Introduction to Christian missions

Introduction

TO

CHRISTIAN MISSIONS

THOMAS GARY JOHNSON,

Author of " The Life and Letters of Robert Lewis Dabney ;'''' " The Life and

Letters of Benjamin Morgan Pahner ;'''' '•'•John Calvin and the Genevan

Reformation ;'''' " The Presbyterian Church in the United States ;''^

" Virginia Presbyterianisni and Religious Liberty.''^

THE SECOND EDITION,

For Sale by the

PRESBYTERIAN COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION,

0^^

Copyright, 1909, Second Edition Copyrighted 1910.

BY

THOS'. C JOHNSON

Printed by

Whittet & Shepperson,

Richmond, Va.

f

I

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY WIFE, WHOSE HELPFUL SYMPATHY DESERVES A BETTER TRIBUTE.

Prefatory Note

For years the author had been conducting a brief study of Christian missions, using such text-books as had been available. He had given lectures supplementary to the text-books he at the time was using. His lectures had grown in volume, till he found little time for interlocutory study with the class after delivering them. These lectures had all along been informed by a unifying principle — the relation of the mental grasp of the Christian system to mission work. He had been asked repeatedly to publish them. Two years ago he began to rewrite those bearing on world-wide missions, as opportunity was given; and now offers these to the Christian public, and particularly to the ministers, elders, deacons and brotherhood-workers of his own communion.

It will be found that they constitute an attempt at a philosophy of missions ; and, it is hoped, that they contain a relatively small amount of unessential detail. It has been a constant aim, at any rate, to burden the memory only with the essential facts; but to stir the thought. In a word, the aim has been to introduce to the proper study of missions.

T. C. J.

Union Theological Seminary,

Richmond, Va. ■

Contents

LECTURE I.

God's Ordained Missionary Society; its Members; Their Obligations as Such; and the Imperative and Exclusive Nature of Those Obligations 9

LECTURE n.