THE KING’S BUSINESS
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these having been disciplined repented and made restitution where possible and where not possible, contributed their loot to the relief funds. The Lord “put a difference” between “Christians” and Christians. C omparative missionary statistics of Japan, setting the record of 1913 against that of 1912, show that there was a gain in the latter year of nearly 800 adult baptisms, bringing the total professions of faith in Christ for that year up to 6848. The num ber of communicants meanwhile increased 7000, indicating that there are no such losses in the Japanese churches as in the churches of America. The number of organized con gregations grew in the year about IS per cent, advancing from 745 to 8S7. The na tive ordained ministers increased from a corps of 702 only to 728. T he figures of enrollment in the Sunday schools of the international field (that is, North America, including Hawaii, the Phil ippines, Porto Rico, Cuba, and the West In dies) as reported to the last six triennial conventions are as follows : D ate Schools Officers Scholars Total 1899..;... 148,139 1,482,308 12,017,325 13,469,633 1902..... 152,930 1,514,119 12,309,412 14,101,289 1905...... 155,007 1,556,947 12,076,232 14,127.541 1908...... 161,750 1,594,674 13,515,498 15,110,172 1911...... 173,459 1,670,846 14,946,504 16,617,350 1914...... 175,685 1,690,73? 16,750,297 18,441,036 T he evangelistic work done in the coun try districts around Tsining, China, recently has been characterized by marked interest among the women. Although twice as many Bible women are at work as there were five years ago, the number is far too small, and requests are coming in all the time for more These Bible women can stay in one place only a short time, for they are able to work only eight months in the year and many points have to be reached. During the summer they are busy at other occupations, for the mission is not able to finance them for any longer period. A t a Japanese village a man was bap tized early in the morning. While he was
thereby undermining the public morals and the foundation of free institutions.” “S uch prompt help in time of trouble— such self-sacrificing labor—is the essence of a Christianity that not only preaches the Gospel, but helps the needy and heals the sick. For their splendid and ready assist ance we have no doubt that those concerned will reap a reward not only in the con sciousness of their own good deeds, but also in the added respect and esteem of the peo ple of this country.” Who said that? A non-Christian editor of The Times, Tokyo, Japan. T his report comes from Woodward, Ok lahoma, which is noted for its “men’s Gospel team.” - . “Three Ford carloads of our Gospel team made a fifty-four mile run yesterday and held meetings in an inland town. We se cured eight decisions for the Christian life —five men, one woman and two girls. One of the men was one of our fellow towns men who drove his car down to accommo date us. We reached home at one o’clock this morning, tired but happy.” A missionary in Japan writes: “Another marked similarity to the religion in too many American homes is the desire of the mothers that their children shall be bap tized and go to Sunday school, even though they, themselves hold back. At one place there was a widow whose little boy very much wanted to be baptized. The mission ary hesitated because the mother was not a Christian, and finally told the little fellow to waif. But the boy’s mother was very much hurt because he was not baptized.” B etween and after the late Balkan wars, when the surrounding Macedonian popula tion were “almost universally” engaged in the murder and robbery of non-combatants, carting away the contents of deserted Turk ish villages, the Protestant Christians alone held aloof from the wickedness. Out of a community of 239 of these only 11 fell, and
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