Of course the Gospel leaven working in this mass of heathenism induces more or less of fermentation. Our Christian Chinese are often engaged in discussions with their heathen friends. I took brief notes of one such, as afterwards reported to me. I am glad to say that the assailant of the truth in this dispute has since been converted, and is now a member of my church. The heathen, who had long been a pupil in Bethany School, and a close reader of the New Testament, said to our brother, “Your Bible itself says we must not put new wine into old bottles. China is an old bottle; new wine will burst it.” The reply surprised me by its apt and correct interpretation of the text referred to: “Not so. You cannot put the new wine of Christ into the old bottles of Chinese teachings and worship, it will burst them; but you can put it into Chinese hearts and it will save them.” “But you say,” continued the objector, “that a little water on the head washes sins away. I wash all over three times a day, and not take my sins away.” “Not so,” replied Hong Sing, “water cannot take sins away; but water means that God’s Spirit poured upon our hearts, Christ’s blood sprinkled on our souls, takes our sins away.” “But people come to the Lord’s Supper and then go away, do wrong, gamble, smoke opium.” Neither admitting nor denying this, Hong Sing told and interpreted with perfect correctness the parable of the net cast into the sea. The last objection was this: “You Christians say that you go to the Lord’s table and drink his blood and eat his flesh. Would you eat your mother’s flesh and drink her blood, if she were dead?” Hong Sing’s reply will be easily surmised by my readers. I wish that I could give word for word the broken English, and could reproduce on paper the animation with which this conversation was related to me; but the limits of my space forbid, even if otherwise it were possible.
The Story of Lee Jin as told by Jee Gam.—“Lee Jin was a young man twenty-three years of age, a nephew of Lee Young. For more than three years previous to his death he had been a member of a Chinese society of freemasonry, and also a member of Lock Shan Tong. This latter is a school or society where the doctrines of Confucius and other Chinese sages are professedly taught; but, in reality, this society has been formed for no other purpose than to prevent any more Chinese from becoming Christians, and to entrap those who have already become Christians. During his connection with the above-mentioned society he was one of its most active members, and one of the strongest opposers of Christianity. He did not content himself with setting forth his opposition at his own place and outside Christian institutions, but often carried it into our Christian association. His argument was nothing but pride and self-glory. As a Jew boasted of his father Abraham, and felt proud because his race was the chosen people of God, so he himself was lifted up. He said: ‘The middle kingdom is the true celestial empire. She is the realm of literature. She is the nation of rites. Great and powerful are her people, and especially her ancient personages, whose great deeds no language is sufficient to describe.’ He endeavored to display his learning by quoting what he had learned from the books of his sages, ‘I have heard of men using the doctrines of our great land to change barbarians, but I have never yet heard of any being changed by barbarians, etc.’ But when his arguments were overcome he would say, ‘Well, I am a Chinaman; I have Confucius; I worship the gods of my own country. If Jesus is the God of the barbarians, let him be worshiped by them, and not by Chinese.’ So his heart was hardened like that of Pharaoh, until, at last, he fell sick. During his illness the Lord, with His wonderful power, revealed the folly of his pride, and the consequences of his self-righteousness and evil deeds, to his then opened eyes. He trembled with fear and said, ‘Oh, what a great sinner I am! What a miserable offender of Jesus! Do send for Lee Hain and Jee Gam. Tell them to come immediately and pray for me.’ His uncle, Lee Young, was struck with astonishment when he heard these words, and saw this great change in his nephew. He said in reply, ‘Do you really want Jee Gam and Lee Hain to pray for you?’ ‘Yes,’ was the reply. ‘Why not pray to the gods you always worship?’ ‘Oh, they are dead idols. They are of no use. They could not save me from the punishment of my sins.’
“We were sent for accordingly. When we reached there he begged us to forgive him for his opposition against us for preaching the Gospel of the Saviour, whom he had begun to love. We prayed for him, and asked him to repeat the words after us, which he did with a tone of true repentance. Oftentimes after this he asked his uncle and his younger brother to pray for him. His heathen friends deserted him to the care of these Christian relatives, but after his death, when we had taken charge of the body to give it Christian burial, they came and wished to perform some of their heathen rites. We would not permit it; and, rather than take back their offerings, which would bring them bad luck, they burned them before the door. We accompanied Lee Jin to the cemetery, where we had procured a suitable lot, and then we sang a hymn and offered a prayer before committing his body to the dust. We believe he is now safe in heaven.”
CHILDREN’S PAGE.
The following “short talk” was made by Etahdleuh Doanmoe (“Boy Hunting”), at the anniversary at Hampton. He is one of the St. Augustine Indians now studying there:
My Home in Indian Territory.
“I am a Kiowa Indian boy twenty-three years old. My home is in the Indian Territory. My people are not much civilized. They live in houses made of skins of the buffalo. They like to hunt and fight. When I was a little boy I did not see many white people. The Kiowas moved camp often to keep near the buffalo, and we lived on buffalo meat and berries all the time. We had no bread, no coffee or sugar. We boys talked all the time about hunting the buffalo, going to fight the Utes, Navajoes, or Pawnees, and most about fighting the white people or stealing horses. The old Kiowas talked all the time to us about fight or hunt the buffalo. Sometimes the men would go off and bring back scalps of white men and women, or Indian men and women; then we had a big dance. This was all I heard and all I saw, and I thought it was good, so I will be a big fighter and a good hunter too, and may be I get to be a big chief. When I was about fifteen years old I killed my first buffalo with a bow and arrow. I had no gun. Then I was called a man, because I could kill buffalo. Then I went with the young men to fight the Utes and Navajoes and steal horses. I was in three fights with the Utes and two with the Navajoes. All this time I wore a blanket or a buffalo robe, and liked to have my hair long, and paint my face and wear big rings in my ears. I did not know anything about God, or churches, or schools, or how to make things grow from the ground to live on. Four years ago there was a big war. The Kiowas, Comanches and Cheyennes fought the soldiers all winter. The buffalo were nearly all gone, and the Indians got very hungry. The horses worked hard, and it was so cold the grass was poor, so they got very weak, and we lost many in fights with the soldiers. Then the soldiers came to our camps and we had to run away and leave our lodges, then the soldiers burned them. We all got very tired and hungry, and the women and children cried, so the chiefs said we will go into Fort Sill and give up. We met Captain Pratt in the Wichita Mountains. He had some Indian soldiers and two wagons loaded with bread, sugar and coffee. He gave us plenty, and we gave him all our guns, pistols, bows and arrows, shields and spears. That night we had a big dance because we had plenty to eat. I went to Florida. Then I first began to learn something about the good way, and I find Indian’s way very bad; so I thought I will never live Indian’s way any more. Captain Pratt was our good friend. He taught us many things and showed us the white man’s road. We stayed in Florida three years, and then some of the Indians went back home, but the young men wanted to stay east and get a good education. We came to Hampton. We have been here one year, and we study hard and are learning to work and be men. We like it. I see that every white boy and girl, and every black boy and girl can go to school, and that is the way they get ahead of the Indians. Indians have no chance. You give all Indian boys and girls schools and teachers like you have, and Indians will do better.”