The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-18


 between Macedonia and Bulgaria takes on the character of the latter country. Its most notable feature Is the Col legiate and Theological Institute which Is under the supervision of the Bulgarian Ministry of National Edu- cation.
 Tn the forty-seven years of the In- stitute, there have been probably 500 students nearly all of whom have been Bulgarians. some coming from the field of the Meth hodists in the northern part of the country since their train ing school was abolished. The history of the institution Is practically that of the mission of Samokov for 1t Is through 1t that the work of the mts. sionaries has been made to count for anything. It has been the one great evangelazing agency of the American Board and has trained preachers who have spread all over the country to continue the fine work started at the school. Up to 1881 it's course of study was four years but the growth of the Bulgarian system of education in- spired by the Americans made it nec- cessary co lengthen the work to i've years and then add sixth for those who intended to follow the ministry.
 The institute is the one thing that gives the Americans a hold on na-, ton that is curroupt and ignorant though often pious. The clergy ofsthe country admit that they are powerless to cope with the situation and yet they do all they can to keep the peo- pie from a Christian life. Many of the school teach CTS are infidels. and members of the church for state req sons only Many; are Socialists | or Tolstoyists and 1t Is against these that the missioners have to labor hard est for they pick out those who seem most likely to- adopt the Protestant religion and lead them away from the church. -A t- -s
 There has been. however, a, marked decline in the fanaticism that was formerly mamie ed against the Amer leans The town people patronize the schools whenever they can and even show some fear that. the work may fail through the government requir- ing that the teachers shall have a un-. Lversity education something which is out of the question unless the mission funds shall be sufficiently enlarged to pay higher salaries. It Is a crisis which Is worrying the American Board.
 Another source of trouble is the dis inclination of the government to recog- nize the rights of the missions. The law says: scholars finishing theologi- cal seminaries and other youth with theological education who desire to
  ton are exempt from military service if by the twenty-seventh year of their ages they are ordained. "One5 of the preachers was drafted into the army and every effort made to get him out failed The Americans were notified that the church they represented had not the official recognition of the gov ernment and yet its buildings have aI- ways been exempt from taxation, it's ministers perform marriages that are legal and their baptisms are regarded in the same light. They learned that they were to be recognized only when 1t suited the purposes of the govern ment. !
 : The Presbyterians the Reformed church do some work in the vicinity of Bulgaria, but the other principal forces are those of the American Tract Society and the American Bible So- ciety both of which limit their efforts only to the amount that is appropriat- ed sending literature among a people that seem always to be glad to receive the kind of light reading that Is sent to them by these two organizations. "why a Boy should be a Christian" by Rev. H. W. Pope and Quit You Like Men" by Capt. A. T. Mahan of the United States Navy are two of the fav- orites and there are constant calls for them A small Bulgarian English and English bulBarlan dlctionary pup fish ed in 1860 by Rev. C. F. Morse has long been out of print and not enough money can be raised to furnish more copies so that the missionaries have been forced to study the language as best they could and save the funds that really should have gone into the die There has been such a large edodous of Bulgarians into America in recent years that 1t Is possible that they may find 1t needful to have the work and thus the money will be found.
 The American Bible Society has found its funds so scanty that 1t has been obliged to withdraw several of its colporteurs but the Scripture in Greek. Bulgarian and Turkish have been sent to many places
 GENERAL CHURCH NOTES.