The Ti-ping Revolution—The Revolutionists’ Christian Commandment-Keepers.
For several years we have seen in the public prints references to a class of devoted believers in Christ, in China, but no mention of the fact that they kept the seventh day. From a work in two volumes, which has lately fallen into my hands, many interesting facts are gathered, which may be of interest to the readers of our papers. The author of these volumes, an Englishman, being in China at the time of the Ti-ping revolution (1860 to 1864), espoused the cause of the oppressed, and became “Honorary officer, Chung Wang’s Guards; Special Agent of the Ti-ping General-in-Chief; and Commander of the Loyal and Faithful Auxiliary Legion.”
Our author appears with his Chinese cognomen, Lin-Le. His statements bear every mark of sincerity and truthfulness, and are backed up by numerous extracts from official documents, the testimony of missionaries and others.
The Ti-pings, being zealous for Christ and the Bible, felt it their duty to take up arms against the idolatrous Manchoo-Tartar Government, and if possible release themselves from its cruel oppression.
The extent of the Ti-ping territory was about 90,000 square miles, inhabited by forty-five millions (45,000,000) of people. The revolutionists had taken several large cities, destroyed the idols, and our author thinks they would certainly have succeeded had it not been for the intervention of England because of the opium interest, &c. The Ti-pings strictly prohibited the use of opium in their dominions and avowed their determination to banish it from the empire.
The total of the numbers killed in battle, beheaded as prisoners, or that perished by famine in banishment because of British intervention, is given as 2,872,550. But thousands of them still remain in different parts of the empire, watched with jealous eye, holding secret meetings when they can, suffering more or less persecution, but hoping and praying for deliverance.
As a people we have understood from the Scriptures that the last message of mercy is to go to “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”
It has therefore been a matter of great interest to know that there are in England, Denmark, Russia, Prussia, and Switzerland, companies of Sabbath-keepers; and now the history of a company in the midst of the idolatry of the ancient Chinese Empire, cannot fail to add a new spring of joy, especially when we consider the fact that these were brought out by the special providence of God independent of missionary operations.
Not wishing longer to detain the reader with introductory remarks, we will hasten to the facts as given in the “History of the Ti-ping Revolution,” a work in two volumes, comprising 842 pages, published in London in 1866, by Day & Son.
THE APOSTLE AND LEADER OF TI-PINGS
“Hung-sui-tshuen is a name now familiar in most parts of Europe as that of the chief—or king, as his followers term him—of the great Ti-ping revolution in China. Unfortunately much misapprehension exists as to him and his cause. Such information as I may give my readers, that has not come under my personal observation, has been derived from the actors themselves, especially all relating to the origin of the Ti-pings, their progress until I met them, and the description of their great leader. . . . Since my return to England, I have had the pleasure to peruse, for the first time, the admirable little work of the late Rev. Theodore Hamberg, missionary of the Basle Evangelical Society to China—‘The visions of Hung-sui-tshuen, and origin of the Kwang-si Insurrection.’ This and the pamphlet entitled ‘Recent Events in China,’ by the bishop of Victoria, coincide in most particulars with the information I have gathered from direct sources.
“Hung-sui-tshuen was born in the year 1813, at a small village in the Hwa district, some little distance from the city of Canton. . . . The genealogy of Hung-sui-tshuen’s family is one of the most ancient in China. During ten centuries, until the era of the present dynasty, they trace members of their house occupying the most exalted stations in the empire. So far back as the Sung dynasty, A. D. 1000, many of the Hungs were prominent literati; from that time till the Manchoo invasion, numbers of them have been members of the Han-lin college, the highest literary rank in China.
“Previous to the incursion of the Manchoos, Hung-sui-tshuen’s kindred formed a vast and powerful body. . . . Upon the outbreak of the Ti-ping revolution the Hung clan was supposed to number upwards of 20,000 persons; subsequent to that event the greater part were massacred by the imperialists, simply because they were the connections of a rebel! Of Hung’s immediate relatives, who, to the number of five or six hundred, peopled his native village under the authority of his father, not one remains; men, women, and children, all who were unable to join him, were mercilessly slaughtered by the ruthless Manchoo, and their very dwellings swept from the face of the earth.
