the cross of missionary endeavour.

On the whole, I should say that while missionaries are greatly
over-condemned by Europeans residing in China, the good they do is
over-estimated by people at home.

Putting aside all criticism of missionaries themselves, the vital
question is--"Will they succeed in converting China to Christianity?"

I am not sufficiently versed in the necessary statistics to offer a
very valuable opinion, but, such as it is, it tends to the conviction
that they will not.

It is a mistake to believe that persecution is an unfailing help to a
religious cause. It is so only when the persecution is sporadic and
fitful: storms succeeded by sunshine. When persecution partakes of a
stern, unrelenting nature, such as has recently been meted out to
Chinese converts, it certainly destroys, or at least stultifies,
growth.

Despite remonstrances from the great Powers and despite all treaties,
I greatly fear that these persecutions will be more bitter and more
general in the future than they have been in the past.

While the progress of conversion is thus delayed and Christianity by
drawing the fire of hate and intolerance absorbs all attention,
Mohammedanism is silently making considerable strides, favoured by a
period of bright sunshine, and unless storms of persecution soon burst
again to roll back the tide, as after the last Mohammedan rising,
when, it is said, loads of human ears were forwarded to Peking in
token of successful repression, followers of the Prophet bid fair to
establish a position in China which cannot be coerced and must be
recognised, and which would oppose to Christianity an even stronger
and keener influence than is exerted now.

I have often heard the question asked--"Would the Chinese be any the
better for becoming Christians?" and the reply has usually been that
they would not.

Personally, I believe that Christianity would supply the Chinaman's
character with an element which it now altogether lacks--chivalry, and
which, added to his many excellent qualities, would place him in the
very forefront of the peoples of this earth.

If China accepted Christianity her moral and material regeneration
would be assured, stagnation would yield to progress, darkness to
light and hostility to friendliness. Instead of the unwieldy mass now
lying sulking at the feet of other nations, China would become a
strong, self-reliant, prosperous state, fearing none, but held in
respect and friends