FOREIGN MISSIONS and War, C. H. Cayce An article from the Wadesboro (N. C) Messenger and Intelligencer, by Rev. W. Bruce Doyle, has been sent to us, and we wish to reproduce a few sentences from it and say a few words by way of comment. He says:
We owe the avoidance of war largely to the missionary; Until our missionary era war was the normal condition of nations. England waged a hundred years war not long before she sent out the cobbler to India. We had five French and Indian wars, a long war with England, and still another war with England, and war was almost the normal condition of the American people before Carey set sail as a missionary.
The gentleman enumerates some wars we have had, but failed to mention the bloodiest struggle the United States had, which was of about three years duration. This was the Civil War— the war between the States. The gentleman also fails to tell the cause which brought about any of these wars. What did the missionary religion have to do with the hundred years war of England? Does the gentleman not know that this war was the outgrowth of the teaching of some who engaged in missionary enterprises? Was not the Revolutionary War brought about primarily by the religious intolerance of those who engage in missionary enterprises? Was not the Civil War the result of churches which engage in missionary enterprises interfering in political matters? The gentleman certainly knows, if he is informed, that the Civil War was waged as a result of mixing politics and religion— a uniting of church and state— by the modern missionary religionists. What gave rise to the Boxer uprising in China a few years ago, which Rev. Doyle mentions in his article? The missionaries. They went to China under the pretext of preaching the gospel, being supported by the people at home. Perhaps many a poor widow gave her last penny for the support of those missionaries, who were living in luxury. These missionaries meddled with Chinese governmental affairs which was none of their business. As a result there was an uprising among the Chinese to drive them out. Who can blame them? No reasonable and sane person can, If they should come here and begin to interfere with our governmental affairs they would be driven away. But the missionaries asked for protection from their home countries. The “Powers” — Uncle Sam, England, and perhaps others— immediately sent warships, guns, and ammunition over, with soldiers, to subdue John Chinaman, and he had to submit to the missionaries remaining. Yes, these missionaries would have the gospel shot into people with Gatlin guns if other means fail. This has been Roman Catholic policy in the centuries past, and seems to be the policy of others.
But the Rev. Mr. Doyle says that “Even England’s iniquitous opium traffic in China has been made possible by the missionary first blazing a path to Oriental poppy fields.” This is certainly a bad admission. The low depths of degradation caused by the opium traffic in China cannot be imagined by one who has not investigated the matter to some considerable extent. It is worse than horrible. But this gentleman says it was all made possible by the missionary. Has our God ever required or commanded that which makes possible such a black, fiendish, low, dirty, filthy, business as this Chinese opium affair? No; it is not from God, and therefore, must be from beneath.
The Rev. Mr. Doyle further says:
We owe it to the missionary for much helpful consolidation . . . . Churches with almost identical creeds have worked in the face of each other in the home land, but their missionaries have fallen into partnership in the foreign land and there consolidated their work. The church at home with that example and that shame began consolidation. And so we have united many of our schools and home enterprises.
Yes, Protestants have doctrines that are borrowed from Rome, and the signs of the times are now that their borrowed articles will soon be returned to the rightful owner— hence the idea of a consolidation or union of the different churches. Not only have many of their schools and other enterprises been united, but congregations are uniting, and denominations are uniting, and those who are teaching and advocating and practicing such unions may soon unite with Rome. If they do not, Rome may force them to surrender in some respects. All these missionary religionists are united with, or identified by membership with, a religion whose great leaders— many of them at least— are endeavoring to unite church and state. A kind of confederacy has been formed, we understand, composed of ministers or members of different orders whose duty it shall be to see that laws are enacted which shall be for the benefit and advancement of religion.
This is only a tendency to unite church and state. Who is doing this? These missionary religionists. We owe some union and consolidation to missionaries and missionary religionists which has always resulted in persecution of the humble followers of the Master and the death of many of them who would not deny their Lord. Missionaries and missionary religionists have caused more bloodshed than all the wars the world has ever known. If you are doubtful of this, read a few authentic histories on the question and satisfy your minds.
