much of the first few years of work? Is there not a danger that we Westerners have been so confident that the Chinese have unusual powers of memory, that with the new system of education we fail to realize that they may undergo real loss in giving up so largely their former memoriter method? Shall we not instead take advantage of this natural trait and turn it to good account in our Sunday Schools? "The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God." A home missionary once told me how, his family being Romanists, as a street vagrant he strayed into one of our mission Sunday Schools in Austria and was taught to memorize the golden text. Years later, as a hardened sinner, he stood on a bridge contemplating suicide. At that decisive moment that golden text of his childhood flashed into his memory. It was this, "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." He dared not face that judgment seat. The Holy Spirit convicted him and he sought further instruction. Later he went to America and became a preacher of the Gospel. What a grand fruitage for that golden text! Shall we not adopt, as one of our ideals, the testimony of Josephus in regard to the Jews that "if any of us should be questioned concerning the laws, he would more easily repeat all than his own name ?"

Again, is it not true that the greatest difficulty in securing teachers who can ask or answer questions, is that the Christians themselves are so lacking in an accurate knowledge of the main facts of Bible truth, and the first need is to store the minds of the adults as well as the children with these main facts? We are told that Moses had his teachers listen four times first, then set them to work repeating. His teachers were not called upon to explain, but simply to repeat his teachings. No person can question in regard to facts until those facts are thoroughly and accurately fixed in memory. Inaccuracy is the bane of the Chinese mind. On the quicksands of uncertainty of fact, no structure of clear thinking which must precede appropriate questioning, can possibly be built up. Το the memorizing of the golden texts, shall we not add psalms and other portions for responsive services?

We wish we knew how Abraham instructed his 318 retainers. Perhaps the nearest we can come to finding out is to study the five of the seven Talmudic requisites of an educated man which bear upon questioning and answering. These are: "He will not be in haste to reply, he will ask

only fitting questions: he will give suitable answers, he will answer the first thing first and the last thing last, and he will candidly confess the limits of his knowledge."

The ordinary Chinese finds no difficulty in pouring forth a flood of words on the Sunday School lesson. Although there is never a lack of fluency, the subject matter, however, does not fulfil the first requirement, which means our common saying, "Think three times before you speak."

As

Abraham Lincoln had nothing but the Bible to read. an orator he has rarely been equalled for brevity and directness. May it not be hoped that memorizing of the Bible may help do away with the indefiniteness and indirectness of the Chinese mind, so of them it may be said: "He will ask only fitting questions, he will give suitable answers, he will answer the first thing first and the last thing last."

Again, do we realize what a source of joy it is to feel confident that one has accurate knowledge of some few things? Is it not this joy of knowing that one does know accurately a very little that makes it possible for an educated man to be able to do what the Talmud says, candidly confess the limits of his knowledge?" As means of joy and strength, then, to the Christians let us faithfully endeavor to adopt the Jewish method and give them not only an opportunity to hear the law, but so plan to have them drilled and grounded in the law that they shall "learn it accurately."

To us older missionaries who can remember when our strongest churches of to-day found the foreign missionary interrupted by the most irrelevant of questions in the midst of his preaching, the quiet audience willing to sit still and listen appears a wonderful advance. In places where silent listeners are still rare, let us take heart that John the baptist, the forerunner, only preached to his fluctuating audiences as he prepared the way for his great Teacher with His superior methods. Let us have patience and perseverance as we remember our Lord commissioned us not only to preach but to disciple (make scholars of) the nations. This is not the task of a few years. It is a proof of our fidelity to the great commission that we have our Sunday School Union and meet to discuss Sunday School methods. Because in most of our churches we have not yet developed teachers so we can have fully equipped Sunday Schools, let us be thankful if we have listeners out of whom the Aaron and seventy elders may be

Shall not

developed. We have a host of boarding-schools. these be our training schools for teachers? Surely our Biblewomen can be used as regular teachers in our churches, and, as the work becomes more established, the division into classes becomes more urgent that those who know the first principles may be instructed more fully. May it not be possible for the women studying in the training schools to be given more definite teaching in outside churches by careful planning on our part?

In Foochow college, in the city, we have a band of thirtyfive or forty young men every Sunday morning taught to prepare to go out and teach in the afternoon. These furnish regular teachers for classes in eight Sunday Schools. The division into classes would not be possible without the methodical sending out of these young men. About half of them walk to outside schools fifteen to forty-five minutes distant. This requires definite time and care for organizing. Each Sunday morning the young men who go out are designated to a particular school and vacancies are filled. In most instances the students also take turns in acting as superintendents and conducting the review at the close of the class study period of about twenty-five minutes, when the scattered classes come together again. The day-schools form the chief attendance at these Sunday Schools, but it is encouraging to report that the number of adults is increasing. It seems a real loss that the churches at Foochow have not the good arrangement that we hear of at Amoy. There, we understand, in many places the Christians bring their mid-day meal, and the food is prepared at the chapel. This certainly seems an ideal arrangement, for it gives opportunity for so much more thorough Bible teaching.

