ous, God permitting, to enter upon the foreign missionary work." Some, who up to this time had given the missionary field scarcely a thought, had been led to give themselves to the work through the presentation of the needs of the fields made at the Alliance, and the influence of the Holy Spirit. Many more were led to a serious consideration of their relation to the work, and return to stir up their seminaries to a more active interest. May the words of Dr. Davis, "Millions will have the gospel preached to them as a result of this Alliance," prove true! The entire delegation from Newton, three in number, are decided to enter the foreign field. The deep interest with which their report was received on their return, as well as the growing concern which has for some time been manifest, gives ground for the belief that God has rich things in store for Newton. Pray, brethren, that Newton may have a large share in the new era of missionary work which God seems to be opening before us. THE number of anti-mission Baptists in this country has fallen from 100,000 to 30,000. THE MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE NO LONGER AN EXPERIMENT. REV. J. C. FERNALD, GARRETTSVILLE, O. IN the thought of God, it was never an experiment. He knew that the gospel of his grace would be in all ages, and among all races, the power of God and the wisdom of God unto salvation. In the plan of Christ, it was never an experiment. He declared, "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye, therefore, disciple all the nations; . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Not, as we sometimes think of it, unto the most distant lands, but unto the end of time, the final close of this dispensation. His presence with the missionaries going into every land would remove all that was experimental from their work. He would inspire their words, incline the hearts of the heathen to receive their message, and marshall all the forces of providence in their behalf, till, from every nation and kindred and tribe and tongue and people, a countless multitude should be redeemed. It did not come to the modern world as an untried experiment. The disciples of the early day had acted upon the Great Commission, and gone everywhere preaching the Word. Samaritan, Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, and all barbarian tribes had listened, and been saved. Throughout Europe idolatry had fallen, and Christianity, at least in name, become the universal religion. But, since then, centuries had passed. The Reformation, which had freed the gospel from Popish superstition, had encased it in iron syllogisms of remorseless logic, till it was as of Saul. The churches of Christian lands had lost all sense of their duty to give the gospel to the heathen world. There are those yet living who can remember a time when good men and Christian ministers held it even wrong "to interfere with the purposes of God, who had pleased to leave the heathen world in darkness." Some can remember when there were even great associations of antimission Baptists; but they have become now so faint and few that such a church is a religious curiosity, a memento of a past which is dead, -as the last anti-mission church, of whatever name, soon will be. Hence, when Carey set out from England at the close of the last century, and Judson from America at the beginning of this, the missionary enterprise was to human judgment a very doubtful experiment. It was doubtful whether the churches in Christian lands would sustain the enterprise; whether Christianity could even hold its own where it was against the strong tide of French and German infidelity; whether white men could live in those Oriental climates long enough and well enough to do any effectual work; whether the heathen would listen to those so different in all habits of life and modes of thought, when they had known their countrymen only as merchants and conquerors, and formed no very pleasant opinion of them in either capacity; whether, if a hopeful beginning should be made, the churches could be induced to maintain the steady giving necessary till the churches formed on heathen of maintaining an intelligent Christianity; or whether we should only bring some districts to the condition of Abyssinia, which was “made Christian" in ancient days, and has now a hopeless mixture of barbarism, idolatry, and mediæval superstition, harder to deal with than the thickest midnight of paganism. These were some of the questions suggested by worldly prudence in the early days of modern missions. The Lord's first step in answering them was to raise up some men of mighty faith, that could look beyond all worldly considerations, and find nothing so sure and hopeful as the command and promise of Almighty God, and so could set out without encouragement, and endure without success. Because these young Christians were determined to go "far hence unto the Gentiles," grave elderly men cautiously and anxiously formed themselves into a foreign missionary society, "The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions," organized by our Congregationalist brethren in 1810, and which has since done such noble work. But one denomination was not enough for the purposes of God. Hence, on the voyage to India, Judson and Rice were led to change their views on the subject of baptism, were baptized on their arrival on the farther shore; and the Baptist denomination awoke one day to find that it had missionaries already among the heathen, and no society organized, nor means provided, for their support. It came to Christian hearts as a trumpet call of God. Various missionary societies were speedily organized, soon to be merged in one organization (now known as "The American