The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-01-30


dreds. Places of peril only to distressed
forty years ago, are now Chris
tan ports; aud at the Sandwich Islands
for instance all the facilities to repair a
battered feet, exist, that could be
found IN the Forts of our own land
3D. In other respects have missions
paid Their contributions to the arts,
sciences, and general knowledge Of the
world have been very valuable l have
said that missionaries explored first wa
gon route to Oregon. American missiona-
ries have explored and mapped out Pa
lestine. Syria, Turkey, and Pc Ger
man missionaries have done the same
for Abyssinia and Eastern Africa The
English for Madagascar and the Islands
Of the Pacific. AZ we know about the
Greenlanders aud tie Esquimaux We owe
the Moravians while Moffat and his
distinguished Son-in-iaw Livingstone, ARE
our great authorities on Geography of
of Southern and Central Africa. Sir 81.
Ravlinaon. a. public meeting in Lon
don, said 1T was not. perhaps. general
ly known how much the science OF Geog-
raphy vas indebted to the missionaries
ex.rtions bat if they examine history,
either Of Asia or Africa, they would find
that all great discoveries bad been made
by missionaries.
X is true too in regard to astronomy,
botany. mineralogy, in collecting rare
specimens of Oriental curiosities. illus
trative Of almost unknown nations, their
labors are inyalus ble The learned
Karl Ritter says, Their contributions,
diffused through essays, quarterlies, End
various other publications. have become
a part of the worlds knowledge" The
value Of these contributions has been
acknowledged by many of our most
learned men.
But in still another department of
knowledge the world is especially indebt-
ed to the labors of missionaries, OF
quite large number of language. our
missionaries have become the creators OF
the literature. All the Indian tribes OF
America, and Of the Islands of the sea
and all the tribes of Africa that have yet
received a written language are indebted
to the lasors of missionaries for it. What
work for tbs languages of the world
have these missionaries done What
lexiconR. what Rrammars, what schoo
books have they produced where none
existed before making practicable the
intercourse of the civilized nations of the
world with the savage: and endowins
the savage with those means of ments
culture which make it possible for him
to become = man The TASK of making
dictionaries to study Chinese, and Japan
csc, and other difficult languages, il &
labor of love missionaries have done, fol
the Master's dear sake it is true, and yet
actually done it for the world. At the
commencement Of this century the Bible
could be read in the languages of only
about 200 millions of souls. Nov it car
be read in the languages of 800, 100000
'Eor important labors then 10 favor oil
science, literature. arts, commerce and
religion tho world of commerce and
letters. owes Foreign Missions large
balance over and above all that they have
cost. Had Worlds Congress appoint.
ed High Commission to make the
same scientific Investigations, collect and
communicate the same information; and
set at work the same educational and
philanthropic influences, to say nothing
of the cultivation of morality and re-
ligion, their main work. instead of cost
ing ST millions annually, it would have
required greatly increased sum.
4th. Foreign Missions have paid too
in their spiritual benefits to those who
have done most to support them. Our
American church has increased its re-
Egious power upon the masses at home
very much IN proportion to its zeal in
helping forward The work abroad. By
cur best observers of the action of moral
causes, it is felt 10 be true that those To-
cal churches which contribute the most
literally to help the heather, the most
easily raise for their local wants; that
those denominations that send the lar
gest proportion of their ministry az
missionaries to the heather, have the
most certain supply Of men of the best
quality for their wants at home and
possess and develops every element o.:
prosperity and growth, as those that
withhold do not. Those that water, are
watered again.
Aud then the effect upon the convert
ed heather of the Gospel has been
great quickener of the piety Of those in
our own land. One of the most effect
i've sermons on giving to the Lord
ever saw in print, vas one for substance
preached by blind native preacher in
Tu, key. The spirit to give out of their
deep poverty has spur-cd Christians CT
this country to give. Then when the
heather haYe been converted they have
manifested disposition at once to take
up the story Of the cross, and to preach
it as missionaries to such rs had not
heard it. From 81 churches in the
Sandwich Islands, II missionaries have
been sent forth IF our church did in
the same proportion it should send ten
times as many as i. Iow does; and if We
gave to missions as these recent canni-
balls now do. member for member, our
would be increased three
fold and if of or wealth, dollar for dol
ar, 10 ike proportion, we probably
should then give more millions than We
10 hundreds of thousands now.
5th. | wish once more to urge that
IN return for money used and men sent,
missions pay back in work for Christ ac
,on plished. All have rot believed this.
La sarcasm a man once said, here is one
lol!ar for the heather, and here are