ffr inat Communitatins. CHINA FROM A CHRISTIAN STAND POINT. 111. Christian Missions are planted at all the open ports of China; also at Peking, and in many of the interior cities. Up to the present time some thirty-three societies have been represented in China ; while there are now in the field some three hundred and fifty male and female labor ers. The number of actual church members may be about five thousand. Of course this statement does not embrace the Roman Catholic missions, which present a much larger result. Without wishing to disparage the zeal, the wis dom and self-denial of the Romish missionaries, yet I must declare that Protestant missionaries work on an entirely different principle. While the latter are as careful in admitting converts to the church as any pastor in America, Roman Catholic missionaries are not particular in regard to internal or external proofs of conversion— baptism being the essential thing. Were Pro testant missionaries to pursue this donne, and not demand a change of heart and of life, they might have numbered thousands where, to-day, they number hundreds. The truth is, with all the care now exercised, many Chinese gain ad mittance to the Churel whoought not to be there. Sometimes through mercenary or other worldly motives, men join the church. In a country where population is so dense and where life is oftimes an absolute struggle, some make's pro- fession of Christianity because they know that the Church will keep them from actual want. Butlon•the other hand, there are many devout and sincere followers of Christ in China who are stemming the mighty tide of unbelief, of error and irreligion sweeping all around them. The kinds of missionary, work in China are as various as Christian work in America. Fortu nately the Chinese are, a: reading people, having not only their classics, but the school, the prin ted book and moral tract, the latter attacking the vices and upholding the virtues of the age. Preaching in chapels . ; 'visiting families; con versing •with individuals and disseminating re ligious, and even scientific truth by the press, are the usual methods.. In connection with all, the leadingmissions arelospitals for dispensing med icine, for treating disease, and for surgical ope rations. Christian missions in this direction, are doing an immense amount of good, and winning the approbation and support of all thoughtful men, and the benediction of God. 'The human system in China has many diseases ; and while there are many native physicians or specialists for external and internal troubles, yet they really know very, little about the divine healing art. To any one longing for difficult cases and 'a fine hospital practice; let hini go to China. These missionary hospitals have Chinese isaistants, who, from time to time , leaie.their positions with considerable knowledge and skill, and commence practice• among their countrymen. I would say here, however, •that one of the best physicians in China, is Dr. Wong, of Canton,-*.pure Chinese, educated in Europe. The greatest obstacle, humanly speaking, to success in missionary work in China, is want of proficiency in the language H Of course, lan guage to the teacher is his most essential instru ment. China, as was remarked, is divided into eighteen Provinces. Not only do these provin ces possesi 'distinct dialects, but there are fre quently different dialects in the same province. These dialects are, essentially, different langua ges ; so that a Chinese going out of his own province, cannot converse with a fellow-country man. It is true, there is the Mandarin, or Court dialect, spoken at the North and by the learned men in each province; , but the great : mass of the peeple know it not. The printed• language of China does not pos sess letters or syllables, but twenty-two charac ters, which represent, for the most part, singly or by combination; words and ideas. There are between forty and fifty thousand of these char acters; and no one, scholar ever mastered the. entire number.. Probably, five thousand of them are sufficient.to express all Christian doctrine. These arbitrary characters must be committed to memory. A little Chinese boy, when• he; first goes to school, commences to commit to memory these characters—to learn their shapes, their names and howto write them. After he has spent a year or two at this dry, but noisy work (for each boy repeats his characters over and over again at, the top of his .voice) the teacher then explains to,him their meanings and combi nations. These' characters mean the same through out China, but the different dialects give them different names. So difficult are these