Ho-nan

Why did these Christians suffer? They were not law breakers. They lived at peace with their neighbors. Men call them "Rice Christians." If they were "Rice Christians," why did they suffer? all they needed to do was simply to take the idols, put them back in the old spot, burn a few sticks of incense and kneel down in worship, then they would have escaped the majority of their sufferings. Why did they not bow down before the idols and so escape? Theirs was the same spirit that caused our own covenanting fathers to leave their homes and wander amongst the hills and dales and caves. The same spirit that enabled Ridley, Latimer and a score of others to face boldly and courageously the stake, the guillotine, and the burning pile. Yes, it was real, true Christian heroism that supported our Christians in Ho-nan and carried them through.