Forward Through The Ages

FORWARD through the AGES BY BASIL MATHEWS Maps and Illustrations by, ouise Drew FRIENDSHIP PRESS - NEW YORK The British edition of this book is en titled Disciples of All Nations, published by Oxford University Press, London COPYRIGHT, 1951, BY FRIENDSHIP PRESS, INC. PRINTED INT THE UNITED STA. TES OF Second printing 1952 Set in Linotype Caledonia Typographical design by Margery W. Smith Jacket and binding designed by Louise E. Jefferson Set by The Composing Roam, Inc. Printed by offset lithography by Latham Process Corporation Bound in cloth by Charles ft. Bohn Co. in paper by Taubers IBookbindery To MY WIFE without whose skilled comradeship at every stage this book could never have been written CONTENTS PREFACE, xi Book One THE FIRST FIVE HUNDRED YEARS 1. The Apostolic Adventurers, 3 2. The Age o the Nameless Ones 11 3. J esus I s Lord 14 4. After Rome Fell, 20 Book Two THE CHURCHS STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL A. D. 500-1492 5. From Rome and Ireland to Britain, 29 6. Advance Across Western Europe, 35 7. The Hammer of Islam, 41 8. To the Lands of the Vikings, 45 9. Western and Eastern Streams of Christianity, 49 10. Cross and Sword among Slavs and Jews, 51 11. Rise of National Orthodox Churches, 57 12. Outreach of the Nestorian Church, 64 13. Kublai Khans Appeal from China, 66 14. By Force or by Love, 69 15. A Thousand Years of Gain and Loss, 74 viii CONTENTS Book Three INTO ALL THE WORLD A. D. 1492-1800 16. Opening Up the New World, 81 17. Trail-Blazing in India and Ceylon, 86 18. Planting the Cross in Southeast Asia and Japan, 91 19. A Royal Strategist, 95 20. Knocking at the Gate of China, 99 21. The Flags of Dawn Appear, 103 Book Four AGE OF THE PIONEERS A. D. 1800-1914 22. FrontierMissions in North America, 113 23. The Negro and the Indian in the United States, 123 24. Under the Southern Cross, 127 25. The Astonishing Clusters, 130 26. Now, Sir, I Come to Africa 136 27. The Stony Ground of Islam, 143 28. The Church Takes Root in India, 147 29. Cross-Currents in Southeast Asia, 153 30. Opening the Gates of China, 157 31. New Tides on Pacific Shores, 164 32. A World Team in Training, 172 CONTENTS Book Five A WORLD-WIDE FELLOWSHIP A. D. 1910-1950 33. The World Team Gets Together, 181 34. That They All May Be One, 190 35. The Team under Ordeal, 193 36. Needed A Living Christ, 197 37. The Flaming Ramparts of Islam, 204 38. New Ferments in Africa, 207 39. Pacific Island World, 216 40. New Horizoiis in India, 218 41. Upheaval in East Asia, 222 42. New Maps for Old, 235 43. Peril and Opportunity, 241 44. The Miracle of Triumphant Survival, 247 EPILOGUE, 253 Books for Personal Reading and Reference Use, 254 Index, 261 Comparative Chronological Table, facing 276 PREFACE THE most amazing true mystery story of all time is the expansion of the tiny group of followers of a crucified village Carpenter into a world-wide fellowship vaster in numbers than any other one group of any kind in all history...