Chap. I. PROSPECTS OF CHBISTIANITY. 



21 



acquainted with this strange people, and I for one 

 am content to suspend my judgment until we have 

 the means of seeing and judging for ourselves. 

 Any change, however, from Buddhism, Taouism, 

 and the apathy with which the Chinese people 

 have shrouded themselves for ages past in so far 

 as religion is concerned, would seem to be desir- 

 able. And surely the thousands of copies of the 

 Sacred Scriptures which are not only printed and 

 circulated, but read by the insurgents, will bear 

 fruit at last, although it is much to be feared the 

 precious seed is still sown on stony ground. 



Having these views, I fully agree with the fol- 

 lowing remarks made by a writer in ' The Times ' 

 upon this subject : — " It cannot be said at present 

 that the Chinese have learnt the Gospel : but they 

 have at any rate been taught to abandon a system 

 of idolatry, to profess themselves believers in some- 

 thing better, and to appeal to this new law for the 

 correction of social evils. ... It will, probably, be 

 long before this extraordinary revolution is con- 

 summated, but we do not see that the hopes enter- 

 tained of the eventual conversion of China need 

 be despondingly abandoned." 



