El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-31
Christianity In China
Catholics and Professionals SurmOunt-
ed Great Difficulties in
Religious Work.
Frederic j. HasI1in-
by FEeder'c d hashlh
TASHINGTON. D. C.. jar

~ Christianity is the most vital
corce N changing China. L
may not be more powerful IN Itself
than any other ore element, but it is
by long odds the livest factor in that
/ interesting composite known as China
and the Chinese people It is d mat
7 ter of dispute just how Influential pure
christianity is. The term, pure Chris
uanlty, IN the currency of oriental
! discussion, means straight religious
| work, and it is doubted Il mere the
I illogical preachmen1s by the mission
aries had as much 70 CO with the off
cal dropping OF Confucianism as the
basis Of public office holding, as some
Christian enthusiasts claim
Nevertheless, Christianity is the
greatest force in China, and this IS be-
cause of the system of western edu-
cation which it gave to the Chinese.
This opened their minds TO the world
outside, and the intrOso ecJioI which
naturally followed showed them IN
turn the terrible narrowness of the
cult of their ancestors.
Accept Christian Schools.
The Chinese have accepted the Chris
tan schools and the Christian hospitals
more readily than they have the Chris
tan theology. This does nos mean
that Christianity has not grown in
China AS a matter of fact both
Catholic and Protestant workers have
done noble work Whrch has been sin
gularly successful when consideration
is taken of the great difficulties en-
countered and SurmOunted. Only one
who has felt the Gibraltar-like Chinese
mind can appreciate the value of the
apparently small results of Christian
endeavor in the land of Catahy. 1t is
not unlikely that from now on the
cause of Christianity viii grow might
lily in comparison with the results Ct
the past
Catholics First In China.
Disregarding the ancient HISTORIAN
church. Roman Catholicism was the
first western Christian sect to get in
touch with what is now China and its
the MOngOlians was John de Plano
Carpini, who was sent by Pope Inno-
cent " in 1245 as a peace messenger
to Khan Ogdai, as the MOngol con-
Europe.
Carpini and his attendants were well
received and were astonished to learn
that two HeutenantS Of the king were
Greek Christians The receipt of this
news by the outside world caused
monks from Babylon and Syria to
journey TO Mongolia Buddhism was
also strong, and there is some evidence
wrapped in a volume of claims that the
Catholics were cruelty prosecuted by
the Musselmans under the last Khan,
1888 to 1868
The succeeding 500 years Of native
Chinese rule, the Ming dynasty. blanks
Christianity for that period st. Fran
from Japan in an attempt to spread
the faith. He died miserably of fever
on small island near Canton, saying;
30 rock, rock. When wilt thou open ,"
A dent was made a little later when
the Portuguese cOntrived to get their
hands on the island of Macao.
JesUits Established First Post.
To the Jesuits goes the credit Of
establishing the first permanent post
This was done by the priests Pasio and
Ruggieri, learned, clever, courteous
men, who, with the later assistance OF
Matthew Ricci. the profound mathema-
tician, were able to extend operation
over a gOOdly portion of south China
In 1895 Ricci set out from HangchOw
for PeIlin, reaching there after six
years of toll and obstruction. He con-
Verted even the prime minister in
Pekin, and became superior of all the
JeSuits in China From Rtcci and mis-
successors the Chinese of that time
learned a great deal about astronomy
geography, architecture and art
By 1880 Catholicism had progressed
so far, despite a number of reverses,
that over 100000 Chinese were in the
fold, the emperor of China shared with
king Louis XIV, Of France. in build
ing a magnificent cathedral in the pal
ace grounds, and the question of China
becoming officially Christian was seri-
Ously discussed.
Massacre of Catholics.
A long fight over how much of Chi
nese forms should be allowed in the
rites of the church, in which the Fran
ciscans and Dominicans from Manila
would not agree to the compromising
view of the JeSuiJs. lost forever this
great chance to Catholicism. War fol-
lowed between Chinese emperors and
pOpes. IN 1870 hundreds of Chinese
Catholics were maSSacred and over 800
temples, and the priests who were not
killed were eXiled- From that time
on, Catholicism had its ups and downs
in China as far as OfficialC ON was con-
cerned, but the membership grew
steadily. The Tientsin massacre of
1870 was aimed at them and many
helpless nuns were killed.
Gerard. minister of France to Pekin
from 1898 to 1897, did much to restore
the prestige of the church in China
Until a short time before the rsvOlu-
were accorded all the hOnors of a vicer-
oy- This, together with interference
with native courts in behalf of a Cath
Ole Chinese, of which Protestants were
likewise guilty at times, has always
caused hostility among the Chinese. At
the present time there are about I,500,
600 native Catholics and 10000 church
es or chaDels. As q rule the native
Catholics stood the test Of their faith
during the terrible Boxer movement.
PrOtestants Entered China In 1907.
Robert Morrison, an Englishman,
was the first Protestant missionary to
China, reaching Canton September Z,
1907. This was destined to become a
mighty day in Chinese history. For 16
years he endured priVation, hostility
from foreign traders, Catholic priests
and Chinese en- masse, until the publ
cation of his Chinese dictionary Of five
volumes. In later years the Sransla-
ton of the Bible into Chinese by him
self and William Milne was a great !
spur to the cause. Morrison's name
heads a long list of noble Protestant
workers whose influence is nov ap-
parent in the dynamic upheavaI Cf The |
nation.
Organized. concerted Protestant mis-
sionary work in China began after the |
treaty of 1860 ended the war Of Brit |
ain and France against China, and !
opened many new treaty ports to for I
eigners. Americans. Britishers and |
Germans began to flock in. and later |
the Scandinavians added their quota I
Within four years 200 fOreign Protes- |
tant missionaries representing "a diff !
ferent denominations of mission boards /
were Zealously at work at the Is treaty !
ports, and about 80 outlying places !
The Methodists, Presbyterians, Bap- /
lists, EpiscOpalians and, If fact, all 4
Protestant bodies of Great Britain and /
the United States are well represented |
in China with churches or schools or !
IN ffar1e md oil "a