The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-15
PUTS MISSIONS ON BASIS OF BUSINESS Rev. Patton Delivers Eminently
 Practical Talk WHAT THE WORK MEANS Church Is Not Object of Charity for Money Spent on Missions Re-
 turns Many Fold in New
 Markets.
WHAT THE WORK MEANS

The Rev Robert W. Patton, secretary of the Sewanee department of the Epis- eopal missionary movement, argued yes terday morning at St. Mary s-on-the Highlands that foreign missions on &C., count of the money markets that will be opened up, should be of vital interest to the business men of the country.
 The minister discussed a single phase of thes general missionary movement and that phase was based on practical lines.
 He began by resenting the intimation tat is general, he said, in certain cir cles, that the church was an object of charity. He declared that the church, be- cause of the fact that all great enter prises have had their beginning in the soul, was the greatest money-making en- terprise that the world has ever known.
 MT. Patton attributed the renaissance in learning, business, discovery, invention and colonization of the fifteenth century to the awakening of Protestanism and religious faith of that century under the inspiration of Martin Luther and other great reformers
 'The teachings of Luther,' the minis ter declared, made known the fact that every man, a son of God, was a free man. The knowledge that the body was free led to the knowledge that the soul and the mind were free. This caused everyone to think. The use of the mind, aroused curiosity. This led to discovery and invention. and eventually to the colonization of America"
 Ap Dat the effect which the colonization and growth of America has had on the busi- ness world
 "The great economical question of the age,' continued the speaker, Ifs not how more gold and silver can be produced to obliterate poverty, which is a horror but it is how the gold and silver that exists may be distributed with equity
 Beginning at this point he touched upon the production of foreign exports in America, declaring that new markets must be found He pointed to the fact that if the cotton produced by the south last year had been sold for actual gold and silver. the $500 OO,OO0 in gold and sil- yer which the world produced last year would have been returned to the south, and the world would have been in debt 0,O00, GOO. "Sully and Colonel Hester" the minister continued, tell us that the pro ductfon of cotton will be increased every year, and that it does not stand to reason that the price will be proportionately de- creased. In 20 years 25O0O.00o bales will be produced in the south. All other exports coal, iron, steel, cotton goods. etc. will be increased approximately, and there must be new markets"
 He then pictured Africa, China and all other countries of Asia highly civilized, and figured in the money markets of the world. This picture, he affirmed, cannot exist until religion has spent its force in undermining and Christlanizing the na- lives. He repeated his previous assertion that the church was preparing to open a new market to the commerce of the world, resenting again the intimatlon that the church was an object of charity, and shot home the thought that business men have an interest in foreign missions.
 MT. Patton will spend the week in Bir mingham appearing at the Advent, St. Mary's and St. Andrews.