New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-12
MISSIONARY RIVALRY.

The Ecumencal Conference on Foreign Mis-
sions which is TO meet In this city next month
will discuss question of paramount Importance
to Christianity. namely, the need of comfy and
cooperation in the foreign mission field. At
present the various denominations compete with
one another They are trying to propagate de-
nominatonalism, first of ALL rather than Chris
tianty. That this statement is not overdrawn is
shown by the following declaration by prom-
nent member of the China Inland Mission:
A pioneer goes to'a far inland city lives down
opposition. bears patiently the insults heaped
upon him by the people; eventually he succeeds
in establishing a small church. which he en-
beavers to organize on self-supporting basis.
and tries to train every member for sort
of work. All goes well till the agent of some
other mission. hearing that good footing has
been obtained there. thinks that his mission
should have work in that city. So he comes
along, passing over several cities where there is
no missionary BUYS a lot of land builds a big
house, chapel. school or hospital, and with great
show of wealth attracts many of the people to
himself gives employment TO Christian converts
in the poorer church. and ere long completely
overshadows the work of the who has
borne the heat and burden of the day before
him.
1t needs no argument TO prove that work thus
prosecuted Is not SO fruitful of results as it
should be- And would suppose that all
Christians would see its folly. Such however
is not the case The rigid Roman Catholic or
evil results of such internecine efforts. But his
only remedy for 1t is the suggestion that every
other denomination shall recognize his as alone
embodyiug the truth of the Gospel. The Roman
Catholic, for instance, declares with entire sin
certify that all other forms of Christianity are
either false or imperfect and therefore any
recognition of them as cowOrkers would be
treason TO the Church Each Protestant demon
nation takes the same ground and must take
it SO long as Christianity is identified with de-
nominatiOnal theology. How. for example can
Baptist believing baptism by immersion to be
the diviney constituted mode of entrance into
Christian fellowship, admit that baptism by
sprinkling is just as effectual? From his point
of view, he is justified in urging immersion even
on those who have been baptized by other forms
The same thing is true of the distinctive tenets
held by other denominations. Every missionary
sent out by a denomination feels himself honor
ably bound to preach q UNCONVENTIONAL Chris
uanlty ana so long as that is the case the mis-
sonaries III the foreign field will feel themselves
In duty bound TO invade each others fields
1t is not just easy to see what remedy the Con
ference will be able to propose "The EVANGELISM
thinks that the missionaries are personally ready
to act on the principle of UNCONVENTIONAL comfy
and we can easily believe that many of them
seeing the evils of the present cutthroat policy.
DR.. Duff who said that he would as soon leap
Into the Gauges as go near Tinnevelli except
las visitor" because the Church Of England
had mission at that place. But thu mission
aries are only the agents of the missionary
boards which in turn are the agents of denomi-
nations, each one Of which insists that it's mis-
sionaries Shall preach the Gospel according 80
the denomination. Few Christians would SUD-
port purely undenominatonal mission. and.
were such mission established, the denomina-
tional Journals at home would vigorously con-
denim 1t as an emasculated form of Christianity
little less Objectionable than heathenism itself
Nevertheless, 1t is plain that the evils of the
present system are coming more and more to be
recognized. The calling of this Conference is
itself evidence of this fact, and il NAV be that
In the course of the next few years the complete
breakdown of rival missionary efforts will COM
pei the churches to adopt some form of mission
airy cooperation.