By Mary Vee
Year: September, 1867
Hudson Taylor: age 35
From J. Hudson Taylor's Notes
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| photo courtesy |
There, as a group, we walked through the city to determine if a mission could successfully be established. We made sure a bank account could be established and a house rented.
Earlier this year, we chose to visit Huzhou, a city known for the Great Lake robbers, drunkenness, and all kinds of violence. Even the magistrate of the city had little control over the people. For the safety of the missionaries, we chose not to set up a mission.
In the middle of September, I returned to Huzhou with James Williamson and two Chinese nationals to see if there had been any changes. We presented ourselves to the magistrate, paid a deposit on a house, which we were told they could have some time in the near future, and all seemed well. I returned to our base camp leaving the missionaries to establish a church.
James, Liu, and Yi lived on the boat, waiting to move into the house. They spent their days preaching and giving tracts to men and women who seemed interested in hearing about the God who loves them.
During the time of living on the boat, James became sick with malaria. Liu and Yi brought him back to the base camp to be treated for his illness. John McCarthy left the next day with Liu and Yi to take James' place.
We are not sure what happened, but a few days after John's arrival, citizens protested, carrying signs with messages against the missionaries. To make matters worse, missionary Carl Kreyer, visited John wearing European clothing. John tried each day after he left to recapture the people's attention, but it didn't work.
John, Liu, and Yi walked about the city of Huzhou one day looking for a corner to stand and preach. They passed through a narrow lane. A drunken man shouted insults at them. As soon as John passed, a small gang of men grabbed Yi and threw him to the ground. They hit him in the face.
John ran back to the boat, grabbed their papers granting foreigners permission to be in the city. Liu ran for the police while John and Yi tried to calm the mob.
The angry crowd grabbed Yi, slapping him in the face and punching him. John tried to rescue Yi but the crowd closed in, preventing him from getting close to Yi.
The police officer arrived after Yi had been beaten and commanded Yi to follow him. He didn't offer Yi any protection. As Yi stood to follow, the crowd continued to strike him with every weapon they could find.
John didn't know what to do. He wasn't prepared for this sort of violence.
Come back next time to see what happened.
J. Hudson Taylor
Missionary to China--Inland China!
Blessed by God even in time of torment
Research resources: J. Hudson Taylor, An Autobiography by J. Hudson Taylor; It is Not Death to Die, a new biography of Hudson Taylor by Jim Cromarty; Hudson Taylor Founder, China Inland Mission by Vance Christie; J. Hudson Taylor, A Man in Christ, by Roger Steer, and Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Dr. &and Mrs. Howard Taylor.
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