THE ORIENT IN LONDON.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 56, 18 June 1908, Page 2

THE ORIENT IN LONDON.

GRAPHIC PICTURES FROM DARK LANDS. ; _

"Th<j Orient in Londdn" has been chosen-jia.,the main,, title r miMionaryei^ibHion'to'lse'liela in the Agricultural Hall, London, from June 11 to July 11 this year. The object of the exhibitionjfrto inform Londoners, of the true nature of missionary work, and of the conditions of the nations among whom it is done—will be in no way concealed; but the plans are already far enoiigh advanoed'to suggest (says the 'Times') that the exhibition will be of interest, even to-those who eare little or nothing for its objects.

SOUTH: SEA AND OTHER SCENES. For instance, the 'Exhibition Herald,' a monthly magazine, with a circulation of 100,000, devotea entirely to this scheme, contains in its new number an outline of eight "Scenes from the South Beas ; ' representing the landing of John Williams, the "Martyr of Erromanaa," in 1830, and the industrial as well as educational ahd religions work carried en in various islands of the Pacific. These eight will form only one section, and perhaps the smallest, of a large series of • scenes. representing life in India, Chins, South and Central Afriea, Madagascar, and New Guinea, as well as the South Sea Islands. Towards the enrolment of the 10,000 stewards who are wanted to man the various courts and foreign scenes satisfactory progress has been made; and a series of mass meetings for stewards will be held in convenient centres. The unseetarian character of the -exhibition, however, is emphasised by the fact that the Baptist Missionary Society, the Moravians, and the Friends, as well as the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Re. ligious Tract Society and several kindred , organisations will all occupy courts, some of which will be of considerable size, "PAGEANT OF DARKNESS A>?D LIGHT." It is proposed to hold a "Pageant of Darkness and Light", in the minor hall. There will be a number of scenes symbolically representing conditions of life in the non-Christian world and the transformation achieved or in course of achievement by Christianity. The participants will number about 450, mostly singers. It is expected that along one side of this minor hall will be erected a "street of religions;", and along the other side a series of tableax representing great events in the history of foreign missions, beginning with the arrival of St. Augustine. There will still tts roan for 6000 spectators of the pageant. A Chinese pagoda, 50ft high, will have a prominent place in the centre of the majn hall. It will be a reproduction of the "Temple of Gratitude" at Nanking, which was built in 1431 at a cost of £750,000. An Indian village and an African kraal will each cover a space of 70ft by 40ft. A large part of the exhibition will be devoted to Africa. In this section will be found the most valuable collection in the whole building.—the relics connected with Dr Livingstone, who went out as a. representative_ or the London Society, in 1841.. There will also be relics of great interest connected with Morrison, Moffat, Chalmers, and other great missionaries. DIVISIONS HAMPER MISSIONARY WORK. The' disastrous effects in the mission field of the unhappy divisions of Christendom have long , been recognised. The rivalry and overlapping of the different Churches have prevented the men and, the means at their disposal from being used to the best advantage, and thd'varying aspeota of the Christian faith presented by missionaries of different religious bodies have too often excited' the saroaam 'and ridicule of educated-■ IjEindus and, Japanese, and | puzzled'tiie childlike mind of the simple savage. ; ' Efforts. have |)een made of late to reniove this state of; affairs by AnglicahS and Nonconformists reqqgnismg: each otheri spheree of "influence. But this has only been partial, 'and is generally recognised as only a tempor- . ary.. expedient, t In his ' recent ' Brampton Lectures at Oxford, the Rev. J. H. F. Peile, referring to the words ef Christ, "He that is , not against us is on our part," said: "These words are commonly interpreted in practice to moan that we (Anglicans) may join with Roman Catholics and Protestant Nonconformists in social and moral work ; : but- they must learn more than that: we must join with them also in the definitely religious work of maintaining the essential...unjty of the .'Christian creed life; tfyat is \t w© wish Chris-, tiaViity of any fonn;to.rnle the world."