The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-29


much attention 10 Inc convert altei n'
has gone through the ceremony OF az
encouragement or the faith, clergy anu
laity, gong on easily with little or no ap-
parent concern to the outcome. Simpie
[ uogmatic difference or creedistic jangiins
would not raise ripple in China.
In the exceeding receptiveness OF the
Chinese nature to- belief in the spiritual
and the supernatural lies that which has
made China so inviting field for Chris
/ tan missionary effort. That results have
{ been superficial and very far from COM
| mensurate with the lives and means sac
rificed to the end accomplished. lies in
! the idiosyncrasy Of the Chinese. not in the
I lack OF effort on the part OF propagandist.
] The native can be a religious cosmopoli-
! tan with a vengeance. Confuc!an, Taoist
I and Buddhist, very much as one puts on
| a coat over a vest and shirt. And Chris
| tianity has been, by not a few, ndded to
| their religious wardrobe as a top coat
| oldest Of ali Of the spiritual costumtng.
! Mohammedanism is often made a sort OF
an ulster or storm coat. II it may be said
/ that, with a hodge-pOdge of such order,
! there can be precious little religion, no one
| will have the temerity to sainsay the as
serton who has been among the masses
| in China and witnessed the practical OPP
| Grafton of the wholesale absorption of be-
liefs. Very few of the European CONNER
cial houses of the treaty ports and reser-
vations will employ converted Cinnamon.
| Most old residents object to them as ser
wants in their homes. Any number of ma
tives get religion for what accompanies it
in the way Of pampering, to which they
are utter strangers until the missionary
turns up They keep it while the good
tning-as we would say-lasts, and when
they work out the racket. get some other
kind for what there is in it. It would be
unfair to create the impression that there
are no actual converts, natives who
are, in the full spiritual sense. reborn
into a new and better life. There are, but
unfortunately such constitute the eXcep-
ton and not the rule.
The attacks upon the missionaries and
converts alike have not the anfnus in the
religion but in the ethics the former
teach and the latter embrace. The Mo-
hammedan missionary's Keynote is Al
lah-God, as is the Buddhist Gaudema-
the Buddha. Neither seeks to carry the
natives body into a new relation, but lets
the old environment go on as before, the
soul being the single objective Of the re-
generation. The Christian. per contra, at
tempts complete revolution; the body as
vital as the soul. with him. Only through
such as he believes the essentials in both
instances can there be salvation. His
ethics must be the converts ethics; his
mode and view of life the converts. The
radical nature of the change mental and
physical and not spiritual, Is what works
the havoc. eliminating in such times as
now prevailing.
PRONE TO PEACE.
At the bottom OF every actual outbreak
is the apprehension of the otiice-holdlng
class that through any change OF material
conditions their tenure of place viii be
jeopardlzed. The native himself is prone
10 peace. patient and. in large majority,
content to merely exist if let alone. But
the mandarins know full well his tender
ponts-the bigotry of ancestral tradition
and the infatuation of superstition. Upon
these the official class work, every Euro
pean habit of life is shown TO be at Vari-
ance with those of his ancestors, every
European mechanism represented as a de-
vice OF an evil spirit TO entice TO destruc-
ton. y Chinaman's existence is one in
cessant succession Of negatives. Nothing
can be more to the mandarins interest
than to perpetuate this. Their inlunctions
not to let the Christian missionaries con-
tinue not to permit the native converts to
live in peace, not to allow the railways
to be built, and SO on, to the end OF the
chapter, is all to the result that the Of
!! iice-holders well enough shall be let alone.
In the European reservation and treaty
ports the foreigners rarely interfere in
any way with the natives, employees and
servants continuing to be natives in every
meaning of the term. Beyond their du-
ties, strictly such, their masters ex-
press no concern. Indeed, generally
speaking. prefer they should remain Chi
nese, pure and simple. Experience has
taught these natives SO serving that hon
esty is the best policy, and as a class
there are no servants in the world so
Uniformly excellent, honest and faithful.
Becoming converted, in their average SUI