The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-05-18
For THE CENTRAL PREsBYTERIAN.
THE REMEDY AGAINST STAGNATI0N
IN OUR CHURCHES.

Dear Brother Brown,-I wish to call at
tention to recent work by DR.. Anderson,
entitled "Foreign Missions" l have seen
nothing so readable and stimulating, for
long time There is general and lamented
stagnation in our churches. Christians
grow rapidly to certain height, but after
that, we fail-with all our agencies and
anxeties-to add to their stature single
cubit. The truth is that our people are al
ready as pious, as spiritual, as holy, as good
in every respect as they can be, until they
do more than they are now doing for others.
We must look for remedy, not in revivals
merely; but in missions. Many church
grows in size, through repeated ingatherings,
but remains selfish and weak, for the want
of outlet and stimulus.
Is it said that we cannot become interested
on behalf of others? Not SO. We have all
been interested on behalf of the suffering
in the recent dreadfql crash as the Capitol.
And we have the fact that mutitudes daily
sink into perdition, to arouse u.s. We can
find work stimulating enough, if we will
only explore the world for it. Only let the
churches be encouraged in the direction in
which they are most interested. If they
want to establish mission at the. North
npole, let us bid them good speed in the en-
terprise. No matter where the field, or
what the work, so that they can be stimu,
lated BY it to do for others.
Now, it has been found that Domestic
Missions alone do not dsxs|Ope the energies
of the Church. Corr attention to the
homie fields, anda Jon is the inevitable
result. Our va ygd fore-fathers did not
know this, and hence they have left eight
hundred millions of heather on our hands
to testify against our following their exam
pie in ecclesiastical affairs.
The care of the Sandwich Islands con
firms what has been said. "In 1S47, q
years after. the commencement of the mis-
sion to these Islands, the Committee and
| Secretaries of the American Board,' were
surprised by discovery of what seemed
like threatened collapse of the mission
There was deficiency of religious stimulus
All the islands had been alike christianised
Had one of them remained under the inhu
ence of paganism, as the whole had been
as for instance the Island Of Hawaii, ther
the four Christianised islands might have
been aroused to send the Gospel to the 75,
900 benighted people of Hawaii. Whereas
there was no rich pagan island within less thar
two thousand miles. To be sure there wal
much real home missionary work on each O.
the Sandwich Islands. But it was fount
there, as it had been in our own country
that the motive power of the home mission
ary plea alone, is not of itself sufficiently
awakening.
1t was precisely this discovery which gav'
rise to the mission to the Micronesia
group of islands two thousand miles west
ward; and also to the sending from thi
country in 1856, of the missionary packe
.sMorning STAR to facilitate the forming
of the mission; and to the employment o
native Hawaiians, as missionaries on thos
islands-who should look for their supper
to their own Hawaiian churches.
| We have here, therefore, an illustration
of the principle that it is impossible TO
churches to reach their highest state, with
out the aid of what is to them virtually
Foreign Mission"
| DR.. Andersons book thus shows what i
the true and only remedy against stagnatiol
in our churches. YOURS,
w. E. B.