The Battle of Faith

Be sure to read the previous parts of this series and watch out for the rest of the entries, which give readers insight into the life and faith of this remarkable man.

Trust and Obey

The refuges brought people’s attention spiritually and financially. Those who came to quit opium had to pay for their own expenses. If it was managed properly, a small profit could be generated. Not only could these refuges help people but also make money. Yet they did not see the prayer, dedication, hard work, patience, and careful management. As a result, people with different motives wanted to earn profit from it. There were rumors that Pastor Hsi used these refuges to make money. He replied:

Yes, I am engaged in a profitable undertaking. My Master, the Proprietor, is Lord of All. The profits I seek and obtain are the priceless souls of men; those who enter the refuges hear the gospel, believe, and obtain salvation. They are not a few. Several thousands of men and women have, through this business, been delivered from opium smoking. Several hundred are at present standing firm in the faith: some pastors, some elders, some deacons, and many returns to reckon up accounts. He may receive his capital and interest without loss. What objection can there be to such business in his name?¹

Some criticisms came from the missionary group he respected. Some missionaries opposed Pastor Hsi’s approach because they believed that quitting opium was not important. If a refuge was to open, it should be under the direct control of the mission station. They believed that Pastor Hsi was going too fast and too far and that his influence on Chinese Christians was too big, which would be dangerous. Some people even expressed their opinions directly to Pastor Hsi, which brought him pain and confusion. He realized that it was inevitable to offend people, so he learned to control himself, wait patiently, and let God work in his own way. God’s work grows in difficult times and is more firmly rooted in faith and prayer.

In addition, Pastor Hsi’s weakness—the desire to control—was sometimes magnified. He believed that God had placed him in a leadership position like Moses, and he expected others to obey his authority because he believed that the work he did was the will of the Lord. Pastor Hsi obeyed God’s will and waited on God. Once he knew God’s will, he would not change a bit. There was definitely a certain danger in holding such a position. He would become very firm and controlling in the things he believed in. When talking about him, D. E. Hoste wrote in his introduction to the book:

The subject of this biography (Pastor Hsi) possessed in more than ordinary measure the qualities that fit men for leadership; combining that comprehensiveness of mind and foresight which enable men to frame measures on a large scale with the strength of will, practical resourcefulness, and capacity for the management of others essential in carrying such projects to completion…By nature and by training, his temper was autocratic and independent. It was difficult, therefore, for him to give due weight and appreciation to the counsel and co-operation of other workers. His confidence was not easily won; indeed, a tendency to over-mistrust and suspicion concerning those whom he did not know well was a distinct weakness in his character.²

While Pastor Hsi believed in the Lord, he was not systematically trained in the Word of God. So he interpreted the Bible with errors and his own views. In the early days of his ministry, there were times when he did not obey the Word of God, there were times when he exalted Chinese ideas, and there were times when he underestimated and looked down on Western missionaries; however, his prayer life was lively and powerful. Therefore, as he surrendered to the Lord in prayer day by day, he became stronger in interpreting the Bible. He often brought in his own creativity and deep spiritual insights when preaching.

He had many difficulties in his ministry, but some could have been avoided. However, whether they were the dangers of false brothers or God’s discipline, he embraced them with a good attitude. He constantly repented of his sins, learned to trust God more instead of trusting in his own abilities, and became stronger and stronger because his love for the Savior and souls was the motive of his labor and self-sacrifice. The most unforgettable experience in his ministry occurred in 1887.

The Hung Tung Church Split

After the departure of the pastors led by Hudson Taylor, the Shanxi church ushered in a new revival. The big meeting in April 1887 reached an unprecedented climax, even surpassing the meeting led by Hudson Taylor the previous year. The conference specially arranged a whole day of baptism, and 214 people were baptized, including 52 sisters. For the first time in inland China, so many praises reached the throne of God. However, in these blessings and good times, the roots of bitterness were hidden.

Before Hsi was ordained, everyone was willing to follow him. Once he was ordained, even if it was just a change in title, many co-workers started to be suspicious, jealous, and dissatisfied. This was partly due to Pastor Hsi’s own attitude. When he trained young brothers, he knew how to motivate them and inspire the best in their hearts. He had a great influence on them, but his attitude often brought considerable challenges to other brothers. He had not yet fully learned how to lead in love. If Pastor Hsi had been humble and alert when interacting with the brothers and had known how to resist the temptations brought about by the new pastorate, a lot of unnecessary problems might have been avoided.

Another reason was uncontrollable factors. The split was inevitable because some people were dissatisfied with Pastor Hsi’s spiritual goals and were more concerned about making money and personal development. But Pastor Hsi had his own weakness, and his lack of humility and skills accelerated and exacerbated the split in the church.

At that time, missionary Stanley Smith left Hung Tung Mission Station, and he asked Pastor Hsi to move into his rooms and take charge of everything. Pastor Hsi took this invitation as a reward for his previous efforts and accepted it. During a Sunday sermon, he gave a sermon titled “Now Is the Son of Man Glorified.” Although the sermon mainly focused on the theme of the Scripture, he also explained how this principle was consistent with people’s experience and his personal situation. Pastor Hsi wanted to emphasize the spiritual meaning, focusing on God’s grace and faithfulness. But the listeners quickly came to the conclusion that Pastor Hsi, who lived in the comfortable and free Hung Tung Mission Station and had the honor brought by the position, felt he was superior to them. Fan and several others were furious because of this, but in fact, their hearts had long been far away from the Lord.

