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Will the Heathen be Saved Without the Gospel?

BY REV. JAMES CAMPBELL.

DR. BUCKLEY sustains his position well by the Scriptures and Methodist authorities. There is one vital question to many people, however, which he does not touch. It is, If the heathen can be saved without the Gospel, why send it? If they have light enough to be saved will not the Gospel sent increase their responsibility and put those who reject it in worse condition than they were before they received it?

This question is generally pushed aside by asking another: "Whether we can be saved if we do not send it?" The answer projects some moral force upon the conscience, but is not satisfactory to the man who opposes foreign missions on the ground that there is no use to send the Gospel to those who can be saved without it.

Yet there is really no mystery here, and the answer is very simple. It will be admitted by all who believe in the moral agency of men that all who can be saved will not be saved. Then the question is not whether "the heathen can be saved without the Gospel, but whether they will be saved without it?" To this the answer is, that with perhaps a few exceptions, they will not.

There is no man in this Christian land who cannot be saved without the preaching of a single other sermon than has been already preached. Yet we are continually preaching to men whom we know will not be saved without this means of grace. No man will be damned because he knows not, but because he will not. Now, the heathen are enlightened enough by God in various ways to be saved, provided they live in harmony with the light they have, but they are no more certain to live in harmony with that light without the preaching of the Gospel than they of Christendom. The Gospel is necessary, therefore, to the heathen on the same ground and on the same principles that it is necessary to every other

man.

If the Ninevites had had the light that the Jews had in our Lord's day on earth they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But they did not have that light, and did not repent, and were destroyed. Yet they did have some light, with which they did not live in harmony. They were not destroyed because they did not have the light of the Jews, which would have saved them, but because they did not live according to the light they did have.

We do not send the Gospel to the heathen merely to civilize them, or to improve their condition in this world. If they get to heaven they will have all eternity to get civilized and to learn. But we send the Gospel because without it they will be everlastingly lost. There is no other reasonable ground for mission work. Let us hold fast to that.

The actions of men are not compelled by motives. They can resist the strongest motives; yet it is a fact that they generally yield to the strongest. In the preaching of the Gospel, God puts motives for repentance, faith, and righteous living upon the hearts of men which they can get through no other channel. The Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, exerts its most powerful influence upon the hearts of men through men. Great, therefore, are the responsibilities of those to whom the transmission of its influence is committed.-Texas Christian Advocate.

Missionary Dress and Life.

BY CHARLES F. HARFORD-BATTERSBY, M.D. MATTERS of dress and social etiquette, and the general mode of living of the missionary, seem small matters to those who have not had actual experience of the work, and even to many of those at work in the mission field in places where European customs predominate.

But in a pioneer work these things have an importance which it is almost impossible to overrate, but very difficult to explain to those who have no experience of such fields.

It is obvious, however, that when a missionary enters for the first time a new part of a country, he will be an object of general interest and attraction, whether for good or ill, on the part of the natives. For some time he may not have the opportunity of speaking much to them, even if he knows their language; but long before he can speak to them they will have formed opinions about him, which will probably have far more weight than the sermons he may preach. This is so in our own country, but far more so among people who are shut off from general intercourse with the nations of the world. Their national prejudices are even greater than our own, and he is a foolish man who seeks to run counter to them, at least so far as they are not antichristian. For instance, they will judge of a man's wealth by their own standards, and it is, perhaps, impossible to avoid a reputation of being rich, but it is worth while making an effort to live as simply as possible.

Self-denial probably forms a great part of their idea of religion, and they will not be likely to listen very much to one whom they think is "making a good thing out of it."

It may be true that missionaries are not living luxuriously according to English ideas, and may put to shame many who are living in ease at home, and expecting others to do what they are not prepared to do themselves, but still, according to Chinese ideas or African ideas, they may be living at an unnecessarily higher level than the natives around them.

The complaint was lately made by the correspondent of the Times in Uganda that our missionaries were too condescending, and had erred in treat

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story and illustrated the life. It became a contagion in Sweden. What is once in Sweden gets over to the Swedes in Finland, and so Methodism came here. It has done good. The Free Church acknowledges it. The ministers of the State Church-many of them-acknowledge it. It is just beginning to organize itself for systematic work.

It is a strange thing and a good thing that so many people high in State Church life in Finland look with favor and appreciation on our movement there. It is another singular thing, which I am not yet fully able to comprehend, but which a good authority assures me is true, that while in Sweden the Lutheran "priests" are not our friends and the humbler people are, here in Finland our good words come from the "priests" and the better class of laymen.

I have not seen such an intelligent-looking congregation at any Conference session in Europe as I found at the opening session of the Finland Mission Annual Meeting in Helsingfors last July. On making inquiry, after the session, I was told that many of the very people whose appearance had attracted my attention, and who bowed at the altar to receive the holy communion, are members of the State Church, who are regular in attendance upon our services, and who are in full sympathy with the doctrines we preach and with the fervent life we promote.-Christian Advocate.

