(4) One other point noticed in the Roman Catholic work should also he noticed in the Protestant work, viz. the lack: of adaptation to Chinese susceptibilities of certain religious rites and usages.
First is the sacrament of the Holy Communion, While perhaps not as mysterious to the Chinese as the Roman Mass, yet the use of the sacred elements of bread and wine may incite suspicion and unseemly remark, - unless carefully guarded by mingled circumspection, reverence and rensonableness. So far, a5 we know, most Protestant missionaries allow outsiders to be present to witness the service, but if so, there is oftentimes a need for such an explanation of the rite, that no other grace shall be expected except such us is spivitival, while reverential demeanour united with 4 naturalness of manner may satisfy the curiosity without suspicion of witchery and deception.
Secondly, instead of the practice of baptising infants in danger of death, there is the sacrament of baptism according to immersion, which may offend Chinese tastes and create unpleasant criticism, Owing to this fact, some of the Baptist missionaries in China allow the foreign Indies to merse the Chinese women, recognising the principle of accommodation as far as practicable or vight.
Thirdly, the rites of extreme unction and the confessional are not practised among Protestants, but there are occasional troubles in the matter of betrothal of Chinese converts. As a general rule, we believe, the Protestant missionaries are less rigid than the Church of Rome. Even when religious services are held, it is not always required that x complete ritual be, observed. One of the latest writers on this subject in the Chinese Recorder closes the article thus: Not all at once can the time-honoured customs of China he changed, and it behoves us to beware lest we insist on placing them on an Anglo-Saxon rather than simply ona Christian Fourthly, there is the usage of ancestral worship. "Is there not on the part of most Protestant missionaries a greater intolerance towards this old custom of China than among the Roman Catholics, and this, too, in spite of the infallible decree of the' Pope, condemning the custom? Tt is certain that the supposed or actual attitude of the missionaries and their native assistants towards ancestral worship is a source of countless misunderstandings, criticisms and persecutions, and without entering here into a discussion of the right or wrong of the custom and the real Confucian teaching, we ask with Archdercon Moule: "Is there no via media by which, steering between idolatry and reverence, wwe may provide a Christian rite which shall retain the good and urge out the evil of this system?" The' foreign her takes on himself a serious responsibility, when with his pre-conceived ideas and occidental training he compels the convert on pain of discipline to break loose from the old ancestral ties with the respectful ceremonies of " worshipping the new year," the sweeping of the graves, and all the other definite occasions for bringing out. the tablets and presenting offerings of filial respect and grateful remembrance. The kind of action which was sprung on the Missionary Conference at Shanghai in 1890, and voted on with such enthusiasm, means a bitter warfare in the future, unless the more moderate sentiments which came out: in the regular discussion shall in the calmer moments of a second and a third reflection modify the action to be taken. The high Minister in Peking gauged well the situation, when he told Dr, Martin that the treatment given ancestral worship was one of the leading obstacles to the acceptance ianity and the peace of the work.
missionary in any hasty action be f iven because of good intentions, then the Christian believer in a non-
Christian family, as he bows before the tablet and unites in presenting the offerings, with no idolatry in his heart, may not he with his good intentions be forgiven too? Yea, may he not be applauded for his wise conduct, preventing a family feud, while holding' steadfastly to all the requirements of a Christian's faith? Such conduct may not be the desideratum in a Christian family, but is ita duty to condemn it in the transition stage of transforming the beliefs of a whole fu to a hearty allegiance to Christianity The ill-feeling and petty persecutions which arise are not due to a clear discriminatory teaching of the truth as it actually is, but to the enforcement of complete rejection of the ancient custom of the land, if the truth is to be loyally held and the man esteemed a Christian.
Fifthly, there is the attitude towards contributions for temples, theatres, ete. What was said when reviewing the attitude of the Roman Gntholies way he said here, except it should be noted that the Roman Catholics had an Imperial Edict excusing them from these contributions, while the Protestants were formally granted the same privilege only some ten years ago, and this, too, not by a separate Edict, but by a despatch of the Tsungli Yamen to the United States Minister. To see that this privilege is not infringed upon, it is portant that at least few missionaries shall be on intimate and recognixed terms with the provincial authorities, so that the native converts may be protected in_ their observance of Christianity. It will be found that the measure of tolerance, agreeing with the word of the Emperor, will no longer be the wish of the heart, but "cause for gratitude among all Christians both Chinese and foreign, who together rejoice in the favours of the nation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.