The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-08

society, and could be purchased In the yes.
tibule Of this church ut two-thirds the or.
binary price during this session. Any who
might wish TO make grants to missions
would receive reduction at about half the
cost.
Rev. Dr. Worcester then read the follow
ing paper on the Italian missions
RETIREMENT OF TIE AMERICAN BOARD
FROM ITALY.
The committee feel constrained to say,
that the hopes, never very sanguine, which
they did cherish in regard to Italy have not
been realized. Difficulties were foreseen,
and 1t was not with any assured expec,a-
| ton of success that the attempt was made
to establish mission there. But having
decided to make the effort, and to CO.
operate with the free churches, no pains
have been spared to obtain success. Every
available means has been employed to Sc
cure the fullest and most reliable informa-
| ton on the actual condition and needs of
the field; conflicting opinions have been
carefully sfted, and great care was exer-
cisel to secure men of ability and good
| judgment to lnaugurate and carry forward
the enterprise. A pastor of experience,
well esteemed for his character and scholar
ship, was at first placed in immediate su.
| perintendence of the work assumed with
the expectation of establishing training
| lAnl I,,r nj nt a,,1, ,l.,,,.
| missionary, returning to another field of
labor, where he had proved his sound judy
men, and practical wisdom, was requested
o take Italy on his way and assist for a
| Tine by his counsels; and then another
missionary of twenty years experience, first
laying foundations in new field, and then
experimenting and guiding the develop
| nent and growth of mission churches was
transferred to Italy.
Yet, after earnest effort by the best men
1t command, aided by such counsel and
suggestions as could be derived from the
experience of the board in conducting mis-
sionary work, the prudential committee
have been forced to the conviction that it
is impossible, for the present. to carry on
the system of cooperation in manner or
With results that would be satisfactory TO
he constituency of this board. The
Methods of the board in introducing the
caven of the gospel, developing indepen-
lent. sell-supporllng, and e'f-propagating
'hurchcs, and educating the people from
he start to Christian activity and to the
support of their own religious institutions
methods through which, with a com.
'alatively limited expenditure ut any
;vcn point, it is found possible to diffuse
he blessings of the gospel widely over the
void, among many nations, and in many
ands -me,hods fully believed to be best
nited to the healthy and vigorous growth
II raiive churches, and the permanent sue
'ess OF the missionary entcrprisc--th
Methods have been found to say the least,
cry difficult of application in Italy
The entire drift of thought and senti
nent' and largely, too, the practice of
evangelical agencies, especially in the case
# irresponsible individuals and local com
nittees, drawing their supplies from this
oun,ry and Great Britain, and from tray.
lers whom they may interest by their rep
esentations tend strongly the other way.
evangelical communities, such as in the
MISSIONS OF the board in Turkey and India
uppnrt their own schools and churches,
ave been here so accustomed to depend
ipon help received from others, that they
an hardly be induced even to pay for the
citing and care of the hall which has
been purchased or hired for their benefit.
An intelligent christian gentleman from
Boston, deeply interested in the missionary
work, wrote from Italy to the secretary of
the board, in May last
''The question of native agency will not,
perhaps, be more difficult of solution here
than in other fields; but that of self support
must, think, be regarded as the most diff
cult of all, far more so than in heather
countries, or in the Turkish empire, where
the general poverty of the masses, though
quite as great here, Is not so intermingled
md contrasted with christian wealth and
laps, so dcgencrated into virtual paIper-
SIN. The whole Italian people. from the
wealthy hotel keeper to the humblest beg
ar, live npon foreigners to an extent per-
laps not equaleu in any other country
md the course pursued by foreign chris
ians hitherto, in aiding the work OF evan
telizitipn, seems to have been entirely in
accordance with this favorite idea.
Rv tho ,act nf Nav tb, rae,It, ,c ,t.;,
experiment had brought the committee face
To face with the practical question, whether
they should continue the plan of co-opcra-
zion, holding as steadily to their methods.
with all the practical difficulties, complica-
tons and dissatisf .ctions likely to arise, or
wah RAW. The financial condition of the
ard made the question eminently prac-
lica one. The churches were not likely to
furnish means for the vigorous prosecution
of all the new work, in nominaly Christian
lands, upon which the committee had en-
tered; and if any mission was to be sus-
pended, ii seemed obvious that Italy was
the field from which we should first retire
Us retrenchmeni, a, least. appeared to be
1t once demanded, it was thought best to
give notice that appropriations in aid of
he Free Churches would be discontinued
liter the close Of September. A few more
months of delay and careful consideration
led the committee to decide, also, that II
was best TO suspend further operations of
any kind in the Italian field.
1t may confirm the conviction that this
decision was not TASTY or unwise, if we
state that DR.. Gulick, after looking the
ground over very carefully, had come,
though most reluctantly, to the conclusion
that this course must probably be best, and
before the committee had taken final action.
he wrote Con the l2th of August last)
"Viewin5 the question from this side of
an 4 - aixr., 4