work, however, when the missionaries arrived on the islands, if the statistics given can be relied upon. In 1778 Captain Cook estimated the population at 400,000; but in 1820, when the missionaries arrived, the estimate was but 140,000. The natives now. number only about 36,000. It is a wonder that the little native community survives at all, overlaid, as it is, with the debris of a most immoral and unnatural alluvial, in the form of heathen Asiatics, equal in number to the total of the native male population of the islands.

4. Dr. Fisher, editor of the Pacific Christian Advocate, reminds us that between 1820 and 1845 sixty missionaries were sent to these islands, but that no missionary family has gone thither within the last fifty years. It is, he says, thirty years since Hawaii was a "mission field; "and nearly all the missionaries sent thither are dead. But sixty thousand natives have in the past seventy-three years espoused Christ, and united with the Church. Of this number it is believed that a large proportion have died in the hope of a blessed resurrection.

THE RELIGIOUS CONDITION OF CAPE COLONY, AFRICA.

THE Cape Colony is a political division of the Cape of Good Hope region in South Africa, and has been supposed by many to be thoroughly evangelized and mostly Christianized. But the census for 1891 reveals a state of things which will surprise many persons who supposed themselves quite familiar with the facts in the case. The truth appears to be that nearly two thirds of the Negro, or rather the colored, population, and about one half of the total population are still non-Christian. Of 1,150,237 in the colored population only 392,562 were returned as having classified themselves as Christians. This colored population consisted of Kaffirs and Bechuanas, 608,456; Fingus, 229, 680; Hottentots, 50,388; Malays, 13,907; and of mixed races, 247,806. The Malays live mainly in Cape Town.

The religious classification was as follows: heathens, or "of no religion," 753,824; Mohammedans, mostly Malays, 15,099; Jews, 3,009; and Christians, 749,322, of whom 356,960 were white and 392,362 were colored. Of the Christians, 732,047 were Protestants and 17,275 Roman Catholics. Of the latter, 14,800 were whites, leaving to the Romanists but 2,475 natives. Of the Protestants, the Dutch Reformed Church had 306, 320 and the Church of England 139,058. The next largest communion was that of the Wesleyans, who numbered 106, 132, besides 5,390 "other Methodists."

THE OUTLOOK IN JAPAN.

THE Japan Mail recently contained an article which affirmed that it was a great mistake to suppose that Christianity had gained acceptance only among the ignorant and lowly in that country. Forty per cent of the Christians belong to the intellectual class, the shizoku. A single congregation is said to contain two persons holding office directly from the emperor, and twelve who hold appointments from the Council of State

with the sanction of the emperor. Twelve members and the speaker of the first Japan Diet were Christians. But Japan is not a Jericho already taken by blowing rams' horns. She will yet be captured, after a steady, brave siege, by means of the sword of the Spirit; but the hope of gaining her to Christianity with a rush must be abandoned. The period of missionary activity, from 1872, when the Methodist Episcopal Church entered Japan, down to within a recent period, coincided with the movement of the Japanese mind toward everything Western, whether of language, politics, armaments, systems of post offices and telegraphs, or dress. The progress has been astonishing, and affords hope of still greater advance. A hundred and fifty thousand additions to the Christian adherents in two decades from the beginning are not to be despised, however small this may seem relatively to forty millions or so of the total population. But with the popular tide setting against everything foreign the Church will have occasion to prepare for the real contest. Ultimate victory is assured, as Japan can never swing back to its old condition, and it is not likely to discover anything more suited than Christianity to aid it in taking the place in the family of nations for which it longs. In 1872 there were 20 church members; in 1875, 538; in 1876, 1,004; in 1883, 2,500, with a Christian community of 13,000; in 1891, 33, 390 adult church members. At present the work is embarrassed by many obstacles, and converts are being tested. But the work is not slackened, nor are the witnesses losing steadfastness. This "Great Britain," or rather this "Younger America," of the Pacific seas is bound to advance, and it can be but in one direction-toward the Christian communities of the world.

