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 BV 601.8 .H44 1884 
 Hellier, Benjamin, 1825- 
 
 1888. 
 The universal mission of th< 
 
The Universal Mission ^'^<^'((}g^ni, ^^^Vi^^ 
 
 '^^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 The Chtirch of Christ. 
 
 A DISCOURSE DELIVERED AT HANLEY, STAFFORDSHIRE, 
 AUGUST 4, 1884, BEING 
 
 THE FERNLEY LECTURE 
 
 OF 
 
 1884. 
 
 BENJAMIN HELLIER. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 T. WOOLMER, 2, CASTLE STREET, CITY ROAD, E.C., 
 
 AND 66, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. 
 
 1884. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 A FEW months ago a member of the ' Board of Manage- 
 mtant ' for the Fernley Lecture proposed to me the subject 
 of ' Missions ' as suitable for the lecture of this year. This 
 suggestion I accepted ; but on further consideration con- 
 cluded that I sliould best serve tlie interests of ' Missions ' 
 by giving to the lecture a wider scope than this title would 
 suggest. The great work of evangelizing heathen nations- 
 has been too much regarded in the liglit of an invention of 
 modern times, or as an acldeiidum to the ordinary work of 
 tlie Churcli ; as something which we may well take an 
 interest in if we choose, but which, without serious blame, 
 we may let alone. By recurring to the teaching of our 
 Lord and His apostles, we are led to see clearly that to 
 make Christ and His salvation known is a duty belonging 
 to all Cliristian people at all times, and tliat from the first 
 Clnist has never set before His Cliurch any less a work 
 tlian the salvation of all mankind. It is quite true tJiat 
 tlie passages of Scripture relating to this sul)ject, wliicli 
 Imve been cited and dwelt on in the lecture, are very well 
 known to us ; Ijut it is also true, as the history of the 
 Church too plainly shows, tliat they have never been suf- 
 ficiently pondered and acted on ; and there is therefore 
 need to insist on them continually, until the obligations 
 which they impose are practically recognised. Hence the 
 
Preface, 
 
 first division of the lecture, The purpose of Christ in 
 founclinff His Church. 
 
 It is impossible steadily and earnestly to contemplate 
 this great subject without having awakened in our minds 
 the question, Wliy have God's merciful designs respecting 
 our race been so partially accomplished ? It is easy to see 
 that this question might lead on to the discussion of the 
 most profound of all mysteries, such as the origin and 
 prevalence of evil, the power of the creature to resist the 
 will of the Creator, and so forth. But the purpose of the 
 lecture being a practical one, such discussion has been 
 avoided, and attention has been directed, under the second 
 division, to Causes which have delayed the fulfilment of the 
 Divine Founder's j^urpose. 
 
 Past and present hindrances having been briefly re- 
 viewed, the practical question remains. What is now to be 
 done ? and in the concluding section I have endeavoured 
 to point out the present duty of the Church. Here much 
 might have been said on the work yet to be accomplished 
 within the bounds of nominal Christendom ; but on account 
 of the original purpose of the lecture this portion of the sul> 
 ject has been omitted, and attention directed to that part 
 of the Church's work which is most urgent, tlie carrying to 
 the non-Christian nations the glad tidings of salvation. 
 
 The quotations given from the New Testament are 
 according to the Eevised Version, except in Acts ii. 47, 
 where another rendering seemed preferable. 
 
 h\ an Appendix there is a list given of works relating to 
 Missions, nnd of some others cited in the lecture. 
 
Tlic Universal Mission of 
 
 The Church of Christ, 
 
THE UNIVEESAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH 
 OF CHRIST. 
 
 'The field is tlie world. '—Matt. xiii. 38. 
 
 All who take part iu the carrying out of any great 
 work which lias long been established, judge it to be their 
 duty often to revert to the views and purposes of its 
 founder, with a view to ascertain whether they are 
 faithfully fulfilling his design. This is especially 
 becoming in those who are engaged in ' the work of 
 the Lord.' Our Saviour Christ not only founded the 
 Church long ago, but He is now the ever-living, omnipresent 
 Controller of all its affairs. He is also our Judge, and at 
 His second coming He will ' render to each man according 
 as his work is' (Rev. xxii. 12). We are therefore sure 
 that whatever is done according to the Divine Founder's 
 purpose must be approved, whatever is opposed to it must 
 be rejected. Let us therefore consider : — 
 
 I. 
 
 The Pukpose of Christ in founding His Ciiuecii. 
 
 We may say briefly that our Lord designed that 
 the kincidom of God which He came to establish should 
 endure throuohout all the ages of the world, should 
 
lo Universal Mission of the Church of Chinst. 
 
 provide salvation for all mankind, and that all who 
 received His protl'ered mercy should become the partakers 
 of His own glory in the heavenly world for ever. More 
 particularly, 
 
 1. This kingdom is to last till the end of time. 
 Old Testament prophecy had foretold the setting 
 up of an everlasting kingdom ' in the last days ; ' ^ and 
 Christ expressly taught that He was the king spoken of, 
 and that His was the kingdom. In the parable of the 
 tares among the wheat, He says : ' The field is the world.' 
 In the end of the world the Son of man shall send forth 
 His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all 
 things that cause stumbling' (Matt. xiii. 38-41). In 
 these few, but most significant words, He who is ' Lord 
 of all' declares that He takes possession of this world 
 as the field of His Church, and that His servants will 
 continue to labour therein down to ' the end of the world.' 
 Another of His sayings tells us that when His angels come 
 to do His harvest work, they will find the labourers 
 scattered all over the eiarth. ' And then shall He send 
 forth the angels, and shall gather together His elect from 
 the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to 
 the uttermost part of heaven' (Matt. xiii. 27). liespecting 
 the stability of His Church He also said, ' The gates of 
 Hades shall not prevail against it' (Matt. xvi. 18). 
 
 As to the design of the Son of CJod to jjless all men 
 by His coming into our world, nothing can be more 
 exi)ress than the saying, * God so loved the world, that 
 ^ See Ps. ii., xlv., Ixxii,, ex., cxlv. ; Isa. ii. 1-4, xi. 
 
C Jurist's Religion Universal. 1 1 
 
 He gave His only -begotten Son, that whosoever l^elieveth 
 on Him should not perish, but have eternal life' 
 (Johniii. 16).^ 
 
 Having founded His reliQ;ion, He declared that it was 
 to supersede all other religions. Even Judaism w^as to 
 cease, and the manifest token of this to all nations would 
 be the destruction of the temple, and the treading down 
 of Jerusalem by the Gentiles (comp. John iv. 2 3 ; Matt. 
 xxiv. 2 ; Luke xxi. 24). He taught His followers that 
 He Himself was the only way to God, — the one living 
 embodiment of the truth concerning God, — the one giver 
 of eternal life with God. ' I am the way, and the truth, 
 and the life : no one cometh unto the Father, but by Me ' 
 (John xiv. 6). 
 
 A religion which claims to be exclusive of all others 
 ought to be adequate for all men. This Christ claims 
 for His religion. It is very noteworthy that our Lord, 
 who was the most perfect example of humility that ever 
 appeared in this world, nevertheless put forth such claims 
 respecting Himself as no living man besides ever dared 
 to utter. He said that there were to be found in His 
 religion, or rather in Himself, resources of blessing 
 sufficient to satisfy the religious need of all mankind. His 
 utterances on this subject are highly figurative, but their 
 meaning is most clear and express. We find that when 
 men are most deeply conscious of their religious needs 
 they express these in terms derived from the bodily 
 
 ^ Whether we regard these words as spoken Ly our Lord, or as the utter- 
 ance of ' His servant John,' we are quite sure that they declare the mind 
 of Christ Himself. 
 
1 2 Universal Mission of the Church of Christ 
 
 necessities, and because hunger and thirst are the most 
 common and most importunate of human wants, they 
 speak of their hunger and thirst after God and right- 
 eousness (comp. Ps. xUi. 1, 2, Ixiii. 1 ; Matt. v. G). 
 So Christ, in reference to the universal longing, says, 
 * I am the bread of life : he that cometh to ]\Ie shall not 
 hunger ; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. . . 
 AMiosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him 
 shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him 
 shall become in him a well of water springing up unto 
 eternal life ' (John vi. 35, iv. 14). Man's dissatisfaction 
 with the present life finds various expressions, and the 
 promises of Christ correspond to the different aspects of 
 his discontent. Does life seem to us a weary pilgrimage, 
 tlie path rough, the burden which we bear heavy, the rest 
 whicli we find unsatisfying ? Then He says, ' Come unto 
 Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will 
 give you rest' (Matt. xi. 28). Do men complain that 
 this life is one of impenetrable mystery, with no safe 
 guidance and without Irope of happy issue ? Then Christ 
 says, * He that foUoweth i\Ie shall not walk in the 
 darkness, but shall have the light of life' (John viii. 12). 
 Are we borne down by tlie trials and affiictions of life, 
 and ready to despair, tl linking that the conflict in which 
 we are engaged will end our life or destroy our virtue ? 
 Tlien our merciful Lord says to us, as He once did to His 
 servant Paul, ' ^fy grace is suilicient for thee, for My 
 power is made perfect in weakness' (2 Cor. xii. 0). 
 Are we appalled by the thought of death, fearing tliat 
 
The World-wide Commission, 13 
 
 it will prove the entire extinction of our being ? Then 
 our liedecmer says, ' I am the resurrection and the life : 
 he that believeth on Me, though lie die, yet shall he li^'e : 
 and whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die ' 
 (John xi. 25, 26). If, once more, we carry our thoughts 
 l^eyond tlie present world, and wonder how the life of 
 man can be endlessly sustained, even to this inquiry the 
 words of Christ give the answer : ' This is life eternal, that 
 they should know Thee the only true God, and Him whom 
 Thou didst send, even Jesus Christ ' (John xvii. 3). Thus 
 there is no aspect under which the moral necessities of our 
 nature can present themselves, but we find a promise of 
 Christ to meet them, a gift of Christ to satisfy them. 
 
 Our Lord further declared His purpose that the great 
 blessings of salvation which He had obtained for our race 
 should be made known to all mankind. When about 
 to leave the world. He told His sorrowing disciples that 
 He would send them another Comforter wdio should abide 
 witli the Church for ever, and that the w^ork which He 
 came to accomplish should have the world for its object. 
 ' He will convict the world in respect of sin, and of 
 righteousness, and of judgment ' (John xvi. 8). 
 
 When, immediately before His ascension, He sent forth 
 His apostles. He gave them a world-wide commission, 
 connnanding them to 'go and make disciples of all the 
 nations,' ' to preach the gospel to the whole creation.' 
 He taught them that ' repentance and remission of sins 
 should be preached in His name unto all the nations ; ' 
 and that His servants should be witnesses for Him ' both 
 
1 4 Universal Mission of the CIuLrch of Christ. 
 
 in Jerusalem, and in all Jiidiea and Samaria, and unto 
 the uttermost part of the earth ' (Matt, xxviii. 1 9 ; Mark 
 xvi. 15; Luke xxiv. 47; Acts i. 8). He also gave the 
 distinct assurance that ' this gospel of the kingdom shall 
 be preached in the whole world, for a testimony unto all 
 the nations' (Matt. xxiv. 14). 
 
 When we pass from the study of the words of Christ in the 
 Gospels to the history of the earliest days of the Church, as 
 recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, we find that notwith- 
 standing all the instruction which they had received from 
 Christ, the first preachers of the gospel failed to comprehend 
 the greatness of the work committed to their trust. Just 
 before their Lord ascended into heaven, they were anxiously 
 inquiring about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel 
 (Acts i. 6), and even after the day of Pentecost, Peter 
 spoke of Christ as exalted ' to give repentance to Israel, 
 and remission of sins' (Acts v. 31), no mention being 
 made of the Gentiles. Afterwards, by the vision which he 
 saw in the house of Simon tlie tanner, and by the scenes 
 which lie witnessed in the -house of Cornelius, he was con- 
 vinced tliat the Gentiles were to share the benefits of the 
 kingdom of CJod ; and the Church at Jerusalem was 
 brought at length to acknowledge, * Then to the Gentiles 
 also hath God granted repentance unto life' (Acts xi. 18). 
 
 With the conversion of Saul of Tarsus a new era began. 
 As soon as ' it was the good pleasure of God ... to reveal 
 His Son ' in tlic apostle, that he ' might preach Him 
 among the Gentiles' (Gal. i. 15, 16), this wonderful man 
 entered into God's purpose in Christ respecting mankind, 
 
Tcachmg of the Apostle Patd. 1 5 
 
 and expounded it in words such as were never uttered 
 before or since. In his speeches and letters he sets forth 
 the uni\'ersaUty, the perpetuity, the greatness, and the 
 glory of the Christian religion, in language most clear and 
 express ; but so profound that it suggests to us ' the 
 thoughts which wander through eternity.' To the Jews 
 at Antioch in Pisidia he declared the universal promise of 
 pardon, and tauglit by implication that Judaism had been 
 superseded by the religion of Jesus. ' Be it known unto 
 you therefore, brethren, that through this Man is pro- 
 claimed unto you remission of sins ; and by Him every one 
 that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye 
 could not be justified by the law of Moses' (Acts xiii. 39). 
 
 To the philosophers of Athens he declared that the 
 religions which they had once followed were due to times 
 of ignorance, towards which God had showed merciful 
 forbearance ; but that such ignorance would be henceforth 
 inexcusable, because there was made known to them a 
 religion which taught the universal Fatherhood of the one 
 true God, and consequently the universal brotherhood of 
 mankind, and which demanded repentance from all men 
 everywhere, in view of the solemn fact that God 'hatli 
 appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in 
 righteousness Ijy the Man whom He hath ordained : 
 whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, hi 
 that He hath raised Him from the dead ' (Acts xvii. 
 :!1). 
 
 In his Epistles the apostle delights to dwell on that 
 wonderful ' mystery,' that ' dispensation of the grace of 
 
1 6 Universal Mission of the CImrcJi of Christ. 
 
