Original egmmunicatin RS. AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS. SIXTIETH ANNUAL IIEETING. The sixtieth annual meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions commenced its sessions on Tuesday, the sth in stant, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, in the Third church, Pittsburgh. Owing to the detention of the Eastern trains by the submergence of the tracks by the floods, a large number of the members of the Board, honorary members, and others did not arrive in time to participate in the opening proceedings. ORGANIZATION At the appointed hour, the President, Mark Hopkins, D D., LL.D., took the chair and called the Board to order. Rev. Isacc N. Sprague, D.D. of - Genesee 'of fered the opening prayer. Rev. Wm. M. Ctiee , rer was elected Assistant Recording Secretary". The Minutes of the last meeting were read by Bev. John 0. Means, the Recording Secretary, after which Secretary Treat presented, in part, the Report of the Prudential Committee on the Home Department. HOME DEPARTMENT The number of Corporate Members deceased in the past year is smaller than usual ; to-wit : William W. Chester, England, elected in 1839 ; Swan L. Pomeroy, D.D., elected in 1843; Wm. Ropes, England, elected in 1852. MISSIONARIES SENT FORTH Larger reinforeementi have been sent to the various•mission fields, within the past year, than iu any one year since 1856. The following have been enrolled for the first time, fellow workers in the kingdom : Rev. Henry Page and wife, Rev. Edw. •Riggs and wife, Miss Ursula E Clarke, Miss Flavia S. Bliss, Miss Della Griswold, Miss Minnie C. Beach, of the Western Turkey Mis side ; Rev. Henry Marden and wife, of the Tur key Mission Mrs. Helen P. Barnum, Rev. Theodore S. Pond and wife George C. Reynolds, M. D. and wife, of .the Eastern Turkey MisSion; Mrs. Harriet E. Jessup, Miss Eliza D. Everett and Rev. Jas. S. Dennis, of the Syria Mission; Rev. S. R. Wells and wife, of the Mahratta Mission ; Henry K. Palmer ' , M. Dand wife, and Miss Carrie Hartley, of the Madura Mis sion ; Rev. Wm E. De Riemer and wife, and Miss Maggie Webster, of the Ceylon , Mission; Miss Adlia M. Payson, of the Fuh Chau Mis sion ; Rev. Chester Holcomb, Rev. 'Joseph L. Whiting and wife, and Rev. D. Z. Sheffield and wife, Rev. Daniel McCoy and wife, Mr. rril ert T. Holcomb and Miss Mary A Thompson, of the North 13hina Mission ; Miss Julia A. Lafromboes, of the Dakota Mission. Two brethren formerly in the foreign field, and subsequently returned and released from connection with the Board, have enlisted in its service a second time. For reasons, bearing upon the question of health, however, it has seemed advisable to assign them to new fields. However, Rev. Geo. Todd and wife have taken charge of a station among the Senecas, and Rev. Milan 11. Hitchcock and wife have joined the Western Turkey Mission. It will be noticed that all our missions in Asia, except the one in Persia, have received reinforcements during the year—L-the whole number enrolled in the fore going list is forty-two, twenty of whom were or dained before their embarkation. The following have returned to the fields here tofore occupied by them, after a residence in the United States, longer or snorter, to wit : Mrs. Martha J. Rings, Henry S. West, M. D., and Mrs. L6ttie M. West, of the West Turkey Mis sion ; ' Miss Myra A. Broctor, of the Central Turkey Mission ; Henry H. Jessup, D.D., of the Syria Mission, and Rev. Henry M. Bridg man and Miss Laura Bridgman, of the Zulu Mission. THE MISSIONARY HERALD The average monthly 'edition 'during rthe past year has been about thirty thousand. The income from subscriptions in 1865-6 was $2,658 35; from subscriptions and advertising in 1866-67, $12,417 39; from the same source's in 4867-8, $15,114 22; from the same sources, in 1868-9, $17,660 57. 11 CO-pPERATING SOOIETIES The treasurer has remitted to different Missions of the Board, in aid of the work which they are doing through the press, from the American Bible Society, $6,700 ; from the American Tract Society at New York, $2,400. EFFORTS FOR- THE ELEVATION OF WOMAN The two organizations which have been formed— one at the East and the other at the West—in the hope Of accomplishing more for the female sex in our various mission fields, have achieved a success which the. most sanguine could scarcely halie looked fpr. The elder Board of Missions has received $1,540 25; the Woman's Board of Missions for the quarter has received $3,393 15, the total being $14,933 50. FINANCIAL HISTORY OF THE YEAR The committee have experienced in the matter of income, a two-fold disappointment. It was hoped that the Churches would begin at an early day to enlarge their contributions. At the end of the first third of the year; hoWever, it was found that the re ceipts, instead of being greater, were $30,000 less than those of the corresponding portion of 1867-8. Two months later the difference was $33,000, show ing an average monthly loss of $5,500. This was the first disappointment. The problem, therefore, at