New-York tribune., 1900-04-05
MISSIONARIES AS CIVILIZERS.
THEIR WORK WITH AND WITHOUT THE PRoTEc.
TON OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The japanese criticisms of missionaries in
Japan mentioned in article in your paper this
morning remind that no method of propagat-
Ing Christianity has satisfactory to per-
sons who cared nothing about IT. Jesus Christ
found it impossible to suit the people of His day
He Himself said that John the Baptist came as
an ascetic. and the people said he had a devil; as
We should say now, he was fanatic. Christ came
eating and drinking what the people about him
ate and drank accepting invitations to weddings
and dinner parties, and the people said he couldn't
be religious teacher; He was winebibber and a
glutton.
If missionary puts on a breechclout and preach
es nothing but salvation, he is to-day condemned
for not teaching civilization. If he a clean
shirt and lives under roof he is derided-at home
for his luxury and reminded that his Master
had not where to lay His head.
| know a who is now living among the
African dwarfs in an endeavor to teach them
Christianity. No surroundings can be more re-
pulsive, and few can be more dangerous. 1t would
do him good call for his country's arrny and
navy to protect him. Plenty of the missionaries
OF to-day have ventured into the regions of the
cannioals OF Africa and the Pacific islands: some
have survived and some have not 1t is seldom
that a missionary has called for armed protection
and L think never against savages though I NAV
De mistaken There have been cases where a
government has made the dangers of its missionary
subjects excuse for enIarging its territories or
Its sphere Of influence" There are proba bly more
cases where missionaries have protected the navy
-ar- Darwin said more than sixty years ago that
shipWrecked sailors might be thankful If the storm
cast them upon coast where the missonarie had
been at work. and dozen years ago the british
IaHal commander in Australia said il would ha We
heeh Impossible Tor him to his orders TO
9ulnef the NeW-Guinea Coast if the Rev. Mr..
I@a~es had not gone among its cannibal inhab hi
tahls ana civilized them. Missionaries are as
itauy as the Apostles 10 expose Themselves
10 hardshlps and dangers. and probably no Apostle
ever dld expose himself TO as great dangers and
hardsnlps as many nineteenth century mission
aries have done. -'
The measure Of success attained by modern mis-
sionaries may seem small, but according to such
Information as We have, it is more rapid than the
success achieved by tho Apostles ~
When missionaries go !nto countries with settled
governments and claiming a high civilization like
Japan ana CHINA, they may probably expect such
security as is promised by the treaties hetween
ernments of the United States and of Europe They
nave seldom, however asked for armed protec.
tlon from their own governments Our Jananeea
Irlend was particularly unfortunate in citing the
example or Paul, for we have the record of four
occasions On which that eminent missionary an
zen. II he might appeal to Cesar know not xVhv
an american missionary may appeal to the
United States. - ~ ''N
Persons who believe the teaching of civilization s
more important than the teaching of religion are
tne last persons who ought to complain IL the mis-
sonaTies set the examples of civilized homes be-
lore the people among whom they live and ~ tbis
retarded the work of missionaries IL would have
been discovered and remeded by the persons who
are most deeply interested in seeing missions sue
cessful- 9 y % Soe- ~
New-York. April l. 1900