Baptist Missionary Union") in Philadelphia, in 1814, with four thousand dollars in its treasury, and the hope that possibly "an annual income of five thousand two hundred and eighty dollars might be secured." Then follows the familiar story of the seven years' patient, faithful labor before the first Burman convert was baptized, during which it did begin to seem to many faint hearts in our own land that the experiment, always doubtful, had definitely failed. It was at such a time that the majestic faith of Judson could lead him to write the immortal words, "If they ask again what prospect of ultimate success is there, tell them as much as that there is an almighty and faithful God who will per Soon, as God counts time, inspiring successes began to cheer the hearts of his people: churches were organized, the Bible translated, new peoples actually pleading for the gospel, new workers offering themselves with such earnestness that it was not in Christian humanity to deny them the privilege of becoming exiles and aliens for the gospel's sake; the cheering successes among the Karens; the marvellous work among the Telugus, where Pentecost was almost repeated in the baptism of two thousand two hundred and twenty-two in a single day; the discovery of the mighty Congo, with its fifty millions of utterly desolate, hopeless heathen; the actual giving to American Baptists of an established mission, with houses, chapels, steamboats, and all appliances for mission-work ready for the taking; the British conquest of Upper Burma, where now no brutal tyrant can send a new Judson to any Oung-pen-la; new doors opening ever before the Lord's advancing people, to lead them on as the cloudy pillar did the hosts of Israel. Now the son of the very man who started out against hope, toiled on through uttermost discouragement, endured bitterest persecution, Edward Judson, is president of the society, which expended last year $390,000. A small portion of this vast fund was spent in missions among the European nations; but $350,000 were expended among the heathen nations in Burma, Assam, the Telugus of India, in China, Japan, and Africa. In these lands were sustained 236 missionaries, and 1,341 native helpers; there are now 611 churches, with 56,440 members; 145 Sunday schools, with nearly 6,000 pupils; there were baptized the past year 3,450 converts; there were sustained 802 schools, with 17,000 pupils. Churches and chapels have been built to the number of 447, with a total of mission property valued at more than $400,000. These churches of lately converted heathen, themselves contributed for religious purposes almost $40,000. And this is the work of but one denomination. The single fact that the Bible has been translated into two hundred languages may speak for the united work of all. Where is the man so faint-hearted as to doubt the future of an accomplished work like this? Where is the Christian, who, if the matter into his hand, would say aught but that this work must go on till prophecy be accomplished, and the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea? The great danger and anxiety for all Christian hearts to-day is, lest we may awake to the finished triumph of this glorious work, in this world or the hereafter, and find that it has gone on by us, beyond us, and without us; that we have no right to join in the shout of triumph, that we cannot rejoice that any of the countless throng from the far lands was redeemed through any labor, or in answer to any prayer, of ours; and by so much we are de barred from sharing in our Redeemer's joy, when "he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied." The victory is sure and near. We can see the prophecy fulfilling: "He shall receive the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession." Let us arise ere the conquering army marches by, either to enlist in the ranks or to furnish supplies, to follow them with our hopes and prayers: then sweet to us shall be the angelic anthem, as they shall sing, "Alleluia, for the kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ!" A CONGO LAWSUIT. REV. C. B. BANKS. JUST before Mr. Probert arrived at Banana, I was asked by the king and head chiefs to come down to the town and see how they settled their cases at law. The case to be tried was what they call a "Volankanu" case. It was about a young woman who had been sought in marriage by a young man. It appeared that the young man had gone, as is the custom, to the girl's mother (no father), and asked how much he would have to pay for her. The price was named; and the young man gave a present to the mother, in earnest of what he had yet to pay for the daughter, and went away to gather up the price of his future wife. While doing this, the mother was asked by another young man to sell her daughter to him to wife; and as she got a better offer she sent a message to the first suitor, saying that he would have to pay a slave over and above the price already named for the young woman. This he refused to do. So the mother commenced to sell her daughter to the second suitor, which when the first saw, he declared war; and the two towns fought for a while, without hurting anybody. It was then agreed to submit the case to arbitration of the king and head chiefs. When I arrived at the town, I found about five hundred people assembled beneath some wide-spreading trees, forming a square, facing inwards. The king and head chiefs held one seated behind them. In front of the centre of this side of the square was a leopard's skin, a European rug with a leopard marked upon it, upon top of which again was placed two crucifixes; and in front of all was the king's sceptre stuck in the ground, and at each side of the sceptre were stuck