* OCT 3 1907 * 
 

 
 MluBtraUb 
 
 W \J 
 
 i9nG 
 
 E^t ^Unhnxh J^ublisljmg Olampan^ 
 (Etttrttutatt, ®l|ut 
 
(Copyrtglit. 19flB 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Che'n Ta Yung, Gatekeeper, Preacher, Martyr 1 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 Chai Gee, a Burning and a Shining Light 25 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 Pastor Wong-Yuk-Cho, an Honored Prophet 32 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Rev. Y. K. Yen, M. A 47 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Pang Lan Seng, the Apostle to Hunan 61 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Evangelist Shee, the Converted Story-teller 76 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Rev. Y. T. Zia, a Noble Pioneer 89 
 
 CHAPTER VII I. 
 Pastor Chang, of Tungcho 103 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Pastor Meng, of Paotingfu 116 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Wong Ping San, Poet, Musician, Saint 130 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Deacon Wong, of Shanghai 140 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Helper Li, of Tung-Chou, One of the Martyrs 14S 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Rev. Kwan Loy (Autobiographical ) 15G 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Old Wang, Founder of Protestantism in Manchuria 165 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 Blind Chang, of Manchuria 174 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 A Zealous Evangelist, Elder Wang 181 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Wang, of Wei ISO 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Mrs. Ma 197 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Chan Sui Cheung, a Fisher of Men 205 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Lay Zung Sing, a Godly Merchant 216 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Pastor Ling, of Foochow 223 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The Rev. Chau, Wesleyan Methodist Mission (British), 
 
 Canton . . . 234 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 To those noble men and women- 
 educators and others — whose Christian lives and 
 labors have made the writing of such a book possi- 
 ble, this volume is respectfully and affectionately 
 dedicated. 
 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 
 
 It is a pleasure to acknowledge the hearty co- 
 operation of friends in the preparation of the pres- 
 ent volume. Three or four chapters are published 
 as received. In other instances, only a slight 
 ajnount of editing was necessary. Besides those 
 whose names are appended to their articles, the fol- 
 lowing supplied material for one or more sketches : 
 Dr. E. H. Graves, Dr. H. Corbett, Dr. J. Macgowan, 
 Dr. J. Ross, Dr. R. T. Bryan, Dr. H. V. Noyes, 
 Rev. J. H. Meadows, Miss Helen Davies, Miss J. G. 
 Evans, Rev. J. E. Shoemaker, Rev. W. R. Hunt and 
 Dr. Ashmore. Assistance was also rendered by 
 Dr. A. P. Parker, Rev. W. N. Bitton, Rev. T. Rich- 
 ard, Rev. J. Stevenson, Dr. Griffith John, Dr. Chris- 
 tie and others. 
 
 W. P. B. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The China of to-day is ignorant of her chief glory 
 — the strong and beautiful Christian characters of 
 some of her children. 
 
 To make their acquaintance has been to us a 
 source of delight and inspiration. 
 
 We thought the world ought to know of these — 
 some of the choicest spirits of Christian annals; 
 while the church will rejoice in the renewed evi- 
 dence of the growing strength of Christianity, and 
 the saving power of divine truth. 
 
 W, P. B. 
 
A RURAL SCENE. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 Ch'en Ta-Yung, 
 gatekeeper, preacher, martyr. 
 
 "Six packages of incense/' 
 
 "Two cakes of soap," 
 
 "One block of soda/' said little Ch'en, reading 
 off the sales of a recent purchase to the head book- 
 keeper of the store in which he was employed. 
 
 "Anything else?" inquired the bookkeeper. 
 
 "Nothing/' answered Ch'en, his attention fixed 
 upon a group of people on the opposite side of the 
 street, and then added: 
 
 "The devil's coming." 
 
 This last remark was caused by a missionary 
 bookseller emerging from the crowd and walking 
 toward the store. 
 
 Young Ch'en was a country lad, born a few li 
 outside the southeast gate of Peking. Like most 
 Chinese boys, he had been taught to read some of 
 the Chinese primers, and then employed in this 
 incense store on Hua'rh Shih, that his scant wages 
 might help to swell the small income of the family, 
 and thus enable them to "pass the days/' which 
 is about all an ordinary Chinese family expects 
 
 Ch'en was a short, plump, round-faced, good- 
 
2 Illustuious Chinese Ciiuistians. 
 
 natured, honest boy who enjoyed a i>oo(l conscience 
 and — two meals a day. He was fond of a joke, 
 but fond also of his books, and there was an uncer- 
 tain twinkle in his eyes as he watched the approach 
 of the missionary, though not a twinkle of mis- 
 chief. The man had books. 
 
 "Have you seen any of these books?" asked the 
 newcomer as he entered the store. 
 
 "No, what are they?" 
 
 "I have various kinds. Here is the ^Entrance 
 to Virtue and Knowledge'; ^Glad Tidings,' and 
 ^Evidences of Christianity'," said he as he spread 
 out a variety of books and pamphlets upon the 
 counter. 
 
 Both salesman and proprietor were interested 
 in the books as well as the man, and began plying 
 him with questions about himself, his books and 
 his teachings, which was, of course, the object 
 he sought. 
 
 Young Ch'en bought a iiook. 
 
 II. 
 
 A few days later, Ch'en was present at the 
 Sunday services of the London Mission. 
 
 In a conversation with the missionary he said he 
 had read the book, which, by a series of cross- 
 questioning, appeared very evident. He had not 
 only read, but made himself master of its contents. 
 
 '^I am deeply interested in this doctrine," he 
 said. . . 
 
iLLrsTuior's rrirxESE rmusTrANS. 3 
 
 '^Indeed," said the missionary, "I am glad to 
 hear it." 
 
 '^I should like lo .i»(^< some more books," Ch'en 
 continued; on which tlie uiissionarT selected for 
 him such books as would gixe him an intelligent 
 idea of the elementary principles of Christianity. 
 These he took with him, and for some months he 
 was a regiilar attendant at the Sunday services. 
 
 His interest in this new doctrine had not affect- 
 ed all his friends as it had the missionar^^ The 
 inmates of two homes and a business house re- 
 garded the matter very differently. They could 
 say nothing in opposition to his reading the books, 
 for he gave no occasion for offense by liis conduct, 
 nevertheless his parents and the parents of the 
 girl to whom he was betrothed — members of the Li 
 family — were not well pleased that their son and 
 prospective son-in-law should exhibit such a fond- 
 ness for the teachings of the foreign devil. 
 
 This, however, did not affect Ch'en. He was not 
 easily influenced. When his mind was made up, 
 it wa® not easily unmade. He continued to study, 
 continued to go to' church, asked to join on proba- 
 tion, and when this period was ended, young Ch'en 
 was baptized. 
 
 III. 
 
 Each step taken by the young man increased the 
 opposition in his own family. His mother was es- 
 pecially bitter against him, and yet she dare not 
 express it too openly, for she did not want to 
 
4 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 break with her son. She proposed to conisummate 
 his marriage, thinking that by giving him some- 
 thing different to think about, she would wean him 
 from this strange doctrine. To this he was not 
 loth, and especially as, only a short time previous- 
 ly, a foreigner, in consideration of certain services 
 Ch'en had rendered him, had presented him with 
 one hundred taels of silver, because of which he 
 gave up his position in the store and entered the 
 London Mission school. 
 
 When the matter of his marriage was fully set- 
 tled, Ch'en announced his determination to be 
 married according to the Christian ceremony. 
 
 A storm arose in his home. His mother was 
 furious. Ch'en was filial but firm, and when the 
 storm had spent its force, it left a young couple 
 very happy, but without a home, for young Ch'en 
 was married according to the Christian ceremony. 
 
 IV. 
 
 But married life and school life could not be 
 pursued together without a bank account, and as 
 Ch'en was not at liberty to put away his wife — and 
 be it understood he did not wish to do so — he found 
 it necessary to forego further study in school. 
 
 It so happened that the Methodist Mission, which 
 was then being established in the city, was in need 
 of a servant, and, on inquiry of some friends of 
 young Ch'en, they were told that they were wel- 
 come to him if they could get him to do anything, 
 
IlLUSTRIOI'S rillXESE CHRISTIANS. 5 
 
 which was more than they of the London Mission 
 were able to accomplish. Not that he was lazy — 
 Ch'en was never lazy — but he had a constitutional 
 indisposition to leave his books. He was willing 
 to do anything if only that thing was studying 
 books, and either because the newcomers were in 
 desperate straits, or because they approved of such 
 a disposition in a young man, they concluded to 
 try him. 
 
 They first took him as a house servant, but in 
 this capacity Ch'en was a failure. He could eat 
 food, but he could not cook it, and the office of 
 "boy" was too much like woman's work — ^^never 
 done." He had so approved himself to them, how- 
 ever, that they concluded to try him in another 
 and more responsible position, and so young Ch'en 
 was installed as gatekeeper. 
 
 V. 
 
 This was la jwsition exactly suited to the man 
 and the man to the position — ^at least, for the time. 
 Here was an important office connected with which 
 there was no duty, except to see that there was "no 
 admittance except on business," which Ch'en was 
 careful to attend to. He had ample opportunity to 
 converse with all classes, educated and uneducated, 
 on the subject which lay nearest his heart, which 
 subject was the gospel, for no office furnishes a 
 better opportunity for preaching than an Oriental 
 gatehouse. Ch'en magnified his office, and fur- 
 
6 iLLI'STKlOrS ClIlXKSE CHRISTIANS. 
 
 nislied evidence that only the mo^it faithful char- 
 acter should occupy the gatcOiouse of the foreign 
 missionary. 
 
 A new idea began to take form in the mind of 
 Clfen that his position in life was not to be 
 gatekeeper in the mission compound, but ''gate- 
 keeper in the house of the Lord" — and he attacked 
 his books with renewed vigor. He determined that 
 sometime he Avould be a preacher of the gospel. 
 
 There were obstacles, however, in the way. The 
 first and greatest of these was that his wife could 
 not read, and while she was a helpmeet to him in 
 his home, unless she learned to read, she Avould be 
 a hindrance to him as a preacher. How was this 
 difficulty to be overcome? He brought the matter 
 to his wife's attention in the hope that she would 
 suggest that she could learn to read. This solution 
 she, however, studiously avoided, and after broadly 
 hinting the possibility of such a method, but to no 
 purpose, he suggested : 
 
 ^'Perhaps you could learn to read.'' 
 
 No, Mrs. Ch'en could not learn to read. She 
 had too many family cares, too many duties, too 
 much work, she was too old, it would not be of any 
 use to her, she did not want to read. 
 
 Now^, Ch'en was too wise a man to pursue an 
 idea to a final conclusion without giving time for 
 reflection, and es])(H'ially with his wife. There was 
 no hurry; time wasi not an important element in 
 life. He ahvays put his ideas to soak. 
 
 The matter came up again, and Mr. Ch'en urged 
 
PASTOR CHENS THIRD SON, CH'EN WEI-PING, WIFE AND CHILDREN. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 9 
 
 that at least she study the catechism. Mrs. Ch'en 
 was not inclined to do so. She saw, however, that 
 her husband was intent upon it, and a look of un- 
 certainty appeared upon her face. But while she 
 thought about the matter, she determined not to 
 submit without a struggle. 
 
 Once more the matter came up. Mr. Ch'en was 
 the descendant of a people Avho have believed for 
 forty centuries that it is the duty of the wife to 
 obey her husband. Indeed, at that time, the church 
 he had left and the church he had entered, alike 
 compelled their women to promise at the marriage 
 altar to obey their husbands; but Mr. Ch'en pre- 
 ferred to rule by moral suasion rather than by 
 command or by force. Nevertheless, as he had tried 
 hinting, suggesting and urging, he mildly ordered 
 her to study the catechism. His order was too mild. 
 Mrs. Ch'en did not do so. He added vigor to his 
 command, but still without result, and when all 
 the methods had failed, Mr. Ch'en took his wife 
 out into a vacant garden where no one could hear, 
 see or tell, and whipped her until she promised 
 to study the catechism. 
 
 And the recording angel with a tear blotted out 
 the record made against Mr. Ch'en for his inhuman 
 conduct, because of his ignorance, his earnestness, 
 and the good results which sprang therefrom, for 
 Ch'en was doing his best to become a preacher. 
 
 VI. 
 
 When he was installed as gatekeeper, he did not 
 
10 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 cease to be a student. He studied divinity in the 
 gatehouse, which he transformed into a theological 
 school as well ,a-s a "gospel hall." He preached 
 in the street chapel, in the school, in the home, 
 everywhere, as the follow-ng quotations from the 
 mission history testify: 
 
 "Thus far, only one has made a profession of 
 Christianity in the North China Mission. His 
 name is Ch'en Cheng ]Mei, and he is the father of 
 our gatekeeper, an old man nearly sixty years of 
 age, formerly by occupation a shoemaker." 
 
 Turning over two leaves in the history, we read 
 again, that 
 
 "The rite of baptism was administered to Wen 
 Hui and Yang Su, whose probations have been 
 satisfactorily passed. They stood at the altar, rep- 
 resentatives of Avidely different classes, the former 
 a literary graduate of the second degree, a Manchu 
 Tartar, and belonging to the Imperial army; the 
 la'tter a type of the laboring class.* The former 
 received his religious impressions while employed 
 as teacher of the boys' school, while the latter was 
 our only trophy of the unsuccessful attempt to pur- 
 chase the temple in the Southern City. We failed 
 to get the place, but we trust a soul was secured 
 for heaven. The chief credit of bringing forward 
 these two converts is to be given to Ch'en Ta-Yung, 
 w^hose studious habits and blameless life have of 
 late given us reason to hope that he may yet find 
 
 ♦Although that was thirty years ago, the latter is gatekeeper 
 iu the compound in Peking since the Boxer trouble. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christlvns. 11 
 
 his proper sphere in the field of the ministry. 
 Already his aged father has taken his place as gate- 
 keeper, and hiis time has been more exclusively 
 given to study and work as an exhorter.'- 
 
 In this connection we are still told that ^^in the 
 summer of 1873, a man named Wang Tui-fvi* having 
 the degree of Hsiu Tsai, and belonging to the village 
 of An Chia Chuang, in Shantung, distant from Pe- 
 king 400 miles, was in the capital preparing to enter 
 the examinations for the degree of Chu-Run. 
 Meantime he happened into our chapel on Hai Ta 
 Men (Great Street), was interested in the word 
 preached, came again and again, made the acquaint- 
 ance of Cli'en Ta-Yung, and soon presented himself 
 as a candidate for probation." 
 
 ''In February, 1874, it was decided to send a 
 letter of greeting to the little church in Hsiu An, 
 from their brethren in Peking. According^ the 
 letter was written and entrusted to Ch'en Ta-Yung, 
 noAv acting as native preacher with the rank of 
 student helper, who, in the mission cart with Yang 
 Su, carried it thither, and remained a day or two 
 preaching and exhorting." 
 
 Such are the first records about Ch'en. In this 
 traveling from place to place, it not infrequently 
 happened that scholars came to the inn and tried 
 to enter into discussion with Ch'en as to the relative 
 virtues of Confucianism and Christianity. After 
 
 * The story of this family is the most interesting of the North 
 China Mission converts. 
 
12 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 oue such discussion the missionary said to him, 
 ^'You are not an educated man." 
 
 ^^No," said Ch'en, ''I am not." 
 
 ^^How is it that you do not fear to enter into 
 discussions with these scholars?" 
 
 "Oh," said Ch'en, ''I just sticli to the Bible, and 
 I know more about that than they do." 
 
 Ch'en had in reality become a preacher — one who 
 feared not the. scholar nor despised the coolie. 
 
 VII. 
 
 "Ma-Li, the girl who was born on the first day 
 of the first month." 
 
 "Poor child, poor child; ai 3'a! ai ya!" 
 
 This was the ejaculation of Ch'en's mother when 
 his first baby was born. 
 
 It was a girl. It was born on the first day of 
 the first month — New Year's Day. The old woman 
 was superstitious. She predicted that he would 
 have nothing but girls in his family. He would 
 have bad luck all his life. First day, first month, 
 first child a girl. Ai ya! Ai ya! Ch'en was san- 
 guine and satisfied, and called the little girl Mary, 
 or, as he pronounced it, Ma-Li. 
 
 The old lady continued to sigh, the baby con- 
 tinued to grow, until she was pronounced by all 
 who saw her, the most beautiful Chinese baby they 
 had ever seen, and Ch'en continued to preach. It 
 aggravated his mother that he was not disturbed 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 13 
 
 by this stroke of ill luck, and when the next baby 
 came — which was a boy — the old woman only shook 
 her head, and remarked that it would take more 
 than one boy to avert the calamity of having your 
 first baby a girl, born on the first day of the first 
 month. 
 
 Ch'en, however, continued to pursue his soul- 
 saving work, read omnivorously, prayed fervently, 
 cracked an unusual number of jokes, called his boy 
 John, and waited for the next baby — which was a 
 boy. 
 
 Again the old woman sighed. Ch'en called his 
 second boy Jacob, and as beautiful little Mary was 
 growing to be a big girl, he began to teach her to 
 read the catechism. As the little girl repeated it 
 she sometimes made mistakes. But her mother 
 sitting by, making a pinafore, was always able to 
 correct them from memory. And the next baby 
 was a boy. 
 
 Now, when this third boy came, the old lady 
 sighed much more faintly than before. But it was 
 not until the fifth child was born, which was also 
 a boy — as were the sixth and seventh — that she 
 finally gave up her superstition that the first baby, 
 if a girl, and born on Xew Year's Day, will bring 
 bad luck to a Christian home. 
 
 And little Mary grew up an educated woman, 
 married a doctor, and has two little boys and two 
 little girls as beautiful as herself. While Ch'en 
 continued steadfastly in his work of soul-saving. 
 
14 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 "Your turn to remain at lionie to-daj," said Pas- 
 tor Cli'en to his tliii'd son, Wei-pi'ng, a boy of nine, 
 as the family were starting to church. 
 
 ''Very well/' said the boy. 
 
 ''I «hall expect you to repeat this portion of 
 Matthew without a single error, when we return," 
 he continued as he locked the door of the small 
 room, leaving the child on the inside. As he passed 
 out of the court he locked the gate as he had tfie 
 door, the children the while calling to their brother 
 not to get lonesome. 
 
 This might seem harsh treatment for a lad of 
 nine, did we not remember that in China a house is 
 never quite safe alone, land the only way to be cer- 
 tain that the boy would not run away or burn the 
 house down, Avas to lock him in and give him some- 
 thing Avhich would keep him employed, and what 
 better on Sunday than committing a portion of 
 the Gospel? * 
 
 Mr. Ch'en Avas not one of those who set himself 
 to' preach so much gospel and rest from his labors. 
 He Avas not satisfied Avhen he had preached to 
 Strangers. His wife, children, parents, claimed a 
 portion of his time. When the children were home 
 from school during tlieir summer A^acation, it was 
 
 * Tliere were characters in the cliapter with which he was not 
 familiar, and his oldest brother, John, and Edward K. Lowry 
 climbed over the wall and told him what the characters were, 
 leaving before Mr, Oh'eil's return. This conduct was so nearly- 
 being mischievous that it lent interest to the task. 
 

 = X 
 
 r* CO 
 
 (T 12; 
 
 35 O 
 
 f 5 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 17 
 
 tbelr custom to have two meals a day, the one in 
 the morning at nine, ^nd the other in the afternoon 
 at four. After breakfast they were set to studying 
 the Scriptures. 
 
 A definite task was assigned them, for which, if 
 they recited without a mistake, they received ten 
 large cash. For every character they missed, one 
 cash was deducted. If they missed many charac- 
 ters, they were given extra time to review without 
 loss of reward, and with the money thus earned, 
 they were allowed to buy cakes for their lunch at 
 noon-day. This training produced good results. 
 When Number 3 graduated from college and had an 
 offer of forty dollars a month in business, he re- 
 fused it, and accepted a salary of two and a half 
 dollars a month as a preacher of the gospel beyond 
 the Great Wall. 
 
 WEI-PING AND FAMILY. 
 
 When the Allies arrived in Peking, this same 
 young man was employed as an interpreter on a 
 salary of ninety dollars a month. But as soon as the 
 remains of his scattered church could be brought 
 together and a hall secured — for his church had 
 been destroyed — he gave up his position as inter- 
 preter, and entered upon his work as preacher on 
 a salary one-tenth of what he was then receiving. 
 
 Number 4 followed in his footsteps. He proved 
 to be one of the best English-speaking students the 
 college had ever graduated. He was offered, and 
 accepted, a position in the Imperial Customs ser- 
 
18 ILLUSTUIOUS CllIxNESE CilUISTIANS. 
 
 vice, where his salary was: 1^'irsl .year, per montli, 
 115; second year, |20 ; tliird year, 125; with oppor- 
 tunity to double this amount as teacher or trans- 
 lator. 
 
 After having passed the examinations and se- 
 cured the position, he regretted what he had done, 
 sent in his rc^signation,, and became a teacher in 
 the college, where his salary was only five dollars 
 a mouth. 
 
 After a few months the great Viceroy, Li Hung 
 Chang, asked him to teach English to his two 
 grandsons, two hours a day, for which he promised 
 him thirty-five dollars per month. He did so, but 
 not until he had obtained permission from his prin- 
 cipal, and when he received the money, he put it 
 in the school fund for the education of a student, 
 and continued to work for his former salary. 
 
 Ch'en did not neglect the souls of his children 
 in his efforts to save the souls of strangers. 
 
 IX. 
 
 "Do not worry as to what you are to do for a 
 living. Finish your college course and trust the 
 Lord. The Lord will provide for the man who does 
 his duty." 
 
 This was Ch'en's answer to his children w^hen 
 they indicated anxiety as to how they were to make 
 a living. Mrs. Ch'en was desirous to economize, 
 and in this she exhibited peculiar ingenuity. 
 
 The matter of heating a Chinese house with its 
 
iLLUsTiiiors Chixesp: Ciikistians. 19 
 
 paper wiudows and brick lloors, iu a latitude of 
 forty degrees, on a salary of five dollars a month, 
 and provide snflficient food for the family, is one 
 which might claim the attention of a wiser econo- 
 mist than Mis. Clren. On a cold winter's day when 
 the foreign physician called at the Cli'en home, 
 she found the infant in a sand-bag. On inquiring 
 the reason, Mrs. Ch'en explained that sand was 
 much more easily kept clean than cloth, and that 
 when the sand was once warmed, it would retain 
 the heat all day, and thus there was no difficulty 
 in keeping the infant warm even in cold Aveather in 
 a Chinese house. 
 
 She advised all her children to bring up their 
 children in the sand-bag. Mrs. Ch'en's method 
 will hardly commend itself to European parents, 
 but be it said in Mrs. Ch'en's favor that of her ten 
 children, none died in infancy, and nine were liv- 
 ing when the Boxer movement began. They are 
 without extravagant ideas, are strong mentally, 
 physically and spiritually, and, as we have indi- 
 cated, Ch'en's two sons who have graduated have 
 engaged in religious work on salaries one-tenth 
 what they could be getting in business, while his 
 fifth son, now in college, promises to be equally 
 self-sacrificing and useful. 
 
 X. 
 
 "You must leave here at once and fiee to the 
 mountains," urged the members of Ch'en's church 
 
20 Illustrious Chinese Ohkistians. 
 
 during the Boxer moveiueut, when they heard of 
 the murder of Christians in other places, and 
 learned of the disturbed condition of the surround- 
 ing country. 
 
 '^No/' answered Ch'en; "I will not leave until 
 all the members of my flock are hidden away." 
 
 On June 5, after the close of the conference held 
 in Peking, Ch'en had taken his wife and his young- 
 est son and daughter, both of Avhom were in school, 
 and started for his appointment at Ch'ing Chou, 
 outside the Great Wall. 
 
 On July 22 the crisis came. The Christians had 
 repeatedly urged him to leave. They were familiar 
 with the surrounding country, and told him of the 
 best places in the mountains where he and his 
 family could hide with the greatest prospect of 
 security, and when they finally succeeded in per- 
 suading him to leave, they sent the chapel-keeper 
 to show him the way. When three miles from the 
 city, they were met by a man who inquired, ^'Who 
 are you?" 
 
 "I am the i)reacher in Yen Ching Chou." 
 
 "Where are you going?" 
 
 "I am going to the mountains." 
 
 The man hurried back to the village and in- 
 formed the Boxers that a group of Christians were 
 fleeing to the mountains. 'The Boxer cliief, followed 
 by his rabble, at once pursued, and soon overtook 
 them. After asking the same questions the other 
 had, he continued: 
 
 "Have you any money?" 
 
Illustkiotts Chinese Christians. 21 
 
 "Yes," said Ch'en, and gave them what he had. 
 
 "Throw down your clothing and bedding." 
 
 Ch'en did so, and, turning to the rabble, the chief 
 said, "Now I am through with them, you may do as 
 you like." 
 
 His little daughter, whom they called Apple — 
 not an ordinary apple, but the best variety known 
 ii^ the north — ran screaming to her mother's arms, 
 from which retreat she saw the savage Boxers and 
 the irresponsible rabble kill and behead her father, 
 the chapel-keeper, and her brother, a boy as gener- 
 ous and noble as any of the three already men- 
 tioned, the while she in childish fear cried out, 
 "Oh, mother, what shall we do! What shall we do!" 
 
 "We will all go to our heavenly Father together," 
 vsaid the old woman; her faith never failing her to 
 the last, and she and her beautiful baby daughter 
 of thirteen were hacked to pieces, locked in each 
 other's arms, and — 
 
 Ch'en entered the list of martyrs, a hero in his 
 death, as he had been in life. 
 
 XI. 
 
 It was some months later when the third son 
 visited the place and gathered up the bones of his 
 loved ones, their bodies having been burned, to give 
 them proper burial. The skulls, however, were no- 
 where to be found. Five months later, these were 
 found by some of the villagers and placed with the 
 others in the family burying-ground. 
 
22 iLLUiSTKIOrS CllIXKSK ClIKISTIANS. 
 
 Was the joiiiig iiiairs lieai-t lillcil witli bitterness 
 and resentment, as he looked upon the remains of 
 those he k)ved? J^et the foHowini; recjuest testify: 
 
 ^'I shouhl like to go to that church and preach 
 the go^spel to those wlio murdered my parents/' 
 said he with the simplicity of a child. 
 
 When the matter of indemnity for native Chris- 
 tians was brought up for consideration, the offi- 
 cials would gladly have paid any bill the young 
 man ^yould have put in. All the property his father 
 had, had been taken, and seven children had been 
 left orphans. But when asked what indemnity he 
 wanted, his ansAver was, '^We are not in need; we 
 do not want indemnity." 
 
 Ch'en's investment of influence in his sons and 
 daughters is appearing in the form of the noblest 
 Christian character and self-sacrificing service. 
 
 Isaac Taylor Headland. 
 
PASTOR CH'EN'S FOURTH SON, CH'EN WEI-CH'ENG. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Ohai Gee^ 
 a burning and a shining light. 
 
 Cliai Gee was small, but his appearance was 
 striking enough. The first thing you noticed was 
 that his were not Chinese eyes, not ^'almond 
 shaped," with that straight ^Mongoliiin upper line, 
 but regular in form, of a rich, lustrous hazel color, 
 and beautifully transparent. His manner was soft 
 and gentle, even timid, and there was a lack of 
 self-consciousness. The impression was one of del- 
 icacy and refinement. This winsomeness never left 
 him, but as a preacher he was peculiarly distin- 
 guished for fervor and power. The transformation 
 of a petty farmer into a veritable Boanerges must 
 now be told. 
 
 He held a few Chinese acres which he had inher- 
 ited from his father. On this land was a hillock. 
 Geomancers had declared that the feng-shui (luck) 
 of this hill Avas very superior, and that whoever had 
 his tombstone upon it, would thereby insure good 
 luck to all his posterity. The knoll was coveted by 
 a rich neighbor, who offered Chai Gee a small sum 
 for it. This was naturally declined, whereupon the 
 rich man took it by force. It was a case of Na- 
 both's vineyard in Chinese dress, The I'ich man 
 
 26 
 
26 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 sent workmen, who cleared the ground and set up 
 a tombstone. Chai Gee was desperate, and, al- 
 though helpless in the presence of the workmen, 
 he Avent at night-time and threw down the tomb- 
 stone. For this the rich man had him arrested 
 and thrown into prison. The venial nmgistrate 
 was bribed, and favored the rich nmn. After a 
 time the tomb Avas rebuilt, and Chai Gee Avas liber- 
 ated. No sooner Avas he free than he again de- 
 Sitroyed the stone, the symbol of his oppression. He 
 Avas again arretted, and this time he AA^as not to be 
 released until he agreed to let the rich man have 
 the ground. And to make assurance doubly sure, 
 he was, in the usual Chinese fashion, chained. He 
 Avas in despair. The sense of Avrong suffered 
 goaded him to madness. He refused to have his 
 hair cut, and went in and out of the prison yard 
 looking like a maniac. He declared that he would 
 go in that garb of mourning to the end of his days, 
 unless he got his case redressed. 
 
 Thus weeks and months passed a,Avay. One day 
 a sudden impulse seized him. He lifted up his eyes 
 toAvard heaven and prayed. ^'O (xod in lieaA^en, if 
 there is a God, help me to break this chain and 
 escape from this i)rison. You s(h^ Iioav I am 
 wronged. Hear nu?, and liel]) me, I pray you, O 
 God in heaven." He began to' wrench tin* chain 
 Avith the strength of a madman, and b)I tlie links 
 parted, and he Avas free. Tlie links in tliese cliains 
 are often not Avelded, but, howevei* \\'e may explain 
 the fact, he felt that Heaven had released him. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 27 
 
 He watched his opportunity and slipped out of 
 the yard with a piece of chain danglins^ at each 
 TNTist. From that time lie became a Avanderer. 
 He ventured home only at intervals, and at the dead 
 of night. He roamed the country, begging food. 
 Sometimes he got Avork. But he had constantly 
 to elude his persecutors. 
 
 The Avronged and wretched outcast one evening 
 wandered by a chapel where a native evangelist was 
 preaching. In the course of his discourse, he fre- 
 quently spoke of ^^the living God in heaven." Chai 
 Gee was startled. '^Why,'' said he^ "that is the 
 God that helped me.-- He was stirred to the depths 
 of his soul. He became an "inquirer," and a regu- 
 lar attendant at chapel services, and soon declared 
 himself a believer. He was full of an unspeak- 
 able delight. He noAV went to a barber and had 
 his head shaved, and took pains to make his shabby 
 clothes appear as respectable as possible. 
 
 His few friends were, naturally, astonished at 
 the change. 
 
 "You have shaved and dressed yourself again. 
 Have you got back your land?" 
 
 "Oh, no," he replied, "but I have found something 
 Avorth a myriad farms. I liaAC found the living God 
 and his 8on Jesus Christ, and am an heir to pos- 
 sessions worth more than the Avhole world." 
 
 He thought no more of his farm. He came before 
 the church, and told his story with streaming eyes, 
 and Avas baptized. At once he began to tell his 
 storv to all Avho Avould listen. His fervor Avas re- 
 
28 Illustri?us Chinese Christians. 
 
 marka.ble. Home called him ''poor, crazy Chai," 
 because lie talked so constantly of his imperishable 
 inheritance, which no rich man or mandarin could 
 take away from him. But he was moved b}- such 
 an intense conviction that, through him, many of 
 these scoffers were afterward converted. 
 
 He was now wanted as a helper, on account of 
 his many fine qualities. But he was illiterate. 
 He became a student, and with such diligence that 
 he was very soon reading his New Testament for 
 himself. 
 
 He increased in wisdom. His spiritual insight 
 was marked and profound. He was the John of 
 his group of preachers. Year by year he became 
 more scholarly, and at the same time more devout 
 and earnest, until a falling timber from a house 
 under construction brought his promising career 
 to a sudden end. 
 
 Chai Gee realized the highest conceptions of a 
 capable, consecrated, indefatigable and tactful 
 evangelist. In season and out he was busy about 
 the Master's business. He was never idle. Study- 
 ing, teaching, preaching, he became a model to 
 his fellows. He had an impulsive nature, and he 
 often preached with a vehemence that was really 
 tremendous. 
 
 He was fond of speaking of the love of Christ, 
 and as, in soft and subdued tones, he expatiated 
 on that wondrous theme, his soul was greatly 
 moved and his beautiful brown eyes became liquid. 
 
 Another favorite theme was '^The Majesty and 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 29 
 
 Grandeur of the Almighty." }^o impressive and 
 commanding was he when on this and some other 
 themes, that scoffers fairly quailed before him. 
 ''Do you not tremble before the mighty God who 
 thunders in the heavens, and who can send de- 
 struction upon you in a moment? Do you defy 
 his power?" Then the onslaught wound up with 
 a loving and kindly appeal. In the combination 
 of these two styles lay his power, for a powerful 
 preacher he surely was. 
 
 An incident will illustrate his character. Across 
 the bay was a village which had a bad reputation 
 for piracy, and violence generally. To this village 
 he proposed to go and preach. The dangers w^ere 
 pointed out to him. But he said God would take 
 care of him. So he went, and preached. But when 
 the last passenger boat had arrived, Chai Gee was 
 not among the passengers. It was feared he had 
 been captured and would be held for ransom. But 
 the next morning he appeared, and with an inter- 
 esting story. 
 
