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THE

MISSIONARY HERALD.

VOL. LXIX. NOVEMBER, 1873.- No. XI.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD.

THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS held its sixty-fourth Annual Meeting at Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the Academy of Music, commencing on Tuesday, September 23d, at four o'clock, P. M., and closing Thursday evening, September 26th.

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Massachusetts.

New York.

Montgomery S. Goodale, D. D., Amster
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Henry M. Storrs, D. D., Brooklyn.
Charles P. Bush, D. D., New York City.

Ohio.

Israel W. Andrews, D. D., Marietta.

Mark Hopkins, D. D., LL. D., Williams- James H. Fairchild, D. D., Oberlin.

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Theron H. Hawks, D. D., Marietta.

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Iowa. Alden B. Robbins, D. D., Muscatine.

Missouri.

Rev. Constans L. Goodell, St. Louis.

HONORARY MEMBERS PRESENT.

New Hampshire.

William Clark, D. D., Amherst.

Rev. Sumner Clark, Wakefield.

Vermont.

J. M. Haven, Rutland.

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66 H. G. McArthur, Geneseo.

Rev. J. P. Humphrey, St. Johnsbury, Flavel Bascom, D. D., Hinsdale.

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D. R. Holt, Lake Forest.

Rev. Henry E. Barnes, Moline.

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Henry M. Parsons, Boston.

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Rev. Henry W. Jones, Swampsco t. Samuel Smith, West Springfield. ·

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Henry M. Tupper, Ontario.

Rowland B. Howard, Princeton.

Wait Talcott, Rockford.

Rev. J. D. Wycoff, Roseville.

J. C. Webster, Wheaton.

Michigan.

Rev. Henry L. Hubbell, Ann Arbor. William W. Curtis, Calumet.

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G. A. Pollard, Glen Arbor.
Calvin Clark, Marshall.

L. P. Alden, Quincy.

Wisconsin.

Charles H. Pratt, Ashland.

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Rev. George P. Folsom, Baraboo.
Dea. Charles M. Fowler, Bristol.
Rev. Thomas Gillespie,
George L. Weed, Delevan.
Rev. N. T. Blakeslee, De Pere.
46 D. C. Curtis, Fort Howard.

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E. G. Miner, Geneva. A. Kimball, Green Bay.

Rev. J. K. Kilbourne, Hartland. 'Lyman Whiting, D. D., Janesville. Rev. E. Y. Garrette, La Crosse.

66 C. H. Richards, Madison.
John C. Sherwin, Menomonee.
Rev. J. L. Dudley, Milwaukee.
S. M. Newton, Mondon.
S. H. Thompson, Osseo.
Hon. William C. Allen, Racine.
Rev. D. E. Bierce,

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แ M. L. Eastman, Royalton.

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Illinois.

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K. A. Burnell, Aurora.

O. J. Shannon, Sun Prairie.

C. C. Cragin, Watertown.

J. M. Williams, Waupun.

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Rev. Thomas S. Williamson, M. D., St. Rev. J. F. Smith, Western Turkey.
Peter.

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T. C. Trowbridge, Central Turkey.

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At the appointed hour, the President, Dr. Mark Hopkins, called the meeting to order, Dr. A. L. Chapin led in prayer, and Rev. C. E. Dickenson was chosen Assistant Recording Secretary. The material portions of the Minutes of the last Annual Meeting were read by the Recording Secretary, Rev. John O. Means, together with the record of action by the Prudential Committee changing the time for holding the meeting, on account of the expected meeting of the Evangelical Alliance, in New York, at the regular time for the meeting of the Board.

Secretary Treat read the Annual Report on the Home Department; Secretary

Clark read a brief general view of the missions, and the Treasurer presented his Report, with certificates of the Auditors.

The President appointed the following committees:

Committee of Nominations. Rev. J. Collie, Dr. C. P. Bush, and Rev. C. C. Salter. Business Committee. Dr. I. W. Andrews, Dr. Alvan Tobey, Rev. N. Beach, Rev. J. Grant, and Rev. Marcus Ames.

Committee of Arrangements. Rev. W. A. Stimson, Rev. S. J. Humphrey, Rev. Horace Bumstead, Rev. A. Little, Rev. C. M. Terry.

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On Tuesday evening the Board met at eight o'clock, and the annual sermon was delivered by Dr. Julius H. Seelye, of Amherst College, from Romans iv. 25: “And was raised again for our justification." Rev. Henry L. Hubbell, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Dr. William P. Paine, of Holden, Mass., assisted in the devotional services of the occasion.

The session of Wednesday morning was opened at half-past nine o'clock, with singing, and prayer, in which Rev. E. J. Montague led.

Secretary Clark, in behalf of the Prudential Committee, read the following paper on

THE DEVELOPING POWER OF THE GOSPEL.

