The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-10-09
IHOBURN
FAYORS
EXPANSION.
The Veteran East India Mission.
airy Bishop Of the M. E. Church
Would Take in All
THF ISLANDS OF TaR PACIFIC.
The High Mission Of the English
Speaking Peoples is to Ad.
vance Christianity.


Bishop ]. N. Thoburn, who for over
forty years has been connected with
mission work in India, and who. by the
way, was born in ST. clairsville. and
is brother Of the late Colonel Tho
burn, of civil war fame, filled the pull
pit at both services yesterday at Fourth
Street M. 3. church. In his evening
discourse, he was greeted by q large
congregation. which heard a most In
terestIng discourse, one filed with the
prophecies Of the responsibilities Amer
lea must assume.
After sketching the progress Of the
missionary movement in India, Bishop
Thoburn turned to the Philippine Is
lands, and instanred christlanlty's adj
vancement In Manila since Its occupa-
ton by American troops. The bishop,
without Affecting any credit for 1t, stat
ed that he believed he was the first
to call the attention of the United
States to these islands, doing so In 1887
in letter to an American magazine.
Later, attempts to locate Protestant
missionaries there resulted in one Of
the number being Imprisoned. and
finally in Spanish tyranny forbldding
any further efforts, Bishop Thoburn
still held to the hope Of mission work
in the Philippines. but of all the ma
tons to open the door to religious toll
Grafton, the American was the last one
he lind expected.
Bishop Thoburn was in London when
Dewey's victory at Manila occurred,
and he graphically described the excite
lnent its announcement created. The
English papers came out with crossed
flags, the Union Jack and the Stars
and Stripes. Incidentally, the bishop
said that the English-speaklng people
were provtdenttatty called, and to them
will fall the lot Of the advancement Of
Christianity and civilization. He de-
scrlbed the services he Instituted in
Manila. In an old Filipino theatre, and
he was pleased to state that they were
being conducted every Sunday. There
were already twenty-slx Filipino con-
verts, of whom twenty-five were men.
There had been also established a SOL
diers' and seamen's institute, whose ac-
commodattons offset the saloons,
The Philippine question was not a po-
lltlcal or a military one. at is a ques-
ton of interpreting the footsteps of
God" said Bishop Thoburn. Contlnu-
ing. he said that supremacy great were
the future responsibilities Of tho Amer
lean people. He did not believe the
mission would halt with the Philip
pines. Ultimately, American influences
must continue westward until all Of the
islands of the Pacific get in touch with
higher forms of government and
knowledge of the Gospel. The bishop
noted the extent OF the trade Of this
country with China and Japan. and In
pleasing retrospect he recalled how,
when forty-one years ago, he left Gem
tire Wheeling in a bus to so to Bridge
port. there to take q train on his first
journey to India, how few were the
countries in Europe, Asia and South
America open to the Protestant mis-
slonary.
This country was only feeling but
part of Its coming responsibilities. he
continued. and 1t was due that this
young nation shall spread the Gospels
light; that the Philippine question was
the outcome of Providence. and 1t WAS
but the beginning of a wider expansion.