THE CHINESE.
CONFUCIUS AND CHRIST—A LETTER FROM HONG SING.
It would be presumptious, I fear, for me to assume that the readers of the Missionary remember the little sketch I gave some years ago of one of our missionary helpers—Hong Sing. A very little man he is, in "bodily presence weak" and in speech, for lack of lungs, sometimes "of no account." Yet, though near-sighted almost to blindness, and though often sick and always weary, in the intervals of work as a house-servant he gained what seemed to me a remarkable knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. The Bible was (and still is, I doubt not) his unfailing companion, and its study his choicest rest.
Several years ago, his health became so precarious that he decided to return to his native land. A letter from him, under date of "San Ning District, July 9th, 1888," has interested me so much that I feel sure that others will enjoy the reading of it. His English needs straightening somewhat, for, while the words are ours, the idioms are sometimes decidedly Chinese. I confess, therefore, to having done a little correcting and even [pg 289] translating, yet, for the most part, the letter is just as our brother himself wrote it.
"Mr. Pond:—Dear Brother, I must tell you that I think of you many times and intended to write you many times, but some things prevented me. I go out to tell the old, old story of Jesus, and many questions have been asked. I am not able to write all, but I tell you a little. Some ask: 'Do you believe our Confucius?' I said, 'I do.' 'Don't you think his doctrine good?' I answer, 'Yes.' 'What was the matter, you believe in Jesus, the foreign doctrine, and why not for our Confucius; and what was the matter, you are entirely turned away from his doctrine and not obey him; you think his doctrine not good enough for you! He has taught us to worship the ancestors and also use a lamb for sacrifice, why don't you obey?'
"Ques.—'Your Jesus men, was there any difference between them and us?'
"Ans.—'No difference, our Jesus men wear hat just like your hat, wear clothes like your clothes, walk just like you walk, but only one thing was not like you—in worship. You all worship the idol, our Jesus men worship the true God who is in heaven, and you all worship with meat and fruit, etc., but we mean to worship with true heart. We believe Jesus that we may obey Confucius doctrine, in which he has taught us to be good. Those who are not Christians cannot obey what Confucius taught. Before I became a Christian I was swearing and I speak evil words, but since I believe in Jesus, these things I was entirely stopped of. I remember Confucius has written in his book, teaching us to be honest, and also say, vice things we must not look at, the vice way we must not walk, the vice word we must neither speak nor hear. How rarely I hear of a man who believes Confucius and does what he taught. They are swearing all the time, speak the evil word all the time, go among the bad women all the time. So this attests that they do not obey Confucius, but disobey and dishonor him. Once we do like the same, but since we found Jesus and believe he is our Saviour, we stop to speak the bad word, stopped to gamble and smoke opium. Very seldom I hear or see those who study Confucius do as the Jesus men, for these are they that obey Confucius doctrine and keep his word. Why cannot those disciples of Confucius be better men? Ah, Confucius only a good man, he can only tell you the way how to be good man, but he has no power to change your heart, and Jesus can if we trust in him. This I know, for before I found Jesus I was always swearing and use the bad language, but since I believe in Jesus and confess my sins and ask him to forgive, I know that he has helped me to keep away from all vice and has converted my heart that I might be a better man. Therefore our Confucius was a man, but Jesus is God.'
"Another question they asked me: 'You say, whenever you pray to God, God is there. Suppose you go to the stable to pray, do you think God was there—such a dirty place—and hear your prayer?' I answer, 'Yes, for God is everywhere. And though we call the place a dirty place, the heart that [pg 290] prays may be clean. You see the sun rise in the sky, its beams shine over all the world; God's eye the same, not only see over the world but all through our hearts.'
"Mr. Hager (Missionary of the American Board in South China) has opened a school in our district, so that I found a good opportunity to speak in the name of Jesus. The seed was sown into their ears, but I do not know what the hardest will be."
I have also received a brief but interesting note from another of our former helpers—Wong Ock—a man of great fervency of spirit and a diligent student of the Word. Years ago he joined the Salvation Army and was sent to London to be trained for Army work in China. We had lost sight of him, till this letter came. Though not connected with the Army he is busy in Christian work, preaching in one of the Gospel Halls in Hong Kong under direction of Dr. Ernest J. Eitel. For some time before he left California he declined to receive any salary as a helper, believing that the Lord would provide, and he is working still upon this principle, and not without fruit. A note from Dr. Eitel speaks of one of Wong Ock's hearers offering himself for baptism, though the work had been in operation but three weeks.
In anticipation of the confirmation of the new treaty, the Chinese are crowding upon us in larger numbers than at any time before for several years. By hook or by crook they get in, finding no lack of American lawyers ready to smooth their way, and when one opening in the Restriction Act is closed to seek or make another. If well-supported rumors are to be believed, even customs-officials have not always been irresponsive to golden arguments. At any rate they come, and the Central School in this city is crowded with pupils, the average attendance for last month being 113, and the number present often rising to 130 or 140. We are glad to welcome them, though with our present force of teachers—which lack of means forbids us to increase—the pressure for instruction in English interferes more or less with that gospel teaching which it is our chief aim and our sufficient reward to impart. Yet an earnest spirit pervades the school, and, indeed in almost all our missions the outlook for harvest seems to me more hopeful than ever before.
WM. C. POND.