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the Promotion of Bible Study, it was conceived that this work should be entirely under union management.

This year is the first when there has been a rounded union, and the advance over previous years fully justifies the change. There was a large attendance, a more varied and able program and a spirit of fellowship and harmony that was a blessing to the entire community. There was an enrollment of 117 this year. Seventy of these were workers who had come directly from over fifty widely separated districts. The workers were mostly from Anhuei and Kiangsu provinces. The others enrolled were students preparing for the ministry and other workers in Nanking. In addition to those enrolled, the pupils in the schools were in regular attendance. The enrollment represented the workers of eight missions, though the most came from the six missions resident in Nanking.

The day's program was divided as follows:

8.30-9.00, Devotional; 9.00-10.00, Lecture Period; 10-10.50, Study or Recess Period; 10.50-12.00, Lecture; 12.00-2.00, Noon Recess; 2.00-2.45, Class Period; 2.45-3.15, Study and Recess Period; 3.15-4.15, General Lecture Hour; 7.30-9.00, Evening Services for the deepening of the Spiritual Life.

It will be noticed that there are four distinct kinds of work

in the above program.

I. The Lecture Period.-We were very fortunate in having six courses of lectures on very important subjects, very carefully prepared by men well able to handle their subjects. The lecture periods were an hour and ten minutes in length. Forty minutes were given to the lecture and thirty minutes to questions and review. Each series of lectures was five or six days in length. The six courses were by Rev. H. F. Rowe on "Exegesis of the Sermon on the Mount," Dr. Geo. F. Devol on "The Art of Soul Winning," Rev. D. MacGillivary on "Methods of Bible Study," Rev. Frank Garrett on "The Minor Prophets," Rev. A. V. Gray, "A Book Study of Colossians" and Dr. John W. Davis on "Homiletics.” The last series of lectures has been enlarged and the manuscript is ready for the printer. We understand that the lectures delivered by Dr. MacGillivray will also be put into book form. The outlines of each lecture were printed and placed in the hands of the students as a basis for further notes.

2. Organized Class Work.-The students were divided as far as possible according to ability into grades-primary, intermediate, and advanced. Those in the primary class studied the Harmony of the Gospels, following Luce's Harmony. Rev. A. Sydenstricker taught this class. The intermediate class studied Evidences of Christianity, using Martin's text as a basis. H. F. Rowe taught this class. The advanced class studied The Acts, and was taught by the writer. They studied "Studies in the Teaching of Jesus and His Apostles" as translated by Prof. Zia. The class work was considered one of the most helpful features, and for next year it is planned to add special classes for women and perhaps other grades as well.

3. General Lecture Period.-These lectures were all very well attended. They dealt with The Manchurian Revival, Methods of Work, The Relation of the Church to Changing Conditions in China, Characters in Church History, and Sunday School Work. The lecturers in this series were Dr. D. MacGillivray, Dr. Gilbert Reid, Dr. W. E. Macklin, and W. F. Beard, of Foochow.

4. Evening Services.-The culminating service of each day was the one held in the evening. All of the evening services were in charge of Dr. J. C. Garritt, who gave a book study of Ephesians. Much of the deep spiritual results that attended the institute was due to these night meetings.

The feature that left the deepest impression on the church in the city were the union gatherings on Sunday. Rev. Gilbert Reid came from Shanghai for both of these. The first Lord's Day preachers from the institute occupied all the pulpits in the city for the morning service. Union meetings were held in the afternoon and evening. On the second Lord's Day there were three union services held that packed the largest church in the city to its utmost capacity. The morning service was a communion service. This was a service of

remarkable power. A new missionary, who had arrived only a few days before, said "that she had scarcely ever experienced such an uplift of soul, because of the manifest presence of God's power throughout this service." Such was the universal testimony.

It is impossible to tabulate the results of a gathering like this one. The first definite object was instruction; yet the

result of that instruction was a conviction of sin, confession of sin, and a deep spiritual awakening. The last days were marked with prayer-groups everywhere, and at the morning devotional services, when opportunity was given for prayer, twenty or thirty would be praying at once; many of them sobbing out a confession of their sins. The results were not temporary, but word has come from many districts that the men have gone back to their churches confessing their own sins, and entire churches and out-stations are doing likewise. These are the visible results. Men who were thinking of giving up the ministry are preaching with power. During the institute several who had not decided to enter the ministry gave themselves fully to the Lord's work.

