Te Ahu" (see Mission Field, March, p. 121).

"The native

Very few of

church in the neighbourhood of Wanganui and Wairarapa may be said to be in a state of coma ensuing after a fever. the natives anywhere have now faith in the Hau Hau superstition. If they practise it at all, they avow that it is merely a mode of showing their hostility to the English."

Synod of the Diocese of Christchurch.

THE Ven. H. W. HARPER, Archdeacon of Westland, New Zealand, in a letter to the Guardian, dated July 4th (see Guardian for September 4th), concerning the Synod which had been lately held of the Diocese of Christchurch, the largest in New Zealand, forwards the following resolutions :

"The Synod of the Diocese of Christchurch desires to present the following resolutions to the Bishop of the diocese on the occasion of his departure to England for the Lambeth Conference :

I. That this Synod earnestly desires that the unity of the Church of England and Ireland in the mother country and the colonies be maintained.

II. That for the furtherance of this desire this Synod hopes that measures may be devised for promoting united action and common counsel between the various branches of the Anglican Church.

III. That this Synod further desires to express its satisfaction at the proposed Conference at Lambeth, as affording some indication of an approach to unity of action, not only between the various branches of the Anglican Church, but amongst all the reformed branches of the Church Catholic.

IV. That in the opinion of this Synod any legislation of the Imperial Parliament bearing upon the status of the Colonial Church ought to be directed to the following objects, viz. :

(a) To remove all doubts, if any, as to the legality of the appointment and consecration of Bishops chosen in accordance with the rules in force in the several colonial dioceses, without reference to the sanction of the Crown by royal mandate or otherwise.

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(b) To remove all doubts as to the body of persons entitled to the legal ownership of all property which now or hereafter may be possessed by the Church in the several colonial dioceses.

(c) Beyond the objects before mentioned, this Synod strongly deprecates any legislation of the Imperial Parliament affecting the internal organization and freedom of action of the Church in the colonies.

V. That this Synod further expresses its earnest desire that a tribunal or board of reference may be constituted in England for receiving and determining appeals from colonial dioceses on questions of doctrine and discipline."

NOTES OF THE WORK OF MISSIONARIES.

Melbourne.

THE Society has received several reports from the Diocese of Melbourne. The Rev. ROBERT MAHALIN writes (March 31) that his congregations have increased, and (June 30) that he sees signs of religious improvement among his people. He also mentions that a tower is being built to his church. The Rev. J. B. STAIR (March 31) finds his work both in church and out of it very trying when the thermometer is at 110° in the shade, as it had been frequently; excepting in the heat of summer he finds the climate delightful. He has worked very hard in preparing candidates for confirmation. The congregations in church have improved, and services are held at several outlying stations, at one of which many Chinese immigrants stand about the doors, especially interested in the singing. Mr. Stair, in a later Report (June 30), gives an account of a visit paid to his parish by the BISHOP of MELBOURNE. The Bishop confirmed thirty-four persons, addressed the children of the Sunday-school, preached, and delivered in the school-room, for the funds of the Sunday-school library, a Lecture on The Providence of God, as shown in the History of the Gold Fields. Mr. Stair gives an account of a Chinese catechumen, and states that, when he finished writing his report, he was going on a journey of sixty miles to baptize a child.

The Rev. M. H. ASHE writes that Bible-classes are diligently carried on, as is also his general work. Great efforts are being made by very poor members of his congregation to support a bazaar for building a new parsonage-house.

St. Helena.

The Rev. H. J. BODILY writes from St. Helena (March 25) that the Church is making way in the island. He contemplated coming home on leave, and the BISHOP arranged to take care of the parish in his absence. Mr. Bodily is now in England. The Rev. H. WHITEHEAD (March 31) is diligently earrying on his work both in church and in school. Mr. J. GOODWIN (March 31) reports a steady increase in his congregation of liberated Africans, and mentions other still more convincing signs that his work is bearing fruit, especially applications to be admitted as candidates for confirmation, and a desire for marriage among those who have been living in sin.