the end of the first six months was simply this: " With an expenditure on the one hand, which propises to exceed that of the previous year, and with a loss in the receipts, on the other hand, of $33,000, already accrued, how shall we escape an adverse balance,> which may form a great embarrassment hereafter ?" The policy adop ted in this unexpected emergency has been to re quest ,the churches, acting with and through the Board, to make their contributions equal to those of the' preaeding ,year, and a few individuals of ac knowledged ability, and benevolence have beet pri vitely informed of the financial prospect, but no agency has'been employed. It is with peculiar satisfaction that the Conanaittee now speak of their second : disappointment. On the 25th- of August the amount required to prevent any indebtedness Was supposed to be $BO,OOO. But through the Elivine ble,sing upon the efforts which had been the receipti from that time onward weie•unexpectedly large, so that the_ balance against the treasury when the book was closed was found to be less than $6,000. To the pastors and others who have been fellow laborers in working out the problem which has just been mentioned, the Committee desire to tender their cordial thanks. To Him especially who has all hearts in His hand and turneth them whithersoever He will, they would ascribe thanksgiving and praise for the deliverance which He has so manifestly wrought.. RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES The entire income of the year may be stated as follows : From donations $424,457 96 ; from legacies $93,562 26 ; from other sources $7,194 73 ; making a total of $525,214 95. The expenditures of the year have amounted to $531,661 32. As, therefore the year commenced With a balance of $520 96, it closed with a balance of $5,925 44 against, the Treas ury. That the debt is no larger has been owing in part to the refusal of the Committee to disburse all the money which was appropriated in October last. They deemed it wiser to contract the expenditures within certain limits than to end the year with a considerable deficit. LEGACIES Never before in the history of our organization has this item been so large. And it is worthy, of mention that Mr. Daniel W. Hall, the generous friend of missions, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, placed $B,OOO in the hands of the Treasurer many years ago, and directed that the amount should become the property of the Board after the death of himself and his wife, the right of calling for the interest thereon in the meantime be ing reserved. The survivor has departed this life within the ,:year; his gift, therefore, with another sum of $12,812 92, left to the Treasurer by his will, has becoine available for meeting the disbursements of the year. Adding th'e $B,OOO to the amount of legacies 'heretofore mentioned as being. a virtual leg acy, we have a total of $101,562 26. These figures furnish the explanation of the fortu nate issue of dur financial trials. EXPENDITURES-COST OP MISSIONS. Zulu Mission $23,605 91 Gaboon Mission . . . . 2,480 40 Mission to Greece'. . . . 2;052 20 Mission to Western Turkey . 95,618 63 ' Mission to Central Turkey . 27,9'5'6 94 Mission to Eastern Turkey . 45,582 26 . • Mission to Syria . . . 29,581 61 Nestorian Mission . . . 21,201 02 Mabratta . . . . . 38,709 20 Madura Ceylon Foochow . . . . . . . 19.087 81 North China . . . . . 36,220 05 Sandwich Islands . . . . 29,621 69 Micronesia . . . . . . 12,790 03 North American Indians . 9,012.97-$484.045 56 Agenci9s . . .. . . . ... 15,151 13 Administration . . . . . . . . 20,619 23 Publications . . . . . 11,845 -46 The report was accepted. The President announced that as the report called for thanksgiving, the . meeting would,now join in singing the hymn, "Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, City of our Lord." REMARKS OF SECRETARY. TREAT Rev. Mr. Treat said that this was an occasion of thanksgiving. The deliVerance of the present year should not only be borne in mind, but the deliverance of three-score yearsthat have passed. It has seemed to me•that God has been manifest to us in His dealings with us, calling us up to a higher,,,plane of love and gratitude and devotion. You will understand my idea, perhaps, if I make a brief reference to our history in other particu lprs. Before I left the Missionary house I went back over the:expenditures and receipts of the past thirty four years. It appears that dur ing twenty four years we had three times a debt of more than 850,000; once, more than $60,000, and at another time a debt of almost $60,000. Six times we had a debt of $40,000 ; twelve times we had a .debt of over $30,000. Once in eight years we had an average debt of over $50,000. Prayer was offered by Rev. H. B. Hooker, D. D., of Boston. Secretary Wood then presented the following general survey of the Missions of the Board : General Survey of the Missions The past year has been rather one of sustained general interest, and of preparation for the