“At the earliest age Hung exhibited a remarkable aptitude for study, became an inmate of the village school at seven years of age, and at fourteen had become proficient in the usual course of Chinese education; besides which, he studied by himself the history of China, and the higher branches of Chinese literature. Even at this early period he was universally distinguished for his extraordinary talents, which were so highly appreciated by his teachers and relatives that they united in defraying the expenses of his further education.
“At sixteen years of age the want of means put an end to his studies; within a year, however, a young fellow-student took him as a companion. After this, when eighteen years of age, he was appointed schoolmaster of his native village, by the unanimous wish of the people.
“About this time Hung commenced to attend the public examinations at Canton. These examinations confer upon successful candidates one of four literary degrees, commencing with a district examination, leading to a departmental one, to a provincial one, and finally to a Pekin examination, from which members of the Han-lin college are selected.
“Although Hung-sui-tshuen was always one of the most distinguished at the district examinations, through the corruption of the Manchoo officials, to whom bribery alone is a passport, he was unable to obtain his degree. ‘At last, upon another visit to the public examinations about the year 1836, an event took place that ultimately, in no slight manner, affected his future career. This I cannot do better than give in the words of the Rev. T. Hamberg:—
“In the streets he found a man dressed according to the custom of the Ming dynasty, in a coat with wide sleeves, and his hair tied in a knot upon his head. The man was unacquainted with the Chinese vernacular tongue, and employed an interpreter.
“A number of people kept gathering round the stranger, who used to tell them the fulfilment of their wishes, even without waiting for a question from their side. Sui-tshuen approached the man, intending to ask if he should attain a literary degree, but the man prevented him by saying, ‘You will attain the highest rank; but do not be grieved, for grief will make you sick. I congratulate your virtuous father.’ On the following day he again met with two men in the Siung-tsang street. One of these men had in his possession a parcel of books consisting of nine small volumes, being a complete set of a work, entitled, “Kewen-shi-leang-yen,” or “Good Words for Exhorting the Age,” the whole of which he gave Hung-sui-tshuen, who, on his return from the examination, brought them home, and after a superficial glance at their contents placed them in his book-case, without at the time considering them to be of any particular importance.’
REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE.
“Once more, in the year 1837, Hung-sui-tshuen attended the examinations. Upon this occasion, after being placed higher on the list, his rank was afterward lowered. This, with the gross injustice and partiality of the examiners, so affected him that he returned home very ill. His illness lasted for a considerable time, during which he underwent a marvelous series of visions or dreams.”
Here the author again quotes Mr. Hamberg’s relation:—
“He lost all strength and command over his body, and all present thought him about to die—his outward senses were inactive, and his body appeared as dead, lying upon the bed; but his soul was acted upon by a peculiar energy, so that he not only experienced things of a very extraordinary nature, but afterward also retained in memory what had occurred to him.”
In his vision he was taken down to a river, and a voice said, “Thou dirty man, why hast thou kept company with yonder people and defiled thyself? I must now wash thee clean.”
Hamberg’s narrative continues, “After the washing was performed, Sui-tshuen, in company with a great number of virtuous and venerable old men . . . entered a large building where they opened his body with a knife, took out his heart and other parts, and put in their place others new and of a red color. Instantly when this was done, the wound closed, and he could see no trace of the incision which had been made.”
In his vision he saw a venerable Father with golden beard, and a younger personage whom he afterward termed, “The divine Elder Brother.” “During his exhortations,” says Hamberg, “he often burst into tears, saying, ‘You have no hearts to venerate the Old Father, but you are on good terms with the impish fiends; indeed, indeed, you have no heart—no conscience more.’”
His cousin Hung-jin thus describes his appearance after his return to health:—
“Sui-tshuen’s whole person became gradually changed, both in character and appearance. He was careful in his conduct, friendly and open in his demeanor; his body increased in height and size; his pace became firm and imposing, his views enlarged and liberal. . . . He now spoke less and laughed seldom. After he had begun to worship, he was very strict in regard to his own conduct. In his words he was often severe, and easily offended others. He liked to sit down and talk with honest and sincere men, though they were ever so poor and of low estate; but he could not bear with the profligate, even if they were ever so rich and high in station.”
