Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-02-01
strona MIssIonary Address.

$3.50. All are welcome.
Strong Missionary Address.
At the Bethany church services Sunday
morning, Or. Gutterson Of Boston, sec
rotary OF the American Missionary assoei-
alton, made presentation Of its work IN
so forcible aud inspiring an address that
really golden opportunity was lost for
the moment in not taking the collection
usually made on such occ sions. DR..
Gutterson is one of the strongest person.
alities that Randolph people have seen in
the pulpit for years. His ideas and his
words are original and impressive. His
address produced remarkab impression
that will not soon fade.
sIn this day. he said, "people are ask
ing, What is the good Of the church
What results does il show for its work
"rhe old idea, lingering traces OF which
still remain, was that the church existed
TO fit people for heaven, and to enable
them to escape hell. Nowadays, the
view is that hell doesn't exist. Some say
hell Is closed for repairs, TO be opened
later as a reformatory institution
"The church exists in order to make
people better and more useful here on
earth; that done, heaven will take care Of
itself"
Or. Gutterson described the formation
OF the American Missionary association 60
years ago IN Albany, n. u, and told in
brief " nat ii had done and is doing In
various parts Of the world. 1t is working
among the EsquimauX OF Alaska, where a
church and school have been established.
for the betterment of beings who were al
the beginning but little above ANIMALS. IL
met the influx OF Chinese years ago at the
Pacific coast and gave these newcomers
something more valuable than the gold
they sought. IL has even returned some
Of haan gagr.fa 10 heir "a
sionaries and educators. II has estab-
lished missions in the Sandwich islands
for the instruction and Outstanding OF
the Orientals.
But most important is the work OF the
A. NJ. A. among the negroes and noun
tain whites OF the South. This was begun
before the war, when il was against the
law for the black man to read in some Of
the states. The Bible aud the spelling
book have gone hand in hand, TO the
uplitt OF the Africans, for whose residence
and whose wrongs IN this country we
white people are responsible, having
brought them here from sordid motives.
Deep prejudice still exists against the
negro among the whites OF the South.
The other day a negro who had bought
and paid for an automobile was warned
not to run it in certain Southern town.
We do not need to receive the negro into
our homes, TO treat him socially as an
equal, or to mix his blood with ours in
order to raise him. just give him a
square deal, and If he is worthy he will
do the rest.
The speaker, to show the moral stamina
of some negroes, told how one boy learned
to read by marking the characters in the
sand with stick and hiring white boys
to tell him what the letters were, paying
them 10 marbles-and then winning them
back az the game; how later this boy
raiLed black regiment in the war under
authority from Gen. Butter; how he rose
TO be commissioner OF public works IN a
Southern city; and how lately he spurned
a bride OF 5000 offered for mis- vote in
favor of certain franchise.
Much is being done among the poor
whites Of the mountains in the South.
where, instead OF the church and school
house that have been the birthrlght of
New Englanders, the settlers were brought
INTO contact with moonshine whiskey and I
the distillery. Young lady teachers from 7.
our schools and colleges are laboring as
teachers of the Bible and Of secular educa- /
ton among them.
In closing, the speaker used as an illus I
tratlon the life ana services OF Abraham I
Lincoln to his country and mankind-a
character having its beginning in the most 1
humble conditions lesson being that .
We never know what fruit may devotion 4
from soil the most unpromising.