future; with enough of trial and embarrassment at certain points to mark the church militant, and to lead to a renewed sense of dependence upon the Divine bles sing, and with enough of success to cheer the heart and to proinpt to new and greater efforts to secure the final victory. One ordained missionary, and two female assistant missionaries, have been called to rest from their la bors ; the veteran Dr. King, so long the honored rep resentative of our work in Greece, Mrs. Saunders, who had but recently returned to Ceylon, in the hope of years of active labor for the women of that country, and Mrs. lEiggs, after many years of rare self-sacrificing devotion to the social and religious welfare of the Indian tribes of the Northwest. Seven ordained missionaries have ceased to be connected with the Board. 'Nine missionaries and three single ladies have come home for rest and the recovery of health, most of whom expect to return to the missionary work. There is it net gain in all of 20 American laborers, as compared with last year. Woman's Board of Missions.—Tho support of eighteen of the female missionaries has been assumed by- the WOrnitiVs Beard of Missions ; of thirteen by the. Board loeated at Boston, and five by the Board for the "Interior, located at Chicago. The success of this effort On the part of the Christian wonien Of our churches is . one of the most eneouraging events of the year. THE MISSIONS Africa.z—Mr. Walker remains alone in the Gaboon, as &tr. Bushnell has again been obliged to seek the recovery of health and vigor in - a less trying, climate. For more than a quarter of a century these brethren have struggled on against every odds, —a debilita ting climate, the vices without the virtues . of Euro pean traders , the intrigues of Romanists, added to all the corruptions and deceit of a most debasing su perstition. They are the forlorn hope of the mission ary service, and if their hearts should ever fail them, it will not be till the last resource of hope has' been exhausted. • , The Zulu mission has not escaped its trials. Ten dencies to revert to heathenism, on the part of some of the professed followers of Christ; have excited the fears of the missionaries. On the other hand, the success, of the training school, in charge of Mr. Ire land, gives promise at no distant day of an 'efficient corps of native helpers ; Umbyana More than fulfills the expectations of the mission by the results of his labors among his countrymen, and additions to the churches occur. Greece.—For many years Dr.. King had been known as ",themissionary to Greece." The Work de veloped by him has gradually been taken up by his pupils, and witiithein 'has passed under the care of the Americaln and Foreign , chrisiian. Union. • , The three Armenian Missions embrace a territory more than half as large as that portion of the United PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1869. 56,926 63 33,549 21 $531,661 32 States East of the Mississippi River. The evan gelization of this region has been left almost ex clusively to the American Board, and is carried on by forty-six missionaries, residing at twenty-one principal stations, and by native preachers and pas tors at one hundred and seventy out-stations. Twenty unmarried ladies are engaged in special la bors in behalf of their sex. Seventy-five churches have been gathered—now under the care of forty one native pastors, wholly or in part supported by their own people. To these churches three hundred new members were added on profession of their faith the past year, making an aggregate member ship of about three thousand. The average attend ance upon public worship on the Sabbath is about eleven thousand, and upon Sabbath-school instruc tion, eight thousand; while not far from six thou sand youth are to be found in the various schools and seminaries under the care of the missionaries. The contributions to various Christian objects amounted to over $15,000 in gold,—an advance of $2,000 upon former years, and an average of over five dollars to each church member. Progress is steadily making, in the larger 'part of the field, in the direction of self-support and independence.. The local churches and the different ecclesiastical bodies which they have organized, are conducting their affairs with much wisdom and good judgment, and as one church after another becomes independent, the Missionaries are enabled to turn their efforts to " the regions beyond." Someof the native churches, especially in the Central and Eastern missions, have been very active missionary labors. The largest number added at any one place was in Ma rash, where sixty-nine new members were added to two churches. At Constantinople, the missionaries have been greatly tried by the conduct of a portion of the Pro testant community. The motives and conduct of the missionaries in endeavoring to raise therri to independence and to the support of their owd•111- stitutions, at the , earliest practical moment, have not been properly appreciated, and secret and open