baptists  of  Germany  in  their 
efforts  to  establish  a  publication-house  at  Hamburg,  un- 
der Rev.  P.  W.  Bickel,  D.  D.,  to  do  in  that  country  a 
work  similar  to  that  which  has  been  accomplished  at 
Philadelphia  under  Rev,  B.  Griffith,  D.  D.,  is  worthy  of 
all  praise  and  support.  All  who  knew  of  Dr.  Bickel  and 
21* 


246  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

his  labors  in  Cleveland  and  elsewhere  in  America  had 
full  confidence  in  the  new  work  which  he  was  called 
to  undertake  in  1878.  The  expectations  have  not  been 
disappointed.  With  some  assistance  from  the  National 
Bible  Society  of  Scotland,  twenty  colporteurs  are  now 
employed;  a  large  quantity  of  tracts,  periodicals,  and 
books  are  circulated;  and  in  various  other  ways  our 
Baptist  interests  have  been  strengthened  by  this  enter- 
prise. 

There  should  be  no  doubt  of  the  duty  of  sustaining 
evangelical  missions  in  these  Protestant  lands.  Their 
prevailing  formalism,  though  hostile  to  Rome,  is  not 
loyal  to  Christ.  The  divine  approval  is  plainly  resting 
upon  our  efforts  to  assist  in  saving  the  Christianity  of 
Northern  Europe.  From  Germany  especially  we  have 
received  great  religious  blessings.  It  is  now  our  turn 
to  give.  Perhaps  again  it  may  be  our  turn  to  receive. 
Indeed,  now  there  is  reciprocity. 


CHAPTER   XX. 
SOUTHERN  EUROPE. 

GREAT  changes  have  taken  place  since  our  former 
visit  to  France,  Italy,  and  Greece,  not  only  in  the 
condition  and  the  prospects  of  American  and  English 
Baptist  missions,  but  in  governments,  in  general  religious 
convictions,  in  the  attitude  of  the  people  regarding  edu- 
cation, in  the  sensitiveness  of  national  conscience,  and 
in  the  intelligence  of  the  masses  regarding  affairs  of 
Church  and  State,  the  rights  of  society  and  of  the  indi- 
vidual, and  the  mutual  obligations  resting  upon  the  dif- 
ferent nations  and  the  different  ranks  in  society.  Then 
the  Emperor  Louis  Napoleon  was  upon  his  throne,  daz- 
zling France  and  the  world  with  his  gorgeous  capital 
and  his  international  exposition;  now  republicanism  is 
in  the  ascendency,  the  arm  which  sustained  the  temporal 
power  of  Rome  has  been  withdrawn,  and  from  the  humil- 
iation of  Sedan  and  the  Commune  the  people  have  arisen 
to  question  the  instruction  of  the  priesthood,  to  esteem 
more  highly  a  common-school  system  than  the  infalli- 
bility of  the  Pontiff,  and  to  conquer  Europe  upon  the 
peaceful  battlefields  of  industry  and  trade.  In  Rome,  in 
1867,  the  police  detectives  of  Pius  IX.  searched  all  our 
baggage  to  keep  us  from  taking  a  Bible  into  the  Holy 
City;  now  God's  word  is  freely  read  there  in  many 
homes,  there  are   upward  of  eighty  common   schools, 

247 


248  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Protestant  missions  and  chapels  are  established,  Italy  is 
reunited,  and  the  king  occupies  the  Quirinal.  Then 
the  ecclesiastics  of  the  State-Church  in  Greece  were 
exulting  in  having  extinguished  our  American  Baptist 
mission ;  now  not  only  has  it  revived,  but  the  Bible  has 
been  introduced  into  all  the  day-schools.  Athens  has 
become  a  beautiful  city ;  the  port  of  the  Piraeus  has  dou- 
bled the  amount  of  its  commerce ;  and  higher  education 
especially  is  advancing  with  rapid  strides. 

Let  us  first  land  in  this  harbor  of  Athens.  By  way 
of  Cyprus,  Rhodes,  Smyrna,  and  Syra  we  have  come 
directly  from  Beirut,  where  ended  our  long  journey 
overland  from  Baghdad  to  Babylon  and  Nineveh  (an 
account  of  which  we  hope  soon  to  publish  in  the  volume 
mentioned.  From  the  Gardeii  of  Eden  to  the  Isle  of  Patinos : 
A  Complete  Tour  of  Bible  Lands).  Indeed,  this  shore  on 
which  we  now  step  from  the  little  boat  that  has  brought 
us  from  the  steamer  is  a  part  of  the  Bible  lands,  and  has 
therefore  a  greater  interest  to  us  than  because  it  is  classic 
with  the  names  of  Sophocles  and  Euripides  and  yEschy- 
lus  and  Socrates  and  Plato  and  Aristotle.  Paul  was  a 
greater  and  a  grander  man  than  any  one  of  them  or  than 
all  of  them  together ;  and  Demosthenes  delivering  his 
oration  De  Corona  from  yonder  Bema  was  far  from  ris- 
ing to  the  eloquence  of  the  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  when, 
standing  here  on  this  very  spot  where  we  are  now  stand- 
ing, upon  Mars'  Hill,  pointing,  doubtless,  at  the  Parthe- 
non, upon  the  Acropolis,  he  exclaimed,  "  God,  that  made 
the  world,  and  all  things  therein,  seeing  that  he  is  Lord 
of  heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands." 

Seated  as  one  of  the  Areopagites,  I  requested  our 


SOUTHERN  EUROPE.  249 

native  missionary,  Rev.  D.  Z.  Sakellarios,  to  read,  from 
a  Greek  Testament,  Paul's  address  to  the  leaders  of 
Athens.  To  hear  the  Greek  language  read  so  beauti- 
fully reminded  me  of  Rev.  A.  C.  Kendrick,  D.  D.,  of 
Rochester,  his  class-room,  and  especially  those  winter 
evenings  three  of  us  spent  in  his  home  over  the  pages 
of  Aristotle.  I  could  see  the  way  up  the  Propylsea  to 
the  majestic  Parthenon  crowded  with  the  statues  of  the 
gods  of  Grecian  mythology ;  the  Athenian  plain  strewed 
with  temples,  Doric,  Ionic,  and  Corinthian,  and  with 
idols  formed  by  the  master-hands  of  Phidias,  Scopas, 
Praxiteles,  and  Lysippus.  I  could  see  the  grove  of  the 
Academy,  where  Plato  discoursed  with  words  of  supreme 
human  wisdom,  but  with  no  knowledge  of  Christ.  Yet 
above  the  horizon  crowded  with  classic  memories,  in 
the  words  the  missionary  was  reading  from  the  book  of 
Acts,  I  could  see  the  matchless  pioneer  of  Christian  mis- 
sions pleading  with  heathen  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

In  the  footsteps  of  Paul,  rather  than  in  those  of  the 
Hellenic  sages,  our  brother  Demetrius  Sakellarios  has 
been  toiling  here  for  ten  years  since  his  ordination  to 
the  ministry.  Previous  to  his  labors,  for  various  periods, 
the  work  was  carried  on  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  A.  N.  Arnold, 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  R.  F.  Buel,  Miss  S.  E.  Waldo,  Mrs.  H.  E. 
Dickson,  and  the  founders  in  1836,  Rev.  H.  T.  Love  and 
Rev.  C.  Pasco.  Some  of  their  labors  had  been  at  Patras 
in  North  Peloponnesus,  on  the  island  of  Zante,  in  Corfu, 
and  at  the  Piraeus;  but  chiefly  the  mission  work  has  been 
done  in  Athens.  And  it  has  been  faithful  work;  personal 
acquaintance  with  several  of  the  former  missionaries  is 
abundant  evidence  that  it  could  not  have  been  other- 


2SO  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

wise.  And  to  us  it  has  been  very  plain  here  in  Athens 
that  the  present  toilers  are  doing  all  that  lies  in  their 
power,  or  in  the  power  of  any  others  who  could  be  se- 
cured for  the  work.  Yet  there  are  not  so  many  converts 
with  them  as  Christ  had  around  him  in  the  upper  room 
when  he  instituted  the  Supper.  All  seven,  however^ 
were  at  the  weekly  prayer-meetings,  save  one  young 
Christian  woman,  to  whose  sick-bed  side  we  carried  part 
of  the  meeting.  And  if  apparently  but  little  impression 
has  yet  been  made,  we  remember  that  even  the  apostle 
Paul  met  with  only  partial  success  in  Athens,  being 
mocked  of  some  and  told  by  others  that  they  would 
hear  him  again  of  this  matter.  I  have  become  acquaint- 
ed with  one  who  will  answer  for  Djonysius  the  Areopa- 
gite,  another  for  the  woman  Damaris,  and  then  there 
are  certain  others  here  cleaving  unto  Christ  and  be- 
lieving ;  and  if  Paul  was  not  discouraged  over  the  evan- 
gelization of  Greece,  but  spent  more  of  the  time  at  his 
disposal  during  the  rest  of  his  missionary  life  there  than 
anywhere  else,  American  Baptists  should  not  lose  heart 
or  withhold  what  is  needed  to  give  the  mission  a  fair  op- 
portunity of  success. 

That  means,  first  of  all,  a  chapel — not  a  room  away 
around  up  in  the  second  story  of  a  private  house  (the 
best  our  brother  can  do  with  the  funds  at  his  disposal), 
but  a  chapel  in  appearance,  a  neat  little  sanctuary  open- 
ing directly  and  invitingly  off  from  a  main  street  of  the 
city.  If  I  were  an  unconverted  Greek,  there  would  seem 
to  be  very  little  likelihood  that  I  should  ever  go  through 
that  front  door  and  that  passage;  then  ring  a  bell  and 
pass  up  through  the  hall  and  stairs  of  a  family  not  in 
sympathy  with  the*mission,  for  the  purpose  of  joining  in 


so  UTHERN  E  UR  OPE.  2  5 1 

the  service  of  God  in  the  room  which  has  the  table  and 
the  benches.  It  would  be  wrong  to  neglect  the  oppor- 
tunity furnished  in  that  retired  apartment,  but  I  am  afraid 
I  should  do  it,  even  if  there  were  a  dozen  of  the  very  best 
missionaries  in  the  world  praying  and  singing  and  exhort- 
ing there.  In  almost  every  mission  station  in  the  world 
a  chapel-building  is  provided;  the  treasury  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Union  should  be  enabled  to  provide  one  in 
Athens.  There  is  a  very  available  lot  at  present,  fa- 
cing the  Academy — that  magnificent  marble  structure 
upon  which  two  millions  of  dollars  are  being  expended. 
Doubtless,  with  an  attractive  Baptist  chapel  thus  close 
at  hand,  many  of  these  hundreds  of  young  men  would 
be  induced  to  hear  the  gospel.  The  city  will  soon  have 
a  hundred  thousand  population,  and  it  is  rapidly  becom- 
ing now  a  great  centre  of  commercial  and  political  power. 
Whoever  would  furnish  the  needed  funds — ten  thousand 
dollars  for  the  ground  and  building,  or  even  the  five  thou- 
sand to  secure  the  location — would  make  a  most  wise  in- 
vestment for  the  cause  of  evangelization  in  Greece,  which 
Paul  inaugurated  upon  Mars'  Hill. 

A  few  days  up  the  Adriatic  bring  us  to  Trieste, 
Austria ;  from  whence  a  night's  sail,  and  we  land  in 
Italy,  at  Venice.  The  burden  of  Baptist  evangelizing 
work  in  this  country  has  been  borne  chiefly  by  churches 
in  England  and  in  our  Southern  States.  No  portion  of 
Europe,  not  even  excepting  Spain  or  Turkey,  is  more 
sadly  in  need  of  the  influence  of  Protestant  missions. 
The  land,  indeed,  is  beautiful ;  nowhere  is  there  so  much 
perfection  of  art.  Even  the  squalor  and  the  wretched- 
ness are  made  to  add  to  the  picturesqueness  of  Italian 
scenes.     The  lens  of  the  photographer  and  the  brush  of 


252  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

the  artist  do  not  communicate  the  tainted  exhalations 
from  the  united  dwellings  of  the  people  and  the  domestic 
animals,  or  the  infection  of  the  slimy,  seething  heaps  to 
be  met  in  most  of  the  streets  of  the  cities  and  villages. 
The  traveller  on  the  railways,  in  the  English  or  the 
French  hotels,  driven  rapidly  around  by  guides  in  Rome 
or  Naples,  in  Florence  or  Milan,  in  Turin  or  Genoa,  or 
lounging  in  the  numerous  art-galleries — at  least,  on  his 
first  hurried  visit  to  this  land  of  sunshine  and  verdure — 
sees  very  little  of  the  dirt  and  dinginess  and  raggedness 
of  the  masses,  their  homes,  and  their  habits.  Attention 
is  the  rather  arrested  by  the  picturesque  costumes,  the 
quaint  buildings,  the  mediaeval  architecture,  the  vine- 
covered  arches  and  splendid  ruins  of  a  far-off  past,  when 
Rome  and  Rome's  Italy  were  the  imperial  centre  of  the 
world.  Palaces  and  hovels — palaces  for  the  Catholic 
clergy  and  the  other  princes,  hovels  for  the  masses  of 
the  people — such  is  Italy  as  man  has  made  it,  despite 
the  lavishness  of  nature's  God. 

The  causes  of  the  deplorable  situation  are  not  so  gen- 
erally and  so  thoroughly  understood  as  even  in  France. 
There  is  a  strong  national  sentiment — sufficient,  possibly, 
to  hold  the  country  together — but  the  masses  are  very 
ignorant,  very  superstitious,  very  fearful  of  the  spiritual 
weapons  of  the  church,  and  they  are  trying  the  impos- 
sible task  of  being  loyal  to  both  king  and  Pope.  Only 
a  few  years  ago,  and  the  national  troops  were  welcomed 
to  the  Capitol  with  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstrations. 
But  in  the  last  municipal  election  the  church  party  nearly 
swept  everything  before  them.  There  are  many  who 
have  discarded  all  religion,  who  can  insult  the  corpse 
of  a  dead  Pope,  greet  the  exiles  of  the  Commune,  talk 


SOUTHERN  EUROPE.  2$$ 

wildly  about  annexation  to  Austria  and  of  punishing 
France  for  interference  with  Tunis  ;  yet  the  vast  major- 
ity are  conscientious  Catholics.  They  are  experimenting 
with  the  kingdom,  not  with  the  hierarchy.  They  have 
learned  only  very  imperfectly  the  lesson  Cavour  gave 
them — a  free  Church  in  a  free  State.  Nothing  is  settled. 
The  situation  is  only  one  of  opportunity — opportunity 
for  evangelical  missions.  Left  to  herself,  Italy  would 
eventually  fall  back,  I  believe,  into  fragments  and  cring- 
ing servility  to  the  Vatican.  The  people  are  too  blind 
and  the  darkness  around  them  is  too  dense  for  them  to 
be  trusted  to  work  out  the  problem  of  their  national  re- 
generation. The  utmost  that  the  spirit  of  freedom,  of 
improvement,  of  enterprise,  can  be  expected  to  achieve 
is  to  hold  open  the  present  door  of  opportunity  for  evan- 
gelical Protestant  missions  a  few  years,  perhaps  a  gen- 
eration or  two — long  enough  for  the  Christian  churches 
to  decide  whether  or  not  to  enter  with  full  force.  If 
Christian  missions  do  not  rescue  Italy,  Rome  will  come 
off  triumphant  in  the  present  conflict. 

Undoubtedly,  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  is  more 
corrupt  at  its  centre  than  anywhere  else.  Here  there 
is  the  most  pride,  the  most  deception,  the  most  evidence 
of  immorality  among  the  priesthood  and  the  monastic  or- 
ders. On  the  Pincian  Hill  I  counted  one  Sunday  after- 
noon fifty  ecclesiastics  riding  out  with  women  of  the 
world.  But  with  the  corruption  there  is  a  great  deal 
of  cunning.  The  methods  of  Protestant  missions  are 
being  adopted,  and  by  the  establishment  of  schools,  the 
distribution  of  religious  literature,  and  the  prosecution 
of  various  philanthropic  enterprises,  the  Church  of  the 
Vatican  is  striving  to  perpetuate  its  power. 

22 


254  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

There  is  a  world  of  interest  to  the  tourist  in  Rome,  but 
nothing  to  the  lover  of  Christian  missions  so  attractive 
and  inspiring  as  the  various  evangelical  movements 
which  are  being  inaugurated.  Perhaps  my  reader  also 
has  stood  upon  the  Capitol  or  the  roof  of  St.  Peter's  and 
counted  the  seven  hills ;  and  shuddered  on  the  edge  of 
the  Tarpeian  Rock;  and  traced  far  out  the  Appian  Way; 
and  strolled  around  the  uncovered  Forum ;  and  endeav- 
ored to  untangle  the  labyrinthian  excavations  among  the 
ruins  of  the  palaces  of  the  Caesars  on  the  Palatine  Hill ; 
and  visited  the  Coliseum  and  the  Pantheon  and  the  Baths 
of  Caracalla  and  the  Mamertine  Prison  and  the  Cata- 
combs and  the  Inquisition ;  yes,  perhaps  our  guide- 
books have  alike  been  checked  off  amid  the  bewilder- 
ing multitude  of  interesting  sights  and  associations  in 
Rome.     But  here  is  something  better. 

Not  a  palace ;  yet  the  King  of  kings  inhabits  it.  The 
attention  of  the  passer-by  might  not  be  arrested ;  yet  it 
is  the  prosperous  mission  of  our  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention, and  is  doing  more  good  to  Italy  than  all  the 
glittering  processions  and  lavish  fireworks  and  imposing 
pontifical  displays  with  which  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
strives  to  hold  the  attention  of  the  masses.  This  work 
was  organized  in  1870,  just  after  the  occupancy  of  Rome 
by  Victor  Emmanuel,  with  Rev.  W.  N.  Cote,  M.  D.,  as 
its  first  missionary.  Rev.  G.  B.  Taylor,  D.  D.,  whose 
praise,  so  well  deserved,  is  in  multitudes  of  our  Ameri- 
can churches,  both  South  and  North,  was  assigned  to 
the  superintendency  in  1873.  His  wife  and  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Eager  are  the  only  other  American  members 
of  the  mission,  but  native  assistants  are  supported  also  in 
the  stations  at  Torre  Pellice,  Milan,  Modena  and  Carpi, 


SOUTHERN  EUROPE.  2$$ 

Naples,  Bari  and  Barletta,  island  of  Sardinia,  Venice,  and 
Bologna.  The  total  number  of  church-members  does 
not  yet  exceed  one  hundred  and  seventy-five,  but  much 
truth  has  been  disseminated,  many  foundations  of  a  per- 
manent character  have  been  laid,  and  here  in  Rome  a 
very  suitable  chapel  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  ;^30,5  19. 
It  is  a  very  gratifying  fact  that  part  of  this  amount  was 
contributed  in  our  Northern  States: 

The  English  Baptist  mission  was  commenced  in  Rome 
the  same  year  under  Rev.  J.  Wall.  Associated  with  him 
are  Rev.  W.  K.  Landels  at  Naples  and  Rev.  R.  Walker 
at  Genoa,  besides  native  assistants  at  these  stations,  and 
al%o  at  Civita  Vecchia,  Trapani  in  Sicily,  Turin,  Flor- 
ence, and  Leghorn.  Very  encouraging  progress  has 
been  made  among  the  students  of  the  Naples  University, 
and  the  prospects  are  very  bright  among  the  masses  of 
the  people  in  Genoa.  Over  the  door  of  the  chapel  in 
the  latter  city  are  these  words,  to  which  multitudes  have 
responded :  "  Sala  Cristiana :  Ingresso  Libero."  Not 
long  can  it  be  before  the  one  hundred  and  thirty-three 
converts  of  this  mission  shall  become  a  much  larger 
number. 

Again  we  are  in  Paris — always  so  beautiful  to  look 
upon,  yet  seldom  left  by  the  seriously-minded  and  the 
true  with  regrets.  I  know  there  is  a  great  deal  that  is 
lovely  and  of  good  report  here ;  yet  the  average  life,  even 
of  the  better  classes,  is  more  superficial  than  in  London, 
Berlin,  or  New  York.  Our  home  for  the  past  two  months 
has  been  close  to  the  Arc  de  Triomphe,  in  the  residence 
opened  especially  for  her  American  friends  by  Madame 
Rostan,   daughter   of  our   first   missionary   to    France. 


256  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Here  and  at  other  Christian  homes  in  Paris  we  have 
met  many  of  the  missionaries  of  the  various  Societies 
who  are  heeding  the  voice  of  God  so  loudly  speaking 
through  the  present  situation  in  this  great  country.  And 
none  of  them  have  impressed  us  more  favorably  than  those 
associated  with  our  Baptist  mission.  All  speak  well  of 
them — their  piety,  their  intelligence,  their  zeal  in  work, 
and  the  fraternity  of  spirit  they  are  manifesting. 

