A MINISTER'S TESTIMONY.
By E. G. Stevenson
The Methodists have just had a missionary meeting at Mendota, Ill., where were gathered all the ministers and elders of this district. I attended one evening. Four speakers were called out. The burden of the three first speakers was the conversion of the world, and how they might lay plans to accomplish that end. The fourth speaker was a Mr. Staten, editor of a temperance paper, printed at Chicago. He spoke in effect as follows: “The ministers at the present time are going to work at the conversion of the world just the same as the temperance party have gone to work to reform drunkenness in our land. Instead of laying the axe at the root, and prohibiting its being made, they set all the machinery to work to manufacture it; and not even stopping here, they go so far as to license men to deal out the deadly poison. Thus they make drunkards, and then try to reform them. “And now, as for the conversion of the world, parents tutor and bring their children up in the service of Satan, for which they are accountable. And it is just as hard to reform such children as to reform a habitual drunkard. The conversion of the world never will be accomplished unless the children are brought up in the fear of the Lord. “What a responsibility rests upon parents; for they will all have to give an account for the manner in which they have brought up their children. We need missionaries for our own country as well as to send to other heathen lands. I have heard missionaries tell of the wondrous depredations and outrages committed among the heathen; but come right to our homes in Chicago, New York, Cincinnati, &c., and you can witness just as great barbarism as among the heathen of other countries; and at the same time we boast of our Christian land! Parents take your children in hand, and train their young minds to love the Lord.” I thought these remarks of sufficient importance to lay before the readers of the Review.