The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-20
Persecution and Progress.

or their faith.
Persecution and Progress.
Easy times make soft characters.
The sturdiest Christians are those who
are called upon to stand and Withstand
most for the sake of the Name. The
deepest prosperity ana steadiest deVel-
opment of the Christian Church have
been in the face of adverse conditions.
Men prize the truth for which they
must suffer. Throughout all the ages
the principle has held true, even as 1t
did In Jerusalem, that the fidelity OF
prosecuted Christians has meant the
substantial development of the church.
Opposition attracts attention. IL
makes Christianity a living issue,
When men have to fight for their faith
they, and the world around them, be-
gin to realise it's Significance. Unbe-
levers are won to a religion which
is worth suffering for. The eternal
appeal to the heroic has its effect. A
young Philadelphia ehurehman mas
gone to India to be friar, or a Chris
tan sadhu, or sholy man" His meth
cd is to seek out the worst possible
places-pIague villages, pest camps,
1eper settlements, and such Hke-and
there give himself to the service OF
the lowest-to the men utterly beyond
caste. He was spat upon, reviled, de-
spised by the natives. In a short time,
however, they discovered that persecu-
ton could not shake him, and that the
more they reviled him the kindler he
became. This spirit broke their op-
position. The village that treated him
worst soon was beseeching him to re-
main with them permanently as their
holy man" Already he has had con-
spicuous success in the way of con-
VertS won to Christ.
Winning by Witnessing.
Up in a village near Sendai, Japan,
the town drunkard became Chris
tian. His wife followed suit. Straight
way such a Transformation in his char
acter ensued that the whole commun-
ity took notice. The result was that
the entire community turned to Chris
tianity either with respect and defer
ence, or in open conviction and con-
version. The apostolic method of in
creasing the Christian Church was by
the witness of the disciples. Every
Christian testified to his faith. This
he made his chief business in life.
The same principle holds true in
Korea. There it is a common thing
for a man to move his home and bus
iness from a Christian village off to
Christian village. in order that he
may there be a witness and teacher of
the Jesus way.
one of the missionary bishops of
China was surprised to have a request
from a theological student that he be
permitted to so to a certain part or
China, after his training had been
completed. He explained his unusual
er days of 1890 his family had lived
in that town. His Christian father was
called out by the Boxers and given his
choice of Fecanting or perishing. When
he remained faithful he was cut down.
Then his mother was brought out into
the road and shown the dismember-
ed BODY of her husband, and hidden to
burn incense before an idol and to rep
udiate the Jesus religion. she told
them that they could cut out her
tongue but that they could not make
her deny her Lord. Thereupon she,
too, was slain. A young sister was put
through the same ordeal, and remain.
ed faithful unto death. Now" SAID
the young student, 81 want to go back
to that village to represent Jesus
Christ; I want my old neighbors TO
know there is not q shred or hltter-
ness in my heart, and that my supreme
ambition is there to live for the Mas
ter for whom my family died.
1t was glowing instances OF this sort
that made even the hordes OF ignorant
Chinese aware, after the futile perse-
cution of 1900, that Christianity is in
in China. What the Sanhe-
drin could not do in the way OF blot
ting out Christianity, what Rome could
not do; and what all the leagued pow
ers of earth and darkness through the
centuries since have been unable to do,
is attested by the worldwide prevail
ence of Christianity, with men and wo-
men by the myriads of legions who
are willing to go TO death for the sake
of the Name