several small crosses made of split bamboo. These represented the chief points of the question under discussion. At two opposite corners of the square were placed two hideous idols covered with paint and nails. One of these idols was the figure of a woman, and was covered with red paint. These idols belonged to the two towns which were quarrelling, each about half a day's journey from here. As I entered the square, some of the people from those towns, who did not know me, began to demur, but were quickly silenced by the king, saying I had come at his request to see how they settled their palavers. After salutations with the various chiefs, a chair was brought for me, and placed on the left of the side of the square where the king and head chiefs were seated on mats. The proceedings then commenced with beating of drums and singing; after which one man, who was considered an orator, stepped slowly into the centre of the square, from whence he looked around with a half-cunning, half-comical leer, and then with a sudden motion threw his legs and arms into the air time he broke out into a wild chant, telling all about the palaver, beginning from the time the mother of the girl under dispute was born, teli ing how she had lived, how many children she had borne, how much her husband loved her. He, when he had rehearsed the story of the mother's life up to the birth of the daughter, carried on his chant with the story of both their lives; as he chanted, he occasionally appealed first to one side of the square and then to another, asking them if what he said was true or not. This they always answered by a prolonged shout of acquiescence. He then finished up with a dance and a song, calling first to one side and then to another to join in the chorus, each stanza having a different chorus. During the singing they all beat time with their hands. As he finished his song, he made a grand flourish with hands, arms, and legs, and sprang out of the square. Another man then rose up, and followed the same line of action as the first speaker, but he was not received with the same amount of enthusiasm as the first. During the time that he was up, there were many fresh arrivals, who all came and knelt down in front of the king, - who sat on a mat behind the leopard skin, -bowing their heads and clapping their hands; while the king took one of the crucifixes, and, facing it to those who were saluting him, moved it slowly in front of him, his own head bowed. The salutation over, the fresh arrivals fell back and out of the square, taking up their seats behind the various sides. Then came an interval of dancing; one or two got into the centre of the square, and, keeping time to the music, commenced to dance, or twirl their bodies about in a most marvellous manner. One man then rose up, and stated the charge brought against the mother of the girl. He was followed by others, who spoke in defence of the woman. A warm discussion was kept up nearly the whole day, while at intervals they would break out into a song or dance to enliven the proceedings. As evening approached, they saw that they would not be able to finish the palaver that day: so it was put off till the next day. I had been hoping for an opportunity of speaking to them all about God and his love before they broke up; so that I was very much disappointed, when, as soon as it was settled that the palaver was to be continued next day, they all got up and went off so stop them (I forgot they had not eaten all day); so, jumping forward, I caught hold of one of the crucifixes, and calling out in a loud voice I asked them what it was. The king said, "Is it not the Son of God?” "No," I answered: "he is in heaven." He seemed incredulous. Another man then said, “Did not the white man make it?”—“Yes,” I answered; "and God made the white man and black man too. How, then, can a man make God?" This seemed to satisfy them; at least, they could not answer it. I then endeavored to preach the gospel to them; and, as I had so little time to do it in, I told the king I wanted to speak to all the people about God, and so I would come to the palaver next day. Next day the proceedings were much the same as they had been on the preceding day, only that they were interrupted much more; owing to a rule they have, that any one can step into the centre and stop the proceedings by either dancing or singing, and here he remains until the interested parties in the palaver give him a piece of cloth. Some, if they sing or dance well, remain in, stopping the proceedings until they have had a few pieces of cloth. It was late when they broke up for the day, so that I did not get the opportunity I sought, but determined to go next day again, about the time when I thought they would be finishing up.. Next day when I went down, I found that they had arrived a stage farther on in the case than they were the preceding day. After all had been said that could be said on both sides of the question, the king and head chief withdrew to a distance of about half a mile, to consult together upon the case, and agree as to the verdict they should give. As they asked me to accompany them, I did so. They had a short talk over it, and agreed that the mother of the girl had lost the day, because she had taken the present given when the first suitor asked for her daughter. We then returned to the town, when one of the chiefs rehearsed the palaver from beginning to end. The mother's party were then told to speak and say if they had told any lies or not in the palaver. That side then withdrew to consult together; and when they came back they confessed that they had lied when they said they had not received any payment for the girl, as the present the young man gave to the mother |