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fact that these men needed defense was humiliating, but they received it in full measure from the French pastors of Basel and Neufchatel, who threw a flood of light on the evil and demoralizing results of this custom. It is very clear that Christian conscience will not much longer tolerate a custom that puts all religion in peril. These same suffering Churches are also discussing the best means of retaining the benefit of Bible-reading in the Churches. Mark! in the Churches, not the schools. Where such a discussion is necessary, it is high time to say to the State, Hands off of the Churches!

ART. IX.-FOREIGN RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

A REVIVAL AMONG THE WALDENSES.

THE Waldenses have of late displayed an unusual amount of activity, apparently spurred on by the presence and labors in Italy of the various missionaries from other lands. For years there has been no such significant synod as that recently held in Torre Pelice, the seat of their most important ecclesiastical institutions, at the entrance to their valleys. This vigor seemed to be anticipated by their friends and sympathizers from without, as they were favored by the visits of fraternal delegates from other Church bodies in larger numbers than ever before.

England and Scotland, their old friends, were well represented; France sent some members of the Reformed Church, and from Switzerland came a greeting from the Society for the Observance of the Sabbath. The German Evangelical Association of Gustavus Adolphus, the Protestants of Austria, the Moravians from Herrnhut, and the Presbyterians on the Cape of Good Hope, were all there by proxy. The "Waldenses of the North," the suffering Christians from Livonia on the Baltic, sent also their greeting to the "Waldenses of the South." Some of these brought also very substantial aid, namely, the delegate from the Cape $2,500, and their Scotch friends raised their gift for the year to about $100,000. All this kindness so delighted the Waldenses that they devoted three days to the hearing of messages of sympathy and fraternity from abroad.

When they finally reached their regular routine business it appeared that every congregation had an encouraging report to make of their religious condition, and some were peculiarly gratifying. The Church in Naples reported a collection of two dollars and fifty cents per member for the year, and hopes by next year to be able to assemble in its own chapel. There are now sixty-six pastors engaged in active work, and five are on the emeritus list. In their theological school at Florence

eleven students are now pursuing their studies, and eleven others are engaged in advanced studies in Scotland, England, France, and Germany. The pastor from Milan reported a grant of three thousand francs from the Minister of Instruction to his congregation for the purpose of finishing the façade of their church. But the most significant move of the synod for this year was the resolve to enter on the work of missions to the heathen. The delegate of the French Missionary Society to the Bassutos, in South Africa, had made a tour in the valleys of the Waldenses and awakened their interest in the mission cause. In consequence of this the pastor of the Waldensian chapel in Nice had resolved to devote himself to the work, and appeared before the synod to obtain permission to enter the field. His simple and fervent words, as he explained the importance of missionary effort, were received with great enthusiasm, and by a unanimous vote he was granted a leave of absence for said purpose. The Waldensian Synod placed him, for the beginning, at the disposition of the Parisian Missionary Society, to become thus initiated into the methods, and be sustained in the incipiency of the work. He will go with his wife to the already established mission to the Bassutos, while the French missionary at that post will go on further, and establish a new post on the Zambesi. The foreign delegates present gave a hearty Amen to this resolution, and bade the Waldenses God speed, and a blessing in this new Christian enterprise.

THE FRENCH IN MADAGASCAR.

The French seem quite inclined to rule or ruin in Madagascar, and have for some time been nourishing a dangerous conflict with the government that may interfere very much with the important Protestant missionary work on that island. The claims of France on Madagascar are quite old. Louis XIII., in 1642, placed the island under his own protection, first with the name of Ile Dauphine, and later as Oriental France. Cardinal Richelieu fitted out a French trading company with rich privileges, and took possession of the island as a central point for French rule in India. They established forts and factories on the coast, but could not penetrate into the interior. Under the guidance of the famous minister, Colbert, the plantations founded on the coast were very flourishing. But a general rebellion among the natives against this foreign invasion and usurpation rooted out the French intruders from the entire island except the single Fort Dauphin on the southern point. This uprising of the natives brought things to a standstill for a long time. In the eighteenth century renewed efforts were made at colonization, but they all failed. In the year 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, the English took possession of Madagascar as a dependence of the island of Mauritius, and it required long negotiations before France again acquired a foothold there. In the meanwhile English merchants had taken possession, and exerted great influence there. In 1829 the French tried to drive them out by a military expedition, which was a total failure. Since that time the French have endeavored to undermine

the English, by obtaining influence over the Hovas rulers, but the present queen seems to wish to have nothing to do with them, since she has accepted the good offices of the English missionaries, and introduced some astonishing reforms, and virtually adopted Christianity as the belief of her people. In order to counteract this work, the French have sent the Jesuit missionaries out there in great force, and it is these who are making all the present trouble. The people and the princes are displeased with their methods, and wish them away, and they in turn appeal to their government for support. Five French vessels are hovering around the coast threatening the capital, and landing at certain ports and running up their flag. The queen is appealing to England for protection, as are the English missionaries, and it is likely that the visit of an embassador to both these courts will result in measures of relief to the queen and people of the island.

GERMAN MISSION WORK IN CHINA.

