A Hundred Years of Missions
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At- I THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Hundred Tears ofMissions THE STORY OF PROGRESS SINCE CAREY'S BEGINNING BY REV. DELAVAN L. LEONARD, D.D. Associate Editor of the "Missionary Review of the World" Introduction by REV. ARTHUR T. PIERSON, D.D. REVISED EDITION FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY NBW YORK AND LONDON 1905 Copyright, 1895, and I 93 ty FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY. [Printed in the United States of America.] Revised Edition, Published, September, 1903. 1 CONTENTS. CHAPTER. PAGF. PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION ... v PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION .... i INTRODUCTION 3 I. THE CHRISTIAN IDEA OF MISSIONS ... 5 II. MISSIONS IN THE EARLY CENTURIES ... 12 III. CONVERSION OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE 19 IV. THE NON-MISSIONARY CENTURIES ... 27 V. REFORMATION AND DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 32 VI. ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONS 36 VII. PREPARATION FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS . 40 VIII. PROTESTANT MISSIONS BEFORE CAREY . 53 IX. THE CAREY EPOCH 69 X. THE GREAT MISSIONARY REVIVAL . 81 XI. GENESIS OF MISSIONS IN AMERICA ... 97 XII. THE PHENOMENON OF MISSIONARY EXPAN- SION 126 XIII. MISSIONS IN INDIA 142 XIV. MISSIONS IN . AFRICA ; MADAGASCAR .187^ XV. THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA 247 XVI. TURKISH EMPIRE ; PERSIA 281 XVII. CHINESE EMPIRE KOREA ; 307 1490723 IV CONTENTS. XVIII. MISSIONS IN JAPAN 339 XIX. MISSIONS IN SPANISH AMERICA .... 365 XX. MISSIONS AMONG THE AMERICAN INDIANS . 389 XXI. A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, AND Now . 403 XXII. THE LAND WHICH REMAINS TO BE POS- SESSED 420 INDEX 437 Preface to the Revised Edition. IF any curious reader should inquire why a revised edition of this book is undertaken, the paragraphs which follow will abundantly supply the answer. 1 . Because such warm commendation had come from so many sources, including scores of reviewers both in this country and across the Atlantic, and because the Chris- tian public had manifested its appreciation through a large and continued sale, the desire was kindled, and later the purpose was formed, to make the volume still more worthy of use by the class for which it was origi- nally designed; to wit, "the youth of the land, espe- cially such of these as are connected with the Student Volunteer, the Christian Endeavor, the Epworth League, and all kindred organizations." 2. Again, specialists upon the literature of missions, particularly in the statistical field, have recently multi- plied to a remarkable extent, so that the historian has now at his elbow helps, each in its way approaching to the ideal, which hitherto were not at all to be had. For example, ten years ago Dean Vahl was in the midst of his (then) unique task, the production annually of "Missions to the Heathen, a Statistical Review," a pro- duction filled with facts and figures unapproached both for accuracy and abundance. Since that time have appeared in America Dennis's epoch-making "Centen- nial Survey of Foreign Missions," and, quite different VI PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION. but as perfect in its way, Beach's "Geography and Atlas of Protestant Missions"; also in Germany, Warneck's invaluable "History of Protestant Missions," and Grun- demann's "Brief Geography and Statistics of Protestant Missions." Therefore it seemed to be more than fitting to incorporate at least a fraction of what may be gleaned from such prolific sources. 3. Since the bulk of the work was done upon "A Hundred Years of Missions," nearly a decade has passed filled to overflowing with events of greatest significance to the Kingdom of God, in lands both Christian and pagan. Marked development has come in the missionary world through the organization of scores of new societies largely of the stamp of the Chris- tian and Missionary Alliance and the Regions Beyond for the furtherance of Union ; through movements med- ical industrial missions the and ; and through inaugura- tion of new phases of evangelizing activity, like the Forward Movement, the Student Federation, Student Volunteers, Tenth Legion, etc. Moreover, so rapid beyond precedent has been the progress in the foreign field that figures which ten years ago were in accord with the facts, are now grievously out of date and so are seriously misleading. Therefore a rigid revision was demanded. 4. But outside of the religious realm changes had also taken place which were if possible even more as- tonishing, and in the aggregate more momentous in bearing direct and indirect upon the world's redemption. These are specimen events: The Boxer Outbreak; the admission of Japan to equality with Christian nations; the outcome of the Boer war ; the advent of the United States into the Antilles and the Philippines; and the PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION. Vll construction of promoters of civilization like the Trans- Siberian Railway, the Kongo Railway, the Uganda Rail- way, and the stupendous Cape-to-Cairo undertaking. By such strange auxiliaries are the conquests of the Cross hastened forward. 