enemies of the truth have improved tho occasion to embarrass our work. The eixperiericeXf the early churches, as recorded in the Acts anitin the Epis tles of the New Testament, finds renewed and pain ful illustration at Constantinople. Happily the difficulties referred to are thus far almost wholly confined to the Capital and its immediate neigh borhood. A letter published in the August number of the Missionary Herald, from the Evangelical church of Marsovan to the American Board,. and the cordial welcome that hag awaited, missionaries returning to their fields, and cheered the hearts of those going out for the first time, attest the love and esteem generally felt, and promise a hearty co-op eration. The three theological schools,—at Marsovan, Marash and Harpoot,—have had over a hundred young men in training for the ministry, of whom thirty have finished their studies and bedii called at once to places of influence. The_ four feniale semi naries—at Eski Zaiihra, Marsovan:, Aintab,. and Ha.rpoot—and the high school for iri is at Marash, have been educating a still larger nurither of. girls and women, some of them the wives of the young men in the theological schools. More than five millions of pages of a Christian literature, in four different languages, have been issued from the press under the supervision of Dr. Bliss. Drs. Pratt and Riggs, with the aid of a na tive pastor from Marash, and occasional assistance of Mr. Herrick, are engaged upon the great work of securing a correct and:uniform translation of the Scripturesinto three of the languages' of the Turk ish Empire. The sleepless vigilance of the government and the consequent timidity of inquirers have stood in the way of much effort in behalf of the Moslem population. Large editions of_ certain religious tracts have been sold, and it is to be hoped not witfilint some result in preparino• o the way for future labors. More. vigorous efforts are making to press the claims of the Gospel upon the Bulgarians. Through the persistent efforts of Messrs. Clarke and Haskell, during the past ten years, eight thousand volumes of the Scriptures, seven thousand other religious books, and thirty-one thousand tracts have 13een put in circulation from the single station of Phil ippopolis, and a spirit of inquiry awakened in the surrounding villages. Syria.—The event of the year has been the organi zation of the Seminary for the training of a native ministry. With three such men as Calhoun, Henry Jessup, and Eddy, in the very midst of Bible scenes, little can be wanting to secure a well trained min istry for the future Arab church. The female semi nary at Beirut has passed under the care of Misses Everett and Carruth. The female school at Sidon has also been gaining Nin numbers and influence. The Syrian College already number nearly seventy pupils. There h never been a brighter day in the historyof the Syrian: mission, than the present. The Bible is printed in various attractive editions;' baptisms have begun to take place among the Druzes ; even the Mohammedans are sending their children to our schools. Persia.—From 85 centres, and to congregations averaging nearly' 2,400 the past year, the gospel is now proclaimed by more than a hundred native helpers, of whom fifty-seven are licensed preachers. More than nine hundred persons have professed their faith in Christ; of whom seven hundred and 'twenty-two are now connected with the evangeli cal communion. The Seminaries have educated hundreds of youth, whose influence is seen in the general social and moral elevation of the people. More than a thousand pupils are to be found in the common schools ; half a milliqn pages [532,400] were printed the past year. Much interest in the truth is shown by some of the Moslems, and Mr. Labaree has already a class of seven young men in training to labor among ,the Armenians scattered throughout Persia. The mission will hereafter be known as " the mission to Persia." [Heretofore called "The Mission to the Nestorians."] India.—The twenty-three native churches in Me Mahratta mission give pleasing . evidence of increased devotion' to the cause of Chnst, and are disposed to accept greater responsibility for the evangeliza tion,-of their countrymen. A larger, number of sc. cessione to the chwches are reported than for sev eral years- before. An application comes to the Woman's Board of Missions for aid in the y support of ten native Bible women. The rikost striking feature in the history of the Madura Mission the past year has been the waking up:of the native Christians . to the duty of doing something more to help themselves. The sermon of",Jedin Concordance, ' the blind preacher of the Eastern Turk,a4Mission, has been preached with great power at most of the mission stations, and re peated 'for substance by the native preachers throughout the villages. The results of the tithe system are not great in amount, because 'of the poverty of the people, but they exhibit, no less, a new interest in the work. Heathenism dies hard in Ceylon. Though