Foreign Mission Journal, August 1889

Foreign Mission Journal " « PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE FOREIGN MISSION BOARD OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION. "ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH. GO YE, 1 HEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS." Vol. 21 — New Series. RICHMOND, VA., AUGUST, 1889. No. x — Whole No. 253 [Entered at the Post-Office fit Richmond, Va., tie second-clues matter.] Foreign Mission Journal. RATES PER ANNUM : I. For papers separately addressed, elllier to same or to different post offices : One copy . M cts. Three copies @»1, or . ЭЗИ cts. apiece. П. For packages sent to one person, who shall be responsible for their distribution! Four copies for 91, or того at, . ,,,25cts. apleco. Twenty-llvo coplesfor Jfl.ormore at . 20 cts, apiece. Ono Hundred copies fortlt, ormoreat..l5cts. apiece. Л*-Г1епво remit by Draft, Postal Order, or In Heels- tered belter, and notify us rltOMi’TLY of any change In address. Address, FOREIGN MISSION 10URNAL, Richmond. V*. ADVERTISING RATES. STACK. i Month. 3 Months e Months 12 Months One inch . 1 24 3 45 6 U) 12 00 Two Inches . 1 40 6 43 12 50 .22 50 Three Inches . 3 CO 9 20 IS 00 32 Cm Quarter column.. . 4 75 13 00 28 00 48 00 Half column . 0 25 25 24 48 00 90 fH) One column..... . 18 00 CO 00 92 50 178 00 FOREIGN MISSION BOARD OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION. Located at RICHMOND, VIRGINIA I’nasiDiHT— II. H. HAnnis. Vl0*-Fn*SID»NTB _ .Toshnn beverlne, Md..O. W. Tomkles, ba.. Л. B. Owen, Va.. N. A. Bailey , Fla., J. L. While, N.a.,a. F. Hnffby. Ky.. W. a Bled¬ soe, Alabama, J. P. Greene. Mo.. H. II. Carroll. Tsxa" W. b. Kilpatrick, Oa.. Л. J. S. Thomas. S.O. R. J. Wllllceham, Tenn., J. li. Searcy, Ark., Georgs Whitfield. Miss., W. F. Allklsson, W. Va. ConmerOHDiHO SkCniTAnY— II. A. TUPPER. A831STANT Securtauy, T. P. BEbb. TnaAsonkn — T. O. WIbblAMS. RxconDiwo SrcnsTAnY— A. B. CLAItKB. AODiTon-II. O. BURNETT. BOAnD or МАНАОЕП8.— H. K. Ellyson. О. II. Win- ston, W. E. Hatcher, J. Pollard, Ir„ S. O. Clap¬ ton, J. B. Hutson. W. D. Thomas, W. W. Landrum, Geo. Oooper, O. Ib Rylnnd, H. C. Bi.rnolt, T. P. Mathews. П. II. Pitt, B.S. Boslter, J. L. M. Ourry, Theo. WMtnold. UStAU communications in reference to the business of this Hoard should be addressed to H. A. Tupper, Corresponding Secretary, Richmond, Va. RETIREMENT OF DR, T. P. CRAWFORD. In a letter dated April 9th, this venerable and faithful herald of the Cross announced to the Iioard his retirement from the active service which I10 has so long rendered in the North China Mission. He has held the fort in Tung Chow, oftentimes with no male helper, for thirty-seven years, and now seeks relief from burdens of the work, even though he does not propose to cease from missionary labors in that land which has long been ‘•home" to him. While in comparative rest he spends the remaining years of his life, waiting for the summons to enter upon the perfect "rest that remaineth,” and for the welcome of his Lord, his brethren, in view of his brave and loyal service done in their behalf in China, may well antici¬ pate the “well done ” of the Lord, by their own. And all will pray that God’s richest blessings may accompany him in his later pilgrimage. We are more than pleased to be able to say that Dr. Crawford’s retirement will not alTect at all Mrs. Crawford’s relations to the Board and the work. She will still con¬ tinue her labor ol love among the people whom she has taught to feel, as one re¬ cently said of her, that “ her heart is love." May she long be spared to gather with joy the sheaves from the seed which she has sowed in tears. But we let Dr. Crawford speak for him¬ self, only adding that we learn from Dr. Hartwell that he has arrived in San Fran¬ cisco. He says : Dear Brother: On the 30th of March, the 37th anniver¬ sary of my arrival in China, I wrote to Rev. C. W. Pruitt, Treasurer of the Tung Chow Mission, to the following efTect: I am now nearing the 69th year of my age, and beginning to feel the effects of the past thirty-seven years of hard struggles in this heathen land- Hence for reasons of a physical, mental, and spiritual nature, far too numerous to mention, I wish to retire at my own charges, from all future care and responsibility as to the work in Tung Chow, leaving the field with all its interests in the hands of the Board and thedenomi- nation. I shall, therefore, draw no more money from the treasury of the Board for my own use, except the annual rent or interest due on my dwelling house, and the small sum required to settle up the current expenses of the quarter now closing. However, I do not mean by this course of action to resign or sever my con¬ nection with the mission or the Board, but only to retire from future service. Feeling no longer able to discharge the incumbent duties, I desire to withdraw from the at¬ tempt. My retirement from active work is not designed to affect the status of my wife in nny way whatever. Let me say, that with high respect for every member of our Shantung mission, and also in perfect agreement with them regarding missionary work, I retire from active labor, but not from active interest in them personally, and in the great cause which they so faithfully maintain. Only the profoundest convictions of duty influence me in taking this course. To the Master, in the future as in the past, I entrust my wa.y. His