 God,' which was planned in the Divine counsels ' before 
 times eternal' (2 Tim. i. 10), was indeed hidden during 
 many ages (Koni. xvi. 28), but was manifested in 'the 
 fulness of the time ' by the Son of God (Gal. iv. 4). The 
 universal character of human redemption is declared in 
 the words that ' God was in Christ reconciling the world 
 unto Himself (2 Cor. v. 19). By the combined parallel 
 and contrast which he establishes between Adam and 
 Christ, ' the first man ' and ' the second man,' he shows 
 that the blessing which comes from Christ was designed 
 to reach to every member of our race (see Eom. v. 11-21 ; 
 1 Cor. XV. 21, etc.). He is fully persuaded that the 
 gospel ' is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
 that belie veth ' (Rom. i. IG). Its saving power he had 
 himself experienced, and he looked upon his own con- 
 version as a prime instance, an example of what would 
 take place in multitudes of others, ' which should hereafter 
 believe on Him unto eternal life ' (1 Tim. i. 17). 
 
 If we look at the religious needs of men individually, 
 the apostle tells us how fully they are all met. For man 
 burdened by the guilt of sin it provides an all-sutticient 
 atonement, through faith in which we obtain peace with 
 God, power over sin, and the hope of everlasting life 
 (Itom. iii. 22, v. 1, 2). It makes a holy life possible, 
 for it frees us ' from the law of sin and death ' (Kom. 
 viii. 2). It provides for the complete renewal and 
 sanctification of our whole nature, throughout ' spirit, soul, 
 and body' (2 Cor. v. 17; 1 Thess. v. 23). It sustains 
 amidst all the trials of life, and delivers from the fear of 
 
Christianity siifficicnt for all Men. ij 
 
 death, l)y the full persuasion that it affords us ' that the 
 sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be com- 
 pared with the glory which shall be revealed to usward ' 
 (Rom. viii. 18). It provides for the happiness of com- 
 munities, by establishing pure, peaceful, happy households ; 
 for it sanctifies and blesses the relationships of husbands, 
 wives, parents, children, masters, servants, by uniting all 
 in the bonds of a common faith and love towards our Lord 
 Jesus Christ (Eph. v. 22, vi. 9). 
 
 Christianity is fully adequate, if everywhere adopted, to 
 cure the evils of the whole human society, and to bring in 
 a reign of universal righteousness, peace, and joy. ' The 
 kingdom of God is . . . righteousness and peace and joy 
 in the Holy Ghost' (Rom. xiv. 17), and in proportion as 
 it obtains in any nation, it puts an end to war and violence 
 and fraud and wrong-doing of every kind, it establishes 
 peace among all classes, and brings in the purest of all 
 joys. We cannot say that within the kingdom there is no 
 sorrow ; but the sorrow that is found is not born of the 
 kingdom ; it comes from without, or it comes from those 
 who, though within the kingdom, have not fully yielded 
 themselves to its benign sway. This religion as it prevails 
 puts an end to the enmities and jealousies of tribes and 
 nations. To men united in Christ the distinctions of 
 ' Greek and Jew . . . barbarian, Scythian, bond and free ' 
 become as nothing in view of the fact that Christ is all 
 things in all His people (Col. iii. 11). 
 
 But the greatness and glory of the Church are seen 
 especially in the exaltation of Him who is its Head, and 
 
I S Universal Mission of the CJmrch of Christ, 
 
 in the effects of man's redemption on the universe. Over 
 all our race Christ has obtained universal dominion 
 founded on universal redemption. He died for all that 
 He might be Lord of all, ' both the dead and the living ' 
 (Rom. xiv. 9). But more than this. Because the Saviour 
 stooped so low as to take upon Him our nature, and to 
 ransom us by His death, God the Father ' highly exalted 
 Him, and gave Him the name which is above every name, 
 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of 
 things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under 
 tlie earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus 
 Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father ' (Phil. ii. 9-1 1). 
 This exaltation of our Saviour has a twofold result. First, 
 we are taught that Christ exercises this dominion over the 
 whole universe for the benefit of His redeemed people ; for 
 He is 'Head over all things to the Church' (Eph. i. 22). 
 Secondly, the benefits of man's redemption are to extend, 
 in ways and measures now inconceivable by us, far beyond 
 the human race. God designs ' to sum up all things in 
 Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the 
 earth' (Eph. i. 10), 'to reconcile all things unto Himself, 
 having made ])eace through the blood of His cross ; through 
 Him, I say, wliether things upon the earth, or things in the 
 heavens' (Col. i. 20). Hence also 'the earnest expectation 
 of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God ' 
 (liom. viii. 19). 
 
 Looking at these wide results of our redemption, we 
 cannot wonder that to tlie angelic powers abt)ve us there is 
 on earth no object of contemplation so interesting as tlie 
 
Teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews. 19 
 
 Church of Christ. It has become to them a new revela- 
 tion of God which they never cease to study, even as it is 
 the purpose of God Himself ' that now unto the principali- 
 ties and powers in the heavenly places might be made 
 known through the Church the manifold wisdom of God ' 
 (Eph. iii. 10). 
 
 The apostle confidently anticipates the spread of the 
 religion of Christ throughout the world, foretelling that 
 tlie time will come when ' the fulness of the Gentiles ' 
 will come in, and 'all Israel shall be saved' (Eom. xi. 26). 
 Of the everlasting perpetuity of the Church he has no 
 doubt, for he prays that glory may be given to God ' in 
 the Church and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations for 
 ever and ever' (Eph. iii. 21). 
 
 The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews is in full 
 accord with the apostle of the Gentiles, That the old 
 Jewish covenant is now superseded by ' a better covenant, 
 which hath been enacted upon better promises ' (Heb. viii. 
 6), is made fully manifest. The superiority of the new 
 covenant to the old is seen in the infinite dignity of 
 the Great High Priest of our confession, at once Son 
 of God and a member of our own race, King and 
 Priest for ever ; in the perfect efficacy of the atoning 
 sacrifice which He lias offered once for all, making all 
 other sacrifice for sins for ever unnecessary ; in His ever- 
 lasting mediation for us at the right hand of God in the 
 holy places not made with hands ; in that boldness of 
 access to God Himself, which He has procured for us ; 
 and in our present union by faith with God, the Judge of 
 
20 Universal Mission of the ChnreJi of Christ. 
 
 all, with Jesus, with saints and angels in the heavenly 
 Mount Zion. I need not dwell on the teaching of other 
 New Testament writers, wliich fully accords with what 
 lias been already stated. I will only add that in that last 
 mysterious book, which closes the canon of Holy Scripture, 
 whilst many things are obscure, this great truth is made 
 plain, that Christ is exalted above all creatures, that all 
 the hosts of heaven and all the powers of earth and hell 
 are subject to His control, and that all the events of time 
 contribute to bring on His final and everlasting triumph. 
 All this is summed up in the revelation given to the 
 beloved disciple Ijv great voices in heaven which said, 
 ' The kingdom of the world is Ijecome the kingdom of our 
 Lord and of His Clirist ; and He shall reign for ever and 
 ever' (Eev. xi. 15). 
 
 This Inief statement of the tea chin 2; of Christ and His 
 apostles places before us tlie great work of the redemption 
 of man by the Son of God, as designed by infinite wisdom 
 and mercy before the world was, kept in view and prepared 
 for Ijy all the ages precluding the Ijirth of Christ, actually 
 accomplislied in the fulness of time as tlie greatest event 
 in the world's history, embracing all men in tlie designs 
 of its mercy, and enduring in its l)les8ed results tlu'oughout 
 all ages, world without end. In this great work we all 
 liave a deep personal interest ; to pjirticipate in its lienefits 
 ourselves, and to extend tliem to others, is to liave the 
 highest joy and to do tlie noblest work possible to man 
 Jiere l>elow. 
 
Hindrances to the Pj^ogress of Christianity. 2 i 
 
 11. 
 
 Causes which have delayed the Fuleilment of the 
 Divine Founder's Puhpose. 
 
 When from the views given us in the Xew Testament 
 respecting the glorious character and destiny of the Church 
 of Christ, we turn to the history of Christianity during the 
 last eighteen centuries, and to the present religious condition 
 of mankind, we cannot avoid the sorrowful conclusion that 
 the merciful purposes of our Saviour have been to a great 
 extent frustrated. We direct our thoughts to Christ, and 
 reverently inquire : 
 
 ' Lord over all, if Thou hast made, 
 Hast ransomed every soul of man, 
 AVhy is the grace so long delayed ? 
 AVhy unfulfilled the saving plan ? 
 The bliss for Adam's race designed, 
 "When shall it reach to all mankind ? ' 
 
 To such in(_[uiries it is impossible for any one to give a 
 complete answer ; and all that I can hope to do at present 
 is to make some contribution towards the solution of this 
 great problem. 
 
 But before proceeding to do this, two preliminary obser- 
 vations are necessary: 
 
 In the first place, we are quite sure that the slow 
 progress of His kingdom in the world cannot have taken 
 our Lord by surprise. If He had told His earliest 
 disciples that they would win an easy and speedy victory 
 
2 2 Universal Mission of the CJmrcJi of Christ. 
 
 over the opposition of mankind, this woukl have been a 
 greater difficulty in the way of our faith in Him than it has 
 ever encountered. But He gave no such promise. On the 
 contrary, He forewarned them that as the world had hated 
 Him so it would hate them ; that many of His faithful 
 witnesses would for His sake be persecuted and put to 
 death, and that on this account the love of many other of 
 His followers would wax cold. By His servant John He 
 warned the Churches of Asia that, if they proved unfaithful, 
 He would Himself quench the lights already kindled there. 
 So in the writings of the apostles we find prophecies of the 
 coming of 'perilous times,' of seasons of ' falling away,' and 
 of the appearance of many antichrists. But He who 
 foresaw and foretold all these things has also foretold the 
 final and glorious triumph. 
 
 In the second place, though we have to speak of many 
 failures which have taken place in connection with the ex- 
 tension of Christ's kingdom in the world, tlicrc ham never teen 
 any failures in the religion itself. It has been proclaimed to 
 men, and they have refusl^d to receive it. In that respect 
 there has been a want of success. But who ever blames a 
 physician for not curing tliose who refuse to follow his 
 prescriptions ? Men have professed to adopt the religion 
 of Christ, when they have accepted something very 
 different from it ; l)ut religion is not answer.able for the 
 <!rrors which men make respecting it. Many have pro- 
 fessed and called tlicmselves Christians who liave been 
 guilty of a])ominable sins and wickedness, but the religion 
 of Clirist is no more to Ijlame on tliis account tlian the just 
 
opposition of the Devil and his Angels, 23 
 
 laws of this countiy for the crimes committed by men who 
 profess allegiance to those laws. AYlien we contend that 
 the religion of Christ itself has never failed, we mean this, 
 that whenever any one has truly believed in Christ, loved 
 Him, obeyed Him, followed Him, no evil has ever resulted 
 from his doing so, but he has been made more pure and 
 happy, and more rigliteous and kind towards all with whom 
 he has had to do. When we carefully trace the histories 
 of individual Christians, and the history of nations who 
 have received the faith of Christ, we find that tlie results 
 which are iiroiKrly attrihutahlc to the religion of Christ 
 have been of infinite value to mankind.^ 
 
 In considering the hindrances to the advance of Christ's 
 kingdom, we must first of all take into account the fact 
 that ever since Christ founded His kingdom of grace and 
 truth, there has been an invisible kingdom of darkness 
 counterworking it, ruled by ' the devil and his angels.' 
 In the parable of the Tares, in which our Lord first unfolds 
 to us His large designs respecting His kingdom. He tells us 
 of the malicious work done by ' the enemy, the devil,' in 
 order to destroy, or, at least, to hinder the work of Christ's 
 servants ; and He also taught that to the end of thne the 
 evil results of the enemy's sowing will be found in His 
 field. The earliest history of the Church is a comment on 
 this teaching. Satan put it into the heart of Judas to 
 betray his Master ; he desired to have Simon Peter and all 
 
 * The way in whicli the religion of Christ has modified and imjiroved the 
 laws and customs of nations both in Europe and America, is shown in a very 
 al)le work entitled Gesta Chr'Ml ; or, a History of Humane Progress under 
 Christianity, hy C. Loring "Srace. London, 1882. 
 
24 Universal Alission of the Chicrch of Christ. 
 
 the apostles, that he might sift them as wheat ; he brought 
 
 trouble on the early Church by filling the hearts of two of 
 
 its members to lie to the Holy Ghost (John xiii. 2 ; Luke 
 
 xxii. 31 ; Acts v. 3). The Apostle Paul found himself 
 
 hindered by Satan in the prosecution of his labours 
 
 (1 Thess. ii. 18) ; he speaks of the great Adversary as 'the 
 
 prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in 
 
 the sons of disobedience ' (Eph. ii. 2) ; and, though he had 
 
 many powerful human adi^ersaries, makes light of these 
 
 in comparison with the invisible powers of darkness against 
 
 wliom he had to contend. ' Our wrestling,' he says, ' is not 
 
 against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and 
 
 powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against 
 
 the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places ' 
 
 (Eph, vi. 12). Although it is impossible for us to say 
 
 what are the ways in which the powers of darkness oppose 
 
 the kingdom of God, we cannot surely l)e mistaken in 
 
 concludin£f that their malicjn influence has had much to do 
 
 with the spread and perpetuation of the fetishism, devil- 
 
 worslup, and polytheism * of uncultured nations ; and -with 
 
 those ancient systems of idolatry and false philosophy 
 
 wliicli liave so long held in Ijondage the nations of the East, 
 
 and whose influence becomes more pernicious from age 
 
 to age.^ 
 
 "VVe cannot doubt also that ' tlie prince of this world ' 
 
 (John xii. 31) lias wrought out liis malicious purposes by 
 
 means of migodly men wliom lie has moved to persecute 
 
 ^ See Rpport of Shanrjhni Conference, p. 2G0 ; The Life of Dr. John 
 Wilson of Bomhaij, pp. 302-308 ; Dr. Dull" on India and Indian Missionf(, 
 pp. 196-258. 
 
