The Seven Provinces
KWANG-TUNG; area 90,230 square miles, population li millions.
We will commence our review with Kwang-tung, of which Canton is the capital. Protestant missions commenced here as we have seen in 1 808; and were prosecuted more vigorously after China was opened by treaty in 1842. It has now eleven mission stations, including Canton, the British colony of Hong-kong, and Swatow. In these stations there were 55 missionaries labouring in 1884, together with 18 single ladies, making a total of 73: out of the 73 there are 57 residing in the three cities above named. The city of Canton, in which 25 of them reside, is very large, being equal in population to Liverpool, Manchester, and Brighton together; and we need scarcely say their number is all too small to work it efficiently. But if Canton is not too well supplied, what then of the other 1 millions scattered over the province? Its extent
Kwang-tung has
Great Britain,
35,000 Ministers,
, Scotland alone,
3845 Ministers.
will be all the better realised by the aid of the above diagrams, which shew the relative areas of Kwang-tung, England, and Scotland. And for comparison we give at the side the numbers of male missionaries in Kwang-tung, and the number of ordained ministers in Great Britain, and in Scotland alone. Suppose all the 55 male missionaries to be distributed so as each to be the centre of influence to 100,000 Chinese, they would only suffice to proclaim Christ over one-third of the length and breadth of this one province of 17^ millions;
* This number excludes two, whose head-quarters are in Hu-peh, but who work in Ho-nan
and HU’NAN respectively.
The Fuh-kien Province. twelve millions would never hear the glad tidings of great joy. KwANG-TUNG has more missionaries in it than any other province.
And yet
FUH-KIEN; area 45,753 square miles, population 10 millions.
Proceeding up the China Sea, we next come to the province of Fuh-kien. This province is larger than Denmark with Iceland; and is about half the size of the preceding one. It contains about 10 millions of precious souls.
Foo-chow, Shao-wu and
„-,. =. Amoy are its mission
stations, with two others
on the Island of Formosa.
There were in March, 1884,
37 missionaries labouring
in these stations, besides
nine single ladies. Though
better supplied with missionaries than any other
province in China in proportion to its population,
even here the ratio is less
than that of one male missionary to a quarter of a million; or 15 labourers to a population equalling
that of Scotland. And it is not too much to say that very many of the people
are still utterly destitute of the gospel; and must die unreached unless more
missionary effort is put forth.
FUH-KIEN has
Great Britain,
35,000 Ministers.
Scotland alone,
3845 Ministers.
The above diagram shews Fuh-kien to be little less than England in area, and much larger than Scotland. When the ministerial supply is compared, the contrast is seen to be painfully striking.
Cheh-kiang and Kiang-su.
CHEH-KIANG; area 35,654 square miles, population 12 millions. To the north of Fuh-kien lies the province of Cheh-kiang; in area the smallest in China. It is about twice the size of Greece, and contains say 1 2 millions of inhabitants. It has eight mission stations, in four of which the missionaries of the C.I.M. only reside. The number of missionaries labouring in the province in March, 1884, was 31, exclusive of 13 unmarried ladies, or 44 in all; of whom 34 live in three cities; and while they work around them, and sometimes take long missionary journeys, there are scores of cities and large towns without the gospel.
Cheh-kiang has
Great Britain,
35,000 Ministers.
Scotland alone,
3845 Ministers.
Here again, as will be seen from the above diagram, a considerable number may hear it if they will; but the mass still remain unsought, untaught, unsaved, — without the truth, without Christ, without hope, without heaven.
KIANG-SU; area 40,140 square miles, population 20 millions.
Still proceeding up the China Sea, the next province northward is Kiang-su. Larger than the preceding province, it is three times the area of Switzerland. It is of amazing fertility, and carries on an extensive commerce. That magnificent river the Yang-tse-kiang (the great artery of the empire), and the Grand Canal, run through its midst. It is, therefore, well able to sustain its vast population of 20 millions; more than double the population of Scotland and Ireland together. Shanghai and five other stations had in 1884, besides 15 single ladies, 53 labourers for Christ, making a total of 68; and they are publishing to some extent the glad tidings of peace in the cities and towns around them, as well as in their own stations. But 40 of the 68 are located in Shanghai; some of whom are printers, some wholly occupied with English work; and many are almost wholly engaged in teaching schools. Of the remaining 28 missionaries, 14 are located in two cities, of the estimated population of 500,000 inhabitants each. Can these 14 workers — one of them
Kiang-su and Shan-hmg. a lady — have much spare time for work beyond their own cities and suburbs? Excluding them, and residing in three different stations, we have only 14 workers left for the remainder of a province three times as large as Switzerland. They have two large and populous cities, and one large town, in which they are stationed, to work before they think of the 18 millions scattered over the face of the province.
