Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-01-09

happily the Chinese at this time. They
have he ear of the men Of influences
and enjoy sheir confidence. The po-
litical leaders in Christian lands also
will do WE'LL to hear and heed w'hHS
these missionaries have to say oonS
corning the a:ute situation in China.
1t is fortunate that our own Ameri<
can missionaries have especially far
vourable access to the Chinese people.
Our country has never been one of the
land grabbing nations" which @havS
often irTitated the leaders of. the Celes-
tial Empire. The fact that our gov
eminent returned its part of the in
demnity paid Ivy China to tho allied
powers on account. of the Boxer War
has most favourably affected Chinese
public opinion towards 'et@ America and
Americans. That act has made an ini-
pre- ssion ON the Chinese that we IRE
disposed to deal fairly and Justly in
our international dealings, and that our
government had no Interior designs in
joining the other great powers in put
ting down the Boxer movement.
All these things have tended to- open
before American missionaries great OPP
pOrtunity and lay upon them a weighty
responsibility. Such being the case 1t be-
hooves the American churches to bestir
themselves in behalf Of the evangelical
ton and enlightenment of China as
never before. We should lay to heart
these words of Bishop Bashford: "Of all
times in history, now is the time for
Christian churches to put forth every eff
fort to aid the Chinese people in remoid-
ing their institutions and shaping their
destiny" st |
Christianity has not confronted since
the days of the Apostles an opportunity
so great and an obligation so heavy 1t
is not too much to say that the future
of mankind will be powerfully affected by
the manner in which this opportunity is
met and the way in which this respon-
sibility is discharged. The issues involved
are too great for any sensible man to
give heed to pettifogging objections to
foreign missions. The matter is so i'm
portant that the wisest and strongest
men among us should enlist in the work.
The disposition upon the part of some to
treat the work of foreign missions as the
work of women and children and effem-
mate men is utter folly. man with
half an eve fore perceiving the meaning
of events oughtito be- able to see the inn
measurable significance of the present
situation in the Orient Inability TO COM
prehend the far-reaching consequences
which are involved-consequenc of good
or evil to the whole world as we'll as to
China-marks a man as utterly ineom-
petent to teach men now. Indifference
to the possible outcome argues incurable
ignorance or inhuman insensibility to the
welfare of the world.
Perhaps some have supposed that in
view Of the present perturbed conditions
in China the churches should wait until
a more peaceful hour TO re-enforce the
missionary bodies now labouring in that
vast field. But this is capital bunder.
While the prevailing disquietude may
hinder in some places and in some ways,
in other localities it Will help rather than
hinder the work of missionaries. While
the iron is hot it may be hammered INTO
useful forms more effectually than at
any other time. ~,~ atF
Moreover a New China Is rising up OUT
OF the ruins of old China, and christian
principles should be propagated for its
promotion and preservation. Confucisn-
ism can not supply the moral nourish-
ment required for the new life of the ma
ton; its ideals are too low and its au-
thority over the Chinese mind is steadily
declining. The ethics of Christianity, only
can be depended upon to meet the needs
of the new order. Goddess republics have
always failed; in the very nature of
things they can not stand. And China
must now turn to the living God or be
goddess; for the idols have fallen down
and the clouds of superstition are drift
ing away. -7s.s. 7n-a
The final campaign is now begun for
the conquest of the world for Christ and
christianity. Let every one who loves
God or loves his fellow-man to his duty
in this great crisis in the history of the
East snd-the destiny of the world. =