5. Perhaps more important than all other reasons for a new edition of this book, is the fact that since the first came from the press one century has ended and another has opened, thus affording a fitting opportunity to com- pare and contrast the present with the past, to review the process and sum up the results. Therefore an entire new chapter has been added entitled "A Hundred Years Ago and Now," which pictures the peoples and the churches as they were in 1800, and also, in order to indicate the rapidly accelerating rate of movement on- ward and upward, shows them as they were a half-cen- tury since, and again, at the beginning of the last decade. The author's prayer and hope are that preparation may thus be made for a profitable rereading of the final chap- ter on " The Land which Remains to be Possessed." 6. Tho by comparison the merest trifle, and yet not unworthy to operate as a reason for a new edition, it became more and more noticeable that the spelling of proper names, especially of places in Africa, India, and China, tho correct when judged by the standards current ten years ago, was getting out of date. On this point a thorough revision has been made, which aims to hold a golden mean between the radical and the conservative practise. D. L. L., Oberlin, Ohio. Preface to the First Edition. THIS volume is the outcome of a need experimentally ascertained, and of an evidently increasing demand. That is, having urgent occasion to investigate matters re- nting to the beginning and development of modern mis- sions, it was found impossible to gather the facts required without a long and laborious search, and so little by lit- tle the determination arose to fashion what could not be found. The works of Brown and Choules belong to the infancy of efforts for the world's evangelization, and handbooks like Christlieb's, Warneck's and George Smith's, though of great value, are yet unsatisfactory at various points. And then, besides, the remarkable growth in recent years of interest in missions has in- creased tenfold the number of such as are in eager quest of information concerning the spread of the Kingdom of God among the nations. This notable phenomenon led finally to the conviction that a book like this, com- prehensive but of moderate size, might prove of valuable service to not a few. All along the design has been to tell, not a little about everything, but rather enough about certain important and characteristic things pertaining to missionary his- tory, fields, etc., to make the narrative interesting, and supply also as much as the average reader would desire. This limitation will explain why some of the newer work, or regions where large results have not as yet been achieved, are left without mention. x 2 PREFACE. How vast the area to be covered ! The entire heathen world, with a multitude of nations, and religions by the score. Hundreds of societies engaged, and toilers by the ten thousand. And the instrumentalities employed are numerous and exceedingly varied. In endeavoring to compass a task so well-nigh limitless it is enough to hope for moderate measures of success. From first to last the Christian youth of the land have been kept in mind, especially such of these as are con- nected with the Student Volunteers, Christian Endeavor, Epworth Leagues, and kindred organizations. The de- sire is fervent that many a one whose ears have been opened to hear with solicitude the Macedonian cry will find in the following chapters somewhat to quicken to prayer unceasing, to giving systematic and liberal, and to lifelong toil for the diffusion of the blessed Glad Tid- ings to the ends of the earth. OBERLIN, OHIO, May 2oth, 1895. INTRODUCTION IT is sometimes a question how far an introduction helps the book it introduces. If the author is well known formal the he needs no such entrance into literary world ; if he is as yet unfamiliar to a wide circle of readers, his book itself is his best recommendation. Dickens used to say that it was an easy thing to " come out into society, but a difficult thing to prevent going in again." And so a book or an author that proves unworthy of the introduction to the public, can not long float, notwithstanding the outside supports in- tended to give it buoyancy. In the case of the author of this volume, introductory words seem doubly needless, inasmuch as he has for years earned his right to the public ear. Aside from his well-known service to Home missions in the superintend- ence of this work in Utah and surrounding territory for six years, he has for several years been one of the editorial staff of The Missionary Review of the World; and has won his way to the readers, the world over, by his facile pen, his scholarly research, his high ideals of service, his accurate historical knowledge, and his vigorous style.