The  new  and  wide-spread  movement  in  France  is  an 
opening  opportunity  rather  than  the  accomplishment  of 
any  considerable  evangelical  results.  There  is  more  to 
it  than  in  Italy,  but  in  both  the  protest  against  Rome 
is  far  more  political  than  religious.  The  people  have 
largely  yet  to  learn  that  their  revolution,  in  order  to  be 
successful  and  permanent,  must  ground  itself  in  the  deep- 
est religious  convictions.  And  these  are  asleep  with  the 
masses.  Upon  the  Latin  populations  Rome  has  aited 
like  an  opiate,  putting  to  sleep  the  religious  conscience, 
and  filling  up  their  spiritual  experiences  with  merely 
troubled  dreams.  It  is  very  easy  now  to  gather  good- 
sized  congregations  in  the  capital  and  in  the  provinces ; 
yet  as  I  have  repeatedly  looked  into  their  faces  it  was 
plain  that  many,  at  least,  did  not  care  to  receive  truth,  but 
simply  to  avail  themselves  of  an  opportunity  to  express 
opposition  to  Rome.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  explana- 
tion of  frequent  recognition  and  encouragement  on  the 
part  of  officials,  which  missionaries  and  native  evangel- 
ists report.  But  if  this  is  not  all  we  could  wish,  it  may 
justly  count  for  much ;  it  is  far  better  than  the  Revoca- 
tion of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  and  the  night  of  St.  Barthol- 
omew, and  every  effort  should  be  made  to  improve  the 
evangelizing  opportunity. 


SOUTHERN  EUROPE.  2$/ 

Let  US  stroll  down  the  Champs  Elysees,  through  the 
Place  de  la  Concorde,  and,  leaving  the  Louvre  and  the 
ruins  of  the  Tuileries  on  our  left,  cross  the  Seine,  and 
make  our  way  a  little  beyond,  to  the  Rue  de  Lille  Bap- 
tist Chapel.  It  is  a  convenient  and  attractive  place  of 
worship,  and  I  have  enjoyed  meeting  here  with  the  little 
church  and  addressing  them  through  interpreters.  But 
it  has  been  a  long  and  often  wearisome  way  that  our  mis- 
sion has  travelled  to  such  evidences  of  prosperity.  We 
recall  the  names  of  Willmarth,  Willard,  Sheldon,  Devan, 
and  those  native  laborers,  Thieffry,  and  Cretin,  and  Le- 
poids,  and  Foulon,  and  Dez,  Andru — editor  of  Echo  of 
Truth,  with  one  thousand  subscribers — Vignal,  Alain,  Le- 
maire,  Cadot,  Ramseyer,  Vincent,  and  others.  I  have  richly 
enjoyed  hearing  several  of  them  tell  the  story  of  Baptist 
evangelization  in  France.  Their  hearts  are  in  it.  In  all  the 
stations  as  yet,  including  Paris  with  its  several  districts, 
Chauny,  Lyons,  La  Fere,  St.  Sauveur,  and  Denain,  there 
are  but  seven  hundred  and  thirty-six  church-members. 
But  when  we  take  into  account  the  difficulties  which 
have  been  encountered,  the  active  hostility  of  the  gov- 
ernment under  Louis  Philippe,  and  even  Louis  Napoleon, 
the  numerous  fines  and  imprisonments,  and  the  deter- 
mination of  the  Catholic  priesthood  to  use  every  means 
to  thwart  our  mission  efforts  at  every  point,  the  visible 
results  furnish  sufficient  ground  for  encouragement. 

The  Baptist  theological-seminary  enterprise  in  Paris, 
which  Rev.  E.  C.  Mitchell,  D.  D.,  is  pressing  forward 
with  energy  and  confidence,  assisted  by  Professors  Dez 
and  Andru,  is  most  assuredly  in  the  right  direction.  The 
celebrated  Rev.  Edmond  de  Pressense  has  been  secured 
as   instructor  in   the    Department  of  Church    History. 

22* 


258  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Several  of  the  students  are  very  promising,  and  the 
funds  and  promises  secured  in  America  and  England, 
to  carry  forward  the  work  for  several  years  and  to  pre- 
pare such  young  men  for  the  gospel  ministry  in  France, 
are  an  investment  of  great  wisdom ;  only  I  fear  the  ex- 
periment is  made  upon  too  economical  a  scale. 

In  Brittany,  English  Baptists  have  supported  a  mission 
since  1834.  They  have  three  missionaries  at  the  three 
central  stations  of  Morlaix,  Tremel,  and  St.  Brieuc. 
Though  the  present  number  of  converts  is  small — only 
sixty — yet  the  prospect  at  last  is  brightening.  The  at- 
tention of  many  workingmen  has  been  seriously  ar- 
rested, very  many  copies  of  the  Scriptures  have  been 
sold,  and  the  new  right  of  colportage  granted  by  the 
republican  government  is  exercised. 

Our  Baptist  work  in  Spain  has  been  much  more  recent. 
Rev.  W.  I.  Knapp  commenced  missionary  labor  in  Mad- 
rid in  1869,  and  the  following  year  he  received  appoint- 
ment from  the  Missionary  Union.  The  responsibility  is 
now  in  the  hands  of  the  native  missionaries  Canencia*  at 
Madrid,  Benoliel  at  Alcoy,  and  Cifre  at  Hospitalet,  Cor- 
nelia, and  Figueras,  The  number  of  converts  is  one 
hundred  and  forty-six.  Some  priests  and  prominent 
officials  are  manifesting  a  very  friendly  spirit.  There 
is  a  large  measure  of  religious  liberty — not  that  of 
France  nor  that  of  the  late  republic,  but  sufficient  for 
evangelistic  purposes.  The  way  out  from  Rome  is  not 
always  easy  at  first.  If  the  life  of  our  missions  has  not 
absolutely  required  special  trials,  still  the  discipline  has 
been  overruled  for  good  by  him  in  whose  hands  are  all 
governments  and  all  popular  movements. 

*  Since  entered  into  his  rest. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

WEST  INDIES,  BRAZIL,  AND   MEXICO. 

A  GREAT  and  very  special  responsibility  rests  upon 
the  Christian  churches  regarding  all  the  populations 
south  of  the  United  States.  Nominally  Christian  civil- 
ization has  created  the  deplorable  situation,  furnishing 
conditions  less  tolerable  in  the  majority  of  countries 
than  in  China  or  Turkey,  and  contributing  more  of 
wrong  and  of  misery  than  have  the  social  and  relig- 
ious customs  of  the  aborigines.  Had  the  West  Indies, 
Central  and  South  America,  and  Mexico  never  come 
into  contact  with  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Roman  Cath- 
olic influences,  they  would  probably  have  furnished  to 
modern  missionary  enterprise  as  encouraging  fields  as 
Japan  or  India  or  Madagascar.  The  races  found  by 
Columbus  in  the  beauteous  islands  of  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  by  Americus  Vespucius  upon  the  southern  conti- 
nent, by  Cortez  in  Mexico,  and  by  Pizarro  and  Almagro 
and  De  Solis  and  others,  were  far  superior  to  those  we 
are  now  discovering  in  Central  Africa ;  but  they  were 
not  able  to  resist  the  superior  weapons  and  cunning  of 
those  who  came  to  enslave  them.  It  may  be  an  evidence 
of  their  natural  nobility  and  sensitiveness  of  character 
that  so  rapidly  they  disappeared  under  the  indignities 
and  cruelties  they  were  made  to  suffer.  In  a  very  few 
years  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  colonists  found  that 

259 


26o  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

they  had  nearly  exhausted  their  slave  material  by  their 
terrible  system  of  unrestrained  tyranny  and  lust,  and  so 
recourse  was  had  to  importations  from  Africa.  Many 
millions  were  torn  from  their  home-lands  and  brought 
across  the  Atlantic  to  fill  the  places  made  vacant  by  the 
savage  wickedness  of  nominally  Christian  colonists  under 
the  sanction  of  the  Roman  priesthood.  I  know  that  oc- 
casionally disapprobation  was  shown  by  the  Pope  and  the 
kings,  and  a  few  bulls  were  issued  against  the  horrible 
cruelties ;  but  the  colonies  and  their  priests  disregarded 
them,  and  for  three  centuries  and  a  half  these  lands  con- 
tinued the  most  wretched  quarter  of  the  globe.  The 
situation  is,  indeed,  improving  where  the  same  influences 
still  control — more,  however,  because  of  the  enforced  ces- 
sation of  the  slave-trade  and  the  consequent  stoppage 
of  supply  than  because  Spanish  and  Portuguese  Chris- 
tian civilization  has  materially  changed  for  the  better. 

Though  not  the  most  active  and  successful  of  the 
various  churches  in  meeting  the  consequent  evangeliz- 
ing responsibility  among  these  terribly-afflicted  popu- 
lations. Baptists  have  a  very  prominent  and  gratifying 
record  in  the  West  Indies,  and  have  commenced  of  late 
to  lay  the  foundations  for  a  corresponding  one  in  both 
Brazil  and  Mexico. 

Members  of  the  Church  of  England,  Moravians,  and 
Wesleyans  were  already  engaged  in  mission  work  in  the 
West  Indies  when,  in  i8i3,the  English  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Society  planted  its  first  station  in  Jamaica.  The 
established  clergy,  however,  had  not  undertaken  native 
evangelization,  and  there  was  room  for  still  other  socie- 
ties— indeed,  for  all,  when  these  islands  are  considered  a 
natural  base  for  operations  throughout  the  vast  regions- 


WEST  INDIES,   BRAZIL,   AND  MEXICO.  26 1 

beyond.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  the  beginning 
of  the  religious  awakening  among  the  slaves  in  Jamaica, 
•which  has  developed  into  1 1 1  Baptist  churches  with  25,422 
members,  was  through  God's  blessing  upon  the  labors 
of  some  colored  Christians  from  America.  It  was  this 
work  of  grace  which  arrested  the  attention  of  our  de- 
nomination in  England  and  secured  the  first  appoint- 
ment of  missionaries. 

Great  difficulties  were  experienced  up  to  the  time  of 
emancipation,  in  1834.  The  negroes  were  chiefly  fetish- 
worshippers,  and  almost  as  degraded  as  possible.  Mar- 
riage and  the  family  were  hardly  known  among  them, 
and  the  grossest  immoralities  were  common  among  their 
masters.  The  20,000  whites  who  held  in  such  wretched 
bondage  the  800,000  blacks  were  almost  unanimously 
opposed  to  the  introduction  of  missionaries,  and  did  all 
they  could  to  embarrass  their  work.  Ministers  found 
teaching  a  slave  were  imprisoned,  and  a  fine  of  one 
hundred  dollars  was  imposed  upon  them  for  every  black 
discovered  in  their  congregations.  The  most  heartless 
punishments  were  inflicted  upon  even  those  negroes  who  ■ 
dared  to  meet  together  by  themselves  for  religious  service. 
At  last  the  British  Parliament  was  compelled  to  do 
justice  to  the  slave.  The  system  could  not  live  deprived 
of  the  African  supply :  it  was  too  voracious  a  monster. 
The  colonies  were  rapidly  going  to  ruin.  Production 
and  trade  were  becoming  more  and  more  contracted 
every  year.  This  touched  the  official  heart  of  England, 
and  drew  from  its  purse  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars 
to  pay  the  cost  of  emancipation.  There  were  at  the 
time,  as  there  had  been  long  previously  in  Great  Britain, 
earnest  and  able  advocates  of  the  rights  of  the  slave,  but 


262  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

I  think  it  will  be  plain  to  the  impartial  student  of  his- 
tory that  their  influence  was  not    sufficient   to   give  a 
gratifying  character  to  the  emancipation  act.     Christian ' 
philanthropy  can  rejoice  over  the  result,  but  overruling 
Providence  alone  deserves  the  credit. 

The  storm  which  cleared  the  British  atmosphere  had 
also  its  accompanying  terrors.  There  were  insurrections 
and  executions.  The  enraged  planters  destroyed  many 
of  the  negro  chapels,  for  which  the  English  Government 
subsequently  paid  an  indemnity  of  ;^5 5,000.  And  after 
the  act  of  emancipation  the  old  ruling  class  were  deter- 
mined not  to  accept  the  situation  in  good  faith,  but  raised 
every  possible  opposition  to  the  elevation  of  their  former 
slaves,  persisting  in  starving  out  all  educational  enter- 
prises among  their  colored  fellow-citizens.  But  for  the 
generous  sums  of  mission  money  brought  from  England, 
and  the  persistent  endeavor  of  the  missionaries,  not  only 
to  evangelize,  but  also  to  educate,  the  hostile  efforts  would 
have  been  successful,  and  many  of  the  benefits  of  eman- 
cipation would  have  been  invalidated. 

Of  that  first  day  of  freedom,  here  is  a  specimen  picture, 
taken  from  one  of  the  native  congregations  by  one  of  our 
missionaries :  "  On  the  joyful  morning  the  apprentices 
were  seen  at  an  early  hour,  clothed  in  clean  and  white 
attire,  flocking  from  all  parts  of  the  country  into  the 
town.  Thousands  repaired  to  the  different  places  of 
worship.  At  ten  o'clock  my  chapel  was  so  crowded 
that  I  could  scarcely  find  my  way  into  the  pulpit.  It 
seemed  as  though  I  was  in  a  new  world  or  surround- 
ed by  a  new  order  of  beings.  The  downcast  eye,  the 
gloomy  countenance,  and  even  the  vacant,  unintellectual 
physiognomy,  had  vanished.      Every  face  was  lighted 


WEST  INDIES,   BRAZIL,   AND   MEXICO.  263 

with  smiles.  I  called  on  several  of  my  sable  brethren 
to  pray.  Their  prayers  were  a  flow  of  mingled  suppli- 
cation and  gratitude,  adoration  and  love.  After  the 
service  gifts  were  distributed.  At  two  o'clock  the  chil- 
dren had  again  assembled,  clothed  in  their  best  attire. 
Medals,  bags,  and  books  were  given  them.  In  the 
evening  another  overwhelming  congregation  assembled. 
Every  heart  rejoiced,  every  tongue  was  loosened,  and 
every  countenance  wore  a  smile.  Everything  seemed 
to  say  that  this  was  the  dawn  of  brighter  days,  the 
birthday  of  liberty,  the  earnest  of  the  speedy  and  uni- 
versal reign  of  righteousness  and  peace." 

But  clouds  soon  gathered  in  these  bright  skies.  No 
one  act  of  even  the  British  Parliament  could  destroy  the 
evil  which  had  accumulated  during  centuries  of  slavery. 
The  commercial  depression  from  causes  which  had  long 
been  gathering;  very  imperfect  legislation  on  the  part 
of  colonists  who  were  not  qualified,  perhaps,  to  do  much 
better  than  they  did ;  and  frightfully  fatal  epidemics 
sweeping  over  the  islands, — conspired  to  darken  again 
the  prospect  throughout  the  West  Indies.  Many  of  the 
freedmen  made  but  little  Christian  growth,  and  were  far 
from  being  men  and  women  in  Christ  Jesus.  And  mul- 
titudes of  the  negro  population  continued  to  reap  what 
had  been  sown  of  falsehood,  dishonesty,  and  immorality. 
Nevertheless,  gradual  progress  was  made  through  all 
this  discipline  of  trial.  Though  not  as  rapidly  as  had 
been  hoped,  yet  there  was  advance  from  year  to  year 
in  the  foundation-work  of  Christian  character.  Eng- 
lish generosity  had  to  be  drawn  upon  frequently  and 
largely,  as  in  1845  for  ;^30,000  to  help  to  lift  off  Baptist 
chapel  debts;  in  1850  for  ;^io,000  for  medical  stores  to 


264  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

our  Baptist  congregations  in  the  joint  ravages  of  cholera 
and  small-pox;  in  1865  for  $20,000  after  a  desolating 
drought;  and  at  other  times  with  rather  extraordinary 
frequency ;  and  yet  so  much  wisdom  accompanied  the 
distribution  of  these  special  charities,  as  also  the  dis- 
bursements of  annual  support  to  the  mission,  that  the 
cultivation  of  the  spirit  of  self-reliance  was  not  neglect- 
ed. The  total  expenditures  of  the  English  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society  last  year  were  but  little  in  excess  of 
;^2O,O0O  in  all  its  West  India  missions,  including  Jamai- 
ca, the  Bahamas,  Trinidad,  Hayti,  and  the  Kingston  or 
Calabar  College,  among  27,839  native  church-members. 
This  is  a  much  better  showing  in  the  line  of  self-support, 
even  after  all  allowances  are  made,  than  that  of  Amer- 
ican Baptist  missions  in  Burmah,  begun  the  same  year 
(18 1 3),  and  reporting  at  present  not  far  from  the  same 
number  of  church-members  (21,968),  on  which  the  Mis- 
sionary Union  expended  last  year  upward  of  $117,000. 
There  is,  indeed,  a  much  larger  proportion  of  English 
colonists  in  the  West  Indies  than  in  Burmah  from  whom 
to  secure  local  assistance  in  the  support  of  the  native 
churches  ;  but  then  it  must  be  remembered  that  there  are 
two-thirds  as  many  members  of  the  Church  of  England 
and  over  three  times  as  many  Wesleyans  as  Baptists  in 
the  West  Indies,  besides  many  thousand  Moravians  and 
Presbyterians  and  Independents,  or  Congregationalists, 
with  all  of  whom  has  to  be  divided  the  local  assistance 
in  mission  support  derived  from  moneyed  foreign  colo- 
nists. But  for  the  very  special  effort  of  the  last  few 
years  on  the  part  of  the  Bassein  Sgau  Karens  to  build 
and  endow  their  Normal  and  Industrial  Institute,  I  should 
be  compelled  to  mark  even  them  far  below  the  Baptist 


WEST  INDIES,   BRAZIL,   AND   MEXICO.  26$ 

Christians  of  the  West  Indies  in  the  matter  of  self-sup- 
port; and,  as  it  is,  all,  I  think,  that  can  be  claimed  by 
American  Baptists  in  behalf  of  their  worthy  favorites  in 
Western  Burmah  is  that  they  do  as  well  as  their  negro 
brethren  in  the  West  Indies.  I  trust  this  fact  will  help 
to  excite  interest  on  the  part  of  my  readers  in  these 
numerous  Baptists  so  near  to  our  own  shores,  yet  so 
little  known  throughout  our  denomination  in  America. 

A  great  act  of  justice  has  been  accomplished  in  the 
disestablishment  of  the  Church  of  England  in  Jamaica. 
Not  only  will  this  save  to  the  revenues  of  the  island 
nearly  ^200,000  a  year,  but  it  will,  even  as  it  has  to  a 
very  noticeable  extent  already,  strengthen  the  bonds  of 
unity  among  all  the  Christians  and  make  many  of  the 
circumstances  more  favorable  for  the  general  acceptance 
of  gospel  truth.  At  Kingston,  the  principal  city  and 
seat  of  government,  the  Baptists  have  very  good  build- 
ings for  their  Calabar  College — an  institution  specially 
designed  to  educate  a  native  ministry  and  to  qualify 
teachers  for  the  native  schools. 

The  English  mission  to  the  Bahamas  has  been  blessed 
to  the  planting  of  Baptist  churches  in  sixteen  of  the 
islands.  The  missionaries  are  provided  with  a  schooner, 
which  enables  them  to  visit  regularly  their  widely-scat- 
tered churches,  whose  members  number  2,953.  -^^  in- 
dicating the  policy  of  the  home  Society,  the  Committee 
declares  that  its  "  desire  with  regard  to  all  these  island 
churches  is  to  develop,  as  far  as  possible,  and  as  speedily 
as  may  be  practicable,  their  independence  and  self-sup- 
port, gradually  reducing  the  European  staff,  with  a  view 
to  withdrawing  such  agency  altogether  and  leaving  the 
native  churches  to  their  own  resources." 

23 


266  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Some  steps  have  lately  been  taken  by  the  American 
Southern  Baptist  Convention  in  the  direction  of  estab- 
lishing a  mission  in  Cuba.  A  few  Baptists  upon  this 
great  and  populous  island  have  made  such  application, 
with  promise  of  partial  support.  The  enterprise  will  be 
followed  with  great  interest.  The  situation,  as  far  as 
opportunity  for  evangelization  in  Cuba  is  concerned,  is 
portrayed  in  a  lately-written  communication  from  an 
Episcopal  missionary  in  Havana.  "  Recently,"  he  says, 
"  I  have  dared  to  have  notices  printed  and  posted  in  the 
hotels  and  at  prominent  places  throughout  the  city.  In 
a  few  instances  they  have  been  torn  down,  but  with  these 
exceptions  there  has  been  no  difficulty  occasioned  either 
by  the  district  magistrates  or  the  police  force  of  Havana. 
Several  attempts  have  been  made,  with  persons  of  influ- 
ence here,  to  secure  permission  to  build,  but  it  has 
seemed  unwise  to  push  the  matter  to  a  decision  until  the 
island  of  Cuba  shall  be  fairly  represented  in  the  Spanish 
Cortes  and  the  promised  reforms  distinctly  promulgated 
as  the  law  of  the  land.  Nine  years  ago  it  was  a  punish- 
able offence  for  a  clergyman  not  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
communion  to  hold  a  church  service  here,  and  we  were 
compelled  to  meet  for  prayer  and  praise  in  the  harbor  of 
Havana.  Eight  years  ago  we  held  our  service  with 
closed  doors,  having  succeeded  so  far  as  to  establish 
ourselves  on  shore.  In  January,  1879,  we  held  our 
first  service  in  our  present  rented  hall."  Surely, 
American  Baptists  have  responsibility  .  in  Cuba,  and 
the  door  of  opportunity  seems  to  be  opening. 

