The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-18
FOREIGN CHURCH NEWS.

EtIHVCttfUt
Protestants, among whom are $4,000 Reformed,
10000 Lutheran and 10000 other denomina-
tons The Salvation Army has quietly begun
its work in q hall holding 600 persons, near the
boulevard Voltaire Miss Booth and her
band Of Workers speak French well, and a good
work is evidently before them.
The English Baptist Missionary
Society has received information of singular
proceedings of San Salvador, the base of the
operations of its Congo Mission. The story is
that a band of Jesuits were brought into the
Congo by Portuguese gunboat; that they
landed and proceeded, under the escort of armed
marines. to San Salvador and they have sur
prsed the King of Congo with magnificent
presents, including crown of gold or gilt,
which His Majesty declares to be beyond any
thing he ever saw before. 1t is further stated
that the priests have promised to remain in the
country five years, and that orders have been
given the gunboat to visit the river once a
month. The Baptist missionaries are apprehen-
sive of trouble
Some private conferences Of minis
tiers and elders have been held on the eve of the
meeting of the Assembly of the Free Church of
Scotland on the case of Professor Smith. A
conference of the traditional party has been
held in Edinburgh, in which representatives
from nearly all the Presbyteries were present,
among whom were Sir Henry Moncreiff and
Drs Wilson, Symington. ADAM Begg, and
Brown. The feeling of the meeting, it Is said
was that the Assembly ought finally to dispose
of the case and that Professor Smith ought not
to resume the teaching of his classes. The issue
of his recent book on Biblical Criticism was
referred to as giving evidence of more advanced
views than anything before published, and the
members of the conference were advised to
study it carefully, in view of future proceedings
In the same city the friends of the accused
Professor have held private meeting, to con-
slider what action should be taken when the AS
sembly Is asked to approve the proceedings of the
commission. The conference inclined to the view
that, if further proceedings are contemplated
against Professor Smith, they must be taken by
hbel.-Independent
-PRoGREss AMONG SOUTH SEA CAN
EIBALs.-The Wesleyan Mission in the Islands
Duke of York and New Britain, though begin
ming with fearful tragedy, less than FIVE years
ago, has much to report in the way of improve
ment IN the people. twill be remembered that
the savages in New Britain set upon and killed
several teachers from FIJI and Samoa under
the charge of Mr.. Brown, for which that mis-
sionary administered a severe punishment
Since that event none of the missionaries have
been molested, though they have worked most
successfully. The Rev. Benjamin banks, Mr..
Port Hunter, Duke of York, to the Secretary
of the Australasian Wesleyan Missionary So
ciety, gives brief review of Mr. Brown 8 fabors
in these islands
lover 800 miles of New Britain coast has been
seen by him in our mission boats, and positions
noted for our future occupation. New Ireland
has twice been crossed and $50 miles of its
coast.line traversed by him, before any other
white man ventured on such perlous undertake
ing. None may again know and expert
ence IN these islands the trial both of health and
patience the difficulty of travel and first settle
ment, and all the attendant dangers of this
undertaking as known and experienced by Mr.
Brown and his followers in the early days of
this mission. Now we journey along known
coast, and are received by the people with kind
ness then 1t was terIia ncognita, inhabited by
bloodthirsty men. Now we have teachers
houses, in which we are comfortably lodged a.
night; then 1t was either anchoring off an I'M
protected coast, with the chance of being attack
ed before morning, or making a camp on the
beach, and using the shnge for a bed, with
the open sky for their covering or hammock
swung to tree. Now we have a knowledge
OF the laws, customs, and language of the people
which is available for all succeeding missiona-
riesj then all had to be done alb initio Now
we have lesson book a short catechism the
Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lords
Prayer, and fourteen hymns, all arranged in
order in one neat little book, printed in the
Duke of York dialect of the language"
In the Duke of York groups "a very different
state exists now than Mr.. Brown found when he
hrst went among them. On his first visit to
Meoko, as the natives tell the story he took
several chiefs with him from different parts of
the group. The steam launch ran upon a rock,
and remained there for some little time. One
OF these chiefs sat down on the deck of the
steamer and wept, and could not be induced to
do anything toward getting her off the rock.
He simply rocked himself to and fro exclaim-
ing: We are lost We are lost The Meoko
people will kill and eat us ALL" At that time
village was arrayed against village and man
against man, and cannibalism was very COM
mon.
The prosecution of one of the authors
OF Scotch Sermons" says the Pail Mol Gazette,
Tor heresy, seems now to be inevitable. The
Fresbytery of Glasgow, by small majority,
lately appointed committee Ito confer" with
MIN; and this decision on appeal to the Synod,
mas been confirmed by substantial majority in
that body. A second appeal has been taken to
the General Assembly in May, but probably
without much hope of altering the result.
Should the General Assembly sustain the Pres
bytery and the Synod in requiring conference.
everything will depend on the explanations
that may be offered by the incriminated clergy
man. His prosecutors have limited that they
Will be satisfied with very little in the way Of
an apology; and statement that the heretical
doctrines complained of were not put forth as
the authors own views would probably meet
all the difficulties of the case This would be
the best, though not the most heroic way out
OF what threatens to be very awkward affair.
The kirk cannot afford to triAe with her reputa.
ton for orthodoxy, nor can she very we'll sus-