the Gospel has been proclaimed in almost every village, and brought to the attention, probably, of every adult, there are still, to population of Only 180,- 000; seventy-seven of the larger class of heathen temples, attended by crowds of people, 483 smaller temples, and many trees considered the abodes of deities or evil spirits. Yet ten churches of Christ, and more than a hundred native laborers , .co-operate with the missionaries in diffusing the ight of the Gospel. Three hundred and twenty-six out of four hufidred graduates of the female boarding school at Olidooville,•estailished in 1824, have either died in. the faith or are now. living in good Standing as members of the church of Christ. In education and social life the people have made great progress. They have enjoyed the light without accepting the life of the Gospel. Here, too, the native Christians are coming to realize their personal duty in the work of evangelization. One church has assumed the full support of its pastor. China.—Eleven new laborers have gone out to China during the year, and six more expect to fol low in a few months. Thus the pledge at the An nual Meeting of the Board at Buffalo is in part ful filled. It is proposed to establish two new stations in North China, and one in the South. Six churches have been gathered in the Foochow mission, with a membership of one hundred and four; five young men have finished their course in the training-school, and are desiring to preach Christ to their countrymen ; and seven other young men, who give evidence of Christian character, have just been received for instruction. The women seem specially open to religious influence, and welcome the efforts of the missionary ladies to acquaint them with the truth. In North China, special interest has been shown at Tungchow and in some of the rural districts. Mr. tibliget has given much of his time to the transla tan' of the New Testament into the Mandarin col loquial, spoken by,half the population of the em pire. This will soon be put to press. At Peking the mission will be strengthened by the arrival of three new ordained missionaries from the last class at Auburn. The literary class oppose, for their "craft is in danger to be set at naught," but there is a party of progress and of toleration, that holds control of the central government, and with the moral support of Christian nations, the way seems open for the free diffusion of the ospel in the Em pire. Hawaiian Islands and .21fic . ronesia.—The year has been one of substantial progress in the Hawaiian Islands. More pastors have been settled; the na five ministry have been growing in the estimation of their flocks and of the missionaries; discipline hashash been faithfully administered in most of the chUrches; the interests of education have been better cared for ; greater sense of responsibility for the advancement of the cause of Christ has been showt in more generous contributions to Christian objects, and in the devotion of five young men and their wives to the foreign work; and more than eight hundred members have been added to the churches on profession of faith. There are now fifty-six churches connected with the, Hawaiian Evangelical Association. A recent careful revision of church records giVes the present membership as 12,497, a reduction on last year's lists of nearly 5,000, notwithstanding the additions of the year. The reduction, now taken note of, had been going on for several years, and marks in part the great decline of the Hawaiian population of the Islands. The contributions made to the Hawaiian Board for missionary objects, home and foreign, amounted to $9,462.94, the largest sum ever reported, an ad vance of over $3,000-upon last year. The native churches are no charge upon mission funds beyond the support of the small number of missionaries who still have pastoral care. The whole amount given for Christian objects, the past year, was $29,- 380 in gold. Aside froth their own wants, a lively interest has been felt by the island churches in the Chinese im migrants now numbering over 1,300, and Mr. S. ' P. Aheong, a native" Chinaman, well qualified for the work, has been employed in labor among them by the Hawaiian Board. The good conduct pf the Chinese, their interest in Christianity, and gener ous liberality in support of Christian institutions, have excited no little surprise. Though the system of popular education fails in some respects to secure the best results, the higher schools and seminaries are well sustained. Nine teen different works, in six different languages, have been printed at the Islands, with a total of more than tWo millions of pages, to supply the wants of the Islands and their foreign mission stations. Twelve different islands in the Marquesas and in Micronesia are embraced in the foreign work of the Hawaiian Board. Another illuetration of the con dition of the work in the Hawaiian Islands was to be seen in the late meeting of the Hawaiian Evangeli cal Association, composed of missionaries, native pastors, and delegates from the native churches ; its deliberations, presided over by a native Hawaiian as Moderator, and its records kept in the native language by two Secretaries, one a missionary and the other an Hawaiian pastor. North American-Indians.