but has it been with an emphasis on the seriousness of the Moslem problem? 4. The methods of approach should be carefully planned. Preaching we must continue with greater sympathy, with a quicker perception of the point of contact and with a fuller knowledge of the dialect the people speak. The Gospel must be spoken in the terms of the Moslem. There must be less of the combatant in us and more of the wooer. By that I do not mean that we should not argue. Controversy we cannot always avoid, and sometimes, I think, we should court it when it is likely to be helpful to the listeners standing round. I have sometimes wondered whether it would be possible to arrange periodically for two or three workers to visit special Moslem districts and hold a mission for Moslems supported by the missionaries of the different societies in the districts visited. If the addresses delivered at such a mission could afterwards be printed in English and the vernaculars immense good might be the result. Literature we should produce in the vernaculars with still greater zeal. Our opponents make much of this method of propaganda. I feel that our apologetic literature for Moslems should explain more directly and fully the erroneous ideas that they have been taught concerning our faith. Then we need books to influence those who have been convinced by our evidential works; books explaining the inner meaning of our Lord's teaching. We must encourage schools and especially Western education. Many a Moslem has had his faith shaken by learning English. The Western school-book makes belief in an Eastern sacred book most difficult. 5. The Koran should become an aid. The Moslem advance might be further checked by using the Koran more in our work. We should turn their own book, Islam's supreme weapon, against her for her complete undoing. We must show the people that in the Koran "What is true is not new, and what is new is not true." For English speaking Mohammedan students, I have often held classes in which the Bible and the Koran were studied and compared, and as a result not a few have been led to see that the one was most human while the other was divine. So important have I felt the use of the Koran to be, that when intelligent Hindus have been inclined to praise Mohammedanism, I have given them the Rev. W. Goldsack's Bengali translation of the Koran to read. In this way the eyes of many have been opened to see the absurdities of the book. My belief is that if only we can get the Hindus and Mohammedans to understand what the Koran really teaches, we shall be able to check the advance. 6. What are we to do to stop the leakage that I have shown is going on owing to economic conditions prevalent in Hindu society? Surely there is need to push reform and rescue work. Our philanthropic agencies should be increased. When so many are forced to change their faith, then should we not be ready to show them that we are their friends? Do we not need more Homes of Hope for the despised and neglected Hindu widows and other women who are not wanted? In many stations in Bengal, now, the people know that the missionaries will help such, and thank God scores have been rescued and eternally saved through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Great good is being done, too, by medical missionary effort. It softens many a heart and wins many attentive ears.1 1 In connection with our philanthropic effort it is interesting to read the opinion of a Moslem who wrote an article to the Hibbert Journal on" Islam and Common Sense." He considers that Christianity often 7. A Missionaries to Moslems League might be established. We need some bond of unity in this great work in India; something that will keep the Mohammedan problem constantly before us. I have referred to Moslem unity; why should we not show a more united front? Can we accomplish the task if we are not united? We should aim at an ordered advance. We should be more on the alert. How many of us are on the lookout to see what the Mohammedans are about? Do we watch their papers and magazines? Do we know what books they are bringing out? Some may say, What does it matter? It does matter. Current topics are the straws When the on the stream that tell the way of the tide. Bengali translation of the Koran mentioned above was first brought out, a Mulvi travelled some distance to Calcutta to inquire of the publishers who was the translator and all about the work. Why are we not more active ? The work is hard, but we shall win if we go about it in a right spirit and faint not. Christianity lived and became victorious in spite of Nero and all his cruel sensual agencies. It was faith in the strong Son of God that did it. Mohammedanism is in a sense a modern Nero. The same faith, strengthened by mighty prayer, can check and finally overcome Islam in India. Lord, increase our faith! fails to make converts while Islam succeeds because, "The Moslem does not consider it wrong to offer worldly inducements to a new convert, because as a man of common sense he understands that he must take care of the man's body as well as his soul." XVI MOSLEM ADVANCE IN MALAYSIA T by Islam. REV. N. ADRIANI, CELEBES HE great islands of Malaysia, except New On the islands of Java, Madura, Lombok, Sumbawa; in the southwestern peninsula of Celebes, the southern part of Gilolo; in Central and South Sumatra ; on the isles of Buton, Muna and Salayer, the population are already quite Islamized, so that in these countries there is no question of Moslem advance among pagan inhabitants, whether Christian missions are working there or not. In some parts of Malaysia a considerable number of the population are still heathen, as in the southern part of North Sumatra ; in the whole interior of Borneo and Central Celebes; on the isles of Flores, Timor, Ceram, Buru, North Gilolo and in New Guinea. There has indeed been contact between these pagan people and the Mohammedans who are living on the seacoast, but what may be called propaganda only takes place where a numerous Mohammedan colony has established itself on the seashore and has entered into commercial relations with the heathen population of the interior. Regular Moslem propaganda is being exercised in all the countries where a mission of the Gospel is working among pagan races in the interior which are surrounded by Moslems, because Mohammedan zeal and jealousy are aroused by this Christian work and they wish to make haste with proselytism, in order to prevent the heathen from being converted to Christianity. Moslem propaganda is practiced to a considerable extent among the heathen population of the southern part of North Sumatra (Batak country) in the interior of the isle of Borneo and in Central Celebes. On the island of Gilolo Moslem advance is already put to an end by the influence of the Christian mission, which is working very successfully there. In Central Celebes Christian missionaries are doing good work as far as their influence reaches, so that Mohammedan propaganda is now out of question; but as only a small part of this large country is being evangelized, Islam goes on victoriously without any impediment on the whole of the northeastern and southeastern peninsula; and so it is in the southern and the western part of the centre. Strong Mohammedan influence is felt also in that part of the northern peninsula of Celebes which is situated on the west of the Gulf of Tomini and on the east of the Strait of Macassar, because Christian mission work has not yet made a start there. On the island of Borneo Moslem influence is increasing steadily in the same proportion as paganism is declining. Only where Christian missions are at work, the Moslem advance is resisted with success, but in the greater part of this island Mohammedan propaganda goes on without resistance. In the Batak country (southern part of North Sumatra) the inland population, which is partly Christian, partly pagan, is the object of the tenderest care of the missionaries, because the influence of Islam is very dangerous, owing to the fact that the Batak people are surrounded on all sides by Moslems, as the Achinese, the Malays, the natives of the western coast and the population of the Deli region on the eastern coast. |