The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-07
seminary Lectures.

An audience nearly filing the lecture room
Of the NJ p Church of this city greeted heV.
Dr. Mills. Of Washington, d. c., who deliv-
cred last Monday evening the third lecture OF
the course. on ssThe Rise and Progress Oh
Modern Missions.
The lecturer said he was embarrassed by
the vastness of the subject. it being IKE
mighty tree, whose branches are reaching OUT
INTO all the nations; or, like great river,
whose onward flow has already in the space
of a single century touched every continent
and the islands of the sea, bearing civilization
and salvation to hundreds of millions VINO Tor
aoas had heen enshrouded in the m1asm OF
eenenaIitv and idoIatry. 1t might seem
strange that the kindling fires of the retorma-
ton did not Immediately result in the estab,
lishment of missions throughout the clviiized
world, but the great work OF formulating
creed, which should be IN accord not
with the corrupt spirit OF the age, Dut WIZ
the teachings of Christ and his apostles, leit
neither time nor energy for the spread o. the
eospel in foreign lands. We find that Protes-
fant missions had their rise in New England,
the Puritans having declared their aim above
all others in coming to this land was, the
extending of the Redeemer's kingdom IN
lands where Christ is not named. during
the 18th century mission work among the In
dams of North America, carried on by May
hew, Elliott and others, aroused the Dutch 10
make the effort to convert the heather IN
their East India possessions, and the English
to form the society for promoting Christian
knowledge. AS in the days OF the aposues
the missionary spirit was rocked IN the cradie
of religious persecution, so IN modern tunes
If was evolved mid the sorrows through which
the Puritans were called to pass-its DiTtn-
place. the log cabin of the emigrant; its lul-
iaby. the war-hoop of the savage.
The two great factors in missionary enterprise
are, Christ in human hearts and God IN hu-
man history. The Moravian Church was the
first to enter upon mission work IN its corpo-
rate capacity, and so great was its zeal that
one in fifty of its entire membership gave
themselves to missionary labor.
The formation of the Methodist societies by
John Wesley stimulated the Protestant Church
everywhere to labor for the salvation OF the
world Each society was really mission,
and we find the Wesleyan Methodists as early
as 1886 engaged in establishing MISSION IN
the West Indies DR.. Coke crossed the At
lantic ocean eighteen times, and died while
on his way to the East Indies.
Several missionary societies were formed in
England during the latter part OF the 18th
century, which have done, and are still dong,
grand work for the cause of Christ In this
country no foreign mission work was at
tempted until 1910, when the American Board
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was
established. Indeed, this land was mission
ground. and demanded all the treasure and
labor of the young church to give the gospel
to the emigrants pouring in upon our shores.
Within less than one hundred years nearly
one hundred Protestant missionary socleues
have been formed, which expend twelve
million dollars annually. The nations OF the
world are open to the missionary: Nearly
two hundred millions of the inhabitants OF
India are governed by British rulers, and the
gospel standard is planted throughout ITS vast
domain. China has four hundred Protestant
missionaries, besides many native helpers
working for the salvation of her people, and
it is estimated that at the present rate OF
progress in forty years there Will De twenty
six million communicates.
japan since 1854 has been an open door for
the gospel missionary. Her thirty-hye mil
lions are losing faith in the old religions, and
she presents the most interesting mission held
in the world to- day.
Corea, the last Of the hermit nations, Is
now willing to know something OF Christian
civilization, while converted Japanese are
planning to go and tell OF the Saviour wnom
they have so recently accepted.
Africa, the dark continent, has been ex-
plored. and two hundred and fifty mission
aries will in short time make line of sta
tons entirely across the continent.
The Sandwich and South Sea Islands and
Madagascar are Christianized. The Christian
church of to-day has the grandest opportuni
ties before it. Protestant rulers govern four
hundred and eight millions of people. Our
commerce is pushing everywhere and our civ
ilization is becoming the admiration OF the
nations. The effete systems of religion are
being abandoned, idols torn down and tenn
pies are being changed into churches 1t is
a great blessing to live in such time as this,
if we realize and improve the opportunities
given by the providence of God for christian
izing the world. ~
| The next lecture of the course Will be oe-
livered next Monday evening, at o'clock,
bv Rev. DR.. Ward, on "The Great Mission
aries The lectures are free, and all are In
] vifpd