treated them with kindness and consideration. There are many encouragements to support the belief that a medical mission to Mohammedan women directed by fully qualified lady doctors would find a welcome even in the city of Kabul. The Mohammedan does not take it seriously that women can be teachers of religion and it is foreign to their ideas about women fanatically to attack a woman because of her religion. The wonderful care of God for His missionary servants has been apparent now for many years on the frontiers of India, for while many government officers have been killed there by Moslem fanatics there is, it is believed, not an instance of a missionary being killed there.

"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever" (Dan. ii. 44).

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ISLAM UNDER PAGAN RULE

REV. CHARLES R. WATSON, D. D., PHILADELPHIA

HE use of the word "pagan" in the subject under discussion is not altogether a happy one,

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for it is intended that such governments as those of China and Japan should come within our survey, and the application of the adjective "pagan" to these countries is resented by many. Rather what is meant to be discussed is, The attitude towards Islam and Christianity of governments which are neither Moslem nor Christian. And even the revised phrasing of the subject involves us in difficulties, for the question may be fairly raised, Which are the Christian governments? Some will go so far as to say that there are no really Christian governments, but only Western governments; that these are only nominally Christian; and that the spirit, the policies and the agencies of the best of these are marked by so much that is contrary to the genius of Christianity that the right is forfeited to designate them as Christian.

Passing by these more superficial and technical difficulties, a very real difficulty occurs in trying to mark off distinctly the limits of this discussion. We are dealing here with governmental attitudes. In the West where the line of separation between religion and government, between Church and state, is drawn so sharply, the distinction may be maintained. But in the pagan world, especially the pagan world of Africa, governmental questions are usually religious questions and the relig ious attitude generally carries with it a governmental attitude.

Of governments which are neither Moslem nor Christian there are a large number. Their populations aggregate more than one-third of the human race. Not all of them, however, call for extended treatment, for many of them do not stand related, as governments to Islam, in any vital or artificial way.

JAPAN allows religious liberty. Islam is practically unknown in Japan. Consequently, no governmental attitude obtains, but if Islam were introduced, it would probably enjoy the same privileges for self-extension which are accorded to all religions.

CHINA stands related to Islam through the 10,000,000 Moslems living within her boundaries. The Chinese government has, throughout its history, welcomed and protected foreign religions when these were disassociated from political plots. This has perhaps been less evident in China's treatment of Christianity than in the case of its attitude towards other religions. As a result of this general policy, Islam has been tolerated in the Chinese Empire. The only conflict that has arisen between the Chinese and the Mohammedans was when the latter assumed political powers in opposition to government authority, as in the case of the great Mohammedan rebellion which took place a few years ago in the northwest of China.

There seems to be general testimony to the fact that the Moslems of China are not aggressive propagandists of Islam. This fact coupled with their lack of any strong political leadership and the fact that they constitute scarcely more than one-fortieth of the population of the empire, makes the governmental attitude to Islam one of no great present importance.

KOREA has become entirely subject to Japanese control and what has been said of Japan is now applicable to Korea.

INDIA has within its limits a number of independent or semi-independent kingdoms. Some of these are Hindu and as such come within the scope of this survey. Cochin and Travancore, Baroda, Mysore, Jamnu and Kashmir, most of Rajputana, Gwalior, Rewa, Kolhapur and Patiala, are such states. The presence of British residents at the courts of the Hindu rulers introduces strong elements of Western influence and works in the direction of general religious toleration, but the deep hatred between Hindus and Mohammedans in India generally excludes Islam from these Hindu courts, so that the condition of Moslems there is not a practical topic.

AFRICA brings into view the nations or peoples whose attitude towards both Islam and Christianity is a living issue of larger importance than the countries above mentioned. It is to be observed that with the partition of Africa among the European powers, there remains scarcely any of Africa's population which can be said to constitute an independent and sovereign pagan state or kingdom. In practically every section, some European government is nominally in supreme authority. This authority, however, may be exercised within only a very limited portion of the sphere of influence claimed by that Western power, or it may be exercised so slightly as to leave the social, communal and tribal life of the people entirely unaffected by Western domination. In such cases, there is, therefore, an imperium in imperio and the village or tribal life is practically sovereign and remains pagan, even though some European power claims the entire territory. It becomes our task to note the attitude of this subordinated tribal pagan government towards both Islam and Christianity.

From the evidence gathered, certain general conclusions may be arrived at and certain general statements may be made :

1. The attitude of a pagan government towards either Islam or Christianity depends quite largely upon the head of that pagan government. Pagan government is so largely patriarchal in character that almost everything depends upon the individual who happens to be chief of the tribe or clan. A report from the Congo describes the attitude of the pagan government as neutral because the tribal heads are simply indifferent to Christianity. Among the Zulus, however, the Royal House assumed an attitude of hostility towards Christianity. "The Royal House and the chiefs," says Rev. F. Ljungquist, "have always been antagonistic to the extension of the Gospel. The Christian Zulus have always been treated by them as outcast strangers. The Zulu kings would not allow a native Christian in the army. When they wanted a square house built or a field ploughed by oxen, they had to make use of the Christian Zulu, but they paid them, which implied: 'You are neither kith nor kin to us and therefore we pay you just as any other foreigner.' Bishop Schreuder saw the danger of this outcast position, and tried to induce King Mpande to accept the Christians into the Zulu army, but the king refused, saying, 'How can you expect those trouser-legs to run as fast as my trouserless soldiers?'"'

The early history of missions in Uganda will also illustrate perfectly the statement made that the attitude of a pagan government, whether towards Islam or towards Christianity, is very largely determined by the personal character and attitude of the individual chieftain or king in his relation to either of these religions.

These facts suggest the wisdom and necessity of wisely endeavouring to bring the gospel message to the favourable notice of the heads of such pagan governments.

2. In many cases there exists among pagan tribes a