Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-05-17

| chicago, April J.-ReY j. ii. Wor-
ley was the chief speaker at the ami
versary of the missionary society in
the Methodist conference last evening.
He dwelt on the work in China. saying
In part: Geographically China is
about the size of the United States,
including Alaska, but her population
Is five times as great. Exterminate
the railroads, horses, and all vehicles
all mines and manufactories-we
would be in the same condition as
China commercially.
"TheChinese are conservative by ma
ture and training. The religion OF
| Confuscius inculcates the doctrine of
the worship of ancestors, so that the
living are chained to the dead. The
spirits of deceased ancestors have
power to bless or curse. Prosperity
in business is supposed to depend up
on the blessing of dead ancestors.
Hence men will spend large sums to
make the spirits happy, by furnishing
food, raiment and all necessities. The
food Is placed before the tomb or cot
fin and paper money and pictures OF
articles are burned, and are supposed
to change into real coin and articles
for the use of the spirit. The spirit
accompanies the corpse and hence 1t Is
important that the corpse, If buried be
buried in lucky place, or where the
spirit will be happy. Hence there are
millions of unburied corpses, because
they cannot determine he lucky spot.
There are two other religions as
grossly superstitious as this, and. in
some respects, antagonistic. Still ev-
cry man believes all three religions.
which are as threefold cord enslav-
Ing them in soul. mind and body
Mission work began with Moinson in
1867. In 1912 when Hong Kong was
coded to England and five Chinese
ports opened to western commerce,
there were only six living converts to
protestant Christianity. When the
treaty Of Tient Sin was signed In 1861
opening several other ports and giving
missionaries right to travel and re-
side In all parts of the empire. there
were only 1000 converts. Today there
are more than 100000. and we are bap-
thing 10000 annually.
THE people are coming faster than
we can care for them. 1t will do no
good to baptise them unless we can
put them under suitable pastors and
teachers. There has been a more
general movement toward Christianity
since the Chino-Japanese war. Our
great need is more missionaries TO
train native pastors and teachers. This
Is the time to do the best work for
China.
Our schools are crowded with eager
students after the needed learning,
and am convinced there are thous-
ands of scholars who have never been
in our schools who are convinced of
the truth of Christianity and would
make public acknowledgment of faith
in Christ were it not for their dread
of displeasing their parents and rela-
tives. They have been diligent stu
dents of the word of God perhaps for
years.
Many Chinese Christians suffer Sc
we're prosecutions for their faith and
many are making great financial sac
rifices that they may do Gods work
yet people hostile to our work still
persist in saying there are none but
rice Christians in China. There have
been Is young men graduated from our
Picking university, and 20 of these
have chosen to give their lives to
Christian work. when they could have
commanded three or four times the
salary la secular pursuits. Our COL
lege as Loo Chow has graduated sew
eral young men who have consecrated
their lives 10 Christian work. one of
whom is Mr.. STA Lieng Aug. Law dele
gate to this general conference.
The reform spirit is not dead
though the empress dowager has
\ forced the emperor to abdicate. II Is
significant that all those young men
undertake % reform China had their
training in mission schools. one of
I them member of our church at Foo
Chow. Several OF them lost their
lives, and they were real martyrs to
righteous cause. but the principles for
which they died still live.
"One OF the most far-reaching
achievements Of the closing years of
the nineteenth century in the malnte-
nance OF the Open Door. which will |
prevent the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the |
empire. The Chinese have long felt
that England was their best friend. |
but since the Spanish-American war.
there has been growing conviction
that their salvation would come from
America; and so It has come 20 pass.