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Show Great Missionary-Conference . That -Will Make Church History H BY D. V. TRANCIS. Special to Tho Tribune. NEW YORK, Feb. 2. Do you know McBce? If you don't, allow mo to Introduce Intro-duce him to you. Possibly til following paragraph, which hallG from qulol and literary Boston, may suffice as well aa any other introduction which might be made of Silas McBce: "The editor of tho Churchman, a big, sandy-haired, hard-headed and hardhitting hard-hitting Scotch-Irlshmnn. A man with a roaring laugh and a big mind and heart: a scholar and student, who, although al-though not a theological seminary graduate, grad-uate, knows church history, biography nnd dogma as few men do. In lino, an aggressive American, .who wields Immense Im-mense power In and out of his church. Mr. McBee Is no respecter of persons. A member of the most dignified and formal for-mal church in this county, he has not alloVod Its formalism to quench his free spirit. Ho Is impulsive and generous and cordial. Vet with It all he has caul Ion, coolness and good. hard, common sense. No Issues or schisms find any support In him. lie Is always for the biggest thing, the main chance. It Is a source of solemn sol-emn sadness to some pious clergymen of his church that tho editor of the Churchman Is a layman. But It scorns to me an evidence of breadth and strength that a church will allow a layman lay-man to conduct Its chief Journal aa long as he Is competent. When a church ha6 In It such sunmn dynamos as Silas McBce Mc-Bce and John W. Wood of the Missionary Mission-ary society. It's of no conseqtionca whether they have a Rev. before their names or not. Indeed, It spoils the fond dream of the decadence of tho church to note such renlly big men In and leaders lead-ers of the church men who would command com-mand ten times their saalry In the business busi-ness world." Prominent in Influence. 1 think that after such an Introduction as that you will feel that you would like to meet the gentleman yourself. That Is what occurred to me, and I happened in on him In his sanctum this afternoon and ot him to tell me what ho was doing In England recenc and why It was that so Important a factor In the laymen's missionary movement, which recently had Us convention In New York, should have allowed himself to be detained abroad when ho was so much needed at home. "How did It happen," T asked him. "that the laymen's missionary movement move-ment should have found It necessary to send him to England at the very height of their most Interesting campaign In this country?" "Tho laymen's missionary movement hnd nothing to do with my going abroad," he answered; "It was tho work of commission VIII of the International committee preparing for the Edinburgh conferenco which took mo to England." And then, of courso, I had to gather my mental faculties together and. modestly Inquire as to what the Edinburgh conferenco confer-enco might be. I suppose every one who reads this paper wUl know all about It. That was the Impression I gathered from the sad glance of tho man bcfcre mo when I admitted . my lamentable Igno-ranco Igno-ranco on the subject. However, I am going go-ing to tell you some things I found out. First of all, you ought to know whom It was that Mr. McBce wont to consult with In England In order that you may better appreciate the Importance of the occasion, and after that I will take up tho reason for the conference. If seems that the chairman of this lmportnnt com' mission or committee who sent Mr. McBee Mc-Bee a telegram which started him off to England on three days' notlco Is no less a person than Sir Andrew H. L. Fraser. laic lieutenant governor of Bengal, who at the time he left India was tho ruler of approximately 85,000,000 people. That seems pretty good to start with. Evidently Evi-dently Sir Andrew Fraser must bo quite a man. Next to him comes the vice chairman, whom T- was happy to find was our friend. Mr. fillas McBee. himself. Thcro were a lot. of prominent Individuals Individ-uals who ought to have . attended tho meeting of the committee, but I shall give you merely the names of those who were actually present: The Rev. "W. ,11. Flndlay, secretary of tho Wesleyan Methodist Meth-odist Missionary society in London; Ihe Rov. Prebendary IT. E. Fox. honorary clerical secretary of tho Church Missionary Mis-sionary society of London; the Rev. W. H. Froro, from MIrfield. I might mention men-tion that Father Frcra has lately been chosen head of the Society of the Resurrection, Resur-rection, one of tho most enterprising and aggressive of the organizations which seek to emphasize on every possible occasion oc-casion that tho Church of England Is tho Catholic church in England. Next comes tho Rev. W. Y. Fullerton of tho Baptist Missionary society, London, and