6th May. Tus first meeting of the General Missionary Conference will be held on Wednesday next, the 7th instant, when the opening services will be conducted by the Rev. J. Hudson Taylor. The rise and progress of the China Inland Mission attest the unwearying zeal and the genuine organising genius of its founder. His magnetic influence in attracting and inspiring followers makes him an eminently representative missionary and the claims of older workers in the field have been gracefully and wisely waived in his favour. Seventeen years have elapsed since the last conference was held, and in view of the surprising changes which have taken place both in the societies and the conditions under which they work, the missionaries cannot be accused of undue haste in again uniting in conference to learn from each other the lessons of the past and to plan anew the course of the campaign. At the last conference some 120 missionaries attended. It is an unmistakeable proof of the rapid increase in their number during the past few years and also of the importance with which the present conference is regarded, that already over 400 representatives of the various missionary societies, gathered from almost every evince of China, are assembled in shanghai, and to this number must be added the sixty or seventy resident missionaries. Such an influx of visitors would tax the resources of many a larger place than our little settlement, but the hospitality of Shanghai has a reputation which the residents are determined to niaintain. The Conference has attracted a body of men who are admitted, even by those who most differ from them, to be worthy representatives of the philanthropic and intellectual elements of Anglo-Chinese life and the community has bestirred itself to give them a fitting reception. The committee hes received from all sides offers to entertain the far-travelled guests. Insome cases empty houses for which furniture has been provided have been generously placed at their disposal and, in spite of the large numbers to be housed, all appear to have been comfortably provided for and the house-boats which it was at one time thought would have to be brought into requisition have now been dispensed with. It would be difficult to find a more conclusive proof of the change which has taken place in public opinion with regard to missionaries. As far as the foreign residents of Shanghai are concerned the missionaries will meet with no grudging welcome. They will not expect laymen to agree with them in everything any more than they agree with each other, and neither one side nor the other is likely to object to mutuel criticism concluded in a friendly spirit. There are points open to exception in both layman and missionaries which need not interfere with their} we omit to mention the papers on mutual aid and respect. We are all! Women's Work contributed by those missionaries in spite of ourselves, the best qualified to speak, namely the labours of the merchant and the mis- ladies themselves. 'This is a pretty sionary act and react on the other,' wide field and yet so far as we are and if commerce has led the van the ' acquainted with the names there is not missionaries have proved prompt and! one which does not carry with it the intrepid followers. Their services in weight of an expert's opinion. It is opening up new fields and in rendering characteristic of the business-like air of access easy to those already opened, ' the conference and the desire of the their achievements as explorers and' members to reach some definite conclu-interpreters, as philologists, and mexico-{ sion that the papers are already in graphers, as naturalists and ethnologists, print and may be purchased for a few are not lightly to be esteemed or easily cents each. 'To those, therefore, who forgotten. By breaking down bit by bit' mean to take part in the debate ample the old barriers of superstition and opportunity is afforded for thoroughly dread of foreigners they have placed' sifting the arguments and testing the every resident in China in their debt. facts upon which they are founded. At In the higher work of educating, civilis- the conclusion of the Conference the ing and, if we may use the word, mora- papers together with the criticisms will lising a nation, they have rendered a! be printed in book form and will be wel-service to the world at large. However comed asa valuable survey of the present much dogmatic differences may appear! state and prospects of missionary work to separate them from the rest of the! in China, community, their medical, philanthropic! The various subjects to which we and scientific labours command the, have referred will no doubt appeal with respect and good will of every thought- varying intensity to the different sects ful and intelligent man. What little met to discuss them. But. in point of prejudice still exists is based upon practical importance there is one which ignorance which is unhappily the mo- as far as the general public is concerned nopely of neither side, and even far outweighs them all. Union should should the present Conference yield be the keynote of the conference, It is no practical results, something at any|a point which calls for immediate rate will have been gained in making! attention. Missionaries are doubtless better acquainted with each other two aware of the stumbling blocks their elements in Anglo-Chinese life whose various sects, divided often by the most interests are largely identical and whose! finical differences, have placed in the best hope for the future lies in their way of the Chinese, and we gladly mutual trust and respect. recognise the breadth of view and The sittings of the Conference will liberality of spirit which are growing extend over ten days and, judging! with the years, and of which this General from the official calendar now before us, Conference, where everyone even the its members are evidently determined Roman Catholics are welcome, where all to remove the reproach, which has not sectional and doctrinal differences are been made without cause, that similar merged in one grand aspect of the com meetings have resulted in little but! mon work, isa proof. Undoubtedly, there visionary projects and rancorous dis- is much harmony of working already putations. We refer specially to the' and the poaching on a neighbouring mis-significant omissiousin thelistofsubjects. sionary preserve is a complaint which It is impossible not to regret that on is now seldom heard. But the reckless missionaries should after all these years far more valuable, which still continues, some points of vital importance the expenditure of money, and of energy be still found hopelessly at variance. is simply deplorable. It is a condition Does anyone doubt that. if similar of things.which the shareholders of a difficulties had arisen in any scientific Joint Stock Company would not tolerate or commercial society, they would long for one moment. It is idle to plead ago have been settled by the common orders from home. 'I'he missionaries sense of the members, or that at the exercise much influence over the parent most the minority would have yielded societies and, if they had been really in with a good grace to the decision of the earnest, could have convinced them long majority? But we must take things '0. Residents in China are watching as they are, and if certain subjects have them more closely and sympathetically already been argued beyond the reach than they suppose and are looking to of argument, by all means let them rest them to settle this question now. The until a more reasonable spirit shall Protestant societies lack the organisaprevail. Meanrhile there is no lack of tion which renders such a task easy to been prepared on the Bible'the Church, variety. Nearly seventy papers have the Roman Catholics, but it is well within the powers of a representative Education, Literature, and the relations assembly like the present. Settle it between the missionaries and the Chi-what way you please union, ce-operation, nese Government. Other papers are sub-division of the field, but settled it concerned with Hospitals, Orphanages, Opium Refuges and the like. The must be, or the result will be a revulsion of feeling which will far to Aboriginal Tribes of Formosa, the alienate the sympathies of all the lay Miao-sit of Western China, and the Chi-friends of missions in China. nese in Bhamo and Singapore also find a place in the proceedings. Nor must
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.