Meetings have been held at intervals to ripen the question, and, meantime, to provide for such united action and co-operation as in present circumstances are practicable. But whether the union for which we long shall be speedily consummated, rests with the mission boards of the home Churches, and some of these, when appealed to, have refused their sanction and thrown difficulties in the way. I look to the Council of this Alliance to clear away these difficulties; and after its deliverance of this morning I have no fear for the result. Before such a deliverance all opposition must yield; and cheered and encouraged by the unanimous consent and God-speed of the Churches at home, that union long looked and prayed for will come at last, with the happiest results on the progress of the Church and cause of Christ in India, and with no less blessed reflex action on the life and spirit of our Churches at home.

But this step taken, and this result achieved, I should regard it as only a point gained for a new departure towards uniting into one great Church all the Protestant Churches in India. Only those who have been fighting the battle for truth and righteousness out there, who have been confronting the combined forces of Hinduism and Islam, so overwhelming in numbers and subtle and unscrupulous in the weapons which they wield-only they know the full importance of united counsel and combined action on the part of the soldiers of the Cross. Happily the day is near at hand when, if there may still be divisions in the Christian host, these shall all be confederated into one great army. When that day does come, when all parts of the Lord's host, with a more entire consecration and a more burning love for souls, shall stand side by side in brotherly devotion to their Master's cause, then we may expect to see results far exceeding our wildest hopes. Tribes shall then be born in a day, and India, won for Christ, shall become what the long course of God's providential dealings with her has been fitting her to be-the centre of Christian light and liberty to all the surrounding nations of Asia.

HOPEFUL FUTURE FOR INDIA.

Rev. D. WHITTON, Nagpore, India (Free Church of Scotland).— I come from Nagpore, which has a population of 100,000, while that of the province of which Nagpore is the capital is over 11,000,000. Nagpore has the only available Christian college in this central province of India. Therefore it would be a great pity to relax our efforts in education there. We are responsible for the higher education of those 11,000,000 souls. In a State paper lately issued by the GovernorGeneral of India bearing upon educational work, an admission of great significance has been made by the Government. The first part

of the ocument says that secular education has proved a failure in that country, and the second part asserts that the only hope of India. lies in those schools, the managers of which have a free hand to teach religion. Now, the only schools that virtually have a free hand to teach religion are mission schools. While educational work ought not to be abandoned, but strengthened, it is not a complete system in itself. Consequently, our Free Church is about to strengthen more thoroughly the evangelistic branch of its organisation. There is a vast field open for such work, but it must be largely left to the natives

themselves.

What is to be the future religion of India? How do the natives of India regard this question? The problem for them is getting narrower and narrower. With regard to Hinduism, it is clearly perceived in India that a religion, encrusted with superstitions and ceremonies, and devoid of spirit and life, will not do. Mohammedanism will not do. It is a narrow, dogmatic, hard, heartless system; and the awakening intellect and heart and conscience of India will never find rest in a system like that. Nor can India find rest in Buddhism. Two thousand years ago India rejected Buddhism, and it is astonishing that Western philosophers should now try to deck themselves with its cast-off rags. I wish some of those great intellectual gladiators only knew, in their own experience, what Buddhism really is. India tried it, and found it to be wanting; and it will never satisfy India

now.

What remains? Hindus are now going back upon their ancient records their Vedas. But the most intelligent natives are beginning to see that there is no firm foothold even there. The ancient foundations are being sapped, and are threatening to crumble away. The only religious force that is going to hold the field in India is the religion of Christ. This is beginning to be seen by intelligent men; and hence the recent revolt in the Madras Christian College. Christ has come, we know. Let us present Him in all His simplicity and majesty, as He is presented to us in His own Gospel. Let us present the living Christ, in whom we believe, in all His winsomeness and attractiveness; and let us tell the people of India simply this," Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

UNION IN JAPAN.

The Rev. ALEX. STOUT, American Presbyterian Missionary, Japan.It has been agreed between my associate and myself that it shall be my part to say something about the union movement among the churches in Japan. My purpose is to show how the movement

originated, and how it is sustained. There have been three decided steps taken at different times in the direction of union. Each was prompted by a desire long cherished from the very infancy of the missions.