KiANG-su has
Great Britain,
35,000 Ministers.
Scotland alone,
3845 Ministers.
This province it will be seen is intermediate in area between Scotland and England, but has only 53 male missionaries to compare with the tens of thousands of ministers in Great Britain.
SHAN-TUNG; area 53,768 square miles, population 19 millions.
Immediately to the north of Kiang-su lies the province of Shan-tung, which is as large as Sco’tland, Ireland, and half of Wales. Its population may be 1 9 millions, and the present number of labourers is 46 all told. Ten of these workers are ladies, and another is only working among the English-speaking residents in the province; while of the remaining 35, seven are medical missionaries, and some are largely occupied with educational work.
Shan-tung has
Great Britain,
35,000 Ministers.
Scotland alone,
3845 Ministers.
Valuable as this is, it precludes those engaged in it from any widespread evangelistic efforts. Thus we find not more than one missionary free for
Province of Chih-li.
purely evangelistic work to each million of the people spread through the province. Might not the mass of this open, easily accessible, and healthy province truthfully exclaim, “No man careth.for our souls!” The gospel has not yet been preached to “every creature” here.
CHIH-LI; area 67,276 square miles, population 20 millions.
Still going north we come to the province of Chih-li. This province is larger than England and Wales, and is now estimated to contain 20 millions of souls. Pekin, the capital of the empire; Pao-ting Fu, the capital of the province; and Tien-tsin, its principal seaport; with T’ung-chau, and Kalgan (a trading city on the Mongolian border), are its five mission stations. There were 55 missionaries in these stations in March, 1884; but what are they among so many? Imagine England with only 55 ministers of Christ, and that number living in five only of our cities, while all the rest were left destitute! But of these 55 missionaries four are medical men; one superintends the mission press and the secular affairs of his mission; one is a colporteur of the National Bible Society of Scotland; and 17 are single
Chih-li and Hu-peh. ladies, of whom four are qualified medical practitioners. Thus there are only 32 ministers of Christ free to give themselves exclusively to evangelistic labour in a province containing 20 millions of souls. It is easy to talk of 20 millions; but who can realise what that vast number implies? One million is a large number! “If you had a million shillings to count one by one, and did it as fast as you could for ten hours a day, it would take a fortnight; and the million shillings would weigh nearly five tons, or be a heavy load for a railway truck.” But here we have not shillings but precious souls; and not oe million but twenty millions of souls, who must live forever, either in happiness or woe — and who can estimate the value of one soul? So priceless is the treasure that heaven and earth in all their material splendour are not to be compared to it. What then is the value of a thousand souls? — of a thousand thousand? — nay of twenty times a thousand thousand? Such is the population of this single province — six times that of Scotland; and the great mass of them are still “without hope, without God, and in the world.”
Chih-li has
Great Britain,
35,000 Ministers.
Scotland alone,
3845 Ministers.
Scotland has its bibles, its psalm books, and its catechisms; its Sunday school teachers, its elders, its tract distributors; its city missionaries, and its bible-women; and besides these there are some thousands of Christian ministers, and yet there is not one labourer too many. Chih-li, with six times Scotland’s population, has 32 ministers and 2^^ other workers!
HU-PEH; area 69,479 square miles, population 20^ millions.
The last of the seven provinces to which we have alluded is Hu-peh, which exceeds in extent one-third of France, while its population may be 20^ millions. Twenty-three* missionaries, residing in five stations (including two medical missionaries, one colporteur, and one single lady) are trying to dissipate
Excluding two, in Fan-ch’eng and Sha-shi, who work in Ho-nan and Hu-nan.
Province of Hu-peh.
the darkness around them. - At the ratio of one man to a hundred thousand Chinese, 200 would be needed for this province alone! Who shall tell the mass of this people of a Saviour’s love? Who shall minister to their souls’ need?
Hu-PEH has
Great Britain,
35,000 Ministers.
Scotland alone,
3845 Ministers.
The Lord said, “Go j/g.” The Word still says, “Go yeJ” Christian brothers, Christian sisters, does not that “ye’’ mean you? — you who are created in Christ Jesus unto good works — a peculiar people zealous of good works?