Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1910-04-15
that here is depravity remarkable
even for China.

than the human voice has been known
10 attain elsewhere. Nothing manly
is to be associated with these deer
toices, however. They are a lot OF
degenerate mendicants, whom no Chi.
nese is so low as to respect. There
are few visitors to the temple except
tourists. At every doorway-and one
must pass through at least dozen in
listing the temple-one or two priests
stand with outstretched palm, de-
handing fee. Others try to sell bits
Of bronze or chinaware. This is Bud
dhlsm at its highest and worst.
One of China's Great Sights.
The old Confucian temple at Pc
king, although very shabby, and
manned at every gate by begging at
PENDANTS, commands respect for its
line old trees, it's ancient royal tablets
on the backs of great stone turtles it's
meteorite drums, of immemorial an
tlouity, and its tablet to the great
teacher and his II disciples. 1t was
at the Confucian temple that l first
heard the sweetest sound in the east,
the pigeons with soft whistles fastened
to their backs, making, as they cir
eled and flew above one, music out.
rivaling an Aeolian harp.
The greatest native religious spec
tacle in China, sublmer even than
the Shinto shrines at Ise, in Japan, is
the Temple Of Heaven, in Picking.
This is now open to visitors, although
formerly closed to alien eyes. Hitler
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 bafled 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-
ried 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 30 years, DR.. w. A. P. Martin
having visited it while in ruins and
having talked with the Jews who tore
1t 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
idertity through at least eight CEN
turtles 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
building of the synagogue, and the
other in 1912. Both summarized the
history of Israel, from Abraham down
to Adam being mentioned. The
Hebrew faith, as set forth on the tab
lets, is. however, tinctured by Confu-
cianism.
Mohammedanism widely exists in
China, its adherents numbering mil
lions. Mohammedan mosques and
pagOdas NAV be seen in various parts
of the EN-. re. 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-
tons with scarcely any corrective in
fldence upon character. This nation
is in need of a new religion.
VIII China Become Christian?
Is hat 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
uroa this nation OF 400,000,000 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 uron the Christiaai-
zation of this inconceivably immense
empire, the visible return has been OUT
of all proportion with this expenditure,
w oh
dred thousand enrolled church mem
bers, not all Of whom, it is to be
feared, are sincere Christians. Not I'M
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
propaganda in China. Lack of this has
been the cause of great waste Of
work and money, and of no little dupli-
cation of effort and of mission rivalry.
All this being true, it yet remains IN
deniable-aEd this is the most sweep
ing criticism | have to make upon
Chinese missions-that the enterprise
is conducted on too small a scale for
the results sought. If missions are to
be operated at all, they should be
maintained in manner commensur-
ate with the object. There has been a
deal of burying of gospel leaven in
China during a hundred years past,
and by no means without result, But
it strikes an observer forcibly that if
this generation or the next is to see
China as whole reckoning seriously
with Christianity, there must be some
bigger, broader, more aggressive and
more comprehensive campaigniL.
done.
Approximat!ng European Conditions.
The sight OF 2 woman performing