The people of the Philippines, their religious progress and preparation for spiritual leadership in the Far East,

CHAPTER XI

THE COMING OF AMERICAN MISSIONARIES
Doors which had been as tightly closed to Protestantism
as Persia or Tibet, suddenly flew open in I898. No Mission
Board was prepared for a cordial reception, for America did
not as yet know anything about the struggle of the Filipino
clergy during the Spanish regime-the Philippines were a
sealed book to the outside world. When the missionaries
learned that Protestantism had already begun before their
arrival, they began to send excited messages back to their
Boards, couched in language like this:
"Never in the history of the American Church has such
an opportunity been offered or such responsibility been placed
upon the American public. Conditions in the Philippines are
similar to those in Germany when Luther arose; a renegade
priesthood, a dead church, a people that have been starved.
Conditions are ripe for a wholesale revolt from Rome...."
High enthusiasm radiates from the average missionary letter
during the early years of American occupation. Words like
the following are characteristic: "Oh, what a wonderful field
we have in Union Province. One hundred and fifty thousand
people to evangelize and they are anxious for the truth, a pure
gospel, and an open Bible. Skepticism is rapidly taking the
place of a religion which education has shown to be a mass
of superstition, taught by a corrupt priesthood, determined to
keep their people in ignorance." 2
Two months after Dewey entered Manila Bay, a conference
of representatives of the larger foreign mission boards and
societies was held in New York City (July, I898), to plan
for a harmonious and effective occupation of the Philippine
Presbyterian Report for I9oo.
The Evangel, March I905.
177