The  present  Brazilian  mission  was  adopted  by  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention  in  1879.  Its  station  is  at 
Santa  Barbara  and  vicinity,  near  San  Paulo.     However, 


WEST  INDIES,   BRAZIL,   AND  MEXICO.  26/ 

the  missionaries  are  still  prospecting  for  one  or  two 
more  advantageous  centres  for  evangelization  among 
the  native  Brazilians.  The  Convention  began  a  mission 
in  1859  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  but  it  was  abandoned  in  1861, 
on  account  of  the  broken  health  of  the  missionary  and 
various  local  obstacles  which  have  ceased  to  exist. 
There  are  three  missionaries  and  forty-four  church- 
members.  Rio,  the  capital  of  these  ten  millions  of  pop- 
ulation, has  a  Church-of-England  chapel  and  Presby- 
terian and  "Methodist  congregations.  There  are  many 
persons  here  holding  Baptist  principles,  but  known  by 
the  name  of  "  Evangelistas,"  and  mostly  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. Although  it  is  desirable  that  with  this  material 
a  Baptist  Church  should  be  organized  in  this  great  and 
beautifully-located  city,  it  is  of  greater  importance  that 
some  advantageously-situated  field  be  occupied  for  mis- 
sion work  among  the  native  Brazilians.  For  them  sta- 
tions have  been  located  by  other  denominations  in  Rio 
de  Janeiro,  Bahia,  Pernambuco,  San  Paulo,  and  several 
other  cities.  The  Baptist  missionaries  are  directing  their 
attention  to  Para,  a  city  of  50,000  population,  with  a  large 
commerce,  the  capital  of  one  of  the  leading  provinces  of 
the  Empire,  and  commanding  the  entire  valley  of  the  Am- 
azon. There  are  two  other  unoccupied  fields  of  special 
importance  in  Brazil- — the  province  of  Minas  Geraes  with 
a  population  of  2,000,000,  and  the  province  of  Parana  with 
a  population  of  126,000.  The  language  which  our  mis- 
sionaries must  use  chiefly  is  Portuguese.  The  prevailing 
religion  is  Romanism  of  the  most  superstitious  and  de- 
grading type.  The  constitution  of  the  Empire  is  liberal 
and  tolerant,  and  the  present  head  a  very  enlightened 
monarch.     But  chancres  are  imminent.     The  last  Em- 


268  ALONG   THE   LINES  AT   THE  FRONT. 

peror  is  probably  on  the  throne.  Two  powerful  factions 
are  struggling  for  the  coming  mastery,  the  Roman  priest- 
hood and  the  rejecters  of  all  religious  faiths.  Such  con- 
flict produces  a  situation  in  some  respects  especially  fa- 
vorable to  evangelical  work. 

The  prospect  for  evangelization  in  Mexico  is  in  ad- 
vance of  that  in  Brazil.  Indeed,  there  are  few  fields  in 
the  world  to-day  holding  out  more  encouragement  to 
missionary  enterprise  than  our  neighboring  republic. 
It  has  a  population  of  nine  millions,  of  whom  three- 
fourths  are  of  Indian  descent.  These  latter  are  superior 
to  the  average  Indian  of  the  United  States,  and  are  more 
inclined  to  agriculture.  They  have  been  entirely  neglect- 
ed by  the  dominant  Spanish  Romanists,  whose  attention 
has  been  confined  to  securing  the  nominal  allegiance  and 
the  contributions  of  these  lower  classes.  The  outrageous 
excesses  of  the  priesthood  up  to  the  last  revolution  have 
alienated  multitudes.  Many  of  them  have  been  driven 
into  pronounced  infidelity.  The  government  is  show- 
ing a  very  tolerant  and  liberal  spirit,  and  though  Rev.  J. 
O.  Westrup,  appointed  by  the  Southern  Convention  a  year 
ago  to  Mexico,  has  been  murdered  by  a  band  of  Indians 
and  Mexicans,  the  chief  authorities  doubtless  have  no  sym- 
pathy with  the  outrage.  Rev.  W.  M.  Flournoy  has  been 
sent  to  take  the  place  of  the  martyr-missionary.  An  own 
brother  also,  Rev,  T.  M,  Westrup,  has  received  appoint- 
ment from  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society, 
its  work  in  Mexico,  begun  in  1869  and  suspended  in  1876, 
being  thus  resumed.  There  are  200  members  of  Baptist 
churches  in  the  states  of  New  Leon  and  Coahuila,  and  a 
few  scattered  in  Zacatecas  and  Durango,  Our  mission 
field  for  the  present  would  thus  seem  to  lie  in  the  north- 


WEST  INDIES,   BRAZIL,  AND  MEXICO.  269 

eastern  portion  of  the  country  upon  the  Rio  Grande.  But 
other  sections,  especially  in  the  south,  are  indicating  an 
evangelical  religious  interest,  and  will  soon  claim  from 
us  also  a  share  of  attention.  In  railways  and  manufac- 
tories Mexico  is  welcoming  American  capital  and  enter- 
prise, and  will  ere  long  draw  heavily  upon  the  mission 
resources  of  Baptists,  as  well  as  of  Episcopalians,  Pres- 
byterians, and  Methodists. 

23* 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

RE  TROSPECTIVE. 

IT  is  our  last  day  upon  the  Atlantic,  and  of  my  thirty- 
seventh  voyage  at  sea.  Looking  out  upon  the  broad 
expanse,  I  have  been  thinking  of  the  wide  diffusion  of 
Baptist  missions.  As  these  waters  cover  two-thirds  of 
the  globe,  so  the  evangelizing  enterprise  of  our  denom- 
ination reaches  two-thirds  of  the  populations  of  the 
world.  There  are  varying  depths,  some  icebergs,  and 
many  a  grand  Gulf  Stream  of  religious  influence.  There 
should  be  no  rest  until  we  have  missionaries  among  every 
people,  in  every  tongue.  Especially  at  present  should 
it  be  our  endeavor  to  participate  in  the  evangelization 
of  Central  Africa. 

To  do  our  work  abroad  more  thoroughly  and  more 
comprehensively,  it  is  above  all  things  needful  that  we 
do  our  work  at  home  more  perfectly  and  more  generally. 
Every  better-conducted  church  service;  every  improve- 
ment in  preaching  the  gospel ;  every  advance  in  thor- 
oughness of  preparation  for  Sunday-school  instruction; 
every  increase  of  ability  to  wield  the  power  of  the  relig- 
ious press ;  every  new  effort  to  make  education  subser- 
vient to  the  development  of  true  Christian  character; 
everything  that  is  made  better  at  home, — is  hastening 
the  day  when  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  shall  triumph 
throughout  the  world, 

270 


RETROSrECTlVE.  2/1 

In  many  lands  I  have  been  strongly  impressed  with 
the  adaptation  of  Baptist  views  to  missionary  work. 
The  emphasis  we  give  to  the  literal  interpretation  of 
Scripture  satisfies  the  inclinations  of  those  accustomed 
to  attend  to  the  strictest  meaning  of  the  words  in  Con- 
fucian and  Mencian  classics,  in  the  traditional  sayings 
of  Buddha,  and  in  the  Veda  and  Shasters  of  Hinduism. 
The  prominence  given  by  Baptists  to  regeneration  is  best 
adapted  to  meet  the  various  widely-prevalent  caste  sys- 
tems. Our  congregational  form  of  church  government 
is  calculated  to  develop  individuality  and  enterprise  and 
to  limit  difficulty.  And  our  mode  of  baptism — interpret- 
ed, not  as  by  the  Disciples,  for  that  would  be  a  constant 
temptation  to  heathen  familiar  with  water-salvation,  but 
as  symbolic — is  a  special  help  to  the  missionaries  and 
native  churches  in  drawing  the  lines  of  separation  from 
the  world.  A  missionary  of  the  Church  of  England  in 
Tokio,  Japan,  told  me  that  the  advice  of  Rev.  Canon 
Liddon  to  him  on  departure  for  his  mission  field  was, 
"You  had  better  go  back  to  the  old  apostolic  mode  of 
baptism  in  the  case  of  all  adult  converts  from  heathen- 
ism." And  so  in  both  the  Church-of-England  chapels 
in  Tokio  there  are  baptisteries.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
the  fidelity  of  the  early  church  to  the  ordinances  as  in- 
stituted by  the  Lord  had  much  to  do  with  its  remark- 
able evangelizing  success  during  the  first  two  centuries. 

Sometimes,  even  among  our  own  missions,  it  has  seem- 
ed to  me  that  the  tendency  to  over-school  it  needs  to  be 
resisted.  It  is  easier  to  stay  most  of  the  time  upon  mis- 
sion premises,  comfortably  built  and  furnished,  specially 
guarded  by  treaties  and  consular  supervision,  where  ob- 
ligation renders  all  specially  deferential  to  the  mission- 


272  ALONG   THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

ary  teacher,  and  any  scholars  pecuharly  annoying  can  be 
dismissed  promptly ;  it  is  altogether  a  more  untroubled 
life  than  one  which  largely  itinerates  the  streets  and  homes 
and  surrounding  villages,  is  continually  meeting  unre- 
strained and  unobligated  heathenism  face  to  face,  and 
which  in  public  or  private  has  to  depend  upon  tact  and 
patience  and  forbearance  rather  than  upon  school-room 
authority  and  commissarial  discipline.  Moreover,  while 
mission  schools  have  their  place,  and  many  have  been 
converted  through  them,  it  is  very  easy  to  be  mistaken 
as  to  the  Christianity  of  those  brought  within  their  so- 
cial influence.  Everywhere,  the  world  around,  is  met 
the  temptation  of  the  school  theory  of  the  church.  Bap- 
tists believe  as  heartily  as  any  in  parental  Christian  train- 
ing and  Sunday-schools,  and  in  the  various  religious 
educational  institutions  for  the  youth,  but  we  do  not  be- 
h'eve  that  altogether  they  can  make  Christians.  That  is 
the  office-work  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  that  work  can- 
not pass  unobserved  by  those  who  are  watching  intently 
for  it,  and  who  believe  that  its  evidences  are  more  im- 
portant than  all  possible  favorable  surrounding  circum- 
stances. 

By  no  means  are  all  our  missionaries  living  the  same 
lives  of  physical  and  social  sacrifice.  A  residence  in 
Henthada  is  a  very  different  matter  from  a  residence  in 
Rangoon ;  or  in  Calcutta  in  comparison  with  Ongole ; 
or  in  Shanghai  instead  of  in  Zoa-hying.  In  all  places 
the  missionary  is  far  from  many  kindred,  and  there  is 
the  distressing  sight  of  the  heathen  continually.  And 
when  the  children  must  be  sent  home,  it  is  as  hard  at 
Canton  as  at  Tung-chow-fu ;  at  Maulmain  as  at  Shway- 
gyeen ;  at  Madras  as  at  Secunderabad.     Nevertheless,  it 


RETROSPECTIVE.  2/3 

is  true  that  most  of  the  comforts  of  life  and  a  great  deal 
of  excellent  society  can  be  found  at  all  the  chief  commer- 
cial ports,  and  many  of  our  missionaries  command  quite 
as  much  of  them  as  they  could  in  the  home-land. 

Our  foreign-mission  forces  have  impressed  me  favor- 
ably. With  variety  of  gifts  and  some  mistakes  as  to  the 
call,  they  are  yet  equal  to  any.  And  the  same  is  true  of 
our  home  missionaries.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  they 
represent  the  illiterate  and  the  incapable  of  the  ministry,  for 
whom,  otherwise,  provision  could  not  be  made.  The  fact 
is  that  many  of  our  most  able  sermonizers,  our  most  at- 
tractive public  speakers,  our  most  thoroughly-disciplined 
intellects,  have  been  touched  with  a  live  coal  from  off 
God's  altar  in  behalf  of  home-mission  and  colporteur 
work,  and  they  have  gone  forth  with  their  little  salaries 
and  their  little  bundles  of  books  and  tracts  into  the  des- 
titute regions  of  America  with  all  the  same  heroic  con- 
secration that  sent  Carey  to  India  and  Judson  to  Burmah. 

I  do  not  believe  that  so  much  of  this  breaking  down 
of  the  health  of  missionaries  is  necessary.  More  thor- 
ough and  reliable  examinations  by  physicians  before  ac- 
ceptance; more  utilizing  of  the  experience  of  others  upon 
the  field;  more  self-restraint  in  work;  more  regularity  of 
habits ;  and  sometimes,  I  must  be  bold  to  say,  more  per- 
severance and  will-force  to  rise  above  depressed  feelings, 
and  to  throw  off  the  beginnings  of  disease,  and  to  refuse 
to  entertain  the  thought  of  falling  back  upon  the  invalid 
corps, — would  save  a  large  percentage  of  these  wrecks 
of  health  and  life-plans.  Piety  and  consecration  are  no 
substitute  for  the  utmost  obedience  possible  to  the  laws 
of  health. 

Some  missionaries  who  have  been  years  upon  the  field 


274  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

have  still  very  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  language.  It  is 
very  hard  to  go  beyond  house-  and  bazaar-talk  and  master 
a  practical  vocabulary  of  heart- words ;  understand  the 
religious  terms  in  common  use;  learn  what  words  and 
phrases  will  best  convey  the  new  thoughts  of  Chris- 
tianity to  the  dark  heathen  mind,  and  how  to  meet  na- 
tive objections  and  difficulties.  There  is  too  much  haste 
in  giving  and  receiving  tasks  which  interfere  with  this 
first  and  most  important  responsibility.  There  is  wis- 
dom in  the  vernacular  examinations  of  new  missionaries 
at  the  ends  of  first,  second,  and  third  years,  insisted  upon 
by  some  English  and  German  Societies. 

Missionaries  with  special  theories  should  not  be  sent 
to  tangle  affairs.  The  Board  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention  was  right  in  lately  declining  to  forward  the 
two  excellent  brethren  appointed  to  China  when  it  be- 
came evident  that  they  held  peculiar  views  upon  the 
inspiration  of  the  Scriptures.  There  is  enough  trou- 
ble in  evangelizing  heathen  without  borrowing  any.  The 
missionaries  on  the  field  have  already  sufficient  exercise 
in  controversy.  The  place  for  all  people  with  divergent 
opinions  is  at  home,  no  matter  how  pious  and  intelligent 
they  are,  and  however  much  they  may  possess  the  mis- 
sionary spirit. 

I  very  much  question  the  wisdom  of  missionaries  adopt- 
ing native  children,  or  even  of  selecting  a  number  of  the 
unusually  bright  and  agreeable  and  making  them  practi- 
cally a  part  of  the  mission  household.  Much  jealousy 
and  much  suspicion  are  thus  created ;  for  human  nature 
is  the  same  everywhere. 

In  Maulmain,  at  least,  where  there  are  fourteen  women 
missionaries  to  three  missionary  men,  we  are  not  preserv- 


HE  TR  OSPE  CTIVE.  2/5 

ing  a  wise  proportion.  While  it  is  true  that  female  mis- 
sionaries have  some  advantages  in  evangelizing  labor 
among  the  heathen,  it  is  equally  true  that  men  mis- 
sionaries have  their  advantages.  Rarely  should  the  for- 
mer be  much  in  excess  of  five  to  three,  especially  in  those 
countries  where  women  are  not  generally  secluded.  The 
new  movement  of  "  woman's  work  for  woman  "  is  a  cause 
for  devout  gratitude,  but  it  can  prosper  only  as  auxiliary 
to  the  general  work  at  home  and  abroad. 

In  their  foreign  missions  Baptists  are  behind  several 
other  denominations  in  the  use  of  physicians.  I  fear 
that,  in  the  lack  of  funds,  we  have  been  adopting  prin- 
ciple to  justify  economy  in  this  respect;  but  certain  I 
am  that  none  of  our  denominational  leaders  could  see 
what  I  have  seen  of  the  medical  mission  work  of  other 
societies  in  many  lands  without  being  thoroughly  en- 
listed in  this  department  of  evangelization. 

Our  missionaries  to  the  Telugus  have  a  plan  which  is 
designed  to  keep  back  such  information  about  their  local 
troubles  as  would  do  more  harm  than  good  at  home. 
While  every  missionary  has  inalienable  personal  rights, 
as  of  communication  with  home  authorities  and  churches 
and  friends ;  and  while  general  information  of  the  life 
and  trials  of  missionaries  and  of  the  principles  and 
methods  of  their  work  is  desirable, — there  are  other 
rights  and  interests,  quite  as  important,  which  require 
to  be  guarded.  The  utmost  unity  and  co-operation 
need  to  be  secured  and  preserved  among  the  great 
host  which  forms  the  mission  constituency.  A  mis- 
sionary in  controversy  with  his  associates  or  the  home 
executives  may  be  right  as  to  some  detail  of  work  or 
wisdom  of  appropriation,  but  rarely  will  it  be  wise  for 


276  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

him,  with  the  great  cause  at  stake,  to  seek  to  vindicate 
himself  before  the  denomination  through  the  press  and 
through  extensive  correspondence.  Better  suffer  the 
smaller  wrong  than  do  the  greater. 

American  Baptists  are  not  making  enough  of  the  press 
in  their  foreign  work.  Presbyterians,  Congregationalists, 
Methodists,  and  English  Baptists  are  in  advance.  When 
I  see  what  our  Publication  Society  has  done  to  aid  the 
publication  work  in  Hamburg,  I  wish  it  was  enabled  to 
give  an  impulse  also  to  the  work  at  Yokohama,  Shang- 
hai, Bangkok,  Rangoon,  Gowahati  or  Tura,  Madras  or 
Ongole,  Stockholm,  Paris,  and  elsewhere.  It  would 
probably  be  the  best  solution  of  the  Bible  question 
abroad  as  well  as  at  home.  And  I  believe  that  the 
remaining  work  of  the  Missionary  Union  would  derive 
from  the  arrangement  various  advantages  similar  to 
those  which  our  Home  Mission  Society  receives  from 
the  companionship  of  the  Publication  Society. 

There  should  be  more  familiarity  with  the  work  of 
other  denominations,  their  principles  and  methods  of 
labor,  the  history  and  results  of  their  experiments,  and 
the  difficulties  they  encounter. 

Many  missionaries  at  home  and  abroad  have  mistaken 
views  of  the  average  minister's  life.  They  gather  their 
impressions  chiefly  through  the  religious  papers,  which 
give  principal  attention  to  the  few  brilliant  pulpit  lights 
shining  forth  from  a  few  centres  of  intelligence  and 
wealth.  The  picture  is  not  correct  of  the  self-sacrifi- 
cing, limited,  plodding,  painfully  economical  life  which 
more  than  nine-tenths  of  those  ministers  are  living 
who  by  their  own  example  and  pleading  raise  the 
larger  proportion  of  missionaries'  salaries. 


RETROSPECTIVE.  2// 

When  we  land  to-morrow  at  New  York,  I  wish  there 
could  be  with  us  some  of  the  missionaries  whom  we 
have  left  ten  or  twelve  thousand  miles  behind.  We  have 
a  little  daughter  to  meet  us  in  the  morning,  whom  I 
cabled  from  Liverpool  to  come  on  from  Cleveland  to 
welcome  us  upon  the  City  of  Berlin.  Ah  !  like  greet- 
ings some  of  them  could  have  from  children  from  whom 
they  have  been  separated  for  more  than  our  two  years. 
These  separations  for  the  cause  of  missions  are  the 
hardest  part  of  the  sacrifice,  except  those  untimely 
graves  in  the  lonely  little  station  cemeteries.  We  shall 
soon  visit  a  spot  of  ground  in  the  Swan  Point  Cemetery 
of  Providence ;  but  how  different  its  surroundings  to 
those  of  graves  beside  which  we  have  so  often  stood 
with  the  bereaved  missionaries  ! 

Soon  after  landing  I  shall  want  to  see  some  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Officers  of  the  missions.  I  used  to  think  they 
had  an  easy  time  and  were  too  numerous.  It  was  a 
great  mistake.  Both  our  Home  Mission  Society  and 
our  Missionary  Union  need  additional  Secretaries.  The 
appointment  of  a  Foreign  Secretary  for  the  latter  is  a 
special  present  necessity.  He  should  be  a  man  without 
any  family,  of  large  experience,  perfect  health,  and  iron 
constitution,  and  he  should  forthwith  be  sent,  as  the  Lon- 
don Mission  sent  Dr.  Mullens,  to  solve  our  American 
Baptist  question  for  Central  Africa.  It  would  be  a  most 
hazardous  undertaking,  and  perhaps  there  would  be  an- 
other grave  of  a  Foreign  Secretary  in  the  interior  of  that 
vast  continent.  But  when  was  ever  such  a  call  to  duty 
more  plain?  The  youthful  missionaries  to  be  located 
somewhere  up  the  Niger  or  the  Binue  or  on  Lake  Chad 
need  the  accompanying  judgment  of  some  one  of  our 

24 


278  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

wisest,  most  experienced,  and  most  thoroughly-informed 
brethren. 

Next  to  our  proposed  mission  into  the  Soudan,  that 
of  one  into  the  interior  of  China  has  most  deeply  im- 
pressed me.  The  new  treaty  gives  to  Protestants  the 
same  rights  a  few  years  ago  guaranteed  to  Roman  Cath- 
olics. Like  Africa,  it  has  an  unexplored  interior  with 
many  scores  of  millions  of  population. 

But  I  must  go  below.  The  lights  will  soon  be  out, 
and  rest  is  needed  before  the  busy  morrow. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

PROSPECTIVE. 

"  Home,  sweet,  sweet  home ! 
Be  it  ever  so  humble, 
There's  no  place  like  home." 

FREQUENTLY,  since  enjoying  again  our  home 
upon  the  Narragansett,  my  thoughts  recur  to  the 
missionary  concert.  Every  church  should  ac^opt  it. 
Painstaking  can  make  the  services  the  most  interesting 
and  the  most  profitable  of  any  of  the  general  meetings 
of  the  month.  It  is  not  for  the  best  interest  of  foreign 
missions  that  the  work  of  our  Home  Mission  and  Publi- 
cation Societies  should  be  considered  an  intrusion  upon 
these  stated  occasions.  Twelve  times  a  year  is  not  too 
often  to  entertain  the  subject  of  world  evangelization. 
Some  ministers  and  churches  allow  this,  but  crowd  the 
concert  from  the  Sunday  evening  into  the  week,  because 
they  do  not  appreciate  how  popular  it  can  be  made,  and 
how  conducive  to  revival  influences. 