charac ters to master (that is, their form, pronuncia tion and meaning) that very few persons can read, say a chapter in the. Bible, or in any other well composed book, and thoroughly understand the meaning. . . There is a movement now on foot, to prepare books in the colloquial, or spoken lan guage, which cattbe understood even by little children. The Chinese, being a literary people, wedded to habit, and.anxious to preserve a dig nified style, (in Which also many missionaries sympathize) may oppose this innovation—but there is n ,o doubt it is a movement in the , -right direction to reach the masses with intelligent books. The spoken dialects of China are also very THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN, THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1869. difficult, from the fact that they all possess (as well as the characters) from four to eight tones which are hard to master and apply, and without a proper use of which, very grave and ridiculous blunders are made. These tones are necessary, because the written and spoken languages of China are strictly monosyllabic; and while most missionaries know more or less of these lan guages, few of them are good speakers. So difficult is the Chinese in its nice shades of meaning, or in its want of theologiCal or spiritu al expression, that, to this day, though volumes have been written on either side, the term for God is yet undecided. One party holds to Shin, and the other to Shangti. .1 have read over . all the arguments, pro and cos, and it seems to me that the language has no word. to express our idea of the one infinite, self-existent and holy God. Very many of our missionaries who fail to ac quire the spoken language, become: very good in the books, and enter a.widefield• of ; usefulness.: By the different Protestant, missionaries, there have been made twenty-eight translations of the Scriptures or portions of the Scriptures;; thirty commentaries ,on portions of the Bible.;two hun dred and, thirty-two theological works ; twelve works, of Sacred Biography ; - thirty : seven ,Cate chisms; seventeen Prayer Books; eighteen gym n : Books; eleven educational and linguistic works:;' eighteen Histories ; three works on Government; fourteen Geographies; eight. Mathematical Works; six Astronomical Works; thirteen Medical Works; two Botanical Works; four w orks on ; Physics; twelve Almanacs ; twelve serials, and' thirteen miscellaneous workst--giving a grand total of four hundred and ninety works on a wide variety of subjects--from the child's primer to such pro found works as, Dr. Martin's translation, of Wheaton's International Law ; Dr, Htbson's Medical and Physiological Virorkpi Mr. Wyliets translations of Euclid's Geometry and Herschell's Astronomy; Mr. Edkins' translations of ,Whe well's Mechaiiicsbesides the dictionary, of.M.or rison, Medhurst and• Williams,; the Chinese, Re pository and Dr. Legge's Classics. ,The Christian Church may well point to • these contributions, of her teachers, besides theiryears of oral instruc tion, and challenge the whole, foreign population . „ . of Chinalicommercial, diplomatic or otherwise, to begin to match it. I had intended to touch upon several other topics' in thiS conneetion; lint I must 'bring my paper to an end. , China`has a very peculiar civilization; and:the more we examine it, the more we find in it, to admire, and to awaken surprise. 'There is first the paternal idea of ; government, inculcated `by the C6sics and by the three national religions, which has produced such long continued social order and such a wonderful political 'existence. China was undoubtedly a flourishing' Empire when bavid was anointed'Kin'g o's(er,lsrael, or even before Cadinus brongikt letters Jritn'd-reece; and while all the great nationkwbicii.lhourished and played such Conspieuous parts.in the,drama of ilistory, two thousand years ago, have passed away, China still exists, her sceptre swaying one third of the human race. The doctrine of obedience to the Emperor; of obedience to law; of obedience to parents and elders; of respect for moral and intellectual cul ture; of respect for.age ; of respect,forindustry and true democratic principles in the minor regu lations:of society,—all these, and more, are mighty elements of preservaticni and are, just such ele: meats as Christianity welcomes and will ,approi• priate. Now from what has been written, no one , can fail to see that China, hoary with, age as•she ; is, offers the finest field for Christian missions on the globe. Here exist, under one;rule, a large por tion of the human . race ; here agriculture is now, as it was at first, the areat art of life, where the generous soil has been cultivated so skilfnlly for ages:that it yet.remains' as Productive . as ever; here are beheld divereified industries; social or der ; mental and moral tendencies of the highest type; but a civilizatiOn so' crYstaliZed, that it is - hard to impress, much more to overturn it. No doubt China, as a nation, has been declining for the last . five hundred - years—declining, not physically or mentally, but in political power and material prosperity. Iles public works are neglected and her treasury bankrupt. 