Morning journal and courier., 1893-09-01
Missions Among Uohammeaans

[Rev. DR.. Thomas p. Hughes in the New York
independently
have often been asked whether l con-
slider the work cf Christian missions
among Mohammsdans encouraging as com
pared with that among idolatrous people.
The question is difficult 10 Ansger. In the
fret place believe we are only Just begin
ming to understand how to deal with Mos
lena. Until recently the missionary who
went out to India believed that he was
quite able to teach Christianity without
any special preparation to ft him for the
instruction of native minds; snd the po.
lemicsl works written by Christian mis-
sionsries during the last fifty years are in
themselves evidences of that condition of
ignorance of Oriental religions which has
tempted the philosophers aud thsolosians
of the east TO treat the preaching of Chris
tisn missionaries with indifference, IL not
with contempt. The life and work of such
a distinguished scholar as Thomas Valpy
French, the late bishop of Lshore, who
for forty years studied the theological lite
ratuTe of the people, has convinced the
missionary that he has much to learn, even
university and a theological college 1t
has often been said that the great differ
ence between missionary work In a large
city like New York or London and evan
gelistic labors In the BrAhminicsl city of
Bensres or in the Moslem city of Pssha-
war, is this, that In London and In New
York the opposition to Christianity comes
largely from the thoushtless and irreli-
gious, while in Bensres and Peshawar the
missionary is opposed by the religious
thinkers of the day. Missionary societies
seem now to realize this great difference,
and to encourage their agents to adapt
themselves, 30 far "a possible, to the cus-
| toms and habits of Oriental people.
Up to the present time il would sppeAr
| that missionaries have succeeded In bring
ing into the church very fair number Of
converts, some of whom have given evi,
dence of piety and ability. l consider 1t G
remarkable circumstance that when oul
| native church in the center of the Moslen
/ city of Peshawar was dedicated there wer,
present not fewer than six clergymen vhC
had embraced Christianity from the rank
of Islam, and that one of them was the
pastor of the church, and another th,
special preacher on the occasion. And Il
is notable circumstance in the history oi
missions that the first native OF India Il
receive ordination from the hands of {
| Christian bishop was a converted Moham
medan, Rev. Abdul Msseeh, ordained By
Reginald Reber, the poet bishop of Cal
cutta. To the earnest minded missionary
there Is great cause for humiliation oi
soul and searehings of heart when tn,
failures of missionaries In their attempt h
convert Mohammsdsns are calmly consid
cred. But the historian, In recording th,
story of modern missions, remembers thA'
It took several centuries TO bring q small
country like Great Britain to q knowlSdg,
of Christ; for when Augustine landed II
England he found Christianity had beel
entirely bsnished from the midland part
of England, and that London was chiefly
heather.
And when l think of them ! often fee
that, small as the success of modern mis-
sions to Moslems may be, the alI-wis
Father has given us Just that amount o
success for which the Christian churol
was prepared, aud no morel In fact th
missionary forces among great OrIents
people, such as we find In Indis, In Persia
in China and In japan, are 30 weak that
Q very large number Of conversions too
pace in one single year, they would b
found altogether inadequate to meet III
exigencies of the time. The words of th
great missionary bishop of Calcutts, Rot
ert Millman when he wAs trayeIin
through the length and breadth of the va.
empire of Hindust&n with its wArlIke race
and its teeming multitudes of religion
thinkers), are still true-''The cry is Gs ss
onizipg as ever. Send us more men"