The Detroit times., 1910-09-13

were fully agreed that God had given
his Church the commission TO convert
the whole world and TO establish Mes
slabs Kingdom. when the nations ION ;
would learn war no more, put beat
their swords into plowshares and their
spears into pruning-hooks. ZeaIous
Christian people urged that the heath-
en- were going down TO nell OF
eternal torment at the rate OF ninety
thousand every twenty-four hours:
And noble men and women sacrinced
their earthly interests for the assist
ance OF the heathen-to prevent that
awful catastrophe. to help thwart the
very program of God which some
other Christian people of an earlier
day had declared was predestined ana
foreordained as unalterable. Good was
certainly attempted. We trust that
some good was accomplished know
that some harm was done, In that raj
lacious conceptions OF the character
and plan OF the Creator were promul-
gated amongst the heather, Whlch nave
hardened and embittered some or them.
But by and by practical people sought
for statistics, and now know that there
are twice as many heathens IN the
world as there was century ago or
course. there are unthinking and un-
statistical people who refuse knowl-
edge and who are today claiming with
commendable zeal, but reprehen-
sible ignorance, that large contribu-
tions of money would enable them TO
capture the whole world for God. Never
theless, the masses no longer see tho
be swayed TO the same extent. Think
ing people refuse 10 believe that God
for centuries has sat calmly viewing
the situation, allowing millions TO go
to eternal torment. They refuse TO be-
lieve that their hearts and sympathtes
are more tender than those OF their
Creator.
Even the heather are getting awake
to the Inconsistency OF what has been
given them under the Gospel label
They are finding out that the word
that what has been preached TO them
is the most awful message conceivable
that all Of the heather and the ma
jority OF their civilized neighbors and
friends and relatives have been de-
creed. sentenced, foreordained. 10 eter-
nal torture because OF Ignorance. be-
cause OF a misbelief In respect to
which they were thoroughly honest.
shall we preach? The message OF dam
nation does not sound good TO the
heather, and they do not run after IL
nor feast their souls upon IT, Tho
question comes 10 the ministers and
professors OF colleges throughout
christendom and they are perplexed
what answer to give. the majority
of them have become higher critics
and no longer accept the Bible as the
Word of God; they are Evolutionists
and no longer believe the Gospel which
the missionaries societies were organ
lied TO proclaim. They are in perplex-
ity And many OF them are prepared
TO abandon the former theory OF mis-
sions and to continue their work
henceforth merely along humanitarian
lines Indeed. within the last rs years
missionary effort has turned gradually
to secular education and medical prac-
tice in the interests OF the heather,
with little religious doctrine-and so
much the better
Everybody is agreed that the King
dom OF Messiah cannot be brought
about by the wholesale conversion Of
the world And logical people see
that larger numbers have been lost TO
Christianity in civilized lands during
the last rs years than were ever claim