The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-03-14

Iney nave over
zz1lzl1l 10000 mission.
aries in active
service and are spending more than
f30,000,000 annually on the work.
It would be unfair to say that criti.
cism must be prohibited and that no
critical questions would I've 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 So
ciety and worker who naturally ex-
pect him to know what he is talking
about before he speaks.
or 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 70 End 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 (or any other work. should COM
ply with certain rules, which, IL OBJ
served will make him an aid to the
building up of that work in some sub
stantial, beneficial way.
]. The critic must be a Christian.
A man out of Christ looks at the sub
ject from the wrong viewpoint. He
naturally thinks II unnecessary to
send the gospel to the heather II he
has refused 1t himself. Neither can he
be expected to support a teaching he
does not himself believe.
III. The critic must be a soul win
ner. That Is. he must have some ade-
ouate realization Of the value of 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. 1t involves
matters touching the personal life
and liberties of thousands and the
purses of millions. II 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
must know whereof he
speaks.
". The critic should have visited
the mission fields or talked freely with
Theory is one thing and
practice is quite another. especially
when the theory is created IL Amer
lea, but has to be applied In Africa,
Parents find that the course of train
Ing applied to one child is sometimes
when applied to another.
even though the children be In the
same family.
Then again. II n person is capable
Of offering criticism he must see that
II is cautiously and wisely given. be-
cause:
|. II 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 trlune God. Every per
son of the Godhead is vitality inter- f,
ested, and is also a personal partici-
pant in the work of saving the heath
IN. Therefore the critic stands Oh
Derilous ground before his Creator.
II. There are 10000 missionaries
ghI have believed enough in missions |
70 be out on the field today. The |
critic who remains at home in a well |
Gathered nest must realize that It is
no small thing to put his inexperi-
snccd judgment up against the actual
abors of consecrated thousands whose
testimony is that missions
pay"
III. The transformation OF the
leathen. which has taken place dur
ng the past 100 years, overwhelming
y answers all those who would say
hat the work is not worth while. Any
me who has watched the evolution OF
RIDES and nations by the process of
liyine regeneration; who has seen
customs become only
tens for the historian. and the mum.
yer of printed languages leap from
fifty to more than five hundred.
Trough missionary toll. has surely
cit his thoughtless criticisms grow
old on his lips.
These things make u wise man care
ul In his judgment for he realizes
hat his influence may mean the veal
" woe of some of his fellowmen. both
It home and abroad. The man who
3 not both wise and careful in his
peech cannot OF cosrse expect men
Who are In the thick Of the fight to
cave their posts and come back to
where he reclines comfortably In the
'arracks In order to answer bis idle
sords