Though movements like the T'ai Ping rebellion show
that one must not speak too confidently of Chinese
apathy, yet, when recently visiting China, I saw no
signs of any religious movement accompanying the
educational and military movements, which are
undoubtedly strong. In no country is the popular
temperament so materialistic. For most, a temple
is merely a place where one can perform magical
ceremonies to obtain such objects as health,
children, success in examinations or in trade ; and
a place of worship where this cannot be done is
as useless as a shop which does not sell. A veteran
missionary told me that conversions had been more
frequent since 1900, which is natural, since it has
been forced on the Chinese mind that foreigners
are not feeble and contemptible ; but he added
that it was still impossible for any one who aspired
to hold the humblest Government post or be in
any way connected with officials to be a Christian or
even to consort with Christians. It is not surprising
that religion in China should be at a low ebb, for
it is almost a synonym' with superstition, and the
educated classes have in the last few years begun
to see how enormous are their shortcomings in
knowledge. Confucianism offers nothing that can
be assailed by science, but the whole fabric of
Taoism disappears before an elementary scientific
education, and so does much of the popular
Buddhism. In many localities the temples are
being turned into schools or lecture -rooms. It is

247



China's Dayspring after Thirty Years

said that Herbert Spencer is extensively read by the
younger men, and there is probably no Christian or
theistic philosopher whose name carries the same
weight."

Sir Charles's words are entitled to great weight,
but in this instance some of his statements, or
rather, the statement he quotes from' the veteran
missionary, should, I venture to think, be taken
cum grano salts. It is difficult, of course, to speak
of the state of things in a country, with an area of
over four million square miles, and with an esti-
mated population, in 1906, of four hundred and
forty millions. But I can offer facts which do
not seem to justify a pessimistic view. The Chinese
may be materialistic and superstitious to an
abnormal degree, but when they do become
religious, they make good Christians, as we have
seen. 