Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-08-11


raounced that the American
Commissioners for Foreign
are about TO send a commit
r'ueut clerCmeu 20 investigate
.e1ces which are said 20 exist
-he missionaries under the
Jurisdiction I'm Japan and the
Churches. The subject has not
-al much interest. except
those who are directly Interest
reign missions. but it is doubt
med 90 attract O great deal Of
since it has arisen from
Iairs unique in the history Of
EFFORT and also marks an
development Of a most inn
sious movement.
chat there is at present i'm
country q distinguished japanese
man Who thoroughly UNI
the attitude Of his co-relig-
ir Japan and who is quite ca
of explaining the occurrences
..a have pn r-'y caused no little
connection tu tlel .He.ous world. The
writer has @ unate enough to
obtain u.. PLANTATION, and it is
herewith H-.. no change having
f..r -. form in which he re-
cs e such Authorizations as
bean rendered necessary by the
--0t this article.
recent newspaper statement
ss gentleman. chat within q few
v.Es G.pu-ali0n appointed by the
r.ran Board of Commissioners for
sD Missions viii sail for Japan Co
Investigate certain differences alleged
exist there marks an important era
modern missionary history The
taken by many of my fellow
.Ians iu Japan. broadly stated. is
our country needs Christianity,
M mo- longer missionaries from
oi Iu rle event. therefore, that the
Japanese C0ngregauOnalists (am0ng
whom This question has Doe en- raised
.Ill decline any further pecuuiary
. for home missionary work from the
American Board, no one at an familiar
ID the situation win DE ast0uished.
The resolution passed at their tenth
neral conference. which is 90 take eff
..r n 1896. forcshadOws this result.
49, tho same time they heartily oc-
knowledge their past obligations 20 the
Board and clearly show the value i'm
which they hold the ira-erual relations
which exist between them and foreign
Christian bodies. But even before their
resolution was passed the Syu0dical
Home Mission Board of the Japanese
PRESBYTERIAN Church. had already Gin
July. 1S94) ceased t0 have any hnan-
cial connection with the mission boards
% foreign Dresbyteries. Although the
C0ugrcgarouist iu Japan were not So
called independents but q united body
vet it lis quite natural for them to desire
90 separate from the missionaries.
For several years this tendency has
been plainly manifest. and get mission
aries Ou the spot have apparently been
unable t0 correctly estimate either the
force cr direction OF the movement.
What the COu2reGatiOnalis-s I'm Japan.
rl indeed Dc may Doe said every de-
nomination. has prayed for has been
financial Independence. Yet. 1 regret
t. sly it is missionaries who have tried
-- convince rhe Christian public that
Mnnese Christians desired money,
fl- not missionaries from abroad. The
truth is that their aspiration lis 10 be
81. .e some lly t0 decline money as Well
mon this not I'm q hostile or lntoi-
...nt sririt hut in the exercise of that
liberty o. conscience and of control
which an intelligent Christian bodies
claim and exercise for themselves.
It's said iu Che newspaper article re-
fsrrei to that the American Board OF
Missions annually spends 100000 i'm
rn9r. but &c should Dee distinctly UNI
f.--.o0l that neither nor the greater
part of this sum goes t0 the support of
native churches To is used principal
d. for the actual support of Che Boards
mis- iou1ries. and &C. is hardly in any
wise directly beneficial 90 the local
Christian movement.
"rhe aggregate expenditure IN lle
missionary fold in Japan is approx
maUy 100000. There are present
1IIG2 memeuers iu the soventy-three
Japanese C1u- s1t.Onal churches.
which. durug the last year contrib
vteI IL 100 vau fo various religious pur-
poses. and yen bon Japan have prac'.-
'N the purchasing power OF me u'.-
I.r in this country. Ihe net increase
D. membership In this denomination.
however. was only So turus iie year
r..t-g5. This result is naturally
disapp oinment to Christians 3D..
ue and abroad. The lresoyterlans
r 2lirod 0uE thirty new members
Che fifty churches within me e,t.e-