The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1898, Page 40

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40

The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Outlook from the Editor’s Window.

— Protestantism has had a troublesome
time of it in gaining a foothold in priest-
ridden Spain, but it makes a better showing,
all things considered, than is generally sup-
posed. Here is the Protestant exhibit as
given in the Zndependent of London, Eng-
land: ‘‘Fifty-six pastors, thirty-five evan-
gelists and 116 places which are used either
as schools or places for public worship. The
number of regular communicants is 3442, and
the number of attendants, 9194. The day
schools number 116, having over them sixty-
one male and seventy-one female teachers.
On the registers the number of boys inscribed
is 2545; of girls, 2095. The Sunday schools
number eighty, and have 183 teachers or
monitors, and 3231 scholars. Protestantism
in Madrid has a committee for the issuing
and supervision of its religious publications.
There are six periodicals. The Bible Society
has its depot in Madrid, which serves as
a center from which its agents branch out
into cities, towns and villages as opportunity
serves. The work of colportage is extremely
active, and has the unceasing opposition of
the priests.’’

—Ir is hard to believe that open persecu-
tion for the sake of the Gospel is- now prac-
ticed among the French in Canada. Yet in
a published letter from Rey. E. F. Seylaz, of
Ottawa, we find the facts. In one instance,
when a man embraced the Protestant faith,
the priests so embarrassed him, by leading
his creditors to press him, as to strip him of
his property by sheriff’s sale. In another
case, a daughter was disinherited by her
father, at the instance of the priests, because
of her Protestant faith. A business man who
accepted Christ as his Saviour was boycotted
at the demand of the priests till his busi-
ness was ruined. And when Mr. Seylaz was
preaching at a landing place, below Quebec,
not many years ago, some passing priests bade
the hearers throw the Protestant preacher into
the water—and they almost did it. And all
this happened in Canada, under the laws of
Protestant England, and recently.

—TuHEne are generally two ways of look-
ing at things. The man in England who in-
scribed on the weathervane of his barn the
words, ‘God is love,’’ was asked by Spurgeon
whether he meant to imply that God’s love

_ Was as changeable as the wind. ‘‘Oh, no!”

said the man; ‘‘I mean that God is love
whichever way the wind blows.” No doubt

_ Spurgeon was satisfied with the answer.

‘A NATIVE Japanese woman was asked
ether in thinking of gods she ever con-

with the thought of any of them, she
romptly, ‘‘Not at all. The gods are
‘to be feared and propitiated, that is

is sure it happens as a punishment for her
sins. About a Divine Being she has not the
slightest conception:

—A CONVERTED; Chinaman on the Pacific
Coast sold himself to work as a coolie in New
Guinea for the sake of missionating among
his own countrymen, and before he died, he
was instrumental in leading to Christ two
hundred of his companions. Such zeal ought
to shame our selfishness and indifference.

—Awn exchange says that a poor boy in
Uganda, who hardly ever had any nice clothes
to wear, was asked by his master which he
would rather have, a new cotton jacket ora
New Testament. Without hesitation, he re-
plied, ‘‘I can better get along without a coat;
give me the Testament.’’

—A Missionary in China gives an example
of what he calls Chinese humanity. When
passing along a street of a city, he came upon
a crowd and found that a man about fifty
years of age had fallen in the street to die—
no uncommon occurrence there. The crowd
stood around the poor man, shouting and
cursing, when one person called out, ‘‘Haul
the fellow into the gutter and do not let him
die in the middle of the street, blocking up
the way!’’ The missionary was obliged to
pass on, but returning an hour later, he found
the man in the gutter dead, a fan over his
face, and two candles burning at his feet,
with the design of lighting the soul— whither
they did not know. There the body lay until
night, and the people passed by unaffected by
the sorrowful sight.

—NortwiTustTanpvinG all the superstitious
fears which the Hindus entertain concerning
their gods, they sometimes scoff at them and
treat their idols most disrespectfully. During
the recent famine, the people have prayed
most humbly before their images, hoping for
rain and for food, but their faith in these
deities was in many cases completely shaken.