 He had preached all day. In the evening he was 
 thus engaged, with a crowd around him. Suddenly 
 there was a commotion. A rough and savage- 
 looking man pushed his wa}' through the throng, 
 crying, ''Let me! let me!" The crowd divided be- 
 fore his violence, and he stood before Chai Gee. 
 He had a woodcleaver in his hand. Raising it, he 
 said, "You dare to speak that accursed name again, 
 and I will split your head open." The people, 
 frightened, stood back. So they faced each other. 
 
30 Illustrious Chinese (vtiRisTiANS. 
 
 the 3'oimg preacher, and the savage luau with his 
 cleaver. Chai Gee silently prayed to God. He 
 then began slowly and softly, ''My friend, I can tell 
 you about a person who hated this doctrine worse 
 than you do, and went about killing people because 
 they believed it.'' This introduction aroused the 
 curiosity of the man. He listened. Then Chai 
 Gee told the story of Saul of Tarsus. The cleaver 
 dropped. The man was greatly interested. And in 
 a few minutes the name of Jesus was being 
 mentioned over and over again. The crowd closed 
 around. The man slipped away after a time, and 
 Chai Gee continued for some time to pour out the 
 vehemence of his soul. 
 
 But by this he missed the last boat. What should 
 he do? He must go to an inn. One was pointed 
 out to him. On the Avay he passed a dooryard. 
 To his consternation, he there saw the man with 
 the cleaver, splitting wood. His first impulse was 
 to run. He did not do so, but quickened his pace. 
 Suddenly the man called out, "Where are you 
 going?'' - 
 
 "I have missed my boat, and am seeking an inn 
 for the night." 
 
 '^You need go no farther,'' said the man, the tiger 
 growl all gone out of liis voice. "Stay here. I will 
 take good care of you, give you something to eat, 
 and a place to sleep.'' 
 
 Chai Gee, fearing treachery, hesitated, but, see- 
 ing no escape, finally -accepted. He was allowed to 
 preach the gospel in the house, and the next morn- 
 
Illitstuiotts Chinese rmnsTiAxs. 31 
 
 ing was sent on his way, the niau refusing to* accept 
 any compensation for his hospitality, 
 
 Chai Cee closed tlie narrative with : "You see 
 how God took care of me. Ah! I can trust him 
 when in danger/' 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 Pastor Wong Yuk Cii'o, 
 an honored prophet. 
 
 The storms of wind and rain, snow and hail which 
 beat upon the young oak do but root it more se- 
 curely in the ground, and cause it to take firmer 
 hold of the soil, and to spread its branches more 
 widely to the sun and air, until those who have not 
 watched its growth wonder at its massive strength 
 and giant branches. So is it with men. There are 
 some men who make us marvel by the way in which 
 they tower above their fellows, and stand firm and 
 undaunted in the midst of storms and trials, strong 
 in faith, nothing wavering. 
 
 Such a man is Pastor Wong Yuk Cli'o, of the 
 London Mission Independent Church in Hongkong: 
 a man whose strong, rugged face, spare figure, and 
 faithful, dauntless speech remind one often of Eli- 
 jah the projjhet. No visionary dreamer he, but a 
 man of broad mind, gTeat intelligence, deep ear- 
 nestness, far-seeing vision, and acute spiritual per- 
 ception; a man who lives near to Cod, and fears 
 not the face of man. 
 
 Pastor Wong Yuk Ch'o is also a most true-hearted 
 patriot, who weeps over his country's shame, and 
 prays and labors incessantly for her reformation 
 
PASTOR WONG-YUK-CH'O, AN HONORED PROPHET. 
 
iLU'STRIOrS C'lIIXESi: rilKISTIAXS. 35 
 
 from unthin. His sermons are full of deep tlioiio^lit 
 and spiritual truth, and yet intensely practical, and 
 suited to the needs of the hour. As we listen to his 
 earnest words, and watch his faithful, patient life 
 and work, and hear his many schemes for the 
 advancement of his people, we wonder at the man. 
 But when we learn the story of his life, we wonder 
 no longer. He has been deeply taught of God, and 
 is indeed '^rooted and grounded in him,'' all tlie 
 more firmly by reason of the many storms of trial 
 and persecution which have passed over his head. 
 
 His life's story Avill be best told in his own simple 
 words, as nearly .a,s possible. 
 
 "I belong," said Pastor Wong, ^^to the Kwong- 
 Tung Province, the Tung-Kun Department, and the 
 town of Fu-Mun. My father Avas born in 1817, and 
 was baptized in 1817 by Pastor Gutzlaff. I myself 
 was born in 1813. In 1850 my father moved into 
 the San-On district, to the village of Fuk-Wing, 
 where I was baptized by Pastor Lobschied, of the 
 Phenish Mission, at the age of seven. I Avas after- 
 wards sent to Pastor Genhaer to school. In 1858, 
 because of fighting in the neighborhood, my father 
 sent us back to Fu-Mun, while he himself remained 
 alone at his post in Fuk-Wing. He was seized by 
 the soldiers and taken to the village of Sha-Tsing, 
 and imprisoned in the Ancestral Hall, AAdiile the 
 soldiers outside were dividing the spoils which they 
 had looted, intending afterwards to take my father 
 to Canton to claim the rcAvard for a captured 
 Christian. While this was going on, my father in- 
 
3G iLLUSTKious Chinese Christians. 
 
 side the hall was silently praying that God would 
 save him. After a little while, a young man came 
 in, and led my father out in face of the soldiers , 
 and past them ! but they were so occupied with their 
 booty that not one of them saw him, and he got 
 safely away.'' 
 
 Amid such danger and strife was the little lad 
 brought up. 
 
 ''In 1860, while I was in Hongkong with Pastor 
 Lobschied, at the Berlin Foundling House, one 
 night I suddenly saAV my mother standing before 
 me. The next day I was troubled and anxious 
 about her, and on the third day I received a letter 
 from home, telling me that my mother had died 
 on the very night on which I saw her. 
 
 "After a visit home, my father brought me again 
 to Hongkong to study under Pastor Genhaer. 
 Later on. Pastor Genhaer moved into the Kwai- 
 8hin Department to preach and to teach, and, be- 
 cause I was stupid and did not care for books, he 
 advised my father to put me to learn a trade. This 
 also I was unwilling to do, so that my father became 
 very sad about me, and spent many hours in earnest 
 prayer on my behalf.'' 
 
 The downrightness and steadfastness of the man, 
 then only a youth of eighteen, comes out very 
 strongly in the next sentence. 
 
 "In 1861 I decided to study and become a 
 preacher of the gospel." 
 
 Prom that time he never wavered, but went 
 
iLLrSTKIOrS rmXESE rilHISTTANS. 37 
 
 steadily forward in the clioseu path of duty, in the 
 face of many hindrances. 
 
 "In 1863 1 had tlireatenings of disease of the 
 lungs. In 1864 there Ayas a terrible epidemic of 
 cholera in tlie KAyai-Shin district, ^yllere I was 
 studying. Pastor Genhaer Ayas himself far from 
 Ayell, but he labored night and day, toiling anxiously 
 among the sick and the dying, helping, healing and 
 praying. Then he took a poor Chinese woman, ill 
 of cholera, and cast out by her friends, into his 
 o^yn house, and ministered to her there with his 
 own hands. That night his own eldest son fell ill 
 with cholera, and to him also Pastor Genhaer min- 
 istered, until the next morning he himself was un- 
 able to rise, smitten with the same deadly sickness. 
 He called for me to come and help him and his son 
 in their sore need. That same afternoon both the 
 pastor and his son died, and most of the scholars 
 fled in terror. Thank God, although my brother 
 and I did everything that could be done for both 
 the pastor and his son, until God took them (and 
 also for another sick in the house), and afterwards 
 prepared their bodies for burial, we were kept per- 
 fectly well and free from sickness, while very many 
 of those who fled in fear were taken ill, and many 
 of them died.'' 
 
 A simple record of faithful heroism and fearless 
 devotion. 
 
 "In 1865 Pastor Krolezyk asked me to go to Shek- 
 Sung to preach, and in 1866 Pastor Faber asked 
 me to go to Fu-Mun to teach and to preach. In 
 
38 iLLISTRIOrS ClTIXESK ClIUISTIANS. 
 
 1867, having married, 1 weut back to Shek-Sung 
 to teach and to preach. That same year my lung 
 trouble came back upon me. 
 
 '^In 18()8 I was sent back to Fu-Mun, where my 
 eldest daughter was born in 1809. 1 afterwards 
 took my famiW to Tung-Kun (Mty to be with my 
 father, while I returned to Fu-Mun. 
 
 "In 1870 there were reports spread about Tung- 
 Kun City that my father was using medicinal pow- 
 der to delude women into entering the church ; and 
 because of these false reports my father and step- 
 mother, my wife and child were placed in extreme 
 peril. Some one came to Fu-Mun with the news, 
 and told me that he could not say whether my peo- 
 ple were dead or alive. I set off immediately for 
 Tung-Kun City. On the passage-boat I preached 
 the gospel, and discussed it with my fellow-passen- 
 gers." 
 
 Very characteristic this of the man. His own 
 sore anxiety he put on one side that he might bring 
 his Master's message to souls that day. 
 
 ''That day the wind was contrary, and because I 
 was in sore haste, I got off the boat half way up the 
 river, that I might take a sliorter route to Tung- 
 Kun City on foot." 
 
 That this seeming d(4ay, through contrary winds, 
 was only the ''good liand of God'- upon him, he 
 afterwards learned. 
 
 "When I got to the city, I found the chapel torn 
 down, and saw my stepmother's, sister^s and wife's 
 clothes and bound-foot shoes hanging on the ruined 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. ' 39 
 
 walls, while those who passed were discussing how 
 that my father had deluded both large and small 
 footed women to enter the church in great numbers. 
 I could not find out where my people Avere, or what 
 had become of them ; so I went back to Shek-Sung, 
 and thence to Canton, seeking some trace of them. 
 In Canton I learned what perils the^^ had met 
 with, and how they had been wondrously delivered. 
 
 "My little daughter, A Tsing (now head teacher 
 of the London Mission Training Home for Chinese 
 Girls in Hongkong), was then about six months 
 old. One of the rioters snatched her up, and was 
 intending to dash her to the ground, when, thank 
 God, instead of crying at such rude handling, the 
 baby laughed in his face. A man standing by said 
 to the would-be murderer, 'How can you have such 
 a hard heart as to kill a laughing child like that? 
 You had better give her to me.' This man Avas a 
 friend of my father's Avhom he had healed. He thus 
 saved the baby from the hands of these cruel men, 
 and gave her back to my people, whom he also con- 
 triA^ed to help escape to Canton and thence to Fu- 
 Mun." 
 
 The baby saved that day from death has done 
 many years' good Avork for the Master, and, please 
 God, will do many more yet. 
 
 "A soldier who was known to my father, said to 
 him afterAvards, 'What times are these that your 
 son must needs discuss the gospel on passage-boats? 
 That day on the passage-boat going to Tung-Kun 
 there Avere a number of rowdies, who, hearing him 
 
40 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 speaking the gospel, decided among themselves that 
 as soon as he left the boat at the end of the journey, 
 they would beat him to death. Fortunately, your 
 son got off the boat half way up the river, and was 
 thus saved.' 
 
 "That year my lung affection increased so much 
 that the Rhenish Missionary Society set me free 
 from my duties to see what complete rest would do 
 for me. My father was very anxious about me, and 
 spent long hours in prayer for my recovery, getting 
 up long before daylight to plead that God would 
 si)are my life. At that time I was in Fuk-Wing 
 nursing myself, and my wife and family were again 
 in Tung-Kun City with my father. 
 
 "In 1871 the report about the medicinal powder 
 was again spread abroad, and all through the dis- 
 trict cha])els were destroyed. The rioters were de- 
 termined to get hold of my father this time, and 
 put him to death, but again a way of escape was 
 w^ondrously made. 
 
 "Just at that time, Pastor Krolezyk and Pastor 
 Nacken went from Canton to Shek-Sung, and sent 
 for my fatlier to meet them there, that they might 
 discuss witli him whether it was advisable for them 
 to go on to Tung-Kun City or not. My father had 
 only just left for Shek-Sung, when the rioters sur- 
 rounded the chapel, and began to destroy and loot. 
 A friend of my father, hearing what was going on, 
 rushed to the place, brought out the women and 
 the children, and took them in safety to Canton. 
 My father, on landing from the passage-l)oat, on his 
 
Illustrious Ciiixkse Ciiristlvxs. 41 
 
 return from Shek-Siing, heard at the landing that 
 the chapel had been destroyed, so he took a by-road 
 to the cit3'. Half way there he met some of the 
 rioters with their booty. One of the men recognized 
 my father, and wished to take him and throw him 
 into the river. Bnt God intervened, and another 
 man said, 'You have already taken all the nmn's 
 goods. What m the use of killing him now?' and 
 thus was my father saved. Having reached a small 
 village, he sought out a friend there, but his friend 
 dare not shelter him many hours, and at midnight 
 led him out of the village and put him on the road to 
 Canton. Afterwards in Hongkong he met with this 
 same friend, who told him that, not long after he 
 left, the village rowdies came in a great crowd to 
 the house and demanded that my father should be 
 brought out to them, saying that he had put magical 
 powder in the wells. When told that he was not 
 there, they would not believe it, and so threatened 
 the man that he was obliged to flee to Hongkong for 
 safety. At that time, I was myself in Fuk-Wing for 
 the sake of my health. When I heard that my fam- 
 ily had been obliged to take refuse in Hono^kono-, I 
 went there at once, and found that the climate 
 agreed with me so well that I asked the Rhenish 
 Mission if they would give me work to do there. 
 
 "In 1873 Pastor Klitzke asked me to go to the 
 Berlin Foundling House to teach and to preach, 
 and I thank Ood that from that time the disease 
 of the lungs with which I liad been troubled grad- 
 ual Iv left me (^ntirelv. 
 
42 Illustrious CiiiiNksk Ciiuistlvxs. 
 
 ^'lu 1884, after 1 had beeu ordaiued a pastor, I 
 was asked by the elders and congregation of the 
 London Missionary Society's Independent Church 
 in Hongkong to become their pastor, and, with the 
 consent of the Rhenish Mission, I accepted the call/' 
 
 Very generously the Rhenish ^lission allowed 
 Pastor Wong to sever the connection of a lifetime, 
 and, recognizing with him the importance of the 
 call — the wider sphere and larger opportunities — 
 gave him up to his new work for the common Lord. 
 
 From that day to this Pastor Wong Yuk Ch'o 
 has faithfully filled that post. In labors more 
 abundant, he has never spared himself in anything 
 that could in any way benefit his people, but has 
 schemed and planned, and worked day and night 
 for their welfare. In a place like Hongkong, 
 where so many are birds of passage, a church can 
 not grow in the same way as where there is a set- 
 tled population growing up year after year, and 
 generation after generation ; its influence is more 
 widely diffused and less concentrated. Also, in 
 a port where East and West meet (too often in 
 their lowest and worst aspects), the luxuries, 
 temptations and vices are many, and work very ad- 
 versely against the life of a church. But, in spite 
 of these, and many other and great liindrances, 
 the To-T'sai Church, under Pastor AN'ong, lias been 
 built up and strengthened, and has made very de- 
 cided growth and progress, as those Avho have 
 known it during that period can testify. Wlierein 
 it has not progressed has not been for the lack of 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 43 
 
 a most faithful and intelligent ministry of the word 
 of God, by a most devoted pastor for seventeen 
 years. 
 
 Pastor Wong is now fifty-nine years of age, and 
 his aged father — still a power in the family coun- 
 cils — is hale and vigorous at eighty-five. The pas- 
 tor has a family of six sons and three daughters 
 living, and eight grandchildren. All of his chil- 
 dren (except those who are still at school) are hon- 
 orably occupying positions of trust and influence. 
 The third and fourth sons, after brilliant careers 
 in the Imperial College in Tientsin, have just been 
 sent, at the expense of the Chinese Government, to 
 America (and probably afterwards to Europe) 
 for a period of four or five years' study — one of min- 
 ing and surveying, the other of international law. 
 The two eldest daughters are filling the posts of 
 first and second teachers in the London Missionary 
 Society's Training House for Chinese Girls, Hong- 
 kong. 
 
 Pastor Wong Yuk Ch'o has Avritten three books. 
 The first is a tractate on the reasons why the church 
 is hated by the rulers ; the second is an appeal from 
 himself, as a Christian pastor, to the rulers to help 
 their unhappy people to true reformation, in which 
 appeal he also strives to give them a better under- 
 standing of Christianity; the third is a treatise on 
 the reform necessary within the church to cause the 
 gospel to spread far and wide through the country. 
 He has also, with much thought and labor, designed 
 a very wonderful and simple set of strokes, and 
 
44 Illustrious Chinese (Miiustlvns. 
 
 combiiiatious of strokes, representing the sounds 
 of the Chinese language, hoping in this way to 
 overcome the j)rejudice of the people by making 
 the reading of books an easy matter for the many 
 instead of the few, and the wide diffusion of knowl- 
 edge its consequent result. This new system of 
 Avriting the sounds of the Chinese language (which 
 can easily be mastered in from ten to fifteen days), 
 along Avith other new systems of writing, the Em- 
 peror had ordered the Tsung Li Yamen to examine 
 and present to him, just before the coup d'etat, 
 when a barrier Avas put for a time to all progress. 
 This earnest-hearted patriot, Pastor Wong, thus 
 AM'ites : ''Alas that my country, although God, by 
 his grace, has aroused her so many times, until 
 this day is not yet thoroughly awakened ! Perhaps 
 she may be, even noAv, beginning to awake in re- 
 ality. My hope is that Europe and America, the 
 two great Christian continents, Avill not think only 
 Avhat profit they can get from China, but will also 
 remember that the people of China are in great 
 darkness and bitterness of soul, and also tlmt the 
 disciples of Christ suffer most of all. I ])ray that 
 the people of these two great Christian continents, 
 Avith their rulers, will devise some means of help- 
 ing my country to true reformation, that she may 
 leave the darkness and come into the light. I also 
 pray that the Christian churches of all lands Avill 
 carefully revise their methods that the gospel ot 
 our Lord Jesus Christ may spread far and wide." 
 
REV. Y. K. YEN, SHANGHAI, CHINA. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 Rev. Y. K. Vex, M. A. 
 
 The Rev. Yimo- Kiung Yen, M. A., known while 
 in the States as Mr. Ngan Y^oong Kiung, was born 
 in Shanghai, in the 3^ear 1838, or, to be more exact, 
 on the ninth day, first moon, nineteenth year of 
 Tao Kwang. His father was a native of Amoy, 
 and was engaged as manager of one of the numer- 
 ous cotton hongs of his fellow-townsmen, located 
 in the neighborhood of the Small East Gate. He 
 was the third of five children, as his ''milk name," 
 San Doo, ''the third great one," clearly indicated 
 to his schoolmates, but he became the eldest child 
 by the death of the two older brothers. 
 
 His early life seems to be clothed in mystery, but 
 when he was nine years old he became a pupil at one 
 of the day schools started by the American Church 
 Mission under the first Bishop Boone. Notwith- 
 standing his youthfulness, it is said that he was 
 regarded with respect on account of his being the 
 cleverest boy, in both English and Chinese. At the 
 same time, as one of his old schoolmates tells us, 
 "his mind was full of resources, and so he was ever 
 ready to invent some innocent amusement for him- 
 self and his schoolmates in the vacations or recess 
 hours. One favorite pastime w^as a mock Taoist 
 
 47 
 
48 lLLL'JSTiauufc5 CiiiNEJSi: (Mikistia.ws. 
 
 procession in wliich he would take the lead by wrap- 
 ping himself in a bed sheet, his queue done up in a 
 chignon, and the sclioo] bell in hand, with ten or a 
 dozen boys similarly attired followiing him. . . . 
 If a pet dog of the school died, Yen would organize 
 a mock funeral a la Chinoise, with all its eclat 
 and circumstance. . . . Taken on the whole. 
 Yen enjoyed the hilarious exercises here just as 
 much as an average undergraduate does in Amer- 
 ica, Avhere subsequently he again found opportuni- 
 ties of gratifying his exuberant nature. 
 
 At the age of fifteen he went to the United States 
 for a more thorough education. A Rev, Mr. Clem- 
 ens, of Delaware, took him and a companion under 
 his charge, and at his residence they remained two 
 years, at the expiration of which his companion, 
 Mr. Yang, returned to China. 
 
 Mr. Y^'en then Avent up to New York and matricu- 
 lated at Anthon's Classical School, where he re- 
 ceived a preparatory course prior to entering col- 
 lege. While there, and later, at college, the Sun- 
 day-school of the Church of the Ascension, whoise 
 rector was the Rev. Dr. G. Thurston Bedell, sup- 
 l^lied him with funds for his expenses. When Dr. 
 Bedell was consecrated Bishop of Ohio, Mr. Y^en 
 followed him to that State. There he became a 
 student of Kenyon College at Gambler, Ohio. 
 
 Hiis college life was most happy. He was a 
 member of the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. As 
 some one says, "Skating and swimming invigorated 
 his body. On the campus he could swing the bat as 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 49 
 
 well as the next man, and in the debating society 
 he was never at a loss for a repartee, and his part- 
 ing salute was always resonant.'' 
 
 He graduated a bachelor of arts, but his alma 
 mater conferred on him the master's degree a few 
 years later. 
 
 He was in his twenty-third year when he re- 
 turned to his mother land, then with the Tai-ping 
 rebellion at its height. Being a kind of foster 
 child of the mission, he naturally desired to enter 
 its employ. Owing to the war in America, the mis- 
 sion was short of funds, and could not take on 
 another worker. For this reason, and because he 
 wished to assist in paying some family obligations, 
 he accepted the position of interpreter to the Brit- 
 ish Consulate, after promising Bishop Boone that 
 he would return to mission work after a few years. 
 It need only be said that his earning"s frequently 
 amounted to three or four hundred taels per month, 
 to show the ease with which men with a sound 
 English education could make themselves wealthy 
 in those days. He joined the firm of Hanbury & 
 Co., subsequently, and finally became interpreter 
 to the Municipal Council. While holding these 
 responsible positions, so liable to grave abuses, hvs 
 integrity would not permit him to soil his hands 
 with unlawful gains. His single example is suflS- 
 eient to quash that vicious, unreasonable affirma- 
 tion of some foreigners that all Chinese are men- 
 dacious and dishonest. So appreciative was the 
 Municipal Council of his services and character 
 
50 iLLrSTHlOlS CillXKSE CHRISTIANS. 
 
 that the nieinbers urged him to sign a contract 
 continuing his position for a k)ng period of years. 
 His intention to join the mission was dormant, 
 though not dead. As soon as the mission was iin 
 proper working order, he left the business worhl 
 and became a candidate for hoi}- orders under the 
 Right Rev. C. M. Williams, the successor to Bishop 
 Boone. 
 
 It is interesting and instructive to note that 
 while he was in business, he was at the same time 
 doing, at his own expense, charitable and mission- 
 ary work. He was the patron of a day school, and 
 identified himself with the clerical and pastoral 
 duties of the Church of Our Saviour, in Shanghai. 
 
 Of his lifelong work in connection with the Amer- 
 ican Church Mission, the Rev. F. L. Hawks-Pott, 
 D. D., says: ^'For twelve years he spent his ener- 
 gies in laying the foundation of the church's work 
 at Wuchang and Hangkow. It was hard, up-hill 
 work, and seemingly one that produced no great 
 results. Many must have been the hours of dis- 
 couragement, but through it all he showed the in- 
 domitable perseverance for Avhich his countrymen 
 are noted. It is pleasant to think that during his 
 last days he was able to see some of the fruits of 
 his labor, and the last article penned by him shows 
 how he rejoiced at the changed aspect of missionary 
 work, and how sanguine he felt in r(\gard to the 
 great Christian movement now making itself felt 
 in China. 
 
 "Owing to money that he had invested when in 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 51 
 
 business, he was never entirely dependent upon the 
 salary he receivc^d from the mission, and many 
 times gave proof of the entire absence on his part 
 of the spirit of self-seeking. At one time he had 
 advanced the mission the sum of taels 1,000 ; when 
 he discovered tliat it was difficult for them to repay 
 it, he canceled the debt. At another time, when 
 ho was somewhat incapacitated for work, owing to 
 an affection of the throat, he voluntarily relin- 
 quished his salary for a year. When he discovered 
 that some of the Chinese in the employ of the mis- 
 sion felt grieved at his receiving higher pay than 
 any other native worker, of his own free will he 
 requested to have his salary reduced." 
 
 When St. John's College was founded, at Shang- 
 hai, Mr. Yen was called to serve on the faculty. 
 For eight years he was associated with the work of 
 this college, and had a part in the training of many 
 who are now in the ministry of the church. The 
 introduction of English into the curriculum was 
 owing to his advice, and all through the history of 
 the college he was always a warm supporter and a 
 wise counselor. He was admirably fitted to be a 
 teacher. In fact, his education rendered this line 
 of work more congenial to him than that of an 
 evangelist. 
 
 After eight years he was called to the pastorate 
 of the Church of Our Saviour. Here he labored for 
 the last twelve years, residing in the rectory ad- 
 joining the church. While in Shanghai he became 
 associated with many projects for the evangeliza- 
 
52 Illustrious Chimose CiiiusTL\iS'S. 
 
 tion and enlightenment of his countrymen. He 
 was prominent in several Christian movements, 
 such as the Anti-opium ISociety, the Christian En- 
 deavor, and the Chinese Tract Society, and Avas 
 looked up to by Christians of all the Protestant 
 denominations as one of their great leaders. 
 
 He did a great deal of valuable literary work. 
 He did valuable work on the Prayer Book, in the 
 Chinese literary style, and also translated various 
 theological treatises. He also translated Spencer's 
 book on education, Haven's "Mental Philosophy," 
 and other works. Deeply impressed with the in- 
 adequacy of primary books in Chinese, he ex- 
 hausted his ingenuity by first getting out a series 
 of Chinese characters, for beginners. For more ad- 
 vanced pupils he prepared the ''Ladder of Learn- 
 ing/' in three volumes, and compiled ''A History 
 of China for Schools." Besides numerous tracts, 
 he got out ''An Outline of Christian Doctrine," in 
 two volumes. To show that his literary work was 
 not unappreciated by the Chinese, I have heard it 
 remarked that "no library is complete without Mr. 
 Yen's translations." 
 
 During the great activity of the Anti-opium So- 
 ciety in 1894, when Sir Thomas Brassey was ap- 
 pointed head of a commission to India to inquire 
 into the harm and good (?) of the opium traffic, 
 Mr. Yen was invited to go to England and expose 
 the direful consequences of the baneful habit which 
 he had himself witnessed in China, thus appealing 
 directly to the English people from the accursed 
 
CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOUR, SHANGHAI, CHINA. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 55 
 
 victims. He accepted the call most willingly, 
 thougli it entailed on him a severe mental exertion 
 and a tax on his physical strength. He was warmly 
 welcomed everywhere, and even in university 
 towns, where the element is as a rule boisterous, 
 his discourses were politely listened to. 
 
 He crossed the Atlantic on completing his mis- 
 sion in Great Britain, and lectured throughout the 
 East and South of the United States on the church 
 in China. In the spring of 1898, when the Em- 
 peror, Kwang Hsu, was first converted to ideas of 
 reform, a prominent missionary was entrusted by 
 his Majesty to engage a tutor of English. His 
 Majesty emphasized the fact that only a Chinese 
 was acceptable. The missionary came to Shanghai, 
 called on Mr. Yen, and stated his erranrl. It was 
 no doubt a great honor, which he unfortunately was 
 compelled to decline. His reasons were, first, the 
 time foT introducing English into his Majesty's 
 course of education had not arrived, and, conse- 
 quently, the desire of the Emperor would be 
 checked or short-lived; second, he could not leave 
 his mission. A third reason was, perhaps, the fact 
 that he was not born to be a mandarin. Essentially 
 democratic in his notions, it may safely be asserted 
 that life would be a torture to him if he had to 
 kneel three times and kowtow nine times whenever 
 he came into the presence of the Son of Heaven ! 
 
 His health began to fail after his trip around 
 the world. He passed quietly away at the age of 
 sixty years, in 1898. He received the holy com- 
 
56 Illuistiuuu« Ciiine^^e Chuistians. 
 
 munion with all liis: family, shortly before he died. 
 A day before his death, when he was almost uncon- 
 scious, a friend whispered in his ear, ''Trust in 
 God," and his face immediatel}- lighted up; raising 
 his clasped hands, he muttered something as much 
 as to sa}^, ''I know that Avell, thank God.'' 
 
 One of Mr. Yen's strongest characteristics was 
 his sense of justice. In the case of the police 
 roughly treating AYlieelbarrow coolies, or other 
 harmless people, he often interfered to secure re- 
 dress. 
 
 He worked hard to secure for Chinese the right 
 to sit on the Municipal Council of Shanghai. And 
 also the right to an entrance to the Public Garden®. 
 In the latter case there was eventually set apart 
 another garden for the use of Chinese. 
 
 Another of his characteristics was his self-re- 
 spect. He would not force himself among people, 
 but when he was properly invited he expected to be 
 treated with adequate respect. He was methodical 
 and systematic. He rose and retired at a certain 
 hour. 
 
 His view of the spread of Christianity in China 
 was not optimistic, but hopeful. In response to an 
 attack upon missions, missionaries and their con- 
 verts {^'Def €71810 Pop nil ad PopuJum^-), among 
 other things he said : ''For myself I do not expect 
 any sudden evangelization, but it is not to be aban- 
 doned on that account. The present is the time for 
 turning up the sod ; the sowing and harvesting will 
 surely come in time as they have in the West." 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 57 
 
 As to the writer's attack on the methods of the 
 missionary, charging the church with only being 
 able to receive the poor and ignorant, he answers : 
 "This is true only in part; for as in the apostolic 
 days, in Thessalonica and Berea, so now in China, 
 while some converts are poor and ignorant, many 
 are of the middle class, and honorable men and 
 women are not a few. In Shanghai, which, by the 
 way, can not be taken as a fair representative as 
 regards education, there are four ^B. A.'s' out of 
 a Protestant membership of five hundred. As re- 
 gards the vicious and outcasts, the church did not 
 in the first place receive them nor afterwards re- 
 tain them as siwh^ but as willing to lead better 
 lives." 
 
 The rectitude and justice of his character mani- 
 fested themselves when he was a mere lad. One of 
 his schoolmates tells us that "in the ^fifties' there 
 were between sixty and seventy boys in that mis- 
 sion school. They messed together in a large room 
 with eight boys at each square table. A large tub 
 of hot rice was placed in the middle of the room, 
 and each boy with his bowl might take a;s much of 
 it as he pleased. But the allowance of pork, fish 
 and vegetables on the table must first be divided 
 into eight portions before they could fall to, other- 
 wise the voracious eaters might gobble up half the 
 good things before the modest ones were ready to 
 bring their chop-sticks into play! The ^carver' no 
 one wished to be, because there were always some 
 dissatisfied as to the equitableness of the division, 
 
58 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 and besides, ^Who maketli you the ''carver"?^ Then 
 Yen slammed the table by way of calling attention, 
 and said, 'I propose that each of the eight at this 
 table shall serve as carver one day by turn, and he 
 shall have the remaining eighth part after the seven 
 have all had their pick I' By this arrangement the 
 carver must deal fairly and none could grumble. 
 The plan was adopted and ever after carried out.'' 
 
 It has been truly said of Mr. Yen that ''he was a 
 faithful .servant of his great Master. He was true 
 to his friends, loving to his family and kind to all. 
 He was a patriotic Chinaman. He was fond of 
 reading, and was well abreast of the great questions 
 of the day. He enjoyed a conversation on the- 
 ology or science. He was acquainted with the ideas 
 and arguments that are stirring the ranks of the 
 orthodox, but he was firm in his faith and consist- 
 ent in his teaching. 
 
 "His life was in every sense a heroic one. The 
 great qualities that seemed to stand out pre-emi- 
 nently were self-sacritice, bravery, sincerity and 
 faith. He gave up much for the cause of Christ; 
 he boldly spake the truth in regard to his country 
 and the moral needs of his countrymen. His faith 
 in God was simple, strong and childlike. We can 
 not see now all the results of the life he led and the 
 work he did, but we know the world is richer from 
 his having lived, and that his lif(^ has done more 
 than we can measure for the advancement of the 
 kingdom of Cod in China. 
 
 "W. AV. Yen." 
 
PENG LAN SENG. 
 
 REV. GRIFFITH JOHN, D. D. 
 
 REV. C. G. SPARHAM 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Peng Lan Seng, 
 the apostle to hunan. 
 
 Of the eighteen provinces of China, Hunan is 
 not the least interesting. It is centrally located, 
 has great wealth, and contains one of the five sacred 
 mountains of the empire. 
 
 The people of Hunan are perhaps the most sin- 
 cere, loyal, and, in a heathen sense, religious- 
 minded of any of the peoples of China. 
 
 Marquis Tseng and Tsung Kwo Fang were both 
 natives of this province. The former (the son) was 
 China's most noted Minister to England, while the 
 latter (the father) is regarded by the Chinese as 
 the greatest man that has arisen in the empire for 
 two hundred years. 
 