Without such an arrangement the country people cannot possibly walk twice a day, and even in the city the distances seem long to those who take them. Could not the time lost in walking back and forth be far better spent in a training class for teachers? May it not be possible that the failure to study into and follow the early church methods have proved a real loss to the spiritual growth of the church of Christ in China?

J. W. Axtelle, of Nashville, Tennessee, in his book, "The Teacher's Problem," says: "All roads in the Sunday School lead to the seat before the teacher. Other things are lost sight of in the effort to add other seats to this and to see that each is

occupied by some one to whom God's truth may be presented. Cannot you and I help fill some of the vacant seats in our Sunday Schools, seats filled faithfully in the preaching service, but too often empty in the Bible school?

Our Fukien Sunday School Committee has endeavored to prepare three courses for different ages and grades of pupils. A kindergarten course for the little ones which they hope to be illustrated.

They have had Seymour's course for adults translated not only for the life of Christ but also of the Acts and Epistles; this latter being nearly completed. It is intended that there be a corresponding course of Seymour's for children. In this, questions and answers both have been prepared.

The Bible picture book, which is used very generally in all three missions, is proposed as the basis for a Sunday School course on the Old Testament to supplement Seymour's. Questions have been prepared, but are not yet printed. If answers are given at all, they will only be infrequently.

A course of lessons on the Sunday School calendar for the year is being prepared. The topics for the first half year are appropriate to the Sundays of the church year. The topics for the second half year embody a system of doctrinethe character of God, sin, the atonement, baptism, and all the main doctrines being included. No answers are given in this

course.

Besides these courses which have been prepared at Foochow and Hinghua, advanced courses on the Acts and Epistles and on Old Testament biography are proposed to be prepared at Amoy. Prof. Bosworth's courses, both on the Life of Christ and the Acts and Epistles, are also recommended for advanced work. These are in Mandarin character.

Although the international lessons have not been included in the plan of the Sunday School Committee, they have been continued by one of the three missions at Foochow in preference to the special courses proposed. These international lessons, with excellent notes, come out in quarterly sheets in Mandarin with the Christian Intelligencer, published by the Presbyterian Mission Press.

It seems therefore that while we are working toward it, we have not yet secured uniformity in Fukien in courses to be pursued. This is such a vital question that there is sure to be difference of opinion and strong preference. The secretary of

our Fukien Union has spent much time corresponding with missionaries all over the empire in regard to the advisability of a uniform course. The responses brought the opinion of 41 % favorable, 40% unfavorable, and 19 % without any expression on this point. As to the international course being the best uniform, the votes were very evenly divided for and against. This report from over the empire shows that the variety of preference manifested at Foochow, while it may not be so evident in other small localities, is prevalent over the entire empire.

In regard to what was actually done, our secretary gathered that 12% followed no course whatever, 26 % did not answer this question, 16 % used special courses locally prepared, 11 % followed other courses, including Blakeslee, Seymour, A. B. U. M. course, etc., 35 % used the international, some following the current course and some the courses of a few years past. We see 27 % were for local or special courses, such as Seymour or Blakeslee, and 25% for the international, showing the majority were actually using the international.

Are not a few things clear to us? First, it is desirable to have different courses for the very young children and the more advanced pupils. Second that every possible incentive to secure the method of question and answer should be adopted. Third, that a sufficient variety of courses be prepared to meet the preferences of the different workers.

Does it not seem certain that with the expanding evangelization of Fukien the variety of kind of pupil will increase instead of decrease? With us will remain the raw recruit from heathenism, while more advanced classes should constantly be added. While in some places the more simple grades may be outgrown, in newer places they will still be in demand.

The practical questions of time and money spent in preparation of lessons, the amount of prepared notes for helps to teachers, the public sentiment aroused or capable of being aroused upon the importance of Bible study in regular Sunday Schools, are all factors to be considered in each mission. Our sails are all spread on the ocean of God's truth and love, and power, that which is the quickest or safest or best route to follow to the heavenly haven of Christ-like character, is the one to be decided in the course of study adopted. Perhaps a simple route, mapped out for the special locality, may be wisest ; others may prefer to take advantage of the great gulf stream of