The Morris County chronicle., 1903-01-23
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Topic For the Week Beginning Jan
25-COmment by Rev. s. H. Doyle.

Topic For the Week Beginning Jan.
25-COmment by Rev. s. H. Doyle.
Topic.-An evening with Chinese mig
slons.-Acts xvii, 24-a1.
One special feature Of the Christian
Endeavor topics for 1903 is the promi-
nence given to missions. The last
topic of each month is devoted to this
subject, and in most cases definite mis-
sion fields are selected for study, such
as China, Africa, South America, India
and Japan. Such a course of mission
ary studies should arouse great inter-
est and, properly conducted, cannot
but greatly increase our missionary in
terest, information and zeal
| To what extent this will be done de-
pends entirely upon the intelligent d.
Erection given to this work Glittering
generalities may be INDUCED In on the
general subject of missions, but not
so on Chinese missions. Information
will be needed, which can be obtained
only by consecrated effort. Every mis-
sionary committee should obtain or
prepare special programme for each
of these evenings with missions and
cost what labor or sacrifice 1t may,
should see that they are made sue
cess.
In an evening with Chinese missions
the following phases of the subject
should be covered by papers or ad-
dresses or by one treating the entire
| subject:
/. The Chinese. Mission study among
any people should begin with a study
of the people. And what an interest
ing subject of study the Chinese are!
The area inhabited by them embraces
million and half square miles. The
population of the empire is not less
than 35OOOO,O00. The Chinese occupy
one-tenth of the habitable globe and
form one-fourth of its population.
Their history runs back for forty Gen.
turtles, the most of which time they
have been practically isolated from
the rest of the world. Their recent
history is well known and most inter-
esting.
2. Chinese religions. China has three
religions: ~ Confucianism, which is
more philosophy than religion, deal
| ing principally with the duties toward
| the state and in the home; (2) Taoism,
and the author of Taoism was Lao Use.
who lived at the same time as Confu-
cius, and it is an abstruse system
| full of superstitions and of idolatry;
| (3) Buddhism, which was imported
and claims many of the Chinese among
its devotees.
8. The effects of Chinese religions. In
socially and politically the Chinese are
an inferior people. The most revolving
vices are practiced, immortality is wide
| spread, woman is degraded, and the
masses of the people are hopeless for
time and for eternity.
4. Chinese missions The HISTORIANS
first introduced the gospel into China.
| covers three periods-first, 1907 to 1912:
| second, 1S42 to 1850: third, 1860 to the
present time. While there have been
| many discouraging features in Chinese
missions in recent years. yet there is
| great hope for the future. The great
| est obstacle is their intense hatred of
| foreigners, which caused the Boxer re-
bellion and the martyrdom of mission
aries. But it is feryently expected that
here again 'the blood of martyrs will
become the seed of the church" and
that present adversely will aid to ulti-
mate success.
| 5. Denominational Chinese missions.
In addition to surveying the mission
field in general each society should pay
special attention to the work Of its
own denomination in this great orien-
tai empire.
| With these millions in China calling
to us by their need for the gospel, bow
can we be Indifferent to foreign mis-
sions? If one soul is worth more than
all the world, what about the 350,000,-
900 souls of China? Is there nothing
we can give or do to make it possible
for them to hear and to be saved?