The  morning  sermon  as  well  as  the  evening  service 
of  the  first  Lord's  Day  of  the  month  should  be  given  to 
the  work  of  home  and  foreign  evangelization.  There  is 
no  better  preparation  for  commemorating  Jesus  Christ 
in  his  supreme  self-sacrifice  than  the  consideration  of  the 
world-cause  for  which  he  laid  down  his  life.  Indeed,  the 
most  suitable  time  of  all  the  month  for  the  celebration 

279 


28o  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

of  the  Lord's  Supper  would  be  at  the  close  of  a  Sunday 
evening's  full,  intelligent,  prayerful,  and  stimulating  mis- 
sionary concert.  Too  often  do  Christians  receive  the 
emblems  of  the  broken  body  and  the  shed  blood  in  a 
most  contracted,  selfish  temper  of  mind,  Christ  said, 
indeed,  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me,"  but  he  did  not 
mean  to  confine  the  recognition  of  him  to  the  narrow 
range  of  the  believer's  own  little  soul,  its  necessities,  its 
aspirations. 

Occasionally,  in  order  to  revive  the  interest  in  mis- 
sions, recourse  is  had  to  the  adoption  of  a  special  field 
or  to  the  support  of  a  native  scholar.  But  it  does  not 
work  well  for  either  a  native  or  a  missionary  to  be  select- 
ed for  special  favoritism.  I  have  seen  many  children  in 
heathen  lands  becoming  thus  spoiled,  as  well  as  native 
helpers  thus  rendered  unmanageable.  And  even  mission- 
aries are  accessible  to  the  harmful  influence.  It  causes 
them  to  drift  away  practically  from  the  counsel,  supervis- 
ion, and  control  of  thoroughly- informed  and  capable 
Executive  Officers  to  the  impulsive,  unenlightened,  and 
frequently  unwise  encouragement  of  generously  disposed 
but  comparatively  irresponsible  supporters.  A  pastor 
should  be  dependent  upon  his  whole  church ;  a  mis- 
sionary, upon  his  whole  denomination. 

An  individual,  a  church,  or  a  Sunday-school  concen- 
trating interest  and  giving  upon  one  native  scholar,  or 
one  native  preacher,  or  one  missionary,  does  a  great 
injustice  to  others  and  to  self.  It  is  denying  others  the 
privilege  of  contributing  to  that  one's  support,  and  the 
already  appropriated  funds  limit  the  giver  from  giving 
elsewhere.  It  is  quite  probable  that  many  churches  and 
individuals  could  be  induced  to  make  very  generous  con- 


PROSPECTIVE.  281 

tributions  if  it  should  be  said  to  them,  "  You  may  have 
the  entire  responsibihty  of  the  support  of  Dr.  Ashmore 
and  his  work  at  Swatow,  or  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Carpenter  at 
Bassein,  or  of  Rev.  J.  E.  Clough  at  Ongole."  But  it  is 
not  wise  for  the  hearts  of  thousands  of  others  to  be  chilled 
by  the  information  that  no  longer  are  their  sacrifices  to  be 
appropriated  at  all  in  the  direction  of  these  brethren  and 
their  signally-blessed  labors. 

There  is  no  more  fruitful  line  of  subjects  for  Sunday- 
school  concerts  than  that  furnished  by  Christian  mis- 
sions. Thoroughly  adequate  preparation  would  not  be 
more  exacting  of  time  and  effort  than  are  many  of  the 
floral  and  other  spectacular  exhibitions  which  are  so 
common. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  if  a  pastor  and  his 
church  are  apathetic  on  missions,  there  is  no  help  for 
the  few  who  are  heart  and  hand  in  the  cause.  They  can 
pray  about  it.  Three  sisters  did  so  lately  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  now  their  three  churches  have  new  pastors,  in- 
terested and  interesting  others  in  missions. 

Ministers  should  give,  as  leaders  of  their  people.  How- 
ever small  their  salaries,  reasons  that  would  excuse  them 
from  annual  contributions  to  the  general  mission  treas- 
ury would  equally  excuse  one-half  to  two-thirds  of  the 
members  of  their  churches  from  the  same  duty. 

Very  much,  in  any  church,  depends  upon  the  selection 
of  collectors.  •  Many  are  repelled,  not  by  the  cause,  but 
by  the  solicitor.  If  subscription-papers  are  to  be  cir- 
culated, it  should  be  done  by  those  whose  head  and 
whose  heart  are  in  the  subject,  whose  own  benevolent 
record  has  been  consistent  with  the  duty  they  are  press- 
ing upon  others,  and  whose  time  is  worth  something. 

24* 


282  ALONG    THE   LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

There  are  both  loss  and  gain  in  "  the  envelope  sys- 
tem." The  few  well  qualified  for  the  canvassing  work, 
whose  intellifrent,  earnest  conversations  among-  the  mem- 
bers  would  be  informing  and  successful  in  awakening  mis- 
sion interest,  are  excused.  A  labor-saving  machine  is 
substituted.  It  is  well,  if  only  the  mission  brethren  will 
turn  their  saving  of  time  and  effort  to  the  promotion  of 
the  cause  in  other  ways. 

Every  church  and  every  Sunday-school  should  be 
provided  with  missionary  maps  and  standard  mission- 
ary literature. 

Hardly  anything  is  more  important  among  the  home 
churches  than  the  maintenance  of  confidence  in  our 
Mission  Boards  and  Executive  Officers.  Many  Chris- 
tians lean  to  the  side  of  mistrust  and  criticism,  and 
form  an  available  constituency  for  disaffected  mission- 
aries. With  the  latter's  surroundings  of  life  and  climate, 
it  is  very  easy  to  become  unduly  depressed  or  impatient 
or  suspicious,  and  the  Rooms  are  their  safeguard  as  well 
as  that  of  the  churches. 

If  any  feel  that  serious  mistakes  are  being  made  in 
home  or  foreign  administration,  the  wise  and  honorable 
course  is  to  make  direct  representations  to  the  Execu- 
tive Committees.  Pending  their  judgment,  or  the  right 
of  appeal  to  Boards  and  anniversaries,  there  should  be 
no  indiscriminate  faultfinding;  no  working  up  of  preju- 
dice among  the  rank  and  file  of  church-members ;  no 
preparation  to  say  as  a  last  word,  "  I  will  have  my  own 
way,  anyhow,  and  have  friends  enough  to  support  me." 
There  should  be  public  sentiment  sufficient  in  the  mission- 
ary management  of  our  democratic  denomination  prompt- 
ly to  extinguish  any  such  imprudence. 


PR  OSPE  CTIVE.  283 

It  is  evident  that  our  anniversary  meetings  should  be 
thoroughly  representative.  Radical  changes  are  sug- 
gested, but  I  incline  to  the  belief  that  the  providential 
development  of  our  American  Baptist  mission  enterprise 
has  been  in  this  respect  also  along  the  line  of  the  highest 
wisdom.  The  machinery  we  have  is  not  perfect,  but  it 
is  capable  of  doing  better  work,  and  is  probably  more 
adapted  to  our  denomination  than  is  any  that  could 
be  substituted. 

The  best  present  to  send  a  missionary  is  money.  I 
have  seen  or  heard  of  but  few  boxes  whose  cost  in  a 
draft  on  London  or  New  York  would  not  have  been 
more  welcome.  Commerce  has  so  spread  over  the 
world  that  money  everywhere  can  buy  almost  every- 
thing, and  at  prices  differing  very  little  in  different 
places. 

When  selecting  books  or  periodicals  to  send  to  mis- 
sionaries, do  not  pass  hastily  by  all  the  light  and  secular 
literature.  It  is  .more  than  likely  that  there  will  come  to 
them  seasons  when  this  is  what  will  do  them  the  most 
good.  They  need  at  times  to  be  lifted  out  of  their  sur- 
roundings, even  though  it  be  into  cloudland  or  merri- 
ment. To  laugh  occasionally  is  as  good  for  them  as  for 
ministers  and  other  pious  people  at  home.  On  those 
dreary  jungle-tours  or  those  dismal  journeys  far  into  the 
interior,  often  an  amusing  paper  is  better  than  Baxter's 
Sainfs  Rest,  and  the  wisdom  of  some  of  our  American 
humorists  than  the  philosophy  of  Bacon. 

That  the  good  done  by  woman's  societies  be  not  com- 
promised, it  is  necessary  that  our  sisters  appreciate  the 
vastly  greater  importance  of  the  general  work  ;  the  locat- 
ing of  missionary  families  in  the  destitute  parts  of  our 


284  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE   FRONT. 

country  and  throughout  the  heathen  world ;  the  regular 
preaching  of  the  gospel ;  the  preparation  and  distribu- 
tion of  Christian  literature ;  and  the  education  of  a 
native  ministry.  The  school-room  work  and  the  family 
visitation  of  our  single-women  missionaries,  though  very 
useful,  are  subordinate. 

The  Home  for  Missionaries'  Children  established  at 
Newton  Centre,  near  Boston,  by  the  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society,  is  a  very  deserving  enterprise. 

Mission  societies  are  multiplying,  and  Christians  need 
to  be  increasingly  on  their  guard  against  undeserving 
solicitations.  While  the  duty  of  incidental  giving  is  not 
to  be  neglected,  and  while  there  are  a  few  well-conducted 
and  greatly-blessed  union  societies  which  deserve  our 
co-operation,  it  should  be  remembered  that  our  great 
denominational  Societies  have  experience,  abundant 
proof  of  wisdom  in  management,  and  that  none  of  their 
Executive  Officers  claim  to  be  on  such  terms  with  Su- 
preme Wisdom  as  to  make  general  consultation  and  pre- 
cedents and  the  study  of  consequences  superfluous. 

Mission  work  must  not  lose  sight  of  business  princi- 
ples. Presumption  is  not  faith.  God  is  not  honored  by 
that  impatience  which  overlooks  his  limitations.  Re- 
sources, also,  must  be  considered.  Our  Societies,  in 
their  extensive  dealings  with  banks  and  other  lines  of 
business,  must  not  imperil  their  credit.  They  must  do 
nothing  dishonorable  in  the  eyes  of  the  world. 

Appointments  on  the  Boards  should  be,  not  less  orna- 
mental, but  more  useful.  Regarding  the  work  of  their 
Society  all  members  should  be  radiating  centres  of  in-* 
formation  and  influence.  There  is  great  encouragement 
in  the  late  sfrovvth  of  this  conviction. 


PROSPECTIVE.  285 

After  the  example  of  several  other  denominations,  the 
time  is  drawing  very  near,  if  it  has  not  already  come, 
when  a  general  gathering  of  Baptists  from  all  parts  of 
the  world  could  be  made  very  helpful  to  our  missionary 
and  educational  enterprises. 

But  these  suggestions  must  draw  to  a  close.  Since 
arriving  again  in  America,  a  year  ago,  I  have  scarcely 
turned- from  the  pleasant  task  of  recording  impressions 
from  a  two  years'  around-the-world  tour  of  Christian 
missions.  Though  a  much  larger,  and  undenominational, 
volume  has  preceded  this,  I  feel  that  I  have  not  yet  told 
half  my  story.  Indeed,  direct  narration  never  could  do 
it  without  the  assistance  of  a  veil  of  fiction  to  the  extent 
of  concealing  many  names  and  locations  and  of  disasso- 
ciating many  home  references. 

The  conflict  of  the  ages  is  at  its  height.  Never  has 
the  battle  been  waged  more  fiercely  or  with  deadlier 
w^eapons.  It  is  glorious  to  participate,  when  questions 
of  centuries  are  at  their  crises,  when  history  is  making 
volumes  every  day,  and  when  all  heaven  must  be  spe- 
cially interested. 

The  Baptist  part  of  the  responsibility  is  vast.  The 
Divine  Commander  has  shown  us  marked  honors  in  our 
enlistments  and  equipments  and  assignments.  Our  pres- 
ent is  grand  in  its  opportunity  and  its  resources.  It  is 
almost  bewildering  to  contemplate  the  possibilities  of  the 
next  score  of  years — the  rich  conquests  that  Baptists 
may  make  in  Immanuel's  name. 

Meanwhile,  under  God,  everything  depends  upon  or- 
ganization and  loyal  co-operation.  Rapidly  forming  for 
the  future  of  American  Baptists  are  three  vast  army 
corps,  or  we  may  say  three  branches  of  our   mission 


286  ALONG    THE  LINES  AT  THE  FRONT. 

service.  The  Home  Mission  Society  is  leading  our 
evangelizing  infantry  out  into  all  the  destitute  sections 
of  our  land,  closing  up  everywhere  in  hand-to-hand  con- 
flict with  the  enemy,  which  would  hold  this  fairest  land 
of  the  globe  in  the  interest  of  infidelity  and  priestcraft 
and  irreligion  and  ignorance ;  the  Publication  Society 
leads  the  cavalry  of  our  evangelizing  host,  scouring  the 
highways  and  the  by-ways,  dashing  through  the  serried 
ranks  of  the  foe,  or  more  often  flanking  them  and  com- 
pelling retreat  by  its  Christian  literature  and  its  Sun- 
day-school enterprise  ;  and  the  Missionary  Union  com- 
mands the  artillery,  doing  its  glorious  execution  at  long 
range,  planting  shot  and  shell,  far  over  through  the  bas- 
tions and  the  walls,  in  the  very  citadels  of  Buddhism  and 
Brahmanism  and  Paganism  and  Formalism.  None  can 
say  which  is  the  most  important  branch  of  this  three- 
fold mission  service.  It  is  not  profitable  to  inquire. 
They  are  all  evidently  essential ;  each  is  dependent  upon 
the  other,  even  as  the  infantry  and  the  cavalry  and  the 
artillery  of  the  late  war.  Had  either  been  dispensed  with 
or  rendered  inefficient,  there  would  have  been  inevitable 
failure.  The  blue,  the  yellow,  and  the  red  which  desig- 
nated the  soldiers  on  the  one  side,  and  corresponding 
signs  the  equally  heroic  and  conscientious  soldiers  on 
the  other ;  soldiers  and  citizens  all  one  now,  one  in 
history,  in  loyalty,  and  in  destiny, — let  there  be  no  cher- 
ishing a  distrust  of  it,  and  there  will  be  no  occasion; 
these  signs  of  the  military  uniforms  told  of  those  who 
shared  equally  in  the  sympathies  and  the  prayers  and 
the  sacrifices  of  those  at  home  in  their  various  States, 
from  Maine  to  Georgia,  and  from  Texas  to  California. 
Oh  those  sacrifices !      Many  remember   them.      They 


PROSPECTIVE.  287 

eclipse  entirely  what  we  are  doing  in  the  cause  of 
missions  to-day;  yet  the  issues  of  the  present  are  far 
more  important.  That  a  nation  should  live  is  not  to 
be  compared  with  the  necessity  God  has  laid  upon  the 
present  generation  of  Christians  of  rendering  their  great 
mission  enterprises  in  the  highest  degree  efficient,  at  this 
very  time,  which  has  been  maturing  through  the  cen- 
turies, and  which  bears  in  the  arms  of  its  opportunity 
the  hopes  and  the  fears  of  untold  ages  of  the  future. 


APPENDIX. 


BAPTIST   STATISTICS   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES. 
From  American  Baptist  Ykar-Book  for  A.  D.  1882. 


States 

AND 

TERRITORIES. 


Alabama 

Arizona 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut     .... 

Dakota 

Delaware 

District  of  Columbia 

Florida 

Georgia 

Idaho    

Illinois 

Indiana ....... 

Indian  Territory  .   . 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts    .   .    . 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

New  Hampshire    .   . 

New  Jersey 

New  Mexico  .... 

New  York 

North  Carolina  .   .   . 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania  .... 

Rhode  Island  .... 

South  Carolina  .   .    . 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Utah 

Vermont 

Virginia 

Washington     .   .    .   . 

West  Virginia     .   .   . 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 


Statistics  of  1880   . 
25 


"5S 
1 130 


1,751 

I 

1,143 


915 

534 

98 

411 

408 

1,678 

780 

257 

45 

291 

357 

159 

1,554 

1,443 

136 

2 

81 

179 

3 

873 

1,905 

619 

69 

555 

62 

1,184 

1,331 

1,929 

I 

"5 

1,337 

22 

399 
169 


26,373 


26,060 


655 
9 
16 

119 
18 

13 

28 

216 

1,732 

I 
675 
326 


978 

453 
169 
42 
346 
322 

71 

879 
847 


87 
201 
2 
786 
,060 
470 

41 
455 

85 
685 


16,514 
16,596 


501 
227 


49 

99 

1,436 

7,110 


2,613 
1,619 

157 
638 
472 
8,213 
1,780 
291 
690 

1,370 
869 
237 

9.469 
959 
195 


210 
1,178 


3,545 
5,689 

587 

94 

2.379 

186 
8,640 
2,631 
1,830 


3.264 


198 
205 
182 
311 


43 

77 

696 

4,006 


701 

154 

22 

8 

283 


230 
1,160 
938 
"3 
3,730 
470 
268 


181 

8,107 

63 

1,870 

250 


2,797 

1,361 

348 

125 

1,459 

178 

779 
1,1 
1,310 


42 

224 

1,116 


3,769 


122 

1,7671 

50 

555 

27s 


81,570  33,474 


102,724  41,702 


225 
592 

36 
247 

73 
1,056 

195 
340 
136 
719 


1,335 
19: 
32 


165 
377 


1,598 
1,335 
178 
20 
776 
194 
5" 
506 
500 


160 
2,099 


147 
94 
60 

329 


46 

65 

651 

4,222 


641 
894 
27 
797 
380 

2,023 
500 
261 
193 

1,013 

1,031 
91 

4,310 
510 
213 


172 
876 


2,910 

1,470 
444 
117 

1,402 
204 
719 

1,805 
985 


217 

2,063 

17 

826 

321 


16,837  36,815 


17,662!  42,702 


167,650 
14 

54,305 
6,083 

1,5/ 
20,880 

731 
1,991 

8,837 
23,126 
238,975 
20 
67,089 
42,484 

5,973 

24,264 

17,109 

162,423 

58,744 

20,637 

8,755 

48,994 

26,844 

6,985 

126,984 

95,176 

4,803 

110 

8,915 

32,323 

45 

113,862 

192,658 

49,114 

2,752 

62,877 

10,662 

150,792 

110,877 

108,340 

16 

9,614 

203,050 

5" 

26,968 
10,9 ' 

lOI 


2,336,022 


2,296,327 


289 


290 


APPENDIX. 


SUNDAY-SCHOOLS   OF   THE  UNITED  STATES. 

(so    FAR   AS   REPORTED.) 


States 

AND 

Territories. 


Eh 
o 


Alabama 

Arizona 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Dakota 

Delaware 

District  of  Columbia  , 
Florida  ....... 

Georgia 

Idaho 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Indian  Territory    . 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts     .    . 

Michigan 

Minnesota  .... 
Mississippi   .... 

Missouri 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

New  Hampshire  . 
New  Jersey  .... 
New  York  .... 
North  Carolina   .    . 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania  .  .  . 
Rhode  Island  .  .  . 
South  Carolina    .    . 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Vermont 

Virginia 

Washington  .... 
West  Virginia  .  .  . 
Wisconsin  .... 
Wyoming 


Statistics  of  1880 


1,262,505 
40,440 
802,525 
864,694 

194.327 
622,700 

135,177 
146,608 
177,624 
269,493 

1,542,180 
32,610 

3,077,871 

1,978,301 
68,152 

1,624,615 
996,096 

1,648,690 

939-'946 
648,936 

934.943 
1,783,^85 
1.636.937 

780.773 
1,131,597 
2,168,380 

452 ,402 
62,266 

346,991 
1,131,116 
5,082,871 
i,399'75o 
3,198,062 

174,768 
4,282,891 

276,531 

995,577 
1,542,359 
1,591.749 

332,286 

1,512,565 

75,116 

618,457 

1,315.497 
20,789 


3 

250 
55 


24 

120 

1,538 

650 
550 

50 
254 
131 
360 
130 
240 

45 
275 
329 

80 
404 
843 

74 


1,317 
652 


540 

77 

800 


941 

15 

325 

140 


4,305 

4 

1,250 

300 

80 

2,189 

75 

221 

354 

350 

6,950 

10 

6,381 

3,700 

150 

2.5'7 

1,850 

2.550 

1,040 

2,500, 

753 
2,500 
4,022 

757 
2,650 
6,460 

625 


3.837 

13,161 

13,000 

6,870 

250 

6,250 

1,450 

3,878 

2,600 

2,000 

1,219 

7,108 


42 


120,678 


"6,355 


42,500 

160 

11,500 

4,650 

600 

15,926 

820 

1,763 

3,100 

3,000 

54,000 

90 

58,862 


19,182 
7,500 

27,000 
7,500 

16,463 
6,282 

20,000 

26,524 

6,455 
21,200 
51,680 

5,239 
100 

8,791 
27,799 
"2,345 
81,500 
59,000 

1,500 
56,250 

13,191 
46^91 


8,434 
56,864 
980 
10,000 
9,681 
240 


1,006,412 


926,979 


208 
IS 


790 

141 

289 

42 

298 

153 
104 

4.034 


502 
1,152 

1 89 
200 

1,035 

149 

2,500 

63 

14 

118 

639 


15,306  988,915 


13,356  I  950,926 


APPENDIX. 


291 


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Associations. 


Baptisms. 


Total  Mem- 
bership. 


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Churches. 

KO   M  *»  *.  ( 


Baptisms. 


Total  Mem- 
bership. 


INDEX. 


ABA 
A. 

Abandonment,  205,  206. 

