The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-30
THE INDIANA BAPTISTS.
Proceedings of the Convention at Aurora
Address of Rev. DR.. Ashmore


urn at 730 o'clock. The devotional exercises
were conducted by Rev. VIM. NJ. Pratt D. D.. of
Lexington, KY, a home missionary in this State
In 1893 The report on home missions was read
by Rev. Fl. II. Stetson, of Logansport. Rev.
James Cooper d. D.. of the Detroit Mich, dis
trict, secretary of the American Baptist Home
Missionary Society, delivered stirring address
on Home Missions"
Rev. j. B. Schaff, of Shelbyville, delivered an
address on THE Responsibility of the Church
for the Support of the Gospel Ministry" Rev.
y. t. Conger. d. D., of New Albany, followed
with an eloquent address on patriotism and
Home Missions" The convention adjourned,
with the terediction, by Rev r. E. Neighbour
The convention met this morning at A. NJ
Rev. E. Sanford, of Edwardsport conducted the
devotional exercises. Rev. e. L.fScofeld. of De-
! troit. Mich, president of the Baptist Ministers
Aid Society. and Rev. DIR. Biting of Phadel-
phia Pa Sunday school secretary of the Amer
lean Baptist Publication Society, were intro
duced to the convention.
The report of the committee on foreign mis-
eions was read by Rev. A. Blackburn. This in
cluded the following Stations so; missionaries
209; native helpers. /. 720; churches, 1.l60; bap
trims in 1884, 10,514; present membership. Ill.,
49l
d. Is.
Morning Light Is Breaking"
DR. S. NJ. Stimson then delivered address
on Foreign Missions"
Rev. L. A. Clevenger. of Spencer. spoke on
the following subject Our present Investment
in Foregni Missions Considered as an Incentive
to Continued and Increased Zeal in the Prosecu-
ton of that Work" He said 1.-THE Baptists have
been recognized by other denominations AS having
done magnificent work in the foreign field.
Europe will be made Protestant. and the spires
of the Church of God shall rise in the shadow of
St. Peters at Rome. Africa Asia:the world, will be
ChristaniZed. It costs but $37 to convert heath
en- but much more to convert an American. The
success of our work is not from strong church
organization. but because God has been on our
side and has guided u.s."
Then followed the address of Rev. VIM. Ash
more d. D.. for thirty-six years missionary in
Swallow, China When Dr. Ashmore was intro
duced the congregation rose to show their re-
spect and veneration He said II am glad to be
with you. l am your servant your soldier.
Some people think missions ought to carry
themselves; but money is needed to carry mis-
sionaries to their fields and the missionaries
need houses and the heather won't build them.
Money is needed to print Bibles. But no money
is needed if you will only send US the houses, food
printers and books If you prefer send these; fnot
sends money. The needs are workers, help
ers, and printers. Some people ask Are the
heather lostP If not then who is lost2 Were
you ever lost or not2 If the heather were never
lost then you never WERE and the song Il once
was lost. but found" is not true Is
there a probation after oeath9 If the heather
have probation after death do not want to
spend any more time among them. Where is
any evidence of a probation2 my spirit shall
not always strive with man." says the Holy
. Record None Of the apostles gave any hope
that any man will be saved after death. Christ
himself spoke as if he thought men were lost
if not saved in this life. Yes they are lost
The heather themselves know that they are lost
Only in this land is it doubted. No heather
ever expressed hope of salvation after this life
was ended except the Buddhists and this
doctrine of probation after death is
old exploded Buddhist doctrine.
Home missions have no better friends than the
men the foreign field The increase at home
means more help to those abroad Let only the
of war go mp to the foreign work. Every
line OF battle has two wings and a center India
is one wing, Japan another. and China the
center. The Chinese claim great antiquity. but
DIR. Chalmers, of Canton, shows that beyond
1000 3. c. there is nothing but myths instead of
history. The heather do not wish to feel after
God and when Confucius came so near to find
ing out God he turned aside at the last moment
as if dreading to do so. The heather do not say
h sy r she hG Re of G0d as
gressmen. They never say the will
of God but the will of heaven
Modern missions are not one hundred years DID,
but like river that is small at first that a
child can step over it but grows rapidly until
ships can float in it, the great river of the
gospel as shown in foreign missions-small at
. first but rapidly deepening and widening. God
intended this river to sweep over the whole
earth, not merely in your country town. The
demand at home is great, but if you do not live
for yourself and your own home alone but for
the whole world, God will bless you at home, in
your State and at your own freside God SAYS,
TRY me and see if | will not do thus and So
Modern missions were begun by the American
Board in 1914 in a very small way. God guided
the first missionaries In just the right way.
Fifty years ago no foreigner could live
in cit Of
Armed sentres kept them out But
when Gods people ready to go ahead
GOO is ready to help and when the people
moved God opened the gates into China. and to-
day the gospel can be preached anywhere in that
i, empire of 400 000 900 people,
INV work is in Swallow How do we work
thereP The gospel there is the old gospel
it is here 1t changes the heart of the Chinaman
it does the heart of the American. preach
there the great doctrines you do here. Above
all, preach with greatest power the doctrine of
the resurrection How do we get native
preacherP We take those God gives u.s. The
native members of the church are encouraged to
select one from their number TO lead them. We
make great distinction there between evangel-
lists and pastors The native pastors are sup
ported by the churches the, evangelists by the
missionary boards. We dc not teach the native
helpers evolution, but teach them the Bible
The Bible teaches to reason; it cultivates and
chastens the imagination. Oh, to see how
. Gods word changes those men! It is
y wonderful They are made anew There
is nothing educates like the Bible The Bible is
the best educator. If man is shut up with no
books but his Bible and Concordance he is not
so bad off. even for a liberal education. We
haze ], 900 converts in and about Swallow and
have been there twenty three years. These con
verts are not perfect but they are doing the best
thew can and it is evident to us that God has
hold of them and has changed them. Take ali
the money that has been given to China and put
it in one scale and the % 900 converts in another
and which is the greatera Would you have the
little money the rs, 600 converts9 But these
: are great power to convert thousands more
and these you will in the world To come
casting their crowns at the foot of the throne of
God There are 600 white missionaries in China
aud suca band the world never saw. Most are
college men. and they have taken their lives in
Il - =; "A do,