Foreign Mission Journal, November 1883

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, THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS.” Vol. IB— New Seric RICHMOND, VA„ NOVEMBER, 1883. No. 4.— Whole No. 184. ll'.iUeml nt the I’obt-OiUco at Richmond, Vn., as eccuiul'Cln»» matt »t.] Foreign Mission Journal RATES 1’ER ANNUM: One copy, separately folded and ndtlressctl . 50 Three copies, addressed to one person . . 1 00 •fen copies, addressed to one person . . 3 сю Forty copies. Addressed to one person . . 10 00 One hundred copies, addressed to one person . ao ou *«-l’lensc remit by Draft, Postal Order, or in Regis¬ tered better, and notify us promptly of any change in address. FOREIGN MISSION* JOURNAL, Richmond, Va. Address, FOREIGN MISSION BOARD OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION, Locatkd at RICHMOND. VIRGINIA. Pubbidknt— J. L. M. GURRY. ViCK-l'nB8iDKNT8.— Joshua Levering, Md., J. A. H&ckett, La., J. L. Ilnrrows, Vu., О. K. Allen, FJa., O. F. Gregory, N. О.. T. T. Raton, Ky.. J. J. I). Uen- froe, Alabama, R. S. Duncan, Mo., И H. Carroll, Texas, W. L. Kilpatrick. Па., Chae. Mnnly, S. O., Matt. HlUsman. Tenn., J. II. Searcy. Ark., George Whitfield, Ml»».. W. Г. Walker. W Vn. CoiutksroMDiNO Sicbxtabv— U. A. TUPl'EIi. ТвкАчивкв— J. C. WII.I.IAMS. HkCOltDINO SECBSTAIIV— W. II. OWATHMEY. Леонов— JOSEPH F. COTTRELL. IlOABOOF Mahaoers _ J. II. Hawthorne, J. It. Wat* Idas. U. It. KUyeon, W. E. Hatcher, E. Wortham, W. I». Thomas, W. Ooddln, If. H. Harris, J. Pollard, Jr., J. W. Jones. A. H. Clarke, J. 11. Wloeton, J, II. Hut¬ son. О H. Winston. S. C. Oltfiton. tStFAU communications in reference to the business of this Hoard should be addressed to H. A. Tuppkk, Corresponding Secretary, Richmond, l'a. Тик Receipts of the month show a grati¬ fying increase; the current in November ought to rise much higher still to reach the fall Hoot! of other years. Half the conven¬ tional year is gone, only about one-fourth of the proposed 40,000 has been received, brother rowel! is now asking for special assistance. It will he gathered from com¬ paratively few contributors, and must not be allowed to interfere with the regular contri¬ butions. The education of Mexican women is a work of incalculable- value; infinitely more important is the preaching of the blessed gospel in pagan as well as in Catho¬ lic countries. MOVEMENT IN MEXICO. The youngest of our missions is in some respects the most interesting. It is nearest to us, being only a day’s ride by rail from our borders. It is in a young Republic, in which the struggle for religious freedom is as warmly contested as it was with us a cen¬ tury ago. There, as here, the baptists find themselves arrayed by their principles, on this one question, side by side with skeptics and unbelievers. The issue has been whether or not priestcraft shall continue to control the people; but ns this approaches a negative solution, the question becomes whether the liberated citizens shall be bap¬ tist or infidel. These issues are more or less raised in all Catholic countries, but especially in oursouthwesturn neighbor. In Italy there lias been fermentation ever since its union under Victor Emanuel; in brazil there has been wonderful progress under Dorn Pedro ; but in neither of them have the throes of nascent soul-liberty been so violent or so rapid as in the Republic of Mexico. It has been only three years since our board was formerly requested to put on its list of missionaries Rev. J no. O. Westrup, whom the brethren in Texas had already sent across the Rio Grande and promised to support. In six months lie fell by the bul¬ lets of a band of murderers, but Rev. W. M. Flournoy soon took up his work. When Westrup was killed there was a young Mis¬ sissippi, raised, however, in Tennessee, who, after finishing his studies, had re¬ moved to Texas, and forgetting for the time impressions which in former years had been strong upon him, was on the full tide of bril¬ liant success as a Sunday-school missionary. He was urged to visit the scene of the re¬ ported murder and investigate the facts. Among other tilings lie found a blood¬ stained fragment of the dead missionary’s diary containing his last entry of baptisms administered. This re-awakened those old impressions of solemn duty, and drove Rev. Wm. D. Powell to ofier himself to go to Mexico, Our readers are familiar with the course of his work at Saltillo— how, getting there just one year ago, he soon began in broken Spanish to preach; how presently he orga¬ nized a church of live members; how the little band was derided and stoned and spit upon, till the mayor of the city interfered for their protection ; and how, through evil re¬ port and good report, the word of the Lord lias prevailed, and the five have grown to forty. We must not omit to mention that the little church lias exhibited most re¬ markable liberality, zeal and disposition to support itself, having raised within the year eight