The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-07-03 00:00:00

THE iItiRrOOLgIANBARB,

pass, sometimes feigning' mildness and drunkenness, to escape
detection; but with us the eini justified not the means. But
the only way they could meet thiS difficulty was to have a band
of nstive missionaries to go throligh the country, and preach
the Word of God. The written latigliarce of the country was
also a very great difficulty; it required a t...ta:l his whole life to
master it. The spoken language was TrdrSe ; it was divided
into different dialects, which were spoken fa the provinces,
each differing from the other' The ignorance' of the lower
classes of the Chinese was another difficulty; those classes
could only be reached by the oral teaching of native preachers.
Now, they saw' the great plan for the conversion of the Chinese
was the raising of a bony of native Christian ministry. It
would require a careful training of the mind of the Chinese to'
prepare them for the ministry. If the Chinese missionary
were not properly trained,. he would do harm to Christian prin-
ciples, by disseminating his crude views; and therefore he said
they required a kind of training college. The next question
was, where should this institution be? Some persons said
Chinese youths, who wished to engage in the ministry, should
be sent to Malta or to England to be trained ; but he (the
Bishop) did not approve of this; he thought the danger in
bringing Chinese youths to this country was too great ; and ,
in addition a youth educated in England was considered illite-
rate as regarded Chinese literature; and therefore he proposed
that this training institution should be in China, in order that
they night be properly versed in Chiaese literature as well as
the science and theology of Christendom. The island of
Hong Kong afforded all the advantages. for such an insti-
tution. The Bishop of Victoria was to be warden. The chap-
lain of Hong Kong had built a school], which cost £2OOO,
which he agreed to hand over to him (the Bishop) as a
training school ; and for the additional buildings which
would be required, they wanted four or five thousand
pounds. Three thousand pounds had been already promised,
and two thousand more would be wanted. Besides this,
upwards of -ef,500 per annum would be required tosupport the
Chinese youths and the English professors who might be en-
gaged in the college. For many years this would be a work of
difficulty, and perhaps they should only sow the seed, and
future generations would reap the benefit of those missionary
efforts. They also required a translating fund for placing
suitable Christian publications in the hands of the Chinese,
and having a body of Colporteura for carrying books of the
Missionary College to the mainland. He should also ask them
to assist him in forming a college library. They had many
difficulties to contend with—error was rife on all sides. They
had to contend against the covert attacks of Romanism, and
the infidelity and scepticism of Europeans ; so that if they were
obliged to enter into a, co.,treversial warfare, he hoped they
would have books from which they could draw the weapons of
truth. T._erefore, he asked for all such theological books, and
books on general literature which could be spared by the
audience, or subscriptions for the purchase of books would be
thankfully received. His lordship stated that a local committee
had been appointed in Liverpool, who would receive any sub-
scriptions that might be given, and forward them to him in
China. His lordship concluded by a touching appeal for sup-
port to a-mission for propagating the knowledge of the Gospel
of God.