Persecution. 25 
 
 the Church. It is one of the deepest and most perplexing 
 mysteries that ( Jod has to so large an extent permitted 
 wicked men to hinder and destroy the work of true religion. 
 V)\\t as to the fact of such permission there can be no doubt. 
 From the Acts of the Apostles we learn that very early in 
 the history of the Church Herod Agrippa slew James the 
 l-trother of John with the sword ; and that, through the 
 avarice of Felix, Paul was kept prisoner for two years at 
 Ciesarea, his missionary labours being thereljy suspended. 
 By the persecutions which raged throughout the Eoman 
 Empire during the first three centuries the progress of the 
 Divine kingdom was stayed to an extent impossible for us to 
 estimate. I suppose there must be some truth in the oft- 
 repeated saying of Tertullian, that ' the blood of the martyrs 
 is the seed of the Church,' but it is also true that in many 
 instances the death of the martyrs has been the death of 
 the cause for which they testified.^ 
 
 From the seventh century and onwards the Muliam- 
 madan power has done immeasurable injury to the Church, 
 devastating lands once Christian, replacing churches by 
 Muhammadan mosques, and setting up a system of religion 
 which has done very much to degrade mankind. Wher- 
 ever it now rules with unchecked power, it raises an 
 almost insuperable barrier to the advance of the kingdom 
 of God.'^ 
 
 1 Archbishop Trench, speaking of the persecution waged by the Papal 
 power against the Albigenses, says : ' Persecution was successful, — as 
 generally it is, where, with sulHcient power to back it, and knowing 
 exactly what it intentls, it carries this through witli a ruthless and 
 relentless persistency.'— Trencli's Medkvval Church History, p. 219. 
 
 - On the many veiy serious defects and errors of :Muhamniadanism and its 
 
1 6 Universal Mission of the CImrch of Christ. 
 
 The hindrances ah^cady named have come from those 
 who are without the kingdom. We must now notice those 
 which have proceeded from the professed followers of 
 (?hrist. Here let me say, once for all, that it gives me no 
 pleasure to speak of the faults of Christians, whether of 
 the past or of the present time. I would much rather 
 celebrate their virtues, and commemorate the immeasurable 
 delit of gratitude which we owe to Christians of past ages. 
 But who can record the history of the Church without 
 naming the faults of its adlierents ? 
 
 When our Lord left the world and ' ascended far above 
 all the heavens, that He might fill all things ' (Eph. iv. 
 10), He made adequate provision for the continued 
 existence of His kingdom, and for its extension through 
 the world. He instituted the Sacraments of Baptism and 
 the Lord's Supper, involving the formation of a community 
 clearly marked off from every other organization of men. 
 He also ' gave gifts unto men ' in the persons of messengers 
 sent forth to preach ' all the words of this life ' (Acts 
 v. 20). 'And He gave -eome to be apostles; and some, 
 prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and 
 teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of 
 
 antagonism to Cliristiimity, see a valuable passage in tlie l>anipton Lecture 
 for 1881, Ly John Wordsworth, IM. A., pp. 244-269. Sir William Muir, in his 
 Lift of Mahomet, says : * They lal)our under a miserable delusion who 
 suppose that Mahometanism prepares the way for a purer faith. No 
 system could have been devised with more consummate skill for shutting 
 out the nations over which it lias sway from the light of truth. . . . The 
 sword of I^Iahomet and the Koran are the most stubborn enemies of civiliza- 
 tion, liljerty, and truth which the world has yet known. — Church 
 Mimoiw.ry Atlas, p. \T>. 
 
The Kingdom advanced by Testimony. 2 J 
 
 iniiiistermg, unto the building up of the body of Christ' 
 (Eph. iv. 11, 12). These words have chief reference 
 to the strengthening and perfecting of men ah^eady 
 <jfathered into the Church. But the continual extension of 
 
 o 
 
 the kingdom was provided for, and this was to be 
 accomplished- by means of testimony. 
 
 To His apostles our Lord said, ' When the Comforter is 
 come ... He shall bear witness of Me ; and ye also bear 
 witness ' (John xv. 26, 27). Here is a twofold testimony, — 
 Divine and human ! the great subject of the testimony 
 always the same — the Lord Jesus Christ. So the Founder 
 of the Church, in the last words uttered by Him on earth, 
 spoke of the Holy Ghost who should come upon the 
 apostles, and then added, ' And ye shall be My witnesses.' 
 Here we have the great fimdamentcd lam of the lyrofjress of 
 Christ's hiiKjclom : the one suhjeet of the ChurcKs teaching, — 
 Christ ; the teachers, witnesses ; the human testimony made 
 effectual ly the Divine Spirit. Where this law is observed 
 the kingdom advances ; where neglected, it recedes. Let us 
 look at some of the evils resulting from departure from the 
 law. 
 
 In the first place, the professed teachers of the Church 
 have in many cases not been witnesses. A witness for 
 Christ must not only testify of the outward facts of 
 Christianity, of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, 
 and not merely of the true doctrines of religion ; but he 
 must also testify to those inward, spiritual facts, which are 
 the perpetually renewed miracles of Christ, wrought by 
 His Spirit in the hearts and lives of men. But how can 
 
2S Universal Mission of the Chtirch of Christ. 
 
 any one bear witness to a true repentance which he has 
 never experienced ? to a saving faith which he has never 
 exercised ? to the joys of conscious pardon which he 
 has never known ? to the power of the grace of God to 
 renew and sanctify the outer life, wlien his own conduct 
 gives no token of this ? When the professed teachers of 
 Christ's religion are not ' witnesses/ in the full sense of the 
 term, or when they keep silence respecting the all-important 
 doctrines of the gospel, such as the guilt and depravity of 
 all men, the atonement offered by Christ, the witness of the 
 Spirit, the entire sanctification required in the Christian 
 life, the last judgment and its eternal issues, how can we 
 expect a work which depends on testimony to advance 
 apart from such testimony ? When we remember that 
 over large portions of Christendom there is no true preach- 
 ing of the gospel, that even in many Protestant congre- 
 gations the testimony to * the things concerning the Lord 
 Jesus Christ' is partial and misleading, and that multi- 
 tudes of Christian people who might bear witness for their 
 Lord keep silence respecting Him, we cannot wonder that 
 the knowledge of Christ and His salvation does not 
 ad\'ance more rapidly. 
 
 Sometimes the testimony of the lips is not supported by 
 that of the life. In all ages of the Church Christ has 
 liad servants who have conspicuously glorified Him by deed 
 as well as l)y word ; l)ut too frequently men who have 
 professed and called themselves Cliristians have dis- 
 honoured the ever-blessed name, and, by their unworthy 
 conduct, have repelled men from Christ instead of attracting 
 
Corruption of Christian Doctrine. 29 
 
 them to Him. It has been justly said that ' one detected 
 hypocrite may make a hundred intidels.' ^ 
 
 The simplicity of ' the faith once delivered to the saints ' 
 has been corrupted l)y unauthorized additions. This evil 
 began very soon. In the days of the apostles false teachers 
 endeavoured to impose Judaism on the Gentile con^'erts, 
 and the beginnings of Gnosticism and other errors made 
 their appearance. 
 
 Soon after the close of the first century a host of errors 
 erept in. The authority of the bishops was unduly exalted, 
 and the monstrous assumption was made that the ministers 
 of religion constituted ' the lot of God's inheritance,' His 
 K\rjpo^, to the exclusion of the laity." 
 
 The true conception of Christian holiness was perverted 
 by the assertion of the superior sanctity of a life of celibacy, 
 and by the spread of monasticism."' 
 
 Then followed the worship of the relics of martyrs, the 
 invocation of saints and angels, and especially the worship 
 of the Virgin Mary.'^ Later came the alleged supremacy 
 (jf the Bishop of Eome, the doctrines of the opus opcrahtm or 
 necessary grace in the sacraments, Transubstantiation, works 
 (jf Supererogation, Indulgences, Purgatory, and many others.'' 
 
 Had these additions made to the primitive faitli been as 
 true in themselves and as innocuous as the propositions of 
 
 ^ "Wordsworth's One Rdhjion, p. 10. 
 
 -' See Schaifs History of the Christian Church, i. 409. The use of the 
 words clertis (Latin), clerical, and clerr/i/, as designations of an order within 
 the Church, is a survival of this error. 
 
 •■' On the wide prevalence of monasticism, even b-^forc tlie Council of Nicfea, 
 and the manifold evils resulting from it, see Isaac Taylor's Ancient Christi- 
 anity, vol. i. pp. 277-415 ; SchaO", ii. 117-179. 
 
 * See Schaff, ii. 409, 428. 
 
 •' On cn-ors of the Churcli of Rome, see generally, Plain Reasons agaimt 
 joiniiifj the Church of Borne, by K. F. Littlcdale, LL.D., D.C.L. 
 
Universal Mission of the C/mrck of Christ. 
 
 Euclid's elements, the teaching of them as things necessary 
 to be believed in order to salvation would have been an in- 
 tolerable evil, for it would have made man's access to God and 
 to eternal life more difficult than the Founder of our religion 
 ever intended it to be. But these additions not being truths, 
 but untruths, contradicting the fundamental verities of the 
 faith, brought infinite mischief. They spread like dark clouds 
 (3ver the liright firmament of the Church, causing multi- 
 tudes to sit in darkness and the shadow of death, who 
 but for them might have been blessed with the light of 
 life. This corruption of the truth, continuing through long 
 ages, and extending through large portions of professing 
 Christendom, has turned the thoughts of men from the 
 truth which brings salvation, and has turned them into 
 fables and traditions of men ; has withdrawn trust from the 
 priestly work of Christ and fixed it on a human priesthood, 
 the very notion of which is alien from a true Christianity. 
 It has directed men's hopes to the creature rather than 
 to the Creator ; it has made religion outward and sensuous, 
 instead of inward and spiritual ; and has ended in a religious- 
 ness divorced from morality, to a lamentable extent silenc- 
 ing in men's hearts the voice of conscience, and making it ex- 
 tremely difficult to bring home to them any deep sense of sin. 
 Another great liindrance to tlie spread of Christ's 
 kingdom has been tliis : men have lost confidence in tlu' 
 .sufficiency of the divinely appointed method of extension, — 
 that of hearing witness to the trutli ; although our Lord 
 Himself said that to do this was the great end of His 
 coming into the worhl (Julm xviii. i)?). 
 
Reliance on Secula}' Poujcr. 3 1 
 
 No one was ever more intensely desirous to extend 
 God's kingdom than the Apostle Paul, but he never dis- 
 covered any more expeditious means of doing this than 
 that gi^'en in his own words : ' By the manifestation of the 
 truth connnending ourselves to every man's conscience in 
 the sight of God ' (2 Cor. iv. 2). But to many Christians 
 this method has seemed too slow, and they have foolishly 
 attempted to advance Christ's kingdom by means altogether 
 opposed to its own true character. 
 
 In numberless instances far too much dependence has 
 been placed on the help derived from civil rulers ; and John 
 Wesley has well spoken of ' that fatal period when the 
 Emperor Constantine called himself a Christian.' ^ When 
 the Church too much relies on princes and nobles, it 
 tolerates their faults and vices, and then has l3ut little 
 authority to rebuke the same sins in the common people. 
 < )wing to this cause, the moral standard to which professed 
 Christians were required to conform was rapidly lowered 
 from the time of Constantine onwards. 
 
 Another great evil arose when the Church began to use 
 the secular power of princes and governments to put down 
 errors in rehgion, no longer persuading but compelling to 
 obedience. Civil punishment for heresy dates from the 
 ( 'ouncil of Niccea ; "" and we find the greatest names of 
 
 ^ See AVesley's Works, vii. 25. The author of Gesta Chrlsti acknowledges 
 that some good results flowed from Coiistantine's legislation, but says : * The 
 union of the Christian Church with the State under Constantine we regard 
 us one of the great blunders of the historical Church, which has drawn after 
 it a long train of evils, whose effects are even yet experienced." — Gesta 
 Cliristi, p. 51. 
 
 - Schalfs History of the Churchy iii. 629, 630. 
 
32 Universal JMission of t lie CJnircJi of Christ. 
 
 the early Church, those of Augustine, Jerome, Chiysostom, 
 all ranged on the side of persecution. As early as 
 o'^h A.D. Maximus, the rival of Theodosius, instigated by a 
 Christian bishop, caused a bishop of another sect, with 
 several others, to be tortured and beheaded in the city of 
 Treves ; and the bishops assembled at Treves, with one ex- 
 ception, approved this act/ This was the first instance of 
 the shedding of the blood of heretics by a Christian prince ; 
 but the evil example thus set was followed in countless in- 
 stances afterw^ards, many of the very best Christians that 
 ever lived being put to death by professed followers of 
 Christ, under tlie miserable delusion that by this means 
 they could advance the kingdom of God." Protestants 
 have persecuted as well as Catholics, and by so doing have 
 greatly hindered the cause of truth, but never advanced it 
 a single step. Christ gains no servants by compulsion ; 
 His people are a willing people. 
 
 Again, the servants of Clnist, in their eagerness to in- 
 crease the numl)er of His professed followers, have too 
 readily admitted men into the visible Church. On the 
 day of Pentecost and* afterwards, ' the Lord added to the 
 Church daily those that were saved ' (Acts ii. 4)."^ But at 
 a later period large numbers were baptized who must have 
 been almost wholly, if not quite, ignorant of the Christian 
 faitli. 'J1ie instances of the l)aptisni of King Clovis and 
 
 ' Schair.s llhlonj, ii. 142, 143. 
 
 - * In the first ciglitcen years of the Spanish hu^uisition under Torcaicmath), 
 10,000 persons were burnt, and 97,321 iniprisont'd, banished, or reduced to 
 want.' — Dr. Littledale's Plain Jicaaous cujain-it joinhvj the Church of Ron. t'^ 
 p. 131. 
 
 =* See Note A. 
 
Trust in Things 2 1 ate rial. 33 
 
 liis Franks, of some of our own Saxon kings and their 
 • subjects, and of the wholesale baptisms by St. Francis 
 Xavier in India are examples of this.^ ]^y such methods 
 tlie members of the Church are multiplied, but its strength 
 is lessened, because, by the mixture of the uninstructed 
 and unconverted portion with true Christians, the Church's 
 faith is corrupted, and its standard of holy living lowered. 
 
 When men lose faith in the Divine methods of propa- 
 gating religion, they place undue confidence in other things. 
 They rely on the effects of splendid church architecture, 
 the ornate vestments of priests, exquisite music, the tink- 
 ling of bells, and the fumes of incense. Some who have 
 no faith in such things may place their dependence on 
 their Church systems, and may be in danger of making a 
 mere fetish of Episcopacy, Presbyterianism, or Methodism, 
 expecting from an organization what can be accomplislied 
 only by Divine power. "We may even trust too much to 
 tlie force of argument and eloquence, despising the sim- 
 ])licity of testimony ; and we need constantly to remind 
 (jurselves that no power save that of the Holy Spirit can 
 make any one a new creature in Christ Jesus.^ 
 
 ^ St. Francis Xavier landed at Goa and begun liis work there in 1542, and 
 died in 1552. According to his own view he made many Christians. He 
 often saj's, ' feci Christianos.' But he never mastered one Oriental language, 
 and was frequently without an interpreter. (Dr. G. Smith's Handbook <>j 
 Missions, pp. 145, 146.) The lioinan Breviary, Decembers, says of him : 
 '^lulta centena hominum millia ad Christum in Indiis convertit : ' many 
 hundreds of thousands converted, and the missionary ignorant of their 
 language ! 
 
