“The Doctrine of the True God’s Love for the World 真神愛世論"

Early wood block of a Christian missionary text. This is a popular religious tract composed in Chinese, but reflecting popular Christianity that resulted from Western protestant missionary activity in Canton [Guangzhou]. The title is 真神愛世論 (Zhenshen aishi lun) “The Doctrine of the True God's Love for the World ". The block is for the first page of a multi-page book (number 1 in the center of the block). The printed sheet would have been folded down the middle, resulting in one doubled-up leaf, and two "pages" in the English sense. The names of the foreign countries are highlighted with a side line. The translation reads:

The true god loved the world's people so completely and so greatly that he commanded his beloved son Jesus to descend to the world to save people's souls. Moreover the true god transformed the Chinese people, the people of the Flowery Banner [the United States], English people, people of the Western Ocean, people of the Yellow Banner [Denmark], people of France, and the people of all nations. The love of the god for the people of the world is greater than that of parents for their children, of a rich man for his wealth, of a scholar for his books, of a sinner for his sin, of a friend for his friends; the love of god is greater than all of these. Imagine the ocean was made of ink, and that the heavens were of paper, and that all plants were writing brushes; even if all the people of the world wrote together, their writing would not be able to encompass the entirety of god's love. All the ink would be used up, the paper too small, the writing brushes all spent, and the young become old, and in the end they would not be able to write down the love of the true god. The love of the true god cannot be spoken in words, since there is nobody who can grasp its subtleties.

Suppose I had riches that I did not share with others; it would not be right for another person to demand it from me. Suppose the true god had a son who he did not bestow upon the people of this world; it would not be proper for the people of this world to demand it from him. For the true god not to have sent his son down to the world would then have been entirely just. And for all of us to be deprived of eternal life, and to fall into hell would similarly have been entirely just. It's as if I had riches that I had not given to others, and while not granting it to anyone i was willing to give it to others; that would be proof of my love for them. Similarly, suppose that the true god had a son and had not sent him down to the world, and had not made [him ?] a gift to the people of the world, and that the true god was willing send to his son down to earth, that ...[end of page].