Thus the perceptible results may be tabulated as follows: There is a marked increase in spiritual development and a desire for higher things. A greater earnestness for evangelistic work. A broader vision to these workers of their ability in the extension of work. A realization of the need of knowledge and better methods of Bible study. A deeper sense of the value of prayer as a means of settling problems confronting the church rather than so much merely human effort.

One of the most advanced steps was the one looking to complete self-support. Each student paid one dollar tuition, and in this way about two-thirds of the expenses

were met.

The program for next year is well under way.

MONTHLY BIBLE CLASSES.

Following the institutes, weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly Bible classes are held in the larger centers.

In some centers such

classes have been of the greatest value in deeping the spiritual life of the workers and in strengthening the spirit of fellowship and union.

We believe it is feasible to hold a Bible institute in any district. We believe it is feasible to have union Bible classes in every city where several missions are working.

The work that has been accomplished is largely due to the sympathetic help and financial support rendered by the Y. M. C. A. It has been one of the chief aims of the coinmittee to work only in the closest harmony and sympathy with the missions and with every interdenominational organization that in any way is seeking to promote Bible study. Several

provincial federation councils have felt that the best expression of federation was in the promoting of Bible study among Christian workers. There are several provincial committees now at work co-operating in this important matter.

The quickening power of an intelligent knowledge of God's Word is the paramount need of the church, and the prayers of God's people are sought that we may, in a measure at least, aid in a deeper study of His Divine Word throughout the Chinese church.

The Nationalism of a Chinese Christian

BY A CHINESE STUDENT IN AMERICA

[The following extracts have been taken from a letter which appeared in the form of an article written by a Chinese student in last year's July number of The American Journal of Sociology. A footnote appended to it states that it was not intended for publication at the time it was written, and the editor says that he printed it as a truthful reflection of the effect which conflicting influences that are parts of the present situation in China have had upon the mind of a single student."

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It would be quite easy to criticise the article in details and still leave the main position untouched. The two things which seem to stand out as contributing chiefly to the mental and spiritual doubt of the writer are: (1) the conviction that missionaries on the whole have not done their best for China, nor proved the source of help to the nationalist movement which the writer and those who think with him expect them to be; and (2) that the writer fails to see in his contact with the public in the United States of America any convincing proof that Christianity has done much more for the moral uplift of the land than Confucianism has done for his own country. Stating that he still holds his firm belief in the truth of Christian teaching, the inference seems to be that missionary work is needed in the West as well as in the East, and the moral superiority of the West, so far as the writer's experience goes, is something in the nature of a fiction.

We prefer to leave the matter standing thus, that the writer may speak for himself. Some weak points in our missionary armour are to be touched by any critic who comes furnished with the necessary weapons, but we think that the criticism given by such a writer as this is worthy of special consideration. He is not likely to be alone in the type of opinion he holds, and it

is highly necessary for us to realize the kind of criticism our work and ourselves are being subjected to from some of our very candid supporters, however mistaken that criticism may seem to be.-ED.]

MY

Y DEAR M— : I have duly received your favor of January 26, for which please accept my thanks. Having pleasantly read it over, I decide to answer a few lines in spite of the fact that I am overworked with scholastic burdens.

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My purpose and ambition, if these are correct words, is to be a humble servant of my God, my fellow-men, and my fellowcountrymen by identifying myself with the cause of education which has been the method of Confucianism. My interests are many-sided, religious as well as others. Besides, my religious view does not need to be the same as that of others as long as difference of opinion in certain respects, and to a certain extent, is inevitable.

With reference to the service of God as our object, there is no difference of opinion between us at all. Our disagreement lies in "methods" as you have called it. Kant says: "Our object is the same, but our methods and results are widely different."

I have three things in mind, and they are all contained in three words, viz., Divinity, Humanity, and Nationality. Briefly stated, my opinion is as follows :

The first in the order of importance is Divinity, the second is Humanity, and the third is Nationality. Without the basis of nation, mankind cannot be served. Without Nationality and Humanity as a sort of background, God cannot be served.

I remember at the commencement meeting at Hangchow College several years ago a certain pastor thought that he had corrected and improved my idea when he said: "The kingdom of God, not the country of China. Love the God and serve Him only." I still think now, as I thought then, that he has entirely misunderstood the situation, i. e., my viewpoint, the occasion, and China's position at that time. The subject of my speech was a patriotic one, "China To-day." How do you think of it? .

opinion, the

Under the present circumstances, in my supreme duty of every true child of old China, male or female, old or young, Christian or non-Christian, if you please, is (1)

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