Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-10-25
10 49, Relel. u chInn-

Revolution in China Is slow business, for
il is now something like dozen years since
the rebels in the Celestial Empire began their
aggressions on the Imperialists. The revo-
luton may be completed in the next dozen
years, perhaps not in the present century
] There is a certain sympathy felt in this coun-
try for the rebels, remarks the Evening Pest,
from the fact that they are said to be Christ
ians though the accounts on this point have
been conflicting. The Rev. Mr.. Edkins, who
in June last with four other missionaries,
visited the rebel stronghold, and has since
furnished the London Times with the result
OF his inquiries, puts somewhat different
view on the subject.
It appears that Tai-Ping- Wang, the leader
of the revolt, is acknowledged by his follow
ers as acting under Divine inspiration, though
he processes to be a Christian Hang-Wang,
the second in command of the rebels, has
been baptized into the Christian church by a
missionary, and has fair idea of the funda-
mental doctrines of Christianity. Mr.. Ed
kins thinks that the rebellion had its fouEda-
ton in religious influences, but the founder
Of it has erred in regarding himself the sub
ect of immediate Divine inspiration. One
chief Ho-sin-i, declined to tell him anything
at all about the religion Of the rebels, as
| he said he devoted himself wholly to the
military department. and could do little
more in the theological line than repeat the
elementary formula of the TAPPING creed
! Another chief declared that both Chinese
and foreigners worshipped the same Heaven
ly Father and the Heavenly Brother Jesus,
and professed the same religion. Among the
religious books authorized by the rebel gov
/ ernment is full translation Of the New Tes-
lament
When a new adherent joins the ranks he
/ is baptized by rubbing some water on his
/ chest, which rite is called 'entrance to the
] Holy, and is taught to repeat a few SEN
tences in praise of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. In April last body Of the Imperial
! ist army, numbering over twenty Thousand
men, went over to the rebels and were ad-
mitted among them with these preliminaries.
Among the ''rising men" of China at pres
ent is one Chung Wang, known as the
/ "Fathful King" He is described as a man
Z VI olueAlli AOGn ANsltuANaB bulA -oGhNLl cars
old, and wearing spectacles with large circu-
lar lenses, while he is at once dignifed in
manner and benevolent in disposition. He is
the conqueror of Soochow and other impor-
taut cities, is a sincere Christian, and de-
plores the idolatry prevalent in the country,
but still believes that his chief, Tai-Ping-
Wang, is the younger brother of Jesus Christ
and sent by God to carry out this great work
of Chinese regeneration.
From Mr.. Edkins' narrative we gather that
the rebels of China have a general idea OF
Christianity, marred, however by very er-
Toneous ideas. OF the abstruse dogmas OF
our faith they know little or nothing; nor
can the originators OF the rebellion definite
ly state whence they received their first
ideas of the faith with which they are now
so identified. 1t must be confessed, also,
that the sentiments they profess are practi-
cally denied by the cruelty they manifest to-
wards the defenceless people they subject on
their way to the heart of Chinese Imperial
ism.