The Virginia enterprise., 1907-12-13


the Shinto shrines at Ise, in Japan, ia
the Temple Of Heaven, in Peking.
Ihls Is now open to visitors, although
formerly closed to alien eyes. Hither
the emperor, or his representative,
Journeys every year to offer sacrifices
to heaven. Smaller temples of heaven
exist In every provincial capital.
The Lost Jews in China.
One of the many romances of China
has to do with the Jewish colony at
kaifungfu, in Honan, the history of
which has baft1ed all Investigators, al
though many curious conjectures are
made. 1t is certain that here are to
be found small colony of Jews, who,
while retaining certain Jewish char.
acteristics, have so largely intermar-
rled with the natives that they are
now practically Chinese. 1t is certain.
from the inscriptions on the monu-
ments still remaining, that they came
to China not later than the early part
OF the twelfth century. They main.
tanned a synagogue until within less
than SO years, DR.. w. A. P. Martin
having visited it while in ruins and
having talked with the Jews who tore
it down, after it had fallen into decay.
The scriptures and the Jewish ritual
were also partly preserved. The man.
ner in which this mysterious remnant
kept alive their national and religious
identity through at least eight cen.
turies is one of the marvels of Chinese
history.
The inscriptions of the two monu.
ments still standing have been trans.
lated by DR.. Martin. One monument
was erected in 1885, to commemorate
a rebuilding of the synagogue, and the
other in 1872. Both summarized the
history of Israel, from Abraham down
to Adam being mentioned. The
Hebrew faith, as set forth on the tab.
let's, Is. however, tinctured by Confu-
cianism.
Mohammedanism widely exists In
China, its adherents numbering mil
lions. Mohammedan mosques and
pagodas may be seen in various parts
OF the empire The Mohammedans,
for one thing, are the butchers of the
nation,
OF all the faiths of China, except
Christianity, one is bound to admit
that they have deteriorated greatly
from their original character, and are
in practice, little more than supersti-
tions, with scarcely any corrective in
f1uence upon character. This nation
is in need of a new religion.
Will China Become Christian?
Is that new religion to be Christian~
ity? Have the nearly 1000 Protestant
missionaries in China (the figures for
the Roman Catholic mission are not
obtainable) made such an impression
upon this nation of 400,000,O0O that
the ultimate conversion of the whole
is to be predicted? Faith, rather than
facts, would have to underlie such an
assumption. The missionaries have
only begun to make an impression
upon China. Vast as have been the
treasures Of human life and gold and
energy expended upon the Christiani.
zation Of this 1ncOnceivably immense
empire, the visible return has been out
of all proportion with this expenditure,
there being to-day only about hun
dred thousand enrolled church mem.
bers, not all of whom, it is to be
| feared. are sincere Christians. Not un.
til within recent years has there been
anything approximating an organized
effort to administer Christian missions
nationally, or as unit; an effort in
this direction will be one of the nota-
| BILE characteristics of the Shanghai
| centennial.
A greater degree of relatedness, unity
| and cooperation has been one of the
| manifest needs of the missionary