The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-03-18
The MISSIONARY is BADLY CoRnERED.
The Ex-Spanish Subject is
No Benighted Papist.
He ASKS SOME AWKWARD QUESTIONS
And Puzzles the Gospel Man
of the Windy City.

Now that the preachers are preparing
to peddlc their wares in Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines. it is interesting
to know how the "benighted Paptists'
OF these lands will receive them. If an
American citizen went amongst these
people and claimed to be an official rep
rcscntativc OF the United States govern
ment, they would Immediately ask him
to show his commission. When the Am
crican preachers descend OH the islands
it is but natural to expect that the i'll
habitants will be just us logical and ell
quire where these scli-appontcd mission
aries received authority to preach. 1t
will be rather difficult for the preachers
to answer that question to the satisfac-
ton OF the enquirer For they only rep
resent sccts which are but one hundred
or at most three hundred years i'll cx-
istcnce and they cannot trace back their
authority to Christ. Father Lambert
gives the following imaginary but natural
colloquy between one OF these preachers
and Porto Rican. 1t will be seen that
the illitcratc Porto Rcan puts the learn
cd preacher in a tight corner:
Prcacher-"l come to bring to you and
your beniglnted and your Romsh brcth-
ren the pure light OF the gospel"
Porto Rican-"That is very kind OF
you. Where do you come irom?"
P.-"From Chcago?'
p. R,-"Chicago? Chicago? Seems
to me ! have heard OF that place. Do
they have the light of the gospel there ?
And is the light as illustrated there the
kind OF light you bring us?"
Well Qlcsitatinglv), in a way
P. R.-"Wcll, VIC read OF the great po-
litical and moral corruption there, and
that the great mass Of the people do not
go to church at all. Do you come 10 teach
us the ways that prevail thcrc?"
Pho, come to teach you to avoid
their evil ways"
p. R.-"Would it not have been better
economy, a saving OF travelling expenses
il you had remained in Chicago and
taught its people to avoid their evil
ways?'
Pit is true, indeed, that the spirit
,lal needs Of Chicago are very great, and
the evangelical churches should increase
their zeal. but | must obey the COM
mand: Go into the world and prcacl,
the gospel"
p. R.-"Who gave you that COM
mand?"
P.-"Thc Lord"
+. R.-"Wl,cn and where? Please
show me your commission from tho
Pi;;-"Why, here i'll my hand. The Holy
Z. R.-"Pleasc show me therein the
record OF your commission"
p:-"All with eyes raised toward the
Milky Way), how profound is the ignor-
ancc OF the benightcd Papists! Here, do
you not see the text, Going teach all ma.
tons?'" ''''
+. R.-"Ycs, see it, but that was said
to certain well known men 1000 years
ago. That WAS their commission. But
] do not see what that has to do will,
you-Just arrived from Chicago. have
the same right to take that text to nv
sell that you have, and consider it a
command to take my gripsack and neck
tie ana go to Chicago and try to do the
work you left rndonc there to come here.
AS there is more crime, fraud, swindlinp
and general iniquity in Chicago in one
year than there is in Porto Rico in TWEEN
ty years, it seems that my obligation to
80 there is more imperative than yours
to come here. But the command to Go
teach the gospel was no more addressed
to me than it was To vOu "
P,"But | have been sent here by the
board OF missions"
+. R.-"But what authority has that
board any more than you or have to
tell what the true gospel is? Where is
that boards commission"
:. f-"lt was appointed by the Mctho-
dist church."
p. R.-"But where is the Methodist
churcl's commission?"
P.-"My benightcd friend, look at the
text again. Behold it, Go and teach /"
r. Ri have said that command was
addressed to certain men 1000 years ago
men who were the ministers of the
Church established by Christ. and not to
society established by John Wesley a
lew years ago That command has no
more to do with John Wesley and his So
ciety than it has to do with the Chicago
beef embalmng syndicates By the way,
are those syndcates the fruit of the
light you bring to us:'' y
P-"My benighted friend and victim
blessed book?"
p RI see the book in your hand.
1t seems to be very neatly bound: half
calf and gilt edge What is t?"
P-."Ah, my brand to be snatchcd
from the burning. it is the word OF God. I"
r. R.-"How do you know that; who
told you? Is it not published in Chicago? ?
You are fallible, your board is fallible and
your Methodist church i fallible-all as
fallible as I am. Why ST build l lake your
word gn Sc vital . point ss thata If You