THE month of June witnessed in Edinburgh the most remarkable Conference on the subject of Missions to the heathen that perhaps the world has ever seen. The Conference, we are sorry to say, was not remarkable as an expression of sound Christianity, but remarkable only for the number and variety of the delegates who were present. Almost the whole of modern Christendom, outside the Greek and Roman Catholic Churches, was represented, the delegates from Churches and Missionary Societies in all parts numbering 1,200 or thereabout. Men from China, Japan, India, Australia, United States, and many other distant countries were present. The ostensible object of the Conference was to discuss in a friendly uncontroversial way the conditions of Mission work and the best methods to advance the cause of the Gospel in the heathen world. Now, this to the casual observer might seem all right and fair and good, and fitted to advance the great end in view. Thus many people were very enthusiastic and hopeful of the results of the Conference. We regret we cannot share their enthusiasm. That a few good men from various parts were present we do not undertake to deny, nor do we say that no information could be got or lessons learnt from the speeches of the Conference, but we maintain that the whole business from beginning to end was vitiated by the basis on which the Conference met. The blessing of God could not be expected on such a compromising system. Fundamental verities of the faith were outwith discussion. We cannot say there were professed Unitarians present, but there were certainly present men whose principles in some respects were more subtle and dangerous—namely, members of the High Church Romanising party in the Church of England. Dr. Gore, the Bishop of Birmingham, is one of these, and he scouted the idea that the doctrines of Thirty-nine Articles and of the Confession of Faith should be preached to the heathen. It appears that this Romanising party made it a condition of their attendance at the Conference that no Protestant missionaries to Roman Catholics should be present. Thus it was a non-Protestant Conference. These Ritualists regard the Papists as their fellow-Christians. Bishop Brent of the Philippine Islands made no hiding of this as his own opinion but publicly declared it. Some speakers also deplored the absence of representatives of the Greek and Roman Catholic Churches. In vain, did one read the reports to find such doctrines as Ruin by the Fall, Redemption by the blood of Christ, and Regeneration by the Holy Ghost insisted upon as necessary to be taught the heathen for salvation. One wonders where such men find their views of Christianity. Zeal for the propagation of any particular form of belief, even though it wear the Christian name, is no proof of its real Scriptural soundness or worth. Christ speaks of some who would compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and declares that after he was made, he would only be seven-fold more the child of hell than themselves. Some good things may have been spoken by one here and there at this Conference, but the vastly preponderating influence was in nowise fitted to advance the cause of true Christianity.