WE have been asked to inform our readers that missionaries contemplating a visit to Japan this summer, and desirous of information regarding places to stay at, terms, etc., can write to Mr. Edward Evans, the Missionary Home and Agency, Shanghai. He has been asked by several missionaries in Japan, whose homes are advantageously situated, to put them in communication with such friends with a view to arranging accordingly.

THE opinions of the home papers are very diverse as to the profitableness or otherwise of the Chicago Parliament of Religions; some seeming to think that it was the climax of modern religious developments, while others regard it as a letting down of Christianity and a humiliation to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is always well to see ourselves as others see us, and it is interesting in this connection to view what some of the Japanese (nonChristian) representatives gave as their impressions on their return to their own country. We quote from one of them as given in the New York Independent by Rev. J. L. Dearing, of the Am. Baptist Missionary Union in Japan :

It is

world to propagate the teachings of Buddhism than in America. During the meetings one very wealthy man from New York became a convert of Buddhism, and was initiated into its rites. He is a man of great influence, and his conversion may be said to mean more than the conversion of ten thousand ordinary men, so we may say truthfully that we made ten thousand converts at that meeting. Christianity is merely an adornment of society in America. deeply believed in by very few. The great majority of Christians drink, and commit various gross sins and live very dissolute lives. Although it is a very common belief and serves as a social adornment, its lack of power proves its weakness. The meetings showed the great superiority of Buddhism over Christianity, and the mere fact of calling the meetings showed that the Americans and other Western peoples had lost their faith in Christianity and were ready to accept the teachings of our superior religion."

When we received the invitation to attend the Parliament of Religions our Buddhist organizations would not send us as representatives of the sect. The great majority believed that it was a shrewd move on the part of Christians to get us there and then hold us up to ridicule or try to convert us. We accordingly went as individuals. But it wonderful surprise which awaited

us.

was a

Our ideas were all mistaken. The Parliament was called because the Western nations have come to realize the weakness and folly of Christianity, and they really wished to hear from us of our religion and to learn what the best religion

There is no better place in the

Aside from this we wonder what the effect will be upon people in general in the United States and other lands, as they behold such remarkable representatives, of what they had been wont to call "heathen" nations, which were not at all representatives but simply what contact with Christianity had enabled them to be. Will not many -not being able to see heathenism as it is be led to think it folly to try and convert people who are not so bad after all?

Apropos of this we have seen an advertisement in a home paperreligious-of the proceedings of the Parliament, headed with a circle composed of seven links, each link representing one of the "Seven Bibles of the World," in which the Bible (as we have heretofore been wont to call it) was linked with the Koran on one side and some other "Bible" on the other, We

should expect next to see a picture of Christ joining hands with Mahomet on one side and the founder

of some other religion on the other, and all apparently on an equality! Why not?

JOTTINGS FROM AMOY.

The Churches founded by the English Presbyterian and Reformed Missionaries and formed into a Union Presbytery in 1862, have grown to such number and proportions as to warrant further organization. At the last meeting of the Presbytery in March of this year it was decided to divide the Presbytery and form two Presbyteries-the Presbytery of Chiangchiu and the Presbytery of Chinchew. It was also decided to hold the meeting of the first Synod of Amoy at Amoy in April, 1894. There will be delegates from each of the new Presbyteries formed, and we hope corresponding members from Swatow and Formosa, with whom we hope ere long to be affiliated in the same legislative body.

Eighteen self-supporting Churches were represented at the last Union Presbytery, delegates coming from cities and towns in a circuit of nearly a hundred miles north, south and west of Amoy, so that a division seemed fully justified. - The first session of the Chiang-chiu Presbytery was held at the district city of Chiang-chiu, a city with a population of over 200,000. The Chinchew Presbytery met at the district city of Chinchew, a city with a population of 400,000. Chinchew is a city of just renown. It is the literary centre of South Fuhkien. In the Confucian Memorial Hall there are tablets to the number of two hundred and over, covering the walls and ceiling, inscribed to men who have rendered service so distinguished

as to win the personal attention of the emperors, and hence these tablets inscribed and hung up at the emperor's decree. It is said that the number of tablets in the Chinchew Hall exceeds that of either Foochow or Canton. Our English Presbyterian brethren have a flourishing mission in this city. The quiet, unostentatious but effective medical skill and personal influence of Drs. Grant and Paton have won for the Chinchew hospital a deserved fame for many, many miles around. There is a self-supporting Church of over two hundred members and a Sunday congregation which crowds the building to the number of four hundred. Misses Graham and Ramsay have a large girls' school and woman's Bible school. They have also a school for the blind, which has eight pupils. They are taught to read, to make fish nets and cash strings. They are hoping to introduce the making of rattan stools and chairs, for which a recent demand has arisen.

It was thirty years ago last March that the first two pastors-Pastors Ho and Yap-were ordained. Pastor Ho's term of service was short, and he was called to his reward. Pastor Yap has served thirty years, and the anniversary last March was made the occasion for a celebration by the people of the Church over which he now ministers at Sio-ke, sixty miles south-west of Amoy. I give a few extracts from an account of the celebration, written by Dr. Otte, whose hospital at Sio-ke has been a boon to thousands scattered among the

that inland country:

"The anniversary was on March 28th. About a week beforehand active preparations were begun by neatly decorating the Church with festooning, scrolls, Chinese lanterns and flowers. Neighboring Churches as well as the Sio-ke Church and private individuals contributed money to defray expenses. Some gave rice, vegetables, etc., the Church at Hamsin giving thirty chickens. A large number of visitors arrived, some several days before; among these were four native pastors, many native Christians and six foreign missionaries and missionary ladies." "Early on the morning of the day the civil mandarin of the place called to extend his congratu

lations.

While the pastor received his due portion of honor, it was evident throughout that the chief feelings were those of honor to God aud