The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-10-28
FOR rHE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
OUR MISSION TO CHINA.
HANecHOw, CHINA, Anqa.st, 1874.
No. ?.

HANGCHOW, CHINA, August, 1874.
We saw in our last that in the region Of
China where the mission of our Church is
located, the heather multitudes are easily
reached. The way seems wide open for
preaching the gospel to every creature. But,
it is asked, does the work yield fruit Is it
not a dry and barren field to which the
Church gives her strength? Had it not been
better-so it has been said to us-if our
Church had spent her labor on some such
field as the Sandwich Islands, where har-
vest of souls were gathered to the Lord ?
Doubtless, the work in the Sandwich Islands
was signal proof, in the eyes of all the
world, Of the power of the gospel to recover
lost men. And propose, therefore, here
to compare the work in those islands with
the work in Chekiang prOvince-the pro.
vince in which Hangchow lies.
l have before me now the report of the
missionaries in the Sandwich Islands for the
year 1S36-sixteen years after the mission
was begun. have also the statistical re-
port Of the missionaries in Chekiang province
for the year 1869, the last report that has
been made. 1t is not easy to state the pre-
else time at which Chekiang province became
open to missionary effort. Only one city of
the province, NingpO, was opened to foreign
ers BY the treaty of 1S42. The fact has
been thar it is only within the last ten years
the foreign missionary has had free access to
cities in the interior. Let US compare the
two fields.
1. The whole population of the Sandwich
Islands at the date mentioned was 1O8,579,
that is, it was about one sixth of the pOpula-
ton of the single city of Hangchow. Com
pared with the twenty FIVE millions or more
of Chekiang province, it was, of course, but
handful Indeed, the whole population Of
the Sandwich Islands might be settled to-day
in the ruined districts within the walls of
HangchOw, and the city not be incOnven-
fenced.
2 For the small population of the Sand
wich Islands, there were in 1886 forty-6Ve
missionaries, not including married ladies.
For the millions of Chekiang province, there
we're in 1869 twenty-One missionaries. In
the Sandwich Islands there were in Mission
Schools 1882 scholars. In Chekiang pro-
vince there we're in Mission Schools but 279
scholars. Thus, in the Pacific islands We
find q large force brought to bear on a small
object. In this province of China, We see a
small force working on an object that may
Justly be termed vast.
8. Notwithstanding the disprOpOrtionate
force employed in the Sandwich Islands, l
End that the account given by the missiona-
ries Of the state of things there in 1886,
would answer almost exactly for the state Of
things in Chekiang. The number of native
cOmmunicants there was 916. In Chekiang
the eommunicants are reported as 965.-
The gospel there was preached weekly to
thousands. So it is also in Chekiang.-
There. Testaments and tracts were sold tc
the people in great numbers. We sell still
greater numbers, perhaps, in Chekiang
The motive of the purchasers in the Sand
, wieh Islands, say the missionaries, was
plainly not the love of truth. Among the
Chinese. il is plain also that the motive, il
most cases, is either mere curiosity or tht
desire to have neat and cheap book
"The great mass of the people, say tn,
missionaries in the islands, "are still earthly
sensual and devihsh." Alas it is so also il
Chekiang. As to the Christians, the stan
dard of piety was lower, apprehend, among
the islanders than it is among the Chinese
for the Christians in the islands are rising
from far more degraded social state
Among them were unworthy members, y AM
in one case out of little flock of sixty mem
bers, ten it is stated were put aside. Sue
was the state of things in the Sandwich Is
lands sixteen years after the mission wor
was begun.
4 And yet, in spite of all discourage
ments, the work went on. Books were sold
schools we're taught; the word was preached
And at last, when to quote the language {
DIR. Anderson, "the primary truths of II
gospel had been generally diifussd, ther
was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit an
more than fourth part of the adult pOpul
ton of the islands was added to the churcl
In a word, the field was first thorough
sown, and then came the harvest. The 90
pei was first preached to every creature, az