The thought first took practical form in the minds of two missionaries, and resulted in the call for the Convention of 1872 for the appointment of a committee for Bible translation, and to consult about union. As far as the direct practical results for union were concerned, the outcome was exceedingly small. The partial success and partial failure of that Convention, however, tended to unite closely in sympathy and work some of those who found it in their hearts to labour for a common cause. The result was the indissoluble union of churches gathered by the missionaries of the Reformed and Presbyterian Churches of America, during the few following years. What was thus already an accomplished fact, was acknowledged in form in 1876. The union thus consummated was commonly called that of the three missions, and the church for which they laboured the United Church. But a fourth mission has from the very first been in hearty sympathy with the same good cause, and its work has always been done in connection with the United Church. All honour is due to the mission of the Women's Missionary Union of America established at Yokohama. The missions of the German Reformed and Southern Presbyterian Churches united in the common cause at a later period. This union does not affect the missions as such. Each is quite independent in its own sphere. In some departments of work there is joint interest-in others none whatever. But the results of all the work done go into the one common Church. Experience has proved that there need be no clashing. There has been But let it be remembered that while the missionaries led in this movement, they had the most hearty sympathy and aid from the Churches. The spirit of union lives as a vital and attracting force in the Churches in Japan. The third step, and that towards a more extended union, is of quite recent origin, and has not yet been fully accomplished. From the time of the first convention it was felt by many that a union between the churches of the Presbyterian and Congregational order was not impracticable. There has been a spirit of union always present. The immediate cause for this step must be sought among the native Christians. Many causes have been operative. The Japanese are a social people, they like to come. together. With the passing away of feudalism a spirit of political concentration seized upon them. They are proud of unified Japanand deservedly so. They have been promised a representative national assembly. Local assemblies have been established, and have

none.

educated the people towards the ideal which they hope to attain. They are impatient to see the promise redeemed, for they anticipate much from this new departure in government. The Chin-Kai and Dai-Kai are the complements to these political bodies. The Synod of Dai-Kai is the nearest approach to a national assembly ever seen in Japan. Last year when it met in Tokio its sessions were held in a large hall, and attracted large crowds of spectators. A Japanese was in the Chair. Men in high positions in Government came to look at this new marvel. Representatives from the Congregational Churches, then in conference also in Tokio, were frequently present. A profound impression was made. Conferences for reunion, first informal, but finally formal and definite, were held, and resulted in what has been made known to the world as a plan for the union of these bodies. There is little reason to doubt that the union will be effected during this year. The union first effected in 1876 was accomplished without doing violence to the feelings of any. No concessions had to be made. In the later attempt, however, it was felt that concessions would be necessary. And this was the true secret of success. The outcome is that while the Church will be Calvinistic in doctrine, and Presbyterian in government, it will yet not be just like any other of the Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian system that has ever existed. With the consummation of these plans for union it was felt that there could be no reason why the Cumberland Presbyterians, who have a mission, and have gathered a number of churches in Japan, should not also unite in the common cause. Initiatory steps have been taken towards that desirable end, and no doubt this further union will be secured. There will then be eight societies joined in work for the one common church. This church will embrace more than two-thirds of all those gathered into the fold in Japan. It will be a power in the land. The missionaries, as well as native Christians, are sanguine for the future.

We cannot conclude without making reference to like movements among other branches of the Church in Japan. The drawing together of the various branches of the Methodist and Anglican missions and churches in Japan is significant, especially in view of the fact that there is no marked tendency in that direction in any other mission-field. As a consequence of this movement, it is possible that instead of a multitude of little churches in Japan, there will be but one church each of the Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, and Baptist orders. The question is sometimes asked, whether there is a prospect for still further union in Japan? To this in candour the reply must be made that it does not seem possible. It certainly cannot come with any branch of the church so long as that church

holds that the other is lacking in what is essential to the true church, either in doctrine, government, or ordinances. It is also significant that there is no common expectation for further union, as has been the case before each step was taken in the past. But He who has led us so far may have purposes to accomplish in us which we do not dream of. He has surprised us sometimes by the way He has led us hitherto. May we always be ready to follow where He leads, and to do His will with our whole heart, evangelising Japan, and connecting the churches gathered in the work as far as possible into one body in Christ!

THE GOSPEL FOR CHINA'S MILLIONS.

The Rev. G. SMITH (Swatow, China), English Presbyterian Mission. -When I first went to Swatow about thirty years ago that part of China was in a very degraded condition. Anarchy prevailed, robbery by land, piracy by sea, kidnapping, and bloody feuds. The mandarins had authority but no power. The country was in a frightful state. Through God's blessing, providence, and grace, there is now a great change. Thirty years ago there were three or four people who knew something of Christianity; the rest were in darkness, in the darkness of death, and their habitations were literally places of cruelty. Now, through the blessing of God on missionary work, we have about forty mission stations planted over a region of which Swatow is the centre; and at every one of these stations there are at least a few Christians, the congregations varying from ten to a hundred and more. These stations are cared for by Christian men. In some we have elders and deacons, in some native pastors, supported by a native church. In some instances we have congregational schools, a middle school for boys receiving a higher education, a college for training pastors, teachers, and preachers; and we have besides a native Presbytery, fully represented by the native church, independent, and to-day received into membership with this Presbyterian Alliance. Thus you see what God has wrought: formerly there was the brier and the thistle, now the fir-tree and the myrtle. What God has been doing there He has been doing in other parts of China, so that, at present, there are in that empire 32,000 adults who are members of the Christian Church, about 1300 of them connected with churches in the Swatow region; and in the Presbyterian churches, with which I am connected, we have between 3000 and 4000 adult members, some of whom are at Amoy and some at Formosa. In China there are about 1000 missionaries -men and women, sent from foreign lands. Of the Presbyterian churches that take part in the evangelisation or Christianisation of