New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-03
MISSIONS TO THE HEATHEN.

Inc American DOdfu vi MlSSioHS 10 uiC olhOpV
and largest foreign missionary society in this
country. 1t is supported by the Orthodox Con
grcgationa churches, and lis officers and MIS-
sionarics have always been strenuous upholdcrs
of the theology Of those churches or II any ono
of them has found himself adopting different
opinions he has either been quietly dropped
or OF his own accord has quietly retired.
That thcology-which on the point now IN
question docs not materially differ from the
views asserted by all churches Protestant and
Catholic-assumcs that all mankind. either FOR
the sin of Adam or for their own sins, arc
Justly condemned to everlasting punishment
from which there is no salvallon-cNcept Tor
infants-wihout believing in Christ /; and that
the case Of those who never heard OF Christ
in their lifetime and therefore had no oppOr-
tunity Of believing in him, is as truly hopeless
rs if they had heard of him and refused to be-
licve in him.
The missionaries being sent out upon this
theory. or platform, in which they firmly tc-
licvcd. felt themselves obliged to tell the
could not evade that their relatives, ancestors,
friends who had died without ever hearing OF
Christ, were in hcll-thc place of torment
with no possibility Of escape through all lutlnc
ages From recent statements 1t appears that
this view has been excessively painful and
shocking to the heather who have believed or
tried to believe it and not less so to some OF
the missionaries whose humane feelings did not
Weld to the cxigcncics of their theology. 1t
wouId bc an unspcakable relief both to these
missionaries and their hearers if they could
honestly say that they do not know what has
become of the countless millions of mankind
who have died without ever hearing OF Christ,
or if they could hold ont the slightest hope that
the infinite mercy Of God might make ii possible
for these millions TO hear Of Christ and believe
in him in the unseen wOrld-in the life after
death. This relief tho officers Of the American
Board are disposed to refuse both to the mis-
sionar;es and the heather. On the contrary
they require of both as firm belief in the ever
lasting misery Of those who died wIthou, hear
ing OF CHRIST us in tic existence of God. In
the Board itself there arc now two parties
one demanding liberty TT opinion upon this sub
cct for the missionaries. the other, which at
present seems TO he the ovcrN hclming majority,
insisting that there shall be no change from
the old theological positions and that no mis-
sionarv shall lie sent out or allowed to remain
rs a missionary who has any hesitation or un-
ccrt,Inty us t. the hopeless condition of those
wh) have died without hearing of Christ. 1t
is exprc cd ulat tn question Will come up for
decision or at least for discussion, at the annual
meeting OF the American Board to be held at
Des Moincs. Iowa, this week. The probability
is that any VOC which may be taken will be
largely against the IDEA Of any further prOba-
ZION for men after death but the controversy
will not bc settled at that meeting. 1t is likely
to DC long and earnest and TO have very serious
consequences for the American Board, affecting
It's resources, the character Of IFS Missionaries,
and the hcathcn themselves. who are sure to
hear oi the difference Of op,nlOn which prevails
among Christians here. 1t is easy to imagine
them asking a missionary " Which Christ do
YOU tell us OF the one who will haze no
mercy Oh our fathers who never heard Of him.
or the Christ who viii give them yet one chance
to escape from The doom of which they never
had a warning in this world p
That the strife will be long and intense is
due, apparently to the very cause which should
have prevented ii from breaking out--thc lack
Of any decisive evidence. The churches have
taken the opinions that come down 10y tradition
as decisive the thcoIogans are apt to Ike salts
fled with very slight evidence, such Us their
own Judgment of the meaning OF Scripture
phrase or an inference from a theological
theory But to an impartial mind it would
seem that no opinion as 10 the eternal state OF
millions Of human beings ought to bc held
positively unicss it were sustained by weight
of evidence prOporioned to The greatness Of
the subject Vermont Judge LciOrc whom
man was brought as a fugitive slave Icicc,ed
as insufficient all The testimony in The case, and
being asked what further evidence he could
require. answered: a bii Of sal fom lh'
Almighty. And 50 il would ..cn DIRE &C.
American Boar Of V ius 80 81. SIS e. a.t
humbly say: We c4uHo. ic pllce.b sue