The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1893, Page 18

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Maori Children.

Our picture takes us to New Zealand and
shows us the way in which the Maori children
there amuse themselves. They fasten long
cords, twisted from the fibres of a native plant,
to the top of a tall and elastic pole, and swing
to their hearts’ delight, just like our school-
children in America on a merry-go-round.
The zebralike dresses of the old folk, in the
foreground, are made of native grasses, dyed
in different colors. The Maoris on New Zea-
land are by nature very fierce and warlike,
but through the Gospel many of them have
been converted into Christian communities.
The Lutheran church also carries on a
successful mission work among the Ma-
oris, and two of the students of our
Lutheran Seminary at Springfield, Ill.,
recently left for New Zealand, in order
to assist in the mission work of our
church among the Maoris. May God be
with them and may His richest blessings
rest upon their mission labors!

——s =P oo

Missionary News.

Ever since the opening of our mission
work among the colored people our mis-
sionaries have from time to time pub-
lished reports, telling of their labors,
their success, and also of their dis-
appointments. Those reports are reliable
and always tell the truth about the con-
dition of the missionary stations. This
is as it ought to be. The church wants
to know the real condition of its mission
work. The reports of our missionaries
do not tell us of ‘‘wholesale conversion,’”
because no such things happen in our
mission field. And it is not necessary
to tell big tales of wholesale conversions,
in order to arouse and sustain enthusiasm
and to procure money forour work. The
foundation of our mission work is the
command of our Lord Jesus Christ to
preach the Gospel to every creature ; and

Recently the following statement went the
rounds of the religious press in this country:
‘Korea presents a striking illustration of the
irresistible advance of the Kingdom of Christ.
One of the most remarkable works of grace
known in modern missions is that among the
Koreans. Without having heard or seen a
missionary, thousands of people have heard
of Christ and turned to the service of God.
These converts are the fruit of the circulation
of copies of the New Testament by the Rev.
John Ross, late missionary of the Presbyterian
church of Scotland in Manchuria.’’

Of this wonderful story Mr. M. C. Fenwick,
missionary in Wonsan, Korea, says in a com-

The Lutheran Pioneer.

request that public use shall be made of it to
undeceive Christians in America. In this letter
he exposes the deception too often practiced
on the church in Christian lands, perbaps in
the exercise of the Jesuitical principle that
the end justifies the means. Mr. Fenwick
says in this letter:

The missionary literature of the day taken
as a whole, is the most deceptive writing I
see.... Acasein point: A missionary in Ko-
rea, representing a small committee in Canada
composed of business men united to send the
gospel to Korea, made his annual report, truth-
fully setting forth the actual state of affairs
on the field as he found them. The report
was promptly rejected, and one of strik-
ing cases of interest, conversions, etc.,
demanded. He complied with the request
under protest, but the report was de-
clared to be the proper thing, and given
a wide circulation.

Two years ago a man named —[per-
haps it is well to omit the name] re-
turned from this field to America, and
has since been spreading his exagger-
ated stories throughout the churches in
the United States. ... Let me give you
an account of his converting work in a
village, where I afterward lived for six
months, as given me by one whom he
baptized on the occasion now men-
tioned. A native who received mission
money was directed by Mr. to get
together at least forty or fifty and he
would be along at such a time. Rather
perplexed at the number demanded the
native set to work to gather his friends,
but could muster only nine.

The missionary arrived and after ex-
horting at considerable length, asked
the natives to remove their hats. ‘‘What
for?’’ said one. ‘‘Oh, never mind,’’
coaxingly pleaded the native friend;
‘*take off your hats ;’’ and with the po-
liteness so characteristic of the East-
erner, they removed their hats, and then
the Rev. , D. D., administered bap-
tism to these nine men, none of whom with

this we are bound to do, even if not one soul| munication to The Chinese Recorder and Mis- | the possible exception of one, he had ever seen.
should believe. We know that not all will ac-| sionary Journal: ‘It is a grave doubt in the|‘‘Had you never heard the gospel before???
cept the Gospel. But we also know that our] minds of a majority of Protestant missionaries
labor is not in vain and thank God for every | in Korea whether there are fifty Koreans in the
soul that is brought to the knowledge of the| whole country who have been ‘born again.’
Saviour through the labors of our missionaries. ;Some are persuaded that there are not even
We have received letters asking us why it}one dozen. Concerning the New Testament

is that the reports of our missionaries among] that is said to he the translation of the Rey.
the colored people do not speak of such great | John Ross, no Korean has yet been found who
success, of such wholesale conversions as are} has any conception of its meaning. There are
_ often found in the reports of the missionaries| many words in this production foreign to the
of other churches in the foreign mission field. | Korean language, and that which is Korean is
Well, these reports from the foreign mission by no means a translation of the words of God

istians
B every thi

A case in point.

id, we are sorry to say, are not always re-|— not even in the ‘concept.’
They do not always tell the truth, and| perhaps it might be used on the border be-

Some thought

ns must be on their guard against be-| tween China and Korea, but it has been ac-
at comes from the foreign | corded a fair trial there, and failed to find a
ich we take from one| man who could understand its funny sounds.’’

Mr. Fenwick has also sent a letter with the

Iasked. ‘‘No.’’ ‘‘What! had not the native
friend told you about the gospel?’’ ‘‘Not be-
fore that night.”’ ‘‘Had you not seen any
portion of God’s Word?” ‘‘No.’”’ ‘Well,
what did the Koreans say after they had re-
ceived baptism?’ ‘‘After they went outside
they had a great laugh, calling it a crazy
business.”” °
Rey. Mr. —— continued his iteneracy, and
in a short time reported 125 converts to the
American Presbyterian, North. Of many of
these nothing whatever is now known, and of
these Koreans, with the exception of three or
four, whom other missionaries got hold of, the
report is, ‘turned out badly.”’..- If you
wish a verification of the facts here stated,
I believe that Mr. Sampson, the newly elected