A pleasant and brotherly note from Rev. C. C. McCabe, at the Mission Rooms of the M. E. Church, informs us of an increase last year in their collections of $142,458, and confident expectation of a further increase of $80,000 in the current year, making a total increase of $222,558 in two years. Kindly seeking to provoke us to emulation,

the genial secretary playfully says, "Pick up your feet lively." No doubt our columns will march the more briskly for hearing such lively music on the fifes and drums of another corps of fellow soldiers. We would fain give them reciprocal cheer. Do not they get it in the reports of proceedings in our recent General Assembly?

The excellent article under this title in our February number, by Dr. John Hall, of New York, has brought to us a response from one who subscribes herself "A Christian Woman." She chooses to emphasize the catholic term "Christian;" she would cultivate the spirit of catholicity in the denomination of her preference and her providential connection; and she longs to have all the appropriate powers of presbytery utilized for the Christian ends for which they were given. She says:

I read in THE CHURCH an article on "Presbyterial Oversight," and appreciated it fully because I have been situated in such a way that I have frequently seen the need for something of the kind. Of course we say that the power is in presbytery, but is it? The shell of a principle will not do for the kernel. In my, perhaps limited, observation, presbytery is hardly anything more to the churches than the executive factor, to carry out the designs (or want of designs, often) of the people. I could show you a country church not twenty miles from one of our largest cities, easily accessible by railroad or stage, and having been pretty faithfully represented in presbytery for a long time, and having, as is said, "a good history"-whatever that means-but in which, owing partly to frequent removals and deaths, the membership has continued at about the same figure for a good many years. Of this fact they have been reminded at presbytery, when applying for the yearly

sum of $100 or $200 for pastor's support. This church has had pastors coming ten or twelve miles, conducting one service Sunday afternoon. When the pulpit is vacant a clares it vacant; goes away and seems to minister comes and preaches a sermon; deforget all about it. The people do not feel that the presbytery is at all interested in them, but know that they are an incumbrance.

To bear one another's burdens means more than to give money. No doubt if these people were more faithful in the few things committed to them they would do well, for they have had pious pastors; but the church has been composed almost altogether of hardworking people and needs encouragement. No doubt the pastors of large churches are fully occupied, for well I know the pastor of the church in question could not attend to the wants of others, but he is a part of the presbytery, and there is none but the presbytery to do this unless they were congregational, or willing to be governed or misgoverned by any one sufficiently self-assertive to do it. If the pastor is asked, as he has often been, to hold special evening services, he can seldom get any one to help. We read of city ministers addressing assemblies outside of their own flock. The Protestant Episcopal church in the vicinity holds convocation and has the bishop's visit. The Methodist Episcopal and Methodist Protestant and the Baptist have revival services; even the Roman Catholic church has its missions, where several priests conduct services. You see that the Presbyterians have to be very pious and zealous year in and

year out to keep from being forgotten. It would be pleasant if they felt that they were really a living part of the beautiful, active and powerful church of which they read"The Great Presbyterian Church."

An eminent minister of the last generation, in that branch of the Presbyterian Church which then did most of its missionary work through voluntary societies, in cooperation with Christians of other denominations, once said that an unhappy effect of this was to make the churches know the presbytery only as a ruling power, and not as a protecting and cherishing power. He compared the unwisdom of this to that of parents who should put into the hands of their children's aunts and uncles all the money to be spent in giving them toys and pastimes, reserving to themselves only the prerogative of chastisement.

It is quite possible for presbyteries to make a similar mistake, with no such excuse for it as "co-operation." If the presbytery is thought of only as a court to which an appeal can be taken from the session, or before which a minister can be accused and tried, there is very little in all this to attach the people to the presbytery. If it is only known by the feeble churches as the body through which they must send applications

to the Board of Home Missions to get the money they need, it is little better. Dr. Hall's article was intended to call attention to the neglected episcopal functions, for which our correspondent has so earnestly longed in behalf of the little church for which she speaks so tenderly and so considerately. She is not the only wise woman who feels thus. Women like to feel the bracing and guarding and the steady pressure forward of legitimate authority. A session that vacates its important functions and lets some pro-tempore committee usurp them, or, as this Christian woman puts it, “any one sufficiently self-assertive to do it," is not satisfactory to such women. If a presbytery "is hardly anything more than an executive factor, to carry out the designs, or want of designs, of the people," such women cannot see the use of such a presbytery.