 - On the work of the Spirit, and the absolute dependence of Christian 
 workers on His power, see the Fernley Lecture for 1870, by G. Osborn, D.D., 
 and that for 1882, by Robert N. Young (Woolmer, London). For the view 
 taken of this subject by those engaged in Foreign Mission work, see a power- 
 
34 Universal Mission of the CImrch of Christ. 
 
 Amongst the causes of delay must be reckoned the mis- 
 taken notion which has so largely governed the minds of 
 Christian people, that the extension of the Church is to 
 be accomplished only or chielly by the labours of its official 
 members. The New Testament theory of the kingdom of 
 God is that every member of the same is to contribute to 
 its ad^-ancement; and that not by gifts of money only, but l)y 
 personal service. This is taught in our Lord's parable of the 
 Leaven ; by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians, 
 in which he represents the growth of the body of the Churcli 
 as effected ' through that which every joint supplieth ' (Eph. 
 iv. 16) ; by the many references which his Epistles contain 
 to the men and women who were ' his helpers in Christ 
 Jesus,' and who ' laboured mucli in the Lord ; ' and by the 
 very remarkable words which he addresses to the Church of 
 Eome, declaring his conviction that every member of that 
 Church is able to contribute to the edification of all the 
 rest : ' And I myself also am persuaded of you, my 
 brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled 
 with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another' 
 (liom. XV. 14). 
 
 Of the work of the extension of the Cliurch, by means 
 of its unordained and unofficial members, we have no more 
 instructive example tlian that given by some of the first 
 Christians, of whom we read tliat after the death of 
 Steplien, and owing to the persecution which followed it, 
 ' They tlierefore tliat were scattered abroad went about 
 
 ful Jiddress on ' TIkj Holy Spirit in Couiiuction with our Work,' hy IJcv. 
 Grillith John {Re'port of Shanghai Cotiferencc, pp. 32-44). 
 
Divisions — Scepticism . 3 5 
 
 preaching the word, . . . and travelled as far as rhoenicia, 
 and Cyprus, and Antiocli. . . . And the hand of the Lord 
 was with them ; and a great number tliat beheved turned 
 unto the Lord' (Acts Adii. 4, xi. 19-21). If the advance- 
 ment of the work depends on one or two only, it move>s 
 slowly ; but nnich is accomplished when all the members of 
 the Church bear faithful witness for their Lord. 
 
 The division of Christ's followers into rival sects and 
 Churches has been productive of much evil. For myself, 
 I plead not for a complete uniformity, and I value not 
 at a single straw any outward union that is gained by the 
 sacrifice of honest conviction ; but we must all deplore 
 the extent to which we find prevalent among Christians 
 suspicion, jealousy, contempt, and endeavours to counteract 
 one another in their efforts to do good. Most earnestly 
 should we join in the prayer, ' that all they that do 
 confess Thy holy name may agree in the truth of Thy 
 holy word, and live in unity and godly love.' 
 
 Amongst the most formidable of all obstacles to the 
 spread of true religion is the spirit of unbelief, both within 
 the Church and without. The history of the German and 
 Danish Missions during the last century affords melancholy 
 examples of the way in which the spread of Eationalism 
 in the Churches at home may paralyze and destroy missionary 
 work abroad. At the present day the writings of our 
 English sceptics and agnostics, circulated among the 
 educated natives of India, help to keep back many from 
 faith in Clirist. 
 
 True science has never been an adversary to religion ; 
 
2,6 Univa'sal JMission of the ChtLrch of Christ. 
 
 but a false philosophy in various forms has exerted a 
 most baneful intluence in tlie Church from the first 
 century to the present time ; whilst, in the judgment of 
 well-informed men, the false systems of philosophy pre- 
 valent in India and China form most formidable barriers 
 to the spread of Christian truth.^ 
 
 In this review of hindrances to the kingdom, we must 
 reckon as one of the greatest the very general and long- 
 continued disobedience on the part of the Church to 
 the command of Christ to His servants, ' to go into 
 all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.' 
 During the first three centuries of the Church the ex- 
 tension of Christianity must be considered rapid, when 
 all the forces arrayed against it are taken into account. 
 Missionary work has never wdiolly ceased ; but from the 
 close of the tenth century to the beginning of the nine- 
 teenth, little was accomplished towards winning new 
 territory for Christendom, if we except the missions 
 of the IJoman Catholic Church since the lieformation 
 period, and the establislnnent of Christian communities 
 in North and South America. But against these gains 
 must be set the losses caused by the spread of the 
 Muhammadan delusion, especially in Asia and North 
 Africa. 
 
 It must be said furllier tliat misunderstanding of the 
 
 ' On the doctrine of the inlierent sinfulness of matter, derivi'd IVoni Plato, 
 and a source of infinite evil in the Church, see Schalfs Church History, i. 
 pp. 223, 231, and following. On the inlUience of liuddliisni, Taoism, and 
 Confucianism in China, see discussions in tlic 1\( port of tin Slianylial 
 Coiifi rence, especially pp. 70-75. 
 
opposition of iinrcneiucd Heart. 37 
 
 teaching of Scripture respecting the second coming of 
 Christ has often checked missionary effort. Just as in 
 apostolic times there were some at Thessalonica who had 
 ceased from working because they thought the day of 
 Christ was at hand, so in many subsequent periods 
 Christians have withheld their hands from the missionary 
 enterprise, because they thought that there could be no 
 further extension of the Church before the Lord returned 
 to judgment. 
 
 The greatest hindrance of all is one for which Christian 
 workers cannot be blamed, — namely, the universal op- 
 position of the unrenewed heart of man to the doctrines 
 and claims of the gospel. Christ's first parable teaches 
 what all Church history confirms, that when the workers 
 in the field are altogether blameless, and the seed sown 
 is perfect, the soil may prove unfruitful. When he that 
 sowed was the Son of man, and the seed was the word 
 of God, very much of what was sown produced no good 
 fruit. When all other hindrances are removed out of the 
 way, the hardness of men's hearts remains, as all Christian 
 workers find to their sorrow. It is often overcome by the 
 power of the Divine Spirit, but not always ; for men 
 possess the awful power of resisting the Spirit to their own 
 destruction. When Stephen addressed the Jewish San- 
 hedrim he was filled with the Spirit ; but, his hearers 
 resisting the Spirit, the issue of the sermon was the 
 murder of the preacher. It has sometimes been said 
 that Muhammadanism spread more rapidly than Chris- 
 tianity, as if that were an argument in favour of the 
 
^S Universal Mission of the Chui^cJi of Christ. 
 
 former. But Muliammadanism makes converts by the 
 power of the sword, by the dh'cct encouragement which 
 it affords to some of the worst tendencies of liuman 
 nature, and by the promise of a sensual paradise. The 
 religion of Christ makes no real advance, except in so 
 far as it opposes and overcomes whatever in man is 
 contrary to truth and righteousness. 
 
 From this brief review we see that there are two classes 
 of causes which hinder the extension of Christ's kinodom, — 
 those arising from without the Church, for which Christians 
 cannot be blamed ; and others which are due to the mistakes 
 and unfaithfulness of Christians themselves. The con- 
 sideration of the first class is not without practical value, 
 for it suggests to us the need of constant, earnest prayer, 
 in order that agamst all the adversaries of the Church we 
 may obtain the help of Almighty power, so that 'those 
 evils which the craft and subtlety of the devil or man 
 worketh against us may be brought to nought, and by the 
 providence of God's goodness they may be dispersed.' In 
 view of the opposition of* men's hearts to Christ's gospel, 
 we must pray for the abundant outpouring of the Spirit, 
 which is God's special promise for ' these last days.' 
 
 Instructed by the history of the Church, we must avoid 
 former errors, resolutely refusing to employ for the ex- 
 tension (jf the Divine kingdom any methods which our 
 Lord disallows. In the earliest recorded example of tlie 
 admission of Gentile converts into the Church, we have 
 the true pattern of all Church extension. ' While Peter 
 yet s])ake these words, the Holy Ghost fell un all them 
 
Present DtUy of the Church. 39 
 
 whicli lieard the word ' (Acts x. 44). Here are the 
 three mighty factors in the work, the only ones essentially 
 necessary : the living human witness, the Divine word 
 spoken, the Divine Spirit accompanying the word. It is 
 to be noted also that in this instance the manifest bestow- 
 ment of the Spirit did not follow baptism, nor accompany 
 it, but preceded it. ' The Lord added to the Church those 
 that were saved.' 
 
 III. 
 
 The Peesent Duty of the Church in View of Chpjst's 
 Purposes, and of the Present Eeligious Condition 
 OF Mankind. 
 
 Whilst the Church has a very great work to accomplish 
 amongst those who are nominal Christians, the original 
 purpose of this lecture leads me to direct attention chiefly 
 to what is to be done for the non-Christian peoples of the 
 earth. 
 
 One of the first and most important duties of the 
 Church is to survey the whole field of its labours, that is, 
 to ascertain as fully as possible the present religious 
 condition of mankind. The want of zeal and diligence 
 on the part of many Christians in promoting the kingxbm 
 of God is largely due to ignorance of the world's religious 
 needs. Such ignorance is highly culpable. If we have 
 a field to cultivate, we ought to know its boundaries, 
 its extent, and condition. If we have a warfare to wage, 
 
40 U7iivcrsal Mission of the Church of Christ. 
 
 we ouglit to know the extent of tlie forces arrayed against 
 us. If it is the duty of the Church to bring all men to 
 the knowledge of Christ, we ought to know how many 
 have to be reached and taught, what their moral condition 
 and religious beliefs are, and what are the causes which 
 keep them from the fold of Christ. Information on all 
 these subjects is abundant and w^ell-nigh complete. We 
 may at least feel confident that we shall not hereafter 
 discover any feature of heathenism that will be new to 
 us. Thanks to the labours of missionaries, the publications 
 of many travellers, and the works of WTiters who have 
 made the various religions of the world their special 
 study, we have very full information as to the religious 
 state of the world. But it is not enough that sucli 
 knowledge is available if it is not used, that such books 
 should be written if they are not read. There is urgent 
 need that Christians generally should give less time to 
 reading other things, and more to the study of the things 
 pertaining to tlie kingdom of God. 
 
 It is impossible in this, lecture to state the facts relating 
 to this all-important subject, except in the briefest outline. 
 
 Giving only round numbers, we may say that the 
 present condition of the field of the kingdom is this : — 
 
 The total population of the globe is taken at 1440 
 millions. This is divided into — 
 
 Christians, 440 millions. 
 
 Non-Christians, 1000 
 Ol the non-Christians — 
 
 8 millions jire Jews. 
 
Sfafistics of ATissions. 
 
 17- millions are Muliaiiiiuadaiis. 
 800 „ Buddhists, Brahmins, etc.^ 
 
 Here is the work of the Church ! In addition to what 
 remains to be done among nominal Christians, it has to bring 
 these 1000 millions to the knowledge of Christ and salvation. 
 The following brief summary indicates the progress 
 \\hich has been made by Protestant Missions since the 
 beginning of the present century : — 
 
 In 1800 Missionary Societies numbered . 7. 
 
 There are now . . . . . 100. 
 
 In 1800 the converts numbered about . 50,000. 
 
 They are now estimated at . . 2,700,000. 
 
 In 1800 the total income of all the 
 
 Societies was about . . . £50,000. 
 
 It is now estimated at . . . £2,275,000. 
 
 In 1800 the Mission schools were about . 70. 
 
 They are now estimated at . . 12,000. 
 
 And the scholars in these are . 400,000. 
 
 In 1800 there were probably about 170 Missionaries 
 (100 of these connected with the Moravians), 
 with very few native helpers. 
 It is estimated that there are now of 
 Missionaries of all kinds . . . 4910. 
 
 Native helpers . . . . 29,471. 
 
 Communicants. .... 622,577.''^ 
 
 ^ Dr. G. ^m.\ih.'s Handbook of Missions, p. 194. 
 
 2 See Christlieb's HistorTj of Missions, pp. 14-18 ; Dr. G. Smitli'.s Hand- 
 hook of Missions, pp. 192, 193, 196. Compare Dr. Warneck's History of 
 Protestant Missions (1882), p. 112. His statistics give somewhat lower 
 numbers, but they refer to an earlier period. In any case these figures are 
 only approximately corr^nt. 
 
42 Universal Mission of the Church of Christ, 
 
 The Eoman Catholic Chiircli has conducted missions 
 in tlie East, and in many other regions, with various degrees 
 of success, durino- tlie last 300 years. Acccordin^f to 
 Eoman Catholic authorities, the Catholic Christians in 
 India and Ceylon number 4,150,000 ; in China, 400,000 ; 
 and in other parts of Asia about 300,000. Missions in 
 other parts of the world, about 450,000.-^ 
 
 It is impossil:)le for us as Protestants to approve of all 
 the methods used by Eoman Catholic missionaries, or to 
 be satisfied with the character of the conversions recorded ; 
 but none can deny that the history of these missions 
 contains most striking examples of devoted zeal on the 
 p.'irt of the missionaries, whilst thousands of their converts 
 have been willing to lay down their lives rather than 
 deny the faith of Christ. 
 
 The Missionary contributions of the Eoman Catholic 
 Propaganda for all parts of the world were, in 1878, 
 £244,200 ; Init this sum by no means includes the 
 whole of the contributions of Eoman Catholics to Christian 
 Missions.^ « 
 
 Very little can be said of the missionary activity of the 
 (rreek Church, but in 1870 a society was formed in 
 
 ' Cyclopii^dia of M'Clintock k Strong, New York, 1876. 
 
 - The statistics of Roman Catholic Missions are at present very uncertain. 
 In contrast with the number of 4,150,000 converts for India and Ceylon, Dr. 
 Smith in liis Ilandhooh of Mhslona, p. 150, says: *Tlie Roman Catholic 
 population of India is returned Ijy the Census of 1882 as 963,058, or half the 
 whole Christian population of 1,862,634.' Dr. Hunter, in his article on 
 India, in the ninth edition of the Encydopu'dla Brif.nmiica, gives the total 
 number of ChristiatiH in Brithh India as 897,682. The Protestant En- 
 cydoprdie den Scifmcas Jielif/knses gives much larger numbers than those 
 above stated. In the Roman Catholic Klrchon-Lexkon, odcr Encydopddie 
 
Greatness of Work to be accoinplisJied, 43 
 
 Moscow, having for its olgect the conversion of non- 
 Christians within the liussian Empire. It is not beyond 
 the limits of a reasonable hope that a revived and reformed 
 Greek Church may even yet become a mighty agent in the 
 extension of Christianity through the East. 
 
