The National tribune., 1900-08-02
RELIGIONS OF THE CHINESE.
Difficulties That Must Be Overcome BY MIS-
Sionaries.
PROT. John Fryer in AinsIee's.


| Prof. John Fryer in AinsIee's.
Another serious difficulty the missionary
in China has to contend with is the COM
| plicated form of the religion of the Chi
| nese. Instead of one system of doctrines
and teachings, there are three great and
separate religions, dwelling side by side
and with little if any friction or want Of
harmony. Although radically different in
| their origin, characteristics and general
aims, each seems to be complement Of
the other. A Chinaman may select and
follow as much of all three as he pleases.
without being inconsistent. The mission
ary has therefore to study all three re-
| ligions in their history, doctrines and
practical influence upon the heart and
everyday life of the people before he can
hope to meet them on their own ground
and answer all their objections to Chris
tianity. He has three separate citadels
to attack instead of one.
The writings of CONTIGUOUS are the
source whence the officials and literati de-
rive their theories of government and So
| cial duties. The ethics of CONTIGUOUS per-
wade and influence every phase of Chinese
life. The doctrines taught by their most
holy sage are cited as the infallible cri-
| terion of uprightness and integrity in pub
lie and private life, and were disseminated
| several centuries before the coming Of
Christ. They were not original with Con-
| fucious, but rather the teachings of the
ancient kings and sages, who fiourished
in the far-off Golden Age of China, when
| the evils of bad government were un-
known, and when the Chinese seem to
have recognized and worshiped the true
God. CONTIGUOUS confessed to be only a
reformer, transmtter, and not the au'
thor of a new religion. But it is almost
impossible to estimate the enormous hold
this system with it's time-honored classics
how has upon the educated and thinking
neil of China. Its teachings are of a
high moral order, yet they are rs much
disrcgarded in everyday affairs as Christ's
teachings are disregarded among our
selves. The Chinese know what is right,
but fail utterly to practice it.
Then there is TaOism, the second form
of religious faith and practice, originat-
ing with the philosopher Lao-tsze in the
| century when the Jews returned from
| Babylon. Its ancient classic, the Tao-teh-
king, comes nearer the philosophy of our
Old Testament teachings than any other
book in the world. Had this system re-
mained in its original purity it would
have served as an excellent basis for
Christianity. Unfortunately, the Taoists
went astray, hunting for the Philosopher s
Stone, the elixir of Immortality, with other
vague conceptions, and then fell into the
grOssest superstitions and demonOlatry.
The evil influences of modern Taoism
upon Chinese society are tremendous, and
| 1t IS far greater foe to the Christian
| missionary than Confucianism.
These two great religions, Confucian-
! ism and Taoisn, did not satisfy the long
| ings of the soul of the Chinaman. nor did
they afford comfort or sOlace in the many
| troubles and sorrows of life. To supply
| this want Buddhism came from India
| some time before the birth of Christ, but
it was not till shortly after that event
that the Emperor Ming-ti had his won
| derful dream. and as n result sent mes
sengers TO India to invite Buddhist teach
ers. After experiencing many vicissitudes
Buddhism became firmly established. The
worship of Amida Buddha with the God
dess of Mercy became prevalent, while
| temples and monasteries, priests and nuns
were soon to be found everywhere. The
Western Paradise, the Buddhist Hells,
| the transmigration of souls, the vegeta-
rian diet, the doctrines of Karma and Mir
yana, and the worship of the goddess
kwan-yin, who has power to save and to
bestow sons upon her votaries, are all Sc
| firmly engrafted on the ordinary Chinese
mind that it seems impossible that they
should be modified, much less effaced by
the teachings of Christianity. Yet the
missionary is expected to go forward
boldly to attack this giant also, in the
name of the Lord, and armed only with
his sling and his stone
As if all these difficulties We're not suf-
fcient, Buddhism had hardly settled down
harmoniously with its two sister religions
when MahOmetansm entered the Empire
pushing its way into imperial notice with
great effect, and contcsting with its mono
theistic doctrine against the corrupt re-
ligious practices that had grown up in the
| other three divisions. 1t came to stay, in
spite of numberless prosecutions and re-
bellions, in which millions of Mahometans
have been put TO death. Most of the
MoSlem Chinese now occupy a very strong
position in the whole of Northwest China
Others are scattered over the face of the
Empire, many of them being rich and en-
JoyInS official positions. Although op-
posed to the main features of Christian
ity. the MahOmetan faith is not entirely
without its advantages to the work of the
Christian missionary. The denunciation
of all idolatry, the worship of the true
God. the observance of the Mahometan
Sabbath, and the teaching of certain the
| olOgical terms are all aids to Christian
preaching. On the whole, however. most
missionaries who have come in contact
with Mahometans would much rather
work iii places where they are not to be
found.