—The Committee rejoice in the endeavors of the present Administration to place the Department of Indian Affairs upon a better footing. It is with peculiar satisfaction that they have seen the readiness with which disinter ested and benevolent sentlemen have consented to visit different tribes of Indians, in order to the pre servation .of peace between the stronger . and the weaker races, as also to the introduction of civiliza tion among the latter. It is td be regretted, how ever, that no CommissiOners have been sent as yet to the Dakotas. Among these Dakotas fifty-seven persons have 'professed their faith in the Saviour for the first time, and the whole number of communicants is 'six hundred and eighteen. The missionaries are assisted in their work by four native pastors, and four native licentiates. A new station has been commenced at the Yankton Agency, by Mr. J. P. Williamson. The Dakotas are supposed to exceed 30,000, four-fifths of whom have never heard the Gospel. Among the Senecas there has been a degree of interest in advancing the kingdom of Christ which might, perhaps, be called a revival; and a few have joined the church. In other respects, especially among the Cattaraugus Indians, there has been gratifying progress. Conchision:—The special blessing of God in re plenishing an exhausted treasury; the large num ber of new laborers who have entered upon the work; the results of the year abroad; may well fill tair hearts with new hope and courage as we enter upon another year. The grand work goes'on. At more than six hun dred Centres in all parts of the globe, three hundred and fifty devoted men and women from our chutches, aided by nearly a thousand native preach ers and teachers, are proclaiming, in twenty differ ent languages, the Gospel of Christ. As we note our missionary stations, among different populations of the Turkish Empire,—the Bulgarians, Arme nians, Turks, Koords, and the great Arab race among the Zulu-Kafirs of Africa; the Mahratta and Tamil races of India and Ceylon, and the mil lions of Northern and Southern China, we shall find that not less than half the human race are in the, way to be reached; directly or indirectly, by the representatives'of the American Board, and that it is no extravagance to say, that a hundred mil lions of our fellow men,—now made our neighbors through the marvelous facilities of commercial in tercourse,-2are to-day dependent upon us for the word of life and the benign influences of a Christian civilization. Do our churches realize the greatness of the work, and the solemn responsibilities of the hour? New Centres of influence have been taken, new churches organized, new pastors , ordained ; a larger number of native youth of both sexes are in' train ing for Christian work . ; more and more of the na tive churches are becoming independent of our aid, and assuming their proper responsibility for the support of the Gospel and its diffusion abroad; and, more than all, the good work everywhere accom plished—a work no figures can measure—is to be found in the vast preparation of the popular mind for the reception of the truth ; the despair of the received faiths, the conviction that the truth is with us, and must prevail, the undermining and sapping of the very foundations of error and Never before were there such motives for tion to the word of Christ, for earnest and welkii. reefed Mims to complete the work begun, mid nev er before such occasion for earnest and pru.waiii ng prayer on the part of all who look for the triumph of the kingdom of Christ in the earth. Evening- Session. The great church in which the sessions of the Board were held was crowded to its utmost Ca pacity, to hear the annual sermon by Rev. Dr. Todd, of Pittsfield, Mass. The services were commenced by singing the hymn, "Jesus shall reign, &c." Prayer was then offered by Rev. Albert Barnes. Dr. Todd's text was from Malachi i. 2. F rom the rising of the sun unto the going down. of th e same, my name shall be great among the Ge nt il es, &c." The subject was, "Missions created and sustained by Prophecy." lie - first traced th e church through the former periods, the patriarch al, the Levitical, the prophetic, and so came down to this, the era of propagation, and presented our duty to give the Gospel as soon as possible to all the family of man. MCOND DAY. After prayer by Dr. Aiken of Clereland, Sec retary Wood presented on behalf of the Pru dential Committee a Report on THE RELATIONS OF FOREIGN MISSIONARIES TO NATIVE CHURCHES AND MINISTERS In this very long and carefully prepared doc ument, it is stated, as the well settled policy of the Board to urge missionaries, at the earliest practical moment, to gather churches and estab- lish native pastors over them ; and the well known position taken