ourselves, at the beginning of the new year, the prime importance of not losing sight of the spiritual in the midst of so much that is material. The demands for new literature of every kind, the wonderful openings for educational work, the occupation of new fields, plans for federation and comity, will have a tendency, unless rightly directed, to make us too absorbed in material growth and development and cause us to be lacking in that spiritual power without which our best endeavors will prove futile. We need to remind ourselves, over and over again, of Paul's dictum, "I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified", and to realize our position as Christ's "ambassadors ", or as Paul loved to put it, "bondservants". Nothing should tempt us to lower our standard, or lead us to delude ourselves, under the speciousness of "expediency", or to abate in the least the demands of the religion which we come to teach, which may and will be to some foolishness and to some a stumbling block, but only as we are true to the Spirit is our message unto the people of the wisdom and power of God. THE Rev. F. B. Meyer is expecting to visit the Far East this coming season, leaving England in March, visiting Turkey, India and China in the interests of Sun Visits of F. B. Meyer day School work, and should arrive in and W. Hewell. Shanghai in May or June. He will visit different places in China, and we are sure that his visits will be everywhere warmly welcomed. We trust, too, that his services will be productive of great good, not only to the interests of the Sunday School work, but a great stimulus to missionaries wherever he goes. So many have read his works and been helped thereby that he will come to many almost as a personal friend. The Rev. William Newell, formerly of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, will also visit Shanghai in February to hold a series of Bible class meetings, for which he is engaging the Lyceum Theatre. Mr. Newell is noted for his ability to interest people in the study of the Bible, and his efforts in this direction in the United States have been crowned with remarkable success, and we trust his meetings in Shanghai will prove inferior to those of no other place in interest and profit. THE letter from Mr. Kranz, in our Correspondence columns, brings up a very large question, viz., To what extent shall missionaries adopt terms already exTranslation of Bib istent in Chinese, Buddhist or otherwise, lical Terms, etc. in the formation of Christian literature and the promulgation of Christian ideas? In many instances adequate terms are wholly wanting. As of old, "God is not in all his thoughts", and so there has been no conception of the attributes of God, and least of all of the scheme of Redemption. Hence some sort of a frame-work has to be either made or borrowed upon which may be placed the Christian ideas which we wish to express. To transliterate, or to use entirely new terms, means, to the unitiated reader or hearer, absolutely nothing; while to use words with which he is familiar, does convey some idea, even though a wrong or imperfect one. In any case, correct information can only come with fuller knowledge and personal experience. A more or less mistaken knowledge seems to be inevitable at first. Great caution is needed on the part of the missionary that he do not read into the terms adopted his own thoughts and ideas as he has them associated with the corresponding terms in English and flatter himself that the Chinese reader or hearer is entertaining the same ideas. While we quite agree with Mr. Kranz that the use of Ti-yü for Hades is unsatisfactory and, to an extent, conveys a wrong impression, yet it does convey to the Chinese mind the idea of a place for the punishment of sin, and comes the nearest to the idea of Hades of any word in his language. Whether it is well to use such words, trusting to the future and to fuller knowledge to give a right conception of what Christianity means to teach, is a question not easily settled. Opium in 1909. THE meeting of the International Opium Commission on February 1st in Shanghai marks an event of the first importance to China in regard both to her international and her domestic policy. The leading Western nations are to be represented and the delegation from the British government is especially strong; the interests of India, Canada, the British Parliament and the British in China having been provided for. There has been some undue criticism of the delegates appointed on behalf of China, but viewed from the standpoint of efficiency rather than high-sounding names it is doubtful if the representation could have been bettered, save by the appointment of H. E. Tang Shao-yi, and for the time being he is not available. The proceedings are to be conducted in English and the scope of the Conference is made wide enough to cover the whole question of drug importation into China. The Chinese Commissioners are anxious to have the matter of the so-called opium remedies dealt with at the same time. It is to be hoped that the Chinese have already defined clearly the policy they desire to see pursued. The standing weakness of China in relation to opium abolition is a weakness which affects her administration