Librauy of Che Theological Seminary PRINCETON *- NEW JERSEY C= PRESENTED BY Delevan L,. Pierson BV 3427 .F46 D38 1925 Davis, George T. B. 1873- China's Christian army “PS6L Jo sulids oy} ur ‘Aep ouo ut poziydeq e10M OYM AUIIY URISIIYO s,eUuIyO JO ust puvsnoyy oso1yy, China's Christian Army A Story of Marshal Feng and Hts Soldiers By GEORGE T. B. DAVIS INTRODUCTION BY CHARLES GALLAUDET TRUMBULL, D.D. Editor of the Sunday School Times Copyright MCMXXV by The Christian Alliance Publishing Company Printed in the United States of America The Christian Alliance Publishing Company 260 West 44th Street, New York, N. Y. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Imtroductioniis caer cc aa: 3 (By Charles G. Trumbuli) I. Inthe Camp at Nanyuan.. ‘c II. When the Fire Fell ...... 22 III. When the Wind Blew .... 36 IV. How MHeaven’s Artillery HH eInedinoay wate ertcals otda © 51 V. Why Peking Was Cap- CUT OCU TOR pant acetates’ s 64 VI. How Prayer Stopped the Battlonatmimers ae tele 81 VII. Paul Wang: Policeman- Prisoner-Preacher ..... 93 VIII. Harbingers of Revival ... 106 IX. The Taiping Officer’s Tes- tan ori bye Mee yes 118 X. God’s Word for China... 128 INTRODUCTION T WAS an extraordinary privilege I that Mr. Davis had in being so close to Marshal Feng, and his officers and his men, for such an extended time in China. There has been no military man in our generation, perhaps none for centuries, who seems to rank with Feng, in God’s plans, as a soul-winning Chris- tian. In the summer of 1920 I had the privi- lege of visiting the army headquarters of the General (he had not then been made Marshal), with Dr. Jonathan Go- forth, and I cannot forget the impres- sive and reassuring Christian person- ality of this Chinese commander. There was no affectation, no desire to impress a visitor with the ‘‘Christianity’’ of his camp. But there were abundant evi- dences of the presence and work of the Holy Spirit and the enthronement of 3 4 INTRODUCTION Christ as Lord. One hundred and fifty of his commissioned officers were called together, on that week-day afternoon of a sweltering August day, for an address from the visitor on the life of victory in Christ. Feng presided at the meeting, and the officers in attendance took notes on the Bible teaching as though they had been a class in an American Bible institute. One thing that always impresses those who study Feng’s army is the applica- tion of present-day, practical righteous- ness in the lives and activities and char- acters of men and officers, as well as their clear understanding of eternal is- sues and salvation through Christ as Saviour. And perhaps no member of the body of Christ on earth today is in a more perilous position than Marshal Feng. In the center of a maelstrom of un- principled politics, human and devilish machinations, mercenary and ambitious INTRODUCTION 5 self-seeking, in a heathen land where Satan’s stronghold is, it is not to be wondered at if this Christian general should have made some slips, while in the main honestly seeking to do God’s will. It is to be wondered at—a marvel of God’s grace—that he has been kept as he has, walking as a humble, true- hearted child of God, and bringing tem- poral and eternal blessing into the lives of thousands of his fellow countrymen. May the reading of this book place Marshal Feng permanently upon the hearts and the prayer lists of multitudes of Christian intercessors, the world around, until the Lord returns. Satan has done and will continue to do every- thing in his power to overthrow Feng, and to bring his own and his army’s Christian testimony into disrepute. Let us set ourselves against this Satanic desire, remembering that, in Feng’s be- half, ‘‘we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against 6 INTRODUCTION powers, against the rulers of the dark- ness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,’’ and that ‘‘the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.’’ CHARLES GALLAUDET TRUMBULL. CHAPTER I IN THE CAMP AT NANYUAN IRST in America, and later in Aus- tralia and New Zealand, I had heard reports of Gen. Feng Yu Hsiang and his Christian Army. Re- cently I travelled nearly half way round the world to work in the army, and to give the men the Word of God. And now, after four months in Peking; after studying the army at first hand, from the private soldier to the commanding officer; I can say—like one who long ago travelled far to see a famous man and his work in another Hastern land,— ‘ i i v i ie ae © © Pa ' i ao aT: J 9 , v6 bo Stag - Fi Li ie a4 1s ‘ Bi pve a: 7 @ : ais ay. ¥ . ~ ie % ® y of 4. 5 hwy we ae Whee as he ses 7 . Ae Sate Tete ea ‘uend-UBN YR Curvo ay) JB “UOISSTIN PUB[UL BVUTYD AO WeIIC ‘aISOH “M “G “AW puke {AARN Ysa ‘unas sower JIG [BITUpY isuoy TPYSIV !AIVUOISSIN “VY "NW PY ‘ODO ‘TRANH unaem “AVY (JUSIa 07 YyJarT) WHEN THE Fire FELL 29 the great enemies of China were not the Japanese, but the Chinese themselves, because of their disobedience in the sight of God. ‘“‘As Gen. Feng prayed the tears rolled down his face until there was a pool where he knelt on the platform. While he was praying, officers all over the place were crying and sobbing and confessing their sins. It was a never- to-be-forgotten scene as the Holy Spirit came down and swept over that great gathering of officers, cleansing and purg- ing, and purifying and reviving. ‘‘Previously five hundred men had been baptized; and following these spe- cial meetings, 507 more were baptized after careful examination. ‘‘Not once but many times during the past years has the miraculous power of God been manifested in connection with Gen. Feng’s Army. When the Army was stationed at Chang-Te-fu in Hunan there was a severe drought. Unless 30 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY speedy relief came the crops would fail. Gen. Feng called the people together, and like Elijah on Mount Carmel, said to the Buddist and Taoist priests: ‘You are the religious leaders of the land, you pray first.’ They could not. Then he called upon his own officers. Colonels Li and Lu and others, and then led in prayer himself. That night a great rain came! The drought was broken, and the crops were saved. ‘‘Wour years later at Kaifeng in Honan a similar miraculous answer to prayer occurred. Again Gen. Feng called all the Chinese people into a big open space outside the city. He also as- sembled his men, a majority of whom had by that time become Christians. Here also the General and his officers led in prayer. One of those present said that Gen. Feng’s prayer was just like that of one of the Old Testament proph- ets as he confessed the sins of himself and the people, and asked God to mani- WHEN THE Fire FELL 31 fest His glory and send rain. Again prayer was answered. Copious rain de- scended a day or two later, and the drought was broken.’’ It is a splendid indication of the solid- ity of the Work of Grace in the Chris- tian Army, that Gen. Feng does not stand alone in solitary grandeur as an example of piety and uprightness. The same devotion and consecration that animates his soul, is seen flaming in the hearts of the officers and men. During Dr. Goforth’s first visit to the Army in 1918 he was commanded by Col. Chang, who is now Gen. Chang-Chi-chang. They spent two nights there, and Dr. Goforth ate and slept with Col. Chang. The young colonel was on fire to win his 1,500 men to Christ. He had Scrip- ture texts on the wall of his room, and was constantly speaking to his men per- sonally as well as publicly about accept- ing Christ. Later Col. Chang became the President of a band of 58 evangelists 32 CuInA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY in the Army. On one occasion, after listening to an address by Dr. Goforth, his love for the lost was so great that he declared he must leave the Army and go out Preaching. When he went to Gen. Feng and told him of his desire, the Gen- eral exclaimed: ‘‘Splendid! I also want to give up the Army and do the same.’’ From the inception of the Christian Army, the pathway of Gen. Feng and his officers and men has not been strewn with roses. On more than one occasion, it seemed as though nothing short of a miracle could save them from extermi- nation—but deliverance always came. Some years ago, while the Army was in the province of Hunan, they were in dire straits. While a southern army was marching against them, a northern General (with a still larger force) had orders to fall upon the troops and mas- sacre them. They were hemmed in on three sides. Humanly speaking, escape seemed improbable. But the eye of God WHEN THE Fre FELL 33 was upon the little Army, and His Ever- lasting Arms were round about them. They escaped from the trap without the loss of a single life or a pound of lug- gage. When Dr. Goforth met the Army later and expressed his amazement at their deliverance, one of the Colonels said: ‘‘ Are we not the soldiers of the Living God? Did He not put fear into the hearts of the enemy so that they dared not attack us?’’ But while faith wrought the victory, works also were not wanting. Col. Chang, who had been left with his battalion of 1,500 men to cover the withdrawal, said to Dr. Goforth: ‘‘T remembered your advice when in Hunan last year. You said then, ‘If we would impress our Christianity upon the Armies of China, we must come behind in no military detail, even to our shoe- laces.’ We travelled at night and were always ready for attack. When we en- camped during the day, we always threw 3 34 CuHINA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY up entrenchments. It was the hot sea- son, therefore marching was less trying at night. After we had escaped from the southern army, we were in danger from a numerically stronger northern army. They had orders to lie in ambush and destroy us, but their General after- ward admitted that every time he planned to attack, he found us so ready that he gave it up as too dangerous. Before the delightful visit with Dr. Goforth concluded, he gave vent to a fervent appeal for prayer on General Feng and his officers and men, saying: ‘‘T realize the terrible catastrophe that would occur if the leaders gave way. No one recognizes this more than Gen- eral Feng and his officers themselves. What the Army needs is intercessors to be raised up in all lands to hold up their hands. Dr. A. T. Pierson says that every revival begins in prayer, con- tinues just as long as the prayer-spirit WHEN THE Fire FELL 35 continues, and wanes as the prayer- spirit wanes. ‘“‘So with this Army. As long as God’s intercessors will hold them up they will go on from strength to strength. ‘‘But if the intercessors fail, the re- vival-spirit in the army will wane, and the loss to China will be appalling. Will not each one who reads these lines pray very earnestly and definitely each day for Marshal Feng and the of- ficers and men of the Christian Army, that through it the Name of the Lord may once more be magnified and glori- fied? Like a meteor from a mid-night sky has emerged this strange