The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-07-03

>oilhOG t. IN NNh1f
Ivy are superior to the CHR of
o~on1uslus. They also notice the ar
tounts OF the miracles in the Old Tes- !
aaleht, and say the Chinese leoand
!. .ne moon being eaten bv a dragon !
~ To-, ,iuch more unreasonable than
- ioie story of how Joshua compel,- |
- 'me sun 10 stand still. They choose |
regard Christianity as "sa wave
~ and their feeling. wrong
snouSh 1t undoubtedly is, is much the |
=; en- as would exist in Philadelphia
d uozen merchants Of Race street
aN'" SET up an o~rphanage and a
niPie ana endeavOr 10 fill both bv |
auop'lng American children by pros
'iElihS along Chestnut street.
IN order to overcome this feeling
the missionaries have. in most cases
aoop!ed the Chinese dress. But Celec-
TIA ideas are more strait-laced han
our, and the missionaries. des-
pite their native attire. have not
alWays been able to live up to them.
ms has been especially true of the
women, whose western freedom of
acuon has been shocking to the ma
yves, although quite correct from our
point of view. Every effort has been
made by the missionaries to adapt
themselves to local conditions, but
IN China first impressions can rarely
be eradicated and complaints made
against the early Catholic mission
ares, TWO centuries ago, are quoted
against their successors today.
This hatred of Christianity among
the literary class finds expression in
the most shocking ISLANDERS. which
are constantly circulated in order to
keep alive the hatred of the masses.
For the name of God the Catholics
have adopted the word Tien-Chu.
which signifies Lord of Heaven. and
kau signifies religion. The Christian
religion is. therefore. known as the
Ilen-Chu-kau. Unfortunately there
IS a word resembling Chu which
means squeak: so the Chinese trans
late it Squeak of the Celestial pig"
and declare that the Christians are
hop worshippers. The most sacred
ceremonies are slandered in the same
way. 1t is declared that in receiving
the holy communion the people drink
a philter thai makes them slaves to
the priests, and that during extreme
JUNCTION the priest cuts the eyes out
OF the dying men. In China there
are tnirty-one different parts Of the
human body which are said to possess
medical virtue, and in the o~rphanages
the missionaries are charged with
numbering children and cutting up
their bodies for medical purposes.
1t is such wild tales as these that
have been used to excite the Boxers
against he missionaries, and the
same charges have been used in all
parts of China. and have resulted in
murder after murder. But in reality
the root of all the hatred With which
Christians are regarded is that they
disapprove of what they regard as
idolatrous worship of ancestors. This
ceremony istpart of the COnfuscianism.
The educated Chinaman is willing TO
laugh at Buddhism or Taoism, but rev
erence for his ancestors is one OF the
passions of his life. One may call Il
native Chinaman all the bad names
in the vocabulary, and he may not re-
sent it, but a word against his an
cestors will arOuse his most vindictiVe
fury. When Il man dies in China his
son epa a wooden tablet reseln-
bling a headstone. which is elaborate
" decorated and marked with The
words "Shen Chu." meaning spirit
lord" and "Shen Wei meaning "spir-
it throne This is set up beside the
coffn.but there is one dot absent in
the word "Chu," and one in the word
"Wei.'
At the appointed time the III:
ers gather about and the same high
official approaches the tablet. 49,.
Hand up the vermillion pencil
saws the master of ceremonies, and q
red lead pencil is given to the of
fetal.
NAV it please our distinguished
guests to turn to the east and receive
the breath of life" says he master.
The official turns and brcathes upon
the pencil.
Impose the red dot" says the mas.
: ter and the official completes the two
, words ''Chu' and Wei AfterNard:
he covers them with black, and this
ceremony, it is supposed, invests 'ht
tablet with the individuality 81 tn
: deceased. In the funeral procession
Me tablet occupies a place OF honol
;. beside the coffin, and afterWardS !
is installed in the home OF the eldes
| son. who for three years, morning an'
{ night: makes an offering before II
j, Then it is placed in a shrine with III
! abIet of his ancestors, n IN com
!, mon with them is ~reverenccu at VA
) rious times during the year.
| There has always been a question
as to whether this practice, idolat
5 rous or merely r~everential. Whethe
5 it is religious or mere social and hat
. - ~
the early missionaries beer willing T
| accept it all China might poss'bi..
; have been Christians, or at least quasi
1 Christian. today. But the pope, afte
, some hesitation. pronounced aSains
. If. and the Protestant churches nav
8 followed suit. and it has remained eve
since Il practically insurmountabl
| barrier between the two peoples.
About ten years ago the mlsslcna!
t les had enjoyed peace for some tlnt
and regarded the future as full Q
hope. but on May 10, 1891, two nun:
who were going home from a visi
to some sick people, were maltreate
bv "a mob, who charged them wit
e bewitching children. The mlsslo
+ houses were plundered. and this wa
the signal for the renewal or disturb
ances all through China. these b.
came worse and worse, exciting moi
+ and more resentment in Europe, III
I'll. at last. some German priests Vxe1
q murdered and the missions looted ]
e Shang-Tung. This was fotoWed o