Mission and Revolution in Central Asia - Svenska Missionskyrkan
Mission and Revolution in Central Asia - Svenska Missionskyrkan
Mission and Revolution in Central Asia - Svenska Missionskyrkan
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<strong>and</strong> Russia. Höijer even received a copy of the passage deal<strong>in</strong>g with the Christian mission<br />
which runs like this <strong>in</strong> Höijer’s translation:<br />
“The Ch<strong>in</strong>ese government acknowledges the fact that the Christian doctr<strong>in</strong>e teaches people order <strong>and</strong><br />
unity <strong>and</strong> pledges not only not to persecute its citizens for accomplish<strong>in</strong>g the duties of the Christian faith,<br />
but also to treat them as equals with other believers <strong>in</strong> the Empire. It sees Christian missionaries as good<br />
people, not work<strong>in</strong>g for their own <strong>in</strong>terest, <strong>and</strong> the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese government allows missionaries com<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
recommendations from Russian Consuls or from a foreign power to spread Christianity among its citizens<br />
<strong>and</strong> shall not refuse them entry to any open space <strong>in</strong> the Empire.” 16<br />
As it was written “Christian missionaries” <strong>and</strong> not “Russian missionaries”, Höijer remarked<br />
that the Russian Consul had the possibility to protect any missionary enter<strong>in</strong>g the country.<br />
Consequently this was also valid for Swedish missionaries. The Consul agreed to this, but<br />
hoped that the Swedish K<strong>in</strong>g would address himself directly to the Russian government on<br />
this matter. When leav<strong>in</strong>g Kashgar a few days later, Höijer <strong>and</strong> the Consul parted as best<br />
friends. This first positive impression of Swedish mission made upon Consul Petroffski was<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g that the missionaries could benefit from further on. However the Consul never<br />
whole-heartedly supported the <strong>Mission</strong>. 17 Höijer himself fell <strong>in</strong>to disgrace with him for hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
written a series of articles <strong>in</strong> the periodical <strong>Mission</strong>sförbundet about his travels <strong>in</strong> Russia<br />
where he expressed harsh criticism about certa<strong>in</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> Russia. The Consul learnt about<br />
this criticism <strong>and</strong> was very <strong>in</strong>dignant. When it was decided, <strong>in</strong> 1895, that new missionaries<br />
would be sent out <strong>and</strong> it was suggested that Höijer, know<strong>in</strong>g the travel roads to Kashgar be<br />
their guide, Högberg was decidedly aga<strong>in</strong>st this. If Höijer comes here now, writes Högberg,<br />
that would <strong>in</strong>evitably create a stir <strong>and</strong> cause trouble, the Consul be<strong>in</strong>g “very distressed”. 18<br />
After his explor<strong>in</strong>g trip to Kashgar Höijer wrote a detailed report <strong>and</strong> sent it home to the<br />
<strong>Mission</strong> Board. Follow<strong>in</strong>g that it could be said that Höijer’s contribution to the new mission<br />
project was more or less f<strong>in</strong>ished. Not until 1895 does he participate <strong>in</strong> the General<br />
Conference <strong>in</strong> Stockholm, where he makes a speech about what the reporter describes as his<br />
“adventurous missionary life”. 19 Later on he returned to the mission field <strong>in</strong> Russia from<br />
where he was called home a few years later by the MCCS Board hav<strong>in</strong>g made himself<br />
“impossible as a missionary”, accord<strong>in</strong>g to MCCS President Ekman. He had thrown himself<br />
<strong>in</strong>to “a lot of risky undertak<strong>in</strong>gs, even of a political nature, that were hardly compatible with<br />
the beautiful call<strong>in</strong>g of be<strong>in</strong>g an evangelical preacher…” 20<br />
Höijer had caused the <strong>Mission</strong> Board trouble previously. Already <strong>in</strong> 1891, the year before<br />
the explor<strong>in</strong>g trip to Kashgar, Högberg, who was then Höijer’s colleague with<strong>in</strong> the Oriental<br />
Covenant (the Armenian Evangelical Covenant Church), wrote a letter home to Ekman,<br />
compla<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g about Höijer. It was impossible to consult with him on mission matters, says<br />
Högberg. Höijer took his own <strong>in</strong>itiatives without consult<strong>in</strong>g anybody else. On top of that he<br />
acted thoughtlessly <strong>and</strong> hastily, which gave him enemies among the population. Högberg<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ues:<br />
“I have had personal talks with Höijer, but he expresses no real regret over mistakes he has made, but<br />
rather he triumphs at feats, expressed <strong>in</strong> words like: ‘I seized him by the neck <strong>and</strong> threw him out.’ His<br />
opponents have written an official letter about him, but all this has only turned him <strong>in</strong>to a martyr.” 21<br />
16<br />
Larson, 1905, p. 332 f.<br />
17<br />
Palmaer,1942, p. 18 f. Sjöholm relates about Consul Petroffski after the <strong>in</strong>spection made <strong>in</strong> 1913. The Consul<br />
was disoblig<strong>in</strong>g towards the missionaries. He reported untruthfully to the Ch<strong>in</strong>ese authorities that the newly<br />
arrived missionaries came with trunks full of weapons. (SMT, 1914, p. 77)<br />
18<br />
Högberg to Ekman, December 18th, 1895.<br />
19<br />
The <strong>Mission</strong>sförbundet, 1895, number 1 p. 89.<br />
20<br />
Ekman, 1903, p. 65.<br />
21 rd<br />
Högberg to Ekman, July 23 , 1891. Högberg could get impatient with Höijer. (Högberg, 1920, p. 107).<br />
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