The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-22
MISSIONARIES.

America has revived anew the discussion
as TO the deserts and usefulness of this
profession which costs the Christian world
80 many thousands of dollars annually
to maintain.
This discussion Is always hot. There
are men who not only scoff at the mis-
sionaries, but who go further and de-
nounce them as worse than useless class.
The churches that commission them are
equally fervid in their support. We are
told on the one hand OF the individual
missionaries who are selfish and base, and
stories OF brave, self-sacrificing mis-
sionaries are familiar enough, and we are,
by inference, asked to judge OF the class
by the specific instances.
We have no doubt that there are black
sheep in the missionary fold as there are
in every class of human beings. We have
no doubt that the missionary is too often
but poorly equipped for his important
work, tactless and bigoted man with
an exaggerated or distorted sense of his
mission, not infrequently looking after
his own comfort quite as much as the
saving OF the souls he is commissioned to
garner for Christianity and civilization.
Perhaps no human attribute is so
rare as a spirit OF willing self-sacri'
| fice Perhaps nothing is less charac-
teristic among human qualities than
that OF absolute sincerity in every
word and act. Perhaps many mission
aries are as lacking in the divine spirit as
their detractors would claim. But we
think the evidence is clear that more OF
| them honestly seek to fulfill the pledges
OF their mission, and that good proper
| tion of these succeed in their work Of
| extending civilization and promoting
Christianity. The missionary is ever
| close upon the heels OF the soldier and
the pioneer, and frequently far in advance
of either of them, and the history OF civ
| iliztion records the value OF his peaceful
work.
Colonel JOHN A. CocKERILI, a man OF
wide experience and conservative obser-
vation, tells the New York Herald some
thing about the missionaries In Japan.
From what we have learned about Japan
| IN recent years we know that 1t Is not a
bsrbaric country, that its people are not
a heathen people, except in the sense that
they are not Christians. Their religion
has been Of character that it has per-
mitted the development of high state OF
can show q people whose life Is attuned
more closely to what is beautiful, gentle,
aesthetic, without being hesthenish. We
can imagine that more than any South
Sea Islander, a Japanese might be
difficult subject for conversion, because
he has so good religion OF his own, a
religion that he may defend by pointing
to his civilization and the practical re-
suits OF his piety. But Colonel CocKERILL
finds that even in Japan the Christian
missionaries certainly do great deal of
good. Their schools are excellent, their
orphans homes, benevolent institutions
and missions are well maintained, and
they greatly aid the spread OF foreign in
fiuence. Wherever they are established
they introduce languages, order, temper
ance, cleanliness and an inspiration for
better things. That they are much i'm
posed upon by hypocrites and pretenders
is but natural, out upon the whole they
are grandly useful to the cause OF that
civilization which we all maintain is des-
tined to encircle the globe.
Observes The Herald's representative:
"Whether the Christianized japanese are
better people than those who cling to
their ancients faiths ] am not prepared to
say. The opinion of many observant
foreigners who have come In contact with
them Is that they are not so good and
trust worthy as the original article OF citi-
zen-that is for Japan. The field OF labor
open to the missionaries OF every sect is
that OF temperance and morality, and in
this they all strive with non -sectarian
spirit. The results are necessarily good,
and are, think may safely say. almost
sufficient to justify the large outlay made
annually upon the missions. d"
We know, for instance, that the actual
work done by the missionaries in Japan
has included, by permission of the gov.
ernment, the giving to every soldier who
went TO the late war copy OF the Bible
A. n. ~