The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-18
TRAINING FOR MISSIONS
Preparing rou.. ci.-.,~e. 70.

work Among Foreigners.
The Rev. J. d. Mullin, the welf-knewn
English missionary. thus explains in de-
tail the system employed in England for
training clergymen of the Established
Church for work at foreign stations:
II fear there is a large number Of per-
sons whose views on the training Of mis-
sionaries recall the celebrated essay on
Snakes in Ireland: there are no snakes
in Ireland So, The Training OF Mis-
| sionaries: missionaries have no training
To hear some people talk one would sup
| pose that any anaemic and underbred
youth who has acquired stock Of fluent
piety has only to present himself to
| missionary society and he will be sent
| out a missionary on the first oppor-
tunity. Nothing could be further from the
truth. In all the great societies the Sc
lection of candidates Is conducted with
care-sometimes very minute care. Ref
erences are required. tie candidates an
tecedents are looked into, medical ex-
aminations Of stringent character must
be passed, and many interviews must be
undergone before the candidate is ac-
| cepted. One society. which receives an
| averag. OF over 900 applications every
yea. rejects Ave for that II accepts
| Cur.Ously enough, next to defective I by
sfque. an Imperfect knowledge OF the Bible
Is one Of the most frequent causes OF re-
iectiJu
Either before or after his selection by .
society the candidate must undergo pro-
ionged course Of training. Not one of the
great societies will send out a raw. IN
trained. untested man. The venerable So
ciety for the Propagation of the Gospel
trains Its mel, unless they have come to
1t already ordained, at st. Augustine's Col
lege, Canterbury. The London Missionary
Society does not pay for the training OF
candidates. but expects them TO have OBJ
tanned a training at one of the excellent
theological colleges OF the Congregational
lists. The cost of this training, by the way.
either comes out Of the candidates own
pocket or is betrayed by the congregation
to which he belongs scmew what similar
usage prevails with the Baptist, Wesleyan,
and other leading Non-conformlst societies.
though I believe that in some cases the
societies pay for the training OF candidates
in the theological colleges OF the deuomina-
ton. The agents Of the China Inland and
Congo Balolo missions owe a great debt to
Harley House and Cliffe College. Here let
me say that no training is more thorough
or prolonged than that OF the Scottish
Presbyterians who go forth to their min
isteriai Iabors, whether at home or abroad.
furnished with mental equipment OF un-
eQualei completeness. II may be a result
OF this training that so many Scotch mis-
sionariss have become famous.
The Church Missionary Society stands
somewhat alone in the variety of the
agents which 1t employs. and therefore
the diversity of its modes Of training
4 sketch of its methods may serve as an
illustration of what is required Of a mis-
sionary.
.'Many of IT'S candidates are c!ersymen
from the universities, with good pro-
portion OF honor men. This year one of
the outgoing missionaries is fellow OF
his college, and was senior wrangler a
few years ago Such men as these the
society does not train. unless they happen
to need special coaching of some kind.
Medical men. however. though fully quail
fed. frequently enter the scciety's college
at fslington for a term or two Of theo-
logical study. University graduates who
are accepted by the society while as vet
laymen. also go into the college for
short time.
But we have principally to deal with
a different type. Here is a young Du5i
ness man who has offered his services to
the society. From many points Of view
he has been narrowly scrutinizsd and h.
has stood the test. How is he to be mais:
into missionary? II he is not up 10 ,hs
educa tional standard of she colleges he IS
sent TO the society's preparatory iDs;itd-
ton at Chaplain, perhaps for year. He
works hard there, as rule. for he is
anxious 10 pass the examination whica
will admit him to Islington.
Here Severer strain awaits him.
Probably no set of men in England work
harder than these Islington students.
They young men who have passed.
severe medical examination and are,
therefore, presumably fit; they are
OF purpose and three years are oil
O'short for what they have to do. Con-
seguently their standard of work is very
high. As one who has repeatedly exam
ined them in more than one subject. che
writer can testify to the unusual .hor-
Dughness OF their work.
They learn enough Latin to enable them
20 translate an easy author and reach
lbout the same standard in classical
ireek. In logic they would probably sat
sly the Mods examiners at Oxford.
Their study of the Greek Testament is
more thorough and they obtain a work.
ng knowledge of Hebrew better knowl-
dge, am afraid than that possessed by
he majority of English clergy. Other
theological subjects studied in about
he same measure.
$50 much for the intellectual equipment
# the students. 1t means great deal
4 study crammed as it is into period
4 three years. but It is accomplished. In
he Cambridge preliminary theological ex-
NINA ton. test which most BISHOPS re-
ure their candidates for holy orders to
ass, the IslingtOu College students uni
ormIy do we'll. In the Bishop of Lon
on's ordination examination their sue
ess is phenomenal For al least ten years
asst the gospeler-that is. the candidate
Tho has come out highest on the list az
ne Trinity ordination-has been an ISL
,gtOn man. while most OF the other ISL
lgton students have taken high places.
This is not all. The students must be
repaired for the practical side of their
ork. Accordingly mission districts in
he slums of Islington are visited. sunday
rboois are taught, mission services ara
and in other ways the students
cgin at home the evangelistic work
hich they are to engage in abroad
part from the training thus afforded an
lsight is gained into the capacity of each
-udent for particular branches of the
labor. an insight which is
irned 10 account when the time comes
n assigning him to his sphere OF work.
Even this does not exhaust the occu-
atoms of those very full three years.
any missionary's lot is east In places
here no medical aid is Forthcoming 1t
/. therefore. of the highest Importance
lat he should know something of msd,-
ne, theoretical and practical. "A little
arning'' may be "a dangerous thing
ii it is Infinitely better than ncnc at all.