Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-07-27
SITUATION IN CHINA.
Continued from Page 9.

SOi'tiIiueu rom rage y.
civilizations. which is inevitable. accord
ing to the constitution OF society. it is
indeed fortunate when there is no ro-
iiSious diversity and common belief
SoftcnS the ficrceneSs of the contest
But the diversity between Buddhism
ana chri"tianity. between Confucianism.
Christianity is far less than the differ
cncc between these ethnic faiths and no
religion ut all. The Chinese hates the
foreign devil with an awful feroclty,
IL seems. but the outbreak would he
t"n-io!d fterccr If he thought that we
We're total unbclicvers in all the great
sanctitics and moralities of life.
TO those who propose from this time
on 10 Keep ut home the missionary, |
PROFOUND this question: Can you also
Keep home the trader and the engineer
ana the Western goods? II you cannot
Keep back the materials and the litera-
lure OF our civilization. will you Sc
riously purpose TO withhold the faith
that has renlly made us what we are
the only religion that will enable the
Orientals 10 keep some religion and
raith when science, in liza resistless and
understandable march. has overthrown
their superstitions? Out OF the many
elements that have brought on this
outbreak. VIII YOU eliminate the one
element that can permanently heal
divisions and break down walls of
alienation?
but It may be said that OF all these
elements OF disturbance, the Christian
missionary Is the most active and pow
erful For my own part, comparing the
history OF China with the march of
events In Japan, have reached the
conclusion that the real cause OF this
CONFUSION Is the loss OF pres
tige by the Tartar dynasty. and
tho hatred OF foreigners produced
4,
have outlined. Japan has stood up sue
cessfully against the march OF Western
ideas and the PRONUNCIATION or the
Western faith: but her government has
not been Inundated and her territory
has not been diminished. But If Chris
tiantity were both the immediate and
the ultimate cause of these massacrcs.
7 should see therein no ground for
opposition to missions. Indeed, il ii
could be shown that Christianity had
nothing to do with the matter. l should
be In despair. Such "A condition would,
fndeed. bear out the SCOTS of the
enemies of missions that the mission
airy makes no impression on the for
cigners. fancy that we shall hear less
of this. now that the aggressive power
of Christianity Is so generally testified
to by "the Boxers" and maSSacres are
resorted to in order to check the
growth OF the churches About $500
municants and about twice as many
Roman Catholic communicates have
made their influence so pervasiYelXan and
profoundly felt that the reactionaries
soc no safety for ancient Chinese civili-
cation. except in massacring them.
Well. whatever you may think of mis-
sions. they can no longer be called in
effective. This one-quarter of mill
lion Christians. which has been scoffed
Mt as numerically negligible quantity
in the 40 millions of China. hns made
the power of it's presence felt through
out the realm. Reason has always told
us this. the Bible has asserted this. now
experience for the thousandth time
proves It. Let us hear no more of the
weakness and ineffectiveness of mis-
SiOnS.
1t Is not necessary to discuss the
question whether the missionaries by
indiscretions and encroachments have
FASTENED the conflict. 1 am afraid that
there is good ground for the wide
spread charge that the French priests
have !nterfered in behalf of their con-
verts in legal matters. and used their
relation to France as n means of gain
ing power for their church. and the
Influence of their church as means
Of agErandiZing France. But these
mistakes of the French Roman Catho-
lies certainly constitute no argument
against Protestant missions. Our
missionaries are absolutely acquitted
of such conduct. They have refused
to receive rank. to interfere in law
suits. and have conscientiously re-
stricted themselves to their proper
functions. II the Roman Catholics
make mistakes. so much the greater
reason for sending the Chinese our
purer Christianity. our free church
working without State aid or diplo-
matte purposes. and above all our
American missionaries. who cannot he
suspected OF being the avant courriers
OF annexation.
But Is it worth while to send the
gospel to such n people? Is 1t right
to pay such price for the evangelical
ton of China? I Shrini 'roiu say in
such questions in n Christian church.
but 1t Is necessary since one hears such
sentiments from professedly Christian
people.
How strangely persistent errors are
The early British Church had some
such view. When Augustine. the grea,
missionary TO the Saxons. reached
England he found that the Celtic min
listers were not willing to impart thu
Gospel to the hated. invading Saxon
And God refused to bless that earl
British church and removed it's can
dlestick. Where would we have beer
II tho early church had not sent he
missionaries among the pagan leu
tons? And az for the price, consider
the price that has been paid for free
dam from Unjust taxation and ask