'No longer do many tri butary nations pour their offerings into her cof fers, since a Tartar - dynasty occupies her throne and weakens the unity of her people, while her surplus products go to pay for a druk which is sapping the very lifeblood of her people. Since her last war with England and France, new energy seems tohave been imparted to the Chinese government. In order to pay off her in demnity for the expenses of that war, a Customs system has been introdnced, under the joint su pervision of foreign and native officials. This system will be continued after the occasion for it has passed away; and will afford a fine revenue. She has also established a college at Peking for mastering Western languages and science, and a naval school at Foochow; and I have no doubt that in a few years railwaYs and telegraphs will be introduced; but the Chinese believe in " mak ing haste slowlY." But after all, mere material progress and' money-making do not always mark the highest style of civilization, afford the great est happiness, or prove the greateit glory of a nation. Therefore it "is that mere worldly men whose god is the almighty dollar; often ask, Why this waste of life and money and intellectual power in attempting to change the moral charac ter of the Chinese? In a human view, looking at the results so far reached, it does seem like a vast, and almost useless expenditure; but Chris tianity is hopeful of the future, because the pro mises of God are yea and amen. When commerce and travel and civilization demanded a highway across the isthmus of Darien, engineers went for ward, penetrated the jungle and surveyed the route. Then came the , workmen with axe and pick and. shovel and wheelbarrow, and commenc ed to clear the way, to cut the excavations and pile up the embankments. ()flames the labor of weeks and months would bodily disappear be neath the deep morass, while disease and death thin nod the ranks of the 'humble laborers, but still, amid disappointments and trials, the work went on. By and by, the track`was graded, 'the rails laid down, and at last; liernssthe Continent, 'the wealth of nations and a steady stream of hu man life poured, with ease, safety and rapidity, to theli destination. In like mariner, haveChrii tio.n- pioneers penetrated China; 'and to:day a busy eompany of laboreri—ainid. 'ranch discourage ment and burying herd and there a companion, are laying deep and - broad and'firm, the fOundd tions of " a great hig,hWay''' which' the mil lioas of the Central' FloWery Eind Shall reach the Bettbr Coantry I - V. D. Com.rws. FLORIDA.AND THE 11,0E,IDIA:11E. It Ey 11... E. 0.. OVER 'TP,AyGUETTNE They never say Saint Aughstine-here, but al ways', Aughstiae, iditio the accent oni the•firstsyl- , iable. We will go 'hy river and stage.' An , earli breakfast, bright' sunshine, air that yon drink in like nectar, and all aboard, tie flattie bound for Picolata, wh t bre we take stage. We pass Man darin; in sight of Mrs. Stowe's; cottage, :•.ands her beautiful - Attie orange-grove. We pass Green 3.Cove,. ustlstopping long enough to, visit. Crystal Spring. We pass,Magnolia and Hibernia, villa ges-of five or six dwellings each, and land-at,Pic olata about :3 P.M. Alamous placethis, markedon the Atlas: It contains one house, one,store:house, 'and one barn. , I saw. no -more--there was xio More to •see., ,Now,for• a'stage-ride::lfere I£4 the .vehicle; and it ought to carry ns safely, for see the, Topes that tie it round,:. There is 'rigging -enough for a;man-ef-war.. Where is, the driver? ."Yer I amri says fellow, dwarf or b,oy. "Do you drive.thislstage?" " druv it eight years: ," What is ;your, name ?'' " They calls the Buster." :F.o Blister gets our trunks, ties some boards underaeath :his stage .with the •ends pro- Mating, lashettthingsi ort with more ropes, puts is in; and , away,We g 0... This, is .comfort, ,What.a drive this throughthe "Piney Woolle;" and who ,cares ,for , tbetimping.as we. strike ,an, occasional root , crossing our; track. :Look at:the cypress: trees .planting their feet in the water I See 'the pal mettosibristling their sharp; points