‘The following incident is narrated of the

people of Aurungabad, in Western India:
“The Hindus had hired Brahman priests to
keep up their noisy worship before the village
idols, and fully expected abundant rain as the
result of their worship. But after waiting for
days and weeks, they resolved to punish the
gods, who had received costly offerings with-
out giving them the looked-for blessing in
return. In some places they indignantly be-
smeared their idols all over with mud, and
closed up the entrance to the temples with
thorns. In others they filled up the temples
with water and blocked up the doors, so that
the idols may shiver in wet as a punishment
for keeping their ficlds dry.”

—Rey. J. C. Hoare, now the English
Bishop of Hong Kong, narrates a remarkable
incident illustrating the way in which medical
work opens the way for evangelistic success.
There came to the hospital at Ningpo an
opium smoker who wished to be cured of his
habit. As he was waiting his turn to see the
doctor, a native preacher was telling the story

of Christ dying as the atonement for our sins.
Suddenly the man cried aloud, ‘‘Why, that is
exactly what I want!’’ After further instruc-
tions, he accepted the Gospel in all its full-
ness. On starting for home, the young man
said, ‘‘I cannot but tell my friends and neigh-
bors about Christ, but I would like an evan-
gelist to go and help me. Have you one who
can go with me?’’ Mr. Hoare sent a young
native student just out of the training school.
Two years after this Mr. Hoare went down to
the home of these converts, and was the first
European ever to set foot in that city. At the
present time they have a strong church, num-
bering over seven hundred baptized converts,
with two native pastors, the people contribut-
ing liberally to their support.

Acknowledgment.

Received for our colored missions of Rev. N. J.
Bakke, Missionary, Concord, N. C., from his Grace
congregation $10.00, and from Grace Sunday School
$5.00; of Rev. F. J. Lankenau, Missionary, New Or-
leans, La., from his Mount Zion congregation $25.00,
and from his St. Paul’s congregation $25.00; of Rev.
J. Kossmann, Missionary, New Orleans, La., from
his Bethlehem congregation $25.00.

St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 20, 1898.

A. C. Buraporr, Treas.

Evangelical Lutheran Colored Churches,
New ORr.xEans, La.

EV. LUTH. ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL.
1625 Annette Str., between Claiborne and Derbigny.

Divine services: Sunday morning at 9% o'clock.
Sunday evening at 734 o’clock.
Wednesday evening at i% o’clock.
Sunday School: Sunday morning at 10% o’clock.
Adult catechumen class meets at 734 o'clock Tuesday

evening:
Singing School meets at 74 o’clock Monday cyening.

EV. LUTH. MT. ZION CHURCH.
Cor, Franklin and Thalia Strs.
Divine services: Sunday morning at 11 o'clock.
Sunday evening at 734 o'clock.
Thursday evening at 734 o'clock.
Adult catechumen class meets at 734 o'clock Friday
evening. ‘
Young Peoples’ Concordia Circle meets at 7% o'clock
evening. F. J. LANKENAUD, Missionary.

EV. LUTH. BETHLEHEM CHAPEL.
Cor. Washington Avenue and Dryades Str.

Divine services: Sunday evening at 7% o'clock.
Thursday cyening at 734 o'clock.

Sunday School at 9% o’clock.

Adult catechumen Class every Tuesday at 734 o'clock and
after the divine service on Thursday cvening.

Choir practice at 744 o’clock on Tuesday cyening and
after divine service on Thursday even ng.

Circle for Young People mects at the school every Tacs-
day evening at 744 o’clock.

J. W. F. KossMANN, Missionary.

Ey. Luth. Holy Trinity Church.

Springftld, Ill.
Divine Services at half past 10 o'clock Sunday morning -
and at 8 o’clock Sunday evening.
Sunday School at 3 o'clock P. 3f.
Catechumen class mects Monday and Friday evenings.
Singing-school Tucsday evening.
— "==
TERMS:
Tux Lurneran Pioneer is published monthly,
payable in advance at the following rates,
included, to-wit:

50

yee eae only allowed if all copies are to be sent
one address.

~ All business communications to be addressed to

“Concordia Publishing House,”’ St. Louis, Mo. A
‘All communications concerning the editorial de-

Perement to be addressed to Prof. R. A. BiscHoFr,
mcordia College, Fort Wayne, Ind.