The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-11
PLANS OF THE CHURCH.
THE ARCaDEACoNRY OF sAvAN.
NAB IN SESSION.


Bishop Nelson Delivers the Opening
Sermon at Christ Church on Mis-.
sions-The Work of the Convocation
TO Begin This Morning at st. Johns
Church.
The opening service of the convocatIon of
the Episcopal archdeaconry OF Savannah
was held at Christ church last night. There
was a good congregation present. though,
on account of the severe cold, the church
was not entirely filed.
The clergymen present were Rev. Robb
White of Christ church. Rev. G. Fl. Strong
and Rev. W. ". Kimball of St. Johns
church, Rev. J. J. Lanier Of st. Pauls
church, and Rev. w. R. Mcdonnell of
Pooler.
At the conclusion of the evening prayer
service Bishop Nelson delivered a sermon
on missions The sermon was very inter
esting, and, as the bishop announced in the
beginning, was of the practical and not the
sentimental order.
THE BISHOPS SERMON.
His text was from Isaiah TX, IL: Thy
gates shall be open continually; they shall
not be shut day nor night; that men may
bring with thee the forces of the gentiles
and that their kings may be brought"
Bishop Nelson opened his sermon with a
general introduction of the duty of Chris
tians TO extend their missionary work
throughout the world. The ques-
ton of the salvation of the
heather who have not heard OF
God. he said, was so purely speculative as
not TO enter into the question. lt was either
the duty of Christians to extend the knowl-
edge OF God throughout the world OF 1t was
not, and the question admitted of no
further discussion.
Bishop Nelson discussed the position OF
the early church toward missions He also
gave some history Of the labors OF the early
missionaries in different parts of the world.
OganiZed missions, be said, we're OF COM
parattvely recent origin.
ave are accustomed to speak," said
Bishop Nelson, "as though each year for
hundreds Of years millions of dollars had
been spent and thousands of lives sacrificed
In the useless attempt to convert the
heather. There is no truth In this. Do you
know that less than one hundred years ago
one single missionary was the representa-
tive Of Christianity in Indiai
ONLY THIRTY,sEvEN YEARS FREE.
"Only since1s56 have the men Of that
country been free to become Christians
without incurdng all civil disabilities.
'In that same year BurTnah had mission
SOM. During the first quarter of this
cen fury China was closed alike to commerce
and to the gospel. Yet, within the second
decade, by the indomitable energy of one
man, the book of God had been printed for
one-third of the human family. Seventy
five years. the age Of many a man now
living, cover the entire period Of time since
the first sermon was preached In West
Africa in New Zealand and the islands OF
the sea, so that in reality fifty years time
embraces all the work of organized
missions througout the orld and contains
the history Of the evangelization Of the
most populous nations.
"What has been accomplished! Within
that time India and Burmah have given
half million children to the faith of Jesus
Christ. The actual communicates are one
third as mauy as the Protestant Episcopal
church has in America, and over
1000 churches contain the worship
ers OF the triune God. In China,
where only a few years ago a Christian
was not allowed to set foot outside of the
five ports of entry, the missionaries are as
sured of the countenanee aud protection of
the government and the subjects OF the
emperor are free to become converts to
Christianity, and there are now {. 900 native
Christians, including 1900 communicate
with over 1000 persons under instruction
IN our schools alone. More than 5000
cases were treated in the church hospitals
in China last year.
JAPAN's GRRAT STRIDES.
Look at Japan. That country, which In
the sixteenth century put 30 death s, 700
persons who refused to renounce Chris
tianity and wrote above the vast
martyrs were inferred the words
of the awful edict: 80 long as the sun
shall warm the earth let no Christians be so
bold as TO come TO japan, and let all know
that the King of Spain himself, or the
Christians God, or the great God of all, IL
he violate this command shall pay the for
felt with his head" This is the country
that now leads the civilization of the east
asks Tor more teachers than we are able 10
supply, and is actually considering the
adoption OF Christianity as the national
religion"
Facts were given showing the great prog
ress Of religion in New Zealand, where
there are $1,000 converts and six episcopal
hishoprics, and in Polynesia, where there
are $4,000 converts; the Figi Islanders, who
have been converted from cannibalism:
Madagascar, a Christian nation, a 10
Africa, where there are fourteen bishoprics
Are missions a fallursF' inquired the
bishop. THE missionary forces of Great
Britain, the United States, and continental
Europe have an annual income of ST., 800, 600
What do they do with itl Maintain and
equip $3.50 stations, support 5,43I mis-
sionaries, employ S2,015 native helpers,
show 5SS,974 communicates and over
1900, 900 adherents."
THE EXPENSE THRILLING.
Upon the subject of the expeusiveness Of
the work Bishop Nelson said that it cost
500 apiece to emencipate the American
slaves. The total cost of each communi-
cant OF the Episcopal missions is $S2 year.
AT home with all the convenieuces and
machinery Of civilization the average cost
II $40 head.
''Is $3.50 a year a lavish expenditure
for the conversion of 1,400, 100000 soulsi"
asked Bishop Nelson. "Let the
men of the parish offer one-fourth
OF the money expended in cigars, the women
AK themselves in some real way and your
rector will have more money than be has
asked for your share in the great work
''Should the professsd believers of the
world (33s.00O, 900, give but penny a day
there would be in the Christian treas ny
less than one-fourJh of the drink
bill of the civilized world,
and yet that amount would cover the cost
OF all foreign missions for nearly fifty years.
lis the salvation of the heather a costly
work in the worlds estimate of expensesf'
Bishop Nelson closed his sermon with an
Injunction against selfishness upon the part
Of Christians.
HoIv ,,-fI -