Resolved, 1st, That this General | Boone, M.D., Secretary and TreaAssembly, in accordance, we are surer E. Reifsnyder, M.D. A Comglad to be assured, with the gen-mittee was appointed to frame a eral sentiment of ministers elders and constitution and Bye-laws, and to members of our churches on the Pa- report at a special meeting to be cific Slope, view with utter reproba- held Saturday October the 30th. tion all such acts of lawless violence MR. GEORGE MÜLLER IN CHINA. against helpless foreigners in our land; and we recognize the fact that our government is bound not only by the ordinary laws of humanity and by plain treaty obligations but also by consideration of what is due to our citizens resident in China, to protect the Chinese among us, and to redress the great wrongs which mob violence has inflicted upon them. Resolved 2nd, That the Assembly warmly commends the action of the brethren on the Pacific Coast, who even when exposed to sore obloquy and threatened danger, remembering the demands of justice and humanity, and the golden rule of our Lord, have stood up nobly in the defense of the rights of the oppressed. Resolved, 3rd, That we urge our ministers and people to do all within their power to create a state of public sentiment upon the subject that shall discourage all future outrages against law-abiding strangers, in our midst, and shall secure to all men, without distinction of race, all that is fair and right according to the laws of the land and the law of God. During the last few weeks many of our readers have had the very great pleasure of listening to the earnest addresses of this man of faith and prayer. He has spent two weeks in Shanghai speaking Monday, Tuesday and Friday of each week and twice on Sunday. His addresses have been delivered to large and attentive audiences in the Union Church, the Masonic Hall and the Temperance Hall. The last meeting was held in the Old Union Chapel at the London Mission and for the native Christians, the Rev. Wm. Muirhead, interpreting. This large chapel was well filled, notwithstanding the rain and it is to be hoped many caught the spirit of this saintly man. He says: I do wish in my inmost soul that the Church of God at large knew more the power of prayer and faith in these our unbelieving and skeptical days; and among various other reasons why I am traveling from country to country throughout Christendom, I have also this particularly in view, that by seeking to bring back professing Christians to the Bible, I may likewise thus strengthen their faith." Mr. and Mrs Müller have left Resolved, That a copy of this deliverance be officially sent to the Chinese embassador at Washington, engrossed in the Chinese language; Shanghai for a visit to the river also that a copy thereof be trans-ports and on their return expect to mitted to the President of the go to Japan. United States, and to our missionaries in China. MEDICAL SOCIETY. The Shanghai Medical Missionary Association, held its first meeting on Saturday, October 23rd. The following Cilicers were duly clected President, F. M. Griffith, M.D., Vice President, H. W. in Dr. Edkins proposes a few canons for rendering proper names Chinese as follows:: 1. Since the Chinese rhythmus in prose is usually pervaded by a love for sentences of four words it is well to render all long nanies with four words as far as possible. This arrangement allows the ictus to fall on the second and fourth syllables. Alexander is The ictus on li is very light. falls strongly on ta for which may be used. It inferiority while means elegant and classical. We ought to be careful in choosing, a name for a country which produced so many master pieces of literary art as Athens did. 5.-In certain cases the first character may be used for the whole. Thus the emperor Augustus may be spoken of as or as 2. Since the letters b, d, g, exist in the old middle dialect as spoken at Shanghai, Soochow, Hangchow, Ningpo, it is well for translators who reside in mandarin speaking. localities to give some attention in their selection of characters to this circumstance and to choose for the European b, d, g, such Chinese characters as are pronounced with b, d, g, in the locality occupied by the old middle dialect. 3. The shorter rendering is caeteris paribus the better. This canon should be remembered when rendering long words the syllables of as which have short consonant 6.-Political reasons should be essential in all cases. forms for one name are both used the c in Victoria and the ck in Fred-extensively by good authority the erick. Four syllables are quite translator may take his choice or enough. use both. We need not ignore or taboo any name which has respectable authority. Egypt is or 伊及 a 4. The rule to use characters with as few strokes as possible is good one, but it must be modified when tradition, usage and esthetic suitability require a peculiar character. For Athens is not so good as because implies Mr. Plumb kindly sends the following "Statistics of the Foochow Conference of the M. E. Church." Support of Pastors and Presiding Elders... Church Buildings Mr. Plumb writes ;-"We had a good Conference, and the work is encouraging." There seems to be no disturbance anywhere and no special obstacles to the progress of the truth. We hear of much less persecution and opposition from 221.24 the heathen. I think the Chungking riot has already produced good fruit, judging from the proclamations which have come down here from Peking favorable to Christianity. * Decrease. This decrease is owing to no aid having been given this year by the mission and last year the amount was unusually large. Missionary Journal. Births, Marriages & Deaths. Ar the Cathedral Shanghai, October BIRTHS. AT Wuchang, October 1st, the wife of Mr. THOS. PROTHEROE, American Episcopal Mission of a daughter. AT Foochow, October 15th, the wife of the Rev. J. H. WORLEY, of a son. MARRIAGES. AT T'ai Yuen Fu Shansi, on September 20th, by Rev. W. W. Cassels BENJAMIN BAGNALL to EMILY ELIZABETH KINGSBURY both of the China Inland Mission. AT T'ai Yuen Fu Shansi, on September 20th, by Rev. W. W. Cassels WILLIAM KEY to MARGARET SYMON both of the China Inland Mission. AT Kobe Japan, October 6th, by Rev. W. J. Lambuth, D.D., Dr. W. H. PARK, M.D., of American Methodist Episcopal Mission, South, Soochow, to NORA LAMBUTH daughter of officiating minister. AT Kobe Japan, October 6th, by Rev. W. J. Lambuth, D.D., Rev. OSCAR A. DUKES, of American Methodist Episcopal Mission, South, Japan, to MARY J. BENNETT of Woman's Union Mission, Shanghai. Ar Shanghai, on the 8th October, by the Rev. Mr. Hodges and the Rev. Mr. Horsburgh, the Rev. WILLIAM MUIRHEAD TO ALICE JANE daughter of the late R. E. Turner, Esq., Barrister, London, and widow of the Rev. Anders Eriksson, Sweden. AT Shanghai, October 11th, by the Rev. H. C. Hodges, WILLIAM F. LAUGHTON to AGNES I. BROWN both of the China Inland Mission. 