Arizona republican., 1903-11-08
The Persistence of ti:e Missionary
 Spirit.


 that thc lives. time. effort and money devoted 70 yhe conversion Of the Asia tfe races Go Christianity orc wasted. the missionary spirit in all ths ,r-rszrr. Catholic and P--tostant. reer- t- grow st-1aEer each year And ;his apparent growth Is unques- tiraabie. if meaFu-ei by financial con tritutI-re % is not Foz-i5le tcr more indiviG-aI z--I Go S- manifested now than To the past. l7r the herc.c sac tlases which have 5eca made by Cath su. priests and Protestant r-issiona- rios Go convert the heatEcn have fur rislrI como o- ,Ec meet inspiring chapters i- z-uil1 history. But the world l- richer now than ever before. and especially ia the United States. where reea,th Is rc generally diffused, the churches cen command greater sums Cor missionary work than at any r-.vlrus period since the founding Of the Christian religion.
 When thc general missionary com mlttee of the Methodist church. Nrrth. meets next Wednesday. November II. iu Omaha. Nebraska. there will be re- ported to it tE1 most success -ul year. financially. through which the mis- si~nary F-o.ety Of that body has ever passed since its organization Tn 1S2S- The increase fa missionary c-1tribu- tions thl9 gear. ove= tloFe Ct the prev i1us fiscal year -s more than S15o.0co. sh--irr that is -ema5 lzabIe in view of rr. fact that the receipts Cf the last nrr1I year were SlIzCC9 ahead Of those cs tUr years ago I-sE.11e-y leaders cf au bodies are ratching the Ietho- dIFt situati11 with tho grclJ-st interest and the opinion is freely expressed that that b-dy VIII very soon attain i-s deal or ss0Cl000 annually con tributed by Methodist people for Meth odist mi-s.o--- Methodist leaders say that this amount. while larger than th1t raised by any other body. is with in reach. Gifts 60 the missionary s1ci- cty and the wCuen's society last year were s-zs7 eco. Leaders claim that the Tz z-r11C7 mark win De reached this vr1-- The i-cre1FC7 of the past few years are c-rditcI CD the educational policy or the missionary society. which svet --1atic1ll- aims ta interest all lfsth1dlst- In thc uissi-a cause. and also Co the work oE the open Door emergency comm tsriou. which led in the forward u-cveu.e-t for missions
 A great proportion of the money raised for missionary work Is devoted t home uisziors. of course. and against this branch cf Christian en- dravr- rot even the most cynical lay ma- can lodge an objection Indeed, Ono r-evalslt impression outside the church orrarlz1tions-1rd no d-ubt to a large exteat within them. as wells that it would b- a wise policy to abandon thc mi--icas in Japan. China arI India aif-Eethr-. and concentrate au tho missionary effort and energy flt. lifting tae "ruburrged tenth of our own people t1 a higher plane This impression is founded on the fact ds-rlrtrat-I over and over again. that =-nui-c conversions cf Asiatics t1 Christianity are extremely rare. Tr-r-judlceI English observers have exr .r.seeI doubts whether in all h. air there has teen real abandonment rf tnr nred beliefs for Christianity by a-y rauses. Their professions cf faith i1 thr western d.Ctrlr-s have been for purely uitarirr purposes. in the view or many careful students. The China man is content with Confucius. be- Iieves au Christians barbarians. and hrs fle rame contempt for Christianity taat u. have Cor the pagan rites or African Eavar-s. If he accepts the t-arhinsr of tEe missionary it Is for rsfr.u gain. in most instances. un- dluhf-dIy Thr tendency Of the Jap nu,rr is te-ard aEuosticlsm as they b-,cnc more civilized. and they dis sect 'hrisfia1 beliefs with disdain. But the m.sFi1Hary. fiied with the burning z,rl of holy cause. is never capable e rrs.nE Tho grinuing face Of selfish r.-e behind the mask Of conversion fH1t ir -orr hy the Hindu or the th.rHwsr.
 i'rt after HIL what business of the lH.uaa e 70 ta ard faultg The mis- rrrf h.li.H take ia literal sense art as rrrpetual command the ia- Iu-..inu or tae Master. "G7 ye into au fhr world and preach the gospel" ard rirre th.ir ls Che sacrifice and ths burden. it iE not iu Inc province uf tlr 1lln. ker CD forbid.