The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-08-26
Christian Endedv0r


L i
key.-Acts ". l:-n. Edited by Rev. Shsr-
man H. Doyle. d. D.
In taking 4 survey OF the various
missionary countries Of the world it
Is very appropriate to consider Persia
and Turkey at the same time or even
together for the reason that in the
history Of the past their relations to
| Christianity have been very similar
and the problems that confront the
Christian church in both countries to-
day are practically the same. The
history OF Gods people has been as
ISOLATED with that OF Persia from the
very beginning, and the present Turk
ish empire includes lands where proph-
cts lived and labored, the apostles
preached frst the good news Of SAL
walton and where. above all, occurred
the life. the tolls. the sorrows, the
death and resurrection of our Lord.
In both the supreme conflict Is
against Mohammedanism. the ancient
enemy Of the Christian religion. Per.
sin and Turkey therefore appeal to us
In the same way for a special interest
IN our prayers and sympathy and as
sistance to the end that they may be-
come part of the kingdom Of our
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Modern Christian missions in Persia
date back just century ago. The
first missionary was Henry Martyr,
who learned the Persian language as
a chaplain in India. In 1911 he went
to Persia to complete and improve the
Persian translation Of the New Tesla
ment. When his translation was fin
ished he tried to get 1t before the
king. bat was bitterly opposed by the
mullahs, and his book was rejected
with scorn. Though he left Persia
without the knowledge Of a single
convert as result Of his labors, yet
IN after years his TRANSACTIONS of the
New Testament and Psalms bore re-
markable fruit.
The first American missionary to the
Turkish empire was Levi Parsons. He
reached Jerusalem Feb. II, 1921, and
again the conquest Of the Holy Land
was begun, not by the methods Of the
ancient crusaders, but by the modern
methods of missionary activity. and
let us earnestly pray that these meth
It is singular fact that there are
no mission fields in the world where
the Bible has been such an important
factor as in Persia and in Turkey, the
very places in which God gave His !
revelations to man. Henry Martyr |
went to Persia to translate the Scrip |
lures and nothing has been more in !
duential in building up Christ's king |
dom in the hearts and lives of men |
than these very translations. When
Levi Parsons went to Jerusalem he |
had with him the Scriptures in nine |
languages. Bible distribution is one
of the chief agencies of missionary ac-
tivity today, and in the early days,
while few Moslems were converted to
Christianity, the number Of copies Of
the Scriptures sold to them indicated
a profound interest in the Bible that
Is bearing fruit today.
The difficulties in the way Of ad-
vancing the kingdom Of Christ in Per-
STA and Turkey are very great. The
presence Of many sects calling them
selves Christians constitute one very
great obstacle for the reason that
these sects had their origin years ago
In strife and bitterness and jealousy
and rivalry which still exist among
them.
: Political conditions present another
serious problem. The natural attitude
Of Moslem governments is bitter en-
nifty to Christianity. 1t is true that
In both Persia and Turkey new rulers
are on the throne and constitutional
governments seem to he firmly estab-
ished. The national tendencies seem
to be decidedly progressive, but condi-
lions are still unsettled and political
situations and their bearing upon
Christian missions are far from reas-
surfing. 1t is time when the church
should spend special seasons in pray.
r to the God of nations that the new
national longings in these lands asso-
dated with sacred story should accrue
% the advancement Of His own king /
lom. II
The supreme obstacle in the way of
success Is Molfammedan- [
SIN, the national religion of both Per- ,
la and Turkey. with its fierce spirit
Il persecution toward all that Is Chris
ian and Its unyiclding attitude Of bit (,
crest hatred aud ostracism toward /,
lative Christian converts. Once the 9
'enalty was death, and while this pen Z
lily can no longer be exacted by law,
Is still death to home ties, to social !
Citations and temporal welfare. IL
The problems presented being the 1
anne, the solution Is the same-the G
development Of a native Christian
hurch. freed from the errors Of the 4
Id churches. responsive to the new +
ational aspirations and conditions and q
thoroughly equipped with schools and t
olleges to direct the training and ed {
cation of the present and coming gen. q
rations ot the young men Of the land. '
Belle READINGS.
II Kings xvii. 24-34: lisa. TX. 4