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in China is hardly necessary now-a-days, for the Chinamen have about
fallen back to their ancient ample spirit of toleration again as regards
religion. Anybody can preach in China who chooses to do it. He will not
be disturbed. The former persecution of Christians in China, which
was brought about by the Dominicans, seldom extended to the maiming
or killing of converts anyhow. They generally invited the convert to
trample upon a cross. If he refused, he was proven a Christian, and
so was shunned and disgraced. This diminished the list of Chinese
Christians very much, but did not root out that religion by any means.
Religious books have been written, and translations made, by Chinese
Christians, and there are as many as a million converts in China at
the present time. There are many families who have inherited their
Christianity by direct descent through six generations. In fact, it is
believed that Christianity existed in China 1,100 years ago. For many
years the missionaries heard vaguely, from time to time, of a monument
of the seventh century which was reported to be still standing over the
grave of some forgotten Christian far out in the interior of China. Two
of these missionaries, the Revs. Messrs. Lees and Williams, traveled
west 1,000 miles and found it. This brings me back to the fact, before
stated, that the religious toleration and protection guaranteed by
Article 4, are needed more by Chinamen here than by Americans in China.
Those two missionaries traveled away out into the heart of China,
preaching the Gospel of Christ every day, always being listened to
attentively by large assemblages, and always kindly and hospitably
treated. Moreover, these missionaries sold--mind you, sold, for cash,
to these assemblages--20,000 copies of religious books, thus wisely and
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