 When the great Taiping rebellion overran the 
 country for so many years, this man so organized 
 and defended his province that it was their proud 
 boast that, of all the provinces, theirs suffered the 
 least. From that time the Hunanese have regarded 
 themselves as the men of iron, the backbone of the 
 nation, and the most loyal of the people. 
 
 Missionaries had traveled in all the other prov- 
 inces for many years, but Hunan maintained its 
 proud isolation. Dr. Griflflth John, Mr. John Archi- 
 bald, Mr. W. Darward, and others, made adven- 
 
 61 
 
62 Illustrious Chinese Christlvns. 
 
 turous trips. But each journey was like a forlorn 
 hope, full of danger and yielding little permanent 
 results. 
 
 Changsha, the capital, was, of all places, the most 
 jealously guarded. And it was here that Peng Lan 
 Seng, the ^^Apostle to Hunan,'' was born, and here 
 he grew up. He had a brother, Shao Ling. The 
 lads were greatly attached to each other, and both 
 to their mother, a woman of ability and strength 
 of character. 
 
 Peng gives this evidence that he was a sincere 
 idolater. The Chinese have a theory that the gods 
 are especially pleased if one burns his own flesh 
 instead of incense. A steel skewer is thrust 
 through the skin of the arm. To this a heavy can- 
 dle and holder are suspended so that the flame 
 comes just below the arm. In this painful position 
 the man walks for miles from one temple to an- 
 other, Avithout giving any trace of pain. 
 
 Peng passed through this ordeal more than once. 
 When his school days were over he was apprenticed 
 to an architect, and worked at the trade until 
 twenty years old. This afterward proved of great 
 value to him and the mission. 
 
 With the development of manhood, however, he 
 felt that his trade no longer satisfied him. He gave 
 it up and entered the army. He was soon on the 
 start' of the Governor. Here he gained an intimate 
 acquaintance with Chinese affairvs — legal and offi- 
 cial — and learned to ''I'ead men.'' A fcAv years 
 later he came with liis mother and brotlier to Han- 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. G3 
 
 kow. Through lending money, trading and dab- 
 bling in law, Peng made a good living. 
 
 The Chinese are always clannish. So, in Hankow 
 there was the "Ilunan Quarter." Near this, in the 
 Kia Kiai, is one of the chapels of the London Mis- 
 sionary Society. And while the Hunanese at home 
 are so hostile to Christianity, away they are among 
 the most willing listeners to ^'the doctrine." 
 
 Mr. Peng was some time in the town before he 
 found his way to the chapel. But he soon began 
 to attend daily, and evidently was intensely in- 
 terested. Our attention was soon drawn to him. 
 He sat up in front. He was fairly tall, well dressed 
 and gentlemanly in his bearing. The native evan- 
 gelist, Mr. Wei, invited him to his home and taught 
 him privately the way of life. 
 
 Mr. Peng had many diflSculties to face. Not only 
 were all the ideas which he regarded as certainties 
 in the spiritual world, passing away, and new 
 truths taking their place, but he knew that perse- 
 cution awaited a change of faith. His mother would 
 reproach him bitterly, and he loved and revered his 
 mother. Besides, he was making a good living — 
 largely by loaning money to persons engaged in evil 
 practices. But he saw that to go on taking this 
 interest would make him a partner in crime. 
 
 He sought and received much advice, especially 
 from the native evangelist, Mr. Wei. Step by step 
 he fought his way through these difficulties, and at 
 last presented himself for baptism. On account 
 of his past life we felt compelled to tell him to wait. 
 
64 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 Another month passed; again the church meet- 
 ing drew near, and again he was asked to wait. 
 This was a heavy blow to a man who had usually 
 carried everything before him. He now carefully 
 reviewed his whole life, and resolved that no finan- 
 cial or other considerations should stand between 
 him and church membership. He resolved not to 
 write up law cases, as they frequently involved him 
 in treachery and lying. As to money, where he 
 could collect the principal he would do so, but to 
 lose his loans rather than to remain a "partner 
 in crime." 
 
 Mr. Peng was very anxious during the days pre- 
 ceding the next meeting of the missionaries, evan- 
 gelists and deacons, which body recommended the 
 candidates to the congregation to be voted on for 
 baptism. On the wooden platform, or "drying- 
 stage,'' of a Chinese house he gathered a number 
 of Christians for a prayer-meeting. Peng made a 
 solemn vow in their presence that whether received 
 into the visible church or not, he would be faithful 
 to Christ, come what might. He was baptized by 
 Dr. Griffith John a week later. 
 
 From the first, Peng's Christian life was earnest 
 and resolute. He attended every service, and gave 
 all the time he could spare to Christian work. 
 Almost daily he was in the Kia Kiai chapel help- 
 ing in the preaching. He visited the Hunan men 
 in their homes and tried in every way to lead them 
 to the Saviour. 
 
 He always carefully prepared for my Bible class 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 65 
 
 on Thursday evenings. He afterwards said he was 
 often afraid lest he should not be able to answer 
 all the questions. 
 
 In Hankow there are large inns, patronized by 
 Hunan men in town on business. Mr. Peng used 
 to visit these to sell books and preach. When I was 
 along, our reception was all that could be desired. 
 But one time, when he went alone, they beat him 
 severely. 
 
 Strangely enough, it was through this persecu- 
 tion that he secured his wife. There is little 
 romance enough in Chinese life. Weddings are 
 arranged by go-betweens. But somehow Peng had 
 so far failed even by this means to secure a help- 
 meet. But on the day he was beaten, a tea and silk 
 merchant from Changsha, named Ma, came for- 
 ward and invited Peng into his room. A friendship 
 sprang up between them. Ma found that Peng was 
 not married. 
 
 He told him of a relative of his, a young widow, 
 not beautiful, but a most excellent woman. And, 
 "If you wish it,'' he said, "I will arrange every- 
 thing for you." The wedding took place in the Kia 
 Kiai chapel. It was a joyous service. From the 
 first, Peng felt that she was God's good gift to him, 
 and succeeding years have shown how truly this 
 was the case. She was intelligent, humble-minded 
 and hard-working. She learned to read and became 
 an earnest Christian, and anxious to help forward 
 the cause of the gospel. And, not the least of vir- 
 tues, she got along beautifully with her mother-in- 
 
66 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 law. Her goodness even increased the harmony of 
 the family. 
 
 Within a few months of his baptism, Peng's 
 brother, wife and mother were received into the 
 church. The brother died in about a year. And 
 l*eng deeply felt another death that occurred at 
 this time— that of Mr. Wei. At the funeral Mr. 
 Peng said, "When I heard that he was dead, I felt 
 I coukl not stand it; he ever set forth the way of 
 life with great clearness, and it was he who led 
 me to the truth.'- 
 
 The work of the London Missionary Society in 
 Hunan has developed in the towns on the Siang 
 River, which rises in the mountains at the south of 
 Hunan and flows due north and enters the Tung- 
 ting Lake. Tlie most important of these cities are 
 Changsha, the capital, Siang Tan and Hengchow, a 
 city of prefectural rank. 
 
 In 1890 the "Chou Han" (name of the author) 
 pamphlets stirred a passionate anti-foreign feeling 
 throughout the Yangtse valley. In these pamphlets 
 our Lord was represented as a crucified hog, and 
 Christians as goats. Long after matters had sub- 
 sided in other quarters, this hatred of foreigners 
 burned fiercely in Changsha, from whence the pam- 
 phlets had been issued. Should a man come from 
 witliout to preach in Hunan, \w must be seized, 
 doised with the vilest filth, and killed. 
 
 This feeling was thus high when Mr. Peng made 
 his first visit to Changsha. He went on business, 
 but determined to let his clansmen know that he 
 
ILLUSTRATING THE LIFE OfPEKG IAN SENfi. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 69 
 
 had become a Christian. Their rage can be 
 imagined when they found that no arguments could 
 move him to recant. They beat him and threatened 
 to cut him off from the clan. 
 
 At this time he heard of his brother's conversion. 
 And, hearing of two or three Christians in Chang- 
 sha, he met with them daily for prayer. A letter 
 he wrote to liis brother, concerning his trials and 
 happiness, and congratulating him upon his bap- 
 tism, breathed a spirit of joyous consecration that 
 was truly apostolic. 
 
 For some time, Mr. Peng, while living at Hang- 
 kow, made increasingly frequent visits to Chang- 
 sha, always engaging in voluntary Christian effort. 
 He was then employed as a colporteur, and made 
 more frequent visits, selling Scriptures and books. 
 He made up parcels of religious books, and left 
 them at the yamens (official residences of the city). 
 
 A plot was laid to kill him. The officials had the 
 city god thrown over on its face at night, and then 
 charged the crime to the Christians — Peng being 
 the leader. If he could have been found, he cer- 
 tainly would have perished from mob violence, 
 but, fortunately, he had left the city the night be- 
 fore. The day for the opening of Changsha was 
 not yet. 
 
 In the more remote city of Hengchow, however, 
 a remarkable movement was taking place, and 
 thither Peng wended his way. 
 
 A young soldier named Wang Lien Chin, in the 
 employ of a mandarin at Hanyang, had been con- 
 
70 iLLusTiiioT's Chinese ChrIvStians. 
 
 verted while a patient in Dr. Gillisou's hospital. 
 He was a favorite with, his master, hnt when tlie 
 latter heard that he liad entered the chnreh he was 
 very angry and called him a madnmn. He saw that 
 he must leave. He wanted to earn an honest liveli- 
 hood, so at last he chose tailoring. And as it was 
 cheaper living there, he returned to Hengchow. 
 
 He used to sit up half the night studying his New 
 Testament. He algo bore witness to his faith, and 
 several of his companions (who at first called him 
 crazy) came under his spell. So that when Mr. Peng 
 went up to Hengchow he found a group of inquirers. 
 About this time the Scottish Bible Society was able 
 to open a depot in the city. The time was ripe to es- 
 tablish a church in Hengchow. And, moreover, an 
 influential member of the gentry — Mr. Siao — had 
 sent Dr. Griffith John a pressing invitation to 
 come, as he wished to open a school for English and 
 science. 
 
 So in ]March, 1897, Dr. John and myself started 
 for Hengchow, to open work in the hitherto closed 
 province of Hunan. We had not realized before 
 that Hengchow is as near to Canton as to Hankow. 
 We did the 430 miles in fourteen days. 
 
 We were all enthusiastic, and none more so than 
 Mr. Peng. But as we came well off the town, we 
 were greeted with a shower of stones. It soon grew 
 dark and we lay in midstream, where all the con- 
 verts came to see us. The native gunboats would do 
 nothing, and the magistrate nuxde the ridiculous 
 charge that he could not keep order. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christl\ns. 71 
 
 We dropped downstream, and sent Peng and Mr. 
 Hiung to reason with the officials. Mr. Peng's 
 power never showed to better advantage. He knew 
 the legality of his cause, and was tully convinced 
 that God's time for opening up Hunan Province 
 had come. He argued so well that the officials 
 began to think they had made a grave mistake. 
 The mob, meantime, had rioted the Bible Society 
 depot. 
 
 On the evening of April 6 we had a remarkable 
 experience. Fourteen candidates came forward for 
 baptism. Seeing the state of affairs, Ave advised 
 them to wait. But they could not be dissuaded. 
 They were prepared for persecution and suffering. 
 Their testimony was satisfactory, their character 
 good. They had counted the cost. What could we 
 do but receive them? So, after a short service, 
 they were baptized. There were mutual congratula- 
 tions, and then a feast. There was genuine Hunan 
 heroism in their joy in the midst of anxiety. 
 
 Mr. Peng now came to Hankow, and returned 
 with his wife and mother to Hengchow. They 
 had caught his enthusiasm for the spread of the 
 gospel. A house was rented and regular work was 
 instituted. 
 
 Then he Avas able to purchase a house for the 
 London Missionary Society. And the work went 
 on even more systematically. It was months before 
 he could persuade them to put the official seal to 
 the deed for the property, but at last he succeeded. 
 
72 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 On the very next day was a great Buddhist festival, 
 a riot and the destruction of the building. 
 
 Without a stamped deed there would have been 
 no redress, but now the officials came forward, and 
 partially paid for and partially guaranteed the 
 new building, which was built according to plans 
 drawn by Mr. Peng, after buildings he had seen 
 in Hankow. 
 
 So satisfied was the magistrate with the justice 
 and consideration of Peng that ever after he treated 
 him as a personal friend, and the officials generally 
 began to regard him as an able, just and discreet 
 man — which subsequently had important issues. 
 
 In the new building the audiences increased. The 
 band of inquirers grew. In many places these in- 
 quirers began to secure land and buildings for 
 worship. At Sin Sz Kia these good people erected 
 a pretty chapel, school and evangelist's rooms, at a 
 cost of |1,400. 
 
 Peng, during all this time, kept the missionaries 
 thoroughly informed of the progress of affairs. He 
 often has to act upon his judgment in matters of 
 importance, and I have rarely seen a man more 
 competent to do so. At the same time he is alwa^'S 
 willing to accept suggestions from others. He has 
 sound common sense, and has achieved remarkable 
 results. It is this combination of qualities which 
 has enabled him to do so great a work with so few 
 failures. 
 
 When we come to examine the various means by 
 which God has wrought to open the great province 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 73 
 
 of Hunan to the gospel, we find that the devoted 
 life and wise and untiring efforts of Peng Lan Seng 
 deserve a very prominent place. 
 
 In 1899 a party of us again visited Hunan. At 
 Siang Tan we found a well-instructed group of can- 
 didates for baptism, who had been prepared by a 
 native convert who himself owed all he knew to 
 Mr. Peng. At Heng-Shan there was a well-ap- 
 pointed chapel. At Hengchow we found a beautiful 
 building. 
 
 At Sin Sz Kia the building was even better. At 
 place after place we found candidates for baptism, 
 and out of many hundreds we selected about two 
 hundred to receive the rite. 
 
 The respect and affection in which Mr. Peng was 
 held was an eloquent testimony to his character. 
 Through his good n^me and influence we were also 
 able to purchase a house at Changsha, the most bit- 
 ter anti-foreign capital in China. Years ago the 
 officials here had sought Peng's life, but now they 
 said that if we purchased a house they would ask 
 as a special favor that he be put in charge. They 
 said they knew he was a good man, and if he was in 
 charge they would know all was right. 
 
 The work at Hengchow progressed rapidly until 
 the summer of 1890, when, as a bolt from the blue, 
 came the famous edict ordering the extermination 
 of Christians. As the mob gathered around the 
 chapel, Mr. Peng went to the magistrate's office to 
 ask for assistance. In answer to questions as to 
 the inconsistency of the edict, they said they only 
 
74 ILLUSTKIOUS CUINKSE CuUISTlANS. 
 
 knew that they had orders from l*ekiu<^. But they 
 were anxious to save Peng. They hid him in the 
 prefect's garden, brought him old clothes for a dis- 
 guise, and got him off to a boat, \N'hither they had 
 already sent his wife and mother. 
 
 Mr. Peng asked them why they went to so much 
 trouble to save him. They said: ''In this att'air, 
 if China wins, you had better change your name, 
 and never return to this place. If China gets the 
 AN'orst of it, we w^ant yon to be alive to help settle 
 up matters." 
 
 Every church building in Hengchow prefecture 
 — there were over thirty — was leyeled to the 
 uround. The Christians hid in the mountains. In 
 fear and trembling, keeping in hiding as much as 
 possible, Peng's party reached Hankow. He was 
 grieved to hear of the loss of property, but when 
 he heard that the Christians, almost without ex- 
 ception, had refused to recant, he was filled with 
 joy, and confidence that the work would soon be 
 reconstituted. 
 
 He was not mistaken. By August, 1901, the offi- 
 cials had made financial arrangements to rebuild 
 the chapels, and Mv. Peng was happily engaged in 
 superintending their re-erection. The Christians 
 were back in their homes, their consecration deep- 
 ened by their experience. 
 
 But faithful Wang Lien Chin was lost. He wan- 
 dered hungry on the hillsides until too Aveak to ral- 
 ly when rescued. Cheery, hard-working, faithful 
 
Illustriouis Chinese Christians. 75 
 
 Wang-, we can ill ^pare von when laborers are so 
 few. He was faitlifnl to the end. 
 
 Mr. Pen"-, at fifty-three, has but one purpose in 
 life — the evangelization of his native province; and 
 as he sees a strong native church growing up in 
 Hunan, he knows it is the day of salvation for his 
 native land. C. G. Sparham. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Evangelist Shee^ 
 the converted story-teller. 
 
 Evangelist Shee first saw the light at Forty Li 
 Bridge, a village in Anhuei Province, Central 
 China. It was five j^ears before the noon of the last 
 century. 
 
 The old house with its mud walls and thatched 
 roof, in appearance and comfort, scarcely com- 
 pared with one of our barns. 
 
 His remote ancestry was more than respectable. 
 His great-grandfather was of the literary class, and 
 enjoyed distinction in the dignity of official posi- 
 tion. But his parents were very poor and humble, 
 although some of his relatives were village elders, 
 or '^leadmen," as they are called. These men 
 act as local police, and have considerable influ- 
 ence in settling disputes, legal troubles, taxation, 
 robberies, and arranging weddings. And also in 
 arranging and controlling funeral and idolatrous 
 processions. 
 
 It appears -that his father had married a farmer's 
 daughter, but in time of famine, and pressed by 
 want, they had wandered -over three provinces be- 
 fore they at last reached the cheaper lands in the 
 wheat-producing regions of Shu-ea 
 
 76 
 
EVANGELIST SHI, THE CONVERTED STORY-TELLER. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 79 
 
 As to his education, at the a^e of eleven he was 
 Initiated into a country schoolhouse, where the 
 pedagooue was an ohl opium-eater. This apostle 
 of learning' taught characters — that is, Chinese 
 hieroglyphics — smoked his Turkish pipe, sipped 
 green tea, slept over his desk, used the rod in his 
 waking hours — or moments — and maintained a' 
 serious dignity. 
 
 At the end of six months the bright, good-natured 
 and sturdy lad had to quit school for farming. He 
 was then about twelve years of age. He says of 
 those days that he was a good joker, a bright story- 
 teller, and an indifferent student. Those who knew 
 him best noted a genuine character which seemed to 
 rise above his surroundings. This is shown by the 
 confidence placed in him by his boy companions. 
 They knew him to be strong and true, and that 
 he never betrayed a trust. He was brave to the 
 point of recklessness, but gifted with good judg- 
 ment, which made him a good leader as well as a 
 true friend. 
 
 The discipline of farm life is always valuable to 
 a lad, but in young Sheets life it proved especially 
 so. The country was full of robbers and banditti. 
 His bravery must defend what his labor could win. 
 He slept under guard, and was always in danger. 
 This keen struggle for existence sharpened his 
 senses and fostered independence At the same 
 time he began to note the crushing weight of unjust 
 laws, the tyranny of unjust taxation, and the ter- 
 rors of officialdom. 
 
80 Illustrious Chinese Cihushans. 
 
 The monthly, annual and biennial examinations 
 at the Provincial capital would attract thousands 
 to the city. Military reviews of Chinese braves in 
 their archery, horse-racing and weight-lifting com- 
 petitions gathered Avhole districts into the walled 
 emporium. All these opportunities were improved 
 by him. 
 
 He was also fond of going into the magistrate's 
 court to listen to the cases on trial. 
 
 These would comprise trials for assault, robbery, 
 divorce, fraud, land quarrels and every form of lit- 
 igation. Chinese courts are open to all. The hear- 
 ing and examination go on in public. Silence is 
 kept by yamen or court runners briskly handling 
 canes, while sometimes a squad of soldiers will 
 parade the courtyard during the proceedings. Un- 
 consciously young Shee was storing his mind with 
 most useful observations, facts and imagery. Under 
 such conditions, under the severe discipline of pov- 
 erty, and every form of hardship, this Chinese youth 
 grew in years and strength. 
 
 And although so miserably poor, his parental in- 
 heritance can not be ignored, for he said he was 
 taught in earliest childhood that if a thing was 
 diflftcult of achievement, that was reason enough 
 for going at it and mastering it. 
 
 His mother died when he was twenty-two years 
 of age. It was about the time of the close of the 
 great Taiping rebellion in China. He said of her: 
 "Her light went out in darkness. To her had come 
 no knowledge of the heavenly way other than the 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 81 
 
 riot, carnage and destruction she had seen follow- 
 ing the armies of the rebel chief." 
 
 It was inevitable that he should become satura- 
 ted with Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist traditions 
 and superstitions. But his most fascinating occu- 
 pation was, seated in a family group in the farm- 
 yard on a summer evening, to drink in the wonder- 
 ful recitations of the Oriental story-teller. Largely 
 til rough tliis means he gained a wide knowledge 
 of Chinese arts, traditions, song and history — its 
 statesmen, heroes, wars and intrigues. This knowl- 
 edge was to serve him a good purpose in future 
 years. 
 
 His oratorical temperament manifested itself at 
 an early age. From village teachers and others 
 he learned native sonnets, history, proverbs, dramas 
 and songs. He himself says he would leave the 
 farm and field and get off into the street, and listen 
 for hours together to the fervid eloquence of same 
 Chinese story-teller. 
 
 So great was the spell, indeed, that at last he 
 determined to become a story-teller himself. He 
 showed aptness in his new calling. He accumu- 
 lated a vast fund of stories. Being gifted with a 
 fine imagination and a winsome style, he developed 
 into a brilliant story-teller. Seated on an impro- 
 vised daisi, under a rustic canopy composed of sev- 
 eral bamboo sticks and a covering of white cloth — 
 perhaps on a stone bridge on the main street of a 
 village — he recited his story. Among his favorite 
 stories were "The Beggar King and Slave Girl Em- 
 
82 Illustrious Chinese Cuuistians. 
 
 press," "The Three Rivals," and "The Sorceress," 
 all famous Chinese stories. But alas ! for some time 
 he had been smokiui;- opium. He now found that 
 lie wais a slave to the baneful drug. And, although 
 earning good wages, he Avas ragged, weary and mis- 
 erable. 
 
 Sheekwei Piao (for that was his full name) first 
 heard the gospel about 1873. At first, however, 
 he had very crude conceptions of the message. He 
 looked upon Jesus as a great wonder-Avorker, and 
 spoke of him as the great western conjurer. The 
 stories of the four Gospels he incorporated with his 
 own. They were new and novel, and he used his 
 liberty to modify and adapt theuL 
 
 A little later, however, he met a native Christian 
 evangelist, named Chen. They were greatly at- 
 tracted to each other. Chen Avas a preacher of 
 righteousness. He denounced sin, and demanded 
 faith and repentance. Shee knew that Chen loved 
 him, but he w^as of a proud spirit and became openly 
 hostile. These questions occurred to him : Is this 
 a new religion? What about ancestral worship? 
 Was not this doctrine introduced by the "foreign 
 devils" who had invaded Chinese life and society? 
 
 He went to the priests, but got no peace of mind. 
 And then to the scliolars, but they only talked phi- 
 losophy. It was evident that the arrow of convic- 
 tion liad struck into liis lieart, and lie was being 
 moved into the religion he so bitterly opposed. 
 His old stories were losing their hold on him. The 
 new story was taking hold of his inner life. The 
 
Illustrious Oiuxese Ciiristlvxs. 83 
 
 faithful Chen never lost sii»ht of liim, in prayer or 
 in life. At last love conquered. 
 
 But what of the terrible opium habit? He felt 
 that he must hreak with that or be lost forever. It 
 was tightening its death-grip on him every day. 
 He knew that all his previous struggles had been 
 in vain. Time and again the opium fiend had con- 
 quered. This was to be the final ordeal. Earth 
 and heaven were at stake. He summoned all his 
 patience and courage, and strained every nerve. 
 Friends advised him to break slowly. He knew 
 this would not do. He says that in the last awful 
 struggle he closed with his demon enemy in the 
 arms of death. For seven days and night, in burn- 
 ing liunger, thirst, weariness and excruciating pain, 
 he was pleading with God in prayer. He found he 
 had an added strength. At last the Lord gave de- 
 liverance, the light broke in, and the captive of 
 years was free. 
 
 From that day he grew in grace, knowledge and 
 power. He was baptized by Dr. W. E. Macklin in 
 Nankin. Gathering a quantity of Christian liter- 
 ature, he retraced his steps to his old home north 
 of the river. But this time he had a new story to 
 tell. 
 
 The new story did not gain him so much applause 
 as the old. In many of his old haunts he was visited 
 with reproach and scorn. Proud Confucian stu- 
 dents debated with him in cynical pride. But he 
 threw all his native and acquired powers into the 
 new work for God and humanity. With intense 
 
84 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 fervor and with a force and eye whose expression 
 was an irresistible persuasion, he proclaimed the 
 gospel of redeeming grace to those to whom no tid- 
 ings of Him had ever come. 
 
 Prom that time his intense zeal has never lagged. 
 With extraordinary faithfulness and constancy he 
 has performed all the manifold duties of an evan- 
 gelist. His native ability, literary taste, imagina- 
 tion and wonderful memory make large amends for 
 the lack of a collegiate training, while his inde- 
 pendence and strength of character are rarely 
 equaled among any class of men. He has the unre- 
 served confidence of the whole church, native and 
 foreign. 
 
 Evangelist Shee has been severely tried and not 
 found wanting. At Chu Cheo the Foreign Christian 
 Mission had purchased some property. Although 
 the affair seemed to be settled in the regular way, 
 the officials seemed inclined to make something 
 more out of it. Without cause, Shee was brought 
 before the magistrate, who angrily roared at him, 
 "Why did you forsake the traditions of the fathers 
 and follow the strange religion? How is it you 
 have deigned to help these barbarians? Have you 
 anything to say?" Shee raised his head and re- 
 spectfully said, "Great and honorable ruler, it is 
 in your power to hear of this doctrine, and little 
 brother humbly bowing before you will even at- 
 tempt — " "Strike him on the mouth," called out 
 the enraged official. One of the secretaries, how- 
 ever, raised his hand, stopping the soldier from exe- 
 
Illustrious Ciiinkse Christian^. 85 
 
 cuting the order, while he spoke something in the 
 offieiaPs ear. The magistrate reflected and said, 
 *'Go your way, mean, unworthy patriot, and per- 
 haps in later days I will call for you again." 
 
 During the riots of 1891 he showed most com- 
 mendable tact in dealing with hostile mobs. On 
 long journeys to inland cities he has exhibited both 
 experience and caution, in many instances preserv- 
 ing the workers from open violence. 
 
 After years of training he also assumed pastoral 
 duties. In this relation he has proven eminently 
 satisfactory. He has never had charge of a work 
 that did not prosper under his care. At a village 
 called Yu-Ho-Tsz, there was no church building. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Shee literally built a church with 
 their own hands. Mrs. Shee cut the grass from the 
 hills for thatching the house, while Mr. Shee did 
 most of the carpenter's work. The walls were made 
 of clay battened down with straw, and a fairly sub- 
 stantial and purely native structure was ready as 
 a house of worship. 
 
 Not only so. His practical benevolence has taken 
 the turn of establishing a "farm colony" entirely 
 with native funds. 
 
 Most glorious fruit followed years of patient sow- 
 ing. It was in 1899 that the audiences began to 
 notably increase. Very soon every Lord's Day wit- 
 nessed additions to the church. In some districts 
 the idols were cast down and destroyed, and 
 heathen customs abolished, little field temples aban- 
 doned, and whole communities became deeply inter- 
 
8(i iLLrsTRiors rnixESE rninsTiANS. 
 
 ested in the Christian faith, while scores were 
 gathered into the visible church. 
 
 Evangelist Shee is a charming co-worker. He 
 has wit, good nature and common sense. And no 
 trait is more marked than his humility. He is often 
 chosen as chairman of Chinese conventionSj and 
 presides with grace, tact and dignity. 
 
REV. Y. T. ZIA. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Rev. Y. T. Zia, 
 a noble pioneer. 
 
 The greatness of some men is proclaimed by the 
 noise and stir which they produce, while in others 
 a force equally great moves in a silent but mighty 
 undercurrent which may not come to the surface 
 till years after the men themselves have passed 
 away. 
 
 The life of Mr. Zia was of the latter type. Noth- 
 ing showy or pretentious ; no awe-inspiring display 
 of wisdom or eloquence; no mighty cataract with 
 its rush and roar; but a quiet, strong, steady flow 
 of vital religious influence, the force of which is 
 yet only beginning to be appreciated. 
 
 To rightly appreciate such a life, the reader must 
 not fail to view it in its proper environment. Let 
 him remember that it is the story of a man who 
 lived in an age and a land far more unfavorable 
 to godliness than that which produced Abraham 
 or Moses: a land in which thousands of years of 
 superstition, demonology and idolatry have left 
 almost no trace of truth on which to base a religious 
 conviction, capable of reforming the life: the story 
 of a man who, until he was thirty, never heard of 
 the one true God. 
 
90 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 That a man could, amid such surroundings, be 
 transformed into such a character as Mr. Zia be- 
 came, shows conclusively that the gospel of Jesus 
 Christ is as sufficient for the salvation of China as 
 of any other sin-cursed nation. 
 
 Zia Ying Tong was born in Ningpo in 1825, of 
 '^poor but respectable parents.'- The father died 
 when he was three years old, and his brother but 
 a year or two older. It speaks well for the capa- 
 bility of his mother that she managed somehow to 
 give both her sons a fair education, and they showed 
 their appreciation of her efforts by an unfailing 
 filial ^affection. Ying Tong was also duly subject 
 to his elder brother, who, according to Chinese cus- 
 tom, succeeds to a kind of paternal guardianship 
 and authority over all younger members of the 
 family. 
 
 While his love for study would naturally have led 
 Mr. Zia to choose a literary profession, the neces- 
 sity of earning support for himself and mother 
 turned him toward a business career, where the 
 income promised to be more prompt and sure. 
 Still, his studious inclinations led him to associate 
 w^ith scholarly men, among whom he had a number 
 of very close friends. 
 
 Two of these friends became converts to Chris- 
 'tianity, and from them Mr. Zia first heard of the 
 new and strange doctrines that were being pro- 
 claimed by teachers from distant lands. 
 
 Dr. W. A. P. Martin was then living in the Fu- 
 zin Church in Ningpo, and opened the chapel for 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 91 
 
 daily preaching. To him young Zia went to hear 
 about and discuss this new religion. Like Luther, 
 he prepared over a hundred propositions or state- 
 ments of difficult points on which he desired light. 
 Dr. Martin succeeded in answering all these to his 
 satisfaction, and he was forthwith convinced that 
 Christianity was the true religion. 
 
 Intellectual conviction was easy enough, but now 
 came the test which has caused such a host of prom- 
 ising young men to "go away sorrowful." 
 
 If people of Christian lands could better appre- 
 ciate what it often means for a Chinese to accept 
 Christianity, they would cease to wonder at the 
 fewness c^ converts and be filled with admiration 
 and praise for the triumphant grace that enables 
 so many to forsake all and follow the lowly Naz- 
 arene. Satan has by no means neglected the oppor- 
 tunity for entrenchment which thousands of years 
 of undisputed control have afforded. 
 
 The whole structure of the nation, commercial, 
 political, social, mental, moral and religious, is 
 dominated by principles that are antagonistic to 
 the truth of the gospel. 
 
 Think what it must have meant, then, for this 
 young man to make a decision in favor of the Chris- 
 tian life. On the one hand was the easy way of 
 '^established usage,'' with the good will of friends 
 and the hope for a peaceful, prosperous life; on 
 the other, he faced the sacrifice of all he held dear. 
 He would be counted a traitor to his country, false 
 to his friends, unfilial to his ancestors, and, harder 
 
92 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 than all, yea, harder than giving up life itself, was 
 the necessity of disobeying that dear old mother 
 and be branded as an ungrateful son. 
 
 A decision, against such overwhelming odds, 
 would be a notable victory for the most courageous 
 soul in a Christian land ; and we can imagine what 
 heroic qualities it required in a young Chinese 
 whose deepest incentive had always been an approv- 
 ing public opinion. But the victory was not Mr. 
 Zia's, nor did he ever claim the slightest credit ; on 
 the contrary, till his dying day he ceased not to 
 praise God for his saving grace. 
 
 The decision made, he submitted without resist- 
 ance to the persecutions and abuse of his enraged 
 brother. Even his mother, who had nurtured him 
 so fondly, now treated him most harshly, and went 
 so far as to resort to whipping. Zia patiently en- 
 dured it all without a murmur, or word of re- 
 proach, but neither force, threats nor entreaty 
 could shake his purpose. Having put his hand to 
 the plow, he never turned back. 
 
 Soon after his conversion he was employed for 
 a year as teacher in the girls' school conducted by 
 Miss Aldersy. But at the end of that time he asked 
 to be allowed to take up evangelistic work, and was 
 accordingly sent, with his young wife, to a newly 
 opened region forty miles northwest of Ningpo, 
 where he labored most faithfully and successfully 
 for about three years,' preaching in tea-shops, rest- 
 houses, or wherever he could get a hearing. At 
 night a few interested ones gathered at his home. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 93 
 
 and often they talked about the gospel until far 
 into the night. Not a single village in the whole 
 region was omitted in this faithful evangel. 
 
 The visible result of this effort was about twenty 
 converts, some of whom are still living. 
 