Here our author resumes:—
“The visions of Hung-sui-tshuen, marvelous as they were, and deeply significant upon many important points, could never have led to any earthly result but through the medium of some earthly key. This came at last, and the train of circumstances admits of no other interpretation than the will of a divine, inscrutable Providence. It is doubtful whether any one impressed with a sense of the awfully mysterious power of an Almighty Creator can dispute the course of Hung-sui-tshuen’s visions, conversion, and ultimate career.
“Rising, as it were intuitively, from the lowest depths of moral degradation, they suddenly recognize and instantly abandon all those vices and national evils which had become engrafted upon the Chinese mind by the solemn and unswerving practice of 2,000 years. With meteor-like perception, the great originator of the revolution becomes convinced of the degradation of his countrymen. China, rooted to her antiquity, her seclusion, and her apathy, beyond the most distant hope of change or improvement, yields to this new influence, and bows before the teaching of the almost unknown student, Hung-sui-tshuen. The traditional lore of more than 2,000 years, the mystic and deeply-venerated teaching of ancient sages, the profligacy and idolatry sanctioned and indulged in for ages, are suddenly disregarded. But in one way can this be accounted for. Divine Providence has manifested itself in a manner as marvelous and superhuman as in the recorded miracles of old.”
HUNG SUI-TSHUEN’S CONVERSION AND BAPTISM.
“On one occasion while engaged as teacher at a village some ten miles distant from his native place, a cousin Le, while searching his book-case, chanced to come across the small volumes, ‘Good Words for Exhorting the Age.’ Le inquired the nature of the works, but Sui-tshuen was unacquainted with the contents, and lent them to him to read. It is stated by the Rev. T. Hamberg: ‘These books contain a good number of whole chapters of the Bible according to the translation of Dr. Morrison, many essays upon important subjects from single texts, and sundry miscellaneous statements founded on Scripture.’
“Le read the books, and returned them, stating that their contents were very extraordinary, and differed entirely from Chinese books. Sui-tshuen then took the books and commenced reading them closely and carefully. He was greatly astonished to find in these books what he considered an explanation of his own visions of six years before, and that their contents corresponded in a singular manner with all he had experienced at that time. He now understood the venerable One who sat upon the highest place, and whom all men ought to worship, to be God the Heavenly Father; and the man of middle age, who had instructed him and assisted him in exterminating the demons, to be Jesus, the Saviour of the world. The demons were the idols, his brothers and sisters were the men in the world. Sui-tshuen felt as if awaking from a long dream. He rejoiced in reality to have found a way to Heaven, and a sure hope of everlasting life and happiness. Learning from the books the necessity of being baptized, Sui-tshuen and Le now, according to the manner described in the books, and, as far as they understood the rite, administered baptism to each other. They prayed to God, and promised not to worship evil spirits, not to practice evil things, but to keep the heavenly commands. . . . When this was done, they felt their hearts overflowing with joy, and Sui-tshuen composed the following ode upon repentance:—
“When our transgressions high as heaven rise,
How well to trust in Jesus’ full atonement;
We follow not the demons, we obey
The holy precepts, worshiping alone
One God, and thus we cultivate our hearts.
The heavenly glories open to our view,
And every being ought to seek thereafter.
I much deplore the miseries of hell.
Oh! turn ye to the fruits of true repentance!
Let not your hearts be led by worldly customs.”
“They thereupon cast away their idols and removed the tablet of Confucius, which is generally found in the schools, and worshiped by the teacher as well as the pupils.
“I must particularly recommend to the notice of my readers the sound reasoning and wisdom of Hung-sui-tshuen’s own explanation, and the high and exalted determination his subsequent acts have so nobly fulfilled. ‘These books,’ said he, ‘are certainly sent purposely by Heaven to me, to confirm the truth of my former experiences. If I had received the books without having gone through the sickness, I should not have dared to believe in them, or have ventured, on my own account, to oppose the customs of the whole world; if I had merely been sick, but had not received the books, I should have had no further evidence as to the truth of my visions, which might also have been considered as merely the production of a diseased imagination.’”
