p. 188 | THE MISSIONARY SPIRIT by J. H. W.

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 3, 1860

THE MISSIONARY SPIRIT.

By J. H. W.

I HAVE often thought that we are the most unfaithful of all people; expecting the most from the least effort, and the most easily discouraged. I was led again to reflect on this, by reading Bro. White’s account of what a denomination had done at Tipton, Iowa, under the most discouraging circumstances. And such instances are by no means rare. On the contrary, some of our brethren show signs of discouragement if they give fifteen or twenty dollars, if they cannot see immediate results from it. “O, ye of little faith!”

The Cincinnati Gazette of March 22, 1860, in its religious intelligence contains the following:

“LIBERAL COLLECTION.—Last Sunday morning Rev. Dr. Adams, of the Madison Square, N. Y., Presbyterian church, made an earnest appeal in behalf of the Am. Board of Com. of Foreign Missions, the result of which was an impromptu collection of a larger sum than was perhaps ever before taken up in an American church, in this manner, for a similar object. Including a sum given during the previous week, the amount collected was eleven thousand dollars.”

This is one collection. These appeals are continually being made, and collections taken, all over the land, and what is done with the money? A few facts concerning Foreign Missions were given in the Review a few weeks ago. The following testimony I think will be interesting to its readers. It is an extract from a letter from J. T. Barclay, of the “Board of Am. Christian Missions,” and published in the Monthly Christian Age, a few years since. He writes from Jerusalem:

“The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions sent two missionaries here as long ago as 1821; and their mission was well sustained (with occasional interruptions) by a strong band of most excellent, devoted and talented men, till about four or five years ago, during all which time three converts were all the fruits of this great outlay. The persevering efforts of the Lutherans have been still more barren of good results. The London Jews’ Society have had missionaries here, more or less constantly, for more than a quarter of a century; and in 1834 they established a regular mission on a very extensive scale, which has been lavishly supplied with chaplains, missionaries, colporteurs, helps, governments, &c., &c., under its learned ‘Lord Bishops.’ A splendid church edifice has been erected, at a total cost, as I am informed by an architect, of £70,000; an extensive and well-conducted Hospital established; well endowed literary and manual-labor institutions founded, and money funded for the purpose of ‘aiding inquiring Jews,’ ‘assisting to establish converts in business,’ &c., &c. Besides the money already so extensively invested in real estate by the society, thirty or forty thousand dollars are annually expended in support of the mission, which is not only under the auspices of that powerful and wealthy society (one of whose patrons alone has recently given it $300,000), but is under the special care and patronage of two of the most enlightened and potent monarchs in Europe (Victoria and Frederick William), both of whom maintain able Consuls in the city, for the special protection of its members. And yet, during the thirty years’ labors of its various well-sustained and energetic agents, the number of converts made in this city, even with all the worldly inducements set before them, amounts to only a score or two, more than three-fourths of whom are retained in the service of the society at salaries far more than adequate to their support.

'Not a single convert from Mahometanism has been made by either of these denominations, nor by the combined efforts of the dozen different Christian sects of Jerusalem; but on the contrary, several Christians have actually gone over to the Moslems and Jews!!'

In regard to these 'worldly inducements,' Mr. Barclay cites witnesses as follows:

'Mr. Spencer, an Episcopal minister who spent some time here in 1849, remarks (p. 275, 'Sketches of Travel in Palestine,' &c.), when speaking of the Luthero-Episcopal mission here, that 'the mission to the Jews has not only got to convince them of their guilt and perversity in rejecting the Messiah, but on their professing Christianity, is obliged to undertake their temporal support also, as a necessary consequence.'

'Mr. Williams, chaplain to this same Prusso-Anglican mission, observes (p. 570, vol. 2, of his 'Holy City') when speaking of the proselytes made by the missionaries of the Am. Brd. Com. For. Missions, that 'there were three of these men—I believe not more. The missionaries have taken charge of their families, as they were bound to do.' Dr. Zischendorf, in his 'Travels in the East,' p. 159, goes so far as to say that 'conversions in Jerusalem are framed to an accommodation with the most modern Judaism, and six thousand Piastres (about £50), with other advantages, are offered to the converts as a premium.' Now, while I cannot believe that the gravest item of this charge is literally true, yet I lament to say there is far too much truth in it; for it is undeniably true that worldly inducements of a very tempting character are held forth, the effect of which (not to say design), is both to make proselytes, and retain them in ecclesiastical connection, upon principles not countenanced by the word of God.'

In addition to the inducements of worldly advantage held out before the candidate for conversion, Mr. B. says the Christianity taught there is 'somewhat accommodated to the taste of the age, by a liberal admixture of philosophy, Judaism and paganism.'

Much the same as it is dealt out weekly to American congregations.

The editor of the Age in his remarks on the letter of Mr. Barclay says:

'But the picture is not as dark as one delineated by the Historical Sketch of the Presbyterian Mission in Damascus, drawn up by the order of the Association of the Mission, and presented at its meeting held in Bludan, on Wednesday, July 15th, 1851. *

'The report embraces a period of eight years, and in different parts of it we have such statements as these:

'''Soon after Doob's affair, Yusef Shatela, a member of the Greek Church, applied to be received as a Protestant. Applications of a like nature have indeed often been made, but generally by ignorant persons, sometimes by immoral persons, and always for some worldly object, which they scarcely ever attempted to conceal.'

'To this, add:

'Sometimes Jews, and sometimes Christians, came seeking to join us; but they went away as soon as they learned that they could not gain the particular worldly object which they had in view.'

'This Presbyterian report of the Damascus mission, thus discourses of the first success, after more than seven years' labor among the native Damascusans.

'''At the afternoon service on the 9th of January 1851 held in the house of Meshakah, for the occasion, Mr. Robson baptized Ibrahim, son of Mikhail Meshakah, born on the 20th of November preceding. This was the first administration of sacrament to a native.'

'There were but few other conversions of Greeks, etc. An infant of six weeks is the first fruits of Damascus, where there had been regular Hebrew and Arabic service for many years.'

Well would it be for these teachers of perverted Christianity if they would first learn that the Father is only worshiped in spirit and in truth, and will not smile upon the perversions of his truth, to make the whispers in Jerusalem, or in the mountains of Samaria. Jno. iv.

As a sequel to this missionary intelligence I add the statement of the N. Y. Tribune of 1858, that a certain 'benevolent society' had received $18,000 in contributions, and paid out $16,000 in salaries to its officers! Benevolence! Surely the millennium is not yet.

Looking to the home field we see in every direction congregations in small villages erecting houses of worship at a cost of from $3,000 to $20,000, and in cities, of five times that amount, and sustaining preachers at large salaries. And all this to sustain fables!

A simple statement of another nature may look bad in this connection, but 'truth is truth.' Those who ought to be preaching and writing every hour, are spending precious time endeavoring to raise funds to buy a plain canvass covering in which to give the most solemn and important warning that the world has ever heard; its solemnity and importance greatly increased by its being the last. Lord, revive thy work!