They were familiar with the refuge ministry, so they contacted and instigated other co-workers to break away from Pastor Hsi and set up their own refuges, making religion a secondary issue. They sold pills at a lower-than-cost price to cause financial losses to Pastor Hsi so that they could replace him. They planned for a long time, raising funds on the one hand and brewing bitterness in people’s hearts on the other.

Finally, Fan, Mr. Zhang, and a deacon gathered a group of people and broke into the Hung Tung Mission Station. They knew that Pastor Hsi was there alone, so they wanted to intimidate him. Fan was a violent person and was almost mad. Fan accused Pastor Hsi and even threatened him with a sword. Pastor Hsi knew that he was in danger, but he faced those people calmly. The missionaries were gone, so they grabbed Pastor Hsi and walked for several hours, rushing into the Jinnan Mission Station. Mr. Bagnall wrote later, “The grace he showed was wonderful. But while those men were raving round, we felt as if in hell.”³ Mr. Bagnall secretly sent someone to prepare a horse and asked Pastor Hsi to leave on horseback.

The Hung Tung Church split, but there were no more physical conflicts. Fan and his accomplices did everything they could to accuse Pastor Hsi. They borrowed money to open more than 20 refuges next to the refuges run by Pastor Hsi. They used the medicine made by Pastor Hsi and his methods to sell the medicine at a low price. They even hired people with a bad reputation to destroy the reputation of Hsi’s refuges. Fan and several others were influential in the local area. Their refuges were also doing well. In the meantime, few people went to Hsi’s refuges, and Christians were confused.

As this painful summer passed, poor Pastor Hsi endured unspeakable suffering and pressure, but most of his co-workers still supported him firmly. The love and loyalty of people were a great comfort to him. But they still had to go through this refining furnace together. Sometimes it even seemed that God’s hand had withdrawn, and Satan was destroying the ministry at will. Serious problems arose in each refuge. When the enemy prospered, Pastor Hsi was under great pressure. There were continuous deaths of opium addicts in refuges. Fortunately, Pastor Hsi and his co-workers were not in trouble, and the patients’ families were able to deal with it rationally. Pastor Hsi knew that God’s hand was still there.

D. E. Hoste came back and stabilized the situation. Mr. Hoste and Pastor Hsi both believed that they should not force a close to the matter and that God would reveal the right and wrong. Later, a lot of things happened suddenly. The core leaders of Fan’s refuges came across crises one by one. Some had serious family problems, some became destitute, some became sick, and one or two died. Their refuges closed down one after another, and Pastor Hsi’s opponents suddenly disappeared. Pastor Hsi and his co-workers did not fight against them. After a few months, everything was calm, and those who had followed Fan also began to realize their mistakes. These days in 1887 made Mr. Hoste and Pastor Hsi life-long friends and brothers who completely trusted each other.

Over the next four and a half years, nearly five hundred people quit opium at the refuge, and many of them came to believe in the Lord. The Lord turned all the hardships of the year into blessings. “You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance” (Psalm 66:12). Just after the 1887 event, Pastor Hsi started 19 more refuges: eight around Taiyuan, five in southern Shanxi, five in Henan, and one in Xi’an. The preparations for these ministries were all carried out a few weeks after the day the Hung Tung Mission Station was attacked. Mr. Stevenson invited Pastor Hsi to Taiyuan to discuss the ministries. Although Pastor Hsi was heavy-hearted, he embarked on the journey to Taiyuan. Pastor Hsi opened 45 refuges in four provinces: Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Zhili, leading many souls to salvation.

When funds were low and there were persecutions, Pastor Hsi wrote a hymn with perfect peace in his heart, titled “The Lord Gives Me Peace,” which is still widely sung today. The lyrics are as follows:

1.
Through the faith,
Grown so poor!
How can I but be sad?
Think of Christ,
Born so low!
And then my heart is glad.

Chorus
Jesus gives me peace,
Jesus gives me peace,
The peace that Jesus gives.
Unlike the joys of this world,
None can take away;
It is the peace of Heaven.

2.
For the truth,
Treated ill.
How can I but be sad?
Think of Christ,
Crowned with thrones!
And then my heart is glad.

3.
For “Good News,”
Pass through pain;
How can I but be sad?
Think of Christ
Scourged and torn!
And then my heart is glad.

4.
For the Church,
In sore straits;
How can I but be sad?
Think of Christ!
And then my heart is glad.⁴

Conclusion

Pastor Hsi’s spiritual battles, particularly the split in the Hung Tung Church, tested his faith and leadership in profound ways. Yet, through these trials, he emerged stronger, his ministry expanding in the face of opposition. In the final installment, we will reflect on his last days, the legacy he left behind, and the lessons we can learn from his life of service and faith.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on ChurchChina.org and translated by the author. ChinaSource edited it into a series of posts and published it with permission.

1. Mrs. Howard Taylor, Pastor Hsi, 235-236.
2. Mrs. Howard Taylor, Pastor Hsi, Introduction, xiii.
3. Mrs. Howard Taylor, Pastor Hsi, 198.
4. Mrs. Howard Taylor, Pastor Hsi, 233-234.

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