The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-07-31
MISSIONARY RESPONSIBILITY

Are the missionaries to blame for the
sad state of things in China? Are they
meddling with affairs that do not con-
Germ them? Is their taking off right
eous retribution for spirit of prose-
lyting intolerance which has merely
robbed the Chinaman of his peace of
mind and upset his cherished institu-
tons? Such charges are made public.
How are they to be dealt with?
The answer concerns the validity of
the Christian religion. If that is In
deed the true faith then the mission
aries In seeking to carry its message
into the heart of China, are but doing
their plain duty. go we into all the
world and preach the Gospel unto ev-
cry creature" is a command which, If
it comes from God, precludes neglect of
missionary effort on the part of His
church. Come what may to the bear
ers, the cross must go forward.
With millions of people faith In the
validity of the Christian religion per-
mlts itself no phase of doubt. Believ-
ers as they are, these men and women
would be, in their own opinion and
those of others. mere hypocrites and
time-servers II they refused their aid
for any cause, whatever. in spreading
the Gospel among the heather AS
true Christians 1t is their duty to pro-
selyte-to not only search the by-ways
and hedges and compel the unbeliev-
er to come in but to penetrate the ut
termost parts of the earth to teach
the way of salvation.
In other words II the cause of the
missionary is right his course is right.
If not, who shall convince him of his
error? Either way he will stay by his
work and take whatever evil comes to
him and his with that fortitude which
has been the shield and armor of re-
ligious martyrdom in all ages. 1t is
useless to try and drive or lure him
from his task. He must be dealt with
as a permanency; not as an expert
mentalist who may be induced to avoid
trouble for himself and others for the
sake of peace and quiet among the ma
lions. Il came not" said the Master,
ito bring peace into the world. but
sword"
BIoodshed and torture have always
and If men had been deferred from the
active pursuits of religion by that fact,
the world would yet be in spiritual
hS SNoiy VI NSuo 'uio 10
that of the prosecutions of the Chris |
tians In imperial and pagan Rome. |
Men, women and children were thrust .
into the arena to be eaten by dogs and
lions, to be bitten by snakes and torn
to pieces by great birds; to be covered
with pitch and made to blaze as hui
man torches. Yet where the Coliseum
stands In ruins to-day the cross rises
in its majesty and all but universal
power. The blood of the martyrs was
the seed OF the church. And so despite I
the horrors of massacre and the physi-
cal dread of death the missionary goes
on with his great work in the belief,
which history attests, that, In the long
run, the world will be the better for II. .
Every century of active Christian la
Dor. replete though 1t has been in trag-
edy, has made the earth better place
TO live In and given 1t more people fit
to live. True the lives of the pagans
were disturbed; their peace OF mind
was invaded; their cherished institu-
tions were upset-but II we hold that
we are more fortunate In living In this
century than were those who lived In
preceding ones 1t is largely because
the Christian religion has been success
full In undermining paganism with Its
mighty wrongs and creating new ideals
OF progress.