Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1882-08-03
Report Of C0kesbury District CSn
ference On Missions,


ference On Missions.
puJzisAedIy request Of The Conference.
The Committee on Missions would
present the following report:
The present century has been
marked by a revival of interest Oh
this subject. At the beginning OF
the last century there was not sin
gle missionary society in the world
Only five were organized during the
whole of that century, and the first
of these was more for home than
foreign ,evangelization. The,e are
now in Europe and America seventy
Protestant missionary societies, and
besides these number of colonial
societies. Most of these societies be-
long to the last. City years, from
which it may be seen that the inter
est in foreign missions has Of late
been steadily increasing, and is now
far in advance OF any preceding cen
tury Of modern times.
Did our space permit it would be
interesting to inquire at length into
the causes which led to the decline
of the missionary spirit in the Chris,
tian Church. There was certainly
no ambiguity in the commission given
by Christ to his apostles, and through
them to the whole body of believers,
go ye therefore, and teach all nit
tions, baptizing them in the name Of
the Father. and of the Son, and Of
the Holy Ghost: teaching them 10
observe all things whatsoever | have
commanded you: and 10, | am with
you always, even unto the end o!
the world" There was nothing in
the example of the apostles and
their co-laborers but what VAS in ac-
cordance with the requirements oi
this commission, and adapted 10 en-
courage and stimulate aggression OF
the part of then successors. IN con
nection with the persecution which
followedthe martyrdom Of Stephen
it is said: They that were scattered
abroad went everywhere preaching
the word" St. Paul's miuisteria
life was one long persistent effort t.
preach the gospels in regions beyond,
Not content WITH having preached
himself Ger tbenn and roggnc
proceeding onward to Spain +slher
was no lack Of success to early rni
sionary labor to beget dcpbt or
discourage activity IN d, .itary d
rection. st. Paul could joyfally e.
claim, "Now, thanks be unto Co
which always causeth me to triump
in Christ. and maketh manifest Ii
SAVIOR Of His knowledge by us
every place By the close {
the first century Chriatianit
could number its adherents in ever
province of the Roman Empire; it
converts were to be found in ever
walk Ct life; among noblemen as we
as among slaves; among soldiers. an
merchants, and artisans, and hus
bandmen, and even among those VIII.
were domiciled in Caesars house
hold. What, then, led to the con
traction OF the sphere, and to Tia
impairment Of Christian enterprise
We can do little more than mentor
what We believe to nave been til.
causes. First, the imperfect knowl
edge which then existed Of the peog
raphy and population of our giobe
The earth was supposed to be fiat
disc, floating u.oa the water, and
the greater part Of this disc was
thought to be included in the Romqn n
Empire. This will explain the cor.
lidence with which the Apostles
themf res anticipated the speedy
conversion Of the world and the sec.
ond coming of Christ. The primi
tive Christians were not aware of the
magnitude Of their work. They i'm.
aglned the port to be in sight, and
were tempted to take in sail, when
what they saw Was but the cleaning
cloudland of their own fancy. The
next cause was the dreadful persecn
tlon to which the Church was sub
lected by the Roman Emperors
There were ten Of these in particular,
and so widespread were they, and so
fierce and sanguinary, that the NUN
ber of believers vas materially re
duced, and their benevolent opera.
tions more or less obstructed in every
quarter Of the Empire. Another
cause was the union Of Church and
State, which was consummated soon
after the conversion Of Constantine
This, by opening avenues to wealth
and power, corrupted the leaders OF
the Chur b and led to struggle ior
preferment, in place of the salvation
of the world. Still another cause
, was, the doctrinal dissenslons which
divided the Church into contending
factions, fixing the attention more
upon dogma than practice, and ex
citing more interest in the pbraxeol-
-ogy Of creed than in the conversion
OF sinner. The last cause was the
anns aise Sa;lls'..::srsad .:sa i Popery. This,
comolnatlon OF Christianity aud
paganlsm, gradually .vtended its in
il9ence over most of he countries
which had been evargeit,ed, and
employing force when its bI.nd;sb BIZ,
,ns1i.s msnts failed to secure converts, e'en
tually succeeded in almost extirrnt.
ing true religion from The earth. i
IS true that Popery sent forth mi.
s'onares to heathen lands, but they
were not missionaries in the Gosnel
sense. They were more ambitious to
extend the sway Of their church than {
the sceptre of Christ. A change ol {
name was more to them than a chang. d
OF heart. To submit to be sprinkIsd h
with holy water was more gratifying J
than Jh !, to seek to be baptized with the the t.
Holy Ghost. Their Inspiration was fl
.ae sle .agsraniisement of Rome, aua q
not I, the glory of the Redeemel. :.
10 these five causes, then, acting Ii
? :. succession, We attribute The de-. G.
:ll1e of the missionary spirit in the =, =,