THEIR CREED THE BIBLE.
“As I have already stated, the principal feature of the Ti-ping faith is their acknowledgement of the Holy Bible as the word of the true God. All their religious practices are deduced from its authority, and, in so far as they have been able to effect it, their form of worship and belief assimilates to Protestantism.”
“The principal and most important article of their faith is, the Holy Bible in all its integrity—Old and New Testaments entire. These have always been circulated through the whole population of the Ti-ping jurisdiction, and printed and distributed to the people gratuitously by their government.”
“I have felt that God would never forsake those who so fervently believed and studied his word.”
“Nor can I ever forget the eager manner with which, the moment I was seated in his [king of the Ti-pings] house, my entertainer for the time being would give a copy of the Bible to my servant . . . asking if it was the same as mine; and his satisfaction when, after hearing parts of it translated, I assured him that it was.”
Referring to the fact that the Ti-pings when writing or printing the titles of the Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, always elevate them three spaces above that of any other book, and two spaces above the name of their king. Dr Bridgeman remarks:—
“This seems to be a plain recognition of the paramount divine authority of the Holy59Scriptures as God’s Book, above the books of human authorship.”
In a letter by “Consul Meadows to Lord John Russell,” dated Shanghai, Feb. 19, 1861, the consul says: “The fact of the rise and progress, in this old seat of Confucianism and Buddhism, of the Bible-spreading Ti-ping Christianity is one of the most interesting spectacles that the annals of the human race present.”
THEIR PRAYERS.
The “Book of Religious Precepts of the Ti-ping Dynasty” has the following:—
“They must continue daily to supplicate divine favor and the Holy Spirit’s assistance to renew their hearts, saying grace at every meal, keeping holy the Sabbath day, and obeying all God’s commandments, especially avoiding idolatry.”
“I regularly joined in the prayers of the people, whose devotion I have never seen excelled elsewhere.”
“In every household throughout the length and breadth of the Ti-ping territory, the following translation of the Lord’s prayer is hung up for the use of children, being painted in large black characters on a white board:—
“Supreme Lord, our Heavenly Father, forgive all our sins that we have committed in ignorance, rebelling against thee. Bless us, brethren and sisters, thy little children. Give us our daily food and raiment; keep from us all calamities and afflictions, that in this world we may have peace, and finally ascend to Heaven to enjoy eternal happiness. We pray thee to bless the brethren and sisters of all nations. We ask these things for the redeeming merits of our Lord and Saviour, our Heavenly Brother Jesus’ sake. We also pray, Heavenly Father, that thy holy will may be done on earth as it is in Heaven; for thine are all the kingdoms, glory, and power. Amen.”
“Frequently I have watched the Ti-ping women teaching this prayer to their little children, the board containing it being always the most prominent object in the principal apartment of their dwellings. Children have often run up to me on entering a house, and then pulling me toward the board, commenced reading the prayer.”
THEIR WORSHIP ON THE TRUE SABBATH.
“The seventh day is most religiously and strictly observed. The Ti-ping Sabbath is kept upon our Saturday. The Sabbath morn having been ushered in with prayer, the people retire to their rest or duties. During the day two other services are held, one toward noon, and the other in the evening.”
“While in Soo-chow, I became one of the congregation of Ti-pings during their performance of divine service on Sunday. The Sabbath is observed not upon the same day as in Europe, theirs being the Saturday of our reckoning. My interpreter was with me, and translated every part of their service. Their numbers, and apparent devotion could not have been objected to by the most orthodox Christian.”
The Rev. Dr. Bridgeman says:—
“Our Saturday we found observed by them as a Sabbath-day. . . . Most, who were asked to do it, promptly recited that form of the decalogue which is given in their tracts.”
“The Sabbath is most strictly kept; not the slightest infraction is permitted; shops are closed, work suspended, and even military operations if possible. Upon that day, between services, the chiefs meet together to discourse upon religious subjects, and frequently to supplicate the assistance of Divine Providence for a deliverance from the incessant dangers and perils of their hazardous life. Meanwhile the ecclesiastics, until church-time arrives, proceed through the camps and dwellings, examining and instructing the soldiers, women, and children.”