The Rev. CANON M'NEILE proposed the following resolu-
tion:—" That having heard the Lord Bishop of Victoria's
statement concerning the spiritual wants of China, and the
openings now afforded for communicating the Gospel to the
Chinese, that it is the opinion of this meeting that the pro-
posed college in Victoria, Hong Kong, for training promising
Chinese for the office of missionaries will, under the Divine
blessing, greatly contribute to the furtherance of Christ's
Gospel in the vast empire of China." He then said, you have
heard the encouragements for the mission to China. I was
much struck with some of them, as enumerated by the bishop,
particularly what hesaid about their having no powerful priest-
hood and no bigoted idolators amongst the people,—that their
idolatry was rather, as he expressed it, customary than deep-
seated, so that we have not to contend with the strong hin-
drance of caste, the effect of which has been so painfully felt
in our missions in India. But there is one point to which I
will specially advert, it is this, that Confucius held and main-
tained, in a very prominent manner, the doctrine of inherent
righteousness. You have just heard that the Chinese almost
adored the memory of Confucius ; and to receive a statement
which would show Confucius to he in error, must be a great
effort to any educated Chinese. Therefore, to receive the Gos-
pel would be to confound Confucius altogether, for it repudi-
ates the notion of inherent righteousness. This will in some
degree account for the greater facilities experienced by the
Romish missionaries; for in this they agree with Confucius
and differ from the Gospel. They teach an inherent righteous-
ness, which becomes a part, a bona fide part, of the sinner's
justification—that is, they teach what you will understand by
those terms, they teach justification by sanctification, the Gos-
pel teaches justification by Christ. Here, then, is a very im-
portant distinction, and it strikes me this presents one of the
greatest difficulties in the way of the propagation of vital
Christianity in China—that the educated masses of that teem-
ing population adore the memory, and, we have reason to
suppose, imbibe the doctrines of Confucius, amongst others,
that of inherent righteousness. Sir, 1 need not to say
to you, that this doctrine of inherent righteousness rests
on a false view, both of man's nature and God's govern-
ment—that it repudiates the true and painful notion, that
sin is antoganistic to God, essentially opposed to his na-
ture, belonging to fallen creatures as a right, instead of
emanating from God. To suppose inherent righteousness in
such a creature as man, is to have a low estimate of God, and
morally to limit us to estimate the requirements of the divine
government at the base rate that el eaTures like us can provide
inherent righteousness It also represents the divine being as
accepting a deteriorated thing, a thing mixed with imperfec-
tions • so that whenever inherent righteousness is held, it un-
duly elevates man's nature, and unduly depreciates the notion
of God's government. It thus opposes both the law and the
Gospel, and this, in good truth, tar more than the outworks
which are frequently named—this, in good truth, is the poison
which renders Romanist') antagonistic to Christ. It is suffici-
ently remarkable, as our minds are invited to take cognizance
of various departments of the Heathen World, and as we learn
from those who have been present in India, from those who
have been present on the western coast of America, amidst the
red Indians, or, as now, we learn from the Bishop, who has
been present in China—wherever, and from whatever shores,
we learn the details of haman nature amongst the varying
classes of the Heathen, we find them in this respect opposing
God ; and in opposing the gospel they are agreeing with one
another. And it is a remarkable feature, a distinguishing
cheracteristic of the gospel, that it is opposed to all those false
religions and to all perversions of truth ; it alone proclaims the
righteousness wrought by man, perfect as the perfect govern-
ment of God. It alone magnifies the law and makes it honour-
able. Do we make void the law through faith in this
righteousness ? Nay, we establish the law. Those who look
for any other righteousness make void the law, for nothing
else can satisfy the law. They who look for anything that man
can do before or after make void the law ; whether it be natural
amiability before, or penitential services after, it will be
reg:stered, whatever it is, as nothing; and if fallen man be re-
p sen ed as meeting the requirements of Divine law, the essen-
tials of Christianity are assailed. Jesus Christ, and he alone,
with God in perfect holiness, can be accepted ; and, ex-
cept in Christ, no man living can be justified. lf, then, the
Chinese, hold with Confucius, anti if it be true, as I believe it
cannot be doubted, he held prominently the doctrine of in-
herent righteousness, I think I cannot use a stronger argument
in this assembly why we should have Chinese missionaries edu-
cated and trained, with all the peculiarities and with all the
idioms of the language, indispensible for addressing mankind
in masses, that they may assail the strongholds of error, and
proclaim to the Chinese, in the language wherein they were
born, that most wonderful work of God, the God-man keeping
the Divine law, and the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believeth. The reverend speaker then quoted
several extracts from the Church Missionary Report, bearing
particularly upon the character and prosperity of the mission to
China. In moving the resolution, he said he hoped the time
was coming when they would rise into the majesty of the duties
imposed upon them by the calls of God to extend the Gospel.
He then referred to some remarks in the bishop's speech, re-
specting the necessity of conquests in India by British arms
against the declared purposes of successive governors, incited
and made necessary by the treachery of native chiefs. We
were placed in a somewhat similar position with regard to
China through the treachery of the Emperor, who had broken
his promise to Sir Henry Pottinger. He had repudiated the
pledges he gave when Sir Henry Pottinger forced his navy up
the river, and showed what it meant when England spoke in
thunder. Until he carrel out all his pledges, he was doing the
same as the treacherousThiefs of the East Indies, imposing the
necessity of conquest, and perhaps compelling the bombard-
ment of Canton. England was patient. But the same mai

that brought news that our repreipntations were to cepacificl
also brought news that the Chinese were making warlike,
preparations, ascribing our pacific intentions fo fear. The
parallel between the affairs of China and India was entered into
at greater length by the reverend speaker, who concluded an
admirable address amidst great cheeering.
The resolution was seconded by Mr. INMAN, and unani-
mously carried.