The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-06
AN EVANGELICAL FAITH
Being Built up Among the Coptic
Christians OF Old Egypt
BY THE UNITED PRESBYTERIANS.

~ stttNNA''p
of Missionary Life In n Moslcm
Country--A People Tint Don't Know
What Comfort Is.
An interesting lecture was delivered
last night in the lecture room OF the
United Presbyterian church, by Rev. j.
Kelly GitIen. Mr.. Gifcn was for years
4 missionary in Egypt, assisted by his
wife. The room was fairly well filled,
but the facts would have interested n
much larger audience. Mr.. Giilen cx-
planned the missionary work in Egypt.
In reference to tho rcproach so often
flung at the missionaries, that they do
not convert Mahomctans, no explained
how and why tho Mussclman was q
difficult subject to convert. He be-
lievcs i'll only one God-and cannot
understand the nature OF the Trinity.
lie thinks it is b~lasphcmy to call Christ
the Son OF God, and ~derogatory TO the
Deity to place alongside OF him Il
woman. The Mussolman's fatalistic
belief stands o~bstinatcly in the way OF
bringing him to 4 different belief. Be-
lieving that God has decreed every
thing from eternity, he thinks it is ily-
ing in His face to attempt to do any
thing to ward off the ills that flesh Is
heir to. He even refuses to summon n
physician when sick. All Mahometans,
he firmly believes, will go TO paradise,
and all believers in 4 different faith
are doomed to damnation. No
matter what life the Mahometan
has led, no matter in how many crimes
his soul is stepped, his salvation is cor
tain.
It is exceedingly difficult to make the
Moslem credit any religion as being bet
ter than his own. Was not Mahomet
THE LAST oF TIE PROPHETS?
lie argues, and did hc not reveal to his
followers the latest and best OF Gods
word? There is nothing in his religion
about sin and regeneration. The
natural man can desire nothing moro
convenient than the religion OF the
Prophet. His followers are totally
ignorant OF n spiritual life, and cannot
be made to understand it. They are
satisfied with themselves and their own
prospects, and can conceive of nothing
better that religion might provide for
them. When spoken to OF a religion,
which is measured by its effects on the
lives and actions OF men, they say "Ill
none OF it." having in mind the example
of the Coptic and Armenian Christians
among whom they live.
When the missions were started in
1854, the lecturer proceeded, two at
tempts had already been made to intro
duce genuine Christianity among the
Christians, they presenting a better
field field forwork than the Mahometans
offered. Both attempts, made by the
M%oravians and the English church,
were signal failures. mainly because all
energies were devoted to efforts to re-
form the Coptic church by improving
the priesthood. The new missionaries
began with the people themselves. Two
classes exist in the country, the very
poor and the very rich, and the Copts
belong in the former category. No
middle class exists. 1t is true that at
present there are three wealthy native
families among the converts in Asyoot,
the field OF Mr.. Citizens labors, but they
became rich only after having been con-
verted to Professionalism, Mr.. Giiren
using the word in its evangelical II
and in contra-distinction to the Coptic
Christian sect.
An interesting account OF the life OF
tho people was given by Mr.. GiIen.
lie told how the laboring man gets but
ten to fifteen cents for q days work,
though 4 good carpenter may some
times make Us much as from thirty to
fifty cents.
THEIR MODE OF LIFE
is very simple. Meat once or twice a
week is q luxury, bread and raw vege-
tables their usual food and Q cup OF
coffee once a week. Many never cat
meat at all. The thermometer only
occa sionally going rs low as forty de-
grees in the winter, n single cotton gar
ment suliiccs them for clothing.
Designing to establish not a United
Presbyterian, butanE Evangelical church,
tho missionaries commenced starting
schools. AT present there are $500
pupils i'll 100 schools, supported by the
native people. The seminary contains
q pupils, the training school 175, and
about 100 girls attend the girls school.
The Moslem governor OF tho province
wasmuch pleased with the girls schools,
but when asked by the missionaries
why he made no attempt to provide
education for girls, replied that
Mahometan chiefs did not believe in it.
Women may, Mr.. Gifen continued,
enter the Mahometan paradise, but not
many. In fact. the Moslcms say that
when q man TAILS to enter paradise it is
because some woman blocked the way
and thus shut him out.
Girls have Il hard time oft in Egypt,
according to Rev. Mr.. GiHen's testi-
mony. Not one in 10000 Coptic m
can read, and it used to be hard to gain
their parents consent to their attend
ing school. An educated young man
can frequently make fifteen or twenty
dollars u month by filling government
position, but as these situations are not
for girls, parents could see no use in
sending them to school. There is i'm
provement, however, in this regard.
Even a very homely girl, who has at
tended the mission schools, finds it
easier to get married, and consequently
mothers are beginning to see the ma
terial advantages OF girls schooling.
The food and the mode OF life Mt the
mission schools is very simple. Thick
soup and bread form the staple food;
n tablecloth, however, is invariably
used. Right here the missionaries have
encountered 4 serious difficulty. Many