 This brief survey shows us plainly two things. Eirst, 
 that we have abundant cause for thankfulness and 
 encouragement on account of what has been accomplished 
 within the last eighty-three years. But secondly, we see that 
 our work, so far from being accomplished, is only just begun. 
 Two or three facts make this only too e\ident. Over 
 against the total number of conmmnicants given above as 
 022,577, we have to place the 1000 millions of non- 
 Christians. The latest statistics give the population of 
 India at 250 millions ; and the Pteport of the Calcutta 
 Conference on Missions (1883) gives the communicants of 
 Protestant Missions as 145,097 ; the native Christians as 
 528,590. The population of China is variously estimated, 
 but may perhaps be taken as about 300 millions.^ The 
 Peport of the Shanghai Conference, held in 1877, gives 
 the total number of communicants connected with 
 Protestant Missions at 13,035; but Dr. Warneck states 
 
 der Katholisclien Thcolojie, article 'Mission' (Freiburg, 1851), no statement of 
 the number of converts is given, but there is a list of twenty-nine colleges 
 for the training of missionaries, — lifteen in Rome, and fourteen outside Rome. 
 Of the latter four are in Ireland. The Jesuits have in Europe tliirty 
 missions, and connected with these 232 'Individuals,' i.e. Priests, Scholars, 
 and Brothers. Total number of Jesuits in all parts of the world engaged in 
 mission work, 625. In Dr. Smith's Handbook, p. 154, there is a list of 
 twenty-five Roman Catholic * Missionary Agencies. ' He mentions also the 
 ' Grand Society of the Russian Church.' 
 
 1 AVhitaker's Almanack ior 1883, p. 331 ; Dr. G. Smith's Handhook, p. 195, 
 iiives 210 millions. 
 
44 Universal All ssion of the C/nirch of Christ. 
 
 that in 1881 the nimiber was 19,060/ If in the centuries 
 to come the ingathering of the heathen were to be no 
 greater than in the century last past, the length of the 
 period which would then be required for the conversion of 
 1000 millions of heathen would be so enormous that 
 the very contemplation of it is appalling.-'' 
 
 But there are many valid grounds for hope that the 
 success of the future will be very much greater than that 
 of the past. Among sucli grounds of hope are the 
 following. Many difficulties which once hindered mission 
 work have been overcome. The hostility of various 
 governments has been converted to friendliness, or greatly 
 abated; whilst the prejudices of heathen populations against 
 missionaries and their work have to a very great extent 
 been removed. Thus ahnost throughout the world the 
 door stands open for the messengers of salvation to enter 
 in. Since the beginning of this century many languages 
 previously unknown to missionaries have been mastered, 
 and in several instances reduced to writing by the 
 missionaries themselves* Grammars, lexicons, primers 
 have been written ; and these have been followed by prayer- 
 books, hymn-books, catechisms, compendiums of theology, 
 and treatises on various branches of useful knowledge 
 written from a Cliristian point of view. Best of all, the 
 Holy Scriptures liave been translated into many dilferent 
 tongues. 'At the beginning of tlie present century tlie 
 Scriptures existed in some fifty translations. Since tlicn 
 
 ' Warneck's Protestant MUsJons, p. 1C4. 
 2 3ee j^^otg 13^ 
 
Aids to the Proo-rcss of Christianity. 45 
 
 translations of tlie Bible, or of its more important parts, have 
 lieen accomj^lished in at least 226 languages and dialects.' 
 
 One thing very favourable to the spread of the gospel 
 is the general prevalence of peace in the world. It 
 cannot indeed be said that wars and fightings have come to 
 an end ; but never before did so many millions of men 
 dwell together in peace, whilst many signs of the times lead 
 us to hope tliat the reign of peace will extend more and 
 more as tlie ages pass on. 
 
 Then too, the greater part of the political power of the 
 world is in the hands of Christian nations, and Protestant, 
 English-speaking people have the greatest influence with 
 non-Christian nations. 'Half of mankind, if not Christians, 
 are ruled by professedly Christian powers. Creat Britain 
 alone rules one fourth of the race, for wliom tlie " l\ax 
 Britannica " is doing exactly what Cod used the " Pax 
 Piomana " to do for the eighty-five millions around the 
 [Mediterranean Sea, when Jesus Christ began His brief three 
 years' ministry.' ^ 
 
 Again, commerce, wliicli exercises an ever-growing in- 
 fluence ui)on tlie destinies of nations, ])elongs chiefly to the 
 Ent^lish race. It has been estimated that of the whole com- 
 merce of the world seventy per cent, is English and American.- 
 
 ^ Dr. G. Smith's Handbook of Missions, pp. 23, 24 ; on the advantages of 
 Christian rule to non-Christian nations, see Appendix III. 
 
 " The ibllowing statistics are given in 'Warncck's History of Protestant 
 Missions, p. 114 : — 
 
 COMMEKCE IN 1S75. 
 
 The English races, .... £1,027,970,500 
 
 All other nations, .... 4 41,2ri4,20 
 
 Total commerce, .... 1,409,224,700 
 
46 Universal Mission of the Church of Christ. 
 
 The increased facilities for travel by land and sea, and 
 the extension of postal and telegraphic communication, make 
 it easy for us to visit and communicate with almost every 
 part of the world ; whilst by means of the printing-press 
 religious publications can be multiplied by millions. All 
 these things seem plainly to indicate that God in His 
 pro\ddence is preparing the way for the publication of the 
 gospel of Christ among all nations. 
 
 ISTor can we overlook the help rendered to the cause of 
 religion by those Christians who are living in the midst of 
 heathen populations, and who, though not professedly 
 engaged in missionary work, do much to help it forward. 
 This has been especially the case in India, and the great 
 names of Henry and John Lawrence, of Havelock, J. C. 
 Marshman, Herbert Edwards, Bartle Frere, and many others, 
 must ever be remembered as those of men who, by their high 
 character as Christians, and in various other ways, greatly 
 helped the cause of truth and righteousness. In proportion 
 as England becomes more thoroughly Christian, such 
 examples will multiply-; whilst those of an opposite 
 character, of Englishmen who have lieen a reproach to the 
 Christian name, will diminish. 
 
 We may also anticipate that on the whole much good 
 will result from the mingling of the inhabitants of India, 
 China, and Japan, witli the Christian inlial)itants of England, 
 America, and Australia. We do not suppose that the effect 
 of this will be wholly good ; l)ut unquestionably it will con- 
 tril)ute largely to extend the knowledge of religion amongst 
 Eastern people, especially those of the educated classes. 
 
Missionary Societies. 47 
 
 Tlie extension uf education under Christian <^overnnients 
 must also be taken into account. Not that this is always 
 favourable to Christianity, but the diffusion of European 
 science tends to the inevitable destruction of idolatry and 
 superstition, and thus, we may hope, prepares the way for 
 a faith established on the everlasting foundations. 
 
 Looking at the great missionary agency itself, w^e see 
 many encouraging signs of progress. The very large 
 number of missionary societies now at work is a fact 
 of vast significance.-^ These have their headquarters in 
 Great Britain, the United States, Canada, the Continent of 
 Europe, and Australia. These societies, working from so 
 many different centres, not only give hope of a rapid 
 extension of the kingdom of Christ in heathen lands, but 
 tend also to a wide diffusion of zeal and enterprise among 
 all the Churches of Christ. It is difficult to e^ive the 
 
 o 
 
 number of distinct stations in the mission field, but they 
 must be exceedingly numerous.""^' 
 
 We no longer see the ordained foreign missionary 
 working alone. In most cases he has around him a band 
 of fellow - labourers. These are the ordained native 
 ministers, catechists, day-school teachers, Sunday-school 
 teachers, and others. It is very evident that the vast 
 masses of the heathen population will have to be won to 
 
 1 1 have given the number at 100 on the authority of Dr. G. Smitli'.s Hand- 
 hook, p. 192. Warneck's History of Missions, p. 112, gives 70 societies. 
 Sniitli, on pp. 198, 199, gives names and statistics of 75 societies. Neither 
 estimate takes account of missionary societies in Australia and the Pacific. 
 
 ^ The Report of the Calcutta Conference for 1883 gives 716 for India. 
 The Report of the Shanghai Conference, 1877, gives for China : Stations where 
 missionaries reside, 91 ; Out-stations, 511 ; Organized churches, 312. 
 
48 Universal Mission of the C/nur/i of Christ. 
 
 Christ by men of their own race and tongue ; and hence 
 of late years great efforts have been made to train native 
 ministers, to form native churches, and to make these self- 
 supi)orting. These efforts have met with very varying 
 degrees of success, but the results in some instances are in 
 a high degree satisfactory.^ 
 
 ]\fedical missions are becoming increasingly important. 
 As our Lord Himself went about doing good by preaching 
 the gospel of the kingdom and healing all manner of sick- 
 ness and disease among the people, so devoted men among 
 His followers are now in heathen countries engaged in the 
 work of healing, whilst also preaching the word of life. 
 Tlie establishment of hospitals liy missionaries, and the 
 lienefits conferred by means of these on large numbers of 
 patients, tends powerfully to conciliate the heathen in 
 favour of mission work. Some of these medical mission- 
 aries are women ; and these have found access to the 
 zenanas of women of the highest classes, and have won 
 S(jnie of them to the faith of (rod. The work of Christian 
 women amongst wome^ in heathen lands is constantly 
 extending its blessed influence. The strongliold of super- 
 stition is maintained l)y women ; and when these can be 
 won for Christ, the triumpli of the kingdom of God every- 
 wliere will l)e nigh at hand.-^ 
 
 The multi])lication of scliools of various classes 
 
 ' See Note C. 
 
 - Tlie number of foreicfn and Eurasian female missionaries in India is 
 about 500. For information on zenana work, see Report of Mihlmay Con- 
 J'rrnicp, pp. 179-188, 2nr.-322 ; CakiUta Con/err ncc, 31. '5-323 ; Womai'.^ Worl: 
 hi India, by "William Arthur (Woolmer, London, 1882). 
 
Sunday Schools. 49 
 
 vernacular and English boarding - schools, orphanages, 
 high schools, and colleges, promises much. The establish- 
 ment of Sunday schools in India and China is com- 
 paratively recent ; but it seems probable that these will 
 prove one of the most successful of all the means employed. 
 Parents send their children readily ; the young people 
 come with unprejudiced minds. They delight in singing 
 hymns ; they store their memories with passages of 
 Scripture ; and often become powerful pleaders with their 
 parents on behalf of the Christian faith. In some 
 instances large numbers of children are collected. After 
 all that we have heard respecting Cawnpore, it comes 
 upon us as a welcome surprise to learn that in that place 
 there are nine Sunday schools, belonging to the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, containing 1000 scholars.^ 
 
 In some places the heathen parents, seeing the effects 
 of Christian teaching on the minds of their children, say 
 to the missionary : ' Sir, we shall not accept Christ, we 
 are too old to change ; but our children will certainly 
 become Christians.' ^ 
 
 The most advanced thinkers among the heathen 
 anticipate the rapid extension and ultimate triumph of 
 Christianity. That remarkable man whose career in India 
 has lately closed, Keshub Chunder Sen, once uttered words 
 which we trust are truly prophetic. ' Our hearts,' he said, 
 ' are touched, conquered, overcome by a Higher Power ; 
 and this power is Christ ; no one but Christ has deserved 
 
 ^ Calcutta Conference Report, 1SS3, p. 49. 
 ^ Calcutta Conference, ]). 40. 
 
50 Universal Alission of tJie Church of Christ. 
 
 the precious diadem of the Indian crown, and He will 
 have it.' ^ 
 
 But these fair prospects and cheering hopes call upon 
 the Church of Christ for greater efibrts and sacrifices than 
 it has made hitherto. Two things are required : more 
 labourers in the mission field, and larger pecuniary con- 
 tributions at home. Never had the words of Christ, 
 ' The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few,' 
 so large a meaning as at present ; nor need we doubt 
 that, in answer to the prayers of the Church, suitable 
 labourers will Idc given. When we call to mind the 
 missionaries of modern times, and think of the work of 
 Eliot in the I7th century ; of the labours of Brainerd and 
 Schwartz in the last century ; of our own Dr. Coke ; of 
 the great Indian missionaries, Carey, Marshman and Ward, 
 Wilson of Bombay, Duff of Calcutta, Judson of Burmah ; 
 of Morrison and Milne in China ; of Barnabas and William 
 Shaw, Livingstone and Moffat in South Africa ; of John 
 Williams, John Hunt, and Bishop Patteson in the South 
 Seas ; — we feel that better missionaries than these wc cannot 
 expect to have, and need not pray for ; Init we need such 
 in larger numbers. What is more encouraging still is 
 to remember that there are not a few merely, but many 
 living missionaries, who in personal character, devoted 
 zeal, enterprise, and labour, come not a wliit behind the 
 uoljlest of their predecessors. We know that among our 
 
 ^ Sue AVonls worth's One lidhjion, p, 214, and Chri.stlicL's Jllsiory of 
 Mis.-iiom, p, 195. This is not a solitary example of such anticipations. 
 See "Warnock on Modern Missions and Cidttire, pp. 148, 149. 
 
A nezu Crusade needed. 
 
 51 
 
 own ]\Iethodist brethren there are those who to the 
 mission cause have given themselves and all that they 
 have. 
 
