St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-08-17

week service, with no less than 700
persons present. This, be it remem.
bered, was in village where no mis-
sionary resides, and where no white
man visits oftener than once quarter.
The next night they came, as unex-
pectedly as before, upon another viii
lage prayer meeting, with 600 persons
in attendance. In these villages, as in
many others round about, the vii.
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 bulld 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 Baptizes More Than a Thou.
sand.
From Win i hear a story that
matches the famous incident of the
delegation of Indians to St. Louis,
years ago, to seek somebody to go
back with them to teach them the
white mans book. The Win 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 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 well. 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, bapsa
tised LOO Koreans. Yet it is not made
easy for a Korean to become 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 a rigid examination as
to his character and his knowledge of
Christian truth. The missionaries i'm
pese what they say is the New Tesla
ment standard of conduct upon the
people. Every Christian is required
to be d t0tal abstainer, to refrain from
all forms of gambling, tc 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 the
raw heathenism and devil worship
which prevails sround them, these
standards seem the more remarkable. |
The Korean Christians here go sfar-
Their than their fellows in America. |
In the "big church" of Pyeng Yang |
some of the members have formed an |
anti-tobacco society, for the Koreans, |
men and women, are confirmed smok-
ers. These people give the money |
they thus save to the church, and two |
colporteurs are SO supported.
No distinction is made among |
classes. In a village near here the |
who is the chief resident
official, desires to become Christian.
The local church leaders came to the
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 ac-
cepted as a catechumen until he had
conformed to the chureh's standard |
in all respects, no matter how high |
his office or how great his wealth.
1t 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.
[ have never seen anything to equal
these Koreans. Their manner, their
words and their work irresistably sug-
gest the. church of the apostolic age.
fr3pyright by Joseph B. Royles1