 In 1800 Mr. Zia, feeling the need of better equip- 
 ment for his work, became a student of theology 
 under the care of the presbytery, Rev. Mr. Rankin 
 and Rev. Mr. Nevius being designated as instruc- 
 tors. In order that he might the better pursue his 
 studies, he was put in charge of a chapel in Ningpo, 
 and gave half of each day to study and half to 
 evangelistic work. 
 
 As Mr. Zia's entrance into the Christian life had 
 been in the face of great difficulties, so also was 
 there to be a time of testing before he was ordained 
 to the holy ministry. God always tests his tools 
 with a stress proportionate to the work he has for 
 them to do. 
 
 When the "Long-haired Rebels" took Ningpo in 
 1861, Mr. Zia continued his preaching in his chapel 
 until they made him a prisoner. His brother had 
 fled to the chapel for safety and Avas captured at the 
 same time. They endured great x>rivation and hard- 
 ship while confined m the rebel camp, but what 
 made Mr. Zia sick at heart was to see how idola- 
 trous and sinful was the worship of these people 
 who professed to worship the true God. He was 
 convinced that participation in their worship 
 would be an act of idolatry, so he could not be 
 guilty of it, though he knew full well that his re- 
 
94 Illustrious Chinese Chuistians. 
 
 fusal to do so when his name was called on the 
 roll would mean certain death. 
 
 For two days he managed to be absent from the 
 roll-call, but he dared uot liope to escape long in 
 that Avaj. During the third night he was in dire 
 distress of soul and prayed most earnestly. At 
 last peace came, and his concern for his brother's 
 salvation filled his breast. He prayed and plead 
 w^ith him, and even weeping, besought him to ac- 
 cept the Saviour. As the time for worship drew 
 near, he said to his brother, ^'To-day we shall be 
 separated forever," but he waited in calm readiness 
 for the end. 
 
 It happened that, in calling the roll, his name, 
 though plainly written, was overlooked. While 
 thankfully accepting this respite, he clearly saw 
 that unless deliverance came the following day, 
 he could not hope to pass the Sabbath without 
 being called up to worship, and promptly executed 
 for his refusal. 
 
 About ten o'clock that night, he heard some one 
 calling his name^ and, hurrying out, was met by 
 two missionaries who had sought for him daily 
 since his capture, and, almost discouraged, were 
 making one last effort before giving up the search. 
 They procured the release of Mr. Zia and his 
 brother and restored them to their waiting friends. 
 
 Whatever explanation of chance, or what not, 
 others may find for these timely occurrences, to 
 Mr. Zia and the band of Christians who had not 
 ceased to pray for him day and night, it was a 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 95 
 
 direct answer to prayer. Tlioii<>li there is no rec- 
 ord of the fact in so' many words, the feeling with 
 which Mr. Zia always referred to this deliverance, 
 shows that it was a kind of resurrection, and that 
 from this point forward his life was even more 
 fully consecrated than before. 
 
 A refuge having been opened in the Foreign 
 Settlement, he assisted many a poor, starving one 
 from the city, and was also used in company with 
 the missionaries in securing the release of many 
 innocent prisoners from the rebel camps, where 
 death would probably have ended their misery. 
 
 Mr. Zia, having completed his studies, was li- 
 censed by the presbytery in the spring of 1862, and 
 sent into the west part of the Province on an 
 itinerary, which lasted several months. In the 
 fall of this year he laccompanied Dr. McCartee to 
 Chefoo, a move to la Chinese almost equal to going 
 to a foreign land. 
 
 After only a year of evangelistic work there, the 
 illness of his wife required that they should return 
 again to Kingpo, where he engaged in evangelistic 
 work until 1864, when he was ordained to the min- 
 istry. This was the first ordination of a Chinese 
 by the American Presbyterian Church, and, possi- 
 bly, the first by any Protestant denomination in 
 China. 
 
 His first pastorate was the San-poh field, north- 
 west of Ningpo, where his evangelistic efforts 
 were begun. There was at this time a church of 
 aboue seventy members, grouped in six or seven 
 
96 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 centers over a region some fifteen or twenty miles 
 square. After four years in this pastorate, he was 
 called to Zoug-yu, with practically the whole of 
 that county as his parish. 
 
 For thirteen years he cared for this flock with 
 diligent and self-sacrificing watchfulness. He 
 often returned from his long trips weary and foot- 
 sore, but never discouraged. His son, then a lad 
 of tAvelve or fourteen, tells of having accompanied 
 his father on a day's trip of thirty li or so. It was 
 the father's habit to retire to a quiet hilltop occa- 
 sionally, for prayer. 
 
 During this pastorate Mr. Zia was one of a com- 
 pany sent to Shantung Province to assist in famine 
 relief. The long overland journey w^as most ex- 
 hausting to one of his years, to say nothing of the 
 dread famine fever which carried off several of 
 his companions. But the Lord graciously pre- 
 served him for further service among his beloved 
 flock. 
 
 In 1882 he turned aside from the pastorate to 
 take charge of the Ningpo Academy by appoint- 
 ment of the presbytery, but his health would not 
 stand the burden of his position, so, after a year, 
 he returned to pastoral work. 
 
 Mr. Zia's next work was as a pioneer evangelist 
 in Nankin, for five years, at the end of which time 
 an attack of asthma compelled him to return to 
 Ningpo and give up regular preaching. His work 
 in Nankin was carried on against great obstacles, 
 
iLLlSTUIOrS ClIIXESE CHRISTIANS. 99 
 
 and through many persecutions, which he faced 
 with soklierly courage and patient endurance. 
 
 In his declijiing years he occupied a chapel in 
 Ningpo, where he conducted Sabbath services, and 
 did such evangelistic work as his strength per- 
 mitted. 
 
 Even those closing days were not without fruit, 
 and a number of members of the Xingpo Church 
 look upon Pastor Zia as their spiritual father. 
 
 On the 12th of May, 1895 (Chinese Fourth 
 Moon, twelfth day), just forty years from the 
 day of his baptism, Pastor Zia finished his earthly 
 service with a glad ''Thank God, thank God," on 
 his lips. That peaceful Sabbath was to him the 
 beginning of an eternal Sabbath of joy in the pres- 
 ence of the Master he had served so faithfully. 
 
 The sketch of such a life would not be complete 
 without some illustrative incidents gathered from 
 his fellow-workers and members of his family, 
 which, without the medium of a biogTapher, give 
 glimpses of the man's real character. 
 
 The trait that stands out most prominently in 
 his life is his fearless tenacity of purpose — ^and 
 that a single purpose. At the close of the Taiping 
 rebellion, his brother secured for him oflflcial recog- 
 nition and reward for his "rescued' work. Marks 
 of official favor and insignia of rank are dear to 
 the heart of every Chinaman. It is the goal of 
 their highest ambition, and marks a successful man. 
 
 But Mr: Zia promptly declined this proffered 
 reward, saying he had never sought earthly honor 
 
100 iLLusTiuuujs Chinese Christians. 
 
 or preferment, and cared nothing for them. He 
 desired for his sons no higher honor than to be- 
 come worthy ministers of the gospel. When one of 
 them, after finishing hivs school course, wished to 
 try for a literary degree, the father discouraged 
 him, saying, "The Lord chose as his apostles, men 
 without any literary distinction. He does not need 
 your literary degree to make you a successful min- 
 ister." It is a pleasure to add that this son is 
 now one of the most successful pastors in the 
 presbytery, and the secret of his success is his 
 dependence solely on spiritual means to reach and 
 move the hearts of men. 
 
 All his preaching was Christocentric. On one 
 occasion when some women left the chapel before 
 he could get to the vital part of his message, he 
 followed after, and, overtaking them on the street, 
 urged them to "remember that Jesus is the Son of 
 God who came from heaven to redeem lost souls.'' 
 
 His religion was of the thorough, everyday kind, 
 which controlled his w^hole life. His carefulness 
 in money matters was remarked upon by all his 
 friends, and his scrupulous honesty, even in small 
 affairs, stood out in bold relief against the dark 
 background of questionable shrewdness which char- 
 acterizes the Chinese business world. On several 
 occasions he surprised native shopkeepers by re- 
 turning small amounts of cash overpaid him in 
 making change. 
 
 His promise once given was sacred, and must be 
 fulfilled at all costs, if in any way possible. His 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 101 
 
 generosity was unfailing. When other means of 
 assistance failed, he has been known to give some 
 of his clothes to pawn, and thus raise the money. 
 
 A kindness done him was never forgotten, and 
 often in family worship was there earnest prayer 
 for blessings on his benefactors. When thinking 
 of the favors shown him, he used to say, "I have 
 no means of repaying the kindness, but I can show 
 my gratitude by rendering what help I can to 
 those more needy than I" — always present are 
 such, in a heathen land. 
 
 He had an uncompromising hatred of sin. He 
 never hesitated to rebuke it, even at the risk of 
 losing a friend, which means a vast deal in China, 
 where "face'' is such a powerful force in the social 
 world. 
 
 Once, when one of his parishioners left two hired 
 men working at home while he himself attended 
 service on the Lord's Day, Pastor Zia would hear 
 no excuse, but finally offered to pay their wages 
 himself, and insisted that they should stop work; 
 that none of his people should be guilty of Sabbath 
 desecration. 
 
 His oldest son, aged twelve years, in recounting 
 the events of a visit with his uncle, mentioned a 
 beautifully written poem which they showed him, 
 and asked him to read before the ancestral tablet. 
 Upon hearing this, the father's face became death- 
 ly pale, and he was filled with consternation, till 
 assured that his son had not been led into an act 
 of idolatry. 
 
102 Illustkiots Chinese Ciikistians. 
 
 He was a hundred li from Ningpo when news of 
 his mother's serious illness reached him. Setting 
 out at once, he walked all night, but was too late 
 to see his mother alive. When he entered the room 
 he saw two candles burning, one of which he 
 promptly extinguished, saying, ^^I can not be repre- 
 sented in any idolatrous rite." x\t the funeral ser- 
 vice, when an ode to the departed spirit was read 
 which referred to the members of the family as 
 kneeling, he said in a loud, clear voice, ''Zia Ying 
 Tong and his sons are not kneeling." When his 
 brother and friends expostulated with him for 
 making unnecessary disturbance, since all could 
 see he was not kneeling, he replied, ''But there 
 may have been a blind man in the audience.'' 
 
 His outspoken opposition to everything idola- 
 trous impressed all who knew him, and so consist- 
 ently did he follow out that course that he was 
 never troubled with requests for contributions for 
 public processions, theatricals and the like. 
 
 Perhaps no view of a man's character is so trust- 
 worthy as that which gives unstudied glimpses 
 into liis home life and the way he impresses himself 
 upon his children. The feature which stands out 
 most clearly in Mr. Zia's home life was his deep 
 religiousness. By precept he taught the value of 
 Bible study, prayer and fasting. He saw to it 
 that, even in the busiest times, private devotions 
 were not neglected. It was his constant aim to 
 lead every member of his family into that same 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 103 
 
 close fellowship with God which brought such 
 rich blessings to his own soul. 
 
 While his sons were away at school, each letter 
 he wrote them contained Scripture references, or 
 quotations from godly men, well suited to enforce 
 his exhortations and deepen their piety. 
 
 Though a most loving and considerate father, he 
 was a strict disciplinarian. He drew up a set of 
 rules with penalties of so many blows for each 
 transgression. His son tells of an instance where 
 the father and son were weeping together as blow 
 after blow fell till the full number had been given. 
 What a beautiful example of mingled love and 
 justice. Little wonder that such noble training 
 developed noble sons. 
 
 One of his fellow-workers tells of having seen 
 him slap his own lips severely, when he had 
 thoughtlessly spoken indiscreetly. 
 
 Mr. Zia's desire for his sons was fulfilled, to the 
 great joy of his heart. The eldest became an elder 
 in the church, and assisted in evangelistic work. 
 The second was installed a pastor, and the youngest 
 finished his theological studies, and was licensed 
 to preach while the father was yet living. These 
 two latter are now among the most honored and 
 trusted ministers in the Presbyteries of Ningpo 
 and Hangchow. 
 
 The early death of the eldest son, who left a 
 large family of children, was a severe blow to the 
 aged father, but his quiet comment was, "He has 
 gone to heaven before me." 
 
104 Illustrious Chinese Christla^ms. 
 
 On another occasion he was heard to remark, 
 "I would rather hear of premature death, than 
 that one of God's people had fallen into sin." 
 
 Down to the end of his life he did not cease 
 praying and working for the conversion of his 
 brother's family. 
 
 The faithful life of Pastor Zia was not. cut off, 
 but gathered like a sheaf of well-ripened grain. 
 The spiritual-mindedness which characterized it 
 was .still more marked toward the close. When he 
 could no longer go to hear preaching, he greatly 
 enjoyed the reviews which his sons would bring 
 back to him. As he quaintly put it, "The old bird 
 used to gather food for its young, and now the 
 young birds feed the parent." 
 
 Once, when asked his age, he replied, "My vain 
 years [a form of polite speech in Chinese] are 
 thirty." He would then explain to his astonished 
 hearers that at the age of thirty he was "born 
 again," since which he had had no "vain years." 
 
 He used to say to his family in the closing days, 
 "Don't mourn when I die, but thank God for re- 
 deeming grace. Death is more blessed than life, 
 for then I shall see Jesus and all the friends who 
 await me in heaven." 
 
 A dream in which appeared a most beautiful, 
 quiet garden was interpreted by him as an assur- 
 ance and comfort to remove the last vestige of 
 dread of the "dark valley." 
 
 On Friday he told his family that he would 
 leave them the following Sabbath, and his word was 
 
Illustiuous Chinese Christians. 105 
 
 fulfilled. Zia Ying Tong fell into a quiet, peaceful 
 sleep, and was with his Lord. 
 
 For such a life we have the inspired epitaph, 
 "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from 
 henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may 
 rest from their labors: and their works do follow 
 them." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Pastok OhANGj 
 OF TUNGCHO. 
 
 The fairest flower springs from the vulgar mud. 
 Pastor Chang's father was a little man with a 
 weazened face, dwarfed intellect, and cramped af- 
 fections. His mother, too, was a woman of small 
 brain and narrow vision, with a heart filled with 
 superstitions and prejudices. From such a home 
 was to come the beloved pastor of our Tungcho 
 Church. However, the woman of weak intellect 
 had a mother's heart. In a letter just received 
 from Miss Lulu E. Chapin, she writes: ''Chun 
 Jung's mother was mamma's nurse. Mamma often 
 noticed her crying, and when asked what was wor- 
 rying her, she replied that she had a small boy out 
 in her country home who had little care and missed 
 his mother. Mamma immediately sent for the 
 child, and let her keep him. He was an unpromis- 
 ing, sickly looking boy, but with different sur- 
 roundings and good care he grew stronger, and 
 developed into a quiet, good boy. As I think of 
 him he was always kind, and loved animals, and he 
 kept pigeons from the time I could first remember. 
 Papa uised to send him in the summer outside the 
 city with the cows, for he knew he would be kind 
 
 to them." She adds later: ''Chun Jung will 
 loe 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 107 
 
 always seem to me like an own brother, for he 
 really grew up iii our family." Who can tell how 
 much he owed to the love and training in such a 
 family? 
 
 The story of his' life, briefly told, is as follows: 
 He was born (1865) in the village of Ta Hsin 
 Chuang, three miles south from Tungcho, was early 
 transplanted to Mr. Chapin's beautiful home, 
 entered school at seven years old, graduating at 
 seventeen. Afterwards he took a seminary course 
 and graduated at tAventy. He spent four years at 
 a country station sixteen miles distant. At twenty- 
 four he was made pastor of the Tungcho Church, 
 where he labored most faithfully for ten years till 
 the end came. 
 
 As a child Chun Jung had a handsome face and 
 attractive manners. Indeed, one wondered wheth- 
 er there was enough iron in his blood to make a 
 strong character. Though the brightest boy in his 
 class, it was with hesitation that the doors of the 
 Theological Seminary were opened to him. Final- 
 ly, however, on account of his recognized ability 
 and good character, he was received. In his studies 
 there, he was always faithful and thorough, and 
 gradually developed a rare power of close analysis 
 and original thought, which made him easily the 
 leader of his class. But it was not till his Senior 
 year that a great blessing came to him, which 
 lifted him into a new life. He afterwards described 
 it to his wife as something sudden, "as though a 
 great, thick skin had sloughed off from him, and 
 
108 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 fallen at his feet, after which he could go and do 
 and bear for Jesus.' 
 
 He was so thoroughly the product of Christian 
 training that when, in his summer vacation, he 
 made an evangelistic tour into the villages around 
 Tungcho, he had a. sudden revelation of sin and 
 squalor that appalled him. At the prayer-meeting 
 following his return, he gave an account of his 
 journey. We listened with bated breath as he told 
 how from childhood he had grown up with the mis- 
 sionaries, and his ideas of Chinese life and charac- 
 ter had been formed from what he saw about him. 
 But this tour had taught him the poverty, wretch- 
 edness, sin, and blinding superstition of his people. 
 Great tears rolled down his cheeks as he related 
 how startling was the revelation. "Oh! we are 
 naked and poor and blind, and we do not know it. 
 Who can save us? Only God! only God! But we 
 don't want him. We don't want Mm:' God be 
 praised that, in the revelation of his country's 
 need, he received also the revelation of Christ's 
 great love, and of his power to save. The above 
 experience only deepened the desire, and fixed the 
 determination, to give his life to the uplifting of 
 his country. 
 
 The one marked thing during the remainder of 
 his course was that he was intent on learning the 
 secret of winning men to Christ. His mother was 
 already a Christian, but his father's one thought 
 seemed to be to save every possible cash, and his 
 stingy soul grew smaller, and his mind still more 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 109 
 
 dwarfed. It did not seem as if there was a crack 
 anywhere for the entrance of spiritual ideas. But 
 the son was not dismayed. His patience in teach- 
 ing and tenderly persuading his father was 
 pathetic. Finally, the soul that had become so 
 dwarfed, suddenly shrank back at sight of its own 
 image, and he sank down on his knees, and besought 
 the Lord to save him. How joy gleamed like stars 
 through the tear-filled eyes of his son, when he 
 told us of this miracle. Need we write that such 
 an experience as this has no place in ordinary • 
 Chinese life and thought? And, indeed, it is not of 
 this world. For the son it showed a celestial 
 training, while to the father it was a celestial 
 birth. 
 
 Pastor Chang deeply felt how much he owed to 
 his training at Tungcho. After going out on a 
 tour, and seeing young men going about with the 
 manure baskets, acting as scavengers, along the 
 country roads, he has been heard to say with feel- 
 ing, "I should be carrying a manure basket, if I 
 had never heard anything better," and he was pro- 
 foundly grateful for the new life and the broader 
 vision that had been opened to him. 
 
 After leaving the seminary, his health became 
 poor, but he grew steadily stronger in his country 
 station, where he did four years of faithful work, 
 laying the foundations of the Yung Lo Tien Church. 
 From that place, although the youngest of our 
 preachers, he was called to be our pastor. He 
 would hardly be called an eloquent preacher, 
 
110 iLLusTiaous Chinese Christians. 
 
 though at times he was eloquent. But, being in 
 love with the Bible, and having right habits of 
 study and prayer, he always brought his congrega- 
 tion a helpful and original and uplifting message. 
 Alas that the Boxers destroyed all his sermons and 
 journals! He was also a most faithful pastor, 
 keeping unAvearying watch over his Hock, while 
 laboring much for those who were distinctly 
 heathen. 
 
 Passing by with this brief mention of his life- 
 -work, we wish to mention a case of church disci- 
 pline which rocked the church to its foundation, 
 and which at once revealed the pastor's deep con- 
 cern for the purity of the church, his uncompromis- 
 ing devotion to duty, and his unflinching courage. 
 It was a case of flagrant though secret immorality, 
 and the parties were some of them related to his 
 family, while one was a trusted helper, and a 
 friend from childhood, all making exposure pecu- 
 liarly difiicult. But, after a long struggle, he 
 determined to meet it. He knew it might cost 
 him long-time friendships, his reputation, his pas- 
 torate, and perhaps his ministerial standing. But 
 the sin was so black, a cancer eating out the life 
 of the church, that he could not hesitate, though 
 it should cost him not only his living, but his 
 life. This decision he reached after consultation 
 with his other self, not overlooking the five little 
 boys dependent upon him. He first sought the 
 helper, and charged the sin upon him, only to be 
 met with angry denial. This was followed by 
 
iLLusTKiors Chinese Christians. Ill 
 
 private meetings with those most prominent in the 
 work of the church, and sides were taken sharply. 
 Sometimes it seemed as if our pastor was himself 
 on trial, and the parties accused were, after all, 
 innocent. But he held firmly to his statement, 
 declaring that he knew, and that others knew, it 
 was true. Once or twice during the progress of the 
 case, he lost his splendid poise, and allowed his 
 tongue to say some bitter words. But the circum- 
 stances were aggravating, and nearly all his friends 
 seemed forsaking him. He was accused of jealousy, 
 and of being under an apron government, and 
 listening to woman's prattle until he was ready 
 to believe anything. None but those nearest to him 
 ever knew the pain he suffered from the estrange- 
 ment of those he loved. 
 
 After several days of bitter trial, the helper in 
 a sudden mood of penitence confessed his sin, the 
 guilty parties were excommunicated and moved 
 away. Then came the revelation of our pastor's 
 integrity and nobleness. The experience was a 
 lesson in respect to sin and church discipline never 
 to be forgotten. From that time the church was 
 preparing for the marvelous revival which came to 
 us a little later. But the pastor, while laboring 
 with untiring zeal to prepare the way for such a 
 work, was not to witness it. Consumption already 
 had its grip on him, though we did not know it, 
 and this severe ordeal had sapped the last remnant 
 of his life forces. He was invited to the sunny 
 <!hamber of our home outside the city, and there, 
 
112 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 after a month of suffering, bravely borne, he fell 
 asleep. How patient and beautiful he was in his 
 illness ! How grateful for every care given him ! 
 How he enjoyed the (piiet, clean room, the clean 
 sheets, the daily bath, the little attentions, in all 
 of which his wife was so faithful and tender. 
 ^^Dail}' Light" and ^^Thomas a Kempis" were his 
 constant companions. He made a brave fight for 
 life, yet when he learned that the end was near, 
 he bowed sweetly to the Father's will, which he 
 had learned to think of as the sweetest thing in 
 life. And when, by his bedside, we talked of heaven 
 so near, and of friends he would meet before we 
 might see them, he listened with a keen, expectant 
 interest. The wife and bairns he was sure would 
 not be forgotten by the good Father. It seemed 
 the dying-bed of a saint. When the angel Avith the 
 icy fingers was feeling for his heart-strings, his 
 wife asked, ^'Is it peace?" With a beautiful smile 
 he said, ''Peace." 
 
 CHARACTERISTICS OF PASTOR CHANG. 
 
 Self-respect. This was a very noticeable char- 
 acteristic. A man must have a proper self-respect 
 to be great. This was happily combined with real 
 humility. He was conscious of his own upright- 
 ness, and he must have been, to some extent, 
 conscious of his power. W^hen chosen as pastor, 
 he accepted modestly, yet without any protest of 
 unfitness, the judgment of others. He never apol- 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 113 
 
 ogized when taking the chief place, while, on the 
 other hand, he was never self-assertive. This gave 
 a quiet dignity to all he did, and helped him to 
 be a pastor in his own home, with a congregation 
 made up partly of seminary students and seminary 
 graduates older than himself. 
 
 Honesty. We never heard of his trying to drive 
 a sharp bargain, or making a cash unlawfully, or 
 of uttering statements which were not wholly true ; 
 a splendid record for any man. Any insincerity 
 on the part of others met with a faithful rebuke. 
 His integrity was publicly and right royally ac- 
 knowledged b}" manj^ in the revival, which followed 
 so* closely on his death. t)ne of his closest friends 
 told" us how he had cherished hard feelings toward 
 the pastor. Then, suddenly, turning his streaming 
 eyes to heaven, he cried out, ^Tastor Chang, you 
 were right, and we were wrong." United with his 
 integrity was a strong sense of justice, and he wa^ 
 often sought as a peacemaker. 
 
 Sy7npat}iy. He had a deep sympathy with all 
 in distress, and made many private gifts, outside 
 his regular contributions, from his small salary. 
 
 Devotion to Duty. This amounted with him al- 
 most to a passion. No journey was too long, no 
 day too cold or too hot, and alas ! no weakness was 
 too great, nor service too exacting, when it called 
 him to any duty in the church. It was only by 
 quiet insistence, and by offering to stand in his 
 place, that at last he gave over the struggle. 
 
 nigh Standards. He set a high standard for 
 
114 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 himself, as also for his wife and children. Any 
 failure to reach it was likely to meet with less sym- 
 pathy than it deserved, and hence he sometimes 
 seemed unsympathetic. 
 
 His Reading. He had a deep love for the Bible. 
 Besides the Bible, he was much drawn to ''The 
 Christian's Secret of a Happy Life,'- and recom- 
 mended it to others. He had also a small but well- 
 chosen librar}^, and kept abreast of such literature 
 as was available. 
 
 Companionship. He was a delightful compan- 
 ion, liked a good time, appreciated a joke, and was 
 free and natural in conversation, in these respects 
 ag unlike the ordinary Chinese scholar as possible. 
 He ^^spoke such good thoughts natiiral." He Avas 
 the quickest and most responsive to new, ideas of 
 any Cinaman we have ever met. A beautiful smile 
 would often light up his face, showing his teeth, 
 which were kept pearly white. 
 
 Loyalty to China. He was most loyal to his 
 country. The rottenness of China no one could 
 denounce as he, and yet he had the greatest respect 
 for his people, and he believed in and worked for 
 a distinctly Chinese church. 
 
 To the above it may be added that his clothing 
 was always neat, also that he insisted on order 
 and neatness in his home. The wall paper was 
 white^ — ISO rare in China — partly because he had 
 iiivent(Ml a method for carrying off the smoke from 
 his little Chinese furnace. He taught his children 
 
IllustrioUvS Chinese Ciikistians. 115 
 
 obedience and good manners, and it was a pleasure 
 to visit his home. 
 
 One of his classmates writes of him thus: "He 
 was upright in heart, far-reaching in perception, 
 with broad ideas and plans, enduring work man- 
 fully, bearing malice sweetly, ready to help any 
 good, quick to right any wrong. Oh that I might 
 be like him I" One of his friends has written, "His 
 was a wonderful character, wonderful anywhere." 
 
 Our dear, dear pastor, how we have missed him 
 since he was taken up! The Boxers must needs 
 desecrate his grave, but he was far away out of 
 their reach, at rest in the blessed home above the 
 stars. Chauncey Goodrich. 
 
 Sarah B. Goodrich. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Pastor Meng^ of Paotingfu. 
 
 On my arrival at Peking in 1865, I found the 
 Rev. William 0. Burns, of blessed memory, at work 
 in rendering Bunyan's immortal story into the 
 Mandarin Colloquial, a book that will be read by 
 millions of Chinese in the coming 3^ears; a book — 
 shall we add? — that should be read by all students 
 of Mandiarin. Was this Mr. Burns^ greatest Avork? 
 I do not knoAv. He AA^as by choice a Avinner of 
 souls. The next year — ^or was it the following? — 
 he made a journey 180 miles to the south-southwest 
 from Peking, to the market toAvn of T^ang Feng. 
 From this place as a center, for a month he made 
 short tours in that region. As the immediate result 
 of that Avork, three men were interested, all of 
 Avhom were finally received into the church. Of 
 these men, one became a Christian of the average 
 good standing. (Alas that there should CA^er be 
 ^•average" Christians!) One of them, in the course 
 of years, became, first a colporter, then a scandal, 
 afterAvards the leader of a band of robbers, and 
 Avas finally beheaded. He had some desire for good- 
 ness, but a genius for wickedness. The third Avas 
 the father of Pastor Meng, of whom this sketch is 
 written. 
 
 116 
 
PASTOR MENG AND FAMILY. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 119 
 
 Mr. Meng was the head of a small band of militia, 
 a man of free, generous instincts, often entertain- 
 ing his men at his own charges, as he once told me, 
 and drinking freely with them. He was a yeoman 
 of good standing in the place, owning enough land 
 to furnish a comfortable living. Gradually, through 
 his extravagant generosity and his convivial habits, 
 his land was pawned away, and he was left with 
 only a poor shanty to cover himself, his wife and 
 five bairns. It should be written that Mr. Meng 
 had withal an appetite for spiritual truths. He 
 had already sought peace in Buddhism and in 
 Taoism, both leaving him in a state of unrest and 
 suspense. It was in this condition that the gos- 
 pel "found him." For a month, evening by even- 
 ing, he sat at the feet of Mr. Burns, drinking in the 
 strange, new story. 
 
 Nothing more was known of Mr. Meng till July 
 of 1873. At that time the Rev. Isaac Pierson and 
 Dr. A. O. Treat were quartered in an inn in the 
 city of Paotingfu, where for three months they 
 had been struggling for a foothold. The bottom 
 of the sky seemed to have dropped out. The rain 
 poured in torrents, and the country was flooded. 
 Suddenly, one evening, Mr. Meng appeared, and 
 told his story: of the visit of Mr. Burns; of the 
 wonderful Book he had left ; of how, in the troub- 
 lous times of 1868, when the land was filled with 
 insurgents, he would go away by himself and read 
 it and get comfort ; of how, some two months pre- 
 vious to his coming, his wife had said to him. 
 
120 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 ^'You say tkat you believe those books tell the 
 truth, and that men ought to worship Jesus and 
 not these idols. Then, why don't you do it?" He 
 replied, "I do believe it, and I will. When shall 
 we begin?" '^Right off," she said; ''to-morrow 
 morning." And, true to their convictions, they at 
 once destroyed their idols, and began to read the 
 New Testament together, and to pray. A feAV 
 months later he was received to the church. From 
 that time onward, till the chariot of fire came, 
 some twenty years later, he lived as in a ucav 
 Avorld. Old things had passed away. He was 
 humble, receptive, ready for any duty, shrinking 
 from no cross, earnest, generous and sunny-hearted. 
 And in all right living he was reinforced by his 
 good wife. During his life, more than a score of 
 persons were won to Christ by his personal efforts. 
 
 Such was the soil from which sprang the two 
 pastors Meng, and their sister, a Bible reader — 
 three royal souls. The names by which we knew 
 them as children were ''Ch'ang Ch'un" (''Always 
 Spring"), "Ch'ang So" ("Always Locked"), and 
 "Ss Me" ("Think of the Beautiful"). 
 
 Some three years ago Pastor Meng (Che Hsien) 
 wrote a short account of himself, translated by 
 Miss Lizzie Pierson, from which an extract is 
 taken here. "I wish to tell you a little of the 
 great blessing that lias come to all our family. My 
 lamented father was the first fruit of the Pao- 
 tingfu work. . . . When finally he heard the 
 gospel,, it was as if he had discovered a most 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 121 
 
 precious jewel, and lie at once cast away the false 
 doctrine he had previously believed. He did not 
 content himself with having gained salvation for 
 himself, but determined to take us two brothers 
 up from our home in the country, to study in the 
 Christian school at Paotingfu. At that time I 
 was not more than ten years old. When I arrived 
 at the age of sixteen, I listened once to a minute 
 description of the trial of Jesus before the Sanhe- 
 drim and Pilate, and of the suffering and ignominy 
 he endured, even unto death. My conscience was 
 pricked to the quick, and for a week I wept. I 
 then earnestly sought baptism, and I determined 
 to give my life to the work of preaching Christ, 
 as a small partial payment for the dying grace of 
 our Lord. The picture of the death of our Lord 
 Jesus is constantly before my mind and heart. 
 After my baptism. Dr. Goodrich took me to Tung- 
 cho, where I studied in the school and Theological 
 Seminary. During all these years I assisted in 
 preaching during vacations. At the age of thirty 
 (some thirteen years ago) I was ordained to the 
 ministry. My brother was ordained at the age of 
 thirty-one. Two brothers ordained to the ministry 
 is no uncommon thing in America. In China it 
 marks a most wonderful favor from God. It is 
 my strong hope that the Lord Jesus will use us 
 two brothers, as he used Moses and Aaron, to lead 
 multitudes out from the place of bondage. As I 
 look back to the period before Ave two' became 
 Christians, I think how poverty-stricken and base 
 
122 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 was our condition. Our daily occupations were 
 collecting fuel in the fields and by the roadside, 
 and gathering manure in the filthy streets. In 
 comparison with the holy calling we now pursue, 
 it is like the contrast between heaven and earth. 
 Is not this due to the Lord's wonderful mercy?" 
 
 Miss Jennie G. Evans, of Tungcho, writes me 
 as follows: ^^You know of his conversion, and of 
 his grandmother's desire that he should stay with 
 her, and not follow the family and become a Chris- 
 tian. But he laid down his hoe in the field, and 
 went where the missionary was preaching, and 
 decided to find the God his father had found. You 
 brought him to Peking, where I first met him, and 
 from there he entered school, a classmate of Pastor 
 Cbang. As a young man he Avas firm and decided 
 in his views, sometimes as decided in what we 
 thought wrong, and it w^as hard to convince him. 
 P>ut when he was convinced, nothing would change 
 him back to the old way. He was always a power 
 in the school, and always for righto He was my 
 stay and help. All through those years I felt I 
 had a pillar to lean against. ... I have been 
 with him in country work, and saw how he drew 
 the jjeople to him." 
 
