St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-09-30
THE CASE OF MISSIONARY HUME.
A Trouble that Threatens the Cause of
Missions.

IOuHUcsG ucp1HS ny "hdI, HAS COuiC ~
be known as the case of Missionary
Hume, but what is, in fact, discus
sion of the pros and cons of the new
or "Andover" theology. What gives
the matter special interest at this time
is the probability that the so-called
Andover theology will be reviewed in
the meeting of the American Board at
Des Moines next week.
The trouble is over the return to In
dia of the missionary Robert A. Hume
who, at the Andover after-dinner
speaking last commencement, came
out on the side of the new departure.
Thus far the prudential committee of
the board has declined to send him
back. 1t has also deferred accepting
the services of several young Andover
graduates who offer to go to Japan,
because they hold the new view. Mr..
Hume's words at the Alumni meeting
that have Occasioned all this talk are
as follows:
know l have often gone home with
a heavy heart and dim eyes, because
tie gospel of love and mercy which |
was seeking to give to these men was
followed by feeling of bitterness in
their hearts, because they thought it
implied an eternity of sorrow for their
ancestors. 1t is a live question and
must be met in Christian way.
1t is a practical question, which we
halt 10 tn
source a more Christian and helpful
solution. 1t has been my privilege to
meet in the last few months five of the
largest theological seminaries in our
country. We applied to all these to
help us in our work. In no one have
we found more missionary spirit than
tian thinking is especially held. By
the fruits We may judge the tree.
Presumably because of this utter
ance, the prudential committee of the
Board wrote Mr.. Hume through Secre-
tary Clark that "after full and SYM
pathetic expression of opinion it was
voted by large majority that action
be deferred in relation to
your return within few weeks to
your field of labor"
1t has been the hope and desire of
the large body of the church that this
discussion may be kept out of the
councils of the American Board. For
years it's affairs have been managed
and we'll managed by its present Off
GERS. Time will heal whatever present
differences may exist and heated dis
cussion at this juncture can hardly be
helpful. But it seems well-nigh GER
tain that the issue will be brought be-
fore the board, for the editors of the
Andover Review,-whOse OctObernum
Der was issued yesterday, several days
earlier than customary, in order to
state its case before the meeting of the
bOard-thus put it:
eff those who are responsible keep
silence, those who are aggrieved and
panied and indignant can hardly be
expected to submit in silence. 1t
would be pusillanimous to make no
appeal to the great body of Which
must itself take the final responsible
ty. There is no desire to use the an
nual meeting of the American Board
as an opportunity for theological dis
cussion. But there is desire to know
and to know authOritatively if the
board really consents to the rejection
of suitable young men and women who
offer themselves as missionaries. That
is a practical and important question
which ought to be introduced by one
party, if the other party declines to
introduce it,"
The Review, as organ for the semi
nary and others of the new way of
thinking, is very severe on the board.
1t says: "The management of the
American board has been doing it's ut
most for several months to discourage
offers of service from young men and
women who ventured to hope that the
Savior who died for all will be offered
to all, or who refuse to dogmatize on
this subject" 1t goes into the Hume
case with much detail, quoting letters
and his statement of belief to show
Just how the case stands.
The other side of the case has been
we'll stated thus by correspondent of
the Springfield Republican
The opponents of the new departure
believe that the wave has reached its
highest point and is already receding.
They object to the new view that it is
without warrant of scripture and that
its logical conclusion is in the over
throw not only of all mission enter
prise, but of the inspiration of the
Bible itself. This last result, it is said,
has actually been reached in the case
of a recent AndOver graduate who
maintained that other writings than
the Bible are inspired, and that he
would be justified in taking the text of
a sermon from a hymn, because it
would be from inspiration. But, as
regards policy, the prudential commit
tee have not refused the application of
any one to be sent as a missionary
they have voted that the sending be
deferred. 1t is naturally to be sup
posed, however, that none will be sent
out who hold that there is probation
after death. The position of the COM
mittee is this, regarding their sending
out these men: that they are the trus-
tees of the churches holding evangeli- |
cal views, which are supporting the |
board that as such trustees it would
be a breach of trust for them to send
out missionaries who would preach |
doctrines which the churches do not
hold that there is no evidence that
the body of evangelical churches, or
even a material proportion of them,
believe in probation after death that
they are acting in the line of the his
tOric belief of the churches and have