The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-09-29
Mission Work in China.

The services Sunday morning, September 10Th.
at the Franklin Street Presbyterian church, were
conducted by the pastor, Rev. W. U. Murkland:
A collection was made for the Egangelistc Fund
of the Board OF Foreign Missions and Sustentstion
The text of the sermon was from Jonah i, 3 ::
" But Jonah rose up to fee unto Tarshish from
the presence of the Lord, ard went down to J0p.
pa and he found ship going to Tarshish 80 he
paid the fare thereof and went down into il, to &C
with them into Tarshish, from the presence OF the
Lord" The sermon was an able and interesting
discourse.
At the evening service the pastor introduced to
the audience the two secretaries OF the Southern
Committee of FOREIGN Missions and Sustentator,
Drs Wilson and Mel waine, and Seminary class
mate of his own, the Rev. NJ. III Houston. mission
airy from China DR.. Wilson spoke briefly of the re-
cent removal to this city of the Committees, saying
that the removal was caused not from auy desire to
stimulate this Church to greater efforts for it wac
already the Banner Church of the list, but merely
as matter of convenience. Most gladly would he
spend his last days here. and lend whatever sid he
could to the organization.
Rev. Mr.. Houston then delivered an address Cd
the missionary work 10 China. More than any
other nation the Chinese illustrate the long suffer
ing of God.
In the time OF David and Solomon they were o
Furnishing nation, and when Herodotus wrote biz
history Confucius was writing his work, which
formed the ground work Of the Chinese religion
for ages They have the most CONN aiding i1AG.
ence OF all the nations of Asia. IL physique, So
cial decorum, literature and morals they are SD.
peror race. The Chinese intellect is, by nature,
fully equal to that of the English.
They more than any other nation are sending
emigrants to this country, and failure to chris
tianzs them may bring calamity on our children il
not on ourselves. Among them two religions are
specially noticeable, Contucanism and Buddhism.
Confucus was strictly student Of the relations oil
life aud higher than this be did not 20. " IF
know not how to serve men" seid he, how car
| serve spirits ?" and II know not what life il
what can | know OF death p His disciples are
practical atheists, regarding only the matters OIL
this life.
Buddhism is deserted by the rich, ridicued by the
poor, and believed by all. Its main idea is to
merit by penance and service an entrance to heav-
en-. They burn incense to their G1d, 20 on pill.
grimages, worship Holy Mother, support con,
vents and monasteries Their chief motive is one
of fear and their Worship is an attempt to appease
their god with gifts of food, money aud rsiment.
The first missionary in this field was Robert
Morrison, who went to the country in 1907. bap
tized his first convert in 1914 translated the Scrip.
ture and died in 1884 The result Of the war be-
tween England and China was the establishment
Government, which are the base of operations for
the missionary work There are now in China
200 Protestant missionaries apd double tbs
numter Of native teachers, with 10000 prOfesseC
followers of Christ The missionary stations Of
this Church are pot at the treaty forts but at two
cities-Soochow aud HaugchoW. They fad ready
access to the pc pc, who are led first by curiosity
aud then by real interest into the churches and
schools As Protestant Church we have not
H. Liz
are ever Wig lent, and the lsstion now is: Shall
China be Protestant or Catnolic2 l. is not lack
of men, but of money, that hinders this work from
advancing as it should. The average contribution
of church members of this Synod for the past year
was only fifty two cents E.rnestness and free
handed generosity is all that is needed to carry on
this work. At the close Of this address announce
ment was made of the death of one of the mission
aries of the Church stationed in Greece brother
of Rev. DR.. L9yburn, of this city. n ,tice was
given Of the fact that the Conn nit had OF taine1
suitable room on Charles street, between Mulberry
and Franklin streets, where public missionary
library will be established.