Christian Heroism

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 25, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 21.

Christian Heroism.

During the Boxer troubles in China, a woman teacher, named Liu Wen-lan, was captured with seventeen of the schoolgirls and others. “As they were being led to a place of execution she reminded them how the Master was persecuted, and killed, and afterward ascended into heaven; how the disciples, one after another, had met death because of their faith, and she continued, ‘Tho we are not worthy to die for Him, we are ready and willing to do so, and will depend upon His grace to save us.’” A young man, formerly a student at Peking University, whose faith had grown cold, was with them, and she exhorted him in English to repent and prepare for death. So angered were the Boxers by her zeal, that they threatened to kill her at once. At her desire, they waited long enough for her to testify to the people of her Christian faith, and then she said, after covering her head with her handkerchief, “It will soon be over.” Her fearless death nerved her companions for their coming trial.—Harlan P. Beach.

A girl who had studied many years in the Bridgman school, was betrothed to Li Jui, oldest son of a noble evangelist. After the school disbanded, her father took her to her home in a village near T’ung-chou, and when danger became imminent, he started with her for the Eastern Mountains, the girl riding on a donkey, her father walking by her side. Before they had found a refuge a band of Boxers saw them, and knowing by the girl’s unbound feet that she was a Christian, they pursued her and dragged her from her donkey to a Boxer altar in a neighboring village. Here, surrounded by cruel foes, she was commanded to burn incense to the gods. “No,” she said, “I can not burn incense, for I believe in Jesus. I am not afraid, even tho you kill me, for my life is ‘hid with Christ in God.’” Hardly had she ceased speaking when she was cut down.—Luella Miner.

Another hero, Tou Lien Ming, was a student in Peking University. One of his teachers writes in her report, of the revival in the spring of 1900: “Of all the boys in Peking University, no one received greater blessing than Lien Ming. His face never lost the light that came into it at that time, and through the months that followed before school closed he was instant in season and out of season.”

Lien Ming was seized by Boxers at his home near Tsunhua, and taken to a temple, where he was required to burn incense and kotow. He refused with great firmness, and the cry arose, “He is an evil mao-tzu! He is an erh mao-tzu!”

“I am not an erh mao-tzu,” he said.

“What are you, then?”

The boy lifted his head and said, with slow impressiveness, “I am a Christian, a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Then with glowing face he began to tell of the love of God.

“Kill him! kill him!” shrieked the mob; but some objected: “It is not fitting to kill him before the temple. Take him to the Kill-foreigner Street.” So they led him forth to the street which had just received its new and horrible name, and as he walked he still testified to his faith, and entreated them to listen to the voice of the true God. Their swords alone could silence his pleadings with his foes to be reconciled to God.—China’s Book of Martyrs.

The China Inland Mission has refused thirty-four thousand dollars Chinese indemnity for the murder of two of its missionaries on the ground that it would be “blood money.” The English Wesleyan Methodist Society next refused it for the same reason. What to do with it now the English Government does not know. The Protestant missionary societies have kept clean hands, and clean consciences in this matter.—World-wide Missions.