Abbott,  65,  112,  151,  163. 

Abbeokuta,  231. 

Abelard,  86. 

Aborigines,  47,  259. 

Abyssinia,  -ns,  223,  228. 

Academies,  36,  81. 

Academy  (Greece),  249,  251. 

Acropolis,  248. 

Acts,  85,  249. 

Adaptation,  Baptist,  271. 

Adequacy  of  supply,  89,  162,  163,  164. 

Adopting  missionaries,  280,  281. 

Adopting  native  children,  274. 

Adriatic,  251. 

Adults,  Heathen,  198,  199. 

Advance,  160,  163. 

.ffischylus,  248. 

jEsthetic,  133,  177,  178. 

Africa,  -an,  34,  35,  68,  93,  97,  100,  102,  153, 

223,  et  seq.,  260,  261,  278. 
Africa,  Central,  97,  223,  224,  225,  227,  228, 

229,  232,  233,  234,  236,  259,  270,  277. 
Africa,  South,  110,  240. 
Africa,  West,  no,  227,  232. 
Agra,  201. 
Agriculture,  268. 
Aims,  95. 

Alabama  Institute,  51. 

Alain,  257. 

Albrechtsdorf,  240. 

Alcoy,  258.  ' 

Alexandria,  -n,  86,  224. 

Alf,  239. 

Alienations  from  mission  societies,  28. 

Almagro,  259. 

Almost  through,  153. 

Alpine,  197,  245. 

"  Altar  of  Heaven,"  128. 

Altona,  238,  240. 

Amarapura,  154. 
Amazon,  267. 
Ambrose,  87,  179. 

America,  -ns,  35,  46,  49,  67,  68,  70,  87,  94, 
<j^,  loi,  106,  107,  no.  III,  112,  116,  118, 

25* 


ANT 

120,  129,  148,  150,  153,  158,  175,  183, 19s, 
197,  242,  243,  244,  258,  273,  285. 

America,  Central,  259. 

American,  19,  25,  29,  36,  42,  43,  44,  54,  71, 
73,  97, loi,  106,  107,  III,  114,  138,  171, 
180,  196,  198,  200,  225,  228,  232,  239,  244, 
269. 

American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society, 

22,  23,  24,  27.  28,  29,  30,  31,  39,  42,  45, 
46,  47,  48,  51,  53,  55,  56,  60,  69,  74,  77, 
78,  79,  80,  86,  88,  92,  94,  99,  268,  276, 
277.  279.  3^6- 

American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  22, 

23,  24,  27,  28,  29,  30,  31,  53,  55,  56,  60, 
67-  73,  75.  77.  7S,  79,  80,  86,  88,  93,  94, 
100,  loi,  104,  105,  106,  117,  144,  148,  151, 
175,  209,  214,  229,  231,  236,  244,  251,  258, 
264,  276,  277,  286. 

American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  22, 
23,  24,  27,  28,  29,  30,  31,  37,  42,  54,  55, 
56.  57,  58,  59,  60,  61,  62,  63,  64,  65,  66, 
69.  74,  77,  7S,  79,  80,  86,  88,  93,  94,  100, 
106,  244,  245,  276,  279,  286. 

American  Baptist  Year-Book,  31,  35,  57. 

American  Bible  Society,  241. 

American  Missionary  Association,  228. 

America,  South,  3;,  93,  242,  259. 

Americus  Vespucius,  224,  259. 

Amherst,  154,  156,  157. 

Amoy,  124,  133. 

Ananias  and  Sapphira,  203,  205. 
Ancestral  tablet,  127. 
Ancestral  worship,  12S. 
Anderson,  167. 
Andru,  257. 
Anglo-Saxons,  114. 
Annihilation,  127. 
Anniversaries,  71,  75,  76,  106,  282. 
Anniversaries,  Representative,  283. 
Anniversary  haste,  205,  206. 
Annual  reports,  60,  75,  76. 
Anselm,  86. 
Anti-Christian,  87,  96. 
Anti-Mission  Baptists,  35. 
Anti-Mission  churches,  92. 
Anti-Mission  pastors,  281. 
Anti-Mission  spirit,  72,  97,  98. 
Antioch,  86. 
Antiquarians,  Theological,  86. 

.  293 


294 


lAWEX. 


ANY 
Anywhere,  87,  no. 
Apostles,  117. 
Appeal,  Right  of,  282, 
Appian  Way,  254. 
Arabians,  197. 
Arabic,  235. 
Arc  de  Trioraphe,  255. 
Areopagiie,  -s,  248,  250. 
Arianism,  86. 
Aristotle,  248,  249. 
Arius,  86. 
Armstrong,  208. 
Arnold,  249. 
"  Around-the- World    Tour    of    Christian 

Missions,"  17,  18,  III,  112,  225,  285. 
Arracan,  163,  173. 

Arthington,  226,  228,  233,  234,  235,  236. 
Arthur,  117,  118,  120. 
Arts,  129,  251,  252. 
Aryan,  184,  191. 
Ashamed,  121. 

Ashmore,  131,  134,  135,  152,  281. 
Asia,  35,  67,  68,  72,  73,  89,  93,  109,  113, 

147,  152,  157,  158,  159,  160,  165,  169,  179, 

182,  191,  194,  224,  227. 
Assam,  73,  127,  165,  181,  182,  183,  184,  185, 

1S6,  187,  188,  189. 
Assamese,  119,  183,  185,  187. 
Associations,  25,  40,  232. 
Astor  House  Rooms,  52. 
"At  first  hand,"  103. 
Athanasius,  71,  86,  224. 
Atheism,  127,  186,  195. 
Athens,  -ian,  248,  249,  250,  251. 
Atlanta,  51,  165. 
Atlanta  Seminary,  51. 
Atlantic,  71,  III,  112,  224,  235,  260,  270. 
Atmakoor,  214.  . 

Audience  with  royalty,  149. 
Augustine,  71,  86,  87,  225. 
Aurungzebe,  194. 
Australasia,  35. 

Austria,  -n,  35,  240,  242,  251,  253. 
Auxiliary,  S3.  80,  106,  275. 
Avatars,  186,  193. 


Babylon,  248. 
Bacon,  283. 
Bagamoyo,  229. 

Baghdad  (Bagdad),  158,  191,  248. 
Bahamas,  264,  265. 
Bahia,  267. 
Bailey,  177. 
Bakufu,  115. 
Balathe  dhourga,  108. 
Baldwin,  71,  72. 
Baltic,  243. 
Bamboo,  113,  141. 
Bandy,  212,  213,  221,  222. 
Bangkok,  131,  146,  147,  148,  153,  276. 
Baptism,  18,  19,  119,  134,  137,  162,  198, 
219,  220,  221,  222,  238,  241,  271. 


BEL 

I  Baptist,  35,  37,  53,  57,  62,  71,  77,  80,  99, 
109,  no,  117,  122,  125,  131,  138,  199,  207, 
209,  225,  232,  240,  241,  243,  244,  256,  257, 
258,  263,  267,  270,  285. 

Baptist  churches,  37,  54,  106,  207,  260,  261, 
265. 

"  Baptist  General  Tract  Society,"  63. 

Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  Scotland, 
100. 

Baptist  Missionary  Magazine,  80. 

Baptist  Missionary  Society  (Foreign,  Great 
Britain),  99,  100,  102,  105,  106,  107,  108, 
log,  no,  145,  197,  198,  199,  200,  201,  202, 
203,  233,  251,  255,  260,  264,  265. 

Baptist  "  QJcumenical  Council,"  285. 

Baptist*priiiciples,  36. 

Baptists,  18,  19,  20,  34,  35,  6i,  63,  86,  96, 
120,  121,  196,  197,  241,  243,  264,  265,  266, 
269,  271,  275. 

Baptists,  American,  19,  21,  28,  31,  32,  36, 
37.  .39.  41.  42,  47.  48,  49.  52,  54,  55.  60, 
65,  71,  72,  81,  88,  loo,  loi,  103,  105,  112, 
117,  121,  123,  131,  148,  149,  151,  154,  160, 
162,  164,  166,  191,  196,  202,  204,  205,  206, 
217,  225,  229,  231,  233,  234,  235,  236,  238, 

240,  245,  247,  248,  250,  264,  265,  266,  276, 
283,  285. 

Baptists,  Colored,  31,  32,  34,  46,  230,  232, 
235,  236. 

Baptists,  English,  22,  38,  71,  72,  99,  100, 
loi,  102,  103,  104,  105,  106,  107,  108,  109, 
123,  132,  144,  145,  1S3,  191,  ig6,  197,  198, 
199,  20c,  201,  202,  203,  204,  227,  228,  232, 
233,  234,  247,  251,  25s,  258,  261,  265,  276. 

B.iptists,  Europe,  99,  iio._ 

Baptists  (Freewill),  America,  196. 

Baptists  (General),  England,  196. 

Baptists,  Germany,  100,  237,  238,  239,  240, 

241,  242,  244,  245,  246. 
Baptists,  Jamaica,  232. 
Baptists,  Liberia,  231. 

Baptists,  Sweden,  243,  244,  245,  246. 
Baptist  Tract  and   Book   Society   (Great 

Britain),  100. 
Baptists  (United  States),  South,  29,  32,  34, 

132,  143,  144,  231,  236,  242,  251,  254,  266, 

267,  268,  274. 
Barchet,  138,  139,  140. 
Bari,  255. 
Barker,  187. 
Barkley,  177, 
Barletta,  255. 
Barrows,  176. 
Bassa,  230,  231. 
Bassein,  107,  151,  157,   161,  163,  167,  168, 

170,  171,  173,  178,  179,  180,  264,  281. 
Bassein  "  Institute,"   167,   168,   170,   171, 

179,  264. 
Bavaria,  238. 

Baxter's  "  Saint's  Rest,"  283. 
Baynes,  loi,  102. 

Beecher,  163. 
Beir,  231. 
Beirut,  248. 
Belgian,  229. 


INDEX. 


295 


BEM 

Bema,  248. 

Benares,  193. 

Benedict  Institute,  51. 

Benevolence,  27,  33,  69,  70,  92,  95,    142, 

159-   , 
Benevolences,  41,  59,  6S,  95,  180. 
Bengal,  t6i,  196,  198,  201. 
Bengal,  Bay  of,  205. 
Bengalese,  184. 
Bengali,  108,  192. 
Benguella,  228. 

Bennett,  118,  119,  158,  160,  172. 
Benoliel,  258. 
Berlin,  23S,  240,  245,  255. 
Bethel  Chapel,  Stockholm,  244. 
Bethsaida,  67. 
Bezwada,  190,  204. 
Bhamo,  177,  180. 
Bible,  18,  22,  39,  41,  44,  46,  55,  61,  62,  66, 

68,  74,  96,   108,  no,  117,  119,  143,  145, 

161,  187,  188,  204,  213,  214,  235,  247,  248, 

258,  275. 
Bible  destitution,  66. 
Bible-lands,  in,  248. 
"  Bible-women,"  120,  131,  134,  139,  212. 
Bible-work,  29,  41,  54,  61,  62,    117,    119, 

143,  176,  209,  210,  241,  276. 
Bickel,  245. 
Bigotry,  241. 
Bihe,  228. 
Bimlipatam,  208. 
Binney,  158,  162,  169,  174. 
Binue,  226,  228,  235,  236,  277. 
Bion,  201. 

Bishop  Baptist  College,  51. 
Bixby,  J78. 

Blessing  of  merriment,  283. 

Blindness,  98. 

Bluff,  Yokohama,  118,  120. 

Board,  50,  52,  58,  75,  78,  103,  121,  202,  203, 

<234,  282,  284. 
Boardman,  162. 
Boaz,  17. 
Boggs,  216. 
BoUes,  71,  72. 
Bologna,  255. 
Bombay,  191. 

Books,  Christian,  41,  63,  64,  65,  94. 
Bornuese,  235. 
Boston,  24,  28,  52,  56,  57,  61,  65,  77,  87, 

loi,  103,  105. 
Boxes  or  money,  283. 

Brahma,  i86. 

Brahman,  192,  215. 

Brahmanism,  185,  192,  195,  197,  286. 

Brahmans,  160,  192,  193,  218. 

Brahmaputra,  182,  183,  185,  187. 

Brahmos,  195. 

Brahmo  Somaj,  186,  195. 

Branches,  Publication  Society,  65. 

Brandt,  i88. 

Brayton,  158,  161,  174. 

Brazil,  -ian,  -s,  259,  260,  266,  267,  268. 

Bristol,  199. 


CAR 

Bristol  Orphanage,  228. 

British,  33,  87,  100,  106,  no,  125,  126,  157, 

159,  190,  199,  261,  262,  263. 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Societies,  241. 
British  and  Irish  Baptist  Home  Missions, 

99,  100. 
Brittany,  no,  258, 
Broady,  244. 
Bromley,  177. 
Bronson,  186,  187. 
Brotherhood,  34,  195. 
Brown,  117,  118,  120,  183,  186,  187. 
Brownson    Theological  Seminary  (Rama- 

patam),  213. 
Bryson,  176. 
Bucknell,  56,  66,  174. 
Buda-Pesth,  240. 
Buddha,  127,  197,  271. 
Buddhism,  116,  127,  151,  152,  156,  159, 165, 

186,  194,  197,  286. 
Buddhist,  115,  116,  185,  186,  197. 
Buddhistic,  193. 
Buel,  249. 
Bulgaria,  240. 
Bunker,  174,  178. 
Burditt,  217,  220. 
Burmah,  22,  23,  35,  68,  72,  73,  79,  94,  107, 

127,  146,  151,  154,  et  seg.,  164,  et  seq., 

182,  183,  191,  202,  205,  208,  264,  265,  273. 
Burman,  -s,  -ese,  73,   159,    160,  161,  162, 

163,  164,  167,  168,  169,  170,  171,  173, 175, 

176,  17S,  179,  208,  218,  238. 
"  Burmese  Messenger,"  174. 
Burton,  224. 
Bushell,  174. 
Business   Department,  American   Baptist 

Publication  Society,  58,  59,  60,  61,  62, 

64,  65. 
Business  principles,  284. 


Cadot,  257. 

Caesars,  254. 

Caffraria,  no. 

Cairo,  158. 

Calabar  College,  264,  263. 

Calcutta,  107,  108,  109,  no,  183,  186,  198, 

201,  272. 
California,  43,  65,  69,  87,  112,  286. 
Cambodians,  148.  . 

Cameron,  224. 
Cameroons,  Mount,  233. 
Cameroons  River,  227,  233. 
Campbell,  214. 
Camp-meeting,  200. 
Canadian  Dominion  (Baptist),  35,  191, 196, 

204,  207,  208,  209. 
Canals,  190,  208. 
Canencia,  258. 

Canton,  124,  130,  132,  143,  144,  272. 
Cape  Colony,  223. 
Capernaum,  67,  95. 
Capital,  33,  269. 
Capitol,  Rome,  254. 
Caracalla,  Baths,  254. 


296 


INDEX. 


CAR 

Carey,  23,  71,  107,  108,  197,  202,  273. 

Caribbean,  259. 

Carpenter,  151,  161,  16S,  179,  iSo,  2S1. 

Carpi,  254. 

Cartilage,  224. 

Cary,  230. 

Caste,  160,  185,  186,  192,  193,  194,  195,208, 

215,  21S,  271. 
Castle  Street,  ig  ;  Holborn,  19,  loo,  104. 
Catacombs,  Rome,  254. 
Caucasian,  191. 
Cavour,  253. 
Cawnpore,  47. 

Central  Baptist  Church,  20,  173,  175,  178. 

Centre  of  operations,  56. 

Centres,  92. 

Ceylon,  100,  109,  127,  196,  197,  198. 

Chad,  Lake,  226,  235,  236,  277. 
Champs  felysees,  257. 
Chandler,  149,  150. 
Chang-chow,  124. 
Chapel  needed,  250,  251. 
Character,  270. 
Charities,  99,  264. 
Charlemagne,  86. 
Chastening  of  God,  205,  206. 
Chau-chau-fu,  135. 
Chauny,  257. 
Chefoo,  124,  130. 
Cherokees,  53. 

Chestnut  Street  (1420),  53,  62,  63. 
Chiang  Lim,  138. 
Chicacole,  204,  208. 
Chicago,  65,  112. 
Chickasaws,  53. 
Chilcott,  153. 

Children,  Separation  from,  277,  284. 
Chili,  126. 

China,  22,  35,  68,  73,  79,  86,  97,  100,  107, 
III,  119,  120,  124,  125,  126,  127,  128,  129, 
131,  132,  133,  et  seq.,  152,   165,   167, 

China  Inland   IMission 

228. 

China,  Southern,  131. 
Chinese,  114,  125,  126,  127,  128,   129,  131, 

133,  et  seq.,  147,  148,  149,  150,   153,  1S4. 
Chinese  classics,  142. 
Chinese  dress,  145. 
Chinese  history,  125. 
Chinese  language,  108,  117,  119,  131. 
Chinese  (United  States;,  45,  49,  112,  148. 
Chin-kiang,  124. 
Choctaws,  53. 
Cholera,  264. 
Chorazin,  67. 
Chota  Nagpore,  188. 
Christ,  18,  23,  35,  38,  46,  68,  69,  71,  77,  82, 

85,  87,  88,  90,  92,  93,  94,  95,  96,  97,  117, 

120,  138,  154,  161,  163,  196,  201,  217,  233, 

246,  249,  254,  285. 
Christendom,  98,  224. 
Christian,  18,  35,  37,  46,  63,  64,  68,  69,  81, 


190,  igi,  240,  259,  274,  278. 
China,  Eastern,  131,  139 


143, 


=  7, 


COM 

82,  83,  86,  92,  94,  97,  112,  115,  116,  117, 
122,  148,  151,  201,  256. 
Christianity,  22,  23,  44,  46,  69,  83,  84,  87, 

97,  109,  ii6,  123,  127,  128,  152,  159,  184, 
195,  T96,  198,  2oi,  221,  241,  246. 

Christians,  18,  20,  68,  70,  74,  89,  91,  97, 

98,  123,  134,  263. 
Christlieb,  b5. 
Christological,  86. 
Chrysostom,  87. 
Chunder  Sen,  186,  195. 

Church,  38,  47,   51,  96,  97,  121,  145,   191, 

223,  257,  259. 
Church  and  State,  116,  247,  248,  253. 
Church  attendance,  84,  85. 
Church  buildings,  42,  49,  53,  60,  70,  92. 
Church-edifice    Benevolent    Department, 

50- 
Churches,  68,  71,  75,  76,  79,  82,  87,  89,  91, 

92.  93,  94,  96,   loi,   102,   104,   106,   117, 
119. 

Churches,  Feeble,  39,  54.  • 

Churches,  Seh-sustaining,  42,  54,  100,  109, 

136,  179,  180,  199,  200. 
Church  government,  271. 
Church  members,  66,  87,  94,  gS. 
Church  nierabv;rship,  ib,  19. 
Church  Missionary  Society,  England,  204, 

225,  226,  228,  235,  236. 
Cifre,  258. 
Cincinnati,  105. 
Circular  Road  Chapel,  198. 
Cities,  67,  68,  90. 
"  Citj'  of  Berlin,"  277. 
Civilization,   112,   115,  116,   123,   152,   igo, 

195,  223,  224,  259,  260. 
Civil  Service,  47,  126,  157,  196. 
Civita  Vecchia,  255. 
Clark,  188,  230. 
Cleanliness,  114. 
Clevcl.md,  III,  237,  245,  277. 
Climate,  157,  158,  182,  232. 
Clough,  151,  2u7,  208,  215,  et  seq.,  281. 
Coahuila,  268. 

Coast-fever,  Africa,  230,  232. 
Coconada,  20S,  209,  215. 
Co-educatiun  of  races,  170,  171. 
Colburn,  172. 
Coliseum,  254. 
Collectors,  2S1. 
College-feeders,  169. 

Colleges,  36,  Si,  83,  84,  85,  109,  197,  198. 
Colombo,  197. 

Colonies,  Great  Britain,  38,  261,  263,  264. 
Colonies,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  259,  260. 
Colonization  Society,  230. 
Colonizing,  126,  191. 
Colorado,  4;. 
Colportrtge,  21,  28,  55,  58,  61,  70,  87,  244, 

258.273. 
Colporteurs,  22,  54,  61,  62,  65,  66,  77,  92, 

93,  94,  117,  246. 
Columbia,  South  Carolina,  51. 
Columbus,  224,  259. 
Comfort,  188. 


INDEX. 


297 


COM 

Commerce,  105,  130,  196,  248,  263,  283. 

Commune,  247,  252. 

Communion,  Restricted,  19. 

Comstock,  163. 

Concentration,  165. 

Cone,  72. 

Conference,  209. 

Confidence,  282. 

Confucian,  116,  128,  271. 

Confucianism,  127. 

Confucius,  127. 

Congo,  no,  224,  227,  228,  233,  236. 

'■  Congregational    Auxiliaries,"    English, 

106. 
Congregationalist,  -s,  19,  61,  103,  120,  121, 

122,  158,  164,  204,  228,  264,  276. 
Connecticut,  188. 

Conscience,  19,  81,  97,  120,  247,  256. 
Consecration,  88,  103,  144,  206,  228,  273. 
Conservative,  172,  234. 
Consistency,  281. 

Constituency,  72,  169,  205,  275,  282. 
Consultation,  284. 
Contributions,  59,  76,  80,  88,  8g,  91,  92,  log, 

136,  17s,  199,  240,  281. 
Conventions,  25,  40,  99. 
Conversation,  Religious,  65,  91. 
Converse,  The,  155,  157. 
Conversion,  38,  64,  84,  93,  150. 
Converts,  48,  74,  93,  108,  no,  119,  131, 135, 

150,  153,  179,  180,  187,  188,  199,  201,  207, 

208,  216,  217,  245,  250,  258,  271. 
Co-operation,  80,  104,  275,  285. 
Copenhagen,  238,  239,  240. 
Copts,  223. 
Corfu,  249. 
Corinthian,  249. 