REV. J. VAHL, President of the Danish Missionary Society, has earned the reputation of being one of the most reliable of missionary statisticians, and his figures are quoted with more than average confidence. His tables showing the present missionary revenue and forces of the world will be acceptable to ministers and others interested in religious progress. They do not convey all the information that might be desired, but are on the whole as satisfactory as they could well be made. The societies use different methods of tabulation, and hence the difficulty of securing uniformity in a comparative statement. Mr. Vahl omits the wives of missionaries from his enumeration, while many, if not most, of the societies enter them as at least "assistant missionaries." He gives the gross income of all the societies, in British money, as £2,749,340, which may be roundly reckoned as $13,746,700. The male missionaries of all classes number 5,094, and the unmarried female missionaries, 2,445—a total of 7,539, who are assumed to have been sent out by missionary societies, or are at least other than natives of the countries where they labor, though on this point there is some obscurity, the classification differing slightly with the accidents of the situation. The native ministers are returned as numbering 3,730; and there are besides 40,438 native helpers. The several missions, in all parts of the world, roll up the encouraging number of 1,168,560 communicants.

FOREIGN OUTLOOK.

SOME LEADERS OF THOUGHT.

Professor Dr. Aug. Klostermann. His ability is universally recognized, and his biblical studies have been very minute and protracted. For twenty years past he has given special attention to Pentateuchal criticism, and is entitled to be heard concerning the subject. In his recent work, Der Pentateuch. Beiträge zu seinem Verständniss und seiner Entstebungsgeschichte [The Pentateuch. Contributions to its Understanding and the History of its Origin], he takes issue with the Graf-Wellhausen theory. But on the other hand he can hardly be classed with the conservatives; for he is a firm believer in a process of development which was carried on in accordance with the will of God, by the cooperation of countless factors that never rest, and which has affected the condition of the revelation. He finds that the whole task of Old Testament Scripture criticism is very much complicated by the fact that numerous changes have taken place in the text. He denies the right of the critic to assume the identity of our text with that of the author of the Pentateuch. He thinks it a perversion to make out distinctions of epochs by means of divergences in style, when these divergences are not between different authors, but between different copies of the same author. Thus it will be seen that he does not deny the existence of the marks by which the critics have divided the Pentateuch into diverse documents, but he does deny the necessity of explaining them as the critics do. He regards Deuteronomy as the only sure starting point for critical inquiry into the Pentateuch. Its age is far back of its discovery, as is evident by the impression it made upon contemporaries. Had it not differed from all other known books of Moses it would have passed comparatively unnoticed. Such is his reasoning. But it strikes us that the doubts he casts upon the integrity of the text must be supposed to apply as well to Deuteronomy as to any other portion of the Pentateuch, and that therefore he cannot, on his principles, find even here a sure starting point for criticism. In fact his theory, in this particular, appears more dangerous than any other theory offered by critics. That variations may have crept in might be admitted without damage to the general integrity of the books, but to make these variations so great as to render the text unsafe as a basis for the higher criticism is to exclude all criticism at once. If this left us the certainty of the Mosaic authorship it would not be so bad. But what do we care for this authorship if his text is defaced beyond all recognition ?

Dr. G. H. Graue. His views of the relation between morality and religion are so clear, and, in the main, correct, as to deserve mention here. He regards them as substantially distinct. Morality is sentiment and life under the dominion of the moral law. The moral law is the offspring of