 The above will give some picture of the boy and 
 the young man, a person of quick, right, generous 
 impulses, a born leader of men, led himself by a 
 strong conscience. He was faithful in his studies, 
 graduating with honor. But it was in the battle 
 of life, rather than in the study, that he was a 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. VS6 
 
 power. For more than twent}^ years a preacher 
 in city and country, he threw himself with all the 
 force of his strong nature into the great work. His 
 sermons were not polished, but were vigorous and 
 earnest like himself. 
 
 For fourteen years he was pastor, and for a 
 considerable part of that time he had sole pastoral 
 charge of the church in Paotingfu, and of the 
 large country district, including a total church 
 membership of about six hundred, besides children 
 and inquirers. A most diflQcult place to fill ! And 
 sometimes we feared that between the responsi- 
 bilities and the temptations, he might break down. 
 But he grew in strength and in sweetness of char- 
 acter to the end. 
 
 He was inducted into the evangelistic work by 
 the Rev. Isaac Pierson, who was most faithful in 
 guiding his small band of helpers in their itinerant 
 labors, and training them to work the field. Some 
 paragraphs written by Mr. Pierson will be of 
 interest. 
 
 ^'During the famine of 1878, though but eighteen 
 years of age, he was one of the bravest and most 
 faithful assistants of Dr. Ament and myself. Those 
 were perilous times. Murder and highway rob- 
 bery were frequent, and ^the pestilence that walk- 
 eth in darkness' was a constant menace, but the 
 youth never flinched. ... I never knew him 
 to flinch a duty or to seek the easiest place in any 
 effort, but rather, as by a birthright, he quietly 
 took the hardest and most difficult part of every 
 
124 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 enterprise that came to him. And he did it in a 
 beautiful, self-forgetting way that made it easier 
 for others to follow. On Sundays, in his turn, he 
 used to preach in Ch'ing Liang Cheng. He would 
 start off on Sunday morning with a glad good 
 cheer, to walk ten miles there, preach and teach all 
 day, and then back again in the evening. 
 
 ''Inheriting much of the kindness of heart of his 
 father and brother, he was better known for his 
 quick perception of right, and his entire absence 
 of self in fulfilling it. In the last social gathering 
 at Tungcho, he quietly announced that his duty 
 called him to go to Paotingfu, for Mr. Pitkin was 
 alone. And he went, though he knew it was into 
 the gravest peril, and, alas! it proved to be into 
 death. If angels in heaven merely 'sit and sing 
 themselves away to everlasting bliss,' I fear our 
 beloved martyr will not be very happy there. But 
 if they have heroic duties to fulfill. Pastor Meng 
 will be the peer of the gladdest. 
 
 "After the death of the father, and acting on 
 his request, the two young men came to me, and 
 requested leave of absence, to go to their ancestral 
 home, some 130 miles distant, and bury their 
 paternal grandparents and great-grandparents, 
 whose renmins had not been buried, but kept for 
 twenty years in great coffins. The brothers took 
 all their savings, borrowing also quite a sum on 
 the security of their wages, and went and per- 
 fcrmed these solemn rites with Christian services, 
 returning with somewhat the same feeling that 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 125 
 
 Joseph had after burying his father in the cave 
 of Machpelah. 
 
 ^^Che Hsien was the first Chinaman in Paotingfu 
 to do his own courting. He came to me late one 
 summer evening, and, sitting down by my side, ap- 
 proached the subject with commendable directness. 
 He first hinted, and then asked that I would act 
 as go-between, and secure for him Miss Chang 
 T^sui. I replied in Puritanical fashion, 'Speak for 
 yourself, Ch'ang Ch'un.' That was an entirely new 
 idea in his conception. But he retired, and the 
 next evening appeared with a merry face, saying 
 he had done so and it was all right. 
 
 ''Che Hsien was always cheerful, and his laugh 
 was the merriest and most contagious I ever heard 
 \a China." So far the testimony of one who had 
 the most intimate acquaintance with our beloved 
 martyr, 
 
 In the early spring of 1900, after the wonderful 
 revival at T'ungcho, myself and my other self, with 
 three of our students (young men who had re- 
 ceived the baptism of fire), went to Paotingfu to 
 help for a few days. Earnest work had been done 
 in preparation for the Spirit's coming. The few 
 days there were days of great blessing. One of 
 the first to rise with words of penitence on his lips 
 was Pastor Meng. He said substantially: "It is 
 a great grief to me that I have not been more faith- 
 ful, and that I have allowed worldly things to 
 interfere with my great work of winning souls. 
 Pray that the Lord will forgive me, and give me 
 
126 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 new grace to labor in his kingdom from this time 
 forward. Here I consecrate myself anew to the 
 Lord's work.'' He sat down, and for the remainder 
 of the meeting the great teardrops fell fast from 
 his eyes. With what love and winning power he 
 preached those days, and labored with his people. 
 In the same spirit he went to the annual meeting 
 in May at Tungcho, from which he returned in 
 haste, soon to meet his baptism of blood. 
 
 Our dear pastor was the first of all that royal 
 company to be seized by the Boxer fiends, and to 
 be caught up from their unholy hands by the chariot 
 of fire. Rev. J. W. Lowrie, of Paotingfu, writes: 
 ^'On the afternoon of Thursday, 28th of June, while 
 Pastor Meng was packing the books in the street 
 chapel within the city, preparatory to removing 
 everything and sealing up the chapel, he was sud- 
 denly seized, bound and carried to a temple occu- 
 pied by the Boxers. Mr. Pitkin sent his card to the 
 police court to secure his release, but in vain, and 
 after a night of suffering he was beheaded, and 
 buried behind the temple in a ditch. In the month 
 of December his body was reverently removed from 
 this burial-place and coflflned. The hands, still 
 bound behind the back, were released, and the head 
 laid in its proper place by the younger brother of 
 the deceased, and by the Christians present, some 
 thirty in number." It is a very short story, but 
 nearly all we shall ever know till we hear it from 
 his lips in the Celestial City. 
 
 Pastor Meng's four children were seized, and 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 127 
 
 all killed save Titus the eldest, a boy twelve or 
 thirteen years old, of winning face and manners. 
 He came out manfully for Christ in the revival 
 mentioned above. One of the Boxers was so charmed 
 and touched by the boy's sweet face, that he begged 
 the others to save him, and wished to bring him 
 up as his own son. It reminds one of the story of 
 Moses. That arrangement was not, however, to 
 continue. Not long since, a Japanese Christian 
 gentleman of means saw him, and begged the priv- 
 ilege of educating the boy, promising to return him 
 to China as soon as the school curriculum should 
 be completed. His terms were at length accepted, 
 and, by this strange turn in the wheel of Provi- 
 dence, Titus is now in Japan with his new friend. 
 May it not be that some who read this sketch shall 
 add the dear boy's name to the list of those for 
 whom they pray? 
 
 In March of the present year there was a memo- 
 rial service for the martyrs, native and foreign, 
 of Paotingfu. The official part of it was a most 
 imposing Chinese pageant, while the, service was 
 pathetic and memorable. In this service Meng 
 received especial honor, and it was everywhere ap- 
 parent how widely he was honored and loved. 
 
 Let me add here the testimony of two friends 
 who labored side by side with Pastor Meng for the 
 last seven years. Rev. Geo. Henry Ewing, of 
 Paotingfu, writes: "When I first met Meng Che 
 Hsien in the winter of 1893-4, he impressed me as 
 a tall, not unhandsome man, with a quick, nervous 
 
128 -Illustrious Chixese Ciiristlvns. 
 
 manner of speech ; a man of nuicli energy, very con- 
 scientious, and realizing the earnestness of life. 
 It was apparent that, owing to the comparatively 
 late period when his education began, he had never 
 commanded the polished style or dignified bearing 
 of his 3^ounger brother when in the pulpit. But his 
 cheerful optimism, and simple faith in Grod, made 
 him none the less effective as a preaching helper. 
 He was never ashamed to witness for those truths 
 in the Christian religion which, while most vital, 
 are so often to the heathen mind a stumbling-block 
 and rock of offence. How often have I heard him 
 in the street chapel upbraiding the people for the 
 sin of worshiping the 'five sacred animals,' a temple 
 to which stood near to one corner of the city. What 
 an irony that as a victim he should be led captive 
 to this temple, and there beheaded for his faith! 
 
 ''Pastor Meng ranked high as a peacemaker be- 
 tween the Christians and their numberless enemies. 
 His skill and wisdom, tempering justice with 
 mercy, commanded our admiration. For this abil- 
 ity, and the love which begot it, also for his faithful 
 pastoral care bestowed upon the weaker Christians 
 in the country out-stations, he was universally be- 
 loved. He was emphatically an unselfish man.'' 
 
 Mrs. Ewing also writes of him, as follows : "As 
 I think of the man who for nearly seven years w^as 
 our brother in the work in Paotingfu, it is with 
 the profoundest respect and admiration. . . . 
 I remember especially one Sabbath, some years ago, 
 when, after a sermon on giving a tenth to the Lord, 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 129 
 
 he came to us and resolved (a resolve always after- 
 ward kept faithfully) to give a tenth of all that he 
 had to the Lord. From his small salary he gave 
 liberally and cheerfully whenever he found a need. 
 He was ahcai/s cheerful. When his wife and little 
 girl died, he took it so beautifully that at the time 
 I almost thought he didn't care quite so much as 
 he ought to. But I believe now that it was the 
 childlike simplicity of trust in his Father's love 
 and wisdom, which was so eminently a part of his 
 every-day life, that helped him in those days of 
 sorrow and trouble. I never saw him afraid. I 
 can't imagine him afraid, not even when confronted 
 with death itself. . . . Thoroiughly unselfish 
 and beautiful in character, we thank God that He 
 let our lives touch his, for the lessons learned from 
 him, and for the years of precious friendship with 
 Pastor Meng, whom to know was to love and 
 honor." 
 
 What else shall we write but a word of gratitude 
 to God, who gave us such a worker, pastor. Chris- 
 tian, friend, for all his work sand life; and a sigh 
 that he must needs be caught away from us, when 
 the fields are so white, and the laborers almost 
 none? 
 
 And one word more. Sometimes the Holy Spirit 
 makes a splendid pattern of a Christian here, and 
 apparently with as great ease as though the sub- 
 ject belonged to any other race. Does this suggest 
 the possibilities and the future of China? 
 
 Chauncey Goodrich. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Wong Ping San, 
 poet, musician, saint. 
 
 First Pastor of the Shanghai Chinese Baptist 
 Chtirch. 
 
 Pastor Wong is the author of the following and 
 other hymns: 
 
 Before my lips break forth in praise, 
 
 My tears should downward ilow, 
 From thinking o'er my countless faults — 
 
 A life of sin and woe. 
 
 A fearful hell of endless night, 
 
 One seemed to drag me there ; 
 A thousand thoughts distressed my mind 
 
 And plunged rae in despair. 
 
 But God has opened wide the door. 
 
 Has sent his only Son, 
 Who shed for me his precious blood 
 
 And saved the hopeless one. 
 
 With weeping thanks for saving grace, 
 
 My help the Holy Ghost, 
 I cast myself and all I have 
 
 On thee, my Saviour Christ. 
 
 Mr. M. F. Crawford has written very interest- 
 ingly of this man, familiarly known as ^'Pastor 
 Wong.'^ 
 
 He first came to foreigners in the capacity of a 
 teacher for a day school for girls. He not only 
 
 180 
 
WONG-PING-SAN. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 133 
 
 performed his duties well, but at once took an 
 interest in the religious teaching; he was by nature 
 inquisitive and religious. He himself said that 
 "when he was seventeen he was a diligent inquirer 
 after truth." 
 
 It is said he was once a Taoist priest. And he 
 had delved into the mysteries of Buddhism and the 
 doctrines of Confucianism. He knew their phi- 
 losophy, their chants, and their ceremonies. But 
 he had found nothing to satisfy his soul. 
 
 He turned to the Christian religion. His strug- 
 gles were long and bitter. His mind was greatly 
 agitated. But he thought how much better would 
 be eternal life than either transmigration or anni- 
 hilation. , 
 
 While in this state of mind he one day brought 
 a sketch representing a soul sitting in the clouds, 
 looking down on its deserted skeleton as it lay 
 stretched upon the ground. A verse of poetry de- 
 scribed the souPs emotion as it contemplated its 
 former habitation. 
 
 He was set to transcribe the Gospel of Matthew. 
 As he wrote sentence after sentence his heart was 
 moved. He felt the power and life in the wondrous 
 story. He said to Mr. Crawford, "My heart is 
 near the heart of Jesus.'' "I have broken only a 
 few of the commandments, and I think I can hence- 
 forth keep them all.'' 
 
 Mr. Crawford taught him the true doctrine of 
 the law, and that offending in one point was to be 
 guilty of all. Wong was startled. He reflected. 
 
134 ILLU8T1UOUS ChiiNese Christians. 
 
 He saw it was true. He began to cry mightily for 
 help. 
 
 There was no acquaintance who could sympa- 
 thize with him, and no one to go to but the for- 
 eigner. He even thought foreigners might be in 
 some way different from his people and perhaps 
 Chinese could not experience the same peace and 
 joy in believing. He had been taught, however, that 
 he could have the same blessings as soon as he was 
 in a spiritual condition to receive them. 
 
 One day he began to read the Lord's Prayer. 
 Between each petition he paused to examine him- 
 self whether it was said in all sincerity. "Forgive 
 us our trespasises as we forgive those who trespass 
 against us." He stopped. " ^As we forgive!' Ah! 
 T have not forgiven some of my old enemies. I will 
 do it — / do forgive them all/' At this moment he 
 felt his sins like a great house come crumbling to 
 the ground, and the love of God filled his heart. 
 There was great joy when he related his experience 
 to us. 
 
 It is very interesting to read of his ideas about 
 entering the church. When asked if he wished to 
 enter the cliurch, he said : "If the church is what 
 you say it is, and what I read of in the Holy Book, 
 I wish to do so. Many vile things are said about 
 the foreigners and their religion. I do not credit 
 them. But if you have secret rites or practices, 
 I do not pledge myself to them. If Christianity 
 is what I see and believe it to be, I wish to unite 
 with you and follow the Lord." 
 
CHINESE BAPTIST CHURCH, SHANGHAI. 
 (Associated with "Wong-Ping-San,") 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 137 
 
 When he was baptized he was so overcome with 
 emotion that his strength gave way, and he had to 
 be assisted out of the water. He fonnd it almost 
 impossible to make his neighbors believe that he 
 did not receive money, or some other consideration, 
 for becoming a Christian. 
 
 His conversion and his zealous labors were the 
 beginning of a religious interest in Shanghai which 
 lasted several years, and resulted in the baptism 
 of seventeen or eighteen persons'. Wong was the 
 natural leader of the rest, and in a few years was 
 ordained -the first deacon of the Shanghai Baptist 
 Church. 
 
 He was an earnest, fearless and persistent 
 preacher. In 1863 he became associated with Dr. 
 Yates in translating the New Testament into' the 
 Shanghai dialect, and in other religious work. 
 This gave him intimate and accurate Scriptural 
 knowledge. 
 
 Three years later he was ordained to the min- 
 istry and became co-pastor of the church. In later 
 years most of the pastoral duties fell to him. He 
 was not only an acknowledged leader among the 
 Baptist brotherhood, but held a high place in the 
 estimation of Christians of other denominations. 
 He was often consulted by them on important re- 
 ligious matters; and he was general adviser to his 
 own flock on all questions — secular as well as 
 religious. 
 
 Early in 1890, after a few days of illness, he fell 
 asleep in Jesus, deeply regretted by us all. His 
 
138 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 wife had been a Christian and helpmeet for many 
 years. They reared a large family. 
 
 Their eldest son (called ''Tsong" from having 
 been (adopted into his sister's family) has been in 
 the employ of the Chinese Religious Tract Society 
 for forty years. He edits the Illustrated Chinese 
 Neivs and CliilcTs Paper. His son was educated in 
 America, and is now a professor in the Anglo- 
 Chinese College, Shanghai. 
 
 Another grandson is in the Baptist Anglo- 
 Chinese School. A granddaughter is a teacher in 
 the Methodist Mission. 
 
 Pastor Wong's youngest son, Sing San (Zion), 
 has been connected with the British and Foreign 
 Bible Society for some twenty years, and is now 
 accountant in that society. He is a deacon in his 
 church, also. 
 
 Wong^s sympathies were broad, and he had un- 
 usual originality of thought for a Chinese. 
 
 He had also great respect for women. He once, 
 after aiding in translating a story for children, 
 was asked for criticisms upon it. He replied, 
 "Let me take it home and read it to my wife. If 
 there are any defects, her fine perceptions will de- 
 tect them." 
 
 As a preacher, he spoke to the consciences of 
 men, earnestly and faithfully urging them to flee 
 the wrath to come, and trust the regenerating 
 power of the Holy Spirit. He often related the 
 story of his own conversion. 
 
 He remained^ to the last^ modest and unpretend- 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 139 
 
 ing in manner, never presuming upon the influence 
 he had gained over others. 
 
 Socially he wias an interesting companion, gen- 
 ial, and instructive in conversation, possessed of 
 a ready wit and a philosophical turn of mind. His 
 expressions often fixed themselves in the minds of 
 his hearers. 
 
 Wong Ping San was a poet as well as a musician. 
 Some of his verses, a sample of which stands at 
 the head of this article, were pronounced by compe- 
 tent critics to be the best in the Chinese language. 
 
 He had a great reputation as peacemaker among 
 his people. And he has left a blessed memory. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Deacon W oxg, of Shanghai. 
 
 Deacon Wong was born near Sbanghai, on 
 Chinese New Year's Day, 1819. He was a welcome 
 and valuable New Year's gift to his country, and 
 to the cause of Christ. 
 
 When a boy he worked on the farm with his 
 father. A spirit of enterprise stirred within him, 
 and when sixteen he came to Shanghai and became 
 an apprentice in a rice-shop. In three years more 
 he opened a shop of his owm. 
 
 Not until he w^as forty years of age did he hear 
 the gospel — from Mr. Carpenter, of the Seventh- 
 day Baptist Mission. 
 
 The next year he was baptized by Rev. M. T. 
 Yates, D. D., and joined the Baptist Church of 
 the Southern Baptist Convention. He at once be- 
 gan to close his shop on Sundays. The Chinese 
 reported that he receivel ten dollars a month from 
 foreigners for doing so. 
 
 Countrymen who had brought rice to market, 
 had so much confidence in him that they would 
 wait until Monday. Then, if he could not buy, 
 they secured from him the true market price of 
 the day, so that other dealers could not cheat them. 
 He dated his great prosperity from the time he be- 
 came a Christian. 
 
 140 
 
PEACOX WONG, OF SHANGHAI. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 143 
 
 None of his family were as yet Christians, and 
 his wife would secretly sell rice to customers while 
 her husband was at church. A little later Mrs. 
 Yates, accompanied by some of the women of the 
 household, went to his home and taught his wife 
 the gospel, and she, too, became la, Christian, and 
 a helpmeet to her husband. He continued in the 
 rice business until he was fifty-eight, when he 
 opened a cloth store. He has been very successful, 
 and owns much land and houses. 
 
 In 1885 he bought a lot inside the city, near the 
 West Gate, and built a small chapel on it. Here 
 he preached the gospel regularly and faithfully for 
 many, many years. He also gave away books, 
 tracts and other literature. Thus did he manifest 
 ii tender and practical interest in the salvation 
 of his people. 
 
 He has always been economical; his habit has 
 always been to walk when others rode, and this 
 money he gave to the poor. His benevolence is 
 rather remarkable. It is almost a literal fact that 
 he has never refused when asked for help. He has 
 lost money by leniency with debtors. He has lost 
 a large amount of rent money — he can not resist 
 the importunity of a tenant. In cases of distress 
 they stay rent free. It is his declared intention 
 to fulfill the gospel injunction, "To them that ask, 
 turn not away." He really seems to love his neigh- 
 bor as himself. 
 
 For many years he was deacon — hence his popu- 
 lar title, "Deacon Wong." In 1898 he became pas- 
 
144 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 tor of the church, without salary. He was quite 
 old, but still strong, and able to preach well. 
 
 A few years lago he lost about twenty-five thou- 
 sand dollars in the cloth business, through the dis- 
 honesty of clerks.. But he did not grieve over his 
 loss. He said he brought nothing into the world, 
 and it was certain he could carry nothing out of 
 it. Such cheerful resignation is not too common in 
 Christian lands. He seems to be somewhat distin- 
 guished because he takes his religion so seriously 
 and literally. But all the more honor to him. He 
 even refused to proisecute the head man in the 
 store, although the man showed no contrition. 
 
 Although he is now too old to preach regular- 
 ly, he is never missing in his pew unless on accbunt 
 of sickness, and continues, even since his great 
 money loss, to contribute in the same liberal spirit, 
 to all the work of the church, and to works of 
 charity. 
 
 His most distinguishing traits are purity of life, 
 humility, cheerful faith in God, and liberality. In 
 each of these he excels. 
 
 In his old age he has become a prophet to his 
 people. With earnest face and uplifted hand he 
 declares the wonder-working power of God. He 
 recounts the mercies of the past, and, with prophet- 
 ic vision, portrays the triumphs of the kingdom 
 soon to appear within the borders of his native 
 land. He unites the glowing faith of age w^ith the 
 enthusiasm of youth. 
 
 Even in his younger days he used to preach until 
 
CHUKCH BUILT BY DEACON WONG, OF SHANGHAI. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 1^7 
 
 too exhausted to walk home until he had rested. 
 And now he uses the last vestige of strength in 
 foretelling the certain victories that await the 
 faithful proclamation of the truth in the Empire 
 of China, he himself being a living witness of its 
 power and a monument of its grace. 
 
 Dr. Yates said of him: ^^Wong lis a libenal 
 Christian. When anything is required that calls 
 for contributions, he craves the privilege of doing 
 it or of having a large share in it.'' 
 
 And about the chapel he built, and the work 
 in it: "The chapel is unique and a very nice 
 place. Here Wong is monarch of all he surveys. 
 He preaches regularly three afternoons in each 
 week. I call in occasionally and find his place full 
 of attentive listeners. But my presence does not 
 daunt him. He points me to a chair in the ^amen' 
 corner until he has finished. Then he tells the 
 audience that he is a mere novice, that the old 
 pastor will speak to them more satisfactorily. 
 Before I get through I can see that he is just effer- 
 vescing to get another chance at his congregation. 
 Sure enough, when I descend he mounts the pulpit 
 and hammers away for another half hour. Now, 
 this is the direction in which we want to go. I 
 have long worked and prayed for spontaneous 
 work. Wong and his noble acts are an inspiration 
 to all. He has pointed out a new and better way. 
 He is a forerunner in ushering in the self-support 
 and religious spontaneity so desirable in China." 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Helper Li, of Tunc; Chow, 
 one of the martyrs. 
 
 The village of Tsaofang, not far from the city 
 of Tung Chow (fifteen miles from Peking), was 
 the home of Li Te Kwei. The family were in very 
 moderate circumstances, yet managed with indus- 
 try to support themselves from the few acres of 
 land they owned. 
 
 Li Te Kwei turned ^'donkey-driver" during the 
 winter months; that is, he made the donkey sup- 
 port itself during those months by carrying pas- 
 sengers between Peking and Tung Chow. It may 
 be said that this is a very humble occupation, 
 and it will readily be believed that very, very few 
 ^'donkey-drivers" have ever achieved distinction or 
 prominence. 
 
 The father died when the children were all 
 young, and the care of the family came upon the 
 mother, with the help of Li Te Kwei, as he became 
 older. 
 
 At the age of eighteen (not an early age in 
 China), he was married to the daughter of a 
 woman in the employ of the missionaries in Tung 
 Chow, tier son, from the time he was a little boy, 
 had studied in the mission school, and in time 
 
 14S 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 149 
 
 both mother and son became Christians, but the 
 daughter was in this heathen home. 
 
 It was this family that one of the young helpers, 
 going about from village to village, found. Little 
 by little, step by step, this faithful young man, not 
 much older than Li, led him on. 
 
 For months, all the teaching he received was 
 from this young man, who went there regulaiiiy 
 each week until Li was induced to visit the mis- 
 sionaries and attend the church services. It w^as 
 not long before he believed with his whole heart, be- 
 came a great student of the Bible, and every Sab- 
 bath was found in his place in the church, and 
 happy to impart what he had learned, to others. 
 
 One of the missionaries, seeing what -an earnest 
 man he was, and how faithful in everything, took 
 him into his employ as a servant, thus bringing him 
 within reach of daily instruction, w^hich was a 
 great joy to him. 
 
 One of the Bible classes in the school was taught 
 in the evening; he joined, and, as the teacher 
 can testify, was one of the most interested mem- 
 bers. Thus for two years he filled a servant^s 
 place until it was clear that he could enter a larger 
 sphere, and he was asked to join the theological 
 class and fit for his life-work. It was evident that 
 God had called him to a higher enterprise. Most 
 faithfully did he spend his years of preparation. 
 Then came two years of preaching in the street 
 chapel — faithful, earnest, hand-to-hand work. In 
 those yearst many were brought into the church. 
 
150 Illustrious Chinese Oiiristians. 
 
 From the chapel work he was called to an im- 
 portant out-station, the home of his wife and many 
 relatives. As one of the results of his efforts here, 
 three families were led into the truth. When the 
 massacre came, this church was almost swept 
 away — forty-five being killed, among them his 
 mother-in-law, his own sister and her husband and 
 some children. 
 
 During his seminary course, and while engaged 
 in his work, his own family was not forgotten. 
 When his mother knew that he had become a Chris- 
 tian, she was very angry and looked upon it as 
 very sinful that he should leave the gods she 
 trusted, to follow, as she said, ^'the foreigners." 
 She railed at him and persecuted him, all of which 
 he suffered with a patient, loving spirit, his happy 
 face always speaking of the peace within. He 
 prayed, worked and waited. 
 
 After ten years of constant work for souls, his 
 health failed. For two months it seemed that his 
 work here on earth was done; then, when a little 
 better, he went to visit his mother, telling her that 
 ^vhen he was so sick he thought he must die, his 
 heart was at peace and he was very happy, because 
 he knew the Saviour he trusted had a place pre- 
 pared for him. "If I had not believed God, how 
 could I have had this hope?" 
 
 This time the whole family was moved, and he 
 soon had the great joy of knowing that not only 
 his mother, but his grandmother, brother, and his 
 wife, had all come out on the side of Christ. Li 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 151 
 
 Te Kwei's patience and love had conquered, and his 
 prayers were -answered. 
 
 Many of his family laid down their lives for 
 their Master during those fearful months of the 
 summer of 1900. They were not all together when 
 the end came, but oh the joy of that reunited fam- 
 ily around the throne above ! 
 
 After Helper Li's work at Fu Ho, he was called 
 to a larger and more important place (Gung-lo- 
 tien), and here he cared for the little flock with 
 untiring love and faithfulness for ten years. We 
 do well to try to realize what a term of ten years 
 in such a ministry means. The preaching, the teach- 
 ing, the visitation, the administration of ordin- 
 ances, the performance of marriage and funeral 
 ceremonies — these we understand in the West. 
 But in a Chinese pastorate there is the additional 
 burden of personal, family, financial and social 
 affairs, inevitable in China, but entirely unknown 
 with us. 
 
 He strengthened th^ faith and courage of his 
 people. By faithful preaching and a beautiful life, 
 he drew many more to the Saviour, and with great 
 tact he adjusted the misunderstandings and 
 troubles of his bishopric. Not only so. He went 
 out into the surrounding villages, in true apostolic 
 fashion, and taught with zeal the doctrine of eter- 
 nal life. And here he was working when the 
 tragic end came. 
 
 Two of the missionary ladies were there only 
 three weeks before, and his great anxiety was for 
 
152 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 them; he spent the greater part of the last night 
 of their stay, on the roof of the house watching, 
 expecting a mob before morning. He hurried us 
 off early in the morning. 
 
 He well knew the danger, but was unwilling, 
 himself, to leave the flock. Affairs grew more 
 threatening. Only a short distance away a helper 
 and some Christians were murdered. Now he real- 
 ized that it was his duty to get away, if possible. 
 He took his wife with her three-weeks-old baby, 
 and his three other children, and went about col- 
 lecting the members of his church. Then he started 
 with this precious company for Tung Chow. 
 
 Not far out the Boxers surrounded them. Mr. 
 Li, his wife and the four children were all cruelly 
 murdered. Of the party, only two or three es- 
 caped. Thus died for his faith, our beloved 
 helper — and what a true helper he was! He went 
 to receive his crown. How true it was that he 
 carried his sheaves with him. 
 
 What a joy it must have been that day, as he 
 stood before his Lord, to present that little com- 
 pany as those whom his Saviour had permitted him 
 to lead out of darkness into light, and now to 
 stand in the very glorious presence of Cod himself, 
 there to receive the crown he had so often told 
 them was waiting for those Avho believed and were 
 faithful unto death. 
 
 As a man his faitlifulnoss was remarkable. And 
 even when a chihl in a Chinese school he shoAved 
 great love for his books. After becoming a Chris- 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 153 
 
 tian, the Bible was his delight. He studied it as 
 for hidden treasures, and thus was qualified to be 
 an excellent instructor in Bible truth. He was 
 also distinguished as a man of prayer; he believed 
 this was the source of power for all Christians. 
 He has gone from us, but he will live, not onl}^ 
 enshrined in the hearts of his associates, but in the 
 affections of the remaining Christians, as well as 
 of those outsiders to whom he had shown his loving 
 character and life. ''Be thou faithful unto death, 
 and I will give thee a crown of life." 
 
OHAPTEK XIII. 
 Kev. Kwan Loy. 
 
 [AutobiogTaphical. ] 
 
 I am a native of Nan-Hai prefecture. M}^ father 
 was a business man, with a fish-shop. My father 
 prospered in business, and had built three houses — 
 one each, for us — three brothers. 
 
 At seven I entered school, where I studied for 
 eight years. I then entered the high school, and 
 remained there for two 3 ears. The number of 
 students was large, and although I was the most 
 mischievous among them, my teacher took me for 
 a good boy. 
 
 I then clerked in my father's store for a year, 
 when he ordered me to America. Altogether, with- 
 in fifty-six years, that is, from my birth in 1845 
 to the present, I have crossed the Pacific four 
 times. 
 
 The first time I lived among the Indians, and 
 later, not far from Vancouver. Here I remained 
 for two years, and every day went to the shore to 
 dig for gold in the sands. But this was poor pay, 
 so I went to Portland, and then from place to 
 place for two years more, with sad heart and empty 
 pockets. 
 
 My uncle now ordered me to return to China, 
 and I had to sell ray bedding and what little fur- 
 
 164 
 
REV. KWAN LOl. CANTON, CHINA. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 157 
 
 niture I had, to get the necessary money. I mar- 
 ried soon after reaching the home land. 
 
 My heart burns within me when I remember 
 those years in which I beat aimlessly about the 
 world. No one seemed to care for or pity me. 
 I can see, hoAvever, how the grace of God was 
 in it all. For he knew the roughness and crudeness 
 of my character and gave me these hardships to 
 train me and make me, if possible, a fit vessel for 
 his use, to put down my pride, and mould me into 
 a useful man. 
 
 I went back to America in 1868, and this time 
 I strained every nerve tO' make mone}^ I got 
 twenty-five dollars a month. For four years I 
 sent every dollar I could get, home. At the end 
 of four years, I got the disheartening news that my 
 father was dead, and had left debts behind him. 
 My sorrows seemed more than I could bear, and 
 it seemed to me it were better for me to leave such 
 a world. 
 
 On the Sabbath day I went for a walk along a 
 quiet street. I saw a Chinese enter a church, and 
 I folloAved him. A foreigner asked me if I brought 
 any books to study. I replied that I had no books, 
 and no money to buy. I asked permission to read 
 the Chinese scrolls and Avritings on the Avails. 
 
 I read the Turd's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed 
 and the Commandments — the latter made me feel 
 very guilty. Then there were the hymns. One par- 
 ticularly, "Jesus, Wash Away My Sins," made a 
 great impression. Even as I stood there, my bur- 
 
158 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 dens seemed to grow lighter and my sorrows to 
 partly vanish. When leaving the church I appro- 
 priated a small pamphlet with questions and 
 answers written out in simple Chinese. On read- 
 ing it I found it sweet a® honey. 
 
 I had been in America seven years before enter- 
 ing a church. I now joined a class for the study 
 of English. Rev. A. W. Loomis taught me my 
 alphabet. I asked him to baptize me. He thought 
 I needed more instruction. He induced me to buy 
 a Bible. It was very precious to me. I studied it 
 every spare moment. My eyes fill with tears of 
 gratitude and thanksgiving when I think of how 
 God led me at this time. 
 
 About this time I went to San Francisco, and 
 fell in with some Young Men's Christian Associa- 
 tion men. I was a member of the Junior Associa- 
 tion. They introduced me to a convenient church. 
 I was baptized in July, 1873. 
 
 Every Saturday evening I used to accompany a 
 preacher, Mr. Dantsung, to Oakland, to assist him. 
 He said he wanted me to go because of my ability 
 in debate with the self-satisfied Chinese scholars. 
 