We are persuaded that there is a way in which presbyterial oversight can be made a precious reality-an organized pastoral care. It is possible for a presbytery to watch and guard its churches, to advise and help and lead them, so as to win their grateful and reverent love, by deserving it. In seeking for this, we shall do well to give heed to the wishes and longings of women as well as to the thoughts and theories of men.

tians, and they felt the love pulsating through every word and tone of the great apostle. What was the consequence? The Germans always were a nation of deep and warm feeling; they consequently rewarded his love. Love begat love. They received him "as an angel of God, even as Christ himself" (4:15), and would have plucked out their eyes to give them to Paul, if it were possible, so as to relieve the apostle, who seems to have been afflicted with an eye-trouble.

Why, then, should our German nation be despised to-day in the most Christian country? It is true there are socialists and anarchists among our kinsmen, but even to-day some of the foremost theologians are Germans, and hundreds of American pastors and professors honor and esteem them as their beloved teachers. Few English theological or philosophical works are translated into German, but many German theological and philosophical works are translated into English. No! No! The Germans as a nation are not infidels and socialists; only many Germans, arriving in "free America," mistake liberty to mean licentiousness, and degenerate here. The normal German is a Christian German, ever since the gospel was brought to the ancient Germans liv. ing in the primeval forests and accepted by them.

It is evident that a grand work for the advancement of Christ's kingdom can be done among the German immigrants, and no American church is better equipped to do this work than our Presbyterian Church. But it cannot do the work through American pastors. If Germans are reached by American preachers, those cases are exceptional. Only a German can understand the Germans fully, and labor with love and success among them. In Madagascar, China, Japan and India, everywhere on foreign fields, native evangelists are trained to work among their own people. It is, for this reason, absurd to say, "We want no German churches. Let them come into our American churches." Such men forget that the speedy Americanization of all immigrants is a political problem. The foremost, all-absorbing problem

of the Church of Christ ought to be the speedy evangelization of all tongues and tribes of this vast continent.

Granting, as no German will dare gainsay it, that a portion of the laboring class of Germans has been saturated with socialistic and nihilistic ideas, we must not forget that the unjustness and rigor of monarchy, the military despotism, taking the best years of a man, and the sore distress and poverty in which these Germans were reared, nursed such ideas, similarly as among the Irish. Many passed "from a childhood of degradation to a manhood of hardship and an old age of unpitied neglect" (Farrar); but diligent, self-sacrificing, prayerful labor and preaching among them will ameliorate the Germans in the end.

Politicians reckon with the "foreign" element as an important factor; dare we as a church of Christ, who died for his enemies, turn a cold shoulder upon the immigrants who are to a great extent helping to mould the future of our land? "Our country for Christ" is the sublime motto of Home Missions. Well, brethren, win the Germans for Christ, and so much the more rapidly the whole country will be Christ's. It is my earnest conviction that we, as a church, must take care spiritually of them, or they will take care of us and our country. The United States must either digest this heavy food or die. We can digest it if we add to our laws and our liberty enough of Christian love. THE CHURCH AT HOME AND ABROAD (p. 392) well says, "We cannot defend our altars and fires in any way so well as by . . . the potent and gracious power of Christian love. The most effectual way of defending ourselves from enemies is by transforming them into friends." Henry M. Stanley made the arch slave-trader of Africa, Tippu Tib, an ally of the Congo State. He says, "I found that Tib was either to be fought or to be employed, and I preferred the latter." So it is with many German immigrants. They will either have to be fought or loved and won for Christ.

Our Germans need to be Americanized to some extent. You Americans have a higher regard for the Lord's day, a clearer percep

tion of the fact that Christianity is not merely knowledge, but new life wrought by the Spirit of God, and thus far our Germans need to be Americanized. There is too much memorized Christianity among our people. Biblical history is taught well in Germany, but personal piety, spiritual life, is often sorely wanting. It is not quickened so generally as here by the work of laymen in the Sunday-school and prayer-meeting.

Now what can we do for the Germans arriving on our shores? If the harvest does not come in spontaneously, we must go out and gather it in. We, who are under the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, are in duty bound to preach the gospel not only to the far-off Chinese and the fanatic Mohammedan, but also to our brethren after the flesh-the large, influential German fraternity. H. J. WEBER.

