The Cost of a Soul
Zion's Advocate, July 1902, Vol. 41, No. 7.
The latest thing we have seen on "Missions" is given in "The Cumberland Lutheran," a monthly journal published at Cumberland, Maryland, in the interest of the Lutheran Church. Under the heading "Home Missions" the question is asked, "Do Missions pay?" It is asserted that they do pay, but figures are given to show that foreign missions pay four times as well as home missions. In a table of statistics it is stated that the "cost per soul" in India is $18 and the "cost per soul" here is $72. The following statement is given below the table:"It costs nearly three times as much to maintain our churches here as in India. It takes seven members to win one from heathenism there, but ten to win one here with Christian surroundings. Measured in dollars, it costs four times as much to save a soul here as there, and who will put God's estimate of the value of a soul when heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents?"
Thus it is declared to take the obedience of seven to make one righteous in India, and of ten to make one righteous in this country. The Bible plan is so much more efficient than the Lutheran plan. Paul says, "By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." This one is Christ, and the many are all that will ever be clothed with his righteousness - all that will ever be saved in heaven. The Bible doctrine, that the obedience of Christ makes all the elect righteous, is not only much more efficient than the Lutheran plan, but the righteousness is of a much better qualify. The righteousness of Christ is perfectly spotless, and becomes the righteousness of his people by imputation without works on their part (Romans iv: 6,7,8); whereas all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah lxiv. 6).It is also said to cost $18 to save a soul in India, and $72 to save a soul here, or four times as much in this country as in that, measured in dollars. The cost of the salvation of a soul by the Lutherans in this country may seem a little high, but really the cost of salvation by the Lutherans is not so great as it is by the New School Baptists, measured in the same way. In the entire Shenandoah Baptist Association seventy-four were received last year by experience and baptism. The minister's salary and the home mission (to say nothing of other expenses) amounted to $6,768.25. So the 74 additions in that Association were obtained at the cost of $91.46 each. But the Lutherans have the advantage in counting all the sprinkled babies, we suppose. We notice, however, that the Association referred to lost, by "exclusion" and "erasure," 128, so our computation is not strictly accurate. Pardon this digression.
Returning to the subject, we enquire, Why is the cost of the salvation of a soul so much higher in this country than in India? Why does it take ten members here to save a soul while seven is all that is required in India? It must be because the people are more enlightened here. If so, ignorance is an advantage in the work of saving souls! How strange this seems! If ignorance is an advantage in this great work, we suggest that it would be better to withdraw all efforts from enlightened countries and concentrate the money and membership power on the "heathens," as the soul of a "heathen" will be worth as much in heaven as the soul of an enlightened person. The $72 spent in saving one of the latter would save four of the former. But as this advice is not asked for it may not be appreciated.
"The Cumberland Lutheran" asks, "Who will put God's estimate of the value of a soul when heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents?" This implies that God's estimate of the value of a soul saved is too great for us to put -- that his estimate cannot be "measured by dollars." The cost of saving a soul, then, even in America, is very small in comparison with its great value to God. How disappointed he must be at the failure made in America, where fully two-thirds of the population are not church members at all! Moreover, what a disappointment to him must be the result of the first centry of modern missionism, since the "conversions" to Christianity in the entire world do not keep in sight of the increase of population! Read what Mr. Canon Isaac Taylor, who is a believer in the general principles of modern "Missionism," said in the "Eclectic Magazine:"
"In spite of all the efforts that are made there are upward of ten millions more heathens and Mohammedons in the world than there were a year ago. The missionary societies say we are advancing, and so we are. But in spite of our advance, instead of overtaking the work, the work is overtaking us. It is like the tortoise racing with a railway train; the longer the race continues the further the tortoise is left behind."
He estimates "it would take the missionary societies 183 years to overtake the increase of non-christian population in a single year." It is claimed that it is God's pleasure or purpose to convert the entire world to Christ. He declares that his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure. Now since the efforts of modern "Missionaries" to convert the world to Christ is like the tortoise racing with the train, is God the author and manager of those efforts? If so, is he doing all his pleasure?We doubt that heaven rejoices over such a failure. Only think, dear reader, that a lady missionary has become famous, not by converting the heathen, but by being captured by the very ones it was her business to convert, being held for five months as a prisoner, and being ransomed by the gift of nearly one hundred thousand dollars! And now, we are told, she is to enter the lecture field in America, while thousands are sinking down to hell every day, according to her doctrine, because the gospel does not reach them! We believe heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents, and that the praise and glory of that repentance is given to Jesus, who has been exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give such repentance. But if a contest between Christ and Satan were to result in such a signal victory as this by the enemy of the cross, and if Christ were like a tortoise racing with a railway train, we are sure all heaven would blush while the fiends of darkness would exultingly rejoice. How thankful we are that the Old School Baptist church stands on Bible grounds, and that her doctrine is not open to such criticism! How much better it is to be right and consistent, though it renders us unpopular, than it is to be so inconsistent though ever so popular!
The objection is often urged against the Old Baptist denomination that no effort is made by them to spread the gospel. This objection is based upon a supposition arising from our opposition to the modern idea of missionism and to the machinery that runs it. With the astonishing inconsistencies we have here given, and others we could give, need any one be surprised at our opposition to it? The fact is we are continually laboring to spread the gospel, but we believe in doing the duty that lies next to us, thus laboring in the territory our Master assigns us.
J. R. D.
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