The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-25
THE GREAT CENTRAL HIVE
OF PAGA NZSM

IN all Lands, it was a crime in China for
a foreigner to learn the Chinese language,
crime to teach it to foreigner, and
crime to print anything in it for for
eigner. At that period DR.. Morrison
found it impossible to go forth and pro-
claim the gospel, but had to address him
self, by stealth, with fear and trembling,
in an inner apartment, with the doors
locked, to one or two persons. To him
China was sealed country, and his be-
ing allowed to stay at Canton at all was
due to his connection with the East India
Company. AT the end of 26 years he
could not boast of ten converts. The
treaty concluded at Marking in 1912 first
opened the gate in China to commerce
and to Christianity At this date five
ports were opened, and real missionary
work began. In 1858 nine new ports
were added, and foreigners were allowed
to travel in all parts of the country.
Accordingly, a great change has taken
place in China. Thirteen out of the
eighteen provinces have actually been
occupied by the missionaries and their
families. The gospel has been proclaimed
in all the principal cities and towns the
Bible has been distributed everywhere;
and Christian literature has been scat
tered over the face of the land Churches
have been formed at various ports, and
in many of the towns of the interior, and
isolated Christians are to be met with in
all parts of the country. Out of the sixty
or seventy walled towns of the province
of Hupeh, where Mr. John has been la
boring for many years, there are only
seven that have not been visited by the
missionary or the colporteur. The pro-
vince of Human is the only province
whose capital is now closed against the
missionaries. Little more than year
ago the same was true of the province of
Kiang-si. In January, 1880, Mr. Arch
ibald, of the Scotch Bible Society, and Mr..
John, after some difficulty, were allowed
to enter the capital city-Nan-c chang.
Here, for the first time, these mission
aries preached the gospel; and, since, it
has been repeatedly visited by others.
Messrs. John and Archibald also visited
the great city of King-teh-chen, in the
same province, famous throughout the
world for its porcelain manufactures.
They were allowed to enter the city, to
walk through the streets, and to preach
unmolested to an immense crowd for sew
eral hours in the great square in front of
the Imperial Pottery. The curiosity of
the people is described as intense, and
the missionaries sold their Bibles and
books as fast as they could hand them
over to the crowd. AS far back as 1868,
Mr.. John and Mr.. Wylie, of the British
and Foreign Bible Society, made tour
of 5000 miles travelling is very easy in
China through the provinces of Hupeh,
Sze-chwan, and Shensi, preaching and
distributing the Bible in almost every
city and town in their way, without OPP
position. In Chung.king, city of $780,
WV AhheSDtOe'hSoJ Vic OF
Sze-chwan, where the gospel had never
been preached before, Mr.. John preached
at almost every corner to large and at
tentive audiences. It was the same in
Cheng-tu, the capital of this province,
Fcity of 100000 inhabitants. with
good knowledge of the language" says
Mr.. John, "and fair share of common
sense, man can go almost anywhere in
China and preach in the open air with
greater impunity than in any other coun-
try in the world.
There are at present in China more
than 600 missionary stations and out
stations; more than 300 organised church
es of which 20 are self-supporting, and
$50 partially so. There are 70 or 80 or
dained preachers and pastors, more than
500 assistant preachers, 70 or 80 colpor-
teurs, and about 90 Bible women. III
l843 there were in the whole Of Chinn 6
converts in 1864 there were 1,974: in
1868, the number was 5,748; in 1877. it
was 1905; and now there are about 90
600. There has been an increase. for the
past three years, of over fourteen per