hundred dollars. At the Convention at Waco brother Powell asketl for five thousand dollars to build houses of worship in Mexico. It was int mediately subscribed, and in less than two months tic had secured a suitable lot in Sal¬ tillo, and his little band of disciples had tin dertnken to add a parsonage. On the J/ith of October brother Powell, with two distinguished officials, Signors Jose Maria Cardenas, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Coahuiia, and Severe Fernandez, Mayor of Saltillo, bearing documents from the governor of the State, met the board. To condense what was em¬ braced in their documents and further unfold¬ ed in conferences running through .tliree consecutive days— brother Powell had asked about the possibility of buying for his church a vacant lot which was public property. The Governor refused to sell, but offered it as a gift. This our missionary felt con¬ strained by iiis principles to decline. Gov¬ ernor Madero, who seems to be a gentleman of fine culture and true patriotism, at first amazed that a church should refuse to take anything it could get, soon became greatly interested in " the peculiar people.” He conversed often and earnestly with 'wether Powell on two subjects in which lie ha, >ng taken deep interest, the higher education of woman and the aiding of poor orphan girls to prepare themselues for teaching or other such employments. It was finally agreed between them to take steps for opening a college for yoting ladies at Saltillo, with some special arrangements of free tuition and cheap board for orphan girls. The Gover¬ nor undertook to secure certain suitable property and have it transferred in due time to a board of Trustees, a majority of whom must be residents of Coahuiia, on condition that money be raised to erect some addi¬ tional buildings, and provide for a sufficient corps of teachers. The idea was at once seized in other cities, and in a short while our brother found at his disposal for school purposes property valued at over #160,000, and demanding for its full utilization a pres¬ ent outlay of not more than #20,000, with an annual expense of not exceeding #5,000 over and above the receipts from tuition. The State Legislature, being at the time in ses¬ sion. sanctioned the proposition by a unani¬ mous vote. The chief obstacle to the spread of the gospel in Mexico is in the subserviency of woman to the wiles of priestcraft. The men have opportunities for a good degree of cul¬ ture, and have, to a great extent, thrown ofT the yoke, going unfortunately too often into utter irreligion ; but woman who, with her better instincts, might check the rebound — ' - ; — 7 - from superstition, is taught only to read and write, to play and dance. These accent plishments do not help her to escape the snares of fanaticism herself, nor to restrain her husband and her sons from the follies of rationalism. It is. therefore, in every aspect of the case, immensely important that some measures be devised for enabling the young ladies to attain, under wholesome Influences, such education as will fit them for the re sponsibilitles they must soon bear. The board was asked lo lend the scheme tlie moral support of their endorsement, to take measures for perfecting the details and appointing the requisite trustees, and to al¬ low brother Powell to raise the needed funds. He had already, at the Texas baptist Con vention, secured #32,000 — half of it from one man— and in Louisville had been promised #5,000 more, in case the board should ap prove, it could not. under all the circum stances, do less. We say "could not," because, although the subject gave rise to many hard questions, some apparently insoluble, it did seem that a genuine Macedonian call had come, and the hand of God was pointing out to us a new path. We have too profound a reverence for the reality of Providential guidance and too profound a conviction of our own utter in ability to interpret Providence, to be dog matic, and yet, in view of the whole history of our mission, the remarkable shape in which the proposition came, and the infec¬ tious enthusiasm with which our brother presented it, it did appear as if sealed with tlie divine approbation. The brethren may rest satisfied that in working out tlie details of tlie scheme, every¬ thing will be provided for that tlie greatest circumspection can suggest. We heartily commend our brother and the special object for which he will be working to the liberality of all friends of Christian education. He expects to raise in Mexico by far tlie larger part of what will be 'needed for buildings and endowments, but lie ought to get at least #30,000 from tlie United Slates. We have already mentioned what Texas and Louisville did; Richmond added over #2,000; in Philadelphia, as we learn, he re¬ ceived donations in books of some #3,500; in baltimore he received, at the Maryland Union Association, a liberal response to iiis appeal, how much we have