Rev. J. II. Ritson. secretary of the British Bible society. The right reverend bishop of South wark. D. D.. should havo been present to have added the dignity of tho English episcopate to the gathering, but unfortunately missionary duties detained him in India; be was, however, ably represented rep-resented by Archdeacon Escreet, who was present by bis lordship's special appointment. ap-pointment. Some people perhaps would say that the ablest scholar on tho commission com-mission was the Vor yRev. the Dean of Westminster, nnd last, but not least, we find Bishop Wasco of the Moravian church. Men Who Rank High, Surely you will agree with me that this was a very august assembly of representatives rep-resentatives of tho religious thought of the present day, and I fancy that you like myself, would bo drawn to inquire as to how they had been appointed, and. In short, what had called this organization organiza-tion Into being. For, mind you, the names I have given nro only a part of the committee known as Commission VIII. and tho other soven commissions are made up of men well known In every walk In life, and remarkable, most of thorn, for tho leadership they have shown in the various positions which they occupy. Permit me to mention In passing our friend Soth Low of Brooklyn, Brook-lyn, one time mayor of New York; the Rt. Rev. Charles Gore. D. D., bishop of Birmingham; Mr. George Wharton Pepper Pep-per of Philadelphia foreign missions of tho Presbyterian church. There are also Gorman scholars and Swedish missionaries mis-sionaries and religious leaders from Switzerland. Last of all I really must mention our distinguished citlson, Admiral Ad-miral Mahnn. I asked Mr. McBee who appointed those commissions. "You seu." he said, "thcro Is an International Inter-national committee." "Who." T Interrupted. "Is the master mlnd that called Into being this International Interna-tional committee?" Then It wns that I caught one of those remarkable expressions expres-sions which sometimes steal ovor the faco of thin enthusiastic worker. The same flash was In his eyes which 1 had noticed before. His tint was clenched with the same expression of domineering domineer-ing energy, but aside and apart from all those evidences of a masterful temper was a tender, faraway expression that suggested the humblo man keenly alive to tho sacred diameter of tho work In which be was ungngod. "There Is no one man to whom this undertaking owes Its inception." he said. "It Is all a wonderful won-derful growth and romarknbte d&ve!op-ment. d&ve!op-ment. Twenty years ngo such a thing had never been heard of as the Idea of the various mission boards of the religious re-ligious bodies who had sent workers Into faraway lands In the namo of Christ, coming together for conference. A few sane, sonslble men, keenly alive to tho seriousness of the sad results likely to follow from a lack of harmony In working work-ing at cross purposes in heathen lands, discussed tho project of a general gathering gath-ering of nil persons who might bo Interested Inter-ested In the subjart and such a convention, conven-tion, or rathnr mass mooting, was hold In London, This first gathering was distinctly dis-tinctly Protestant lb Its lone and cher-ucter. cher-ucter. Much enthusiasm was manifested nnd there was a general fooling of satisfaction satis-faction among those present that tho meeting had boen held, but nothing really had been accomplished. Ten years went by. Some of the persons prominent on the first occasion began to think It was lime to make another attomnt. New York wap chosen for the rallying point, many mission boards sent delegates and a great crowd of earnest Christians assembled. as-sembled. Slow Growth of Yenvs. "Nevertheless It seemed to many observers ob-servers Hint the undertaking had something some-thing of a denominational character. It lacked spontaneity and there woro unmistakable un-mistakable signs In varlouo quarters of an anxiety lest something 3acrcd should be compromised. Iribwevcr. satisfaction was felt that missionaries from. different IH bodies of Christians followed one another IH upon the same platform, and a better H understanding was reached ns to tho 1 wisest methpd in dealing with the great 1 religions of the heathen world. Nothing H permanent was uffected in the way of H organization, nor In fact had anything of that sort been attempted. A commit- tee was empowered to prepare a report H of the proceedings and become rcsponsl- H ble for the balance remaining of tho mWm funds which had been -subscribed. H "Years went by and members of this commltteo renewed their correspondence H with the heads of the various mission boards which had taken part In the past, mWW and soon It was felt that by the time mWm another decade was over everyone Inter- H estcd In tho cause of missions would be 1 eager for a sc.cond conference Two H ycar.