 We have to note also the fact that not a few devoted 
 men and women have gone forth to do mission work, 
 without obtaining from the Churches at home any pledges 
 for their support. The facilities for w^orkers of different 
 ages, classes, and varied degrees of education to undertake 
 mission work are now greater than ever before, especially 
 for English - speaking Christians, because of the large 
 numbers of non-Christian people, especially in India, who 
 understand our own language. Thus an earnest Christian, 
 within a month or six weeks after leaving England, may be 
 doing effective work for Christ in the missionary field, with- 
 out having acquired any language but his mother tongue. 
 ]\Iay we not hope that in years to come the volunteers 
 in this service will be greatly multiplied. More than 
 700 years ago multitudes went forth from England and 
 the Continent of Europe to join in the Crusades. They went 
 to rescue the sepulchre of Christ and the site of the Jewish 
 Temple from the hands of the misbelievers. Kings and 
 princes left their kingdoms, and great nobles their estates ; 
 whilst knights and their retainers mortgaged their property, 
 and raised large sums of money to take them to the Holy 
 Land. Vast numbers who thus went forth never returned, 
 Ijut laid down their lives in foreign lands on belialf of 
 what they judged to be a sacred cause. They went 
 Ijecause they said, ' God wills it.' With these expeditions 
 were connected much folly and sin ; but the impulse was 
 
52 Universal Mission of the CJmrch of Christ, 
 
 a uoble one, for these men sought to do honour to Christ. 
 Shall we ever see a new and better crusade ? Why not ? 
 Why should not the Church of this age, with far better 
 views of truth, with wealth immeasurably increased, with 
 facilities of travel and ready communication with all 
 nations unexampled in the past, send forth its hosts of 
 believers, not to rescue the sepulchre of Christ or the site 
 of the Temple, but to save from the bondage of degrading 
 superstition those who are the purchase of the Saviour's 
 blood, and capable of becoming living temples of the 
 Holy Ghost ? There are many Christians in England 
 whose lives are comparatively aimless, useless, and joyless, 
 who, if labouring in the mission field, would find ample 
 scope for all their powers, would exchange apathy and 
 listlessness for work of the deepest interest, and live a life 
 enriched with the purest of all satisfactions, the joy of 
 saving souls from death. Of this work of converting the 
 heathen to Christ we may surely say, ' God wills it.' 
 Christ calls His servants to it : happy are they who obey 
 His call.^ - 
 
 If we remain at home, and are to fulfil our duty to 
 Christ, we must be prepared to offer larger gifts, much 
 larger gifts, to the missionary treasury. We have been 
 too well satisfied witli the contril)utions already made. 
 According to a statement lately published by Canon Scott 
 
 • Some Christian gcutlciuen, possessed of wealth and leisure, have set 
 ii good example by going on a tour of inspeetion of mission stations in 
 India and elsewhere. Will not many more do the same ? Such visits must 
 prove of advantage to the visitors themselves, and will greatly help the 
 missionary cause. 
 
Larger Cont rid tU ions needed. 53 
 
 Eobertson, the total amount of ' British Contributions to 
 Foreign Missions' amounted in 1882 to £1,191,175. 
 But as a very considerable portion of this sum was for 
 Irish, Continental, and Colonial Missions, what was con- 
 tributed for the spread of the gospel among the heathen 
 was less than one million sterling. No doubt the amount 
 just named represents much noble generosity on the part 
 of many Christians ; but when we remember that the total 
 annual income of the people of Great Britain is estimated 
 at 1200 millions,-^ and that ' our annual drink bill ' ranges 
 from 120 to 140 millions, we must say respecting our 
 missionary contributions, 'Boasting is excluded.' If we 
 are ever tempted to boast, let us remember that what the 
 heathen spend in honour of their false gods far exceeds 
 the proportion of our own gifts. Dr. Duff, in his work on 
 India, states that in one town in India, at one annual 
 festival, half a million sterling is sometimes spent in honour 
 of Durga, one out of the 300 millions of India's false gods.^ 
 Less than a million of money gathered from the whole of 
 this Christian nation in one year to extend Christ's 
 kingdom : while half a million is spent in one Indian town 
 in a few days, in honour of an idol that ' is nothing in 
 the world ! ' Dr. Yates of Shanghai has calculated that the 
 amount spent by the Chinese in one year, in honour of 
 their deceased ancestors, exceeds 30 millions sterling.'^ 
 Were the people of this country, by a self - imposed 
 
 1 Statesman's Year Book for 1884, p. 227. 
 
 '^ India and Indian Missions, by Dr. Duff, p. 232. 
 
 2 Report of Shanghai Conference, p. 385. 
 
54 Universal Mission of the CJmrch of Christ. 
 
 income-tax, to contribute one j^enny in the pound of 
 their income for missionary purposes, this would yield 
 £5,000,000. Is it too much to hope, that ere long this 
 Christian nation will not think it too much to con- 
 tribute the 240th part of its income to the noblest of 
 all charities ? 
 
 The considerations which should prompt us to increased 
 zeal in missionary work are many and powerful. Loyalty 
 to Christ our Saviour demands it. He is the ricfhtful Lord 
 of all mankind. The heathen have been given to Him as 
 His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth 
 as His possession (Ps. ii. 8).^ He says Himself, 'All 
 authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on 
 earth' (Matt, xxviii. 18). Every idolater is a rebel 
 against Christ ; every Muhammadan sets the false prophet 
 above the Eedeemer of the world ; every unbelieving Jew 
 is a rejecter of the claims of the Son of God. Surely every 
 loyal servant of Christ ought to be anxious to claim and 
 win for Him the honour which is His due. Wliat Christian 
 lieart does not feel the force of the appeal contained in 
 the words : ' Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, 
 that ye through His poverty might become rich ' (2 Cor. viii. 
 9). For us men and our salvation He came down from 
 heaven ; He endured unspeakable sorrow to give us infinite 
 joy ; He submitted to shame and spitting that He might 
 
 ^ It is strange that many Christians still pray as if the P'athcr had not 
 yet granted this request of the Son. Those who thus pray, however, never 
 go on to request the exercise of the kingly power spoken of in the next verse. 
 
Christianity alone Sufficient, 55 
 
 bring us to glory ; He endured the death of the cross 
 that He might bestow on us eternal life. What shall we 
 render our good Lord in return for all His mercy to us ? 
 We can make Him no recompense, for all that we have 
 He has given us ; but we can do what is dear to the 
 heart of Christ : we can with deep sympathy enter into 
 the purposes of His mercy respecting our race ; we can 
 make Him known ; we can extend His kingdom. With 
 such service Christ is well pleased. Shall we refuse it ? 
 
 The unutterable misery and degradation of the heathen 
 call aloud for our compassion and help ; and our responsi- 
 bility respecting them is increased by the very full know- 
 ledge which we now have of their condition. By all our 
 sources of information two things are made plain. First, 
 that men everywhere need religion, and everywhere seek 
 it, though they seek it blindly ; and, secondly, that no 
 religion, except that of Christ, is adequate to meet the 
 moral needs of men. All other religions fail in the follow- 
 ing respects. They cannot give peace of conscience, for 
 they tell of no adequate atonement for sin ; they cannot 
 lead to holiness of life, because they do not make known 
 the Spirit who overcomes ' the flesh ; ' they give no infal- 
 lible rule of faith and practice ; they present men with no 
 perfect model of a godly life on earth ; and afford no 
 sure hope of the life everlasting. The religion of Christ 
 is perfect in all these respects. 
 
 In the first part of this lecture I have adverted to 
 what Christ and His apostles teach as to the absolute 
 sufficiency of the Christian religion to meet the needs of 
 
56 Universal Mission of the CJmrch of Christ. 
 
 all men, and the history of the Church for more than eighteen 
 centuries confirms and illustrates the truth of this teach- 
 ing. In all these centuries, and never more conspicuously 
 than in our own, Christianity, rightly taught and faithfully 
 accepted, has proved itself adequate to raise men who were 
 sunk in the lowest depths of barbarism and moral degrada- 
 tion to a new and noble life ; and at the same time it has 
 satisfied the reason and moral nature of men endowed 
 with the highest intellectual powers of which history 
 gives us any record. Of the sufficiency of the religion of 
 Christ we, who believe in Him and love Him, have the 
 most convincing of all evidence, the immediate testimony 
 of our own consciousness ; we know, if we know anything 
 at all, that in Christ we have all that we need. We 
 know that the love of God, shed abroad in our hearts by 
 the Holy Ghost given unto us, reforms our lives, sanctifies 
 our souls, lessens all our sorrows, heightens all our joys, 
 sustains amidst all the trials of life, and enables us to 
 say in prospect of death, ' We know that if the earthly 
 house of our tabernack be dissolved, we have a building 
 from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the 
 heavens' (2 Cor. v. 1). If, in reviewing any part of our 
 Christian course, we are conscious of failure, we never 
 blame the provisions of God's grace as insufficient ; we 
 only blame ourselves, because we have not accepted, as 
 fully as we might have done, God's proffered mercy. 
 
 Looking, then, at our relation to the heathen, the case 
 stands thus. We have what they above all things need. 
 They are sitting in darkness, we have tlie light of life ; 
 
God saves Man by Man. 57 
 
 they are perishing with hunger, we have in our hands the 
 bread of life ; they are fallen, we can raise them ; they 
 are full of misery, we can bring them satisfying joys ; they 
 are full of despair, we, as w^orkers together with God, can 
 give them the hope of everlasting life. Shall we refuse 
 to share our most precious gifts wdth them, when we know 
 that the more abundant the distribution we make, the more 
 w^e have ourselves. Another consideration is very clear and 
 very solemn. The great blessings of the religion of Christ 
 never reach the heathen except by our means. It were 
 too bold a thing to say that God cannot save man witliout 
 man ; but, as far as w^e can see. He never does so save. 
 Did you ever hear of any one in a heathen country who 
 up to a given time was a worshipper of idols, and then 
 became a worshipper of the true God, apart from human 
 agency, direct or indirect ? Did you ever hear of an 
 ungodly man in England who broke off his evil ways and 
 became a true Christian apart from human help ? Are 
 there any such cases recorded ? I know not any. The 
 men now living without salvation miLst he saved hy soonc 
 one, or they will never be saved at all ; the sheep that 
 have wandered from Christ's fold must be sought and 
 found and brought back to the fold, or they will never 
 enter it. 
 
 I have spoken of the duty of the Church at large ; but 
 every Christian must deeply consider his own obligation 
 to Christ, and inquire, as Saul of Tarsus did, ' Lord, what 
 wouldest Thou have mic to do ? ' Much good that might 
 be done is never accomplished, because men yield to a 
 
58 Universal Mission of the C liter ch of Christ. 
 
 temptation which comes to them clothed in the garb of a 
 false humility. They say, ' The work is so great, and my 
 power to do anything so small, that whether I do anything 
 or nothing makes little difference.' Let no one say so. 
 To each servant of Christ it is a matter of infinite conse- 
 (juence whether he fulfils or not the task assigned him 
 by his Lord. The joy of our acceptance in the last day, 
 our final recompense in heaven, depend on the use we 
 make of the talent or the pound which Christ has 
 entrusted to our care. Besides, if one convert a sinner 
 from the error of his ways and lead him to Christ and 
 life eternal, is not this a matter of infinite moment to the 
 one so rescued ? 
 
 The work to be done for Christ in the world is, as we 
 have seen, very great ; and by the very circumstances of 
 the age in which we live our Lord calls us to work for 
 Him. His own word to us is, ' Seek first the kingdom of 
 God and His righteousness ; ' and our obedience to this 
 command is not complete, if we care only to make our 
 own election sure, being careless about the salvation of 
 others. In truth, we have to choose between a life con- 
 cerned only about self, and one devoted to Christ and the 
 good of our fellow-men. We are free to choose. But let 
 us remember this : if life is centred in self and devoted to 
 self it will be full of bitter disappointments, for the world 
 never gives the selfish man all that he craves from it. 
 Such a life is never separable from meanness, for in self- 
 seeking tliere is no elevating power ; and the life of the 
 selfish man never attains to true dignity or joy. But in a 
 
The Chiii'ch a Binlding. 59 
 
 life wholly devoted to Christ there is peace and joy and 
 nobleness ; an ever-increasing usefulness, a growing con- 
 formity to Christ Himself, with blessed foretastes of the 
 life to come. Shall we concentrate our thoughts and 
 spend our strength on the things which perish with the 
 using, or on those which endure for evermore ? 
 
 The Church of Christ, according to the Scriptures, is a 
 vast building, ever growing greater and more glorious, but 
 never to be finished until He who laid the foundations 
 thereof shall come to earth the second time to accomplish 
 its perfection, and to fill it with His glory. From this 
 comparison the humblest worker in the Church may derive 
 encouragement. When we first behold some majestic 
 building reared by the hand of man, we give the first and 
 highest praise to the architect who designed the whole. 
 But we also praise the workmen who placed stone upon 
 stone, set up the goodly pillars, framed the arches and 
 formed the lights ; and we see that not a particle of labour 
 was useless that was expended in fulfilment of the master- 
 builder's plan. So when that greatest building of God is 
 complete, and we, among the nations of the saved, walk in 
 the streets of the New Jerusalem, our first and highest 
 praise will be given to Him who, in His infinite wisdom 
 and goodness, planned the great design before the world 
 was. But we shall also praise the work of apostles, and 
 prophets, arid martyrs, and of tlie workers of all ages of the 
 Church who have lielped to accomplish the purpose of 
 Christ ; and we shall then see that no true work done for 
 Him and His Churcli was ever in vain. And would you 
 
6o Universal Mission of the Chitrch of Christ. 
 
 not wish to find some of your own work there ? Wouhl 
 you not Kke to discover that some of the living stones 
 would never have rested on the sure foundation if your 
 own hands had not placed them there ? — that from the 
 everlasting songs some voices would have been wanting if 
 you had not first taught them to sing the Saviour's praise ? 
 What is all gain of wealth, what is worldly honour or 
 selfish j^leasure, compared with the blessedness of working 
 for Christ and His kingdom ? Who will now put liis hand 
 to this work ? Who will now arise and do service in 
 God's great building, the Church, the result of which shall 
 be found in glory given to Christ, in the joy of saved souls, 
 and in the perfect bliss of the workman himself when the 
 lieavens and the earth are no more ! 
 
APPEI^DICES. 
 
 APPENDIX I. 
 
 WORKS ON CHRISTIAN MISSIONS, WITH OTHERS 
 REFERRED TO IN THE LECTURE. 
 
 I. 
 
 Works giving Compendious Yieavs of the 
 History, Operations, and Results of Protestant Missions. 
 
 CiiRisTLiEB. Protestant Foreign Missions. By Theodore Christ- 
 lieb, D.D. Translated by David B. Croom, M.A. Nisbet, 
 London, 1880. 
 
 Dorchester. The Problem of Religious Progress. By David 
 Dorchester, D.D., New York. (Gives very full statistics of 
 Churches of America, and Missions of United States.) 
 
 Gundert. Die Evangelische Mission, ihre Lander, Yolker, und 
 Arbeiten (EvangeUcal Missions, their Countries, Peoples, 
 and Labours). A. Gundert, Stuttgart, 1881. 
 
