New-York tribune., 1900-04-26
THE ErTMENIC4L CONFERENCE.

The deliberations of the Ecumenical Mission
ary Conference thus far furnish not the slightest
evidence that the widespread tendency 10 soften
the harsher features OF the traditional Protest
ant theology has "cut the nerve of missions.
The public became familiar with that assertion a
few years ago in connection with the contrO-
versy that arose III the American Board over
the status of certain candidates for the foreign
mission field, who either expressed belief in
the opportunity of a probation after death for
the heathen, or al least hoped that there would
be such an opportunity for those 10 whom il
had not been vouchsafed in this life. The
Board if remember Alright, virtually decided
that such an opinion within the limits Of
tolerated belief, whereupon there We're numer
ous predictions Of the speedy failure of its work
which predictions. are glad to say. have not
vet been fulfilled Indeed. it appears to have
renewed its youth, and ii is carrying on its
various missionary enterprises with all It's old
time energy and zeal
Nor Is there any tone of failure or despair in
the reports of the delegates in the Conference
from the other great missionary societies. They
will doubtless note with amusement mingled
with contempt the effort of certain agnoStic
critics of modern Christianity to persuade them
that while they have been working so heroicaly
in the foreign field the churches at home have
dels of The faith. 1t Is not within the scope of
the Conference TO discuss theological tendencies
or to decide between the conservative and ira
ditonal schools of thought. and the representa-
tive men who compose It's membership are in
nowise disturbed by the fact that Christianity,
being living force and not dead mummy in
closed In a cabinet, is constantly discardng old
opinions and adopting new conceptions Of the
old fundamental verities. They remember that
when ST Paul and the other Apostolic mission
aries were laying the foundations of Christian
ity ia foreign lands the infant Church was torn
by the question whether Gentle convert to
Christianity should be circumcised according to
the Mosaic law. II was question of tremen-
doGs Importance TO the early Christians. The
conservatives. of course, insisted on circumcision
and stood firmly on the word of Scripture as
| the conservatives OF the churches do today
| And doubtless the agnostic Sadducees OF that
! time denounced Paul and Barnabas as nfidels
/ because they presumed TO discard this rite in
| admitting Gentlles TO the Church. Like their
| descendants to-day. whose only object Is To
| put the Church In hole" they proved to their
/ own satisfaction that the great Apostle to the
! Gentiles threw overheard the whole scheme of
revelation. For if one part of the Scripture
was untrue II was all untrue; but the Council Of
Jerusalem overturned this pretty house of cards
/ and vindicated Paul the infidel ana heretic
! The truth II, the play and interplay of Chris
| tian thought and opinion are brought home TO
! the Consciousness Of the missionary in the
| foreign field. The many religious and ethical
questions raised by his daily contact with an
alien religion and civilization must more or less
! color and modify Ills Views OF Christian doe
! trine The agnOslc contention that all church
members must he absolutely uniform in their
| belief is OF course absurd, aud il is put forth
! only 10 embarrass the churches. But even If
! such an absolute uniformity Of belief and opin-
! ion actually did exist in the home churches no
foreign missionary who is worth his salt would
long maintain il. Without giving up his belief
in any of the fundamentals Of the faith I've
would come TO view the faith from new
angle. that of it's adaptabllity 10 the hes then J.:
/ and he would realize how trivial and transitory