at Shanghai, which announces that "Any foreigner owning a steam launch may have it licensed at his own Consulate like any other foreign vessel." This allows the steam-lanuch of the Methodist Mission to run upon the Yangtze River, as she has been waiting to do for the last two years. Rev. J. Jackson, of the Methodist Mission at Wuhu, writes to the same periodical regarding the opium traffic at that river port, that it is rapidly increasing, and that it is passing out of the hands of Chinese into those of foreigners. In China's Millions for February, Mr. Baller tells of a New Testament having been given at Ping-yang to a student passing out of the Examination Hall three years ago. He took it to his home at Shih-chau, some three days' journey distant:-"Not wishing to keep it himself, he gave it away to another scholar, named K'u Wan-yih, who not only read it, but believed it. He found in it what his heart longed for, but, though believing, he knew of no place where he could be more fully instructed. Soon after, he came to P'ing-yang for an examination, and learning that there was a 'Jesus Hall' in the place, came to learn more of the truth. As a result he took back several Christian books, and in due time was baptized by Mr. Drake." The man brought several to Christ. Persecution set in, but was overcome, and Messrs. Beauchamp and Cassels are now settled there. The Gospel in all Lands devotes nearly thirty-six large quarto pages, in its February number to China. A great variety of phases of missionary work are given, mostly in quotations from missionaries themselves, though the publications whence they are taken are not always, perhaps we ought to say, are seldom, fully given. There are a number of illustrations, in the main very fair, and illustrative, though we cannot but wonder whether in all China "A Missionary in a Chinese Temple" could be seen in dress-coat, with a " stove pipe" hat, with pantaloons apparently strapped under his shoes, holding excited debate with an offended Chinese priest evidently engaged in religious ceremonies. "A Chinese Girl," is plainly none other than a Japanese Girl. The sketch of Methodist Episcopal missions in China, is interesting and valuable. Dr. S. L. Baldwin, formerly of Foochow, now of East Boston, Massachusetts, does yeoman service in the home lands for the Chinese. At a recent meeting of the Boston Evangelical Alliance, the subject was the Chinese Question. Dr. Baldwin maintained that there was no Chinese Problem-it was the American Problem. He met the argument regarding the Chinese emigrants being slaves, by the fact that there are no male slaves in China; the charge that they made labor cheap, by the statement that there never has been cheap labor on the Pacific coast; the fear from overwhelming numbers, by the fact that only 100,000 arrived in twenty-five years; the complaint that they sent their money back to China, by the fact of their leaving the products of their labor in America. Bur Book Table. Tien Tuo Min Têng is the title of a book by a Chinese Christian, now deceased, of the name of Wang I-hwa. Our attention was called to it by a note from the Rev. J. Crossett, who has printed the work, and desires subscriptions to defray the cost of publication. After examining it as carefully as our time would allow, we cannot say that in its present form we recommend its general circulation. The style is in some places almost fascinating, and the writer displays a thoroughly devout spirit; but there is much that is not clear, much that is mystical, and some that is, not to put too fine a point on it, nonsensical. So that while passages here and there are of real worth, and would profit the Christian pastor, the book as a whole needs very careful editing before it be given to the general, and especially the heathen reader. There are some grains of real gold in it, however; and they might profitably be picked out and preserved by those who have time for it. We may, perhaps, be considered Puritanical, but just here we wish to say, that we have grave scruples as to the use of FF by Christian writers, as a title of the Emperor of China. When we recollect that the Chinaman says, surely we are called upon to stop and think ere we speak of any save Him to whom that title belongs, as the (Son of God.) We are the more constrained to say this, as we have in the tract before us, and in another which we think best not to name, found this title thus used. R. Studies in Japanese Kakke, is a pamphlet on the disease elsewhere known as "Beriberi," by Wallace The Taylor M. D. of Osaka. method and the results are purely technical, and can only interest the medical student. Dr. Taylor has made most elaborate and remarkable studies of the disease with the Sphygmograph, which are illustrated by a large number of beautiful tracings, and by which he confirms the opinion, first maintained by Dr. Simmons, that the disease is not one of anemia, but that the vascular phenomena are due to the action of