The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-05-21
The Sects As Missionaries.


The Sects As Missionaries.
One of the great evils of Professionalism
or the principle Of sectarianism is its in
competence for foreign missions. The
Apostolic strength Of Christianity is in iti
unity. It is in vain that you rush down
upon heather tribes, Bible in hand, aod
! adjare them to judge for Themselves. They
do not like the labor of that process, and
| ink it enough TO be convinced Of the
divine aathenticitS of Christianity. Tha.
being accomplished, their hearts and minds
being moved to admit the divinity OF
Christ and the authority of His law, they
naturally look for a. teacher who shall tell
them that law, and tell it to them insuch a
way, that they can understand it without
| hesitancy or doubt. .ra
But what do they find among these Sec
| tartan teachersf Doctrines conflicting
with doctrines, and jealousies striving
| against one another in eager competition.
The Baptist missionary tells them they
must be immersed to be saved. The Meth
odist laughs at this as a superstition. The
Presbyterian takes them aside and speaks
dolefully Of election, at the same time init
mating that Methodists have but small
prospects of being elected, while the
Episcopalian turns away somewhat scorn-
fully from all these gentlemen as dissenters
rather low white trash. No wonder the
poor India9 is non plussed.
1t seems that Lieutenant Butler of the
British Army, 69th Regiment, has recently
made report to the Governor of
Manatobia on the condition of the Western
Indians. His representation of missionary
success among them is doleful indeed.
We find the following extract quoted in a
recent number of the Times of this city.
Says Lieut.. Butler of the missionaries:
Many of these individuals have toiled
with untiring energy and undaunted per
voted themselves, but it is unfortunately true
that the Earring interests of different religious
denominations have sometimes induced them
to introduce into the field of Indian theology
that polemical rancOr W ich SO unhappffy dis
tinguishes more civilized communities.
He is told Of governments, and changes in the
political world, successive religious systems
are laid before him by their various advocates.
To-day he is told to believe one religion, to-
morrow to have faith in another. Is it any
wonder that, applying his own simple tests to
SO much conflicting testimony, he becomes
utterly confused, unsettled and suspicious.
No wonder, indeed, that he should be-
come confused. The Missionaries and their
brethren will contend most vociferously that
the expression of the Lieutenant is incor-
rect, where he distinguishes their sects
int rea;sione. But It certainly appears to
the Indian, that ITO day be is told to believe
one religion, tomorrow to have faith In
another" They certainly seem to him like
other. They require examination in order
to make selection. off these people cannot
agree among themselves" he naturally
says "they must be false teachers"
1t is very we'll to argue about the beau
ties of free judgment, and the glorious
liberty of reading the Bible and interpre-
ting it for yourself. But the merit of this
freedom cannot be appreciated by the
heather who cannot read and who has
never cultivated intellectual pride. He
wants a teacher. He wants to be told
what the religion is by some one author.
lied to preach it. Later, perhaps, when he
has studied philosophy and rhetoric he
may like to amuse himself by lively polem-
ical controversies in which he can admire
his own logic and fashion his faith SO as to
fatter his own self-esteem.
Professionalism would be suited only to
one phrase of human nature, if its rule of
faith were practicable one at all. Only
the mature and the learned and, We may
add, tho arrogant, could find anything con-
genial in it's proud self-reliance. Give
such persons the Bible and each one is viii
ling to be infallible for himself. Rut the
Christian faith is intended for all classes,
the learned and the ignorant, the refined
and the savage, the mature man and the
little child. The great mass of mankind
want simply to be taught the truth when
they are once prepared to accept it. They
have no ambition to judge for themselves.
They naturally think that but one religion
can be right, and that where there are diff,
(erent organizations without a common