Cor.,  I.  (i  :  26-29),  '^>  '2.1%,  219. 
Cornelia,  258. 
Cortes,  266. 
Cortez,  259. 
Cote,  254. 
Councils,  86. 

"  County  Auxiliaries,"  English,  106. 
Courland,  241. 

Craig,  209. 

Crawford,  144. 

Crawley,  160,  163. 

Creeds,  19. 

Creeks,  53. 

Cretiu,  257. 

Crises  of  Centuries,  285,  287. 

Criticisms  of  Mission  Societies,  28,  76,  282. 

Croakers,  177, 

Crocker,  230. 

Cronkhite,  177. 

Cross,  178. 

Cross,  The,  no,  239. 

Crozer,  56,  66,  84. 

Crump,  178. 

Cuba,  266. 

Cuddapah,  204. 

Culture,  37,  125, 

Cumbum,  217. 

Curriculum,  87, 


DIS 


Cushing,  163,  178. 
Custom-house,  113. 
Cutter,  1S3. 
Cyprian,  224. 
Cyprus,  248. 
Czar,  241. 

D. 

Dai-Buts  (Butsu),  113. 

Dakota,  44. 

Dalada  Maligawa,  197. 

Damaris,  250. 

Danforth,  188. 

Daniells,  134. 

Danish,  108,  237,  241. 

"  Dark  Continent,"  223,  223. 

Daiible,  187. 

Davenport,  152. 

David,  224. 

Davis,  61. 

Day,  151,  203,  205,  206,  210,  212. 

Dead  weight,  40. 

Deafness,  98. 

Dean,  131,  140,  149,  150,  152,  153. 

Deception,  253. 

De  Corona,  248. 

Deficit,  79,  203. 

Degradation,  191,  193,  194,  204,  221,  223, 

235,  261,  267. 
Deification  of  nature  and  man,  192,  193. 
Deistic,  195. 
Delegations,  102,  103. 
Delhi,  102,  199,  201. 
Democratic,  107. 
Demonolatry,  185. 
Demosthenes,  248. 
Denain,  257. 
Denmark,  35,  237,  238. 
Denominationalism,  19,  20,  64,  122,  227. 
Denominational  loyalty,  18,  64,  66. 
Denominational  rivalry,  82. 
Depositories,  62,  65. 
Depression,  273,  282. 
Desert,  223. 
De  Solis,  259. 

Destitute,  89,  91,  95,  96,  97,  99.     . 
Details,  75,  79,  97. 
Devan,  131,  257. 
Devil-worship,  197. 
Dez,  257. 

"  Dhurmo  Uddipony  Mela,"  200. 
Dickson,  249. 
Diet,  158. 
Difficulties,  93,  151,  182,  184,  185,  186,  187, 

210,  211,  233,  257,  258. 
Dionysius,  250. 
Disciples,  271. 

Discipline,  87,  137,  232,  258,  263. 
Disciplined  mind,  82. 
Discomfort,  211. 
iDiscord,  145,  282. 
Discouragement,  151,  153,  207,   211,  233, 

250. 
Disestablishment,  265. 


298 


INDEX. 


DIb 


FIC 


Dishonest  government,  126. 

Dissent,  241. 

District  Secretaries,  79,  80,  106,  179. 

Dobbins,  118. 
Dock-bungalow,  m. 
Doctrine,  225. 
Donations,  Specific,  175. 
Doric,  249. 

Double  Island,  131,  133. 
Douglass,  163,  175,  207. 
Downie,  212,  213. 
Doyen,  118. 

Drake,  214,  244. 
Dravidian,  184,  igi. 
Drifting,  121. 
Drought,  190,  264. 

Durango,  268. 
Dutch,  64,  198. 
Dutt,  200. 

E. 

Eager,  254. 

Eastman,  179. 

East,  United   States,  34,  44,  48,  97,   112, 

"3- 
Ebal,  54- 

Ecclesiasticism,  225. 
"  Echo  of  Truth,"  257. 
Eclectic,  195. 
Economy,  89,  242. 

Eden,  iii,  248. 

Edgren,  244. 

Edina,  230. 

Educational,  37,  41,  47,  50,  81,  82,  83,  84, 
85,  87,  88,  95,  107,  IIS,  "6,  136,  167,  168, 
192,  197,  198,  247,  24S,  262,  270,272,  285. 

Egypt,  -ian,  21,  iii,  158,  197,  223,  228. 

Elbe,  238. 

Elephant,  173,  179,  212. 

El  Juf,  235. 

Ellore,  204. 

Elwell,  179. 

Elwin,  176. 

Emancipation,  46,  97,  109,  232,  261,  262, 

263. 
Emigration,  46,  191. 
Emmanuel,  25,  90,  98,  206,  217,  226,  239, 

285. 
Emperor,  Chinese,  125, 

Encouraging,  no,  202. 

Endowments,  36,  50,  51,  88,  121,  122,  213. 

England,  35,  72,  99,  104,  105,  109,  125,  130, 

145,  195,  196,  197,  204,  225,  226,  234,  240, 

258,  261,  262. 
England,  Church  of,  19,  121,  138,  163,  204, 

260,  264,  265,  267,  271. 
English,  48,  99,  101,  IU2,  105,  106,  107,  108, 

109,  126,  138,  145,  168,  174,  176,  178,  192, 

225,  228,  233,  235,  242,  243,  252,  262,  263, 

264,  265,  274. 
English  language,  45,  170,  171. 


English  language  in  mission  schools,  170. 

Enlargement,  66,  93,  96,  121. 

Enterprise,  54,  64,  65,  82,  86,  90,  92,  93,  96, 
97,  99,  100,  107,  121,  122,  125,  147,  14y, 
150,  160,  172,  229,  236,  269,  270. 

Enthusiasm,  85.  102,  234. 

Enthusiasm  of  resolutions,  202,  203,  205, 
207. 

"  Envelope  System,"  70,  282. 

Ephesus,  86. 

Epidemics,  263. 

Episcopalian,  -s,  19,  121,  232,266,  269. 

Epistles,  Pastoral,  85. 

Esprit  de  corps,  87,  89,  90. 

Eternity,  70. 

Ethnological,  183,  184,  191. 

Eurasian,  176. 

Euripides,  248. 

Europe,  -an,  21,  33,  35,  36,  43,  44,  73,  93 

99,    100,    107,   no.   III,   112,   114,    116,    129 
143.   195,.  199.  224,   242,  247,  251,   265. 

Europe,  Northern,  237,  238,  243,  246. 

Europe,  Protestant,  23,  246. 

Europe,  Southern,  247,  257. 

Evangelical,  35,  191,  253,  254. 

Evangelical  P.ible  Society,  Russia,  241. 

Evangelical  flavor,  83. 

Evangelist,  41,  42,  100,  139,  245. 

"  Evangelistas  "  (Baptists),  267. 

Evangelization,  17,  18,  21,  28,  31,  35,  38 
42,  44,  48,  54,  63,  64,  67,  68,  69,  71,  72 
79,  81,  82,  83,  84,  85,  86,  89,  90,  91,  92 
93,  95,  97,  98,  101,  107,  109,  112,  119, 122 
123,  137,  145,  151,  160,  171,  197,  199,205 
242,  251,  257,  266,  268,  279. 

Evans,  176,  201. 

Eveleth,  178. 

Examination  of  candidates,  137,  219,  220. 

Excuse,  93. 

Executive  Officers,  25,  26,  27,  39,  40,  51 
56;  73.  75.  7<5.  77.  78,  80,  88,  95,  loi,  102 
103,  105,  151,  236,  277,  280,  2S2,  2S4. 

Exegesis,  85. 

Experience,  73,  2S4. 

Exploration,  223. 

Ezra,  218,  220,  222. 


Facility,  103. 

Faith,  63,  96,  118,  151,  155,  205,  284. 

"  Faith   Institution,"   East   London,  227, 

228. 
Faith,  "  Sanctified,"  227,  228. 
Family  visitation,  284. 
Famine,  126,  190,  221. 
Farewell  meeting,  105. 
Fatherhood  of  God,  195. 

Fernando  Po,  233. 
Fetichism,  128,  261. 
Feudalism,  114. 

Fiction,  285. 


INDEX. 


299 


FID 


Fidelity,  88,  loi. 

Fidelity  to  ordinances,  271. 

Field  and  native  favoritism,  2S0. 

Fields,  131,  137,  152. 

Fielding,  230. 

Figueras,  258. 

Figures,  74,  75,  77. 

Finland,  35,  244. 

First-class  or  none,  231. 

First  convert,  161. 

Florence,  252,  255. 

Florida  Institute,  51. 

Flournoy,  268. 

Fo,  127. 

Food,  158,  171. 

Foot-boat,  141. 

Forbearance,  272. 

"  Foreign  Concession,"  iiS. 

Foreign  Missionary  Society,  Swedish,  244. 

Formalism,  74,  86,  196,  240,  243,  246,  286. 

Forum,  Rome,  254. 

Foulahs,  235. 

Foulon,  257. 

Foundations,  36,  89,  93,  109,  131,  135,  197, 

210,  240,  241,  255,  260,  263. 
Four  hundred  millions,  125,  130. 
Forward,  no. 
Forward  into  Africa,  231,  233,  234,  235, 

236. 

France,  35,  48,  73,  no,  242,  247,  252,  253, 

255,  256,  258. 
Fraud,  148. 
Freedmcn,  21,  28,  41,  49,  50,  54,  66,  67,93, 

94.  97.  225,  236,  263. 
Freedmen's  schools,  22,  50,  51,  52,  54,  70. 
Freedom,  Baptist,  59. 
Free  labor,  33. 
Free  Mission  Societj',  117. 
Freiday,  177,  180. 
French,  114,  225,  226,  242,  252. 
French  language,  64,  129. 
French,  United  States,  45,  49. 
Fretting,  15S. 
"  From  the  Garden  of  Eden  to  the  Isle  of 

Fatmos,"  in,  112,  248. 

Fnchow,  124,  133,  172. 
Fuji-yama,  113. 
Full  consecration,  84. 
Fuller,  72,  1-.7,  108,  134. 
Funeral  fire,  194. 
Fungshway,  128,  129. 
Furman,  72. 

G. 

Gage,  175. 

Gambling,  14S,  200. 

Ganges,  125,  196. 

Garos,  183,  184,  185,  187,  188,  189. 

Gaudama  (Gautama),  i6o,  186. 

Gaun,  231. 

General  Missionary  Convention,  73,  202, 

Z03,  230. 
Generosity,  loi,  105. 
Genoa,  252,  255. 


HAM 

Georgia,  286. 
Gerizim,  54. 
German,  -s,  64,  119,  144,  187,  188,  225,237, 

238,  239,  241,  242,  243,  244,  274. 
Germans,  United  States,  45,  49. 
Germany,  35,  42,  66,  73,  107,  145,  197,  208, 

23S,  240,  243,  246. 
Ghauts,  193. 
Ghost-worship,  185. 
Ghuzin,  194. 
Gleaning,  17. 
"Glimpses     of    Mission    Life    in    Many 

Lands,'  in,  112. 
Gnadenhiitten,  47. 
Gnosticism,  85. 
Goble,  117. 
God,   1 8,  28,  38,  45,  61,  70,  71,  83,  88,  89, 

93'  97'  9S.   107.   '22,   128,  161,  192,  196, 

201,  206,  218,  220,  248. 
Godavery,  igi,  209.  ' 

Goddard,  131,  139,  140,  152. 
God's  leadership,  22,  23,  55,  56,  72,  116, 

119,  iSi,  igi,  202,  227,  233,  258,  283. 
"  Golden  Gate,"  112. 
"  Golden  Temple,"  193. 
Gold-mine,  108. 
Goodman,  231. 

"  Good  time"  at  anniversaries,  203. 
Gospel,  68,  69,  70,  82,  89,'  91,  loS,  128,  130, 

134,  160,  i8o,  221. 
Government,  United  States,  46. 
Gowahati,  169,  187,  188,  276. 
Goyden,  240. 
Grace,  150,  158,  222. 
Graduate,  88. 
Grand  Canal,  China,  129. 
Grant,  224. 

"  Grants-in-aid,"  171,  172,  176. 
Gratitude,  214,  227. 
Graves,  143. 
Great  Britain,  23,  36,  38,  99,  100,  104,  125, 

130,  183,  194,  261. 
"Great  Commission,"  82. 
Great  Wall,  124. 
Greece,  -ian,  35,  73,  242,  247,  248,  249,  250, 

251. 
Greek,  -s,  197,  224,  225,  250. 
Greek  faith,  242. 
Greek  language,  122,  142,  149. 
"  Greeting  the  angels,"  174. 
Gregory,  Great,  86. 
Ijriffich,  56,  105,  245. 
Grodszisko,  240. 
Gross-Essen,  241. 
Guinea,  224. 
Guntoor,  217. 
Gurney,  i83. 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  243. 
Gyobingouk,  177. 

H. 

Hale,  178. 

Hamburg,  237,  238,  239,  240,  245,  276. 


300 


INDEX, 


HAM 


INT 


Hamilton,  i68. 
Hammond,  208. 
Hanamaconda,  207,  215. 
Hancock,  176. 
Hang-chow,  124,  142. 
Han-kow,  124. 
Hanover,  238. 
Harem,  194. 
Harris,  178. 
Hascall,  176,  178. 
Hasweli,  162,  176. 
Hausas,  235. 
Havana,  266. 
Hay,  208. 
Hayti,  264. 

Headquarters,  56,  63,  77,  99. 
Health,  Breaking  down,  273. 
Heathen,  29,  67,  68,  69,  70,  71,  72,  73,  74, 

87,  91,  92,  96,  98,  ti6,  130,  155,  156,  175, 

184,  201,  230,  249. 
Heathen  deities,  117. 
Heathenism,  22,  95,  127,  128,  134,  140,  144, 

156,  169,  194,  219,  271,  272. 
Hebrew,  224. 
Heliopolis,  224. 
Hellenic,  249. 
Helping  hand,  80. 
Hendricken,  129. 

Henlhada,  157,  163,  164,  165,  177,  272. 
Herodotus,  224. 
Heroism,  154,  155,  211,  238. 

Higby,  176. 

"  Higher-Life  Christians,"  145,  176,  228. 
Hill,  231. 

Himalayas,  127,  182,  183,  184. 
Hindi,  108,  no,  192,  196.  • 

Hindu,  185, 186,  192,  193,  194,  195,  200,  201. 
Hinduism,  156,  i85,  193,  195,  204,  211. 
Hindus,  159,  192,  194,  195,  200,  201. 
Hindustan,  202. 
Hindustani,  108,  192. 

History,  85,  94,  97,  loi,  109,  192,  243,  257, 
262,  285. 

Hohenkirch,  240. 

Holcomb,  144. 

Holland,  35,  237. 

Holmes,  144. 

Holton,  230. 

Holy  Spirit,  38,  46,  95,  117,  188,  220,  239, 

272, 
"  Home,"  Newton  Centre,  284. 
Homes,  39,  97,  120,  140,  165,  177,  256,  279. 
Hong-kong,   124,  130,  131,   133,  138,  144, 

146. 
Hospitalet,  258. 
Hospitality,  19,  26,  34,  78,  80,  134,  138, 156, 

T  '75- 
Hottentots,  223. 

House-boat  ("  Providence"),  174,  175. 

House  of  Lords,  87. 

House-rent,  78. 

Hovey,  64,  loi,  103. 

Hull,  240. 

Human  nature,  77,  274. 


Humility,  211. 
Humorists,  283. 
Hungary,  237,  242. 
Hutchinson,  208. 
Hyderabad,  214. 


Iconoclastic,  194. 

Idolatry,  -ies,  -trous,  67,  108,  127,  192,  194, 

195,  196,  201,  231,  235. 
Idols,  151,  193,  221,  249. 
Ignorance,  47. 
Ignorant,  252. 
Ikschen,  240. 
Illinois,  48. 
Immersion,  19,  241. 
Immigration,  33,  39,  42,  43,  44,  43,  97, 148, 

184,  188,  191. 
Immoralities,  116,  194,  253,  261,  263. 
Impatience,  207,  282,  284. 
Imprudence,  2S2. 
Incidental  giving,  284. 
Indecency,  194. 
Independents,  264. 
India,  19,  22,  23,  35,  68,  73,  97,  100,  102, 

107,  108,  III,  120,  125,  126,  127,  131,  145, 

157,  159,  160,  165,  167,  183,  184,  188,  190, 

et  seq.,  202,  et   seq.,  210,  et  seq.,  259, 

273- 
Indiana,  48,  104. 
Indian,  Mexico,  268. 
Indian  Ocean,  226. 

Indians,  American,  21,  47,  48,  49,  53,  94. 
Indian  Territory,  53. 
Indifference,  68,  71. 
Indo-European,  184. 
Indolence,  126,  147,  159,  171,  193. 
Industrial  Departments,  Mission  Schools, 

171. 
Industry,  125,  137,  148,  159,  247. 
Infallibility,  247. 

Infidelity,  69,  100,  195,  240,  243,  268,  286. 
Influence,  45. 
Information,  Mission,  75,  79,  91,  93,  94,  95, 

102,  106. 
Ingalls,  163,  176. 
"  Ingresso  Libero,"  255. 
Inland  sea,  Japan,  113. 
Inquisition,  Rome,  254. 
Inspiration,  6g,  97,  103,  274. 
Instruction,  Classical,  73,  81,  85,  167,  168, 

170. 
Instruction,  Theological,   73,    81,  83,    85, 

121,  122,  123,  167,  i63,  225,  244,  257. 
Insulting  God,  202. 
Insurrections,  190. 
Intelligence,  37,  79,  loi,  103,  104,  105,  125, 

201. 
Intemperance,  148. 

International  Association  for  the  Suppres- 
sion of  the  Slave  Trade  and  Opening  of 

Central  Africa,  229. 
International  Lessons,  37. 


INDEX. 


301 


INT 

Interpretation,  271. 

Intolerance,  240,  266. 

Intrigue,  226. 

Inveen,  140. 

Ionic,  249. 

Iowa,  43. 

Ireland,  35,  42,  99,  104,  197. 

Irish,  United  States,  45. 

Iroquois,  48. 

Irrawaddy,  169,  183. 

Irreligion,  195,  286. 

Irrigation,  190. 

Islam,  97,  194,  235. 

Israel,  -ites,  54,  224. 

"  Italian  of  India,"  204. 

Italians,  United  States,  45. 

Italy,  -ian,  35,  84,  242,  247,  248,  251,  252, 

253.  254.  256. 
Itinerant  work,  42,  135,  198,  272. 

Iwakura,  115. 
lyemitsu,  113. 
lyeyasii,  113. 

J. 

Jamaica,  35,  102,  108,  232,  260,  261,  264, 

265. 
James,  68. 
Jameson,  160,  179. 
Japan,  22,  27,  73,  97,  100,  107,  m,  113, 

114,  115,  116,  117,  119,  120,  121,  122,  123, 

127,  152,  157,  165,  167,  183,  191,  195,259, 

271. 
Japanese,  iii,  113,  114,  120,  122. 
Japanese  history,  115. 
Japanese  inns,  113,  114. 

Japanese  revolution,  115,  116. 
avanese,  108. 
Jenkins,  131,  141. 
erusalem,  22,  95. 
esuit,  233. 
etsmark,  241. 
Jewett,  151,  206,  210,  218. 
Jews,  223. 

Jin-riki-sha,  113. 
Johnson,  105,  131,  144. 
Jones,  145,  151,  152. 

Jubilee  Fund,  Home  Mission,  51,  52. 
Judicial  mind,  77. 

Judson,  A.,  23,  70,   71,  73,  160,  161,  162, 
198,  202,  205,  273. 

Judson,  A.  H.,  71,  154,  238. 
udson,  E.,  53. 
Jungle-fever,  73. 
Jungles,   160,  166,  167,  171,  172,  173,  179, 

180,  213,  283. 
Juvenile  missionary  meetings,  106. 
"Juvenile  Missionary  Society,"  England, 
X06. 


KYI 


Kabir,  186. 
Kabir  Parthis, 

26 


K. 


Kacharis,  183. 

Kagos,  113. 

Kakchie,  133. 

Ka-Khyens,  180. 

Kamakura,  113. 

Kanagawa,  122. 

Kandura,  187,  189. 

Kandy,  197. 

Kansas,  43,  87,  89. 

Karens,  23,  94,  159,  160,  162,  167,  169,  170, 

171,  175,  176,  178,  179,  188,208,  218. 
Karens,  Bghai,  159,  178. 
Karens,  Paku,  159,  178. 
Karens,  Pwo,  159,  161,  174,  179. 
Karens,  Red,  159. 
Karens,  Sgau,  159,  161,  162,  167,  172,  173, 

174,  179,  180,  264. 
Karen  Theological  Seminary,  167, 168, 169, 

170. 
Kasan,  241. 
Keeler,  188. 
Keith,  232. 
Kelley,  163,  176. 
Kendrick,  249. 
Khamtis,  183. 
Khiirtoom,  228. 

"  Khoolnea  Singing  Band,"  200. 
Khyens,  163,  178. 
Kicin,  241. 
Kidder,  118,  120. 
Kido,  115. 
Kief,  241. 
Kincaid,  160,  162. 
King,  188. 

