Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-08
roRE1eN MIssoNs ArrAcKED.

Chicago's great literary weekly, Amer
iea, has begun war on the foreign mission
sriss. il is in favor of spending the money
raised By the churches for foreign missions
in Missionary work at home 1t even goes
30 far a. to say that mot one cent should
be expended in supporting missionaries in
their vain endsavors 10 convert a few scrag-
~ heathens at the antipOdes, who become
Christians FOR business purposes only"
This attack has Of course brought the ad-
vocates Of foreign missions TO the trent
with reply, and they make the point that
Anerioa is hostile TO religion. In response
our bold contemporary quotes the follow
ing from Caron TAYLOR's recent article
in the ForiaigSgy Rerie'r, entitled, 'The
Great Mi-sionary Failure"
''Since, by the most recent estimates,
The population Of China is 3-2 600, 900, OF
India PSI OOO. 600, of Africa POO 100000,
Of japan IS. 600, 900, and Of CsylOn, Per
sia, Afghanistan, C0rea and the Burmese
Peninsula A., 600. OOO, it will be seen that
the non Christian population Of Asia and
Africa Is upward OF 10000, goo, so that
the annual increase by excess of births
over deaths mast exceed IL, 900, 600. DR.
Maclean. the principal Of a training col
lege for missionaries. estimates the actual
incresss of native Christians due TO mis-
sionary Efforts SO $1,000. II this estimate
il approximately correct 10 would take
the societies lS3 yesrs t. overtake the IN
crease of the non-Christian population IA a
single year. For every additional Chris
tan we have every year 1873 heathens or
Moslems
According 10 General Haig, the spokes-
nan of the societies, the annual Increase
Of native Protestant Christians in India
due 10 labors Of thirty-fve societies ia 10,
| 1871. and the increase OF Roman Catholics
ia 2l. 272. or 80. 5s3 in all. But for every
additional Christian there ore about
twelve additional Moslems and tiltv-twO
additional hsatheas. Il would take all
the agencies put together sixty-iOur years
30 oyertake the n-Chrsiisn people IN a
single year.
China il, perhaps, the most dishsarten-
ing case. The population Is reckontd at
So. 600 900. The annual increase by the
excess of births over deaths would be about
4 $50. 600 Last year the Church Mission
airy society baptized 167 sdults. AT this
rate n would take tie society over y, 600
wears 20 overtake the gain 10 hea,heDism
ia q single year, and n the population
were stationary IL would take more than
$50. coo years TO convert the Chinese
empire.
So much for quantity, and now what Is
the quality Of the converts? Mr.. John
ston. the well known African traveller, who
h British vice consul in the CameIOOns,
saws. IN many important districts, where
the missionaries have been at work for
twenty years, they oBn scarcely number
iu honest statistics, twenty sincere con-
verts. la other parts where large num-
hers Of nominal Christians exist, their re-
ligion is dscredited by numbering among
It's adherentI oil the dIunkards, liars,
roguss and uuclean livsrs in the colony.
In the eldest Of our west African posses
sions al the unrepentant Msgdalenes OF
tbe chief city are protesting Christians,
ard the most notorious one In the place
boasts tina. she never missed going to
church on a communion Sunday.
All this il very discouTaging, but the
missionaries will reply that even if they
succeed in making only a few genuine
conventions their work should go 90, and
that It's expense should not be considered.
Whether they sre successful or 10; they
are not likely TO pause in their work Of
spreading the gospel in heather lands.
| Still. it must he admitted that Canon
TAYLOR has said enough to dampen the
ardor Of the most enthusiastic believer in
foreign missions.