 In 1874 Dr. Loomis aisked me to take, tempora- 
 rily, the work of another minister, Mr. Ou-Yang, of 
 Sacramento. I replied that such worlv would give 
 me great joy, but that I did not feel qualified. 
 Then he asked the Chinese brethren, and they said 
 tliey knew of no one else. Then I agreed to help 
 until some one else should be found. 
 
 In the daytime I preached in the factories and 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 159 
 
 at night helped in the school. There were many 
 who remained to discuss religious topics. On 
 Sundays I preached in the streets, and found there 
 were many opportunities for doing good. The first 
 year, five inquirers were converted and became 
 members of the church. 
 
 Before coming here I received thirty dollars a 
 month, but now got twenty, but although my mas- 
 ter urged me, I did not feel at all inclined to 
 return to him. I was happy. The next summer, 
 four more men were converted. God's blessing was 
 upon the work. 
 
 My aged mother now wanted to see me. But I 
 had no money with which to return to her. The 
 Sacramento brethren, hearing of it, sent me two 
 hundred dollars for the journey. My mother 
 looked upon me as having dropped down from 
 heaven. I preached to her and all my relatives, 
 but they doubted me and my teaching. The cred- 
 itors of my father became so troublesome that I 
 escaped to the city of Yang. 
 
 Having met Rev. Chas. Preston, he asked me to 
 go with him into the city of Song-Mun, to help him 
 preach. I told him I would accompany him so as 
 to hear him preach. He laughed, and said if I was 
 a good listener I could probably preach. So I 
 helped him that day, and when we returned he 
 asked me to go there every day. He was such a 
 zealous man that I could not refuse, and so 
 preached in that city for some months. 
 
 When I went home after this I noticed that the 
 
160 iLLUSTlilorS (MlIXKSK ClIUISTIANS. 
 
 family idols were not in their accustomed place. 
 They told me that my mother had ordered them re- 
 jnoved and burned. So 1 said to my mother, ''You 
 know how to throw away the false and retain the 
 true." And we knelt in prayer. 
 
 Afterwards, when my mother fell sick, I nursed 
 her for two months, and before she died she real- 
 ized that Christ only could be her help. After the 
 mourning was over, I went to my post, now in 
 charge of Rev. B. C. Henry, D. D. 
 
 I was now chosen as an elder in the Second 
 Presbyterian Church, Canton. Dr. Henry now^ di- 
 rected me to work in my native place — Kiu-Kiang- 
 Shu. Dr. Luk-Mai-tong came to assist. We rented 
 and repaired a chapel. Usually I preached and 
 then Dr. Luk dispensed medicines. Great crowds 
 attended, and prospects were good. 
 
 This excited the ire of the rich men, who deter- 
 mined to drive us out. First they sent a native 
 doctor to us. He said as his business had been 
 ruined by us, he would expect us to keep him free 
 of charge. We replied that those we treated free 
 were the poor. If rich people came, we would 
 charge them dearly. ''Now we will treat the poor 
 and you can treat the rich, and have the money." 
 He went away angry and spoke evil of us. 
 
 Then the rich men sent my sister-in-law to me, 
 who plead with me to leave and work elsewhere. 
 She told me of the placards which were posted on 
 the walls around the city denouncing me and using 
 unutterably bad language about me. I replied 
 
Illustrious Chinese Ciikistians. 161 
 
 that I had utfeiided uo oue aiid thought I would 
 remain. 
 
 The next day there were red placards on the 
 walls telling the people that we were the emis- 
 saries of foreigners, exhorting them not to believe 
 the "spirit" teaching, and to prepare themselves 
 against future danger. At the same time they 
 offered four hundred dollars for my head. But 
 v\'e went on preaching and healing. 
 
 Four days afterwards a mob broke into the 
 premises. One of the men said, '^My mother, yes- 
 terday, after taking some of your medicine, died." 
 They then took their bamboos and smashed all the 
 furniture. Dr. Luk and I stood looking at them, 
 but they did not harm us. xlfter this, however, 1 
 took my wife away. It was in this year that she, 
 by God's grace, was converted. 
 
 The magistrate repaired the chapel. We had 
 been in it about a month, when a second mob, more 
 fierce than the first, attacked us. Dr. Luk and I 
 had to escape by the roof to save our lives. We 
 made our way to a boat in the river, and escaped 
 to Canton. 
 
 Under Dr. Henry's superintendence, Dr. Luk and 
 I opened work in the city of Lan-chow. Here we 
 preached and taught and made itinerating tours 
 throughout the country. 
 
 In 1881 I wais sent to Song-Mun to preach. 
 Often I spoke to the hospital patients. Two years 
 later, the First Church at Canton called me to be 
 their minister. Still later, the Second Presbyte- 
 
162 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 tian Church called me, and there I remained for 
 seven years. 
 
 Then the old church at Liu-Chew sent me an 
 urgent invitation to become their pastor. The Sec- 
 ond Church did not seem willing to release me, so 
 I had to decide for myself, and finally went to 
 Liu-Chew. Now I remained here ten years. Sam- 
 Kong and Ling- Woo are near-by places. In these 
 three places under my charge, during this time, 
 the number of believers has increased to 180. 
 Many of these are weak, but I am compelled to 
 think that my own weak faith and imperfect love 
 are largely the cause of this. My one desire in 
 life is to help men to a knowledge of the Saviour. 
 And though I meet with dangers, and feel my own 
 weakness, still, by God's help, I will go on. 
 
OLD WANG. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Old Wang, 
 The FoiNDER of Protestantism in Manchuria. 
 
 Wang Cliing Ming, or W-ang the "Luminous," 
 was, in 1872, a commission merchant in the busy 
 port of Xewchwang. He had a good business, 
 which gaA^e him a consderable amount of leisure. 
 
 For 3^ears he had been an earnest devotee of a 
 strict Buddhist sect, driven thereto by a sense of 
 sinfulness and a desire for Buddhistic peace, if 
 not perfection. Buddhism was the most pure and 
 earnest of any of the religions with which he was 
 then acquainted. He was following the light as 
 fast as it broke upon him. 
 
 He purchased a copy of the gospel, but was 
 wholly unable to understand it, though he gave 
 much time to its study. But after the opening of 
 a chapel he came in contact with the preached 
 Word, which is more easily understood. At this 
 time he was so engrossed in Scripture study that 
 he desisted from business altogether. As soon as 
 he grasped the meaning of the gospel message, he 
 became a believer. 
 
 The most earnest and sincere Buddhist may be 
 an opium sot, or "opium fiend,'' as it is now termed 
 
 165 
 
166 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 in San Francisco. Wang was a heavy smoker. 
 Again and again lie resolved and vowed to renounce 
 opium; but again and again his best resolutions 
 failed before the torturing craving when the usual 
 hour for the pipe came round. 
 
 Feeling that he was becoming degraded as a man, 
 as well as letting slip the opportunity of becoming 
 a Christian, he, one morning, destroyed all of his 
 opium utensils. The hour came, bringing the crav- 
 ing. It became insupportable. He threw himself 
 upon his knees and prayed for deliverance. The 
 cruel fight went on for three days and nights; but 
 Wang, by his prayers and resolution, obtained the 
 victory. He never smoked opium again. He be- 
 came an inquirer and in due course was baptized. 
 
 Within a year thereafter, his change became so 
 apparent that his younger brother, a merchant in 
 Moukden, heard of it, and, on coming to see, he 
 learned Christian truth, and became a believer. 
 Henceforth the elder brother was known as "Old" 
 Wang. 
 
 He went at once to preaching — ^such an ardent 
 soul could do nothing else. His audiences bitterly 
 mocked him. He replied : "Think you I would con- 
 sent, for the paltry sum I receive from the for- 
 eigner, to stand here day after day to be vilified 
 and taunted by you as a traitor to my country, a 
 demon's slave, a foreigner, and such other names 
 as your anger invents? I am no follower of the 
 foreigner. The foreigner has given me the truth 
 of heaven, and that truth I must follow. Let the 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 167 
 
 foreigner depart ; we have the Bible, and we know 
 the truth, and we will teach and repeat it if there 
 be no foreigners in the land." 
 
 He was a man of such fearless enthusiasm that 
 from the first he seemed to be chosen, as was 
 Paul, for the work of planting the church among 
 his fellows. Never after his baptism was he happy 
 except when preaching. Whether to one or to 
 many, to rich or to poor, he was ever not only ready, 
 but glad, to preach to any willing to listen. 
 
 Wang's public preaching was gentle, kindly, even 
 beseeching, showing in voice and manner a warm, 
 sympathetic heart, and a yearning over the souls 
 of men. His manner with young men was specially 
 engaging; and most of his converts were of this 
 class. 
 
 On one occasion, three missionaries, two of whom 
 he had not seen before, walked into the midst of 
 his congregation. As his eye lighted upon them, 
 it beamed with pleasure. With a warm smile he 
 turned towards them, bowing gracefully, and then 
 continued his discourse, instead of abruptly con- 
 cluding, as many would have done. 
 
 Once a young missionary, whom Wang esteemed 
 very highly, called in at the latter's chapel, on his 
 way to Moukden. Wang, with the usual pleasure 
 with which he welcomed a pastor, at once produced 
 a teapot and green tea to refresh the traveler. While 
 the water was boiling, a man came intO' the front 
 chapel to buy a Christian book. Wang went with 
 the book to the man, and, in his eagerness to ex- 
 
168 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 pound the way of salvation, continued to preach to 
 him long after the water had boiled, teapot and tea 
 having been entirely forgotten. 
 
 The first station opened out from Newchwang, 
 that of Tappingslian, was opened by Old Wang. 
 He first opened a school, and after two months of 
 waiting with an empty schoolroom (owing to fear 
 and prejudice), he was rewarded by the appearance 
 of three boys as students, and soon the confidence 
 of the people was gained. Many months of Chris- 
 tian instruction had not been given to the villagers 
 before two husbands and their wives became appli- 
 cants for baptism, one couple stating that they had 
 never believed in idols. 
 
 The hungry and needy never appealed to him in 
 vain. When summer came it transpired that Wang 
 had paid three months of his own wages to such 
 needy ones, whom he set to improve the roads of 
 the village. This habit he continued, so much so 
 that he was himself often in need of clothes. And 
 one could see that this impulsive generosity, which 
 made it impossible for him to eat if ^a hungry man 
 was near, was precisely the same which made him 
 the earnest and fearless preacher. 
 
 During his merchant days he had cut himself 
 off from his own people. But now he began to send 
 money to his mother and wife, for whose conversion 
 he was anxious. A younger brother, away on the 
 Mongolian plains, heard of these gifts of money 
 from one who was to the family as if dead. Won- 
 dering what the pew religion was which had con- 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 1G9 
 
 verted his brother from an opium sot to a dutiful 
 son, he came all the way to Ncwchwan^j^ to see. The 
 result was that he, too, became a Christian. 
 
 He afterwards opened work in Moukden, the cap- 
 ital, where almost every citizen was an opponent. 
 By his wisdom, tact, humilit}^ earnestness, knowl- 
 edge and zeal, he made a great impression. Through 
 him, largely, the church of Christ took shape in this 
 important city. 
 
 But he met with strong and bitter opposition. 
 The people believed that the missionary formed the 
 vanguard of foreign aggression. They " believed 
 that Christianity was a political system. Many ex- 
 ponents of this doctrine manifested themselves in 
 Moukden. A band of clever, well-dressed young 
 gentlemen went daily to tlie chapel to pester the 
 preachers, publicly avowing the design of driving 
 Christianity out of the Manchu citadel. "Never!" 
 they shouted, "never will there be a convert in 
 this city while one of us lives. We will have no 
 traitors in this city." For a year this defensive 
 work went on, when it began to slowly gain momen- 
 tum. 
 
 Wang also began work in Liaoyang, where his 
 name and influence remain prominent to this day. 
 The Manchus here tried the same tactics as at 
 Moukden, but the result was the same, in the end. 
 Neither ridicule, anger nor throwing dead cats into 
 the chapel could prevent the bold herald of the gos- 
 pel from establishing the cause of truth in the city. 
 Either directly, or through the influence of those 
 
170 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 broug-lit into the church by him, he was more than 
 any other man instrumental in spreading the gospel 
 and beginning preachingnstations throughout Man- 
 churia. 
 
 He passed away some years ago, but not before 
 he saw many men of a spirit kindred to his own 
 enter into and zealously extend the boundaries of 
 the kingdom of Christ. More than to any other 
 human instrumentality, the church in Manchuria 
 0A\ es its existence and aggressive character to "Old 
 Wang." 
 
 But his last days were approaching. Opium had 
 in earlier years undermined his constitution. He 
 grew weaker and weaker, but in his heart was, as 
 he declared, "peace, unbroken peace.'' 
 
 And so he lay, dying. But, even dying, he must 
 preach, and by some miracle of strength he would 
 actually leave his couch and reach the chapel door, 
 where he would exhort the passers-by to repent land 
 believe. This was after he stated that he was soon 
 to die, and had given minute directions about all 
 his affairs. It was a most extraordinary sight. A 
 young missionary standing by, his eyes full of tears 
 — as were those of many more — said, in moving 
 away from the affecting sight, "Isn't it grand?" 
 Still he went on. After many ineffectual attempts 
 to induce him to stop, he said, "It is finished," and 
 at last sat down. 
 
 In the house he was surrounded by friends, 
 mother, brother, and sons' wives. In China it is a 
 universal custom, as the spirit departs, to clothe 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 171 
 
 the body in the finest clothes it is possible to pur- 
 chase. They think the spirit is clad in the other 
 world with the same quality and kind of clothing 
 in which it abandons the body. Old Wang's cloth- 
 ing had been purchased and made, and he was 
 asked while he could yet speak, whether he would 
 be clad in these. His reply was, "Jesus is my new 
 robe." After saying which, in broken syllables, he 
 gently passed away. 
 
 This man, his character, and his whole-hearted 
 devotion prove in what direction is to be sought the 
 agency which is to bring China to Christ. He had 
 been only two or three years in school. He read 
 his Bible fluently. He had, and craved, no further 
 learning. But he was a man full of faith, and 
 under the guidance of the spirit of holiness and of 
 love. He possessed, therefore, more than all the 
 schools of worldly learning could ever bestow upon 
 him. 
 
 His own mother, weeping, followed his unwieldy 
 coffin to the grave, into which it was lowered by 
 the hands and with the tears of many who were by 
 his means brought "from darkness into light." 
 
 When such men are multiplied by hundreds, 
 the children of China will become the sons of God. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Blind Chang. 
 
 ^^Blind Chiang, of Tai-ping-gow/' is a character 
 well known throughout Manchuria. He was not 
 always blind. His eye had been as sharp as his 
 tongue was nimble. He was a notable gambler 
 and a clever fortune-teller. But his eyesight gave 
 way while he was yet a young man. At this time 
 he came in contact with a Christian who told him 
 of the wonderful cures of the blind — or virtually 
 blind — effected by Dr. Christy in Moukden. At 
 length he resolved to go ; and where Chang resolved 
 to go, he would find his way, however long the 
 journey or arduous the path. 
 
 After great hardships by the way — he had trav- 
 eled a hundred miles and had been robbed of all 
 his mone}^ on the road — he presented himself in the 
 hospital in Moukden. He was kept there several 
 days and treated, but ultimately informed that 
 his sight was gone irrecoverably. Necessarily he 
 grieved, but not as those who have no hope. For 
 meantime he had heard, in the hospital, the doc- 
 trines of grace. He attended the meetings in the 
 chapel in the missionary's compound, and had be- 
 come a believer. Never had there been a patient 
 in that hospital who received the gospel with 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 175 
 
 such joy, and the rapidity with which he grasped 
 the leading truths of Christianity was remarkable. 
 
 Before going back home with his uncured eyes, 
 he sought baptism. The period of probation then 
 demanded prior to baptism would not admit of this ; 
 and for his rejection he seemed to sorrow more 
 than for his lost sight. He was comforted by the 
 information that the missionary would visit his 
 home some months after he should have gone. The 
 missionary, Rev. James Webster, went in due 
 course to the "Valley of Peace," and found Blind 
 Chang, but not alone. 
 
 As soon as he returned to his home he had begun 
 to preach, in his ceaseless eloquence, the doctrines 
 Of salvation which he had learned in the capital. 
 He took his station under the largest elm in the 
 valley, beneath whose shade, in the summer, num- 
 bers of the people found a pleasant retreat from the 
 glaring heat. That tree was afterwards purchased 
 along with the house to which it was attached, as 
 the site of the first church and school in the wide 
 county of Mai-mai-kai. 
 
 He had been well known in his own village as a 
 gambler and everything that was bad, so that on 
 his return people laughed at his new religion. "It 
 is all very well for him to reform," they said, "for 
 he can not gamble without his eyes." But nothing 
 could shake his faith in Christ, and soon it became 
 evident that it was no passing fancy, but that a 
 lasting change had been produced in his life. 
 
 From the first he preached with great power. 
 
176 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 Some of the neighbors ridiculed him as mad; but 
 an intelligent farmer who had been reading the 
 Bible in his family for years without understand- 
 ing it much, stood up for the blind man and insisted 
 that he should be heard, as no one was compelled 
 to believe his doctrine against his will. 
 
 This farmer, along with quite'a number of other 
 men, became believers, and Avere ultimately bap- 
 tized by Mr. Webster. 
 
 Guided by his staff. Blind Chang went from vil- 
 lage to village preaching the Word of Life, where 
 he was formerly known as the cleverest gambler 
 and with the keenest tongue in the neighborhood. 
 
 In his native village and the immediate neighbor- 
 hood the church now numbers hundreds. Many of 
 these have never seen the blind man, but well might 
 one of them say, ^^Had Chang-shun never been blind 
 there might have been no Christians here yet.'' 
 
 He had many faults, but his zeal never grew cold, 
 and as an evangelist for breaking new ground 
 there had not been his superior. In an ever-in- 
 creasing radius he shed the light which was the joy 
 of his own heart. He received no salary, but his 
 flock gave him a willing support. And when he 
 needed new clothes the women gladly made them 
 for him. He miade himself a member of his people's 
 families: — living at each house in turn. 
 
 He liad committed whole books of the Bible to 
 memory; and always had a great stock of questions 
 or texts wliich he did not quite understand, when 
 the missionary came to the station. He had his 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 177 
 
 failings; among tliem was one not unknown to 
 strong men. He had the most unquestioning cer- 
 tainty in his own belief, his own expositions, and 
 his own opinions. There were even missionaries 
 from whom he refused to take instruction, so as to 
 change his exposition. 
 
 Prom his Buddhistic daj^s he had great faith in 
 control over the appetite for food as evidence of the 
 strength of the spiritual nature. Both he, his sister 
 and others, declared that he sat in his sister's house 
 thirty days without food, stating that no food 
 would cross his lips until she became a believer, 
 xlnd a believer she did become, moved thereto by 
 the dread of being the cause of her brother's death 
 by starvation. 
 
 In many a mountain hamlet, among the beautiful 
 mountains of the southeast of Kirin Province, and 
 in miany an isolated farmhouse on the sloping sides 
 of those luxuriant hills, did Blind Chang introduce 
 the Word which is a lamp to the feet and a light to 
 the path. Large numbers through him entered the 
 church. And, curiously enough, most of them have 
 suffered spiritually from the defect of Blind Chang 
 in retaining much of his Buddhistic spirit enfolded 
 in the strength of his Christian faith. 
 
 He was not permitted to sleep quietly away. 
 He went to his rest in la manner far more in ac- 
 cordance with his own fiery, impetuous nature. 
 The ^^Boxer" movement had spread the flames of 
 hatred and revenge far and wide. Christians must 
 suffer because associated with foreigners. Ere this 
 
178 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 fearful anti-foreign wave of destruction should re- 
 cede, thousands of native Christians* must pay 
 the penalty of discipleship with their lives. The 
 story of their fortitude reads like a chapter from 
 the history of tlie early martyrs. 
 
 Blind Chano and another Christian were seized 
 and brought before the magistrate. The magis- 
 trate, like most in Manchuria, was unwilling to 
 take life, and exhorted the men to sign a form of 
 denial of the Christian faith by which they could 
 save themselves alive. Terror overcame the other 
 man, and he lied against hm conscience to save his 
 life. 
 
 Those who knew him were not surprised to learn 
 that Blind Chang would not accept, in any form, 
 or to any extent, any words which seemed to imply 
 a denial of his Christianity. Sentenced to execu- 
 tion, he knelt and prayed ; and while praying ^'Lord 
 Jesus, receive my spirit,'' he was beheaded — and so 
 went home. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A Zealous Evangelist. 
 Elder Wang. 
 
 Elder Wang was born at Fu-san, ten miles west 
 of Chefoo, in 1826. From eight to twenty years of 
 age he spent continuously at school. His uncle, a 
 man of high literary attainments, was for many 
 years his teacher. After leaving school, he taught 
 upwards of ten years, and at the same time contin- 
 ued his studies of the Chinese classics. He mem- 
 orized them so thoroughly that they never faded 
 from his memory. His mind became so tinctured 
 with the teaching of the Chinese sages, that he 
 gloried in being a Confucianist of "the straitest 
 secf 
 
 He was a zealous advocate of ancestral worship. 
 A distinguished ancestry, recording names of men 
 eminent for scholarship and holding high positions 
 in the Government, made him highly pdze Ms 
 birthright privileges. 
 
 Failing to secure the literary degree necessary 
 to secure ofl&cial position, -he decided that in order 
 to secure a competence for old age he must seek 
 some other calling than that of schoolteacher. 
 After extensive travel, during which he gained 
 valuable experience, he opened a small store in 
 
 181 
 
182 l^^LUSTKious Chinese Christians. 
 
 Chefoo. It was while here that Mr. Wong Tsay, 
 our first convert and preacher, made his acquaint- 
 ance. These men resembled each other in many 
 particulars and soon became fast friends. Both 
 were stoutly built, and much above the average 
 size, and of commanding presence. They were men 
 of superior education, and had been teachers in 
 early life. They both had strong wills and a per- 
 fect hatred of guile. 
 
 Wong Tsay daily passed the store going to 
 preach in the street chapel. Times almost without 
 number he stopped in the store to tell of Jesus and 
 of salvation in his name. Wang Pao Kwei (for 
 that was Elder Wang's full name) always treated 
 his friend with the utmost politeness, but showed 
 his loyalty by utterly refusing to investigate any 
 religion that claims superiority to, or even equality 
 with, Confucianism. 
 
 But one day Wang seemed to awake as from a 
 dream. The thought came into his mind, surely 
 Wong Tsay can have no selfish motive in being so 
 deeply concerned about the salvation of my soul. 
 He resolved to make his first visit to the chapel and 
 there investigate the truth. Much of the afternoon 
 was spent in asking questions and listening. He 
 received a copy of the New Testament. He began 
 i(^ study, learned to pray, came to the church on 
 the Sabbath, and soon became deeply interested in 
 Christianity. 
 
 At times intense anguish filled his heart as he 
 thought of what it meant in his case to become a 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 183 
 
 Christian. His kindred and friends would despise 
 him and regard him as an apostate unworthy to 
 live. He continued, however, to study and pray. 
 Soon the conviction took hold of his mind that he 
 was a wretched sinner, and there was no hope for 
 him but to accept free salvation through Jesus 
 Christ. As soon as persuaded of this, he yielded 
 his whole heart to .Jesus, made a public profession 
 of faith, and received baptism. From that day on- 
 ward his faith never wavered, and he loyally and 
 faithfully strove to follow in his Saviour's foot- 
 steps, and to win others for Christ. 
 
 A few days before his death, when speaking of 
 the time he united with the church, he said the 
 thought of all Jesus did to save him so stirred his 
 soul that he often felt it would have been a great 
 privilege to have been permitted to give his life 
 for Jesus. And that often since then he had prayed 
 that if he could glorify Jesus more by suffering 
 martyrdom than by his life, that he hoped the 
 opportunity might be given, and with it the needed 
 grace and courage. 
 
 He became a personal teacher and helper for 
 one of the missionaries. Subsequently he taught 
 successfully a girls' mission school. When study 
 hour»s were over, he almost daily assisted in preach- 
 ing in the street chapel, in the street, or wherever 
 men were found. From the first he was a dilige^it 
 student of God's word, and so continued to the end 
 of his life. The lofty morals of the Bible had for 
 him a peculiar charm. He believed with all his 
 
184 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 heart that the Bible is God's message to sinful men 
 and truly the power of God unto salvation to every 
 believer and doer of it. Having a retentive mem- 
 ory, he became mighty in the Scripture. He med- 
 itated upon it day and night till his mind became 
 so permeated that his preaching, praying and con- 
 versation made all feel that the truth had taken 
 possession of him, and that he was pre-eminently 
 a spiritually minded man. 
 
 During the last eighteen years he gave his time 
 exclusively to evangelistic work. He made long 
 journeys, extending over hundreds of miles, preach- 
 ing and distributing books and tracts at the mar- 
 kets, and the towns and villages by the way. 
 
 His favorite method of work was to select some 
 center where there were a few Christians and in- 
 quirers, rent a house where he could live, have 
 people daily meet with him for worship and study, 
 and, as opportunity offered, itinerate and preach in 
 the surrounding villages. At every place he thus 
 labored, God's blessing crowned his efforts, souls 
 were saved, believers grew in grace and more fully 
 realized the living reality of God's word. 
 
 He first went to a center more than two hundred 
 miles in the interior, where there were a few con- 
 verts lately from the ranks of heathenism greatly 
 needing instruction and careful shepherding. In 
 a short time he won their love and confidence. The 
 heathen neighbors came to look upon him with 
 respect, and as a man honest, faithful and con- 
 scientious, upon whom they could rely. The 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 185 
 
 Christians in two adjoining villages were soon per- 
 suaded to cast away jealousy and rivalry, and meet 
 in one place for Sabbath service. New converts 
 were added. Bj contributions of money and labor 
 involving much ^elf-denial, some selling land and 
 giving beyond their strength, a beautiful little 
 church building was erected and a church organ- 
 ized, which soon grew to a membership of three 
 hundred communicants. 
 
 After remaining about three years, Mr. Wang 
 felt that the people were able to get on without his 
 help, and that he was more needed elsewhere. An 
 earnest effort was made to retain him, but without 
 avail. When he left, the Christians united in giv- 
 ing him presents, and escorted him a long distance 
 beyond the village, and did all they could to show 
 him honor. 
 
 At another center, where there were probably 
 twenty Christians and inquirers, he spent nearly 
 two years. Many of the people, after working all 
 day on their farms, met every evening in Mr. 
 Wang's room for the special study of the Bible. 
 
 On one occasion, after an evening service, Mr. 
 Wang said to me, "I do not wish to tire you, but I 
 wish you to see how differently the Chrisrtians 
 spend their evenings than in former times, when 
 they often met to drink wine and gamble.'' He 
 called on a Mr. Fan, of perhaps fifty years of age, 
 saying, "Give us the story of Abraham." Mr. Fan 
 rose to his feet, and with great fluency and clear- 
 ness gave the outline of Abraham's life and some 
 
186 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 of the lessons he thought we should all heed. 
 Another was called on to tell about Daniel, another 
 about the apostle Paul. Thus they continued until 
 near midnight, all listening with as much apparent 
 interest as if they were hearing for the first time. 
 As I had an appointment requiring me to leave at 
 daybreak, I felt constrained to request them to 
 postpone until my next visit. 
 
 At still another center, during less than two 
 years' residence, more than thirty were received 
 into the church on profession of faith ; one of them 
 a widow of seventy-nine, another a man of eighty- 
 eight years. Mr. Wang also assisted the people 
 there in erecting a church and school building. 
 
 Mr. Wang had a wonderful love for children and 
 youth, and the power of winning them for friends. 
 It was to him r. joy to select promising youths who 
 were in destitute circumstances, and aid them in 
 securing an education. He was an intelligent ad- 
 vocate of Christian education for both boys and 
 girls. At his funeral, several of the preachers and 
 teachers testified with deep feeling what a friend 
 they had found in him in their school days and hovr 
 much they owed to his sympathy and help. Chris- 
 tian teaching, training, and safe-guarding the 
 young was his chief hope for China. He gave spe- 
 cial thanks for God's people in Christian lands, who 
 gave of their means and prayed for China's conver- 
 sion. 
 
 During the last three months of his illness he 
 took much pleasure in watching from his door the 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 187 
 
 erection of a new school building. He often ex- 
 horted the workmen to do honest .and faithful 
 work, as they were working for God, and for 
 coming generations. 
 
 Soon after his conversion, he removed his wife 
 from the old homestead in the midst of heathen 
 influences to Chefoo, Avhere she could have an op- 
 portunity of learning the truth. His kind and 
 gentle manner, in striking contrast to the stern- 
 ness of former years, made her willing to listen to 
 his teaching. Her heart was soon opened to re- 
 ceive the truth. During the following three years, 
 she lived a beautiful Christian life, and then died 
 a triumphant death. 
 
 It was a great and constant grief to Mr. Wang 
 that none of his kindred were Christians. For 
 them he often wept, and daily prayed, and died in 
 the hope that God would answer his prayer after he 
 was gone. 
 
 He received a salary of five dollars a month, 
 but always traveled on foot, lived and dressed so 
 economically that he was able to save about one- 
 half of his salary for charitable purposes. Like 
 many Chinese students, he had read medical books, 
 and always kept a supply of medicine, which he 
 gave freely to all in need. He wrote a tract con- 
 taining a brief outline of the plan of salvation, and 
 had it cut on a block, which he often carried with 
 him on his journeys. If his supply of tracts failed, 
 he could always find a printer and have a new 
 edition. It is said that on more than one occasion 
 
188 Illustrious Chinese (JHitrsTiANS. 
 
 in cold weather when he found some one suffering 
 with the cold, he took off one of his own outer gar- 
 ments and presented it. 
 
 A few days before his death, he sent word that 
 he had a message for Dr. Corbett's son, Charles 
 When Charles went to see him, he presented him 
 with a beautiful picture of Christ — ^^The Good 
 Shepherd" — ^and said to him, ^^I have long been 
 earnestly praying for you and your brothers that 
 God would spare your lives, give you wisdom and 
 grace, and call you to be missionaries and under- 
 shepherds for our people." 
 
 After he was unable to walk, he requested to bt 
 carried to church, so long as he was able to sit in 
 a reclining chair, saying it did him so much good 
 to join with God's people in worship. 
 
 Mr. Wang had a remarkably cheerful disposi- 
 tion. When persecuted and wronged, he bore it 
 patiently. He harbored no malice. 
 
 He had a strong desire to live longer and work 
 for Christ. When the physician told him his dis- 
 ease was incurable, he submitted without a mur- 
 mur. When he realized that his end was near, he 
 employed carpenters to bring timber and make 
 his coftin in front of his door, so that he could super- 
 intend and personally direct the work. He had it 
 made of pine planks of great thickness, so that it 
 weighed more than six hundred pounds. He had 
 a friend write in large characters, to be placed in 
 the coffin, the idea expressed in ^^Looking for that 
 blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 189 
 
 God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." He asked to 
 have the Bible and hymn-booli he had studied for 
 many years put into the coffin with his body. 
 
 When the sun was setting on Sabbath evening, 
 and the church bell was ringing for evening service, 
 he asked to be carried into the open air that he 
 might have another glimpse of the church and 
 school buildings, and the blue sky, which had such 
 a charm for him all during his illness. After some 
 moments of upward gazing — one of his' attendants 
 said — looking as Stephen did to see his Saviour at 
 God's right hand, his features became calm and 
 radiant, and peace and joy filled his soul. He said 
 in a strong voice, "My end is near ; carry me into 
 the house and prepare me for my burial. Do not 
 delay.'' These were his last words. His friends 
 did as requested, but before they could finish, his 
 soul passed away without a struggle. 
 
 Thus he gloriously entered into his inheritance. 
 He died a blessed death. His crown will have 
 many stars, as he had the joy of leading many to a 
 saving knowledge of Christ. He was buried in the 
 beautiful Wang cemetery, where for more than 
 two hundred years only his ancestry of the Wang 
 name have been buried. Alas! Elder Wang and 
 his wife are the only ones buried there who died in 
 the certain hope of a glorious resurrection. 
 
 Hunter Corbett. 
 
CHAPTER XVIL 
 AA'ANG OF Wei. 
 
 Mr. Wang was an only /son. In his youth ht 
 spent two years as a captive in the hands of the 
 Tai-Ping rebels. He came home to find that they 
 had murdered his mother. This break in his life, 
 with its afflictions, brought to him a serious con- 
 cern for the future life. Though never having the 
 advantages of a school, he persevered in night 
 study till he had a very good knowledge of the 
 classics — all, that he might study the religions of 
 China. 
 
 He visited a resort of Taoist priests among the 
 hills, hoping there to find relief for his burdened 
 soul. In order to be less contaminated with the 
 flesh, and to lay up merit, he became a vegetarian. 
 
 When a preacher of Jesus came, he sat up all 
 night talking with him, and decided to seek the for- 
 eign teacher, and with him com]>are the relative 
 merits of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and 
 Christianity, Accordingly, he went to Cliefoo, and 
 spent two months in the study of the Bible under 
 Dr. CoTbett. He decided to become a Christian, 
 when he at once became deeply concerned about 
 the conversion of his children. He induced a Chris- 
 tian doctor to come from a distance and occupy 
 
 190 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 191 
 
 rooms on his premises, in order to have his help 
 in influencing his boys. He used many promises 
 and threats, even proposing- to go to a distance and 
 become a beggar, if they would not become Chris- 
 tians. 
 