"  Kingdom  of  Rising  Sun,"  iii. 
Kings  (Royalty),  148,  149,  150,  152,  229, 

238,  247,  248,  252. 
Kingston,  264,  265. 
King-wo,  142. 
Kistna  (Krishna),  igo,  214. 
Kiu-kiang,  124. 
Kiyoto,  113,  169. 
Kiyoto  Training-School,  121,  122. 

Knapp,  258. 
Knowiton,  131. 

Kobe,  113,  118,  122. 
Koebner,  238. 
Kohls  (Kolhs),  183,  188. 
Kolarian,  184. 
Konigsberg,  240. 
Koran,  194,  235. 
Kosaris,  183. 
Ko  Thah-byu,  162. 

Ko   Thali-byu   Memorial,    161,   167,    168, 
170,  171,  179,  264. 

Kshatriyas,  193. 

Kublai  Khan,  125,  129. 
Kuddumdy,  200. 
Kung,  Prince,  125. 
Kurnool,  207,  214. 

Kwang-tung,  135. 

Kyiah-wo,  141, 


302 


INDEX. 


LAB 


Labor,  Division  of,  39. 

Labor,  Foreign,  43. 

Lactantius,  87. 

"  Ladies'  Branches,"  England,  106. 

La  Fere,  257. 

Lagos,  231. 

Lalce  Bivva,  113,  122. 

Lall  Bazaar,  198. 

Landels,  255. 

Lanlca  Dwipa,  197. 

Laos,  148,  150. 

Laou-tsze,  127. 

Laplanders,  244. 

Latin,  129,  142,  225,  256. 

Laundries   (Department   Girls*    Schools), 

171. 
Lawrence,  176. 

Learning  language,  274. 
Leavenworth,  105. 
Lectures  on  Missions,  88. 
Legation,  125. 
Legge,  130. 
Leghorn,  255. 
Legislation,  47,  263. 
Lehmann,  238,  245. 
Leith,  100. 

Leland  University,  51,  52. 
Lemaire,  257. 
Leo,  Great,  86. 
Lepoids,  257. 

Liberality,  18,  19. 

Liberia,  230,  231,  232,  233,  235,  236. 

Liberian  Africo- Americans,  232. 

Liberty,  Religious,  152,  258. 

Library,  62,  64. 

Liddon,  271. 

Lightfoot,  140. 

"  Light  of  Asia,"  197. 

Li-hung-chang,  125,  129. 

Lingam,  186,  193,  204. 

Linguistic,  1S3,  184. 

Lisle,  153. 

Litchfield,  198. 

Literal  observance,  38. 

Literary  institutions,  36. 

Literary  style,  Japan,  iig. 

Literature,  Christian,  22,  40,  41,  54,  55, 

61,  64,  65,  66,  74,  100,  108,  143,  189,  204, 

244,  284,  286. 
Literature,  Denominational,  39,  40,  64,  65, 

66,  88,  100. 
Literature,  General,  88,  225,  283. 
Literature,  Heathen  religious,  185. 
Literature,  Infidel,  195. 
Literature  of  missions,  30,  88,  91,  94,  108, 

no,  122,  170,  174,  i8i,  182,  253,  2S2. 
Literature,  Sunday-school,  37,  61,  64,  65, 

176,  286. 
Live  Oak,  Fla.,  51. 
Liverpool,  178,  277. 
Livingstone,  no,  224,  236. 
"  Livingstone  Inland  Mission,"  227,  228. 
Livingstone,  R.,  227,  229. 


MAR 
Living  voice,  40. 
Livonia,  241. 
Loanda,  229. 

Loan-fund,  Church-edifice,  49,  50. 
London,  99,  100,  loi,  102,  106,  198,  227,  • 

255- 
London  Missionary  Society,  130,  204,  208, 

226,  277. 
"  Lone  Star,"  151,  206,  222. 
Lord,  E.,  131,  138,  140,  141. 
Lord's  Day,  44,  115,  136,  143,  153,  279. 
Lord's  Supper,  18,  19,  250,  279,  280. 
Lough  ridge,  215. 
Louisiana,  34. 
Louis  Philippe,  257. 
Louvre,  257. 
Love,  249. 
Loyalty,  89,  90,  285. 
Liibeck,  237. 
Lucknow,  201. 
Lust,  260. 
Luther,  71. 

Lutheran,  -s,  19,  238,  243,  244,  245. 
Lutzen,  243. 
Lyons,  257. 
Lysippus,  249. 

M. 

Macgowan,  131. 
Madagascar,  259. 
Madras,    196,  204,  206,  207,  210,  211,  212, 

272,  276. 
Madras,  Presidency,  158. 
Madrid,  358. 
Magdeburg,  243. 
Maha-bharata,  186. 
Mahmud,  194. 
Mahomet,  194. 
Mahometanism   (Mohammedanism),    193, 

234. 
Mahometans   (Mohammedans),    159,    194, 

223. 
Mahrattas,  196. 
Maine,  286. 
Malacca,  130. 

Malay,  -an,  loB,  130,  146,  148,  191. 
Malcom,  72. 
Mamertine  Prison,  254. 
Mammon,  192. 
Manchu,  125. 
Mandalay,  175,  177. 
Manicheism,  85. 
Manley,  216. 
Manufactories,  269. 
Ma-oo-ben,  157,  174. 
Mapleson,  212. 
Maps,  Mission,  282. 
Marathi,  192. 
Marburg,  238. 
Marco  Polo,  197. 

Maritime  provinces,  Canadian,  20S,  209. 
Market,  54. 

Married  missionaries,  132. 
Marshall,  Texas,  51. 
Mars'  Hill,  248,  251. 


INDEX. 


303 


MAR 

Marshman,  108,  131,  197,  202. 

Martin,  170. 

Martyr-missionaries,   226,   230,   231,   233, 

268. 
Maryland,  61. 

Mason,  161,  162,  174,  183,  188. 
Massachusetts,  104. 
iMasulipatam,  204. 
Materialism,  116,  127. 
Maulmain,  156,  157,  158,  161,  162, 167, 171, 

175,  178,  272,  274. 
"  May  Meetings,"  71,  75,  76. 

McAllister,  179. 

McCullough,  144. 

McKibben,  134. 

McLaunn,  209. 

Medhurst,  130. 

]\Iediterranean,  47,  223. 

Meinam,  146,  153. 

Mela,  Christian,  200. 

Mela,  Heathen,  200. 

Members,  Christian  churches,  89,  90,  95, 

98,  100,  104,  105,  155. 
Memel,  240. 

Memorizing  Scripture,  214. 
Men,  89,  165,  166,  167,  274,  275. 
Men  and  women  missionaries.  Proportion, 

274.  275 
Mencian,  271. 
Menu,  Code  of,  185,  194. 
Methodist,  -s,   19,   120,   121,  138,  163,  164, 

172,  232,  267,  269,  276. 
Methods,  95. 

Metropolitan  Tabernacle,  99. 
Mexican  mission,  53. 
Mexicans,  United  States,  45. 
]Mexico,  -ans,  242,  259,  260,  268,  269. 
Mexico,  Gulf,  224. 
Michigan,  48. 
Middle  States,  43,  48,  114. 
Mid-ocean,  112. 
Mikado,  115. 
Milan,  252,  254. 
]\Jilitary  service,  157,  196. 
Milne,  130. 
Minas  Geraes,  267. 
Ming  dynasty,  125,  129. 
JNlinister's  giving,  281. 
Ministers'  lives,  276. 
Ministry,  24,  27,  36,  39,  57,  60,  65,  66,  68, 

75>  7^,  79,  80,  81,  82,  83,  85,  90,  91,  93, 

95,  loi,  105,  155,  156,  i6d,  273. 
Mirambo,  226. 
Misery,  259. 
Mission  agencies,  91,  96,  104, 105,  165,  173, 

265. 
Missionaries  (1000),  155,  210. 
Missionaries,  Disaffected,  282. 
Missionaries,  Foreign,  22,  23,  25,  26,  27, 

71.  73.  74,  75.  76,  77.  78,  89,  91,  92,   100, 

102,  103,  104,  106,  109,  no,  116,  117,  119, 

121,  125,  126,  130,  131,  134,  154,  157,  196, 

208,  273. 
Missionaries,  Happy,  139,  140. 
Missionaries'  health,  273. 


MIS 


Missionaries,  Home,  22,  27,  41,  44,  47,  48, 
49,  54,  55,  72,  74,  76,  77,  78,  S3,  89,  91, 
92,  no,  154,  155,  156,  273. 

Missionaries,  Independent,  117. 

Missionaries,  Sunday-school,  22,- 54,  55, 
61,  62,  65,  66,  74,  76,  77,  78,  89,  91,  92, 
154,  155,  156. 

Missionaries'  temptations,  198,  199. 

Missionaries  with  special  theories,  274. 

Missionary  atmosphere,  84,  90. 

Missionary  children,  140,  272,  277,  284. 

Missionary  communications,  275. 

Missionary  companionship,  135,  144. 

Missionary  concert,  60,  61,  91. 

Missionary  Department,  American  Bap- 
tist Publication  Society,  58,  61,  62,  106, 

270,  273,  286. 

Missionary  idea,  82,  83,  84,  85,  88,  95. 
Missionary  mothers,  140,  165. 
Missionary  physicians,  122,  135,  138,  139, 

175.  176. 
Missionary  sacrifice,  23,  75,  77,  78,  109, 

141,  142,  145,  155,  156,  159,  163, 177,  178, 

272,  277. 
"  Missionary  Sketches,"  239. 
Missionary  threats,  76,  282. 
Missionary  toil,  77,  78,  119,  120,  140,  144, 

145,  151,  156,  184,  185,  217. 
Mission  cemeteries,  277. 
Mission  dwellings,  etc.,  119,  139,  144,  171, 

»77,  214- 
Mission  families,  283. 
Mission  interest,  gi,  94,  104,  105,  210. 
Mission  lectureships,  88. 
Mission  professorships,  88.  ^ 

IMissiun  results,  73,  74,  75,  93,  96,  100,  121, 

140,  144,  151,  185,  199,  205,  207,  208,214, 

239,  257- 

Missions,  20,  23,  34,  37,  44,  48,  57,  70,  71, 
72,  75,  79,  81,  83,  84,  85,  86,  89,  91,  95, 
97,  99,  105,  109,  no,  116,  121,  124,  131, 
149,  150,  186,  191,  198,  225,  253,  270. 

Missions  and  science,  1S3. 

Mission  schools,   100^  120,   135,   140,  217, 

271,  272,  284.   See  Christian  Schools. 
Mission  Secretaries,  25,  26,  27,  56,  58,  73, 

75.  77.  78.  79.  80,  88,  102,  103,  104,  105, 

106,  238,  277. 
Mission  sermons,  106,  279. 
Missions,  Foreign,  38,  67,  69,  71,  72,  73,  82, 

88,  89,  loi,   106,  no,  153,  156,  157,  270, 

279. 
Missions,  Home,  21,  22,  23,  38,  39,  40,  41, 

42,  44,  45,  54,  67,  69,  72,  82,  87,  88,  89, 

99,  no,  154,  270. 
Mission  Societies,  58,  59,  60,  99,  100,  no, 

130,  164,  204,  225,  256,  260,  274,  275. 
Mission  spirit,  18,  24,  75,  82,  84,  89,  90,91, 

92,  93,  94,  96,  97,  98,  140,  157,  184,  232, 

274. 
Mission  steamers,  226,  227,  233,  236. 
Mission  support,  17,  37,  78,  96,  157,  158, 

237. 
Mission  Treasurers,  25,  27,  58,  75,  77,  80. 
Mississippi  River,  42,  43,  48,  112,  224. 
Missouri,  43. 


304 

MIS 
Missouri  River,  44. 
Mistrust,  282. 
IMitchell,  176,  257. 
Mix,  178. 
Modena'  254. 
Moenster,  239. 
Monasteries,  113. 
Monastic,  253. 
Money,  45,  89,  91,  103,  106. 
Monghyr,  201. 
Mongol,  125,  194. 
Monica,  225. 
Monrovia,  230. 
Monsoon,  146,  197. 
Montanism,  85. 

"  Monthly,"  Home  Mission,  53. 
Moody  and  Sankey,  151,  200,  215. 
Moon,  144. 
Moore,  188. 

Moravian,  -s,  243,  260,  264. 
Morehouse,  51,  105. 
"  More  so,"  220. 
Morgan,  214. 
Morioka,  118. 
Morlaix,  25S. 
Mormonism,  112. 
"  Morning  Star,"  Karen,  170. 
Morrison,  130. 
Morrow,  162. 
Morse,  152. 
Moscow,  240,  241. 
Moses,  224. 
Moslem,  194,  200,  226. 
Moslems,  200,  201. 
Mosul,  158. 

Motive,  69,  82,  92,  95,  220, 
Moung  Nau,  73. 
Mtesa,  223,  226,  228. 
Muato  Yanvo,  228. 
Mullens,  277. 
Munson,  118. 

Murdock,  78,  loi,  103,  105. 
Muttra,  201. 
Mylne,  230. 
Mystery,  179,  180. 
Mythology,  249. 

N. 

Nagas,  183,  184,  187,  188. 
Nagasaki,  113,  121. 
Nanak,  186. 

Nan-king  (Nankin),  124,  143. 
Naples,  252,  255. 
Napoleon,  Louis,  247,  257. 
Narragansett  Bay,  178,  278. 
Nashville,  51. 
Nashville  Institute,  51. 
Natchez,  51. 
Natchez  Seminary,  51. 
"  National  Baptist,"  229. 
Native  tunes,  212. 
Nature,  128,  192. 
Nazareth,  95. 
Nebraska,  43. 


INDEX. 


OKU 


Negation  of  faith,  196. 

Neglected  classes,  68. 

Negro,  252,  261,  262,  263,  265. 

Negro-land,  234. 

Neighbor,  188. 

Nellore,  204,  205,  206,  207,  2J0,  211,  212. 

Nestorians,  86,  129. 

Neudorf,  241. 

Nevada,  43. 

New  England,  43,  97,  114. 

Newhall,  214. 

New  Leon,  268. 

New  Mexico,  44. 

New  Orleans,  51,  52,  112, 

New  Testament,  117,  119,  122,  161,  187, 

208,  218,  219,  249. 
New  Testament  commentary,  64. 
Newton,  84. 
New  York,  21,  24,  28,  48,  52,  53,  56,  57,  65, 

77,  84,  103,  105,  III,  255,  277. 
New  York  State,  104,  168. 
Ngan-king,  124. 

Nice,  86. 

Nichi-nichi-shinbun,  122. 

Nichols,  173,  210,  211. 

Niger  River,  224,  226,  235,  277. 

Niger,  Upper  River,  232,  236. 

Nijni-Novgorod,  241. 

Nikko,  113. 

Nile,  224. 

Nilsson,  239. 

Nineteenth  century,  86,  87. 

"  Ninety  and  Nine,"  68. 

Nineveh,  248. 

Ning-po,  124,  131,  138,  139,  142.  15Z1  169. 

Nirvana,  127. 

Nizam,  215. 

Norris,  176. 

North  America,  34. 

North  Sea,  240. 

North,  United  States,  29,  31,  32,  33,  34. 

46,  72,  94,  96,  lOI. 
Norway,  35,  244,  245. 
Norwegian,  64. 
Norwood,  134. 
Novelty,  113. 
Nowgong,  187,  188. 
Nowgong  Institution,  187. 

Nubia,  224. 

Nundial,  204. 

Nyassa,  Lake,  226,  227. 

o. 

Obligation,  39,  40,  54,  69,  70,  72,  76,  83, 

225,  230,  287. 
Obscenity,  193,  200,  204,  221. 
Occident,  112. 
Ocean  Grove,  145. 
Odessa,  241. 
Ogbomishaw,  231. 
Ohio,  48,  104,  III. 
Okubo,  115. 


INDEX. 


305 


OLD 

Oldenburg,  238. 

"  Old  Men's  Home,"  153. 

Omed,  187,  189. 

Oncken,  237,  238,  239,  244. 

Oneidas,  48. 

Ongole,  87,  107,  151,  169,  178,  207,  208,  209, 

210,  et  seq.,  272,  276,  2S1. 
On  the  rack,  76. 
"  Open  communion,"  ig. 
Opium  curse,  107,  126,  127,  139,  191. 
Opium  war,  130. 
Opportunity,  17,  22,  39,  48,  55,  93,  97,  112, 

116,  121,  122,  124,  125,  130,  189,  225,  250, 

253,  256,  266,  285. 
Ordinances,  38,  46. 
■Oregon,  43. 
Organization,  285. 
Orient,  112,  114,  126. 
Oriental,  108. 
Origen,  86,  224. 
Orissa,  196,  206. 
Ornamental  appendages,  Si,  82. 
Osaka,  113,  122. 
Osgood,  160,  162. 
Otaheite,  161. 
Otsu,  122. 

Oung-pen-la,  73,  154. 
"  Our  own  church,"  79,  90,  91,  92,  95,  96, 

^97,99- 
Out-stations,  135. 

Overcrowded  schools,  171. 
Over-schooling,  271. 


Pacific  Coast,  42,  49,  65,  112. 

Pacific  Ocean,  23,  28,  iii,  112. 

Packer,  168,  169. 

Pagans,  -ism,  67,  185,  223,  235,  286. 

Pagodas,  129. 

Palanquin,  113. 

Palatine  Hill,  254. 

Palestine,  21,  in,  154. 

Pantheon,  Rome,  254. 

Paper  money  for  the  dead,  126. 

Para,  267. 

Paramats,  159. 

Parana,  267. 

Parents,  91. 

Paris,  255,  256,  257,  276. 

Parish  calls,  177,  178. 

Parliament,  British,  261,  263. 

Parsees,  igi. 

Parthenon,  248,  249. 

Partridge,  134,  153. 

Pasco,  249. 

Pastoral,  41. 

Pastorate,  20,  87,  120,  166. 

Pastors,  54,  55,  60,  87,  91,  94,  96,  100,  106, 


Patience,  161,  272. 
Patmos,  III,  248. 
Patras,  249. 

26* 


POO 

Patronage  by  government,  116,  150, 
Paul,  63,  156,  248,  249,  250,  251. 
Payne,  176. 

Peace  policy,  48. 

Pe-chili,  Gulf,  124. 

Peck,  72. 

Pedobaptists,  20,  64,  66. 

Peguans,  148. 

Peiho  River,  124,  129. 

Peking,  124,  125,  128,  170. 

Pelagianism,  86. 

Pelagius,  86. 

Peloponnesus,  North,  249. 

"  Peng-on  !"  138. 

Peninsular,  87. 

Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company,  146. 

Pennsylvania,  104,  281. 

Pensions,  78. 

Perfectionists,  145,  228. 

Periodicals,  37,  57,  62,  65,  80,  91,  94,  103, 

182,  246. 
Pcrnambuco,  267. 
Perquisites,  78. 
Persecution,    116,   150,  238,  239,  240,  243, 

244. 
Perseverance,  151,  161,  273. 
rersia,  191. 
Persian,  192. 

Personal  impressions,  102,  103,  176. 
Personal  labor,  78,  83,  84,  85. 
Pessimism,  127. 

Phidias,  249. 

Philadelphia,  24,  28,  52,  56,  57,  60,  61,  62, 

63,  71,  73,  77.  i°5,  "8,  174,  245. 
Philanthropy,  229,  253,  262. 
Philippines,  242. 
Phillips,  1S8. 
Philological,  183. 
Philosophy,  225. 
Phinney,  172. 
Phonetic,  119. 

"  Physician's  certificate,"  166. 
Pietism,  German,  243. 
Piety,  32,  37,  I2S,  201,  243,  256,  273. 
Pilgrim's  Progress,  no. 
Pincian  Hill,  253. 
Pioneers,  22,  28,  44,  48,  71,  72,  97, 130,  131, 

154,  173,  183,  202. 
Piraeus,  248,  249. 
Pius  IX.,  247. 
Pizarro,  259. 

Place  de  la  Concorde,  257. 
Plato,  248,  249. 
Plymouth  Brethren,  145,  228. 
Poate,  118,  119,  120,  122. 
Poland,  35,  237,  238,  240,  241,  242. 
Polish,  239,  241. 
Politeness,  114,  120. 
Politics,  105. 
Polygamy,  194. 
Polytheism,  -tic,  i86,  192,  193. 
Pomerania,  238. 
Pontiff,  247. 
Poonah,  196, 


3o6 


INDEX. 


POP 


RIC 


Pope,  252,  260. 

Population,  Colored,   United  States,  39, 

46,  51,  170,  261. 
Population,  Density  of,  136. 
Port  Hudson,  165. 
Portland,  105. 
Portuguese,  259,  260,  267. 
Power,  Spiritual,  37. 

Prairies,  157. 

Praxiteles,  249. 

Prayer,  28,  45,  80,  91,  95,  96,  IS3,  i6ij  ^73. 

207,  210,  216,  233,  240,  281. 
"  Prayer-Meeting  Hill,"  207,  216.  218. 
Prayer-meetings,  60,  85,  134,  137,  139,  174. 

207,  216,  218,250. 
Preachers,  Native,  41,  47,  73,  74,  93,  107. 
121,  123,  131,  135,  163,  167,  169,  189,213, 
219,  265,  284. 
Preaching,  45,  49,  82,  87,  144, 160,  198, 199, 

211,  217,  270,  284. 
Preaching,  Popular,  92. 
Precedents,  284. 
Pre-empted,  38. 
Pre-emption,  164. 