will be done. I remain, dear brother, Yours, in the Lord, _ T. P. Crawford, MOVEMENTS OF MISSIONARIES. Rev. E. 7.. Simmons and wife have readied their home in Mississippi, where they will, we trust, enjoy the rest they so much need after their recent long term of service in Canton. Their labors have been abundant in the Lord, and greatly blessed. Dr, R. H. Graves arrived in Canton be- fore Bro. Simmons left, so that that nourish' ing mission is not left without a head. Rev. J. H. Eager and family have readied Italy, and are rejoicing in their return to their much loved work, as Dr. Taylor is in having his faithful fellow laborer back again. Rev. Л. B. Rudd, with his young and highly accomplished bride, who is the ouly daughter of our highly esteemed Vice- President for Kentucky, Rev. Dr. G. F. Ilagby, has returned to his field of labor in Parras. Mexico. We expect to hear good tidings from Parras, where a fine work Is opening up. The sad news comes from Brazil that the physicians have peremptorily ordered Mrs. j. A. Barker away from that land, that her life be not sacrificed needlessly. We pre¬ sume that brother and sister Barker will soon reach home. Tidings have come to us indirectly, that brother J. A. Brunson, who expects to sail for Japan early in October, has taken unto himself a wife, and from certain broad hints that come to us from other directions, it is probable that some other of our young missionaries are preparing to follow his example. To Rudd and Brunson, and in advance to some others, we extend our congratulations, and send our best wishes. Mrs.J. P. Duggan, a grand-daughter of Dr. James B. Taylor, and neice of Dr. Geo. 11. Taylor, left on the 23d of July for Sal¬ tillo, where she goes to teach In Madero Institute. The missionary spirit goes down through the generations in the noble Tay¬ lor family. SYMPATHY FOR FOREIGN MISSION BOARD. [We sincerely thank Bro. Whilden for the following letter, and trust that it will not be his last, and that other brethren will be led to follow his good example. Ed.] It is seldom that I see in the “ Foreign Mission Journal" any communication, the direct purport of which is to expiesasym- pathy for the Foreign Mission Board, in the perplexities that attend their work. While I write this I do not mean that I believe that they receive no sympathy from their brethren. Far from it. But the Baptist membership generally know but little of these perplexities, or they could sympa¬ thize with the members of the Board more than they do. More than once have I seen in the Journal an allusion to some of these perplexities, and I have felt as jf I wanted an opportunity to say to the members of the Board— "brethren there is at least one outside of your circle, that does not forget you, and one whose heart goes forth in prayer, that God would direct and strengthen you.” But I will add to that one— ofbrethrenandsistersin//«Vcountry— all that have ever been in the service of the Board ; and I do not hesitate to say that you have the special sympathy of us all. I say special, for ours is a kind of sym¬ pathy others cannot have. I was surprised to see by the Journal, a few months since, that some of our brethren did not think that the Board were sending out missionaries as fast as they should be sent out. So far from regarding the Board as in any way censurable for sending out so few missionaries, I must say, that it was a matter of surprise and it is a source of joy to me, that they have been encouraged to send out so many. If they had sent out more than they have, we may have heard the question asked in somo parts of our Southern land— "to what purpose is this waste?" But while of course I do not sympathize with these censures, yet, upon the supposition that those who have thought the Board tardy, are friends to foreign missions, I must say, if these are using their influence, and prayers, and money In behalf of this cause, even in these censures, they show their love to it — as they show they desire its advancement , But on this subject I close with one re¬ mark. Brethren may rest assured that nono more ardently than the members of the Foreign Mission Board desire to see missionaries going forth to heathen coun tries ; and they will send them forth as fast as proper candidates for the work ap¬ ply, and as fast as the denomination furnish the requisite funds. This the Board can say for themselves: but I feel as if I wish to say it also. In this month’s Journal there is an article headed " Expenses of the Board.” It is there said — “ Every now and then the ques¬ tion is asked either privately or publicly, cither in the spirit of carping criticism, or of honest inquiry — ‘ what ratio of the money raised for Foreign Missions is actu¬ ally expended on foreign mission fields, and what at home in expenses?'” Those who are friends to foreign missions, that really desire information of this kind, we would naturally suppose are those who would know that this is found, (as is men¬ tioned in the article,) in the Treasurer’s Re¬ port in the minutes of the S. B. Conven¬ tion. But let this pass. “It may have been an oversight.” No doubt there is much “ carping criti¬ cism ’’ on this subject. There are some Baptists, we believe, who love God, yet, on account of early training, are not warm hearted to the cause of missions, and do not contribute a cent towards it. If they stopped at this, it would not be quite so bad, but some of these