The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-12-16
For TIE CENTRAL rsBrrER1AS.
Modern Mi. ions.

Take India rext. The Lot Carey went as
the first msso nary to that CO ntry, about seventy
four years ago. From that small beginning the
number of missionaries increased until in 1920, it
was l52. At the present lime the number from
Europe and America is about coo To these may
b, added 200 ordained natie, minister's, and 2 900
native licensed preachers, la India, Burmah and
Ceylon, there are about 800 600 communing church
members The number of youth in Christian
schools is about 100000
But what has in the meantime been the effect
on the people generally In that country the
bodies of the dead are burned, not buried as with
us. The religion of the HindOo almost requires
the living widow to be burned with the body of her
dead husband. In the district of Bengal alone
about 1920 widows were THUS burned every year.
For two or three years past it is said that not a
single widow has been burned in all India.
At particular time of the year. vast crowds of
people have been in the habit of going on pilgrim
ages. some of them FIVE hundred miles, to the tenn
pie Jauggernaut their chief Idol. During the pro.
gress Of the worship this enormous god, clothed
in his annual suit Of three hundred yards of broad
cloth, is placed on his enormous car and drawn by
his worshippers from his enormous temple. Now
and then as the car was rolled along deyotee
would lie down before the wheels, and, amid the
scclamations OF the people be crushed to death.
Within the last few years the number of the pill
grims has diminished greatly, and not victim has
been crushed Added to this, on one occasion,
when the worship closed, the god, Car and all, were
left out in the weather several days. Idolatry In
all India is said to be declining rapidly. Such a
fatal epidemic prevails among her 200, 600, 900 of
dead, and Jehovah only De God among the peo-
pie.
China comes next. The language of that coun.
try is perhaps of all languages the most difficult to
learn. The alphabet contains three thousand let
ters. To native even, to master it is the labor
of lifetime. How great then must the under
taking be to one who is a stranger. Moreover,
China, next to Japan, has for many generations,
most nearly closed her doors against the gospel
By dint Of constant, earnest effort however, it
has within not many years been entered, and now
all legal barriers are removed by treaty. But let
sionaries, says in letter of November 2Sth, 1871
1.-The Synod of China il connection with the
Northern General Assem- ~, pet ct ri no
Fourteen foreign member we're present, and six
teen natives These reported membership of
seven hundred and fifty. Three hundred and
twenty pupils in boarding schools. Eight settled
pastors. Sixteen theological students"
Thus far the Synod In addition to these, 9th
ers have established missions in forty cities, and
three hundred and sixty villages. There are now
in China one hundred and fifty ordained missiona
ries, four hundred native preachers seven thou
sand communicates, two hundred and fifty boys
and FIVE hundred and sixty girlsi Christian schools
But we have more yet. The Rev. Mr.. Helm,
already referred to, says in recent letter, last
Sabbath week Mr.. Houston baptized three girls
from Mrs. Randolph's school, and the Northern
Presbyterians received several members into their
church at the same time. Near Foo Chow a work
of grace is in progress, equal to any in the United
States. A missionary of the English Church bap-
tized last year seventy PERSONS and has under his
care more than five hundred seeking baptism
Another missionary baptized fifty persons At
Canton the Presbyterians received into the com.
munion of the church, twenty persons In Shan
tuug, Mr.. Corbit, oHe of the missionaries of the
Northern Presbyterian Church baptized in the
course of two months one hundred adults, and
sixty children. At Funchow the missionaries of
the same Church baptized thirty adults on one
Sabbath" Quite recently forty Chinese converts
sat down at communion table in San Francisco.
And yet eighteen years ago there were not one
hundred and fifty Protestant processing Christians
in the whole empire
In 1868, the Emperor forbade the rebuilding of
the temples that had been destroyed in the then
long raging civil war, except the Temple of Con-
fuciuS and the principal Judge of SoOchow pro-
hibited the people of that q at city from worship.
ping in the temples, or burning candles, incense,
or silver paper before their IDOLS In 1870, Rev.
VIM. A. P. Martini D. D., was by the government
appointed President of the college just established,
and formally inaugurated the same year. The gov.
eminent now sends fifty young men to this country
to be educated in our Christian schools and col
leges, and keeps the number good.
TO BE CONTINUED