The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-02-03
Missionary Enterprise in China.

rs TO what constitutes success. What the mis-
sionaries would Term the spiritual result Of their
work is, we should say, almost infnitesimal but
it cannot be denied that they exercise a consider
able influence in educating the native mind and
clearing away the francis OF Ignorant supersti-
ton. There are some three hundred Protestant
missionaries in China, and a larger number Of
Roman Catholic priests. In the aggregate they
represent a large amount Of culture and intelli-
gence, and individuals amongst them stand pre-
eminent in mental vigor and tie extent OF their
a~ttainments. Ii is impossible that such a body
Of men could fail TO make their influence felt,
sparsely scattered though they be amongst such a
teeming population as that of China. We once
heard the remark made that If they only taught
the natives to be a little cleaner their work would
not be altogether in vain. But they do more
than than that. Many missionaries devote a con-
siderable portion OF their time to the promotion
of secular education, and to them is mainly due
the existence of the periodicals through which
the Chinese are regularly made aware of the
scientific and other movements In Western
countries. 1t is in this direction that they achieve
their success. They secure some adherents to the
Christian religion, no doubt, but what is the
value of the Christianity? Ii possesses, so far
as we have been able to judge. neither stamina
nor backbone. Foreigners in Hongkong and at
the Treaty ports fight shy of Christian servants,
a very general impression existing that they are
less reliable than their heather fellows and,
with regard to the Christians in their own villages
and towns, there is always a suspicion OF in
terested mstives. By embracing Christianity
they acquire a friend in the missionary who will
act as a buffer between them and their own
authorities A. they get into trouble, and they also
take up the stand that as Christians they cannot
conscientIonsly contribute funds towards the vii
lage feasts and festivals. to which if it were not
for their Christianity they would be compelled TO
contribute by custom, and stronger arguments If
necessary. They thus satisfy their conscience,
and save their money! very pleasant coincidence
in the case of any one. but especially so in that
of the money-loying Chinaman. Christianity in
China, instead of being lett to it's own natural
growth, is protected by express provisions in
treaties with foreign nations. The result is, that
it is a plant of delicate and fragile constitution,
with no more strength to resist a storm than an
exotic grown in a hot-house. The Roman Catho-
lies estimate the number Of the adherents Of their
church IN China a little over a million, and the
Protestants. according to Bishop Burden. at from
40, 200 to &c, 900, {" baptized and unbaptized. -
But there Is no appearance OF this million odd OF
Christians in China acting as any sort of leaven
on the surrounding lump, or Of their letting their
light shine before men with any peculiar bril-
lance. A few days ago we published q letter
from n Singapore correspondent of the Times on
the subject of g Missionaries in India and China
The question, as it seems to us, was there treated
with considerable fairness, and with no incon-
siderable amount of ability and discrimination,
though there were portions of the letter to which
we think the missionaries may justly take excep-
ton. The letter commenced as follows Sc The
interest of the Anti-Opium Society in the Chinese
people is of illegitimate birth the progeny of the
disappointed zeal of the missionaries rather than
the spontaneous outcome Of genuine philan-
thropy.' This Is a sentence certainly somewhat
calculated to rankle in the minds OF the mission
aries but it Is true, except in so far as it may
be taken to imply willul deception on their part.
OF this we do MT believe them guilty but they
have persuaded themselves, with that facility
with which men can persuade themselves to adopt
IA C inclusion consistent with their interests, pre-
iadTres.or preconceptions, that the opium trade
is really one offthe great, if not the principal.
obstacles to the spread of-ChSsstlanIty N China.
As he proceeds, the Times correspondent gives
the missionaries credit, amongst other things, for
having circulated among the reading millions of
China % much wholesome literature, both secular
and religious and above all the Bible itself, pure
and unadulterated, which is now a well-read and
eagerly purchased book in China He, however,
disparages the mental calIbre of missionaries as Il
rule, and throws some little slur on their disin-
terestedness, saying that " Xaviers and Bishop
Pattersons appear at intervals to prove that the
apostolic spirit is not extinct among men, but
that it is rare that a man becomes q missionary
if - he can { do as well in a peouniary point Of
view at home" 1t must be allowed that the lust
of the good things of this world influences minis
tiers of religion in pretty much the same way as
it does other people, and a man will generally
uilQ HE CdiiC0 ~ vi cRuCIC u
(wIthin the limits of honestly when the call is
accompanied by the promise of an increased
stipend. The Injunction to IS GO forth without
scrip or purse y is not usually considered apple
able to the present age. The missionaries are,
nevertheless, an honest, Woodworking, and intel
ligent body of men. But they are not Christian
izing China, however much good they may be
doing in other directions. As the Times CORE
spondent says sc The excellence of the Hindu
and Buddhist religions, which between them
block in the way of the ordinary missionary, but
is full OF hope and promise to the enlightened
few who realize the idea that God has made of
one blood all the families of men," This CORE
spends with the remark of Deputy Surgeon
General Moore, that : when Christianity en-
counters pure Buddhism it meets an opponent
worthy of it's STEEL The Times cor
also says that {" the really devout
Indians who have, under the influence of Christian
teaching cast of Hindooism, have preferred to
create a new and, as they say, purer religion for
themselves than accept Christianity in the form
in which it is presented to them by the mission
aries" This reminds us of a remark of Sir
Charles bikes which he had occasion to quote
when writing on a similar subject some months
ago. Referring to missionary enterprise in India
Sir Charles Dixie said =" Small as have been
the positive visible results Of Christian teaching,
the indirect effects have been enormous.
spirit rather than the doctrinal teaching OF
has been imbibed a love of truth
appeals more to the feelings of the upright natives
than do the whole OF the nine-and-thiFty ARTICLES"
This is true in a qualified measure in China,
Missionaries are undoubtedly doing a great and
good work. not only in China and India, but all
the world over. As one item of evidence on this
point, we may quote the following story OF MIR.
MANY years ago, when his attention
was first seriously drawn to the study of anthro-
he expressed an opinion to a naval friend
the Fuegean savages had no single element
Of civilization. and must be abandoned as being
incapable of progress. After thirty years, some
particulars of missionary work in that region
we're brought before Mr.. Darwin, I" and with
that simple candor and that true nobility for
which he was always distinguished, he aoknow
that a great and marvellous work had
been done by the missionaries. and he became q
to the society" Mr.. Darwin's tes-
.imony on such a subject should, we imagine,
larry some weight. With regard to China,
Bishop Burden says the supporters of the Pro-
estant missions 'f think that from 40, 900 to
50. 900 Christian adherents, baptized and unbap-
lied, which is believed to be the present result
N prntestant misslonarv work sinna sav l215