The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-03-07

10000 mission.
aries in active
service and are spending more than
$50, 200, 900 annually on the work.
1t would be unfair to, say that criti-
cism must be prohibited and that no
critical questions would be answered.
The critic could justly reply that
since he was unable to learn how his
money was being spent, he would
cease to contribute. On the other
hand the critic must be fair to the 50
ciety and worker who naturally ex-
pect him to know what he is talking
about before he speaks.
OF course there are different kinds
of criticism just as there are different
kinds Of people. One speaks with a
view to helpfulness, another criticises
because he desires to find reasons to
excuse himself from responsibility
while a third may talk against the
work because he is not content to
sanction the use of any ecclesiastical
harness or work in harmony with his
fellows on any task.
However the person who wishes to
be accorded a hearing on missionary
work Tor any other work) should COM
ply with certain rules, which, If OBJ
served will make him an aid to the
building up Of that work in some sub
stantial, beneficial way. 8,
I. The critic must be a Christian.
A man out of Christ looks at the sub
ject from the wrong viewpoint. He
naturally thinks it unnecessary to
send the gospel to the heather if he
has refused it himself. Neither can he
be expected to support a teaching he
does not himself believe.
II. The critic must be a soul win
ner. That is, he must have some ade-
quate realization Of the value of a lost
soul and must have tried to bring
souls to Christ.
III. The critic must be an honest
student Of missionary work. The
great task of missions cannot be
learned by intuition. It involves
matters touching the personal life
and liberties of thousands and the
purses of millions. It deals with the
deepest principles of organization and
requires a broad knowledge Of the
working value of policies and meth
DDS. Therefore the person who would
dictate standards for the adoption of
missionaries must know whereof he
speaks.
Nv. The critic should have visited
the mission fields or talked freely with
missionaries. Theory is one thing and
practice is quite another, especially
when the theory is created in Amer
lea, but has to be applied in Africa.
Parents find that the course of train
ing applied to one child is sometimes
worthless when applied to another,
even though the children be in the
same family.
Then again, if a perton is capable
of offering criticism he must see that
it is cautiously and wisely given, be.
cause:
l.. 1t is unwise to criticise what
God has especially commanded. The
person who criticises the work Of mis-.
sions must remember that he is deal.
ing with the triune God. Every per.
% Of the Godhead is vitality inter.
ested, and is also a personal partici.
pant III the work of saving the heath.
EN-. Therefore the critic stands on
peri)ous ground before his Creator.
II. There are 10000 missionaries
who have believed enough in missions
to be out on the field today. The
critic who remains at home in a well
feathered nest must realize that it is
no small thing to put his inexperi
enced judgment up against the actual
labors Of ~cOnsecrated thousands whose
universal testimony is that missions
pay"
III. The transformation Of the
heather, which has taken place dur
Ing the past 100 years, Overwhelming
ly answers all those who would say
that the work is not worth while. Any
one who has watched the evolution O
tribes and nations by the process o.
divine regeneration; who has seer
annihilating customs become onl!
items for the historian, and the mum
Der Of printed languages leap from
fifty to more than five hundred
through missionary toll, has surel!
felt his thoughtless criticisms grow
cold on his lips.
These things make a wise man care
full in his Judgment for he realizeI
that his influence may mean the wea
or woe Of some Of his fellowmen, boil
at home and abroad. The man VIII,
is not both wise and careful in hi
speech cannot of curse expect mel
who are in the thick Of the fight Il
leave their posts and come back t
where he reclines comfortably in til,
barracks in order to answer his ,idl
words.