 One of his sons says his father made his life so 
 miserable that he went out to the field and prayed 
 hio'h heaven to deliver him from his distresses. His 
 father on one side, and all his associations and am- 
 bitions and prospects on the other, what was he 
 to do? 
 
 He said that one thing decided him to be a Chris- 
 tian at any cost ; that Avas his father^s prayers. 
 He would go out into the court, when he supposed 
 all were asleep, and would every night, whether 
 snowing or raining, plead with God for the con- 
 version of his children, till he was exhausted. This 
 he would often do two or three times the same 
 night, until they all three openly professed Christ 
 as their Saviour. One of the sons is now a pastor. 
 He might, with his brother, be receiving a large 
 salary in a government school; but he turned from 
 this to enter the ministry. Not only so, but he 
 accepted tlie one of three calls that gave him the 
 smallest salary. Being supported by his family, 
 he spends all his salary in employing preachers 
 among the heathen. 
 
 When Mr. Wang's prayers for his sons and 
 daughters were answered, he sold some of his land 
 to get money for building, and traded some for 
 adjoining houses, and thus prepared ample accom- 
 
192 Illustrious Chinese Cpiristians. 
 
 modations for a girls' boarding-school. He attend- 
 ed to the marketing and gronnd the grain without 
 charge, often supplementing the food from his own 
 store. He talked and prayed with the girls about 
 the unbinding of their feet before even we for- 
 eigners thought of such vigorous agitation. He 
 promised to buy the shoes and stockings for those 
 who would unbind. In this, too, God answered his 
 prayers and rewarded his efforts. Indeed, his son, 
 after naming a list of answered prayers, said that, 
 so far as he knew, his father had gotten everything 
 he had asked for. 
 
 While others were feasting at the New^ Year, 
 he went into seclusion and fasted, grieving because 
 his parents had never known Jesus, the Saviour. 
 Hearing the talk of the Catholics, and reading in 
 Peter about the spirits in prison, he went to the 
 graveyard and built a booth, where he spent his 
 time in prayer for his parents and grandparents 
 till he was taken sick, when he concluded that God 
 was displeased with such a prayer, and so returned 
 to his home. 
 
 When he could command the time, he went out 
 preaching Christ among the heathen villages, of 
 course at his own expense. His sons were college 
 graduates employed in teaching. They became so 
 alarmed at the disposition the father was making 
 of the property at this time, that they concluded to 
 teach nearer home, so that they could be on hand 
 to protest. The father promptly told them that he 
 would' not spend any more time adding to the es- 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 193 
 
 tate to be left to them ; that there was likely more 
 now than was for their good ; that he had given all 
 to the service of the Master, and that, if they ob- 
 jected to his using a portion of the property for 
 Christian purposes, they should just take it and 
 make what they pleased of it. 
 
 So he left, and they were never able to induce 
 him to return. He went three hundred miles away, 
 where he was given a salary as a preacher. He 
 lived simply, giving more than two-thirds for the 
 benefit of others. Among other things, he em- 
 ployed a Christian teacher in la heathen village. 
 This has resulted in a station of more than twenty 
 good members, some of whom, have stood through 
 bitter persecutions. 
 
 He visits his home yearly, when he goes among 
 the Christian villages, praying with and exhort- 
 ing the Christians, and frequently leaving money 
 for the needy. He has a large amount thus loaned 
 to the Lord. With some of the money thuis sent 
 home in advance for poor people, his sons bought a 
 donkey that was soon stolen; another time they 
 bought a mule, which died. After these calamities, 
 unprecedented in the hiistory of the family, they 
 said they would never again appropriate any of 
 their father's alms money. 
 
 Being Puritanical in life, Mr. Wang is severe in 
 condemnation of sin wherever he finds it; yet for 
 the sinner he has a beautiful charity, so that he 
 stands high in his influence among all classes. He 
 belongs to the intelligent farming class, which is 
 
194 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 far superior to all others in character and hopeful- 
 ness for Christianity. 
 
 During the uprising of 1900 in China, rowdies 
 from a distance looted his home, while he, lilie 
 other Christians, was compelled to flee, leaving the 
 crops to be gathered by the rabble. 
 
 In his prayerful concern for the souls of his chil- 
 dren, the duty and secret of prevailing prayer, in 
 the consecration of time and money to Christian 
 work, and in a self-denying simplicity of life so as 
 to have larger gifts for Christ, how many in "Chris- 
 tian'' lands might sit at the feet of Wang of Wei I 
 
MRS. MA, AMOY, CHINA. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Mrs. Ma. 
 
 Mrs. Ma's father was a geomancer. But her 
 home was a poor one. For, in spite of her father's 
 pretended knowledge of nature's secrets, he could 
 never earn enough to fill the home with plenty. 
 He ought to have done so, for he professed to know 
 the rule bj which the good and evil influences that 
 are supposed to be floating in the air could be con- 
 trolled. He could select a site to bury the dead 
 that would bring prosperity into the lives of living 
 friends. He could tell men how to build their 
 houses so as to foil the fell purposes of the spirits 
 of the dead, that at certain seasons are supposed to 
 roam the earth, to avenge themselves upon the 
 living. He could so manipulate the "nativities" 
 of a betrothed couple as to predict fortune, many 
 sons, and honors. But while he thus laid claim to 
 such knowledge as would enrich others, he was 
 powerless to direct any of the wealth and prosper- 
 ity toward his own household. 
 
 When Mrs. Ma was fourteen, poverty compelled 
 her to go to the home of her betrothed husband to 
 be supported by his friends. From this time the 
 real sorrows of her life began. She was the drudge 
 of the family, and from early dawn to late at night 
 
 197 
 
198 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 the severest household duties were assigned to her. 
 
 At eighteen she was married, and though her life 
 bcM-anie easier for a time, she was soon destined to 
 realize sorrow in its bitterest form. Her husband 
 turned out a worthless and dissipated fellow. His 
 energies were directed toward discovering some 
 new form of vice or dissipation. Her husband's 
 relatives, instead of sympathizing with her, looked 
 upon her as the active cause of her husband's mis- 
 deeds. They thought there was something unlucky 
 about her that had changed his destiny. 
 
 Influenced by this heathen view, they speedily 
 got rid of her, and sold her to another man. Her 
 new husband loved his wife with real and true 
 affection. In this respect her warm, loving heart 
 found unspeakable delight, and she paid back his 
 love with her whole souPs devotion. She needed 
 all this new-found love to sustain her in the ter- 
 rible struggle which she now began for existence. 
 For the home she came to was distressingly poor, 
 and as the family increased, they were often put 
 to the severest straits to provide for daily food. 
 Westerners can scarcely credit the narrow margin 
 of living in eastern lands. For twenty long years 
 she kept up this struggle. 
 
 A casual glance at ^Irs. Wd would have given 
 the impression that she was a very pleasant and 
 agreeable woman, but not one fitted for conflict 
 with a hard life. Her eyes were bright and spark- 
 ling, and a smile that covered her face with sun- 
 shine came easily, and lingered about her features. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 199 
 
 She had a genial spirit and a true heart that could 
 endure anything for those she loved. When ex- 
 cited, the flash of her eyes and the firm set of her 
 features proclaimed a spirit within well fitted for 
 heroic service. 
 
 Her husband was a seafaring man. He took 
 long voyages. During these long absences the care 
 of the family fell wholly upon her. Being of a re- 
 ligious turn of mind, she used to go to the idols for 
 comfort. For long^ vears her faith in them never 
 faltered. When there was a gleam of sunshine in 
 the humble home, she credited it to these gods. 
 As for sorrows, they were decreed by heaven, and 
 so were unavoidable. In this she shared the uni- 
 versal inconsistency of all idolaters who believe the 
 good in life is from the idols, but set down evils as 
 the decrees of heaven, or fate. 
 
 But a crisis was approaching in her life. One 
 day she wa® invited to attend a Christian service. 
 She agreed, rather to please the one who asked 
 her, than with any definite idea of what she was 
 going to do. "To worship God" was to her a very 
 vague expression. The general impression was 
 that it meant the abandoning of all their social 
 customs, the rejection of their ancestors, and the 
 adoption of the worship and customs of the de- 
 spised "barbarians." 
 
 Mrs. Ma was undoubtedly led by an invisible 
 hand that day when she walked to the meeting, for 
 Christianity was a profound mystery to her. Al- 
 though she did not comprehend all she heard, her 
 
200 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 impressions were fiivorable. She carried away one 
 tliought, to which she clung with irrepressible de- 
 light, and which became the germ-seed in her life 
 of new ideas. It was contained in a line of one of 
 the hymns, and it said that God was the giver of 
 houses and clothes and food. This touched her 
 with an irresistible force. Twenty years after the 
 event, when she was telling the story, her eyes 
 flashed, and her face beamed with joy, as she said, 
 ''These were the first Avords that led me to God." 
 They Avere so practical. She had been struggling 
 all her life Avith poverty. She Avas then living in a 
 tumble-doAvn shanty, and hoAV to pay the rent, or 
 Avhere to go Avlien she Avas turned out of it, she did 
 not know. Here Avas a revelation to her. The idols 
 never promised that. This Avas her first step 
 toward the new life. 
 
 Her husband Avas uoav going on a long voyage. 
 He had a presentiment that it Avould be unfortu- 
 nate. The idols Avere consulted. The answer Avas 
 prompt, that nothing unusual Avould attend the 
 voyage. So, after a. tearful adieu, he sailed aAvay. 
 Weeks and months dragged along, and no news. 
 At last A^ague rumors of a shipwreck. Then the 
 heart-breaking confirmation. And this despite the 
 fact that when she stood, with agonizing cry and 
 palpitating heart before the idols a second time, 
 they had replied that he Avould return alive and 
 well. 
 
 From this time forth she put no faith in idols. 
 She put every idol out of her house. She turned 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 201 
 
 wholly to Christ, and for nearly thirty 3^ears she 
 has lived a most devout Christian life. Her name 
 has been a ver^^ prominent oftie in the church. 
 When any service had to be performed that de- 
 manded the wisdom of a womanly, tender heart, 
 hers was the name that was usually mentioned in 
 preference to all others. 
 
 But it was not only in the church that her repu- 
 tation stood high. Amongst the heathen, too, her 
 name was fragrant. For many years her services 
 have been in great request in the Chinese commu- 
 nity because of her knowledge of the diseases of 
 children. In this capacity she visits both the rich 
 and the poor. Here her gentle disposition has 
 touched the hearts of those with whom she has 
 had to deal, and has inclined them to listen with 
 patience to the gospel of Christ. How many hearts 
 have been touched b}^ her words, which were made 
 powerful by her own beautiful life, only God 
 knows. How many have passed through the 
 gloomy portals, which heathenism leaves shrouded 
 in darkness, with her faith to comfort them, the 
 future will alone reveal. 
 
 One day I said to her, "What to you is the most 
 precious truth in all the Bible?'' "The one that 
 Christ died for me on the cross," she replied at 
 once. "And why?" "Because I have been such a 
 sinner. Think of my life. If my sins had not 
 been great, how should such sufferings have all 
 been heaped on my life for so many years? Yes, 
 my sins indeed were great, and who but Jesu§ 
 
202 Illustrious Chinese Christlvns. 
 
 cHHild tako them away? It is he who has made 
 me happy, and therefore it is that I think so much 
 of his cross." 
 
 Her son is one of the finest specimens of Chris- 
 tianity in our church. It is a pleasure to look 
 upon his face. It has the gentle, loving expression 
 of his mother, and truth and uprightness are 
 stamped upon it. There is no family that I know 
 of that has had a larger influence for good than 
 that of Mrs. Ma. 
 
 Mrs. Ma stood out boldly and beautifully, like 
 the noble mountain in whose shadow she spent so 
 much of her life. And the Spirit of God rested 
 upon her, like the luxfurious effulgence that bathed 
 the lofty summit of ''The Great Southern War- 
 rior.'^ And as that lofty peak aspired to pierce the 
 sky, so her soul sought to attain the glories of 
 the higher life. The grand old mountain can only 
 point to the heaven whither she has already before 
 us entered. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Chan Sui Cheung, 
 a fisher of men. 
 
 Lau Kong is a village in South China. It is 
 situated in the Sha Lan, or Sand Market valley. 
 In the front of the village, and across an arm of the 
 China Sea, rises the Island of St. John, where 
 Francis Xavier breathed his last, after waiting for 
 many months for a Chinese vessel to carry him 
 to Canton, being deceived again and again by the 
 Chinese authorities, who would not at that time 
 tolerate any ^'barbarian'' in their midst. 
 
 In tliis village of Lau Kong, in 1859, Mr. Chan, 
 or Chan Sui Cheung, Avas born in sight of the 
 island where the famous Jesuit missionary ex- 
 claimed, ''Rock, open!'' referring to China. Mr. 
 Chan himself often gave expression to the same 
 sentiment, for he earnestly longed for the salva- 
 tion of his people. And more than once he com- 
 pared the hearts of his countrymen to adamant, or 
 the igneous rocks so plentiful in that part of 
 China. 
 
 The name ''Chan'' is that of one of the largest 
 clans of the empire, and it is an honor to wear it. 
 Sui Cheung was his "baby" name, and might be 
 translated "Following Elegance." 
 
 It will be seen that 3Ir. Chan belonged to a very 
 
 ;206 
 
206 Illustkious Chixesi: Cukistians. 
 
 large family, aud had ''a ^i»ood iiaiiu'/' which, how- 
 ever, might mean nothing, as all Chinese names are 
 high-sounding. In after ^^ears he took the name 
 of Yenk Yu, which means ''A Weak Fisher." This 
 he undoubtedly applied to himself, self-depreeia- 
 tingly, as being ''a weak fisher of men." 
 
 Mr. Chan was below the average in height, and 
 had a rather frail constitution. So poor was his 
 physical endowment that if it were any indication 
 of his spirit, this sketch would never have been 
 v;ritten. A strong spirit in a frail body, a 
 courageous soul in a frail frame, this represents 
 Chan Sui Cheung. 
 
 At eight years of age he entered a primary 
 school, "but," he says, "my memory was very poor, 
 and\the few columns of characters I learned daily 
 I wak unable to repeat, no differ(mce Avhat schemes 
 were employed." In fact, for many years his vo- 
 cabulary seemed limited, and he never was what 
 is popularly called "eloquent." 
 
 At fourteen he entered the high school. His 
 reasoning faculties were now developing, and he 
 says of thisUime, "I began to understand truth and 
 comprehondVhe first principles of knowledge." In 
 the elementary school the treacherous memory of 
 Cliai Sui Cheung often brought the teacher^s rod 
 dowii upon hijs head. In the high school, he 
 learned to compose essays and write couplets, as 
 all Chinese youths are wont to do. 
 
 Chah belonged to la literary family, some mem- 
 bers or which had attained to the Second Literary 
 
Illustrious Oiiixese Christlvxs. 207 
 
 Degree, and he was destined for the same honors 
 by his parents. But, alas! the weaknc^ss of his 
 body and the poverty of the family prevented him 
 remaining very long at school, and when he was 
 seventeen, he, with others from his native village, 
 embarked for tlie ''Shores of the Flowery Flag,'' as 
 they called the United States. 
 
 Here he remained two years as a cigar-maker, 
 and then returned to his native land. Having no 
 profession, and being unused to manual labor, he 
 again visited the high school, where, in all prob- 
 ability, his taste for learning received its first great 
 impulse and made him a lifelong student. From 
 this time he ranked among the scholars. After 
 several more years of study he became a teacher. 
 
 At twenty-three, he married a daughter of the 
 Lee family. She was frugal and looked well to the 
 ways of her household, although, in these days of 
 her unbelief, she spent considerable sums on idol 
 worship. 
 
 It iis not always as easy to support a ^ ife as to 
 get one, and at twenty-five Ave find Mr. Chan once 
 more turning his steps toward America in order to 
 make his fortune. Coming to Chicago, where there 
 was a large Chinese colony, he Avas induced to 
 attend a Sunday-school, and the following year 
 heard the gospel, and almost immediately accepted 
 the truth. He says, "I became conscious of my sin 
 and renounced all my former wrongdoing, and was 
 baptized, by Rev. E. P. Goodwin, D. D., of the 
 
208 iLLusTiuous Chinese Chuistiaxs. 
 
 First Congregational Church, in 1885, in the 
 twenty-sixtli year of my life." 
 
 It was Chan Sui Cheung's ^od fortune to have 
 some faithful teachers, who not only taught the 
 principles of Christianity, but also the power of 
 Christ in the soul. He, therefore, never made much 
 use of Chinese philosophy in his preaching. 
 
 He was a thorough Chinese in his regard for 
 propriety, and was always easily offended at in- 
 discreet conduct. From his experien^^, he was 
 thoroughly convinced that in Chinese schools and 
 Sunday-schools, in America, only elderly or mature 
 women should be employed -as teachers. 
 
 It must not be supposed that the acceptance of 
 Christianity was an easy matter for him. By in- 
 heritance and by his sympathetic nature he was 
 stronglj^ drawn, to Confucianism. And it was 
 almost with trepidation that he took the covenant 
 of the church above mentioned. ^^The weakest of 
 the wealv," he became strong as the power of Christ 
 possessed him. 
 
 The great magnet, aside from the divine truth, 
 which drew his heart to Christ, was the life he 
 saw lived by such disciples as Dr. Goodwin, Dr. 
 Shipman and Mrs. Brown, and these, though dead, 
 live in Chan Sui Cheung. 
 
 His brother in China having died, at the request 
 of hi^ wife and mother he once more turned his 
 face toward his native land. He was sad, for he 
 knewithat persecutions were in store for him. 
 
 As soon ais he reached home, he sought out all 
 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 209 
 
 the Christians in his neighborhood, and began to 
 hold Christian servicer. He says of this time: 
 "There were in this region only six or seven Chris- 
 tians. I was the only one who became a preacher. 
 My relatives regarded me as the scum of the earth. 
 I was ridiculed, slandered and persecuted, and 
 those who were my most intimate friends looked 
 upon me as the earth's offiscouring." 
 
 Once when he attended the funeral of a relative 
 he did not prostrate himself before the grave, as the 
 others did, but waited until the last, and repaired, 
 somewhat, the grave. Upon his return, some of the 
 young men jeered at him for his lack of reverence 
 for ancestors, to which he replied : "I did more 
 than you. You made your bow and hastened away 
 for fear the spirits would catch you, while I re- 
 mained behind to repair the grave.'' After this he 
 was not greatly molested, although he sometimes 
 was lonely, from lack of fellowship with kindred 
 spirits. 
 
 In the spring of 1891, he was first regularly 
 employed by the American Board Mission. He was 
 located in a valley called Hoi In, nine miles from 
 his home. Here he has labored ever since, although 
 the first years of his ministry were largely devoted 
 to study and self-improvement. 
 
 At this time his wife was still a jjagan. When 
 his mother died, his wife almost forced him to wor- 
 ship her corpse. She Avould spend the money he 
 gave her for buying provisions, for heathen wor- 
 ship. He remonstrated with her many times. At 
 
210 ILLUSTKIOLS CillNESE CilUlSTIANS. 
 
 last, in desperation, he used the argument of cor- 
 poreal punishment. 
 
 When lie told what he had done, he wasi asked 
 hoAV he would like to have the same means tried 
 ^^'ith him, as lie had been known to do some foolish 
 things, too. He smiled and made no reply. But 
 several years afterwards, when the subject of Avife- 
 whipping came up among the church-members, he 
 said : ^'I do not think that anything can be gained 
 by whipping our wives. It does not change their 
 hearts. More can be gained by gentle means.'' 
 
 But for ten more years hi® wife resisted every 
 entreaty to become a Christian. She held out even 
 v,'hen her own daughters, one after another, came 
 into the church. There was a happy family when, 
 at last, only a few years ago, she confessed Christ. 
 
 He was no doubt influenced by missionaries in 
 ertering the ministry, but, having entered the 
 sacred work, he ever after felt himself drawn and 
 held to it by the Spirit of (lod. And thivs, although 
 the strenuous life of a Chinese evangelist was not 
 suited to his weak body and quiet temperament. 
 
 He was a reticent man, and not eloquent in his 
 sermons. But he developed wonderfully. 
 
 He was a close and constant student of the Bible. 
 His delight was great Avhen he first caught PauFs 
 meaning in the 'doctrine of law and grace, as re- 
 corded in Romans. He often prayed that he might 
 be crucified with Christ. When, upon one occasion, 
 he gave way to his temper, he prayed earnestly that 
 his temper might be nailed to the cross. In the 
 
Illustrious Chixksi: Ciiuistlvxs. 213 
 
 village where this incident occurred, such has been 
 his influence that there is now a. Christian school 
 and a goodly number of church-members. 
 
 Mr. Chan had a quick grasp of spiritual truth. 
 Once when, at the close of the year, he was asked 
 what he had learned during the year, he replied, 
 "To east all my care upon God.-' 
 
 He delighted to refer to favorite passages of 
 Scripture. His Chinese Bible, especially the New 
 Testament, wais marked through and through. It 
 ^^'as always a pleasure to talk to him of divine 
 things, for his spiritual perceptions were keener 
 than is usual 'among even home Christians. His 
 prayers were always earnest, and spiritual and 
 full of faith. 
 
 He never stopped growing. He seems to develop 
 every year. He has a well-stocked library, and is 
 a constant reader of all good literature — ^secular 
 and religious. But perhaps hiis chief work has 
 been to train other workers. The Mission not liiav- 
 ing regular or elaborate facilities for this, he has 
 largely supplied the need. He has, alone, trained a 
 number of earnest young men for the ministry. 
 
 The Bible was always the principal text-book, 
 no difference what the attainments of the student 
 might be. He called his pupils together early in 
 the morning, and several times a day, for study. 
 No time was wasted. On "market days'' each pupil 
 was expected to preach to the heathen. On other 
 days they preached in the villages. In this way 
 he prepared them for their Avork, so that the Amer- 
 
214 iLLUSTUiors riiixEsi: Chiustia.ns. 
 
 ican Board Misisiou has now ten or twelve men 
 who were tan<»ht b}^ Chan Sui Cheunc;, and these 
 men are as well — if not better — ^trained as the 
 graduates of onr training-school. That is, for the 
 special work they have to do. 
 
 See him teaching. The theme is '^The Crucifixion 
 of Christ." The teacher and the students are all 
 seated around the table, Bibles in hand. He thus 
 applies the theme: "You and I have crucified 
 Christ. It was your sins and mine that nailed 
 the Lord of glory to the cross.'' And in this way 
 he continued until his eyes and those of his pupils 
 were suffused with tears — a rare scene even among 
 Christian Chinese. 
 
 No pupil ever got a false impresision from his 
 teaching. They knew that what he taught w^as 
 not a foreign gospel, but the unchangeable truth of 
 God. One of these pupils thus speaks of his ex- 
 perience under Mr. Chan. "In the morning we 
 were up before daylight, and we often sat up as 
 late as nine or ten o'clock at night to study. There 
 were several sessionjs during the day. When not 
 studying, we were iDreaching, so that my head fair- 
 ly ached at times." No drones were allowed, and 
 he got out of his pupils more than any foreign 
 teacher could have done. There is no hesitation 
 ab<mt sending young men to him for training. 
 They always get, not only the theory, but the spirit, 
 of the gospel. 
 
 In preaching he is true and faithful. The thir- 
 teen veais of liis services have seen a communion 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 215 
 
 service of two or three increased to nearly one 
 hundred. He is loved by his people — they may 
 indeed lean upon him a little too much at times. 
 Thej go to liim witli all their pecuniary and other 
 difficulties. At our annual conferences he holds 
 a prominent place. 
 
 Of his call to the ministry he has no doubt, and 
 at one of these annual meetings he nioYed the entire 
 audience by declaring that when a man had put 
 his hand to the gospel plow he should never turn 
 back. And then, appealing to his own experience, 
 he devoutly affirmed that he never found rest to 
 his soul until he promised God that he would make 
 preaching his lifelong work. And thus he has great 
 power Avith others. 
 
 From extreme modesty he has declined ordina- 
 tion, but he is bishop in his own diocese. He is a 
 bishop of souls and an instructor of preachers. 
 His own best teacher has been the word of God 
 unfolded by the Spirit, to which he acknowledges 
 his allegiance upon every occasion. Oh, for the 
 sake of China, that such men could be multiplied 
 a thousand-fold! C. R. Hager. 
 
CHAPTEK XX. 
 
 Lay-Zung-Sing, 
 a godly merchant. 
 
 Canton is situated in China's southernmost 
 province. Here, many years agO' — no one knows 
 just hoA^' many — there was born a man who was 
 to become a veritable ''flame of fire." And this 
 not so much in throAving hot brands of castigation 
 and reproof among his neighbors, as by a steady, 
 glowing testimony of the love of Grod among them. 
 His native place rejoiced in the anomalous name 
 of "Stone-Sea." He seems to have always been 
 a business man, iand in 1876 came to Canton on a 
 trade errand. 
 
 As is the custom all over China, the missionaries 
 had opened preaching-chapels on the street. In 
 these, Lay-Zung-Sing heard the gospel. He was at 
 once interested. He returned time after time. 
 Each time he was more delighted. After several 
 months — what a time of waiting for this ardent 
 soul — he was baptized, and received into the 
 church. 
 
 His whole after-life showed that his entering 
 the fold was not a mere matter of form. He felt 
 that he had "put on Christ." Every day hence- 
 forth Avas dedicated to His service. He thought of 
 Jesus not only «s hiis Saviour, but as his Lord and 
 
 218 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 217 
 
 Master, whom it was a delight to serve. He had 
 the true courage to stand up and preach to his old 
 friends and neighbors — in fact, he thus witnessed 
 and preached as long as he livc^d. His favorite 
 theme was ^'Christ the Saviour of Men." 
 
 When seven or eight had become Christians at 
 Stone-Sea, they wished to build a chapel. Of course 
 it must be a very modest one. And they called it 
 ''Glad Message Hall." A very appropriate name, 
 seeing that from it was to be heralded the gospel 
 to the surrounding thousands. 
 
 They were all poor, but that did not daunt them. 
 They agreed that each should contribute what he 
 could. Some brought tile, some l>rick, some wood. 
 All contributed their labor. Thus by toil and moil 
 they had the walls of their beloved building five 
 or six feet high. But their success had evidently 
 roused the ire of the neighbors — at least of the evil- 
 disposed among them. The rabble came and jeered. 
 From jeens they soon came to blows. They tore 
 down the walls and left the place a pile of ruins. 
 Nor did they stop here. They tore down Mr. Lay's 
 shop, and took away the stock of goods. Gaining 
 courage by success, they now began a search for 
 the Christians, with the intention of beating and 
 possibly of killing them. But the brethren were 
 >^ arned, and, to save themselves, fled to Canton. 
 
 Now, it seems almost incredible, but Mr. Lay did 
 not stir. He remained at home, and it is said that 
 he did not even become nervous or alarmed. Surely 
 only Providence could have preserved him. More- 
 
218 Illustrious Chinese Chkistlvxs. 
 
 over, the county officials must have beeu a little 
 surprised to receive from liim, almost at once, a 
 communication requesting them to arrange for an 
 indemnity. It was not a matter of audacity with 
 him, but one of sheer faith. He quietly reckoned 
 up the loss of materials, labor, and the losses of 
 the brethren. The indemnity was paid, and by the 
 end of the year the little church was finished. 
 
 In addition to this, Mr. Lay's shop was reopened, 
 and his trade for some time greatly increased. 
 In conducting his business he was careful not to 
 compromise any principle. He did not deal in 
 wine, or in idols or in images, or in any of the ac= 
 companiments of superstitious worship, x^nd this, 
 at last, ruined his business. His customers began 
 to withdraw their trade, and the business dwindled 
 until the shop was closed. But he had already, 
 by economy, saved enough to supply the necessities 
 of himself and those immediately depending upon 
 him. 
 
 Now began a new era in the life of Mr. Lay. 
 Henceforth, he seemed to literally think of notliing 
 else except the kingdom of God. He had always 
 been a great Bible student. But now, after he Irad 
 been a Christian twenty years, he would make ar- 
 rangements to go to Canton to take an additional 
 course of lectures or readings. And this at all 
 seasons of the year. He permitted no weakness 
 nor annoyance to detain him, nor even ordinary 
 attacks of illness. He always paid his own ex- 
 penses. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 219 
 
 So great, indeed, was his zeal, that his heathen 
 neighbors voted him, at times, a little "queer," 
 but no one was ever found, even here, who doubted 
 that he was an intense and earnest disciple of 
 Christ. 
 
 At one side of the door, in his house, he erected 
 a kind of low platform. Here he would station 
 himself. He kept a supply of Gospels. He courte- 
 ously invited passersby to a seat, and engaged them 
 in conversation about religion. To others he sold 
 a Gospel, and with a few words of explanation, 
 and a blessing, he sent them on their way. He 
 abounded in liberality. According to his means, 
 he contributed to every interest of the church. 
 
 The fruits of his labor were abundant. Some 
 years ago, having occasion to call the Christians 
 of Stone-Sea together for instruction, among other 
 questions they were asked by what agency they 
 were brought into the church. Out of fifteen 
 natives of the place, thirteen testified that Lay- 
 Zung-Sing had led them to Christ. And now, out 
 of a membership of forty, more than half bear the 
 same witness. 
 
 He was truly humble. With all his wonderful 
 influence, he never for a moment thought of lording 
 it over the Lord's heritage, but, on the other hand, 
 it seemed as if he could never sufficiently exalt 
 his Master. 
 
 In his zeal for Bible study, hi® love for souls, 
 and his earnestness in preaching the Word, he has 
 set a noble example. We have not seen his face 
 
220 Illustrious Chinese Chuistl^ns. 
 
 for some years, for God has called him home. We 
 say he is dead, but even on earth he can never die. 
 His reverence was extraordinary. In prayer, he 
 always prostrated himself Mth his face to the 
 ground. With what transport muist such a soul 
 graze into the face of the Father! 
 
PASTOR LING, OF FOOCHOW, 
 
OHAPTEK XXL 
 
 Pastor Ling, of Foochow. 
 
 "Lives of great men all remind ns 
 We can make our lives sublime. ' ' 
 
 Such is the lesson of the life of Pastor Ling — 
 a life which closed on the first Sunday of the new 
 century. It was almost from the very courts of 
 God's house, where he had so warmly welcomed 
 liundreds into the fold of the Christian church, 
 that the soul of this "man of God'' took its flight 
 to the mansions above. Like Enoch of old, he 
 walked with God, and was not, for God took him. 
 
 It is a singular coincidence that onh^ a few days 
 before, when asked whether he would prefer to die 
 suddenlj^, or after a prolonged illness, he expressed 
 his preference for the former, little thinking that 
 the Father, whom he had served faithfully for so 
 many years, was about to grant him his choice. 
 On the Sunday morning referred to, he was min- 
 istering to the usual congregation, but had not 
 proceeded far in the exercises when he was obliged 
 to give up and retire to the parsonage near by, leav- 
 ing the remainder of the service to be conducted 
 by the senior deacon. While the congregation was 
 thus engaged, death came and removed from earth 
 our beloved pastor. Always a firm believer in 
 
224 Illustkiotts Chinese Christians. 
 
 prayer, he remained so to the end, and even in the 
 midst of the agonizing struggle between life and 
 death, he exhorted his loved ones who were giving 
 their vain ministrations, to "pray, pray, pray.'' 
 These were his last words, and how fitting for one 
 just passing Avithin the gatesi! 
 
 Pastor Ling Nik-sing was born forty-six years 
 ago at Nantai, a suburb of Foochow, the son of a 
 God-serving father, but of an idol-serving mother. 
 It was providential that the father was a keeper of 
 the Lord's house, for the young Nik-sing was often 
 enabled to listen to the great truths concerning 
 the love of God and the redemption of the world. 
 Into the soil of a naturally serious and thoughtful 
 disposition, the seeds of truth thus sown early 
 found a lodgment. The mother became alarmed at 
 the prospect of her son ^'obeying the doctrine," 
 and, becoming convinced that he was too near the 
 missionaries and their converts, she succeeded in 
 securing for him a situation as clerk in a variety 
 shop, little thinking that that was just the thing 
 she should do in order to improve his opportuni- 
 ties for hearing the truth. 
 
 Hard by the shop was a chapel of the Methodist 
 Church, and the young Nik-sing, being now more 
 than ever determined to know of the "New Way," 
 spent his spare moments at this chapel, where the 
 ministrations of a devoted preacher resulted in 
 bringing a flood of light into his soul. 
 