-j ago representatives chosen by theso H various boards assembled In Oxford. It was determined that a conference, pure H and simple, should be undertaken In tho year 11)10. nnd tho city of Edinburgh was .selected ns the place of meeting. Then mMmi came an Interesting change In the tone mmm of the proceedings. It was determined that an Invitation lo send delegates 1 .'diould be proclaimed to "The Church UWM Throughout the World.'" No restrictions tMWm or limitations of any kind were expressed or Implied. No religious organization was 1 officially Invited nor expected to take of-ficlal of-ficlal action upon this Invitation. Im- mouse enthusiasm was shown In mis- IH slonary circles and as the various dlvi- iH sIoiib of Christendom responded, tho 1000 Wmm scats In the hall In which tho convention iH was to assemble woro assigned to them IH In proportion to the amount of money IH each had contributed to foreign missions during tho preceding year, While this IH wns being done a most elaborate system IH of corresndndence wan ontercd Into with IH EersniiH prominent In missionary effort jH oth at home and abroad. A most care- 1 ul scries of questions was prepared and .sent to persons actively engaged In tho work. with the purpose of securing data bearing upon the most Important mat-tors. mat-tors. Ah the answers poured In upon tho Edinburgh office It was carcrully col- JmmM latcd and forwarded to tho members of all the commissions. Each one mado a careful study of what particularly related jH to Its own sphere of action. After most earnest study, reports were formulated, giving the findings of these commissions fH upon the matters Involved. AH this im- mense work was then sifted down, and In jMWm printed form will be put in tho hands of ll the delegates two or three months be- fore the conference actually meets. Next jH June these reports will form the BUbject IMWm matter to be discussed In Edinburgh, and IH It is felt that every possible matter which could profitably be brought undor con- fl sldch-atlon will thus have had the benefit ll of long and thoughtful deliberation." Il No Ironbound Rules. I asked Mr. McBee what was to be tho ul conclusion of the whole matter, what 3l results It wns expected to formulato and 1mm what new departure was to be expected. (IH lie said that It was one of tho rules that mm the International commillee had laid limm down for Itself that no resolutions what- jl over should be mndc. jl Nothing was aimed at but the serious ll and prayerful conference of deeply earn- ll est men. Nothing would be undertaken 3l or allowed which could In any way re- Jl suit In the formulating of differences. lmm Tho truth wns the thing to be earnestly Wm sought for, and In possession of the ll truth results were to be left absolutely ifll In the hands of Almighty God. IH To my material mind one von' Impor-tnnt Impor-tnnt question to bo asked at this point was where the money to pay for all this ll expensive piece of business was to coma jl from. The answer was that each nn- jl tlonal committee was responsible for its jl own financial arrangements, and that no jl difficulty had befrn found In securing il abundant funds from private subscrlp- il tions. mm 1 remarked that although it sounded as il though some pretty strenuous work had Il been done, my friend looked as though Il ho had enjoyed his foreign trip Im- lH mcnsely. Mr. McBce replied that tho mm whole work had been an Inspiration. fl He had taken Mrs. McBce to visit tl relatives In Paris and there had met il many people prominent In church and !)H state and had 'had rich experiences with il Roman Catholic thought and life." I mm could but draw the conclusion that If it fl were expedient from either point of view fl many prominent Roman Catholic ecclc- smm nlastlcs would be ready to appear upon iil the platform when tho conference takes iH place. mm Mr. McBce's contagious optimbm tlH would, I believe, convince you, as It did .IH me, that there Is a much deeper insplru- 'll tlon in the work that Is being done by il these earnest men than that which ap- '.Wm pears on tho surface. There seems good H ground for the soul-stlrrlng thought that MH tho speedy healing of the wounds of mm separation in the various members of tho '1 Church of Christ and the accomplishment of a true unity of all Christian people ' Is to be tho real outcome of all these nl painstaking efforts that look to tho 'mm evangelization of tho world "All tho WMf movements of modern times, and .es- jl peclally the preparation for this world imm conference In Edinburgh, emphasizes tho il fact with Irresistible force that If wo aro WW to bear our Lord's commission to bo ( His witnesses to tho utmost parts of tho lil Garth there must be a" visible unltv if lmm thero is to be a visible witness." m |
