The Missionaries’ Dependence.
By W. N. G.
One of the pleas for the war with Spain, and especially as a pretext for acquiring foreign territory, was that it would open the way for missionary work. During the first thirty years of missionary effort after the disciples were “endued with power from on high,” they carried or sent the Gospel to the then known world. But they never mentioned the desirability of having some republican government conquer the countries by force of arms in advance of the missionaries. That idea is apparently born of the assumption that the “power from on high” is no longer available. And it surely will not accompany the missionary that does not go in entire dependence upon it. “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations; . . . and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matt. 28: 18–20. Then shall the missionary wait for any particular human government to conquer any given country or island in order to make the way easy for him? Under what earthly jurisdiction should he choose to serve, when all “the powers that be are ordained of God”? Rom. 13: 1.