St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-10-13
The American Board.


ers for Foreign Missions is the most re
markable example of Christian faith
in modern times. Without IA cash cap
ital, and some years without dollar
in the treasury to draw from, it goes
forward and apprOpriates half mill
ion of dollars annually; and not only
appropriates this amount but collects
and disburses it. Its watchword is the
command of the Master-"GO We into
all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature From the little be
ginning seventy years ago it has grown
until it embraces every country "where
only mar is vile"
The annual meetings of this body
are always of the deepest interest to
all interested in religious work. The
one held last week at Portland was no
exception. The keynote of all the
sessions was given the first evening in
the annual sermon by Rev. f. p. Good
win, ID. d., of Chicago. His text was:
GAS they ministered to the Lord and
tasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate
me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereuntO have called them" He
announced rs his theme: - The Sc
cret of missionary success, the leader
ship and supremacy of the Holy Spir-
it," The sermon was Il powerful one,
delivered with great earnestneSs, brist-
ling with the most stalwart orthodoxy,
and of such character as to be COM
mended and endorsed by every promi
nent divine who spoke at all during
the subsequent sessions of the Board.
We quote few sentences near the
close of the sermon:
"If we are to share their the apos-
tolic missionaries success, we must
share their faith and their testimony.
But how many to-day that come short
of this How many that impugn the
inspiration and infallibility of the
scriptures How many declare their
statements of fact unscientitic; their
chronology false; their conceptions of
God and his government unworthy !;
and not few of his commands inhu-
man and immoral
To how many not preaching, but sit
ting in the pews, the scriptures have
lost their authOrity-the doctrine of
sin and its penalties been explained
away. the crucifiXion become only Il
picture, retributiOn hardly more than
figure of speech and bow of prom
Use spanning over the pit of perdition.
What | say now is that in just so far
as views like these prevail, there must
inevitably result apathy in the work
of missions. TO preach such doctrines
of the church, confronting as it does a
lost world and an impending judg-
ment, and expect thereby to arouse it
to duty, would be like giving chloro-
form to an army on the eve of battle to
inspire it for the struggle. Worse than
this, such doctrine not only stupeties
the church, but it furnishes to heathen-
ism weapons with which to resist the
gospel.
1t is bad enough for Christian En-
gland to poison China with opium, and
furnish from Birmingham idols for
HindoOs to worship in Bombay. But
this is worse. Opium chiefly deadens
the sensibilities and idols carry no
daggers. But this theology stupeties
Christianity at home and stabs 1t
abroad. Men may glorify the father
hood of God and the brotherhood of
men as much as they please, but such
beliefs will never send missionaries to
| face the malarial death-belt of Africa.
or the cannibals of the South Pacific.
| No, only such tremendous truths as
gather around Sinai and Calvary
mans redemption and death
heaven and hell--can inspire the soul
to such undertakings"
The meeting reached the highest
point of interest Thursday forenoon
when, during the devotional eXer-
cises, Home-SecreUary Alden came
forward and with tremulous voice and
deep emotion pictured the needs of the
Board and their utter inability to en-
large their work or even to successful'
" carry on that already in hand, with
out at least hundred thousand dol
lars more money than the churches
gave last year. When he sat dOwI
VIM. +. Dodge of New York arose anC
said that he had hitherto done some
thing in the way of money giving fol
the missionary cause, and if God willeC
he would double his subscription thi,
coming year. (Mr. Dodge, although ;
Presbyterian, has heretofore giveI
- 900 each to both the Presbyterian
and American Board.) This announce
ment was the signal for quite mum
Der to arise and pledge larger or small
: er sums for the treasury, several o
/ these being one thousand dollars o
over One Home missionary pledged
a tenth of his salary, which is onl.
$500. A woman "whO did her owl
work gave a thousand dollars. Anoth
er who had accumulated some none!
from extra milk sold aud not needed
in the family, willed the entire amour
lover 5000 to the Board. A lad,
E teacher gave $500. In this half hour
! large sum was voluntarily and spon
,aneously offered, and many who di'
: not then give, went away resolved 4
do more than heretofore.
1t was announced by one of the sec
) retaries that the contributions TO tn
Board the past year from the Woman
, Board were over a hundred Thousand