The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-08-16


persons present. This, be it remem-
p1ered, was in a village where no mis-.
slonary resides, and where no white
man visits oftener than once quarter.
Inc next night they came, as unex-
pectedly as before, upon another viii
Rage prayer meeting, with 600 persons
IN attendance. In these villages, as in
many others round about, the viii
layers, Christian and non-Christian,
are In the habit of gathering in the
church for morning prayers, before
going out to the fields for work.
1t seems as if religion has become
the very life of these people. 1t is
certainly their supreme interest and
pleasure. They build their own
churches, with their own hands. IN
deed the Christian communities
throughout Korea probably come as
near communism, in their simplicity
and fraternity and cooperation, as any,
thing known in this present day.
One Man 6aptizes More Than Thou
sand.
From Win l hear a story that
matches the famous incident of the
delegation of Indians to St. Louis.
years ago, to seek somebody to Cd
back with them to teach them the
white mans book The Wiju Chris
tians have built themselves a commo
dious church and have now established
an academy or higher school. Among
them. however, was nobody qualified
to conduct the latter. So at the an
nual meeting of the Presbyterian mis-
sion a delegation was sent down from
Win to Seoul to plead for mission
airy. The people agreed not only to
give him the heartiest of welcomes,
and to pay all his expenses, but also
to provide his salary as we'll. Yet they
were sent back with their request de"
MED. There are not enough mission
aries to go around
Here in Korea there is no hunting
up of people for the church; the peo-
pie are clamoring to come in. During
the mission year just ended, one man
in this region, Rev. C. E. Kearns, bap-
tised LOO Koreans. Yet it is not made
easy for a Korean to become a Chris.
tian Careful always lest men and
women should desire to enter the
church from unworthy motives, every
applicant is obliged to become cate
chumen for at least one year. Then
he must pass rigid examination as
to his character and his knowledge of
Christian truth. The missionaries i'm
pose what they say is the New Testa-
ment standard of conduct upon tho
people, Every Christian is required
to he a total ahsfainer. to refrain from
all forms of gambling, to observe Sun.
day strictly, and to have clean char
acter morally. An offending member
is promptly disciplined.
The Magistrates Concubine.
When it is considered that these
people are just emerging from tho
raw heathenism and devil worship
which prevails around them, these
standards seem the more remarkable,
The Korean Christians here go far
Their than their fellows in America.
In the big church of Pyeng Yang
sons of the members have formed an
anti-tobacco society, for the Koreans.
men and women, are confirmed smok'
ers. These people give the monef
they thus save to the church, and two
colporteurs are so supported.
No distinction is made among
classes In village near here the
magistrate, who is the chief resident
official, desires to become Christians
The local church leaders came to the
missionary to ask what they should
do, since this great man keeps a con-
cubine. The decision was Immediate
and decisive that he could not be &C.
copied as a catechumen until~he had
conformed to the church's standard
in all respects, no matter how high
his Office or how great his wealth.
It is said that, with respect to the
percentage of gifts and with respect
to the activity of the ordinary mem.
bers of the churches, Christianity in
Korea is far ahead of Christianity in
America. Certainly for ingenious,
open-hearted, child-like Christianity,
1 have never seen anything to equal
these Koreans Their manner, their
words and their work irresistably sug-
gest the church of the apostolic age.
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
.Flunkvism Rebuked.