The second meeting of members of this Svciety was held on Friday evening, for a discussion on a motion, 'Phot the various Protestant missions in' China should their differences and amalgamate." chair was taken by the Rev. H.
Vice-President.
At the commencement ut the proceedings there was a alight skirmish between the Chairman and the Rev. W, Muirhead, the former suggesting that the speakers fur the affirmative and negative should sit on different sides of the chair, and the latter retorting that many intending speakers meant to make up their minds as the debate went The Chairman then opened the meeting in the customary manner, and called upon The Rev. F. L. H. Pott to bring forward the motion. Mr. Pott began by defining his notion of amalgamating, as not meaning that all missionaries' minds should be cast in one mould, but that they should sink their differences in the matter of ecclesiastical polity and church government. It might be argued that the unity he recommended is impossible. Nu doubt it is at present impossible; but his argument was that the unity ought to be effected, not that it can. The apeaker went on to say that Protestant missions in C! re in very unsatisfactory state and are carried on in direct opposition to the laws that govern and guide every successful enterprise. division among the missionary bodies is a great obstacle. There are about 50 different missionary bodies work-
pores different entities. The lowa of cooperation and division of labour are ignored. Exch body attempts to do the whole work by itself. The result is a great waste of intellectual force and of money. The cust of the machinery of a mission, in the shape of the Buard at home, amounts to one-tenth of the income of the Society—to say nothing of the machinery in Eh Tt may be said that the different missions are like regiments of one army. But what the use of an army in which every regiment has "different drill, and is allowed to charge and fice whenever it pleases We ought to place before the minds of the Chinese in the first place the unique character of Christ and the great principles of Christianity, instead of so many di ferent systems of theology. Christianity cat never gait a hold on the Chinese mind if it is propagated in the present artificial fashion. The Chinese may very well say. "Agree among yourselves before you try te introduce your Church into China, We might adopt x modified form of Epise pal goverument—modified by the good things in other denominations; and in speaking of " general reunion of Christen dom we cannot leave the Roman Catholic Church out of the question. (Applause.)
Dr. Edkins, in opposing the motion, urged that the want is not uniformity in theology, but adaptation to the work that be dune. We should find out the different classes of work that each man is best fioted for, und let him go and-d The speaker referred ty the great rec"ptiv of General Booth in Australia, and exp believed the musical instruments would fetch out the vicious characters and enable the missionaries to get xt them.
The Rev, T. R. Stevenson thought the drawback was not scotia but over-other at all, there should be a friendly of the field, 80 that no district may be without its church.
The Rev. W. Muirhead said he had been an advocate of union from the time of Shanghai, He found that it not the native Christians who stand in the n and eu-operation insisted by God's Word, but the foreign naties themselves, which he deeply regretted to be the case.
Who Rev. C. W. Mateer pointed out that is not in the power of missi Eh to effect the union desired, from conditions under which they are sent to China, The matter is in the hands of those who send the missionaries to China. The only use of union would be to croute one autocratic ruling power ut the head. The organisation would become so gigantic that no one would be able to manage it. Corruption of " certain kind would creep in prion in the shape of the use of illegitimate influences. A great deal in missionary work depends on the personal zeal of the missionary, which would be stifled if the man be made into a machine, We might as well urge that all the stores in Shanghai be organised into one concern under one big boss (laughter), as that all the missionary bodies should amalgamate, Protestantism in its very inception was a rules and restrictions and we must allow the Spirit of God to work in its own way.
Mr. OF. Bennett thought the solution of the difficulty lay deeper than amalgamation or a redistribution of work. We want a different class of men; not men lacking in tact and discretion like some who are in China at present. He had conversed with missionary who considered it made a difference toa Chinese convert whether he was immersed or merely sprinkled. When missionaries with such views come out to China, it is time some entirely different
The Rev. G. Owen pointed out that Buddhism is divided into many different schools, and therefore the idea of one religion being preached by various bodies which the Chinese can easily unde stand, We must not think that missionaries work better together when they belong to the same mission. (Laughter.) Episcopahanism was suggested xs 4 panacea, That involves a polity, If w polity must be had, he would suggest Congregationalism, (Laughter.)
Mr. 0. G, Ready opposed the idea union, and said he did not think an Ej pal congregation woul the iden that money was being handled by Pr Union will involve extinetis without that rivalry the funds will drop, and the number of missionaries will fall off, Dr. Kdkine and the Rev, F, L, H, Pott replied on their respective sides, Mr. Pott out that the quest accept Congregationalism or Episcopalinnism, but whether we shall unite or not unite.
On a show of hands being taken the motion was declared carried, and the meet= ing terminated, CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.