the ideal conception of man, but it enforces its requirements upon the actual man and impels him to the exercise of a true love of humanity. It is a law of freedom, not of compulsion. It is a motive rather than an obligation. It originally appears in consciousness not as the result of ratiocination, but rather as a kind of vague feeling which makes itself felt in impulse and desire. Yet this feeling is not one of pleasure or of pain; it is more like the feeling of awe and reverence. It is possible for man to follow this law, which is a part of his own essential nature, without a consciousness of God or communion with him. In so far a morality without religion is possible. Just so there are religious acts which have no moral purpose. For in religion, one does not, as in morality, enter into relations with the law of his own being, but into relations with a personal power superior to himself. His religious relations with God do not always take the form of a moral relation to the world. On the contrary, his religion often turns him away from men and the world for the very purpose of a more exclusive communion with God. Theoretically this is possible, but if morality is to be victorious it can only be so in the belief in a moral order of the world. Yet this belief can only find a sure support in the religious consciousness. If morality is possible in a degree without a belief in God, it is only found in its highest unfoldings in connection with the Christian religion. In atheistic morality there is wanting a proper humility and an unselfish, new-creating love for mankind. Only the elevation of pious feeling, and especially the experience of the love of God as found in the gospel of Christ, can produce a true and thorough purification from egoism. Very few strictures on the book are in place, and these pertain to minor matters which cannot be touched here. In our remaining space we prefer to commend Graue's defense of Christian morality against the assaults of atheists. He rightly argues that the assistance of religion in morals does not destroy the true autonomy of man, nor a true theonomy produce in the Christian moralist a heteronomy, since man is so constituted that the moral law which springs from his own being is to be considered as a true reflection of the will of God. On this theory theonomy would overpower autonomy only until man was brought back to his normal human condition. While Graue holds that to serve God for the sake of reward would render morality imperfect, the love of God, which is the true Christian motive, aids true morality, and hence is superior to atheistic ethics.

Professor Dr. Theodor Häring. In years gone by he has given much attention to doctrinal subjects, and especially to the doctrine of reconciliation. His views are as follows: The fundamental religious fact of reconciliation is that through Jesus Christ we are led from the profound consciousness of sin to fellowship with God. In this process lies both the condemnation of sin and grace for the sinner. By his personal life work Jesus Christ produces both in us. And this personal life work is completed only when, in his death and resurrection, the result designed is accomplished. These are the fundamental elements of the doctrine of reconcili

ation as they are found in the New Testament. In working these out into a dogmatic formula there are two ideas which, without difficulty, obtain recognition as decisive. They are the ideas of the relation of God to us, and that of the representation of a man before God, both of them, of course, through Jesus Christ. But, since it is a question of religion, the thought of revelation must unquestionably take the leading place. Christ's representation of men before God springs out of the true conception of revelation. Revelation does not take place by the impartation of instruction, but by the personal work of Jesus. In his own love he revealed the love of God. The full revelation of love as love could only take place in his death, and the full revelation of love as the power which overcomes the world could only take place in his resurrection. Since revelation is wrought by his personal work it could be done in no other way than by his voluntary consent to the loving will of God, even to the death of the cross. This had value in God's sight as the necessary means for the accomplishment of his purpose among men. But in thus entering upon death Christ represented us, since in him God found the human will open to his appeals, whereas sinners resist. The consequence is that we are preserved from hopelessness and from undue pride alike, since our faith, without which indeed we cannot be saved, is in no wise fundamental to salvation; because the perfect faith which made possible the fulfillment of God's loving purpose was found only in Christ. In the death of Christ at the hand of sinners men can see the full significance of human sin; and thereby is proved the permanency of the purpose of good. Jesus Christ, in thus taking up the will of the Father into his own will, suffered death for the good of men and in their stead, and also represented man before God. We see in this the doctrine of vicarious suffering. But it does not seem so clearly nor so reasonably put as it might be were it disconnected from the thought of revelation. The death of Christ had the two aspects of revelation and representation. Why not give each its due place?

RECENT THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE.

"Die Christliche Ethik in ihrem Verhältniss zur modernen Ethik" (Christian Ethics in Relation to Modern Ethics). By Carl Stange. This book contains a keen criticism of the religionless ethics of Paulsen, Wundt, and von Hartmann. The author attempts to show the fundamental weakness of these systems, and the value of the Christian view for the scientific and practical confirmation and establishment of ethics. He confines himself to the principles involved in the systems of the three above-named philosophical ethicists, and does not discuss the details. To his mind they mutually complement each other, so that what is lacking in Paulsen is furnished by Wundt, and what is wanting. in Wundt is made up by von Hartmann. Paulsen represents that utilitarianism which sets up as the ethical ideal the welfare of the community as "an objective conformation of life in the sense of human perfection.". In this system the highest