, 1879-08-10
~MOHAhAIEDAN MISSIONS.

| system be inauguratcd has undergone yariou
| notifications, it has not ceased to be restless
| expansive, and bent on: propogandfng itself t,
/ the ends OF the earth The majority Of pcopl
| living In England and America DO not realize d
they should this fact and it's significance. The,
hare fallen into the easy habit Of regardin!
Islamisn as practically dead. When the prog
ress Of the Crescent was checked at Tours, whel
the Moors were driven out Of Spain, particular,
when England subjected India to its yoke. ant
the Sublime Porte was forced to mold its polio,
| to suit the demands OF Russia, Christian people
| congratulated themselves that the reign Of thu
false prophet. was over, and that their Sayior'E
| victory was nigh at hand. This impression hal
grown from year to year until it has settled into
| a ccnvictiou.-a conviction SO strong and CON,
! placent that the man who attempts to disturb i.
must tie prepared to receive for his pnins either
the ridicule or the reproaches Of Ills fellowdis.
ciples.
But however tho riews we submit in this
| satisfied that at present there is most remark
able movement, q dissemination Of isIamism Us
wonderful as the successes which have Of late
attended Christian missions, and which de-
serves the serious attention OF thoughtful
souls. DR.. Dollngcr, Of antiintalIibi}itT lame,
hos recently issued IN important paper on this
subject, inapartlng to the public much sug-
gcstive Information. he states that IN Africa
Ht1O{e tf10eS 0Hce~&fFGQ 10 lettsu N{T6Aip Hafe
become deyout adherents of Monammed. at
Sierra Leone Mos!em university is flonrishtng,
in which are being educated 4 thousand Young
men, :hose iircs will be as absolutely surren-
ucfed to the cause the school represents as were
the lives of the carly soldiers Of the Crescent
WHO counted it joy to fall in its defense on the
field OF battle. lu China the followers OF this
ancient syn2bo! have increased beyond computa-
ton, so 900 residing in Tonqu1n alone. Amoug
the Maylavans und the islanders OF the Eastern
A~nb - nj tt,of hoF.a
been won over to its support: and still onc-ilth
Of the dwellers on the earth nre enrolled in its
army, OF whom 50,00000U are subjects OF her
Majesty Queen Victoria. Surely, i'll view. OF
decline OF alohammedanisn, or to represent it
as a huge carcass without soul. -.-
There is a very clever story in circulation
among the orthodox in Boston concerning
Unitarian Of very pronounced liberal type, who
went as missionary to India. His object was
the conversion OF the heathen,. but, alas! the
heatl,cn converted him, and, instead Of adding
members to the Christian Church. he was him
self added to the Brano Somaj. This is an anus
ing incident, but mar it not seriously remind US
whjIo nc arc .felictating ourselves on 1he sue
cess Of our religion in foreign lands that there
may be possibility Of our meeting with un-
expected disaster. that our converts and native
preachers nav share the fate Of the unsusoect-
ing aud guilelcss Unitarian brother. At least
the facts nc have cited should convince US that
tic, subjection OF the world to Chris: is an en-
terprise Of ncasu:eless magnitude. We do not
believe that our converts in Asia or in Africa
could be easily perverted, but 1t is we'll for to
realize the danger to which they are exposed. If
they arc to be lield, and if the Cross is to sue
ceed against tile Crescent. new missionary en-
thusiasm must thrill the churches; they must
cease playing at preaching the Gospel to all ne
1ions, as mauy OF them do, and go at it in down
right earnestuess, with an earnestness that gives
dollars instead OF cents, thousands instead OF
hundreds, and that sends each year an army Of
invasion instead Of a mere picket guard Or 4
handful of sl1rmishers.
While We should not be appalled, at difficult
ties in the WaY OF success, ne should not under
estimate their magnitude. Let us realize thar,
while .Mohammcdnnisul is the only religion that
can otter resistance to the onward march Of
Christianity, it can resist, and may do 80 more
thoroughly than many persons suppose. IL is
an historic system, and has had triumphs OF the
most stimulating character to Inspire it with a
desire to pcrpetuate and extend itself. Its
early teachers were men OF heroism and wis
dom. They laid the foundation Of their political
power IN equitable laws, and diligently cultivat-
ed the arts and sciences. Their Empire was rs
enlightened and as unriyaled for its prosperity
as any OF their Christian neighhors. The schools
at Bagdad, Toledo, Cordova, Seville compared
favorab'y with the infsnt unircrsties .,of En-
gland and France. Indeed, students from
Europe sought them, and the revival Of learn
ing. and even the Reformation, mar be traced
Indirectly to their influence With such
fnJ
.;.h +sna;.;e-1 ,.,,.,- ah;.-,a.,
,nS If cir;J +r;nrnnhs nssoc;o+ed ,r;th -
,,,ne+ ~ ;ts nroIassn-e eao -; IT,, ron.,raJ e,,c
aass :, raeusr;torion ~ 1ha;r r,of;t;ca1 aunrann-
en9. a,r '-;,,1;aav;o, ~ +,,ai- rnnnactore2
,nofcd hv e,,rh motiv.s viii t,,or MT con+on1
nv er.ry inrh # rround7 .n11 AHA +o nnnnni
to such record, must they not in the nature Of
Things possess immense advantages In dealing
with people who are more closely allied t. them
biz blood than to Western nations!
r. T. vp-7f f-,.e f1,1%- f-t
;a q n;ss;onarr villa the samc cannnt he said
nf eurry Ct,r;sttan. for aias1 many nv their tn-
IN the East co11nteract tie whole
so1,,a int,nsnca If those Win ~ thcre to nrroch
the Gnsnel. AS WE consider these hindranres
to orr success, the impression gains that it can
never hc comnlete without q struggle betwecn
1,hristion,:r and islamism as fierce AID Grand |
AZ liar which is now known rs the old Cru |
into u conflict wsged with carnal weapons,
.Laougu at Is 1,ot nd 9asi
la'u ~ h;at:.S;t op " .anst ,,a,,d +ha +osr
# the subtic: scrutiutzipg, and search |
ing acumen OF the East as never before, !
and must be able to maintain itself 10 the face
u th1s hostlsy.-a losI5ity !nose tatal .la4 Ge
',st " tnr - H., anno.t;on r We shaiI
.ease srnn0 IN in inrreoid STUPIDITY and shall
llapt means to the end We seek; if we shall
cnd out scholarly missionaries. and enough o.
hem; II VIC shalt nna ano Ma1nta11 ssnooie ; ~
earning IN tue East. and II we sAall otigentiy
cck to win the children to our side, Win Tie !