Missions. True Christianity is essentially mis- sionary in character. Tlie Gospel having been designed for all nations, and its field being the world, it was from the first associated with means for its own extension. In a highly important sense, the Lord Jesus may be considered the first missionary. He was sent by the Eternal Father to set up his own kingdom upon the earth. The patriarchs, and all faithful priests and proph- ets among the Jews, were agents preparatory to the in- troduction of that kingdom. Having called disciples and established a Church, the risen Saviour, before his ascension, commissioned his chosen apostles, in the pres- ence of the great body of the disciples, the then existing Church. To them, as the leaders and representatives of the actual and the prospective Church, he addressed the great missionary command, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."
Christ's mission had been to the Jews. He said, " I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The apostles were sent to the Jews and (ientiles. " The Acts of the Apostles" is the first official missionary re- port—the first volume of missionary history ; unless, in- deed, it rank second, as it is subsequent to the Gospel history of him '• who went about doing good." So vast has been the expansion of the missionary enterprise since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and so voluminous have become its records, that this article is of necessity limited to a very brief sketch of the subject as a whole. Nevertheless, the de- sign of the article is to give, in the briefest practicable space, a just and duly proportioned view of the principal missionary agencies of successive periods, and some in- dication of their results, together with references to the sources of more detailed information.
There are two leading modes of studying the subject of missions. The first regards primarily the agencies employed, following them to their different fields of ac- tion. The second contemplates in succession the sev- eral fields, where necessarily it gives attention to the different agencies employed upon them. Each mode has some peculiar advantages, as well as defects or diffi- cidties, and both are essential to a full comprehension of the sid)ject. They will consequciuly be followed in the order named. As a natural guide to study and help to memorj', the order of time will be followed in the survey of missionary agencies.
I. Apostidic MtMions.—lt is safe to affirm that no just or adequate comprehension of the New-Testament his- tory can be gained by any one who does not read or study it from a missionary point of view. But when, in the light of their great commission, the apostles are regarded as Christian missionaries going fortli to evan- gelize the nations, not only the narrative of their Ada or doings, but their epistles to the churches whicli they planted and trained, become instructive, both as to their
MISSIONS
of proceeding, their difficulties, and their suc-
Paul, as the apostle to the (Jentiles, stands forth in deserved prominence as a model missionary. Although originally a relentless persecutor of the Christians, he experienced a thorough spiritual conversion, and thus became '"a new man in Clirist Jesus." Having been called of (iod to be an apostle or missionary' of Jesus Christ, he " conferred not with fiesh and blood," he '■ counted not his life dear unto him," but went forth preaching the everlasting Gospel wherever he could find hearers, encountering perils of robbers, perils by his own coinitrymen, perils by the heathen, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, and perils among false breth- ren (2 Cor. xi, 20) ; nevertheless winning souls taKJhrist, rescuing communities from paganism, founding churches, training ministers, and at length finishing his course with ji)y, having won both the martyr's crown and the crown of eternal life. Until the consummation of all thuigs, the study of Paul's missionary character, trav- els, and labors, will be a standard and [irolitable topic for all who desire to comprehend the true principles, agen- cies, and measures of Christian propagandism. In the subsequent history of the Church it will be found that all departures from the spirit of his example have been aberrations from the line of true success; whereas ef- forts put forth from similar motives and in a like spirit have been invariably attended by the divine blessing and the salvation of men.
But although prominent as the founder of the infant Church in the principal cities of the Koman empire, and although, for some wise but not easily comprehended reason, his successive missionary- journeys chiefly occupy the sacred narrative, yet Paul was only one of the noble band of apostolic missionaries. I'eter was the acknowl- edged leader of the opening mission of the infant Church to Jerusalem, and afterwards of missionary efforts in be- half of Jews throughout the world. Not only was he the chief actor in the scenes of the Pentecost, but he laid the foundation for missions to the Gentiles by bap- tizing the centurion Cornelius and other Gentiles at Cfcs- area. According to Origen and Eusebius, he preached to the Jews scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bitliynia. Many scholars have become satis- fied that his mission extended to Babylon, on the Eu- phrates, while the general voice of antiquity ascribes to him a martyr's death at Home. Whatever may have been true as to his actual jjrcsence at those extreme points of the East and the West, his general epistles sufficiently demonstrate his personal acquaintance, as well as ministerial authority, in vast regions interme- diate.