“Oftentimes while kneeling in the midst of an apparently devout congregation, and gazing on the upturned countenances lighted by the early morning sun, which poured its golden rays through the quaintly carved windows, have I wondered why no British missionary occupied my place, and why Europeans generally preferred slaughtering the Ti-pings to accepting them as brethren in Christ; and while scanning the assembled Christian Chinese, praying from the Bible we Europeans trust in and declare to be our guide, I felt a sympathy and enthusiasm for their cause that never can be weakened or subdued.”
THEIR TEN COMMANDMENTS.
The following is their copy of the decalogue with remarks on the Sabbath, and hymn to accompany it as found in their service book.
“1. Worship the great God.
“2. Do not worship depraved spirits.
“3. Do not take God’s name in vain. His name is Jehovah. “4. On the seventh day is the Sabbath, when you must praise God for his goodness.
“5. Honor father and mother.
“6. Do not kill or injure people.
“7. Do not commit adultery or practice any uncleanness.
“8. Do not steal.
“9. Do not lie.
“10. Do not covet.”
“REMARK.—In the beginning the great God made heaven and earth, land and sea, men and things, in six days; and having finished his works on the seventh day, he called it the day of rest (or Sabbath), therefore all the men of the world who enjoy the blessing of the great God, should on every seventh day especially reverence and worship the great God, and praise him for his goodness.”
THE HYMN SAYS:—
“All happiness in the world comes from Heaven;
It is therefore reasonable that men should give
thanks and sing;
At the daily morning and evening meal there
should be thanksgiving,
But on the seventh day, the worship should
be more intense.”
PLACES OF WORSHIP.
“The churches of the Ti-pings are not separate buildings, but consist of a sacred, or ‘Heavenly Hall,’ specially constructed for the purpose of divine worship, in all the principal official buildings and palaces of the princes or Wangs. In every case, the Heavenly Hall is the most important portion of the building, and its consecrated character is never violated by being used for other than religious purposes.”
THEIR ZEAL.
Captain Fishburn in his “Impressions of China,” quotes from a letter of Rev. Dr. Medhurst.
The Dr. had been speaking against idolatry, and urging the necessity of the worship of the one true God; and a man arose in the congregation and said: “That is true, that is true! the idols must perish and shall perish. I am a Kwang-se-man, a follower of the Ti-ping-wang; we all of us worship one God, and believe in Jesus, while we do our utmost to put down idolatry; ever demolishing the temples and destroying the idols and exhorting the people to forsake their superstitions. When we commenced, two years ago, we were only 3,000 in number, and we have marched from one end of the empire to another, putting to flight whole armies of the Mandarin’s troops that were sent against us. If it had not been that God was on our side, we could not have prevailed against such overwhelming numbers; but now our troops have arrived at Tien-tsin, and we expect soon to be victorious over the whole empire.”
“He then proceeded to exhort the people in a most lively and earnest strain to abandon idolatry, which was only the worship of devils. ‘As for us,’ said he, ‘we feel quite happy in the possession of our religion . . . while continuing here, we make it our business to keep the commandments, to worship God, and to exhort each other to do good, for which end we have frequent meetings for preaching and prayer. What is the use, then, of you Chinese going on to burn incense, and candles, and gilt paper?’ He went on to inveigh against the prevailing vices of his countrymen particularly opium-smoking. ‘That filthy drug,’ he exclaimed, ‘which only defiles those who use it, making their houses stink, and their clothes stink, and their bodies stink, and their souls stink, and will make them stink forever in hell, unless they abandon it. But you must be quick, for Thai-ping-wang is coming, and he will not allow the least infringement of his rules; no opium, no tobacco, no snuff, no wine, no vicious indulgence of any kind.’”
“I could not help being struck with the appearance of the man as he went on in his earnest strain. Bold and fearless as he stood, openly denouncing the vices of the people, his countenance beaming with intelligence, his upright and manly form the very picture of health, while his voice thrilled through the crowd, they seemed petrified with amazement; their natural conscience assured them that his testimony was true.”