Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-02
RELIGIONS REALM.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO MINIS.
TIERS AND LAYMEN.
A Defense of the Missionarv-Co,,,,
ment on the Address of
Bishop Potter.

The Rev. DR.. 7. T. Munger of New Ha-
ven, who is perhaps the best known Con-
gregational preacher in New England, has
written IN the June Forum a defense of
missions against the very common utih-
tartan argument that the missionary's task
is an impossible one. DIR. Munger main
tains that the number of converts and
churches bears but the slightest relation to
the success Of missionary. 'Ie goes to a
nation with : Bible in one hand and a
catechism in the other-a simple and pa
thetic figure, but the catechism is forgot
ten and the Bible has grown into a charter
of freedom and true national life" The
great power of the missionary lies in the
fact that the growth OF civilization has not
been Through the spread of the arts, but
of ideas and the chief agents have been
living men With empty hands but believ-
ing hearts. At the sources of the civiliza-
ton of every nation in Europe lie the
names of individual men who were I'M
versed in knowledge of the arts of their
day, but carried only the seed-wheat of
spiritual fact and moral ideas" The task
of the missionary to the East is to start
those nations again on that career of end
less progress which is the prerogative of
man, and which diferentiates him from
the lower creation, and this he thinks can
be done by the Christian missionary better
than through any other agency. zone
missionary will do more TO start the living
current Of civilization than all the delega-
lions, simply because he begins farther
back in his teaching and awakens con-
science and the sense of selfhood. and of
the dignity of human nature. The life of
nations, as of man, is from within out
ward"
There is no doubt great future before
the Karens of Burma. To the American
Baptist missionaries they owe a debt of
gratitude which it would be difficult to
overestimate. These pioneers of Chris
tianity in the districts saw what good
field lay before them amongst the Karens.
and they laid the foundation of the great
work which has been going on necessarily
since, amongst this interesting people.
Perhaps no other Christian denomination
could have better calculated the doctrine
of self-help amongst a down-trodden ma
tionality than these sturdy republican
missionaries. Whilst never neglecting to
spread the gospel, and the teachings OF
Christianity, the missionaries also taught
the karens the dignity of labor, and the
necessity, if they intended to raise them
selves in the social scale, of educating
themselves and their children. The seed
was planted on good soil, and yielded a
splendid harvest. There is now hardly a
Karen hamlet which has not its own pas
tor or sChoolmaster, or a Karen family
which does not send its children to a
school, often entirely supported by Karens.
Such people must succeed; failure on
such lines is impossible The Karens
are determined to succeed, and come
what may, to throw in their lot with
the Government, under which, thanks
to the American missionaries, and
their own courageous and self-reliant quail
ties, they have already achieved such a
good measure Of success. To the Bur
mans, some of whom are also striving to
advance, we should offer word or two OF
friendly advice. No longer despise the
Karen, or think him the savage he I'M
doubtedly was generation ago. Strive tc
initiate him in his self-reliance in his love
of truth, in his loyalty to his fellow
Karen and respect for constituted author.
lty. The Burmans have often been petted
by British officials, and have certainly nc
fair grounds for complaint that in the pub
lie service they have not received appoint
ment If they were in anyway fitted to hold
them. 1t has been otherwise with the
karens, and they have fourished and
grown stronger and a more robust COM
munity. not through official patronage,
but rather because they have not looked up
to officials, but were content to get on in
spite of them by their own unaided efforts.
Let our Burmese friends initiate the manly
independence of the Karens, and their
earnestness in the matter of educating
their children f; and they are most likely
TO Improve themselves and their prospects,
and to be prepared for the great struggle
for existence, which seems to be becoming
keener In Burma every day.-Raagoon
Gazette.
The discourse of Bishop Potter, in St.
PauPs Church, New York, in connection
with the inaugural centennial, and as a
part of it, has been the subject of some
criticism. Considering its source, we are
inclined to join those who gave it praise
too faint it may be. An air of superiority
and assumption runs through it, which is
objectionable. The view which it takes
OF the past is laudatory, and would not
have been objected to had there been no
depreciation of the present, as in contrast.
There is in the discourse, also, an air of
sadness, not of Encouragement, in view of
the tendencies and drift of men and things
in public life, as though the old level of
purity, honor and power might never be
reached again. No doubt, in majesty of
form, and dignity of bearing, and impress
siveness Of movement, and general eleva-
ton of sentiment, speech and manner, our
age has lost in comparison with that of
our fathers, a century ago. But SINE of
| these forms were hollow, and some of these
men were false to their honor, and some of
them stopped to political measures which
would blast any mans fame now. No
such thing can now be done in a Presi-
dents cabinet as was done 10 Washington's
cabinet-not to speak of Jackson's. We
are less stately than We used to be but,
because we are simpler, it does not follow
that we are less sincere. Indeed, the
| progress of events has made us better re-
publicans than we were century ago, and
our freedom is more intelligent than it
was then. We are rightfully more con-
| fident and far more assured politically and
religiously than our fathers could possibly
have been.-IHe Pacific.
! The AdraRce starts the inquiry WHY
more women than men attend church.
There are several reasons which ought to
have weight in answering the question.
The moral sense of women is superior to
that of men. II no such distinction be
allowed in the original constitution of
human nature, the superiority which can
| hardly be denied by anyone may be due to
better education. Women have less con-
tact with the hard side of business and of
| the world than men. They are indoors,
or merge only in the amenities of society.
Much more than men they come in contact
with what softens and refnes the tastes
| and manners. OF the great redemptive
system of love and sacrifice, too, woman's
! appreciation has ever been finer and fuller
than that Of the other sex. Women were
| among the first to recognize the spiritual
beauty and permanent excellence in the
person and teaching of our Savior. The
first convert to the gospel in Europe was a
woman; and more than one of the rude
nations were brought to Christ by the
moral instinct of women. Besides, the
church affords women field and a work.