RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1770, 7 June 1913, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA. GREAT PROGRESS. TIIE REQUEST FOR PRATER. The "Church. Times" (London) has received from the secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel tho following advanced copy of an article which is to appear in. ouo of their forthcoming publications:— Poking, April 17, 1913. ' Last Sunday a Christian service was held in Pelting, at the request of the Chinese Government, to offer prayers for the suc.cess of China at the present critical juncture. To-day tho following message, adopted bv the Cabinet, was telegraphed by the Cuineso Government to all provincial governors and other high officials within whoso jurisdiction thero are Christian communities, and also to tho leaders of tho Christian Churches ill China, both Catholic and Protestant:— "Prayer is requested for tho National Assembly, now in session, for tho newlyestablished Government, for the President yet to be elected, for the Constitution of tho Republic, that tho Government may lie recognised by the Powers, that peace may reign within our -country, that strong virtuous men may be elected to office, that tho Government may bo established upon a fit roup foundation. Upon receipt of this tolegram you aro requested to notify all. Christian churches in your province that April 27 has been set aside as a day of prayer for tho nation. Let all take part." Representatives of the. provincial authorities aro requested to attend the service, which will bo sincerely carrifrd out by the ontiro missionary and Chincso Christian forces of the nation.

Tho abovo telegram appeared in tho London "Daily Mail" on tho morning of April 18 in England. It will have been seen already that wo took prompt action at St. Margaret's, 'Westminster, at 10.30 a.m., nt our devotional on April 18, and again at tho Albert Ilall on the samo. evening. On Saturday, April 10, the secretary, Bishop Montgomery, wrote to tho Chincso Minister in London tho following letter:— "Your Excellency,—l venture to approach you in order to report to you officially, in the name of tho Society for tlw Propagation of tlio Gospel, and as its secretary, that we have gladly taken tho first public opportunity to unite in prayer to God for tho welfare of tho Government of China. Tho news of the request made by your Government to Christians in Gliina reached us in London yesterday morni'ng. We were to hold a devotional meeting at 10.30 a.m. yesterday on behalf of our work in St. Margarets Church, Westminster, and wo at once put into prayer each clause of that message of your Government. Yesterday evening, at our great annual meeting in tho Albert Hall, in tho presence of nearly ten thousand of our supporters, the Bishop of London, as chairman of tho meeting, called upon mo to loa<l the thousands present in prayer to tho Heavenly Father. Clauso by clause we prayed Him for a I that your Government asked. Alter each clauso the whole audienco responded with their own prayers. Our work, as J-onr Excellency knows, lies m Mrth China and Shantung. Our great friend ana leader is Bishop Scott in Peking, and votir friend, too. Our other leader is Bishop Iliff. Rest assured, your Excellency that wo shall not cease to add our prayers to those of tlio ,9, of China that God may establish your Empire on strong foundations, giving you a firm Republican Government, a noblo President, and righteous rulers in Parliament and in tho provinces. There aro no more, loyal supporters of your Government in China than tho members of the Ghung H On S Tuefday, n^pril' 22. following answer was received from tho Chmeso Legation, London: — "My Lord,-I havo tho honour to acknowledge tho receipt of your letter of the 19th instant, reporting to mo oihcially in tho name of tho Society for tho Propagation of tho Gospel that you nave, taken the first opportunity to '.unite_ in. prayer to God for the welfare of tlio Government of China, and to thank you most sincerely for tho very kind sentiments expressed in your lordship's letter., "I remain', "Your lordship's obedient servant, "LEW YUK LIN." What may be the outcome of this movement none can say. But things cannot be as they were. When China asks for tlio prayers of its Christian subjects the day of persecution of-those subjects is passed. The danger indeed may lie in the opposite direction, in tho attempt to invent some State religion not strongly founded upon the Catholic verities. But wo will not anticipate. We aro asked to pray for China. Wo acccpt tho challenge ill tho belief that China one day may bo the brightest jowel in -the crown of a world-wido Christendom. Statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury, presiding at the Upper House of Convocation, said those who best realised either tho past or tho present of China would be the first to tako in tho enormous significance of this unparalleled action of tho Chinese Government. 'Our 'answer to the request, given in no uncertain voice,' said tho Archbishop, 'is that wo will respond to it.' It seemed to "him opportune that they should rccord in Convocation their senso of tho gravity and tho hopefulness of this great departure in tho relation of tlio Chincso Empire to the message ol Jesus Christ for tho guidance and the govornanco of tho souls of men.'

