Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-10

4
shan-si, directly west Of Chi-li, the
Congregationaiists; In Neganhwei, the
Protestant fSpiscopalians and the For
eign Missionary society; In Hu-pei, IN
the very center Of china proper, the
Protestant Episcopalians and the
Swedish Missionary society; IN lNiang-
81, the Methodists, north, and In Hu.
nan, where tho deepest prejudtces ana
animosity exist against foreigners,
whether missionaries or laymen, tne
Presbyterians, north, the protestant
Episcopalians and the Cumberland
Presbyterians.
The American Bible society, through
its handful OF missionaries and its con-
siderable army Of colporteurs, are in
fluential in every province, Mongolia
and Manchuria.
Missionary work I'm China Is unmis-
takably Institutional. There are today
schools for poor boys and girls where
the three RS are taught; kindergar-
tens. libraries, Industrial and training
classes, blind asylums, boarding
schools for picked students and a
growing number OF theological semi
narles and colleges, besides a real uni-
versity in Shan-tung province under
the supervision of the Presbyterians,
north But the form Of work that inn
ciples of the new religion is medical, as
carried on in the hospital and the dis
pensary. One of the best known mis-
sionarles I'm the field today is authority
for the statement that more converts
are made i'm the hospitals and dispen-
saries than by all the other methods of
activity combined. The pioneer Ameri-
can hospital was established by the
Presbyterians, north. China's first
medical school was founded on the ini-
tiative of the great Ii Hung Chang,
after the famous English medical mis-
sionary, John X. Mackenzie, had af-
fected cure of LIS wife, lying at the
point Of death.
OF course whenever and wherever a.
missionary gets two or three Chinese
together there is instruction in the pre-
cepts of Christianity A patient in the
hospital is told, for example, that only
through Gods mercy has the doctor
been given power to cure his fellow
man. Every mission station has its
separate religious classes for men and
women. Religious literature Is dis
tributed by the million pages; in 1909
the Chinese Tract society distributed
nearly 100000 books and tracts-fifteen
and one-half million pages of ecclesias-
tcal and secular reading matter. China
holds literature in great honor, hence
careful attention Is paid to this form Of
proselytizinE.
Literature is distributed by the mis-
sionaries. their native helpers and Bible
society colporteurs. 1t is sold, loaned
or given away. according to ciroum-
stances. Favored places for wholesale
distribution are tea shops, fairs, the
gates of government examination halls
and the street chapels
The street chapel is a novel mission
airy Institution. 1t is usually a centrally
located shop, temporarily vacant and
rented for a period of evangelistic
work. The missionary and his little
hand strike up song, it is heard by
the throng passing the door, curiosity
leads to the gradual filling of the room.
No prayer follows the singing; the
audience would flee fearing witchcraft.
The scripture reading is very brief, |
and the missionary begins to talk sim
pie abe.
The talking, however, is not all on
the part of the white man. Peanut |
vendors stand in the doorway of the
chapel and call their wares. Friends |
stationed on opposite sides of the little
room noisily recognize each other and
engage in animated conversation. There
is much pipe lighting and not infre-
quently an opium smoker breaks out |
But the missionary does not get dis |
couraged; he has become Injured TO the
ingenious Chinese way. After he has
persisted in saying what he started out
to say he drinks tea with his auditors, |
engages as many individuals as he can
in conversation and otherwise busies |
himself selling copies of the Bible. |
Thousands of Bibles are sold yearly.
Chapel preaching is picturesque work
but not whit more so than itineration, |
which, to quote former missionary, |
requires some nerve and great powers
of adaptation"
AS has been said the missionaries
live in groups in what are known as
stations. In order to carry on |
the work beyond the immediate envir- |
ons of a station the missionaries make |
frequent and often periodical trips into |
the country. This is itineration.
There are few railroads in the empire, |
and these in the coast provinces, so
is nearly always by wheel |
barrow, boat, sedan chair and cart. The |
penetrate hundreds OF
miles into secluded mountain regions, |
strike up strange rivers, brave en-
with river pirates and ban