seem to be always afraid that missionary Boards do not act honestly with funds entrusted to their care. I heard of a man once that was prevailed upon to give five dollars for missions ; and then he said, he would be willing to give another five, if that would he security for the first five going right. Well, that man showed want of confidence in the honesty of missionary Boards; but he had some right to be concerned, for he had given something. But what has frequently amused me is that there are a great many pro¬ fessors of religion who give nothing, and are very much troubled for fear other per¬ son's money will go -wrong. Those who have been in the service of the Board know their conscientiousness with regard to the outlay of funds in their keeping; know that the Board ever keep in view the truth, that they are acting only as stewards for their brethren; and that they, without anything that can be design¬ ated as stinginess, are endeavoring to ex¬ ercise judicious economy. The Board can prove by reference to financial records, that as ” slews/ ds ” they are "faithful;' and I deeply sympathize with them when any questions are asked intimating that they are anything else. There is an article also in this month's number headed— " Missionary Furloughs.” In this we read, “it has sometimes been thought by a few, that missionaries come to this country for rest too often, and re¬ main too long.” It is also said, that some brethren will meet missionaries who have come home to rest, and say to them " and what did you come home for ? " Even if this question was not intended as a reproof, it shows that the inquirer knows nothing of the love the missionary has for his work, if he supposes that he would leave it with¬ out a good reason. The longer the mis¬ sionary has remained on heathen groundi the greater reason he sees why he should remain. If he, after having witnessed heath¬ enism, wishes to come to tins country for rest, when he ought not to come, and needs a reminder to that effect after he arrives, then he is not a proper person for a mis¬ sionary. But some seem to suppose that sacrifices ought to be placed most abundant¬ ly upon missionaries, just because they are accustomed to making them. I call attention to another article. Though it is not headed, yet the subject may be designated as " Special Objects." We read— "The London Missionary So¬ ciety has reached a point where it must have an addition of seventy-five thousand dollars to the annual income, or must with¬ draw from some of the fields in which it is now working. This stringency is caused by the large increase of special funds.” This Is taken from an exchange of the Jour, ml, The editor of the Journal gives informa¬ tion which I wish could reach nil interested in the cause of missions. He commences by saying of the above — “There is a lesson in the above for Southern Baptists." The lesson is, that there is danger that South¬ ern Baptists may be crippled in foreign missionary work, just in the same way the London Missionary Society are. The For¬ eign Mission Board have their general work, and make their arrangements and calcula¬ tions accordingly. They look to the de¬ nomination toe funds for this general work ; but many members of our denomination, instead of contributing to this, turn their funds to some missionary object not con¬ templated in the arrangements of the Board. It ought to be supposed that the Board, entrusted with missionary work and continually receiving information from missionary fields, know better what is needed than those who lack this informa¬ tion. If these special objects were sustained without detriment to the general work, there could be no objection; but this is not the case. Опту return from China, brother J. B. Taylor (former Cor. Sec'y of the Board,) and myself frequently wrote to each other about missionary matters, and talked on these matters when we met. He asked me what I thought about what was then be¬ ginning to be done— the raising of money lor missionary objects not coming under the general work of the Board. 1 told him I saw no impropriety in it, provided the con¬ tributors to these objects did not lessen their usual former contributions. He said in substance, that he feared they would lessen them. He had cause for fear, for now we read— "It is hard fora Board to see money going for ail sorts of purposes, some out of its control, when that very money is needed to put bread into the mis¬ sionaries' mouths or clothes on their backs.” It surely is due to the Board to whom we have entrusted this work, not to cripple them, but to encourage them by cordial co-operation. B. W. Whilden. Abbeville, S. C. July 6, 18S9. "MORE MISSIONARIES.’'