The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-05
MISSIONS.

"A band of five missionaries have
started from Wuchang, in Central China for the
purpose OF opening mission in the province of
hwel- chau, in the west of China. The station
is hfteeh hundred miles from Shanghai, and
about nine hundred miles from Wuchang. This
is certainly good pioneer work-N Y. Eran-
9elist.
Let old people whose memory sgood,
ask themselves what they can remember Of the
first ten years of missionary work, from 1910 to
1870, and on decade by decade, till 1S5O-thirty
years ago. The fact is the gains that could be
appreciated by the public would not bear sum-
ming up. every ten years. Now we can see an
appreclable yearly advance, and summaries of
hye and ten years are becoming very common
cni1k OF ROBERT Morrlsons waiting seven years
tor his tlrst convert in China; or Adams ten
years at Port Natal or the London Missionary
Soclety's ten In Madagascar and thirty in the
Madras Presidency without any, and fifteen in
Tahiti for its first convert; or the Baptists'
twenty-one years for twenty converts among
the Ieloogoos, as compared with the gains of
the last ten years, counted by tens of thousands.
Ib.
len years ago there was no orga-
nlzed Protestant church in Japan. At the be-
ginning OF this period the Government was
actually endeavoring to crush Christianity in
certain parts of the empire; but at the organiza-
ton of a church in Okoyama the past year the
Governor came with carriage and footmen
In TOXIC this decree might have been read In
the principal streets: 1.-THE evil sect called
Christian is strictly prohibited Suspected per-
sons should be reported to the proper officers,
and rewards will be given" Within the past
year an open-air Christian mass meeting was
held in the chief park of the city without noles
tatlon. Others have followed in Kioto and
elsewhere. Within this period seventy churches
have been organized with four thousand mem
bers, many, of them self supporting. One of the
training schools has nearly thirty preparing to
preach the gospel, about half of whom are snp.
ported by the churches to which they belong.
Is.
The Rev. Thos. M. Gulick, reviewing
the years work of his mission at Barcelona
Spain, sees much to be thankful for in the
growth of Christians, the addition of twentv.one
new members to the church. and the good work
which has been done in the schools" The wear
has been marked by the downfall of the Ultra
montana party and the coming into power of a
liberal ministry. which appears to be disposed
to do justice and enforce religious liberty so far
as the existing laws permit" AT the same time,
the prosecuting spirit has manifested itself with
renewed violence, especially in the towns and
villages where the hand Of the central govern
ment cannot so easily reach them and where
there Is no liberal sentiment to keep them in
check" AT Barcelona the number Of members
OF the church has not increased, the accessions
being balanced by those who leave, and contin-
ues at 90, while the schools, having changed
their location, have lost half their pupils. AT
the neighboring church Of Sans the situation is
more encouraging, and the evangeizaton of the
distant villages from Barcelona has had very
good results. AT Jenez de la Frontera the church
Is dull but the schools have considerably in
creased. Pastor Fritz Fliedner. of Madrid
relates an experience Of hardships which he
suffered when, having gone out to Epinar, he
was arrested, on attempting to return, for not
havlng papers of legitimation with him. man
acled, put In the stocks, and imprisoned with
the criminals He sent word of his trouble TO
the German ambassador, who procured an order
from the governor for his immediate release.- In
dependent.
Three young men of Bassein. who
had been trained in the Baptist mission scbcol
having been commissioned by the Burman Con.
vention made four-months tour last Winter
among the Karens of Northern Siam. VISITING
some villages north of Muang Lakon, they were
recommended by an elder of one of the villages
whose father had worshiped the living God /"
as true messengers of the Lord, and FIVE hun.
dred people received the message and believed
the Gospel at once, with Joy; threw away their
ancestral customs-drinking spirits heathenish
ornaments, and everything that is inconsistent
with Christian profession; adopted worsbin !.
observed the first day learned the Catecbism
hymns, etc. When it came time for the evanee.
lists to go away the people were unwilling To
lose them, and insisted on their PROMISING IN
60 back with their wives and children. A.
Bahtah, village which they passed going and
coming, the people appeared to be willing to
receive them but abstained from demonstra.
TONS because secret orders had been sent them
IRON the capital Of the province that if they