the materias morbi of Kakkē upon different portions of the cerebro-spinal nerves and sympathetic system. What this morbid material is, Dr. Taylor does not here say-doubtless reserving that for a still more elaborate report. The China Review for January and February, is largely taken up with an article of ten pages by E. H. Parker on "Chinese, Corean, and Japanese," and twelve pages from the same indefatigable pen of Notes and Queries." Mr. G. Taylor continues his interesting paper on the "Aborigines of Formosa," which makes positive addition to our knowledge of them; and Mr. Mitchell-Innes and Dr. Macgowan give interesting facts about "Adoption" and "Infanticide." ***. See Chinese Recorder for March, 1886. There is thus a large amount of matter brought out and fairly described under the several headings, and so far as we have seen, the whole is very suggestive and calculated to be most useful to native students. The Acts form an all-important portion of Holy Writ for the guidance and development of the Christian Church in China, and Mr. Sadler has done well in treating it as he has done. We are persuaded that the work will be most instructive to those for whom it is intended, and the analysis the author makes of the various chapters or subjects under discussion, will be very helpful to the careful reader. Altogether we regard the book as a valuable addition to our Christian literature, and heartily commend it to the use of those engaged in the education of young men for evange listic work. WM. MUIRHEAD. Editorial Notes and Missionary News. NOTES OF THE MONTH. In view of the pressure on our columns, due to the number and length of the articles, we add eight pages to Our usual number. Our next number will be correspondingly diminished. The opportunity is too good a one to lose for again urging on all our valued correspondents and contributors the great advantage, both to themselves and to their readers, (as well as to us,) of condensation! The superabundance of news for these columns requires us to postpone to next month our notices of The Tungchow Dispensary, The Hangchow Medical Mission, The Foochow Medical Hospital, and Dr. Daniel's Report of Medical Work in Swatow. From Kiukiang we learn of the laying of the corner-stone of the new Methodist College building, within the city, early in April. The building is to contain seven recitation rooms, a chapel which will seat about four hundred, reading room, and a museum. is hoped during this year to erect a dormitory for the students. a It We are pleased to see that the Church Missionary Intelligencer, in its February and March issues, rates Major Knollys' English Life in China at its true value. From its second notice we take the follow an ing lines:-" On one occasion the late Sir Charles Lyell, on American steamer, was astonished at hearing a passenger declaiming against an excellent individual, branding him as an atheist. Sir Charles interposed, explaining that the party referred to was a Baptist. The prompt rejoinder was, "Aye, Baptist or atheist, or something of that sort!' The Major's ideas of non-conformity seem to be about as hazy...It is quite clear that English Life in China is a random book of nonsense." As a matter of course, we are always pleased when we see that items and facts from the Recorder find yet wider circulation in other periodicals; and usually full credit is given us. But we confess to some surprise at finding Rev. G. W. Woodall's article, which appeared in the Recorder for Oct., 1885-"A Land Purchase in Nankin "-reproduced entire in the Manual of the Methodist Episcopal Church for January, 1886, without a word of acknowledgment. a We learn from the home papers that it is proposed to erect Hospital at Taiyuen Fu to the memory of Dr. Schofield who died there August, 1883. There could not be a more appropriate memorial of one of the most remarkable men that ever came to China, and whose American papers, stating that Mr. early removal was such a mysterious C. T. Studd had invested his providence. fortune of £100,000 for the benefit of the China Inland Mission, that the statement is entirely incorrect. As to the amount of Mr. Studd's fortune or his disposal of it, the Mission are quite without information."-From the Christian of February 18th, 1886. The Temperance Union has relieved our modesty from the necessity of saying that the foreign residents of Shanghai who, as we gather from the newspaper correspondents, are anxious to learn about missionary work in China, cannot do better than subscribe to the Recorder! CHRISTIANITY ADVANCED BY ITS ANTAGONISMS. We note with interest a movement toward Co-operation in Foreign Missions, which took form from the various forms of heaChristianity is doubtless to win at the meeting of the Alliance of thenism by its antagonisms to them, the Reformed Churches of the rather than by its affinities with Presbyterian System, at Belfast, them. In view of the recent disIreland, by the appointment of a cussions among