CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 9

CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA.

1 1 . A TRIUMPH OP CHARACTER. 3 'A' correspondent of tho London "Times writes as follows regarding tho outlook for Christianity in China:— Wo see to-day a Christian Chinese popua lation of well over a million and a half, - in addition to a large army of more or l less active sympathisers. Wo see a - Christianity to-day affecting more or less l the life of every province in tho Republic. Haw has tho change been wrought? The 1 brief answer is that it is a triumph 'of s character. While tho missionaries were l not all well fitted for their work, tliero s wero among them a number of men posi sessing striking gifts of leadership. They T knew something of their own handicaps, t and did their best to remove them. They 3 called two agencies to their aid—cducat tion and medicine. They used the printi ing press largely, working.on the Cliin- > ese respect for written characters. They t were playing a dangerous game, and they i krew it. It was a common thing for tho - missionary, on first venturing into new s territory, to be stoned and driven out by a fierce mob, while his native helpers • were seized, stripped, beaten, and iniprisl cned. Every now and then darker tra- • gedies happened, as in the Tientsin mast sacro, when 22 were slain. But the misi sionarics held on. One'doctor entered a ( 'hitherto impenetrable city during a > cholera epidemic, and so won the peoplo i by his services that the Christians were . henceforth welcome. Another mediated : between the rulers of a city and an ini vading army, and saved them from mas- ; sacre. In ninny places the skill and kindness of missionary doctors transformed the whole attitude of the people towards the West. Few men who know inner China intimately will deny that the work of the missionaries there, although often enough it provoked temporary uprisings, lias dono more to bridge the gulf between I peoplo and ourselves than any other factor. Here the goodwill of a taotai was earned by a skilful operation ; here a villager was won over. In course of time men who had been touched bv the spirit of tho West, tho families of officials who had visited abroad, merchants whoso sons Were in America, patriots uneasy at tiie state of their country, found the missionaries sympathetic companions. Tho lives of the missionaries told. "His story must have been true," said one Chinese at tho dentil of a teacher in tho, north. "He got nothing for coming here—nothing but a grave." The Boxer rebellion set the seal finally oil the work. The Boxers, wishing to drive Western influences out of the land, made missionaries their first object of attack. Some were killed, to the accompaniment of unspeakable horrors. Native Christians wero offered tho choico between recantation or death. Many thousands chose death. Hut. tho Boxer rebellion gave a real impetus to the Christian movement, mid to all the reform agencies associated with it. which has not yet slackened. When China, in reaction from ii"r own excesses, turned in different guise to the West, it was tho missionaries who gained. The whole process of national humiliation, beginning with the Ohino-.Tapanese War mid ending with the occupation of Peking by the Allies, |»ved the way for tho Western teachers. No oiio would maintain that the task before the Christian Churches ill China to-day is easy. Tho popular hatred has been turned to appreciation; ppoplo are eager to hear; schools aro crowded; even* kind of general Christian agency, such as the Y.M.C.A., is almost overwhelmed in its work; and the young men who have been educated in the WcSt aro remarkably responsivo to our religious ideals. . Christianity lias becomo associated in tho public, mind with education, reform, greater freedom for women, good medical ' treatment, aud general progress. This 1 very change of attitude, it is'scarcely 1 necessary to point out, creates dangers of its ojta*. to to Cto«hca tl}srfl']ifa ecUi

in a strong movement towards self-coT-eminent and towards the abolition of the religious divisions of tlie West. Japanese experience; has slfown that this is hot only inevitable, but in many ways desirable. But in the immediate future even tho loudest advocates of independence know that tlioy must look to Europe and America for their teachers and leaders this is tho white man's opportunity. "An Interesting Comparison. Willi reference to tho appeal issued bj CI I inese Cabinet for tlio prayers' of i, Christian Churches 011 behalf of the republican Government, Router's Agency learns that this has not come as a surprise to Chinese official circles in London, During tho last six years Christianity has made enormous strides in China, 'more especially among tho !*sjcial and influential classes. Even during tho last year or two of tho Imperial regime, Government officials wero 110 longer rigorously bound not to adopt the now religion (says- the "Morning Post"). Technically the'y were forbidden to do so, but their conversion was openly winked at. The revolution introduced complete toleration. Many oi tlio leaders were Christians themselves, and their accession to' power . gave ail enormous impetus to the spread of' tlw faith. "Tho majority of intellectual Chinese incline to-day cither towards Christianity or Free-thought," said a prominent official. "Many members of tlio newly-elected National Assembly, both in tho Senate and the' House ; of Representatives, are Christians, and there is every indication that Christianity/ will spread liiofo rapidly when tho new Government has got'its educational and social projects into working order. Ido not think tlio day is so lar distant as many people' imagine when China will lie mini•bared among tho Christi«n nations of th< world. A comparison might be drawn between tho China of to-day and tin Roman Empire of the time of Constan* tine. In both oases Christianity started among tho poor aud spread to tho Official classes. There is a strong resemblance also,between the attitudes of tlio Eoman and Chiiicso Governments. This appeal for the prayers of a new and growing community is typical of Roman tolerance towards all creeds. The ' 11011-Christiaii Chinese official takes tho same view, aa tho Roman pro-consul—that such prayers can do 110 harm and may do good, in addition to securing tho support of a powerful section of 11m people. But tho conviction is gaining ground that if Christianity is to" become a vital factor in Chinese national life it must lie free from foreign control,'for, it-has always been against the Christian- as a foreignc-, aud not as the upholder of a'new creed, that Chinese resentment has been- raised in the past. There is a vigorous movement 011 foot for the formation of ' a Chinese Free Church, Frotestant ill character and, free from the control of European bishops and missionaries, * The Minister for Foreign Affairs and the present Minister in Berlin are both ardent supporters of this movement, which is gaining ground steadily."