Some Difficulties in China.

BY REV. EDWARD S. LITTLE.

IT is the custom to send home the best reports of work on the mission field with a view to stirring up a holy enthusiasm in the Church and strengthen the hands of those who gather and provide the sinews for the war. But there is another side to missionary work-a hard and stern one-which is not so often presented. It is well that the Church at home shall know something of this side, and if its work is carried on from a settled principle and determination to win the world for Christ, and not a mere passing enthusiasm, accounts of hard fighting and even temporary defeat, instead of damping its ardor, will only serve to cause it to gird its 'oins and plunge into the fight with more courage and daring faith than ever.

All the civilized world has heard of the barbarous massacre of the two missionaries at Sungpe, about one hundred miles from Kiukiang, and one of a number of villages or small towns lying close together. The two brethren had settled and done several months' good work; the natives of the place were well pleased with them and glad to have them there. But the mandarins, from whom almost all our opposition comes, were opposed to them. Local bullies and roughs soon knew the mind of their official, and, assembling ten thousand strong, cruelly and brutally murdered the devoted servants of Christ in the open daylight. When they had murdered them they

brutally mutilated their corpses and left them to rot under a tropical sun in the open streets.

Two brother missionaries, with official consent and promises of protection, left to fetch the bodies away for burial, but before they had begun their land journey it was evident the officials had laid their plans so that these also should perish in like manner. After long delay the bodies came and were interred with the most imposing ceremonies.

Since then a perfect reign of terror has set in in the neighborhood. Extra officials, with some three hundred soldiers, have gone there and captured every man they could lay hands on who had sold to the foreigners or in any way assisted them. A poor innocent cooly who had carried water for them as well as for others was arrested, tortured, imprisoned in foul dungeons, and now has an iron rod passed through a hole bored in his collar bone, to which a chain is attached and with which he is fastened in his cell. Other horrors, too evil even to be thought of in Christian lands, have been perpetrated on innocent men. The officials have done their work there and come away with the boast that no foreigner will dare go to that place again.

This seems now to be the policy of the great officials of the empire, and of course they are eagerly backed up by all the smaller officials, namely, to make it impossible for any foreigner to obtain any assistance from the natives, and thus eventually starve him out. In the above riot not a single offender has been punished so far, and none will be punished unless strong pressure is brought to bear by Western governments.

It is well understood all over the empire that officials are to oppose foreigners in every possible way, and generally they are only too glad to do so. Much is made in some quarters of China's awakening, and the importation of foreign machinery, etc., is pointed to as evidence. The truth is that the officials are employing these foreign weapons so that they may the more easily drive out foreigners. Only this week orders have come from high officials in Peking prohibiting the importation of foreign and steam machinery except for and by the government.

The government and the majority of the officials and the literary men have one ambition, and that is to revert to the only custom, shut up the empire and rigidly exclude all foreigners. It is needless to say that this cannot be accomplished, and the sooner the Chinese make up their minds to this the better.

The ex-official-the infamous Cheo Han-the instigator of the fire and bloodshed of 1891, is still at large and at work. Foreign governments attempted to have him suppressed. The officials replied that he had gone mad, that he had fled from his home, and so on. Western governments believed this, and nothing has been done to punish the ferocious outbreaks of 1891 or to prevent their recurrence. riots and murders of foreigners that have occurred since then are sufficient proof of this. Cheo Han has

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remained all the time in his home at Chang Sha, and has recommenced with great vigor his attack on Christianity and foreigners. The blasphemous lampoons representing Christ as the god of lust and the Church as guilty of the most outrageous barbarities have never been equaled in the history of the Christian Church. These are being again circulated in vast quantities, and with them many new ones. Some urge the people to rise and murder all foreigners and burn their property. As an encouragement it is stated that foreigners are utterly powerless to defend themselves or to retaliate; so there is no danger and nothing need be feared.

The government knows all this, and by allowing it to proceed under its very eyes and protection in the face of all the Western protests is sufficient evidence that it approves it. Foreigners are regarded as barbarians and outcasts, and Western governments have made the mistake of entering into treaties with China -a depraved heathen country with no consciencejust the same as with Christian powers. The Chinese will yield to no reasoning unless it be backed up with force. A century hence, when the country has become impregnated with Christian doctrine and some kind of Christian conscience, China will be a vastly different place from what it is now.