 Handbook of Missions. ElHot Stock, Loudon. 
 
 Newcombe. Cyclopaedia of Missions. By Rev. H. Newcombe, 
 New York. 
 
 Smith. Short History of Missions. By George Smith, LL.D. 
 Clark, Edinburgh, 1884. (One of a series of Handbooks for 
 Bible Classes. An exceedingly useful manual. Referred to 
 in lecture as Dr. G. Smith's Handbook.) 
 
Appendices. 
 
 Wakneck. Outline of the History of Protestant Missions. By 
 Dr. Gustav Warueck. Translated by Thomas Smith, D.D. 
 Edinburgh, 1884. 
 
 Warneck. Modern Missions and Culture : their mutual Re- 
 lations. By Dr. Gustav Warneck. Translated by Thomas 
 Smith, D.D. Edinburgh, 1883. 
 
 Atlases. Church Missionary Atlas. 1879. 
 mndec 
 1871. 
 
 Grundemann's Allgemeiner Missions-Atlas. Goth- 
 
 11. 
 
 Records of Missionary Conferences. 
 
 Liverpool Conference of 1860. Nisbet, London, 18G0. 
 Allahabad, 1872-73. Seeley, London, 1873. 
 Shanghai, 1877. Shanghai Presbyterian Mission Press, 1878. 
 MiLDMAY Park, London, 1878. Shaw, London, 1879. 
 South India and Ceylon, 1879. 2 vols. Loudon, Snow, 1880. 
 Calcutta Second Decennial Conference, 1882-83. Calcutta 
 Baptist Missionary Press, 1883. 
 
 These Reports cannot be too strongly recommended. The 
 papers, speeches, and discissions contained in them give us views 
 of Mission work by the rnost competent of all authorities, and 
 inspire us with a high regard for the Missionaries themselves. 
 
 III. 
 
 Lives of Eminent Modern Missionaries. 
 
 Brainerd. Life of David Braincrd, by Dwight. Newhavcn, 
 
 U.S., 1822. 
 Burns. Life of AV. C. Burns, M.A. By Professor Islay Burns. 
 
 Nisbet, Loudon, 1873. 
 
Appendices. 6 
 
 o 
 
 Cakey. Carey, Marshman and Ward. By Jobu Marshman. 2 
 
 vols. Also popular edition : Strahan, 18G4. (A Life of 
 
 Carey is in preparation by Dr. George Smith, author of Life 
 
 of Dr. Duff.) 
 Coke. Life of Dr. Thomas Coke. By Dr. J. W. Etheridge. 
 
 London, 18G0. 
 Duff. Life of Alexander Duff, D.D. By Dr. George Smith. 
 
 2 vols. London, 1879. 
 Eliot, John. By Dr. John Wilson. 1829. 
 Ellis, William. Memoirs. London, 1874 
 Hunt. Life of John Hunt. By Rev. G. S. Rowe. London, 1860. 
 JuDSON, Adoniram, D.D. By his Son. 1883. 
 Livingstone, David. By H. G. Adams. Hodder & Stoughton, 
 
 London, 1882. 
 Martyn Henry. By John Sargent. 1819. 
 Moffat, Robert. Life and Labours in South Africa. Snow, 
 
 1871. 
 Morrison, Robert, D.D. Memoirs by his Widow. 2 vols. 
 
 London, 1839. 
 Patteson, J. C, Bishop. By C. M. Yonge. 2 vols. London, 
 
 1874. 
 Schwartz, Christian F. By Dr. Pearson. 1834. 
 Williams, John. Narrative of Missionary Enterprise. Snow, 
 
 1837. 
 Wilson, John, D.D. By Dr. George Smith. Murray, London, 
 
 1879. 
 
 lY. 
 
 Works on the Yarious Religions of the World. 
 
 Buddhism. By J. W. Rhys Davids. (Christian Knowledge 
 Society.) Works by the Rev. R. Spence Hardy, namely : 
 Eastern Monachism, London, 1850; Manual of Buddhism, 
 London, 1853; Legends and Theories of the Buddhists, 
 London, 1865. 
 
64 Appendices. 
 
 China. Keligions of China, namely : Confucianism and Taoism. 
 By Dr. Legge, London, 1880. (According to Missionaries 
 labouring in China, ilie real religion of the Chinese is the 
 worship of ancestors. See on this subject a very valuable 
 essay by Dr. Yates in the Record of Shanghai Conference, 
 pp. 367-387.) 
 
 Hinduism. By Monier Williams, M.A. (Christian Knowledge 
 Society.) Also Indian Wisdom. By Monier Williams, 
 M.A. London, 1876. 
 
 ^luiiAMMADANiSM. Islam and its Founder. By J. W. H. 
 Stobart. (Christian Knowledge Society.) 
 
 Polytheism. See Article by Dr. Woolsey in the Cyclopaedia of 
 Drs. M'Clintock and Strong, which contains a full list of the 
 literature on the subject. 
 
 The Chukch Missionary Atlas gives brief but very useful 
 articles on the religious beliefs and moral condition of the 
 peoples among whom the agents of the Church Missionary 
 Society labour. This Atlas is ojie of the most useful works 
 on Missions ever iJuUishcd. Though relating chiefly to the 
 Church Missionary Society, it gives much information that 
 is valuable to all interested in Mission work. 
 
 Y. 
 
 Works Relating to Separate Missionary Societies, or 
 Particular Fields of Labour. 
 
 Cox. History of the Baptist Missionary Society from 1792 to 
 
 1842. By F. A. Cox, D.D. 
 Ellis. The Martyr Church of Madagascar. By Rev. W. Ellis. 
 Hawkins. Missions of the Church of England. By Rev. W. 
 
 Hawkins. London, 1845. 
 Holms. History of the Missions of the United Brethren. By 
 
 Rev. J. Holms. 2 vols. London, 1827. 
 HouGii. History of Christianity in India. By James Hough. 
 
 5 vols. 
 
Appendices. 65 
 
 Hunter. History of the Missions of the Free Church of Scot- 
 land. By Hunter. 
 
 Moffat. Missionary Labours in South Africa. By Dr. Moffat. 
 
 jMoister. History of Wesleyan ^Missions. By Rev. W. Moister. 
 London, 187L 
 
 Morrison. The Fathers and Founders of the London Mis- 
 sionary Society. By John JMorrison, D.l). London, 1839. 
 
 Mullens. Ten Years' Missionary Labour in Lidia. By Dr. 
 Mullens. 
 
 SiTAAv. The Story of my ]\Iission in South Africa. By the Rev. 
 Wilham Shaw. London, 1800. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Missionary Periodicals, Organs of the Societies. 
 
 1. In Great Britain. The Mission Field (Propagation Society) : 
 
 Chronicle of Loudon Missionary Society ; Church Missionary 
 Intelhgencer, and Church Missionary Record ; Wesleyan 
 Missionary Notices ; Missionary Observer (General Bap- 
 tists) ; Church of Scotland Home and Foreign Missionary 
 Record (Established Church of Scotland); Records of 
 Missionary Work (Primitive Methodist) ; The Missionary 
 Herald of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland; The Mes- 
 senger and Missionary Record of the Presbyterian Church of 
 England ; The Missionary Record of the United Presbyterian 
 Church ; Missionary Herald (Baptist Missionary Society). 
 
 2. In the United States. Missionary Herald (American Board 
 
 of Missions); Baptist Missionary Herald; Missionary Ad- 
 vocate (Methodist Episcopal Church) ; Spirit of Missions 
 (Protestant Episcopal) ; The Foreign Missionary (Presby- 
 terian) ; The Missionary Review (Published at Princeton, L^.S. 
 Two-monthly); The Gospel in all Lands Weekly: Baltimore), 
 o. In France. Journal dcs Missions Evang61iques (Society for 
 Evangelical Missions, I'aris). 
 K 
 
66 Appendices. 
 
 4. In Germany. Allgemeine Missious-Zeitscbrift. (Edited by 
 Dr. Warneck) ; Evangelisches Missions-Magazin (Basle 
 Society). (See Article 'Missions' in Encyclop6die des 
 Sciences Religieuses.) 
 
 YII. 
 
 Other Works referred to in Lecture. 
 
 Brace. Gesta Christi ; or, A History of Humane Progress under 
 
 Christianity. By C. Loring Brace. London, 1882. 
 Fernley Lectures. Yol. I. Wesleyan Conference Office, 1874. 
 Littledale. Plain Reasons against joining the Church of Rome. 
 
 By R. F. Littledale, LL.D., D.C.L. Christian Knowledge 
 
 Society, 1881. 
 ScHAFF. History of the Christian Church. By Philip Schaff, 
 
 D.D. 3 vols. Edinburgh, 1869. 
 Taylor. Ancient Christianity. By Isaac Taylor. 2 vols. 
 
 London, 1839, 1842. 
 AVoRDSwoRTn. The One Religion. The Bampton Lectures for 
 
 1881. By John Wordsworth, M.A. Oxford, 1881. 
 
 The following Cyclopedias. 
 
 cvclopiedia of biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical 
 Literature. Prepared by the Revs. John M'Clintock, D.D., 
 and James Strong, S.T.D. 10 vols. New York, 1871-1881. 
 
 ENCYCLOPliDIE DES SCIENCES ReLIGIEUSES. 10 VOls. Paris, 
 
 1877-1882. 
 Kirchen-Lexicon, ODER Encyclopadie der Katholischen 
 Tiieologie. 12 Bander. Freiburg im Breisgau, 1847- 
 1856. 
 
APPENDIX II. 
 LIST OF PROTESTANT MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. 
 
 British Foreign Missionary Societies. 
 
 Organized. 
 
 Society for the Propagation of the 
 
 Gospel, 1701 
 
 Moravians, 1732 
 
 Baptist Missionary Society, . . . 1792 
 London Missionary Society, . . . 1795 
 Church Missionary Society, . . .1799 
 London Society for the Jews, 1808 
 
 Wesley an Methodist Missionary Society, 1814 
 General Baptist Missionary Society, . 1816 
 Wihle Christian Missionary Society. 1821 
 
 Colonial and Continental Church Society, 1823 
 Established Church of Scotland, . . 1829 
 Presbyterian Church of Ireland, . . 1840 
 Welsh Presbyterian, . . .1841 
 
 British Society for the Jews, . . . 1842 
 Free Church of Scotland, . . . 1843 
 T'rimitive Methodist, . . . .1843 
 South American Missionary Society, . 1844 
 Presbyterian Church of England, . . 1847 
 United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, 1847 
 United Free Methodists, . . .1857 
 Methodist New Connexion, . . . 18G0 
 The L^niversities' Mission, . . . 1860 
 
 Native 
 Communicants. 
 
 26,678 
 26,901 
 40,247 
 86,422 
 36,326 
 
 1)1,486 
 1,193 
 4,095 
 
 415 
 
 360 
 
 467 
 
 1,500 
 
 4,443 
 
 387 
 
 220 
 
 2,768 
 
 10,808 
 
 8,094 
 
 1,161 
 
 220 
 
68 
 
 Appendices. 
 
 Friends' Foreign ^lissiou Association. 
 
 China Inland Mission, . 
 
 Indian Home Mission to the Santals. 
 
 Total 
 
 Organized. 
 
 18(15 
 
 . 1S()5 
 
 . 18G8 
 
 Native 
 Communicants. 
 
 3,754 
 1,080 
 3,'216 
 
 352,19C> 
 
 Foreign Missionahy Socikties of A^ierua. 
 
 American Board, . . . • 
 
 Baptist Missionary Union, 
 
 Methodist Episcopal, . 
 
 Methodist Church in Canada. 
 
 Reformed Church in America. 
 
 Protestant Episcopal, . 
 
 Free Baptist, .... 
 
 Presbyterian North, 
 
 Evano:elical Lutheran, General Synod. 
 
 Seventh Day Baptists, . 
 
 African Methodist Episcopal, 
 
 Presbyterian Church in Canada. 
 
 Southern Baptist Convention, 
 
 Methodist Episcopal, Soiith, . 
 
 United Brethren in Christ, 
 
 United Presbyterian, 
 
 lieformed Presbyterian, 
 
 Presbyterian, South, 
 
 Ijaptist Church of Canada. . 
 
 Evang-elical TiUtheran General Council. 
 
 Friends' Executive Committee, Indiana. 
 
 Foreign Christian Missionary Society. 
 
 Cumberland Presbyterian. 
 
 Evangelical Association, 
 
 Keformed Church in the United States. 
 
 . 1810 
 
 19,354 
 
 1814 
 
 102,261 
 
 . 18P.) 
 
 29,005 
 
 . 1824 
 
 834 
 
 . 1832 
 
 2,843 
 
 . 1835 
 
 1,100 
 
 . 1836 
 
 551 
 
 . 1837 
 
 18,656 
 
 . 1839 
 
 2,537 
 
 . 1842 
 
 33 
 
 . 1844 
 
 SO 
 
 . 1844 
 
 1,262 
 
 . 1845 
 
 1,022 
 
 . 1845 
 
 2,796 
 
 . 1853 
 
 862 
 
 . 1858 
 
 1,906 
 
 . 1859 
 
 130 
 
 . 1862 
 
 1,700 
 
 . 186(5 
 
 925 
 
 . l.sr,9 
 
 300 
 
 . i.s'/;)" 
 
 180 
 
 . 1875 
 
 1,255 
 
 . 1876 
 
 35 
 
 . 1876 
 
 8.546 
 
 . 1878 
 
 
Appendices, 
 
 69 
 
 Organized. 
 
 Associate Keformeil Synod of the South, 1878 
 
 Methodist Protestant 187.^ 
 
 German Evaup:elical Missionary Assoei;i- 
 
 tion, . . . . . .... 
 
 Total, 
 
 Native 
 Communicants. 
 
 50 
 
 175 
 
 lU.s,5S7 
 
 Continental Foreign Mission.\ry Societii 
 
 Xetherlauds Missionary Society, . 
 Basel ^Missionary Society, 
 Danish Evangelical Lutheran Society, 
 Evangehcal Missionary Society of Pari.' 
 Rhenish ]\rissionary Society, . 
 Leipzig Missionary Society, . 
 Berlin ^Missionary Society, 
 (xossner Missionary Union, . 
 Xorth German Missionary Society, 
 Norwegian ^Missionary Society, 
 Lund's Missionary Society, . 
 Jerusalem Missionary Society, 
 llermannsburg Missionary Society. 
 Java Committee, . 
 h^rmelo Missionary Society, . 
 Xetherlauds Missionary Union, 
 Utrecht Missionary Society, . 
 Dutch Reformed Missionary Society, 
 Christian Reformed Church, . 
 Finnish Missionary Society, . 
 Free Church of Canton de Vaud, 
 Meijnonite, .... 
 
