The American Missionary — Volume 42, No. 10, October, 1888Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 42, No. 10, October, 1888
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
"Ans.--'No difference, our Jesus men wear hat just like your hat, wear
clothes like your clothes, walk just like you walk, but only one thing
was not like you--in worship. You all worship the idol, our Jesus men
worship the true God who is in heaven, and you all worship with meat
and fruit, etc., but we mean to worship with true heart. We believe
Jesus that we may obey Confucius doctrine, in which he has taught us
to be good. Those who are not Christians cannot obey what Confucius
taught. Before I became a Christian I was swearing and I speak evil
words, but since I believe in Jesus, these things I was entirely
stopped of. I remember Confucius has written in his book, teaching us
to be honest, and also say, vice things we must not look at, the vice
way we must not walk, the vice word we must neither speak nor hear.
How rarely I hear of a man who believes Confucius and does what he
taught. They are swearing all the time, speak the evil word all the
time, go among the bad women all the time. So this attests that they
do not obey Confucius, but disobey and dishonor him. Once we do like
the same, but since we found Jesus and believe he is our Saviour, we
stop to speak the bad word, stopped to gamble and smoke opium. Very
seldom I hear or see those who study Confucius do as the Jesus men,
for these are they that obey Confucius doctrine and keep his word. Why
cannot those disciples of Confucius be better men? Ah, Confucius only
a good man, he can only tell you the way how to be good man, but he
has no power to change your heart, and Jesus can if we trust in him.
This I know, for before I found Jesus I was always swearing and use
the bad language, but since I believe in Jesus and confess my sins and
ask him to forgive, I know that he has helped me to keep away from all
vice and has converted my heart that I might be a better man.
Therefore our Confucius was a man, but Jesus is God.'
"Another question they asked me: 'You say, whenever you pray to God,
God is there. Suppose you go to the stable to pray, do you think God
was there--such a dirty place--and hear your prayer?' I answer, 'Yes,
for God is everywhere. And though we call the place a dirty place, the
heart that prays may be clean. You see the sun rise in the
sky, its beams shine over all the world; God's eye the same, not only
see over the world but all through our hearts.'
"Mr. Hager (Missionary of the American Board in South China) has
opened a school in our district, so that I found a good opportunity to
speak in the name of Jesus. The seed was sown into their ears, but I
do not know what the hardest will be."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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