The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1916-12-30
Local News
APOSTLE ROYALL DESCRIBES
CONDITIONS IN CHINA

PEOPLE NOT EAGER FOR CHRISTIANITY
COUNTRY LAND OF LAWLESSNEsS,
ANARCHY, AND HEATHER WORSHIP
After travelling many thousands of miles
through dangers seen and unseen, Apostle
Royal again stood on the platform of Shiloh
Tabernacle last Lords Day afternoon, and
delivered the address.
Apostle Royal, Mrs Royal, and their lit
tie daughter Carrie Newton had arrived in
Zion City on Thursday evening, December Fl.
In his address, Apostle Royal said that
the people of China do not want Christian
ity any more than the people of the United
States. During his work in that land, he had
fought and exposed sin and wickedness with
out compromise, with the result that Zion is
no more liked in Shanghai than it is in
Chicago.
One man said to him not long ago: eve
love your schools, we love your business, but
we don't want western religion" No power
but that of God can turn them away from
their idols and ancestral worship. No one
but those who have been in China and lived
among the people can form any conception
of the darkness and wickedness covering the
land, or of the hold which idolatry and an
cestral worship have upon the inhabitants.
Many Chinese, even though they are nomi-
nal Christians, never surrender their ances-
trail tablet. In his sermon, Apostle Royal
displayed to the audience an idol which had
been worshipped, and which had been given
to him by person who is now Christian.
He also spoke of some who had surren-
dered their ancestral tablets and become
powerful workers for God in Zion
The day following his arrival in Zion City,
Apostle Royal, speaking of conditions in that
land of heathenism, said: "The people of
China have neither republic nor mon
archy-they have anarchy. They have no
government. The Chinese soldiers are turned
loose unpaid; consequently, they become
pirates and robbers. The country is infested
with them. When the first parliament met,
the members spent several months discussing
how much each one was to get, and finally
adjourned without doing anything.
Recently, member of parliament, on his
way to Picking from south western province,
coming by way of Shanghai, struggled many
thousands of dollars worth of opium into
Shanghai. The custom officials, supposing
that he was an honorable man because of his
being a member of parliament, passed over
his baggage without examination, merely
taking his word that it contained nothing for
hidden by law. Detectives, however, discov-
cred the opium, and then there was a great
row as to whom it belonged. The guilt was
ment. He was imprisoned and the opium
confscated.
81 asked some Chinese what they thought
of man like that, going to Picking to make
laws. They replied that he was going to
make laws so he could get all the money him
self.
"The president Ii Yuan Hung, calls men
to Picking and they often refuse to go. Some
go and come back as rapidly as they went.
Many Chinese have no faith that they will
establish government. The great trouble
is, every person is working for himself
"Tens of thousands of people have fiocked
to Shanghai during the last few years from
the inland, and they continue to come in
order to get protection as Shanghai is con-
trolled by the consuls of the different foreign
nations. Shanghai, however, is also infested
with thieves and robbers as we'll as the inland
places.
Con the second of May last, | left Shanghai
by steamer on a long, perilous journey to
point in the extreme northern part of China
That same afternoon, just outside my door,
they say that the Chinese police, stationed at
the end of the Terrace, went mad and began
firing in every direction. Two members of
Zion-girls whom Miss Hosken had rescued
from death when babies, and brought up as
her own children-were shot, being wounded
in the arms. One of their friends was also
shot and killed. There were fourteen people
killed and wounded. The foreign policeman
hearing the firing, came near, and began fir
ing also. The Chinese policeman later said
that he saw some japanese, whom he took to
be spies, and he thought they were trying to
get into the Terrace for some evil purposes;
so he began firing. He died that night from
the wounds which he received. knew moth
ing of this trouble until I returned a month
later.
"Our work tharo now ic in cr1opdid oo,,