— "MORE MONEY." In some of our exchanges we see earnest calls being made for more workers in the foreign fields. It used to be so with our Board. Of late very few such calls have been heard from us. Why is this? The answer is very simple — we already have more applicants for missionary work than we have means to send out. We have been compelled, by the alarming condition of the treasury, to advise some excellent ap¬ plicants to wait until the Board can see some prospect of sending them cut, before they press their applications. It may occur to some of our readers that the Board ought to go ahead and send out all good men end women who apply, and trust to getting the money later. But it is also evident that the Board must exercise some prudent foresight as well as confident trusting. We lay before our brethren the condition of thingsas they exist now, (early in July,) and let them judge whether or not we are doing right. The Board has largely increased its force of workers during the last few months. Since the meeting of the Conventibn nine new missionaries have gone to their fields. Two others will go in a few days; while ten more, now under appointment, will sail in the early fall, besides two, already in China, who will enter on work under our Board in October. How stand our finances? At the July meeting of the Board the treasurer reported a debt of over nineteen thousand dollars— this, too, at the beginning of a new quarter, when all the missions will draw their quar¬ terly dues. Between July 1st and October 1st the outlay of the Board will reacli $25,000. How is the money coming in to pay this debt and to meet this outlay, besides enough to furnish outfitand passage for the outgoing missionaries? We can answer this question only by referring to what has been done, and what is being done in this direction. Up to July 1st the Board had received from all sources $5,617-96- This has all been expended, and leaves the Board over $19,000 in debt, with a prospect of expending $ 25,000 more by October ist. But is there nota prospect of the Board's receiving more this year than last? Let the figures answer. Up to July 1st, 1888, the receipts were $5,544-87. Up to July ist, 1SS9, they have been $5,617.96-110 very large increase. In 18SS, to October ist, the receipts were $21,- 703.62. If they be no larger this year,' by October ist the Board shall have expended, in round numbers, $50,000, and have re¬ ceived $22,000, and will be in debt $28,000—- with ten missionaries on hand to be sent out. Is not the Board right in not making any more appoinlments ? We say to the churches, whose servants we are: Men and women are needed on the fields; men and women are ready to go to these fields; we, as a Board, cannot go any deeper into debt to send them; we refer the matter to you. In your hands are the means (and these alone are lacking) to enable us to send out the missionaries. One of the saddest obstacles in the way of the success of missions in foreign lands is the character of many 6f those who come from Christian nations, and who arc supposed by the natives to represent the Christian faith. _A gentleman was conver¬ sing with a native at one of our mission stations, (we will not name it here,) who showed a keen mind and deep thoughtful¬ ness, and the conversation led up to the sharp question, "Why, with such convictions, are you not a Christian ?” And the reply was. naming one and another foreigner well known in mercantile circles, “ Would you have me like him, or him, or Mm ? I do not care to class myself with such." It is this class of men who thus misrepresent Christi¬ anity in foreign lands, who so often say on returning home that missions are accom¬ plishing little. Unquestionably missions would accomplish a good deal more if these men would either stay at home or else be¬ have themselves. From almost every mission field this same sad statement comes— the greatest, hindrances to the work of the missionary are found in the lives of unchristian men from Christian lands. It is probably true that the poor, as a- class, deny themselves more than do the rich that they may give in charity. The smallness of their offerings compared with those of men who have abundance should not blind us to the fact that often they give most generously. We have seen a story recently of a Scotch woman whose practice it was to give a penny a day for missions, to whom a visitor gave a sixpence to pro¬ cure some meat, on learning that she had not lately enjoyed that luxury. The good woman thought to herself, "I have long done very well on my porridge, so I will give this sixpence also to God.” This fact came to the knowledge of a missionary secretary who, at a missionary breakfast not long after, narrated the incident. The host and his guests were profoundly im¬ pressed by it, the host saying that he had never "denied himself a chop for the cause of God." He thereupon instantly sub¬ scribed twenty-five hundred dollars addi¬ tional, and others of the party followed his example, till the sum of eleven thousand dollars was raised before they separated. It was a remarkable result of the gift of the sixpence, of which the good woman was duly informed. And notwithstanding this fine sum of eleven thousand dollars from some rich men, it is altogether prob¬ able that the old lady’s gift, measured by the balances of the sanctuary, was larger than that of any one of them. — Exch. We have in our possession a dime which was sent to a lady In the First Baptist church of Nashville, Tenn., by a converted convict, to be used for foreign missions.- It was inclosed in a letter which reads thus: "Please oblige me by putting these ten cents in a foreign Baptist mission box. The Lord is very kind to me, and I will do al! I can for God, by his grace. It ain’t much, but I ask God to let me do all I can for him so that 1 may hide my multitude of sins. " Respectfully for my benefit and God's Rlory. Jesus’ Friend.” No name was signed. As the lady to whom it was sent said "It is a large gift, for in the penitentiary every cent counts for the purchase of liftle necessary articles.”- Who of our readers has given as much as this convict ?