An.;.all ,direc tions and, underneath,' whole beds of all this in early February. This is:more like the Florida we drearned'of. It is nearly suuset:whenwe sight the light house on Anastasia Island The_St,Sebastian is yet to be crossed before we reach the town, .and ;there h is Up bridge," since the - war!' That . war ,covers a multituae pf sins here :. One lady look iug,at some Northern grasses said, ce Oh yes, they, grew all about, here. .before the war I," You would think that the : people were rich and the country a ,paradise "before the war;", but the truth is that multitudes Of them are, in far more comfort able circumstances t.hari ever.in their-lives before. We cross on a flat boat—a,• slow and tedious pro cess. The sun isfast sinking, and as the crimson flushes fade away, we,hear the booming sunset gun from the Fort ; Buster's . bugle, now comes into service,,and the city rings with the a.nnounee.. ment of the arrival of the stage. Old gray ruins, darkness, glimmeriug lights, all lan before us as we drive rapidly up the narrow streets, under the Spanish balconies, past the military quarters, to our good boarding-house. That day's ride, and that evening arrival at Augustine have made Tic tures in memory never to fade. THE OLD TOWN AND BEYOND' Old enough surely. How strangd, how un- American, how irxteresting. These coqUiria walls, these narrow 'streets, those gray old towers of San Marco, those melancholy dungeons 'underneat'h, yonder military cemetery, the old Spanish Church, and the profusion of flowers ''and the great orange groves, are objects on which the eye rests with a feeling of weird-excitement, atid':to which One turns again and again. Nor must the•sea-walle forgotten; for there 'we must walk in this winter sunshine each day of our stay here, to drink' In this delicious, bracing, healing air. We say good-bye to Auguatine with regret, but with not so deep a regret as if we were not to re turn again. }TOY" for Enterprise. Stage again to Picolata, then steamer, and as we sit down, in the cabin we feel that we have spent a month in dreaming. The St. "John's above Pilatka, pre seats points of great beauty. It shows itself in great variety, now expanding into broad quiet lakes that mirror the almost perpetual aunshine and now suddenly narrowing till the boat can scarcely push between the banks. Here is the place for sportmen, too, and many is the shot aimed in passing, at, the alligators that lie bask, ing in the sun. Enterprise is - very little except a hotel,—a good one with huge prices. Pilitka also is quite a favorite resort, only you want again plenty of money, and must content yourself with such society as you can make among the boarders. I have enjoyed my winter, the pulmonary trou ble which sent me here is kindly yielding; and I have seen Florida on its good and bads side. I would like to offer some suggestions to persons who think of coming here either as permanent settlers or in pursuit of health ; but my letter is already too long, and I shall want to write once more. LETTER FROM HARRISBURG. The Winter has passed very pleasantly with our Central Penna. churches.. None of them •report es.tensiie revivals. All of them have been blessed and cheered' by steady and increased and. healthy growth: • Among the many pleasant events of the wint er, we number the visit , among us of Mr. Mit chell, the Superintendentof the, Freedmen's De partment of Home Missions. - , The Assembly, we think, has been peculiarly fortunate in selecting its agent for an appeal to the churches. ..Mr. M. it is known is.a member of the Society of Friends. -He has had+ a thorough experience in personally 'conducting for. 'wine years, work among:. the Freedmen, arid‘ has at his command a mass of in cidents and facts concerningthe coiadition, habits, peculiarities and-capabilities of the colored peo ple, thatarnst 'deeply interest' all churches to Which he may have access. His address - to 'the , . people of the First 'church, Harrisburg, though , , quite lengthy, seemed but brief, so deeply did he , . engage the ; attention of all. OUT only'regret was that he,had not a Sabbath to Spend with uawhen a larger number might have heard him. It is a somewhat pecnliar position for a Quaker to fill " - - Superintendent of Presbyterian Missions, hiit Mr. Mitchell adapts himself finely to our ways, and I judge will, like us as well as we like him. He has certainly Sectred for his cause ,a perma nent and regular place in the contributions of 'the Harrisburg Presbytery. ~ 'Yeaterday, wils'a day to be long remembered, `by the churches of this city. Adcording to a notice which appeared in most of the refigiOin ,papers