One of the Results of tho Revolution. Referring to tho request for prayer, tlio "Catholic Times" (London) writes:—Tlio action of tho Government is a marvellous testimony to tlio power of. Christianity, which appears to gain additional strength with tho progress of time and amidst tho severest trials. Wonderful, too, it is tliat this religion, which is essentially tho cieed of goodwill and brotherhood, so frequently makes its most noteworthy strides forward over tho ashes of strife. _ This move of tho Chinese in tho direction, of Christianity is ono of tho results of tho revolution. For some time • before that evAiit they had busied themselves with tho improvement -of education. 'In 1905 the work was placed on a now footing, and young men of intellectual ability came to Europe to study "Western thought and system of • government. Some of them were so much impressed with the benefits conferred on . European society . by tho Christian religion that they becamo Christians. They were amongst tho organisers of tho revolution, and largely to their influence is duo tho step which tho Government has just taken. They liavo recognised that China, if it is to hold that place amongst the nations to which the number of its-population and its resources entitle it, must break away from some of tlio old Eastern traditions, and learn to appreciate tho more activo spirit of-the West. Their aim is to lift up China spiritually, materially, morally, socially, and politically to a level with tho foremost nations of-Europe.

An Immense Chango. Tho "British Weekly" says:—"This is the first timo in tho history of tho world tliat such an-appeal hascomo from a nonCliristian nation, and it is a striking proof of tire immenso change effected by tho Chinese Kevolution. Tho Churches of Europe and America have euiii thou* noblest missionaries to China, and not a few heroic men liavo suffered martyrdom within the present generation. While tho .Manclni Dynasty lasted, ovory .station outside tho treaty towns was a possible centre of persecution.- Tho newly established Government proclaims its friendliness to the Christian religion, and its bclrci in tho efiicacv of Christian prayers. J here is no doubt that tho conferences recently addressed bv Dr. Jlott have deeply influenced the ruling classes, and we may jX'Hinps si's also in Thursday s pthci- tvflccs of the wise inlluenco of Dr. Morrison, the official adviser to the Government, lho British Churches desiro to havo their part in the observance of a day of grayer, and we received on Tuesday ironi the liev. (.. K Wilson, secretary of tho Baptist Missionarv Society, a letter inviting all Christian people, and especially the leaders of {V Churches of Britain, to mako intorfor China on Sunday. Tho npis by representatives of tho Churcil Missionary Society, tho Wesleyai), file Congrcgatiomil. Presbyterian, and other important bodies. Mr. -Conqcll and .Dr. Mever publish a call to prayer in Wednesday's-papers." Notablo Conversions. Tho London "Times" of April 24 states that }Lrs. Grnuz. ft jiifica o£ .Yuoa. flhihv

Kai, has been baptised. Her husband, formerly a priucmau of International Law; at Aberdeen. University, recently died, and before his death ho was also baptised l together with his two daughters. Mrs. Chang is devoting 'herself to educational work among women iu China. Christianity of Materialism. Dr. Thomas Cochrane, the secretary of tho London Missionary Society's Advisory Council iu China, in an interview with a representative of tlio "Westminster Gazette," said tho outlook for all tlio Chris, tian missions' in China was very bright, "It is true," he said, "that Hie provinces of Kaneu, Yunnan, Kueichow, anil Kwangsi aro rather sparsely- occupied by Christians; • but a more satisfactory account can 1m given of all the other prov vinccs, in each of which strong Christian o'hurchcs aro being established. "There aro altogether, I find, 552 head mission stations throughout China, where tlio missionaries reside; and in addition to those, there are 5318 out-stations, .where Christian churches aro more or less established. Excluding t'lieir wivfo, thorn are altogether 3255 missionaries in China, .and 7237 native preachers giving the whole of their time to tho work. If account bo taken of the Bible _ women, teachers in schools, assistants in hospitals, and others devoting a portion • of their timo to tlio work, it is safe to say that thero aro 15,000- natives iu .China actively teaching Christianity. "So far as I can judge tho situation, after close personal contact with tlio people, there aro only two forces nt work in China to-day—Christianity and materialism; and we do well to associate ourselves with the Christian _ Church in China in prayer that the spiritual awakening, which is undoubtedly taking place, may bo fostered and strengthened."