The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-08-12

leave the cities that would not receive
them and their message, and to go to
other cities. In short, was not the COM
mand to proclaim the gospel where they
found willing hearers? Not to press this
point too far, may not the Church of
Christ to-day be following out the spirit
of this command, if they send the larger
part of their forces to such countries as
Japan, which to day has tens of thou
sands of willing hearers in all her bor-
ders? The day for Japan redemption
Is at hand. Her millions are now ready
to hear"
The other testimony is from the Bap-
tist Church, North. This Church is do
ing broad work in India, Burmah, As
sam, China, Japan, and Africa, as well as
in Europe. At the annual meeting Of
their Missionary Union, held in June OF
this year, the following was adopted:
"The Japanese are passing through an
experience unparalleled in Christian his
tory. The Europeans OF the East, as
they have ftly been called, are giving a
welcome to the literature, the science, the
civilization and the religion OF Christi
anity, such as no people has ever given
japan is strategic field. To Christian
ize japan is to execute flank movement
on the whole force Of Asiatic paganism.
The marvellous opportunity OF to- day
brings with it commanding duty
Your Committee believe that the Union,
like any army, skilfully led, should mass
its forces in Japan. The development of
the people out of an old civilization into
new is SO rapid, that delay or parsi-
moniousness in supplying Japan with the
word OF God would be both disastrous
and criminal. Your Committee there
fore recommend" That the whole mis-
sionary force in Japan be enlarged at
once, even if some other needy fields of
the Union have to wait for reinforce
ments."
The Baptist Union has seven male mis-
sionaries in Japan.
5. The population of Japan is now
thirty-seven millions. 1t grows at the
rate of a million year. For this large
population, scattered over many islands,
there are l0l male missionaries. The
harvest is plenteous; the laborers are
few. Our brother Wardlaw has referred
to the mission work in the Sandwich
Islands. That was a heathen, not a
Roman Catholic, field. The population
was 100000 In 1888, thirteen years
after the missionaries of the American
Board began work there, not more than
half the population had heard the gospel,
and less than thousand converts had
been made. In that year, the mission
aries called for reinforcement of forty
two men, in order that the gospel might
be preached to every inhabitant of the
islands. The American Board sent out
reinforeements, and when the funda-
mental truths of Christianity were uni
versally diffused among the islanders, as
DR.. Anderson has stated, there came a
wonderful work of the Holy Spirit, and
more than one-fourth of the adult popu.
lation was gathered into the church. In
a word, the American Board sent in
strong reinforcements at an opportune
time, and the field was won. Let the
Church do this now for Japan. But, the
work in japan is broad, and it will be
found hard. Instead of 1O1 men, there
ought to be thousand.
g. If our Church is to share in the
honor of this work, it is not likely that
we shall ever be in better position to
undertake it than now. The question
Immediately before us is whether Mr.
Meal pine and Mr.. GriDnan shall 90 to
China or to Japan. In China we have
three mission stations, with seven or
dained missionaries, all OF whom are in
the field, except Mr.. Davis, who is on
furlough. The brethren in China have
advocated the opening of a new mission
station in China. This would be a good
thing. But, the question is, will it not
be better thing now to open a new sta.
tion in Japan. the writer of these lines
may be allowed to say, that while his
partialities are for China, his judgment
in the case is for Japan.
7. The General Assembly advised the
establishment OF mission in Japan when
"the way is clear. This could not mean
when the Church has the men and the
means. Our Church has the men for any
such enterprise, and she has the means.
What is there to obstruct the way save a
| failure to consecrate all to Christ? Shall
the way be opened If our church pa.
| pers send down clear, ringing, earnest
appeals to the people, rallying them to
/ this work if our people are found willing
to endure one halt 50 much for this heav.
enly cause as they once endured in an
earthly struggle for an earthly cause, the
way will be clear At present it does
not appear that the spirit of the Church
/ has been greatly roused for this enter