Lg, GO a CVT” 
VIII. 
PROSPECTS OF THE MISSION. 
wb HE New Hebrides mission is singular in this respect—that 
it is not the mission of any society, or of any one church. 
Like Wisdom’s seven-pillared house, it is sustained by seven 
separate churches: Nova Scotia has three men in the field ; 
Canada, one; Scotland, three; Victoria, two; New Zealand 
(north) one; Otago, one. New South Wales had one, and is 
prepared, I presume, to have another. Then the churches of 
South and Eastern Australia and Tasmania, although not sup- 
porting missionaries, have contributed to the funds of the mis- 
sion. The bond of union among these churches, beside their 
common faith, is that they are Presbyterians. They represent 
the four quarters of the Church of Scotland—the Established, 
the United, the Free, and the Reformed. But I can assure my 
readers that there is no intention on the part of the missionaries 
to guarter the Church of the New Hebrides. I don’t know 
upon what model exactly they will form it—perhaps that of the 
Culdees, which was an island church, They have taken the 
first step toward the formation of a body ecclesiastical. They 
have asked leave to be allowed to constitute themselves into a 
Court, with synodical authority—a request which, I am sure, 
the parent churches will see it to be their duty to concede. 
The brethren on the spot are the only competent judges of 
what the necessities of their work require. They know, too, 
where their wisdom and strength lie. They may be well trusted 
to do what is right. 
