New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-15
BISHOP FOsrER ON MISSION WORK.

Bishop Fosters speech at the Methodist
Episcvpal Conference the other Gay was
decidedly out of the usual course, but IL was Ihe
better calculated TO stimulate the kinu Oi
thought that takes form in purp"seiui oc'i"D'
The venerable Bishops review OF the state OF
Christian missions was certainly not such rs 10
encourage expansive conceptions of evangelical
tion. but he had no such end before him. Ills
object was to put the actual situation plainly
and boldly before his audience, and by dis
illusionizing them clear the way Tor more prac-
tical and effective labor IN the future. us
statements and statistics certainly were StflhihS
and suggestive. When the bulk of hcathenism
is considered, and the faintncss OF the I'M
preston made upon it by centuries oil the most
ardent, self-denying, persistent missionary
work, the tendency must be at first toward as
couragement But the Bishop put his finger
upon one strong adverse influence, which ii
overcome ut all must be conquered by IN out
putting of missionary zeal, not abroad but at
home. lie reminded his hearers that the Stats
tics of the Christian population OF the "olld
include "aIl the thieves, the ex-conVlcts' the
debased, tho besOtted, the speckled ana
strcakcd in ChlstcndDm." And unfortunately
if too often happens that these are the elements
of the so called Christian peoples with winch
beathens are inst brought in contact.
The heaviest difficulties with which m Nslon-
aries have always had to contend IN counties
where the white man is known, are lound III the
irrcconcilable contradictions between the doe
tIines taught and the daily practice oi those
who are said to believe them. The lay whltc
men the natives know are often men ol very
traders. ever ready to introduce and foster
drunkenness and other vices, prone to fraud
and menuacity. un-Chrstian in everything
Nor. in passing from the particular TO the gen
cral. from the conduct Of individuals to The
conduct of States. does the heather una much
closer connection between prccept and practice
If nj ali reflective. he observes TINT Christian
Governments are no more scrnpnIous about
taking what does not belong to them than saw
ages are; that they arc quite capable oi max
ing unjust wars upon weak peoples Tor conquest
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT that despite their probes
sions of superior religions knowledge, such n
country rs England. for example. did not hest
tate To force upon China at the point OF the
bavonet the debasing and nation destroying
opium trade; that in India conouering race,
whose religion teaches mrckncss and equality.
look down with pndisgused contempt upon the
indigenous population that. in short, so much
of Christcndom rs can be tested by heather
standards seems to proceed generally without
the least reference to the faith 1t protests.
AS these heather objections rest upon facts
Of every day experience 1t IL very dINcnlt To
dislodgc or Iefulc them. and while they rem lin
not much progress can be anticipated. Tut
the inference TO be drawn from the situation
whose salient outlines Bishop Foster skctchcd
with 80 vigorous pencil IL sufficiently
obyious. There is vast missionary field IN
side Chrstcndom. and this will have To be cul-
tivated thoroughly rs n necessary preliminary
10 the eyangci2ation of the rest OF the world
What paralyzes the missionary to-day Is his m
ability To show. ihc faith OF his people by thelr
works. This means neither more nor less than
that the Christianity of ChrstcndOm is much
less real and pervasiye than it ought to be, or
than it is usually assumed to be. Bishop Foster
evidently feels this, for the gist ot ms argu-
mcnts is that missionary labor, like charity,
should begin at home. When indeed the extent
of the waste of cnctgy, enthusiasm, religious
zeal, noble example, patient instruction, IN
volycd in the worlds mission work, not to
speak Of the money capital sunk IN It, Is con
sidered, it cannot be doubted that even less
than the same expenditure of eevating forces
would long ago. If applied mt home, have re-
deemed the Christian countries from reprOach !
and both solved the most pressing of their !
social problems and made of them examples
fitted TO attract and persuade the heatheh
throughout the earth.