The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-03

head"
When we now look abroad upon the face
of the earth, and see that the foremost and
most enlightened portions of the world
profess his pame-that christianity and
civilization have gone hand in hand In their
conouests over ignorance and superstition.
the one the inspiring spirit of the other,
we cannot doubt, that with a prophets
Kew, its great founder, saw the ultimate
fulfilment of the ancient promise, that
"the heather should be given to Him for
an Importance and the uttermost parts of
the earth for his possession" The means,
too, he saw and instituted to compass this
end. He, himself, organized the first band
of christian missionaries. and babe them to
go forth and teach all nations in his name.
1t is not our purpose TO give even sum-
mary of missionary labors, by devoted
men, and occasionally women, in lands
foreign to them. We know that as soon
as the close of the first christian century,
the missionary spirit Of the apostles and
early Christians had carried the gospel. not
merely to contiguous countries, but to
countries even remote from Palestine, as
Greece, Italy, Northern Africa and India.
And all down through the following CEN
turies, jealous missionaries, daring all
forms of danger and peril, and hoping for
no mere earthly reward, penetrated with
the words of their Master, far distant lands,
and with wonderful success. The Roman
Catholic church has, and for long time
has had, number of institutions for the
special training of missionaries, and has
ever been active in promulgating, at great
cost and sacrifice, in distant and barbarous
lands, the Christian faith, as understood
by her Professionals, of various names,
though moved by essentially the same mo-
tive, have never been unmindfu of their
duty in this respect, even when unable to
prosecute it as fully as Catholics.
Luther often spoke Of ''the misery of
Pagans and Turks and of the duty of
christians to send them the gospel of
Christ. Christian princes, from their
thrones have moved in the work Societies
have been formed by different Protestant
sects, to aid in its prosecution, and it Is
particularly noticeable, that as early as
1892, the Baptist missionary society of
England was established the effect OF
which was widespread and benllcient,
until almost every Protestant sect fell into
line, as friends and workers in the cause,
and the banner of the cross hoated in the
most distant beathen lands. We have no
satisfactory means at hand to give the cost
in money, health, or life, in these efforts,
but the magnitude of expenditures even in
the gold that perisheth, can hardly be est.
mated except by billions.
We dcsire-in view of the great gather
ing which is to honor our village next
week-howevcr, to make special and most
honorable mention of the first foreign mis-.
sionary society of America, founded sixty
four years ago QS10), under the name of
the american board of commissioners for
foreign missions" 1t is claimed that il
owes its origin to society of theological
students of Andover seminary, among
whom Adoniram Judson held an honora-
BILE and influential position Although
they adopted no exclusive denominational
standard of fellowship, it became before
long, the instrument of gospel propaganda
ism, more particularly of the Congrega-
Journalists than of any other denominations,
who, as it has best accorded with their
judgments and inter SITS, have formed soci.
cites for the prosecution of foreign ms
sions; each IN its own way and to its own
liking. and all, we believe, with the happi-
est results.
The American board has, therefore,
throughout its history, been mainly sus-
tanned by the Congregationalists, and under
their fostering care has grown to be a large
and influential body, realizing at least, as
sensibly as any other workers in. the cause
of missions, the missionary spirit of the
master and the binding authority of the
command, $50, teach all nations"
The gathering next week will be, there
fore, and event Of no common interest to
us, as citizens of Rutland and our vicinity.
Delegates will be with us from all parts of
the country. ''The north will give up, and
the south, even, will keep no longer back"
but from far and near, and from all points
OF the compass, the earnest men and
women, who feel that obedience to their
master is the first to be done and the happi-
ness most to be coveted will be with us,
and while they take these long, wearisome
and expensive journeys to meet with us,
we trust and believe that every citizen will
chcerfully do what in him lies to make their
visit one that will be pleasant to them
while here and pleasant in its memories.
both to us and them, hereafter.