The record-union., 1895-09-18
CHRIST AND THE SWORD.

Rev. DR.. Williamson of Chez Foo says
that the missionary element in China IS
not rising in the estimation or respect of
the Chinese as anticipated. Rev. William
Ashmore of the American Baptist Mis-
sion says that the one time kindly feeling
of the Chinese toward the missionaries is
being rapidly displaced by hatred. So
great is the extent of this i'll feeling that
he contemplates the possibility of the
epidemic embracing the whole Chinese
race.
This leads the Inter Ocean to ask,
"Why. then, expose missionaries to any
greater danger ?" We apprehend that
the civilized world will echo the question,
"Why?" These devoted men and women
in China are consecrating their energies
and lives to the cause Of Christ. But is
the cause advancing commensurately be-
cause of this devotion? Is the gospel
spreading in China sufficiently to make
it worth while to continue the struggle
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Involved in this consideration is the
very serious question also: How far
will civilized Governments find it wise
to force a religion upon the Chinese by
protecting further incoming of mission
aries?' There is no bounden duty to do
80. Will the Governments recognized as
christian nations" attempt, as the New
York Tribune puts it, to teach lesson in
humanity to the Chinese in China by
compelling them to admit our mission
aries and respect their persons and
property?
The Tribune is sound in its declaration
that the Chinese Government is response
bic for the recent outrages and must be
called to account for them. But does 1t
follow that we shall send the Bible into
China atop powder cart and backed by
shot and shell? We think not. SO far as
treaty obligations go the Chinese must be
held to them, but we may and should say
to the missionary societies it is unwise, al
this juncture at least. to send IN recruits
to your missions. Further missionary ef-
fort should be confined to those prov
inces In China where the agents of the
Gospel will be received willingly, or at
least tolerated. Is there not enough for
the missionaries to do in those parts
mainly lying along the coasts of China?
We think so, and we believe that the gen.
eral public is convinced that it is folly to
attempt to force missions into the remoter
or interior regions of the land of the
Brother of the Sun.
It must be clear to any intelligence that
If we, for one country, are to adopt the
policy of protecting the missionaries
wherever the churches choose to send
them. then in connection with other Gov
srnments we will, in order to guarantee
the missions protection, have to put a
large land and naval force in China and
maintain military stations at several
points. Is our Governments prepared to
do that?
Let us suppose the boot to be on
the other foot, and that our people
were unwilling to receive Buddhist
missionaries in the United States.
Would we look with favor upon
the demand of the Chinese Govern
ment to be permitted to plant detach-
meuts OF Chinese armed forces among us
to protect the Buddhist priests, assum-
ing, of course. our inability to do SO be-
cause of the force OF public opinion? We
do not understand il to be in accord with
the teachings OF Christ that the Gospel
should be preached at the point of the
aword