by the Board, against as sociating the missionaries with the native labor ers in ecclesiastical relations is maintained, though exceptions, as in the Hawaiian Mission, are mentioned. The retaining in the hands of the missionaries entire control of the disposition of the funds coming from America, subject only to the direction of the Board, is claimed to be just and necessary. The foilowing reference is made to the policy of the Presbyterian Board of Missions, (0. S.) " In the fields occupied by that Board, as we understand, only ecclesiastical questions are de termined in Presbyteries in which the missiona ries and natives are united; but all questions of money appropriations, and therefore the ques tions of missionary administration, are acted on by the mission only, the claim of native minis ters to be members of which has not been ac knowledged. If then a strictly Presbyterian church organization were adopted in all the mis sionary fields of the American Board, no change would be required in the method of administer• ing its funds." [The concluding part of the Report dwells in a general way upon the causes of a want of har mony occasionally arising between missionaries and native Christiani. The troubles at Constan tinople, which would naturally suggest themselves under such a' topic, are not even named. Does not any organization risk loss of prestige which encourages its officers thus to spend their strength in prolonged, though able generalizations, to the exclusion of facts which alone give the princi ples a present and living, interest? ED.] , REPORT ON THE MONTHLY CONCERT Beyond a few statistics, Secretary Clark's re• port elicited nothina new. Reports from 849 Congregational churches showed that the Con cert was held in seven-eighths of the churches on the Sabbath, ,principally on Sabbath evening. In urging the need and duty of prayer at this time the Secretary says : In the development of the work we are come to that star in which prayer is to hold' a place of greater importance than ever before. The Bible and a religious literatnre are now in the hands of all the principal races and tribes of men. Not far from two thousand missionaries, and eight thou sand native preachers are proclaiming the gospel in unevangelized lands. Hundreds of thousands— m illions—have been made acquainted with the story of a Saviour's love. "In no unimportant sense," writes the veteran Lindley, of the Zulu Mission, "may it be said, the kingdom of God is come nigh' unto all this people. If their desire to enter this kingdom was equal to their knowledge of the way to it, Christians among them would soon be counted by thousands." "Our great need," adds Mr. Rood, "is not knowledge, but the presence of God's Spirit." " Pray for us and with us," writes Henry Jessup from Syria, "that the Lord of the harvest will not only send laborers into this part of the great field, but send the Spirit with the laborers, to crown their labors with success. God only can give the increase." The sound of the gospel has gone through thousands of villages in our missions in Ceylon, India, and Western Asia; the good seed of the word has been widely sown ; the Divine en ergy alone can quicken it into life. The gospel has been shown to be the power of God unto salvation the world over, to every one that *believeth ; the preparation has been made; the highway has been cast up for the coming of the Lord. The one cry comes up from every quarter of the field,—the cry sent back by the missionary apostle to the churches that sent him forth,—" brethren, pray for us." Secretary Treat read the following special re port on OCCUPATION OF JAPAN For several years the Prudential Committee have had their thobghts directed to the Japanese islands. Indeed, ever since the treaty of Commodore Perry, which accomplished so little in the beginning, but which is destined to accomplish so much in the end, the question of sending missionaries to this empire has been before them. Heretofore the reasons favor of the measure have seemed to be inconclu sive ; now they seem to call for immediate a ction. Still, as the correctness of this opinion may be doubted on financial grounds, especially in view of expected changes in our constituency, it is deemed advisable to submit the ultimate decision of the Board. 1. That the people of Japan need the Gospel, is pain fully. obvious. As we look out upon these millions, we are compelled to write above them all, " With out God in the world," " dead in trespasses and Bins." It would be wrong to say they are without religion. In fact, they have three religions: Sin tomsm, their ancient faith, Confucianism, and Bood hism. They have their temples and their priests, their festivals and their pilgrimages. They have austerities which are a wonder even to the Jesuits. But we find nothing, anywhere, which ensures mo ralityim.this life or holineis in the life to come. True, there is much to admire in their manners, [Continued on page 324.]
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers