The National tribune., 1893-08-24
MISSIONARY WORK.

sny that my views harmonic with its editorial
utterances most subjects, but am compelled to
enter protest concerning your editorial note in
the issue of July p in relation TO foreign missionary
work Many of your readers are Ministers OF the
| Gospel who believe that " God hath made of one
blood ali nations of men TO dwell on all the face
of the earth,n and who In the heather of India,
| China and other lands brothers whom IL is their
duty 10 rescue from idolatry and superstition.
Many of the old veterans who read your paper are
Christian laymen who pray for the coming OF
Christs Kingdom and give largely of their means
| to further its progress One of the best"known
veterans of the United States is Chaplain McCabe,
who has talked and sung millions of dollars into
the Lords treasury for the help of humanity at
home and abroad Upon the Christian Church is
laid tho obligation by no less authority than Christ
himself 10 " Go into oil The scorid aud preach the
Gospel to every creature" 1t is also a well-known
fact that the churches that doing most for the
salvation of men in foreign lands are also doing
most for the same purpose at home The Methodist
Episcopal Church will expend this year for mission
work on foreign soil 81 Oh. 1873. and for purely
missionary work In the United States and Terri
tories $751; 3S3 Besides all this its Church Exten-
sion Society aids in building churches all over tho
great West and the South. Its Freedmens Aid
Society establishes and supports schools for the
coiored people and whites throughout the South, in
which enterprise it has expended millions Of dol
lars and educated many thousands of both races for
the practical duties of life. On what was formerly
slave territory and including Oklahoma and Indian
Territories it has 500, 225 commandments and 6O2l
churches the latter valued at 1881 $50. In addi
ton 10 all this large sums Of money are expended
In the DeRconess work and local missionary effort
in the great centers OF population and other places
/ have not the records of other branches of the
Christian Church at hand but sure raj the facts
will show that in every instance where any Of the
leading denominations is doing any considerable
missionary work in foreign lands, 1t is also doing
much to evangeze the at home. You will
also find that in every case where Church has
been void of that missionary spirit that aims to
send the Gospel the heather in foreign lands it
| has accomplished very little at home. Any argu-
ment that would withhold the Gospel of Christ
from the heather in other countries would be an
equally valid reason why should not have 1t nj
home. It's motto is, Christ for all the world and
all the world for Christ"
Yours in F. c. and L.,
j. r. KEyEs,
Pastor Methodist Episcopal Church, New Lisbon,O o.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Is the Editor of
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE often right. right upon
this question having mention recently in his pa
per? Are not the following points true:
l. That all denominations of recognized Christian
earnestness whose efforts are prOspered, have en-
gagged, without exception, in missionary enter
prises.
q That such denominations lead all others (if
others can be found in their work in home fields.
g. That these Christians, numbered by the mil
lions, having wise leaders whose intelligence
would not be called in OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES equal
in intelligence and character with any people that
the Editor, we venture to say, may name In con-
nection with them-are moved to do this not by any
inconsiderate enthusiasm, but by the profound con-
friction that Jesus Christ tells them TO do It AS,
for instance Matt, %: TO- 20: go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
OF the Father, and of the Son. and of the Holy
Ghost: teaching them to observe all things what
soever have commanded you; and, 10, am with
you Away, even unto the end Of the world" Here
is not only missionary effort commanded, but to be
continued to the end of the world. As these
Christians claim 10 be SOLDIERS" of this great
Captain, they seek to obey him here elsewhere.
II the Editor succeed in his vast revolution and
persuades these Christians 10 abandon missionary
effort. rs indicated, only two courses open
TO secure il:
]. Convince them that the Bible is not to be
believed; or,
2. That it does not teach the duty of foreign mis-
mon work.
Can a deep conviction be removed in any other
way?
Now, there are very many Christians who
supporters and admirers of THE NATIONAL TRIB-
uSE and they expect TO be- for its general course
is well worthy of such regard: but its attitude.
nevertheless, on this subject makes them sarry.
ONE OF THE CHRISTIANS.
Deavan, Wis, July %. 1893.
Our correspondents present their side of
the case with great force, and yet We persist
in our belief that the money, zeal, and
energy which has been applied to foreign
missionary work had better be concentrated
on home fields of effort This for two
| reasons:
/. That there are important fields of labor
in this country which have been sadly
neglected, and our duty is first toward those
| of our own household; and
2 The discouraging barrenness of results
from an enormous expenditure of money,
ability, and religious zeal in foreign fields,
notably those of China and India.
AS TO the frst-and going outside of our
great cities, which at once suggest them
selves-we firmly believe that nowhere on
| earth is there greater need of missionary
work than among the poor whites of the
! South, particularly those of the mountain
regions. The writer speaks from expert
ence for he was born and reared among
those people, and he is confident that no.
where can be found men and women liv-
| ing on lower moral plane, and yet who
would respond more quickly to the right
kind of religious instruction? A large por-
ton of them-especially those dwelling in
the desolate pine barrens and in the out
of-the-way mountain recesses-are the de-
| scendants of the criminals, paupers, and
Migrants whom England exported to this
country about two centuries ago and sold
| to the planters. They worked out their
time escaped, or were driven off the plan
tations when the planters found that the
labor of purchased slaves-held for life
was more profitable than that of these
white bondsmen. They "squatted on any
| piece of worthless land they could find, and
if their descendants have not refrigerated
| thew have at least not advanced Tt was al