20th, by Rev. Hodges, E. MORGAN to Miss WEEDON. Also R. C. FORSYTH to Miss MAITLAND. Also G. S. MEDHURST to Miss CORPE, all of the English Baptist Mission. Ar Shanghai, October 21st, by the Rev. H. C. Hodges, THOMAS HUTTON to ANNIE A. LEBRUN, both of the China Inland Mission. DEATHS. AT the Weslyan Mission Wuchang, August 30th, KATHERINE R. the beloved wife of the Rev. J. W. Brewer, and on September 24th, HAROLD RowE, their infant son. Arrivals and Departures. ARRIVALS. Ar Shanghai, October 18th, Rev. D. N. LYON and Mrs. J. H. JUDSON of the Am. Presbyterian Mission, North, returning. Ar Shanghai, October 18th, Miss DORA RANKIN of the American Methodist Episcopal Mission, South, returning. Ar Shanghai, October 18th, Rev. Mr. and Mrs. T. RICHARDS, (returning) Miss MAITLAND, Miss CORPE, Miss WEEDON, Rev. NICHOLLS and FARTHING, all of the English Baptist Mission. DEPARTURES. FROM Shanghai, October 9th, Rev. and Mrs. S. LEWIS, and child of the Am. Presbyterian Mission, North, for the U.S.A. FROM Shanghai, October 15th, Rev. and Mrs. J. MURRAY and four children, of the American Presbyterian Mission, North, for the U.S.A. THE present seems to be a time when the question of "paid native agency " has come under review among missionaries, and the friends of missions. The accompanying letter was written in answer to questions of a missionary whose mind was exercised upon this topic. It is by no means a full and logical presentation of the subject, but consists rather of desultory thoughts, suggested by the questions proposed. Least of all is there any reference to the valuable papers, which have recently appeared in The Recorder on this subject. DEAR BROTHER ; I answer in order, and without delay, the questions you have proposed. Question first.-"What is the policy, and what is the practice, of your mission in regard to paid native assistants, either as colporteurs, evangelists, or pastors and teachers ?" Answer.-I.-I must take exception to the word "paid." To pay is to satisfy for service rendered,' 'to compensate,'' to reward,' 'to requite.' In this sense of the word this mission has no "paid" native agency. Neither are the missionaries themselves "paid "agents. A young man who studied theology in our mission institute, and was licensed to preach, now receives, as a teacher, nearly double the sum he would have received as a helper. He broke down in his character, and was unfit for a helper. Another, who remains faithful, might easily obtain, as a teacher, twice what he now receives. Some missionaries receive much less, and others much more, than they would have been likely to receive in their native lands. What they receive is not graded according to any system of payment made for services rendered. II. The principle adopted in this mission, in the employment of native agents is, as I understand it, that of an economical support, the same as that which underlies the support of the missionaries themselves. III. The policy of the mission is, to employ truly converted men, who love the Saviour, and who have gifts such as qualify them for usefulness among their fellow countrymen, as assistants in publishing the gospel, whether as "colporteurs, evangelists, or pastors and teachers," and to provide them with an economical support. The funds for such support may come if needful from the contributions of the home Churches, the missionaries always inciting the native Churches to do their utmost in supplying such funds. The policy of the mission is also to institute schools of a lower and higher grade, in order to train up such men, and prepare them for usefulness. It equally enters into the policy of the mission to exercise great care and vigilance as to the character and usefulness of the agents employed, to maintain a constant supervision of their labors, and to expand the native agency by a natural and healthy growth, according as God's blessing shall rest upon its work, always aiming at, and inculcating self-support, and the support of other missions, as soon as God shall give the ability. IV. The practice of the mission is as far as possible the following out of this policy. We have some fourteen licensed preachers, and about thirty other helpers including "Bible-women." These persons are scattered at the different country stations, or labor in connection with the missionaries at the places where these reside. Some of the helpers travel from place to place in the country, seeking to follow up any interest which may have been awakened in the regular labors at central stations by preaching in chapels. Question Second.-"Do you regard the practice common among missionaries in China of employing native assistants as a great error, and an unmitigated evil?" Answer. Certainly not. I sympathize with the policy and the practice of this mission in regard to its native agency. The difficulties and the dangers connected with the employment of native agents, belong to our common human nature. They pertain alike, in some degree, to the support of foreign missionaries and of the Chinese helpers. The laborers from Christian lands are not exempt from them, nor is the ministry in those lands exempt. The late Bishop Russell, in his visit to Peking after his return from England to China, said to me, for substance, "We must have a boarding school for the education of young men for the ministry. We have erred in neglecting this department of labor. Our friends |