Through the length and breadth of the land Christian preachers, native and foreign, have traveled and told of a Saviour from sin and an uplifter of the human race. Millions upon millions of books and tracts have been scattered broadcast. All this is working in the minds of the people. It is impossible that a great people like this shall come into a new life except with great struggles. Mighty changes will and are taking place, and the world will yet be thrilled with horror at the cruel deeds perpetrated. Christian powers will be to blame if they do not repress the brutal persecution permitted by the government. The battle of liberty has been fought and won in England and America, and these countries have, in the face of high heaven, a duty in relation to their coreligionists in this land. Armed forces for the propagation of the Gospel are never dreamed of, of course. It ought not to be necessary to say this, but we in Western lands have come by a bloody road to allow that every man has the right to a free exercise of religion or otherwise, according to his own conscience. If Christian nations will do their duty here the battle need not be long or sharp. The firm arm of law ought to guarantee to every creature on the globe this right.

Opposition and ill treatment of foreigners is encouraged by the action of Western powers. Chinese ambassadors are received at the Court of St. James and the White House at Washington, and every court is paid to them. In Peking, until the last couple of years, the representatives of Western powers were not received at all by the emperor, and now only in a tributary hall where the representatives of trib

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utary states are received. This is known all over the empire, and degrades foreigners. This ought to be changed at once, but it will not be until Western jealousies give place to more harmony and concerted action.

Kiukiang, China, September 18, 1893.

Giving Names Among the Ainos.

BY REV. J. BATCHELOR.

LAST March in Japan I admitted an Aino to the visible Church of Christ by baptism. She is a girl of thirteen. Before the baptism took place I had great difficulty with regard to the choice of a suitable name for her. Such a selection is a very hard matter among the Ainos. It is true, indeed, that they only have one name each, like the ancient Greeks, but then they have so many superstitions and curious customs connected with this subject that the choosing of a fitting name for a person is quite a formidable task. The chief difficulties, then, connected with finding names for Aino children come from this fact.

No one may be called by the name of a person who has passed away. When anyone dies, his or her name must die also. Should the name of a dead person be applied to a boy or girl, it is supposed that it will grieve the soul of the departed, and be likely to call forth his or her displeasure. Some evil would be pretty certain to follow, for the spirits of the dead can, it is thought, act upon the living for good or evil. No person can, therefore, take the name of his dead p rent, friend, or ancestor. They always try to banish the very idea of death from their thoughts.

It will easily be seen, therefore, that there must always be a great want of Aino proper names, and that naming a person is a matter of great difficulty. Names in themselves are supposed by the Ainos to be lucky or unlucky, and to bring fortune or misfortune on a person, as the case may be. The people appear to invest them with power for good or evil, so superstitious are they, In short, the Ainos appear to live in a great whirl of superstition with regard to this as well as every other subject. Thus, for example, a child is of a weakly disposition, and is consequently always ailing; this is often thought to be because the name is an unfortunate one. It has, therefore, to be changed.

I have repeatedly been asked to name or rename persons, varying in age from four to eighteen, for this very reason. I know of one sickly child who is continually ill, and whose name has been changed by her parents and friends no less than four times, and only to-day I was asked, as a great favor, to think of a new and more fortunate name for her! This superstition is very deeply fixed in the mind of the Ainos, and it will take a long time to get rid of it, for such ideas among such a people die very hardly.

I mentioned above that a person must not be

called after his or her ancestors or deceased relations. In the same way he must not take the name of his living neighbors. Should such a thing be done it would be looked upon as a kind of theft, and treated accordingly. This fact probably arose from the idea that names bring good or evil, and a person needs all the good his name can bring, and does not care to have it divided up with another. In trying to find the name of a person I have several times been asked not to use such and such a name, because some one else at another village has one which sounds very much like it. Again, the name must have a good sound and meaning. That seems reasonable enough. Choosing a name for the person I lately baptized, I suggested several before I could hit upon the right Thus, Rhoda would not do at all because the first syllable sounded too much like the Japanese word "ro," a prison, and is a word often used by the Ainos for "prison," so that Rhoda or Rota would mean, as the Ainos use it, "to be in prison." It was not the slightest use telling them that the Scripture word Rhoda had another meaning. A name with

one.

(From a Japanese Drawing.)

such a sound could not possibly do. I next mentioned Sarah at a venture. But even that would not do by any means; it sounded too much like the Aino word "sara," which is the word for an animal's tail. Such a name could not be thought of for a minute.

I next tried Eunice, but it was thought best not to take that name because it sounded very like "junin," which means "pain," and to "suffer pain." At last I tried Rebecca. Yes, that would do very well indeed, for in Aino the word "Reipeka," which sounds very like Rebecca, means "a fitting name." Well, I certainly thought I had got over that trouble. But lo, about five minutes before the time appointed for the service, word came in that "Reipeka" would not quite do; could I kindly change it? I asked why, and found that her mother, who had died some six years ago, was called "Rerura," the first syllable of which was very like "Rei" in " Reipeka!"

In sheer desperation I therefore coined a name on the spot. It was "Tom-un-mat," and that means "the shining female." To my surprise, all parties were highly delighted with it, and so she was named by it.