of Philadelphia and New York, two meet were held' and addressed by Rev. Prs. Tolin Hall of New York, T. :Stork and. Rev. A. C. Roe, the Secretary' of the Ameriam, Christian Com'mission. , In calling these, meetin,gs,,the pas - tors of the Evangelical churches of , the city very heartily united, and their congregations were represented largely in them,beth. Both services were held in the Methodist Episcopal. church, Under the pastorate. of Rev. C. J. Thompson„ In theafter.: noon a large number of the Christian women of the , city assembled, and , t were addressed by the ,gentlemen mentionedabove. both id the afternoon and evening gave. a brief and Judd account of the objects and agencies of the Chris tian.Commis,sion.. Drs. Stork and Hall 4re left t0,,d0 the Main work. , The first:speaker,dwelt in 'the ifternoon.upon the place and'work.of iWoman in the •Chuich. 'The address 'was "one' of deep interest.... , ' ; ' ' Pr. 'HA gave a most touchmg,m4mipressive address on ; Woman's preparation. and fitness for Christian work in every sphere where she is plac r edYfirsb, in the family, as daughter, sister; wife and mother; , 'then in the, church, in social life, and among the Poor.. ;„ In the evening there was a, very -large ,ecingre gation from all our Christian oharehes, and again most interesting appeals were made by both Drs. Stork and Hall. Dr. iStork.! dwelt ,chiefly, and, very .effectively upon the duty of every Christian to .put. forth direct personal ditort for the salvation , `of others. Dr. Hall'PosSesses a Wonderful magnetic power over ,his hearers : This is, not an? to any elegance of manner, or what is usually termed eloquence of speech. !B e is . deeply in .earnest, profoundly simple, clear, apt in illustration. 'He is lost be hind subject. One listens and foraets the man, save, as the precious truth ihich he ,utters wakens .love toward him who is so happy in, its utterance. He gave us, first his idea of the Christian life, its GodwardOspect, 'expressed in worship,adora tioni its internal , , culture, expressed in -medita tion, growth of grace, &c.; .its outward manifes tation works of dove and self-denial for human nod. Then his idea of the ministry, notiired officials whose sole end is to please,the fancy or taste of the people, .to occupy ,Sabboth hours, but true Spiritual .Guides, Captains of trained worriers ! his idea of the Church, not a' fold to be nursed, petted,fed, entertained; bui'a 'working body to be directed into Chris4an.activities. In chaste, :-beautiful and fervid language, which quickened every Christian heart; the Dr. called the disciples of ,Jesus to 'labor for their Mastefirst,,by beinithoroughly,iood themsei.' yes, and by doing good in all ways, especial ly to those next to them, seizing all-opportunities:. in The fan:Lily, With children; with servants, to' Make the p4wer and grace of 'Jesus known, and all opportunities in social . and business., life,' in the- spheres of the Church .activities, in the Sunday-school, Prayer-meetingal Dorcas, Visita tions among the poor ; &c., - to speak of Jesus ,to others. The results of these meetings, cannot but ,be hippy, iw.quickening Christian. life; and making more earnest and-devoted "in- Christian work- all who were perMitted to Atienetlieni. • It is likely that similar services will be held in other of our larger central towns, such as Read ing, York, and Carlisle during thespring or sum mer, and that country organizations will be form .ed to bring the same earnest appeals to the smaller towns and villages. Our Presbytery meets in a few days, when the multiform phases of Union question will come before us for discussion. Yours, Sc., . March 31, 1869 MISSIONARY STRATEGY, DEAR BROTHER MEARS :-Irt my last I gave you some facts, gathered on my preaching tours, showing the intense and deplorable ignorance of the great mass of the people around us here. One fact was that , of the 1,580 villages visited on my tours within the last five years, 1,400 had no school of Any kind whatever, and in 865 of these villages I found no one of the permanent resi 'dents able to read our Mahratta tracts and books. Some of the facts . and figures already given', will enable, you to form some idea, also, of the extent, populousness, and consequent imporigh - ce . of our mission field. Bear in mind the 50,000 souls here in the city , of.Kolapoor, and the hun dreds of thousands,within our reach on preaching . tours, and if the, field does not assume sufficient importance when considered - by itself, then "com pare it with some other posts in the heathen world already occupied. Take the mission at the Gaboon in Western Africa. How many do our