Mr. Doyle mentions the present upheaval in Mexico and eulogizes the missionaries. But he fails to state the fact that missionary religion is largely responsible for this upheaval. Is it not a fact that the war there is mainly what we might term a Catholic and anti-Catholic affair? Hence, is not the missionary religion really responsible for the whole thing? Remember that Rome is a missionary body or religion. She was the first religious body to send out missionaries to convert the world.
Mr. Doyle says further:
We owe it to the missionary that the home church has been kept alive. There was once a split in the Baptist Church here at home— the Missionary and Primitive Baptist Churches were the result. Today the Primitive branch of that denomination has dwindled down to a mere handful of people while the missionary branch has grown to be one of the most powerful churches on the continent.
We wonder how the home church was kept alive before there were any missionaries of the modern sort? The Baptist Church lived for about 1800 years before they had any missionaries of the modern sort, and they lived many centuries before John Calvin founded the Presbyterian Church. The introduction of Fuller’s new theories, and modern missionism among the Baptists by Fuller, Carey and others, resulted in the split in the Baptist Church, to which Mr. Doyle refers.
Then Mr. Doyle says the Primitive branch has dwindled down to a mere handful of people. This statement shows that he evidently does not know. They have had no mushroom growth like some, but they are steadily increasing in number. But they do not count on number. It is quality, not quantity, that they count on. We are not after the large number, as much as some people seem to be. Our Master has said, (Luke 12:32) “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This is a mark of true identity.
Mr. Doyle attributes the growth of the Missionary Baptists to the fact that they send out their missionaries, etc. This may be true, and it may not. The following statement from the pen of Dr. J. H. Anderson, dean of Hall Moody Institute, Martin, Tenn., was published in the Baptist Builder, Martin, Tenn., of July 1, 1914:
Many of our churches are Arminian in faith and Hardshell in practice. This is verily a bad mixture, for it is devoid of consistency to begin with. That member who is soaking in luxury and who drops a copper into the contribution basket in Sunday school or the regular church services needs boosting with a spiritual dynamite. It has gotten to be easier to retain membership in [pg 251] the average Baptist Church than among the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, or even among the Elks, who can perhaps make out with less religion than any other organization. Let one fail to meet punctually recurring obligations to any of these and he goes out by stress of circumstances. And yet a Baptist belonging to an organization of transcendently more importance than all of these combined, can live loosely as to obligations to both God and man, can get a letter certifying as to full fellowship and good standing while living, or be preached straight home to glory after death.
It seems to us that this is a very clear admission of looseness in discipline, and that it is very easy to retain membership among the Missionary Baptists. This might be the reason for their phenominal growth. They please the world, and the world unites with them.
Here is one more expression from Mr. Doyle:
That church which sends no missionaries will die— God has no need for it. That church which sends the most missionaries will thrive the most— God can use a church like that.
It was prophesied before Mr. Doyle was born that the church now known as Primitive Baptists would soon be dead, but it still lives. It is here yet, and it is here to stay. The Lord promised that it should stand forever. (Dan. 2:44) The Saviour said the gates of hell should not prevail against it. (Matt. 16:18) They were few in Elijah’s day. He thought he was alone, and made “intercession against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.”— Rom. 11:2-3,4. Seven thousand were very few in comparison with others around, but God had need for them, and could and did use them as witnesses to the truth and for the preservation of His truth. It was enough for that. The apostle adds in Rom. 11:5, “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to [pg 252] the election of grace.” There was a remnant in Paul’s day. A remnant does not mean such a large number as some boast of. The remnant was enough for the preservation of truth in apostolic days. There is a remnant yet, and the truth is still preserved with them. God can and does use them as witnesses for truth, and for the preservation of His truth. He will always use them for that purpose. The Primitive Baptist, July 14, 1914.