Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-27
A TRIP TO THE ORIENT.
Bishop Galloway Delights a Large Audience at the First Methodist
 Church With an Able Lecture.

Bishop Galloway of the Methodist Epis-
 copal church, south, lectured at the First
 Meth odist church last night to au audience
 that almost filled that spacious edifice.
 The bishop has recently returned from tour of the orient, and his descriptions of the people of the Aslatic nations were in-
 tensely interesting. The greater part of his lecture. was devoted tothe missionary
 cause aud to discussing the work in the various countries where the Southern Methodist church has missionaries stationed. Bishop Galloway said: ''It has been about ear since I was here and spoke to this congregation, since which time have
 been in all parts of the world. l am glad to come back here and feel grateful for the opportunity of again speaking to my peo-
 pie. In my trip around the world met with no storm or accident of serious na- ture.
 stOu the 18th of July last, at 2 p. m.,
 sailed from Vancouver on an Empress liner for Yokohama, and after being out eleven
 days and twepty-two and one-half hours landed there. Scores and hundreds of peo- pie were at the wharf at Vancouver to bid friends and relations good bye, but not familiar face in all that crowd greeted my eyes, nor was there friendly hand to grasp mine. There was tinee of lonel- ness, of sadness and au unbidden tear came II far away beyond the Rockies.
 "We landed in Yokohama on the day that war was declared between Japan and China. The spot where our ship anchored is the same where Commodore Perry an-
 chored, and where the treaty between the United. States and Japan was signed. A Christian church now marks the spot on which the com missioners met.
 'I could tell you of the beautiful scenery | in that country, of the magnificent lakes, | of the many wonderful things there, but | wish to speak to you as disciples Of the | Nazarene. l believe we have reached | crisis in the history of the home church as well as in that of the foreign missionary | cause. Japan is ready to receive Christian 1 ity and l believe if we go into the doors | now thrown open to us crown of divine l glory will be upon us as never before. l Many would discourage tho missionary | cause; they would not have you believe l Japan is near the morning when the cloud 1 shall be brushed from the skies. A dis- l tinguished bishop few years ago, when | the subject of sending missionary to l Japan came up in conference, said he l feared Japan would be converted before l the Southern Methodist church could get missionary there. .' I The lecturer spoke of the Buddhists and l Shintos, the two religious sects of Japan,
 and of the devotion of the people to their idols. He spoke of the skepticism Of those people and the difficulties encountered by
 mission aries going there. He said no large l congregations gathered there, but the | people went one and two at time to | worship.
 l He coutinued: "I saw temple being
 erected, and there l witnessed a sad spec
 tacle. 1 saw the ca bles used in lifting the l great and magnific ,nt columns and pillars | to their places, and was informed that those cables were made from hair of super- l stitious women. As looked upon this
 said: Lord, there's a greater barrier than 1 the Chinese wall to be broken down." l The speaker said there was more oppo-
 sition to Christianity in Japan today than l there was ten years ago.
 In speaking of the war between Japan | and China Bishop Galloway said the suc-
 cessive victories of the former were due to the fact that the Japanese were a studying
 people; they have their magnificent libra
 res and read the sciences, international | laws, studied warfare and have patriotic I zeal. He said he had some opportunity to
 see the army mobiized and felt the na- tionaI spirit that thrilled every fiber of a
 Japanese heart. He said there was but one
 sentiment about the country and that was for war, and to that everything else was I subordinateG; 1t was universal, aggressive. l The Japanese, he said, had considered the l subject of war for a long time and had gone in to win victory and to humiliate l their neighbors across the Yellow sea. | He said every gun fired by the Japanese l was projectile of western thought; that I Japanese superstition was being shattered
 and the people of that country open to in-
 struction and enlightenment. He told of a | Chinese author and philosopher who had | predicted internal revolutions and wars,
 railroads and other inventions belonging to | western countries could come in.
 It was an able lecture, and the large | audience was highly delighted.
 Spring opening at Caheen ID D. 5r U I "