The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-01-17
MISSIONS.

The are 100000 women and
girls In India, and at the most liberal estimate
not more than one in twelve hundred has been
placed under any kind of Christian instruction.
The light shining into Syria. The
roll OF communicates is rising slowly But the
schools are making great progress. Beirut,
Tripod, and Sidon are held by plendid men
and their work in education, publication, and
preaching is telling wonderfully on the sacred
land.
The various Bible Societies now re-
presented in Japan, make it rule never to give
away the Scriptures They have sold together
10000 copies during the past year. 1t is
stated that at hloto single copy of st. Johns
Gospel led sixty families to renounce idolatry ;
and that mass-meetings for prayer have been
held In Japan, when in one case more than 8 =
500 and in another 1000 persons were present
The Sandwich Islands fifty years
ago were still heather now they are not only
Christian but have all the appliances of ad-
vanced civilization. In the city of Honolulu
there are no less than three hundred telephones
In use, and some of the planters have been cut
ting their cane at night by the use of electric
lights.
-" PEACE" "A missionary steamer
whose hull and machinery weigh only six tons
IS now moored in the Thames in London The
The name of the vessel is Peace" and it has
been built for the Baptist Missionary Society.
who destlne 1T for the service of the mission in
the upper reaches of the Congo River. The
boat can be taken to pieces readily for transport
purposes.
Siam and Laos are apparently on
the verge of great changes. The country is
everywhere open to the gospel, and the King
has publicly said American missions have
helped Siam In many ways" Siam is in sole
care of our own church. Are we doing our
duty there 80 lsng as for all its millions there
are only eight ministers, only two hundred
seventy-6ve communicates and two hundred
and six scholars 2-Interior
People will hardly believe me when
l tell them about our Chinese Christians writes
the Rev. John Butler). 81 suppose they are
rather slippery" one says. / answer No they
are fully equal in Christian character to church
members IN this country. They keep the Sab
bath better. l could take numbers into the
church if would let them work on the Sab
bath. But l tell them No, it is necessary to be
very strict with our church members When
we get the gospel into Chinaman, he is sure to
be a noble Christian. Our Chinese preachers
take their Bibles as literally true and authori-
tative. They believe what they read and obey
1T. Hence, they give tenth Of all they earn
to the Lord The pastors salary is 800 a year,
and he gives a tenth of it,
Rev. N. H. Shaw, Protestant mis-
sionary in Rome, writes We often have
priests at our services Last Sunday morning
two entered and stood several minutes while I
was opening our Sunday School Several have
come TO converse with me Generally. how
ever, they come to the meetings in disguise. I
had conversation with one the other evening
who has been attending the meetings for some
time. He has ceased to perform functions but
still dresses as priest except when he comes to
our meeting. He tells me that he has been an
evangelical believer for years, and prays daily
that God will open a door whereby he may es-
cape from his present position His only re-
guest to me was, that in case he should fail i'll
would send Sig. Bertola to visit him, and not
let him fall into the hands of the priests. He
adheres to his dress and his income because he
knows no other means Of earning his bread. but
has an earnest desire to die and be buried as a
Protestant believer in Christ Poor fellow II
\ we are sorry that he has not the courage to
abandon all for Christ, at least we who are in
| Rome know how to abstain from condemnipp
him. and can sympathise even when we cannot
approve or praise" Mr.. Shaw adds that there
are many such Nicodemuses in Italy.