 1797 
 1815 
 1821 
 1822 
 1828 
 1836 
 1830 
 1836 
 1836 
 1812 
 1845 
 1845 
 1849 
 1855 
 1856 
 1858 
 1859 
 1859 
 I860 
 18(38 
 1869 
 1880 
 
 12,000 
 
 7,225 
 
 95 
 
 (;,820 
 
 9,000 
 
 13,261 
 
 5,724 
 
 10,786 
 
 110 
 
 1,080 
 
 50 
 
 177 
 
 3,800 
 
 350 
 
 50 
 
 150 
 
 100 
 
 150 
 
 40 
 
 6 
 
 60 
 
 100 
 
 Total. 
 
 1,734 
 
70 Appendices. 
 
 Or^aniVPfl Native] 
 
 urbanized. Communicants 
 
 Continental, . , . . . 71,734 
 
 Great Britain and Ireland, 352,196 
 
 American, 198,587 
 
 Total, 622,517 
 
 (See Pr. G. Smith's Handbook of Mhsions^ pp. 198, 199, where 
 more detailed Statistics are given.) 
 
 To these we have to add Colonial Societies. 
 
 Society for Internal and External 
 
 Missions, Batavia, . . . .1851 
 
 Presbyterian Missionary Society, Mel- 
 bourne, 1851 
 
 Nova Scotia Presbyterian Church Mis- 
 sion, 1851 1,00(> 
 
 Reformed Church Mission, Cape of Good 
 
 Hope, 1861 
 
 Melanesian Missionary Society, Auckland, 1861 
 
 Hawaiian Missionary Society, Honolulu, 
 
 West Indian Missionary Board, 
 
 There are also several valuable Associations for promoting Female 
 Education in the East, such as — 
 
 Berlin Women's Mission for China, 
 Kaiserwerth Deaconesses' Institute, 
 Indian Female Normal School Society, 
 Women's Union Missionary Societ} 
 
 (American), .... 
 Women's Foreign Missionary Societ}' 
 
 (Methodist Episcopal Church.) 
 Wesleyan Ladies' Auxiliary Society fo 
 
 Female Education, 
 
 1852 
 1852 
 
 1845 
 1845 
 
APPENDIX II L— See p. 45. 
 
 [The following- paper was clrawu up by Dr. John Wilson of 
 Bombay, and is a good illustration of results' obtained by 
 the co-operation of a Christian Government with''missionary 
 labourers.] 
 
 horrors and iniquities of india removed by 
 goyern:\ient. 
 
 I. 
 
 Murder of Parents. 
 
 (a) By suttee. 
 
 (b) By exposure on the banks of rivers. 
 
 (c) By burial alive. Case in Jondhpore territory, 1860. 
 
 II. 
 Murder of Children. 
 
 (a) By dedication to the Ganges, to be devoured by crocodiles. 
 
 (b) By Rajpoot infanticide, West of India, Punjab, East of 
 
 India. 
 
 III. 
 
 Human Sacrifices. 
 
 (a) Temple sacrifices. 
 
 (b) By wild tribes — Meriahs of the Khands. 
 
 lY. 
 
 Suicide. 
 (ft) Crushing by idol cars. 
 
Appendices. 
 
 (h) Devotees drowning themselves in rivers. 
 
 (c) Devotees casting themselves fi-om precipices. 
 
 (d) Leaping into wells — widows. 
 
 (e) By Traga. 
 
 V. 
 Voluntary Tomir.xT. 
 
 (a) By hook-swinging. 
 
 (b) By thigh-piercing. 
 
 (c) By tongue extraction. 
 
 (d) By falling on knives. 
 ('') By austerities. 
 
 VI. 
 Involuxta R Y To r:^ient. 
 
 (a) Barbarous executions. 
 
 (b) Mutilation of criminals. 
 
 (c) Extraction of evidence by torment. 
 
 (d) Bloody and injurious ordeals. 
 ('') Cutting off the noses of women. 
 
 VI]. 
 
 Slavery. 
 
 (a) Hereditary predial slavery. 
 
 (b) Domestic slavery. 
 
 (c) Importation of slaves from Afiica. 
 
 \ 111. 
 
 Kx'JOli'lIONS. 
 
 (a) By Dharana. 
 
 (b) By T]-/iga. 
 
Notes, y^ 
 
 IX. 
 
 Rei.igious Intolerance. 
 
 (rt) Prevention of i)ropa.<;"ation (jf Cliristiauity. 
 
 {h) Calling- upon the Christian soldiers to fire salutes at heathen 
 
 festivals, etc. 
 ((.) Saluting- gods on official papers. 
 (d) Managing affairs of idol temples. 
 
 ^•. 
 
 SurpoKT OF Caste by Law. 
 
 ((/) Exclusion of low castes from offices. 
 
 {h) Exemption of high caste from appearing to give evidence. 
 
 {(•) Disparagement of low caste. 
 
 Life of Dr. John JFil^ou^ p. 352. 
 
 NOTE A.— See p. 32. 
 
 On IvENDERlXG OF AcTS ii. 47. 
 
 I have not accepted the rendering of this verse in the Kcviscd 
 N'ersion for the following reasons : — 
 
 1. ' Were being saved' is recent English, such as is not found 
 in the version of 1611. We find in the A.Y. such expressions 
 as ' being justified,' ' being made ; ' but these are, in fact, perfect 
 participles in English, and are used to render aorist participles in 
 (Jreek (Rom. v. 1, StKaiw^cWc? ; Ileb. i. 4, yei/o/zevos). 
 
 2. The use of the present participle passive does not necessarily 
 imply subjection to continuous action on the part of the person or 
 l)ersons referred to, because ihQ present indicative jpassive is used where 
 such continuous action cannot be meant. For example, we read in 
 
74 Notes. 
 
 Matt. xi. 5, ' lepers are cleansed ' (XeTrpol KaOapi'CovTai). This does 
 not mean that the lepers spoken of ' are now undergoing a process 
 of cleansing,' but plainly this, ' lepers from time to time are 
 cleansed.' AYhy the present tense ? Because, though the healing 
 is complete in individual lepers, the process continues with respect 
 to the class of persons needing cure. So in this passage there is 
 nothing in the Greek word to preclude us from supposing that the 
 salvation of each of the o-w^o/xci/ot was complete ; hut that the class 
 of people obtaining salvation was incomplete, because it was 
 receiving adchtions every day. 
 
 3. It is in accordance with New Testament teaching for 
 Christian believers to regard the salvation of Christ as an 
 accomplished event of their past experience. So we read, in 
 Eom. viii. 24, * we were saved ' (ia-wOrjjjLev) ; Eph. ii. 8, ' ye 
 have been saved ' (kare o-eo-cocr/xeVot) ; in 2 Tim. i. 9, ' the power 
 of God who saved us ' {tov crwcrdvTo^ rjfxas) ; and in Tit. iii. 5, 
 ' He saved us ' {eaojo-ev r]/xa<5). In one passage ouly do we find 
 the present passive of o-w^o/xat spoken of believers. In 1 Cor. 
 XV. 2, we have awtco-Oe; but even here, in the commentaries of 
 Lange and Meyer, the explanation is given that the apostle 
 ' pictures as present the future, certain salvation.' For these 
 reasons, the rendering of the American Revision Committee, 
 ' those that were saved,' is decidedly to be preferred. (Compare 
 notes of this Committee on 1 Cor. i. 18 ; 2 Cor. ii. 15.) As at 
 the beginning of the Church, so it is now : people obtain salvation, 
 and are added to the Church, dailv. 
 
 NOTE B.— See p. 44. 
 
 On J*eriod required for the Conversion of the 
 Non-Christian Nations. 
 
 Various calculations have been made as to the length of time 
 which will elapse before all mnukiud become Christians. We may 
 
Notes. 75 
 
 treat the question as a merely arithmetical one, and say : Supposing 
 that in all succeeding centuries the increase of converts shall be 
 no greater than in the century last past, i.e. 2J millions, what 
 length of time will be required for the conversion of 1000 
 millions ? Of course the answer will be, 40,000 years ! 
 
 But no sooner is such a suggestion made and its consequence 
 stated, than our minds revolt against it, and we exclaim : ' It 
 cannot be, it must not be, that the world's best hopes shall be 
 delayed so long.' This is the hope of all Christians, and it is one 
 main purpose of the lecture to give reasons for this hope. It 
 is very evident that in India and China the great difficulty is 
 to win the first few millions. The probabihty is that when in 
 each of these countries the converts are once counted by milhons, 
 the conversion of the remainder will speedily follow. 
 
 We obtain much more hopeful views when we take into account, 
 not the actual number of converts in the past century, but the 
 ratio of increase during the last few years. 
 
 In the Quarterhj Revieio for April 1875, p. 364, we have the 
 following calculation :— 
 
 ' Looking at the experience of the past twenty years, the rate of 
 increase in the number of native Christians in India may be ex- 
 pected to augment, rather than to diminish. On the supposition 
 however that the rate remained constant from year to year, and 
 from decade to decade, the compilers of the Statistics ^ have 
 calculated the results that would accrue. In a.d. 1901, that is, in 
 Uttle less than thirty years hence, the number of native Christians 
 would amount to nearly a million. Fifty years later it would 
 be upwards of 11 millions; and fifty years later, that is, in a.d. 
 2001, it would amount to 138 miUions.' 
 
 Further grounds of encouragement are derived from the recent 
 rapid growth of the population in Christian lands, combined with 
 additions won from heathenism. 
 
 ' statistical Tables of Trotestant Missions in India, Ceylon, and Burmali for 
 1871. Calcutta, 1873. 
 
76 Notes, 
 
 Di-. G. Smith's Handhook, p. 106, gives the following : — 
 
 Clu-istians. 
 
 Three ceuturies after Christ, Couucil of Nicea, 5 millions. 
 
 Eight centuries after Christ, Scoto-Irish, . 30 ,, 
 Ten centuries after Christ, Saxon and 
 
 Romanist, . . . . . . 50 .. 
 
 Fifteen centuries after Christ, Wiclif, . . 100 ., 
 
 Eighteen centuries after Christ, William Carey, 1 74 „ 
 Eighteen centuries and a half after (Jhrist's 
 
 Ascension, ...... 440 
 
 Dr. Dorchester's Frohlem of EeUfjiom Profjress gives the follow- 
 ing statement of the territorial possessions of Christian nations : — 
 
 ' The latest computations fix the territorial area of the eartli 
 at 52,062,470 square miles, of which the Christian nations have 
 under their civil control o2,4rj,l)15 square miles, and the Pagan 
 and Mohammedan, 10,624,555,— three-fifths Christian, and two- 
 lifths Pagan and jNlohammedan. Dividing the Christian nations, 
 we find under the civil dominion of Protestant Governments 
 14,337,187 square miles; under Roman Cathohc, 0,304,605 
 square miles; and under Greek Churcli ( rovernments, 8,778,123 
 square miles. ' ^ 
 
 Let all these calculations pass for what they are worth. The 
 question of the * how long ' or • how soon' in regard to the world's 
 conversion really turns -upon the Church's faith in the Divine 
 piomise, and its dcvotedness to the service of the Divine Master, 
 i.<'. u])on the faitli and zeal of each one of Christ's servants. 
 
 XOTK C. <v(i p. 48. 
 Native Ministkes ani> Native Ciiukciies. 
 
 A very remarkable example of what it is possible to accouq)lish 
 in the way of organizing native churches under native ministers is 
 
 ' Dorchester's Problem of RcUfjiovs Proyra^!^, pp. h2o, 526. 
 
Notei 
 
 77 
 
 afforded by the present position of Christianity in the Fiji Islands. 
 The Rev. Joseph Nettleton, for several years a missionary in these 
 islands, has kindly furnished me with the followiu.2: particnlars : — 
 
 1. Total population of Fijian group, , . . 125,000 
 
 2. Professed Christians : AVesleyans, 105,000 
 
 Roman Catholics, 10,000 . 115,000 
 Remainder : coohes from India, China, and all the Poly- 
 nesian groups, 
 o. Religious services held : ^ — 
 
 1240 churches and preaching places, with two religious 
 services every Sunday : also prayer-meeting at 6.0 a.m., 
 and adult Sunday school at 2.0 \\y\. 
 ■\. Xumljer of ordained European ministers, . . 10 
 ."). Number of ordained Native ministers, . . . 51 
 fJ. Unordained Christian workers : — 
 
 Catechists, . . . . 32 
 
 Assistant catechists, . . . . .1070 
 
 Local preachers, . . .1729 
 
 Class leaders, . . . . . . .3310 
 
 Sunday-school teachers, ..... 2097 
 
 8238 
 
 On the subje(.'t of self-siqyport Mr. Nettleton says : — 
 ' All these places support their native ministers, catechists, and 
 schoolmasters. All the buildings have been erected by the native 
 Christians without help from the Missionary Society, and are free 
 from debt.' 
 
 In answer to a further question, To what extent have the 
 churches in Fiji become missionary churches ? Mr. ^[ettleton 
 adds : ' They contributed last year more than £4000 towards 
 the Foreign Missionary Society. More than forty trained Fijian 
 ministers and catechists are missionaries, preaching in ofher 
 
 ' The statistics which follow relate to "Wesleyans only. 
 
yZ Notes. 
 
 languages, ia Rotumah, New Britain, New Ireland, Duke of 
 York's Group, and on islands along the coast of New Guinea.' 
 
 When it is remembered that the first missionaries landed in Fiji 
 in 1835, and that the whole of the people were then cannibals and 
 idolaters, it will be evident that the work accomplished in less than 
 fifty years must be regarded as amongst the most wonderful ever 
 recorded in the history of the Church. 
 
 For a full account of this mission, see Fiji and Fijians. By 
 Thomas AVilliams and James Calvert. T. Woolmer, 66, Pater- 
 noster Row, 1884; and. At Home in Fiji. By C. F. Gordon 
 Gumming. 2 vols. Blackwood, London, 1881. 
 
 MORRISON AND OIBB, EDINBURGH, 
 PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, 
 
Princeton Theoloqpc.ll Semmary-Speer Libr.-it7 
 
 1 1012 01014 1663