The Germans are renewing their interest in Chinese missions, which were formerly so popular among them, under the influence of the wonderful travels of Gutzlaff and his thrilling accounts of his experiences among that people. Wangemann, one of their missionary magnates,

calls their attention to the fact that so much has been done there since 1850, and that, in many respects, the land is now ripe for earnest work. He asserts that the prospects are so good for a plentiful harvest that German Christians can no longer treat the fact with indifference; they have now no choice. If they fall back and leave the entire work to others, they will be guilty of willful neglect of duty. In 1872 the German Missionary Society of Barmen, the headquarters of a certain phase of Protestant work, established a mission among the Hakkas, and they now need means to carry it on further. They bought a house in Canton from the Rhenish Missiorary Society, and sent assistants. The sum needed for the support of this station the present year will be about $20,000, and not the tenth part of this has yet been raised. Two associations for Chinese missions in Berlin and Stettin, which had nearly suspended their labors, are now resuming their activity, and, among other measures to stir up the people, are publishing a journal entitled "The Gospel in China.” Thus far the success of this project has not corresponded to the importance of the undertaking, but still its friends A new impetus will doubtless hope on, and will not give up the cause. be given to it by the late increase of German trade in China and Japan, During the last few years the Germans have increased their commercial interest in the eastern seas, and are now sending their war vessels thither to protect the many Germans flocking there in various capacities. And Germany is even supplying war vessels to the Chinese from her own shipyards on the Baltic. This commercial activity will naturally reflect on the religious community, and be an inducement for renewed effort. The adoption of the Hakka mission by a North German society may produce the effect desired, and create an enthusiasm among the people

of Christian circles to rise to the level of their duty. They certainly have every thing ready for them. The clearing of the forest is over, and the tilling of the fields has begun; if they now cannot come forward and at least keep pace with their commerce they will be lukewarm indeed.

THE MILITARY CONGREGATIONS IN ITALY.

This is the peculiar title of a very interesting work being carried on in Rome, and likely to be extended to other points in Italy, among the soldiers of the Italian standing army. It began ten years ago, soon after the occupation of the new government with Rome as the capital, and in many respects it has been blessed above other Christian work among Italian Protestants. An Italian soldier, by name Capellini, was brought to see the beauty of the Gospel by fortunately finding an old, half-destroyed Bible. He soon after began to call his fellow-soldiers to relig ious meetings for the purpose of Bible reading and prayer, and in a little while he succeeded in organizing an independent military congregation, which has gone on growing from year to year, until it has now become quite an institution among the soldiers of the regiments garrisoned at Rome. As fast as the discharged soldiers leave, new recruits come in, and thus he has always a new community on which to operate, while his former men go to their respective homes all over the land, and thus carry the seeds of the Gospel with them. It is this fact which makes the work a missionary effort of the most effective kind. The growth of his congregation induced Capellini to accept for his work the chapel of the Wesleyan Mission Church, where it has received aid and encouragement from the workers in that enterprise. But the erection of new garrisons far from the center of the city has made it less convenient for the soldiers to gather there, and it has been found necessary to construct a new chapel in the neighborhood of the soldiers' homes. Capellini has undertaken this with a courageous heart, and decided on a site and the size of his church. The entire expense will be about forty thousand dol lars, and to obtain this he is making a call on the Protestant Churches of Europe generally, besides what he may obtain in Rome proper. The soldiers themselves can do but little because of the meagerness of their pay, but they will certainly do their share. The army chaplains of Protestant Germany have undertaken the work of collecting funds in their territory, and will, without doubt, do something good; and Switzerland and the Protestants of France are expected to take part in the work. The most aid will probably come from England and Scotland, especially the latter country, which has so distinguished itself for its generous aid to mission work in Italy since the whole country has been open to the Bible. That the work will pay is certain, for each soldier who has learned to read the Bible will go home to read it to his little community.

ART. X.-FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. DECIDEDLY the finest Missionary Magazine published in Europe is that under the control of Dr. Warneck as editor-in-chief, assisted by Drs. Grundemann and Christlieb. It is a monthly, begun in 1872, and is distinguished from other magazines of Germany in taking a broad and scientific ground, and being the special organ of no body or work. It therefore bears the title of "Universal Missionary Journal," and is fully meeting the measure of its promise given at the outset. It occupies a sort of neutral ground, but is pervaded with a living Christian spirit, so that the dozen regular contributors to its pages all seem to work together as one man. In its historical articles it leads us to the origin of Missions throughout the world, and gives a quarterly report of statistics and work. There are, then, treatises on so-called missionary geography, on the progress made in the various languages, giving them form and worth for religious efforts, and on the characteristics and traits of the various nationalities among which the missionaries are laboring. Quite an important section is devoted to the criticism of new works that appear in the mission cause. It has thus gained so high a scientific reputation that the theologians cannot afford to do without it, and some of the universities, such as Berlin, Bonn, and Halle, have been by it induced to make the investigation of missions and the study of missionary procedure a special branch of labor. Thus, missionary workers in Germany cannot afford to do without it, and the friends of missions throughout the world always find something to attract their special attention.

The question about the ten lost tribes does not yet seem to be exhausted. The latest work on this subject has recently appeared in Madrid, from the hands of Santiago Perez Junquera, who bases his work on an old publication of the year 1650. The author of this book was Menassah Ben Israel, a Jew of Amsterdam, who gives the story of a co-religionist in the following terms: In 1641, a Spanish Jew, named Levy, journeyed in that part of South America known as Ecuador. In crossing the Cordilleras, his attendant Indians complained of the severity of the Spaniards, and expressed the confident hope that a people hidden in the forests would break the cruel yoke. Levy followed the hint given him by his guides, and, after a while, found this isolated folk, and was convinced that they were Jews. He made himself known as such when there. Indians greeted him as a brother, and led him to a great river, where he found a settlement of people repeating Hebrew Bible verses, and bearing the names of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Reuben, etc., and they finally confided to him the principal events of their history. God had led them, through signs and wonders, into the land, where they were at first cruelly treated by the Indians, but over these they gained such signal victories in battle that the natives looked upon them as protected by a higher power, and at last awarded them a retired province, where

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