Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-06
CHINESE MISSIONS.

CHINESE MISSlUNS.
Rev. Mr. Fitch's Address Last Evening
Upon China, the Chinese and Missionary
Work Among Them-At the Central
Presbyterian Church.
An interesting service was held in the
Central Presbyterian church last evening,
being an address by the Rev. Geo. T. Fitch,
on the nature and extent Of Missionary work
in China, the reverend speaker having for
many years been engaged in that field of
Christian labor. The congregation joined
in singing 'Wrtchman tell us of the Night"
after which prayer was offered by the pastor,
Rev. r. F. MaeIaren.
The Rev. Mr.. Fitch then addressed the
congregation, basing his remarks on Math-
ew XIV: 16: ''Give ye them to eat" The
reverend speaker first alluded to the words
of the the text as spoken by Christ to his
difciples before the multitude in the wilder
ness. Out of ten loaves and few fishes
Christ had performed the miracle of feeding
five thousand people. Away over on the
other side of the world was mightier ma
tion of men crying for the bread of life.
AS God had multiplied the loaves and fishes
so would he multiply the fruit of his word.
The speaker said it was difficult to give an
idea of nation containing 300 100000 of
people; people which it would take four
teen years to count; it was q great nation;
great in its population; great in its territory;
nation great in its literature and its gov
ern ment; the most surprising and greatest
government in the world; China had TO- day
a civilization and a literature that must COM
mand the admiration of all men.
The government of China had witnessed
the rise and fall of empires, and the birth
and death of thousands of generations; still
this great people were in moral darkness.
The speaker thought that evangelical China
was yet to be one of the brightest stars in the
diadem of Christ. China did not want our
civilization, commerce, or our merchandise;
she would shut her doors, and close us out
if she could.
In our country men were apt to look upon
the Cinnamon with contempt and indigna-
tion; in China the tables were turned; there
the foreigner was looked upon as an in
truder and treated with derision. China
had government that had stood the test
of ages; she had arts and sciences and oul-
ture of its kind, and literature that had
its foundation in the works of the philoso-
pher Confucius.
The gospel of Christ had made England
and America Christian nations and the
word of God was powerful enough.
The speaker alluded to the wall which SUI
rounded China; to her canals, one of which
was twice as long as the Erei canal China
was populous with citiesvillages were every
where; she was rich in her numerous tenn
pies, opulent with gold and costly incense;
k,,, IL toip oy,HI
images for their worship of idolatry
China was wonderful for her numerous
canals, which traversed the country in all di-
rections and looked to the traveller like 80
many golden threads sparkling in the sun
light.
Eloquent reference was made to tbs fabor
of evaugelizing the Chinese. The speaker
said the nation had great deal of self con-
ceit; they were not conscious of any want;
they did not thank foreigners for their i'm
ported goods or customs.
The Chinese were also liberal; this was
ehown by tho generous aid extended the
yellow fever sufferers in Memphis, and it
was known to the shame of the Americans
that the Cinnamon gave more to the yellow
fever sufferers than our people gave to assist
the famishing millions in China.
Some people were opposed to foreign mis-
sions; they preferred to talk about giving TO
home missions. The speaker said that it
was generally overlooked that each man aad
| woman of the church could be an earnest
worker in the home mission.
The man or woman swho was libersli in
aiding foreign missions was invariably burn
| ing with zeal to advance the work in the
home field. One implied the other. God
loved liberal giver. It was the foreign
mission that saved the seed of life to be-
nighted millions.
The speaker said that great obstacle en-
| numbered by the missionary in China was
their idolatry and superstition. They i'm
agined that strangers had evil designs against
them, they thought they had the power of
making themselves invisible.
A common superstition was THAT strangers
| were sent to pluck their eyes. There were
other nations of this kind and their idolstry
was as bad as ever.
| The speaker alluded to their idol wo rship
and said that there was species of idolatry
in this country quite as bad as their worship
of craven images. Then there was the cursed
vice of opium; with shame be it said, the
| foreigners were the ones who dealt in
opium.
| England had forced the sale of opium in
China at the point of the bayonet. The
Chinese did not deal in the drug. 1t was
only mercenary outsiders.
The speaker alluded to the success of
foreign missions in China. The Presbyter-
ian church had twenty eight missionaries;
of every dollar donated for foreign mis-
sions, only per cent. went to sustain the
mission in China; the other Sc per cent
was expended in the field. During the past
ten years the increase in the Presbyterian
denomination in the United States was 10
per cent; in China the increase had been
225 per cent. This was the best illustration
of the success of the mission that could be
given.
The reverend speaker made an urgent ap-
peal for means to carry on the work; TO car
ry on the work successfully it would require
money; money consecrated to the work and
baptized with prayer. The foreign mission
wanted prayer; those who couldn't give could
pray; the consecrated prayer of the devout
soul might prevail more than the millions of
the rich man. The missions wanted men,
strong men IN body and faith to break down
the giant walls of heathenism; to illuminate
the darkest nation of the globe with the
Jioht of Gods poapel and love-