WE next come to the missionary efforts of the Roman Catholics, who entered China about the time the Nestorian propaganda was disappearing, in the thirteenth century. This was during the Mongul rule. These emissaries of a foreign religion were not only allowed to enter China, but in one instance at least the emperor himself sent an ambassador to the pope, who, in turn, sent out four nuncios to China to look after the interests of the church in this empire. But in spite of all this, Catholicism in China seemed to fall to the ground of its own accord.
It was not until the time of the Reformation that a permanent foothold was secured in these oriental lands. This was Rome's shrewd and far-reaching scheme to rejuvenate herself after the crushing shock of the reform movement in Europe. With characteristic foresight and sagacity she sent out men of superior intellect and talents, and by this means gained a firm hold on the official and literary classes. True to the traditional policy of their church, these men sought and obtained imperial favors, which, instead of relinquishing in later years, have been added to, until to-day the Church of Rome in China is officially recognized, her bishops and priests holding official rank, which is by no means an empty honor.
Stone Paved Path in Country Village, China. Fishing Scene.
The Bible is studiously withheld from the common people. Massive buildings which serve the purpose of orphanages and convents are to be found in many parts of China. At the first, ancestral worship was allowed as a harmless rite, but later when the pope decided against it as idolatry, it brought dissension among the different religious orders and relentless persecution from the emperor who had decided that the worship of ancestors was idolatry.
Their converts number over 1,000,000 with some 50 bishops and over 1,000 native and foreign priests. The baptism of dying children is a very ready way of adding to the list of church-members. It must be admitted that the step from heathenism to Catholicism is not in many respects a long one, as the remark of a Chinaman, who had been to Manila, well illustrates, when he said that he found little difference between the gods of that place and those of China, further than that those in Manila stood up while those in China always sat down.
The Long, Narrow Dragon Boat, Engaging in the Ancient Festival. The Lodging Boats, in Canton Harbor. French Cathedral in the Distance.
Protestant Missions
in China began with Robert Morrison just 99 years ago. He entered this empire in the face of tremendous and most forbidding obstacles. The feelings against foreigners were decidedly hostile, and it is marvelous how this man, almost single-handed, performed the gigantic task of translating the Bible and preparing a dictionary of the language; and all this time he was confined within the limits of the foreign factory, living in a go-down, aided by a Chinaman whose secret but determined efforts in behalf of Morrison were a capital crime.
Thus the beginning of Protestant missionary work in China was true to Reformation principles, made on the basis of the eternal word of God; and whatever success has been achieved during the last century must be attributed to that fact. From this wise and hopeful beginning one hundred years ago, the printing and circulation of the Scriptures in China has actually enlarged with each year, until at the close of 1904, the British and Foreign Bible Society showed a total circulation to date of 12,171,083 copies, and this figure is largely augmented by the activities of the two other Bible societies which in the year 1904 circulated over 1,200,000 copies.
The output of tracts and other Christian literature is in proportion to the Bible circulation. One society alone for the year 1904 shows a total of over 2,500,000, and this figure is multiplied many fold by the work of similar societies.
Other auxiliary agencies to the spread of the Gospel, such as schools, hospitals, and orphanages, have come to be regular and mighty forces in the work of evangelizing this race. A steady stream of foreign workers from Europe, Australia, and America continues to pour into this field, so that to-day the total amounts to about 3,200; and these workers are scattered in all the provinces of the empire.
In January 1904, there were 131,000 native Protestant Christians in China to 416,250,000, the total inhabitants, or one to 3,177. It must be admitted that these figures show a vast deal of darkness to mere gleams of light; but when we remember that we are living in the days of God's mighty preparation, we can easily believe that this is the13hour when the finishing work of the Lord shall speedily be accomplished here as in all other lands. Mighty forces are at work in this empire, and we have a right to believe and expect that God will overrule and use these to the accomplishment of His purpose. It only remains with us to advance now when there are so many favoring circumstances urging us to greater zeal and activity. The very fact that the door of opportunity has been swung wide open to us is convincing evidence that God calls us to the work. The harvest is ripe, and the Lord of the harvest waits to see hosts of His faithful and loyal reapers enter upon this work of gathering the grain.