The condescension of God to man, of the Infinite Creator who inhabiteth eternity, to the finite, dependent creature of yesterday, has been a wonder to the thoughtful in all ages. The very possibility has been scouted as an absurdity, or as a fiction of an ignorant and superstitious age; and the reality has been rejected by modern science, that begins by denying any possible communication between man and God, and ends by ignoring the personality of both, or degrading man till he becomes really unworthy of consideration.

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Far back in the earliest records of the race, one who reverently recognized the hand of God in the mysterious discipline to which he was subjected, exclaimed, “What is man that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? and that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment?" Centuries later the Psalmist, in one of his most exalted meditations on the works of God, breaks forth in amazement, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him?" It is no wonder that mere human science and philosophy are staggered by the wondrous fact. Revelation only could give a satisfactory response, "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet." Strange that while this sovereignty over nature is finding ampler illustration every hour, in the marvelous progress of science, man's supernatural character should be denied; his relationship to the intelligent Author of nature ignored, and the possibility of communion with him rejected, though based on his original endowment, and the infinite capabilities of his spiritual being.

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Yet if there is any one lesson to be gathered from the history of the race, in every and clime, it is this, that just in so far as man loses sight of his true relationship to God, and merges his life and thoughts and feelings in nature, does he sink in moral degradation. The recognition of the spiritual relations of man to his Maker is soon found to be the prime condition, not less than the inspiring motive, of that development of the intellectual powers essential to his dominion over the physical world, and of that control of the baser elements of his own being that would otherwise soon fester in moral corruption. It is when men hold the truth in unrighteousness, and though they know, or might know God, do not glorify him as God, that they

are given over to vile affections, and the moral corruption becomes most complete, though they still preserve, it may be, for a season, the outward forms of a high civilization. The greatness of the fall is proportioned to the original elevation. The popular forms of infidelity and religious error, however much their advocates may boast of exalting man, invariably begin with actually degrading him, till he becomes incapable of higher spiritual communion, if not unworthy of it; prayer, a mockery of sounding words in the empty air; sin, conscience, fear of retribution, unfortunate words of little significance to a culture "that knows the best that has been thought and said in the world." Words once of solid content, and expressive of the deepest experiences of the human heart, are emptied of their meaning, or with studied intent, confounded one with another. Yet the great facts of human life and its necessities remain, and it is only as we recognize the old orthodox conception of man as a spiritual being, made in the image and likeness of God, capable of knowing and loving him, that we reach solid ground on which to rest the possibility and probability of a revelation, the facts of history, or the profounder experiences of the human soul. It is only through the orthodox conception of the greatness and native dignity of the human spirit, its voluntary degradation and enslavement under sin, and possible redemption by the grace of God, that the mysterious problems of human life and destiny find a satisfying solution. History revolves about the cross. The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in bondage until now, waiting for the redemption of the sons of God -the triumph of the spiritual agencies employed for the redemption of humanity. Science and art and philosophy are to do their part in securing man his rightful dominion, in conscious or unconscious service to a higher agency than either. The time of the consummation hastens on with ever-increasing rapidity; "the earth helpeth the woman."

The gospel is to-day a power in the minds and hearts of men, the world over, as never before. It modifies the policy of governments; it enters into civilization, and gives shape and coloring to the thoughts and sentiments of millions that know of its essential character only by name.

Christianity, of all the religions of mankind, recognizes the worth of the individual soul. It breathes an entirely new spirit into civilization and culture. It reckons its triumphs not by the material results that follow in its train, but by the social and spiritual development of individual minds and hearts; by its training of immortal souls for a higher life. By the sublime declaration, He "hath made us kings and priests unto God," it strikes a death-blow at all forms of political and ecclesiastical oppres sion, vindicates the inherent rights of man, and lays the basis of civil freedom, of social and moral progress, wherever it is received.

The outside observer might have gazed with admiration on the proud cities that once filled the valley of the Nile, or gathered the splendors of the East to the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris; or lingered with delight amid the glories of Athens in the days of Pericles, or the magnificence of imperial Rome; but a closer inspection would have revealed the gilded show, the misery of the masses of the people, the moral corruption that was at the heart of the best culture, the precursor of ultimate and even speedy ruin.

It was not in ignorance of what humanity had achieved, or of the real character of the civilization of his time, that the great Apostle of the Gentiles declared that the Gospel of Christ was the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, be he Jew or Greek, barbarian, Scythian, bond or free; and the measure of real progress in every nation and country since, is the measure of the practical influence of this gospel on the thoughts and conduct of men. We may go farther, and say that the measure of real progress is proportioned to the purity and simplicity of the forms under which the gospel is presented. The long eclipse of the church in the Middle Ages, was the eclipse of civilization and progress. The church was the depositary of whatever of value the former ages had to transmit, and in due time brought forth her stores,

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