An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens: In Which the Religious State of the Different Nations of the World, the Success of Former Undertakings, and the Practicability of Further Undertakings, Are Considered — John Shaqi
An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens: In Which the Religious State of the Different Nations of the World, the Success of Former Undertakings, and the Practicability of Further Undertakings, Are ConsideredCarey, William
Religion
An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens: In Which the Religious State of the Different Nations of the World, the Success of Former Undertakings, and the Practicability of Further Undertakings, Are Considered
Carey, William
Baptists -- Missions; Missions
It was no objection to the apostles and their successors, who went
among the barbarous _Germans_ and _Gauls_, and still more barbarous
_Britons_! They did not wait for the ancient inhabitants of these
countries, to be civilized, before they could be christianized, but
went simply with the doctrine of the cross; and TERTULLIAN could boast
that "those parts of Britain which were proof against the Roman
armies, were conquered by the gospel of Christ"--It was no objection
to an ELLIOT, or a BRAINERD, in later times. They went forth, and
encountered every difficulty of the kind, and found that a cordial
reception of the gospel produced those happy effects which the longest
intercourse with Europeans, without it could never accomplish. It _is_
no objection to commercial men. It only requires that we should have
as much love to the souls of our fellow-creatures, and fellow sinners,
as they have for the profits arising from a few otter-skins, and all
these difficulties would be easily surmounted.
After all, the uncivilized state of the heathen, instead of affording
an objection _against_ preaching the gospel to them, ought to furnish
an argument _for_ it. Can we as men, or as christians, hear that a
great part of our fellow creatures, whose souls are as immortal as
ours, and who are as capable as ourselves, of adorning the gospel, and
contributing by their preaching, writings, or practices to the glory
of our Redeemer's name, and the good of his church, are inveloped in
ignorance and barbarism? Can we hear that they are without the gospel,
without government, without laws, and without arts, and sciences; and
not exert ourselves to introduce amongst them the sentiments of men,
and of Christians? Would not the spread of the gospel be the most
effectual mean of their civilization? Would not that make them useful
members of society? We know that such effects did in a measure follow
the afore-mentioned efforts of _Elliot_, _Brainerd_, and others
amongst the American Indians; and if similar attempts were made in
other parts of the world, and succeeded with a divine blessing (which
we have every reason to think they would) might we not expect to see
able Divines, or read well-conducted treatises in defence of the
truth, even amongst those who at present seem to be scarcely human?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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