 In the shop, his faithful performance of every 
 duty and his extreme carefulness in regard to 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 225 
 
 truth and honesty soon won for him a high place 
 in the esteem of his employer. Among the articles 
 for sale were idol-paper, candles, incense, and other 
 things essentia^ in idolatrous ceremonies. From 
 the very stait, the young clerk refused to touch 
 these things, leaving it for the other clerks to make 
 sales. As i^ other shops, so in this, the shopkeeper 
 depended much for his gains on adulterating his 
 goods, in accordance with the generally adopted 
 theory that "to make money one must cheat, at 
 least a little." But the shopkeeper had counted on 
 the wrong man, for the destined-to-be leader in 
 the Christian church faithfully informed any 
 would-be purchasers of any defects or adultera- 
 tions in the articles under consideration. This 
 greatl}^ embarrassed the shopkeeper, but his clerk 
 was so trustworthy^ that he could not well do with- 
 out him. Protestations, threats and entreaties on 
 the part of his mother and uncle only served to 
 bring out the bold assertion that they might do 
 with him las they pleased, but, as for lying and 
 deceiving, he would not be guilty of these sins. 
 As might naturally be expected, such a difference 
 in the moral sensibilities of employer and employed 
 could not result in any relation of long duration, 
 and in due course of time our young hero, then 
 twenty-one years of age, and already a member of 
 "The Church of the Saviour," entered the Mission 
 Boarding School, now Foochow^ College, for young 
 men, situated in Foochow City, and then under the 
 cliaree of the late Key. S. F. Woodin. Here he 
 
226 Illustrious Chlxksh Chrtstlvxs. 
 
 studied for two years, after wliicli lie was employed 
 for two years as a preacher at the Water Gate 
 Chapel, alternating- with Dr. C. C. Baldwin and 
 Kev. 0. Hartwell, in preachinG: there and at the 
 Peace Street Church in the cit3\ These two years 
 were fruitful in rich experiences, preparing him for 
 the great work before him. 
 
 When about twenty-nine years of age he Avas 
 ordained pastor and placed over the Peace Street 
 Church, which post he held for about eleven years, 
 until the day of his death. It is not necessary to 
 review in detail the work of these seventeen years, 
 full to overflowing with labors of love '4n season 
 and out of season," through heat and cold, in sun- 
 shine and shadow, year in and year out. Only the 
 judgment day Avill reveal the brightness of that 
 star which shall shine for ever and ever because of 
 the multitude of souls turned to righteousness as 
 a result of faithful ministrations while on earth. 
 And yet special mention should be made of his 
 work in behalf of opium smokers. 
 
 It was in the year 1891, or thereabouts, that his 
 soul became oppressed with the weight of respon- 
 sibility for the salvation of the souls of this poor, 
 outcaist class. It is impossible toi say whether 
 Pastor Ling entered upon this work with any 
 special faith that any number would actually and 
 permanently break away from the bonds which 
 held them in slavery, but certain it is that the con- 
 viction that his was to do and dare, took full pos- 
 session of him. The number of sin-ladened souls. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Chkistiaxs. 227 
 
 at first small and attracted thither simpl}^ bj the 
 report that iu the hands of this pastor was medicine 
 which would cure them of the opium habit, grew as 
 time went on, until the roll contained well-nigh 
 one thousand names. To test the sincerity of those 
 ^^ilo came, a payment of ten cents was required 
 before enrollment, and the money thus secured was 
 afterwards used by the church for the support of 
 a school. 
 
 It was something of a disappointment to many 
 who had come expecting an almost immediate cure 
 through the power of the wonderful western medi- 
 cine, to be told that the efficacy of this medicine 
 would depend entirely on the power of a new life 
 within the recipient, and that this power of a new^ 
 life could only be obtained by prayer and an entire 
 surrender of self to Him who is mighty to save. 
 INo medical treatment was allowed in any case 
 until after three Aveeks spent in learning to pray 
 and attendance at nightly meetings in the chapel. 
 
 I can well remember these meetings. A small, 
 poorly lighted, badly ventilated room filled with 
 men on whose faces there stand out the unmis- 
 takable marks of slavery to 'a gross appetite. The 
 meeting is led by the pastor himself, or by one 
 of the few faithful who have been led to join in 
 this attempt to save souls. After the usual exer- 
 cises, singing, prayer and Scripture reading, a 
 short address is given, and then the whole congre- 
 gation kneels in deep humilit^^ before the throne 
 of grace. . Prayers follow each other in quick sue- 
 
228 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 cession, many, like that of the publican of old, 
 but a sentence in length, and yet bespeaking an 
 earnest desire to be free from tlu^ thralldom of 
 sin. The meeting is over, and a smik^ spreads over 
 the weary, worn face of the pastor as he bows 
 each one out, giving them all some word of en- 
 couragement or reminding them of the meeting on 
 the folloAving night. And thus they separate. 
 There is no doubt of their earnestness. Many have 
 come from long distances, and are obliged to climb 
 the city Avail both coming land going. Others have 
 moved from their homes in the country to places 
 where they can be more accessible to the church 
 and hospital. 
 
 And so the work goes on Avhile Aveeks lengthen 
 into months, and months into years, and there 
 comes a breakdoAvn — a warning of the end Avhich 
 came so sadly and yet so gloriously on the first 
 Sunday of the century. It may be that not many 
 of those who assembled in that chapel night after 
 night have been actually saved ; that there have not 
 been many Avho did not go back to the pipe, like the 
 soAV to her AvalloAving. But Avlien God's Book of 
 Bemembrance is opened, it will be found recorded 
 there that Pastor Ling did AAdiat lie could to save 
 these poor, miserable victims to the opium habit. 
 
 Pastor Ling Avas a true pastor. To him the 
 spiritual Avelfare of his flock was a matter of prime 
 importance, and to give strict attention to this 
 he sacrificed personal comfort, enjoyment, health, 
 everything. He Avould sit for hours at a time, 
 
iLLusTuTors Chinese Christians. 229 
 
 weak and weary thou<»li he iiii<>lit be, entirely for- 
 getful of duties to himself, and listen to some tale 
 of wrong, oftentimes imaginary or at least greatly 
 exaggerated, from the lip® of some member of his 
 flock, and then by exhortation and prayer attempt 
 to strengthen the faith in that Christ who said, 
 ^'In this world je shall have tribulation, . . . but 
 I have overcome the world/' 
 
 Unlike a large number of native pastors and 
 preachers, he never ''knocked at the yamen gate,'' 
 and his record Avill go down as one entirely free 
 from the taint of any gain either in popularity or 
 church tiuauces by unwarranted tampering with 
 heathen oflflcialdom. Not that he had no care for 
 the physical comforts of his people. He did not 
 wrap himself about with the mantle of spirituality 
 to such an extent as to have no care for the con- 
 cerns of earth. His sympathizing ear was open to 
 the story of trial, trouble and want from the lips of 
 any one, and the loving heart took upon itself the 
 weight of all these woes. 
 
 No one, however poor, despised and outcast, 
 but found in him a friend, ever ready to do what 
 he thought was right to alleviate, comfort and 
 encourage. His humility was scarcely less marked 
 than his kindness, patience and forbearance. His 
 only pattern was the one Example of human in 
 divine perfection, and he clung to the promise 
 held out for His weak followers, ^'When he shall 
 appear we shall be like him." He shrank from 
 publicity, so much so, in fact, that the rare beauties, 
 
230 iLLUSTRiotiiS Chixksk C'iikistiaxs. 
 
 heavenly radiance and divine Inster of his char- 
 acter were not at the time recognized and appre- 
 ciated, and we are reminded of Hood's exquisite 
 lines : 
 
 "Farewell; we did not know thy worth; 
 But tliou art gone, and now 'tis prized: 
 Thus angels walked unknown on earth, 
 But when they flew were recognized." 
 
 His life had its share of burdens and trials, 
 and not the least of these was the unbelief of his 
 old mother. As she had opposed him in his youth 
 and early manhood, so this opposition continued 
 during her old age, and on not a few occasions he 
 was put in most trying positions. But his patience 
 and forbearance, in the face of great difficulties, 
 in time bore fruit, and he had the pleasure of be- 
 lieving, just before her death, that he should meet 
 his old mother in the mansions above — a soul saved 
 by the grace of God and the life of a devoted and 
 godly son. 
 
 We must not omit to mention one other ad- 
 mirable quality in his character, and that was his 
 hopefulness in regard to the future of his country. 
 Pastor Ling was a patriot. He loved hivS country, 
 and, however dark the outlook, he would not be- 
 lieve that there was anything but a period of pros- 
 perity and power in store for the land he loved. 
 This was to be secured by the spread of Chris- 
 tianity and education. These were to be the levers 
 which should lift China from her low estate to a 
 position of respect and honor among the nations of 
 %(» earth. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 23 L 
 
 None felt more keenly than he the need of mental, 
 moral, social and economic reform. Intellectually 
 he was a self-made man. In his youth he had the 
 privileges of but a moderate education, but on this 
 as a foundation, by the improvement of every op- 
 portunity Avhich offered, he built an intellectual 
 structure not surpassed by that of any of his asso- 
 ciates. It was this view of the important part 
 western education was to play in the molding of 
 the new China w^hich led him to take a deep in- 
 terest in the work of Foochow College. His 
 connection with the college, other than as a 
 preacher to the students, had not been for long, 
 and his daily and direct teaching of the Bible was 
 given to but a small class of young men. Still, 
 such was his power and influence for good, that his 
 removal has made a profound impression through- 
 out the institution. The life of the college, within 
 the spiritual sphere, was elevated by his presence 
 in the student community. The officers and 
 teachers with whom lie was associated will long 
 remember wbat a deep interest he always took in 
 the well-being and prosperity of the college, and 
 what a joy it was to him to witness its growth 
 year by year. He was always ready to give his 
 efforts, time, wise counsels, genuine sympathy, and 
 friendly encouiagement in aid of any one who was 
 working in any way whatever for the advancement 
 of truth and civilization. And how infinitely val- 
 uable such help was, those knew best w^ho w^ere 
 closely associated with him in work. 
 
232 Illustrious Chinese CiiristiaiNs. 
 
 Paislor Nik-sini> needs uo eulogy. His record is 
 on liigli, aud he will always live in the hearts of 
 the people whom he loved and who loved him. He 
 was highly respected by the gentry and literati 
 of th« city, and man^^ have been the expressions of 
 sorrow and regret at the early ending of a life so 
 rich in good works. Always cheerful, even under 
 trying circumstances, his smiling face has more 
 than once been, to the writer, God's messenger of 
 encouragement and hope. 
 
 The last year of his career was, perhaps, the most 
 remarkable, for it brought out the spirit of the 
 true man which was in him. Tumult and anxiety 
 and fear reigned to a greater or less extent 
 throughout the empire. In many places men of his 
 faith and feeling had been and were being merci- 
 lessly and cruelly beaten, put to the sword, burned, 
 and even sawn asunder, land the talk all about him 
 was that the time was near at hand when all of his 
 stamp were to be exterminated root and branch, 
 together with the hated foreign devils, no matter 
 in what pursuit engaged. He sent his Avife and 
 little ones to a place of greater safety, but with 
 the eyes of Christians and heathen alike turned 
 toward him, he resolved to stand at his post in spite 
 of the seemingly approaching storm of death and 
 destruction. 
 
 Notwithstanding all the limitations arising from 
 bodily weakness and the uncertainty of the pros- 
 pect, he moved on in the perfornumce of his daily 
 duties with the same quiet, cheerful and brave 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 'S63 
 
 spirit which had characterized his life for so many 
 years. The storm which threatened, passed off, but 
 the experience of those few weeks had done their 
 fatal work on a constitution already weak and 
 worn out. Death came suddenly and unexpectedly 
 on a beautiful Sabbath morning, but it was met 
 with that calmness and fortitude which pertain 
 to the noblest character. It found him at his post, 
 doing the work to which he had been divinely 
 called, faithful even to the end both to God and 
 man. 
 
 The college has lost a conscientious teacher ; the 
 church, a most consecrated and spiritual pastor; 
 the family, a loving husband ;and father; society, 
 a good man, and heaven alone has become the 
 richer. But the sense of our loss may be mingled 
 with a thankful appreciation of the value of his 
 services and of the rich memories of a godly life 
 which he has left behind him. The men of such 
 saintly lives in the successive generations make up 
 no small part of the glory of the Christian church. 
 They rest from their labors, but their works follow^ 
 them, and carry influencef^ for good to many who 
 never know the source from which the blessing 
 descends upon them, though they continually re- 
 joice in the rich life which they possess. We thank 
 God for Pastor Ling's life and ministry, with its 
 Christlike humility and self-sacrifice, and would 
 pray that the seed so faithfully sown, may spring 
 up and bear abundant fruit -'to the praise of the 
 glory of his grace.'' L. P. Peet, 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Wesleyan Methodist Mission ( British ) , Canton. 
 
 It seems most fitting that of the native Chris- 
 tians in this list of biograpliies, one of the oldest, 
 if not the oldest, should come from Canton, which 
 was blessed above and before other places in China 
 with the preaching of the gospel. The Rev. Chau 
 A Hok, the subject of this sketch, is one of the 
 lecturers in the Theological School of the Wes- 
 leyan Methodist Mission, Canton, a position he 
 has held with credit and distinction for many years. 
 
 Mr. Chan is a Cantonese. He was born in the 
 district of Tung Kun on the East River, about the 
 year 1826. His father was a native banker in the 
 county town. He was a man much respected and 
 was possessed of considerable wealth. Through 
 a series of losses the family Avas reduced to pov- 
 erty, but these misfortunes proved to be but bless- 
 ings in disguise, for it was on account of these 
 things that the whole family removed to Canton 
 City, into which Christian teachers had jusit recent- 
 ly gained an entrance after many ye^ars of waiting. 
 It was not until long afterwards that missionaries 
 went to Tung Kun. 
 
 Mr. Chau was one of six brothers, five of whom 
 embraced Christianity, a most extraordinary thing 
 for those times. The father and mother followed 
 
 2Si 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 235 
 
 the excellent example of their children, and took 
 up their cross in their old age. The father be- 
 came a catechist, and was the pioneer of Christian 
 work in the great and notoriously anti-foreign city 
 of Fatshan. Mr. Chau was originally intended 
 for literary pursuits, but these had to be aban- 
 doned because of the failure of his father's bus- 
 iness. He was apprentticed to a relation, a mer- 
 chant in Canton. He took up his residence in that 
 city in the year 1850. At that time ther»e| were two 
 minion churches in Canton. The one in the east 
 end was under the control of Roberts, the Ameri- 
 can Baptist missionary, whose casual connection 
 w^ith the man who- became the leader of the Tai- 
 Ping Rebellion and his own tragic end, gives his 
 name a very peculiar interest in the history of 
 missions in China. It was from this church 
 that Hung Sau Ts'uen obtained, Avhen in 
 Canton for the examinations, those Christian 
 books which he carried to his home, and, brooding 
 over them, evolved those ideas and discovered those 
 immense latent poweirs which were destined to ex- 
 ercise such a mighty influence on China, and which 
 all but swept awiay the present dynasty. The na- 
 tive preacher at this church was Yeung Hing. He 
 was a native of Heung Shan. His knowledge of 
 Christianity was very meager, and when he did 
 preach, it was very much after the style of the 
 Siacred Edict preachers, telling stories and urging 
 the people to be good and filial, and countless 
 blessings would be their portion. He had a pro- 
 
236 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 found rtiverence for Chinese characters, and it Avas 
 no uncommon tlimg to see him i»oiu<j; along the 
 road pickini; up scraps of written paper. 
 
 The other church was in the west end of Canton, 
 at the hospital of the London ^Missionar^^ Hociet}', 
 of which Dr. Hobson was in charge. It was not 
 ,yet the days of colporteurs. There Avas only one 
 man who occasionally did colporteur work. His 
 name was Lo. He Avas the gatekeeper at the hos- 
 pital. When it Avas a non-patient day, he used to 
 go round the city distributing Christian literature. 
 Home qf these tilacts fell into the hands of Mr. 
 Chan, and the truth immediately appealed to him. 
 It came to him with a strange poAver, Avarming and 
 (IraAving out his heart in a way the Chinese classics 
 had ncA^er done. The tract that affected him most 
 was the Avell-knoAvn ^'Taao Friends/' a tract that 
 has proA^ed a blessing to so many. Tracts dealing 
 Avith the folly of idolatry found a. ready response 
 in his mind. Without any struggle he accepted 
 their principles, and the only satisfactory explana- 
 tion must be that (Jood Spirit ^'that lighteneth 
 every man that tometh into the world,'' for the 
 heathen are not left entirely Avitliout AA'itness. 
 
 The edition of Holy Scripture theii in circula- 
 tion Avas very imperfect, and difftcult for the reader 
 to understand. It was perhaps well, and a thing 
 for Avhich we ought to feel grateful, that the people 
 were so uuAvilling to receiA^e copies, even Avhen they 
 could be had Avithout payment. 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 237 
 HIS conversion. 
 
 Mr. Cliau's removal to Canton, and especially 
 his residence in the shop of a relation, proved to be 
 the turningxjoint in his life. Dr. Hobson's gate- 
 keeper and occasional colporteur, Lo, had a friend 
 in the shop where Mr. Chan was living. It was 
 through this man that he was led first of all to 
 attend the Sunday services at the hospital church. 
 He has a very vivid recollection of the illustrious 
 medical missionary and his lady. He remembers 
 with feelings of the deepest gratitude, to this day, 
 how they welcomed him. Those sei vices were very 
 select, indeed, for, in addition to those employed 
 at the hospital, there Avere only two or three out- 
 siders. It was fortunate for Chan that he was in 
 the house of a relation, for no ordinary apprentice 
 would have been allowed to frequent a place of so 
 doubtful reputation as a mission church. 
 
 The London Mission preacher was Mr. Leung A 
 Pat. He had come from Malacca when the Anglo- 
 Chinese College moved to Hongkong. His exile 
 was not a voluntary one. Some years previous the 
 mandarinsi had sought his life because of his con- 
 nection with the Christian church. Chau went 
 regularly to the services at the hospital. Like 
 Lydia, his heart gently opened to the truth, and in 
 it the Holy Spirit wrought conviction of sin and 
 the necessity of a Siaviour. In the course of a year 
 he decided to ask for baptism and admission to 
 the Christian church. Leung A Fat baptized him, 
 
238 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 and thus he forms a link between to-day and those 
 early and heroic times of missionary enterprise in 
 China. The year folloAving his baptism, his whole 
 family — father, mother and brothers — came to set- 
 tle in Canton. He rejoined them and continued 
 with them till his twenty-eighth year of age. 
 
 Mr. Chan's first direct contact with mission work 
 was in his twenty-ninth year. Dr. Hobson wished 
 to translate a book on physiology into Chinese. 
 Chan was employed to trace the diagrams. The 
 care and excellence with which he did this work 
 attracted the attention of the doctor, who saw in 
 this man the promise of future usefulness, a prom- 
 ise which has been amply fulfilled. Happy is the 
 man to Avhom God gives this insight and power of 
 discerning men, and the grace and wisdom to lead 
 them out into the service of the church. From tliat 
 time Chan was engaged as an assistant evangelist 
 at the hospital and to help Leung A Fat. This 
 wise choice has already influenced vast numbers 
 for good. The Sunday services mu^t have been 
 longer then, for Chan .always preached after 
 Leung A Fat. 
 
 Those meetings at the London ^lission Hospital 
 church were truly catholic. Many of the mission- 
 aries had no Avork or churches of their own. They 
 were glad to gather at this place, which was a kind 
 of missionary training-ground. Among the recently 
 arrived missionaries Avas a young man called 
 George Piercy, wliO' had come out at his own ex- 
 pense. The Wesleyan Methodist Church had not 
 
Illustrious Chinp:se Christl\ns. 239 
 
 sent him. The claims of India and other land® 
 left no place for China, but God was working, and 
 in his own good time, both in South China and in 
 the Yang Tsze valley, the ^Methodist Church would 
 yet discharge some of its duties and obligations to 
 God and the Chinese. In this Chau has taken a 
 large part. 
 
 COUNTRY EVANGELIZATION. 
 
 It was a great achievement to get into Canton 
 City, but the missionaries' longed with a Christlik(^ 
 compassion for the millions that lay beyond. Fre- 
 quent excursions were made to the many villages 
 and towns in the neighborhood of Canton. The 
 general behavior of the people was very rude and 
 often hostile. Their minds were opposed to the en- 
 trance of strangers bringing with them what they 
 regarded as pernicious and harmful heresies. 
 Large, fine copies of the New Testament werje 
 freely distributed, but it was no uncommon thing 
 for those who received them to tear them up or 
 burn them. The following account well illustrates 
 the difiaculties and dangers of country traveling in 
 the early ^'fifties.-' 
 
 Two Wesleyan Methodist missionaries, Messrs. 
 Cox and Beach, accompanied by Chau and Lo, 
 from the hospital, had made a book-selling journey 
 to Shek Lung, a city on the East River. Knowing 
 the intense curiosity of the people as well as their 
 animosity, on their arrival they anchored their 
 boat just a little outside the town. They had not 
 
240 Illustrious Chinese Cuiustjans. 
 
 been loug iu this position when a messenger from 
 the yamen came, urging' that the boat be moved 
 nearer to the town, as much safer and less likely to 
 be attacked by pirates. Never suspecting treach- 
 ery, for the request was both reasonable and polite, 
 orders were given to the boatmen to do as re- 
 quested. Nothing immediately occurred to dis- 
 turb their peace till about 8 p. m., when they were 
 roused from their false security by the beating of 
 gongs. Soon after, two mandarins, one a civil and 
 the other a military mandarin, with a large number 
 of soldiers and yamen runners, appeared (m the 
 scene. It was a striking sight, for they carried 
 torches and spears, the latter gleaming in the light 
 of the torches. The civil mandarin, with a band of 
 his men, went on board of the boat of the mission- 
 aries. He seized Chan and Lo by the queues, and 
 proceeded to drag them after him. He did not let 
 go until he got them on shore. The followers of 
 the mandarins made a circle on the bank of the 
 river, with the mandarins in the middle. Into this 
 circle Chau and Lo were conducted, and ordered 
 to kneel in front of the two officials. When all 
 was ready the examination began. Notes were 
 taken of all the answers. In wrathful tones the 
 (luestion was asked, ''What was your object in 
 bringing these barbarians to this cit}^?" A thor- 
 ough search of the boat only brought to light copies 
 of the New Testament and tracts. This w^ias rather 
 disappointing, as tliey evidently expected to find 
 arms and ammunition. On the books were stamped 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 241 
 
 in Chinese characters "Benevolent Hospital," 
 as the London Mission Hospital was called. This 
 confirmed what had been said in the examination. 
 Lo at first would not kneel, which had the effect of 
 rcmsing the ire of his accusers. Cox saw tliis, and 
 i>ave Lo the hint to conform to the customs of his 
 country. Chan, true to his peace-loviug nature, 
 Ijad already done the kow-tow. The civil man- 
 darin, addressing Chan, perhaps because he came 
 from that country, said, "We shall hold you re- 
 sponsible for anything that happens." 
 
 Cox stood with Chan and Beach with Lo. The 
 latter missionary had only been in China a short 
 time, and was not able to say much. Cox stood up 
 and declared that both the Chinese who had come 
 with them were true men. The responsibility of 
 being there lay wholly with the foreigners, for the 
 Chinese had merely accompanied them. This bold 
 speech had a good effect. From that time the man- 
 darins seemed puzzled as to what course to pursue. 
 xA.fter a good deal of private consultation, the mili- 
 tary mandarin, addressing Chan and Lo, said, 
 "You must go to the district city and find some one 
 who will stand surety for you. If you can find 
 some one of reputation to do this, then you will be 
 set at liberty." Cox again broke in, objecting most 
 strongly to the men being taken away. "If you do 
 take them," said he, "then we shall go with them." 
 This firmness evidently staggered the mandarins 
 in their resolution, and in a few minutes they said, 
 "Get off to your boat and leave here by to-morrow 
 
242 Ii:.LUSTiuous Chinese Christians. 
 
 moruiiig at dajliglit." The jamen runners called 
 out, ''^heir excellencies have shown you great 
 mercy; kow-tow, kow-tow." All night long a small 
 mandarin, with a company of soldiers, kept a strict 
 watch over the missionaries' boat. It was scarcely 
 daybreak when they called on them to go, which 
 they were not sorry to do. 
 
 YEARS OP SOWING AND TRIAL. 
 
 The ten years between 1850 and 1860 must have 
 been particularly trying to the missionaries. The 
 internal troubles of the country, which carried des- 
 olation and death far and wide throughout the 
 land, Were scarcely finished when the second Chi- 
 nese w^ar broke out. During these years there were 
 only a few baptisms. Viewed at this distance of 
 time, one can not help feeling that the mission work 
 of that period must have made a special drain on 
 the faith of the missionaries. Those men certainly 
 labored, and we, of later years, have entered into 
 their labors. We are reaping what they sowed in 
 tears, and those of them who have gone to their re- 
 ward may in some way unknown to us be able to 
 trace much of the comparative success of to-day to 
 those years of sowing. 
 
 The acceptance of Christianity w^as regarded as 
 contrary to the law of the land. It was not till 
 the second treaty of peace was signed that the Tol- 
 eration Clause was introduced. Foreigners were 
 hated and distrusted, and so it came to pass that 
 even the benevolent side of the work did not es- 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 243 
 
 cape the same kind of unfair criticism that was 
 applied to the aggressive side of the work. The 
 one boys' school, bel(moinj>- to the American Pres- 
 byterian Mission, was looked upon as a means to 
 get hold of the boys, jnst as at a later time, when 
 girls' schools were first opened, it was firmly be- 
 lieved that th(* object of the foreigners was to get 
 the girls together and then forward them to Hong- 
 kong for immoral purposes. It could not be de- 
 nied that in the hospital men were healed and sick- 
 ness relieved, but all this was only part of the gen- 
 eral scheme to win over the hearts of the people. 
 The strongly rooted idea that the foreigners had 
 designs on the land, added another element of bit- 
 terness to those already .existing. Consequently, 
 the people were very averse to mission work, the 
 object of which was entirely misunderstood. The 
 missionaries were frequently, quite innocently on 
 their part, involved in the action of their country- 
 men who were provoked by the treachery and inso- 
 lence of the Chinese to acts of reprisal. ♦ 
 
 The kingdom of peace and righteousness, which 
 the missionaries preached, was emphatically ''a 
 kingdom to come,'' and there were no signs of its 
 coming, but, on the contrary, it was the reign of the 
 kingdom of darkness. The consummation of it all 
 was the second Chinese war, which broke up the 
 little that had been accomplished, and the mi^ision- 
 aries were compelled to seek refuge in ^lacao. For 
 nearly three years they were shut up in Macao. 
 The missionaries stuck to their posts till the last. 
 
244 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 Dr. Hobson did not go on board till the shots Avere 
 beginning to hiss over the city. \Mth the closing 
 of the hospital, Mr. Chau returned to his native 
 place, and this ended his connection with the Lon- 
 don ^lission. After a short visit to his people, 
 he went to Macao on the invitation of the Rev. 
 George Piercy, as a tc^aclier and preacher, and ever 
 since has been connected witli the AVesleyan Meth 
 odist Mission. 
 
 RETURNS TO CANTON. 
 
 After the capture of Canton by the allies, Chau 
 returned to Canton with Mr. Piercy. This was the 
 beginning of a new era in the history of missions 
 in China. A great change liacl come over the dis- 
 position of the people. Many came to make in- 
 quiries as to the nature and teachings of Chris- 
 tianity. The purchase of land was then perhaps 
 easier than it has been at any otlier period since. 
 To Mr. Piercy belongs the honor of having done 
 more thail any other man to found schools for girls, 
 both boarding and day schools. In all this, Chau 
 took a prominent part. 
 
 It is difficult to estimate the very valuable serv- 
 ices Chau rendered to the AA'esleyan Mission dur- 
 ing the last forty-five years. The greatest part of 
 liis ministry lias been given to educational work, 
 and for the hist twenty years his special depart- 
 ment has been the training of catechists. At the 
 age of seventy-five he is still hale and hearty. He 
 is doing full and efficient service. He has produced 
 
Illustrious Chinese Christians. 245 
 
 no original work, but in most of the literary work 
 done by the Weslejan missionaries, he has had an 
 honorable share. 
 
 RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT. 
 
 Summing up, ^Ir. Chan says: ''It is more than 
 fifty years since I became a member of the Chris- 
 tian church. In the intervening years I have seen 
 immense changes, and these, on the whole, have 
 been for good. x\t that time there were not more 
 than half a dozen Christians in Canton. The yearly 
 additions did not amount to more than one or two. 
 The new era began with the declaration of peace 
 at the end of the second wiar, and, almost without 
 exception, every year since that time has seen an 
 ever-increasing ratio of increase. To-day the mis- 
 sions working from Canton as a center, count over 
 ten thousand members. 
 
 "AVhen I made my first acquaintance w ith Canton 
 there were only two mission churches. Now, in- 
 cluding rented buildings as well as those built, 
 there are several hundreds. Then there was only 
 one boys' school, where, as an inducement to at- 
 tend, presents of money and clothes were given. 
 Now, boys' schools exist throughout the province, 
 in town and country, and it is not necessary to 
 have recourse to such doubtful expedients to fill 
 them. If it was difficult to get boys to attend 
 Christian schools then, it was infinitely more diffi- 
 cult to get girls. To-day, the only limit is the 
 money at the disposal of the missionaries for this 
 
246 iLLUSTUlOUiS Cillx\E«E CHKlSTlAAfci. 
 
 kind of >\ ork. JSecoud to none in importance has 
 been tiie opeuiug of i»irls' l)oar(liu^i>-scliools and 
 training-schools for catecliists. The intlucnce of 
 these things has already been felt, and will be more 
 and more as time goes by/' 
 
 '^\nother thing/' Chan says, ''I would like to 
 point out, is the remarkable change in the dispo- 
 sition of the people. AMien 1 was a young nmn, 
 the prevailing feeling was that the object of the for- 
 eign propaganda was political, »and that Christian- 
 ity Avas a system of erroneous doctrines, which 
 taught men to forget and neglect their parents. It 
 also forbade the worship of ancestors and spirits. 
 The n)ost damaging of all, however, were the stories 
 which represented the Christians as living in pro- 
 miscuous intercourse. Some of the things that 
 were said were stupid tand absurd, but that did 
 not in any way affect the ready credence that was 
 given to all and ever}^ report about foreigners. 
 A peculiar kind of pill was in use among the 
 Christians, which whoever swalloAved forthwith all 
 sense of shame forgot. 
 
 ''The native Christians suffered much at the 
 hands of their countrymen. They were looked 
 upon as traitors, men who had denied the faith of 
 their fathers, and given themselves to work out tJie 
 Avicked designs of the barbarians from across the 
 seas. People refused to give them their daughters 
 in marriage. True, there are still some who hold 
 these ideas, but the great majority have seen 
 through their foll}^ There is still a tendenc3^ to 
 
Illustrious Chinese Chkistians. 247 
 
 despise Christians, but it is small and unimportant 
 compared with the eaily (hijs. 
 
 "In recent years the better clas*^ of the Chinese 
 have shown a friendly disposition, and some of 
 them reguhirly visit tlie missiomaries; also an 
 ever-increasini» number of the j>entry and literary 
 classes liave sought to be admitted to the Christian 
 church. The enemies of God's church in China 
 have from time to time idanned its destruction by 
 diligently spreading false reports of a nature cal- 
 culated to rouse the intensest hatred and strongest 
 passions of the people. Such Avere the troubles 
 that arose from the shan-sin-fan (Genii Powder) 
 rumors. It was alleged that the Christians se- 
 cretly dropped these powders into the Avella The 
 effect of drinking the water into which these pow- 
 ders had been thrown Avas death in about a month. 
 The form of this report Avas most insidious, and for 
 wrecks the people Avere kept in the wildest excite- 
 ment. Strange to say, not one Christian lost his 
 life, although several of the heathen did. 
 
 ^'The people had good reason to remember the 
 Tai-Ping Rebellion, and so had the mandarins. 
 It Avas a most unfortunate circumstance that the 
 rebels called themselves the 'Sheung Tai Oof.' 
 It is only necessary to tell the reader Avho does not 
 know Chinese that practically the same term was 
 used by some of the missionaries, when speaking 
 of the Christian church. 
 
 "Thrice has Avar been Avaged in my time by Great 
 Britain, France and Japan. On all these occa- 
 
248 Illustrious Chinese Christians. 
 
 sions the native Christians have been reg^arded as 
 the prime movers and the cause of these invasions. 
 Thej were supposed to be in league with the for- 
 eigners in their dark designs. These things were 
 made the plea for the destruction of the Christian 
 church. Humanly speaking, the very existence of 
 the church was again ^nd again threatened. ^If 
 it had not been the Lord who Avas on our side, 
 when men rose up against us, then they had swal- 
 lowed us quick, when their wrath was kindled 
 against us. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of 
 the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken and 
 we are escaped.^ Each succeeding trouble has been 
 made to subserve God's purpose, and his glory has 
 been thereby more fully revealed in the sight of the 
 heathen." 
 
 Looking back over these last fifty years, and con- 
 sidering the terrible opposition which Christianity 
 has had to meet, and Avhich it has driven l)ack, even 
 if it has not yet completely conquered, Chau says : 
 "I have the firmest conviction that Christianity 
 must conquer in the end. I feel that nothing can 
 happen in the future which will successfully inter- 
 fere with the progress of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 
 for ^he must reign.' Thanks be to God for his un- 
 speakable gift. I believe the day is hastening when 
 all my countrymen shall bow at the feet and at the 
 name of Jesus, which day may God hasten in his 
 own good time." Wm. Bridie. 
 
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