Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-06-08
The Condition of Christendom.


K For an able series of views of the progres
of Christianity in Europe, from the Evangelical
standpoint, the most thorough and suggestive
work is that on "The Religious Condition Q
Christendom," by DR.. Steane, of London, pub
lished last year, being translation OF series
of papers presented by the ablest man OF the re-
formed churches on the continent of Europe, al
the Paris Evangelical Conference.
That Christianity, as whole, is gaining i'm
mensely and rapidly upon the heathen world,
no one will doubt who has attended any Of the
missionary meetings, or even read the newspa.
pers. In fact, while Missionary Societies are
differing among themselves and splitting to
pieces on questions as to the best way Of carry
ling on missionary operations, the heathen bare
casting away their gods, and seeking Christian
instruction, with rapidity unheard of since
Creation, and the different denominations of
Christians are getting to act together better
Commerce is bringing the nations Of the earth
Into daily contact. This leads Christian nations
and heather to measure strength, and it is found
that the former have secret source Of power
that the Others have not. They observe more
closely the social laws of all religion, such as
truth and Justice. The Chinese for instance
the largest nation on earth, is found to be the
very weakest, because all its officials lie,
and exaggerate, and cheat, and report nothing
truly to their government. The.people see the
force and power Of Christian nations, and are not
far wrong in the gross and general idea that IT
they could learn Christianity they could become
strong too. Hence it it is that the rebels in
China have circulated Christian books and doc.
trines mutilated, indeed but not more corrupt
than various types of Christianity, as preached
among heather nations in former periods. =
Three hundred millions are thus having Chris
tianity sowed broadcast by their own citizens.
| So in Burmah, at this moment, the present
king (his brother having just been beaten by the
East India Company sees in Christianity a Jorce,
and has taken to read the Bible, which Judson,
the American missionary, translated years ago,
after having been cruelty imprisoned and brought
to deaths door. The king has dismissed his
priests and taken the missionaries into favor
The quelling of the rebellion in India is death
blow to heathenism among two hundred mil
/ lions more. Ecen the spord of Havelock, no
| less than the "Psam- singing" for which he sol
long and nobly endured ridicule, have sown the
seeds of Christianity among Hindoos whose faith |
had reached it's dotage before the babe of Beth
lehem lay Graded in the manger, but which has
held together simply for want of superior force
to overthrow it. Africa, too, is being penetra- |
ted to the core-penetrated by Christian mis-
sonaries, like our own countrymen Bowen in
Yoribah, as DR.. Livingston travelled it from east
to west.
While the circumference of nominal Christi
anity is thus rapidly enlarging, the great ques-
ton is, ho,o fares it at the centrsf There has
been feeling in past years that there was
q declining interest in evangelical Christianity
at home, just in proportion to its extension a.
broad. The immense impetus, however, that
has been given to personal religion within the
last few months, through the Young Mems
Christian Association and similar societies, un-
equalled in power by any known previous move
ment of the Church, shows that this is not the
case, but the contrary. Even in a pecuniary
point of view, Notwithstanding the enormous
pressure of the times, it was estimated, in re-
cent number of the New York Herald, that the
sum total of contributions to the benevolent 80
cetes of the day amounting usually to over
two millions of dollars, was eighty thousand dol
lars over that this year, and had only rallen
about twenty thousand dollars below that Of the
most prosperous of years, i. e., 1S57.-PhiladsI-
phia Ledger.