The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-22

for half an hour. the great audience giving
him the closest attention He said in part:
I'm the name of the committees that
have invited you and prepared for your
coming, and OF the Foreign Missionary So
ciettes OF the United States and Canada I
extend 10 you, brethren OF every name and
land beyond the Seas. most hearty welcome
and salutations in the Lord.
Some OF US who sat in the great confer
ence in Exeter Hall twelve years ago said
to ourselves: This scene must be repeated.
and its dimensions enlarged, on the other
side OF the sea. Accordingly, in January,
196. the representatives of the American
Foreign Missionary Societies appointed a
committee to consider the expediency of
converting an Ecumenical Conference on
Foreign Missions in this country within the
next four years. A year later. on report OF
this committee, it was voted TO convene
such a conference in the city of New York,
III 1900. in the month of April, and to in
wife every Protestant Foreign Missionary
Society in the world to participate. A year
later the acceptance of this invitation by
the great majority of societies was re-
ported. and the work of preparation was
laid out In detail, assigned 10 various COM
mittees in this country and in Great Brit
ain, and has been pressed with utmost
diligence, vast labor, unceasing prayer, and
at no little cost Of time and resources, until
to-day witnesses the preparations COM
plete, your presence a joyous reality. and
the conference which closes one pregnant
century of foreign missionary history and
glory Is here convened.
Eve do not forget the conferences of 1854,
of 1860, 1878. 1883. in England when
speak OF this as the greatest of all. We re-
member noble conferences in India, China.
Japan, when claim for this higher
promise and prayer. Nearly four hundred
societies. great and small, are in place of a
half dozen when the century began The
few score Of missionaries then have multi
piled TO sixteen thousand at work in every
continent and nation and island of the
globe And the missionary enterprise al
ready records great successes and signal
triumphs: and the preparation is complete
for wider reach and more rapid growth
than the world has yet seen. The Church
OF Christ is rising in India and China and
i'm all the unevangelized portions of the
world, and Its membership of million and
a half is increasing at unprecedented
rate.
Lately we have seen a new and wonder
full thing. In the war Of the British against
the Beers men from Canada and India and
Australia have stood with those from
Britain and proved at once their valor and
their loyalty. The unity of the British
empire on every continent In both hemi-
spheres Is thus revealed and confirmed. So
at the front. in this missionary campaign,
we md PrOteStantS of every name and
land, standing shoulder to shoulder. and
moving as one. The unity of Christ's
earthly kingdom stands forth to the view
OF all and deepened to a changeless and
resistless power. We are entering on an
era or missionary opportunity and power
SUCH as the world has never known. The
recent expansion of American territory
and responsibility is so striking as to make
this an epoch In our national history; the
fierce war of brave peoples in South Africa
fixes the gaze OF the world and in which
the destinies of the great States-of a con-
tinent-are at stake: the ferment and ap-
parent breakup of China, in which the
great powers of Europe. and of one-fourth
OF the human race are intimately involved;
that convention of the great powers at The
Hague; these are great events, and NAV
seem TO some to suggest If they do not
constitute the most significant fact of the
times.
I'VE gather here to rehearse what God
has done In the century past. to marshal
anew our Christian forces and to await
the call of God for the century to come
His purpose is plain; the field is open; the
march has begun; and Ii rests with us
what share we shall have in the glorious
toll and yet more glorious victory,
He is sounding forth the trumpet that
shall never call retreat.
BE swift, my soul, to answer Him. be iubi-
liant my feet
Our God is marching on"
Addresses were made by the Rev. r.
Wardlow Thompson. of the British delega-
ton; Rev. A. Schrieber, of Berlin; Rev.
Joseph King. of the Australian delegation.
and Rev. DR.. Jacob Chamberlain. Robert
A. Speer read the report of the general
committee. This closed the afternoon ses-
sion.