The Rev. J. C. HARRIS writes from Guiana (March 31) that there is an increase in the number of worshippers Guiana. and in the amount of offertories in his church. His Sunday-schools are of great use in extending his influence. They are attended by an average varying from fifty to ninety of the adult workers in the corn-fields of the plantation. One of the day-schools is successful, the other, which is attended by Coolies who do not value education, is less so. The adult Coolies have abandoned their own faith, but have not embraced Christianity. Mr. Harris reports many visits to outlying villages, in one of which a church is being completed. The Rev. W. DRUMMOND (March 8) describes his first impressions of Guiana; its aspect, its plants, its birds, and its unhealthy climate. After a short stay at Bishop's College, Georgetown, an institution at first intended for the Creole youth, but now used as a training-college for schoolmasters, Mr. Drummond was ordained Deacon by the BISHOP of GUIANA. His post is at New Amsterdam, as assistant-curate to a parish which extends over forty or fifty miles through which he travels. A chapel of ease is building in Stanley Town, a suburb of New Amsterdam, where Mr. Drummond will officiate; meantime he helps in the services of the parish church, and in a service held at a village three miles from

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the town. It is satisfactory to hear that this young Missionary enjoys, at the beginning of his ministry, the blessings of weekly communion and daily common prayer in the parish church.

CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY.1

Ar a meeting of the S. P. G. held at Maidstone on August 20th, the Archbishop of Canterbury said, "You all know that the Sultan has been here recently, the enemy, or supposed enemy, of Christianity. I was informed by the Prince of Wales a few days ago. that, in answer to an entreaty to him to protect his Christian subjects, the Sultan's reply was, I will not only protect my Christian subjects, but I will protect Christianity.' I think that a most remarkable answer."

EMIGRANTS.

Emigrant

important.

OUR readers are perhaps aware that the S.P. C. K. and the S.P.G. conjointly support a chaplain to the emigrants who sail continually, in large numbers, from Liverpool. chaplaincy This is no unimportant part of the Society's work, for the Gospel can scarcely be propagated with success where the lives of those who profess the faith of CHRIST cause His name to be blasphemed among the heathen. Thus we read that in India "an intelligent native said to Mr. Forbes, Master, when an Englishman dies, does he think he shall go to his GOD?"" And the question was a natural one. The Hindoos were zealous in their idol worship; the Mahometans were regular in their prayers and ablutions; the Parsees carefully watched their sacred fires; the

(1) Times for August 22.

6

Indifference.

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Portuguese Romanists daily frequented their churches, fasted, and prayed; but the English-to revert to the words of the native inquirer—“ chose a smooth path, and scattered roses around; the English alone seemed unconcerned about an event of the greatest importance." The impression left on the heathen was that Englishmen's religion was not worth caring for.1

And now, if we turn from modern days to ancient, and from India to Egypt, we shall see with what power the good works and consistent lives of Christians preach CHRIST to the heathen. Early in the fourth century, PACHOMIUS, afterwards numbered among the saints, but then a heathen soldier, a mere youth, meek indeed and modest, but educated by his parents in the Upper Thebais in their blind superstition, was sailing down the Nile, one of a body of raw recruits who had been drawn for the service of the tyrant Maxentius. These poor youths, who on their voyage were treated like captured slaves, stopped for a night at Thebes. The Christian inhabitants of that city, seeing the sufferings of the recruits, treated them as their children, and supplied them liberally with money and other necessaries. Pachomius, astonished at their charity, asked who these persons were who had such a wonderful desire to help others. He was told that they were Christians, whose principle it was to do good unto all men. Their good example so moved him that he at once felt a desire to embrace their religion. But he had not then time, as the ship continued her voyage the next morning. However, the memory of their piety gave him strength, even as a heathen, to resist temptations that assailed him during his military service; and when the army was disbanded, he returned to the Thebais, entered

himself as a catechumen, was baptized, and became Zeal. the means of leading many souls to GOD, so that, when he died, besides his indirect influence for good, more than 7,000 men served GOD under rules which he had given them.

Are the emigrants who leave our shores to act the part of the English Christians in India, who brought our religion into contempt? Or are they to follow the example of the Coptic Christians of Thebes,

(1) See Forbes' Oriental Memoirs in Englishman in India, p. 205.