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an gllllg Wif e I love her with a love a s sti ll ’ As a broad ri er s e a cefu l mi h v p g t , hi h b hi h tower and ow mi W c , y g l ly ll , o s wanderin at its own i G e g w ll , And et doth e er flo w a ri ht y v g . And on its fu dee bre a st serene ll , p , m duties lie Lik e quiet isles y , It flow s arou nd them a nd between , i n r And ma k es them fre s h and fa r a d g een , i i ” Sweet ho mes wherein to l ve and d e . Low ell . P REFATO RY NOTE . The substance of the f ollowing pages was given to the students of the Theological School of Boston University in a series of addresses in 1 November, 9 04 . The students and others ex pressed a desire to have them in more permanent and fuller form than their notes . They were not t e delivered from manuscript . The task of one writing has been a slow , not only, nor , perhaps , chiefly because of lack of time from the life of a a busy missionary, but because the changes in Chin have been so rapid and sweeping during the last three years that any utterance except prophecy is almost sure to be o u t of date by the time it reaches the American public , unless it is telegraphed and S published in a daily newspaper. o that there is no intention to make this little volume a vehicle of news . The periodical and daily press must be at relied upon for that . There is , however, an tempt to discuss the trend of events , and to indi cate the direction of the Eastern breezes by a f ew straws here and there . Y PREFATOR N OTE . The Evolution o f New China seems like a more pretentious title than so small and inc om p l et e a discu ssion deserves : but to discover the laws o f evolution it is not necessary to investi gate every species , and that in every stage of develop o ment . It takes only three p ints to determine the center and the circumference of any circle ; and upon that principle the Evolution of New China may be indicated without making the discussion an encyclopedia . This evolution must be upon : four distinct lines political , industrial , intellectual , and ethical . These are all dwelt upon as fully ’ ’ as the author s space and time , and the reader s patience , seemed to permit . The political evolution has been so rapid and so fluctuating of late that the question uppermost in the minds of most of the students of the China “ ? " situation is , Will it be Evolution or Revolution That a great political crisis is approaching be comes more and more manifest every day . The conservative forces among the highest ofii cia ls have been very active and successful of late . Charges and counter charges or impeachments of high officers are pouring in upon the aged Dowager and the weak young Emperor in most bewildering pro fusion . The last high mandarin who has secured “ an audience is the man of the hour, and it is r fi “ ” often a ve y literal , not a g urative , hour. The counter charge that usually follows is quite as i l kely to be believed . The various cliques of pro 2 P F Y RE ATOR NOTE . g ressives and conservatives are still further divided by the deeper chasm that yawns between Manchu and Chinese . With almost universal suspicion and t ffi widespread enmi y among the highest o cials , and with the alien dynasty held nominally by a weak and childless prince , but actually by a woman past f seventy years of age , both o whom are frequently r r rep orted ill , it is plain to the most casual obse ve that a political revolution o f some kind is not far distant . Let all friends of China and of humanity pray that it may be a bloodless one . But however s it may come , ultimately it will make for progres in modern civilization ; it will open wider the doors o f Christian opportunity , and add heavily to the responsibilities of Christendom speedily to bring the personality and power of humanity’s only Hope within reach of every one of China ’s four hundred and thirty millions . Since the chapter entitled Centenary Cur ” r rents was written , the great Centena y Confer S ence has met in hanghai . The most interesting debate of the Conference was upon the proposi tion to call upon all Christendom to unite in found ing a great Christian University f or the highest post- graduate work in all lines of modern pro S f essiona l and technical training . ome of the strongest speeches of the whole session were made upon both sides of this great question . The final decision , after prolonged discussion in Conference E a nd committee , was that the permanent duca 3 PREFAT ORY NOTE . t ional Committee appointed by the Conference be left uninstructed upon the subj ect , to act as it E sees fit . The ducational Committee , consisting o f nearly fifty o f the most representative men of the whole missionary body , having an executive committee organized with Shanghai as hea dqua r c ol ters , is commissioned to strengthen the existing ofli ce red leges and secondary s chools , and is by several of the strongest advocates o f the University scheme . Now let a group of the great philan throp ists come forward with the cost o f a Dread ” naught, to mold the New China into a Christian civilization by means o f the highest Christian leadership in every line o f useful endeavor . But the keynote o f the great gathering was Christian unity . And this did not mean merely o f i a nebulous harmony spirit , but a def nite look ing towards organic union in one Church of Christ E in China . arly in the session the Conference o f - one appointed a group eight sub committees , o f for each the various large Church families , as P Baptist , resbyterian , Congregational , M ethodist , a nd o - so n . These sub committees were to seek to bring about organic union in their own group . P As a matter of fact , the resbyterians have a l ready formed one P resbyterian Church in China , and others are following hard after . Then fol lowed the most significant and dramatic event of s . that memorable twelve day Doctor Gibson , one 4 P RE FAT ORY NOTE . of of the two presidents , the Conference , who was also chairman of the committee on the “ Chinese ” Church , proposed Resolution VII ' While the appointment o f these committees contemplates the form ation of six or more Church organizations for the Chinese Church in the first instance , it is the earnest hope o f this Conference that these Chinese bodies , with the assistance and advice o f the foreign mission aries , may from the first prepare to unite with each other in the closest practicable bonds o f Christian fellowship , either in organic ecclesiastical or union , in a free federation , as they may be led by their own interpretation of the mind of Christ, and by the guidance given them in the providence o f o f God , and through the teaching the Holy ” Spirit . Amidst quiet but intense excitement this far- reaching and indeed most ra dical resolution was put to “ this great representative and con servative body of nearly five hundred missionaries and carried without a dissentient vote . It was not sprung upon the Conference ; the printed reso lutions had been in the hands of the members for three days ; the discussions had been deliberate and P in thorough . The Divine resence was so real that Martyrs ’ Memorial Hall that it could scarcely have caused surprise had the visible person o f the Master Himself appeared in the midst of His disciples , and they had heard His voice as He 5 P A Y REF TOR NOTE . i breathed upon them , saying , Rece ve ye the Holy ” S ’ Ghost . urely in China , at least, the M aster s prayer that the disciples “ all may be one ” is in the process o f speedy fulfillment . The evolution o f one Christian Church from the many, i f real i z e d E , will be the supreme factor in the volution o f h New C ina . I IAM REWSTER . W LL N . B Hi n hua China uf ooc o 1 ia F h w 0 . g , , , June 4 , 9 7 C TE T ON N S . CHAPTE R P AGE 1 . THE GREATNEss or NA CHI , THE P T A P ARADox II . OLI IC L , III E E AT . HIGH R DUC ION, IV. G A E AT ENER L DUC ION , THE I ST A P M V . NDU RI L ROBLE , ’ C A S T R O HIN RIUNE ELIGI N , VII THE EA Y M S S S OF C A . RL I ION HIN , I I . A TYP A M S S F L V I IC L I ION IE D , . S P R T A FO ES IX I I U L RC , . THE IND N S C X IGE OU HURCH, . CE TE A Y C NTS XI N N R URRE , ! II .

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