The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-30
KIssIoNAaY r. sPoNsIB LIrY

Are the missionaries to blame for the
sad sta1e OF things In China? Are they
meddlir q with affairs that do not con-
Germ them? Is their taking off a right
eous retrlbution for a spirit of prose-
lyting Intolerance which has merely
robbed the Chinaman of his peace of
mind aId upset his cherished institu-
tons? such charges are made public.
How are hey TO be dealt with?
The answer concerns the validity of
the CLr.st-an religion. If that is in
deed tie true faith then the mission
aries in seeking to carry its message
into the Leart Of China, are but doing
their plain duty. Go we into all the
world a. G preach the Gospel unto ev-
cry creature" is a command which, IL
IL comes from God, precludes neglect Of
missionary effort on the part of His
church. Cone what may to the bear
ers. the cross must go forward.
With millions of people faith I'm the
validity Of the Christian religion per-
mits 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-serveTs, If they refused their aid
Tor any cause, whatever, in spreading
>the Gospel among the heather. AS
ue Christians 1t is their duty to pro-
'seiyte-to not only search the by-ways
and hedges and compel the unbeliev-
er to cone in but to penetrate the ut
termost parts of the earth to teach
the way of salvation.
In other words IL the cause of the
missionary Is right his course is right.
IL 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 arnor of re-
ligious martyrdom in all ages. II is
useless to try and drive or lure him
from his task. He must be dealt with
an n 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. II came not" said the Master.
Ito bring peace into the world, but
sword
Bloodshed and torture have always
marked the line of religious advance
and II men had been deferred from the
active pursuits OF religion by that fact,
the world would yet be in spiritual
darkness. The story of Quo vadis is
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 hu-
man torches. Yet where the Coliseum
stands In ruins to-day the cross rises
In Its majesty and all but universal
power. Tie blood of the martyrs was
the seed of the church. And so despite
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 it,
Every century of active Christian la
Dor. replete though 1t has been in trag-
edy. has made the earth q 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-
lions were upset-but II we hold that
we are more fortunate I'm living in this
than were those who lived in
preceding ones IL Is largely because
he Christian religion has been success
'ul In undermining paganism with its |
mighty wrongs and creating new ideals |
II progress.