The report of the Committee on the Consolidated Magazine, printed in the first seven pages of this number, gives a clear and full account of the labors of that Committee, and of the results thus far. The Committee have reason to be happy in the approval of their work by the General Assembly. The report was accepted and adopted, as it stands printed at the beginning of this first number in the second volume. The changes which are therein indicated as already decided upon by the Committee were approved by the General Assembly, and are now made, as will be seen by inspection of this number.

The Committee, the editor, and all connected with them in this work, grateful for such generous approval, will still study and labor to make the magazine more and more worthy of it. We have no expectation of ever carrying it beyond the possibility of further improvement. We are receiving

Eight pages are now added to the ninetysix heretofore found in each number, to report the contributions to our church's treasuries. As the fiscal year of most of the boards begins in April, the eight pages are not sufficient to contain all the receipts. Those for which we cannot make room in this number will appear in the August number.

pleasant evidence of continued endeavor to extend the circulation, and desire in all proper ways to encourage and help such endeavor. Specimen copies are freely sent to all who ask for them, and in many churches the clubs are kept constantly growing. It should be understood that additions may be made to any club at any time, new members paying, from whatever date they wish, to the end of the time to which the earlier members of the club have paid. We trust that in every case pastors and elders, or others in charge of clubs, will promptly attend to the renewal of subscriptions before they expire. We intend that on our part no effort shall be wanting to make the magazine so interesting and so helpful to all parts of our church work that none of its readers, loving that work, will feel willing to discontinue it. For all help in this effort from correspondents-men, women or children-we are very thankful.

On the second page of the cover will be found the table of contents, and on the third and fourth pages, the addresses of the officers of the General Assembly, its boards and committees; also the standing notices, directions for bequests, etc.

With the new color of the cover, it is hoped that these will all be easily legible, as they were not on the deep-blue cover.

$800,000.

Not less than $800,000 will be needed to meet the most urgent demands of this work for the coming year. We repeat, therefore, our urgent admonition to pastors and ministers generally, as those charged by the Head of the church with submitting his claims to the people, to do their share to secure this increase of funds and to meet these golden opportunities.-The Assembly of 1887.

THE STAKE ADVANCED.

It showed no small nerve and courage on the part of the Standing Committee and the General Assembly to ask for $800,000 for home missions this year. It was, to be sure, but $50,000 advance upon last year's call; but that mark has been repeatedly set and never yet reached. To attain the new standard will involve the contribution of almost $150,000 more than last year. To set the stake so far ahead, not in vain show, but with calm judgment and in sober earnest, is a move whose significance calls for careful pondering by every pastor, elder and member of our church.

The arguments in favor of it are many and mighty. The work plainly in sight even now, which every coming month will widen, and which cannot be done with smaller means; the steadfast but hardpressed workers in the field, who must bear a large share of any shortcoming; the large success of the past year, even with smaller resources than were hoped for at its beginning; the unusual fervor of the Assembly in the direction of home missions, all these both demand and encourage the most strenuous endeavor to raise the year's gifts to the new standard.

And why should it not be reached? The special committee of elders appointed by the Assembly for the purpose will handle

that question, in a practical way, far better than any discussion here could do. The 21,000 elders at their back, if they will, can make success both certain and easy.

BEGIN AT JERUSALEM.

The distinction between home and foreign missions is, of course, purely conventional. Two boards instead of one are merely for convenience and economy and system and division of labor. "The field is the world." A Chinaman in China has equal need and equal claim with a Chinaman in America. East Indian and western Indian are alike in relation to God's law and the church's duty. There is no more difference between Mormon in America and Mussulman in Asia in our day than between Jew and Greek in Paul's day. So the work is one and the aim is one. The instinct and impulse to seek and save the lost which the disciple catches from the Master knows no latitude or longitude. There is no real severance or diversity between laborers at home and abroad. There is no logical propriety or possibility of collision or friction between board and board. They march abreast, shoulder to shoulder, in the one campaign. They are the two hands of the one body. They are compacted and interlocked in the structure and life of the one church.

The only precedence, in any sense or shape, which home missions can claim is that suggested by our Lord's direction, "beginning at Jerusalem." It is often said in regard to this, "we are to begin at Jerusalem, but we are not to end there." It is just as necessary to a full, all-round view of the meaning of the words to say, we are not to end at Jerusalem, but we are to begin there." The point of "beginning" must stand first, in order of time and in order of place. And thus and no otherwise home evangelization may assume priority. It has