Presbyterian,  -s,  19, 103, 118,  120,  121, 138, 
139,  144,  149,  164,  172,  232,  264,  267,  269, 
276. 
Press,  40,  53,  54,  57,  59>  i°7.  109.  "°.  ''S, 
116,  122,  149,  160,  170,  172,  174,  198,240, 
244,  270,  276. 
Pressense,  257. 
Presumption,  284. 
Price,  178. 
Pride,  159,  171,  253. 
Priestcraft,  286. 
Priesthood,   126,   127,  151,  193,  247,  253, 

257,  260,  268. 
Primary  schools,  165. 
Production,  261. 
Progress,  36,  48,  49. 
Prome,  157,  162,  163,  167,  168,  169,  177. 
Promises,  161,  207. 
Promises,  Cheap,  203,  205,  206,  207. 
Prophetic,  206. 
Prophets,  85,  117. 
"  Propagation  Society,"  164,  168. 
Proportion  off  field,  166. 
Propylsea,  249. 
Proselytism,  127. 
Prospect  of  centuries,  97. 
Prospect  of  success,  161. 
Protestant,  -s,  -ism,  44,  48,  no,  125,  129, 

131,  223,  233,  243,  248,  251,  253,  278. 
Pruitt,  144. 
Prussia,  240. 
Prussian,  237. 

Providence,  18,  22,  23,  29,  34,  41,  55,  56, 
66,  71,  121,  126,  181,  188,  197,  207,  218, 
219,  234,  262. 
Providence,  City  of,  20,  105,  129,  173,  175, 
178,  277. 

Publications,  65,  209. 

Public  schools  (Government),  81,  115,  116, 

171. 
Public  spirit,  90,  282. 


Pulpit,  40,  60,  104. 

Punjab,  184. 

Puranas,  186. 

Purchasing  missionary  literature,  200,  zoi, 

258. 

Q. 

Qualification,  120. 
Queue,  145, 
Quirinal,  248. 

R. 

Railway,  157,  168,  183,  190,  197,  252,  269. 
Rajah-mundry,  191. 
Rajpootana,  196. 
Raleigh,  51. 
Rama,  198. 

Ramapatam,  107,  207,  211,  213,  216. 
Ramayana,  186,  198. 
Rammohun  Roy,  195. 
Ramseyer,  257. 
Rand,  176. 

Rangoon,   73,  87,  154,  IS7.  '61.  162,  163, 
164,  167,  168,  169,  171,  172,  174,  175,  178, 
182,  272,  276. 
Rangoon  College,  167,  168,  169,  170. 
"  Rangoon  Missionary  Society,"  174. 
Rank,  Social,  82. 
Rathbun,  175. 
Rationalism,  240,  243. 
Rats  for  food,  180. 

Readers,  gi. 

Reciprocity,  246. 

Reed,  1.S3. 

Reetz,  240. 

Reference-books,  64. 

Reflex  benefits,  93,  96. 

Reformation,  German,  238. 

Reformed  churches,  19. 

Regeneration,  18,  38,  271. 

Regularity  of  habits,  273. 

Reinforcement,  93,  108,  122,  143,  149,  150, 
167,  174. 

Religion,  83,  185,  186,  194,  200. 

Religious  luxury,  87. 

Reports,  Annual,  75,  76,  94. 

Republicanism,  247. 

Resources,  31,  et  seg.,  73,  81,  88,  89,  96, 
99,  100,  loi,  265,  269,  285. 

Respected,  19. 

Responsibility,  Baptist,  United  States,  40, 
42,  52,  56,  90,  96,  97,  122,  123,  149,  164, 
igi,  260,  266,  277. 

Responsibility,  Personal  and  General,  79, 
87,  90,  130,  150,  169,  191,  259,  285. 

Revelation,  192. 

Revival  of  religion,  87,  94,  96,  240,  279. 

Revocation,  Edict  Nantes,  256. 

Revolution,  48. 

Rhees,  118,  120. 

Rhode  Island,  20,  in,  152, 

Rhodes,  248. 

Rholfs,  224. 

Rice  and  curry,  156,  158. 

Rice,  L.,  71. 


INDEX. 


307 


RIC 

Richard,  125. 

Richmond,  51,  165,  202. 

Richmond  Institute,  51. 

Riga,  241. 

Rig-Veda,  185. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  267.  ' 

Rio  Grande,  44,  269. 

Ritualism,  100,  186. 

Roberts,  177,  180. 

Rochester,  84,  168,  238,  249. 

RoclLwood,  179. 

Rocky  Mountains,  112,  224.  ■ 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  45,  48,  97,  129, 
223,  226,  240,  241,  242,  243,  246,  252,  253, 
254,  256,  257,  258,  259,  260,  266,  267,  268, 
278. 

"  Romance  of  Missions,"  173. 

Rome,  242,  247,  252,  253,  254,  255. 

Rose,  i6o,  174,  175. 

Rostan,  255. 

"  Round-the-World  Letters,"  iii,  112. 

Rouse,  198. 

Routine,  80. 

Rue  de  Lille,  257. 

Rummy,  240. 

Running  expenses,  59. 

Russell,  188. 

Russia,  -n,  35,  no,  237,  240,  241,  242. 

Russian  Bible  Society,  241. 

Russians,  United  States,  45. 

Ruth,  17. 

Ryland,  72,  107. 


Sabaragamdwa,  197. 

Sabellianism,  85. 

Sabellius,  86. 

Sacerdotal,  186,  192. 

Sacrifice,  95,  109. 

Sacrifices,  286. 

Sadiya,  183,  187. 

Sahara,  223. 

Sakellarios,  249. 

Sakya-Muni,  1S6. 

Salaries,  25,  26,  27,  49,  58,  78,  96,  109,  155, 

157,  158,  242,  273,  276. 
Salem,  71. 

Salem  Chapel,  Stockholm,  244. 
Salt  Lake  City,  112. 
Salvation,  94. 
Salwin,  154,  156. 
Samara,  241. 
Samurai,  123. 
"  Sanctified  !"  145. 
Sands,  118,  119,  120,  122. 
Sanford,  208. 

San  Francisco,  21,  27,  iii,  112. 
San  Paulo,  266,  267. 
San  Salvador,  227. 
Sanskrit,  108,  no,  192,  197. 
Santa  Barbara,  266. 
Saracens,  47. 
Saratov,  241. 
Sardinia,  255. 


SHE 

Saxony,  243. 

Scandinavia,  -n,  42,  243. 

Scandinavians,  United  States,  45,  49. 

Scattering  forces,  135. 

Scepticism,  86. 

Schmidt  Strasse  Chapel,  245. 

Schoenbriin,  47. 

Scholars,  100. 

Scholarship,  122. 

Scholastic  theology,  86. 

Schools,  Advanced,  167,  168,  170. 

Schools,  Christian,  47,  51,  74,  87,  88,  165, 

175,  176,  192,  204,  212. 
Schools,   Denominational,  83,  84,    85,  88, 

253- 
Schools,  Graded,  169. 
Schools,  Secular  (Government),  115,  116, 

192,  247,  248. 
School-theory,  19,  38,  198,  199,  272. 
Schweinfurth,  224. 
Science,  88,  129,  183. 
Scopas,  249. 
Scotch,  19,  225,  267. 
Scotch  National  Bible  Society,  246. 
Scotland,  35. 

Scotland,  Established  Church,  226. 
Scotland,  Free  Church,  226. 
Scythian,  184. 
Sears,  238. 
Sectarian,  ig. 

Secunderabad,  207,  214,  272. 
Sedan,  247. 
Seine,  257. 
Selfishness,  67,  68,  70,  84,  92.  in,  127, 156, 

280. 
Self-reliance,  135,  136,  264. 
Self-restraint,  273. 

Self-sacrifice,  89,  91,  157,  211,  245,  279. 
Self-support,  161,   176,  179,  199,  227,  233 

264,  265. 
Selma,  Ala.,  51. 

Semi-centennial,  Home  Mission,  51,  52. 
Semi-centennial,  Publication  Society,  57 
Seminoles,  53. 
Semple,  72. 
Sendai,  118. 
Sepoys,  47,  187. 
Septuagint,  225. 
Serampore,  71,  73,  107,  108,  109,  131,   183, 

197,  203,  204. 
Serindib,  197. 
Sermons,  63,  90,  91,  134. 
Servants  for  missionaries,  147. 
Seward,  125. 
Shanghai,  124,  129,  132,  138,  142,  172,  272, 

276. 
Shanghai  colloquial,  143. 
Shans,  159,  163,  170,  180,  208. 
Shan-si,  125,  126,  132. 
Shan-tung,  124,  132,  144,  145. 
Sharp,  72. 
Shasters,  271. 
Shaw  University,  51. 
Shechinah,  181. 
Sheldon,  176,  178,  257. 


308 


INDEX. 


SHE 
Shen-si,  126,  129. 
Shermer,  231. 
Shintoo,  116,  117. 
Shintooism,  115,  ii5,  127. 
Shire,  226. 
Shogun,  115. 
Shrines,  151. 
Shuck,  131. 

Shwaygyeen,  158,  168,  178,  272. 
Siam,  -ese,  22,  127,  131,  140,  146,  147,  14S, 

149,  150,  151,  152,  153,  158,  159,  165,  191. 
Sibsagor,  187,  188. 
Sicily,  255. 
Siddhartha,  1S6. 
Sidon,  69. 

Sierra  Nevadas,  112. 
Sikh,  1S6. 
Sikok,  118. 
Simmonds,  143. 
Simons,  162. 
Sindh,  184. 
Singapore,  146. 
Singhalese,  108,  196,  197. 
Singphos,  183. 
Siva,  186,  193,  204,  218. 
Skinner,  230. 
Slafter,  153. 
Slavers,  230,  232, 
Slavery,  224,  259,  260,  261,  263. 
Slaves,  46,  97,  160,  162,  194,  232,  261,  262. 
Slave-trade,  -ers,  227,  229,  260. 
Small-pox,  264. 
Smith,   loi,  148,   149,   150,   169,  170,  174, 

206,  239. 
Smyrna,  248. 
Social  rank,  35,  247. 
Societies,  Multiplication  of,  41. 
Society  for  missionaries,  273. 
Socrates,  248. 

Soliciting  mission  funds,  228. 
Solomon,  224. 

Song,  64,  178,  211,  212,  222. 
Sophocles,  248. 

Soudan,  223,  228,  232,  234,  236,  278. 
Southern  Baptist  Convention,  29,  132,  143, 

144,  231,  236,  242,  251,  254,  266,  267,  268, 

274. 
South,  United  States,  23,  29,  31,  32,  33,  34, 

46,  49.  73,  93,  132.  143- 
Spain,  35,  73,  233,  242,  251. 
Spanish,  64,  259,  260,  266,  268. 
Specialty,  88. 
Speke,  224. 
Spiritual  life,  72. 
Spurgeon,  99. 

Squalor,  251. 

Standard,  Intellectual,  81. 

Standard  of  Christian  literature,  55. 

Standard  of  instruction,  51. 

Stanley,  224,  226,  236. 

Stanley  Pool,  no,  227,  229. 

States,  65,  92,  99,  104,  125. 

State  Secretaries,  Woman's  Society,  106. 


TAP 

Stations,  135,  136. 

Statistics,  29,  35,  36,  37,  48,  49,  53,  73,  74, 

75,  77,  80,  81,  92,93,  100,  114,  121,  129, 

130,  131,  144,  167,  189,  190,  196,  199,  231, 

264. 
Staughton,  72. 
Stearns,  84. 
Stein,  143. 

Stereoplicon,  178,  179. 
Stevens,  160,  163,  170,  173,  174,  177,  178. 
Stockholm,  no,  244,  245,  276. 
Stoddard,  188. 
Strategy  in  missions,  163. 
Strong,  84. 
Study,  85. 
Stuttgart,  238. 
St.  Bartholomew,  2^6. 
St.  Bernard,  86.       *^ 
St.  Brieuc,  258. 
St.  Louis,  65. 
St.  Paul,  city,  105. 
St.  Peter's,  254. 
St.  Petersburg,  240. 
St.  Sauveur,  257. 
Subscription-papers,  281. 
Subscriptions,  91. 

Success,  89,  92,  93,  loi,  103,  161,  271. 
Su-chow,  124,  142,  143. 
Si^dras,  160,  193. 
Suffrage,  47. 
Sultan,  194. 

Sunday-school  concerts,  281. 
"  Sunday-School       Missionary      Associa- 
tions,"  England,   106. 
Sunday-schools,  21,  22,  28,  37,  39,  45,  55, 

61,  62,  64,  65,  68,  70,  93,   94,  96,   106, 

210,  270,  272,  286. 
Superficial,  255. 
Supernatural,  128,  196. 
Superstition,  74,  126,  128,  159,  188,195,241, 

252,  267. 
Suspicious,  282. 
SutcUffe,  72. 
Sutlej,  183. 
Sutton,  206. 

"  Swan  Point  Cemetery,"  277. 
Swatow,   S7,    107,   124,    131,  133,  134,  144, 

148,  169,  219,  281. 
Sweden,  35,   73,   107,   no,  208,  237,  238, 

240,  242,  243,  244,  245. 
Swedish,  64,  no,  239,  243,  244. 
Switzerland,  35,  112,  245. 
Sympathy,  45,   79,  89,  95,   155,  156,  228, 

240. 
Syra,  248. 


Tact,  28,  176,  210,  236,  272. 
Tahlequah,  53. 
Tamerlane,  194. 
Tamil,  108,  191,  196,  197. 
Tanganyika,  226. 
Taouism,  127. 
Taouist,  128. 
Taprobane,  197. 


TAR 

Tarpeian  Rock,  254. 

Tartar,  143. 

Tavoy,  161,  162,  163,  164,  169. 

Taylor,  254. 

Teachers,  87,  88,  96,   100,   171,  179,   189, 

257,  265. 
Teachers,  American  Baptist   Home  Mis- 
sion, 48,  54. 
Teachers,  Native,  47. 
Tears,  137. 
Telford,  152. 
Telugu,  -s,  23,  35,  151,  174,  191,  192,  196, 

202,  203,  204,  205,  206,  207,  208,  209,  210, 

et  seq.,  275. 
Temperance,  107. 

Temples,  116,  127,  128,  151,  248,  249. 
Territories,  65,  92,  125. 
Tertullian,  224. 
Texas,  43,  286. 
Theism,  192. 
Theological  Institutions,  36,  51,  8r,  83,  84, 

85,  121,  122,  213,  216,  244,  257. 
Theology,  Practical,  85. 
"The  Rooms,"  26,  27,  28,  56,  76,  77,  78, 

79,  80,  100,  loi,  102    10:5,  104,  105,  234, 

236,  282. 
Thibet,  127. 
Thieffry,  257. 

Thomas,  161,  163,  177,  178,  187. 
Thompson,  134. 

Thongzai^i57,  163,  165,  167,  176. 
Threshold  and  temple,  181, 
Tibeto-Burman,  183,  184. 
Tie-Chiu,  133,  135,  148. 
Tientsin,  124,  125,  129,  130, 
Tiger,  213. 
Tilly,  243. 
Timbuktu,  235. 
Time,  237. 
Timidity,  150. 
Timpany,  209. 

To-day,  87,  97,  98. 
Tokaido,  113,  122. 
Tokio,  87,  113,  114,  117,  118,  120,  121,  122, 

123,  271. 
Tokushima,  118. 
Toleration,  Religious,  115,  150,  152,  194, 

267,  268. 
Tolman,  187. 
Tontras,  186. 
Toombudra,  214. 
Torre  Pellice,  254. 
Total  abstinence,  107. 
"  Touch  of  nature,"  173. 
Toungoo,  158,  162,  168,  169,  174,  178, 
Touring  churches,  79. 

Tract-distribution,  21,  41,  61,  63,  64,  74, 

100,  109,  176,  187,  246. 
Trade,  192,  200,  247,  261. 
Tradition,  159,  271. 
Translation,  74,  107,  108,  109,  no,  itg,  120, 

143,  i6i,  187,  195,  204,  208,  209,  210,  233. 
Transmigration,  185. 
Trapani,  255. 


INDEX.  309 

VED 

Travelling,  in,  113,  124, 130, 157,  182, 183, 

191,  242. 
Treasury,  104. 
Treaty-ports,  114,  130, 
Tremel,  258. 
Tremont  Temple,  53. 
Tribal  missions,  184,  185. 
Triennial  Conference,  237. 
Triennial  Convention,  73. 
Trieste,  251. 
Trinidad,  264, 
Tritton,  loi. 

Tropical  vegetation,  146,  147,  197, 
Tropics,  Within,  147. 
Trust,  Sacred,  77,  81,  85,  88. 
Truve,  244. 
Ts'ing  dynasty,  125. 
Tsulciji,  120. 
Tuileries,  257. 
Tung-chow,  124. 

Tung-chow-fu,  132,  144,  158,  272, 
Tunis,  253. 
Tura,  188,  276. 
Turin,  252,  255. 

Turkey,  35,  112,  237,  240,  251,  259. 
Tyranny,  260. 
Tyre,  67. 

u. 

Ubique,  87,  no. 

Uganda,  223,  226,  228,  234. 

Unbelief,  64,  86,  98. 

Undenominational,  18,  227. 

Underbill,  loi,  102. 

Union  Missionary  Societies,  284. 

Union  work,  119,  209. 

Unitarians,  196. 

United  States,  31,  34,  35,  138,  190,   196, 

209,  224,  268. 
Unity,  20,  228,  256,  265,  275. 
Unity  of  God  (Vedic),  185. 
Universities,  36,  81,  118,  142,  170,  255. 
Universities,  State,  81. 
Unmarried  women-missionaries,  135,  165, 

284. 
Unselfishness,  96, 
Upham,  179. 
Uramba,  226. 
Urdu,  196. 
Utah,  112. 
Utilizing  mission  facts,  181,  182, 


Vacancies,  135. 

Vacations,  90,  156,  166,  167,  206,  276. 

Vacation-support,  78. 

Vaisyas,  193. 

Value  received.  For,  92. 

Vanlose,  241. 

Van  Husen,  205. 

Van  Meter,  163, 

Vatican,  253. 

Vedas,  185,  192,  271. 


3IO 


INDEX. 


VED 


Vedic,  185,  186. 
Vegetation,  224. 
Venerable,  157,  158,  166,  172. 
Venice,  84,  251,  255. 
Vernacular  examinations,  274. 
Vernacular  preaching,  199. 

Vice,  143,  148. 

Victor  Emmanuel,  254. 

Victoria  Nyanza,  223,  226,  227,  228, 

Vienna,  240. 

Vignal,  257. 

"  Vile  Jesus  doctrine,"  117. 

Vinakonda,  217. 

Vincent,  257. 

Vinton,  162,  167,  172,  173. 

Virginia,  34,  165. 

Virihaspati,  186. 

Virtues,  Masquerade  of,  128. 

Vishnu,  1S6,  193,  218. 

Visitation,  Family,  165. 

Vizagapatam,  203,  204,  208. 

Vonbrunn,  231. 
Voyaging,  270, 

^^'■. 

Wade,  162. 
Wahombo,  223. 
Waiting,  161. 
Waldo,  249. 
Wales,  35. 
Walker,  143,  255. 
Wall,  255. 
Walled  cities,  125 
Wallenstein,  243. 
War,  47. 

Ward,  108,  188,  197,  198,  202. 
Warren,  238. 

Washington  City,  50,  51,  57,  61,  73. 
Watchword,  88. 
Waterbury,  211. 
Watson,  179. 
Way  land,  229. 
Wayland  Seminary,  50,  51. 
Weakness,  145. 
Webb,  72. 
Webster,  176. 
"  Week  of  prayer,"  117. 
Wellington,  Duke  of,  87. 
"  Well  settled,"  91 
Wenger,  no. 
Wesley,  71,  158. 
Wesleyans,  260,  264. 

West  Indies,  35,  100,  107,   109,  232,  259, 
260,  263,  264,  265. 


ZON 

Weston]  84. 

Westrup,  268. 

West,  United  States,  22,  23,  33,  42,  43,  44, 

48.  49.  67,  72,  93.  97.  "2- 
Whilden,  143. 
White,  123. 
White  ants,  139. 
White  men  needed,  231. 
Whiting,  187,  188. 
Wiberg,  244. 
Wiharas,  197. 
Williams,  2r3,  214,  216. 
Willmarth,  257. 
Windau,  241. 
Winning  the  heart,  120. 
Wisconsin,  48. 

Wives  of  native  preachers,  214. 
Womanhood,  225. 
Woman's  Foreign  Mission,  53,  80, 103, 106, 

120,  165,  187,  230,  275,  283,  284. 
Woman's  Home  Mission,  53,  80,  283,  284. 
Women,  Slavery  of,  194. 
Works,  68. 
World,  82,  83,   89,  90,  91,  92,  95,  97,  98, 

III,  126,  270,  279,  285. 
Worldliness,  95,  156. 
Worship,  Houses  of,  39. 
Worship  of  ancestral  tablet,  127,  128. 
Worship  of  evil  spirits,  127. 
Worship  of  powers  of  nature,  128,  192. 
Wretchedness,  191,  211,  223,  251,  260,  261. 
Wuhu,  124. 
Wycliffe,  71. 
Wyoming,  43. 

Y. 

Yang-tse-kiang,  124. 

Yates,  108,  143, 

Yokohama,  113,  117,  118,  119,  276. 

Yoruba,  231,  236. 

z. 

Zacatecas,  268. 

Zambeze,  224,  226. 

Zante,  249. 

Zao-hying,  124,  140,  141,  142, 158,  272. 

Zeal,  Evangelizing,  no,  256. 

Zeegong,  157,  176. 

Zenanas,  94,  165,  194. 

Zezulin,  741. 

Zion,  145,  153. 

Zong-pah,  142. 


Unto  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of  him  shall  be  much  required." 
Luke  xii.  48. 


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