good brethren Walker. and Bushnell reach with the Gospel in their self-denying life and labors there? As a strategetic point for effecting the conquest of this world to Christ, will their posi tion. compare at all with this, ai the very heart Of Hindu idolatry and superstition ? And even in Southeast Africa, my good' ion sin among the Zulus, (nowin America), writes •J • a me that a circle around - his house with a radius of ten miles, encloses only about 1,000 souls, in stead of the 120,000 within the same distance from our door. The entire population of the whole Sandwich Islands, on which the American Boaid has been lavishing its treasures arid missionaries `by 'the score for more than 40 years, is only abotit 'half this number, .rir about' the same as we haVe _here under our window in the city of Kolaray. Now we do not cornp4in that 50 missionaries have been sent to the 50.00 inhabitants of the Sandwieh 'Mends; but' that only one has been `seneto the =millionsof this field. In attempting to put down this mighty rebellion against the Lord Jesus,; is it wise for 'the:Chureh to expend .her main force on a few, smallowpak, utgarrison ed outposts of the enemy and leave her Vicks burgs'l.tiehmondr, and all her ' serMagholds un tonched;'or send against thein• men single-hand ed,' followed by no reinforcements or adezinate supplies?. If the-1,051,140 people of the villages in which I have been enabled to preach the Gospel within the last five years, do not give a sufficient' TM pres'sit.iiiif the size and importance of our' field, thew .please bear in mind thatthe whole Butnag herty colleptorate, with about 1,000,000 popula ,tion,lles,stretphed, along below the Ghats, between useful the ocean, 70 miles diatant; that our Ameri can brethren at Satara come not half way ticrus 'oti - the 'Mirth, 'nor otr Londen 'missionary lieth -ren. at Itelgaum, a third of -the',way to us on the ,Southiend.that East of us, between the parallels of satara.and Sholapoor on the North and of Bel genie oh the' Smith you may travel hundreds of Miles to B,ydembitd, or even quite across to the Bay 'of 'Bengal, without finding a solitary mission ary; so tares.' know, till,yon approach the East ern,coast. Do this, .and. compute the millions of perishing idolaters in the region thus indicated, 'and you will get some idea of the immensity of our field, or rather of the. immense desolations 'around us, utterly beyond our reach. 0, ‘When will the Church of God become in' earnest to en fighter; and convert these million's of idolaters' and possess this land for Christ! In the love of the Gespel, yours sincerely, R. G. Wri.nxit.' Solopoor, India, Jan. 24th, 1E369. TEMPERANCE —Fifteen hundred women Of Centre county, Pennsylvania, have •petitioned, the Courts to grant no more liquor licenses. ' —Mr. Haynes, warden of the Massachiatts State Prison, in his valuable book, recently pub lished, • says that during the eleven years• that he has been connected with the institution, twenty-one persons have been imprisoned for killing their wives, two for killing their fathers, and 'one for killing his mother. Of therSe twenty- Ttinr; all but one were not only - habitual drunk ards, but actually drunk ;whet" they committed the crime; and _he also -remarks that "these were not bad men, except when under the influ ence of liquor; and yet justice can make no dis tinction, but holds' him .equally guilty who commits crime under 'such circumstances as the one who , soberly and with• intellect unclouded violates, the law-" T L. o?! . in the Evangelist says :—" Mr. Gough was here lately and addressed a tremen dous audience With. tremendous 'power on temper ance. He nearly set .my hair on end with the identical Scene (of a' victim of delirium ! tremens) which first heard from'him twenty-four years ago=! Has it ever occurred to•you that Gough is ,the greatest dramatic performer who ever lived ? Garrick spoke other people's dialogues, had the help of scene-painters and star-actors, with con 'stant change ofplays. Gough composes his own part, paints his own- scenery (with the - tongue), has no assistance on the stage, confines , hirnSelf ; to, the one unpopular topic of total abstinence, and yet has won as splendid triumphs both, in pathos and in laughter as were ever pined 'by Garrick or the liemblei ! He is'. preacher too 'as well as a dramatiSt. 'Whitefield never 'drew more tears over, the sufferings of :our, Saviour than I have oeen flow when Brother Gough was depicting Christ's ascent of Calvary. His speech the other evening would have fitted well in any series of Revival-meetings." F. H. R.
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