The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-13

Mexico and South America and poor down trod-
den Ireland must have the gospel. must be de-
livered from the thralldom of Popery, must
transfer their allegiance from the Pope TO Jesus
before the kingdoms OF this earth are recognized
as the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ
This can only be done by the methods OF dis
placement There is much in Romanism that
must be conserved and utilized for the CONVEX
sion of the world to Christianity; but there is
much that must be eradicated and displaced by
Professionalism, by her silent and formative forces
of education, social reforms, political freedom;
by the power OF the press and the pulpit. A
great and final reformation must come to the
Roman Catholic Church which shall turn the
mighty machinery, splendid tactics, and the
untiring zeal of her priesthood, and the
matches devotion and fidelity Of her sisterhood
toward the conversion of the world TO Christ in
stead of TO the supremacy of the Pope, and
the dominion of the Roman Catholic Church.
God holds Professionalism responsible for this es
sential reformation in Ronansm.
The Mons Christian portion of the earth usually
denominated pagan or heather, represents a
population of between eight and nine hun
dred millions There is added annually to this
mass greater numbers than leave their ranks to
become Christians. There will be more heath
next year than this. Heathenism has its
hordes of illiterate, ignorant, stupid dupes, but
it has also its priests by the hundred thousands;
men who will dispute every inch of ground with
our best equipped missionaries Then let us not
forget that Mohammedanism and Buddhism are
as we are. Mohammedanism gave Christianity a
start of six centuries, and has outstripped the
ligion of Christ in the race for the supremacy OF
numbers. Twelve centuries secured more de-
voices to Mohammed than eighteen centuries
have won for Christ The fact unwecome
it is, is. nevertheless, forced upon US, that
numerically our victories have made but little
impression on the pagan world There are more
heather to convert to-day than there
the day of Pentecost Fifty-ive genera
how els Ehrict
sent His gospel to the world. Fifty
five times has the earth buried her cheer
less inhabitants. Yet two-thirds of her children
still remain uninstructed by those sent to them
with this great salvation.
Is Christianity faure2 Are we to no longer
trust it as an element of progress, and as an in
strument for the elevation of the race2 What
of the nightl The morning cometh Christianity
is not failure. That Christianity is a success
is an historic fact. Myriads now in.glory have
been converted by it, and myriads more who are
living and shining examples of its power TO save
are now enlightened, illuminated and sanctified
by it, while its refining and eevating influences
are felt in law, government science. literature,
commerce, and in social and domestic life To
take away from the world its Christian civiliza-
ton would be to carry it back to the ignorance,
weakness, imbecity, poverty. oppression and
degradation of the world it existed two
thousand years ago. AS to our
modern missionary operations the day
is breaking upon this long night of pagan dark
ness, Christian nations are coming to better
understanding and appreciation OF what is best
in heather systems they not wanting in the
sentiment of worship, but their worship needs
the direction of the Bible aud human intelli
gence, and under Gods providence by all the
ways of commerce, and civilization, and inter
course, and missions is the way being opened
for the higher truth of the gospel The heather
in many lands are falling away from
the grosser forms of superstition while India,
China and Japan are sending students to Chris
tian lands to study the many advantages OF a
Christian civilization.
The past fifty years has done more for the CON
version of the heather world than all the years
before. During the last half or three-quarters
of a century great activities and appliances for
the conversion of the world have come into
The Bible, missionary, tract and Sunday school
societies and similar institutions have
been established more than five hundred
years before 1t is remarkable that since the
great Wesleyan reformation, all wars revolu
tons, rebellions and great battles have strongly
tended to the downfall of Popery, the prostra-
ton of Paganism, and the abolition of slavery,
thus giving freedom to the word of God, and
opening the way for the preaching of the gospel
among all nations. In 1904 the Duke of Marl-
borough broke the power of France at the battle
of Blenheim, when Popery received a blow from
which it has never since recovered, and in the
old French wars of 1856 and 1853 Catholic
France lost the flower of her youth, one-half of
her current money, her commerce was swept from
the seas, while she lost most of her vast Amer
lean possessions The wars of Napoleon abol-
ished the inquisition throughout Europe, and
| terribly weakened and Inundated at once both
aristocracy and Popery. The battle of Solferino
not only virtually established Italian nationality
| but it did, also, thing not intended
| by Louis Napoleon, opened the way
for the the preaching Of the gospel
throughout the Italian peninsula. The battle of
Sadowa, in 1866 in a single day placed Prot
estant Prussia at the head of Germany, and
made her the leading military power in Europe.
The overthrow and death of Maxamian in
Mexico broke the political power of Popery in
that country. AS for paganism, the Chinese
opium virtually opened all that vast empire
to the gospel, before Dramatically sealed The late
Indian mutiny and Sepoy rebellion did the same
thing for the millions of continental India. And
to-day history is repeating itself in the Soudan.
England will defeat the Mahdi, the Mahdis de-
feat will discredit the prophets, dspel the fanat
icism and weaken and PROSTATE great false
system of religion and open the way for the
Christian missionary it may be, to the door of
central Africa.
Paganism, after trial of forty centuries un-
der the most favorable circumstances, is most
signal failure. Mohammedansm, after trial
of nearly 1900 years, has also proved a signal
failure. and as for infdelty, after the
most persistent and determined efforts on the
part of its deluded and mistaken votaries, it
has proved such perfectly disastrous and hope.
less failure that it does not possess political
jurisdiction over single square inch of territory
on the face of the globe. No form OF modern
thought whatever is in such hopeless and
pitiable condition as infdelity.
God has evidently indicated that the great
| mission of Protestant America is to be a national
| instrument, under God. in the ultimate triumph
of Christian civilization, and the final victory of
the gospel over the whole earth. Our American
revolution not only secured our national indie
pendence and civil liberties, but it emancipated
the church from the thraldom of state, and
established and demonstrated the voluntary
system in religion Our late civil war not only
overcame rebellion and preserved the Union,
throughout all the land and to all the inhabit-
ants thereof" Before this no voice could be
raised for the oppressed throughout all the
South, but that world-renowned hero and
most illustrous citizen of this great Republic,
General U. S. Grant, made missionary tour
through that dark land, and his loud and per-