The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-03
The American soaro.

lOOncOfu MOnlVOf,
The coming missionary anniversary at Port
land, is religious gathering Of the highest
significance. The society there to celebrate
the I'D anniversary of its Institution has prov
ed potent factor in the worlds progress, en-
tirely outside of its purely religious triumphs.
The A. B. G. f. NJ. has achieved a success
grander and more permanent than any of its
founders could have reasonably anticipated,
and almost every nation on the earth is in its
debt. The fruits of such an organization are
manifest in every place OF progression and
happy life in every part of the earth.
The spirit of this society, and the last and
emphatic teachings of its recognized head, ara
those peculiarly embodied in American insti-
tutons. The missionary spirit is the high mo-
tive of unselfsh freedom; it is the best in
sinct or rather inspiration of the man or of
the people, diffusiDg that which at home has
disenthraled and elevated In politics, as
well as in religion, in the marts of busi ness as
we'll as in churches and propagandist conclaves,
the most cultured ear and the truest heart
hear and beat responsive to that Macedonian
cry ever spreading and increasing in emphasis
as the people of the earth learn their need
and turn to America, the supreme fountain of
supply. In its IDEAS of civil liberty; in its ed
ucational system; in its development of the
resources of wealth and their application to
the general uplifting of the people in every
healthful principle which underlies the veal
of common life-tbe nation must be the mag
nificent Missionary Society of the world until
every race is freed, educated and ennobled.
1t is not difficult to discern the missionary
idea as inwrought into the very substructure
OF the Massachusetts, colony bore the figure of
an Indian, and that superlatiye shibboleth of
missions as its motto, "Come over and help
u.s." The conviction and the faith upon which
the American Board was organized were the
same which caused the K eel of the Mayfower
TO cut the wintry waters of Massachusetts Bay
when the grandest missionary enterprise since
the days of Paul was initiated, in privation
and danger, and still goes on toward that ulti-
mate consummation which shall not only bless
but save mankind. The missionary idea
founded America, and it is that idea alone
which can secure 10 her permanent greatness
ard enduring power. The missionary princi-
pie is simply the attainment of excellence, and
builds better plow than has heretofore turned
the field or broken the sward, and sends that
plow forth to run in the furrows OF thousand
farms, is an industrial missionary
The American Board embodies the loftest
conception of the missionary idea, and applies
it to the highest concerns of men. And its in
fluence has everywhere tended to the prosper
ity of trade, the enlightenment of the nations,
and in widespread benefit which can neither
be denied nor explained away. The A. B. @.
II 80 oil x,aion ariz on
this continet, having been founded in 1910.
-Four years later the Baptsts formed their
Missionary Union, the Methodists following in
1919, and the Episcopalians the next year. st.
Francis Xavier stands as the grand, heroic
apostle of missions in the Catholic church, and
the immense power of the Roman hierarchy
lay in the missionary zeal of the Jesuits. Oil
yer Cromwell elaborated magnificent mission
scheme, which was to unite all the Protestant
commnnions throughout the world in a COM
prehensive endeavor for the evangelization of
the races. His plan was too gigantic, ana the
mission era had not dawned.
The first great Protestant mission effort was
directed by the English "Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts"
organized in 170l, receiving the royal sanction
of William ILL. But the achievements of the
American Board have boen conspicuous above
those of any similar society. 1t gathered 22,-
600 communicates in the Hawaiian Islands,
revolutonizing the kingdom. The simple
story OF Titus Coan, detailing his WORK there,
was one of the grandest and most thrilling
delineations ever evolved from life expert
ence whose essence was the mission spirit.Out-
side of the Sandwich Islands and in heathen
lands this society has now enrolled nearly 2O,-
| GOO communicates, with 6OO or 1UO posts or
centres OF effort There are nearly 175 mis-
sionaries Under this supervision, and IL theolo-
gical seminaries on heathen territory To
keep this gigantic organism in working order
only 100000 is annually drawn from the
nf "a tad
The Portland gathering is of more import
ance than any of the diplomatic conelsves OF
foreign lands, as bearing upon the very ques-
tions which are liable, with little warning, to