not yet heard. WOMAN’S WORK. It has not been many years since tlie atten¬ tion of our western Christendom was strongly called to tlie sad condition of woman in the heathen east. Such is the relation between tlie sexes in Mohammedan and Buddhist countries that no man is allowed access to the houses of the people, and the gospel cannot be carried to the mothers or to the children except by woman. This led to the sending out of unmarried women, and to the formation of societies for their support. But very soon it was discovered that these societies were a most efficient agency for raising money. In most of our churches the ladies constitute a majority of tlie mem¬ bership ; in all of them they are the better half. And so propositions have been made to enlarge the sphere of their work. Some would have the societies of Christian women, instead of seeking out and supporting la¬ borers among heathen women, to pour their funds indiscriminately into the general treas¬ ury for foreign missions. Others would go further, and have them divide their contribu¬ tions between missions at home and abroad. Others, still, would have them embrace all the objects in which the churches are en¬ gaged, and aid not only missions, but col- portage, pastoral support, and the like. In favor of this expansion it may be truly said that woman's heart is large enough to include ail good causes, that her hand isdeft enough to help them all, and that she be¬ comes nobler and better in proportion to the extent of her active sympathy. But let it never be forgotten that the members of these societies are also members of tlie churches, and therefore must not allow their human organizations to supersede tlie divine institution.. Church-members may associate themselves in special work, as for example, in the conduct of a Sunday-school ; but it would be disastrous alike to school and church if the officers and teachers were so engrossed ir. their special work as to neglect the preaching of the Word or the prayer- meeting. So the ladies may very properly associate themselves for a special work, hut not to the neglect of any other to which, as church-members, they are equally commit¬ ted. Such organizations have at best a weak bond of union ; the bond Is tycakened by division of aim ; their only hope of perma¬ nent efficiency lies in concentrating their efforts on some worthy object. In some cases this ought to be the support of a pas¬ tor; in more it might be the support of mis¬ sionaries in our own country; but above all risesone branch of the foreign mission work — the elevation of ignorant and degraded slaves to the dignity of Christian women. This more than anything else is the reason for organizing women’s societies; they will preserve their vitality and increase their strengtli as they cling close to the source of their existence. SIGNOR CARDENAS. We had seen the name Jose Maria Cardenas as principal editor of El Iieraldo Jlfcxicano. It was with peculiar pleasure that we sawthe worthy wearer of that name, during his re¬ cent visit to Richmond. He. seems to be a gentleman of fine education and brilliant parts. During his stay lie made, through an interpreter, five public addresses, every one sensible, exactly adapted to the occasion and sparkling, and yet never repeated himself either in expression or in idea. In private he was equally pleasant and instructive. He is withal a pious man, and brother I’owelt expects hint very soon to put on Christ in baptism. His eulogy of our principles, as embodying the universal religion adapted to all classes and all peoples, showed a true appreciation of religious freedom and per¬ sonal responsibility, and was very gratifying. His accession to our church in Saltillo will be worth much, especially in carrying out tlie proposed scheme of schools. Miss Whii.df.n has been making a visit in Richmond. She is no doubt greatly im¬ proved iu health, but not yet fully restored. Her physician insists that she must not re¬ turn to China for some months, and mean¬ time must have absolute rest. He positively forbids any more attendance on missionary meetings or talks with tlie ladies’ societies. Who will go to Africa? Our brethren there are very lonely, and in the enervating climate cannot help feeling neglected. They unite in piteous, almost agonizing, appeals for reinforcement, but no one is offering to run to the rescue. We want a young man and wife who are willing to endure hard¬ ness for Christ’s sake. From our limited observation it would seem that, other things being equal, persons of dark complexion have a better chance for strength and use¬ fulness in that field. The Genoa Harbor Mission sustains a "Bethel," which is spoken of as “perhaps second to none in the world." About 5,000 attended its services last year, and there was “awakening and revival of spiritual life in the hearts of these hardy men of the sea.” There is an extensive sale and distribution of Scriptures and religious books.