us, and in the home large Committee in June and July, lands, regarding the proper attitude 1884. A public meeting, to bring of missionaries toward Conthe matter before the Christian fucianism, and Buddhism, a recent community, was held in New York paper by Rev. C. C. Fenn, Secretary on the 12th of January, at which paper by Rev. C. C. Fenn, Secretary of the C. M. S., entitled Some addresses were made by various of the Lessons taught by Experience eminent divines, among whom were Dr. Jacob Chamberlain of India, Missionary Work," is of special as to right modes of carrying on Dr. M. H. Houston, lately of interest. Among several mistakes Hangchow, and Dr. H. P. Happer regarding the best mode of prosof Canton. Dr. Happer is reported ecuting Missionary Work by the New York Independent as having echoed the strains of the previous addresses, but emphasizing the fact that, "while in China the ministers are working harmoniously and helpfully to each other, the principal difficulty in the way of union and co-operation in the mission field, is in the lack of union among the Churches at home!" he emphasizes "An error into which some early missionaries actually fell, and which is still held by a great many persons, especially perwho have not actual missionary haps persons of learning and culture, experience. It is the idea that the missionary ought not only to look out diligently for any thing good in the pre-existing beliefs of those to whom he is speaking, but that he ought almost always in his teachings to proceed from these as his basis, and to refrain from bringing forward the truths most opposed or dissimilar to their previous beliefs, until he has led them on to the truths that might seem almost to flow from those beliefs. For instance, all men have some notions of right and wrong and of retribution; they have, as Scripture tells us, the work of the law written in their hearts. Therefore, it was urged, not only begin by appealing to this, but do not speak of the Atonement and of Christ's love, until by that appeal you have roused the conscience to action and produced in them a trembling sense of guilt. It is well known that Moravian missionaries in Greenland for some time adopted that plan...... Plausible as this will seem to several persons, experience has directly contradicted it, and proved its unwisdom and inefficacy... Nor is it difficult to explain why it is so, even by the ordinary laws of human nature. It is no slight thing for a man to forsake the religions creed or customs of his nation. He will not do so unless he is profoundly dissatisfied with them. This dissatisfaction is far more likely to be produced when his attention is called to that which is false in his religion than to that which is true in it. I have in Ceylon conversed with several converts from Buddhism, and heard of many more. What has attracted them to Christianity has not been those points in it which resembled the teaching of Sakya Muni, but those which were most diverse from it." SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF THE HOSPITAL AT CANTON. We receive from Hon. Gideon Nye in pamphlet form the report of "The Semi-Centennial Celebration of the Medical Missionary Society's Hospital at Canton," the newspaper report of which we noticed in our March number. The price of the pamphlet is but twentyfive cents, and it may be had of Kelly & Walsh, or of the Chinese Religious Tract Society, 18 Peking Road, Shanghai. Mr. Nye writes us, in correction of one of our own statements, as follows:-" Recurring to your kind notice of the celebration, in your March issue, I am impelled by a sense of the importance of checking an obvious general tendency to relaxed vigilance of a scrupulous exactitude of historical statement, to call your attention to an incidental lapse at the top of your page 121, in ref. erence to the Preston Memorial Church, in the words, itself a gift to the Hospital by Dr. S. Wells Williams;' whereas his gift was but $1,500 toward a total cost for the edifice of $4,531. If you can utilize the last paragraph in the interest of historical accuracy, I shall be glad, as independently of my duty to correct the error of statement, I have long felt a moral obligation, to occasionally check the tendency to heedlessness in the journalism of the day, by pointing to errors of statements of historical importance, as subject to future citation as of indisputable authority."-Dr. Williams gave $1,500; the Chinese Second Presbyterian Church, Canton, $500; the Medical Missionary Society, $2,000; American Presbyterian Mission, Canton, $500; and Rev. B. C. Henry, $31.28. Diary of Events in the Far East. February, 1886. 27th.-Lord Dufferin receives a to Congress regarding outrages on number of Chinese Merchants Rangoon. March, 1886. 2nd.-President Cleveland's Message at resident Chinese. 16th.-The Franco-Chinese Delim. labors, after interruptions. M. Giquel, founder of the Foochow itation Commission resumes its Arsenal, dies at Cannes. |