FOREIGN MISSIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9564, 21 October 1892, Page 4

FOREIGN MISSIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Whilst it is cause for joy to every Christian that the Gospel has been carried to the dark places of the earth, still it is very sad to think of the -hundreds of millions who have nsyer heard the words of eternal life. The chief reason of the partial failure of missions is the want of money to send and support preachers in the field. When we think of the millions of China and India and the handful of missionaries there, we involuntarily say, "Lord,*what are they amongst so many ? "— one preacher to 800,000 Chinese and only one to about 60,000 in British India, while some countries with millions of people have not one to tell them the good news. Why is this ? Simply because professing Christians keep their preachers to preach to themselves, and the preachers, instead of doing what their Lord commanded— namely, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, with the assurance that he that believed it and was baptised should be saved"—instead of doing this, like the early Christians, they say, in effect, " No, Lord, we will stay at home and preach." Now, it is a waste of time and means to preach to a man that believes the Gospel. If he believes it, why preach to him and leave the poor heathen to perish for lack of knowledge ? But it will be said that Christians must be taught. Quite true, but how were they taught in the apostolic times. The elders of the church, who were also called bishops or pastors, did this without fee or reward. The brethren also built up one another. No unbiased reader of the New Testament can deny that mutual teaching was the Divine plan. The churches then could send forth their evangelists to convert the world instead of keeping them at home to preach Christians and siuners asleep. Another cause of failure is Sectarianism. Not only does it;tnultiply paid preachers at home, but it distracts the minds of honest inquirers after truth and salvation. We all have heard of the king who had two Sectarian preachers before him, setting forth opposite teaching; how he told them to go home and find out the truth, and agree upon it before they came to convert his people. But this is not the worst result. In the South Sea Islands, and just now in Africa, rival sects taught by rural missionaries are killing each other. This is the work of the flesh, and is sadly hindering the conversion of sinners. Another cause of weakness and failure is the false dogmas preached to the heathen, but this I will leave at present.—l am, &c October 20. j w