The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

MISSIONS TO SEMI-BARBAROUS REGIONS. 523the west,—in the plains of Mesopotamia and Syria, hangingon the skirts of Mahommcdanism,—in India, whereHinduism comes in contact with British science and Christianity,—in China, where the stereotyped ideas and usagesof the Celestial Empire are melting away before the encroachmentsof British commerce,—in Australia, in Oceanica,and over the New World, from Cape Horn to Canada.Her circle of operations encompasses the globe.Let us mark herein the policy of Home. She takes carethat the civilizinginfluences shall not outrun the Romanizing.It was much in this way that she founded her dominionat the first in Europe. She met the nations on their marchfrom the north ;and in their semi-barbarous state, withoutany instruction, she admitted them into the Church. In thesame way is that Church now advancing to the semi-barbaroustribes of earth ; and before they have been enlightenedor Christianized in any degree, she procures their submissionto her yoke.*She communicates no Christian instruc-* " More than forty independent societies are centralized in tlie two institutesof the projiaganda at Rome (founded in 1622, and extended byUrban VIII.) and tlie foreign missions in Paris. These missionary societies,—thosein France at least,—are sustained entirely by voluntary contributions.Besides these, there has been formed, within the last twoyears, an Oceanic Society, founded by M. Marzion,and designed to operatein the Australian islands by combining commerce with proselytism. Thesociety's first vessel, named L'Arche d'Alliance (as if in defiance of theEvangelical Alliance, while in evident imitation of our missionary ships, andof the late Sir F. Buxton's scheme for African civilization), some timesince took its departure for the South Seas ; and the institution alreadyboasts of the possession of four vessels. This society has a branch inItaly, comprising three auxiliary committees, at Genoa, Turin, and Rome.This branch, which was established in 1845, and was formed for a periodof thirty years, has issued shares of five hundred francs each, on which itguarantees five per cent, interest. The dividends are added to the capital.The Genoa Committee have bought a vessel, which was to sail aboutthe beginning of last month (September 1847), with a richcargo, and asmany as forty missionaries on board. Her route is Valparaiso, Tahiti,New Caledonia, Macao, Hong-Kong, and the north of China.From these,and other facts, it is quite evident tliat T'ahiti is but the beginning of sorrows."(" Christian Record," October IS 17.)