phenome- non of the most Godly Army in the world in the midst of the darkness of heathenism. Surely the Lord has some great purpose in raising up this army, which may be revealed in the not distant future. In the meantime, let us not sin against God in ceasing to pray for them! CHAPTER IIT WHEN THE WIND BLEW F anyone thinks that the day of mira- I cles has passed, let him go to China, and talk with the leader in Gen. Feng’s Christian army. That such an army should suddenly emerge from the darkness of heathenism is in itself noth- ing short of miraculous. But it is in the history of the army that the protecting Hand of God has been most strikingly manifested. Events have taken place which are modern counterparts of Old Testament miracles. In the Christian army there are five generals under Gen. Feng. One of these is Major General Chang Chih-Chiang who was in command of the front line of Gen. Feng’s army in the war of 1924. He is small in stature, and nervous in temperament. When in repose his face 36 General Chang Chih-Chang, the flaming evangelist of the Christian Army. Pes gin ‘ 1 = rt 5 ~via tee vee a st en - > as - , er a ne : i io A 7 awe 7 > > : = : hu; 7 : a c + - ‘ ’ «@ a “a 7 a ‘ ie 2 on - ’ u@ 7 ie + » s ( “ ie ’ aie 4 4 . ’ : 4 | aw e- seh > = J Yor es ’ ~ a* 7 4 ) . ’ WHEN THE WIND BLEW 37 is serious; but when in conversation it lights up, and he has a radiant smile. Gen. Chang is the ‘‘Billy Sunday’’ of the Christian army. He speaks very rapidly, and with his whole body. It is said that he jumped two feet from the platform during one of his addresses. Following a wonderful meeting with thousands of Gen. Chang’s men, a num- ber of us were seated in his headquar- ters at Tunghsien. The request was made that Gen. Chang should tell us the story of his conversion; and of the part he had played, and the power of God he had witnessed, during the war of 1922 in the north of China. Gen. Chang kindly consented, and with glowing face, he rapidly poured forth the story in Chinese. At frequent intervals, as the general proceeded, friends—Rev. Martin EH. Kvall, Rev. Carleton Lacy, and Chaplain Chang— kindly gave the English translation: 38 CHINA’s CHRISTIAN ARMY ‘ f : —_ 4 Happy warriors with their pocket Testaments. CHAPTER VI HOW PRAYER STOPPED THE BATTLE EN. CHANG-CHIH-CHANG, the flaming evangelist, led the first battle line of the Christian army in the war of 1924. I was eager to se- cure the story of the war from his own lips. He was then Tuchun of Charhar with his capital at Kalgan, about 200 miles north of Peking. Marshal Feng was also staying in Kalgan for a time so there was a double incentive to visit this city. After a seven hours railway journey from Peking over the only line in the country built entirely by the Chinese, Kalgan was reached. It has a frontier flavor like a city on the Western plains of the United States or Canada. Mar- 81 6 82 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY | shal Feng kindly received my mission- ary host, Rev. Carl Soderbom and my- self; and following the interview in- vited us to take breakfast with himself and a number of his Generals. During the meal I asked Marshal Feng if it was true that he had had eight suits of for- eign clothes made for travel abroad. ‘‘No,’’ said he, ‘‘that is a mistake. It is nine.”’ General Chang Chih-chang readily granted my request for a connected ac- count of the army from the beginning to the end of the conflict. Indeed he ex- ceeded my request. He and his wife invited the missionaries of Kalgan to be their guests at tiffin at the Tuchun’s Yamen. After the luncheon he took the company into his office. After offering a fervent prayer, General Chang began the story of the deed that changed the history of China. Speaking in his usual rapid, impas- sioned manner, and illustrating the How Prayer Strorprpep THE Battin 83 events described with waving arms, General Chang said: ‘From the beginning of its career the Christian army had not dared to take a step without asking Divine sanction. Conditions in China made the entry of the army into the recent war a difficult problem. ‘‘The President of the Republic, Tsau Kun, was covetous of money; and Wu Pei-fu of power. The President was seeking to get more and more money, instead of to save China. If anyone wished to have an interview with T'sau Kun he had to pay to secure it, showing his love of money rather than of his country. Wu Pei-fu did not have that fault, but he wanted to be ‘the big man’ of China. He was determined to rule the country by force of arms, no matter how much loss of life and suffering was entailed. ‘‘Marshal Feng was promised guns and equipment before he left Peking. 84 Cuina’s CHRISTIAN ARMY He only received a portion of the arms and ammunition. The remainder was only supplied after Marshal Feng had personally paid more than $100,000 to Tsau Kun. ‘“At length the army began its march northward. As they journeyed the leaders were praying earnestly that the Lord would show them clearly what they ought to do. “On October 19th, Marshal Feng called a meeting of the Brigadier-Gen- erals and made a long address to them. He felt very sorrowful. He wept over the sad plight into which the country had come through the impotence and corruption of its rulers, Hach of those present made long prayers asking God to show them His will in the matter. At the close of the meeting all, with one ac- cord, felt they should return to Peking.’’ At this point there were interruptions and we departed. E < 4g rr)