Untitled

l<CHAPTERXVI.REVIVALS.(TTHE remarkable manifestations of religious fervorVli known as revivals" that have been experiencedof recent years in Wales and various parts of theUnited Kingdom, in America, also in India, and mostnotably in Korea, have not been absent in the missionwork of China. It is no part of the writer s task todefend "revivals," nor to philosophize as to tlieirpsychological causes, as well as spiritual origins. TheChristian era began with what is known as * Pentecost,"and in all ages of the Christian church, when there hasbeen real moral and spiritual power, there have beenmore or less frequent manifestations that correspond inessentials, while differing in minor details, to the eventsdescribed in the second chapter of the Acts of theApostles. It has been generally believed by missionariesthat the Chinese are an unemotional, materialistic race,peculiarly impervious to religious feeling, and that theprocess of Christianizing them must be one of instructionand gradual growth, without such epoch-making moraland spiritual upheavals. "Learning the doctrine" isthe usual Chinese term for becoming a Christian ratherthan "believing the doctrine." Both mental processesare essential, but the Chinese attitude of mind has beento emphasize the intellectual acquirement of Christiantruth by instruction rather than a recognition of thefundamental truth that "with the heart man believethunto righteousness." The experiences of the past threeyears indicate that it will be necessary for the openmindedstudent of missionary work in China, who heldthe above theory, to readjust his position to accord withnew and startling facts.