HUDSON TAYLOR The man who believed God by Marshall Broomhall

THE DESIGN OF GOD 193
This is not the place to consider these in detail. What
has been written must suffice to indicate the spirit of the
man whose life we are studying. We must conclude this
chapter by showing how he found in Scripture justification
for widespread itineration as an Evangelizing
Agency.
At the Shanghai Conference of 1877 he read a paper
on this subject which is still worthy of consideration. It
is based on such passages as:
"Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in
their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
and healing every sickness and every disease among the
people."
Four questions were asked:
I. "What is the necessity for and the actual value of
itinerant missionary work? That it is both necessary and of
great value might well be assumed from the prominence
given to it by our Lord Himself, and also by the Apostles .
. . . [And] history now proves that the work thus attempted
was actually accomplished, and quickly accomplished."
Then follow some exceedingly valuable remarks on
the best method of preaching to the Chinese, who are an
eminently practical people. After referring to the Word
as "incorruptible seed", i.e. imperishable seed, he continues:
"Talk theory to the heathen, and they are generally unmoved;
tell them merely of blessings in store for the future,
and they are too often sceptical or too occupied with the
pressure of present necessities to heed what you have to say.
But tell your audience that you have an inJallible help for .
every opium smoker among them, for every drunkard, for ·
every fornicator, for every gambler-t~t you pwclaim a
Saviour who has never once failed to save immediately any
soul that trusted in Him, both from the power of sin and
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