The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-13
CARR ON MISSIONS
Practical Views From a Prac-
teal Phtlanthroptst.
BISHOP PEARcE's PARABLE
Not Question Of Heather But
Responsibility Of Christians.
The FoURra DAYS SESSION
Much Current Work Dispatched
a Conference Sunday School Sec
retarY--Some Talk Of state
Aid" L. L. Smith for II.
Aid" l.. l. Smith for It.

retarY--some Talk Of state
Aid" L. L. Smith for Il.
Kinston, n O., Dec. 12.-( Editorial cor
respondence.J lit is not often that lay.
man speaks in a Methodist conference.
Many Of the ministers think it is all too
seldom, and they were pleased last night
to hear the subject Of missions discussed
from tho standpoint Of a layman, who be-
IieTes in carrying the gospel into the re-
gions beyond and has shown his faith by
lis works.
The speaker was Col Julian S. Carr.
the millionaire philanthropist of Durham.
He is perhaps the busiest man in the
State. Besides his great tobacco BUSH
ness, the direction Of which is enough to
give one strong man all the work he can
can do, Col Carr is President of the First
National Bank OF Durham, and an Of
tcer in6Benty other industrial enterpris-
es, and the main mover in nearly every
great undertaking requiring large public
spirit in the State.
Laymen often excuse themselves from
speaking in their churches or church
gatherings because they are rushed with
business, and cannot take time. This is
often true, but it is also true that if they
would resolutely take the time they would
find that they could do it with profit to
themselves and the cause of religion and
morality II there is any business man
in the State who could say Pray have
me excused" on the ground Of having to
so and try the new oxen he had bought
or for any other reason affecting import
ant business interests, Col. Carr could
offer it, perhaps, with more reasonable
ness than any other Methodist layman
in the State But, when invited to make
the leading address on Missions at this
great gathering of his church, he obeyed
the command Of his church to serve it
just as he obeys the command to duty in
all other concerns in his busy life.
/ have thought chat the readers Of the
Sunday edition Of the News and Observer
would be glad to read what this practical
and successful business man thought
| about Foreign Mission work of the
evangelical churches of to-day 1t has
become rather common Of late to hear
men Of influence oppose Foreign Missions,
and declare that until all the iIliterste
and the poor at our doors were educated
the churches ought not to un-
dertake to send the gospel to
those who ''sit in darkness" be-
yond the seas. This view appeals, on
the surface, so some business men as
fulfilling the gospel injunction Begin
ming at Jerusalem" but those Christian
laymen who most devoutly study the
Word are those who believe most strong
" in the foreign mission work.
For myself, l believe the interest
in the foreign mission work has been
much hindered by the argument often
heard that all the heather will be damned
who die without hearing the truths of
the gospel. l do not believe any such
thing, though ] have all respect for those
who teach it. / remember once attending
q union missionary service in Goldsboro
where the Baptist, Methodist and Pres
byterian preachers urged greater liber-
atty to the cause Of missions, the chief
argument being that every heather who
died without hearing Of Christ would be
eternany damned. IL that is ,othodox
theology, fear l am hereto. l was
a boy then and had given little thought
to the matter, but can never forget that
this view of the mission work impressed
me seriously as radically wrong, if not
fundamentally false. We can trust God
to take care OF the heather, and appeal
to Christians to send the gospel to them
because to do so is to fulfil the divine
command. That is the highest appeal that
could be made. 1t is the way to reach
men who really believe in the religion
Of Jesus. Bishop Pearce uttered para
BILE when, in answer to the question:
'Will the heathern be saved If we do not
send them the gospelg' he replied in sub
stance that the question that concerned
Christians was not whether the heather
would be saved without the gospel, but
whether processing Christians themselves
would be saved If they withheld the COS
pei from the heather"
J. d.