EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE. 



EVENTS OF 1884. (JANUARY.) 317 



At the closing general session a resolution 

 was recorded, that " the Evangelical Alliance, 

 while reserving its opinion regarding the meth- 

 ods adopted by the Salvation Army in promot- 

 ing their evangelistic work, protests against the 

 violations of religious liberty which have taken 

 place on the occasions of certain meetings of 

 the Salvation Army in Switzerland." 



Complaints of interference by French priests 

 with the Protestant missions in Madagascar 

 were referred to the French and British branch- 

 es of the Alliance for such action as should seem 

 proper. Memorials sent in by some Danish pas- 

 tors concerning the restrictions under which 

 they were suffering from the authorities of the 

 State Church of Schleswig-Holstein, now a 

 part of Prussia, were referred to the officers 

 of the North-German branch. A protest that 

 the Evangelical Alliance had adopted at its ses- 

 sion in Basle against the opium-traffic was re- 

 newed and referred to the British branch. 



Papers were read and addresses made during 

 the sessions, on " Christian Life in Relation to 

 Domestic and Social Comfort," by the Rev. J. 

 McCullough, ex - President of the Wesleyan 

 Conference ; " The Power of Prayer," by the 

 Rev. W. F. Watkins, D. D., of New York ; the 

 u Scientific Training of the Clergy by the 

 Universities of Scandinavia," by Prof. Schar- 

 ling, of Copenhagen ; "The Discord and Con- 

 cord of Christendom," by the Rev. Philip 

 Schaff, D. D., of New York; " Our Duties and 

 our Hopes as Christians," by Pasteur M. Mo- 

 nod, of Paris ; " The Religious Indifference 

 existing among Various Classes and the Best 

 Means of Meeting it," by Prof. Christlieb, of 

 Bonn, and Dr. Marshall Lang, of Glasgow ; 

 11 Christian Methods of dealing with Modern 

 Social Problems," by Prof. Redford, of London; 

 "The Divinity and Atonement- Work of our 

 Lord essential to Christian Faith," by the Rev. 

 William Arthur, of England ; " Modern Unbe- 

 lief and the Best Means of Counteracting it," 

 by. Dr. Sinclair Patterson, of London; "The 

 Basis and Authority of the New Testament 

 Scriptures," by Prof. Godet, of Neufchatel; 

 "Primitive Christian Simplicity," by Dr. Fab- 

 bri, of Germany, and Prof. Myrberg, of Swe- 

 den ; " The Harmony of Science and Revela- 

 tion," hy Prebendary Anderson, of Bath, Eng- 

 land, and the Rev. Dr. E. R. Conder, of Leeds, 

 England ; " Liberal Giving in Support of the 

 Work of the Lord," by the Rev. R. S. Ashton, 

 of London ; "The Sailor's Mission," by Pastor 

 Storjohrnn ; "Charitable Work in South Ger- 

 many and Austria," by Pastor Kotschy; "Chris- 

 tian Responsibility in regard to the Prevailing 

 Immorality," by Pastor Hoick and the Rev. Dr. 

 Dalton, of St. Petersburg; " Sunday-Schools," 

 by Mr. F. J. Hartley, of "England ; " The Duty 

 of the Church in Relation to Foreign Missions," 

 by the Rev. D.M.Mitchell, of Scotland; "Chris- 

 tian Literature as a Missionary Agency," by 

 the Rev. Dr. White, of the Religious Tract So- 

 niety ; " The Lord's Day, its Place and Power," 

 by the Rev. Dr. Gritton, of London ; "Missions 



to the Jews," by Pastor de le Roi, of Germa- 

 ny ; " Missions in Dutch Colonies," by Dr. Van 

 Ryn, of Holland; "The Baptism of the Holy 

 Ghost," by the Rev. Dr. Clemance, of London ; 

 " The Work of the Alliance," by the Rev. Dr. 

 Kalkar ; together with reports of the state of 

 religion in France, Switzerland, Norway, Ger- 

 many, Italy, and Greece. Single sessions of 

 the Conference were attended by members 

 of the royal family, including the King and 

 Queen of Denmark, the King and Queen of 

 Greece, and the Crown Prince and Princess of 

 Denmark. The time and place of holding the 

 next General Conference will be determined 

 by the officers of the various brandies of the 

 Alliance, who are expected to meet hereafter 

 regularly every other year for executive work. 



The British Branch. At the Annual Confer- 

 ence of the British Branch of the Alliance, 

 held October 28th, the Secretary reported a 

 considerable increase of members, and the for- 

 mation of new branches at Pekin, China, and 

 at Singapore. Meetings had been held for 

 promoting the principles of the Alliance at 

 forty towns in England. One of the most in- 

 teresting and important departments of the 

 work of the Alliance was the arrangement for 

 a universal week of prayer in January. This 

 season of prayer was now observed through- 

 out Europe, in North and South America, 

 North, South, and West Africa, Australasia, 

 the Pacific islands, and Asia. Many demands 

 had been made for efforts of the Alliance in 

 behalf of religious liberty. 



EVENTS OF 1884. The most striking feature 

 in the history of the year 1884, abroad, was the 

 effort of the European nations to seize upon 

 the still unclaimed uncivilized portions of the 

 globe. Out of this policy of expansion grew a 

 necessity for an understanding as to the condi- 

 tions of sovereignty, which enriched the pub- 

 lic law of Europe with the results of two con- 

 ferences of the powers. A general industrial 

 and agricultural depression produced greater 

 suffering and discontent among the laboring 

 population of Europe than in the previous 

 year, and considerable unrest in the United 

 States also. Several of the governments of 

 Europe proposed measures for the partial solu- 

 tion of the labor questions. Wars in China 

 and the Soudan grew out of the tendency to 

 colonization recently developed among the 

 European powers. In the United States the 

 incidents connected with the presidential con- 

 test overshadowed all other events. Abundant 

 harvests did not suffice, at the current prices 

 of produce, to revive commerce and indus- 

 try from their stagnant condition. The note- 

 worthy occurrences of the year at home and 

 abroad are chronicled below in the order of 

 their dates: 



January 1. Openingof the New York and West Shore 

 Railroad. Gen. Iglesias achieves a victory in Peru. 



2. Suit against the Louisiana lottery decided against 

 the Federal Government. Railroad collision near 

 Toronto ; 25 persons killed. 



3. Resumption of negotiations between Prussia and 