in other important respects also, namely, the inefficiency of the central authority. The strengthening of the Imperial authority, and the increase of direct control over the provincial administrations, will greatly advance this among other needed reforms. We are informed that Mr. Thwing, of Honolulu, has been asked to represent the International Reform Bureau of Washington at the meetings of this Commission, and Mr. D. Freeman, of Kuala Lumpur, together with Mr. W. Nelson Bitton, of Shanghai, are appointed to represent the Anti-Opium Societies of Great Britain. Credit must be given to President Roosevelt for the initiation of this International Conference. It provides further evidence of his interest and the goodwill of the U. S. government towards China. OUR attention is drawn by a recent article, published in an American magazine and written by a Chinese student at an American college, to the resentment which is being Fair Play. felt in some quarters at what is deemed the onesided presentation of matters Chinese made occasionally by missionaries when writing or speaking on behalf of their cause. It is well to be reminded that duty compels the statement of the whole truth, and while, stated in the light of the Christian ideal, there is so much that stirs the heart deeply and causes the sense of the evils and woes of this great people almost to obsess the mind, still the missionary should regard and report those virtues and influences for good which prevail among the nation. The case of China as it stands is in itself quite strong enough an appeal to Christian help and sympathy and is not bettered by too highly coloured representations. In our statement of the position of China in relation to the Christian message we must give the same scrupulous fairness as we ask for both our own cause and that of our own peoples. The Sanctuary The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.-St. James v. 16. For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them.St. Matthew xviii. 20. That under the new reign in China there may be a large increase of power on the part of the Chinese churches, real religious liberty granted to all Chinese subjects, a growing unity on the part of all workers, an elimination of waste and a multiplication of the spiritual powers of all Chinese Christians. (Page 10.) SO That the growth of Christianity in China may be accelerated, and that the missionary body may be strengthened, both spiritually and numerically, as to be competent to lead the growing church past all dangers. (Page 13.) That the period of material expansion may also be one of deepening spiritual life. (Page 14.) That as the burden of the conversion of China is more definitely laid upon the Christian church of the land they may be found to be capable of enduring to the end. (Page 23.) That God will forgive the sins that have been honestly confessed in the revival meetings in North China and guide the sinners to a higher and holier life. (Page 9.) For the bringing of the educated children of the church into service for the Master. (Page 10.) That the medical work of the missions may ever increasingly yield important fruits. (Page 10.) That mission schools and colleges may resist all temptations, to turn away from their real object, that may be presented by the competition of the government institutions where no questions are asked". (Page 10.) That others of the home churches may be stimulated to like liberality with the Methodists. (Page II.) That God's Holy Spirit may ever guide the Laymen's Missionary Movement. (Page 11.) That your own Christianity may be made so impartial and perfect as to make it possible for you to give effective help in eradicating pagan teaching, establishing Christian morality in the public schools, to put down the opium vice, transform the government, and revolutionize the business of the four hundred millions of Chinese. (Page 15.) A PRAYER. O eternal God, whose never-failing providence watcheth over all from the beginning to the end, keep under Thy protection all those who have at any time been committed to my care, especially those who are at this time so committed, and grant, I beseech Thee, that the ties which have been formed between us may neither through sin be broken, nor through multiplicity of worldly cares be forgotten, and that whatsoever good I may have been permitted to communicate to them from Thee may be found after many days matured in fruitfuluess by Thy holy power; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. GIVE THANKS That there is so manifestly a greater readiness to listen to preaching, a larger demand for Christian literature, and a more intelligent apprehension of all Christian teaching. (Page 9) For the more friendly attitude of officials and scholars. (Page 10.) For the example in generous liberality shown by the Methodist Church in America. (Page 11.) For the increasing enthusiasm and devotion of the college students of America. (Page 12 ) For the growing missionary spirit that has been evidenced in the case of the six ministers in West China who have offered for work in Thibet. 13.) (P. For the year's increase in the number of Christian pastors. (Page 20.) That the fields of China are now white to the harvest. (Page 12.) |