The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 85

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

85

exterminated, but it was reinstated in a wonderful
manner. Members of the Korean embassy in Pek-
ing came in contact with Catholic missionaries
there, and one of them soon embraced the Christian
faith. Others joined him. When these returned to
their native land, they confessed their belief and
thus again planted Christianity in their native soil.
Missionaries followed these pioneers in the course
of years, and thousands of members were gained.
However, persecution again set in, and when in
1864 and the years immediately following more
than 10,000 converts were put to death, Roman
Catholicism received a blow from which it has never
fully recovered.

The introduction of Protestant Christianity oc-
curred in 1884. It was a medical missionary of
the Presbyterian Church who opened the door. In
a political riot the nephew of the Korean emperor
was severely wounded. Dr. Allen, who at the time
was acting as a physician to the American legation
and only as such was permitted to remain in the
country, was called to the palace to attend the
prince. When he arrived, he found thirteen Korean
physicians present, who, as a last resort, were about
to pour boiling wax into the terrible wounds of the
prince. Dr. Allen saved his life. In gratitude the
Emperor provided him with a hospital and allowed
other missionaries to settle in the country. At first
the growth of the Church was slow, but after a
while the increase was very rapid. The Koreans
turned to Christianity in such numbers that they
were called “a nation on the run to Christ.” From
1904 to 1910 the number of Christians increased’
from 30,000 to 110,000. “The first Presbyterian
church in Pyeng Yang swarmed thirty-nine times
in fifteen years and then had two thousand members
left in the parent church.” In one generation,
Christianity has succeeded in winning one out of
sixty in Korea’s population to identify himself
either as a member or catechumen with the Church.
A convert has been made for every hour, day and
night, since Christianity was introduced.

In 1906 a terrible blow fell upon the Christians
of Korea when they were accused of having con-
spired against the Japanese Government. Mission-
aries were implicated; Koreans were imprisoned in
great numbers and tortured in an attempt to extort
the truth. Finally the truth came out, and the
accusations were withdrawn. The Church emerged
from the terrible trial triumphant; the suspicion,
proscription, and persecution had but helped to
strengthen her spiritual life. Six heathen reformers
who had been imprisoned were turned to Christ

while in prison and lived to thank God for their
incarceration. The so-called independence move-
ment of 1919 for a time again threatened great
harm to the Church, but the wisdom of the mis-
sionaries and Christian workers did much to avert
the danger and bring about a feeling of trust on
the part of the Government towards the Korean
Christians.

Practically all the mission-work now being done
in Korea is carried on by two Methodist and four

Children in a Korean Mission-School.

Presbyterian church-bodies, each of these six bodies
being responsible for the evangelization of a certain
territory.

The marvelous growth of Christianity in Korea
is ascribed to three factors by those who have had
a direct insight into the matter. For one thing, it
is said that nowhere in the modern Church have
Christians felt the obligation to tell others of the
Savior as is the case in Korea. Every Christian is
a missionary, who regards it as his sacred duty to
testify for Christ and try to gain others for Him
and His Church. Another factor referred to as an
explanation of the Church’s growth in Korea is the